Shovel Ready Nonsense -- State of the County

By Keith R. Schmitz

Many others have feasted on pieces on this turkey known as Scott Walker's state of the county speech, due in part because all you need to know about this candidate for governor is right here.

Essentially, while others a pursuing nuclear physics in terms of economic, the County Executive is practicing alchemy. The mantra of tax cuts proves the observation that when you are a hammer the world looks like nails.

Here we have as a major emphasis of the speech his fantasy plan for a sales tax holiday. Yet he brags about the bond rating for the county versus that of the state.

So how can he propose lopping off a major source of revenue, with no suggestion of where the money is going to come from to make up the gap? Certainly the proposal from some that the state pass combined reporting for corporations as an offset will not be in Walker's quiver.

Also disturbing is asking county workers to bear the burden of "streamlining" government through job cuts and "reforms" in collective bargaining. With consumer spending making up 70% of our economy it is hard to see how emulating the private sector's means of first resort will help improve this economy.

Usually in deep recessions such as this one you see governments being a means of putting people back to work. I know Walker wants to substitute county workers with private sector employees, but these positions will no doubt be underpaid with few or no benefits.

We did tax cuts for the past 30 years and they have flunked the audition. Stagnant middle class growth, America falling behind in health and education in a highly competitive world, crumbling infrastructure; all have been a result of "starving the beast." We have instead starved the best.

If this stimulus is done right, emphasizing "done right," we stand the chance of not only turning this economy around but also shrinking the deficit through a growing economy. But not doing a stimulus, which features government investment in our economy, ensures we can expect to head towards a depression.

Magical Misery Tour

By Keith Schmitz

The Fiscal Wake Up Tour hits Milwaukee today at Discovery World. The group, which includes the sagely Ann Rivlin who was former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, will be bringing dire warnings about the condition of our economy.

What they will be talking about before the members of the MMAC and any one else who cares to show up is that we are in sorry shape.

It is sort of Animal Farm in reverse. This time, instead of the piggy proletariat leaders selling out their followers to the other side, we are being offered up by those of the right wing.

Think of it. A major portion of our debt is being held by the "Red" Chinese. You know. Those evil folks that we have been taught to fear and loathe since 1949 mainly by Republicans.

It's not all Bush's fault, but certainly the trillions of dollars of debt built up by this administration over the past eight years has put us in the spot where the "Red" Chinese might be able to call the shots.

The Wake Up Tour will be telling us that who ever takes over after this election will have to make some tough choices. Of course one that seems totally inappropriate will be extending the tax cuts for those making high incomes who would feel the pain the least. At least John McCain thinks this would be wonderful.

If the US does not bite the bullet, we could have China, Saudi Arabia and other countries dictating our internal policy just like the World Bank does with any other third world country run by a tin horn dictator.

When Bush said he wanted to create an ownership society in this country, this is not what some of us had in mind.