The private sector continues to add jobs, thanks in large part to President Obama's Recovery Act, this month gaining more than 67,000 jobs. We're still making progress, but we've got a long way to go before we can make up for the 750,000 jobs per month we were hemorrhaging under the Bush Administration.
Here's a handy visual:
And once again, Republicans in Congress are dead set on scoring cheap political points instead of helping out America's small businesses and their employees.
Case and point: the Small Business Jobs Bill would have provided $12 billion in tax breaks for small businesses and would expand the availability of loans through the Small Business Administration loan program. What did Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell think of helping our small businesses create jobs? He called it "a little itty-bitty bill" and every Republican but two in the Senate voted against it. I guess since the bill didn't ship thousands of American jobs overseas or give massive tax breaks to the wealthy, Senate Republicans just couldn't find the temerity to support it.
Then there's John Boehner, who unveiled his jobs and economic "plan" last week in a speech so riddled with falsehoods, revisionist history and failed ideas, it really gives Paul Ryan's Roadmap a contender for Worst Republican Plan Yet. Boehner's plan in a nutshell? Let's go back to the same disastrous policies that led to America losing over 8 million jobs. Pardon me if I'm not excited at that prospect.
And how would Boehner take us there? Well, of course Boehner wants to keep the gigantic loophole in the current corporate tax system that allows multinational corporations to get tax credits for taxes they don't even pay. Boehner also claimed that allowing the disastrous Bush Tax Cuts, which would give an average tax cut of $100,000 to each household making more than $1 million, is somehow going to prevent job creation, when the CBO has clearly shown that a tax cut for the top two percent is the LEAST effective way to stimulate the economy. Darn facts and their 'liberal bias.'
Then again, we shouldn't be surprised Boehner has such disdain for this administration's efforts to create jobs - he attacked the jobs bill signed by the President last month that saved the jobs of hundreds of thousands of firefighters, police officers and teachers, deriding them as "government jobs" and "special interests."
Finally, in what's becoming the singe largest group amnesia event in recent history, Boehner and his Republican colleagues continue to attack about the size of the deficit. Fact: Republican leadership under George Bush took a record $237 billion surplus and turned it into a record $1.3 trillion deficit in eight short years. Remember when Dick Cheney said "deficits don't matter?" Yeah, neither do any Republicans. They didn't care about deficits while jamming through the behemoth $8 trillion unfunded mandate that was Medicare Part-D, or the largest transfer of wealth in the history of western civilization, the Bush Tax Cuts, also paid for with deficit spending. Or the two wars that were never on the budget. So when the Republican's all had their 'come to Jesus' moment on January 20, 2009, didn't the timing strike anyone else as rather suspect?
The fact is President Obama's policies pulled the economy back from the GWB cliff. The Recovery Act is working -- last quarter alone, the Recovery Act created almost 4 million jobs. President Obama is leading, and the American people are ready to follow and support his efforts to help our small businesses. The Republicans just have to get the hell out of the way.
With lots going on everywhere
this weekend. Let's take a minute to remember (and remind others) who
built this country, gave us the weekend, vacation time, sick leave,
benefits, safe workplaces, and elevated our workforce to the best in the
world. It was the American workforce and organized labor.
We will send a message loud and clear and united to Scott Walker that Wisconsin -- liberals, conservatives and moderates -- want his horrible ad off the air.
Tell Scott Walker: Pull Down Your Ad!
Walker turned hardball politics into dirty ball. In his television ad, he implies he's ready to get physical with Mayor Barrett -- going so far as to don boxing gloves and knock them together likes he's ready to fight.
Why would Scott Walker mock the heroic effort made by Mayor Barrett to protect a grandmother and her granddaughter who were under attack? Why would Scott Walker diminish Mayor Barrett's real heroism -- heroism that left him the victim of a vicious and potential fatal beating with a crowbar when he intervened?
It's unbelievable. But he did. And now he has to stop.
Demand Scott Walker pull down his offensive ad and get your friends and family to do the same. We need the loudest, largest voice possible to convince Scott Walker he is wrong and his ad must stop.
Scott Walker's tactics would embarrass even Karl Rove. What's worse is that Walker defended the ad just last night.
In the reprehensible ad, Walker exhorts, "I'm ready to go the distance." Defending the ad to a reporter yesterday, Walker said of Mayor Barrett's assault, "It wasn't even about a punch."
What does that mean? That Mayor Barrett didn't throw enough punches defending the grandmother? And that Walker would "go the distance"?
Inevitably, history has the final say in the tales of heroes and cowards.
We know Mayor Barrett is a hero.
And we know what this despicable ad makes Scott Walker.
Walker needs to dump his boxing gloves into one of his brown paper bags and get back to the issues facing Wisconsin - like creating jobs and how we can balance our budget and protect our important priorities like education, health care and police and fire protection.
Join the One Wisconsin Now community and people from all across Wisconsin in telling Walker "take down that ad."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, who left Marquette University without a degree for reasons yet to be revealed, returned to his almost-mater and the results seem to be the same as when he was a student: incomplete.
Walker was there to take part in a debate with former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, but unfortunately, Walker flat-out refused to address the main issue which had dogged him - how will he pay for nearly $3 billion in proposed tax cuts, tax shifts and tax loopholes in the midst of state's looming $2.5 billion deficit.
Keep in mind that Walker offered a blistering assault on the state's historic BadgerCare program, which provides access to health care coverage to children, expectant mothers and uninsured working Wisconsinites. This critical investment, begun under Tommy! Thompson is a model for the nation and has allowed Wisconsin to cover a higher percentage of its citizens than almost every other state in the nation.
Walker was on the attack, telling viewers that kids who have BadgerCare better watch their collective heinies. Apparently, only kids like Walker's, who have been covered their entire lives through Walker's various taxpayer-financed plans he's gotten as an elected offical, should have access to quality care.
And the reason why government has deficits? Remember that it's because of tax cuts that benefit the rich and big business that go all the way back 30 years to Reagan unaffordable tax cuts which took the top 1 percent from 70% to 28%. It's because of the unpaid-for Bush tax cuts which gave the richest nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.
Usually, tax modern conservative tax policy is this: across the board income tax cuts that give the middle class crumbs but provide a banquet to the wealthiest. These happen at the federal level, so when the wealthy calculate their adjusted gross income, state revenue also suffers because the revenue they would generate through progressive taxation from those at the top income brackets is also lost.
So, when Scott Walker offers a first-of-its-kind tax cut, something our research can find no evidence of happening either federally or in other states ever - a tax cut just for the top one percent, people making more than $225,000 - by god, he owes us an explanation how the hell he is going to pay for it.
WISN political host Mike Gousha directly asked Walker and Neumann how they would pay for their tax cut plans.
Walker refused to answer. Flat out. Nothing. Nada.
Walker has called for five budget-busting tax cuts and shifts and he absolutely refuses to act like a responsible adult and tell us what he is going to cut from health care, education and police and fire protection to pay for it.
A list of the most prominent Walker tax schemes:
Slash income taxes for the top one percent of income earners who make more than $225,000 a year -- two-year budget cost: $287 million.
Reopen the "Las Vegas Loophole" which allows Wisconsin businesses to shelter their tax obligations to Wisconsin families through phantom "offices" in states without corporate income tax -- two-year budget cost: $185 million.
Repeal changes made to the capital gains tax deduction, despite the fact 70 percent of capital gains filings are from those earning more than $200,000 a year -- two-year budget cost: $243 million.
Shelter the assets of the wealthiest Wisconsinites even more by a radical end to tax paid on retirement income, regardless of income -- two-year budget cost: $920 million.
Shift tax revenue from new car sales into the transportation fund -- two-year budget cost: $1 billion. [Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 2/23/09, 7/8/09, 1/25/10; "Upfront," WISN-TV, 11/8/09; La Crosse Tribune, 11/24/09], Wisconsin State Journal, 6/20/10; Legislative Fiscal Bureau]
Earlier today, One Wisconsin Now offered a list of 10 potential questions for Walker to answer. We would have settled for a simple answer to this one.
Ron Johnson, who's taken back half of what he's said since entering the race for US Senate, has had one consistent story he tells on the stump and in interviews.
It's a personal story about his daughter, which humanizes him (makes him seem a little less like a space alien who just entered our atmosphere) and sets up his complaints about national health care reform.
Maybe it's because it is personal, but the news media have been giving him a pass and simply reporting the story without asking whether it makes any sense. (It doesn't.)
"That's Debatable" is a weekly column published by WisOpinion.com featuring One WI Now's Scot Ross debating Brian Fraley from the conservative MacIver Institute on the 'hot topic' of the week.
This week's topic: Fundraisers, FEMA and Trains...but mostly about trains, and how Scott Walker apparently doesn't want to bring 13,000 jobs to Wisconsin with the high-speed train.
Just two short years ago, Two years ago Patrick McIlheran was railing against Barack Obama lack of experience, in a column entitled, "For President, I'd Go With Experience":
I'll put it simply: Judgment is formed by experience. Obama has little and asks us to trust him anyhow.
McCain, by contrast, has a record you can judge.
Obama seems like a bright fellow. Someday, he might achieve such understanding. Until then, I'd trust the guy who seems to know what he's doing.
Two years later, right here in Wisconsin, comes a guy who, if elected, would be the least experienced Senator in Wisconsin history and McIlheran is celebrating him in a glowing column entitled, "An Amateur Getting Up To Speed," saying:
It's the look of a guy who didn't plan his life around winning office. It's refreshing to see.
McIlheran, also extols the virtues of Johnson, who "spent the summer learning" about the issues, instead of "buttonholing the Wisconsin voters" and "interupting them to politick"-- like those nasty "career politicians" that just care about votes! (Is he talking about Sensenbrenner and Petri?)
To be fair, McIlheran wasn't the only conservative harping about Obama's lack of experience. Rick Esenberg complained that would "be the least experienced - and therefore least-known - person ever nominated for president by a major political party." Now, of course, Esenberg is silent on Johnson's lack of experience.
Gosh, who knew that political fortunes of inexperience would change so dramaticly? I hope they don't get their hands on my five year old son. He's REALLY inexperienced and knows alot less about the issues than Ron Johnson-- the perfect candidate!
Noted scientist Ron Johnson is making news over his
head-scratching declaration that sunspots, and not industry-created pollution, is
the reason for the global climate change causing historic flooding, severe heat
and cold and erratic weather events.
One Wisconsin Now has obtained a confidential blueprint
of RoJo's powerpoint presentation about his solution to the sunspot menace. We
await his release of this information, and subsequent backpedal.
The RoJo Device:
The RoJo Action Plan:
Since
RoJo, in true Sarah Palin-style, has insulated himself from having to
answer many of the media requests about his bizarre positions of the
day...or hour...he may or may not have had this to say: "Excellent."
Scott Walker's been on a "waste, fraud and abuse" tirade lately, conveniently omitting the fact that Milwaukee County has been swimming in waste, fraud and abuse throughout his eight years as County Executive.
Here are a few examples:
A "glitch" in the county's pension system computer software deposited some $10 million in pension payments to the county's retirees. That was after a $10 million computer system upgrade paid for just a year earlier. http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/83572597.html
And now, the pension cuts that Walker was pushing earlier this year will cost the county another $580,000 in computer upgrades, according to the pension board. http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/91722969.html
A county audit found that errors and omissions resulted in estimated annualized overpayments of $328,000 in the $11.9 million Milwaukee County Rent Assistance program.
A county audit found that Milwaukee County Program Integrity Unit needed a more comprehensive, strategic approach to detect and pursue child care fraud, and weak child care authorization and payment controls result in overpayments caused by excess authorizations.
Another county audit found that Walker, through staffing reductions, had concentrated the county purchasing power in the hands of just two people, overseeing approximately $50 million in purchases ($19 million centralized, $31 million decentralized), a disturbing sign of inadequate management oversight and a huge opportunity for fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
This is just five examples of the waste, fraud and abuse perpetrated by Scott Walker as Milwaukee County Executive. You can read about more examples here.
One Wisconsin Now | OneWisconsinNow.org | own@onewisconsinnow.org | PH: (608) 204-0677 | FAX: (608) 204-0689 | 152 West Johnson Street, Suite 214, Madison WI 53703
Ron Johnson, who's taken back half of what he's said since entering the race for US Senate, has had one consistent story he tells on the stump and in interviews.
