Big Spending, Corporate Funded Republican Governors Association Returns to Try to Bail Out Gov. Walker

MADISON, Wis. — The Virginia based, corporate-funded Republican Governors Association (RGA) announced in a press release today that it has returned to Wisconsin with negative television commercials attacking possible opponents of Gov. Walker in a recall election.

But according to One Wisconsin Now spokesperson Mike Browne, if creating jobs, taxes and spending are issues of concern, the RGA ought to be criticizing Gov. Walker based on his abysmal record as Governor and Milwaukee County Executive.

“It’s ironic the RGA ad focuses on jobs, taxes and spending when, under Gov. Walker, Wisconsin led the nation in job losses, increased taxes on seniors and working families by $70 million and, despite records cuts to education and draconian cuts to health care, still managed to adopt a budget that increased spending by over $1.1 billion.”

Browne noted that an analysis of Milwaukee County budget documents and information from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Gov. Walker’s performance as Milwaukee County Executive was equally dismal:

• The total county property tax levy increased 19.94% or $43.77 million;
• Total county spending increased 25.5% or $349.4 million and Walker proposed even higher spending increases of 34.6%, or $381.3 million;
• The total number of unemployed grew from 30,749 to 44,618, an increase of 45%;

Browne concluded, “No amount of special interest spending can hide that as Milwaukee County Executive and now as Governor Scott Walker’s one- percent, trickle-down economics have failed to create jobs and hurt the middle class, working families and seniors.”