JV Teabaggers get PR space in Journal Sentinel
Guess what? A group that props up Republicans is running an ad that sugar coats Scott Walker’s fee-raising, credit-card financed Milwaukee County budget. Hardly news. Unless you’re the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who felt the need to provide Citizens for Responsible Government 571 words to expound about the ‘virtues’ of Walker’s budget that attacks county workers, unions, public services, borrows massively, relies on federal stimulus that he was against before he was for it, and raises all sorts of fees.
Not once was CRG identified as ‘conservative,’ ‘right-leaning,’ or ‘Republican-backing’ despite the fact the goals listed on the CRG website include:
· ‘Motivate fiscal conservatives to vote in increasingly larger numbers.’
· ‘Organize fiscal conservatives into the most influential political force in Wisconsin.’
· ‘Encourage fiscal conservatives to contribute the human and financial resources needed to grow and be successful.’
Cory Liebmann over at Eye on Wisconsin has a great examination of the reality behind the Walker budget, here are just a couple of good nuggets:
· First-time ever fee for parking by the lark
· Bus fare going up
· Walker Death Tax – $150 fee for the medical examiner to transport a dead body
· Up to $500 more to take an EMS class
· Zoo admission and parking going up
And finally, Walker’s budget increases spending by 6%, more than twice the rate of inflation. So I guess CRG supports bigger budgets and hidden tax increases? And if the Walker budget passes and all those fees are raised and spending balloons out of control, will CRG claim victory for passing the budget? After all, they claimed the 6,000 signatures they collected for a Doyle recall was the reason the Governor decided not to run for a third term.