Budget

One Wisconsin Now files open records request to anti-working family Senators

One Wisconsin Now filed the following Open Records request today with the 18 Wisconsin Senators who illegally passed Gov. Walker’s attack on the rights of working families in March. We look forward to seeing what comes back in the most timely fashion. Dear Senators: This letter is to request the following records, under the state’s […]

More Lies from the GOP Noise Machine on Cronon Attacks

Never  allowing facts to get in the way of its smears, the right wing is trying to create a false moral equivalency between retaliatory actions taken by the Republican Party of Wisconsin against UW-Madison Professor Bill Cronon and a completely different kind of request for contract information made by One Wisconsin Now. After Professor Cronon, […]

David Prosser: The Partisans’ Partisan in Six Acts

There’s no denying former Republican Assembly Speaker and failed Republican Congressional nominee David Prosser is a long-time partisan cog in the Republican machine. But is he the most partisan state Supreme Court Justice Wisconsin has ever had? The answer would be a resounding “yes.” And when looking at his record on the Supreme Court, it’s […]

Walker email count omits 18,000 from One WI Now supporters

Add this to the numbers swirling around emails sent to Governor Walker about his controversial “budget repair” bill. Not included in the count of Walker’s email were the messages One Wisconsin Now supporters sent to the Wisconsin state legislature opposing Walker’s assault on worker’s rights. All in all, 22,064 people signed our petition aginst the […]

Did Hopper Vote for a Job for His Alleged Mistress?

In today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dan Bice revealed that the alleged mistress of State Sen. Randy Hopper, was given a taxpayer-financed job in the state Department of Regulation and Licensing at the urging of the Walker administration. One must wonder if she is in line for one of the more than three-dozen new political positions […]

Gov. Walker incentivizes the poor to just die already

Bring out your dead! Sure, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget that would end drug coverage for low-income seniors and hand over oversight of and cut funding for our state’€™s successful health care program, BadgerCare, to his extreme administration. But fear not, poors! Gov. Walker’€™s budget makes it cheaper to die anyway: The […]

Sheila Cochran: ‘Not a budget — A massacre’

Sheila Cochran, Secretary/Treasurer of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, has written the definitive analysis of Scott Walker’s plans to dismantle Wisconsin and the infrastructure that makes Wisconsin the best place in an America to live, work and raise a family. Read on: Everyday this fight goes on; more people begin to understand what is at […]

Walker gives to the rich, takes from the poor

Two troubling stories about Gov. Scott Walker’s disastrous budget came across the desk this morning. The first, from the Capital Times: Will Gov. Scott Walker’s budget make it harder for poor families in Wisconsin to get medical care and put food on the table? Some people think so. The governor is proposing to move the […]

Remarks of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis Regarding Wisconsin

Below are excerpts from U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis regarding the on-going situation in Wisconsin and the efforts to take away the rights of America’s workers: I’ve been following the developments in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and many other states across the country. We know that many states are facing tough budget decisions. We […]

Wisconsin State Budget and Worker Protests

Scot Ross talked about the ongoing legislative battle between the governor of Wisconsin and state Democrats on the budget, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. [C-SPAN]

Wisconsin to Walker: ‘Just Say No’ to Koch

The nation has found out, the dirty little secret that we in Wisconsin have known for some time. That Governor Scott Walker has a serious Koch problem. But that’s the way it with Koch. Gov. Walker thought, I can handle it. I can quit anytime I want to. Only I don’t want to. So, it’s […]

Walker Rapid Response Part 4: Working Families Compromise; Walker Refuses to Sit Down, Talk

Walker Rhetoric: “Our measure asks for a 5.8% contribution to the pension, and a 12.6% contribution for health insurance premiums.” Reality: “In fast-moving events Friday: Leaders of the state’s biggest public worker unions said they would give in to the governor’s demand for concessions on workers’ benefits if Walker would give up his bid to […]

Walker Rapid Response Part 3: Attacking Health Care Access

Walker Rhetoric: “It’s about Wisconsin families trying to make ends meet and help their children.” Reality: “Walker’s Department of Health Services could unilaterally change state laws dealing with the programs, which affect more than a million state residents from infants to the elderly and include a spectrum of BadgerCare plans, FamilyCare, and SeniorCare.” [Capital Times, […]

Walker Rapid Response Part 2: Walker Just Approved $140 Million in New Spending

Walker Rhetoric: “The legislation I put forward is about one thing: It’s about balancing our budget. Now, and in the future. Wisconsin faces a $137 million deficit for the remainder of this fiscal year. And a $3.6 billion deficit for the upcoming budget.” Reality: In less than one month, Gov. Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature […]

Walker Rapid Response Part 1: Government Taking Workers Rights

Walker Rhetoric: “The bill I put forward isn’t aimed at state workers. And it certainly isn’t a battle with unions. If it was, we would eliminated collective bargaining entirely.” Reality: “Public employees were reeling Friday trying to figure out what to do after Gov. Scott Walker asked the Legislature to remove nearly all collective bargaining […]

Breitbart wrong: Wisconsinites making history

Over the last week, literally hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites have flooded our state’s capital city to show support for the rights of workers. Union, non-union, public sector, private sector, students, teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, and every middle-class Wisconsinite in between has shown up in numbers that dwarf the Koch brother-financed gatherings we encountered the […]

Walker’s Budget Scheme: Undemocratic, Unbalanced, Potentially Unconstitutional

See OWN’s full release here. Walker campaigned on cutting state spending on BadgerCare, he hired a budget director who has advocated states should opt out of the federal Medicaid program, and now he buries in the budget adjustment bill (after saying he wouldn’t put “policy” items into fiscal budget bills) a policy that would allow […]

GOP Job Creation Plan: Protect Big Businesses from Accountability

Job creation and reducing the state’s $3.3 billion budget deficit Payback to big business donors seems to be the top priority of part of Gov. Scott Walker. Today, the Senate is debating the corporate no-accounability bill, also known as tort reform. Basically, it creates a system in which the consumer will never be able to […]

Why Voter ID is bad for Wisconsin

Many of you have written in response to our email yesterday about the voter ID bill. Some of you were very enthusiastic in your support of our efforts to fight back against this assault on our voting rights. But others of you had questions about the bill, and wondered why we oppose requiring qualified voters […]

How much will WI taxpayers pay for Van Hollen’s lawsuit gimmick?

Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen is doing what conservatives do best these days — wasting taxpayer dollars performing totally empty gestures in an effort to gin up the Tea Party base. See yesterday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Van Hollen is pushing hard for Wisconsin to join the multi-state lawsuit against the historic federal health insurance […]

Another Walker Fail: First bills deepen budget deficit, create no jobs

Throughout 2009 and 2010, OWN documented the billions of dollars in corporate handouts that Walker was promising on the campaign trail, all the while he was promising to balance the state budget and put people back to work. So public expectations, if not OWN’s, were high that the first bills he would introduce in the […]

Introducing Wisconsin’s new conservative overlords: Meet the Majority

Behold, our latest project — MeetTheMajority.com, where we pull back the slimy, cold-blanket of rhetoric and deception and expose the extremism and failed policies of the new members of the conservative legislative majority. Here are just a few of the highlights from the new corporate-controlled conservatives: Rep. Kathy Bernier of Chippewa Falls who said the […]

Fool Me Once

There is no question we are just beginning to pull out of the massive economic downturn due, in large part, to the incompetency of President Barrack Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush. In 2002 President Bush famously misquoted the idiom: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, by instead saying “Fool […]

Wisconsin GOP says BadgerCare a fraud, evidence says opposite

Wisconsin’s GOP is hell-bent on giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, and that means the budget deficit is going to grow — to the tune of $5 billion in fact. Ergo, something’s gotta get cut, and with the Wisconsin GOP in charge, affordable health care is at the top of their hit list. Pay […]

GOPromiseBreakers.com: Vos Says No Policy in Budget, Unless It Helps PayDay Lenders

Incoming Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Robin Vos (R-Rochester) has offered regular, nasally diatribes against the use of “non-fiscal policy” items in state budgeting. Here’s one, courtesy of the facebooks. Turns out, now that he’ll be heading the state’s budget writing committee, Vos will make exceptions to the rule. Particularly when it comes to an apparent […]

Peeved Paul Ryan Cryin’ about GOP Hypocrisy

The Daily Beast reported Monday that ‘Young Gun’ Paul Ryan thinks GOP House leadership has misfired by not embracing his plan to cut taxes for the rich at the expensive of the middle class, instead embracing its own plan to cut taxes for the rich at the expense of the middle class. Ryan, 40, is […]

Lead, follow or get out of the way

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 […]

Walker returns to Marquette University, gets another incomplete

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 […]

Scott Walker’s Slithering Snakes: A Roundup

A year ago, Cory Liebmann likened Scott Walker’s gimmickry on a range of issues, notably his brown bag campaign, to a salesman selling snake oil (to this day, Walker’s campaign has an iPhone app yet no detailed economic plan for the state). Now, in a year the tea party promised right-wing establishment reform, I’m a […]

Leaders Celebrate Social Security’s 75th Birthday

On the heels of Paul Ryan’s much-maligned plan to make middle class families pay for tax cuts for the top one percent, leaders from across Wisconsin are taking time to celebrate the historic 75th anniversary of the Social Security — among America’s greatest investments in our nation’s proud history. The details, courtesy of the participants: […]

Scott Walker Fact Check – “Waste”

We just put out a new Scott Walker Fact Check video of Walker’s new ad, “Waste.” Walker appears to be struggling to come up with ideas on how to close an already $2.5 billion projected budget gap after announcing he would give $3 billion in tax cuts for the rich and re-open loopholes for big […]

One Wisconsin Now’s Editorial Critique of Scott Walker’s Unwatchable Web Ad

Taking time away from his recent “Even-though-you’ve-lost-your-job-I-eat-a-sandwich-oh-yeah-and-I-drive-a-car-so-please-please-make-me-Governor”campaign themes, Scott Walker has found the time mash together the worst of his B roll campaign footage for a disjointed expression of self-loathing desperation…er, a “new web ad.” In case you have yet seen this masterpiece, it’s footage from numerous Scott Walker speaking engagements. Walker offers a buffet […]

Heaven Help Us: A Roadmap of Paul Ryan’s Spending

Having spent most of his career rubber stamping the Tom Delay and George W. Bush agenda, author of books and roadmaps, Paul Ryan (R-WI) is now on the stump, claiming outrage over the national debt, and proposing Georgewbushian solutions as a fix. Rep. Ryan follows right-wing incumbent talking points to a T:(1)    Complain ad nauseam […]

Open letter to Fox Business regarding Walker’s recent appearance on the Willis Report

Dear Fox Business, There are a couple things One Wisconsin Now wanted to make sure you were aware of regarding Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s fiscal record of management, given his recent appearance on the Willis Report: 1.)    In 2008 Scott Walker decided to give himself a $50,000 pay raise, a cost of $200,000 over […]

Well, at least he got his name right: Fact checking Scott Walker’s latest ad

You can learn a lot from a campaign ad. Early in May, I discovered one of Wisconsin’s most promising underground hip hop talents, and he’s running to be Governor, too! This guy’s gonna be a star! Last week I learned just how kick-a$$ you have to be to run for Ag Commissioner in Alabama. And […]

Five Questions for Scott Walker on His ‘County’ Motorcycle Tour

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is traveling across Wisconsin this week and will likely be talking with media about his priorities and the state of Wisconsin. With Wisconsin and the nation still emerging from the devastating economic collapse and job loss directly attributable to regressive taxation, deregulation and skewed priorities, One Wisconsin Now invites the […]

Tax bills down, WISTAX clams up

Thanks largely to the Recovery Act, the largest middle class tax cut in the history of the US, the overall tax bill for Americans’ is at its lowest level since 1950. Since the Great Bush Recession of 2007 and 2008, the average tax bill has dropped a whopping 26%. As tax bills shrunk for the […]

Economic rubber stamp for George W. Bush endorses Scott Walker

Republican Mark Green endorsed Republican Scott Walker yesterday. Big deal. What is a big deal though is how fiscally irresponsible both of these so-called fiscal conservatives are.  “In a prepared statement, Green said that ‘Scott Walker’s common sense and commitment to fiscal discipline are exactly what Madison needs to get our state back on track […]

Walker claims nonexistent commitment to Milwaukee County’s mentally ill

After spending eight years dismantling Milwaukee county’s core services, safety net services, quality of life services, and transportation, at a recent listening tour/campaign event Scott Walker made the claim that he will continue his “commitment” to these services. But, there can be no “commitment to continue”, because there’s never been a commitment to providing these […]

Another Scott Walker political point rejected

€œRepublican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker voted to allow late-night lawmaking when he was a member of the Assembly even though he rails against the practice now. €[AP] Well he wasn’€™t so much railing against it as he was putting out a press release to score a political point ‘€“ a point that he eventually lost, […]

Earth Day

Wisconsinites values our natural resources and hunting and fishing traditions. We take pride in our farmland and as the Dairy State, producing the nation’€™s best cheese and dairy products. We have a state parks and trails system that rivals the best in the nation. We have wonderful farmers markets and strong local food traditions. So […]