I’ve let this blog lapse for awhile, but wanted to leave something before the end of the year. And what a year it’s been. I wish I could point to something more memorable than political clashes, but that has been the story in Wisconsin.
Now, with recall efforts in full swing and TV ads taking on that election tone–as if that tone ever really went away–it seems a good time to weigh in.
Here is my question as we reflect on this past year: Is it working for you? That’s the Walker motto, right? It’s working. The sky didn’t fall, things aren’t as bad as what all those protestors said they would be, and people are getting back to work.
From where I sit (literally) these are half truths at best. A lot of public workers were able to hold on to jobs because of mass retirements, retirements caused by Walker’s budget and political agenda. This was especially true in education where the term “brain drain” is becoming reality. From what I read, Wisconsin’s job creation is actually the worst in the US. How’s that working?
For those of us still working for the state, we now have to live with large cuts to our take home pay. On average, a state employee will say goodbye to $3000 per year, or about $250 per month. That’s money that cannot be spent on food or bills or gas, money that cannot fuel the local economy, money that everyday people must simply live without.
What do you get for $250? For me, it’s about a month of groceries. Or, the heating bill in a cold month. Or, money I could sometimes spend supporting my neighborhood businesses. Am I happy to have a job? Of course, but it’s awfully hard to spend my working hours feeling like I have a target on my back, wondering what might come next.
What is our governor living without?
