Another Use Found for Walker’s Joyride

Everyone knows that Scott Walker has been on absolutely all sides of the federal stimulus issue (sometimes at the same time). A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headline said it best when it reported on the hypocrisy of Walker comments in a fundraising letter. The title was "Walker's Stimulus Position Depends on Who He asks". One minute he tells the most rabid elements of the right wing that he will not "feed at the trough" and the next minute he is trying to take credit for programs and investments that were funded via the federal stimulus.

I think that the blog Pretty Important is on to something with a posting yesterday. It tracks some of the communities where Walker is making/has made a stop on his campaign season joy ride. Pretty Important points out the various benefits that have been received via the stimulus in places like Wisconsin Rapids, Waupaca and La Crosse. I agree that Walker should have to explain why those local communities should say "no thanks" to the stimulus dollars. In fact last year I suggested that Walker should have to go on an anti-stimulus tour of the state, doing that very thing. Considering that he is currently on his Rolling Blunder tour, perhaps he can conveniently fold in some chastising of local communities over their acceptance of stimulus funds.

If he really is against the stimulus (even though he relied heavily on it in Milwaukee County) then he should point a judgmental finger in the following directions during the current/next leg of his trip:

• Over $3 million for the School District of Hudson
  
• Over $9.6 million for the Eau Claire School District
  
• Over $30k to Eau Claire-based Badger Truck Refrigeration Inc.
  
• $2.3 million for improving an airport in Oneida County
  
• $12.6 million to upgrade clean water technology in Rhinelander
  
• $1.8 million to the School District of Rhinelander
  
• Tens of Thousands of dollars to several Langlade County farms to promote clean diesel.
  
• $1.8 million to the Unified District of Antigo
  
• Millions of dollars for State Highway, local road and bridge repairs in all of these areas.
  
• Residents in all of these communities that took advantage of new homebuyer tax credits, in addition to the weatherization and the Making Work Pay tax credits.
  

As Scott Walker continues his joy ride to these communities and beyond, he should finally be forced to get consistent on his stimulus position. He should be forced to fully explain why these local communities should have refused those extra dollars for some of their most important projects and investments. Then he should have to explain why he took the same kind of money himself.

UPDATE: Blogging Blue has highlighted additional stops on Walker's Rolling Blunder tour.