Selective Memory Fuels Rehashed RGA Attacks

Another day and another attack from the special interest-fueled Republican Governor's Association.  In their latest misleading ad they are simply rehashing the same stale talking points.  Their specialty appears to be selective memory and cherry picking data.  Perhaps they should consider some of the following to refresh their recollection on Scott Walker's record on the same issues that they are raising.

Walker Tax Increases:

First it is quite odd that Walker's special interest allies would bring up raising taxes as an attack. Walker promised that he would "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes." But once he got into office he forced through a budget that actually raised taxes by $49.4 million over the two-year period. Apparently Walker's promise was only directed at the wealthy and his large corporate funders but he had no problem raising the taxes of the working poor, seniors and others. Even PolitiFact declared Walker's broad tax increase promise as being broken.

Walker Spending Increases:

The RGA ad complains about spending in the City of Milwaukee but I'm waiting for them to call out Walker for his increased state spending.  Walker delivered devastating cuts to Wisconsin public schools, the UW System, Technical Colleges, transit, local roads, shared revenue for local governments and much more.  Yet somehow, even with all of his draconian cuts, he still managed to INCREASE state spending by $610 million in his budget! If you prefer to use the general fund budget that percentage increase in state spending was even higher. [Milwaukee Magazine, 8/2/11]

Walker's pattern of saying one thing and doing another on spending has been going on for a long time.  As Milwaukee County Executive Walker's own proposed budgets increased spending by 35% [Walker's Proposed Milwaukee County Budgets, 2003 - 2011].

Walker and Unemployment:

Scott Walker has had full control of the state government and he has had over a year to enact almost all of his radical right wing policies.  Wisconsin posted the largest percentage job loss in the nation over the past year. Yet Walker's special interest out-of-state funders are running ads complaining about the lack of jobs and unemployment? Not to mention the fact that many of the years that the RGA cites, Walker was in fact Milwaukee County Executive! Using the same lack of logic and cherry picking many of the same numbers we could just as easily pin Milwaukee's unemployment rate on County Executive Scott Walker, rather than the great Republican Recession.

The fact is that Scott Walker never took even a remote interest in jobs when he was Milwaukee County Executive.  It was only a platform for higher political aspirations.  Examples include some of the following:

• Walker eliminated the county's economic development office (only after his cronies damaged it)
• Walker left valuable county property like the Park East land sit vacant for his entire time in office.
• When others tried to spark economic and job growth in Milwaukee County and surrounding areas, Walker and his key advisors repeatedly ridiculed them. 

With a record like Scott Walker's, I fully understand why the RGA would focus on rehashed attacks and why they would employ cherry picked numbers and a highly selective memory.  Anyone that actually dares to deal with the reality of Walker's horrible record would also be forced to reject him.