June
2006
Walker Plan to Dump Parks a Bad Idea
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker doesn't want to pay for parks so he's endorsed a plan to turn them over to an unaccountable board with taxing authority. This is bad on so many levels.
Milwaukee County parks have been described as a jewel, a beautiful part of what makes Milwaukee special and unique. But Walker's plan to close park pools is being met with a chilly reception and now he's hoping to pawn this hot potato off on another board, one which the County Exec or the County Board clearly have no say over. Now mind you, this is the county that once had leaders that helped develop this "emerald necklace" of county green space and now Walker wants to turn it over to another board?
If the public isn't happy with what this board does, too bad.
If the public wants to have a real say in what happens in the county parks, too bad.
Nope, Walker has decided it's much easier to spin off parts of County Government than to actually raise taxes a little to make sure that a park has its grass cut on a regular cycle.
Supervisor John Weishan nailed it though when he pointed out that if Walker believes the parks need a 3% hike, then Walker needs to include that amount in his budget.
Abandonment of the parks by County leaders is not the answer.
If Walker doesn't want to raise taxes, he needs to make the cuts he thinks need to be made in the parks. If he doesn't make the tough calls, then he's just blowing more GOP hot air.
Meanwhile, Governor Jim Doyle has a plan to analyze Milwaukee County finances to see why the county is in such bad shape. Do you think that 4 years of skyrocketing energy costs, rising salaries, failing infrastructure (which could have been done earlier and cheaper if not for Walker's policy of deferred maintenance) and rising inflation all while at the same time as Walker froze taxes could have something to do with it?
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan, Walker Watch, Watchdogging the Environment
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… “Do you think that 4 years of skyrocketing energy costs, rising salaries, failing infrastructure (which could have been done earlier and cheaper if not for Walker’s policy of deferred maintenance) and rising inflation all while at the same time as Walker froze taxes could have something to do with it?”
We still hear Walker and conservatives, and their shills at Journal Sentinel and TMJ blaming the financial crisis on high pension costs, effectively blaming the old board and his predecessor — still, four years after the fact. Doyle wants a look-see in order to slice through the shell games and the rhetoric and find out what’s really wrong.
What everyone should know, and what we should be sure to add to inflationary costs of doing business for the county, is the skyrocketing health care costs that have crippled government at nearly every level. Milwaukee County reported a 17 percent rise in health insurance costs for a single calendar year in 2001. The costs have continued to rise, to the point where in, southeastern Wisconsin, governments and business continue to pay 20-25 percent more than costs in neighboring states, such as Illinois.
If Walker cared about anything other than his own political hide, he’d help look for solutions to the health insurance epidemic that’s put the entire state on the stretcher. “Reflect the values of the people …”
Nahh. … After all, he’s a Republican ….