When 57% of Milwaukee County voters sent a strong message via referrendum that they didn’t want to borrow money to handled current pension obligations, County Exec Scott Walker was rebuffed.

Now, County Supervisors apparently need to put the same question on the ballot because Walker wants to revive his old plan despite overwhelming public opposition. They shouldn’t stop there.

Supervisors, if they move quickly, have an opportunity to put other advisory referrendums on the September or November ballots.

It is true that this falls ballot will already have more than a few referrendums on it. Wisconsin voters will decide how much they hate gays via the constitutional gay marriage ban and they will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to reinstitute state sponsored murder via an advisory referrendum on reviving the death penalty.

Supervisors should ask a few pointed questions. For instance:

Should County Executive Scott Walker be allowed to approve borrowing additional funds, up to a maximum of $59 million, to pay for existing pension obligations?

Should 90% of pools be closed in 2007 to help balance the County budget?

Should the County sell land or parks to pay for the 2007 budget?

Should the County continue to pursue the $100 million lawsuit against the Mercer actuaries whose paid consultants misled the County leaders into believing approval of the year 2000 pension plan would be cost neutral?

Democrats have accused Republicans of using referrendums for political purposes. The problem is that most democrats have been too naive to realize that these referrendums can work both ways. Instead, they have been content to sit back and watch their own numbers get decimated election after election. Pointed questions which help to expose the GOP borrow and spend policies would go a long way to evening out the playing field.
For the past 4 years, Supervisors have found that Walker has taken his partisan experience in the state legislature and worked to crush Supervisor sponsored legislation and budgeting. Supervisors have consistently given in to Walker and have found little success in the appeasment strategy. If Supervisors do not move quickly on the referrendums, they will be giving carte blanche to Walker for the budget this fall.