Scott Walker’s Revolution: The Sequel
Walker’s Act 10 reforms of 2011 brought to a halt the endless rise of Wisconsin property tax, but Wisconsin’s overall tax burden remains one of the highest in the country. In the sequel, Walker intends to actually start bringing tax rates down. Wisconsin’s neighbor to the south, Illinois, recently had to raise income taxes 67% in order to ward off financial Armageddon, and it still can’t pay its debts. But Wisconsin’s income tax rates (top bracket taxed at 7.75%) are still higher than Illinois’ (top bracket was taxed at 3% but now is at 5%). Taxing income deters economic activity. Walker did not specify who would get tax cuts, but the next Assembly speaker, Robin Vos, said that he hoped Wisconsin could trim income taxes for all taxpayers but give the greatest relief to the middle class. Lowering income taxes while maintaining the recently balanced state budget will be the challenge. Additional and badly needed cuts to the state budget will still be necessary.
It appears at first blush that there is nothing standing in the way of the Walker sequel. But there is one obstacle looming and it is a big one. Next April 2, the 4-3 conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hang in the balance. Conservative Justice Patience Drake Roggensack was elected to a 10-year term on the Supreme Court in 2003. She is up for reelection in April. In June of 2011, it was this 4-3 conservative majority which overturned an activist lower court’s decision barring implementation of Act 10 on procedural grounds, revealing a sharp partisan divide and an all-out open battle between the members of the High Court over the Walker reforms.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote that justices hastily reached the decision and the majority “set forth their own version of facts without evidence. They should not engage in this disinformation.” Abrahamson also said a concurring opinion written by Justice David Prosser, a former Republican speaker of the Assembly, was “long on rhetoric and long on story-telling that appears to have a partisan slant.”
In September of 2012, liberal Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas struck down Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law once again — this time on constitutional grounds. The decision is ridiculous. Judge Colas broke down the decision into four rulings, the most significant being that — despite precedent to the contrary — certain sections of Act 10 violate “free speech, association and equal protection.” Namely, the law violated workers’ constitutional rights by denying to union workers certain powers available to their nonunion counterparts. Colas essentially made the argument that because the government offers collective bargaining as a benefit to some employees, they cannot be required to give up a constitutional right to take advantage of that benefit. The Colas ruling will ultimately end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Whoever controls the court will determine the fate of the successful reforms Walker has put into place.
It is also a given that any of Governor Walker’s aggressive and common-sense reforms in the hopper for 2013 will also see the inside of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I have argued cases before Justice Roggensack and she is experienced, fair, and well-reasoned, and has always adhered to judicial precedent. But she is conservative, and that means all bets are off. As a recent Wisconsin State Journal editorial suggested, the upcoming Supreme Court election will likely be yet another referendum on Act 10, rather than a contest decided by judicial experience, temperament, and independence.
There are several potential challengers for Roggensack’s seat. Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi — who originally struck down Act 10 — is a likely candidate. So is Vince Megna, a radical lawyer known as the “King of Lemon Laws” — who announced he would no longer represent Republicans and has been running a string of web videos since Republicans changed a consumer law which made it possible for lawyers to recover millions in attorney fees even though only a few thousands dollars in damages were awarded under Wisconsin’s Lemon Law. Also considering a possible challenge to Roggensack is Marquette Law School professor Ed Fallone.
It seems that the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be another scorched earth political rumble in Wisconsin. The fate of the entire Walker Revolution may hang in the balance. A state judge living in the fantasy world which is Madison has substituted his singular opinion for the collective will of Wisconsin voters. Again. And now a single Supreme Court election will likely determine the outcome of a conservative political reform movement which seeks to take root around the country.
– of state contributions barred?
This article illustrates perfectly the problems associated with getting an agenda legally passed in the legislative process – and with the will of the people behind that process (aren’t elections supposed to have consequences?) – only to see it shot down by these G-D activist judges who neither know nor care about what the Constitution might have to say about the legality of those laws that have been passed. Isn’t there some process where a judge gets tossed from the bench if they are overturned on appeal just one time too many? There should be such a process. Think about this if Feckless Won gets to replace just one ‘conservative’ judge to the Supreme Court. I’m sure his pick won’t be liked by most of the PJM crowd. The buck stops at the Supreme Court – if it’s filled with loons – we are done for!
This above all else is why I voted for Romeny. I grew up with the legacy of the Warren Court.
A state judge living in the fantasy world which is Madison has substituted his singular opinion for the collective will of Wisconsin voters. Again. And now a single Supreme Court election will likely determine the outcome of a conservative political reform movement which seeks to take root around the country.
Courts: where American law goes to die.
Standing Wolf, the leftist court system is the bane of every patriot’s existence, in the US and in Israel too. The laundry list is too long and depressing to delineate. Suffice it to say, they behave as social engineering fiefdoms, as opposed to adjudicators, according to precedent/stare decisis.
And it is not as if Americans don’t have enough reason to worry, with a gang of revolutionaries at the helm. And the chief gangster is the Radical/Liar/Pyromaniac/Islamist-in-Chief.
Hold onto your seats…your sanity…and most of all, your assets -http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/12/02/obama-regime-gunning-for-our-retirementinvestment-plans-how-dare-they-addendum-to-fellow-capitalists-hold-onto-your-retirement-assets-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/
And those who will benefit from the leftist cabal – in every sphere of gov’t – are people who have nothing to begin with, only too thrilled to feed off of citizens who are productive!
http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/12/02/obama-regime-gunning-for-our-retirementinvestment-plans-how-dare-they-addendum-to-fellow-capitalists-hold-onto-your-retirement-assets-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/
Maybe the “Stupid Party” could do a better job of passing a blizzard of small incremental laws instead of logrolling everything into big bills that are an easy target. For example, pass a small bill to make union dues for police and firemen voluntary instead of government collected, but don’t touch benefits. Pass another law requiring voter registration 20 days before the election, same as adjacent Minnesota. Shift poll closing time from 8pm to 7pm to give one less hour to bus people to the polls. Pass a voter ID law identical to the Indiana law that was ruled constitutional by the US supreme court, but with fairly generous conditions to accept provisional ballots. Republicans can do 100s of small changes in a way where it’s hard to unify opposition and attract media attention.
OT, a warning:
This happens when you tax “the rich”:
In the 2009-10 tax year, more than 16,000 people declared an annual income of more than £1 million to HM Revenue and Customs.
This number fell to just 6,000 after Gordon Brown introduced the new 50p top rate of income tax shortly before the last general election.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9707029/Two-thirds-of-millionaires-left-Britain-to-avoid-50p-tax-rate.html
I happen to know one of them. He emigrated to Australia.
It’s really a pleasure to hear Scott Walker speak.
He actually says something when he opens his mouth.
Can’t say that about many politicians.
Does anyone happen to know if there are polls or surveys indicating how the 160,000 black voters in Milwaukee that were determined by the Democrats to have either disappeared or never existed voted on Nov 6? Betcha it was 99.9% for The Won.
No, but I did read that in something like 59 Pennsylvania precincts, the vote was 100% for Barack Obama.
Not one single vote for Mitt Romney.
Seems impossible, if true.
No, its true.
Voter fraud and Philadelphia go together like Obama and the media….
Philadelphia is a sh*t hole, just across the Delaware River from the OTHER sh*tholes of Camden and Trenton.
Folks mistakenly think Philly is “better” than those two, but thats like saying Obama is “better” than Carter….
The “you are posting comments too quickly…” thing is getting old! Trying again -
This is first an argument against elected SC justices. Yes, appointment to a specific term is a two-edged sword but at least it avoids having a generally moronic electorate in the big cities deciding on the qualifications of a potential SC justice.
This scenario is the standard union/lefty playbook when the unenlightened electorate does things they don’t like; tie it up in court and try to buy a new governor/legislature/court. Even in states far more Red than WI, the Democrats can generally find some Democrat hack judge at the trial court level who’ll give them an injunction and let them string out the case being heard until after the next election. Even if they can’t get it to the election, losing at the trial court level just lets them string it out by appealing it. Any pending appeal is just trade goods in the election. In most cases it is simply a matter for the Attorney General’s discretion as to whether to continue a pending appeal. Even if the politics is such that a new Governor/AG can’t just drop the case, it is VERY easy to “lose” a case and then just find yourself convinced of the rightness of the decision and not appeal it.
I don’t know the solution to the politicization of both the legal system and the courts themselves. At the state level perhaps a “Solicitor General” type position appointed to a specific term and who can only be removed for cause during that term is the best way to handle cases involving the state itself. With such a position, a new governor or AG purchased by an interst group can’t just give the state’s position away to that interest group on the change of administration. That, of course, wouldn’t be perfect because even a person with a guaranteed term is corruptible and may succumb to promises of re-appointment or dismissal at the end of the term if s/he doesn’t see things the new administration’s way. The real issue is that government is too pervasive and there is entirely too much money riding on the decisions of judges, hearing officers, and arbitrators.
Why not have President Scott Walker in 16?
Ok, GOPers in the other 29 “red” states-git yer lazy behinds in gear and follow Walker’s lead. NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!
I remember the first time I heard about public-sector unions. Much younger then, but even then my first thought was, “If the government works for us, doesn’t that mean their employees have unionized to protect their interests first?” I also wondered how we could fight against the expansion of government, when public-sector unions could organize to protect their turf.
We are building two classes, the one being government workers with the ability to take more of our earnings, regulate our behavior and indoctrinate our children. With the public sector controlling education and increasingly healthcare, they control the means to indoctrinate and to control decisions at every stage of life. They have grown adept at using fear to maintain their power. A suggested cut is never a cut in waste and fraud; oh no, it is always a cut in necessary services.
When Romney’s 47 percent comment was made public I hoped these issues might become part of the discussion. Well, what would be the point? A sizable portion of our population has been brainwashed by government education to indorse the expansion of government. Any other message is scary. Honestly, they said it. “Romney scared me.”
All of this is merely to say that we need Scott Walker, and anyone else who will stand firm.
During his recall election I sent a donation. This was the first time that I sent money outside my own state. Here in SC we have virtually one-party rule. I figure, put money where it will accomplish the most. Go Scott Go!
Will he run for president in 2016?
I’ve met Scott Walker 3 times. I am a huge supporter — in enthusiasm, not money. The man was an Eagle scout as a youth, and is the son of a minister. He is as close as you can get to a “boy scout” in a politician. His Wauwatosa, WI home is only approximately 1 mile from mine, and he doesn’t come from a wealthy family.
I would support him for President in 2016, if he chose to run…but then, I would be torn, because the big reformer who has been hounded and maligned since 2008, Sarah Palin also may run. Here’s the REFORM ticket for 2016…Palin/Walker.
Mom in Wisconsin