Recall Scott Walker

[Callie Del Noire]

I have to make a point made by the TP Republicans but: what was the basis for the justification of the recall there was no proof of gross crimes or misuse of power from what I can tell, he simply proposed unpopular legislation to some and put his people into offices and favored policies some criticized. The time to fight that is in a regular election. I think getting the recall was sour grapes by a clearly large voting MINORITY in the state.

Can you give me one case of criminal charges being even considered against the governor in this re-election?

He's definitely bent the law a LOT. Lets see...

-He's appointed what.. five people to money handling positions that have turned out to be embezzlers.
-He's hijacked the control of municipal school systems by putting in place laws that let HIM set controllers if the schools can't meet their budgets, after putting in restrictions in place that curtail to ability to fill short falls of HIS budget with licenses, property taxes and such, with these controllers being appointed (and responsible) to HIM.
-He's taken the mortgage settlement collected by a group of US State Attorneys to fill in the holes in his budget.
-He's filled in what were once civil service jobs with political appointees. More than any previous governor did. He's packed the civil service into place with cronies he owed favors to.


Add in that it's looking more and more like he's not just enabling fraud and embezzling but is the actual target of the John Doe investigation the DoJ is engaged in. There is stories of misconduct during his time in college that hint towards some sort of fraud, but everyone involved in the issue won't say anything.

While a LOT of his actions aren't directly illegal, there is such a preponderance of criminal actions done on his behalf and around him, that a control orientated leader such as himself couldn't fail to miss. He's appointed people to position who have played fast and loose with votes, committed fraud, stole from the people they were supposed to help and hindered investigation into them.

The period in which he ran the Milwaukee County as it's executive, which he proudly uses as an example of 'fiscal responsibility',  resulted in the state legislature passing a law to enable county executive and cities within the state to file for bankruptcy. Yeah..he ran the country government into the ground.

He's pushed for privatization whenever he can, weather it was good or not for the government in favor of his corporate sponsors. Example, he wants to sell off the state utilities to a private group, closed bids preferably. That is why the Koch brothers support him, he's going to sell the utilities to them if he can.

He's a double high authoritarian, and one known to be 'hands on' with EVERYTHING that comes to his office. He at least knows of the embezzlement and fraud by his appointees.

[Serephino]

What scares me is Gov Corbett is trying to do the very same things here in PA.  Last year and this year he slashed the hell out of the education budget, and made it so districts couldn't raise taxes to make up for it.  After all, during his campaign he promised he wouldn't do anything that would raise taxes...  And so, Marcellus Shale Drilling is tramping all over the state doing whatever the hell they want, and not paying a cent in taxes even though they're making a killing in natural gas. 

Oh, yeah, he has his lips firmly on the asses of the gas company owners.  He's trying to make it so they can point to a plot of land and say we want to drill here, and no one can stop them.  He got a law passed that the counties they drill in can't even charge local taxes.  That was determined illegal by the state supreme court to tie the counties' hands like that.

He's pushing hard to privatize liquor sales.  I'm not sure what that would do.  He said something about wanting to privatize road construction.  What really pissed me off is after he gutted public schools, he tried to set up a program to send underprivileged kids to private schools.  There wasn't enough money to fix the education system, but there was plenty of money for that.

And now...  He's trying to make it so the state will run the schools that are having budget trouble.  I saw that on the news the day after Walker won the recall.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.         

[AndyZ]

As a resident of PA, I'd love to comment on this, but I don't want to go too far off track without permission.  Valerian, any objection to my derailing since the race is already done?

[Valerian]

I don't mind a little derailing, especially since it sounds like this guy has somehow gotten it in his head that being a Walker clone is a good thing.  Yikes.  Now I'm hoping even harder for Walker to get arrested soon, before still more scary Tea Party types decide that they, too, can get away with anything since the recall didn't work.

However, any lengthy discussion should really go in a separate thread -- there might be others around who want to talk about Governor Corbett, but they won't be likely to look for any such discussion in a thread titled "Recall Scott Walker".

[Torch]

He's pushing hard to privatize liquor sales.  I'm not sure what that would do. 

It would allow consumers to buy a six pack in the supermarket like in a normal state, that's what it would do. It's annoying that I have pay an inflated price for beer, wine and liquor, and I have to go to a two different state-run stores for the privilege. Fuck that. 

The state of PA needs to get out of the alcohol business.

ETA: Sorry, didn't see the off-topic request. Just ignore the above.

[Callie Del Noire]

It would allow consumers to buy a six pack in the supermarket like in a normal state, that's what it would do. It's annoying that I have pay an inflated price for beer, wine and liquor, and I have to go to a two different state-run stores for the privilege. Fuck that. 

The state of PA needs to get out of the alcohol business.

ETA: Sorry, didn't see the off-topic request. Just ignore the above.

It's not entirely a BAD thing.. but I don't think a rush to judgement should be made till you see HOW he does it. If a proper series of licenses and regulations that is one thing.. but I notice that the tea party types don't seem to do anything in the traditional changeover manners that enable the state to continue regulate and generate revenues.. usually there is something in the mix that makes it a 'good deal' for the tea party reformers and not so good a deal for the state and citizens.

[Serephino]

I was just using that as one example of how he's getting privatize-happy.  I don't like the current liquor laws myself.  It's bullshit that if I decide I want a bottle of wine after 9pm or on a Sunday I'm SOL.  I'm over 21.  But as Callie said, it would all depend on exactly what he wants to do and how.  Those details haven't been released; only that it's being talked about, and he really wants to do it.

[Callie Del Noire]

I was just using that as one example of how he's getting privatize-happy.  I don't like the current liquor laws myself.  It's bullshit that if I decide I want a bottle of wine after 9pm or on a Sunday I'm SOL.  I'm over 21.  But as Callie said, it would all depend on exactly what he wants to do and how.  Those details haven't been released; only that it's being talked about, and he really wants to do it.

Well it's similar to actions by Walker.. who is selling off utilities to closed bids. As well as creating private duplicates of public groups. (I recall him backing a business association in addition to the state having a public equivalent. Can't recall the specifics right now)

Privatization is good for 'small government' movements, but you have to be careful you don't wind up paying more in the end. I've seen a LOT of 'private contracted maintenance' plans for aircraft maintenance in the Navy. Inevitably the ones that go through wind up costing more than the Navy paid for when they ran it. 

[AndyZ]

Valerian, feel free to prod if you feel I go too far off topic.



Being from near Pittsburgh, I totally understand the concept that if our current public workers can't fix the roads, we should hire someone who can.  It's insane how we repeatedly get marked as some of the worst roads in the country and nothing is done to fix it.

This becomes a similar debate to the question of schools.  If we're throwing crazy amounts of money at something and it's not getting fixed, throwing yet more money isn't the problem.  We need a new strategy.

If it costs the public sectior $200 to fix X, and a private sector can do it for $190 and makes $17 off the arrangement, I'd rather give it to the private sector to do.  Put that other $10 towards the people who need it.

One argument would be to pay the private sector $173, so that they make no profit.  I don't like this idea.  This is pretty much what they do with Medicare, where health care workers get paid pennies on the dollar for the work they do, and the only choice is whether to fully accept Medicare or to completely deny it.

If we can get our system working properly, another company should be able to come along and offer to do the job for only $180, creating price competition and so on.

[Serephino]

The schools wouldn't be in so much trouble if they got enough funding.  I saw on the news that if Corbett gets the budget he wants, add this year's cuts to last year's, we're talking 37 million.  This includes colleges too, but still...  Schools need money for supplies and repairs, and to pay teachers.  They're failing because the GOP took all that money away to pay for tax breaks for the gas companies.