Following is the statement of Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate in response to the introduction of Scott Walker’s biennial budget.
“Scott Walker has spent the last several weeks on campaign swings throughout our state hoping that the press and public have amnesia. He wants Wisconsin to forget the unnecessary and damaging cuts to education, infrastructure and healthcare that have had demonstrable consequences: The second-worst economic climate in the nation. Shuttered classrooms, record debt, less access to healthcare and a 42nd ranking in job creation.
“Tonight, Walker once again laid out a divisive budget that favors corporate campaign donors and out-of-state special interests at the expense of our middle class families. The only big “innovation” of this budget is that he makes schoolchildren instead of workers the political pawns of the moment.
“Walker is calling it a budget for the middle-class, but a REAL middle-class budget invests in education, healthcare and a jobs plan that increases access to worker training, access to capital for small businesses and incentivizes buying Wisconsin and buying American.
“After Wisconsinites gave Legislative Democrats substantially more votes than Republicans, Walker had a chance to pursue a moderate path that strengthened education and Badgercare, and closed the skills gap that he shamefully widened. Instead, the Walker budget continues on the wrong path of shortchanging public education, harming job creation, growing Wisconsin’s debt. continuing his war on women, and weakening the economic security of Wisconsin’s middle class.
“Wisconsin’s motto used to be “Forward.” Given this special interest budget, it is more aptly changed to, “Downward.””
