Main Street

Wisconsin Roundup X: Any Given Tuesday

Congratulations to the thousands of volunteers, organizers, but above all the voters of Wisconsin that kicked off the historic recall election season with a string of six primary victories! And we know our fight against Governor Walker’s radical, anti-worker agenda has only just begun.

This week, the voters voted for the real deal, Walker got shouted down, robo-callers got caught red-handed…and we have our next election is four days. This is your Wisconsin roundup.

• Six for six. On Tuesday, July 12, recall season started off with a bang. Higher than expected turnout raised the profile of the primary elections, which were between the six “real” Democratic recall challengers and the six fake “Democratic” primary opponents who were recruited by Republicans to delay the general elections.

Five of the candidates won with 65 percent or higher against their fake/protest/confused opponents, not for lack of trying by outside groups to tell voters to stay home. The general election to recall the “Walker 6” – the real fight – will now be on August 9th.

Keep in mind when you read about these primaries: everything Walker and his allies have done, from union-busting to education cuts, have used the excuse “our state is broke.” But these fake primaries that Walker’s party imposed on Wisconsin cost the taxpayers nearly $500,000, all to give Republicans a political advantage. From the taxpayer’s perspective, it’s basically setting fire to a pile of money. Not exactly “fiscally responsible.”

• Next Tuesday we do it all again. On July 19, incumbent Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) is facing Republican David VanderLeest in the first general election of the recall season. GOP Rep. John Nygren was going to face Hansen, but he missed out on the opportunity by two signatures.

So now it’s VanderLeest, who has an interesting position on tax policy: he says he won’t vote to raise taxes if elected, but he himself owes $25,000 in property taxes. I’m not sure the voters of the 30th Senate District will appreciate this contradiction.

• Can’t hear you, Scott. Filmmaker Kevin Mulvenna explains his latest video:

Despite cutting funding to technical colleges by 30% and stripping college faculty of their collective bargaining rights, Scott Walker tried to speak at a celebration commemorating 100 years of technical education in Wisconsin. Here’s how he was received.

If that reception doesn’t give you a hint that you should end your war on working families, I don’t know what will.

Have thoughts on the happenings in Wisconsin? Leave a comment here, or send us a tweet at @WorkingAmerica. See you next Tuesday!