Last Monday Republican Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker announced his candidacy to run for governor. Walker attributed his entry into the race as a means of enacting a property tax freeze known as the Taxpayers Bill of Rights amendment and of banning same-sex marriages. Proving his commitment to achieving such goals, County Executive Walker met with College Republicans to discuss his support for a property tax freeze amendment.
However, there is something that County Executive Walker forgot to mention in his speech to students- his inability to be an effective policy decision maker and the devastating implications a tax freeze would have on the University of Wisconsin System.
Furthermore, although Walker's support for a property tax freeze amendment may sound appealing to some University of Wisconsin students, it is important for students to understand the effects the amendment would have on our university. The property tax freeze amendment would tie government spending increases to population growth and inflation or some other index. Proponents argue such a freeze is necessary because taxes are hurting economic development.
However, a study done by Andrew Reschovsky, professor of applied economics and public affairs at UW-Madison's Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, found that a tax freeze would hurt Wisconsin's economy. Instead of increasing economic development, Reschovsky has offered the superior alternative of passing legislation to have worker training programs. This would maintain a strong Wisconsin economy. By supporting Walker, we risk losing Wisconsin's public schools and universities as Wisconsin's top priority
More important, though, are the specific effects the tax freeze would have on the University of Wisconsin and the Madison community. If Walker's proposal were to become law, it would cut $3.5 million from the Madison community. This means reducing Madison Metro's bus service, closing each Madison library one day per week and eliminating police and firefighters jobs.
It is ironic that Walker, a locally elected executive, believes he needs a constitutional amendment to help lower taxes in Milwaukee. Even more ironic is that Walker is running on a platform to restrict his power to raise or lower taxes if elected governor. If Walker feels so strongly about property taxes being too high, he should use his elected position to lower property taxes in Milwaukee instead of waiting for a constitutional amendment that would do the same.
UW students need Governor Doyle to stay in the Capitol. When Governor Doyle took office, he inherited a $3.2 billion budget deficit that he was able to cut in half through his Grow Wisconsin initiatives. Through his leadership, manufacturing jobs, personal incomes and ACT scores are up. As a result, Madison was rated by Forbes Magazine as the best city in America for business. Additionally, Governor Doyle continues to fight to get a minimum wage increase in the state of Wisconsin.
Governor Doyle acknowledges the UW system was hit hard by the $3.2 billion dollar deficit. However, in his 2005 state of the state address, Governor Doyle promised to reverse the trend by \providing [ the UW system with] more state support, adding faculty to improve quality and expand access, and increasing financial aid.""
Wisconsin students need a governor who is committed to high-quality decisions that help Wisconsin residents, not a politician who uses strategic rhetoric to gain support for policy goals that hurt Wisconsin citizens.
