My column for the Washington County Daily News is online. Go pick up a copy and keep our local media in business. Here’s a sample of the column:
While private-sector employees are feeling the pain, Governor Evers, his staff, and other government leaders are completely unaffected by the draconian orders they are issuing and enforcing. Their biggest pain is that they are slightly inconvenienced by not being able to go out to dinner or see a movie. That is the extent of their “sacrifice” during these unprecedented times. While Wisconsinites suffer, Governor Evers, his staff, Cabinet secretaries, their staffs, and virtually every other state employee continues to receive their full salaries, comprehensive benefits, and guaranteed retirements – all courtesy of the taxpayers that Governors Evers is subjugating. Last year, Governor Evers gave double-digit salary increases to many of his key Cabinet secretaries. They are all still cashing those bloated paychecks while looking forward to their cushy retirements.
Governor Evers continues to be paid his $152,756 per year with full benefits and a taxpayer-funded mansion. He hasn’t even offered to forgo any of HIS pay as he mocks Wisconsin’s unemployed with tweets saying “we’re all in this together.” Clearly, we are not. Some animals are more equal than others.
One of the many impacts of Evers’ forced shutdown is that government revenue has collapsed. The money the state confiscates in the form of sales, income, and business taxes will not be anywhere near enough to pay for Wisconsin’s distended government. Even knowing this, Evers has not lifted a finger to begin to lessen the cost of government to match the people’s ability to pay. There are only three things one can do to balance a budget – cut spending, raise taxes, or borrow money. Evers is already signaling that he will not cut spending – especially his own paycheck. Wisconsinites better prepare for the other two.
Throw any mud at the wall to see if it sticks. You should’ve linked to your editorial where you said Walker should’ve foregone his salary while on the presidential campaign trail.
Jiffy’s a little sensitive to this, ain’a?
Triggering libs. Love the article.
Just a question. How come the homeless in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities in California are not dying from the virus. If the experts are right, just about all the homeless should be infected by now and thousands and thousands would be dead.
Why hasn’t that happened?
Mar,
Is your question rhetorical, or did you think Wisconsinites might have the answer for LA and San Fran?
Yeah, Dad29, it’s silly and sad.
Owen doesn’t want a government. He must be an anarchist. He just wants people to die. Awful, just awful.
See how silly that sounds?
Show me the B&S post about the bloated paychecks for Walker appointees. Son of a donor? Give ’em a $100K job! Step right up!
Johnny,
Show me where with one sweep of his pen, Walker put 600,000 hard working Wisconsinites out of work. If you can, I’ll go protest on his front yard for a month.
Pat, it’s a serious question. For those who believe in science and the experts, they should have an answer.
Because the experts are never wrong, so you have to figure most of the homeless should be dead by now.
Jason, you think there shouldn’t have ever been a lockdown?
Johnny, I’m trying – and failing – to show you how silly you sound. You’re in here gaslighting the proprietor of this blog and making stupid statements about Walker not taking a pay cut… as if the actions of Walker equate in some way to the actions of Evers.
P.S. You won’t grasp the concept I just shared, sorry that you have this issue. Maybe some day our hard working doctors and scientists will find something to help you… but it will likely be for a future generation. I’ll pray for you.
Jason, as I’m sure you understand, my comparison with Walker is relevant. Walker was AWOL for quite a long time as he chased his Presidential dream. Should the taxpayer have gotten a refund on that?
Here’s an easy way to see that Owen’s editorial is just his reflexive anti-government bias. Did Owen demand that all private sector workers suffer as much as the ones who were laid off? Did he rail against those who are working from home, saying they should suffer as much as the ones who can’t work from home? Did he suggest that government workers aren’t still doing the job they were doing before, and that’s why they shouldn’t be paid?
Owen doesn’t really care if the government workers are still doing their job. He just thinks they should stop doing that, because… well, just because he doesn’t like them. Doesn’t think they are essential. You know, the arts. Who needs the arts?
Bloated paychecks! Cushy retirements! Be resentful! Let’s drag everyone down to the lowest level!
But you know, if Owen’s toilet couldn’t flush, he’d be mad.
As for Evers, he did the same thing many other governors and mayors did, in the face of this virus. Again, do you think any of them should’ve done nothing?
But I’m glad to hear you’ll start listening to the doctors and epidemiologists in the future.
My god, you are dumb.
It’s pretty simple, Jason. If government workers can still do their job safely, why shouldn’t they?
Anyone going to the Flu Klux Klan rally in Madison this Friday?
My, aren’t we feeling a bit bigoted this morning Pat.
Not at all, Mar. What do you find bigoted?
>If government workers can still do their job safely, why shouldn’t they?
Owen brought up some thought topics of departments that might not be “essential”. You ignored that you gaslight him.
>It’s pretty simple, Jason
I know it’s pretty simple, and you not getting it when it’s so simple just proves that you are dumb.
Dang it, Pat, stealing my jokes. I wanted to use that one.
You know, because there’s always a Confederate flag around. Not racist, but number one with racists, as they say!
Jason, “gaslighting” him would mean I’m trying to trick him into thinking something’s not happening, even though it obvious is.
Yup, Evers & Co. made determinations about what’s essential and what’s not. Owen’s free to have an opinion about whether those choices were right or wrong.
After Owen calls the tourism people and asks whether they’ve found enough to do during this crisis, or heck even the arts board, I’ll be slightly more impressed because he bothered to do the least bit of homework, as opposed to riffing his usual anti-gov bias off the cuff.
I hope they don’t harass medical workers like they have a some other Flu Klux Klan gatherings.
jjf, I like the name Flu Cucks Klan too.
Drudge had this:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/drudge.com/m/news/241757/cancervative-groups-guiding-flu-klux
Jason, as I’m sure you understand, my comparison with Walker is relevant. Walker was AWOL for quite a long time as he chased his Presidential dream. Should the taxpayer have gotten a refund on that?
Walker was gone for a few months while most of his staff and the entire balance of Government in WI still did their jobs, vs Evers shutting down the majority of private business in the State while paying virtually all Gov’t jobs whether they are working or not. These are equivalents or ‘relevancies’ to you? (sorry but relevant was a poor choice of word, like Jason saying you were gaslighting, I guess) The only commonality was that both Governors should forego pay, nothing else. Do you also compare the Empire State building to Mount Everest because they are both tall?
It certainly makes sense to me that public workers not doing their jobs should be in the same exact boat as private workers not allowed to do theirs. If not working they should be waiting for their $1000 dollar Gov’t check to tide them over. They are still likely to be much better off, because they will almost certainly get their jobs back. Government workers with essential jobs (anyone working in the unemployment field, for example) should be paid normally, but if any business cut off a fifth (more likely a quarter) of their production while still paying their workers, they better have a plan on how to pay for their costs don’t you think? As Owen pointed out, since there aren’t any Government expense cuts, we better get ready for tax increases and a lot of borrowing that we will have to pay back.
Government is the progenitor of this economic crisis, but only their subjects pay for it? What is this, the Hunger Games? That is basically what you are championing.
Dang quotes bar not working!!!
DMOTP Jiffy goes to bat for the Fourth Reich: If government workers can still do their job safely, why shouldn’t they?
….but no one else, right?
If Walker was AWOL, or even only doing his job half or a quarter as much as he would normally if his butt was in his chair in Madison, why shouldn’t we be able to ask for a refund? If his staff had to take unpaid time off in order to work for the campaign, why didn’t Walker?
But it makes sense for Owen to suggest that Evers keep working but that he should suffer like any hourly wage earner in the state who was laid off? It’s just Owen whining.
Trump & Co. minted a couple trillion-dollar coins and handed it out to mostly big business. They could’ve handed it out to all the people instead and it would’ve been much more than the $1200, right?
MjM, there are plenty of people and businesses that are still open, right? Not all government jobs involve working directly with the public.
DMOTP Jiffy cheers the insanity: ” there are plenty of people and businesses that are still open, right?”
Why don’t you ask the millions of closed business owners and the 22 million others forced out of work that question.
I’m sure you’ll find “plenty” of those around.
But God forbid some g’vment art duster or toilet inspector feels the pain. No sirree. Those four white hats from the DOT standing around looking at the hole are f’n essential.
And I can’t wait for your adamant calls for Phony nEvers and his staff to forgo salaries next governor’s race.
MjM, it’s more like I’m cheering the people who aren’t spreading it, and who aren’t getting it.
How much sympathy do you have for people who’ve lost their jobs at any other time? What do you tell them to do?