Recall Math: 1 + 1 = -1

Now in the full swing of collecting signatures for a possible recall of Governor Walker; there is still one question that seems left unanswered to me. Why?  Many have attempted to answer this and many have given different answers to the same question.  Yet, before the drive to reach 540,000 signatures is complete, I want to address the ‘why’.

When Walker was elected, we had a state that was spiraling out of control.  The past governor had raided funds from the transportation department.  He borrowed money from Minnesota.  He had also raised taxes.  We were left with a $3 billion shortfall and no clear way to fix it.  Admittedly, he was given a deficit; however, instead of dealing with it he swept it under the rug.  Walker was willing to take this debt head on and correct the problems.

Walker ran on the platform that public workers needed to take more responsibility of their health benefits and pensions.  At the time of his run for office most public sector unions were attacking him hard.  They understood what was at stake.  In an article written in the Journal Sentinel written on August 29th, 2010,  Christina Brey speaking for the Wisconsin Education Association Council, said of Walker's plan. "Our members oppose taking away their rights to collective bargaining, so they would definitely raise their voices against it."  Within that same article we have Walkers policy advisor, Ryan Murray, explaining, "The way the proposal would work is we would take the choice out of the collective bargaining process.”

What seems today as old news would appear to have a huge impact on the recall petition.  One of the biggest objections Walkers opponents seem to have is that he did not inform the public of his desire to remove collective bargaining.  I will admit that he never came out and said, nor did he put it directly into any campaign statement.  However, politicians release information about their desires via campaign personnel all the time.  Whether or not he said it, we conservatives and WEAC appeared to understand his plans.  This proof of his honesty would be the first ‘1’ in our Recall Math equation.

During the campaign for governor many stories were circulated about the ill effects of electing Walker as governor.  The large amounts of teacher and public employee layoffs, the destruction of our public education system and elimination of unions is what we were told to expect.  We were told that a Walker election would be the end of Wisconsin as we knew it.

Now, a full year into his first term, it is important that we look and see what has happened.  First thing that was accomplished was a balanced budget and fixing the deficit he was given by the previous administration.  This includes repaying of the transportation fund and our debt to Minnesota.  Second, school districts that were being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by crippling benefits packages now are able to restructure their benefits plans saving over a hundred million dollars state wide.  Couple this with the fact that last year school districts increased taxes; while this year, the school districts that took advantage of Act 10 either held even or lowered taxes.  Third, he was able to restructure public employee pay preventing the layoff of huge numbers of employees.  While at the same time not disbanding the union as other states have done.  Lastly, he has made Wisconsin a better place to bring new business.  Although our national economic woes are making any job creation hard, when the turn around begins, Wisconsin is poised to attract companies back instead of watching them leave.  The current fiscal environment of the state would be the second ‘1’ in our Recall Math equation.

When I add these 1’s together, I come up with 2.  My math shows me that Wisconsin is in a better place when we were 13 months ago.  I see a state that has a promising future.  I see a state Governor and Legislature that took the correct measures to end fiscal mismanagement and a populous that refused to be bullied by the spoiled minority.

Yet, as I witness this recall take place and listen to those engaged in the recall drive, I must question their math.  Not only do they present the argument that our state is worse with Walker as Governor, they seem to think we were better with the last administration.  Although the recall organizers have yet to select a person to run against Walker, one must assume it would resemble the Doyle administration and his policies.  I fail to see how that adds up.

The only way this math works is if you factor in dishonesty within the recall drive.  They want you to think that 1+1=-1, because a different administration would restore their benefits.  A different administration would continue to launder money into the union coffers.  If we figure that math into the equation, then we do end up with -1.  A negative for the state, as we not only remove a man who wants to see Wisconsin succeed, but we are guaranteeing union dominance over Wisconsin government in the future. 

If they succeed, who will ever stand up against the unions again?  Who will risk political suicide to rein in government spending at the risk of the union recalls?  This is not about a dishonest man becoming Governor.  This is about how much union control of government you want.  Stand up against the recall.  Don’t burden your children with lies of recall math.