politics / commentary ::.
Walker’s Distress Signal Raises a Question
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Right-wing anti-tax revolutionaries, much like the band that played while the Titanic was sinking, are themselves playing music while Milwaukee County government takes on more red ink. Walker’s decision to shoot a flare of distress was shot through the pages of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the boys who ballyhooed a new efficient and effective government, as they drove F. Thomas Ament out of office, have yet to play any tune that would send a call to action regarding the latest fiscal reports coming from Milwaukee County. In the MJS report, Walker “in unusually blunt terms,” admits Milwaukee County is in serious fiscal crisis, which could essentially force Wisconsin’s largest county government into bankruptcy. Walker, ever the smooth talker, insists he’ll not raise local taxes, however, to remedy the problem. He wants the State of Wisconsin to come to the rescue. Sure, Walker won’t raise taxes, but he wants the state to raise taxes to cover for his administration's fiscal blunders. This is the same state that has stuck it to Milwaukee to cover for School Choice costs by raising Milwaukee resident’s property taxes to the sum of one hundred or more dollars. The County Executive says in the article, “tough decisions” have to be made, or else Milwaukee County could find itself in the same predicament as United Airlines, the airline that filed for bankruptcy, or face what officials in San Diego are facing. As reported in MJS, Walker expressed dismay about San Diego because “officials there have come under investigation during a municipal budget meltdown for allegedly not making proper financial disclosures regarding city finances…” Let’s back up here. Walker is warning the public that his administration wants to avoid being investigated for “not making proper financial disclosures?” Wait a minute! Where did that concern come from? Why would the chief executive of Milwaukee County make such a statement? Is there something we should know? It was confirmed a few weeks ago by a source at the Wisconsin Department of Justice to me that the DOJ is investigating fiscal matters at the county government. It is also confirmed by sources at Milwaukee County that an employee who works within the county budget system has filed a formal complaint regarding the reporting of funds and the manner in which Trust Funds are being handled. Now we have Walker alluding to the possibility that his administration is seeking to avoid having to be investigated for improper financial disclosures. Why is this a concern? Did the Walker administration file improper financial reports? Should the public seek an explanation as to why Walker felt he needed to inject this concern within the debate? We know about the Pension issues and the retirees and the fiscal deficits of county departments. We also know of the fiscal wreck that nearly destroyed the Milwaukee Public Museum and the cost over runs that are now afflicting the annex. But this idea about being investigated for fiscal misrepresentation—this is indeed a revelation that needs further scrutiny. Is there a meltdown about to take place at Milwaukee County? The outlook presented today is a far cry from what Walker reported in his state of the county address. Indeed, it looks like we’re not only going to have to put coffee shops in the parks, but in every county department as well. • Miranda is a national award winning columnist, Latino community activist and Editor-in-Chief of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. Email at: rmiranda@wi.rr.com >>More articles by Robert Miranda |