A response to the letter regarding Gov. Walker

This letter is in response to the letter titled, "What's the Truth about Gov. Walker?" by Donna Zietlow of Berlin:

If the unions knew anything about Governor Scott Walker planning to eliminate collective bargaining, it seems very odd that they would not tell their membership because it would not have been in their best interests not to tell them.

She cites isolated incidents that were not the norm regarding collective bargaining and leaves out the fact that public employees went for years without pay increases and benefits were given in lieu of wages because this saved the state billions in FICA taxes.

Therefore, while people working in the private sector got liquid cash that they could spend, the public employee delayed gratification with benefits. This means that the public employee not only didn't get the wage increases that he/she deserved but now will be stripped of the benefits also.

Whether there is collective bargaining for Federal employees is beside the point. This fight was about the State of Wisconsin, which is the first state to give public employees the right to bargain collectively.

It is true that governments have no profits but government is about people. It is not their business to make profit. This does not negate the need for collective bargaining for public employees.

The benefits are what entices family people to these jobs. Otherwise, no one would want these jobs especially when the rate of pay isn't there.

In regards to Walker creating more jobs to get more revenue to balance the budget, what about the 17,000 public employee jobs that he eliminated? Therefore, the 30,000 jobs he claims to have created minus the 17,000 leaves only 13,000 jobs he supposedly created. Right?

Yes, at the state level corporations have a flat tax rate of 7.9 percent but comparing that to the progressive individual income tax rate is like comparing apples to oranges.

The flat rate is all the corporations pay no matter how much they make. Whereas, with the progressive tax, the individual's tax goes up if he makes more money.

Therefore, her statement that corporations pay more than individuals is not supported. Also, the Federal tax on corporations starts at 15 percent and can go up to 35 percent.

Gov. Walker doesn't care about any generation, either the present or the future, because he cut $1.3 billion from our education system, then, wonders why companies can't and won't be able to find skilled workers?

He did not balance the budget. In fact, State Senator Kathleen Vinehout discovered that $558.3 million in debt payments due were delayed.

Taxpayers will pay $156 million in new interest charges because of Walker's recent financial actions without any notice to the public. She has called for a review of these decisions and their impact on taxpayers.

Reforms did not prevent massive layoffs. The last count was that 17,000 public employee jobs were lost (4,000 of those were teachers/staff) since he took office. The furlough days have only been eliminated temporarily.

Gov. Walker won't rest until he completely guts public employees.

Regarding him funding Medicaid by $1.2 billion, I have just the opposite information from a newsletter by Sen. Chris Larson who says that Walker cut over $1 billion from Medicaid leaving some 65,000 without any healthcare coverage including 30,000 women, children and chronically ill people.

How does she define "those really in need"?

Which debts from the previous administration were paid? We're still in debt according to Sen. Vinehout.

She should tread lightly regarding recall not being justified especially when Walker himself won on a recall election of Thomas Ament in Milwaukee County.

Regardless of whether the unions succeeded in recalling Walker, they did take back the Senate, which will hopefully keep Walker from doing any more harm to Wisconsin workers and their families.

Sincerely,

Mary Kluss