Summer has almost come to end here in Wisconsin. The leaves have already started turning and school is right around the corner. Its an election year and one of the key races is the race for Governor. Scott Walker is seeking a third term while State Superintendent Tony Evers has won his primary with 41% of the vote with State Senator Kathleen Vinehout, Attorney Matt Flynn, Firefighter Union President Mahlon Mitchell, Former State Representative Kelda Roys, State Representative Dana Wachs, Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik and Blue Jean Nation Founder Mike McCabe all running spirited campaigns that only shows how much they care about Wisconsin.
GOP on Attack
In a show of desperation, the GOP was on the attack tripling down on an ad that has been already rated various degrees of false. The state Republican Party says Evers "allowed a middle-school teacher found guilty of spreading pornographic material at school to keep teaching students."(1)
The teacher was not found guilty of, or even charged with, any crime. Rather, he was fired for viewing pornographic material on his school computer. He got his job back after an arbitrator ruled that the firing was not justified, (1)
Tony Evers is not a legislator, he is a constitutional officer. He was following the law as it was written and two courts upheld the decision not to fire the teacher. If Evers were to revoke the teacher's license he would be violating two different court orders and would be sued if any attorney found that there were other cases where a teacher kept their license for committing the same offense.
The Education Governor
You will hear Governor Walker calling himself " The Education Governor" or that " We made “a record investment” in schools. Does he think we have been asleep the last eight years? Inflation included, Governor Walker has invested less money into education than any other Governor since 1997. (1)
The Governor’s 2015-17 state budget cut $250 million from the University of Wisconsin. Walker broke his promise to freeze tuition on technical colleges. His first budget cut $2 billion dollars from K12 education to give to charter schools that shut down and move to Florida. He is the De-Education governor.
Walker’s Roads
Governor Walker has borrowed and borrowed and borrowed again for funding transportation. Walker cannot even come to an agreement with his own Assembly Speaker when it comes to road funding.
The problem is finding sources of revenue to fix our roads. Assembly Republicans are open to new sources of revenue but the governor won't move an inch to consider any new sources of revenue without a corresponding decrease in the state budget. Unfortunately, this argument leads the resignation of Wisconsin DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb.
Walker will tell you that his administration has invested more money in roads than his predecessor. This is untrue, Former Governor Doyle invested $1.3 billion more than Governor Walker. He has had eight years to figure this out. Still, no solution seems to be in sight
Lincoln Hills
Governor Walker and State GOP want to make the safety of our kids a campaign issue. The Lincoln Hills School for Boys was raided by the FBI after allegations of abuse. A Racine County Circuit Court Judge sent a letter to Governor Walker detailing his concerns. After a big scandal involving Attorney General JB Van Hollen and DOC Secretary Ed Wall, the prison was closed. But, by then it was too late. The damage was done. Van Hollen did not seek re-election and DOC Secretary Ed Wall resigned.
Conclusion
I urge everyone to get out and start supporting Tony Evers. Evers is a man who has spent his entire life in a classroom. Anything from being a science teacher in Baraboo to running every public school in Wisconsin. He was challenged in 2017 for his job. Not surprisingly. He won with over 70% of the vote.
Please help me elect Tony Evers as Wisconsin’s next Governor. We cannot afford four more years of abuse of power, corruption, and scandals. Wisconsin needs a new direction. Tony can get Wisconsin back on track and be the “Education Governor” that Walker clames to be.
Sources: (1)