BusStop - No You Can't

As promised, Scott Walker has vetoed a Milwaukee County Board referendum. The referendum's goal is worthy: property tax relief from parks and transit expenses. Visitors share the costs with a modest sales tax increase. The natives pocket the difference.

To explain why citizens are forbidden a vote in Milwaukee County on their property taxes -- one of the most annoying and unfair taxes ever invented to siphon our wallets -- he ought to step to a microphone and address the citizens with three simple honest words:

"No You Can't."

Laughter would be healthy. History -- which is now moving in the Yes direction - makes this man funny.

There is a way to make a city work for everyone. Walker's politics of "no" are moving against history. Look at him.

Proof of his History Deprived Mind? Well, his veto claim that "There already was a referendum on this issue...."  Lena Taylor actually refused to support a new sales tax.

Nor would Scott Walker be interested in a long-term history lesson about Milwaukee leaders who challenged Milwaukee citizens. Once upon a time there were the Sewer Socialists  when practical civic improvements were popular.

Involving actual people is a foreign idea to a government centralist like Walker. Totalitarian, however, is not foreign to America. We happen to worship the strong leaders we disagree with. Lena's promise to work with the County Board may have been fatal.

Walker has, indeed, this totalitarian streak in his governance -- if you can't get your Standing in the Way? Why not Hop on?own way, stand in the way of others.

The totalitarian must prevail; compromise is for losers. If he loses to the County Board he gets to blame results on the Board, and keep the sympathy of the one-issue (no new taxes) voter.

Which brings us to the other totalitarian issue - money.

Only money spent to maintain central control is money well spent. (Hence his veto of bike racks that will be paid for without County money.)

Spending on others gives power away to others. Preventing the spending of $91 million of federal transportation money is pure totalitarian politics. If the County loses the money he can blame rail advocates like Mayor Barrett (and the misguided great cities of America) for clinging to rail.

Of course that the bus system fails on his watch is irrelevant; it was the Pension debt not Scott Walker who ate the buses.

Which makes debt the perfect horse for a tyrant. Debt explains why we are not helping ordinary people. Debt gets the well-off off the hook; they become sudden fans of strong, central, burdensome and negative government. Debt re-elects anyone who "hates" debt, but defeats candidates who promise to pay off debt. Americans trust debt; nothing changes; no one challenges.

The Pension Debt was a gift to the career of Scott Walker. He loves to say No, because "No" is his the fastest horse to becoming governor.

If he ever tried to help Milwaukee fix its many woes, he would lose the vote of people who do not trust cities. Make no mistake; the city as enemy is a trusty strategy. It worked for Tommy Thompson.

But only someone ignorant of history would live in the past.

I gotta go. My bus to the library is coming. History section. I think we lost the cold war, too.

Bil Sell