Oh, to be like Arkansas!

This whole financial martial law thing (which Governor Walker denies he's considering doing) is, according to some, typical of the policies promoted by ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council).  So I thought I'd take a quick, little internet trip up to ALEC and see what I could find.

It looks like the organization identifies the "2010 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness rankings of the states based on their economic policies and examine which states took the right corrective actions and which states took the wrong ones in the face of this fiscal storm." ALEC website

I do not pretend to understand anywhere near the 142 pages of the full report.  And it's very possible I don't care that much, but I did note that, in the 2010 State Economic Outlook Ranking, Wisconsin is number 23  (Utah, at #1, is best).   

I guess, then, some of the states to which #23 Wisconsin should aspire include #13 Arkansas (which happens to be #48 in median household income and #46 in Forbes' Best States To Live), #16 Louisiana (41 in income; 40 in "best states"), #17 Alabama (46 in income; 33 in "best states"), and #18

Mississippi (50 in income; 48 in "best states").  Poor #23 Wisconsin tops each of these states, though, by a pretty significant margin, in income (#21) and in "best states to live" (#24).   Regarding education, ALEC's own ranking of "K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform" in American education has Wisconsin at 21, Alabama-40, Arkansas-44, Mississippi-46, and Louisiana-47.

To the untrained eye, it sure looks like "Economic Competetiveness" may come with some costs regarding quality of life.  I mean, Arkansas is nice, but it's not Wisconsin.

So, hopefully, Governor, you really won't be taking ALEC's advice, right?

Comforting words from our Governor

Like a warm, fuzzy blanket or a bowl of grandma's chicken soup, with two little words, Governor Walker soothed all our fears today.

"Absolutely false," said the Governor discussing the Rick Ungar report that Walker was working on a "financial martial law," on Newsradio 620 WTMJ's "Midday with Charlie Sykes."

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Previous comforting words:

(I pledge to) "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes." Scott Walker, Americans For Tax Reform Pledge "A new nonpartisan analysis of Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal shows that it would raise taxes for poor people..." BusinessWeek, 4/15/11

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says his budget-repair bill would leave collective bargaining “fully intact,” Politfact, Rated PANTS ON FIRE

This (collective bargaining) has never been about union busting, it’s about balancing the budget. See Walker admit collective bargaining saved no money in the budget in testimony before Congressman Kucinich.

"(I will) End the practice of raiding segregated state funds to pay for other programs."  Walker's website "Walker taps insurance fund to fill in deficit," JS Online

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Whew.  Thank goodness.  For a moment there I was worried...