Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
Stephan: Supreme Court Justice
Louis Brandeis, considered one of the greatest legal minds in American history, in his decision on
New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann in 1932 described how a "state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country."
It was and is a brilliant observation, and nowwhere is it being played out more clearly than in Wisconsin and Minnesota. These two states for most of their histories have been social progressive mirrors of one another. But then Wisconsin voters decided to try something different and they elected Scott Walker governor not once but twice. Walker has been in office long enough, and with control of the legislature, powerful enough to have put his stamp on Wisconsin. And what has happened?
He has destroyed the union movement, much of which began in Wisconsin and, as this report describes, has devastated the middle class with his policies. During his tenure "incomes [which] were well above the national average in 2000... are now below the national average, according to the data." As his political soulmate Sarah Palin might say, "How's that workin' out fer ya Wisconsin?"
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
Credit: educationvotes.nea.org
If you feel like you’re working harder for less money, it’s not your imagination.
Wisconsin ranks worst among the 50 states in terms of a shrinking middle class, with real median household incomes here falling 14.7 percent since 2000, according to a new report. (emphasis added)
The Pew Charitable Trust report showed Wisconsin with the largest decline in the percentage of families considered “middle class,” or those earning between 67 and 200 percent of their state’s median income.
In 2000, 54.6 percent of Wisconsin families fell into the middle class category but that has fallen to 48.9 percent in 2013, according to U.S. Census figures compiled by Pew.
All other states showed some decline but none as great as Wisconsin’s 5.7 percent figure.
Ohio was next worst with a 5.2 percent decline in middle class households followed by Vermont at 5 percent.
Kevin Kane of the liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin said the Pew report shows the damage to the state’s progressive tradition which had […]