Don’t you love it when reality conforms to your expectations. An article in the Sunday Review section of the New York Times compared the economic performance of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Wisconsin, as you probably know, elected the right-wing anti-union tax-cutting governor Scott Walker and a Republican legislature to do his bidding. Minnesota, on the other hand, elected liberal Gov. Dayton and a Democratic legislature. Minnesota raised taxes on the top 1%.
Wisconsin is now behind Minnesota in job growth. Minnesota put money into schools; Wisconsin cut state funding to education. Minnesota expanded Medicaid, Wisconsin refused, and many of its poor lack health insurance. Minnesota is doing well economically; Wisconsin, not so much.
Bottom line: liberal polices created jobs, expanded health care, and created a good business climate. Right-wing ideology in Wisconsin excited the Tea Party but wrecked the state.
By the way, Gov. Walker is now contemplating a run for the presidency. His campaign slogan is “Let’s screw up the country the way we screwed up Wisconsin.”
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