The state Senate's Minority Leader says Democrats are going to the public with what they call the Badger Blueprint, to offer an alternative to the budget priorities presented by the Walker administration.
Jennifer Shilling represents the LaCrosse area, but has property in the Northwoods. She says Democrats think the Republican-dominated legislature has missed the priorities of average Wisconsin residents. She says their plan focuses on growth, opportunity and innovation.....
".....really going back to basics. It's our schools, our healthcare, our roads, infrastructure. It's maintaining local control. We've seen another flurry of bills and laws that take away local control...."
Shilling says the long number of tax credits given to businesses might not be the best way to use those dollars. She was critical of the Walker Administration economic development agency, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation work, where problems continue to plague the agency and questions about money given to private business have arisen.
She says state Democrats are working to get the Walker administration to reverse course and accept federal dollars guaranteed to the states for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Governor Walker rejected millions of dollars, saying he didn't want to increase the number of people on Medicaid, or Badgercare.
Other Republican Governors took the money, says Shilling, because they saw a way to cut costs to taxpayers. Shilling says it was a missed opportunity...
".....something costing Wisconsin taxpayers to the tune of $360 million by not accepting those federal dollars. Many Republican Governors have accepted those(dollars) even though they may not have been in support of the the Affordable Care Act. We call upon our Republican colleagues and Governor Walker to reconsider it...."
Groups like Citizen Action of Wisconsin have said that overall insurance rates in Wisconsin are higher than in Minnesota, a state that accepted the Medicaid dollars from the federal government. Shilling says the Badger Blueprint focuses on getting schools and other infrastructure the resources needed. There's a link to the Badger Blueprinthere.
