Posted on 03/16/2011 3:24:31 AM PDT by Scanian
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's support has been found, but to do so it looks like a reporter needs to leave Milwaukee and Madison. Bloomberg observes that Katherine Cramer Walsh of the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that she found "bitterness while doing research in 27 communities, where many residents work multiple jobs without benefits while local government employees have health coverage and pensions." "I heard a lot of comments and conversations about the rural-urban divide in our state," said Walsh, an associate professor of political science. "I was very struck by how resentful people in so-called outstate Wisconsin are of Madison and Milwaukee."
The Bloomberg story links to her blog site which leaves one reduced to shouting "duh!"
What I have learned is that there's a map that can explain a lot of the current tensions in Wisconsin. It is the map of the state itself. In Wisconsin, there are two main metro regions, one surrounding the largest city and industrial center, Milwaukee, and the other surrounding our state capitol and home of the flagship public university, Madison. The rest of the state is referred to as "outstate."
For many of the people I've talked with in outstate Wisconsin, their understanding of power, values, and resources goes like this (I'm paraphrasing here):
All of our taxpayer dollars get sucked in by Madison, diverted to Milwaukee, and we never see them again. The people in Madison are out of touch with the lives of people in rural and small town Wisconsin, and they are liberals and elitists who for the most part work for the state and have cushy health care and pensions. In addition, they are lazy. They can't possibly be working as hard as the rest of us who are working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet out here in these communities from which we can see businesses, industry, and farms leaving on a daily basis.
Just peasants. Ignore them. Journalists, college professors, and union members are the real Wisconsin ....
Yeah, the seven percent of workers who work for Gov are the real workers of WI, don’t cha know...
If this scene were replayed in EVERY state, the demographic would be the same. You’d find more support outside the major cities every time. I bet Philadelphia, Detroit, or L.A. would be in flames by now.
Oh, and much of Detroit would be vastly improved after the fire was put out.
She told me that she had thought that he was a "nice man" who supported the people in her area, but after seeing him flee to Illinois, she realizes that she was wrong about him.
She won't be voting for any Democrats again, and she was eager to sign the recall petition.
I suspect there are a lot of people in her position. This has rubbed their noses in the fact that the Dems are nothing more than a front for the Unions.
A very solemn “amen” to that. Not advocating it, just observing that the residents will likely do that themselves (again).
Put out or burned itself out?
Put out or burned itself out?
Thanks for the correction!
Yes, and since these folks live in the rural areas, the Lamestream Media isn’t in contact with them— and is too lazy and corrupt to go “outstate” to meet them.
There are many voters like your mother all over the country. They are solid, loyal, well-meaning people who don’t spend their lives keeping up with events like us Freepers do. Those are the real swing votes for the Democrats as opposed to the victim groups. The victim groups are in the bag.
They are also the ones that political consultants call moderates and say we must win them over by moving to the center. That doesn’t work because they don’t pay that much attention. In this sense, all politics is truly local. You have to go around and shake their hands and be “nice people” or provide “walking around money” to those who will. There are always voters and those who can influence the voters.
Imagine if Amreica’s largest cities were converted into new states. They’d all fail within a year, but the rest of the state would be better for it.
As it stands, most state budget problems are tied to urban policies and spending. It’s just taken the cities years to bleed dry the suburbs and rural areas.
As a PA resident, I’d love nothing more than to see Philly severed from the rest of the state. They can take Septa with them.
Ditto my opinion of Detroit. It's funny, I used to feel good about going down there for an event and spending some money, now not so much. I never feel unsafe or anything, just disgusted by some of it.
What is "Septa"?
Things cycle and the old 80/20 rule reestablishes itself. Sooner or later we would be right back where we started. That is human nature.
What is “Septa”?...Ed Rendell’s excuse to bleed the state dry so his pet Public Transport Bus Line can continue to lose money, keep Union worker’s stealing (47 % retire on disability), and ‘reduce congestion’ in the County. Har!
Dido for NYC. Amen.
Let them eat cheesecake.
Governor Lee Sherman Dryfus said it years ago!
I see. So that would be “South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority” no doubt. Yep, just another way to redistribute. I’ve lost count.
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