Wisconsin Gov. Walker Pursues School Voucher Expansion, Food Stamp Eligibility

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker
(photo: Wikipedia)

Our previous glimpse into Wisconsin governor Scott Walker's world was during the vote which failed to recall him. Since that episode, Walker has become the darling of Republicans who imagine his youthful presence and assertive policies will translate into national political gain.

Walker has listened to this siren song and has made his play into politics well beyond Wisconsin's borders. This past week was a busy one for Walker. According to a story in today's online edition of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the gov gave a speech at a state Republican event in which he outlined new initiatives. Leading the way was a proposed increased reach for the school voucher program.

For those who believe church and state should be rigorously separated, Walker's notion is unwelcome news. Conservatives who claim to believe in "strict" interpretations of the Constitution should be a natural constituency to thwart ideas such as Walker's school voucher bid. Instead, the right's lust for political power has brought it into an unholy alliance with conservative religious elements, notably evangelical Christians (who are an important GOP voting block) and the Roman Catholic church. A fundamental principle of these groups is taxpayer funding of K-12 educational programs that religious organizations provide. Without such subsidies, Roman Catholic schools would largely wither on the vine. The Christian Right has created its own potent funding mechanisms; consequently, its schools do not need federal or state support.

Walker has also targeted increasing fiscal austerity for the poor. He suggests modifying the state's food stamp program so that "able-bodied" recipients without dependent children must engage in work training to qualify for the subsidy. Walker promised during his successful election campaign that he would increase the number of jobs in Wisconsin by roughly a quarter-million. He has not come even remotely close to that figure since he took office. Perhaps he'll count the trainees from the food stamp program as "success stories," unless they work for WalMart, a company which pays dog shit wages and encourages employees, according to a Daily Kos piece, to buttress their earnings with public assistance.