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No King Walker Governor
Walker has decided that the Department of Administration would be better off
if human resource functions were consolidated within it. This is
unacceptable. This would allow the governor to appoint whomever he would like
to run so many important government services, giving him an undemocratic power
over the Wisconsin government- but as I said this Tuesday, “No King Walker”
on my watch. It would appear that Walker wants to run his administration the
same way that the 45th President runs his, through nepotism and
favors to the wealthy. That simply does not line up with the democracy that
Wisconsin stands for. We must drain the swamp that is Scott Walker’s
administration and not allow it to grow. This consolidation will not save
taxpayers money and we must not stand for it. Higher Ed, Lower Debt This
Tuesday, I fought alongside my Democratic colleagues in the Joint Committee
on Finance to pass a plan that would reduce student loan debt by allowing
individuals to refinance their loans, just like we can for a home or auto
loan. Unfortunately, Finance Republicans shot this proposal down despite
incredible support from the public. However, we will not stop fighting for a
solution to this problem. Student loan debt is holding young people back from
their full potential. We must support those who may not have had a privileged
experience in college as parents cannot financially support their children like
the parents of previous generations could. There are simply not enough
scholarships for all students to be financially supported, and students are
suffering for it. Students in these situations should not be punished. Higher
education should open doors, not close them, and we should invest in those
who chose to invest in themselves, rather than holding them back.
Upcoming
Changes for the MCTS Go Pass This
past April it was announced that several changes would be made regarding the
Milwaukee County Transit System’s (MCTS) Go Pass, a program introduced in
2014 that has provided reduced and sometimes no cost fares for Milwaukee
County residents. However, starting June 26 MCTS will no longer be offering
free rides to senior citizens or persons with disabilities. Under the new
program these individuals will be required to pass a series of requirements
to register for new Go Pass benefits. Riders are required to go to the
Milwaukee County Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1220 West Vliet St.
to apply for a new Go Pass. In order to apply one must bring a photo I.D.
that states one’s age along with proof of residency in Milwaukee County as
well as one of the following items: (1) A copy of a Medicare card (2) A
doctor’s statement describing the nature of the disability written on
professional letterhead (3) A previously issued MCTS reduced fare card.
Qualified riders will be required to pay a one-time $5.00 fee as well as a
daily fee of $1.00. These changes are expected to lead to the deactivation of
roughly 11,000 of the 26,000 existing Go Passes.
Republicans
Pass Discriminatory W2 Drug Testing Measure Despite
our best efforts, Republicans on the Joint Committee on Finance voted to
endorse a plan laid out by Governor Walker aimed at further drug testing and
screening for participants of the W2 Wisconsin Works program, a program aimed
at helping low-income individuals find jobs. This Republican’s proposal is
neither moral nor cost effective. It runs off of the assumption that poorer
individuals are more likely to use drug and supports a culture of bias
towards low-income individuals. Furthermore, similar drug screening programs
have been created and proved to be highly unsuccessful given the amount of
money the Republicans pour into them. In Missouri, taxpayers spent more than
$336,000 to screen 31,336 welfare applicants, generating 38 positive tests.
In Arizona, officials screened 87,000 welfare recipients, generating ONE
positive test. The State of the State is not ideal, and Governor Walker’s
continued frivolous spending on programs like this is only making things
worse for the working people of Wisconsin. As a dedicated public servant I
will continue to fight for cost-effective and fair policies, unlike our
Republican colleagues.
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Quote
of the Week: "Live so that
when your children think of fairness, caring, and
integrity, they think of you" - H. Jackson Brown, Jr. This is an official
government communication from Sen. Lena C. Taylor. If you no longer wish to
receive these emails, click here to send
me an email to unsubscribe. |
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