The Milwaukee Post

November 10, 2017 • Milwaukee County Post • 9 OPINION By JOHN TORINUS The major issues for the 2018 campaign for governor and Wisconsin legislative seats are fairly predictable, but there is a possi- bility that some new ground will be plowed. Gov. Scott Walker will run on the state's low unemployment rate, on lowered state and local taxes during his seven years in office and on his coup in landing the Foxconn deal. By the time the campaign gets into full swing next summer, construc- tion crews will be working full tilt on the first phase of the projected Foxconn cam- pus of an incredible proposed 20 million square feet of buildings. The Democrats in the race will run against Walker's record and on their stan- dard playbook of more funding and taxes for education and infrastructure. That has been their game plan for economic develop- ment. They will contend that the governor did- n't hit his 250,000 jobs goal from his 2010 campaign, that his tax cuts favored the rich and that the Foxconn deal was too expensive per job created and a threat to the environ- ment. They will call for a repeal of Act 10, Walker's signature legislation that devastat- ed public-sector unions by stripping them of dues and power. Even though job growth remains slug- gish in Wisconsin, tight labor markets will shift the debate to workforce training. Both parties will go for that politically safe ground. It's been an essentially bipartisan theme for several decades. However, the candidates could challenge the business community to step up with more training dollars through apprentice- ships for adults and youths, mentorships and internships. Every young person should have a work experience every sum- mer. The Walker administration has experi- mented with wage subsidies for youth work experiences in a pilot program in Milwaukee, and some Milwaukee-area com- panies have launched youth apprentice pro- grams to ensure a flow of future workers. If the results are good, these initiatives could be expanded to more companies and more parts of the state. These training programs are a lot of work (Serigraph had a youth apprentice program in the 1980s), but they really help young people get going in the adult world of work. Companies can't expect schools and colleges to carry the full training load for young and underemployed adult workforce candidates. Tony Evers, the best known of seven Democratic candidates in his role of state schools superintendent, will, of course, push more funding for education. But Walker has pre-empted him by tilting the just-signed state budget toward K12 educa- tion. He added a hefty $822 million two-year increase above the 2017 spending base. That K-12 largesse may also offset some of the lingering backlash against Walker for his Act 10 and its effect on teacher compensation. School districts are far healthier financially because of their ability to manage teacher bene- fits under Act 10, but teachers are still smart- ing from their higher contributions to health care premiums and retirement fund- ing. Don't expect the candidates from either party to touch the third rail of American politics: soaring health costs. Walker made a run at pushing the Employee Trust Fund to better manage- ment of health costs, but his fellow Republicans in the Legislature were bought off by the state's medical industrial com- plex and torpedoed that part of the Walker budget. Evers and the other six Democrats also won't depart from the status quo on the expensive ETF plan. They also won't take on the explosion of Medicaid costs. Medicaid, which now cov- ers one in five Wisconsinites, jumped a ghastly $470 million in the new budget, despite GOP efforts to contain eligibility. The Walker posture on Medicaid will hang on the lame Republican "repeal and replace" efforts at the national level. The governor has signaled a wariness of the House Speaker Paul Ryan's block grant pro- gram, which, if not done right, could be a monumental shift of health costs to the states. The Democrats will probably take a cost- be-damned approach and continue to push for an expansion of Medicaid in Wisconsin. They will duck the reality that Medicaid is crowding out priorities like the university, environmental programs, public safety in Milwaukee and, heretofore, K-12 education. There is a golden opportunity for candi- dates from either aisle to raise the issue of reorganization of the University of Wisconsin System along regional lines. The state's economy works along regional lines (papermaking in northeastern and north- central Wisconsin, medical devices in southeastern and south-central, etc.), so why not realign the university in a symbiot- ic regional manner? Let's hope that the 2018 campaign for control of state government rises above per- sonal attacks, the order of the day in the Trumpian world of national politics, and pray the candidates tackle the issues that make a difference for the prosperity of the state. (John Torinus is chairman of the board of Serigraph Inc. in West Bend and blogs regu- larly at www.johntorinus.com. His column runs occasionally in the Post.) By CHRIS ABELE Monday, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors passed their budget pro- posal on a 15-3 vote. As an executive I am required by law to implement this budget even if I disagree with the policy direction they have chosen. Instead of the sustainable budget I pro- posed, supervisors approved $15 million in deep cuts to transit, public safety, parks and social services. They clearly believe these cuts are what is best for the future of Milwaukee County; I disagree and am pro- foundly concerned about these cuts and the impact they will have on our communi- ty. For this reason, I am returning the budget to the County Board unsigned. The budget that the County Board approved will still go into effect, it will just go into effect without my signa- ture or any appearance that I endorse the $15 million in service cuts that the board approved. Several people have asked why I didn't just veto the budget. Primarily, I chose not to veto the budget because I do not wish to fight with the County Board. Prior to their vote, I offered a compromise, which was rejected, and then a significant majority of the board voted to approve their budget cuts. Clearly, supervisors were determined to implement steep serv- ice cuts and my delaying the inevitability of their cuts would only make matters worse. As well, there are many wonderful ini- tiatives in this budget that I proposed and the board has accepted: $1 million in new funding to help address the opioid epidem- ic; $1 million toward our efforts to reduce homelessness; investments in reforming our youth justice system; and a new source of revenue for our parks. I would prefer to spend my time working together on these great initiatives instead of fighting about past decisions. At the same time, I am also concerned about future sustainability, because the County Board's budget does not improve the county's long-term fiscal outlook. Instead, it relies on short-sighted, one-time decisions that will only make for more dif- ficult budgets in the future and takes the first step towards a government that pro- vides fewer services for residents. I will do everything in my power to min- imize the damage the County Board's budget will inflict, but ultimately my administration is left with no choice but to implement $15 million in service cuts to public safety, social services, transit, and parks that were demanded by Chairman Theodore Lipscomb's amendment and sup- ported by a majority of the County Board. We will also communicate with mem- bers of the community about the conse- quences of these cuts as part of a broader public conversation on the future of Milwaukee County. The services that will be cut as a result of the Board's actions are not luxuries, they are a necessity for thou- sands of people, and I want to ensure those who are impacted are as prepared as possi- ble. (Chris Abele is the Milwaukee County executive.) Let's hope candidates for governor can rise above personal attacks Why I couldn't sign the 2018 county budget Torinus Abele

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