The Milwaukee Post

10 • Milwaukee County Post • May 11, 2018 MILWAUKEE | OZAUKEE WASHINGTON | WAUKESHA M A R K E T I N F O R M AT I O N AVA I L A B L E MILWAUKEE POST • M MAGAZINE • OZAUKEE NEWS GRAPHIC OZAUKEE COUNTY GUIDE • HARTFORD TIMES PRESS WASHINGTON COUNTY DAILY NEWS • WASHINGTON COUNTY POST WAUKESHA FREEMAN • OCONOMOWOC ENTERPRISE • HOMES PLUS BROOKFIELD & ELM GROVE THIS MONTH • GREATER MILWAUKEE JOBS • LAKE COUNTRY THIS MONTH L E A D I N G T H E W A Y I N C O M M U N I T Y J O U R N A L I S M F O R N E A R L Y 5 0 Y E A R S Did You Know We Are a Part of… By SCOTT WALKER and DUEY STROEBEL Elections are all about choices. And this fall the residents of Wisconsin are likely going to face one of the starkest choices in the nation. Since 2010, Wisconsin grassroots con- servatives have fueled one of the greatest policy turn- arounds of our lifetime. Not satisfied with nibbling around the edges, after eight years of governing listlessness under Gov. Jim Doyle, the grass roots demanded bold reforms — and bold reforms is what we have delivered. However, as the recent losses in the 10th Senate District and the Wisconsin Supreme Court race have proven, without the organi- zation and optimism of our fellow champions of limit- ed government, we simply cannot win. And for the sake of our kids and grand- kids, throwing away all of the positive things we've accomplished is not an option — in fact, we need more bold reform to keep moving Wisconsin for- ward. With our bold reforms, we've been working to clean up the mess left by years of backward, liberal Madison policies. After inheriting a massive budg- et deficit, skyrocketing unemployment and the threat of draconian cuts to public services, conserva- tives immediately imple- mented bold structural refor ms. As opposed to accepting the conventional wisdom — cut services or raise taxes — conserva- tives were creative and looked to a third option with Act 10. We recalibrat- ed the balance of power in Wisconsin, giving taxpay- ers a seat at the table instead of allowing special interests to shut them out. The result is more than $5 billion in savings for tax- payers so far. But we didn't stop after Act 10. Through the end of this current budget, we will have reduced the tax burden on Wisconsinites by more than $8 billion. Property and income taxes on the average Wisconsin family will be lower in 2018 than they were in 2010. We have even started the process of entirely elimi- nating certain taxes. Core Wisconsin industries like manufacturing and agri- culture pay little to no Wisconsin taxes. Restaurant owners will no longer have to pay a tax for every grill and dishwasher they own because we elimi- nated the archaic personal property tax. By eliminat- ing the prevailing wage requirement on public con- struction projects, more schools and roads will be constructed for millions less. And we've passed leg- islation protecting our Second Amendment rights, promoting pro-life policies and guarding the integrity our elections. And what is the result of our refor ms? The unem- ployment rate is now the lowest in state history. More people in Wisconsin are employed than ever before. We have a budget surplus. In addition, these bold reforms have allowed us to reinvest what we call the reform dividend. This includes historic invest- ments in education — $200 more per student this year and $204 more per student next year. Smart budgeting allowed us to partner with private-sector partners like Foxconn so they can create thousands of good-paying, family-supporting jobs and ensure Wisconsin contin- ues to position itself as a forward-looking state. Wisconsin conservatives believe in a small and effi- cient government. At the center of every policy deci- sion is not the desire for another gover nment pro- gram or agency. Instead, we continue to strive to create an environment where gov- ernment plays the smallest role possible, allowing Wisconsinites the freedom and choice to provide for their families and lead their local communities. As we head into this fall, contrast our liberty-centric vision with that of the Wisconsin liberal leader- ship and their blueprint to grow gover nment. The choice this fall will be between more freedom, choice and economic growth or less freedom, choice and economic growth. Put another way, the choice is between more liberty for the individual or more power for the govern- ment. Under both scenar- ios, we choose the former. Wisconsin is working, but we are not finished yet. We've cut taxes to give you more of your own money and help create jobs, but we know there's more work to do. While we have made significant progress in pro- viding education options to parents, we will not be sat- isfied until every student in the state, regardless of race or ZIP code, receives a world-class education and learns the skills needed to help them succeed. And while the unemployment rate is at an all-time low, we will work tirelessly to cre- ate an environment where every able-bodied resident not only has a job, but a ful- filling career. This is our ambitious agenda. This is the mes- sage we will take to every corner of the state between now and November. (Scott Walker is Wisconsin governor. Duey Stroebel is a Republican state senator from Saukville.) Wisconsin thriving under conservative reform OPINION

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