Radio Free W.O.W.: June 2018

In a May report, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) compared the economies of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Since 2011, the two states have diverged dramatically in how they are governed. Minnesota has followed progressive policies, while Wisconsin has become a test bed for Republican ideology. I won't recap the entire study, which can be seen here, but Wisconsin has not fared well under the GOP. The author summarized by saying, "On virtually every metric, workers and families in Minnesota are better off than their counterparts in Wisconsin — and the decisions of state lawmakers have been instrumental in driving many of those differences."

Walker and the GOP leadership declared war on workers with Act 10, Right-to-Freeload, elimination of Prevailing Wage, and no increase in the minimum wage. Our infrastructure has deteriorated, leading to one of the worst road systems in the country. Our schools are grossly underfunded. Our environment has become a dumping ground for polluters.

In contrast, Minnesota has prospered under their Democratic governor. Smart investments were made in education and infrastructure. The ACA was embraced. Strong environmental regulations were enforced. The minimum wage was raised. It is no wonder that the economies of two states have diverged. Let's look at just a few highlights from the study:

More people have health insurance in Minnesota v. Wisconsin. Minnesota embraced the Affordable Care Act, while Walker's Wisconsin fought it at every turn. As a result, the Minnesota uninsured rate fell to 4.1%. Wisconsin's uninsured rate also fell, but to a much higher 5.3%.

More people want to move to Minnesota v. Wisconsin. Between 2010 and 2017, the population of Minnesota increased by 5.1%, while Wisconsin's increased by a mere 1.9%. Looks like Minnesota really is "Open for Business". In contrast, Walker has been reduced to spending millions of our tax dollars on an advertising campaign to lure young people to Wisconsin.

Family income is substantially higher (and growing faster) in Minnesota v. Wisconsin. In Minnesota, median family income for 2016 was $83,344, up 8.5% over the last six years. In stark contrast, Wisconsin's median family income is only $72,891, up just 6.4% over the same period. Is it any surprise that a sustained GOP effort to suppress Wisconsin wages has done exactly that?

It is instructive to look at how the right-wing media responded to this attack on both their favorite governor and their most cherished policies. The economic facts simply do not coincide with the narrative that the right-wing propaganda machine pushes. They sell the lie that driving down wages, neglecting schools and infrastructure, cutting taxes for the wealthy, and pillaging the environment leads to an economic miracle. They sell the lie that Kansas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi should be our models for governance instead of California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.

Minnesota's eating of Wisconsin's economic lunch destroys the argument that the GOP's agenda is the correct roadmap for economic progress. The inconvenient truth of the EPI's report strikes at the very core of far-right ideology. Naturally, all of the far-right "think" tanks, foundations, "institutes", bloggers, and talk radio bloviators circled the wagons. They all attacked the EPI report in unison.

A guy from a right-wing think-tank in Minnesota, the Center of the American Experiment, published an editorial in the Journal-Sentinel. He cherry-picked data and nipped at the EPI report around the edges. He could not refute the basic premise- that GOP policies lead to inferior growth.

MacIver so-called Institute weighed-in. (How do a couple of clowns with computers and a website qualify as an "Institute"?) In a deranged article called, "Wheels Have Fallen Off Liberals' "Minnesota is Utopia" Argument", the author parroted many of the talking points of the J-S article. I could almost feel the spittle spraying out of my monitor. The group also attacked the EPI article on the "MacIver Minute" on right-wing talk radio. They railed against "nonstop attempts by the left to lure Wisconsinites into an unearned inferiority complex". (MacGyver-smart improviser; McIver-gang of political hacks).

The Wisconsin Institute for Liberty and Law (there goes that word, "institute", again!) published an only slightly less angry article, "WI vs MN Study By EPI Is Deeply Flawed and Doesn’t Merit Media Coverage".

WhiteWisconsin re-published both the MacIver and WILL articles. Media TraKKKers chimed-in with an article of their own, "Figures Don't Lie But...".

Friends of Scott Walker piled-on to defend their boy with an article, "Wisconsin Outpaces Minnesota As Economic Comeback Continues Under Scott Walker’s Bold Leadership". In their attempt to put lipstick on the Walker Administration pig, they oh, so wittily stated, "A bleeding heart is no substitute for an engaged brain.".

The right-wing media response to the existential threat contained in the EPI report could not be more predictable. They cannot accept the truth that progressive policies are the prescription for economic growth. In unison, they lied, attacked, denied, and obfuscated. They rallied to defend the indefensible policies of Walker. They continue to sell the myth that attacking workers is good for the economy.