As Governor, Scott Walker Has Protected The Wealthy Few At The Expense Of Middle-Class Families
The GOP has its newest official candidate today, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker becoming the 15th Republican candidate to enter the presidential race. While Gov. Walker claims he is worried about the American dream becoming “out of reach” for too many families, his record in Wisconsin has proven to promote an economy that benefits the wealthy few at the expense of the middle class. New analysis by CAP Action shows that during Walker’s tenure, middle-class incomes fell $728 from 2011 to 2013, ranking the state 44th in the nation in middle-class income growth. Meanwhile, the 1% have the lowest tax rates in the state.
Even in the midst of his presidential announcement, Gov. Walker has continued hurting the middle class. Yesterday, Walker signed a state budget which included a last-minute amendment to remove a provision to allow workers to file a complaint if they are not paid a “living wage.” The living wage in Wisconsin, according to an MIT study, comes out to $10.13 an hour, while the minimum wage in Wisconsin is only $7.25. That means that if Walker were to actually follow the state’s living wage law, the 41,000 minimum wage workers in the state would earn $5,990 more per year, putting a cumulative $245,600,000 in the pockets of Wisconsin workers annually.
Check out this infographic to get the facts on Walker’s Wisconsin:
BOTTOM LINE: Scott Walker has feigned concern for the middle class, but the reality is that he has stood on the side of the wealthy few. From tax breaks for the top one percent to eliminating the state’s living wage laws, hardworking Wisconsin families have paid the price for Walker’s political gain.
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