A Democratic Mayor in Waukesha
Most people are pretty surprised that a Democrat won the mayoral race in Waukesha yesterday. It must have the Republicans at the state level a little nervous.
People on both sides of the political spectrum should take notice of one fact in the race - the Republican was a public supporter of the so-called Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA) and the Democrat was against it. He wasn't trying to walk the line and be both for it and against it either. So a Democrat won in a Republican base speaking out against the TPA.
And the Democrat was outspent 3-to-1 in the race.
There must be a few Republican supporters of the TPA questioning their stance on it today and looking through old press releases to see what they have said on this issue. Rep. Mark Green might be questioning his support of it too. If you can't win with that message in Waukesha, where can you?
Perhaps the supporters of this amendment will start to realize that voters want more than someone that votes and rules by press release and cute campaign slogans. Calling it the Taxpayer Protection Amendment but having no idea what it does to local communities might not be such a good strategy after all. I'm guessing voters are also getting a little tired of Republicans spending a lot of tax dollars and then accusing everyone else of too much government spending.
So now the question is, does Rep. John Gard and Senator Dale Schultz even bring the TPA up for a vote anymore?
posted by whatsleftwi @ 11:05 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Grothman has even changed his tune lately--now he claims the soonest the amendment would go before the voters is Nov. 2008. That means it would be first considered in the legislature next year.
Also, if Mark Pocan is right, the Assembly may be done for 2006, anyway.
I think the bigger thing to take away from the race in Waukesha is a lesson for all Democrats nationwide.
Even in typically conservative areas, people respond on issues that truly affect their lives and they respond when someone comes out firm, principled, and clearly on an issue. It might be TABOR II in Waukesha, WI, but it might as well be something like war in Iraq, failed economic policies, or the like nationally, and it will resonate in places like Waukesha or otherwise.
And to say something about TPA...government can work for the betterment of all people when applied correctly. The TPA is all about making government not work for anyone except corporate interests. And people know it. We'll see how that translates into statewide Assembly and Senate races. Trueconservative is right. Challenges from truer conservatives can have success. Even better if True Progressives (I mean like the Bob La Follette variety) were able to run and win and make government effective and efficient again.
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