Scott Walker GOP Wants to Take over Dozens of Milwauke Public Schools

Having confined the greater Milwaukee urban area as the nation's most segregated region, Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans are now working on legislation to take over dozens of Milwaukee public schools and hand them over to for-profit companies.

Notes the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), "Wisconsin legislators from two of the wealthiest communities in our state have released a plan to hand over dozens of Milwaukee’s public schools to private companies, create a central city zone with no corporate taxes, and implement a 'right-to-work' law only in the city of Milwaukee. Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) released their plan [last week] and say they will introduce legislation soon."

With the GOP-heavy Milwaukee police continuing its assaults against the black community, the city of Milwaukee will soon resemble something akin a dystopian police state, if you are poor and black amid the battering of Milwaukee.

One wonders how this targeting of Milwaukee by Scott Walker and Republicans is consistent with the Wisconsin Constitution, Article X, Education.

The legislative proposals follow draconian cuts to public schools in Walker's first term, and a Scott Walker-proposed $300-Million cut the University of Wisconsin System.

Walker never ran on these proposals, as the push-back from old-school Republicans begins in this lethargic state with a dilapidated Democratic Party of Wisconsin in opposition.

The Wisconsin media portray the assaults against public schools as though there is no collusion among Republican legislators, Scott Walker and the special interests supporting the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Public schools are liberalizing institutions, socializing young people to view human beings as human beings, thus evangelicals such as Scott Walker have never liked the idea of public schools, and are now taking an ax to Wisconsin public schools and universities, institutions that took generations to build for the common welfare of the state.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court's GOP wing is expected to eviscerate the Fair Housing Act of 1968 this term in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, et al v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. 

The Fair Housing Act was signed into law days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

"The act makes it illegal to refuse to sell, rent 'or otherwise make unavailable or deny' a property to anyone because of race, sex or other protected categories." (New York Times)

Scott Walker's Proposed Slashing of UW System Is Unconscionable and Dishonest

Scott Walker will have appointed 17 of 18 serving members of the UW System Board of Regents by May 2017; Walker's claims of independent authority are dishonest

Updated - Scott Walker never ran on slashing state funding 13 percent over a two-year period for the acclaimed University of Wisconsin System. (Bauer, AP)

But Scott Walker is calling for radically cutting and restructuring the UW System, citing Walker's $2 billion budget shortfall.

"It will make the University of Wisconsin more efficient, more effective and ultimately more accountable," Walker said.

Walker is taking his cues from the extreme rightwing on privatization of public education, and Walker's continued attempts to gut public higher education are two objectives of a wholesale project reengineering an entire state as envisioned by the the John Birch Society, (headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin), the Koch brothers and a few other rightwing billionaires.

Project goals, propaganda and money are funneled by the usual radical right-GOP suspects: ALEC, Koch Brothers, the Bradley Foundation, MacIver Institute, the Wisconsin Reporter, Media Trackers, and the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

Nationally, the Koch brothers network plans to spend $889 million in 2016, it is reported today. (Gold, Washington Post)

Independent authority

In typical duplicitous fashion, Walker announced in his January 27, 2015 press release the "UW System will also have independent authority to establish policy regarding employee matters, including sick leave, tenure, and shared governance." (emphasis added)

Left out of Walker's press release is the fact the UW System Board of Regents, (of 18 sitting members), is composed of:

• 10 Walker appointees
• Seven appointees whose terms will expire in the next two years
• Tony Evers, Superintendent of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

The Board will hardly be independent, but rather ideologically vetted by Scott Walker (as are all appointees to state commissions and boards).

In May 2017, Walker will have appointed 16 of 18 serving members of the UW System Board of Regents.

In May 2015, Walker will have appointed 12 of 18 serving members of the UW System Board of Regents.

The gerrymandered state senate which rubber-stamps Walker appointees has to approve each Walker appointment.

Walker is so controlling and ideologically extreme that Walker rescinded his appointment of UW-Platteville student Joshua Inglet to the Board in August 2013 after finding out Inglet signed the Recall Scott Walker petition to show support for his mother who is a teacher.

UW System Board of Regents

John Robert Behling - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2012
Mark J. Bradley - Term expires May 2017
José Delgado - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2014
Tony Evers - Elected as Superintendent of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Michael J. Falbo - Term expires May 2015 (President of the Board)
Margaret Farrow - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2013
Eve Hall - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2014
Nicolas Harsy - Term expires May 2016

Tim Higgins - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2011
Edmund Manydeeds - Term expires May 2017
Regina Millner - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2012
Janice Mueller - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2013

Drew Petersen - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2013
Charles Pruitt - Term expires May 2016
Anicka Purath - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2015
José F. Vásquez - Term expires May 2016

David G. Walsh - Term expires May 2015
Gerald Whitburn - Appointed by Scott Walker in 2011