Bait and Switch

Must read piece from Tim Fernholz:

The state's entire budget shortfall for this year — the reason that Walker has said he must push through immediate cuts — would be covered by the governor's relatively uncontroversial proposal to restructure the state's debt. By contrast, the proposals that have kicked up a firestorm, especially his call to curtail the collective-bargaining rights of the state's public-employees, wouldn't save any money this year.

I think there's something to be said for the idea that you don't want to let a good crisis go to waste. But that's what's happening here. Scott Walker wants to crush the political power of a subset of Wisconsin public sector unions, so he's proposed a bill to do that. It has nothing to do with the short-term fiscal crunch that's being used as a pretext.