Wisconsin as a Socialist State? (Milwaukee, Oregon: fit in, unemployment rate, schools)

[amerifree]

From taxes to welfare to unparalled number of speed traps.
I've lived all over this great country, but California and New York have nothing on Wisconsin when it comes to Excessive Government control and intervention.
My brother-in-law works for the county and boasts how little work they do for a paycheck. Seriously?
Wisconsin made some progress in reigning in fraudulent welfare recipients ten years ago, but unfortunately created more programs and appropriated millions more to serve the govt. and the entitled masses concentrated along lakeshore communities from Milwaukee southward.
The condition of roads?....Where to begin???
So many police visibly errant, unprofessional and unfit in there duties to protect and serve. To the contrary, the only constant are the number of speed traps used to fill their coffers.
The teachers (degreed professionals) have to scratch, claw and scream just to make enough to raise a family!!!
Is this what defines Wisconsin?
Not in my house...not in my back yard!!!

[everwinter]

Well thankfully at least we don't have traffic cameras yet like the west coast.

[green_mariner]

Whenever I hear of some people speak of government programs as socialism, and then speak of socialism as "the worst thing ever", I am left wondering "Why is it that when I hear of socialism, it doesn't resonate any bad images for me? Why doesn't socialism scare me?" I personally don't view socialism as a bad thing.

[Fiddlehead]

I don't think you need to even go to socialism to get to the crux of the issue. In some of the more liberal states we have fire fighters retiring at less than 50 with six figure salaries. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize such arrangements are unsustainable. Those things are coming to roost in California and Oregon for sure. But the privatize the gains, socialize the losses system we have on Wall Street is even scarier. Some of these people are just plain crooks. Giving too much power to government employees or capitalists, who put their own desires over the greater good is equally boneheaded. Call me a died in the wool moderate. Frankly, I find the upper tier states (Wisconsin, Minnesota) to be much better run than others. If that is socialism, give me a helping too.

[Stone1]

From the stand point of a lower end of the pay scale, middle class family, who has lived in WI nearly all of my 50 years, I can say from my stand point I DO NOT like the Socialism idea. To me it means taking my money and giving it to someone who has not worked for it. I do understand helping when someone needs help but due to my line of work I see many in WI who are able to work but make no effort to do so and they seem to eat and live well.

Fiddlehead, just to give you a idea of the difference in pay from here to out your way, the full time Fire Fighter (I'm not one) with 32.5 years on can retire at age 53 in WI and would be at max. for pay but the retirement pay would be about $35,000. per year. A teacher will earn more and can make a little more in retirement. The max for the state pension to pay out is 65% for police and firefighters or 70% for general workers.

[brainwrek]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Whenever I hear of some people speak of government programs as socialism, and then speak of socialism as "the worst thing ever", I am left wondering "Why is it that when I hear of socialism, it doesn't resonate any bad images for me? Why doesn't socialism scare me?" I personally don't view socialism as a bad thing.

Then why not relocate to a nation with a heavily socialized economic system?

Venezuela?

I will even fund your relocation with the only stipulation being you never step foot in the U.S. again.

Deal?

Socialism is unconstitutional.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Stone1

From the stand point of a lower end of the pay scale, middle class family, who has lived in WI nearly all of my 50 years, I can say from my stand point I DO NOT like the Socialism idea. To me it means taking my money and giving it to someone who has not worked for it. I do understand helping when someone needs help but due to my line of work I see many in WI who are able to work but make no effort to do so and they seem to eat and live well.

It's all about perspective. I find that a lot of people who get up in arms about the government giving handouts to individuals have no problem whatsoever with the government giving taxpayer-funded handouts to corporations.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by brainwrek

Then why not relocate to a nation with a heavily socialized economic system?

Venezuela?

I will even fund your relocation with the only stipulation being you never step foot in the U.S. again.

Deal?

Socialism is unconstitutional.

Wow, bad attitude. Judging by the post, you seem to equate socialism with being unpatriotic.

Wisconsin is one of the most socialist-leaning states in the USA, next to Minnesota. Well, where I live, in Georgia, it is far from socialist compared to WI and MN. Well, WI and MN must be doing something right. These states are less violent than Georgia, better schools than Georgia, Wisconsin has better roads than Georgia. Last time I checked, Minnesota has the 10th lowest unemployment rate in the USA. Wisconsin also has a relatively low unemployment rate compared to Georgia. Georgia has among the highest unemployment rates in the USA. If socialism is so bad, then why are Wisconsin and Minnesota seem to be running things better than Georgia is?

[snofarmer]

First, northern MN has and still does have an unemployment rate in the double digits.

Because of this and the fact that we take in a lot of refuges we have an abundances of social programs. Like Wi.

Good roads in MN/ wi only when new as the winter will take it's toll on them rather quickly

It has been knows as the socialist republic of MN.

These social programs are a drain on the working-persons livelihood.
Is WI far behind us, nope there nipping on our heals.

Hopefully now that we have new representation things will change.

As a conservative this states frustrates the begeses out of me.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

First, northern MN has and still does have an unemployment rate in the double digits.

Because of this and the fact that we take in a lot of refuges we have an abundant of social programs.

It has been knows as the socialist republic of MN.

These social programs are a drain on the working-persons livelihood.
Is WI far behind us, nope there nipping on our heals.

Hopefully now that we have new representation things will change.

As a conservative this states frustrates the begeses out of me.

I am not going to take away from the fact that Northern MN is doing that bad. That being said, where I live, it is bad. It is worse in other places. In northern Georgia, the unemployment rate is pretty bad up there as well.