Ten years ago, Taxpayers United of America (TUA) and its Wisconsin affiliates held a news conference at the capitol building in Madison supporting the Budget Repair Bill known as "2011 Wisconsin Act 10."
This bill was introduced by then governor Scott Walker, which addressed the state's projected $3.6 billion budget deficit. It was an attempt to reign in the many lavish privileges that government employees enjoyed at taxpayers’ expense. TUA was the first anti-tax group to support the governor. Later, Gov. Walker thanked us for our support. This press conference was covered by TV and local press.
Wisconsin had the fourth highest state and local taxes nationally, which supported the lavish pensions and runaway benefits of retired state employees. Many public employees become multi-millionaires at taxpayer expense, which makes a mockery of the term, “civil servants.”
With considerable effort from Christina Tobin, TUA was the first taxpayer organization to arrive on site to support the governor and his much-needed reforms.
Seven members of TUA from Illinois and Wisconsin were admitted to the capitol building, which was shut down because of the rancorous and volatile mob-like atmosphere both inside and outside the capitol building. The intruders, yelling and banging drums inside the rotunda, were not asked to leave. Thousands of mostly young adle-brained protesters surrounded the capitol building and damaged property. Of course, most of the mainstream media reported the protests as peaceful.
This was the time when 14 Democrat State Senators, in cowardly fashion, fled to Illinois so that they would not have to vote on the bill. Many represented their Wisconsin constituents by staying and hiding at the upscale Drake Hotel in Chicago.
After the TUA press conference that supported the governor’s fiscal initiatives, I was further interviewed by various media while exiting the capitol building. Verbal insults and loud threats were hurled.
One protester who claimed to be a government teacher bellowed a litany of 4-letter words attempting to drown out my comments while I was addressing a reporter. Other protesters made threatening physical motions toward me and those who accompanied me.
Thankfully, there were lots of cameras around to show taxpayers what really happened.