This post originally appeared at https://www.badgerinstitute.org/more-evidence-we-need-to-shut-off-the-federal-spigot/

Bamboozled ‘no’ voters just made a bad situation permanently worse

Bombarded with false assertions from big-spending liberals, many Wisconsin independents and conservatives were hoodwinked this week into voting against the two constitutional amendments that together would have given legislators shared responsibility with the governor over big buckets of federal spending.

In a primary with more than 1.2 million voters, 57% voted “no” on both amendments — a veritable landslide in a purple state usually open to constitutional change.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the percentage of voters penciling in “no” was over 70% in Milwaukee County and over 80% in Dane County — the stalwart liberal strongholds in Wisconsin.

But it wasn’t just liberals and progressives in favor of unrestrained and unexamined spending — or misspending — who voted “no.” A majority of voters in 21 counties that went for Republican Tim Michels in the last gubernatorial election voted “no” as well.

Lies and/or ignorant falsehoods were rampant. Opponents of the amendments falsely claimed victims of tornadoes would not be able to quickly get FEMA money, for instance, and pretended the amendments would somehow inexplicably eliminate checks and balances.

“No” supporters spent millions and it worked. Proponents of a “yes” vote, including the Badger Institute, didn’t have anywhere near that sort of money. What we saw as basic good governance, a step toward accountability and basic democratic principles, was turned into a partisan issue by the left, which then launched a misleading but effective political campaign.

Some will say that’s all water under the federally funded bridge. What’s done is done, and it would take years to get similar amendments back on another ballot. The governor, this one and all who follow, regardless of party, will be able to continue to spend huge pots of federal money at will and without the approval of the Legislature. 

If, that is, there continues to be huge pots of federal money.

The lack of oversight and accountability that will result from the “no” vote is one more indication that the party has to end at some point. We have $35 trillion of federal government debt in this country, and a chunk of it results from how money flows to the states in a way that would make the founding fathers blanch.

As we pointed out in our book, “Federal Grant$tanding,” there is so much federal money floating around that it’s almost impossible nowadays to know where the federal government ends and our state government begins.  

Like many states, Wisconsin typically gets more than 30% of its budgeted revenue from the federal government. And it gets billions more in so-called “emergency” or one-time spending that was the subject of the two constitutional amendments proposed to voters.

A Badger Institute analysis in 2018 concluded there are more than 10,000 federal employees — people paid with federal tax dollars — disguised as state employees in Wisconsin alone.  

“The takeover of state government by politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.,” we wrote back then, “has moved so relentlessly and swiftly forward in recent decades that it is often difficult to tell the difference between the two — even for government employees themselves.” 

Numerous “state employees” had no idea, we found, that they were actually paid with federal dollars that often come with mandates and directives and strings attached.    

State officials love the money, of course, because it’s seen as “free.” There’s already far too little oversight or accountability even when legislators have a say through the budget process — and now voters, knowingly or not, have codified a practice that is even worse. The governor of this state, they confirmed, can spend huge chunks of federal money with absolute carte blanche. Voters will likely have little idea how it is spent. Much will likely be spent on things politicians in Washington never intended and may never even know about.   

Government only works when it is close to the people, and government is only close to the people when our representatives and senators have a say over spending.  

Too often, they don’t. 

Bamboozled by the left, “no” voters just made a bad situation permanently worse.

Mike Nichols is the President of the Badger Institute. Permission to reprint is granted as long as the author and Badger Institute are properly cited.

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