EDITORIAL: Elected officials still have work to do

Talk about it

Listening to Gov. Scott Walker during his “State of the State Address” last Wednesday, one might think things are pretty rosy in Wisconsin.

“We are turning things around,” Walker told those in the audience and across the state. “We are heading in the right direction.”

You can’t argue the fact that things have improved in some respects. The state’s unemployment rate has dropped over the past 12 months, and Wisconsin’s budget is balanced and in fairly healthy shape compared to other states.

As part of his speech, Walker announced a new “Waste, Fraud and Abuse Elimination Taskforce” which will work to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending in the state’s bureaucracy. That’s a good idea.

The governor and Republican-controlled Legislature have also taken steps to promote business growth in the state, although the jury is still out about whether the moves will work. Some business leaders say the state’s steps will have an impact over time. Others aren’t so sure.

But as Wisconsin heads into another election cycle, thanks to the recall effort organized by some disgruntled voters, there is no doubt that more improvement in the economy and in the business climate is needed.

Will those goals be achieved if voters choose a new gubernatorial administration in the coming months? We don’t think so.

We still think the legislative leadership, and Gov. Walker, should be given the full opportunity to prove themselves by allowing them to serve their full terms in office.

Maybe over the next three years, Walker along with his Republican colleagues in the Assembly and Senate will prove themselves as economic saviors for Wisconsin. If not, then voters can choose to go in a completely different direction.

Letting things take their proper course is a better route than creating constant political upheaval every year.

Tags: opinion, editorials