Robert Yeomans, a member of Forward Janesville's Government Relations Committee (former, present?), was one of four finalists answering questions from Janesville council members during a special meeting to select a replacement for Council Member Matt Kealy. One of the questions asked was for their opinion on what Janesville city officials can do about correcting the wide differences in state shared revenues among Wisconsin communities.
Yeomans answer: “It’s a complicated formula and it doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be something easy to do because I think the people in Madison and Milwaukee have a lot more say as to what that shared formula looks like at the end."
The "people in Madison" are often referred that way in the context of describing state government, but once someone combines Madison with Milwaukee, the context is no longer about state government but a derangement to create a mythical political scapegoat to divert attention away from the real suspect. In this case, Yeomans implies to the listeners that the republican-led majority state assembly, senate and governship are powerless to change the state aid formula. He continued to drive that theme home...
"But I think we need to continue going to the legislature and saying hey, and I think we need to do it on a local basis ...NOT go up there, but have OUR legislators come down here to us and say this is what it is, do you feel this is right and what can you do within your party to try and adjust it."
Huh? Wut?
Is that how Forward Janesville does it when they want something? Umm, no. They go up there and lobby the state legislature.
When they wanted to grab more federal money to help fund the I39/90 expansion, did they call local federal guy Paul Ryan into Janesville to press his party for the fix? No, they flew to Washington DC. In fact, Forward Janesville just finished their second annual "legislative" trip to DC during the last week of February.
At stateside, by "our" legislators from Janesville, Yeomans means democrats.
So, he's saying don’t go up there. Why? Well ...because "up there" is the single-party ruled GOP Forward Janesville legislative majority!! They’re doing exactly what they’re told to do. That's why! Instead call down your “democrat” legislators, box them in and see what they can do “within your party” to correct the shared revenues error. Seriously.
You can watch the video here. The question and answer on this begins at the 0:41:30 time mark. It's precious if you're into this sort of thing.
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