In a guest column in The Badger Herald, the University of Wisconsin College Democrats claim that “it was clear from the beginning that the protests at the Capitol aimed not only to stop Republicans from pushing the [budget repair] bill through the state Legislature, but also to accomplish another underlying, ultimate goal: to recall [Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker] himself.” I was at those protests, and my being there had nothing to do with such a goal. Even when I signed the recall petition, I did not do so with this goal in mind.

What the College Dems fail to understand is that the backlash against Walker has a significance that goes much deeper than deposing an unpopular governor who does unpopular things. Wisconsinites realize that unscrupulous politicians – not labor unions – are the cause of their state’s problems. Walker and his allies in the state Legislature are just a few of many Republican and Democrat politicians who fail their constituents and continue to serve the privileged.

Yet the College Dems are trying to convince you that union busting and being beholden to corporate interests are exclusive to the Republican Party, even though Democrats’ track record of marginalizing workers rivals that of Republicans. For example, New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, allowed taxes on the richest New Yorkers to expire while forcing public employees to make major sacrifices in their contracts.

The Nation reported that “[Illinois Governor and Democrat Patrick Quinn’s] plans include cutting Medicaid by 6 percent, or $70 million in state funds, which would result in a federal match of an additional $70 million also being wiped out. Nearly 7,000 healthcare jobs would be lost, according to Pat Cornstock, executive director of Health Care Council of Illinois.”  Thus, Republicans don’t hold a monopoly on undermining the shrinking middle class and those who need government assistance the most.

Perhaps Republicans have forced the Democratic Party’s hand by insisting on budget cuts and lower taxes for the rich, and perhaps any Democrat – and even a few Republicans – would be an improvement on Walker. However, we are setting our standards relatively low if being less reactionary and corrupt than Walker is our only criterion for a replacement governor.

Any Democrat who enters the race to recall Walker will promise to restore the collective bargaining rights that Walker and his Republican allies eliminated in the last budget. Yet what good are collective bargaining rights if public employees lose their jobs or a substantial portion of their income because of drastic budget cuts a la Cuomo and Quinn?

I propose that if the recall goes forward, progressives should withhold their support from a Democratic nominee who doesn’t promise progressive taxation and a fair budget. Wisconsin needs a governor who believes in democratic principles and not just the Democratic Party.

Jeff Schultz ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history.