Another Brilliant Idea From Scott "The Thinkifier" Walker

Remember Scott Walker's idea to not fill jobs that were already not being filled and then claiming the money that nobody is spending as "savings?" Well, he's been thinking again.

Now he claims that the state can save money they're not spending by not spending the money nobody is asking for.

Walker explained that currently the federal government’s free phone program
allows low-income individuals to apply for discounted phones and $15 a month
phone use, but the State of Wisconsin goes further than other states by
supplementing the additional costs of the phones. With this additional
money, taxpayers foot the bill for approximately $10 a month per person in
additional charges. Eliminating this program saves an immediate $1.4
million per year for the taxpayers and averts spending as much as $5.4
million. Under Walker’s proposal, low-income Wisconsin residents can still
apply for the discounted phones, but the state will no longer provide the
additional funding to make them completely free.

It all sounds good until you realize that the extra $4 million isn't being spent at all and there is no reason to expect it to ever be spent. He's just throwing around numbers and hoping that someone believes in them.

And why was the state in the business of providing phone subsidies to low-income households in the first place? Where is this cut being made?

“For the over 547,000 households that qualify for Lifeline services in
Wisconsin, SafeLink provides a modern necessity that could help them secure
employment, communicate with their child-care provider, reach hospitals, fire
departments, or police in the event of an emergency and they would receive that
help at absolutely no cost"

So Walker--he of the jobifying pronouncements--wants to take away the ability for employers to reach the very people who need the phones to communicate with them.

So let's see, first he inflates the problem, then he misstates the problem and then he rushes in to "solve" the problem. Surely, those low-income households depending on the Lifeline Program deserve to have the phones yanked from their hands. Surely they've been lounging on the phone instead of being out finding jobs.

The SafeLink Wireless service will provide eligible low-income households a
free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 60 minutes of
airtime, monthly, for one year

The SafeLink program is limited to an hour a month of airtime for access to job hunting and emergency services. Walker doesn't understand that the program fills a vital need for constituents in his county. He just sees them as people who will never cut him a check.

Scott Walker just doesn't get it.