Tears of joy, Tracking the Trillions, healthcare innovation Celebrating 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin Thank you, veterans. “Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they've suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us. That is our duty.” — Ronald Reagan Viewpoint This is not four years ago By Mike Nichols Robin Vos, fresh off a victory that seals his role as Speaker of the Assembly and now coming on 30 years in local and state politics, threw out a couple olive branches at Gov. Tony Evers Thursday on both talk radio and in a conversation with me. “I would say, look, I was excited to swing for the fences when we thought we’d have a Gov. Michels or a Gov. Kleefisch, but now that we have Governor Evers there is nothing wrong with a single or a double,” he told me Thursday evening, signaling the potential for compromise on things like charter and choice schools and tax policy, among many other things. The cynics might say such words are just the typical post-election niceties that invariably morph into barbs and stiff-arms in the Capitol hallways. There are a number of reasons the cynics are likely wrong this time around. This state will have a projected budget surplus of over $5 billion at the start of the next two-year budget next summer. Neither side can return that money to taxpayers or spend a chunk of it on, say, education without the say-so of the other. “I would say you can find some middle ground. I want to have universal school choice, a massive expansion of options for parents. Tony Evers wants more money for public schools. Well, we probably can find a way to say we’ll give more money to all schools, including an increase in the opportunity for more school choice in the state. That’s a win for everybody, and it’s certainly not something that we should be embarrassed by because we were able to get – hopefully – a school choice expansion,” Vos also told radio host Mark Belling. “I would say the same thing for some kind of tax reform. I want to have a flatter tax so that we have fewer people leaving Wisconsin to go to a warmer climate because of a lower tax burden. That should be something that everybody wants because the more people we keep here, the more successful our state is.” There are things the Democrats urgently want too – and not just more funding for public schools. Continue reading An Inadequate Audit Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured By Mark Lisheron Twenty months after Congress passed a bill that rained $2.53 billion down on Wisconsin, the governor’s office in sole charge of administering the funding, as well as legislative audit and budget officials, have almost no idea of how all that money is being spent. Nine months after state Legislative Audit Committee members called for a comprehensive audit of the spending, the Legislative Audit Bureau has so far produced two audits that scrutinized a tiny fraction of the spending. In both studies, the LAB concluded that local and state agencies have collected and analyzed so little data that it’s impossible to know who is being paid for what.  And from what state Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) has been told, the LAB has no plans for a deep dive that might show some of the staggering waste, fraud and abuse that has already shown up at the federal level, as the Badger Institute has reported. “This administration (Gov. Tony Evers) is just not sharing the information with us,” Born told the Badger Institute. “These two smaller audits show us there’s a lot to be concerned about. I’m just as frustrated that the administration doesn’t want to share it and the mainstream media doesn’t want to report it.” The Badger Institute in February pressed for a full audit and has for nearly two years investigated spending of the federal CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a project called Tracking the Trillions. Our reporting has established that waste, fraud and abuse is baked into mammoth federal and state spending plans. Most recently, we’ve uncovered tens of millions of dollars in ARPA funds being spent by county and local governments to administer the avalanche of ARPA funds dumped on them. Read more Choice Stories Chershanta: Tears of happiness Chershanta Smith can’t imagine her daughter, Gabrielle, attending school anywhere other than St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee’s Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. And that’s not only because she believes her daughter is receiving an excellent education at St. Marcus through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, but because the school’s community has embraced and supported her entire family. She teared up when describing a financial empowerment program the school offers that has helped her family improve their finances to the point where they are close to being able to purchase a home for the first time. Smith, a social worker, and her partner have two daughters – Gabrielle (Gabby), 7 and Zyndaia, 2; her partner also has a son, 14 and a daughter, 11 who attend traditional MPS schools. Smith, a former teacher herself, talked with veteran journalist Marilyn Krause at St. Marcus shortly before the start of the fall semester about the benefits of being able to choose a school and education program for Gabrielle, who is in Grade 2, and the key role the choice program plays in providing access and funding to attend a private school. Watch the video Free Exchange Podcast Common-sense Healthcare Reforms for Wisconsin (Part II) America is a leader in healthcare quality, though its healthcare delivery leaves much to be desired. Insurance costs are increasing, transparency is lacking and third parties control too much of the decision making.  In part two of a conversation with the Badger Institute’s Michael Jahr, professor and entrepreneur Daniel Sem discusses a wide range of healthcare topics, including the ACA, innovation, prescription drug prices, telehealth and more. Listen in A Blueprint for Success “I would say you can find some middle ground. I want to have universal school choice, a massive expansion of options for parents. Tony Evers wants more money for public schools. Well, we probably can find a way to say we’ll give more money to all schools, including an increase in the opportunity for more school choice in the state. That’s a win for everybody.” “I would say the same thing for some kind of tax reform. I want to have a flatter tax so that we have fewer people leaving Wisconsin to go to a warmer climate because of a lower tax burden. That should be something that everybody wants because the more people we keep here, the more successful our state is.” House Speaker Robin Vos on The Mark Belling Show Nov. 9, 2022 At a Glance Weekly Survey: Do you think Republican legislators and the Democrat governor should work together for the good of Wisconsin? Answer below! Yes No Last Week’s Results What We’re Reading Amity Shlaes: Impoverished by “Equality” GM Today: Private school vouchers open faith options for kids of color The Center Square: Cross-class friendships are foundation for economic mobility, human flourishing Michael Horn: Why Now Is The Time To Overhaul K-12 Education Invest in the Badger Institute For 35 years, the Badger Institute, formerly known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), has been at the forefront of the fight for school choice, right to work, welfare reform, tax restructuring, limited government, civil society and so much more. If you appreciate the Institute’s legacy and want to support free markets, opportunity and prosperity, please consider donating $35, $350 or $3,500 today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles for the next 35 years – and beyond! The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Vice President of Development. The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization funded solely by the generosity of foundations, companies and individuals. Support Freedom   Top Picks is our weekly update. 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