The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute: Is Greatness in Wisconsin's Rear View Mirror?

Those of us fortunate enough to live in Wisconsin know that ours is a special state. Ask people who have moved away from the state and you will never hear, “I’m lucky to be out of that place.” No, even those who have relocated to other states maintain a connection with Wisconsin. There is a pride in having been a cheesehead.

Wisconsin has a quirkiness that we find endearing. We are a hard-working lot, yet we don’t shrink from our hops-infused social heritage. We are farmers, factory workers, teachers and who take pride in being home to one of the nation’s truly great academic institutions. Ask about the appeal of Wisconsin and people quickly point to the quality of life enjoyed here, though they might not be able to put their finger on exactly what they mean by "quality of life."

Yet, we all sense that this bucolic, almost naïve vision of Wisconsin is listing. We understand that what once were differences of opinion have become divides that separate us from one another. Where principles were the underpinning of our government, we now see politics. This state, once an engine of innovation finds itself defending the status quo.

We winced when the Obama administration told us that Wisconsin didn’t even make the cut in competition for education reform funds. Joe Williams, a former Milwaukee reporter who currently heads Democrats for Education Reform noted, “This administration is looking for states that are willing to seriously challenge the status quo. …Wisconsin didn’t even come close.”

Increasingly we sense that something is wrong in Wisconsin. Public opinion surveys document a growing dissatisfaction which, spurred by the economic downturn of 2008 -2010, has turned into anger. Good jobs are increasingly moving away from Wisconsin and we cannot see them coming back. We worry that, for the first time, our children will not experience the quality of life we enjoy.

We find ourselves much less engaged in our communities than was the case for our parents. Social scientists tell us that we are part of a national trend toward declining social engagement. Further, we find Wisconsin to be less homogeneous than it used to be which exacerbates our historical reluctance to reach across the metaphorical fence to shake hands with those who have a different heritage.

Over the years, we have seen a gradual, relentless increase in the role government plays in our lives. We have watched as our government has grown in size and complexity, become less approachable, and less understandable to the public.

We look to government that was once an exemplary laboratory of democracy and we see an institution that is mired in the same partisan bickering that infects Washington. We also see a giant, insular bureaucracy that is no longer ours. Repeatedly we are told to expect change in our government. We now recognize that for the vacuous rhetoric that it is.

It isn’t in our nature, but we have become cynical and angry. We want to return to a state that is principled, a state that is run by a government of us rather than them.

We want a government that exhibits common sense and one that holds promise for our children. But where do we begin this quest? What are the ideas that will pull us out of the malaise into which we have fallen?

Perhaps the best approach is naiveté. We cannot hope to get Wisconsin back on track if we limit our options to only those which are politically acceptable or comfortable.

Frankly, shortsighted politically oriented decisions by our government have contributed greatly to Wisconsin’s malaise. We must return to a government that operates on sound Wisconsin principles and that reveres innovation.

Such a government will not grow organically from the current political environment. Responsibility for designing our new government rests with the people of Wisconsin.

We need to storm the parapets of government with a barrage of ideas that will get Wisconsin back on track.

Should these ideas be anchored in Wisconsin’s past? In a way yes; there is great value in understanding and emulating the principles that yielded the best moments in Wisconsin.

Yet nostalgia will only get us so far. The Wisconsin of today is quite different from the Wisconsin of merely twenty-five years ago. We are more diverse, our work is different, the problems of our most vulnerable fellow citizens are more complex. Only forward-focused ideas will move the state ahead.

The irony is that, while our government is fixated on preserving the status quo, the people of Wisconsin are thirsty for change. They see a state government that is allergic to innovation and one that places the task of addressing the problems of Wisconsin families somewhere quite far down on its to do list. Where the education insiders see radical reform, e.g. school choice, high stakes testing, performance-based pay, the public sees simple, non-frightening changes. And while state government casts a suspicious eye on business, the public understands that it is those businesses that will largely determine our quality of life, for it is those businesses that create jobs.

This being an election year, the coming months our current version of democracy will be on exhibit marked by much finger pointing, name-calling and fact checking. When the dust settles, we will have a new governor and a new legislature. We should quickly know if these leaders will continue state government’s tradition of protect the status quo or if they might share the voters’ zest for innovation and reform.

-August 5, 2010

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