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WINTER 2016
•
19
even think Donald Trump thought he
was going to win this election, given
some of his actions and statements on
Election Day.
• Finally, I’m so, so very glad that it’s over.
This election reminded me of a thrilling
experience from a former life: once
upon a time, I was able to drive an
honest-to-goodness race car around an
actual NASCAR track in Richmond, VA.
It was equal parts exhilarating and
terrifying. As I was turning my allotment
of laps, several thoughts kept running
through my head: ‘this is so amazingly
entertaining! I can’t wait for it to be over!
Please get me out of this thing!’ This is
exactly how I felt about the 2016
election.
So back to “what it all means.” At the state
level, Republicans rode Trump’s coattails
to their largest legislative majorities in
generations. In the Assembly, the
Republicans increased their edge to 64-
35, and they will hold a 20-13 edge in the
State Senate. Wisconsin Manufacturers
and Commerce (WMC), the state’s
chamber of commerce, is encouraging
legislative leaders to adopt a bold agenda
headlined by aggressive tax reform:
repealing the top income tax bracket of
7.65%; repealing property taxes paid by
businesses on equipment; repealing the
Alternative Minimum Tax; etc.
State leaders will also need to figure out
what to do about the state’s looming $1
billion transportation funding shortfall,
which is an issue that Forward Janesville
is knee deep in. This issue will lead to
major infighting among Republicans.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has
repeatedly signaled a desire to pass a
state budget that permanently addresses
this issue, which puts him at odds with the
Governor, who vehemently opposes any
transportation tax and fee hikes without
offsets elsewhere in the state budget.
Republicans will also rule the roost in
Washington in the new year, and we will
see what they choose to accomplish
when Congress convenes. Obamacare--in
it’s current form--is probably toast on day
one. Comprehensive tax reform and major
changes in trade policy are also on the
table. Congress is very unlikely to ratify
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and
major changes to NAFTA could be on the
way. Not to mention the Supreme Court
vacancy, which should be a good test of
how effective Senate Democrats will be in
blocking Trump’s agenda. The first 100
days of the Trump presidency will be
reminiscent of Newt Gingrich’s 1994
“Contract with America,” when
Republicans passed a number of
sweeping reforms after taking control of
Congress after 40 years of Democratic
rule. We will get right in the middle of it all
during our 2017 trip to Washington, D.C.,
which is open to Forward Janesville
members. Stay tuned for more information
about the trip.
This bruising campaign turned a lot of
people off. I see a lot of anger and fear in
the world right now, but this great nation
has withstood far worse than an
unpleasant presidential campaign. Love
him or hate him, President-elect Trump
deserves our support. Pulling against him
now is akin to hoping that the bus that
we’re all riding on will plunge off of a cliff.
I have no idea how the Trump Presidency
will go, but I wish him the best. Buckle
up, because I’m certain it will be a heck of
a ride.