Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), discussing poverty and unemployment in a radio interview on Monday, proposed a strange solution for low-income single mothers trying to balance employment and child care.
“Let single moms actually work in day care to support each other,” he told WIZM, a Wisconsin radio station. “We have prohibitions against that, providing day care for a facility that has your children in it. I think we need to reduce some of these policies. Let’s work smart, let’s rethink all of these programs, all the laws. Just about everything has got to be rethought.”
The problem with the Wisconsin senator’s suggestion is that child care workers are poorly paid and receive scant benefits.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for child care workers last year was only $9.77 per hour, which amounts to a yearly salary of $20,320.
The Economic Policy Institute studied child care workers nationwide and found that only 15 percent of them receive health insurance from their employer and only 9.6 percent have a pension plan. Nearly 15 percent of them live below the poverty line.
These remarks come not too long after Johnson idiotically trashed the war on poverty:
Violence prompted by a black officer fatally shooting a black man in Milwaukee proves the U.S. government’s efforts to curb poverty have failed, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday.
Johnson, a Republican locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Russ Feingold, appeared at a downtown Milwaukee luncheon as Wisconsin’s largest city grapples with the aftermath of two nights of unrest this past weekend.
The violence began Saturday after an officer shot and killed 23-year-old Sylville Smith during a foot chase on the city’s impoverished, predominantly black northwest side. Police Chief Ed Flynn said the officer fired after Smith turned toward him with a gun in his hand.
Violence broke out hours after the shooting, with demonstrators burning six businesses, hurling rocks at police and firing gunshots. The next evening saw protesters again throw rocks and other objects at officers. More than 30 people were arrested and multiple officers were injured over the weekend.
Johnson said the shooting sparked anger among inner-city residents who have grown tired of living in poverty for decades. That shows costly government programs to help lift up poor people have failed, trapping people in “a cycle of poverty, dependency and despair” and making them dependent on government, he said.
Yeah, ok, the rich, big business guy really understands poverty. If he really understands the woes or forking class people, then he has to explain why Russ Feingold (D. WI) is hitting him on this:
Democratic former Sen. Russ Feingold railed against trade deals like NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership to labor union members on Monday, pledging to oppose "lousy, unfair" deals if re-elected.
Feingold's speech at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO's biennial convention in downtown Madison centered on trade as he drew a contrast between himself and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, who has not said whether he supports or opposes the TPP.
Johnson, who voted to give the president fast-track authority on trade deal negotiations, has supported such deals in the past. His campaign accused Feingold of making a snap decision, arguing Johnson is taking time to consider the text of the deal and opinions of his constituents.
Yeah, so Johnson clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about. That’s why his Super PAC is trying to change the subject:
A super PAC is making its biggest investment yet in Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, which likely will contrast his national security record with his Democratic opponent, Russ Feingold — even as Feingold blasted Johnson Monday for lacking a plan to keep Americans safe.
The super PAC, Let America Work, announced a $500,000 TV ad buy that will run statewide starting Labor Day weekend.
Curt Anderson, a senior adviser to the group, said its ad would respond to another recent ad from Feingold’s campaign outlining his plan to combat terror. Let America Work previously ran ads blasting Feingold as weak on national security and terrorism.
Feingold, D-Middleton, hit back hard in a Monday press conference, saying Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security committee, has no blueprint to combat terrorism.
“Sen. Johnson talks about this issue when there’s a tragedy and goes on Fox News. But he has no plan to deal with it. I do,” Feingold said.
That plan, Feingold said, includes taking out Islamic State terror group leaders, recruiting more spies in such groups, and cutting off their oil supplies, financing and inflow of weapons.
Lets not let Johnson dupe the voters again. Click here to donate and get involved with Feingold’s campaign.