This month in WisGOP Vos/Nygren BS

As November draws to a close, the GOP's leaders in the gerrymandered Legislature continue to act in a way that at best shows an incredible lack of self-awareness, and at worst shows that there is no limit to their cynicism and double-standards.

For example, here's Assembly Speaker Robbin' Vos saying "neener, neener, neener" about health care premiums.

This is a direct result of passing the so called "affordable" care act (ACA). #obamacare https://t.co/WaJyYr4bhv

— Robin Vos (@repvos) November 22, 2019

But then go back three months ago, and here's fellow GOP hack John Nygren giving the Vos/Koch talking points on health care, and saying how great the ACA Exchanges worked in Wisconsin!

“Today it was announced that the 2020 rates on Wisconsin’s individual health insurance market will be 3.2 percent lower compared to 2019 rates. I am happy to see that the action taken by Republicans in Wisconsin is again paying dividends.”

“According to Governor Evers this reduction ‘further demonstrates that the individual market is stabilizing and Wisconsin residents are able to access more affordable coverage options.’ I am glad to see that Governor Evers agrees, healthcare coverage on the marketplace is more affordable and accessible in Wisconsin without expanding welfare.”Since being approved by the federal government, the Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan (WIHSP), consumers have seen consistent reductions in healthcare rates.

Additionally, Molina Healthcare returned to the Wisconsin healthcare market. According to Molina, their decision was the result of Republican’s efforts to stabilize the health insurance market through the reinsurance waiver which was approved by the federal government.

“This is just another example illustrating that Republicans in the Legislature made the right decision to not expand welfare in Wisconsin. Since taking office, Governor Evers has said that healthcare in Wisconsin is unaffordable, ignoring the fact that premiums on the exchange can be as low as 18 cents per month. Today’s statement from Governor Evers shows he now understands how actions by Republicans have made insurance more affordable in Wisconsin.”

So according to John Nygren, the tax credits of the ACA are working to make health care affordable for Wisconsinites. And having the federal government pay low-income individuals for private insurance isn't welfare, but having the federal government pay for those same low-income individuals to get insurance through Medicaid is?

Stupid enough, but then let's go into Vos's whine that says insurance in Wisconsin is unaffordable. So wait, you're telling me that subsidizing people to get insurance does nothing to lower premiums overall? But you guys said using tax dollars under the reinsurance scheme to give $$$ to insurers was a GOOD thing!

Ok, then it sounds like we should have some kind of cost controls and mandated competition for everyone, eh Robbin'? Kind of like, a "public option" that is available to everybody, and keeps the private insurance industry in check. But nooooo, you're not asking for that. That might cut into the profits from your donors in the insurance industry! Bad for donations if they can't gouge the hell out of consumers that have few other options. Much better to whine and blame the ACA when you have gone out of your way to avoid (if not outright prevent) giving Wisconsinites the affordable choices and health options they deserve.

And let me also take a minute to go into John Nygren's new-found interest in open government, which he illustrated last week.

A top Republican lawmaker sued Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday, alleging the Democratic governor had improperly withheld public records from him.

Rep. John Nygren, a co-chairman of the Legislature's budget committee from Marinette, asked Evers in August for documents under the public records law mentioning GOP lawmakers and mental health services for farmers.

Nygren made a similar request to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

The department provided its records to Nygren, but Evers' attorney denied the request to the governor's office, arguing it was overly broad...

“Governor Evers and his staff are blatantly hiding and denying access to public documents," Nygren said in a statement. "Whether it’s the media, a concerned citizen or an elected official, the public records law exists to provide access to what government is doing. Governor Evers is not above the law."

While what Nygren is trying to do is an obvious fishing expedition intended to dig dirt and waste time (he's basically asking for anything from anyone who worked in the guv's office regarding farmer suicides or ANY comments about several GOP lawmakers over a 1-month time period), that's a small price to pay for public accountability, and those records should be produced in a decent time period.

But may I remind you that 4 years ago, John Nygren was also co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee when they approved a budget motion that would have gutted the state's open records law, as an attempt to keep the public from seeing what Governor Scott Walker and other state officials were planning with bills. In addition, Nygren headed the effort to keep the public from knowing which GOPs suggested the idea, and why they wanted to do it.

After major public blowback, those open records changes were pulled before the full Legislature got to vote on it, but that didn't stop the Marinette Mediocrity from profanley grumbling to the media about having to be publicly accountable, as shown by this great cartoon by Phil Hands of Madison Newspapers.

This is also the same John Nygren who was shedding crocodile tears after Governor Evers rightfully denounced the "bullshit" decision of the Wisconsin Senate to remove Ag Secretary Brad Pfaff because Pfaff hurt the precious fee-fees of Senate GOP Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

But we will engage civilly. We will have discourse and dialogue, but it will not devolve into disrespect. @GovEvers #StateofState2019

— John Nygren (@rep89) November 13, 2019

Because the same John Nygren who wanted to destroy public records laws and slurs low-income Wisconsinites as "welfare receipients" is all about being "civil", ya knooooow.

These people are the lowest forms of life, and given that they're the ones that the WisGOP caucuses choose to "lead", I gotta assume the other GOPs in the Assembly and the rest of the Legislature think they are a-OK. Which makes me ask "How mentally weak do you have to be to support the hypocrisy and double-talk that is required in today's Wisconsin GOP?"

There's only one appropriate response to these scumbuckets these days.