Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

[Riot]

"As a state economist and policy analyst, I was surprised that no one asked me about this proposal. I analyzed it for its economic impact. If public employee salaries are cut (through increased withholdings as proposed) by enough to fill the $137 million budget gap, the resulting drop in consumer spending will lead to:

1) a loss of over 1,200 nongovernment jobs;
2) a loss of about $100 million in business sales statewide;
3) a loss of nearly $35 million in personal incomes of nongovernment employee households;
4) ironically, a loss of nearly $10 million in state tax revenues."

-- Robert Russell, economist and analyst, Madison.
Wisconsin Public Radio interview