Yes, you heard that right. It's one of dozens of non-budget related extremist measures he's neatly tucked inside his must-pass budget.
As bad as the Rent-to-Own industry is with their exploitative interest rates targeting people too poor to buy furniture and appliances outright or have purchases financed, Scott Walker wants to make it even worse.
The budget provision would exempt rent-to-own stores from having to disclose the annual interest rates they charge. Instead, they would have to disclose the price, the cost for rental services and the total amount that would have to be paid to take ownership of an item.
Rent-to-own stores could encourage customers to sign contracts lacking key details such as the total payment needed to take ownership of a television and then later fill in these blank spaces in the agreements, under a proposal by Gov. Scott Walker that a key committee will consider Thursday.
The provision is one of several in the Republican governor's 2013-'15 budget bill that would weaken consumer protections for those who shop at rent-to-own stores, such as potentially keeping spouses from learning of contracts they were liable for and preventing state regulators from shutting down stores that intentionally violated disclosure laws.
(bolding is mine)
And this is no bill in front of the Republican controlled State Legislature. Like so much of Walkers agenda, it's included in the State Budget.
Fageddabout individual pieces of legislation which get debated and voted upon. By including dozens of extremist measures in the budget, many slide on through unnoticed. And that's the whole point.
While Walker criticized previous Governors for putting a few items inside the budget, he's become the Ultimate Master of hiding provisions in the budget that benefit his donors, like the charter school, road builders, and rent-to own industries. The budget is "must-pass", which makes provisions inside it "likely to pass unnoticed".
This provision, blatant in allowing someone to see how much they'll actually pay for that rent-to-own sofa or refrigerator or hiding the contract from a spouse who will be on the hook for payments, isn't sliding right on through. It's drawing negative attention not only from advocates for the poor, but from some Republicans, as well.
Currently, state law requires that a statement appear on rent-to-own contracts and other credit agreements that says, "Do not sign this before you read the writing on the reverse side, even if otherwise advised. Do not sign this if it contains any blank spaces. You are entitled to an exact copy of any agreement you sign."
That requirement would go away under Walker's proposal, according to a detailed analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
"Oh my God, that is a horrendously bad idea," said Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee), a member of the Legislature's budget committee. "You're asking people to sign a blank check."
(bolding, again, is mine)
Even worse:
Stores or individuals who willfully violate the new rent-to-own law would face no penalties. That differs from current law. Now, those who willfully violate the state's credit laws can be convicted of misdemeanors and face fines of up to $2,000 per violation.
Yes, that's right, even if they violate the weak-assed regulations that still govern credit in Wisconsin, they can just tell us to go pound sand.
State Senator Glenn (protesters are slobs) Grothman, who I normally oppose with every fiber of my being, has taken the lead in trying to block this measure. As such, he deserves special mention and credit.
The Joint Finance Committee, working on Walkers Budget proposal, is discussing this measure today. Stay tuned.
The poor bashing, Walkers yard sale, and other extremism continues in FitzWalkerStan.
This space for rent until other news becomes available.
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Update/More:
Scott Walkers "My Staff Are Felons" march continues with this gem:
Nicole Tieman – who resigned without explanation Friday as Gov. Scott Walker's campaign spokeswoman – has begun serving a 20-day sentence behind bars in Milwaukee County on a drunken-driving conviction.
Tieman, 25, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to her second OWI offense, reversing her plea from a week earlier. Judge John Siefert sentenced Tieman to 20 days confinement starting no later than June 3, took away her driving privileges for a year and imposed a $950 fine.
Tieman, who was charged and convicted under her maiden name of Larson, issued a statement through her attorney Wednesday night: “I deeply regret and apologize for the choices I made and am taking responsibility for the consequences of my actions.”
(bolding is mine)
Of course, being negative news for Scott Walker, this was only posted in the Journal Sentinels online blog rather than in the actual newspaper where citizens would actually know about it.
No comment from Walker, who is in Iowa busy with running for President (which he denies during his rare time actually in Wisconsin).
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