Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Talks Growth at NTTC Meeting
Walker, a Republican, appeared before the National Tank Truck Carriers group here April 26-27, first to raise funds and then to offer a keynote address at the group's annual meeting.
Elected to a second four-year term in November, Walker was recruited to the event by John "Hans" Schaupp, president of LCL Bulk Transport in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Walker thanked the tank truck executives for investing in the nation's future and said such activity is imperative.
"Some people want to spend more money, and some want to cut more, but most people don't talk about growth," Walker said in his April 27 speech in discussing the federal budget.
He described himself as a fan of economist Arthur Laffer, who became popular during the Reagan administration for talking about how excessive tax increases can actually generate less money for government treasuries if the increases hinder economic activity.
Wisconsin has a lot of trucking companies, including Schneider, Marten Transport, Roehl Transport, DeBoer Transportation and LCL. Walker was comfortable talking about size-and-weight limits and how he modified them in his state to make operations easier.
The reform aspect of his speech concerned promoting "the dignity born of work." Walker said he is in favor of helping those who are "down and out" but said too many people are too accepting of being dependent on government assistance.
On foreign policy, he expressed concern over the Islamic State and al Qaeda, saying "containment is not enough," referring to Cold War policies aimed at the Soviet Union. Walker said he would prefer to fight such enemies abroad rather than waiting for them to attack on U.S. soil.
His April 26 fund-raising event with NTTC's political action committee was closed to the press.
