From Budgets to Justice: Why Fiscal Responsibility is a Human Right

By Dean Muller

President, Wisconsin for Environmental Justice

In her seminal work, "Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities," author Celina Su argues a point that is often overlooked in the dry world of municipal finance: budgets are not just spreadsheets; they are moral documents. They reflect a society’s true priorities, revealing who we value and who we are willing to leave behind.

At Wisconsin for Environmental Justice (WEJ), we believe there is a powerful corollary between Su’s vision of budget justice and our mission to protect Wisconsin’s future. True environmental justice cannot exist without fiscal responsibility. When we consider the rising costs of climate remediation, estimated at billions of dollars for our state alone, the question of "who pays" becomes a defining struggle for grassroots solidarity.

The Power of Local Voice

Su’s research highlights how participatory budgeting and grassroots engagement can shift power back to the people. For too long, the financial burden of environmental damage has been quietly shifted onto the shoulders of local taxpayers. When a community faces a massive infrastructure backlog due to extreme weather, the bill shouldn't automatically fall on residents who had the least to do with it.

Our advocacy at WEJ mirrors Su’s "Budget Justice" by demanding that the people have a seat at the table. We are pushing for a model where:

• Corporate Responsibility replaces taxpayer vulnerability.

• Non-tax Revenue sources are secured through accountability, not just property tax hikes.

• Community Solidarity is built by protecting the most vulnerable neighborhoods from the dual threats of environmental decay and financial ruin.

A New Fiscal Blueprint

Su writes about building "solidarities" across different movements. At WEJ, we see this in the way urban and rural Wisconsinites are coming together to say that our public funds should be used to build healthy homes and resilient infrastructure, rather than cleaning up after out-of-state interests.

Budget justice is about ensuring that the cost of progress—and the cost of remediation—is shared fairly. It means ensuring that the same standard of financial accountability protects Milwaukee’s harbor and Wauwatosa’s green spaces.

Joining the Movement

If we want a future where our children can breathe clean air and our local governments can afford to fix our roads, we must rethink our fiscal priorities. Celina Su showed us that the budget is a tool for liberation. At Wisconsin for Environmental Justice, we are putting that tool to work.

We aren't just fighting for the environment; we are fighting for a fair deal for every taxpayer in this state. It’s time to shift the burden from the people back onto the responsible parties. That is how we build a truly just Wisconsin.

Let's act! Go to w4ej.org