Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Can We Recall Him Now? Please?

Yesterday, Milwaukee County Executioner Scott Walker announced that he was alright with the idea of Milwaukee taxpayers donating to, but not receiving any benefits from, Obama's stimulus plan.

Predictably, it did not go over too well around the Cheddarsphere.

My friend and ally at folkbum's, Keith Schmitz, points out that Walker is living in a time bubble.

Dan Cody points out that Walker does not speak for him (or most of us, for that much.)

Cory Liebmann points out that Walker is on the crazy train (and I doubt it's light rail).

Gretchen Schuldt also questions Walker's sanity.

The Recess Supervisor wonders about Walker's cluelessness, but the best line is in the comments:
Will I give Walker credit for being consistent? Sure. Do I think his consistency is born of stupidity and managerial incompetence? Yes, of course. But yes, two points for philosophical consistency. In this case, it's a philosophical consistency that will only hurt Milwaukee County.

Then again, we've seen time and time again that Walker would rather pose for holy pictures than actually address any of the issues facing his county. He just ignores them or waits for the County Board to intervene and override his decision.
Xoff compares Walker to Herbert Hoover.

Unsurprisingly, the DPW is also critical, as is Rep. Richards and County Board Chairman Lee Holloway.

Even Walker allies, like Timothy Sheehy, are questioning Walker's judgement:

Standing on principle in opposition to expansion of federal deficit spending is one thing, said Timothy Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. He, like Walker, prefers tax cuts to federal work projects, Sheehy said. But since President-elect Barack Obama and Congress are on a course to approve a massive stimulus plan, the county would be wise to line up, Sheehy said.

"If Washington opens the spigot, we ought to be there with a bucket," he said.

And if Walker's myopic economic grandstanding wasn't enough, he makes for a poor neighbor as well (emphasis mine):

Milwaukee aldermen called today for greater efforts to clear snow from sidewalks, crosswalks and bus stops, while praising the Department of Public Works for doing a better job of plowing city streets.

Ald. Robert Bauman urged public works officials to force a showdown with Milwaukee County government over shoveling bus shelters. But Public Works Commissioner Jeff Mantes told the Common Council's Public Works Committee that such a confrontation would be pointless.

In March, debate over last winter's snow-removal efforts revealed a longstanding dispute over who's responsible for shoveling snow at bus shelters. The city shovels the loading zone at the curb, but city public works officials believe the county is responsible for shoveling the sidewalk under the shelter. County officials contend the city and suburbs are responsible for shoveling at all bus stops and bus shelters.

Bauman, the committee chairman, suggested that city workers should shovel the shelters and send the county the bill, as they would for property owners who don't shovel their sidewalks. Mantes said he feared that tactic would lead the county to remove the shelters, to the detriment of bus riders. He urged nearby property owners to clear snow from bus shelters when they shovel their sidewalks.

Walker has systematically destroyed the county over the past six years, everything from the transit system to the infrastructure to the basis services that the County is supposed to offer. Now when help is being offered, help that we will end up paying for whether we use it or not, Walker refuses to extend his hand for it.

If Walker wants to throw his money away, that's fine by me. If he wants to make a political statement, in the absurd belief that will even give him a glimpse of the governor's mansion, well, that his right.

But when his behaviors are a detriment to me and all of the other citizens of Milwaukee County, that is when he needs to go. So I repeat my question: Can we recall him now? Please?

11 comments:

  1. Hey, how are you doing? Hope all is well.

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  2. Basically, you are asking Walker to go against his principles.
    As a conservative, we are generally opposed to welfare. Whether it is for a person who can work and refuses to work, to corportate bailouts and government bailouts, we conservatives are generally against it. It is one of the few things we stand for and stand strong for.
    I realize the liberal mentality is the opposite. More welfare the better. Bailout more indviduals, government and now companies or least unionized companies. 'how banks got in there, I don't know.
    So, Walker is standing by his beliefs. Only time will tell if he is right or wrong. My hunch says he is right, at least in principle.
    So, would you expect your liberal friends disregard their strong beliefs?

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  3. Um, hi Leon. I'm well. And you?

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  4. Dan,

    The only principle that Walker is standing up for is that he wants to be governor, and he doesn't care who he has to hurt to get there.

    I would rather of not seen any bailouts either, but the fact is that some have happened already, and others are inevitable, whether we like them or not.

    Given that, it would only make sense that if we are going to end up paying for it sooner or later, we might as well reap some benefits from it.

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  5. Just as I thought. Walker doesn't respond to stimulus.

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  6. Dan,

    Funny how Walker doesn't choose to stand by his "principles" when he's going after federal funding for his own projects, like the Bus Rapid Transit System.

    This whole "he's got principles!" defense is about the silliest thing I have ever heard and only re-enforces my own point that this stunt isn't about the welfare of Milwaukee County, it's about the welfare of Walkers personal political image.

    And is it only "feeding at the trough" when you seek matching funding from the feds for projects you don't like?

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  7. Walker makes a good point: when the Feds send money, they also send attached strings.

    Clinton's "free cops" program was fine--until you got to Year Six and had to put them on the City tax.

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  8. *STOMPS FEET*

    I wanna be in a time bubble!!!!

    Sheesh.

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  9. WW-

    I prefer Tiny Bubbles.

    Dad-

    Well, the work that he has neglect to do still has to get done. We will have to pay for the package anyway. Shouldn't we get something to help ease our way?

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  10. A friend of mine has set up a "Recall Scott Walker" Facebook group. You can join and discuss if or how it can be done. If you have a facebook account, you can go to http://tinyurl.com/6tps3l to join.

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  11. Instead of considering possibly impeachment of Walker, might not we consider ways to fix Milwaukee metro's government?

    For example, it seems that the city government and county government possess nearly equal power. All that this arrangement has created for the metro is deadlock on important projects (transit being the best example that occurs to me). Why not consider transferring the powers currently invested in the county government to either the city or a regional committee of some sort?

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