Thursday, March 25, 2010

Scott Walker Gives Long Time Crony Huge Pay Raise


Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Scott Walker is a very generous man to his friends.

One of his long time pals, Tim Russell, can attest to that.

The friendship between Walker and Russell go back many years. According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article from 2002, Russell is "an old friend" of Walker's (emphasis mine):
For the exec's race, Dennik hired Tim Russell, a 38-year-old South Sider who is an old friend of Walker's and used to run Tommy Thompson's Milwaukee office. He also brought on Jim Villa, a 30-year-old former top aide to Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills, to work with the electronic media and coordinate direct mail.

Another article appeared two weeks later, this one written by Cary Spivak and Dan Bice, which indicated just how well Walker was willing to reward Russell, even then:
Two other Walker cronies expected to snag jobs in the third-floor county exec office: Bob Dennik, a former lobbyist who managed Walker's election effort, and Tim Russell, who used to run former Gov. Tommy Thompson's Milwaukee office. Russell, active in the group that represents gays in the Republican Party, was soundly defeated in a bid for an Assembly seat in 2000 but is said to be eyeing another run for a Capitol slot.
-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Walker has rewards in mind for backers" May 9,2002
As noted in the above snippet, Walker took good care of Russell between campaigns. Walker appointed Russell as the successor to Robert Dennik as interim Director of Economic Development. When Russell failed in that position, the County Board refused to confirm him and Walker then named him as his community relations director:

Walker’s last two choices to lead the county economic development office, Bob Dennik and Tim Russell, came from his campaign and lacked depth in the development business, Clark said. Dennik left the post this week to become an executive with a Pewaukee construction company. Russell is now Walker’s community relations director.

After that, Walker appointed Russell as his Assistant Chief of Staff, where Russell was reportedly bringing in more than $50,000 per year. I'm not sure if Russell was included or not regarding the exorbitant raises that Walker gave to other members of his top staff in 2008, but I think the safe bet would be that he was indeed one of the beneficiaries.

But even those raises would pale in comparison to the bump in pay that Russell recently received. I have just learned today, that on this past Friday, Walker promoted Russell to the position of Administrator of the Division of Housing. Now, I don't know exactly what Russell's new salary is, but I would think it reasonable to presume that it is somewhere in the range of his predecessor, James Hill, who had retired last fall. According to JSOnline's Data on Demand, in 2008, James Hill received a salary of $110,571:


(click on picture to enlarge)

That would mean that Walker has just given his long time crony and former campaign staffer a raise in the neighbor hood of $50,000 doubling his salary. That is just like the raise he gave himself two years ago.

We are in a time of history when the entire nation is trying to pull itself out of a deep recession and unemployment is still very high. Many people in Milwaukee County, as well as the entire state and country, have lost their jobs and their homes.

At the same time, Walker, claiming a fiscal crisis in Milwaukee County (even though it is one that he intentionally created) has laid off scores of county workers and has demanded large concessions from the remaining workers. He has also cut, if not eliminated, many of the services on which our most vulnerable citizens depend. On top of that, Walker has also cut many services that all citizens enjoy, like the parks and the transit systems.

For Walker to now give himself and his cronies raises so exorbitant that they are bigger than most people's entire annual salaries is simply scandalous and should not be tolerated.

Cross posted at Milwaukee County First.

16 comments:

  1. So typical. Just like a certain political hack/blogger who has visions of a "special" job with Walker if he wins the election.

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  2. So the so called raise, you pontificate over with hinging remarks on the shadiness of it turns out really to be a new position with more responsibility.

    Yeah that word, responsibility, not used much on these blog postings.

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  3. The raise and position aren't the issue, it's the cronyism. Sort of like affirmative action for white conservatives...

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  4. Chris Liebenthal libeled Scott Walker.

    Look forward to the civil trial against you, you fat fuck.

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  5. Right. Great. I can see Scott Talker filing a suit against a blogger during an election.

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  6. Walker hires Russell to this new job, but rather than pay him $110k that Russell's predecessor earned, Russell will instead be paid approx $75k per year...which is about $2500 more than Russell's previous job.

    That's not a scandal...it's right in keeping with Walker's policy of trimming County costs.

    The funniest thing is having the Party of Doyle squawking about a politician giving a loyal supporter a promotion. If it had been Doyle, Russell would have gotten the $110k salary.

    Capper, your credibility is dropping faster than Nancy Pelosi's approval rating.

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  7. That would mean that Walker has just given his long time crony and former campaign staffer a raise in the neighbor hood of $50,000 doubling his salary.

    A complete lie.

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  8. Not the sort of reception you thought you would get, hey Capper?

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  9. @Pwned by Walker - Libel how? But at least your moniker is apropos. I am sure you are owned by Walker.

    Roland and Anonymous 5:04-

    You are not citing a credible source. Your points are moot.

    Arod-

    What? Hypocrisy and lies from Team Walker? I'd expect no less.

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  10. Your bombshell here has been completely debunked.

    And you are sticking to this?

    Seriously, you have lost your mind, your hatred has clouded your ability to tell fact from fiction.

    You have become a complete joke.

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  11. The next thing Walker should cut is you.

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  12. "You are not citing a credible source. Your points are moot."

    Serious? You're sticking to that?

    Would you like Russell better if he had stains on his jeans and squeezed into a shirt two sizes too small?

    You've been debunked and now don't have the quality of character to admit your mistakes?

    As a social worker, do you also provide that line of advice to your clients? And Scott Walker and Republicans are the cause of the ills of the urban poor and downtrodden?

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  13. I don't give credit to sock puppeteers. Or people that have to attack someone on personal appearance because they have nothing else to work with.

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  14. Yes he did show you

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  15. Not only did he show you, he rubbed your Miss Piggy face right in your own slop.

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