Walker's Crown Jewel Is Flawed

As Scott Walker has abdicated his role as governor in order to become a professional campaigner, he has traveled around the country bragging about his Act 10, the right to work legislation that he launched almost immediately in 2011. Walker likes to tell folks that he was big and bold as he took on those eeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvviiiiiilllll unions and saved taxpayers over $3 billion.

Well, he didn't really take on the unions. He boldly ran away and refused to even talk to the unions, like a cowardly bully that finds himself outnumbered and outmaneuvered.

One would be hard pressed to find anything near the tax savings that Walker has claimed. Over the four years Walker has been in office, he's saved taxpayers only a few bucks. This false claim is made worse when one considers that many Wisconsinites saw a hefty drop in their property values, some as high as What Walker did do was take $3 billion out of the economy and gave it to his wealth campaign donors.

But there is another unintended consequence from Walker's Act 10 that hasn't been widely reported. Not only has Act 10 severely cut the take home pay of public sector workers, but it has opened the door to nepotism, cronyism, waste, fraud and corruption.

Last year, Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express reported about the income maintenance program in Milwaukee County, which became a personal employment office for its administration:

State employees are speaking out about promotions and bonuses given to relatives of managers within the State Department of Health Services (DHS) Milwaukee Enrollment Services (MilES), headquartered at the Coggs Human Services Center on Vliet Street.
A handful of managers’ relatives with less than two years of experience were promoted over colleagues with up to 14 years of experience.

Those same favored employees were among those who received a $2,500 windfall last week, when DHS awarded roughly 900 employees $2.5 million in bonuses at managers’ discretion.

Vanessa Robertson, chief operations officer of DHS at the Coggs Center, refused to answer the Shepherd’s questions about the allegations last week.

Robertson’s son, Gavin, was among those who received the $2,500 bonus. He was hired in May 2012 and was promoted in April 2013 over employees with more seniority, earning $4.65 more per hour as a result.

David Eisner, a contract administrator for District Council 48, is representing four employees who have filed six appeals with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) over the questionable promotions.

Eisner charged that it takes at least two years for an employee to become proficient and a one-year employee such as the COO’s son should not have been promoted in April.

“This is flat-out nepotism,” Eisner said.

While the passed-over employees can appeal the unfair promotions to the WERC, they have no way to appeal the bonuses.

“And if you’re not the boss’s buddy, you’re not going to get a bonus,” Eisner said.

I pointed out other problems with the program:

I would also add that another predictable result of Act 10 and the ensuing corruption is that this program is seeing a higher rate of turnover than ever before. When this program used to be run by Milwaukee County, even under Walker, the turnover rate wasn't that high. Now, since Act 10, they seem to be in a constant state of hiring and training new employees.

With the cost of going through the screening process and the training of so many people, I find it highly unlikely that the state is actually seeing any savings from Act 10.

I would also mention that the Walker appointee to run this program, Ed Kamin, has other problems besides, and possibly partially because of, the rampant nepotism and cronyism - such as violating a number of federal laws and wrongfully denying applicants (most commonly non-English speaking) their due benefits.

Kaiser has done a follow up report on the issue and found that matters have only gotten worse. Not only is the nepotism, cronyism and corruption as rampant as ever, but the workers that blew the whistle on these issues have been bullied and intimidated by management.

And it is not confined to this one program. The abuse of power is happening across the state:

The MilES office allegations didn’t surprise Marty Beil, executive director of AFSCME District Council 24. He said there’s been a huge change in workplace culture at state worksites since Act 10’s implementation.

“Every state work site is a cesspool,” Beil told the Shepherd. “I’m not being facetious here. Workers are concerned with money and benefits but what has been happening at the worksites, the culture that has been established, has been more disruptive than these workers not receiving adequate pay increases.”

Beil said bullying and intimidation are rampant throughout state agencies. He said supervisors try to bully and harass outspoken workers so that they’ll quit or ultimately be fired. Worksites are short staffed, leading to high amounts of overtime and threats to privatize operations, he said.

“It’s like somebody switched a switch in 2011 and these supervisors and administrators all became ogres,” Beil said.

Also common is the lowering of qualifications for professional jobs, Beil said. For example, the Milwaukee Bureau of Child Welfare, run by the state since 2002, has faced complaints about its handling of suspected cases of child abuse and high staff turnover. In response, it’s changed its hiring requirements for those who take initial assessments of child abuse. Previously, access and initial assessment specialists were required to be social workers. Now, those with a high school diploma can be considered for the job.

“What message does that send to the rest of the workers who have master’s degrees there?” Beil said. “And who’s going to get blamed when a person who has a high school diploma makes a wrong decision about suspected child abuse?”

Not reported in the article is the fact that this abuse and exploitation of the system is happening at all level of government.

In the city of Oak Creek, the school board nearly fired a teacher based on hearsay. Milwaukee County Execute Chris Abele tried to steal the pensions of hundreds of retirees so that he could give the money to his fellow millionaires. The list goes on and on.

When Walker bragged about "dropping a bomb" on the state with Act 10, he wasn't just talking euphemistically.

MJS Almost Catches Up To Cog Dis On Nepotism Story

There is yet another story in which the largest newspaper in the state is busy playing catch up.

In June 2013, Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express broke the story about the rampant nepotism and cronyism that has invested the state's Income Maintenance Program in Milwaukee County.

Last month, I did a follow up on this story, pointing out how the nepotism and cronyism was playing a large part of the problem the system was having with fraud:

And just like he did as county executive, Walker is setting up the program for failure. While the county had a unit of people working on investigating fraud, Walker had just one person for the entire county for a long time. When the stories started to break about the fraud that was being allowed, Walker hired a few more workers to do these investigations. Sadly, the people that were hired were hired based on rather than their qualifications. (On top of that, these new hires were paid more than the one existing fraud investigator who has apparently left the job for someplace that will respect him.)

Lo and behold, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is just starting to catch up on this, sort of:

Leadership within MiLES — specifically the alleged favoritism — definitely interferes with the department's work, employees told the Journal Sentinel. Especially when it comes to weeding out fraud.

A Journal Sentinel investigation published last month exposed how federal incentives to boost enrollment in food and medical assistance programs have led to pressure on front-line workers to issue benefits even when they suspect people might not be eligible.

Robertson and Kamin are ultimately responsible for hitting target numbers. As a result, workers say, they are instructed by supervisors to process benefits for people already receiving aid in other states, people in jail — essentially anybody with an ID card.

Workers outside the favored circle who object or question the tactics are considered troublemakers and quickly lose any shot at ever advancing, they said.

"That's the disease of nepotism," said one worker who was hired around the same time as Robertson's son. "It falls into so many categories. And it spreads like cancer."

At least the article gave credit to the Shepherd Express for their part in breaking the story. That is usually something they only do for propagandist organizations like MacIver, Wisconsin Reporter and Media Trackers.

But again, they are a month late - at best - and a dollar short.  Notice how they failed to even mention that the nepotism and cronyism was made possible by Act 10?    They're still unable to hold Scott Walker accountable for anything.

But that's what you get from the corporate media.

Of Nepotism and Retaliation

Last week, I told the gentle reader about some mighty fine journalism by Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express in which she reported about the rampant nepotism, cronyism and favoritism happening at the state's Department of Health Services in Milwaukee County.

In a nutshell, due to Scott Walker's Act 10, people in management are able to hire, promote and give raises to their family, friends and associates regardless of who has merited it and who is the better worker. In the Milwaukee Enrollment Services (what used to be the Income Maintenance Program), relatives of managers were promoted after only months on the job and over people with much more skill and ability. Likewise, it wasn't hard work that earned bonuses or raises, but who you knew and/or were related to.

This pattern is still going on. It has been reported that the current training class consists of fourteen people, eleven of whom have some sore of relationship with a person in management, such as a friend or a person from one's church.

To make matters worse, the head of this department, Ed Kamin, had ordered his management team to lean on anyone who filed a complaint about the nepotism.  This brought a strong and swift response from the union. The following is an email sent on May 9th, to Jacquelyn Koeller and Nicole Teasley, members of DHS' Human Resources:

Good Afternoon Jackie and Nicole,

On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, I had communicated with you regarding information I had received beginning on Monday afternoon, May 6, 2013. A number of MilES employees had reported to me that a meeting had been held by Ed Kamin with MilES Supervisory staff, in which the topic of a recent round of Promotional hiring was discussed. It was alleged that Supervisory staff were advised to "watch closely" individuals who had filed complaints/appeals with the State regarding being denied a promotion, and to "lean on them".

This Supervisory Meeting was said to have been held on Friday, May 3, 2013 or on Monday, May 6, 2013. This information came to me from employees both at the Call Center and the Coggs Center. Subsequently, I have received a number of reports in reference to an email that was sent to DHS DL MilES Global by Mr. Kamin on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 9:53am.and also have received hard copies of this communication. The Subject matter is titled "thought'. It asks staff to take a look at an attached poem titled "Nobody's Friend", which begins, "My name is Gossip".

When I spoke to you both on Tuesday, I expressed my concerns relative to what was alleged to have been discussed in a Supervisory Meeting and is now being circulated, discussed, and has been reported to the Union. If this is true, this information obviously leaked by Management only serves to further decimate morale and the unrest brought about by Management's promotional hiring decisions. Individuals who disagree with those hiring decisions are following the State process available to them to appeal and receive recourse. I am named as the Employee Representative on a number of those appeals. Additionally, if this action is being pursued by MilES Supervisory staff, it would violate Wisconsin State Statutes, Chapter 230-State Employment Relations-Subchapter 1-Section 230.83-Retaliatory action prohibited (1) and the Union would demand that DHS-MilES immediately cease and desist.

The Union, AFSCME, District Council 48 and Local 594 do hereby request that you
investigate these serious allegations and advise the Department if true, what is contained in the State Statutes and what the consequences of any violations would be. I have advised the affected employees as to how to proceed, and if the Union becomes aware of the alleged advice given to MilES Management staff being implemented or followed through with, the Union will assist the employees with any complaints to compel enforcement of the State Statutes, or any other action deemed necessary by the Union to aid and protect its members. Our scanner is currently down, but if you would like a copy of the email with the Gossip poem, please advise and provide me with a fax number, and I will forward to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your consideration and assistance in this matter.


David Eisner
Contract Administrator, District Council 48
President, AFSCME, Local 594

Ms. Koeller responded the next day with acknowledgement of receiving the email and a voicemail from Mr. Eisner.

However, she responded again eleven days later, on May 21st, again acknowledging the email and stating that DHS would look into it and take "appropriate action."

It has been reported that as much as the supervisors had been harassing the workers after Kamin's meeting with them, they have done a complete 180 and appear to have ceased their bullying tactics.

Unfortunately, it looks as if there is nothing that can be done at this time about the nepotism and cronyism, thanks to Walker's Act 10.  Is it any wonder why he is so anxious to get it in front of Rubber Stamp Prosser and the other corporate-controlled Supreme Court Justices?  He is afraid of the unions getting any sort of foothold in their fight to restore workers rights.

Did Nepotism Charges Lead To Action On Act 10?

A few days ago, Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express, broke the story of the nepotism, cronyism and favoritism that has been going on at the state's Department of Human Services in Milwaukee County.

I added my two cents by pointing out that due to Act 10, there is a greater rate of turnover of workers, making it possible for these types of shenanigans.

The Hunger Task Force, which has been getting bullied by both Scott Walker and Chris Abele, made some very good points in their press release:

A state run Milwaukee food stamp program has been charged with nepotism. State employees working at the Coggs Human Services Center on Vliet Street are speaking out about managers who have hired relatives, promoted them and recently offered them a bonus. Employees receiving promotions had less than two years of experience and were promoted over those with many more years working for the state.

Hunger Task Force Executive Director Sherrie Tussler said, “Why would state employees get a bonus? Bonuses are for the private sector. This just doesn’t make sense. Our state budget proposes requiring work for food stamps. That same $2.5 million dollars spent on bonuses could supply the Milwaukee County food pantry network for a full year. I thought we were trying to cut the costs of running these entitlement programs.”

News of the nepotism comes on the heels of the state being at odds with Milwaukee County over use of the Coggs Center, a public facility. Hunger Task Force was asked to stop using rolling computer carts to help non-English speaking residents of Milwaukee sign up for FoodShare benefits. The story first appeared in an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Hunger Task Force seeks a well run Food Stamp Program for people in need in Milwaukee. The staff of the Coggs Center should be treated fairly and the program should be administered properly. There are customers in urgent need of emergency food.” said Tussler.

The mainstream media started picking up on the story Thursday. Channel 58 presented one of the more comprehensive reports:



There are two interesting tidbits about the Channel 58 story.

 One is that the reporter was looking high and low for Vanessa Robertson, one of the supervisor's named in Kaiser's report.  But he couldn't find her because she had fled the building to go to the call center, where she almost never goes.

The other is that witnesses report that when the reporter found some employees that were more than willing to talk about the working conditions, the county's private security guards came in and escorted the reporter from the building, a la Chief Erwin's Capitol Police.

Just days after this story broke, in a Friday afternoon news dump, the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced that they will now take up the Colas' ruling regarding Act 10.  This is a year after the ruling and after a number of requests by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

The question is why, after waiting so long and denying all previous requests to review the decision, is the high court now deciding to hear the case.

Is it because of the nepotism, cronyism and favoritism cases being filed by the union?  Do they need to remove all power from the union to protect themselves from the consequences of their own wrong-doing?

Some would say that this is purely coincidental.

But the wise people will know that in Fitzwalkerstan, there is no such thing as a coincidence.

Act 10 Leads To Rampant Cronyism, Nepotism

The fact that Scott Walker's administration has been rife with cronyism and nepotism is nothing new, although the depth and depravity of would alarm most people.  Remember that one of the first things that Walker and the Teapublicans did was make scores of jobs into political appointee positions so that civil service laws didn't have to be followed.

This led to a hiring spree for Walker's cronies making Madison the Crony Capitol of the World.  Not only was Walker hiring all of his cronies, but he was making sure that they were lavishly rewarded.  And not only were they rewarded with obscenely increased salaries, but Walker went so far as to create a cronyism program, only made possible by Act 10, which encouraged workers to become cronies or at least to be nothing more than toadies.

Walker's cronyism is still alive and well today, with stories still coming out about how Walker is finding cushy state jobs for anyone and everyone that ever supported him.

But now, in Milwaukee, we are seeing the full blown cronyism and nepotism that comes with Act 10 and the hamstringing of the unions.  Lisa Kaiser, of the Shepherd Express, and one of the last true investigative reporters in the city, blows the story wide open:

State employees are speaking out about promotions and bonuses given to relatives of managers within the State Department of Health Services (DHS) Milwaukee Enrollment Services (MilES), headquartered at the Coggs Human Services Center on Vliet Street.
A handful of managers’ relatives with less than two years of experience were promoted over colleagues with up to 14 years of experience.

Those same favored employees were among those who received a $2,500 windfall last week, when DHS awarded roughly 900 employees $2.5 million in bonuses at managers’ discretion.

Vanessa Robertson, chief operations officer of DHS at the Coggs Center, refused to answer the Shepherd’s questions about the allegations last week.

Robertson’s son, Gavin, was among those who received the $2,500 bonus. He was hired in May 2012 and was promoted in April 2013 over employees with more seniority, earning $4.65 more per hour as a result.

David Eisner, a contract administrator for District Council 48, is representing four employees who have filed six appeals with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) over the questionable promotions.

Eisner charged that it takes at least two years for an employee to become proficient and a one-year employee such as the COO’s son should not have been promoted in April.

“This is flat-out nepotism,” Eisner said.

While the passed-over employees can appeal the unfair promotions to the WERC, they have no way to appeal the bonuses.

“And if you’re not the boss’s buddy, you’re not going to get a bonus,” Eisner said.

You really should read the whole article. The blatant nepotism and cronyism and subsequent corruption is so blatant that it is jaw dropping.

I would also add that another predictable result of Act 10 and the ensuing corruption is that this program is seeing a higher rate of turnover than ever before. When this program used to be run by Milwaukee County, even under Walker, the turnover rate wasn't that high.  Now, since Act 10, they seem to be in a constant state of hiring and training new employees.

With the cost of going through the screening process and the training of so many people, I find it highly unlikely that the state is actually seeing any savings from Act 10.

I would also mention that the Walker appointee to run this program, Ed Kamin, has other problems besides, and possibly partially because of, the rampant nepotism and cronyism - such as violating a number of federal laws and wrongfully denying applicants (most commonly non-English speaking) their due benefits.

Lastly, I would point out that Milwaukee County taxpayers are about to be doubly screwed.  Not only will they being paying for the state's corruption, but they will also have to contend with Milwaukee County Emperor Chris Abele's version of the cronyism reward program.

All I know is that I don't want to hear anyone who supported either Walker and/or Abele to complain about their taxes going up or the decrease in services.  You voted for one or both of these dunderheads, so this is what you get.