Tales From The Fridge: Term Limits

This is part of an ongoing series to see how true Scott Walker's claim to having kept all of his 2002 campaign promises really is.

In 2002, Scott Walker made two promises regarding the length of his term and term limits in general.

One of these promises, he made on his own, which reads:

Will not serve more than one full term (no longer than 2008)

The other promise is one he signed on to as part of the CRG platform:

Introduce a referendum calling for term limits for the position of executive and county supervisor during 2002.

Last I checked, this is 2010, and Walker is in the middle of his second full term as county executive.

He also never introduced that referendum for term limits.

In fact, even now he has subtly switched from endorsing two term limits and is up to three.

Tally so far is: Four promises made, zero promises kept.

Tales From The Fridge: Walker's Salary

This is part of an ongoing series to see how true Scott Walker's claim to having kept all of his 2002 campaign promises really is.

In 2002, Scott Walker made two promises regarding his salary as county executive.

One, which was one of his own, read:

Voluntarily reduce own salary to $78,850, within 30 days.

The other, which was part of the CRG platform:

Immediately sign a waiver of all salary and benefit increases that were enacted after Jan. 1, 2000.

First one of the bat and we find that he did not keep these promises.

As we had discussed earlier this year, Walker's first commercial bragged about giving some of his salary back, which he did do. But he did not reduce his salary.

In fact, due to a law written into the County Code of Ordinances, the county executive receives a raise every year as a cost of living adjustment.

So in reality, his salary has actually increased by a few thousand dollars while he has been county executive.

To make this false promise even more egregious, for the last two years, while people are losing their jobs and their homes, including the county workers that Walker laid off, he forewent his habit of giving his salary back, effectively giving himself a $50,000 a year raise.

He promptly used that money to buy a new house and a large swimming pool. Nice way to throw it in the face of the people losing their homes.

Now, to be fair, Walker couldn't legally cut his salary in the middle of a term. However, there was nothing preventing him from making a push to have it cut back at the beginning of his next term, which would have been only two years later.

End result: Two promises made, zero promises kept.

Tales From The Fridge: Scott Walker's Campaign Trail of Broken Promises

A couple of weeks ago, an editorial appeared in the Wausau Daily Herald regarding their chat with Scott Walker. The way the article started triggered a memory for me (emphasis mine):

Republican candidate Scott Walker promised Tuesday to create 250,000 new jobs in Wisconsin by the end of his first term if he's elected this fall as governor.

Walker said he's so confident his policies will encourage new jobs, voters can hold him accountable for that number.

I thought that sounded familiar and it reminded me of the time when he first ran for county executive in 2002.

Then when I watched the last debate between Walker and Mark Neumann, Walker's closing remark brought it home. Walker boasted about the promises he made then, and how he told people to stick them on their fridge.

What was outrageous is he said how he kept ALL of them.

"(Explitive deleted)," I said to the TV screen. I knew he would be lucky to have kept any of them.

With the help of some friends, I was able to get a hard copy and the link to not only his fridge promises, but all of them. These promises include the ones he made himself and the ones he agreed to sign for the grossly inappropriately named group Citizens for Responsible Government.

So starting tonight, and continuing over the next several days, we will look at Walker's promises and how well he did in keeping them. Because there are so many of them, if any other bloggers want to join in, the more the merrier.

Right Wing: Believe It Or Not Rally

From Milwaukee County First:

The good folks at AFSCME, which I am a proud member, will be holding a truth telling rally outside the courthouse, in Clas Park, this coming Friday, September 10. The rally begins at 4 pm, but goes until 5:30.

They are holding the rally to counter the lies and attacks from right wingers like Scott Walker, his buddies in talk radio, and the right wing front groups like WPRI.

The members of AFSCME are, of course, fighting for their jobs.

But remember what happens when there aren’t enough workers.

• Things like the disaster we are currently witnessing at the mental health complex where there aren’t enough nurses or care givers to adequately and safely monitor the patients.
• Where there aren’t enough maintenance workers to keep up on a deteriorating structure.
• Where proper maintenance can’t be done, so buildings are falling down on people, seriously injuring or even killing them.
• Where there aren’t enough workers to even keep the parks clean or the ball fields and golf courses maintained.
• Taxes go up due to the high amounts of overtime.
• Money that should be going to services are instead going to lucrative contracts with campaign donors
• Money that should be going to services are instead going to very expensive lawyers to defend the county in class action lawsuits that would never have been filed if they went to workers int he first place.

Milwaukee County First proudly stands with the workers and the citizens and join our voices with theirs as we tell Scott Walker enough is enough, and he cannot run his campaign on our backs anymore.

We look forward to seeing you there on Friday.

ADDENDUM: We have learned there will be musical entertainment and that this is already receiving national attention. Don’t miss out!

When Badgers Attack

Jay has the sordid details.

Makes me wonder if one of them is responsible for the truly reprehensible comments that forced me to go to moderation on all of my sites.

B & K puts its own special twist to it as well.

The Media Coverage Of Labor Or Lack Thereof

Erik Gunn, who does the "Pressroom Buzz" column for Milwaukee Magazine, has a good piece up today regarding the sparse and biased coverage today's media gives to labor issues.

Besides his own experience on the issue, he also consults with distinguished experts like Mordecai Lee, Steve Jagler, Michael Rosen, and some fellow with the moniker of "capper."

It's well worth the read.

Extending Summer For One More (Furlough) Day

Today is number 16. Another $700 of squandered revenue, plus now the mandatory time reporting doesn't recognize furloughs, so there will be added administrative costs as the County tries to explain the excessive furlough times.

The total hit to the tax payers is at least $11,200 on me alone. Multiply that by all the workers in the county effected by Walker's now augmented furlough days, making him more than three times worse than Doyle.

On another note, I'm thinking I may have to start claiming unemployment, since our savings is all but gone. I know several other people who have done so as well, which further puts the county behind in their budgeting. That's because when a government has to pay unemployment, they pay it on demand, as opposed to the insurance type of system that companies follow.

Oh well, if you don't like it, don't vote for Walker.

Julie Lassa's Ad

A lot more appealing than someone that tantrums, gets violent and runs away, eh?

Why I Could Agree To The Death Penalty

Jame Causey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the story and related video.

F*cking disgusting bastards.

Walker's Campaign Trail To Ruin

From Wisconsin Truth Project:

First, we in the blogosphere have had our fun nitpicking at Walker for the Scott4Gov.com fiasco, the death of that website’s Twitter feed, and the Walker insiders who were involved in the operation. While Scott4Gov.com alone is not a real issue for Walker, Darlene Wink and Tim Russell are. While Walker will continue to play dumb about the personal use of the computers in his executive office, the fact that his staffers keep getting pinched using them to campaign IS a major issue – and one that conservatives should be asking questions about.

Wink and Russell show that there is a serious disciplinary issue in the Walker’s executive office. By disciplinary I mean to say that, obviously, no one sat these people down and said, “Listen – boss is running for governor. As a result, there are certain ground rules by which we need to adhere. NO campaigning in the office!” This is Rule #1 for EVERY current public official seeking election – but Walker’s staff didn’t get the memo.

Walker is claiming that he is a strong and accountable leader. Yet such leaders tend not to let their staff bend and break rules. Sloppiness and rule-breaking like this ALWAYS tends to be a reflection of the leader’s style and attitude.

But even this may not end up as a big deal in the context of a huge campaign, but Walker will eventually have to defend himself over multiple news cycles – and TV ads.

The author then goes on to explain how he thinks Walker cannot survive his failure at the mental health complex.

The whole thing is well written and worthy the read. But I'm still not voting for Neumann either.

Klauser Calls For Walker To Step Down

xoff has the breaking news.

With A Mighty Blow, Walker Blackens His Own Eye

Scott Walker, feeling the pressure from dwindling poll numbers, decides to go stupid in his negative campaigning and sends off a mailer that accuses his primary opponent of voting for a bill that *gasp* transportation! The mailer, which targeted the Fox Valley, where I've heard Walker is doing exceptionally poorly, also accuses Neumann of voting for the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" (I guess Sarah Palin turned down his pleas for help), a highway in Canada, and being like Nancy Pelosi.

Such a dolorious blow to deliver. Now, there is nothing wrong with hard hitting campaigning, or calling someone on their record, but for the candidate's sake, you don't want to go over the line and appear as a pompous ass.

Alas, for Walker, his aim is about as accurate as his campaign boasts, and he ended up pummeling himself instead.

Illy-T points out that the U.S. does not pay for highways in Canada, not even Quebec. He does note that Walker does buy his buses from Canada however.

Walker's inanity has caused even some of his most ardent supporters, including one squawker, to call him out on his foolishness. If even his most loyal people are calling him out, what do you suppose that does to people that don't listen to the Republican machine, or to the people that were on the bubble on who to vote for?

But all is not lost for Walker. He still has some that drink of the Kool-Aid served in Walker's Cult of Personality.

Some Labor Day Videos

The first one, via Chris Walker:



And the old, NSFW one:

Reagan Speaks Out Against Profiteering

Amazing:



My, how he lost his way over the years.

Now We Know Why Scott Walker Runs From Rain Storms

James Wigderson tells us that lightning strikes those who keep lying.

Run, Scott, run!! No one likes the smell of burnt weasel.