THANK YOU SCOTTY…..MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?
(Scott
Bauer, Twin Cities Pioneer Press)
(Rockford
Register Star, Eric Litke)
(Green
Bay Press Gazette)
(Frazer
Chronicle)
This
was an easy one, there weren’t any hidden issues, or overt acts, and it was
simply a (bam)….. in your
face, don’t like it, tough crap…..it’s done because “I figured it was
necessary.” We’ve all heard “it’s the right thing to do” garbage,
but in this case, Governor Scott
Walker took the phrase a step or two further; he established a program
of merit supplemental pay to
the nth degree to some state employees.
I
give politicians a rough time…..all the time, and mostly they deserve the
ragging their given, but when a politician goes completely off the rails,
you can bet your little bippy that
his butt is mine. Politicians figure that they are above scrutiny about an hour
after their elected into office, almost no matter the office, dog catcher,
sewer control manager, it doesn’t matter, they all mostly get an attitude, and
as they say, “it’s the beginning of the end” for any productive activity from these
jokers.
I’m
not sure why there’re two parties in our political system of government, there
is little difference in each…..sure I understand that there are other political
flavors out there, but at the present time, and in this particular atmosphere
of government, there’s really only the Democrats and the Republicans that are
running the country. It’s the way it’s been for decades, and it’ll probably continue
for another number of decades.
I
watched with much interest as Scott Walker first ran for Wisconsin’s Governor, and
wondered at some of his campaign promises regarding some of the things that he
said he wanted to install into Wisconsin’s legislature as well as what he
thought should be altered, or done away with altogether if he were elected.
When
he was elected I watched for the s---storm which I knew was coming, I’ve
written on many occasions what I thought which way he was going, and how it
ultimately hurt Wisconsinites, not immediately, but down the road possibly for our children’s, children.
One
of the very first things that Walker and his cronies did was to eliminate some
of the public sectors union negotiation rights. Slyly Walker did not touch the
police or fire departments union rules, regulations, and how city, county, and
state were dealt with by their administrators.
However
for teachers, local, county, regional and other state employees unions, there
was a very brisk turn-off of negotiations…..pretty much there wasn’t any…..I
know this for a fact, my wife worked for the city of Green Bay…..and both her
and I lived through the storm that Walker brought down on these people.
In
another day and time, the union, union sympathizers and employees who are sick
and tired of some of the shoddy treatment will rise up and kick the crap out of
administrators, and governmental officials because of what Scott Walker did…..and
he did it in the name of economic austerity, for the good of Wisconsinites.
JUST
THE FACTS
Walker
withstood a recall election, and has been coddled by the Republican Party as a
possible presidential candidate, and that’s all fine and good. But here’s where
the start of payback begins, you can take this prediction to the bank.
Walker
has eliminated close to 20,000 government sector jobs, and another 6200 in the
private-sector, which amounts to more that the entire country…..between 2011,
and 2012. For much of the rest of the years of his time in office, the economy
has been flat, and there is little talk today about the creation of 250,000 new
jobs in his first term.
Much
of Walkers activity dealt with public employees in the state government
services departments, those services that we, as Wisconsin residents, pay for
through our taxes. However Walkers actions dribbled over into the private
sector as hundreds lost full-time employment and their benefits were slashed
almost to the bone in some instances. Time and time again Governor Walker’s
union tactics with public workers were cited as why these benefit cuts were
being made.
Of
course we now come to another in the Walker rule book of the bizarre, paying
state employee’s bonuses for doing their jobs. I was never a fan of getting a
bonus for simply doing my job, sure I took the money, but I always felt like
maybe there’d be a payback
down the road somewhere.
I
always figured that I gave my best effort because that is what I had sold when
I was hired, I gave my word to do give my best effort in whatever I was told to
do. I think the vast majority figure the same way as I did, to give their best
effort.
For
me, a bonus was kind of like, “oh
wow, you really did give a good effort, thanks, oh yeah here’s a couple
hundred, or couple thousand for doing your job!” It was kind of like condescending
towards me…..of course I did my job, and did it to the best of my ability…..instead
of a bonus, how about a raise in my hourly rate of pay.
Back
in 2012 there was a similar bonus payout that involved close to 4 million
dollars, and of course ruffled feathers than. Some departments weren’t included
in the bonus plan, and those that did participate in the program voice some
anger as to how the graduations of bonus payments were given out.
AND
NOW THERE’S 2013
Yup
here we go again, Walker and his cronies are doing it again…..this time the
bonus program will include a whopping $9.2 million…..can I get a witness, I mean wow, holy cow, and a bit of woo,
woo, what a benevolent benefactor Walker has become.
There
are lump sums that are being paid out, some as high as $3,163…..the Transportation
Department, and $750, the Department of Corrections. Why the huge disparity…..(see
I didn’t even get a bonus, and I question the differences in amounts.)
Guess working as a screw on a prison block, dealing with rapists, con artists,
thugs, punks and murderers doesn’t count as much as directing traffic, or
painting yellow lines on the state’s highways.
Tom
Evenson, spokesman for the governor said that “rewarding performance is
important to the governor, and discretionary merit compensation is a good tool
for managers to use to motivate their employees towards outstanding performance.”
Give me a fricken break, “motivate,
smodivate,” don’t these people go to work the same way I did, to
provide for their families, get the hell outta town.
To
date about 300 employees, state employees, have received merit bonuses’
totaling $4000, gees, that’s like $1.2 million…..I want one of those jobs…..I
can stand beside a road project, lean on my shovel and smoke my cigar just as
good as any one of those 300, maybe
even better, I’ve had more practice.
It’s
funny, if unions want more, then there’s holy hell to pay, people are pissed
off, and WON’T TAKE IT ANYMORE, However if Governor Scott Walker plays Santa Claus,
and gives our money away in
the form of bonuses…..it’s okay?
Quit
thinking people…..it’s just government as usual, prioritizing where our money
is going, and it ain’t back into our pockets anytime soon. Those services that
our tax dollars pay for…..millions now have found their way into some in the
Transportation Department, or some other such departments.
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