DOES THE STATE OF WISCONSIN DESERVE BETTER?

DOES THE STATE OF WISCONSIN DESERVE BETTER?

FRAZER CHRONICLE

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

I’ve been inundated with all sorts of negative information regarding current Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and I got to admit much of what these people and organizations say does ring true, or at least I want to believe it’s the truth. I don’t like Scott Walker as governor, and I probably wouldn’t like him as a next door neighbor.

His job performance is…..well, kind of suspect, especially when you consider that Republicans currently sit in power down in Madison on both side of the aisle. My dislike of this governor started when his administration decided to gut the collective bargaining statutes from all public employees with the exception of firefighters, and the cops.

What that move illustrated to me was that he (Walker) and his administration lacked the fortitude that would be necessary to face the repercussions of including such vital service divisions of our government. These two service divisions, the firefighters and the police, although not directly appointed, or hired by government agencies, both do in fact have strong ties politically with those who are in power.

Politicking and governing have changed over the years…..vastly, and change for the sake of change isn’t always necessary, in many cases it lands both the citizens and the politicians in a worse place then they were when the change started. Do you know how sick I am of the changes that are brought on by the different political parties who are appointed, or elected into office….BARF, there, that simple word say’s it all.

I used to drive a truck for a living, I loved the open road, being my own boss, and setting my own goals and practices. I’m independent…..real independent. I endeavor to do the right thing…..all the time, I don’t need daddy war-bucks leaning over my shoulder grading my job. Did you ever wonder about why the electorate (us) needs to grade an elected official’s job? Oversight committees, John Doe investigations, newspaper exposés…..it isn’t all political envy, some investigations actually turn up wrong doing at the most and stupid decisions at the very least.

A case in point is Governor Walkers Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC); its mission is to elevate the Wisconsin economy to be the best in the world by providing business climate, world-class support services, and economic development tools to accelerate business start-up and growth.

West Virginia had a sign when entering the state that proclaimed that the state was OPEN FOR BUSINESS, much the same as Governor Walker does here in Wisconsin. I had a problem with the West Virginia sign, and I have a problem with that slogan and attitude here in Wisconsin. The phrase has all sorts of connotations, if for nothing else…..it sounds like you’re about to enter a used car lot. Worse the phrase actually does carry some of that meaning (car salesperson) like the authorities that carry the power in the state will move heaven and earth to lure new business into the state.

WALKER HAS BEEN A DISMAL FAILURE HERE IN WISCONSIN

When Scott Walker was elected into the governor’s throne in November of 2010 it was during a tough financial period for all Americans. Changes were necessary for not only the state of Wisconsin, but the United States as well. Scott Walker’s main claim to fame was the fact that he’d been the Milwaukee County Executive for more than eight years. Prior to his stint in Milwaukee County, Walker had served as a member of Wisconsin’s state assembly (June 1993-May 14, 2002).

I guess I’d call assuming a politically elected position at the age of 26 pretty much a career or munching out at the public trough on a regular basis. Walker was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1967, and moved with his family first, to Plainfield, Iowa, and then to Delavan, Wisconsin. Walker graduated high school (Delavan-Darien) in 1986, and enrolled at Marquette University in the fall of 1986, but dropped out of college in the spring of 1990.

Walker ran unopposed for Wisconsin State Assembly, 14^th district in 1994, was reelected in 1996, winning 62% of the vote, defeated Jim Heidenrich in 1998, ran unopposed in 2000, and defeated James Ryan 55% to 45% in a non-partisan special election to replace Milwaukee County Executive when Tom Ament resigned in  the wake of a county pension fund scandal.  

Walker was reelected for a second term as Milwaukee County Executive in 2004 when he gathered 57% of the vote, besting Republican David Reimer. Along the way, after an unsuccessful 2006 campaign for the governorship of Wisconsin (citing fundraising difficulties), Scott Walker was honing his abilities to claim Wisconsin’s top state office and residence (governor and residing at the Governor’s Mansion).

Walker was elected to the governorship of Wisconsin in November 2010, defeating Democrat Tom Barrett, 52% to 46%, and also survived a recall election in the summer of 2012, the vote, and 53.1% over Tom Barrett, again, 46.3%.

THE HIGH’S AND THE LOWS

Unlike a baker, mechanic or carpenter, it seems as if scandal and corruption allegations seem to dog every political office. From sex, to price fixing or gouging, to favors for special interests; scandal, like a dark rain cloud follows public officials throughout their public careers. It’s why I very seldom trust elected officials.

Public officials are usually their own worst enemy; they somehow feel that there insulated because they’ve been elected by a majority of voters. It actually is the furthest thing from the truth…..this feeling of invincibility or insulation. What people have done, is to elect an individual to do their bidding, these constituents actually figure that their elected officials will work super, extra hard to achieve the voters goals.

Anymore, with little exception, political figures do not take any special care when it comes to how they conduct themselves, their political party association, the past transgressions, or their current misdeeds. It seems as if a wave of the hand and a ton of misinformation to stem the tide is all that is necessary for their ill gotten booty.

Do we deserve better…..well my friends, you be the judge, and of course you’ve gotta be honest…..with yourself, sometimes the hardest one to be honest with. Did Scott Walker completely gut collective bargaining, did the governor reject almost a billion dollars to construct high speed rail service between Milwaukee and Madison. Has Walker been a detractor of ObamaCare, where are the 250,000 jobs that the governor made one of his platform pillars?

What about the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) spending millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money with little or no results, is Badger Care (state funded health-care) better or worse since Walker took office.

Is it easier for Wisconsinites to vote in 2014 than it was in 2010, has there been a seeming war against environmental issues here in Wisconsin to slacken the restrictions and laws that serve to protect the present, but more important, protect the future. Another issue…..whether Scott Walker has an inkling of running for a higher office then he now occupies…..and what effect will that have on the office chair that he now sits in?

YES WE DO DESERVE BETTER…..BUT

Electing a person to a political office, whether it be a man or women is a tricky issue…..one that some people would say is complicated. Balderdash and hum-bug I say just get the best looking, the person that looks like a politician, talks like a preacher, and says what most people want to hear…..and vote for that guy. You can’t go wrong…..right, well actually WRONG.

The guy who’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves, isn’t afraid to get dirty, and has about as many questions as you or I do just might be the man for the job…..no matter the job. A democracy is NOT, I repeat, is NOT for a minority, or a special interest group…..it’s one of the beauties of a democratic system that we are supposed to live under and with.

Citizens here in the United States belong to the whole, yet are allowed to be individuals, with individual thinking, and the chance to make whatever of themselves they want. Without exception we get what we deserve…..we get what we deserve because we oft times are sleeping at the controls of our lives. Absolutely nothing is free, and if it sounds “too good to be true” it probably is.

Come on people, wake up and smell the roses….. (not the FOUR ROSE’S) our present governor is pathetic who acts like a buffoon because…..it’s what he is. We’d better deserve better, if not, well baby, we’re all in deep, and the darkest, excrement.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!