Compiled by Courier Staff
Tom Barrett
Following his primary victory, Tom Barrett has rolled out a campaign focusing on bringing Wisconsin back together entitled, the ‘Neighbor to Neighbor’ Campaign. Barrett is crisscrossing the state, talking to ordinary people in kitchens, living rooms and front-yards. Grassroots volunteers are being encouraged to be a part of this statewide neighbor-to-neighbor outreach program.
Scott Walker meanwhile continues to crisscross the country, catering to the National Republican Party, as he was speaking once again for that group. This has been Walker’s schedule throughout his tenure as governor, guest spots on the Fox., meetings with GOP leaders, and billionaires. As revealed prior to the primary, the Walker campaign has pulled in millions of dollars from donors outside of Wisconsin, yet his campaign continues to put out that it is the Barrett campaign that is being financed by outsiders.
Walker has established a pattern of making up his own facts in the face of established facts and reality. When questioned about his need for a criminal defense fund, he looked reporters in the face and told them that he didn’t see the point of discussing it. He did not answer the question.
Five former close aides of Walker have been charged with crimes, all committed during their working tenure for Walker. And the John Doe Investigation that brought these crimes out continues. It has not been revealed to the public if Walker is involved any further than being guilty by association. Yet, he has a criminal defense fund. With Walker’s refusal to answer any questions regarding the need for the fund, the public is left to make its own conclusions.
Voters will have to ask themselves if Walker is the governor to continue with in light of these facts. Two national articles put a spotlight on Walker’s way of looking at job loss and gain numbers. Forbes.com posted an article entitled, ‘Scott Walker Magically Turns Dismal Wisconsin Job Numbers Into A Pre- Election Miracle.’ The article states that Walker has chosen to go with job reports that report what he believes works in his favor. Since the more nationally established survey reports do not work the numbers the way Walker wants them to, he plans to make his own. A second article on Bloomberg.net entitled, ‘Walker Dislikes Job Numbers, So He’ll Put Out His Own,’ states, “When Wisconsin job numbers compiled by the U.S. government were on the upswing last year, Governor Scott Walker traveled to Milwaukee to tout them as proof that he was turning around the state’s economy. Now that the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures have shown for months that the state is losing more jobs than any other, Walker, a Republican who faces a June 5 recall election, will release his own.”
Wisconsin lost 23,900 jobs between March 2011 and 2012, according to the bureau, which will release fresh estimates later this week. Walker, who promised to create 250,000 jobs by the end of his first term in 2014, says the state is performing better than that. He said while campaigning this week that he would release his own figures as early as Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Job-creation has become the dominant issue for Democratic critics led by Barrett. The recall, which grew out of protests against curbs on collective bargaining for most public employees, is a replay of the 2010 contest that Walker won by about 125,000 votes.
Last week, what many had speculated regarding Walker’s motives for most of his legislation was revealed in a video. In a shocking video uncovered by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Walker is caught red-handed discussing his intention to strip workers of their rights as part of a larger secret strategy to “divide and conquer” Wisconsin for his own political gain.
After Walker says “Oh yeah” to assaulting working, middle-class families, the Koch strategist in the video pledges to do whatever she can to help advance Walker’s war. She then made a $500,000 contribution to his campaign.
Again, this video confirms what many have believed all along as Walker stripped collective bargaining rights, ignored the needs of the working and middle class to give millionaires and billionaires continued tax breaks, and then pit workers against one another, as he left the fire and police departments out of his union stripping policies.
As former Senator Russ Feingold states: “The video confirms that Walker’s Wisconsin is a pay-to-play government where backroom deals are made, promises are broken, and the average Joe takes a pay cut while mega millionaires fund his right-wing extreme agenda and Wisconsin suffers.”