Since Scott Walker began campaigning for the office of Governor he has used the term "I". I will do this, I will do that, I have this plan... He rarily seems to apply any "team" effort to anything.
Well it continued very recently in an interview with the Washington Post at the Republican National Governor's Association meeting in San Diego. Three midwest Governor's were singled out for their response to their state's budget deficit's and this is what Gov.-elect Walker had to say, related to state employees;
"I've taken on wage and benefit reforms," he said here on Wednesday. "We're going to have to do that [in Madison]."
The possible changes will affect everything from health-care coverage for state employees to pension contributions. Most Wisconsin state employees, Walker said, contribute nothing to their retirement plans. "We have to tackle legacy costs," he said. "Otherwise we end up like GM."
No part of his comment makes any reference to working with affected state employees in this regard. In Michigan, Gov.-elect Rick Snyder (R) responded to the same question as Walker;
Asked where he will have to try to cut, Snyder quickly pointed to public employee compensation. "I view that as one of the toughest things I need to do as the next governor," he said Thursday morning over coffee at the Republican Governors Association meeting.
"You're talking about people and their livelihoods and their families. So it's a very serious topic. I want to do it working with them.
State employees recognize that there is nothing about state government that is excluded from review for cuts, but it sure would be nice if Gov.-elect Walker would have similar thoughts like Gov.-elect Snyder. The thought that comes to my mind is compassion.
A reasonable request to Gov.-elect Scott Walker, start considering that you may accomplish more by approaching an issue with and open-mind and an offering to make everyone part of the solution or you can push forward with "your" agenda in your "I" attitude and see what little you may accomplish. The continuous "I" approach in most countries around the world normally is synonymous with "Dictatorship".
The last point that I feel needs to be made is that wage and benfit costs related to state employees ARE NOT "Legacy" costs, they are costs negotiated over decades with Republican and Democratic Administrations. As a former legislator that has voted on past state employee contracts, you know full well it took "two sides" to agree to all terms of the contract. So lets be honest in your labelling of state employee wage and benefit costs.
"Click Here" to read the article in its entirety >>>
Posted by Steven Williams
PEL Coordinator
AFSCME Council 24
My comments are my own and are not those of AFSCME Council 24 or any of its affiliated local unions.
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