Letter-to-the Editor
Distributed to all major state daily newspapers on 01/12/2011
Dear Editor,
Wisconsin was one of the first states to put a wall between politics and public service employment. Now, our new governor wants to tear down that wall.
As a result of its strong civil service system, our state became known for clean and efficient delivery of vital services. This is why Wisconsin gets more done with fewer public employees per capita than all but a handful of other states.
That's because getting a job in the public sector under civil service is based on what you know, not who you know.
Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to privatize the state's Department of Commerce would not only decrease accountability for the millions of taxpayer dollars the department doles out each year, it would politicize employment at that new entity from top to bottom.
You may have 20 years of experience and an excellent record of service, but if the governor doesn't like your politics, there is nothing to protect you. If the new boss wants to replace you with a party hack, you are gone. If the powers that be want somebody younger, tough luck.
The governor has said as much, promising to dump employees who aren't "getting the job done for us." Given the raw partisanship displayed by this new regime, the "us" here sounds a lot like the party in power. Even if this administration rises above the temptation, what's to stop the next?
Removing the wall between politics and simply doing your job moves us back to the bad old days of political patronage. This is not only bad news for employees of the department -- it's a giant step backwards for Wisconsin.
Marty Beil, executive director
Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24
Madison, WI
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