Walk with Walker

Cable, Wisconsin is a great place. I know, I fish just outside the small northern Wisconsin town and often find myself patronizing the local grocery store and gas station for supplies and occassionally a good burger from the local tavern.

But, Wisconsin was once a great place to live and now thanks to Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin GOP is no longer a great place to live. As you will read in the below email, the Chamber of Commerce Director in Cable is calling for civility as Wisconsin’s First Lady Tonette Walker spend's a day hiking on local trails. Our belief is that the First Lady and other dignitaries coming along with her support the destructive actions and total disregard for lower and middle class income residents of Wisconsin, like many of the residents from the Cable area.

Maybe it is time that we "kick up a little dust" on the hiking trail with the First Lady and the other destructive dignitaries and see if they might see a bear or two or a pack of wolves. Most certainly the deer will smell them for what they are and flee the area.

Read the below communication from the Cable Chamber of Commerce Director:

----- Original Message -----

From: Cable Area Chamber
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 2:32 PM
Subject: Walk with Walker

Good day to you all,

I have reserved sending emails to the entire membership for only those issues I feel most important to address with all of you. This is one of those occasions.

In just under two weeks the Cable Area will host some very high level dignitaries yet again. This is a very good thing. Our area is enjoying a much more highly recognized presence within the State of Wisconsin. We have a lot to offer and there is a lot happening here! These dignitaries include Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett, DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp, U.S Congressman Shawn Duffy, U.S Senator Ron Johnson, Wisconsin’s First Lady Tonette Walker and Paul Strong from the U.S Forest Service, just to name a few.

Now, I certainly understand the current status of politics in Wisconsin and there are several people not happy with the current Governor. What I need all of us to understand is that this particular event has nothing to do with politics or our Governor. This event does have a lot to do with our local economy, which is primarily supported by tourism. The purpose of this ‘Walk with Walker’ event is to show our area as a welcoming, fun escape from the pressures of work and every day life. This event is the brainchild of the First Lady alone and is not associated with the current administration. For the good of our business and economy it is important that we come across as friendly and welcoming.

Not that long ago, people of varying views could disagree but still be civil and polite to each other. It is my belief that how we act is much more a reflection of who we are, then of the issues in which we disagree.

Just two weeks ago we had several very distinguished writers in our area. They were brought here by the Department of Tourism and they spent a week participating in a variety of different activities. They were here to write stories about what a wonderful place we get to call ‘home’. These stories, if positive in nature, will encourage tourist to visit our area, spend their money and boost our local economy. This tour was paid for by the State of Wisconsin. One of the events they were invited to was opening night at Big Top Chautauqua. At the beginning of the evening Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett got up to make a special presentation. Governor Walker had issues a proclamation declaring it ‘The Summer of Big Top’ in honor of their 25 years in business. While Stephanie read the proclamation, the audience ‘booed’. The writers were shocked at the booing and at the lack of manners it represented. They also stated that ‘the crowd clearly missed the point that the proclamation was about Big Top, and not the Governor’. I have no doubt, after speaking to all the writers, that this behavior clearly lowered their impressions of our area. They know very little about the politics of Wisconsin and, frankly, couldn’t care less. What they saw in that crowd was poor manners. There is no cause so just as to justify one person being rude to another, period. Such behavior is simply a reflection of ones poor manners. Such actions used to be discouraged, and then they were tolerated, and now claimed as justified.

I implore each of you to see this event as it truly is, a tourism event intended to shine a spotlight on our area and its amazing trail system. How we choose to treat these visitors is as much a reflection of ourselves as it is our area. Tourism is not political. Let’s keep it that way. For the sake of our local economy, we need a big turnout of gracious and polite residents to bolster our claim as a great travel destination.

James Bolen, Executive Director
Cable Area Chamber of Commerce
www.cable4fun.com ~ info@cable4fun.com
800.533.7454 or 715.798.3833

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P.S. I and my family will continue to return to the Cable area to do our fishing, but I will not like it much if the Walker's and their dignitaries continue to make a mockery of the area.

Posted by Steven Williams
Political Education Legislative Coordinator
AFSCME Council 24 AFL-CIO