Mismanagement

While Gov. Scott Walker is an expert at campaigning, his time in office shows that he is not an expert at governing. As Milwaukee County exec, public assistance programs managed by the county were so poorly managed that the state intervened and took them over. In addition, his severe cuts to the county workforce resulted in millions of budget-busting overtime costs.

Similar mismanagement problems have plagued Walker’s tenure as governor, the chief among them problems at his flagship jobs agency, WEDC. Multiple audits have shown the agency is failing to comply with state law and internal policies, and has lost track of millions in state dollars. Further, it has failed to deliver on the promise of job creation while sometimes giving out awards without any requirement of job creation or retention or for jobs that were created in the past. The problems at the troubled jobs agency are capped off by a revolving door of top officials at the agency. And Scott Walker? Well, not only was WEDC his idea, he’s been in charge of for every single misstep, as the chair of the WEDC board.

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Polluter penalties drop 78% Financial penalties for violations of Wisconsin environmental laws fell sharply in 2015 to their lowest level in at least a decade. Data released by a conservation organization show forfeitures paid by individuals and companies for violating state law totaled $306,834 last year. That’s down 78% from nearly $1.4 million paid out in 2014. It’s also […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/19/2016]
Walker administration delays $101 million debt payment Gov. Scott Walker’s administration this month put off making $101 million in debt payments, driving up costs for taxpayers by more than $2 million in the long run, according to the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office. The state was due to pay off the debt in May, but instead restructured it so that payments would be […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/10/2016]
Scott Walker’s HR agency slammed civil service changes in private memo The personnel agency in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration privately blasted changes to the state’s civil service days after they were proposed, telling his office the overhaul would slow hiring, turn away qualified job applicants and trigger more lawsuits against the state, public records show. Documents obtained under the state’s open records law by the Wisconsin […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 05/02/2016]
John Doe Investigation Into Lincoln Hills Abuse Allegations Closed A state John Doe investigation into a troubled juvenile prison in northern Wisconsin has been closed under a law signed last year by Gov. Scott Walker that put time limits on such cases… That coincides with the six-month time limit imposed by a new law that reduced the power of John Doe investigations in Wisconsin. […] [WPR, 04/19/2016]
Special treatment or limited access: State policies spell out who can talk to the press While the policy has been in place since at least 2008, the agency’s monthly and quarterly employment data came under intense scrutiny after Gov. Scott Walker promised to add 250,000 private sector jobs during his first term, prompting the agency exert greater control over shaping the message around those numbers. [La Crosse Tribune, 03/15/2016]
Scott Walker calls for state agencies to track open records requests, speed up response times In advance of Sunshine Week, Gov. Scott Walker is ordering his administration to improve its handling of public records requests, speed up response times and provide mandatory records training for all state workers. The move comes months after he helped draft legislation, later withdrawn, to severely restrict the kind of information the public can use […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/12/2016]
Rebecca Bradley apologizes for student columns calling AIDS patients ‘degenerates’ and gays ‘queers’ A spokeswoman for Gov. Scott Walker, who appointed Bradley to three judgeships in as many years — including as Supreme Court justice last fall — said Monday that “neither the Governor nor our office was aware of the columns.” The spokeswoman did not immediately respond to whether Walker would have appointed Bradley had he known. […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/08/2016]
Paul Soglin blasts WEDC, WMC in wake of Kraft Heinz report In the days after the Oscar Mayer announcement, Gov. Scott Walker pointed out that Soglin never contacted his office or WEDC. In Thursday’s interview, Soglin maintained that Madison made no mistakes.“We’re the ones who are supposed to be more brilliant than them?” Soglin asked. “This is their function. This is their job. We did our […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/04/2016]
Feds looking at whether civil rights were violated at Lincoln Hills In February, Gov. Scott Walker’s office released records that showed Lincoln Hills staff in 2012 failed to take an inmate who was sexually assaulted to an emergency room until after a prison basketball game — three hours after the assault took place. [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/02/2016]
Walker signs bill allowing towns in Dane County to opt out of zoning laws Walker also signed a bill allowing towns in Dane County to opt out of county zoning laws. The bill, authored by Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi, was introduced after the Dane County Towns Association pushed for a way for towns to gain more autonomy over developments in rural areas, and to grow tax bases to pay […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/01/2016]
Wisconsin uses Affordable Care Act but rejects funding for it Wisconsin’s decision last week to challenge a fee imposed by the Affordable Care Act set up a comparison not lost on advocates who support the law.The fee has cost the state about $23 million so far. In contrast, Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature’s opposition to the law is projected to cost $678.6 million in […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/28/2016]
Walker policies cited as factor in increase rise of EPA polluted water listings in Wisconsin The proposed EPA Impaired Waters List for 2016 in Wisconsin contains 1,694 listings, more than double the 761 approved for the list in 2004.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has recommended an additional 209 waterways for the 2016 list … Critics of Gov. Scott Walker blame the increased pollution in many agricultural counties like […] [Green Bay Press-Gazette, 02/24/2016]
Sex assault allegation mishandled at Lincoln Hills Despite what a former state employee called a strong case, officials in 2013 abandoned pursuing charges against a juvenile inmate accused of sexually assaulting his roommate at a secure Northwoods facility now at the center of an investigation into sexual assault, prisoner abuse, child neglect and other crimes.”It blew me away that no one was […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/23/2016]
Taxpayer tab for Walker presidential run security rises Taxpayers cut nine checks for five figures — including one for more than $93,000 — to members of Gov. Scott Walker’s security team last year after a federal agency found the state had wrongly withheld overtime pay from them. In all, taxpayers had to pay more than $577,000 to nine current and former members of […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/22/2016]
Department of Corrections Secretary to resign as new information surfaces on Lincoln Hills A staffer at a troubled Northwoods youth prison has been put on paid leave pending an investigation of the medical treatment of a juvenile who was taken to a hospital this month. The situation comes amid a criminal probe of Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, which share a campus […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/22/2016]
Walker appointees at Department of Natural Resources considered disciplining employee for releasing public records Political appointees of the Department of Natural Resources discussed disciplining an employee after she provided public records to a Sheboygan County citizens group fighting plans by the Kohler Co. for a golf course on the shore of Lake Michigan, emails show. In the view of at least one top official then serving at the DNR, […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/13/2016]
Lincoln Hills investigation results in resignation of Walker’s Secretary of Department of Corrections Department of Corrections secretary Ed Wall has resigned amid a wide-ranging investigation of the state’s youth prison, now led by the FBI. The disclosure Friday of Wall’s resignation came hours after federal officials confirmed that the FBI is leading the investigation of alleged abuses at the state’s only youth prison, Lincoln Hills School for Boys […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 02/13/2016]
Walker denies prior knowledge of Lincoln Hill youth prison abuses as Corrections Secretary resigns amid investigation Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Wall has resigned amid an investigation into abuse allegations at the state’s youth prison, the governor’s office said Friday as news emerged that the FBI had taken over the inquiry. Gov. Scott Walker’s staff said Wall submitted his letter of resignation on Feb. 5. He will be replaced by […] [Associated Press, 02/12/2016]
Walker’s act 10 cited as concerns rise over teacher shortage In the five years since Act 10 became law, Wisconsin school districts have experienced a dramatic decline in the number of applicants for each teacher vacancy. In 2015, there were an average of 3.2 candidates per vacancy, down from 6.6 candidates in 2012, according to Wisconsin Education Career Access Network data provided by Means. In […] [WITI-TV, 02/09/2016]
Rauner is no friend to working families The fact is that Gov. Scott Walker’s rabid anti-union agenda has been a disaster for the economy of Wisconsin, which remains in the bottom third of states for job growth. [Chicago Tribune, 01/29/2016]
Lincoln Hills youth had toes amputated after run-in with staff In recent days, Lincoln Hills inmates have fought with each other multiple times, refused to go into their rooms – at least once en masse – and in one case threw urine on a staff member, said Towne, who has three family members who work at the school. Those incidents erupted in the days after […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/16/2015]
Walker signs split of state’s GAB \| Campaign finance measure also approved Gov. Scott Walker privately signed a measure Wednesday loosening the state’s campaign finance laws and eliminating the state elections and ethics agency that investigated his campaign for teaming up with conservative groups. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/16/2015]
Open government group files complaint against Public Records Board He noted that Gov. Scott Walker’s administration has already used the new definition of “transitory” records to justify denying records that existed at one time, but were not maintained. One of those cases involved text messages related to a failed $500,000 state loan to a struggling Milwaukee business. [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/15/2015]
Lawmaker asked Corrections officials in March about problems at youth prison Earlier this week Gov. Scott Walker said he didn’t think there was a connection between staffing issues and the Lincoln Hills allegations. “I think their concerns were not specific to that,” Walker said. “But certainly we’ll have to wait until we see everything at the end.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/11/2015]
Scott Walker: DOC reviewing safety at all prisons in wake of criminal investigation at youth prison Gov. Scott Walker said Friday his administration is reviewing safety measures and policies at all state prisons as the Department of Justice investigates alleged abuse of inmates at a juvenile prison in Lincoln County. Also on Friday, the Department of Corrections announced it plans to purchase body cameras for staff at the Lincoln Hills boys […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/11/2015]
Questions, answers about text messages, visitor logs and other Wisconsin open records issues Gov. Scott Walker on Monday refuted reports that his administration is doing anything questionable when it comes to Wisconsin ‘s open records law. But those reports brought to light a change made this summer by the state’s Public Records Board that could shield communications like public officials’ text messages and Facebook messages from being made […] [Capital Times, 12/10/2015]
Abuse, misconduct, intimidation at center of sweeping investigation of Wisconsin juvenile prison Under a law Gov. Scott Walker signed Oct. 23, John Doe inquiries cannot be used to investigate allegations of misconduct in public office. The John Doe request in this case was filed a day before that law was signed. Previously, no parties involved in a John Doe could acknowledge even the existence of such an […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/10/2015]
Board’s records action appears to have violated open meetings law An obscure board overseeing state public records gave so little notice of a move to sharply limit electronic records that it appears to have violated the state’s open meetings law, attorneys and open records advocates say. The changes have already had an impact — they were used by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration as a reason […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/09/2015]
Admins removed amid DOJ investigation into ‘mistreatment of youth’ at state juvenile facility The facility, which is about 30 miles north of Wausau, is the state’s youth prison. Copper Lake houses female offenders — 36 as of Friday — while 228 male inmates were at Lincoln Hills, according to Corrections data. Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Monday that DOC supervisors did not deliberately suppress assault records at the […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/08/2015]
Agents continue assault probe at juvenile offender school Speaking to reporters in Madison on Monday, Gov. Scott Walker said Wall and top agency officials had brought concerns to the Department of Justice and Lincoln County Sheriff Jeff Jaeger and that Walker didn’t believe they had tried to cover them up. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/08/2015]
Ex-DNR officials complain about enforcement under Walker The DNR has come under fire from Democrats and environmentalists under Gov. Scott Walker. Officials have said they are enforcing regulations but also trying to reduce unnecessary costs and red tape by an agency that is traditionally one of the most controversial in state government. The letters also raised questions over whether the DNR is […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/07/2015]
Quiet change in public records policy could shield messages An obscure board overseeing public records in Wisconsin has quietly cut back on requirements to maintain some electronic records such as text messages about major taxpayer awards to businesses. … Gov. Scott Walker said afterward that the attempted rewrite in which his office participated was a “huge mistake.” In September, it was disclosed that after […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/07/2015]
Scott Walker administration finding new way to deny public records Gov. Scott Walker’s administration has found another novel method to deny the public access to government records. In at least two recent cases, the administration says it doesn’t have to keep certain “transitory” records and therefore can’t release records it doesn’t have. [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/07/2015]
Agents raid school for juvenile offenders amid secret probe Speaking to reporters in Madison, Gov. Scott Walker said Wall and top agency officials had brought concerns to the Department of Justice and Lincoln County Sheriff Jeff Jaeger and had not tried to cover them up. The governor said he had been briefed on the probe and met with Attorney General Brad Schimel last week […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/07/2015]
State’s handling of workers caught in workplace sex doesn’t match Scott Walker’s account In making his case to Republican lawmakers this fall that the state’s civil service system needed to be overhauled, Gov. Scott Walker cited the case of two state workers who he said couldn’t be fired even though they had been caught having sex in their office. But records released Friday show no efforts were made […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/05/2015]
Top GOP lawmakers might rebrand troubled jobs agency GOP Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the Legislature created WEDC in 2011, soon after they were swept into power. The new agency replaced the state Department of Commerce and was aimed at making economic development efforts more nimble and swift. It has been beset with problems. Troubled businesses have gotten taxpayer-funded incentives, and top […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/10/2015]
Failure at the faucet: Safe, clean drinking water eludes many Wisconsinite In 2011, the EPA identified 75 failings in the DNR’s enforcement of the state’s wastewater pollution permit program. Last month, after the residents’ petition was filed, the state agency announced it is working on two rule packages that will address 21 of the issues… “Our state has historically been, and continues to be, a leader […] [Capital Times, 11/08/2015]
City officials, Democrats blame Scott Walker administration for not reaching out to Oscar Mayer Gov. Scott Walker’s economic development agency made no contact with Kraft Heinz as other states did in the months leading up to the company’s decision to close its Oscar Mayer headquarters in Madison… Soglin said the city never sought help from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the state agency Walker created to help create and […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 11/05/2015]
Oscar Mayer plant in Madison will close; headquarters to move to Chicago Like most everyone else, Gov. Scott Walker only learned of Kraft Heinz’s decision Wednesday, spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said. She said his office “will work with local officials and our Department of Workforce Development to connect affected workers with other potential employers as well as a variety of services that include job training and job search […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 11/04/2015]
Lawmakers inch closer to overhauling civil service system On the civil service bill, both sides in the GOP dispute are holding firm, meaning that the proposal is unlikely to pass the Senate until early next year. The bill would overhaul a system begun in 1905 that is aimed at ensuring tax dollars go for competent state employees rather than political hacks… Republican Gov. […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/27/2015]
Lapdogs’ and ‘la-la land’: Wisconsin Assembly debates campaign finance laws, GAB overhaul A spokeswoman for Gov. Scott Walker said he supports overall reform of the GAB, and he “looks forward to working with lawmakers on a replacement for the GAB that is fair, transparent, and accountable to Wisconsinites.” [Capital Times, 10/21/2015]
Lawmakers approve bill ending John Doe probes of political crimes The proposal, which would reshape how cases of bribery of public officials and other political crimes are often investigated, was largely prompted by a probe into the Republican governor’s campaign and conservative groups that supported him. The state Supreme Court this summer shut down the investigation, which Walker and other Republicans have described as a […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/20/2015]
Group asks EPA to step up oversight of state DNR In a teleconference, the group said that budget cutting, retirements and actions by the Legislature have effectively curbed the power of the DNR. The EPA said it is monitoring the efforts of the DNR. “WDNR must continue to report to EPA on progress to address the remaining issues,” said EPA spokesman Pete Cassell. In a […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/20/2015]
Scott Walker, Legislature altering Wisconsin’s way of protecting natural resources “Governor Walker believes it’s possible to protect our clean air, clean land, and clean water while enacting policies that improve our business climate and spur economic growth,” Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said in a statement. But critics say Wisconsin’s natural resources are increasingly at risk as government moves away from a conservation tradition dating back […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 10/04/2015]
Walker Weakened Department of Revenue’s ability to go after tax cheats Additionally, the governor slowed the progress made in 2010 by the Department of Revenue in collecting delinquent taxes. In 2010, the Department collected $193 million in delinquent taxes, a $40 million increase over the previous year. But now the Governor would scale back on tax-collection activities, reducing the Department’s goal by $20 million a year. […] [Department of Administration, 06/05/2015]
Rep. Chris Taylor says Gov. Scott Walker’s budget filled with mistakes Democrats (and a few Republicans) have complained about a variety of matters in the budget, and said the package was poorly prepared. Such complaints were raised in a news release issued the day before work on the budget began in the Joint Finance Committee. The Democrats on the committee complained that lawmakers were given a […] [Politifact, 06/01/2015]
Walker aides pushed for questionable WEDC loan for donor who had maxed out to Walker Gov. Scott Walker’s top aides and a powerful lobbyist pressed for a taxpayer-funded loan in 2011 to a financially struggling Milwaukee construction company that lost the state half a million dollars, created no jobs and raised questions about where the money went, a State Journal investigation has found…The push to fund the BCI project came […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 05/18/2015]
Walker budget skips debt payments to make up for Walker’s tax cuts Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, facing a $283 million deficit that needs to be closed by the end of June, will skip more than $100 million in debt payments to balance the books thrown into disarray by his tax cuts. The move comes as Walker, 47, mounts a 2016 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, and […] [Bloomberg, 02/18/2015]
Scott Walker’s Budget Deficit Keeps Getting Worse as He Campaigns in Iowa and California. The highly respected and nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released new projections showing that Wisconsin is ending its current budget with a $283 million deficit, more than twice what Walker’s aides said it would be just a few months ago. And Wisconsin is heading into a $2.2 billion deficit in its next budget cycle if […] [Express Milwaukee, 01/27/2015]
Campaign aides again directing response to county issues, this time Walker mismanagement of county mental health complex Walker’s county and campaign staffs collaborated in determining how to respond to one issue after another — sexual assaults of patients at the complex, security lapses, controversial remarks by Milwaukee County’s mental health administrator. At one point, Walker’s campaign manager complained that a county lawyer needed to “think political for a change.” Walker played an […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Walker, again, personally directing response to controversy “We need to continue to keep me out of the story as this is a process issue and not a policy matter,” Walker wrote on March 27, 2010. The issue at that point was fallout from stories on a patient sexual assault of another patient that resulted in a pregnancy. […] In this exchange, Walker […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Walker’s campaign and county aides coordinated response to outrageous remarks of his appointed administrator of County Behavioral Health Division John Chianelli, then administrator of the county’s Behavioral Health Division, was quoted telling county supervisors that sexual assaults in mixed-gender wards were a trade-off for more violent assaults that would happen in all-male psychiatric units. Walker’s staff furiously exchanged views on what to do. Gilkes, Walker’s campaign manager, told Rindfleisch: “We won’t be commenting at […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Walker’s gubernatorial campaign manager directs top Walker county aide to try to suppress open records Gilkes told Rindfleisch to prod a county lawyer — then-Deputy Corporation Counsel Timothy Schoewe — to take a tougher stance. “Just do me a favor and tell him that we are getting the crap kicked out of us by the County Board,” Gilkes wrote. “At some point I would like him to stop being a […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Top Walker aide makes light of county mismanagement of mental health services, “no one care about crazy people” Rindfleisch was sarcastic about the Mental Health Complex issue in a Sept. 2, 2010, email to a friend. “Last week was a nightmare,” she wrote. “A bad story every day on our looney bin. Doctors having sex with patients, patients getting knocked up. This has been coming for months and I’ve unofficially been dealing with […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Emails show Walker campaign manager successfully delayed Milwaukee County settlement with parents of woman who starved to death at Walker overseen County mental health complex Instructions from Scott Walker’s campaign manager were explicit: Delay settlement of a long-standing legal case over the starvation-relateddeath of Cindy Anczak at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. “Could care less what it is on,” Walker campaign manager Keith Gilkes wrote in an Oct. 22, 2010, email exchange with a Walker aide at the county, […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/26/2014]
Walker campaign manager directs firing of county aide to take the fall for mismanagement of mental health services under Walker After Chianelli was demoted for his handling of sexual assaults at the complex, Gilkes wrote to Walker’s staff about the need to fire him: “I think we throw John under the bus for covering up how dysfunctional the place is.” The campaign took a hard line on reacting to the sexual assault scandal, even as […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/20/2014]
What did Walker aides think was funny? Racism, apparently. In April 2010, Walker’s former deputy chief of staff Kelly Rindfleisch received an emailed joke from a friend about someone whose dogs supposedly qualified for welfare because they are “mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and have no frigging clue who their Daddys are.” Rindfleisch wrote back: “That is hilarious. And so true!” […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/20/2014]
Walker campaign aide’s racist tweets revealed In December, Walker fired Taylor Palmisano as his campaign’s deputy finance director after Journal Sentinel columnist Daniel Bice contacted the campaign about tweets made by Palmisano. In one, Palmisano, 23, complained about an individual who was doing custodial work in a library in which she was working. “I will choke that illegal mex cleaning in […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/20/2014]
Walker Transportation Department Assistant Deputy Secretary’s racist Facebook rant In August, Walker fired Steven Krieser, assistant deputy secretary at the state Department of Transportation, after he likened illegal immigrants to Satan during a Facebook debate over a bumper sticker declaring open season on foreigners living in the United States without documentation. That case was also brought to light by Bice. “You may see Jesus […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/20/2014]
Walker aide fired after tweets demeaning Hispanics For the second time in less than four months, Gov. Scott Walker has fired an aide for making demeaning comments about Hispanics on social media. Walker — who has been calling on fellow Republicans to do more to reach out to minority voters — ousted Taylor Palmisano as his campaign’s deputy finance director on Tuesday. […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/03/2013]
Scott Suder steps away from job in Scott Walker’s administration Just days before receiving the grant, the lobbyist for United Sportsmen offered free fishing excursions to Suder, the Journal Sentinel reported Monday. The day the trip began, Suder joined 17 other Republicans in urging a committee to give the grant to United Sportsmen. The liberal group One Wisconsin Now filed an ethics complaint with the […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/03/2013]
Suder Shuffles Off the State and On To Special Interests’ Payroll Mere days before he was slated to start a $94,000 a year job in the Walker administration, it was announced today that former Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder has taken a different job as a special interest lobbyist. [One Wisconsin Now, 10/03/2013]
United Sportsmen Official Offered Free Two-Day Fishing Excursion to Author of Sweetheart Deal MADISON, Wis. — The author of a sweetheart deal worth potentially millions of dollars for a politically-connected organization was offered a free, two-day Lake Michigan fishing excursion by the lobbyist and Executive Director for the group, according to a story in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. One Wisconsin Now has filed a formal complaint with the […] [One Wisconsin Now, 09/29/2013]
Journal Sentinel investigation provides a case study in WEDC failures To see the recent struggles of the state’s jobs programs, take the case of a missing crane, a seemingly untraceable business owner and $83,000 in squandered taxpayer money. When the state lent the money to Milwaukee Iron Works in the fall of 2010, seemingly everything soured — from the state’s spotty follow-up on the delinquent […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/20/2013]
#WalkerAt20: Friends’ Felonious Failures MADISON, Wis. — In his twenty years in office, Scott Walker has amassed a truly astounding record of failure. To commemorate the looming anniversary of his first election to office, One Wisconsin Now is highlighting a different and depressing failure of Gov. Walker every day, for twenty days. Today we examine the close aides and […] [One Wisconsin Now, 06/26/2013]
Walker wanted to give scandal-plagued WEDC more money In what parallel universe does a scandal-plagued agency that just got dinged for failing to account for the money it’s been spending get more money? That parallel universe would be Scott Walker’s Wisconsin. There’s something flat-out bizarre about the governor’s response to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. fiasco…The governor, who chairs the WEDC board, actually […] [Capital Times, 05/09/2013]
Will Legislators Give the OK For Gov. Walker’s Scandal Plagued WEDC to Grow? Adding insult to the outrage of Gov. Walker's mismanaged WEDC is its utter failure to perform as advertised, with Wisconsin ranking among worst in the nation for job creation. [One Wisconsin Now, 05/06/2013]
Walker’s flagship jobs agency failed in tracking taxpayer money, audit finds “A stinging audit has found that the state’s flagship jobs agency repeatedly failed last year to follow basic standards in state law for ensuring the clear and proper use of millions of dollars in taxpayer money, prompting lawmakers of both parties to call for immediate changes. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has faced repeated criticism […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/01/2013]
State audit says Walker’s flagship WEDC broke state law A blistering audit released Wednesday said Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s premier job creation agency repeatedly broke state law in its first year of operation, failed to adequately track money it awarded for economic development projects and sometimes gave money to ineligible recipients…The audit found numerous examples where the agency did not consistently follow the law […] [Associated Press, 05/01/2013]
Legislative Audit Bureau Finds Gov. Walker’s WEDC Inadequate To Speaker Vos, Rep. Marklein and the other members of the so-called 'CPA Caucus' I ask, after this scathing audit, what more do you need to put Gov. Walker's WEDC under the microscope? [One Wisconsin Now, 04/30/2013]
Some economists say Walker to blame for Wisconsin’s slow economic recovery Across the country, the economy is slowly but steadily improving. More companies are hiring, consumers are spending again, the stock market is tickling record highs and many Americans say they are feeling more optimistic about the future. But Wisconsin stands somewhat apart from this trend, consistently and stubbornly lagging in job creation and finding itself […] [Capital Times, 02/06/2013]
Gov. Walker’s Mental Health Funding Announcement Belies Disastrous Record One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements in response to Gov. Walker’s announcement on mental health funding in his 2013-15 budget proposal: “To call Scott Walker’s record on mental health abhorrent would be an understatement. “As Milwaukee County Executive he was entrusted with overseeing the mental health system we entrust with […] [One Wisconsin Now, 02/05/2013]
Walker hires interim CEO for WEDC “Walker’s WEDC has come up so short because there is no accountability in handing out millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded giveaways to businesses,” Ross said. “And Walker’s ‘solution’ is to put a board member from the state’s biggest business lobby in charge.” [Badger Herald, 10/20/2012]
WEDC loses track of $8M in past due loans “Gov. Walker’s WEDC has proven to be as unaccountable and unsuccessful at getting the job done for Wisconsin as critics said it would be,” said One Wisconsin Now. [Wisconsin State Journal, 10/18/2012]
Sexual harassment allegation against Perez surfaces from woman who was fired A woman who claimed she filed a harassment complaint with the state Department of Administration against former Workforce Development Secretary Manny Perez in fact never did so, records show. Allison Rozek, until recently a top official with the Department of Workforce Development, claimed in an Oct. 19 email to her supervisor that she had filed […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/30/2011]
Walker’s Second DWD secretary abruptly resigns A second person has resigned as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in Gov. Scott Walker’s first year in office. Walker announced Monday that Secretary Scott Baumbach had resigned after being in the position just four months. He replaced Walker’s first appointee, Manny Perez, who resigned in May after five months in the […] [Associated Press, 10/24/2011]
Wisconsin Gov. Walker broke campaign promise on paying full cost of pension Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who forced public workers to pay more for their pensions as part of a push to curb union rights, broke his campaign promise to pay the full cost of his state pension immediately after taking office in January. “It is indefensible Scott Walker promised to live by these rules and then […] [Boston Globe, 10/13/2011]
iPads put $60,000 byte on WI Taxpayers Despite Governor Walker’s message of the importance of paying off he State’s debt, newly created WEDC dropped more than $43,000 to by 74 iPads for all of its staff. Along with the 3g service and WiFi connection the total will amount to $60,000. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/07/2011]
Walker’s #2 at DOA abruptly takes leave of absence; is moved to new state job; house gets raided by FBI Three days after Cindy Archer was to have started her job as the legislative liaison at the state Department of Children and Families – and while she was already being paid sick leave for it – the agency interviewed someone else for the same job. Department officials did not fully explain why they interviewed another […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 09/23/2011]
Archer’s home raided by FBI as part of John Doe investigation About a dozen law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, searched the Madison home of a former top aide to then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker on Wednesday morning…The search of Archer’s house comes amid a John Doe investigation in Milwaukee County, which started last year after another staff member working for Walker, then county executive, was […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 09/15/2011]
Walker’s #2 at DOA abruptly takes leave of absence; is moved to new state job; house gets raided by FBI Cindy Archer, who abruptly left Scott Walker’s administration last month for “personal family matters,” actually had another politically appointed job under the governor already lined up. She’ll take a $25,000 pay cut in moving to the Department of Children and Families, but the nearly $100,000 she’ll be making is tens of thousands of dollars more […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 09/12/2011]
Public-Private economic agencies under fire in other states WEDC has been the source of some controversy. From its inception, critics worried it would wrestle with the same problems that plagued similar hybrid agencies in other states. In Texas, state leaders have gone after officials with TexasOne for making stock deals that allegedly cross the line into conflicts of interest. A Dallas Morning News […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 08/30/2011]
WEDC Working on Hiring, Branding, and Being Nimble The public-private hybrid agency officially opened July 1, but there still are no outward signs of its existence. Now, some eight weeks in, WEDC officials are working out the details. They’ve installed new human resources and payroll software, hired employees and set up customer-relations services. But they are trying to fill four vice president slots […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 08/30/2011]
Wisconsin’s chief economic recruiter still is very much under construction There is this perception that we just took Commerce and privatized it, said Paul Jadin, Commerce secretary and CEO of WEDC. “The truth is, we are creating a whole new organization and there is a lot that goes into that.” The governor signed legislation in February abolishing the Commerce Department and replacing it with WEDC, […] [Wisconsin State Journal, 08/30/2011]
Walker’s former chief of staff awarded multiple state jobs, resigns from final appointment three days after taking job Tom Nardelli abruptly quit his state job with Gov. Scott Walker in late July, pulling the plug on his $90,000-a-year position just days after accepting the post…Nardelli said Tuesday he resigned as administrator for the state Division of Environmental and Regulatory Services because he decided it would be unfair to keep the job knowing he […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 08/23/2011]
Privatization attempt halted by federal gov’t Attempts by the new Republican administration to largely privatize the state’s food assistance program have been all but stopped in their tracks. The controversial plan, first proposed by Gov. Scott Walker in March, would have replaced county-level sites where residents can simultaneously apply for FoodShare and medical assistance with a limited number of centers across […] [Capital Times, 08/16/2011]
Walker’s former chief of staff awarded multiple state jobs, resigns from final appointment three days after taking job Tom Nardelli was named to his second job in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration Monday as administrator of the state Division of Environmental and Regulatory Services. The division, formerly housed in the state Commerce Department, now falls under the newly organized Department of Safety and Regulatory Services. The environmental division regulates underground fuel tanks, petroleum quality […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/18/2011]
Walker raided $411 million from other funds to fill the budget deficit According to a July 5, 2011 Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo, Walker used the following funds for purposes other than for which the fund was created: [Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 07/05/2011]
Walker raided money from other projects for reconstruction of bridge in Milwaukee In the budget, Walker signed into law a provision that allows the Department of Transportation to take money from other major projects funded through major highway development, state highway rehabilitation, and southeast Wisconsin megaprojects programs for costs associated with the reconstruction of the Hoan Bridge and I-794 in Milwaukee County. (2011-13 Executive Budget Comparative Summary, […] [2011 WI Act 32, 06/26/2011]
Walker’s Second DWD secretary abruptly resigns Gov. Scott Walker has named Scott Baumbach as fulltime secretary of Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development. Baumbach had served as interim secretary since last month when Manny Perez resigned just five months after his appointment by Walker. Baumbach was named the department’s deputy secretary last January. Before joining the department, he was an associate and […] [Associated Press, 06/08/2011]
DWD Secretary quits to pursue “new opportunities” First DWD Secretary: The Wisconsin secretary of workforce development has resigned just five months after his appointment by Gov. Scott Walker. Manny Perez says in a statement that he’ll return to the private sector to seek out new opportunities and looks forward to watching the Wisconsin economy grow. He is the first Walker cabinet appointee […] [Associated Press, 05/11/2011]
Walker’s former chief of staff awarded multiple state jobs, resigns from final appointment three days after taking job Tom Nardelli, former chief of staff to then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, has been named administrator of the state Safety & Buildings Division….As head of the state safety division in the Commerce Department, he inherits an operation with about 165 employees and has oversight of state building and safety codes on everything from amusement park […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/11/2011]
One Wisconsin Now Launches ‘Scott Walker Failure Files’ Timeline MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s eight years of failed leadership are highlighted in an interactive timeline documenting his misdeeds, mismanagement and incompetence created by One Wisconsin Now and available at www.ScottWalkerFailureFiles.com. “The people of Milwaukee County have endured unprecedented harm due to the failed leadership of Scott Walker,” said Scot Ross, One […] [One Wisconsin Now, 05/12/2010]
Walker supported allowing county streams to be used for wastewater “Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway Friday defended the board’s opposition to use of county streams for treated wastewater from Waukesha on health grounds. Waukesha has proposed using Underwood Creek as a way to return Lake Michigan water the suburban community wants to buy from Milwaukee. Holloway said in a statement that “returning water in […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 04/23/2010]
Public Safety Officials Warned Walker Furloughs Could Compromise Public Safety “Unpaid furloughs ordered to help balance Milwaukee County’s 2010 budget could compromise public safety, according to law enforcement and court officials. The impact of furloughs — or other substitute budget cuts – -could range from slower prosecutions to delayed trials and criminal arrest warrants, the officials said. Restraining orders in domestic violence cases also might […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 01/18/2010]
Advocates Warn Walker County Plan Ending Mental Health Day Treatment Likely Leads to Relapses and Greater Hospitalizations “After nearly 15 years helping patients discharged from Milwaukee County’s Mental Health Complex cope with life in the community, occupational therapist Kari Held faces an uncertain future and coping issues of her own. Like hundreds of other county employees, Held has a job that has been targeted for elimination next year by County Executive Scott […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/08/2009]
Supervisors Accused Walker of Concealing Deficit-Causing Change in State Medical Care “Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s plan to temporarily lay off up to 180 employees as a last-ditch move to balance this year’s budget prompted finger-pointing and shouting Thursday from county supervisors. …Supervisors accused Walker of mismanagement and his department heads of hiding what appears to be one of the major causes of the county’s 2009 […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/30/2009]
Funds That Could Have Gone to Fraud Prevention Went Unused in Milwaukee County Under Walker “Milwaukee County under spent its budget for running the Wisconsin Shares child-care program by more than $4.3 million since 2004 — money that could have gone toward greater fraud prevention, state officials said. The county was authorized to spend $8 million or more annually to run the program, under contracts with the state that included […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/01/2009]
County Board Shot Down Walker Plan to Privatize Call Center “Meanwhile, the board delivered a second snub to Walker on Thursday on his plan to outsource operation of the public assistance call center, voting 12-6 to reject his plan. The board also voted against the idea last year. Walker favored hiring Impact, a private agency, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to operate the call center […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/06/2009]
State Took Over County of Role of Administering Public Assistance Programs Due to Mismanagement “The state’s unprecedented move Tuesday to strip Milwaukee County of its role in administering food aid, child care and medical assistance programs was prompted by years of county mismanagement, state Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake said. The takeover requires installing state managers but retaining county case workers, a ‘hybrid model’ she said had never been […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/04/2009]
Walker Cuts to County Staff Resulted in Skyrocketing Overtime “Milwaukee County’s 2008 overtime spending is on pace to match or beat last year’s record $15.8 million tab, despite extra recruitment and hiring of mental health and corrections workers, an analysis of county spending records shows. The overtime bill for the first 10 months of this year was $14.4 million. Overtime costs for November and […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/05/2008]
Walker Gave Up Control of House of Correction and Transferred to Sheriff “The board did not disrupt Walker’s plan to place oversight of the House of Correction under Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and merge it with Clarke’s operation of the county jail. Under the change, Walker would give up his management responsibility over the House of Correction and county work-release center. The center came under fire […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/11/2008]
Walker Mantra: Privatize “His message to his staff members as they gear up for the annual budget pageant: economize and privatize. ‘Anywhere and everywhere, they should be considering contracting out’ so services can be provided at less cost, Walker said in an interview. That’s been his mantra since he took office, one that he re-emphasized during his successful […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/31/2008]
Walker’s House of Correction Mistakenly Released Inmates, Had Over 50 Inmates Leave Without Permission “Also Thursday, Malone released a report showing the House of Correction has mistakenly released six inmates since April 2005 and the downtown work-release center has had 54 inmates who left without permission since 2003. The minimum-security center downtown can’t lock its doors overnight when inmates are supposed to be confined because the converted 1930s hospital […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 03/07/2008]
Inmate Committed Murder While He Was Supposed to be Sleeping at Walker’s House of Correction Freddie Dudley was a work-release inmate when charged with reckless homicide for killing a man on the city’s west side last August while he was supposed to be sleeping at the House of Correction center.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 03/07/2008]
Federal Reports Slams Milwaukee County Lockups “The Milwaukee County House of Correction in Franklin and the downtown work-release center come under severe criticism in a new federal report, which calls the operations seriously flawed and marred by security lapses, bad management, poor employee morale and crowded conditions. Both facilities also have serious fire safety shortcomings, including inoperative alarms and no sprinklers […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 01/25/2008]
While Walker Campaigned for Higher Office, County Struggled “Unfortunately, the current county executive, career politician Scott Walker, can’t wait to get out of Milwaukee. He tried to run for governor last year. He’s busy attaching himself to presidential campaigns this year, in hopes of getting appointed to some federal job. Walker’s lack of attention to a county government that serves more people, manages […] [Capital Times, 08/22/2007]