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 Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “Cutting vital services, neglecting the neediest, and incompetent management by Walker have been the defining issues of his administration.”

The Walker Failure Files Timeline begins with his April 30, 2002 election after voting for state spending increases totaling 84 percent while a member of the state legislature, to his refusal to fire the official responsible for oversight of the County Mental Health Center in the mishandling of patient sexual assaults.

Other lowlights on the Walker Failure Files Timeline include:

2002 April 30: Walker elected Milwaukee County Executive. After an undistinguished legislative career in which he obediently followed the GOP line and voted in favor of five consecutive budgets increasing state spending by 84 percent, Walker is elected Milwaukee County Executive. [Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau]

2004 July 8: Walker gets caught breaking campaign promise to require staff to waive lucrative pension benefits. Walker didn’t ask his staff to waive their rights to a lucrative pension benefit until after the 2004 re-election campaign, after he promised to do so immediately after getting elected in 2002. He tried to hide the fact by failing to provide the records when requested to do so by his 2004 county executive opponent, David Riemer. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

2005 October 07: Walker calls job creation effort “lipstick on a pig.” “Walker’s lipstick on-a-pig statement about regional marketing efforts came in answer to a question at the downtown Rotary Club… Walker’s comments were not just impolitic and misleading … they dealt a blow to the region’s economic development efforts.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

2007 August 01: Walker acknowledges failure to fix pension problem. Another land mine turns up under his watch as 350 workers stand to gain $50 mill in extra pension benefits from “summer credit.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

2009 March 01: Walker increases county debt by $400 million; borrows to invest in a Wall Street scheme to fill pension hole.
Walker increases county debt by $400 million; borrows to invest in a Wall Street scheme to fill pension hole. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

2009 March 31: Walker flip-flops and applies for $130 million in Recovery Act projects. This came a month after writing in the Wall Street Journal he would not request funds for the county. [BizTimes.com]

2009 September 09 – Walker increases the county budget & proposes cutting law enforcement positions for 8th budget in a row.
Despite the promotion of fiscal responsibility, Walker increases the county budget by more than 6% to almost $1.5 billion. Accounting for the increases includes borrowing for capital projects and an expected influx of federal stimulus money. Walker also continued his yearly effort to reduce the numbers of sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers by proposing staff reductions yet again. [2010 Milwaukee County Executive Budget]

2010 April 13: Walker would cut seniors and family from health care coverage to pay for part of $2 billion tax cut plan for rich, big business.
“[Walker] said he was studying whether the state should change eligibility standards for the state’s Medicaid program, which provides health care for the poor, elderly and disabled.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

“The issue of leadership, time and time again Scott Walker has failed,” said Ross. “If that wasn’t bad enough, now he wants to raid our treasury to give an income tax cut to the richest one percent and reopen an enormous corporate loophole – and he wants to pay for it by destroying the same kinds of programs across the state that he gutted in Milwaukee County.”

More information can be found at: www.ScottWalkerFailureFiles.com