Scott Walker’s World

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker tweeted a Thomas Jefferson quote “that government is best which governs least.” THE REAL WORLD: The Thomas Jefferson Foundation stated that this was a phony quote.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that more people have access to health care under his tenure as governor. THE REAL WORLD: While he can take a small portion of the credit, far more people are getting health care as a result of Obamacare. Wisconsin has lost well over $500 million and 87,000 would have coverage if Walker had accepted the federal Medicaid dollars. Estimates for the latest biennium show Wisconsin losing almost $400 million in just the next two years due to Walker’s obstinance. (Politifact, 5/15/2014) (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,8/19/14)

WALKER’S WORLD: In the first two months of his administration, Walker privatized the state’s commerce department as a way to create jobs. Walker’s Wisconsin Economic Development Corp (WEDC), meant to boost economic growth in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: The state is 40th in the nation. Money that was meant exclusively for job creation was given to “ineligible recipients, for ineligible projects, and for amounts that exceeded specified limits.” Nearly 60 percent of WEDC grants went to companies’ whose personnel had donated to Walker. In 2015, it was revealed Walker’s agency gave a $500,000 grant to the company of his top donor from 2010 after pressure was brought from his chief of staff and his top cabinet secretary. (Capital Times, 5/8/2013)(WKOW, 5/30/2014)

WALKER’S WORLD: When discussing Immigration during an interview, Gov. Walker said “ Unlike this president, I’ve actually gone to the border and been there with the governor of Texas.” THE REAL WORLD: President Obama certainly has been to the border, giving a speech on immigration reform in May 2011.

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Scott Walker tweeted "Did you know, Americans will spend more on taxes in 2015 than on food, clothing and housing combined?" THE REAL WORLD: By evaluating collective tax spending, Gov. Walker misses the fact that many Americans, especially poorer Americans, will pay more for food, shelter and clothing, than taxes.

WALKER’S WORLD: While on his pre-run presidential tour, Gov. Walker attributed Minnesota’s economic prosperity to having “Republicans in charge of at least one part of government” for all but two years. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Democrats have had control of both chamber and the governorship for many years before 2011. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker overexaggerates how long the Democrats held a majority in Wisconsin, which was only two years. Republicans since held control for twice as long as that.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker’s budget overhaul aimed to cut Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), an important resource for seniors in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: After the cuts were revealed, Gov. Walker proclaimed May as ADRC Month, applauding the assistance it gives to seniors looking to sustain independent lifestyles.

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker tweeted "the average cost of family health care premiums has increased by $4,154." THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker compared 2008 to 2014, including time before Obama took office. If he would have compared from the time Obama took office to 2014, the increase would have only been $3,459, an increase that is even smaller than increases five years before that.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker proudly boasts an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association, a rating he might not have obtained as an state assembly member. THE REAL WORLD: In 1995, the Rep. Walker co-sponsored a bill that would fine and jail those who sold or bought weapons without a secured trigger lock. It was only after the NRA and Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement protested that then Rep. Walker withdrew his support.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker exaggerated a story regarding his idol, Ronald Reagan. He claimed that Nancy Reagan requested he be the first person to hold the bible Reagan used to take his oath of office since Reagan himself. THE REAL WORLD: While Gov. Walker did hold the bible, his camp and the library curator went back and forth as to what happened, insisting that he was not the first person to hold it since Reagan and that Mrs. Reagan did not make the request.

WALKER’S WORLD: Scott Walker said, “We invested not only more money in rural health care, we put more money in to train primary care physicians and other health care assistants.” THE REAL WORLD: Scott Walker's 2015-17 budget deletes the rural physician residency assistance program, administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health's Department of Family Medicine. The proposal calls for cutting a little more than $750,000 and 3.62 positions in 2016-17.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker insists that he was in good standing at Marquette University when he chose to withdraw just a year short of graduation. To prove it, he claimed that his student records were unsealed. THE REAL WORLD: Not only have there been no records to show, but Walker has taken very few steps to have Marquette vouch that he was in good standing at the time of his withdrawal.

WALKER’S WORLD: On “Fox News Sunday”, Gov. Walker defended his proposed $300 million in cuts to the UW System saying that because of a cap on tuition tied to inflation, an education at UW would be “much more affordable than just about any other campus in America”. THE REAL WORLD: His evidence is based on current rankings, which ranks UW relatively average in tuition, proving his statement to be false.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2006 run for governor, Gov. Walker declared that he would not support state or federal ethanol mandates. THE REAL WORLD: He was happy to sacrifice his firm stance on ethanal to the gods of corn at the Iowa Ag Summit, saying he now would support a federal ethanol mandate.

WALKER’S WORLD: While at the Iowa Agriculture Summit, “Walker described death threats he and his family received during massive protests against his administration in 2011, including an especially graphic one targeting his wife, Tonette, which threatened to ‘gut her like a deer.’” THE REAL WORLD: “But while the administration and the state Department of Justice have been able to document other threats against Walker and his family, officials have been unable to produce any record of this particular threat.”

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker fully flip-flopped his stance on immigration. THE REAL WORLD: Walker recanted his earlier position of allowing undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal status, even to go further to say he supports limits on legal immigration. [Politico, 4/21/2015]

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker defended his foreign policy shortcomings by comparing union protesters to the threat of ISIS, "If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world." THE REAL WORLD: Walker quickly backpedaled from his ignorant comments saying that the media would misconstrue what he said and the comparison was simply to show that he can handle tough situations.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that he was unsure if President Obama was a Christian as he has never spoken with him or read anything on the issue. THE REAL WORLD: The President has publicly commented on his faith numerous times and a spokesperson for Gov. Walker later insisted that he was actually aware of the President’s faith.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker repeatedly insisted that right-to-work legislation was a distraction from his agenda, that he had no interest in pursuing it, and that he was allying with private-sector unions. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker flip-flopped, saying that he never said it was not a good idea. After it was pushed through by Republicans in the legislature, Gov. Walker signed right-to-work into law on March 9, 2015.

WALKER’S WORLD: When asked if President Obama loved America, rather than answer the obvious answer of “yes”, Gov. Walker dodged by saying he was not sure of the what the President thought. THE REAL WORLD: This was a pandering dog whistle.

WALKER’S WORLD: Just a few months after falsely claiming Wisconsin would be beginning the next state budget with over a $500 million budget surplus, Gov. Walker decided that they would defer over $100 million in debt payments, creating an even heavier burden for taxpayers in the future. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker has criticized past administrations for delaying payments. (Politifact, 10/22/2014)

WALKER’S WORLD: During a Fox News interview, Gov. Walker discussed protests that took place at his personal residence. THE REAL WORLD: As he lives in the Governor’s Mansion, Gov. Walker’s parents occupy his home. Gov. Walker did not clarify this fact and allowed the pundit to suggest that protestors went to his parent’s personal residence to harass them.

WALKER’S WORLD: Defending his attack on workers’ rights, Walker claimed a Wisconsin “teacher of the year” lost her job due to a union contract. THE REAL WORLD: Megan Sampson, one of 428 Milwaukee Public School teachers let go, was awarded for outstanding teaching in English, not teacher of the year. She was also rehired by the district shortly after, a job she still holds today.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker insisted that the removal of the “Wisconsin Idea” from his 2015-17 budget was only a drafting error from poor communication. THE REAL WORLD: The Walker administration made communications to budget-writing office a top priority to insure the “Wisconsin Idea” be ripped from his 2015-17’ budget.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker, whose campaign has notoriously gotten into trouble for inappropriate campaigning, is at it again. THE REAL WORLD: The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and One Wisconsin Now both filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board saying that Gov. Walker has misused state funds for a UK trade mission. The trip, meant to promote Wisconsin tourism, appeared to be more of a phony attempt to up Gov. Walker’s foreign affairs experience. This is just one of the many trips Gov. Walker has recently taken during the beginning of his second term, not to benefit Wisconsin, but to ready him for his inevitable run for the White House.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that there was documentation that Russia only began to take Ronald Reagan seriously after he fired air-traffic controllers on strike over a union dispute. THE REAL WORLD: Not only did experts discredit the firings as significant to Reagan’s foreign policy strategy, but also no Russian documents on the matter actually exist.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker dodged questions about Sandy Hook and his thoughts on gun control by referring to an incident where someone was killed by a bow and arrow near a school in Neenah, Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: the incident he was referring to was a domestic dispute where a son shot an arrow at his father and missed. Not only was this incident over 2 miles from a school, but no one was shot, let alone killed.

WALKER’S WORLD: When making the rounds in his pre-run for 2016, Gov. Walker responded to the possibility of a third Romney run by saying the party needed a fresh face. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker is a career politician who ran for office twice before he was 25. He has been an elected since 1993.

WALKER’S WORLD: In 2014, Gov. Walker inflated the actual property tax savings under his tenure. THE REAL WORLD: Rather than compare the average savings since he entered office, which was around $141, he compared current rates to “what could have been” if property taxes increased at the same rate as when he entered office. These rates would have been $816 higher than the current rate, and HIGHLY unlikely.

WALKER’S WORLD: During a “Fox and Friends” interview, Gov. Walker defended his low polling numbers in Wisconsin by saying that in four or five of the last elections, individuals who polled high did not end up getting the nominee. THE REAL WORLD: While there are of course some that polled well early and did not become the nominee, five recent contenders, including Dole, Gore, Bush, McCain and Romney, showed strong poll numbers early, and went on to be the presidential nominee.

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker has time and time again insisted that he will finish out his four year term as governor. THE REAL WORLD: While he continually reassures, he’s simultaneously being courted by big GOP donors and taking his first steps in his 2016 presidential run.

WALKER’S WORLD: When defending the projected $1.8 billion shortfall in his 2015-17 budget, Gov. Walker said it was based on zero growth, which does not happen. THE REAL WORLD: While this figure was estimated based on zero growth, zero growth was a very realistic assumption, as there has even been negative growth under Gov. Walker’s tenure.

WALKER’S WORLD: In a 2014 gubernatorial debate, Gov. Walker claimed that “the next state budget will begin with a surplus of over half a billion dollars -- $535 million to be exact.” THE REAL WORLD: These estimates, done by the nonpartisan Fiscal Bureau, generally assume no loss or gain in revenue and no changes in spending. With these parameters, they came up with a $1.76 billion deficit beginning the 2015-17 budget, an astronomical number primarily due to Gov. Walker and the Republican’s tax cuts.

WALKER’S WORLD: During a conversation with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board, Gov. Walker attributed his male pattern baldness to a tall tale in which he banged his head on a cabinet during kitchen repairs. He said when he finally went to the doctor to get the scar looked at, he was told the hair would never grow back. THE REAL WORLD: There exists no medical evidence that a cabinet creates male pattern baldness.

WALKER’S WORLD: When asked about raising the minimum wage, Gov. Walker said that he wanted people to be paid two to three times as much and that it was unnecessary. THE REAL WORLD: He completely overlooked the protections minimum wage provides and the importance of fair wages for workers.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2014 gubernatorial race, Walker released a TV ad insisting that he “supported legislation to increase safety” for women and that “the bill leaves the final decision to a woman and her doctor.” THE REAL WORLD: Walker’s closing of health centers puts women’s health in Wisconsin at risk. The bogus ad was a failed attempt to cover up the laundry list of instances Gov. Walker has wedged his legislation between women and imperative health care.

WALKER’S WORLD: On his campaign website for the 2014 gubernatorial race, Gov. Walker touted “I was endorsed by Pro-Life Wisconsin which said that a Walker Administration 'will have far-reaching, positive effects for Wisconsin citizens who value the dignity of all innocent human life.'" THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker refused to cooperate with Pro-Life Wisconsin, choosing to not fill out the group’s survey, and was therefore ineligible for any endorsement. He pulled the quote from a 2010 endorsement he received.

WALKER’S WORLD: In an ad during his 2014 gubernatorial race, Gov. Walker said that Wisconsin ranked third in Midwest job growth in 2013. THE REAL WORLD: An updated ranking had Wisconsin in at fourth, which was a stat Gov. Walker knew when his ad aired.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2010 gubernatorial race, Walker proposed an “Ethics Reform Plan” in which he promised he would not accept contributions from his inauguration until he signed the state budget. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker’s campaign finance records show that he received almost $5.6 million from 54,000 contributions during that time.

WALKER’S WORLD: During a 2014 gubernatorial debate, Gov. Walker said that it’s easy to get a voter ID card. THE REAL WORLD: His claim does not take into consideration the difficulties for disenfranchised voters to get to the few distribution locations during their limited hours. For instance, Wisconsin has substantially fewer DMVs and available office hours than Indiana, where Voter ID was ruled constitutional. Politico, 10/11/2014

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker has been claiming he really cares about higher education in Wisconsin when proposing his extension of tuition freezes for the UW System. Meanwhile, student loan debt, an over $1 trillion problem that plagues the constituents of Wisconsin, has been met with staggering indifference from Gov. Walker. THE REAL WORLD: Instead of taking steps to support student loan debt, Gov. Walker’s gross inaction has spoken loudly to how he truly feels about higher education and borrowers in Wisconsin.

WALKER’S WORLD: After bashing Mary Burke for highlighting her private sector experience, Walker defended similar strategies by the Romney campaign, saying that "Mitt Romney did not run his campaign on the basis of arguing his experience in the business world was a reason to vote for him." THE REAL WORLD: Romney pushed his business experience as a highlight in his campaign, touting his resume at countless public campaign events.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claims that his voter ID provisions would prevent fraudulent voting that was plaguing Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: In their 5-2 ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court could only cite voter fraud in one instance, in which a Gov. Walker supporter was charged with 13 counts of voter fraud.

WALKER’S WORLD: After voicing concern with an 2010 Arizona bill that allowed police to demand immigration papers during lawful contacts, under pressure from his primary opponent said he would be comfortable supporting similar legislation in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: In December 2012, he then expressed that he wouldn’t guarantee a veto on similar legislation, but would use his influence over the legislature to block a vote on it.

WALKER’S WORLD: In a TV interview, Gov. Walker insisted that John Doe investigations were resolved and over. THE REAL WORLD: While a judge's ruling has stalled current investigation, prosecutors are appealing the ruling and the investigation is by no means resolved and awaits additional court action.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker broke his promise of 250,000 new jobs in his first four years as governor, he started touting the 17,000 new businesses that popped up under his tenure. THE REAL WORLD: This figure comes from counting any group that registered with the Department of Financial Institutions, many of which institutions that do not employ any individuals such as boy scout troops or religious organizations.

WALKER’S WORLD: In April 2014, Walker signed a bill that gave additional funding to the ShotSpotter program, a system of sensors that records and pinpoints gunfire to find its location. THE REAL WORLD: In his 2013-15’ budget, Gov. Walker cut this funding and more, only to restore funding after extreme pressure from public and law enforcement officials. (DPW, 10/17/2014)

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker claimed in April 2014 that a recent poll showed 70% approval for his Act 10 collective bargaining law. THE REAL WORLD: Not only was there not a poll done leading up to his statement, but a poll from May 2013 found 75% approval only for public employees contributing to their own pensions and health insurance. Approval numbers for different parts of Act 10 have varied and there are no concrete numbers to back Gov. Walker’s claim.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker’s book “Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge” is just another unethical tool added to Walker’s arsenal. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker insisted in 2013 that he would disclose his advancements and additional payments for his book on the state’s ethics form. Walker, who reportedly received an advancement of $340,000, did not say how much he was being paid for the book and only has to disclose the publisher as a source of income, not how much he was paid. His campaign also sold the book, even providing personal copies for those willing to pay a pretty penny.

WALKER’S WORLD: Gov. Walker defended his rejection of federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage by saying that pull back from the the federal government caused Wisconsin to pay $200 million extra in Medicaid payments in the 2013-15 state budget. THE REAL WORLD: His phony excuse fell flat as these costs were not because the federal government went back on its commitment, but rather from normal variations in cost-sharing mechanisms.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker has recently been touting the extension of his tuition freeze while simultaneously cutting $300 million in funding to UW-Systems. THE REAL WORLD: While he did freeze tuition, Gov. Walker never mentions that UW tuition continued to climb at the beginning of his tenure, with tuition at UW-Madison rising 7.9 percent in 2012-13’. Fox 6 Now, 2/12/2015

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claimed that most minimum wage jobs are held by teenagers and young adults. THE REAL WORLD: While it can be estimated that about 24-55% of these jobs are held by young individuals, claiming that this is an overwhelming number is false.

WALKER’S WORLD: In his book “Unintimidated,” Walker claimed that protests outside of a La Crosse factory appearance turned dangerous when protesters surround his car, beginning to rock it and beat the windows. THE REAL WORLD: There was no evidence from eyewitness accounts or media coverage of the event.

WALKER’S WORLD: The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, data even Gov. Walker dubbed the “gold standard” of job, declared that in 2013 Wisconsin ranked 37th in nation for job growth. THE REAL WORLD: After his recall, Gov. Walker predicted “unbelievable amounts of new jobs”, which proved to be dismal, falling even below creation during the last Democratic budget. (DPW, 9/26/2013)

WALKER’S WORLD: In his book “Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge”, Gov. Walker said “We are experiencing the worst economic recovery America has ever had.” THE REAL WORLD: Other recessions have produced slower job growth including the Great Depression, it’s just that more severe recessions have more noticeable economic recoveries, making Gov. Walker’s claim false.

WALKER’S WORLD: In 2013, Gov. Walker astronomically exaggerated the effects of a $100 million property tax relief program, saying that the average Wisconsin homeowner would save $680 over four years. THE REAL WORLD: These inaccurate numbers were merely based on hypothetical and far-stretched assumptions.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker cherry-picked estimates from a Philadelphia Federal Reserve Index to suggest that Wisconsin ranked 2nd in the nation in economic growth. THE REAL WORLD: Not only is this volatile index null when used in state-to-state comparison, but the index is based on monthly employment numbers which even Gov. Walker claimed were inaccurate.

WALKER’S WORLD: In 2013, Gov. Walker claimed that his first two years in office spurred the best two-year job growth in a decade. THE REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker draws these numbers out of thin air, as the highest two-year private sector job growth occurred in 2010-11, which was the end of the Doyle administration and the just the beginning of Walker’s, and the highest two-year total employment happened between 2003-05.

WALKER’S WORLD: When touting how unemployment rates have fallen during his tenure, Gov. Walker pointed to the decline beginning when he decided to run for governor in 2009. THE REAL WORLD: Not only did he manipulate the time frame of when he actually decided to run, but only one-third of the decline came while Gov. Walker was actually in office, the rest attributed to his predecessor, Gov. Doyle.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker proclaimed in a fundraising letter that Obama and Senator Baldwin campaign offices were kept open in Fox Valley, Eau Claire and La Crosse to “prepare for the next battle.” THE REAL WORLD: Not only was Obama’s campaign group shut down after his re-election, but Baldwin’s only campaign office in Madison was not in any of the locations Gov. Walker suggested. There was also no evidence to be found that either group was focused on Walker for the 2014 election.

WALKER’S WORLD: In 2013, Walker said that even if his budget was adopted, choice schools would only receive half of what public schools receive. THE REAL WORLD: This was really only true for a portion of schools, with choice schools in Milwaukee receiving up to 80% of that of public school funds.

WALKER’S WORLD: In his John Doe probes, Gov. Walker has had to pay quite a large bill for the lawyers defending his case, despite insisting he had done nothing wrong. THE REAL WORLD: In his first probe, his campaign shelled out $650,000 to the lawyers defending Gov. Walker and his campaign. In 2013, $86,000 of Gov. Walker’s $5 million raised went to lawyers. These payments, labeled as “legal fees — compliance/administrative”, were paid for by donors that agreed to have these funds allocated to his defense. These donors have not been disclosed, leaving gaping holes in who is actually fronting Gov. Walker’s astronomic bill. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/31/2014)

WALKER’S WORLD: In December 2012, Gov. Walker defended his campaign promise shortcomings by claiming that there had been almost 100,000 of the 250,000 promised private-sector jobs created since he took office. THE REAL WORLD: showed that the number was closer to 86,000, and even that estimate was inflated, coming from patching together full and partial year census data.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker chose to unfurl his agenda to Californians rather than to his constituents in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: While Gov. Walker claimed that he laid out his plans in detail at a summit in La Crosse, he left major pieces, such as cuts to income taxes and voucher expansion, to be unveiled in California.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claimed a study showed that if Obamacare was implemented in the state that it would “devastate Wisconsin.” THE REAL WORLD: His highly exaggerated claims are backed by manipulated facts and cherry picked numbers creating a misleading and ultimately false scenario.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that a law that allowed for discriminated workers to sue in state court was a “gravy train” for lawyers. THE REAL WORLD: The law that gave discriminated workers an easier route than federal courts to sue, did not give lawyers bigger financial gains, furthermore there was not a single lawsuit filed in state courts while the law was in effect.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that Wisconsin gave every public employee in the state the freedom choose whether they wanted to be apart of a union. THE REAL WORLD: He failed to mention that the police and firefighter exemption, which would exclude law enforcement from his “every public employee was given the right to choose” statement, rendering it false.

WALKER’S WORLD: In an interview with Politico, Gov. Walker defended his dismal job numbers by saying that “94 percent of Wisconsin employers think the state ‘is heading in the right direction’ and a majority say they will ‘grow their companies in 2012.’” REAL WORLD: Gov. Walker picked this stat from a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce survey done by only 281 chief executives in the state. As there are around 160,000 business establishments in the state, this minute sample size is anything but an accurate representation of Wisconsin business owners. Also the “majority” that Gov. Walker said would grow their companies was only 52 percent, adding to Gov. Walker’s skewed illusion of what is really happening with Wisconsin businesses.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker accused former Gov. Doyle of approving an unsuccessful $50 million dollar CAPCO jobs creation program. THE REAL WORLD: not only was the CAPCO program from Republican Gov. Scott McCallum, two governors before before Gov. Doyle, but Walker was actually an assembly member when the CAPCO bill was approved.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker touted in recall ads that he balanced Wisconsin’s state budget and wiped out a $3.2 billion deficit. THE REAL WORLD: This ad came two months after Walker’s Administration Secretary sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claiming that Wisconsin would have an “undisclosed deficit” from January 2012 to June 2013. Gov. Walker used different methods of accounting to obtain manipulated numbers to both campaign and to make painful cuts to Wisconsin’s health budget.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claimed repeatedly members of his top inner circle had not been inappropriately doing campaign work while on taxpayer time. THE REAL WORLD: A Milwaukee County human resources assistant director was called by former county Housing Director Timothy Russell to help set up a secret WI-FI system in Gov. Walker’s then County Exec office so that staffers could use personal computers for campaign business on taxpayers dime.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2010 race, Gov. Walker promised that he would “require the use of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to balance every state budget, just as we require every local government and school district to do.” THE REAL WORLD: This promise was quickly broken as Gov. Walker’s first budget did not use the GAAP approach -- as have none of his subsequent next two budgets.

WALKER’S WORLD: When asked about recall efforts in a CNBC interview, Gov. Walker said recall efforts went back as early as November 2010. THE REAL WORLD: While a Milwaukee resident registered the domain name recallscottwalker.com in November 2010, real recall efforts by United Wisconsin did not begin until after Gov. Walker introduced Act 10 in February 2011.

WALKER’S WORLD: Attempting to discredit a St. Norbert College poll that showed 58% of state residents in favor of recall, Gov. Walker said that St. Norbert College polls have been wrong in almost every election. THE REAL WORLD: While St. Norbert College polls are taken from a smaller sample group attributing to a larger margin of error than larger groups, the poll was not to predict election outcomes but to show general public opinion on the recall. There is also no evidence to prove that St. Norbert College polls have been consistently wrong in the past, and their polls on the 2010 election were actually correct.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that an overwhelming number of post-Act 10 schools saw staffing stay the same or even increase. THE REAL WORLD: In his calculations, Gov. Walker did not include the 4,700 school employees that retired, a very high number likely encouraged by Act 10. Including the retired, most district saw a net decrease in employees after Act 10.

WALKER’S WORLD: During a TV interview, Gov. Walker commented on technical colleges saying that the “largest category” of those entering technical colleges already have four-year degrees. THE REAL WORLD: While the number of individuals with four-year degrees entering technical colleges had slightly increased from 2009 to 2010, high school graduates overwhelmingly are the largest category of technical school attendants.

WALKER’S WORLD: In September 2011, Walker claimed in a two-page fundraising mailer that that “Wisconsin is broke!” THE REAL WORLD: This came shortly after the 2011-13 state budget closed a $3.6 billion dollar shortfall from the previous fiscal year as well as the state’s structural deficit. Gov. Walker’s absolutely false statements were simply used as a money-raising tactic for his upcoming recall election.

WALKER’S WORLD: In 2011, Walker claimed that a new college tuition reciprocity agreement with Minnesota would make college more affordable for Wisconsin residents. THE REAL WORLD: He failed to mention that the new agreements took out state supplementary payments to offset Minnesota’s higher tuition, actually making it $1,400 more expensive for Wisconsinites than previous agreements.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claimed he reduced Milwaukee County’s debt by 30% during his tenure, but other claims suggest otherwise. THE REAL WORLD: The Greater Milwaukee Committee, a collection of the area’s top business executives, released a report suggesting that the financial future of the county looked grim. Also County Exec Chris Abele claimed that county borrowing, which rose during Walker’s tenure, was reckless. (Scott Walker Conservative Governor, 5/27/2015)(Capital Times, 10/23/2010)

WALKER’S WORLD: First in 2011, Gov. Walker claimed that the 2011-13’ state budget would save the average property tax payer $700. THE REAL WORLD: his estimations were inaccurate and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau actually projected that the typical taxpayer would see a $55 increase in the two years since 2010.

WALKER’S WORLD: After smoking bans in Wisconsin were approved, then County Executive Scott Walker insisted that the government should not be involved in whether establishments should ban smoking, even supporting the repeal on the ban. THE REAL WORLD: After major studies and public opinion in Wisconsin showed major support for the ban, Walker full flopped to support it.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker claimed that the largest structural deficit in Wisconsin occurred under the Doyle administration. THE REAL WORLD: Doyle’s 2009-11 state budget had a structural deficit of $1.682 billion, only the third highest in the 14 years data had been collected.

WALKER’S WORLD: After getting busted for his “prank Koch call”, Gov. Walker insisted that all of the things said in the phony call were consistent with what he had been saying publicly. THE REAL WORLD: While Gov. Walker did discuss the threat of laying off state workers, curtailing collective bargaining, and plans to get Senate Democrats back to the Capitol, that wasn’t all he mentioned. He went further to tell fake Koch how he was inspired by Reagan firing air-traffic controllers, that he was thinking about planting troublemakers at the protests, and even to ask for Koch’s support.

WALKER’S WORLD: During a prank call during which Gov. Walker thought he was speaking with David Koch, he said Capitol protests were dying down and that most of the protesters were from out-of-state. THE REAL WORLD: While there were protesters from all over, most of the protest efforts were Wisconsin based, evidence by nearly one million Wisconsinites having signed the Walker recall petition.

WALKER’S WORLD: When faced with criticism over curbing collective bargaining rights, Gov. Walker claimed that this should not come as a shock as it was something he campaigned on. THE REAL WORLD: Not only is there no evidence of specific suggestion of his plan, but in his phony-Koch phone call, Gov. Walker illustrated revealing his union plan as “dropping a bomb”.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker released several press releases to bogusly claim that “collective bargaining is a fiscal issue.” THE REAL WORLD: Rather than acknowledge the importance of collective bargaining for public employees, he cherry-picked data to paint a scary and absolutely inaccurate picture of collective bargaining. In the end, the legislature passed Act 10 by insisting there was not a fiscal component to ending collective bargaining to 175,000 public employees.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said his 2011 budget-repair bill would leave collective bargaining “fully intact.” THE REAL WORLD: this was the very legislation that gutted collective bargaining for public employees and sparked the state Capitol uproar, leaving collective bargaining anything but “fully intact”.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker said that if state employee health and pension changes did not occur, almost 200,000 children would have to be kicked off of Medicaid. THE REAL WORLD: This was a bogus claim, as legally the state cannot remove children from Medicaid.

WALKER’S WORLD: When defending his lawsuit reform bill, Gov. Walker claimed that lawsuit reform was a major factor for businesses deciding to expand or invest in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: The surveys he cited did not accurately represent Wisconsin data and most information provided on state businesses put lawsuit reform behind more important issues such as taxes and regulation.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker touted that his tax cut plan would benefit 98% of small businesses in Wisconsin. THE REAL WORLD: While 98% of small businesses are eligible for the credit, most would receive a negligible credit, let alone anything significant enough to spur job growth.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2010 gubernatorial race, Gov. Walker demonstrated his scientific ignorance by saying that scientists agree that adult stem cell research holds more promise than embryonic. THE REAL WORLD: While most scientists say that adult stem cell research has been happening longer and is more widely accepted, Gov. Walker selected only parts of an National Institutes of Health’s statement to support his claims. Most scientists actually believe that embryonic research is in fact more promising than adult.

WALKER’S WORLD: On primary election night, Gov. Walker touted that he “eliminated the waiting list for long-term care for older adults through the Family Care program.” THE REAL WORLD: While the waiting list did end, it ended less than two months into his term as County Exec with most of the work done before he even got there.

WALKER’S WORLD: During his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Gov. Walker boasted the best parks in the country. THE REAL WORLD: After a WTMJ-TV expose over Memorial Day showing trashed parks, it was brought to light that $275 million for park maintenance had been deferred.

WALKER’S WORLD: Walker conducted motorcycle rides around the state using Milwaukee County resources. THE REAL WORLD: This happened even during his 2010 gubernatorial race, where Gov. Walker used a Harley-Davidson ride around the state, speak of his record as County Executive and generate media coverage to promote himself rather than Milwaukee County.

WALKER’S WORLD: While Milwaukee County Exec, Gov. Walker claimed he played a big role in GE Healthcare placing their $85 million headquarters in Wauwatosa. THE REAL WORLD: The former mayor of Wauwatosa claimed it was “a good piece of revisionist history”, saying “the county executive was never at the table negotiating” and that $28 million of the $30 million in public funding used to seal the GE deal came from Wauwatosa.

WALKER’S WORLD: While Milwaukee County Exec, Gov. Walker boasted about a summer jobs program that created 350 county jobs. THE REAL WORLD: This is the same program that Gov. Walker vetoed $100,000 in funding for, a veto that was overrode by the County Board.

WALKER’S WORLD: When Gov. Walker was elected County Exec in 2002, he claimed that his and other county officials salaries were too high and that he would give back $60,000 a year while in office. THE REAL WORLD: In 2008 when he was reelected, he reduced that amount to only giving back $10,000 a year. (Politifact, 10/6/2010)

WALKER’S WORLD: Shortly after Gov. Walker was elected in 2010, Gov. Walker said “eliminating the state tax on health savings accounts will ‘make it easier for small business owners to provide health insurance to their employees.’” THE REAL WORLD: While the tax break would benefit individuals, there is no evidence that this would better small businesses’ ability to provide health insurance. Also, experts have long considered HSAs a tax shelter for the wealthy that does nothing to reduce health care costs. (Politifact,12/10/2010)