Shepherd Express Shows Walker Ditches Layoff Announcement for Sheboygan, Wisconsin Dells Fundraisers

The colliding worlds of Scott Walker’s endless political hackery have been on full and unaduterated display in the past 24 hours.

Walker’s administration suddenly announces and end-of-the-year budget crisis and offers, as maddenly-always, one solution: layoffs of workers.

Milwaukee’s County Supervisors were hastily given this news by Walker’s lackeys — yep, Walker himself couldn’t find time to face the music like an adult.

What was he doing instead? Well, as the Shepherd Express promptly reported, he was at a fundraiser in Sheboygan for his gubernatorial campaign. And he couldn’t return to work because, well, he has one on the other side of the state this morning. The fundraiser this morning, a $200-a-plate breakfast.

And the cherry on the top of Walker’s cowardly sundae, this priceless nugget from the Shepherd story:

UPDATE: I called his campaign to see if he was at the breakfast event. Here’s the email response from Jill Bader, Walker’s communications manager:

‘€œScott consistently keeps a very busy schedule of county work and campaign events.’€

When I responded with more questions about Walker’s whereabouts today, Bader emailed:

“For security reasons we don’€™t release specifics of his schedule to the public. Thanks!”

One Wisconsin Now is filing an open records request to obtain information about Walker’s dangerous county schedule, so the public will know about just how brave a man Walker is.

Here is the full Shepherd Express story:

Yesterday, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker announced his plans to temporarily lay off 150 to 200 employees this year, just in time for the holidays.

The news blindsided supervisors, said Supervisor Chris Larson. He said Walker’€™s administration had not shared the numbers that Walker is using to justify the layoffs. And since Walker likes to manufacture budget crises and also end the year with a surplus, supervisors may not want to trust his numbers.

‘€œWe’€™re getting this thrown at us,’€ Larson just told me.

The supervisors will be holding a press conference in a few minutes to discuss their reactions.

So where is Scott Walker after making his big announcement?

Showing concern for his about-to-be laid-off employees?

Devising ways to prevent the cuts during his budget crisis?

Nope!

His aide Fran confirmed that he didn’€™t show up to work today, telling me ‘€œHe has not been in the office this morning.’€

And there just happens to be some Walker-for-guv campaign events today:

Fundraisers

    8:30 am Breakfast Event in Support of Scott Walker, The Wilderness Resort Club House, 511 east Adams Street, Wisconsin Dells. $200 per couple – PAC Contributions welcome. RSVP Mary Stitt 262… or marystitt@wi.rr.com .

    Reception in support of Scott Walker, 1136 Riverview Drive, Sheboygan. $1000/$500/$250 host levels. Contact Mary Stitt at 262… or marystitt@wi.rr.com .

Think he was there?

A thousand bucks a pop???

Let them eat cake! (Or breakfast, in this case).

UPDATE: I called his campaign to see if he was at the breakfast event. Here’s the email response from Jill Bader, Walker’s communications manager:

‘€œScott consistently keeps a very busy schedule of county work and campaign events.’€

When I responded with more questions about Walker’s whereabouts today, Bader emailed:

“For security reasons we don’€™t release specifics of his schedule to the public. Thanks!” 

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