WI From A-Zia: How to avoid keeping campaign promises, a lesson from Gov. Scott Walker

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to any Wisconsinite that Governor Scott Walker has issues fulfilling his campaign promises. One of Scott Walker’s many campaign promises was that he and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch would pay their state pensions in full immediately upon taking office: “As governor, I’ll pay my share toward my retirement because everyone should pay their own way, including me,” Walker claimed in June of 2010.

During the months of February and March of this year people from all over Wisconsin came by the thousands to protest Governor Walker’s budget repair bill, which calls for state employees to pay 50% of their annual pension payment, about 5.8% annually. Gov. Walker promised to lead by example and join in paying his fair share.

The Associated Press requested copies of the governor’s pay stubs to see if he had fulfilled the campaign promise he made in June 2010. They found that Scott Walker had not started paying his pension in full until August of this year. “Walker said he believes he exceeded the promise because he started making pension contributions in August at a higher percentage as required under the law than what he said he would voluntarily make starting in January”, reported Channel 3000.

Good thing Wisconsin workers aren’t as irresponsible as the Governor is.