Scott Walker, The Hypocrite: Part II-The McIlheran Edition

by capper

I have shown where Scott Walker is a hypocrite. Here is another shining example of his hypocrisy.

Walker sent an email to Patrick McIlheran (I'm sure Sykes, Belling and the rest of the local right wing media will be giving him more free advertising soon enough). In his email, Walker crows about how he got tough with the unions to save the taxpayers from having their hard-earned money from being squandered:

”So, I had to send out hundreds of layoff notices in December to the remaining 75% of the employees in those areas to let them know that there was not funding left for their jobs. Soon after that action, our largest employee union came to the table and made significant concessions to save the jobs. Still, we had to hold some of those positions throughout 2007. Had we filled all that they restored without funding, we would not have a surplus of $7 million.

Well, now instead of crowing about his hard-nosed approach, Walker should consider putting his nose down and eating some crow. Walker wasn't has tough as he would like you to think he was.

A friend of mine that is still employed by the County, gave me a copy of the union's tentative contract. The same contract that Walker signed and the union ratified. Here is part of it:

Sorry about the poor quality, but please not the last bullet point where it says employees would receive a $250 lump sum payment. This is a signing bonus, folks. Walker was so desperate to have this contract signed, a contract that was authored by David Reimer (who was sent by Doyle to help, and who also was Walker's opponent in 2004), that he gave each and every county employee a signing bonus. That's tough as nails, for sure.

And speaking of budgets and savings, Walker is still trying to take credit for the hard work of the County Board. Not everyone is letting him get away with it though. Soon to be retired County Board Supervisor Richard Nyklewicz Jr. had this to say, as reported by All Politics:

Milwaukee County Supervisor Richard Nyklewicz Jr., who is retiring from the board next month, used his last stint as finance committee chairman today to launch a blistering criticism of Walker, saying Walker had unfairly claimed credit for a 2007
year-end surplus of $7 million.

The surplus was due primarily to huge savings in health insurance costs for county employees that offset some deficits in several county departments, Nyklewicz said. Those changes were included in the 2007 county budget, which Walker vetoed in its entirety.

“He abdicated his responsibility for the budget” at the time, but now takes credit for it, Nyklewicz said.

County Auditor Jerome Heer agreed that health care changes led to the
surplus. A task force that included some top Walker aides called for the health care changes, which have resulted in savings of about $75 million over three years, Heer said

Walker may have dropped out of school, but he still has earned a Master's Degree in Hypocrisy.