Preparing to become governor is certainly a full-time job. But maybe Wisconsin’s Governor-elect Scott Walker should take some time to read Blog at Work.
On Monday we reviewed Gallup’s recently released poll that asked Americans to rank the professions they trusted the most. Six of the top ten professions were jobs found in whole or part in the public sector. That’s a pretty good indication of the trust the American people have in public employees.
So why should any of this matter to Governor-elect Walker? Well, a day after we reported on the Gallup poll’s results, Walker announced that he would consider rescinding all collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public employees to solve the state’s budget problems. That’s right. Wisconsin doesn’t just have a Governor-elect, they have a Unionbuster-elect.
In seeking a solution for the state’s budget woes, Walker believes taking away the right of working women and men to have a voice on the job and a fair shot at the middle class is the panacea. And this comes despite several reports showing that, even factoring in benefits, public workers make less than those doing similar work in the private sector. Not to mention the potential impact on consumer spending if state employees face reductions in pay and benefits.
Budgets in states like Wisconsin were hard hit by the effects of a recession caused by corporate recklessness and greed. Incoming elected officials like Scott Walker owe it to their constituents to address budget issues the right way, without making middle class workers the scapegoat for Wall Street’s recklessness. Public employees, from police officers to social workers, earned the trust of taxpayers by consistently providing the services that Wisconsinites need most–even when funds were scarce. Governor-elect Walker should follow their lead.
