Shortly after former “Democratic” State Sen. Jeff Plale cast one of the deciding votes against approving 17 labor contracts between the State of Wisconsin and the unions representing its employees, I predicted Sen. Plale would be rewarded for his vote with a job in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration, likely at the Department of Commerce. While I was wrong about Plale landing at the Department of Commerce, he did land a job in Walker’s administration, having been appointed as the administrator of the Division of State Facilities in the Department of Administration.
Plale’s new position will pay him $90,000 a year, a sizable increase (nearly double, in fact) from his pay as State Senator. Commenting about his new position, Plale said his vote against the 17 state employee labor contracts had nothing to do with his new job (emphasis mine).
“People are adding two and two and coming up with seven,” he said. “It isn’t true.”
He added he and Walker have known each other since they were 19-year-old college students, and that he’d expressed an interest in working for the governor months ago.
I’m not saying there’s some quid pro quo at play here, but let’s just recap:
- Jeff Plale expresses and interest in working for the governor “months ago,” likely before Plale’s vote against the state employee labor contracts.
- Jeff Plale votes against said labor contracts, despite his assertions during his most recent reelection campaign that he was “pro-union.”
- After his vote against the state employee labor contracts, Plale lands a job at nearly double his previous salary as an administrator in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration.
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…..well, you know the rest.
Is anyone surprised at this? Jeff Plale has been a faithful Republican during all his tenure in the Wisconsin Senate. Walker is just keeping his campaign promise to “add jobs”– too bad too many didn’t realize that he meant that the “jobs” were for his insider accomplices.
I’m not the typical Plale hater, I mean I supported him in the primary monetarily despite the warnings of my friends, even after his actions last session. However, how can the guy say it’s anything put political cronyism. Even if it’s not DIRECTLY related to his contracts vote, it’s a factor.
Loyalty is rewarded.
Interesting in light of the news now that Walker wants to end the state workers right to bargain. Congrats to Jeff Plale on his new job. Guess he really does not care about people in Wisconsin.