Lest we forget, Governor Jim Doyle managed to extract concessions from the state employee unions without the massive overreach that is going to cost Governor Walker his job.
From the Wisconsin State Journal 1 year ago:
Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration announced last week it had completed negotiations on 17 contracts covering 39,000 state workers ranging from teachers to janitors. The deals included no pay increases, factored in 16 furlough days Doyle ordered state employees to take in the current state budget and called for 5 percent increases in health care contributions.
The entire process was submarined by former Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker and Senator Jeff Plale who voted against the measure handing Walker the “tools” he would need to undermine worker’s rights and send the state’s economy into a tailspin.
Good work, Scooter!
State workers were no fans of Doyle (or Tommy Thompson either) but because those Governors negotiated with workers, it never went beyond grumbling. Walker belittles the humanity of workers, lying about their pay and blaming them for the state’s fiscal woes. Then he refuses to meet with their representatives. Thus, the “recall Walker” movement.
That’s a nice sweater Gov. Walker is wearing!