This is completely unsurprising.
The state Department of Corrections gave at least eight high-level workers up to 15% in pay increases over the past year, including four who collected three raises or bonuses in six months.
The significant raises for the prison psychologists were among those uncovered in a new review of salary increases in the state prisons agency by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In some cases, those raises were simply given for switching from one work location to another, a tactic aimed at stemming a loss in experienced psychologists, a spokeswoman said.
Gov. Scott Walker’s administration has repeatedly made such transfers to evade state rules limiting workers’ pay increases, including eight wardens who received up to 13% raises for switching from one prison to another. The raises for a number of top officials within the prisons department contrast with those given to rank-and-file guards, whose take-home pay is still down sharply since 2010.
Marty Beil, a union leader who has worked with corrections employees for decades, said the raises technically satisfied state rules but wouldn’t sit well with the front-line officers guarding inmates.
“In the past, we never saw these kinds of games played,” Beil said. “Corrections officers see their warden getting a 13% raise and they wonder, ‘Why can’t I have that?'”
The practice of rewarding management while taking more and more money out of the pockets of rank and file employees is nothing new for the Department of Corrections under Walker appointee Ed Wall, and so this latest news should not surprise anyone.
As you say, there is no surprise here; Scott Walker has always operated on the fringe of the illegal, immoral, or unjust.
Especially noteworthy are a number Walker’s staff and associates who have been found or plead guilty. And who can forget his illegal replacement of Milwaukee County Court guards.
Then there is the wrongful legislation Walker has signed such as voter fraud and many others.
Supporting the possibility of being ranked as the worst or most incompetent governor in the history of Wisconsin are Walker’s personal character traits of being a liar, vain, a coward, uneducated, and with a false conscience as evidenced by his zealot’s reasoning that the end justifies the means.
Walker is not a man of the people or one who unites, but employs “divide and conquer” based upon fear, racism, and factionalism. As this article proves, he “buys” his supporters just as he is “bought” by those whose business interest he serves over that of the people of Wisconsin.
In my opinion, Walker corrupts because he is corrupted.
Part of the problem here, is that the D.O.C. cannot retain licensed psychologists when the private sector pays so much better. Another issue brought on by management is their inept handling of new psychological series hires. Instead of an across the board pay adjustment for all licensed psychologists, management gave new hires only a significant pay rate, in some cases even at a base rate higher than their supervisors.
So he can’t retain qualified staff so he has to resort to games…but why does that only apply to those HE wants to retain…and not college profs or teachers or any other public servant…including other DOC staff that aren’t the chosen few?
Yeah, that’s true…he’s a crook at his core. Nothing is done above board with this guy.