So, we’re here again. The scabs from the bitter wounds of last winter have been re-opened.
Opposition teams to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker are pounding the pavement to get the requisite 540,000 signatures for a recall election.
Based on all of the shenanigans going on both sides of the aisle, I can see dirty tricks happening on all fronts. It’s already started.
Understanding that fund raising for a recall effort can only start when papers are filed, the Walker camp started a recall effort against its own candidate so they could start fund raising earlier and get the TV ads on earlier than their opposition. Interesting tactics.
And, on field trips going to the Capitol, protesters have been engaging school children in their chants for “Scott must go!”, hardly the high ground we would hope for in our educators.
With an expected $100 million pouring into the state over the next few months, this could very easily be the most expensive political effort in Wisconsin history, and this is just for the opportunity to hold a new election.
While I disagree with how Walker handled the labor issues with public employees, and no matter how badly he bungled it, there were plenty of co-conspirators.
I’m getting tired of this. I’m tired of everyone being an activist. I’m tired of reading points of view vilifying the other side. I’m tired of the whiner-take-all approach to government.
We have elections. For governor, they happen every four years. There are winners and there are losers. And, there are consequences for both sides.
Government used to be about compromise, about reaching a consensus with neither side getting all of what they want. Government used to be about leadership, about standing in front of the electorate and bringing the best solution.
Today, it seems to be all about winning, with constituents watching on the sidelines as our elected gangs do battle to control the turf they so badly want.
That we are in this process just one year after the last election bastardizes the process and the integrity of our government.
That $100 million going to media outlets could just as easily go to wages, or poverty, or building a railroad. But, no. We are getting another election. What a bargain for everyone involved.
It’s just what we need, again.
I can surely understand the weariness, but from everything I've read about this story, Walker gave no indication that he had any intent to do what he did once he got into office. Not that I expect all leaders to show all their cards, but the people of Wisconsin feel duped. If they had any idea of what Walker would do if elected, I suspect they never would have elected him. So while I agree that we can't just hold recall elections whenever we don't like the other side, the possibility of recall is built into our system for a reason. And the overreach of both Walker and the legislature are those reasons. The will of the people will still prevail. He'll be recalled or he won't. But the fact that a recall effort was launched on the first possible day it was allowed, at midnight, speaks to the egregiousness of Walker's tactics.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm glad to see so many people are finally engaging in the political process again.
Hi Beth,
ReplyDeleteI would agree if this was a Wisconsin led issue. It's not. The money is coming in from everywhere to fight this battle on both sides. We are just the puppets to the national battle.
If you would have had an opportunity, and I went twice, to see the protests first hand, you would have seen the out of state influences everywhere.
We would like our state government back.