Scott Walker
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Scott Walker is the Republican Governor of Wisconsin who, in 2011, proposed sharply curtailing the bargaining rights of public employee unions as a way to achieve budget savings. His proposal gave rise to unprecedented state-wide protests in Wisconsin.[1]
Contents
Biography
Scott Walker is the son of a preacher. He grew up in the small town of Delavan, Wisconsin.[2]
Funders
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics. WDC's data shows that Walker's major contributors include a diversity of national and state-based firms, including Koch Industries, AT&T, Wal-Mart, John Deere Tractor, Johnsonville Brats, Miller/Coors, Kwik Trip, Sargento Cheese, and SC Johnson & Sons (producers of Windex, Glade, Pledge etc).[3]
Attack on labor unions
Walker called his union-busting measure a "budget repair bill" and portrayed it as a way to keep more people from being forced to apply for unemployment compensation. His proposal drew outrage from labor unions in Wisconsin, and gave rise to unprecedented, huge protests at the Wisconsin state capitol. Elements of Walker's proposal include limiting state employees' wage increases to the rate of inflation unless approved in a voter referendum. State workers other than police, fire, and inspectors would lose many of their bargaining rights and could opt out of paying union dues after current contracts expire, with dues no longer collected automatically. Wisconsin state workers would have to raise the amount they contribute to their pensions to 5.8 percent of salary, and double their contribution to their health insurance premiums to 12.6 percent of their salary.[4][5]
Protests against budget bill
In addition to tens of thousands of people rallying in Madison, Wisconsin's state capitol, to oppose Walker's budget plan, students and teachers around the state conducted walkouts, effectively shutting down entire school systems around the state. Walkouts closed Madison-area schools for days in a row.[6] [7] [8]
Relationship to Koch Industries
OpenSecrets.org (the Center for Responsive Politics) reports that Koch Industries donated $15,000 on July 8, 2010 and another $28,000 on September 27, 2010 to the Friends of Scott Walker political action committee, to help elect Scott Walker as Governor of Wisconsin. Koch Pipeline Company, L.P. operates a pipeline system that crosses Wisconsin, part of the nearly 4,000 miles of pipelines owned or operated by the company.[9] Walker has taken more than $70,000 from gas and pipeline companies, and opposed a high speed rail project that would have reduced Wisconsin's dependence on oil [10][11][12]
Prank call from "David Koch"
On February 23, 2011, blogger Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast in Buffalo, New York phoned Walker posing as conservative billionaire businessman David Koch, one of Walker's major campaign contributors, and a major funder of the anti-union group Americans for Prosperity. In the call, Murphy posing as Koch makes derogatory statements about unions and Democrats. When the fake Koch suggested placing "troublemakers" among the crowd of protesters who have been swarming the Wisconsin state capitol for eight consecutive days protesting Walkers' anti-union "budget repair bill," (presumably to discredit them), Walker admits, "We thought about that." Walker then says he concluded that real unrest might swing public opinion against him and that it was better to let the protests play out, saying the media would eventually lose interest. Walker never said he decided not to place troublemakers because doing so was morally or ethically wrong, or illegal. Walker drew greater scrutiny and questions from public officials over these statements, and became an object or criticism for taking the call, since at the time he had refused repeated calls from Democrats trying to reach him to discuss the legislation he was proposing. [13][14][15][16]
Sourcewatch resources
- Wisconsin Governor Walks on Workers, Brendan Fischer, PRWatch.org, February 16, 2011
- Koch Industries
External resources
- Meet Scott Walker, biography
- The Koch Connection in Scott Walker's War on Working People, blog, PRWatch.org, February 18, 2011
Contact
References
- ↑ Scott Bauer Protests of anti-union bill swell to 25,000 people at Wisconsin state Capitol, Canadian Business Online, February 17, 2011
- ↑ Scott Walker Meet Scott Walker About/Biography, accessed February 17, 2011
- ↑ Marty Bottari WI Firefighters Spark "Move Your Money" Moment, PRWatch.org, March 11, 2011
- ↑ Jeff Mayers Wisconsin governor wants to sharply curb unions, Reuters, February 11, 2011
- ↑ Phil Gast State Democrats absent for vote as Wisconsin protests swell, CNN, February 17, 2011
- ↑ WEAU.com Walkout forces Madison Schools to close for 2nd day in a row, February 16, 2011
- ↑ Neil Johnson Protests against Walker plan set, Janesville Gazette, February 17, 2011
- ↑ Patti Zarling Bay Port students walk out to protest budget repair bill, Green Bay Press-Gazette, February 17, 2011
- ↑ Koch Industries, Inc. Wisconsin Facts, Koch company Web site, accessed February 18, 2011
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics Koch Industry Expenditures, 2010 Election cycle, accessed February 17, 2011
- ↑ Lisa Kaiser Tea Party Backers Koch Industries Donated $15,000 to Scott Walker, Express Milwaukee (blog), September 7, 2010
- ↑ Scot Ross Koch Brothers Fill Up Walker's Campaign Tank, One Wisconsin Now, September 7, 2010
- ↑ Dan Hinkel Blogger poses as David Koch in prank call to Gov. Scot Walker, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune, February 23, 2011
- ↑ Frank James Wisconsin Gov. Walker Takes Prank Call form Fake "Koch" Brother, National Public Radio, February 23, 2011
- ↑ Adam Weinstein Did Scott Walker Get Crank-Call Pwned? (AUDIO) Update: Yes, Mother Jones, February 23, 2011
- ↑ Ian Murphy Koch Whore: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker answers his mater's call, February 23, 2011
