Sheboygan Press Excoriates Scott Walker

Yeah, it was three days ago, but it minces no words doing so:

The shell game Gov. Scott Walker has played the last two weeks is pathetic. Say one thing, and then do another.

[...]

We can't say if the conference committee meeting that led up to the "new" budget repair bill — which used the "emergency" and "special session" exceptions to the 24-hour notice required by state Open Meetings Law — was illegal. But the way Republicans conducted themselves was unethical.

[...]

Last fall, The Sheboygan Press endorsed Walker, Sen. Joe Leibham, Rep. Steve Kestell and challenger Mike Endsley (over incumbent Terry Van Akkeren) because each of the four, in interviews, public forums, debates and campaign literature, listed their primary goals as job creation and balancing the state budget.

In retrospect, had any of them even hinted at the draconian measure of scraping collective bargaining for public employees, we would most likely have thought differently.

[...]

But the way things have gone these last three weeks, it appears Walker's motive all along has been equally focused on union busting as budget balancing.

He said nothing about taking away collective bargaining when he demanded in December that Democratic Senators — who were soon to be in the minority — not push through new state employee contracts. Walker said he wanted the ability to get concessions from state workers. It wasn't until then that Walker said he would consider abolishing state employee unions if he didn't get his way and he apparently had no intention of ever negotiating or even talking with unions.

Like many others who supported Walker and Republicans last fall, we are feeling like we've been duped.