MADISON: Monday's inauguration of incoming Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was the third such event I have attended. I was at both of outgoing Gov. Doyle's inaugurations in 2003 and 2007 and waited to greet him and Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton on both occasions. I did so without any ticket or RSVP. I simply joined a line of citizens wanting to congratulate them.
Both Doyle events were notable by their openness. The entire Capitol remained open to the public. Today, only the ground floor was available for public access. The feelings of a big tent from the Doyle years were replaced with a decidedly have vs. have not feeling. Well-dressed inauguration guests filed past protesters outside dressed for cold weather.
Never before have I seen our state's "people's house" so blocked off from the people. Wisconsinites may not realize how lucky they usually are as far as being able to walk in and visit their lawmakers or other government official's offices without an appointment compared to some other states. Let us hope that continues.
The Isthmus estimated attendance between 400-600 in a report on their website. A diverse assortment of attendees including state advocacy groups, busloads of Milwaukee inner city neighborhood and church group members, Madison area students, state workers, union activists, ministers, veterans, disabled, young, middle aged and seniors. See the accompanying video I created for a look at how it was live on the scene.
It was good news to see such a diverse mix of people brave chilly weather on a week day to stand up and push back. As Marty Beil, executive director of the 23,000-member Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, told me on the State St. steps, "We're all in this together." The one silver lining to Walker's policies is they are so extreme they have united a diverse array of citizens willing to brave even a January day to stand up for the real Wisconsin we all know and love.
Comments
What happened to my last comment?
You tell me.
I will repeat it for you. It is not exact but went something like this:
If the previous WI administration had done its job right, those people holding the "WE NEED GOOD JOBS NOW" signs would have been working. And for the rest of them, you know, the bussed-in state workers, unions, activists, etc, why are they not at work? I am sure their time-off is not only covered but subsidized by the taxpayers. Am I close?
Nice fantasy sweeney but you conveniently left out the Bush recession and the fact Gov. Doyle had to deal with GOP control of the legislature until 2008. You can't undo the harms of the Thompson-McCallum years exacerbated by the Bush-Cheney years and their worldwide depressiobn with GOP lawmakers trying to subvert your every move and expect to do much for the people. Doyle did a great job under the circumstances. If he didn't have years of GOP malfeasance and misgovernment to try to undo, we'd all be better off!
Walker won in a landslide because taxpayers are sick of the out of control spending, high taxes, anti business rhetoric and over paid underworked public employes. It is time for a change and we might just get it with Walker. Demanding a job, go and get an education and apply for one. No one is going to give you a job, it isn't a right . You earn a job, no one owes you a living
Walker won 52-48. That is no landslide!
Did Doyle pay you to write this?
you know sweeney and christine, not all of us have an 8-4 job with weekends and holidays off...Many work around the clock with the most dangerous people in the state protecting you and your children...wisconsin wants to be tough on crime and lock everyone away, but they seem to forget about them once they are off the street....If you think we are overpaid and underworked i invite you just for one day to come and work in a prison where u have to worry about getting fecies, blood, urine, ect thrown on you...have to worry about getting assulted with having nothing other than a radio to protect you...Also considering we are in the top 11% in the nation with the lowest salaries...Considering i have 10 years in with the state and i could go work for the country jail and make more than what i am now just starting...Learn the facts before bashing the people that protect your way of life!
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