The Waukesha County Republican Party hosted a “Who’s Who” of GOP officials from around the state on Wednesday evening as the GOP “Victory Center” officially opened its doors January 4. The re-election effort of Governor Scott Walker kicked off exactly one day after the 1-year anniversary of Walker’s inauguration on January 3, 2011.
The GOP cohort included: Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, State Senator Scott Fitzgerald, State Senator Leah Vukmir, State Senator Van Wangaard, State Senator Mary Lazich, and State Senator Rich Zipperer, among others. Longtime Waukesha County GOP Chairman, Don Taylor and Wisconsin State GOP Chairman, Brad Courtney were also on hand to fire up the crowd of about 250.
State GOP Chair Courtney urged volunteers to stay focused and to stay on message, and highlighted the intensity of the public employee union opposition: “Wisconsin has set the blueprint for the rest of the nation and the other side in Madison is angry and well-funded. It’s going to be a knife fight for the next 4 to 5 months.” He added, “While Waukesha County always performs better than any other part of the state, it has to do even better this time.”
With her two young daughters in tow, Lt. Gov. Kleefisch reminded the crowd that “I do what I do every day to look out for the future of my little girls, as well as looking out for your children and grandchildren.” She also exhorted volunteers to stay focused on getting the message out.
According to Kleefisch, that message is crystal clear: “The reforms are working”, and ticked off the evidence: “The sky is not falling and our schools are working better.” Kleefisch noted that property taxes have actually decreased for the first time this year, after going up an average of 5% per year every year under the former administration. Even more impressive is that just last year Wisconsin had the 8th largest per capita budget deficit in the nation. Less than a year later under Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin has balanced its budget.
Kleefisch also reminded the crowd that in the year prior to Walker taking office, Wisconsin shed 150,000 private sector jobs, adding that Wisconsin has actually added 20,000 private sector jobs since Walker took office this past year.
A key part of the message going forward will be that both Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Abele have already taken advantage of Walker’s new “tools” to help balance their own budgets. Motorists traveling along Milwaukee’s I-94 corridor can hardly miss that message as they drive by the glitzy new digital billboards up just this week that make that point loud and clear.
Kleefisch underscored the need to stay focused: “If we are complacent, we could lose. If we lose, the real loser will be courage. But if we win here, it will go across the whole country. Scott Walker is the crown jewel, and they’ll stop at nothing to get rid of him.”
Kleefisch praised “the team” in the State Senate and State Assembly for their courage in bringing “big change, big reform” to Wisconsin not only in the landmark “Budget Repair Bill” but also in passing Voter ID, as well as new Concealed Carry legislation that insures the free exercise of Second Amendment rights in Wisconsin.
The rally ended with a call for volunteers to be part of the upcoming effort to verify signatures on the thousands of recall petitions expected to come in.
Warning against a return to the failed policies of the past, Kleefisch exhorted the crowd to remember their state motto: “Forward”. She was unequivocal: “That is exactly where our governor is taking us.”
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