Wisconsin’s open meeting law ensures municipalities may convene Special Meetings of Electors to address conflicts, grievances, apparent dissatisfactions and remorse.
At other levels electors have the right of recall for redressing their remorse.
During the 2010 campaign Scott Walker insisted that the only true measure of his effectiveness would be the creation of 250,000 new private sector jobs in Wisconsin by 2014. Walker repeatedly pledged he would stand or fall as governor according to this, his scheduled performance for “job creation.”
Candidate Walker offered no Eagle Scout’s pledge to abolish collective bargaining with public union employees. His intentions to cut BadgerCare, impose restrictions on womens’ health and reproductive decisions and to revoke womens’ “equal pay for equal work” protections were undisclosed.
After Madison’s demonstrations the governor’s claque droned dourly, “Government’s broke. It needs fixing.” Nonsense. The state’s deficit, inspired by Republicans, has been managed more than 15 years as non-emergency bipartisan policy. Waupaca County’s never been “broke”. Our municipalities routinely report solid operating fund balances and substantial investment reserves. Where is the governor’s “Scout”s Honor?”
Go figure: Where are the new private sector jobs? Where’s Waupaca broke? What’s with the cuts to BadgerCare? Why the intrusions on womens’ health and reproduction decisions? Why are Republicans ensuring there’s women’s pay inequity?
Last spring more than 100 disaffected middle-year to senior electors peacefully protested outside the annual luncheon of the Waupaca Chamber of Commerce. They were shouted at derisively, “You’re just a bunch of whining babies. Get over it and suck it up!” What’s to peeve about? Suck it up? In your dreams.
More than 4,600 electors in Waupaca County expressed their remorse and petitioned for Walker’s recall. This May 8, having met the GAB rules, these petitioners were able to choose their challenger to Scott Walker. Wisconsin’s open, competitive primary process prevailed.
A final comment about Wisconsin’s May 8 and June 5 elections: Solvent elector-responsive governments pay for them. This is consistent with our most cherished principles of self-determination.