Scott Walker: Washington should heed states' example

Republican Gov. Scott Walker, whose move to end collective bargaining rights for public-employee unions in Wisconsin yielded an unsuccessful push to recall him from office, told the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday that Washington could learn a lot from the "courageous" and "relevant" reforms being spearheaded by GOP governors across the country.

Despite the mess in Washington, Walker said, "The good news is we have success, and it's happening in our states. And we can learn from that ... to tell Washington how to move forward."

He cited his own leadership in Wisconsin as an example that Republicans "can lead with an optimistic message."

At the outset of his term, "Wisconsin had faced a multi-billion dollar deficit," Walker said. "We came in and took that deficit - $3.6 billion - and today it's nearly half a billion dollar surplus."

He also touted his state's education reforms. "Under the old system of collective bargaining," he said, the last teacher hired was necessarily the first teacher fired. But "we changed collective bargaining in our state so there's no longer seniority or tenure," and now, Walker said, "we can hire or fire based on merit, we can pay based on performance."

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He also touted reforms to the food-stamp program that required people receiving assistance to actively seek work and participate in employment training - not because "I want to make it harder to get government benefits," Walker said, but because "I want to make it easier to get a job."

"In America, people don't grow up dreaming they'll be dependent on the government," Walker said. "In America, we take a day off to celebrate the Fourth of July, and not the 15th of April."

And to ensure that Washington hears the message of conservative reform loud and clear, Walker told the conservatives at CPAC, "Don't back down. Don't take your foot off the gas. Now's the time to push forward."

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

"Life isn't fair but government should be"

Ann Richards Former Texas Governor and Democrat

[FP1970]

"Washington", i.e. Obama answers to Mexico City and is not interested in any reforms that will help Americans. The Obama administration's primary concern is to provide aid and comfort to illegal invaders from Mexico and make sure that as many of them as possible sneak onto American voting lists.

[Mathion]

When God was handing out brains, were you snorting Angel Dust?

[Louis_Chez]

Mathion

It's been painfully obvious that obama granted amnesty from justice for over a million illegal Mexicans solely to secure the Mexican American vote.

This was reprehensible and unforgivable!

[crpolk]

Some one needs to do an expose on Walker and whether he's changed the accounting methods to make what he has done look better than it actually is.
I don't believe we can continue as a strong democracy with out a solid middle class, and I don't think we can have a strong middle class with out investments in education, infrastructure and social welfare. Unfortunately, most of the increases in wealth have been distributed up the income scale so the tax base has become narrowed. The government is the means by which the people make choices about what they want the country to look like in the future. We can choose an inclusive open society that gives people the incentive and the wherewithal to achieve those dreams or we can choose to cut back on those dreams by starving them of the money to grow. I'm sorry that the wealthy don't feel they really need the rest of us, that they feel like they would have become just as rich if they didn't live and work in this country. I'm sorry that they feel public investment is stealing from them. They were happy enough seemingly to have been willing to do it 30 years ago when their wealth was truly under threat by a communist system. It seems that now they don't think they need protection except to advance their economic interests and any thought of patriotism or fellow feeling for their country men has gone by the wayside. Scott Walker is a representative of that system. Kill unions, tax the middle class and poor, give the money to those that already have it.

[jxyzzy]

Let's face it folks: we are all selling something, dems, reps you me..
nothing happens in the world until it is sold!! all goes back to intent does it not. selling a product, an idea, FEAR, whatever. why do so many in this country think the world is static and never changing and they should be paid for old outdated unproductive agenda's that is why we continue to slip behind on so many levels. The magic of word play.....The 1% why call them Rich ? why not for the most part, hard working, risk taking successful people...Why? cause none sitting on their ass at different levels want to look into the mirror and face the truth. technology has made many peoples work obsolete. when 30% of the people can vote themselves benefits, which are paid for by the productive class,,hey why not. this all is going to end very badly for many Americans.

[TBIneluctable]

Washington should heed the states examples, 49 states have balanced budget amendments. BO is doing a poor job of leading, he seems to do a good job of blaming and then using that as an excuse for doing nothing. ALso, the cuts for the military and the children's tours were both his idea, he should have skipped the $1,000,000 dollar golf game with Woods.

[tttuffi]

Walker needs to pull his head out of the Koch bros rear-end
and smell the roses instead!!

[zflynn3]

He can't pull his head out, he admires the view too much.

[johnybigballs]

Um that is true. Walker looks like he is taking pictures with an old camara. hahahahahahahaha

[hypnotoad72]

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/14/158424/republican-leaders-debt-limit-hypocrisy/

And more about this Walker guy:

http://uppitywis.org/blogarticle/walker-still-fudges-college-record


http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/18/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-his-budget-repair-/

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/24/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-his-remarks-during/

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/mar/03/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-wisconsin-broke/

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/23/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-out-staters-accoun/

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/22/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-he-campaigned-his-/

and best of all:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/18/wisconsin-protests-madison-scott-walker_n_825080.html

I know a possible solution: Governors should do their jobs and bring jobs to the state. Not going around the world every other week to help some big box corporation set up shop over there.

[andthetruthis]

Every chance a Republican gets,he's going to smash a Union.

Rich people are angry about all the money they could have put in their million dollar salaries,but,the Unions demanded a share for the working people. The Unions created the envy of all nations - The American Standard of Living'.

The rich have sent their 'agents'. The Republicans.

Their mission - destroy the Union paycheck.

What will become of 'The American Standard of Living'?

[jgg000010]

unions represent less than 7% of the American workforce.
unions do not represent the majority of the "middle class", "American workers", or "working people" although unions have appropriated all of those terms in an attempt to garner favor. You're claim that "unions created the envy of all nations - the American standard of living" is a load of crap.
You fools can't even negotiate your own salaries and raises.
You want to blame somebody for holding you down? Blame yourselves for joining a union. Then blame your union. Hasn't it ever dawned on you that the only union people who get "rich" are your union bosses, while everybody else who has achieved the wealth you envy is NOT a union member? Perhaps you should take a closer look at people like richard trumka, andy stern, and jimmy hoffa - who have all groveled to the American communist and socialist parties - and run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

[andthetruthis]

I don't envy other peoples income.
I play the cards dealt to me,like most others.
I'm not greedy.

Yes,some Unions were corrupted.
Change the leadership? No,just destroy the right of the people to gather,and bargain for their work
You think people formed a Union just for something to do?
They saw a problem,and no one would hear them.

Only serves the rich.

[harv823]

Walker is just another "PUPPET" of the 1 % wealthy. Their agenda is to take any entitlement money for the Middle Class for themselves.They're all about Class Warfare with the Middle Class.

[johnybigballs]

Snoop your getting destroyed.

[RankinFitch]

The Republicans are finally seeing some new leadership from the ranks of the governors. Scott Walker is one, Rubio is another. Let's hope these conferences weed out the old group like Gingrich, and some of the kookier ones like Ryan Paul. We need a solid message of fiscal conservationism, and WELL MANAGED, realistic social programs. The old farts that still hang on to the social conservatism (ban abortion, oppose gay marriage, etc.) are living with the issues of the last century. Those battles are over.

I am hopeful, but people Paul Ryan and his crazy economics can make Republicans look like wackos.