Scott Walker

Walker says he may not compete in Florida’s March 15 primary to gain an financial advantage.

If we chose to get in, I don’t think there’s a state out there we wouldn’t play in…I mean, other than maybe Florida, where Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are at least in some of the polls essentially tied….They’re going to eat up a good amount of that financial advantage that Governor Bush is going to have. A good chunk of that will be gone after the Florida primary.

Walker criticizes Obama’s foreign policy and calls for an aggressive stance against terrorism.

 Obama’s foreign policy has been to draw a red line in the sand and allow people to cross it…. United States should deal with terrorism head on and take the fight to them.

Walker denies that he has flip-flopped on issues related immigration.

It’s just a narrative from the other campaigns in response to the fact that we have a strong reputation for keeping our word…This is one that we listened to the people all across the country-particularly the board of governors-and saw how this president messed that up and that’s an issue where I think people want leaders who are willing to listen to people.

Walker reports that his policies of limiting public employees’ collective bargaining rights have saved state and local governments more than $1 billion.

It’s not just about saving money and balancing the budget. It’s about new ways to provide services.

According to Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue, for the first time in twelve years property taxes have decreased on average throughout the state due to Walker’s reforms, limiting collective bargaining rights and cutting state funding to public schools.

Our reforms have reversed a decade of property tax increases from previous administrations. For the first time in over ten years, the average property taxpayer will have more money in his or her pocket than the year before.

Faced with a $3.6 billion deficit, Walker proposes his first State budget promising to fill in the gap without raising taxes. His budget reduces spending by $4.2 billion cutting more than $1.25 billion in aid to schools and local governments. He emphasizes that if the legislature passes his budget repair bill, then the aid will not be missed because governments will be able to cut contributions to employees’ health and pension plans. He is also cutting $500 million from Medicaid, $250 million from higher education, and eliminating 21,325 full-time state jobs.

We need a leaner and cleaner state government. As we decrease spending, we also increase flexibility so local government and state government have the tools to deal with reduced revenue.

Unions agree to concessions on their benefits if Walker agrees not to take away their collective bargaining rights. A union director:

We are prepared to implement the financial concessions proposed to help bring our state’s budget into balance, but we will not be denied our God-given right to join a real union . . . we will not – I repeat we will not – be denied our rights to collectively bargain.

Walker refuses to compromise because collective bargaining prevents the flexibility governments need to manage their budgets.

It doesn’t work. My goal all along has been to give all these folks – I asked for it in the past – the tools to control their own budgets . . . I know as a (former) local official, collective bargaining time and time again was the thing that stood in the way of local governments and school districts being able to manage their budgets. Let’s not kid ourselves. The reality is, it’s about the money.

Walker refuses to negotiate with unions over his plan to reduce their benefits which will cost the average employee 8% of his or her salary.

I don’t have anything to negotiate. We are broke in this state. We have been broke for years. People have ignored that for years, and it’s about time somebody stood up and told the truth. The truth is: We don’t have money to offer. We don’t have finances to offer. This is what we have to offer.

Walker looks at many different legal options to limit employee benefits cost and weaken unions in order to balance the budget. Options include decertifying unions, not allowing unions to negotiate with the state, modifying current laws, and limiting or abolishing union rights. He wants to require employees to contribute 5% to their pensions and 12% to their health costs. Currently they contribute nothing to their pensions and only 4%-6% of health costs.

The bottom line is that we are going to look at every legal means we have to try to put that balance more on the side of taxpayers and the people who care about services. . . . You are not going to hear me degrade state and local employees in the public sector. But we can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and the taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots.

Union leaders say they will fight if the state tries to modify laws governing state unions. A union director:

It’s too bad Scott Walker wants to destroy a law that assures the uninterrupted delivery of high-quality public services and has kept labor peace for more than three decades. We certainly prefer negotiation to confrontation.

Walker refuses to ask for any federal money for county projects and programs even though Milwaukee County has large budget shortfalls including $300 million for park repairs, $43 million for transit and $300 million to rebuild its mental health complex. He feels that the county and country will be better off without federal money since it contributes to unbalanced budgets.

All we are asking for is ‘do no harm.’ I’m not asking for any new projects or things to be done here. . . . The last thing you want to do is put money in hands of government, if the goal is to pull the economy from recession.

Walker touts his accomplishments in speeches that he is getting county government turned around. He has presented the board with five annual budgets without any tax increases, even though this year the county is projected to have a $40 million deficit, he has cut off overly generous pension benefits for new employees, cut the county workforce by almost 20%, and has returned $60,000 in his annual salary. He is pushing for a water park on the county’s north side, and approves of spending $300,000 to clean up lagoons in the parks. He has improved mental health services, encouraged heavier lakefront patrols, endorsed more than $300 million for development of the Park East freeway corridor, and negotiated a new labor agreement that included health insurance concessions. He has long term goals for the county. When asked about running for reelection:

It would be hard to imagine putting out a list of five-year plans without planning on being around in five years.

On the other hand, some criticize him for deterioration of county parks and facilities, rejecting some privatization ideas, and the county board having a strong record of overriding his vetoes.