Rock County close to home for Walker
Photo
Scott Walker waves to spectators during the LaborFest parade on Milwaukee Street on Monday.
JANESVILLE — Scott Walker can’t quite call it his hometown Labor Day parade.
But the Republican candidate for governor certainly is familiar with the community. Walker grew up in Delavan and graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 1986.
“Our idea of a good time was to go to Janesville to eat at the Ponderosa—or the old Shakey’s—and go walk around the Janesville Mall,” Walker said.
Walker talked with the Gazette while he waited in a long line of politicians who walked in Monday’s parade through downtown Janesville.
These days, when Walker comes to Janesville, he hears people worrying about their jobs, he said.
Walker said his challenge if elected would be to create 250,000 non-government jobs by the end of his first term in office. One way to do that is to make it less expensive for businesses to operate in Wisconsin, Walker said.
“Wisconsin is more expensive than other states to do business,” Walker said.
He would start by working to lower the cost of taxes, regulations and litigation, Walker said. The high cost of health care also must be addressed, he said.
Even lowering income taxes would make it more likely for businesses to locate in Wisconsin, Walker said.
It’s the take-home pay, not the gross wage, that directly affects workers, he said. If businesses want to lure the best employees, they might have to pay more in Wisconsin to bring up the amount of take-home pay, he said.
A focus on Wisconsin’s infrastructure also would boost the number of jobs in the state, Walker said. He supports a proposal to expand Interstate 90/39 to three lanes between the Illinois line and Madison.
Such an expansion would positively increase the volume of traffic into Rock County and put local construction companies to work, he said.
Along with increasing the number of jobs in the state, Walker said he has a plan to address the state’s ballooning budget deficit.
He supports requiring state workers to pay in toward their own pension funds as workers in the private sector do. Currently, the state pays both the employee and employer portions of state workers’ pensions, he said.
That cut would save about $360 million, he said.
Walker said another way to cut costs would be to stop budgeting for some of the 4,000 state jobs that have been unfilled in recent years. If the jobs are not public safety related and have been vacant for more than a year, “take the money out and put it toward balancing the budget,” he said.
Rock County residents aren’t alone in worrying about their jobs, Walker said. The conversation changes a little depending on where you travel, Walker said.
In the northern part of the state, the conversation is about the lumber industry; folks in the southwest talk about farm jobs, he said.
Walker said he has worked with Forward Janesville and other business-supporting organizations.
“As governor, I would be very much involved in Rock County,” Walker said.
Walker faces former Congressman Mark Neumann in the Republican primary for governor Sept. 14.
Sep 13, 2010 at 3:16 p.m.
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Well, not everyone in Milwaukee County feels Walker would be a bad choice. But certainly most in the City of Milwaukee feel that way. If I remember the last election correctly within the City, Walker carried less than 30% of the vote, his opponent carrying over 70% in an unprecedented voter turnout. I couldn't find results for the other municipalities in the county, but obviously Walker won there with enough margin to overrule the results within the city. And remember the City's population is twice that of the rest of the county. Clearly Milwaukee Suburbs really like him.
I think his ideas about transportation and infrastructure might have something to do with it. They're appealing to people living in suburbs, but disastrous to a Medium-Large city trying to grow an economy.
Or it could be that he, like many others in the state, feels that Milwaukee is a lost cause that they'd prefer to just box in and forget about (except during Summerfest).
Or maybe it's something else, someone enlighten us please.
Sep 9, 2010 at 1:56 p.m.
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I'm figuring if Neumann can win the primary inspite of the oppostion from the GOP elite, then he has established a mandate and can carry that momentum into the general elections and his first term. Neumann will have established his outside looking in, not a career politician character.
Otherwise, I have no interest in the GOP elite's choice for governor.
Sep 8, 2010 at 11:37 a.m.
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woodyman77, the rhetorical nature of my question, to someone else, went over your head.
First he has self-identified himself as a liberal, who else would he vote for?
Second, the absurdity of the question was the point...since you missed it.
Lastly, your grasp of the reason for the current world, nation, state, county, and city fiscal problems; asserting all stem from one person and/or party displays how little you know.
Sep 8, 2010 at 9:41 a.m.
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Why do we have to elect any of these tools for gov? I have a lot of realatives that live in milwaukee county, ALL of them believe Walker is NOT a good candidate for gov. They are waiting for him to screw up. I think his ad that he ran about "fighting" for us, with the boxing gloves was in poor taste. Considering what happened to mayor Barrett in milwaukee. I guess some guys, most guys will do/say ANYTHING to get elected.
@ RAF "Have you asked the same questions of your candidate, barrett, what jobs he has ever created? Barrett has either held public office or ran for public office every year since 1982...how many jobs has he ever created?" , I don't recall Mr. Moo Shoo ever saying he is a Barrett supporter. Also, you justify an absolutely ridiculous statement by "your" candidate, by asking how many jobs has Barrett created? Would like you to address the question, How is Mr Walker going to "create" 250,000 private-sector jobs? I am guessing he is going to cut taxes, and cut spending right? All these guys are the same , speaking in rhetoric and catch phrases to get votes. When it comes down to it, if Walker gets elected, which I think he will, just like every politician today his promises will be no more than a buncha BS. Scooter should try not appealing to the lowest common denominator when running his campaign. Fear and gimmicks seem to br working nationwide for all these tea partiers, so why not right? I would have a lot more respect for some of these right wingers that are running if they had some ideas other than, "cut taxes, cut spending". It seems to be working for them, but the country as a whole is so stupid. Are we really gonna give the keys of the car back to the political party that is largely responsible for driving the country into a ditch? peoples memories are so short. There is a reason why we elected democrats into office in 2008, because the republican power machine gave us two unpaid for wars, the largest debt in American history, and the greatest economic recession in 75 yrs. If anyone wants to know how powerful right wing tv, radio is, just have a look. We are 2 yrs removed from georgie porgie and his gang of clowns and look where we are about to go back to already. Between Faux news , Rush , Orielly, and hannity, they have actually convinced enough people that all this is somehow Obama's fault.WOW! Kinda hard to dig a country out of 25 yrs of BAD economical policy in less than 2 yrs don't ya think? Wake up people!Please, before its too late! BTW if any of you think Scott Walker is going to create 250,000 private sector jobs, I've got some land to sell you in antactica, beachfront property.Cheap.
Sep 8, 2010 at 12:28 a.m.
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MooShoo interesting questions. Have you asked the same questions of your candidate, barrett, what jobs he has ever created? Barrett has either held public office or ran for public office every year since 1982...how many jobs has he ever created?
Sep 7, 2010 at 10:33 p.m.
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Would someone please tell me where Scott Walker in his extensive private sector career ever created one job? Oh, that is right, Scooter has NEVER worked in the private sector.
Sep 7, 2010 at 10:27 p.m.
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Scott Walker pledges that state government will create 250,000 jobs. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
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Scott, every republican in the world knows that government never, ever created one job. And you are going to do this by making it less expensive to do business in Wisconsin? Yes, I believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and Scott Walker. What are you huffin' out of that brown bag Scooter, laughing gas
Sep 7, 2010 at 8:34 p.m.
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I have read everything I could get my hands on about Walker & Neumann and I have to admit that I like and dislike them both equally. Yep, I'm stuck smack dab in the middle. So, I'm just patiently waiting until elections and hopefully, something comes out that makes my mind up for me.
Sep 7, 2010 at 4:50 p.m.
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Walker is bad news,if you want your jobs cut.Was not liked in school.Look at what he has done for Milwaukee(nothing).Vote smart dont elec Walker.Vote forlocal boy Mark.
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