Ventings from a guy with an unhealthy interest in budgets, policy, the dismal science, life in the Upper Midwest, and brilliant beverages.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What we Recall- The hiring of cronies and incompetents
You know how you can tell a leader isn't very smart? They hire dumb, manipulative, incompetent people like them. And Scott Walker has lived down to this truth in several ways.
For example, check out how the Walker campaign's press secretary handles simple "yes or no" questions from reporters. Hooters girl Ciara Matthews may know the 2 or 3 lines she's been given by WisGOP, but that doesn't mean she has a clue.
Of course, the Hooters girl from Nevada is hardly the only one that's benefitted from Walker's affirmative action program. Do you remember Valerie Cass, a 20-something who did some campaign work up to 2010, and then got a nice gig at the Department of Regulation and Licensing and got paid $12,000 more than the previous person in the job? Of course, it also didn't hurt that she was banging State Sen. Randy Hopper.
Val wasn't the only young 'un to get promoted. You also have this guy.
Remember Spaulding Smails, I mean Brian Deschane? The 2-time DUI-convict and college dropout son of the main lobbyist for the pro-Walker Wisconsin Builders Association was given an 81,000-a-year job dealing with environmental and regulatory oversight, despite having no apparent expertise on the subjects.
Among other members of Walker's suck-up kiddie corps include the under-immunity Cullen Werwie, who hasn't cracked 30 years old but landed the $61,000 chief spokesman position with Walker, probably in no small part because of the fund-raising prowess that Kelly Rindfleisch crowed about in her Walkergate criminal complaint.
Also can't forget Keith Gilkes, Walker's former Chief of Staff who's also named in the Rindfleisch complaint. He quit within 8 months, and his tenure is probably best marked by letting this guy get through to the boss. "Hi, this is Scott Walker."
Oh, and what about the high-school educated developer Cathy Stepp running the state's DNR, and having former GOP hack legislator Scott Gunderson take a high-ranking job below her? What could possibly happen? Oh, how about allowing a GOP contributor to deposit illegal amounts of raw sewage onto Jefferson County lands and then cover up the violations by minimizing the fines that the contributor could face? James Rowen also relays the report that the Walker Administration's response to those who live in the area and need to get their wells tested due to this negligence is to tell the innocent homeowners to pay for their own damn test! But hey, average Joes don't give donations and therefore we shouldn't really expense any extra effort to help them out, right Cathy?
And I didn't even talk about Walkergate criminals Tim Russell, Brian Pierick and Darlene Wink, all of whom are long-time friends of Walker who clearly got their positions not because of their great brainpower or dedication to public service, but because of their dedication to furthering the career of Scott Walker, whether they did it legally or not.
Then again, when you don't think government can be a force for good, why not fill the ranks with cronies, dingbats and morons who don't know what they're doing? That way, you can shrug your shoulders when they incompetently let things drop or bad things happen, and then say "See government doesn't work!" This allows you to sell off those services, hopefully to campaign contributors, who give you a nice kickback with a campaign contribution. The only people that lose in the matter are the everyday citizens.
So where did Walker learn this method of management? From another guy with Walker in his name who put a guy who used to head the U.S. Arabian Horse Association to run FEMA. What could go wrong, right Brownie?
And re-electing Walker would do to Wisconsin what re-electing Bush did to America in 2004- set it back years, if not decades. The past history of brutal hires will only get worse if Walker is given a free pass for the next 30 months, just like it did with George Dubya, with the damage becoming more permanent. Which is why Scotty Dubya needs to be cut off NOW.
Walker should hire a 35 year old Grad student with a ghost town blog, right?
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely be an upgrade from what we've had running the show (and that's not because I'm any great shakes). But, guys like Walker aren't too keen on data, competence and independent solutions.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't just take my word for it, ask anyone who's in a direct-reporting position at the state that has even a remote sense of pride.