Walker makes county Republicans pledge for spending wisely, frugally

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By Ryan Whisner

JOHNSON CREEK - Spending taxpayer money wisely and frugally, as if it were his own, is one of several pledges Scott Walker promises to fulfill if elected Wisconsin governor in November.

Walker, Milwaukee County executive and a candidate for governor, delivered the keynote address at the Jefferson County Republican Party annual Lincoln Day Dinner Friday evening at the Comfort Suites in Johnson Creek.

In introducing the keynote speaker, party Chairperson Matt Banaszynski said that Walker served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1993 until his election as county executive in 2002.

"Once elected (to the State Assembly), he quickly got to work authoring important bills such as truth in sentencing and the elimination of the statute of limitations in sexual assault cases," Banaszynski said. "Then, after a lot of persuasion and a lot of guts, Scott decided to get into the race for Milwaukee County executive in 2002 on a platform of fiscal conservatism, and returning honesty and integrity to the office of the county executive."

Since taking office, he noted, Walker has cut the county debt by 10 percent, reduced the county workforce by 20 percent and introduced eight consecutive budgets without increasing the property tax levy from the previous year.

"And to add to that list of accomplishments, in 2008, Milwaukee County recorded a budget surplus," Banaszynski said. "Our governor (Jim Doyle) hasn't done that since he's been in office."

Unlike Governor Doyle, he said, Walker has a proven track record for reducing the size of government and balancing the budget without any "accounting gimmicks."

"And he (Walker) also is a strong advocate of conservative values and (has) a track record that we need in Madison," Banaszynski concluded. "At this time, I would like to introduce Milwaukee County executive and candidate for governor, Scott Walker."

Taking the podium, Walker, whose speech was punctuated throughout by cheers and applause, started by stating: "I'm Scott Walker, I'm from Wauwatosa, I ride a Harley, and I want to be your next governor."

He and his wife, Tonette, have two high school-aged sons, Matt and Alex.

The candidate thanked all the leaders of the Jefferson County Republican Party and others who turned out to hear him speak at Friday's dinner, calling it a "tremendous crowd."

As he travels the state, Walker told attendees, he is seeing huge crowds turn out. At his various stops, he frequently hears one-third to one-half of the people say they previously had not been involved in politics, or attended a political dinner or town hall meeting, but are doing so now because "'the stakes are too high not to get in the game.'"

"That gives me hope and enthusiasm," Walker said. "I think that is a great sign of what's going to happen this November."

It was good to be back in Jefferson County, he said, calling it "kind of old home" because he grew up in Delavan in neighboring Walworth County. He credited the American Legion's Badger Boys' State program with kindling his interest in public service.

"When I was sent by the American Legion to go to Ripon (College) first and then to our nation's capital as a part of Boys' Nation, they taught me not about government, not about politics, but what it means to serve the public, to serve other people - just like those incredible veterans, men and women, who served all throughout the two-and-a-half centuries almost we've had in this great country we call America," Walker said. "And they taught us about public service."

Growing up in Delavan, he said, he recalls the lessons he learned from his mother and his father, who was pastor of a local Baptist church. Moreover, he said, he learned about leadership, teamwork and public service early in life as an Eagle Scout and by running track in high school.

"Those are things I apply to what I do today and hopefully pass on to my two sons, who are now a freshman and a sophomore at Wauwatosa East High School," Walker said. "But that's what's drawn me to get into public service here and across the state."

He reiterated that great crowds around the state have been turning out to hear his message, and that the "enthusiasm is infectious out there."

"In fact, every time I think I'm getting tired after a long weekend - and we've been from one end of the state to the other - when I see the crowds, I see the intensity, I get pumped up," Walker said. "I know the people of this state are our greatest asset, and it gives me even further enthusiasm to do what it takes to get this state turned around."

He said he believes in Wisconsin, but acknowledged that people are scared about the economy and their jobs.

"I'm here to tell you tonight, you don't have to be scared anymore because, come Nov. 2, help is on the way," Walker emphasized.

Walker's philosophy on governing follows three key principles he calls the "Brown Bag Guide to Government": Don't spend more than you have; smaller government is better government; and people create jobs, not government.

In fact, he was to kick off his Brown Bag Lunch Tour today at Rol-Tec Manufacturing in Green Bay and will be holding brown bag lunches across the state over the next several months to listen to citizens over their lunch breaks about the best way to protect Wisconsin jobs and family budgets.

"Our families have to 'brown bag it' to be able to pay Wisconsin's taxes, and it's time our leaders in Washington and Madison see what it feels like to cut out waste and find ways to do more with less like our families have been forced to do," Walker said.

"The best way to protect jobs and help families is to get government out of the way and lower the tax burden in our state, so the private sector can create jobs and families can keep more of their own money," he added.

Walker noted that he packs his own brown bag lunch every day (two ham and cheese sandwiches on wheat) and drives a 1998 Saturn with 100,000 miles to cut back on costs.

He said he approached his county budget the same way he approaches his family budget by cutting out waste and doing more with less. In fact, he said, he knows an economic turnaround can be done not because it is a slogan, but because it was done of all places in Milwaukee County.

Eight years ago, when it was suggested he run for county executive, the then-Assemblyman said "absolutely not." At that time, the county was rocked with a pension scandal that had cost taxpayers millions.

"I said, 'No way; people are angry,'" Walker recalled. "None of us as elected officials wants to be among a bunch of angry voters. I said, 'No, I'm not going to do it.'"

In addition to the pension scandal, he said, the previous Milwaukee County executive had raised property taxes 55 percent during his tenure and put in place ethical challenges, and there was a structural deficit.

A while later, the candidate said, a group of his neighbors, friends and colleagues stood up and said they were going to recall the county executive, despite being told that would be impossible.

"They were told it couldn't be done," Walker said. "They needed 73,000 signatures in 60 days. You know what they did? In less than 30 days, they collected 157,000 signatures.

"Not through any organized movement, but literally neighbor by neighbor, they stood up shoulder to shoulder - not hundreds, not thousands, but tens of thousands of ordinary people did an extraordinary thing," he added. "They said, 'I want my government back, and I'm willing to do something about it.'"

At that moment, the candidate said, he realized the real emotion exhibited in his community was not fear, but, rather hope.

"Hope was the real emotion on display - not the kind of false hope we hear from the prophet out in Washington, but the kind of hope that's based on real people standing up together united, and taking their government back and putting it firmly in the hands of the people," Walker remarked. "I know if we can do that in Milwaukee County, there is no doubt that we can do that for Wisconsin."

The candidate said he not only got elected county executive, but re-elected two years later and four years after that, receiving 60 percent of the vote in a county where two-thirds, or 67 percent, of all votes cast went to President Obama.

"And we did it not just because we won the first time which was extraordinary in itself - we did it because we did something even more extraordinary in politics: We made both promises and we delivered on them," Walker said. "We cut our debt, we reduced the size of our workforce, we improved our bond rating, even while the state's was going down; and we did now eight consecutive budgets without raising the property tax levy from the previous year.

"And last year, when the State of Wisconsin had the largest budget deficit ever, we (Milwaukee County) had a surplus because that's what we can do," he added, receiving rousing applause.

The candidate said that from an economic standpoint, some might say those accomplishments are great, but then ask what was done for everyone else.

"Well, last October, we (Milwaukee County) got the gold medal - appropriately this week during the Olympics - we got the gold medal for the best park system in the entire country," Walker informed the county GOPers.

Moreover, in a year when almost every airport in the country saw a decline of 6 percent or more, Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport, he said, actually kept pace with its record-breaking year in 2008 and again in 2009.

"Years ago, before I was elected county executive, Milwaukee County literally had thousands and thousands of older adults in our community who were on waiting lists for long-term care," Walker said. "Today, there's not one on that list because we were the first in the state to enact Family Care and make it work for the people of our community.

"I say if we can take on the political machine and win in Milwaukee County of all places - not once, not twice, but three times - and get that county back on track, there is no doubt we can turn on the political machine in Madison and take this state back for the taxpayers, and make this state the kind of state we dream of, and get put back on the map to rebuilding Wisconsin and put it firmly in the hands of the people," he added to much applause.

The candidate said he got in the race to uphold a simple set of principles: "Economic opportunity and prosperity for everyone based on limited government, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility.

"And increasingly these days, a restoration of our personal rights and liberties 'cause Lord knows they are under attack not only here in Wisconsin, but particularly in our nation's capital," Walker stressed. "It's time we have leaders who are going to stand up and demand those rights back for the people, and put government back on the side of the people in this state and in this country."

Those principles, he said, are simple, but not often easy to achieve.

"I got to tell you, down the way, off I-94 in Milwaukee, near where I live in Wauwatosa, there have been countless times where it would have been easier to set aside those principles for a more politically expedient solution," Walker said ... "To go along with the liberals on my county board, to go along with the even more liberals on my editorial board."

But, he didn't do that, he said, because eight years ago he made a solemn pledge to the people who put him in office.

"I said I would spend the taxpayers' money as if it were my own," Walker said. "I give that pledge over and over, and over again.

"And if, God willing, you give me the honor of serving as your next governor, I will spend every hour of every day with every breath inside of me making sure we do that here again in Wisconsin," he added. "This is a great state!"

In conclusion, the candidate said he has traveled the state, and firmly believes in Wisconsin and its people.

"The people of this state are phenomenal - they embody the Midwestern work ethic," Walker said. "They're one of our greatest strengths, and ask for the kind of people who show up at the beginning of the week and work all the way through the end of the week on Friday. They're the kind of people you build not only a company around, but a community and a state."

Employers across this state with businesses owned by two, three or four generations of families also are held in high regard by the candidate.

"For those (businesses) that aren't (family owned), they treat their employees - you treat your employees - like they're family," Walker said. "And no matter what others may tell you elsewhere across the country, you're vested here - you want to be here, you want to grow here, you're begging your government for a reason to expand here.

"We have incredible natural resources," he added. "No state in the union is surrounded by two Great Lakes and the greatest river in the country. We're filled with 15,000 inland lakes - that's 5,000 more than Minnesota. Eat your heart out, Brett Favre."

Having grown up in small-town Delavan, the candidate extolled the virtues of being raised in this state.

"No place in the world is better to grow up in, to live in, to play in, to raise a family in, to start a business in and, yes, someday to retire in - no place in the world is better than our Wisconsin," Walker said. "What is failing us is not our people or our places; what is failing us is our government.

"And the good news I can claim to you here today is that come Nov. 2, of 2010, we, we the people of Wisconsin can take our government back," he added.

Walker said state residents don't have to just think back in the past how great Wisconsin once was.

"More importantly, realistically, we can dream again about how much greater it (Wisconsin) will be in the future when government is firmly on the side of the people, not on the side of the special interests," Walker concluded. "With your help we're going to make it possible."

Meanwhile, prior to Walker's address, the large crowd of party faithful chatted over cocktails in the banquet hall. After the social hour, attendees were served a buffet dinner, and heard speeches from various candidates for lieutenant governor and other elected offices.

"The annual Jefferson County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner is always a great way to kick off an election year," said Banaszynski. "And this year we're unveiling many of the Republican candidates for local, state and national office."

Candidates for lieutenant governor who spoke at the gathering were state Rep. Brett Davis, Rebecca Kleefisch and Mayor Dave Ross. Other speakers included state Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau; Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Neumann, as well as Mark Todd and U.S. Sen- ate candidates Terrance Wall and Dave Westlake, and Vicki Milbrath, who is attempting to oust Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, in her bid for the 37th Assembly District seat.

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