Editorial: Setting a poor example (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

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Seven Milwaukee County supervisors showed a deplorable lack of leadership by voting not to cut their pensions.

Last week, we were critical of three Milwaukee County supervisors when they displayed a woeful lack of leadership and voted in committee against accepting a cut in pension benefits, the same cut that the County Board had approved for county employees.

Later that week, the three became the less-than-magnificent seven when they were joined by four other supervisors who displayed the same lack of courage and opposed the cut when the proposal was voted on by the full County Board. That opposition brought the proposal to an end on a tie vote.

As we said last week, accepting the same cut would not have made a huge difference in the county's finances, but it would have set an example of leadership, which is sometimes sadly lacking at the county. Real leaders make the same sacrifices they ask of others. They lead by example. They say, "Do as we do."

The seven supervisors who voted for the proposal understand that. So does County Executive Scott Walker, who supported the proposal, which would have affected the board, the executive and some other elected officials. So do the county employees who are taking furlough days and pension cuts to help the county meet its budget. So do the many readers who commented on the article reporting the board vote.

A proposal by some supervisors to study whether to have the county join the state pension system had promise, but it would have taken time. By voting to accept a cut, the supervisors could have set an example now. And in the end, the board failed to approve even that study.

The County Board's failure to act responsibly in this case only strengthens the argument that the board should be eliminated or reduced in size.