Walker: ‘Smaller Government is Better Government’

Wauwatosa – Scott Walker, Milwaukee County executive and candidate for governor, at a Brown Bag lunch at Green Bay Packaging, Inc. today in Green Bay, unveiled his proposal to save $284 million a year by permanently reducing the state workforce by 4,000 employees.  These permanent cuts would be effective immediately in his first budget.

 

“I believe that smaller government is better government – that’s why as county executive, I’ve reduced our government workforce by 20%,” said Walker.  “It’s unacceptable that under Governor Doyle, for the first time ever, government jobs in Wisconsin outnumber manufacturing jobs.  Right now, our state has 4,000 employee positions that are vacant.  Unlike the bureaucrats in Madison, I say if we can live without 4,000 state employees for this long, we can live without them forever - that’s why in my first budget they will be off the taxpayer’s payroll, this time, for good.”

Recently, Walker outlined his Brown Bag Idea to save $180 million a year through pension savings, and announced that as governor, he would voluntarily contribute to his own government pension.  Currently, state employees don’t contribute anything to their own retirement.

 

Scott Walker was elected Milwaukee County executive on a wave of reform, after a pension scandal revealed government workers were walking away with millions in taxpayer money.  Since then, he has introduced eight consecutive budgets without a tax levy increase from the previous year, cut the debt by 10%, reduced the workforce by 20%, and had an $8.9 million surplus in his most recent budget.

 

As Milwaukee County executive, Scott Walker has given $370,000 of his personal salary to the taxpayers over eight years, voluntarily reduced his own pension benefit, and in his most recent budget successfully worked on a bipartisan proposal that asked county employees to contribute to their government financed healthcare plans, saving millions for the taxpayers.

Scott and his wife Tonette live in Wauwatosa with their two sons, Matt and Alex.