“Governor, we’ve lost control of the capitol.”
Thousands of protesters mobbed the Wisconsin Capitol in March 2011, ripping hinges off doors and crawling through open windows. Outraged by the legislature’s passage of a collective bargaining reform bill championed by Gov. Scott Walker, the crowds quickly overran the capitol police. For weeks the swelling mob occupied the rotunda, with protests attracting nearly a hundred thousand people. But, with passage of the bill, protesters began scouring the whole building searching for offending legislators who dared defy union bosses by supporting Governor Walker’s reforms.
In his new book, “Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge,” Walker chronicles his battle to free the Badger State from the restraints of collective bargaining. With the feeling of a political thriller novel, Walker recounts the legislative fight, union intimidation tactics, and ensuing recall election. While a raw explanation of the drama-filled tale would prove compelling enough, Walker’s candid and pithy narrative will enthrall readers, and leave them speculating about the political future of this rising conservative statesman.
Elected with the 2010 tide of Republican victories, Walker was just a month into his first term when he introduced what came to be known as Act 10. Looking to close the state’s $3.6 billion deficit — one of the highest per capita in the nation — Walker began evaluating options, but quickly realized that conventional budget balancing measures were out of the question. He wouldn’t raise taxes because he pledged not to while on the campaign trail; Public layoffs were not an option, because he promised to protect the middle-class; Medicaid cuts were also out because he believed it would hurt the poor and vulnerable. This panoply of promises sounds stale, because empty-suit politicians have spewed the same platitudes for decades, but Walker intended follow through.
Searching for innovative budget solutions, Walker cast his eye towards reforming collective bargaining. Walker writes that his experience as Milwaukee County Executive taught him that local governments could withstand cuts in state aid, if local officials had the latitude to implement the changes themselves. Collective bargaining, however, made the local executive’s changes subject to the approval of public workers unions. Act 10 would give local officials the tools to manage their own budget.
Walker’s Act 10 required public sector workers — excluding police and firemen — to increase pension contributions to 5.8 percent of their salary, and to pay 12.6 percent of their health insurance premiums (a number equivalent to about half the private sector average). To offset these cuts, Walker limited collective bargaining to wages only. Also, union wages could no longer be deducted directly from employee paychecks, and unions had to be recertified by their members yearly. The changes were drastic. And so was the backlash.
Occupation of Madison’s capitol began the day bill was introduced. Thousands of national union organizations, including some from Chicago and New York, crowded the building bearing signs comparing the governor to Al-Qaeda and Hitler. Walker describes protesters banging drums, blasting horns, and chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.” To ensure the safety of lawmakers, SWAT teams were required to escort them throughout the capitol. The protesters repeatedly lined the driveway of one state senator with nails, and they banged on windows and doors at the home of another legislator. Protesters trailed Walker’s wife and threatened Walker’s sons at high school football games. In the face such reckless hate, Walker maintained a positive message. He writes that his Christian faith sustained him, coupled with his conviction that the reforms would work. Ultimately, they did.
In September 2011, school districts had balanced budgets, hired more teachers, and reduced class sizes. Because districts were now able to shop for the best price in health insurance — instead of being required to use the company associated with the teacher’s union — they were able to provide the same insurance benefits to teachers at a lower price. The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance estimated health insurance costs decreased by 24 percent in the 2011-2012 school year alone. Act 10 also affected property taxes: for the first time in a decade, they declined on median-valued homes.
Walker often quips, “Good policy is good politics.” Turns out, he’s right. In June 2012, Walker became the first governor in American history to survive a recall election, winning by an even larger margin than in 2010. And, while the left was distracted by Act 10, Walker signed into law a cadre of other conservative policies: expanding gun rights, defunding planned parenthood, reforming welfare, and refusing medicaid expansion. Because of his national profile, political success, and recent book publication (a frequent stop on the path to the Oval Office), speculations are now flying about a presidential bid in 2016. With Walker’s record of results, and his courage of character, I can’t say I mind.
