Walker Takes Aim at Civil Service

Wow, it didn’t take long for Scott Walker to continue his attacks on Wisconsin’s working people. Just days after Scott Walker deserted his Presidential bid because his union-busting message was rejected by American voters, he is back to attacking workers by supporting legislation to destroy Wisconsin’s landmark civil service laws, impacting over 30,000 workers and the public they serve.

Wisconsin has a proud tradition of fairness, openness and impartiality in our civil service system that allows for hiring based on skill and merit, not political connections. We believe that people should be hired based on what they know, not who they know. Currently, numerous safeguards are built in to the system to ensure integrity and public trust. A bill drafted by Sen. Roger Roth (R-Neenah) and Rep. Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) calls for the destruction of Wisconsin’s long standing, landmark civil service laws.

These changes to our civil service system open the flood gates for political payback and favoritism. The GOP plan will no longer requirement government employees to take a test to prove their knowledge. This will allow Scott Walker and his buddies to hire their friends, relatives and political cronies. The move promotes corruption and malfeasance in hiring of governmental personnel.

Changes to our civil service law include:

• Removing entrance exams for new job applicants and replacing them with a resume only based system;
• Giving hiring authority to the Department of Administration, a direct extension of Walker’s office;
• Extending the probationary period for new hires from 6 months to two years.
• Changing the layoff process from seniority-based to subjective performance analysis.

Remember, Scott Walker never once mentioned changing the civil service system while campaigning for Governor and he even touted its importance while defending Act 10. Since taking office in 2010, Gov. Walker has repeatedly eroded workers’ rights, wages and protections in the both the public and private sector. Gov. Walker’s record is clear: he does not have the best interests of workers in mind.

Do you trust Scott Walker to hire the best, most qualified person for the job?

Stripping working people of their rights and rigging the system so it is easier to hire candidates with political connections does nothing to help Wisconsin.

Comments

[Catherine Tobler]

I'm absolutely stunned and appalled at how stupid Walker thinks we all are. Nothing like setting things up for his cronies but as I see it this is also the paved road to privatization in whatever suits his fancy. OMG No wonder nobody wanted him for president, but then you have to wonder what are the republicans really up to? Get as many republicans on the path to the presidency and maybe one will win? The more the merrier the better? Shame on republicans who will go to no length to disgrace hardworking, proven democrats using personal or otherwise, e-mails? Wow the list is getting so long nobody will figure it out? The list is too long to even consider. But no pen/vote of mine will ever cross a Republican nominee desk or otherwise.

[Doug Robertson]

I believe that the clown show otherwise known as the Republican Presidential Primary is merely a distraction so that those who like to think that they bother to pay attention are focused on those Bozo's while they (read ALEC) take the states one at a time and see what they can do to make individual changes in the law (ie: this civil service law bill) to make them more "corporate friendly." Not only are the corporations using their money to buy the politicians, they are also buying control of the states themselves, one at a time, almost without notice. By the time we collectively stop laughing at the show that Trump and some others are putting on for our attention, we will be unable to stop the horror that will be states having been quietly but fundamentally changed at their core. Of course the Presidency will have little meaning at that point except that the President will still control the military. Meanwhile the laws that that have been put into place in the individual states while not enough people noticed will be guiding the functions of day to day life.

[Karin Lorenz]

They should stop calling themselves and everyone else should stop calling them "conservatives". They are total radicals that want to destroy our hard-earned rights. They want to conserve nothing, just destroy!!!

[WilliamBill" Franks, Jr.]

I've frequently chaffed about the use if this term "conservative" - facists are not conservatives, they're facists. BF.

[James Schroeder]

I really think it's time to send Walker and his Crook"s packing as always Robin Voss,is the Culpit behind all this stuff,Why isn't the useless Wisconsin Papers saying anything about this back door Politics: Does the Koch Brothers own them too? The answer Sadly is Yes.