Recall of Walker warranted -- a short list of grievances

Movement to remove governor adds up to one conclusion: Walker must go

The recall campaign against Republican Gov. Scott Walker will begin in just over one month from today. As the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has put it, "This is it. This is history."

The list of reasons behind the recall are numerous. Here's just a short list:

• The termination of collective bargaining for public employees, ending more than fifty years of bipartisan precedent for this respected right.
  
  
• The voter suppression/ID bill passed under the auspices of making elections more secure (a safeguard that is unneeded, a concern that is unsubstantiated).
  
  
• Hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to education, and restrictions on how school districts can make up for the loss, that "shorts" Wisconsin schools by over a billion dollars.
  
  
• Cuts to BadgerCare (half a billion dollars) and waiting lists for Family Care (funding the program only for those already on it).
  
  
• Tax breaks for the wealthy and corporate elite while actually RAISING taxes for the working poor.
  
  
• An overall disregard for the people of this state (and even Democratic legislators who tried to reach him in Illinois) during the protests while answering "the call" from billionaire donors.
  
  
• An added disregard for a major campaign promise of "jobs," setting up two "special session" supposedly dedicated to increasing employment in the state, but in actuality dedicated to greater tax breaks for the rich and tort reform, neither of which has grown employment numbers for the state (we've actually seen lower employment numbers since Walker has taken office).
  
  
• Cronyism that has resulted in questionable conduct on the part of the governor; it has included hiring former staff members, Republican Party members loyal to Walker, and the family members of big-money donors to the chief executive, all over more qualified candidates for the positions being considered.
  

If the governor were guilty of one or two of these offenses, a recall might not be warranted; we might be able to live with him, to survive another three years of his tenure, and work for his defeat in 2014. But because of the combined weight of these grievances, because of the length of this list (which isn't even complete), a recall of this governor isn't just warranted but quite possibly required if we're to keep our state's prominence in this country preserved.

Wisconsin cannot survive for long under the conditions that this governor has put us into, that he will continue to put us into. If we're to restore our values, to restore the sentiment of what makes us proud to be citizens of the Badger State, Gov. Scott Walker cannot be in charge of the executive office. Wisconsin cannot wait -- Walker must go.

Support the recall movement, make a donation today, and volunteer to work towards Walker's removal in 2012.