On the fifth anniversary of the Wisconsin protests, there are reasons for optimism

Wisconsinites now understand just how terrible the governing style of Scott Walker really is

Five years ago this month, Gov. Scott Walker dropped a proverbial bomb on Wisconsin.

In one fell swoop, his proposal to restrict state workers from exercising their right to bargain contracts collectively ignited the passions of millions of Wisconsinites across the state.

His move led to hundreds of thousands of protesters descending on the Capitol lawn in Madison. The protests gained national attention and prompted a recall election against Walker.

The governor won that recall election, and a subsequent re-election two years later. His backers implied that these wins were a vindication of his ideas.

But we stand here now, five years on, and see that Walker is not vindicated in his actions. Six in ten Wisconsinites now see him in a disapproving way, and only 38 percent approve of the way he has handled his job as governor (PDF).

And it’s not hard to figure out why:

• Private sector jobs growth is slower in Wisconsin under his watch, and we’re ranked dead last when it comes to new jobs created in the Midwest since Walker took office.


• Our spending on education has been cut drastically, making it more difficult for youngsters to receive a solid education in our state.


• This governor is backwards when it comes to health care, opting to spend more money to insure less people in order to score political points against the sitting president rather than provide decent health care options for his constituents.


• Crime is up significantly statewide despite his promise that relaxed gun laws would make us safer.


• He made it more difficult for women to sue when they get paid less than their male counterparts, and required that women seeking to terminate their pregnancies receive unnecessary (and sometimes intrusive) ultrasounds in order to do so.


• And our natural resources, which have traditionally been protected under Democratic and Republican administrations, have been threatened in significant ways by the current governor’s actions.

All of these terrible ideas (and much, much more) that have sent Wisconsin backwards began with Walker's collective bargaining law five years ago. We thousands that protested in the Capitol Rotunda came together to recognize his failure as a leader in the first few months that he had assumed power.

Sadly not every Wisconsinite saw what we did in February 2011. But I’m optimistic today because the people of this great state are starting to see the light.

They now understand that Walker has been a terrible governor. And a majority agree -- he should never run again for the office he currently holds.

That’s a positive sign that things in Wisconsin won’t always be this way. Walker won’t be governor forever, and the state’s voters are rejecting his methods of governance -- which means we can restore Wisconsin’s progressive values in the years ahead.