Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge
Scott Walker
Language: English
Pages: 288
ISBN: 1595231110
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
“Today, we can sound like conservatives and act like conservatives—and still win elections. Those who say we can’t don’t see what I see in Wisconsin and what my fellow governors in states all across America see. We don’t need to change our principles. What we need is more courage.”
In 2011, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s chances of staying in office looked bleak. Angry protesters—furious about his collective bargaining proposal—swarmed Madison, camped in the capitol, and attempted to block the passage of the governor’s reform legislation. Teachers unions accused him of sabotaging education. His approval numbers fell to the basement, and with the national media’s descent on Wisconsin, liberals denounced “Dead Man Walker.” He found himself fighting for his reforms, fielding death threats, and facing an unprecedented recall election.
But then something happened. Walker’s policies began to work. His constituents realized they were better off with his leadership, and in June 2012, he became the first governor in American history to survive a recall attempt, winning with a higher share of the vote than he had for his original election.
In Unintimidated, Governor Walker tells the story of his fight to save Wisconsin from a $3.6 billion budget deficit while simultaneously improving the state’s schools and public infrastructure. He describes how he stood for his convictions against enormous political pressure and personal attacks. He explains how he knew his reforms would work, based on his experience as a local official.
Speaking from the perspective earned from his resounding victory, he outlines lessons conservatives on the national stage can learn from his success, such as:
• Change the polls, not your principles.
• Don’t accept the false choices presented to you.
• You can reform entitlements and survive.
• Austerity is not the answer.
• Never stop reforming.
Walker is living proof that conservatives need not move to the center to win. He argues that Republicans must offer Americans big, bold, positive solutions for our nation’s challenges—and have the courage to implement them. Walker has shown that even President Obama will back down when faced with reforms promoted with common sense and courage.
and the public union bosses did decide to play brinksmanship on another matter, however—one that nearly scuttled our chances for budget reform. In December, the outgoing Democratic majorities in the state legislature called a lame-duck session and tried to pass a series of union contracts negotiated with the Doyle administration—contracts that, if approved, would have tied my hands in dealing with the state budget shortfall when I took office. I had made clear during the campaign that I
choices are very attractive,” I said. “It’s not a matter of avoiding a tough decision,” I explained. “It’s a matter of which tough decision you are going to take.” “I don’t want to be just like these other governors and these other state legislators where we’re looking at cuts without any relief. Our goal is to have the dollar amount reduced equal to the dollar amount in savings, so there is not a gap between the two,” I said. “The only way we can look our neighbors in the face and tell
table. This is why what we did in Wisconsin so enraged the union bosses and sparked their unprecedented campaign to stop us. They could live with it if we were to lay off tens of thousands of workers. They could live with it if we cut aid to schools and local governments. They could live with it if we raised workers’ contributions to their pensions and health care premiums. What they could not live with is if we broke up the system of cronyism and corruption that allowed them to preserve
order would be overturned. There was supreme court precedent that Judge Sumi had no authority to enjoin publication of the law. Moreover, while she had enjoined the secretary of state from publishing the law in the Wisconsin State Journal, her order did not mention the Legislative Reference Bureau. So Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald told the Reference Bureau that they had a legal responsibility to go ahead and publish Act 10 within the ten-day period required by law. After examining
senators were in the tunnels. So when the senators came up into the Risser Center lobby, the protesters were there waiting for them. The tall windows that framed the lobby were plastered with people yelling and banging on the glass. They were trapped. The senators hid under a stairwell, out of view, while the police ordered a city bus to pull up in front of the building. Officers then formed a human wall on the sidewalk, parting the sea of protesters and creating a pathway for the