Friday, May 6, 2011

Walker's State Employee Recognition Program NOT winning over insulted Public Workers


The State Employee Recognition Program Gov. Walker awkwardly put out there, and is essentially broadcasting just how tone deaf he really is, ain't going over so well.
jsonline: Gov. Scott Walker … wants to formally recognize their many fine achievements, and they're telling him to stick it. So the timing for this pat on the head seems surprising, though not to him. 
"He's pretty consistent throughout everything that's happened. He's been totally consistent in praising the good work that the professional public employees do across the state," said Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie. 
If you want to know what some workers think about the idea, visit the comment section on YouTube under Walker's video. 
"I think I just sprained my eye-rolling muscles," was one of the many responses. As of Thursday, 15 people clicked that they liked what he had to say, and 681 disliked it.
"This is the moral equivalent of beating up your wife and then taking her out to dinner to make up for it," another wrote.
 
"If this is supposed to be a peace pipe type situation, I wonder what he is smoking," someone opined. 
…you get the sense these are folks who would rather be handed a scorpion than a plaque from the governor.
Of course the Walker administration goes back to their favorite bogy man, “outside groups,” and blames them for everything.
Werwie said the online commenters are but a small fraction of 80,000 state workers. And he said liberal national blogs have linked to the video, eliciting feedback from farther way.
Denial won't help them at election time, though, and their scheme to honor public employees after ripping them a new one, isn't winning over anyone.
University employees learned of Walker's program from an email sent by Kevin Reilly, UW System president, at Walker's request. That was met by an open letter from the UWM University Committee telling Reilly, "we deeply regret the humiliating position in which you were placed by Gov. Scott Walker," and calling the program "disingenuous, insulting and condescending" to faculty and staff. 
Wow, this could be one awkward awards ceremony.

3 comments:

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  2. I'd suggest the opposite approach - all state employees should embrace the chance to demonstrate the commitment, innovation and hard work they see daily from their colleagues and flood the governor's office with testimonials. Wouldn't it be more effective for the governor to receive tens of thousands of sincere examples of great work by state employees than to receive a handful?

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  3. I think that's a great idea, and another way to send a message.

    Maybe someone will pick up on it.

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