Scott Walker: Master Of Disinformation

In the wake of flip-flops, false starts and a general uproar at the Courthouse over furloughs and service cuts that Milwaukee County Exec Scott Walker wants to impose, the Journal Sentinel finds Walker guilty of poor communications with the County Board.

I disagree: Walker jumped out with his plan without informing the County Board, and maybe without genuine need, because he wanted to appear decisive - - something he needs as a candidate for Governor.

I say "without genuine need" because the numbers Walker had used to justify the 'plan' are grossly exaggerated, according to a solid piece of reportig by Steve Schultze.

So what's going on?

Walker wants to appear as a cost-cutter to separate himself from the fiscal and policy mess and strong scent of incompetence that surrounds his administration.

After all, the newspaper has done solid investigative work and found millions in fraud in the county's child welfare system, and official investigators found the county didn't even know where and how to find fraudulent payments.

It's always been difficult to run statewide from Milwaukee; antipathies to Milwaukee out-state are endemic, and the misspending of $20 million in state child-care funds will make advertising fodder lobbed at Walker-The-Executive by everyone from Mark Neumann to Jim Doyle to any number of Democratic party committees and independent groups.

So Walker's furloughing and service cutting 'plan' was a diversion; Now the County Board says Walker has hugely-overestimated the scope of the county's budget woes.

Walker will not care.

Labor has always been his target, so the goal is to demonstrate to the GOP base and independents that he is willing to 'take on labor,' cut wages and restore financial stability.

This is nothing but a ploy and a dodge.

Miscommunication? That misses the mark.

This is old-fashioned disinformation.