On Scott Walker's Proposal To Wipe Out Most Of County Government

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is correct in saying that there is waste and duplication in county government.

But his status as a declared candidate for the GOP gubernatorial nomination undermines the credibility and sincerity of the proposal.

Walker could have made downsizing and redefining county government a serious proposal years ago, and been working closely with the City of Milwaukee and other units of government on demonstration projects and service transfers year-after year.

But that's not what has happened.

In the context of the campaign - - which is how everything that a candidate says and does is inevitably judged after the formal announcement - - the Walker proposal looks self-serving, superficial, and basically too-cute-by-half.