It’s unfortunate, but in the United States of America, citizens hold professional sports teams’ coaches/managers to levels of excellence that are enormously higher than the standards they set for national and states’ political leaders.
Consider the case of Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) for example: After he became governor a year ago, the republican party (his party), which controlled both houses in Wisconsin, passed every law he wanted, gave him every tax incentive he requested, privatized the government functions he demanded, cut the entitlements programs he ordered, and marginalized the unions he was against. Essentially he got everything he requested and more. (Additionally, he received the backing of the National Republican Party, most of Wisconsin’s big businesses, and many of the one percent, richest Americans.) Yet, a cold hard analysis of the present social and economic picture in Wisconsin shows, in every aspect, conditions of most Wisconsinites are worse than they have been in decades.
Most Wisconsinites are working longer hours. Most of them are not receiving an increase in salary, but all of them are receiving the added expense of paying for their health care and their retirement. And all this is occurring during a period when corporate profits are at an all-time high.
Additionally, Wisconsinites no longer have voices concerning work, safety, and environmental conditions in their communities and the rest of the state. They no longer have a voice in the state’s economic and social policy decisions.
Moreover, Wisconsin is more divided than ever. The level of dissatisfaction is so great that the governor and several other Republicans are facing recalls, and many of their policies are being challenge in court. But what’s even more alarming and should cause every Wisconsinite to pause (including the Governor’s supporters), is the fact that state did not gain any ground in any of the areas the Governor Walker promised to improve. Instead, the state lost ground: Wisconsin has lost jobs for six straight months. Many Wisconsin school districts are in dire straights. Its economic gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. More Wisconsinites are homeless, and Wisconsin is once again facing a budget shortfall.
If, instead of being the Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker was the head coach/manager of the Milwaukee Bucks or the Milwaukee Brewers. And one year after he inherited one of these play-off caliber teams, and received all the changes to personnel, policy, and salaries he requested, the team began a rapid decent from first to worst, dissension became widespread between management and the players, a major split developed between the players, and the team started losing revenues, Scott Walker would have been fired a long time ago! If, instead of the Brewers and the Bucks, this team was the Green Bay Packers, Scott Walker wouldn’t be facing a recall, he would be facing a full scale, statewide riot!
However, in Wisconsin politics, Scott Walker, with his immense campaign war chest, will defeat the recall. And the big looser will be the people of Wisconsin – especially when “big government spending” (defense contracts, stimulus package funds, and transportation funds) begins to dwindle in the next two years. And the problem will continue to be: Most of us will be holding Mike McCarthy, the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, to a higher standard than Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin.
God, help us!
By
James A. Porter
