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No pay hikes for state workers

October 25, 2011 By

There will be no pay raises for state employees over the next two years under terms of a pay plan unveiled by the administration of Governor Scott Walker on Tuesday.

That’s in keeping with the demise of collective bargaining for state employees enacted into law earlier this year. Democrats such as Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca are not pleased with the pay plan. “It’s really a huge shift to enable the governor to have incredible ability to restructure the way the employees are compensated in this state,” Barca said.

The changes also include revisions to overtime rules and merit pay raises. Administration officials defended the plans. “I believe it reflects, not a power grab in any manner, but in fact a recognition of the desire that we have a strong workforce, one that is compensated at a market level, that keeps us competitive in hiring employees,” said Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, News, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Democrats challenge Walker website

October 25, 2011 By

The state Democratic Party is filing a complaint over a website launched this week by Governor Scott Walker’s office.

The governor’s office says the “Reforms and Results” website unveiled Monday is meant to highlight the money saved by local governments as a result of budget reforms enacted earlier this year.  State Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate charges that it’s nothing more than taxpayer-funded propaganda.

Tate says the site is “at best inappropriate, and at worst against the law.”

Tate says the site “cherry picks” the facts and ignores the problems many local governments and school districts now face because of budget cuts. He also questions the timing of its release, with a statewide recall effort targeting Governor Walker expected to begin November 15th.

The party is filing a complaint with the state Government Accountability Board that alleges the website violates state ethics laws because it’s a taxpayer funded campaign tool.

A spokesman for Governor Walker says the GAB was consulted before the site was launched, and much of the information being put online is the same content they have been using in news releases for the past several months.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:15)

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With:

McCarthy’s bye-week orders

October 25, 2011 By

Following a day at the office on Monday, the Green Bay Packers bye week

Mike McCarthy

officially starts today.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a specific request for his players this week.  He wants them to be with their families and get plenty of rest.

AUDIO: Mike McCarthy on his bye week orders to the team :18

McCarthy also told his players on the way out the door to stay out of trouble. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Green Bay Packers, Sports

Packers’ Green is done for the season

October 25, 2011 By

Green Bay Packers’ rookie running back Alex Green is done for the remainder

Greg Jennings

of the season after suffering a left knee injury on a first quarter kickoff.  Green will require surgery, but a procedure hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Green will be placed on injured reserve and miss the rest of the season.  Because the Packers are in their bye week, there’s no rush to make a roster move. 

Greg Jennings had x-rays on his hand on Monday, but they turned up negative.  Jennings suffered a hand bruise instead of a break.  He’ll be able to return to practice with the team next week.

Defensive back Sam Shields has also been cleared (concussion) for action.  He’ll return to practice with the team next week.

Filed Under: Green Bay Packers, Sports Tagged With: ,

Walker continues job forums

October 25, 2011 By

Governor Walker got ideas from business leaders during a jobs forum in Wausau Monday about how the state can create more jobs in the private sector.

“Every one of these is helpful in the sense that it affirms things and at the same time it brings up new ideas,” Walker said. The governor has hosted previous forums in Green Bay, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, and Madison.

Twenty local business executives, who represented the education, health care, manufacturing and financial sectors, attended the forum at Northcentral Technical College. They weighed in on issues like increasing access to capital, giving Wisconsin companies a preference in state contracts and helping match skilled workers with available jobs.

Officials from various state agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Workforce Development, joined Walker for the forum.

Walker campaigned on a promise to create 250,000 new jobs in the state by the end of his first term in office in 2015. But the state revenue department reported Friday that Wisconsin will not meet the governor’s goal – only creating an estimated 136,000 jobs in the private sector by 2014.

“I want to hit that goal not just because it’s a promise made,” Walker said. “Because in the end, it’s one of those where we’ve got too many people looking for work right now.”

Matt Lehman-WSAU

Filed Under: Economy, News, Politics & Government
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