When Governor-elect Scott Walker takes office Jan. 3, 2011, he'll inherit a projected deficit of $2.7 billion and an unemployment rate of 7 percent. He'll also inherit a beautiful new home worthy of recognition on ""MTV Cribs."" The Wisconsin Governor's Mansion, located in Maple Bluff village, is a $2.5 million manor sitting on 3.7 acres of prime lakeside property. The mansion, built in 1920, features seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and seven major gardens, including a gazebo.
Not bad for a guy who, according to his website, packs the same brown-bag lunch (two ham and cheese sandwiches on wheat and mayo, in case you were curious) every day.
But what Walker may see as his rightful reward, others view as exactly the kind of wasteful government spending he campaigned against. Sen. Bob Wirch, District 22, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., asked Walker to sell or lease the mansion in order to show he's serious about cutting government waste. Wirch made the same request of Gov. Jim Doyle eight years ago—claiming in both instances that such a move would not only supply the state with the sale money, but also eliminate $1 million of tax-funded upkeep per year.
While Walker stated his intention to live in the mansion, Wirch's proposal is still worth consideration. Walker is a public servant, and in light of today's economic conditions, the sale or lease of the Governor's Mansion would not only save the state millions of dollars, but also serve as a symbolic sign of Walker's intent to fix our growing deficit.
In addition, Walker's decision to ignore Wirch's request goes against everything he campaigned for. The Brown Bag Movement, coined by the Walker campaign, focused on downsizing government, lowering taxes and eliminating wasteful spending. The Brown Bag Movement's website went so far as to claim, ""We can't go out to lunch because Wisconsin's government is out-to-lunch … How come regular folks have to adjust when money's tight but the government doesn't have to?""
If Walker is truly the cost-saving Republican he claims to be, he should start by addressing his own wasteful spending as an employee of the state. The ""regular folk"" Walker refers to often have to move into smaller homes when in debt. The state of Wisconsin is running a debt of over $2.5 billion, but Walker doesn't see the importance of following suit.
Seven bedrooms and 20,777 square feet for a family of four? That's not exactly ""brown-bagging it.""
Our governor-elect shouldn't mind much, either. Throughout the campaign he made a point of depicting himself as the epitome of frugality—just another regular guy who drives a 1998 Saturn with 100,000 miles on it.
More importantly, such a move would serve as a praise-worthy symbol of his commitment to not only the interests of Wisconsin, but also to the validation of Walker's campaign promises. The annual million-dollar upkeep might be minuscule in the grand scale of Wisconsin's state budget, but I doubt most tax-paying families would support such extravagance if given a choice. Walker has suggested the elimination of free cell-phones for welfare recipients and that state workers pay toward their retirement funds. In doing so he expects the people of Wisconsin to make sacrifices in order to balance the budget—so shouldn't he?
We have enough hypocrites in public office; the last thing the state of Wisconsin needs is one as governor. Walker's opposition to the $800 million dollar federal grant for a high-speed rail between Milwaukee and Madison has already put the governor-elect in hot water. He can send a powerful message to his constituents by refusing the unnecessary expense of living in the Governor's Mansion. The decision would serve as a refreshing confirmation of the values he campaigned on; and though it may not please Mrs. Walker, Scott needs to prioritize the needs of the state over his own if he's really serious about turning around the state's economy.
Miles Kellerman is a sophomore with an undecided major. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
