Oct. 29 2014

In the last month I have read two unanswered RP letters that were anti-Burke/pro-Walker.

These letters deserve a response. The first letter (9/24) charged Burke with plagiarism. As a former English teacher, I am uncomfortable defending plagiarism, but, in this case, there really were extenuating circumstances. Burke’s supposed plagiarism is found in a 45-page job plan that was written by a campaign consultant, Eric Schnurer, who was “let go” after the incident. More fundamentally, do Republicans really want this race to be about ethics? Walker has escaped prosecution while six of his aides and associates have been convicted on a variety of charges. Also, in what seems like a clear case of quid pro quo, Walker received a political donation of $700,000 from a mining company that subsequently got his legislative support.

A second letter (10/1) stated that Walker has created over 100,000 jobs, but failed to mention that he promised repeatedly to create 250,000 jobs. Voters should remember that Burke, a former executive of Trek Bicycle Corporation, is the real business person. Walker is the career politician.

There are other reasons to vote against Walker on November 4: Walker has been a divisive Governor; he has ravaged public schools, universities, and the environment; he is against a minimum wage; he is anti-environmental; and he favors voter suppression.

The stakes are very high. Next week I hope Whitewater students will vote their own interests but also the interests of their community.

– George Savage
Emeritus English Professor