Here & Now

Larson Expresses Concern For Proposed Civil Service Changes

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DEMOCRATS ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGES. TO TELL US WHY, WE ARE JOINED BY STATE SENATOR CHRIS LARSON IN MILWAUKEE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

CHRIS LARSON:

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS PROPOSAL THAT YOU DO LIKE?

CHRIS LARSON:

NO. I MEAN, LOOK, THIS IS ANOTHER EXCUSE TO BE ABLE TO BASH THE WORKERS IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. WE SAW THIS FIVE YEARS AGO, WHEN WALKER WENT AFTER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. NOW HE’S GONE AFTER CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTIONS, WHICH MAY SOUND PRETTY BORING. BUT EVEN AS RECENTLY AS FIVE YEARS AGO, WALKER ENDORSED CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTIONS AND EVEN SAID THAT IT WOULD BE HERE LONG AFTER WE’RE GONE. NOW HE’S GONE BACK ON YET ANOTHER CAMPAIGN PROMISE. AND HE’S DOING IT JUST FOR THE REASON OF TRYING TO INTRODUCE MORE POLITICS, STREAMLINING CORRUPTION AND CONSOLIDATING POWER. I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING OUR BEST TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST AND NOT BASE IT OFF OF WHO YOU KNOW OR WHO YOUR DONORS ARE. WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST, SO THOSE FOLKS ARE SERVING THE PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD GO AWAY WOULD BE THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM UNDER THIS PROPOSAL. BUT IF THAT’S SO USEFUL IN HIRING, WHY DON’T WE SEE IT MORE OFTEN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR?

CHRIS LARSON:

YEAH, WELL LOOK, I THINK IT’S UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE SETTING A HIGH STANDARD. I THINK IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, PEOPLE CAN HIRE WHO THEY WANT TO WITHOUT CRONYISM BEING AN ISSUE. WHEN IT COMES TO STATE GOVERNMENT, WE PUT THIS PROTECTION IN OVER A CENTURY AGO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN’T JUST A FEEDING FRENZY WHEN SOMEBODY NEW CAME INTO OFFICE. THAT THEY COULD HIRE ALL OF THESE CAMPAIGN STAFFERS, ALL OF THEIR DONORS, BRING THEM IN, AND FIRE ACTUALLY THE SERVANTS. PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DO THIS JOB. AND LOOK, I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP IT, BECAUSE IF YOU WANT A CASE — A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON’T HAVE IT, WALKER ALREADY CHANGED ONE DIVISION OF GOVERNMENT. WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTCORPORATION, OR WEDC. AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS KNOW WHEN THEY HEAR WEDC, THEY KNOW THAT IT IS NOT THE CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN STATE GOVERNMENT. YOU NEVER HAD A WHISTLE BLOWER OVER THERE CALLING ABOUT THE CORRUPTION OR LOST MONEY OR HOW THEY WERE SHIFTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO DONORS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL PEOPLE WHO WERE HIRED BASED OFF OF THEIR RESUMS, BASED OFF OF WHO THEY KNEW, BASED OFF OF WHO THEY WERE CONNECTED TO, INSTEAD OF BEING CIVIL SERVANTS DEVOTED TO THE PUBLIC. I THINK THAT RIGHT THERE IS A VERY CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE DON’T WANT TO GO. AND WHERE THIS REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL WILL TAKE US, INSTEAD OF HAVING THOSE PROTECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE TO GET HELP IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT, YOU’RE GOING TO GET TREATED FAIRLY INSTEAD OF TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO’S THE SON OR DAUGHTER OF A RICH CAMPAIGN DONOR.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW REPUBLICANS ARE RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING AND THAT’S THE NUMBER OF STATE EMPLOYEES THAT WE’LL NEED TO HIRE IN THE NEXT DECADE WILL BE QUITE LARGE. DO WE NEED TO AT LEAST STREAMLINE THE HIRING PROCESS SO IT DOESN’T STRETCH ON FOR MONTHS AT A TIME?

CHRIS LARSON:

YEAH, I DON’T THINK THAT’S A PROBLEM. I THINK THEY’RE MAKING THAT UP. I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY ALREADY SHIFTED IT AWAY SO THEY’VE ALREADY ELIMINATED ONE LAYER OF PROTECTION IN HOW FOLKS ARE HIRED. THIS WOULD ACTUALLY ERODE IT EVEN MORE. AND YES, WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE. WE WANT TO HAVE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST WORKING FOR US IN THE STATE AND SERVING OUR CITIZENS, SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS. BUT TRYING TO COMPLETELY THROW OUT 100 YEARS WORTH OF GOOD GOVERNMENT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SAYING, WELL, THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO HIRE. SURE IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER AND QUICKER, THE SAME WAY WEDC WAS PUT TOGETHER SHOOTING FROM THE HIP. LET’S MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST. LET’S MAKE SURE WE’RE NOT THROWING OUT THE GOOD WITH THE BAD. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THIS PROPOSAL DOES. IT JUST OPENS UP THE DOOR FOR MORE STREAMLINED CORRUPTION AND CONSOLIDATED POWER.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HOW WOULD WE BE ABLE TO TELL IF POLITICAL PATRONAGE IS RETURNING? ARE THERE SIGNS YOU’D BE LOOKING FOR IN STATE GOVERNMENT OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WOULDN’T HAPPEN THAT WOULD SAY WEKK THIS WASN’T DETRIMENTAL?

CHRIS LARSON:

LOOK, WE’RE ALREADY SEEING IT. I THINK WEDC IS THE CLEAREST EXAMPLE RIGHT. AND THE FACT THAT WE’RE BRINGING THIS UP AS A PROPOSAL AT ALL I THINK SHOWS THAT THERE ALREADY IS TOO MUCH CORRUPTION IN WALKER’S GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? WE ARE LAGGING BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF JOB GROWTH. IF WE JUST KEPT PACE WITH THE REST OF THE NATION AND THEIR PERCENTAGE OF JOB GROWTH, WE WOULD HAVE HAD 70,000 MORE JOBS IN OUR STATE. WE HAVE THE FASTEST SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. THESE ARE REAL PROBLEMS. THE FACT THAT WE HAD THE LARGEST CUT TO EDUCATION IN STATE HISTORY, THAT’S A PROBLEM. BUT INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THOSE, THEY’RE TACKLING NEW ONES. THEY’RE PICKING NEW PROBLEMS, CREATING NEW PROBLEMS THAT WOULD JUST STREAMLINE CORRUPTION AND CONSOLIDATE POWER. THAT’S WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT SCOTT WALKER SEEMS TO BE. AND I THINK WE NEED TO, INSTEAD, FOCUS ON ACTUALLY CREATING JOBS AND MAKING SURE THOSE JOBS ARE PAYING LIVING WAGES. THAT’S THE PROBLEMS THE PEOPLE WANT US TO SEE, NOT TACKLING THINGS THAT WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING AGAINST CAMPAIGN PROMISES BY THIS VERY GOVERNOR.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND VERY QUICKLY, FINALLY, A LITTLE OFF TOPIC OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT YOU PLAN TO RUN FOR MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE NEXT SPRING, CHALLENGING THE INCUMBENT, CHRIS ABELE. DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO MAKE TODAY OR ANY ANNOUCEMENTS WE CAN EXPECT IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

CHRIS LARSON:

YEAH, I MEAN, I’VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MY NEIGHBOR. I’VE BEEN HAVING HUNDREDS OF CONVERSATIONS. AND FOLKS ARE DEFINITELY UPSET WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS TAKING THEM. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR PARKS ARE PROTECTED. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING GOOD THINGS AND EXPANDING AND BEING PROUD OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY AND THEY HAVE SOMEBODY IN CHARGE WHO’S ACTUALLY GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON CAMPAIGN PROMISES. SO NO ANNOUNCEMENTS YET, BUT DEFINITELY HAVING SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE’LL WAIT FOR THAT ANNOUNCEMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

CHRIS LARSON:

THANK YOU. ANY TIME.