Letter: Walker’s unwillingness to negotiate ‘decisive moment’ for her

TO THE EDITOR: Recall election season is here.

By the time this letter is published, we will know who the Democratic candidate is in this historic June 5 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election.

The call to recall Gov. Walker arose in February 2011 as the new governor “dropped the bomb,” pushing through his pro-corporate, pro-privatization economic agenda. For me, the decisive moment was when he was unwilling to sit down and talk and negotiate with those who his decisions adversely impacted.

I recall that, at the time, he said there was nothing to talk about. That approach was undemocratic. Had he been willing to listen and talk together, to negotiate, to reach across the aisle, I don’t think the recall would be happening today.

Sadly, we’ve been left with a state with deep rifts. May this recall season provide opportunities to reflect on what has happened, to question and listen to the candidates and to each other, to envision what we hope for Wisconsin’s future and to begin to heal our rifts.

We’re all in this together.

Tags: opinion, letters, politics