Views vary on impact of governor recall

MADISON - Round two of recalls in the state are escalating the cost to taxpayers. And some wonder just what will be accomplished no matter how the elections turn out.

Democrats hope the collection of a million signatures on recall petitions targeting Governor Scott Walker will accentuate the need and the desire or the people for a change in state leadership.

"I think it's a big deal. It's an important barrier both numerically and psychologically that over one million people think he needs to go just one year into his term," said Mike Tate, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman

Republicans see it another way.

"We said from early on we thought with the activists they'd get enough signatures but in the end we earned the trust of the majority of citizens in our state back in the fall of 2010," said Walker.

In fact the one million recall signatures collected against Walker represents less than a quarter of the 4.3 million people who make up the state's voting age population.

Nevertheless, both sides expect the petitions to be certified at some point leading to only the third statewide recall ever in United States history.

And the recall election won't be cheap. The Government Accountability Board estimates a single election for the recall of governor, lieutenant governor and four Republican state senators will run $9 million.

Reid Magney says $800,000 of that are the costs of the Government Accountability Board.

"The rest is for counties who print ballots but mostly municipalities who run the election and hire the poll workers. The cost is really going to be borne by the local taxpayers," said Magney.

And $9 million is just the start. If a primary election is needed then the cost jumps to $17 million, according to the GAB.

"I would not be the least bit surprised if we had a Democratic primary for governor," said Tate.

Two Democrats have indicated they will run against Walker, but formal filings to get on the ballot won't happen until an election is called.

"If you want to blow $17 million because you don't like the way somebody voted that's your right to do that," said State Sen. Mike Ellis (R)-Neenah. "Do I personally think it's a good idea? No, I don't even if it was a Democrat."

Ellis faces losing his position as president of the Senate if Republicans lose just one seat out of the four being challenged in a recall.

"You can understand the uproar with the governor, but to start recalling Assemblymen or recalling Senators or the city council guy in Appleton because you don't like how he voted on one issue, I think that's a big stretch," explained Ellis.

Democrats are pushing the recalls, unhappy with Governor Walker's move soon after taking office last year to eliminate most collective bargaining rights for most state workers. Legislation also requires those workers to pay more of the pension and health care costs.

Protesters called it "union busting" and said it would lead to overcrowded classrooms, teacher layoffs and more costs for taxpayers. While angry Democrats collected recall signatures over the past two months, Walker fought back raising $5 million by the end of December and taking to the airwaves with commercials highlighting the benefits of his legislation for all Wisconsinites.

Ryan Lawler with United Wisconsin, the group behind the recall effort, is not swayed by Walker's campaign pitch.

"I think what you see today is that the message that he was communicating with the people wasn't something that resonated with the people," said Lawler.

The question remains--what will be the impact here if Governor Walker is voted out in a recall and Democrats take control of the Senate? With Republicans holding the Assembly, the answer is likely nothing will get done.

"It's really to change the politics to change the direction so we hope to see Wisconsin return to the Wisconsin ideals a bit more progressive," said Lawler.

Democrats say they will work to undo what the Republican Legislature has done. State Senator Ellis isn't convinced it will even come to that.

"I still think in the final analysis this will come down to whether or not the taxpayers of Wisconsin want to reclaim their right over their employees. That's what this is about," said Ellis.

Both sides do agree working together politically for the state isn't likely to happen no matter how the recalls turn out.

"I think once we recall Scott Walker and take back the state Senate that we will see a return to normalcy in the state," said Tate.

"This is not only going to be a pricey affair, it is going to leave 10 years of divide in Wisconsin we are not going to get back to normal here for at least a decade," said Ellis.

In addition to whatever recalls elections take place this year, the balance of power in Madison could also be impacted by the November elections. All 99 Assembly members are up for re-election as well as 16 seats in the State Senate. And ten of those are currently held by Democrats.