When Will You Lead?

 Five separate emails:

 

Subject:  Please Stop Tearing My State Apart

Dear Gov. Walker,

 

The citizens of Wisconsin, the United States, and the even the world are slowly but surely learning that you have no interest in the betterment of our great state, only an interest in furthering your own political ambitions and filling the already-overflowing coffers of a collection of wealthy friends.   

 

With each news report, the world learns that Wisconsin's budget crisis was an invention.  A reprehensible invention that itself simultaneously cost Wisconsin's citizens $140 million and enriched more of your friends.  That's like stealing a little kid's bike so that you can catch up with him to knock him down.

 

But you weren't counting on this response, were you?  When you, the Koch brothers, and the rest of the Tea Party governors got together after last November's election results came in, you thought you'd simply push aside the teachers, snow plow drivers, nurses, and other public employees whose rights you so callously and cavalierly are trampling upon and march to victory with your stacked House and Senate.

 

But you're not a real Wisconsinite, Gov. Walker.  If you were one of us, you would have known that we would not stand for an injustice like this.  You would not have been blindsided by the outpouring of spirit from every corner of the state that we've seen this week.  Wisconsin is better than that.  Wisconsin is better than you.

 

When you lose this battle, which you will and after you are recalled and removed from office, please consider making your home far away from Wisconsin.  Far away from the people you thought you could dictate to and oppress; far away from the millions of Wisconsin citizens whose values, morals, and spirit are stronger than yours on their worst day.

 

John P. Hagemann

 ________________________________________________________________

Subject:  For Your Consideration

Dear Governor Walker,

 

With the revelation that you will drop everything in the middle of a state crisis to speak with someone you believed to be one of your wealthy benefactors, you have lost what little credibility you had left.

 

The great state of Wisconsin now knows that you are for sale.  And if that were not enough, you have offered our state in the bargain.  As a proud Wisconsinite, I will not stand for that.  You do not deserve to call yourself a Wisconsinite.  You are not good enough to count yourself among our ranks, let alone lead us.

 

The name "Scott Walker" will forever be ensconced as one of the greatest political mistakes in Wisconsin history.  When future students open their history books, they will find you sharing the same pages as the likes of Joseph McCarthy.

 

As Senator Cullen suggested, the wisest and most decent course of action now would be to simply resign.  To do so would show at least some signal that you care about what happens to this great state and its citizens.  While your arrogance and treachery up till now would indicate that you don't have the decency to do that, perhaps you will surprise us.

 

You have opened a wound in this great state that will take years, if not decades, to heal.  But your political ambitions and the money of your wealthy benefactors could not and will not crush the spirit of a people who call Wisconsin home.  You are not our leader.  You are not one of us and you never will be.

 

Please, for the sake of Wisconsin and its future generations, just go away.

 

Humbly yours,

 

John P. Hagemann

_______________________________________________________________

Subject:  You Are Losing

Dear Gov. Walker,

 

I know you're not one to care what the citizens of Wisconsin think, but I think even someone as thickheaded and stubborn as you must be noticing by now that you're losing - and losing big - in the court of public opinion.  Perhaps you should have paid more attention to the teachers you are so fond of demonizing.

 

In my past messages, I have given you some suggestions for salvaging this disaster of a job you are doing as "leader" of Wisconsin.  However, at this point, I have determined that you are a bad person and I no longer want you as my governor.

 

So, stay the course, Governor Walker.  Watching you being escorted from the Governor's Mansion 10 months from now will be an event not to be missed.  I, for one, wouldn't miss it for the world.

 

Humblest Regards,

John P. Hagemann

____________________________________________________________________

Subject:  Bad Times

Gov. Walker,

If you'd like an interesting experience, try Googling your own name.  Go ahead...do it right now.  There's no good news for you, Gov. Walker.  None at all.  Talk of how you had to backpedal on your nepotism/cronyism with Brian Deschane.  Talk of how all the big elections didn't go your way.

It must be frustrating to watch a political career that probably seemed so assured just a few short weeks ago going slowly, but surely up in smoke.

Those of us who are disgusted by your Teabagger agenda are thrilled, though.  So take some solace in that, ok?

Humbly yours,
 

John P. Hagemann

___________________________________________________________________

Subject:  When Will You Lead?

Dear Gov. Walker,

I have sent you a number of messages but you have yet to respond to any of them.  I understand you get a great deal of mail, much of which you've falsely classified as "supportive."

Make no mistake, Mr. Walker, this message is NOT supportive.  I consider you to be the worst leader in the history of our state.

A person who seeks the highest position in state government should at least TRY to be a leader.  You have not done this, Mr. Walker.  You have done nothing but divide, wound, and hurt the state of Wisconsin.  Do you have an excuse for this?  I understand that you may believe your actions to be helpful for the state, but if you've been paying attention, all it has caused is divisiveness, sorrow, and pain.

Is this the legacy you want?  If so, then you are NO LEADER.

If you do not respond to this message, I will know that you are coward I believe you to be.  If you do respond, I expect you to provide a legitimate reason or reasons for what you have been doing to my home.  And it better be good.  I have very little faith that it will be.

I look forward to the day when you are recalled and defeated by a better candidate.

Do you have the courage to respond? 

John P. Hagemann