Oh, by the way, Gov. Walker doesn’t hate Milwaukee anymore
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It seems like only one month ago that once-recalled, twice-winning Gov. Scott Walker was appealing to his huckleberry fan base by suggesting Milwaukee was a big, scary place that should be avoided at all costs. People didn’t want to see Wisconsin become “another Milwaukee,” said Walker, much to the dismay of his thrice-nominated, thrice-losing Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. But now, in the heady, post-recall landscape known as “unified Wisconsin,” Walker is changing his tune: According to The Business Journal, the guv spent Thursday speaking in front of the VISIT Milwaukee board, touting state tourism and focusing specifically on all the wonderful things Milwaukee has to offer. Say what?
“For the first time in a long time, for two years in a row there was an increase in the total number of visitors in the state,” Walker said. “Obviously Milwaukee County leads the way by far. There are a lot of good tourism counties in the state, but nothing compares to Milwaukee County.” [...]
Among the Milwaukee tourist attractions Walker mentioned Thursday were Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair, ethnic festivals, Miller Park, the Harley-Davidson Museum, the lakefront, the Milwaukee County Zoo and Indy car racing.
“We’re very much committed not just to tourism in Wisconsin but to helping tourism here in Milwaukee,” said Walker, who previously was Milwaukee County executive. “I’m personally vested in this.” [...]
“The attractions that are right here in the Milwaukee area are not only a great destination but in many ways a gateway...to get people to come back and explore other parts of the state,” Walker said.
So wait a minute: was Walker’s “not another Milwaukee” comment simply fear-mongering at its most base and vaguely racist (not to mention based on shitty reporting), and not his actual opinion? Are we supposed to believe a man could stoop that low just to score easy political political points with dullards in Fond du Lac County? Excuse us while we sit down and piece together our suddenly blown minds.
