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STATEWIDE POLICE UNION EDORSES BARRETT
WPR News - Statewide police union edorses Barrett
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Tuesday April 24, 2012
by Shawn Johnson
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(UNDATED) Wisconsin's statewide police union has endorsed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the Democratic primary for governor. The nod raised questions about a letter Barrett sent during the heat of the battle over collective bargaining.
Wisconsin Professional Police Association Director Jim Palmer says his union made a conscious decision to wait until the field of candidates was complete so it could choose the best Democrat to take on Gov. Scott Walker, "Tom Barrett is that candidate. Whether as a state legislator, a member of Congress or as the mayor of Milwaukee, Tom Barrett has consistently demonstrated his support for those who serve in public safety."
Many of Wisconsin's largest unions endorsed former Dane County Executive Kathleeen Falk before Barrett even formally entered the race. The mayor said it was significant to get the backing of the police union, "To have these men and women support me means a lot. Means a lot, I think, politically, but more than that, it means a lot personally. Because I respect what they do so much."
Walker's collective bargaining bill specifically exempted police and firefighters--a point the mayor raised in a letter to the co-chairs of the legislature's budget committee just three days after the bill was introduced. Barrett said in the letter that if lawmakers were going to require other employees to contribute more for their health insurance and pensions, Milwaukee's police and firefighters should have to do the same. The mayor said it wasn't his first choice, "I was never, have never been and will never be an advocate for eliminating collective bargaining rights. But what I can't have is I can't have a situation where employees are pitted against each other. That was my gripe, is I did not want to have employees pitted against each other."
The Milwaukee Police and Firefighters unions, which have a history of backing Republicans, have again endorsed Gov. Walker in the recall campaign.
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