“Walkerville”: Friendly Face of the Budget Battle

by Kyle Weidleman  |  June 06, 2011

“Walkerville” tent city at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.

On Saturday, a coalition of Wisconsin labor union and community groups opened a tent city, called “Walkerville,” near the State Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker's anti-worker legislative agenda. With Walker ready to roll back 75 years of labor gains, Walkerville channels the spirit of the “Hooverville” shanty towns from the Great Depression.

Walkerville sponsor We Are Wisconsin hopes the protest will raise public awareness about the governor's draconian budget cuts and gather support for the effort to recall six Republican state senators. “The ear we want to reach is the Wisconsin voter,” said Walkerville coordinator David Boetcher.

Unlike earlier protests in and outside of the State Capitol, the atmosphere is less combative and more convivial; the scene is more like a music festival than a political rally. “Just like the original Hoovervilles in the 1930s, we wanted to create that type of atmosphere without being destructive,” said Boetcher about the tent city idea.

While the Republican legislators work behind closed doors to force their anti-worker policies though the budget process, the residents of Walkerville are talking about real solutions to the major issues facing Wisconsin citizens. Each day in Walkerville will focus on a different issue including: K-12 education; public services; health care; higher education; and social and economic justice.

In addition to Monday’s activities to support public service workers and fight back against Walker's 2012 budget plans, hundreds of firefighters and nurses marched on the Capitol to protest new pay and benefit cuts for Wisconsin's first responders.

As the fiscal year comes to a close and more state budget battles come to the forefront, We Are Wisconsin and Walkerville offer another tool for public workers and coalitions in state battlegrounds nationwide.