From watchdog to lapdog, vocal citizen becomes a cog in the machine
Former City of Trenton spokesperson Michael Walker could wax poetically.
Talk about a showman. If Walker had lived during the Ringling Brothers, P.T. Barnum and James Bailey era, shoot, he would have existed as the biggest man, well, owned the loudest voice, under the circus company’s big top tent.
Walker, before he became a city employee and police officer darling, once lived just as a regular citizen. He would appear at city council meetings and deliver more bluster than a Cat 5 hurricane. Walker could rant about cronyism, lazy politicians and government people who milk the system.
Imagine the surprise when an attempt to reach Public Works Director Merkle Cherry regarding how rain impacted maintenance of weeds and mowing grass in city parks, discovered news that Walker, six weeks from ending a near four-year career as spokesman for Eric Jackson, had landed a management specialist job at the Trenton Water Works.
“Michael Walker no longer works as the city spokesperson. I’m going to be handling his duties in the interim,” Sakina Cole said. Cole, CEO of Cole Media, made an inauspicious foray into Trenton politics.
“Who informed you that the city was unable to handle it’s obligation to cut grass,” Cole asked. Ms. Cole received a rebuke and personal testimony that a visit to Cadwalader Park and personal observations of several city-owned properties were proof positive that a week’s worth of weather had impacted employees’ ability to maintain grass cutting assignments.
Walker, who had raged against the machine, now exists as a spoke in the rusted wheel of good government, a charlatan, fraud and trough feeder. Outlooks change when one can see the final check ending up in direct deposit as Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson paved the way for Walker’s switcheroo.
Walker has morphed into David Wildstein who transformed from government watchdog to lapdog for former Gov. Chris Christie. Wildstein sold his soul when he accepted his Port Authority job then entangled himself in that Bridgegate mess.
Walker seemed genuine during his initial deliveries as Joe Citizen but once government money touched his hands, all bets were off.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Reach him at laparker@trentonian.com. Follow him on Twitter@ laparker6.