For a gubernatorial candidate, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker sure didn’t show last week that he could think his decisions through before acting on them.

On Oct. 28, Walker sent layoff notices to 180 county workers to bridge a possible $3 million budget shortfall. Two days later, he changed his mind on the layoffs after he and the County Board of Supervisors found ways to cut the budgets of other county departments.

But as a result of his initial proposal, he created uneasiness for county workers afraid of losing their jobs.

The layoffs were one potential strategy for Walker to balance the budget. But more effective, less devastating options were not fully considered by the county executive before he jumped the gun on the layoff memos.

Plus, the layoffs would only have provided approximately $810,000 — less than a third of the lingering $3 million budget deficit.

Furthermore, the County Board said Walker didn’t release the financial information that would have alerted them to the layoffs. Walker denies this claim, but the lack of communication is evidence of the historic tension between him and county supervisors.

Many economists argue that both resisting tax hikes and promoting job creation are crucial during a recession. Scott Walker is a well-known opponent of tax increases, but his knee-jerk decision to lay off a large number of county employees to offset a fraction of the budget shortfall is a cause for concern.

Milwaukee County employees are already required to take four furlough days in the next two months, and just because Walker rescinded the layoffs doesn’t guarantee security of those jobs if budget woes arise in the future.

Leaving 180 workers jobless, especially with the holiday season approaching, is not a desirable solution and would affect hundreds of families.

Though Walker revised his plan to balance the budget with better options after the County Board and various unions challenged him, he should have considered all his options before announcing them in the first place.

Any politician on the campaign trail must expect that his or her every move will be scrutinized by voters and the press. Walker needs to show a cooler head and a more thoughtful problem-solving approach to prove he’s worthy of the highest office in the state of Wisconsin.