Monday, February 20, 2012

Wisconsin's Newest Favorite Game!

After the smash success of Wisconsin's favorite game: "Do you know where your governor is?", we are proud to bring you the next sure hit game, "Do you know where your Republican legislators are?"

Here's a really big clue, courtesy of Walkergate's newest player, Judith Rhodes Engels:


Wisconsin Night in Washington DC
You are cordially invited to attend a reception in support of the 

Republican Party of Wisconsin 

With Hosts:
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald 
and
Joint Finance Co-Chair Rep. Robin Vos
along with
Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald; Assistant Leaders Rep. Scott Suder and Senator Glenn Grothman; and 
Joint Finance Co-Chair Senator Alberta Darling


Wednesday, February 29, 2012
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m

Barbour Griffith & Rogers, LLC 
The Homer Building
Eleventh Floor South
601 Thirteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20005


Invited Guests: 
Senator Ron Johnson
Congressman Sean Duffy
Congressman Tom Petri
Congressman Reid Ribble
Congressman Paul Ryan
Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner
$5,000 to Host
$2,500 to Sponsor
$1,000 per person to attend
All PAC and Individual Donations are appreciated

Please make checks payable to: 
Republican Party of Wisconsin-Federal Account
148 East Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Please RSVP to Judi Rhodes (608-257-8035) or Melanie Hubbard (608-279-1275) at the Republican Party of Wisconsin or e-mail: jrhodes@wisgop.org or mhubbard@wisgop.org


Contributions to the Republican Party of Wisconsin are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Funds received in response to this solicitation will be subject to federal contribution limits. Under federal election law, individuals may contribute up to $10,000 per calendar year and multicandidate political action committees may contribute up to $5,000 per calendar year to the Republican Party of Wisconsin. 

Paid for by the Republican Party of Wisconsin. 148 E. Johnson St, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Authorized by Ryan for Congress, Ribble for Congress, Ron Johnson for Senate, Inc, Duffy for Congress, Citizens for Tom Petri & The Sensenbrenner Committee
Contributions from foreign nationals, corporations and individuals under 18 years of age are prohibited.

Corruption must be an expensive habit to keep up.

Walker, WISGOP Under-Mining Their Own Chances Of Political Survival

A new poll from Public Policy Polling is a pretty clear snapshot of why so many Republicans are in political jeopardy (even those not tied up in Walkergate), since they continuously go against the will of the people.

This poll in specific show how Wisconsinites feel about Scott Walker and Republican legislators selling out our most valuable assets so that out of state mining companies can increase their profit margin:
Key finding from the poll include:

-69% of voters oppose weakening Wisconsin’s wetlands law, while only 22% think doing
so is necessary to attract open-pit mining companies and jobs to the state. Majorities of Democrats (81/14), independents (70/21), and Republicans alike (53/35) stand against any legislation that would hurt the state’s wetlands. The negative environmental fallout far outweighs any other factors for voters when it comes to this bill.

-Only 22% of voters support a provision that would reduce public participation in the
mining application process, while 72% are opposed to it. This is another proposal where we find strong agreement across the party spectrum- Democrats (87/10), independents (74/21), and Republicans (52/37) all think there should be no weakening in the right of citizens to speak out against mining permits.

-Just 34% of voters support any streamlining of environmental regulations to help bring mining jobs to northern Wisconsin, while 49% oppose any weakening of water
protections. Always critical independent voters are even more against proposed
streamlining of environmental regulations than the population as a whole, opposing it
51/33. Wisconsin voters are sending a clear message: legislators should vote against this bill. They think its negative environmental impacts far outweigh any jobs it may create. And they strongly oppose any changes to the process that would quiet citizens’ voices.
The actual survey results are here.

The Scott Walker Budget Is Already Working! Part LXXV

Do you remember the promise that Scott Walker made? The one about how he was going to create 250,000 jobs? Well, he wishes you wouldn't:
Gov. Scott Walker has made little progress fulfilling a campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs over four years, making the pledge that was a key to getting him elected last year a potentially significant hurdle as he fights off recall efforts.

Walker hasn't been shy about the promise, even saying shortly before taking office that he wanted it branded on the foreheads of his top Cabinet officials. But the Republican has distanced himself in recent months, talking more about building a better environment to create jobs and how Wisconsin's future is tied to a national economy beyond his control.

The new governor wasn't expected to have to defend his jobs promise so soon. But after successfully pushing through a law that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers and made Wisconsin the epicenter of a nationwide fight over union rights, Walker was targeted for recall.
But here is the real telling factor:
Still, Walker has a long way to go. His own Department of Revenue predicted in October that based on the latest forecasts, about 136,000 jobs would be added by 2015. But at the current pace, only 71,000 jobs would be created in four years.
Walker tried to blame his failure on the national economy, but the article goes on to point out how the rest of the country has been adding jobs while Wisconsin, fully under Walker's budget, leads the nation in job losses. Even worse, a professor in applied economics is predicting even more job losses under the Walker plan.

We can't be rid of him soon enough.

The Scott Walker Budget Is Already Working! Part LXXIV

Scott Walker decided that the only green he liked it the lucre he gets from the Koch brothers and not in jobs, so he made it harder for companies that deal with green jobs to stay viable. The results were predictable:
Cardinal Solar Technologies, Mazomanie, laid off 57 employees on Wednesday after the plant's primary customer, a solar photovoltaic panel manufacturer, saw its orders suddenly shrivel.

Most of the hourly production workers are off the job; 20 employees remain, mainly salaried and maintenance workers, plant manager Jeff Valek said.

The factory, which tempers glass used in solar photovoltaic panels, is still open and operating on a "much smaller scale," said Bob Bond, president of Cardinal ST, based in Spring Green. "We believe (the layoff) to be temporary. We believe our customer will come back when the imbalance is, hopefully, corrected," Bond said.
Yes, Mr. Bond, one million people have recently successfully completed the first step to restoring balance to this state. The next step is when we actually vote Walker out of office. Unless John Doe takes him out first.

Walkergate: The Caucus Scandal Rides A Harley

In what seems like a lifetime ago in some ways, but was really only five months ago, I wrote "An Introduction to Walkergate." In that piece, I mentioned the suspicious motorcycle ride that Scott Walker took on the pretense that he was promoting tourism in Milwaukee County, even though everyone could see that it was a campaign stunt:
Also in May of last year, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin followed Walker on his annual bike ride to promote his candidacy Milwaukee County.  This bike ride has long been a source of contention, with many, including myself, who kept pointing out that it was a thinly veiled publicly-funded campaign exploit.  Sure enough, they got lots of evidence, including footage, of long-time aide, campaign worker and close friend, Tim Russell, doing non-county work, even though he was traveling as a county employee. In August 2010, the Sheriff's Office did a search of Russell's office, confiscating his computer, his Blackberry and boxes of papers.
Little did I realize at the time what a big deal that motorcycle ride was going to be after all.

But since then, we've discussed the questionable way that the bike ride was funded by a private company that had just gotten a big deal from Milwaukee County a few weeks before. And don't forget the gaffe of "Say Republican!"  And don't forget that Walker had moved the bike ride up by several weeks because the end of June was just "too hot" to ride a motorcycle - never mind that the ride conveniently ended as the Republican state convention was kicking off in Milwaukee.

Another thing that we had discussed much more recently is the turn that Walkergate was taking to make it closely resemble the caucus scandals from ten years ago. Sure enough, five days after I wrote that, Kelly Rindfleisch, who had been part of the original caucus scandals, was arrested for campaigning and fund raising on county time and from her county office.

Well, now there is a tie between these two aspects of the Walkergate investigation.

That tie is named Judith "Judi" Rhodes Engels.

Ms. Rhodes Engels was part of the caucus scandal from a decade ago, at least according to the criminal complaint against Scott Jensen (scroll down to page 16):
[DCI Special Agent] Strauss reports that she has participated in interviews with Judith Rhodes Engels (“Engels"), who has stated in part the following. Engels was state-employed in the Ladwig Capitol office November 1996 - March 2001. Sherry Schultz was in charge of fundraising for individual Republican members of the Assembly, including completing their campaign finance reports and assisting in fundraisers. After the 1998 elections, Engels and Ladwig discussed the fact that Schultz was “creating a monster” in that legislators were becoming too dependent on Schultz and her campaign finance related services. Engels worked with Schultz on fundraising issues. Schultz did not appear to have any duties other than fundraising. Engel's job was to keep track of contributions from legislators to RACC, which are referred to as "assessments." Schultz's duties included keeping track of where this money went for the individual campaigns. On occasion Engels received checks for individual campaigns and provided them to Schultz. Schultz created various documents regarding fundraising at RACC meetings held in Jensen's Capitol office. In a RACC meeting after the 2000 election in Jensen’s Capitol office, Jensen thanked Schultz for all she did for members of the “team” in connection with the money that had been raised.
Sometime after the caucus scandal, Rhodes Engels ended up working in the legislative office of Senator Scott "Snit Fit" Fitzgerald.

By 2007, she was working for WISGOP, but still helping out Fitzgerald and his brother:
Monday, December 10, 2007

Senator Scott Fitzgerald and Representative Jeff Fitzgerald Christmas Reception
5:00-7:00 PM
Erin’s Snug Irish Pub
4601 American Parkway
Madison, WI
Host options: Shamrock host level: $250/ couple (includes lapel pin), Pot o’ Gold host level: $100/ couple. Sorry, no PAC or corporate contributions. Please make checks payable to: Scott Fitzgerald for Senate and/ or Jeff Fitzgerald for Assembly, PO Box 2741, Madison, WI 53701. For questions or to RSVP, please contact Judi Rhodes at (608) 345-3780 or jrhodes@wisgop.org.
(If anyone could tell me what WASS stands for, that would be great.)

Ms. Rhodes Engels turned up again in 2010, but not as a fund raiser for the Fitzgeralds. Instead, she was one of the many GOP operatives that went along with Walker for that infamous motorcycle tour of the state to promote Walker's campaign tourism:
Two people not talking about any controversy are Judy Rhodes-Engels and her daughter. They are just two of the 140 riders joining Walker on his ride through much of Wisconsin, plus parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan.

Rhodes-Engels said she is a fan of the attention their group gets as they roll into town on their choppers.

"When you're in a big massive group like this," said Rhodes-Engles, "everyone looks at you everywhere you go."

[...]

Most of the participants in the Executive's Ride aren't concerning themselves with any political bickering. They said they're just happy to be along for the trip.

"It's a great experience to share everything about Milwaukee with the rest of the state and even some of the other states that may not have been there," said Rhodes-Engles.
Well, isn't that just special?

As with all things Walker, there are a few special problems with this.

In 2010, Ms. Rhodes Engels was living in Cottage Grove, WI, which is in Dane County, some 70 miles to the west of Milwaukee. Another problem is that, when she was not donating $700 to Walker's campaign, she was still working for WISGOP:

(click to embiggen)
On a side note, her 2011 donations total nearly $2,000, with a really odd one for $8.50. I bet there's a strange story behind that one.

In sum, we have a WISGOP operative, who lives in Cottage Grove, WI and specializes in fund raising for Senator Scott Fitzgerald, going on the Harley Davidson tour and we're really supposed to believe that this was to promote tourism in Milwaukee County and had absolutely nothing to do with Walker's campaign? Really? Really?

I think it would be very interesting to know what Scott Fitzgerald has to say about this.  Not to mention Reince Priebus, who was the head of WISGOP at the time.

I'm also wondering if Ms. Rhodes Engels had something more to do with the bike ride than just being a tag along.

I'm also wondering if Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisolm is aware of all of this.

And isn't this picture of Ms. Rhodes Engels just so symbolic of the Walker/Fitzgerald regime?


Sunday, February 19, 2012

What Has Wisconsin Lost In Just One Year

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO has compiled a list of things that the people of Wisconsin has lost in just one year under Scott Walker's rule, and it's fully supported with research and documentation.

Now, please excuse me while I go weep for this once great state and its people.

The "Restoring Integrity" Ethics Package

The Assembly Democrats have announced a package of new legislation to restore integrity into the State Capitol:
Today, Assembly Democrats announced “Restoring Integrity,” a package of ethics legislation designed to reverse the worst power abuses of Gov. Walker and legislative Republicans and restore integrity to all branches of Wisconsin government.

The Democratic ethics package consists of four parts. The first part addresses the cronyism that has run rampant under the Walker Administration and the scandals and corruption that continue to unfold.

“The secrecy of Gov. Walker and Republican leaders and the scandal surrounding them have left Wisconsin’s reputation for open government in tatters,” Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) said. “Our proposal would ensure public employees are serving the taxpayers of Wisconsin, not simply the politician who appointed them.”

The second part of the Democratic package is aimed at reducing the influence of corporate and special-interest money in state government.

“The dark cloud of secrecy and scandal hanging over our state under Gov. Walker is polarizing our state and damaging Wisconsin’s proud tradition of clean and open government,” Assistant Democratic Leader Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay) said. “While Gov. Walker and legislative Republicans continually choose to reward special interests and big corporate donors, we are serious about working to restore the public’s trust and faith in government through common-sense reforms that put Wisconsin families before special-interest money.”

The third part of the Democratic package includes comprehensive reforms that will restore fairness, impartiality and public trust in Wisconsin’s courts.

“Out-of-control campaign spending along with several prominent recusal and discipline cases in recent years have demonstrated the need for reforming Wisconsin’s judicial discipline and recusal standards,” Rep. Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) said. “Reforms that promote transparency and accountability are necessary to regain the public’s trust in the impartiality and fairness of our state’s justice system, which has been greatly undermined in recent years."

The fourth part of the Democratic package is designed to re-establish Wisconsin’s reputation for open government, including requiring the legislature to follow the Open Meetings Law.

“Now more than ever citizens have serious questions about what’s going on at the State Capitol. The response by Gov. Walker and legislative Republicans has been to close government down to the public,” Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) said. “From voting on divisive bills with little public notice to signing secrecy oaths and drawing partisan election maps in private law firms, Republicans have tarnished Wisconsin’s proud history of open government in just one year. Today we are offering serious reforms to re-open the doors of government to the people of Wisconsin.”

A summary sheet of the bills can be found by clicking here.

Representative Sandy Pasch also spoke of this in the Democratic Weekly Radio Address. The text of her comments can be found by clicking here.

Retaliation Claims Against Employers Soar - But Why?

Last week, there was an interesting piece in the Milwaukee Biz Blog regarding a spike in anti-retaliation claims in the United States.  It was reported that there was a record-breaking number of 99,9942 claims filed with the EEOC in 2011 for a total cost of $455.6 million in relief for individuals filing claims, another record-breaking number.

So why is this happening?  The author, Christine Liu McLaughlin of the Godfrey & Kahn law firm, wrote this:
There has been much speculation as to the cause of the increase in the number of charges generally and retaliation charges in particular. Some blame the lagging economy in 2011, while others point to the EEOC’s re-focused enforcement agenda.
That just might be.  But I can't help but wonder how much might be due to the markedly anti-worker approach being taken, not only in Wisconsin, but in other states where ALEC's influence is evident.

I'd also guess things would be a lot cheaper if things were handled through an grievance process as offered with collective bargaining rights.  Maybe the Walker plan isn't working just for workers, eh?

Become A Card-Carrying Member Of Wisconsin Local 1848 Today!

Last week, Politico, a national right wing blog, misidentified the Wisconsin state flag for a union local's flag.

AFSCME has jumped on that and is inviting everyone to become charter members of Wisconsin Local 1848 today!


My Conversation With Kathleen Falk

The other night, I had the opportunity to have a chat with Kathleen Falk, the front runner to be the Democratic candidate to take on the corrupt Scott Walker.

Fully aware that many people on the left side of the aisle have concerns about what would happen if Falk became the nominee for this race, I chose to take the approach of asking Falk how she would respond to these concerns as well as discuss some more general issues, if time allowed.  To figure out just what I would ask, I went to others to get their sense of Falk and what questions they might have for her.  The people I informally poled came from all walks of life, liberal and conservative, unionized and non-union, young and old.

When the conversation started, I have to admit that Falk threw me for a loop immediately by taking the initiative and asking me for what advice I had for her on how to succeed.  I've dealt with enough politicians on both sides of the aisle to know to have a certain level of skepticism and wariness, with a few notable exceptions.  Too often, a politician will look at me wondering how they might use me or wondering how much a threat I might be, depending on how our political positions align.

Falk didn't take either of those approaches, which was quite refreshing.

Falk also expressed her enthusiasm and excitement for the shift in political awareness and action that our state has seen in the last year.  She said, "The most amazing thing is people are doing something constructive," rather than just sitting back and taking it.  She also expressed her appreciation for the drive and enthusiasm that people all across the state are showing in their desire to restore Wisconsin back to its traditional values.

Still caught a bit off guard, I returned my focus on the questions that I had for her.

The first question was to find out how realistic it is to expect to restore the damage done by Walker and the Republicans.  We agreed to start with collective bargaining to begin with and expand from there.

Falk said that by making the pledge that she did, to veto any budget that doesn't restore collective bargaining was the only way to ensure getting it done.  She pointed out that it would be very difficult to turn over the Assembly, which is especially true given the unethical gerrymandering the Republicans have done.  She said that a bill to restore collective bargaining could be introduced in the Senate, but that did not mean the Assembly had to take it up.  The only bill that both houses have to take up is the budget.

Falk also stated that it was "not enough not to be willing to veto the budget."

Falk has already written about this and you can find her rationale for her pledge here.

I then brought up the fact that Walker has alienated many of the independent voters as well as some Republican voters by going to far with his power grab and his abuses of office.  I asked her if she was concerned with losing the middle by going too far to the other extreme.

Falk replied that she was only promising to restore the order of balance that we had before Walker started tearing the state apart.  She also said that "people have to know where I am coming from. I don't want to be like Walker and get ousted in a year for fooling people."  She said that her campaign was about being truthful and honest with the people, something that Walker has not been.

The third and fourth questions were similar, asking how she would overcome the bias and the label of being a "liberal from Dane County" and being a "puppet for the unions."

Falk pointed out that only Dane County liberals thought that they couldn't carry the state.  She pointed out that in her last election, which she had lost by less than one half of one percent, she did very well in the counties in Northern Wisconsin.  She also said that when she has gone to those counties in recent days, she is still receiving the same warm welcomes and support she did before.

Falk said that her history and experience shows that she knows how to work with the unions to the benefit of everyone and not just special interests and big corporations.  She said that she was extremely grateful for the endorsements and support from the various unions, she is also equally proud of her endorsement from Emily's List and the support she has received from the LGBT community.  She also pointed out that she has experience in being an environmental lawyer.  She stated that she is not only passionate about restoring workers rights but about correcting many of the other wrongs that the current administration has done.

I will admit that when Falk first announced her candidacy, I was then less than enthused.  I was concerned about the issues above as well as the fact that she had ran twice in a statewide race and lost both times. But as I started looking into her record and got to know more about her, I found that many of my concerns were being addressed.  

She has the ability to win a statewide race as evidenced by the closeness of her race against JB Van Hollen. I seriously think she only lost because too many people who were faithful to the reputation-damaged Peg Lautenschlager chose to sit that one out.  She's more than a single issue candidate.  She has more experience than Walker does as an executive and a better track record to boot.


Cory Liebmann also had the opportunity to interview Falk and you can click here to see his report.

Fallout For Wisconsin Reporter

A couple of days ago, I exposed the quasi-campaign Scott Walker campaign site Wisconsin Reporter for what it really was - a group funded by the Koch Brothers and steered by Walker campaigners and fund raisers.

In just one day, there's already been some fallout because of this.

First, many friends and readers of Cog Dis sent me emails with tips and additional information. Things like, while I mentioned that Phil Prange and Nick Hurtgen are brother-in-laws to each other, it's Prange's sister that's married to Hurtgen. Or things like Prange also provided seed money for WisPolitics and played a major role in it until it was sold to the Capitol Times a couple of years ago.

But by far the largest ramification is that it apparently helped spur the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to send out a letter to all of stations and newspapers around the state, warning them of the inherit bias and questionable reliability of anything coming from the Wisconsin Reporter:

Wisconsin Reporter Letter

I hope this will inspire people to play the watchdog on their local stations and newspapers and to call them out when they use the propaganda spewed by the Wisconsin Reporter and other groups of its ilk. Taking back the state from the corporate interests that are trying to make it into an oligarchy includes making sure that we keep the corporate media in check as well.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Now THAT'S A Shirt!

And I really, really want one.


Indictable Boy

Warning: This may get stuck in your head for days, as it did mine:



An indictable boy, they all said.

My favorite part comes about the 2:19 mark with first Sgt. Schultz and then the Walkergate picture that I've been using.

Friday, February 17, 2012

A Man Of The People Corporations

When a politician runs for office, a lot of times they try to present themselves as "a man of the people."  That means they try to give the voters a sense that they are just like them.  In other words, they're going for the populist vote.

And both sides do it.  Democrats talk about growing up in a union household, working a blue collar job, helping people.  Republicans try to do the same, but don't always pull it off as well.

Scott Walker has given up even trying to hold on to the pretense of giving a damn about the people.

After recovering from his 2.4 hour flu, Walker went mooching up to the WMC and made a push for the mining bill.  But who he was kissing up to speaks volumes (emphasis mine):
Gov. Scott Walker urged the state's business leaders on Thursday to help him pressure the Legislature to pass a bill streamlining the process for opening an iron mine in northern Wisconsin.

Walker made the plea at the annual Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce business day gathering, which attracted about 1,000 business executives, lobbyists and others. After the speech, many in the audience — wearing orange hats in support of the mining bill — walked four blocks to the Capitol to lobby lawmakers.
He's playing sycophant to the people that would profit off of such a reckless bill, but won't even spare a second for the people who have to live with its consequences of the law, should it be allowed to pass.

It's pretty obvious that Walker's only motivation regarding this is the return favors he has already gotten and/or expects to get by handing over taxpayer money and the state's natural resources to this out of state, very well moneyed group. Meanwhile, as is his wont, the people would still be without jobs and without money. And now, without clean air or water.

Scott Walker Tells A Joke

Apparently, when you email the governor's office, you get automatically added to a spam program and get nailed with Scott Walker's spam, er, I mean e-Updates.

The one he's been sending out lately is a real hoot!

First, given his long and sordid history of cronyism, I think he is using state equipment and computers to solicit campaign donations:

Apply to Serve in State Government

We have a substantial number of open positions available on various state boards, commissions and in other areas of state government. Please visit walker.wi.gov/Serve-Wisconsin to find information on these positions.

Positions frequently become available, so if you are interested in serving please apply and our office will keep your application on file. If you’ve been looking to get involved in state government this is a great way to use your skills to serve the residents of Wisconsin!
I love that "positions frequently become available" line. Of course they frequently become available. Walkergate keeps chasing people away.

But Walker also tells a funny at the end of the spam e-Update:
Each e-update I will answer a question submitted by a recipient of the previous e-update or from someone who contacts my office directly.

Question: Why did you choose to greet President Obama?

Answer: This week President Obama visited Wisconsin for the first time in about a year. The White House reached out to my office earlier this week and invited me to welcome the President to Wisconsin.

I have the utmost respect for the Office of the President of the United States.
Now that's funny! Looking at Walkergate, it's obvious that he never respected the position of Milwaukee County Executive. And given all the abuses of power and other acts of corruption over the past year, it's obvious he doesn't respect the office of governor. Why in the world would anyone think he respects the President of the United States?  In fact, he didn't show much respect for the presidency when he was kissing people's butts at CPAC last week.

Wisconsin Reporter? Try Walker Supporters

Wisconsin Reporter has been a thorn in the side of the people of Wisconsin for a long time now.  They claim to be an "independent news source," but the fact is that it would be a kindness to call them a political tabloid, but with a lower level of credibility.

I've already written about this mob of GOP activists pretending to be reporters and shown their connection to the Koch-funded Franklin Center for Public and Government Integrity.

The sorely missed Tom Foley also wrote about them a few times, including how they stole into a private meeting and purloined training documents.  Another classic is their very loose qualifications for what they consider reliable news sources.

And I was recently reminded of, they also took part in a scheme to try to discredit the future Senator Jessica King when she was running against the fake Democrat.

Their lack of journalistic ethics and integrity shown through again the other day.

When President Barack Obama came to Milwaukee to tout Master Lock for bringing back good jobs from China, the Wisconsin Reporter sent someone to the event.  While there, said reporter (and I use that term loosely) tried to get in the face of DPW Chairman Mike Tate and record a private, off-the-record conversation he was having.

Graeme Zielinski sent an email to WR to complain of their unprofessional behavior, and he got a very rude response from Matt Kittle, who not only disregarded Mr. Zielinski's concerns, but also made tasteless cracks about mental illness.

A Google search showed that Wisconsin Reporter isn't his only job. He's also enmeshed with a thing called iowapolitics.com The website's "About Section" sadly was not surprising:
IowaPolitics.com is a part of StatehouseNewsOnline.com, a collection of independent journalists and organizations covering state-specific and government activity.

StatehouseNewsOnline.com is the national leading news website dedicated to aggregating news from the nation’s state capitals. The news website networks with dozens of state-based news organizations to provide in depth coverage of state legislation, government & special interests, state budgets and political/campaign news.

StatehouseNewOnline.com was launched in September 2010, as a project of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting new media journalism and government transparency and accountability.

The Franklin Center serves as a capacity builder, providing trainings and networking opportunities and supporting a network of investigative journalists and statehouse reportersStateHouseOnline.com utilizes a state-specific approach, in order to provide readers with information that is of proximate and practical interest. Interested parties can contact info@FranklinCenterHQ.org for more information.

The Franklin Center is not responsible for the information that appears on this site. The organization serves as a capacity builder and networking agent for independent, state-based journalists and organizations.
I naturally went to StatehouseNewOnline.com and found that their self-description was almost identical to IowaPolitics.com and to Wisconsin Reporter. This makes sense since they are all bought and paid for by the same group.

So now we know that all these sites that Kittle is part of a larger cluster-family of Koch-funded groups aimed at promoting one their warped ideology.

But there's more. There's always more.

I called upon the research team at Politiscoop.com for some assistance in confirming who owned these sites. StatehouseNewOnline.com came back as registered to the Franklin Center of Government and Public Integrity, but the IowaPolitics.com site proved to be most interesting.

The domain is owned by Gateway Ventures. Gateway Ventures' had a vice-president by the name of Dan Morse, who is a big time supporter of Scott Walker. In fact, his LinkedIn profile shows that he's a fundraiser for Friends of Scott Walker as well as the CEO of Dan Morse Consulting. Clients of his consulting business include the campaigns for Scott Walker and Michael Huebsch.

Also very interesting is that the check on the domain showed that the administrator is Phillip Prange. Prange is the CEO of Gateway Ventures and the President and CEO of Wisconsin Business Council. This is significant since 77% of the members of this group donated to Republican politicians, including Scott Walker.

As a point of interest, it should also be noted that Prange is the brother-in-law to Nick Hurtgen, who has his own sordid history with Walker.

So now, thanks to Kittle's intemperance, we have learned that Wisconsin Reporter is just a small part of a larger right wing echo chamber, all of which is headed up by the Koch-funded Franklin Center for Public and Government Integrity.  On top of that, this echo chamber is tied in with and, at least partially, controlled by two people with direct ties to Walker's campaign.

Instead of calling themselves investigative reporters, Wisconsin Reporter, and Walker's campaign, should be investigated by the authorities for their questionable campaign-related contributions and activities, since Walker never claimed their work as an in-kind contribution.

And there is no way that any established, serious news source should be allowing them to put up their political propaganda as anything but that, with a warning that any resemblance between their spin narratives and a credible news source is purely coincidental.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

By Popular Demand, I'm Back On The Sara Schultz Show

I'll be on the Sara Schultz Show again Friday morning, with an all star list of guests:
I will start off the show with Yuri Rashkin from Defend Wisconsin Weekly News Round-Up. We will talk about the weekly news and the bomb shells that were dropped on Thursday evening. Then I will be talking with Kathleen Falk who is running for Governor. We will talk about her campaign and her reaction to Senator Temper-tantrum ....Scott Fitzgerald. Then I will be speaking with Chris Liebenthal who writes the Cognitive Dissidence Blog. We will be discussing the John Doe Investigation and anything new that has come up in the last week. After Chris, I will be talking with Liz DiNovella from the Progressive Magazine. She went to CPAC and she will be telling me all about it and about the speakers: Governor Walker, US Representative Paul Ryan, and Senator Gothman. After Liz, I will be talking to Badger Democracy blog writer Scott Wittkopf. We will be talking more in depth about the news this week, I would like to talk about the Progressive movement, and where we go from here. I will end the show with Elizabeth Wheeler from Clean Wisconsin. We will be talking about the Wetland Bill that was passed in the middle of the night in the Senate....thanks to Scott Fitzgerald. Nothing good ever happens in the middle of the night in Fitzwalkerstan. It all starts this Friday at 9am! Call in numbers are 877-497-1797 or 310-742-1896. Hope you can join us!
The difficult part will be to cover so much ground in only 15 minutes, but don't fear, Sarah said I will be on again next Friday as well.

I can tell you, Sara is just the living embodiment of awesomeness.

The Sara Schultz Show can be heard not only on teh Intertubes, but she is also heard on WIDE 99.1 LPFM Madison, WHYS 96.3 LPFM Eau Claire and WFAQ 92.9 LPFM Mukwonago/Waukesha.

Scott Walker's 2.4 Hour Flu

When President Barack Obama came to Milwaukee on Wednesday to celebrate Master Lock bringing jobs back from China, Scott Walker was expected to meet him at the airport and then accompany the President to the plant.

However, at the last minute, Walker skipped out of going to the plant, complaining of the stomach flu.

Many people lifted a skeptical eyebrow at this.  Indeed, there are some peculiarities to it.

If he was so sick, why did he go the airport? Was he hoping to infect Obama with whatever creeping crud he supposedly had?

On a side note, Walker apparently recovered sufficiently to send out a campaign press release, touting some trivial points (which probably should be fact checked), but totally ignoring the main point of the visit, which was to celebrate the return of good, family supporting, union jobs at Master Lock, who realized that quality is more important than going it on the cheap.

But speculation ran wild on why Walker would bail out of going to Master Lock.

Some surmised that Walker didn't want to deal with the fact that the country, under Obama's leadership, was recovering and gaining jobs while Wisconsin, under the Walker Plan, was losing jobs left and right.

Some thought that it might because he was afraid of the payback for trash talking Obama at CPAC last week.

Some thought that he was afraid of protesters, especially when his old pal, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, decided to leave him high and dry and refusing to supply adequate security for the event.

Some thought he wanted to avoid questions about Walkergate, while others thought he was meeting the investigators regarding Walkergate.

One wag pointed out that maybe Walker was nervous because Master Lock also makes prison door locks and that hit too close to home for Walker.

I guess we'll have a better idea if Walker was faking the tummy-aching on Thursday.  After all, if he was too sick to stay with the President of the United States when he comes to visit, he is definitely too sick to hang out with his friends at the WMC, much less have anything to do with the dirty lucre they want to give him.

But, presuming that Walker was indeed faking it, some of our friends will be there to greet him.

Scott Walker: Tax Delinquent

Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel broke the news that Scott Walker's campaign was pinged for not paying taxes.

But not just any taxes, but their unemployment compensation taxes.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin issued an quick press release on Walker's scofflaw nature:
"Scott Walker touts himself as an able CEO, and yet we have seen his campaigns run in a shabby, undisciplined and even criminal way," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said Wednesday. "It is significant for the rest of the citizens of Wisconsin who play by the rules. Still, being a tax delinquent may be the least of Scott Walker's problems with authorities."
But there are some things that neither Bice nor Tate covered that I feel is pertinent.

First of all, Walker has collected millions of dollars in his extended unlimited money grab (with a big part of it coming from out of state). With all that money, he couldn't afford to pay his taxes?

And of course, it had to be unemployment compensation, like his policies haven't already caused enough problems with six consecutive months of losing jobs and then delaying unemployment compensation checks for the poor people victimized by Walker's maleficence.

I also recall that Walker claims that he had to replace his campaign treasurer of 18 years, John Hiller, because he didn't think Hiller was up to the job anymore.  So how's that new treasurer working out for ya, Scott?

Of course, that there would be something untoward and even illegal going on with Walker's campaign, it is nothing we didn't already know.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Secret Routers Now Standard Government Policy?

The esteemed James Rowen kindly gave me a shout out for breaking the story on Scott Walker's latest pay-for-play program, giving sweetheart deals to all sorts of cronies and campaign donors.

He also had the catch of the day with this:
One more thing: I also find it fascinating the author of the 'plan' is has the hi-falutin' title of Director of External Communications.
Andrew Davis | Office of Governor Scott Walker
Director of External Communications
(o) 608-267.3839 | (e) andrew.davis@wisconsin.gov
Is there a Director of Internal Communications, and does that person have a secret router to work with?
And as if that wasn't enough, Rowen also might have broken the story on Walker's "Harley" bike ride by finding the actual bike.

But you'll have to click over to the Political Environment to see what I mean.

Heartland Employs Rep. Weiner Defense Strategy

Yesterday, I alerted the gentle reader to the "secret" plan by the Heartland Institute to try to tame the Angry Badgers in Wisconsin.

Today, the Heartland Institute initiated the Rep. Anthony Weiner Defense Strategy of Blaming Unknown Actors.

They issued a press release blaming the document on thieves and forgeries.  The odd thing is that if this were a forgery and made up of whole cloth, why did they apologize to their donors?
Apologies: The Heartland Institute apologizes to the donors whose identities were revealed by this theft. We promise anonymity to many of our donors, and we realize that the major reason these documents were stolen and faked was to make it more difficult for donors to support our work. We also apologize to Heartland staff, directors, and our allies in the fight to bring sound science to the global warming debate, who have had their privacy violated and their integrity impugned.
The Guardian also followed up on this story only to get changing stories from the H.I. flacks, who then took a "don't you dare question us" approach:
The nature of the "theft" charges by Heartland was also not immediately clear. Lakely, in his statement, explains that a staff member, persuaded by "an unknown person", mistakenly sent the documents to an unfamiliar email address.

Heartland's statement said the "stolen documents appear to have been written by Heartland's president for a board meeting that took place on January 17."

However, in an email to the Guardian later on Wednesday, Lakely backtracked on this apparent confirmation that some of the documents were genuine.

"Considering the fact that the individual who committed fraud and identity theft in correspondence with a staffer yesterday also created a fake Heartland document out of whole cloth, we cannot authenticate any of the documents," he wrote.

"At any rate, our standing policy is to not discuss confidential documents. We are also in the process of taking legal action, so our previous statements are all we have to say about the matter at present."
As the saying goes, I believe them, even if a million other people don't.

Wisconsin Local 1848

The right wing propaganda site Politico was so eager to try to do a smear job on President Barack Obama and his visit to Milwaukee today that they failed to look before they leaped and ended up landing into a pile of foolishness with both feet:


Yup, the mistook the Wisconsin state flag as being the flag of Wisconsin Local 1848.

Once they realized how stupid they looked, they deleted the post (which appears to be a common thing for Republicans).

But thanks to the power of Google Cache, you can see it for yourself.

In honor of Politico*, one of my tweeps had created this, which I just may have to find room on the sidebar for:


Priceless.

*A suggestion for Politico is that they might want to correct their name to Politic-∅. Just sayin'.

Which Walker Will Meet Obama?

On Wednesday, when President Obama comes to Milwaukee to praise Master Lock for recognizing the quality products produced by their American union workers, Scott Walker plans on getting some face time.

My question is this: Which Walker will show up?

If Walker is smart, he could use the opportunity to learn something about job creation, an area which Obama is doing well and Walker is failing miserably at doing.

But no one has ever accused Walker of being smart, so I wouldn't be surprised if Walker tries to embarrass us all by pulling a Jan Brewer, just to look good to his base in preparation to the upcoming recall.

Another Day, Another Walker Crony

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting about Angela Herl, the wife of Dane County Republican Party Chair Mike Herl, who just got a political appointment in the Walker administration and a really nice raise, worth more than what some people make in a year:
The head of a state agency late last year gave a political appointment - and a nearly $27,000 annual raise - to the wife of a Republican Party official without considering any other applicants, state records show.

In December, Angela Herl took over a state division with 40 employees that processes credentials for dozens of professions such as doctors, even though she had no direct experience in that area. Herl had not previously managed any staff during her 20 years working for the state as a payroll and benefits specialist.

With the new job, Herl received a 49% pay boost, raising her annual salary from $54,378 to $81,265.

Herl is married to Mike Herl, chairman of the Dane County Republican Party, and she landed her new job less than a year after GOP Gov. Scott Walker faced an uproar over the hiring of a campaign donor's son with few qualifications.

Angela Herl has an associate's degree in accounting from Madison Area Technical College but not a bachelor's degree, according to the state.
The article goes on to say how no other people were even considered and how Ms. Herl didn't even have to go through the motions of providing a resume.

Of course, Scott Walker appointing unqualified cronies is nothing new, nor is the fact that he likes to give them huge, unearned raises.

What I did find surprising is that after all the heat he has taken and is about to take because of Walkergate, that he would continue to appoint people affiliated with county Republican parties, like Darlene Wink and Tim Russell.

The Heartland Institute vs The Angry Badger

The Heartland Institute is a self-described libertarian group (read a hive of collectively-thinking ultraconservative nut jobs) that think they have an influence in the Midwest in pushing the corporate agenda of breaking the unions, destroying the environment by arguing against global warning and even have worked hand in hand with companies like Phillip Morris in an effort to try to show smoking doesn't cause lung cancer.

To get a better idea of what kind of people they are, well, they get their funding in part by the Bradley Foundation, whose CEO is Michael Grebe, the same guy that's chaired Walker's campaign and is back in that position now. Oh, and the Koch Brothers have been known to fund their efforts at turning the county into a corporate state.

So what this has to do with anything? Well, they've set their targets on us, the good people of Wisconsin.

In their 2012 Fundraising Plan, which they did not want to be publicly known, the Heartland Institute has a section starting on page 13 a section titled "Operation Angry Badger." Here's what they have to say about us and their anti-Wisconsin agenda:
Wisconsin was the focus of national attention due to recall campaigns waged in 2011, and campaigns are taking place in 2012 against Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three Republican senators who voted for Act 10, the landmark collective bargaining reform legislation adopted in 2011. We have been following the Wisconsin debate closely, reporting on it in Budget & Tax News, commenting in op-eds and LTEs and on blogs, doing television and radio interviews, and sending research and commentary to elected officials in Wisconsin and nationally.

The recall elections of 2012 amount to a referenda on collective bargaining reform at the state level, making them of national interest. Successful recalls would be a major setback to the national effort to rein in public sector compensation and union power. Heartland is the largest and most influential national free-market think tank in the Midwest, so we are in the right place and with the right resources to help defend and secure Wisconsin’s recent gains.

We are contemplating five projects:
1. Recruit and promote superintendents who support Act 10
2. Explain the benefits of Act 10
3. Document the shortcomings of public schools in Wisconsin
4. Expose teacher pay in key districts
5. Create blogs that shadow small town newspaper coverage of the controversy
We anticipate that this project will cost about $612,000. Maureen Martin, Heartland’s legal counsel, with be the chief researcher and writer for this project. The anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 toward this project. We are circulating a proposal to other potential funders.
We know that this group is without scruples and will do everything and anything they can to prevent the people from reclaiming Wisconsin from the very same corporate interests that fund this shadow group.

I say let's show them what angry badgers are all about!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Cheater's Proof

In an overt attempt to disenfranchise voters, soon to be former State Senator Scott Fitzgerald thought he'd practice a little voter caging in an effort to have signatures disqualified by sending them postcards and saying that the signature was invalid if he didn't get the postcard back.

In his desperate bid not to face recall, further confirming the fact that he knows he's done wrong and has no confidence in his chances of winning, Fitzgerald challenged 88 signatures based on his voter caging scheme.*  However, council for the petitioners found that on at least 43 of the challenged names show that Team Fitzgerald contained names and/or addresses that were different than the ones on the petitions.

The petitioners' council also found that Fitzgerald also tried all sorts of desperate moves like lying about dates, thoroughness of completion, residencies and the sort.  When the petitioners lawyer eliminated his blatantly false claims, there were still more than 2,700 signatures.  And that is if the GAB accepts the rest of Fitzgerald's claims.

And for Fitzgerald's other ploy of desperation, claiming that the gerrymandering law that doesn't go into effect until November, if even then, should count now was proven to be plainly laughable.

No wonder Fitzie was damn nearly in tears on the senate floor earlier today.  He's watching his whole house of cards starting to crumble around him.  And the guy that Fitzie risked it all for, Scott Walker, won't lift a finger to help him or the other senators facing the recall by the people.

Or as Team Falk put it after the Fitz' snit fit:

The campaign of Kathleen Falk, Democratic candidate for governor and former Dane County Executive, released the following statements regarding state Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s attack against Falk during the Senate Floor Session this evening. 
Falk Communications Director Scot Ross said, “The Republicans are running scared about Kathleen Falk’s record of bringing people together, finding solutions and getting the job done. This desperate attack is proof Gov. Walker and his allies know Wisconsin has had it with his divisive agenda, failed policies and circling scandal. They know the election is coming soon where Scott Walker is voted out of office and Kathleen Falk is elected to bring Wisconsin back together.”
It also explains why the GOP is kicking out all the jams in their midnight attempts to grab all that they can.  They know their days in power are numbered.  It also shows their complete and utter lack of any sense of integrity.

*I encourage people that live in his district to contact GAB and/or their local district attorney and file a complaint against his illegal activity of voter caging.

The Wreck Of Scooter Fitzgerald: The Video!

This video could make one think that soon-to-be-former Senator Scott Fitzgerald is feeling the pressure of having to face a recall. It's definitely not the behavior of a leader or that of an adult:



It's also fun to see Sen. Erpenbach doing some serious verbal karate on Fitzgerald and the other Republicans.

Bill Would Force ALEC To Disclose Corporate Contributors

From Representative Mark Pocan:
Today, Democratic legislators formally submitted a bill for introduction that would clamp down on special interest organizations that write bills for legislators.

Recently, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has drawn criticism for acting as lobbyists for corporate legislation while being exempted from registering as a lobbying group with the Government Accountability Board. Many ALEC bills became law this session, including several of Governor Walker’s special session bills that made it harder for victims to sue corporations for wrongdoing.

“Last August, I infiltrated the ALEC convention and got a first-hand look at what they are up to,” said Pocan. “ALEC is like a speed dating service for lonely legislators and corporate executives. The corporations write bills and legislators sign their names to the bills. In the end, we’re stuck with bad laws and nobody knows where they came from.”

During one of Governor Walker’s special sessions, which were supposed to focus on job creation, ALEC saw several of their bills become law in Wisconsin. One such bill diminishes a victim’s right to sue corporations if they are harmed by irresponsible business practices.

“If they look like a lobbyist, talk like a lobbyist and walk like a lobbyist, they should be regulated like a lobbyist,” said Larson. “Wisconsin’s lobbying laws are intended to instill as much integrity and transparency in our government as possible. ALEC shouldn’t get a free pass to anonymously do their lobbying.”

Pocan has crashed ALEC’s conventions twice, becoming a member in an effort to learn more about the secretive lobbying group. In doing so, he exposed a giant loophole in Wisconsin’s lobbying law in which corporations do not have to report their efforts to persuade legislators to sponsor their personally crafted model legislation.

The ALEC Accountability Act would apply existing lobbying laws to any organization or person who advocates for the introduction of model legislation. The bill would also regulate the reporting of any “scholarships” organizations dole out to legislators, including a list of corporate sponsors. Additionally, the bill would prohibit state taxpayer funds from being used to pay for these lobbyist conventions.

The bill, LRB-3867/1 is currently waiting for a bill number and committee referral.

The Walker Budget Is Already Working! Part LXXIII (With A Twist)

Most of you probably have already heard the dismal news that the Walker budget is taking more victims, this time 446 Milwaukeeans losing their jobs as Frontier cuts way back on it's presence here:
Frontier Airlines Inc. notified the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development today that the company will eliminate 446 more jobs in Milwaukee this spring.

Frontier’s parent company, Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc., said the layoffs at General Mitchell International Airport will take effect between April 15 and April 30.
It should be noted that this is a follow up to another 120 jobs that were cut last November, which was the second wave in the 213 jobs they cut last year.

But this move wasn't started by Walker's budget. It was only culminated by the economic wasteland that Walker is making of Wisconsin.

The start of this sad news comes much earlier, but unsurprisingly, it still starts with Walker.

In 2009, when Scott Walker went on one of his infamous Harley Davidson bike rides to promote his campaign tourism in Milwaukee County, he added a new twist - a corporate sponsor.  That corporate sponsor was Air Tran Airlines.  It turned out that Walker had given Air Tran expanded space at Mitchell International Airport just a few weeks before Air Tran announced that they were going to sponsor Walker's bike ride.

The gentle reader probably just had a "Aha!" moment, recognizing that Walker has a long practice of pay-for-play in his dealings, whether as Milwaukee County Executive or as governor.

At the time, I expressed surprise that Walker had turned his back on the Milwaukee-based and very popular Midwest Airlines.  After all, he already gave them $14 million in taxpayer dollars.  Maybe he left Midwest to hang because they wouldn't be part of something illegal and unethical like corporate sponsorship of a campaign stunt.

Whatever the reason, while Walker was out glad-handing people from around the state and in neighboring states, getting that valuable name recognition that would help his gubernatorial campaign, the news broke that Midwest was bought out by Republic Airways Holding, Inc., which also owned Frontier as well.

Then suddenly the hometown airline was gone.

The jobs lost now are a direct effect that Frontier is pulling out of Milwaukee, leaving only a few flights where it once had many, many times that.

And the ramifications of this move cannot be emphasized enough.  First, that will be hundreds of more people on unemployment compensation, which will further slow the economy.  It will also make the job market that much more crowded so people will end up out of work for longer.

The reduced flights will increase demand on the remaining flights and airlines.  This will drive the price up and make Milwaukee and Wisconsin less attractive to businesses looking to relocate, not to mention make it more difficult for existing businesses to stay competitive.

And the cycle will continue its downward spiral, just because Walker was willing to use any means he could to become governor.  Now that he has aspirations for the White House, does anyone think he won't leave Wisconsin a smoldering trash heap if he thought it would help his chances?

Monday, February 13, 2012

On Valentine's Day, Walker Promises To Give Away Wisconsin In Sweetheart Deals

In Milwaukee County, there is was a piece of land known locally simply as the "county grounds."  It was an unique section of the county, as it was the last undeveloped and ungroomed piece of land where nature ruled.  It was also unique for the historic Eschweiller Buildings.  But the most amazing factor to this ground was the Monarch Trail, one of the rare areas where migrating Monarch butterflies found a completely natural stopping point in their annual migration.

Some days, I think the thing that Scott Walker likes best about being in a position of authority is how he can use the public's money and property to forward his political career, or as in recent days, desperately cling to the position he currently has.

When Walker took office as Milwaukee County Executive, he promised that he would continue the long standing tradition to let no development happen on the grounds and that the only thing he might do is have it made into a state park.

That promise didn't last long and in a few short years, he was working on back door deals to get the land sold to a group of wealthy land developers that had been, shall we say, very supportive of him.   Not only did he renege on his promise not to let the land be developed, but he sold the land at a fraction of its worth, threw in the building that the Parks Department is housed in (with an agreement to keep the department there and pay rent and a specialized bus line.  As I wrote at the time, he gave them everything but a vac with the deal:

So, let me get this straight. We are selling the county grounds at an absurdly low price, in a no bid deal, only to turn around and pay them rent for a building that we had owned and paid a lot of money to fix up. Then we are going to take some of the money from the sale, and more money that we got from the feds, and using it to buy them a special bus route? 
That would be the equivalent of you fixing up your house and then selling it at about a third of its value. Then you take the proceeds from the sale and rent the house from the people you just sold it to. You also take some of the money (if there's any left after paying the rent on the house you just owned until recently) and a large inheritance from your Uncle Sam, and buy them a chauffeured limo. Meanwhile, you have a patch of land (like the Park East corridor) that is only good for building an engineering campus on, but you won't even try to sell that.
The Friends of the Monarch Trail are still fighting to protect the natural domain for the butterflies, made all the harder because "the authorities" refused to include legal language to protect the trail.

That pattern of giving away sweetheart deals to political supporters is riddled throughout his lifelong political career.

The most recent is the Penokee iron mine that Walker is trying to get rammed through the legislature.  To get this done, Walker is willing to offend Native American tribes, federal laws honoring tribal sovereignty, ruin the environment and pollute the pristine waters of northern Wisconsin.  The bill is so foul and evil that no one will even admit ownership of it (also because it was written by the mining company that wants to rape the land).

On Tuesday, February 14, St. Valentine's Day, Walker is going to take all of the worst of these behaviors to announce his latest gimmick to give away sweetheart land deals to his donors to promote job growth in Wisconsin.

It's a stunt that his handlers are calling "Ready, Set, Build." ( 6 page pdf on scribd format)

In a secret email sent from Walker staffer Andrew Davis, they laid out the talking points for this (Note - The email was altered to present it in a less jumbled format.  All spelling and grammatical errors are his):
From: "Davis, Andrew - GOV"
Date: February 13, 2012 6:09:39 PM CST
To: "Davis, Andrew - GOV"
Subject: Ready, Set, Build!

Tomorrow afternoon the Governor will be publicly announcing his “Ready, Set, Build!”  Please contact me directly if there are any questions or concerns.  Please embargo any press releases or supportive statements until 2pm tomorrow.

Ready, Set, Build!

Program Highlights:
  • Up to 10 different site locations (minimum site size=50 acres) throughout Wisconsin will be identified annually for each of the 3 subsequent years as shovel-ready for economic development
    a) Includes comprehensive information on available sites, buildings, and demographic data
  • These identified sites will be reviewed and approved for pre-certification by the certifying agency (if site meets criteria)
  • Once a site is identified and pre-certified, the site location will be certified-ready for job creators looking to build or relocate in Wisconsin
Key Messages:

This action is another example of how Governor Walker’s Administration and the WEDC, through its Economic and Community Development Division, is pro-actively providing the economic development tools Wisconsin needs to accelerate business start-ups and growth.
  •  One of the keys in encouraging existing Wisconsin businesses to choose Wisconsin as the site for significant expansion, or in attracting new businesses to locate in Wisconsin, is the ready availability of developable properties that have also been pre-certified by regulators.
  • The “Ready, Set, Build!” program will make it easier for entrepreneurs to start a business and for existing businesses to expand by allowing job creators in Wisconsin and around the world to find the perfect pre-certified site location for expansion knowing they can begin building immediately.
  • No time wasted.  No money lost.  It is a win for our economy, a win for our families and a win for our environment.
  • Certified site selection, “Ready, Set, Build!”, (to be implemented in spring) will eliminate critical stumbling blocks for industries – particularly manufacturers – that are looking to expand or locate in Wisconsin.
  • o The site certification program will eliminate many of the delays associated with environmental and other state and local permitting processes.
Andrew Davis | Office of Governor Scott Walker
Director of External Communications
(o) 608-267.3839 | (e) andrew.davis@wisconsin.gov
What this really means is that the state will take up prime real estate, and Walker will use his concentrated administrative authorities given to him in his power grab last year to override any environmental, fiscal or other considerations that have been used to protect Wisconsin and its citizens for decades.

I bet one of the first areas that will be targeted will be Janesville, where you have job-starved people that would be willing to take unsafe, low-paying jobs they wouldn't normally if they weren't in such dire straits and has easy access to railroad service by Watco Transportation Services, the company that caters to the Koch Brothers and wants to buy out Southern & Wisconsin Railroad, the company that was headed by Walkergate figure and convict William E. Gardner.

And don't let them kid you, just like with the mines, Walker doesn't give two hoots about creating jobs for Wisconsinites.  He is only interested in appeasing the big moneyed special interests that would benefit from his sweetheart gifts.  While most Wisconsinites will be less than thrilled to hear about this plan of Walker's, I bet that the commercial realtors are really going to love this plan.

Scott Walker's Expensive Entitlements

Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.
Elizabeth DiNovella, who had been covering CPAC (Conservatives Planning Absolute Corporatism) and writing about it at Dane 101, also gutted it out by listening to Scott Walker's address to the convention. In her piece, she quoted Walker's take on collective bargaining:
“Collective bargaining is not a right. Collective bargaining in the public sector is an expensive entitlement,” he said. This line got the biggest applause of the night.
When I read that, I damn near did a spit take on my monitor.

There is so much wrong with that short blurb that it will never be right.

Collective bargaining is a right, and that right might very well be extended into the public sector, as I wrote about nearly a year ago:
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman affirms that collective bargaining rights cannot be overturned by governmental edict. Guzman told the Legislature “it had no business trying to interfere with collective bargaining” according to Marvin Gittler, an attorney representing Local 727 of the Teamsters.

Guzman held that the National Labor Relations Act preempts the Legislature from dictating terms for unions working at McCormick Place. This ruling is similar to the finding of The International Commission for Labor Rights, which has said, in part: The ICLR identified the right of "freedom of association" as a fundamental right and affirmed that the right to collective bargaining is an essential element of freedom of association. These rights, which have been recognized worldwide, provide a brake on unchecked corporate or state power.
Now, before anyone points out that the NLRA is for private sector unions, read on:
While the NLRA covered US employees in private employment, the law protecting collective bargaining in both the public and private sectors has developed since 1935 to cover all workers "without distinction."
The other problem with Walker's false statement is what he is calling an "expensive entitlement." He's saying that the people of Wisconsin no longer should be afforded things like weekends off, not having their kids working in sweat shops, eight hour work days, forty hour work weeks, holidays off, living wages, vacations, equality in the work place or safe working conditions.

In other words, he wants to weaken the unions, both private and public, to help maximize the profits of the corporate interests who have been funding his campaigns and who, he hopes, will buy him the Presidency of the United States.

But it doesn't end there, gentle reader.

Walker has also been bantering about the phrase "legacy costs," which is something he started in Milwaukee County, with the aid of the plutocrats at the Greater Milwaukee Committee, an old boys (and girls) club for Milwaukee's wealthiest people, who see Milwaukee has their toy thing.

By "legacy costs," Walker is speaking about health care insurance and pensions.

Health care costs are through the roof, especially in Southeast Wisconsin, which has one of the highest rates, if not the highest, in the nation. And workers should carry their fair share of the costs. But when CEOs of insurance companies and health care agencies are getting compensated in the millions of dollars, there is an obvious problem which needs to be addressed.

Of course, it is Walker and his ilk that are opposed to fixing the system. Guess who are big donors to their campaigns.

It should be noted that Walker, if the reader will remember, was swept in as Milwaukee County Executive on the heels of a pension scandal enacted by his predecessor, Tom Ament. The gist of the scandal is that it provided a super enhancer to the pension of people that had been with the county for a long time. It also included a generous backdrop that would allow retirees to take a large lump sum at the time of retirement and a smaller monthly pension payment. Some county employees walked away with a million dollars when they retired. Ironically, most of these big money beneficiaries were non-represented employees. That means Walker could have stopped it at any time, but chose not to.

But of course he didn't want to stop these payments. One, it was a great political hammer to wield. Every time Walker was caught with a budget problem (which he usually contrived), he'd just blame the pension scandal, regardless of how long ago it was. Secondly, he was appointing most of his cronies to these positions and wanted to make sure they were rewarded. (Here's food for thought, Darlene Wink, who was convicted of only misdemeanors, is eligible for her pension.)

Oddly, the pension fund, pre-Walker was sufficient that it could have covered the enhanced pension pay outs. However, the two recessions during the Bush/Cheney administration took a big bite out of it, like it did for most people. Unlike the people that had 401(k)s, the public sector had their pensions protected for the most part.

In spite of the need for Milwaukee County to contribute to the pension fund for the first time in years, Walker, as county executive, chose to short change what the county owed to the fund and instead use it to reward campaign donors with sweetheart contracts. By shorting the payments to the fund, Walker only exacerbated the situation. It would be much akin to not making the minimum payment on a credit card. Not only do you still owe the balance, and the next payment, they add on fees and interest to make the next payment exponentially bigger.

To deal with this self-constructed problem, Walker tried to get a pension obligation plan pushed through. The wheeler and dealer behind this plan was a man name Nick Hurtgen, a GOP operative who eventually got busted himself in a kickback scheme. Fortunately, the County Board preempted Walker's move by making it a referendum question which the voters killed.

Walker did give Hurtgen a $300,000 contract to restructure the county's debt. In return, Hurtgen gave Walker a $25,000 campaign fundraiser.

Now Walker wants to convert the state's pension system, which is a defined benefit system and is fully funded and in good shape per all reports, into a defined contribution system. (They are looking at trying to do the same thing in Milwaukee County, even though there is no proven need for it.)

This is, as you might suspect, preposterous.

First of all, as I mentioned above, the pension system is fully funded and not a problem for tax payers.

Secondly, Walker can't complain about expenses, since his forcing public sector workers to "pay more" for their pensions is nothing more than a scam, since public sector workers are already paying 100% into their pensions:
Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin' s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers.

How can that be? Because the "contributions" consist of money that employees chose to take as deferred wages – as pensions when they retire – rather than take immediately in cash. The same is true with the health care plan. If this were not so a serious crime would be taking place, the gift of public funds rather than payment for services.

Thus, state workers are not being asked to simply "contribute more" to Wisconsin' s retirement system (or as the argument goes, "pay their fair share" of retirement costs as do employees in Wisconsin' s private sector who still have pensions and health insurance). They are being asked to accept a cut in their salaries so that the state of Wisconsin can use the money to fill the hole left by tax cuts and reduced audits of corporations in Wisconsin.
By implementing Act 10, Walker is docking the workers' paychecks, because he can, and diverting the money.

But that diversion isn't enough for him or his campaign contributors. They want more. Hence the idea of converting, or fixing, the system, even though it's not broke or broken.

But while it might be sound like a good plan to your average squawk show listener, the reality is that it would not only stick it to the workers, but also to the taxpayers:
And governments are concerned about delivering on the promises that they have made to their citizens and to their employees as tax revenues shrink amid a weakening economy. In this environment, some have proposed replacing traditional defined benefit (DB) pensions with 401(k)-type defined contribution (DC) retirement savings plans in an effort to save money.

But decision-makers would be wise to look before they leap. To deliver the same level of retirement benefits, a DB plan can do the job at almost half the cost of a DC plan. Hence, DB plans should remain an integral part of retirement income security in an increasingly uncertain world because they offer employers and employees the best bang for the buck.
So why do it if it's not good for anyone? Well, it does benefit the fat cats on Wall Street, who in turn, reward Walker for being a good employee for them.

The real kicker of this is, as I just pointed out with the above cited passage, is that if Walker gets his way, it's going to really stick it to the people of Wisconsin.  Why? Well, in Walker's own words, in sworn testimony given before a Congressional committee:

After an unresponsive answer by Governor Walker, Kucinich pressed, “Did you answer the questions? How much money does it save, Governor?” 
“It doesn’t save any,” admitted Governor Walker. 
Kucinich then requested permission to enter into the record a letter from the State of Wisconsin’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau (page 3 specifically), a nonpartisan state budget agency that confirmed Governor Walker’s efforts had no effect on the state’s budget. 
“The Bureau was asked to identify provisions in the Governor’s bill that are non-fiscal; non-fiscal policy items that have no state fiscal effect. This letter confirms the obvious; that Governor Walker’s effort to repeal the rights of state workers is a non-fiscal policy item. No effect on the state budget shortfall,” said Kucinich.

The only expensive entitlements involved here are the ones that Walker wants to take with our money so that he may give it to his campaign contributors and cronies.