Other than MSNBC, is there any mainstream coverage of the WI protests?

[QueEx]

Wisconsin supreme court election amazing result

'Nonpartisan' but liberal-leaning JoAnne Kloppenburg
leads the conservative incumbent in Wisconsin. Wow

Justice David Prosser, left, and Assistant Attorney General JoAnne
Kloppenburg taking part in a debate on Wisconsin Public Television
in Madison, in the runup to a close-fought electoral <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">contest for a
place on Wisconsin's supreme court, which has taken on greater
significance in the wake of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's
anti-labour union legislation in the state.</span> Photograph: Michael Sears/
AP Photo


So now, says the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

In a race still too close to call, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne
Kloppenburg took a paper-thin lead over Justice David Prosser in the
state supreme court race early Wednesday, capping a race marked by
massive voter turnout, Governor Scott Walker's union bargaining plan,
and record spending by outside interest groups.

As of 11.30am, The Associated Press had results for all but 1 of the
state's 3,630 precincts and Kloppenburg had taken a 235 vote lead
after Prosser had been ahead most of the night by less than 1,000
otes.

That one precinct would appear to be in the Town of Lake Mills,
where town officials were meeting to count the last of the paper
allots.

The Jefferson County Clerk's officer reported that Prosser picked up
only two votes in the electronic vote in Lake Mills and that 24 hand-
written ballots were not yet counted. The results of a single township
in Jefferson County should be known by about 1pm Wednesday after
local officials finish examining votes from Tuesday's election.

About 220 votes were cast in Town of Lake Mills – seemingly not
enough for Prosser to make up the votes he would need to defeat
Kloppenburg.

As you'll recall, it's a nonpartisan election, but Kloppenburg tends
toward the liberal side of things, Prosser the conservative. He is the
fourth member of a 4-3 conservative majority on the state's high
court. She would flip the balance leftward, as decisions surely approach
having to do with Governor Scott Walker's "repair" bill. A defeat of a
sitting justice, the paper notes, is a "rare" thing. One lost recently, in
2008. Before that, it had been 41 years since it happened.

Who knows how these things turn out? But recent history proves a
point amply: it's one hell of a lot better to be ahead by 200 votes than
behind by 200 votes. Think Al Franken, Jim Webb and, of course, George
W Bush. A couple hundred votes can be surprisingly hard to make up,
even when a staggering 1.5 million votes have been cast, unless there
was a basic counting mistake somewhere.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">In other Wisconsin news, the Democratic candidate mauled the GOP
candidate for county executive, 61-39%. That's the job Scott Walker
previously held. Think the people of Milwaukee County were sending a
message?</span>

It proves that there are states in this country where strong Tea Party
and liberal elements coexist and success is basically a matter of which
side is angrier and more motivated to vote. That's in off-year elections.
In presidential years, Wisconsin is very likely a stable blue state, as I've
long said. Walker is just making it more so.​

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentis...-wisconsin-supreme-court-election-kloppenburg

 

[Upgrade Dave]

<font size="5"><center>
Marchers Remember: MLK Was Pro-Union</font size><font size="4">

Today's national Day of Solidarity with Wisconsin's union
workers comes on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.'s slaying. It's a fitting tribute.</font size></center>

The Root
By: Lynette Holloway
March 31, 2011


African Americans stand to lose the most from dwindling collective bargaining rights. As of last year, African-American employees were more likely to be public union members than whites, Asians and Hispanics, making up 15 percent of the membership, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And unionized African-American workers earn 12 percent more than their nonunion counterparts, according to the AFL-CIO.

Not everyone agrees. Charles Butler, a Republican black Tea Party member who hosts the radio show "The Other Side" on Chicago's WVON, balked at the demonstration. "The AFL-CIO's fight is to keep from being labeled irrelevant,'' he told The Root. "But let's be real. The labor and suffrage movements were about white people. So, for these people to hold a mass demonstration on the anniversary of King's death is hypocritical.

"My father was a union man," Butler continued. "He couldn't get certain jobs, even in a union shop. Blacks were excluded from the higher paying jobs. I used to hear stories at the dinner table about how a white man would walk in off the street with no education from Tennessee, Kentucky and Appalachia and get a job as an electrician, or a tool and die man. But my father had to struggle to get into one of those skilled trade jobs, which paid a lot of money. Today, things are a lot worse and [the unions] need to be dismantled."

Unfair treatment of black workers was very much on King's mind 43 years ago, in Memphis in the midst of organizing the demonstration to stand in solidarity with striking sanitation workers. The protest was the culmination of months of mistreatment. In February 1968, two black sanitation workers were crushed to death when a trash truck malfunctioned.

In a separate incident on the same day, 22 black workers were sent home without pay because of the brutal weather, while their white supervisors remained on the job with pay. Two weeks later, thousands of workers joined forces to fight for job safety, better pay, benefits and union support. They also fought against then-Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb's indifference to their plight.

The effort unified blacks and whites and brought King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference to the front lines. But violent protestors on the side of the sanitation workers interrupted King's first demonstration in March, and he was forced to go to court to reschedule the event. After working out an agreement with the courts on April 4, a peaceful march was planned for April 8.

As lawyers prepared to inform King of the court agreement over dinner on that fateful April 4 evening, he was assassinated as he stepped out of his hotel room, changing history and uniting the civil rights and the labor movements like never before.

"We know that Dr. King spent the last day of his life speaking out against those who would deny workers the right to collectively bargain," Baker said. "During the last year of his life, Dr. King put justice for the poor and working-class people at the center of his agenda. He challenged the country to create an economy of full employment or lacking that, a tax system that ensured a decent level of income for every American."


http://www.theroot.com/views/marchers-remember-mlk-was-pro-union

I wonder what Mr. Butler's response to the information about Black people being the one who would suffer during this attack on public sector unions. Like a certain Republican on this board, he enjoys using the past to validate his beliefs but doesn't seem to recognize how those conditions don't exist anymore (at the very least to the same degree).
And if Dr. King believed in unions, why don't the people who like to talk about him being a Republican like unions?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Those election results are big, even if Prosser wins. Walker may have won the most pyrrhic of victories.

 

[thoughtone]

Buyer's remorse? Republicans have a problem in 2012.


source: Huffington Post


Scott Walker's 'Waterloo': 19 Counties Flip To Democrats In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race



WASHINGTON -- A divisive budget battle between labor unions and Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) turned a state Supreme Court race into a nationally watched bellwether on the electorate's mood heading into a recall campaign and the 2012 elections.

Nearly 1.5 million people turned out to vote, representing 33.5 percent of voting-age adults -- 68 percent higher than the 20 percent turnout officials had expected. JoAnne Kloppenburg has already declared victory, with the vote tallies showing her beating incumbent David Prosser by just a couple hundred votes. The race is expected to head to a recount.

Significantly, 19 counties that went for Walker in the 2010 elections this time flipped and went for Kloppenburg, including LaCrosse (59 percent), Sauk (56 percent) and Dunn (56 percent).

There were no party affiliations on the ballot, but Kloppenburg was heavily backed by Democrats and Prosser by Republicans, making it a fierce proxy battle for the two parties.

On a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate was jubilant over the results, saying they represent a "watershed moment for Wisconsin and a Waterloo for Scott Walker."

"It should give Republicans, who are -- for the moment -- in the majority, pause about how they proceed in enacting Walker's terrible budget," he added.

Tate pointed to the pick-ups in the western part of the state, which went heavily for Kloppenburg. Even in counties that Democrats won in 2010, Tate was happy that the margins were wider than they were in November. For example, Tom Barrett, who lost the race for governor to Walker in November, won Eau Claire County with 51 percent of the vote. This time, Kloppenburg captured Eau Claire with 58 percent.

"In Wisconsin, we have a ... very high number of independent voters, who are not wedded to one party or another," said Tate, explaining the swing.

The Wisconsin Republican Party did not return a request for comment. But Prosser's team has already said that it is working on the possibility of a recount.

"We are assembling our legal team and continuing to watch our vote totals," Prosser Campaign Director Brian Nemoir said. "We are encouraged by the turnout and believe in a record-setting Supreme Court election there's plenty of reason to believe there's unrecognized opportunity to deliver a victory."

Prosser was a strong ally of the governor, and both conservatives and progressives invested a significant amount of resources into the race. Nemoir previously admitted that Prosser's campaign was about "protecting the conservative judicial majority and acting as a common sense complement to both the new administration and Legislature."

A new justice won't be sworn in until Aug. 1, and according to Lester Pines, a senior partner at the firm Cullen Weston Pines & Bach LLP in Madison, Wis., it's unlikely that the high court would consider a challenge to the governor's anti-union bill before then.

"I think it's very unlikely, given where things are in court right now," he said.

Wisconsin State Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi issued an order saying that the state cannot enforce a bill stripping away collective bargaining rights for public employees. She is considering a lawsuit brought by the Dane County District Attorney, who sued four GOP lawmakers alleging that the bill violates the state's open-meetings law.

Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court serve 10-year terms, and unseating a member is extremely rare. It was done in 2008, but before that, it had been 41 years since an incumbent lost an election.

Pines argued that if Kloppenburg wins, it would provide a huge boost to Democrats' efforts to recall GOP senators.

"If we win this, then what happens is the momentum toward the recalls becomes overwhelming, and people will really be fired up because they have a victory," said Pines. "There's nothing like a victory to keep people's motivation high, and there's nothing like a loss to demoralize your opponents."

Democrats have launched recall efforts against all eight eligible Republicans, although a Democratic state senator told The Huffington Post that he believes they have a solid chance at only six of them. Republicans are also targeting six Democrats in recall efforts.

The flipped counties: Adams, Chippewa, Columbia, Dunn, Grant, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Sauk, Vernon, Washburn and Wood.

Correction: This story initially incorrectly identified Kloppenburg as a Democrat. It has been amended to reflect that while there were no party affiliations on the ballot, Kloppenburg was heavily backed by Democrats and Prosser by Republicans, making it a fierce proxy battle for the two parties.

UPDATE: 9:39 p.m. -- The Huffington Post created a map showing the change in the votes from the 2010 gubernatorial election to Tuesday's Supreme Court election. Click on each county to find specific data.

Charles H. Franklin, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, commented to the Huffington Post about the data:

There are two notable elements of the map. The return of the west to a Democratic balance. Along the Mississippi River has usually been a Democratic-leaning region. Walker took that away significantly in 2010. The uniform red shading of the west in this map shows the region has some second thoughts. It is also the region most likely to recall a GOP senator, and this shifting vote map shows that.
The second striking thing is the east along Lake Michigan, and Milwaukee County most important of all. Prosser did quite well though out this region. Had he merely held Walker's level of support there, he would have lost by a significant margin. His strong performance here in the east turned that into the tie we see. Most interesting is his success in normally Dem Milwaukee city and county. While he lost the majority there, he did better than Walker, and that relative gain helped mitigate what are normally more damaging vote losses.




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[QueEx]

<font size="5"><center>
Wisconsin to review discovery of votes</font size><font size="4">

A county clerk's error alters the final total in favor of the
conservative incumbent, Justice David Prosser.
The elections agency says it will investigate</font size></center>

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus said the mistake was "human error, which I apologize
for." Critics noted her Republican ties and called for an investigation. (Michael Sears / Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel / April 9, 2011)


Los Angeles Times
By Nicholas Riccardi
Los Angeles Times
April 9, 2011


Wisconsin's top elections agency said Friday it would review a county clerk's discovery of 14,000 votes in the state's photo-finish Supreme Court election, a total that appeared to both decisively tip the race to the conservative incumbent but also continue the partisan battles that have dominated the state for months.

National groups had poured money into the normally obscure contest, viewing it as a referendum on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's plan to strip public workers of their ability to collectively bargain. The challenger, Asst. Atty. Gen. JoAnne Kloppenburg, declared victory Wednesday after the unofficial tally showed her with a 204-vote lead.

Then Kathy Nickolaus, the clerk of conservative Waukesha County, said in a news conference Thursday that she had forgotten to include the county's second-largest city's votes in the initial tally. The incumbent, Justice David Prosser, received a net gain of 7,582 votes.

Nickolaus' account was confirmed at the news conference by a Democrat who sat on the county canvassing board that discovered the error. But other Democrats and unions who backed Kloppenburg swiftly called for an investigation.


<font size="3">Clerk Once Worked for Prosser; and Once Charged</font size>

• The critics noted that Nickolaus had worked for Prosser when he was the Republican legislative leader in the Assembly and she was a staffer with the Republican caucus.

• She left after being granted immunity in a criminal investigation that found staffers in both parties' caucuses were illegally performing campaign work.

• An audit last year criticized her for keeping election information on a private computer in her office that could not be examined by county staff, leading to a severe chiding from county supervisors.

"If there was anyone in the state of Wisconsin who has the expertise, over two decades, to manipulate programs and results, it'd be her," said Scot Ross of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, which called for a probe by "trained law-enforcement investigators."

The investigation will be conducted by staff and attorneys at the Government Accountability Board, the nonpartisan agency that tallies election results from Wisconsin's 72 county clerks.

The board's director, Kevin J. Kennedy, said in a statement Friday that the agency would check the original returns from polling places in Waukesha County and review Nickolaus' "business practices."

The board will wait to certify the election results until the review is complete. "We have confidence in Wisconsin's county and municipal clerks," Kennedy added, "and do not believe any of them would do anything illegal to jeopardize their own reputation, or Wisconsin's reputation for clean, fair and transparent elections."

Nickolaus, an elected official who did not return a call Friday, said Thursday that the mistake was "human error, which I apologize for, which is common in this process."

At her news conference Thursday, Nickolaus said she had received a file of the vote totals from the Brookfield city clerk and forgotten to save it into the database she turned over to the Associated Press, which provided the unofficial tally of each county's vote on election night. She said she discovered the mistake as the canvass began Wednesday morning but could not announce it until the totals were verified Thursday.

Prosser's campaign manager, Brian Nemoir, on Friday said he welcomed the review by the accountability board. "A fully transparent process makes sense and aids in the cause," he said.

The Kloppenburg campaign filed a public records request Friday, seeking information on how Nickolaus tallied her numbers and discovered the omission of the city of Brookfield, which has a population of about 40,000.

Campaign manager Melissa Mulliken defended the campaign's decision to declare victory with a slim, unofficial lead Wednesday. "We did what candidates do when the votes have been tallied on election night and you have won."

The election drew more than $3.5 million in outside spending from conservative and liberal groups and led to a record turnout for a state Supreme Court race. Democrats and unions threw their weight behind the little-known Kloppenburg, hoping to shift the 4-3 majority on the state's high court before Walker's union law comes before that body.

The GOP-controlled Legislature passed the measure last month, after huge protests and the flight of all the state Senate Democrats to Illinois to try to deny Republicans a quorum. A judge ruled that the Legislature apparently violated Wisconsin's public meetings law in passing the bill, and placed it on hold. The Walker administration has appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-wisconsin-election-20110409,0,5699407.story

 

[Ruff Ryder]

Judge strikes Wisconsin union-stripping law

Judge strikes Wisconsin union-stripping law

​

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled Thursday that Republican legislators violated Wisconsin's open meetings law during the run up to passage. She says that renders the law void.


Which means that, at least for today, State Representative Peter Barca was right. The State Supreme Court will hold arguments on June 6 to decide whether it takes up the case. At issue here is not the contents of the law as the way it was jammed through as hastily rewritten bill in a hastily convened committee. Wisconsin Republican lawmakers could try to pass the bill again, this time with more advance notice. Whether they'd want to do that as six Republican senators face recall votes and a new poll says the public wants the Democrats to be in charge is another question.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel posts Judge Sumi's ruling. I recommend starting on page 23. "Our form of government depends on citizens' trust and confidence in the process by which our elected officials makes laws, at all levels of government," Judge Sumi concludes. The decision merits -- and rewards -- reading.

Link

 

[copper]

Re: Judge strikes Wisconsin union-stripping law

Judge strikes Wisconsin union-stripping law​

Thank goodness​

 

[thoughtone]

source: Crooks and Liars


Wisconsin Accountability Board Approves 3 GOP Recall Elections

By karoli

The first round of Wisconsin state Republican senators slated for recall elections has just been approved. Senators Dan Kapanke, Randy Hopper, and Luther Olsen will face a recall election in July. There are still six other recall petitions -- 3 GOP and 3 Democrat -- under consideration.

It appears that Scott Walker is beginning to take these recalls seriously, too.

Six Republicans and three Democrats are targeted for recalls starting as early as July 12. Democrats need to pick up three seats to take control of the Senate from Republicans. If that happened, the Republican agenda would come to a grinding halt in the Statehouse, where Democrats currently are unable to stop Walker's proposals from passing.

Walker, speaking to about 1,000 Republicans at a Wisconsin Dells resort, said the only thing that could stop the GOP's momentum in the state are the recall elections.
​

Aw. That would be a shame. Of course, that's exactly why these Republicans are vulnerable, since we still live in a country where the people do get to vote for the outcome they see as best for them.

Just to prove there's no hard feelings, Governor Walker's sidekick, Scott Fitzgerald said this:

The protesters, as well as the fleeing Democrats, were frequent targets of derision at the convention.

"It's been a long time since I've been around this many people who weren't chanting and yelling, sometimes at me," Fitzgerald said. "And I also got to tell you, you all smell a lot better too."
​

Now there's the way to win friends and influence people.

Meanwhile, Democrats are feeling pretty confident. They believe it's a battle of ideology rather than personality, and as such, they'll win and win big.

No matter the Republican candidate, Democrats are confident they have momentum on their side following the explosive first months of Walker's administration and Ryan's pushing of a federal budget plan that would replace Medicare with a voucher system.

"There are no real moderates left in that party," Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski said. "The moderates are marching in the streets with us. They're going to end up with an extreme candidate."

The mood is so toxic for Republicans, Zielinski argued, all Democrats need to do is field an "average, decent person" for the Senate race.

"The Scott Walker-Paul Ryan agenda has gotten so wacky, so out of step with even the moderate Republican political thought, our candidate will be a strong moderate who builds through consensus and will be able to listen to both sides and work with both sides," he said.
​

 

[Upgrade Dave]

^^^^ The Republicans set themselves up for failure and they know it, that's why they're trying so hard to cram through as many bullsh!t bills they can before the recall elections.

 

[thoughtone]

source: The Washington Post


Wisconsin Dems to announce that they will try to recall Scott Walker

There’s a long way to go, and the goal seems like a very tough one to reach, but Wisconsin Democrats are set to go for it: They will announce at their annual convention later today that they intend to launch an effort to recall the ultimate target — Scott Walker himself.

Mike Tate, the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, will reveal the plan in a speech today at the convention in Milwaukee, according to advance excerpts of the speech that were sent my way.

“We will not stand down — and next year, we will recall Scott Walker from office,” Tate will tell the crowd, according to the excerpts. “We will begin to repair the damage done to this state and we will begin anew with a Democratic Governor who will fight for our children, who will fight for our families, our teachers and our firefighters. We will fight for the people — not the powerful.”

While Dems have long been expected to ultimately launch a recall campaign against Walker, this will be the most explicit vow to date from Wisconsin Dems that they will, in fact, take the plunge. And the announcement is likely to make for some good political theater to fire up Wisconsin Democrats and grassroots activists, who are currently in a battle to recall six Wisconsin GOP state senators. It’s still unclear how many Wisconsin Dems will have to face recall elections, pending an official review of GOP signature-gathering.

Elsewhere in his speech, Tate will give himself a bit of wiggle room, by claiming: “Should the people continue to rise up, continue to fight back, and continue to cry out for immediate change, we will recall Scott Walker from office next year.” But a Wisconsin Dem source tells me the wiggle room is mainly intended as a reminder that the decision to try to recall Walker will ultimately be dictated by the people of Wisconsin, not party chiefs.

To be sure, there’s a very long road ahead to the recall of Walker. Dems first have to deal with the six ongoing recall battles, and if they don’t take back the state senate (they need to net three wins) it could potentially blunt the appetite for a recall campaign against Walker. Second, Dems would have to sustain the current levels of grassroots energy for many more months — after the current recalls play out — and mount a statewide signature gathering campaign, a far taller order than targeting state senators. They would have sixty days to collect 540,000 signatures, 25 percent of the total votes in last year’s gubernatorial election.

And third, if they did manage to gather the signatures, they would have to find a candidate. One potential contender, Russ Feingold, seems more interested in running for Senate; meanwhile, Dave Obey is seen as unlikely to run against Walker because of his age. Dems are eyeing Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who lost narrowly to Walker last year, but it’s unclear if he’ll make the run. So: A long way to go indeed.
But still — it looks like they very well may go for it.

 

[thoughtone]

source: TPM


Octogenarian Former GOP State Rep To Run As Fake ‘Democrat’ In Wis. Recalls


Don't let anyone say there isn't bipartisanship in Wisconsin.

The newest example of Wisconsin Republicans recruiting fake Democratic candidates, to force Dem primaries and make trouble in the state Senate recalls: Otto Junkermann, an 82-year old former Republican state representative, who will challenge official Democratic candidate Nancy Nusbaum for the recall against GOP state Sen. Rob Cowles.

As the Green Bay Press Gazette reports, Junkermann very openly professes to support Cowles:

Otto Junkermann, 82 of Allouez, said he thinks "very highly" of Cowles, a Republican also from Allouez, and will run against Nusbaum as a "conservative Democrat."

"I respect Rob a great deal. I've known him, I followed him into the Assembly and took the position he had when he went into the Senate, and I always admired him," Junkermann said.

Junkermann served in the Assembly as a Republican for one term from 1987-88. He was also a Brown County supervisor from 1982-87 and ran again in 2002, 2004 and 2008 but lost.

Asked if he was a so-called "spoiler candidate," Junkermann said: "I don't know how I could avoid being considered that."
​

Over in another district, a 25-year old county GOP official has signed up to run as a ringer Democrat in a primary. And in another district, a retiree who has donated to multiple Republicans is running as a fake Dem.

The key here is that recalls are now tentatively scheduled for July 12, under the state election officials' proposed timelines, targeting six Republicans. If there were only one Democrat against each one Republican, then the July 12 date would immediately be held as the general election. But if there were additional Democrats, the July 12 date would then become the primary, giving the incumbents more time to campaign for a general election in August.

Also, thanks to Wisconsin's open primary system in which anybody can vote in a party primary, it would force the Democrats to spend time, money and resources campaigning for their own nominations.

The strategy is being officially coordinated by state Republican leaders, and has been endorsed by state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

 

[thoughtone]

source: Reuters

Democrats win early victory in Wisconsin recall primary

(Reuters) - Wisconsin Democrats won a preliminary victory on Tuesday in a bid to unseat Republican lawmakers who voted for a controversial anti-union law in the first of a series of special recall elections.

Party-backed candidates won in each of six state Senate districts in Tuesday's vote, essentially a Democratic primary but with an odd twist that took place ahead of a formal August recall vote.

The candidates had to beat back unusual primary challenges from six Republicans who ran as Democrats in order to give the targeted Republican incumbents more time to campaign, raise money and maintain their party's hold on the state Senate.

Unofficial results posted on websites run by election officials in the counties where the six races were run showed the Democratic Party-backed candidates won all six races, and Democrats declared victory.

Running tallies late on Tuesday showed double-digit Democratic leads in all but one race, where the Democratic candidate led by a smaller but still substantial margin.

Unlike many other U.S. states, Wisconsin has open primaries and no official party registration. So Republicans can run as Democrats and vote in Democratic primaries, and vice versa for Democrats.

The six Democrats who won on Tuesday -- Nancy Nusbaum, state Representative Sandy Pasch, Shelly Moore, state Representative Fred Clark, Jessica King and Jennifer Shilling -- will now seek to unseat six incumbent Republicans in recall elections on August 9.

In total, six Republican senators who supported the anti-union measure, and three Democrats who opposed it, will be forced to defend their seats this summer after recall petitions were signed by thousands of disgruntled voters.

The law, which dismantled key bargaining rights for most Wisconsin public sector employees, triggered the biggest opposition demonstrations in the state since the Vietnam War.

The fractious debate over the union measure propelled Wisconsin to the front of a wider national political battle as Republicans who took control of many statehouses in 2010 midterm elections moved aggressively to shrink government and made reining in public unions a top priority.

FIRST FULL RECALL VOTE NEXT WEEK

The union measure, championed by new Republican Governor Scott Walker, eliminated most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state and required them to pay more for pensions and health coverage.

Walker said the compensation and bargaining rights the public workers had enjoyed were unaffordable in an era of soaring state budget deficits and he defended the measure as necessary to help the state fix its finances.

The first full recall election will take place next Tuesday, July 19, when Dave Hansen, a Democratic state senator from Green Bay, will defend his seat against the Republican challenger David VanderLeest.

The incumbent Republicans facing recall are Robert Cowles, Alberta Darling, Sheila Harsdorf, Luther Olsen, Randy Hopper and Dan Kapanke.

Normally, there is little reason to cross party lines in a primary election. But the Republicans who took control of the statehouse last fall and quickly passed the collective bargaining law for public sector workers now find themselves fighting to retain control of the Senate.

Democrat Pasch, who will now run for the Eighth Senate district seat held by Darling, called Tuesday's vote "an overwhelming rejection of Republican dirty tactics."

"I am proud that the people of the eighth state Senate district have stood up to the cynical ploys of my opponents," she said. "I look forward to holding honest, insightful debates on the issues with Senator Darling in this summer's recall election."

If Democrats gain just three of the seats at stake once the final votes are cast, they will take control of the upper house and have a better chance at thwarting Walker's far-reaching legislative agenda, which has also included passage of new gun regulations and a voter ID law favored by conservatives.

Republicans will continue to have a majority in the lower house, or Assembly.

 

[thoughtone]

source: AWL

In yesterday's recall primary election in Wisconsin, the fake Democratic candidates who are actually Republicans lost by huge margins.

But wait, it's not over yet! It's actually not even started. The first full recall election isn't even until next week! Yes, we get to do this again next week even! And it'll be fun:

District 12 GOP Primary: Kim Simac vs. Robert Lussow to face Democrat Senator Jim Holperin
Trivia: Kim Simac, the "family values" candidate and founder of Northwoods Patriots ("Standing up for FAITH, Family and Country") explains the fact that she swapped spouses with her ex as "one of those quirky American stories."
District 22 GOP Primary: Jonathan Steitz vs. Fred Ekornaas to face Democrat Senator Bob Wirch

Trivia: Attorney Jonathan Steitz has railed against the influence of out-of-state money in Wisconsin and said he's the candidate to "attract business to stay here." Steitz works just across the border in a Chicago law firm.
​

<!-- .entry -->

 

[Upgrade Dave]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/43904512#43904512

 

[QueEx]

The Day of Reckoning in Wisconsin Recall Fight

Outside groups, finger-pointing and acrimony have nearly
eclipsed the original reason six state senators face voters
today

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Again, in a tight political election, Waukesha County has "difficulties" in tallying votes.



Still, winning two seats in Republican districts is a good first step and may enbolden moderate, reasonable Republicans like Dale Schultz to buck their extreme party line.

 

[Gunner]

Republicans hold off Dems in recalls!!!

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_0eab6966-c2a9-11e0-a206-001cc4c03286.html

Republicans hold off Dems in recalls!!!

After tens of millions of dollars spent by outside interest groups, dozens of attack ads and exhaustive get-out-the-vote efforts, Democrats on Tuesday fell short of their goal of taking control of the state Senate and stopping the agenda of Gov. Scott Walker.
Republicans won four of six recall races, meaning the party still holds a narrow 17-16 majority in the Senate — at least until next week, when Sens. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, and Jim Holperin, D-Conover face their own recall elections. A third Democrat, Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, easily survived a recall attempt last month.
Sens. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, and Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, successfully defended their seats Tuesday.
Challengers state Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, and Jessica King unseated incumbent state Sens. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, and Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac.
Going into Tuesday, Republicans controlled the body 19-14, so Democrats needed to win at least three seats and hold onto two more next week to take over.
"The revolution has not occurred," said UW-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee, a former Democratic lawmaker. "The proletariat did not take over the streets."
Tuesday's recalls were largely seen as a test of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who has drawn national attention since unveiling his controversial plan to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from most public workers. Proof of that was visible on election night as national news organizations broadcast from across the state and political pundits led their newscasts with result updates and discussed their ramifications on the nation's political landscape.
Republican senators were targeted for recall after backing Walker's plan. Democratic senators came under attack for leaving the state to delay a vote on the measure.
However, the focus of the recalls has since expanded, shifting away from the collective bargaining fight toward issues such as taxes and funding for public schools and seniors.
A couple thousand Democratic supporters gathered at the state Capitol Tuesday night, hopeful at first but deflated when it appeared they might fall short of the three victories they needed.
Still, some praised Democrats' modest gains.
"I think the fact that this election is going on right now is a victory in and of itself. We put them on the hot seat," said Randy Bryce, 46, of Caledonia, who came to the Capitol Tuesday with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. "I would have liked to have seen us run the table on them, but this is okay for now."
Several media reported Darling was waiting for Pasch to make a concession speech shortly before midnight, But Darling's victory allows Republicans to continue to control the Legislature and set the agenda.
"I don't think there is much of a moral victory in taking only two," UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said. "This was all about taking command of the Senate."
Tuesday's unofficial results capped the most expensive elections in state history.
Cash flowing into the recalls already has approached $30 million, and total spending by third-party groups and candidates could top $40 million, election watchdogs say. That total would double spending on all 116 of last fall's state legislative races combined.
Outside interest groups have spent millions on both sides, from conservative organizations like Wisconsin Club for Growth, Wisconsin Family Action, and Citizens for a Strong America to pro-union and liberal groups like We Are Wisconsin, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Democracy for America.
Many view the races as a sign of whether the next Wisconsin politician facing recall will be Walker himself. The governor remained largely absent from any public appearances with the GOP senators targeted for recall.
Tony Spencer, a 36-year-old laid-off carpenter from Shorewood, voted for Darling's challenger, Democratic state Rep. Sandy Pasch.
"I'm in a private union, so they haven't necessarily come after me," Spencer said. "But everybody should have the right to be in a union. I came out to stop all the union-bashing stuff."
But John Gill, 45, of Menomonee Falls, voted for Darling and questioned the opposition's anti-GOP rhetoric, which went far beyond collective bargaining.
"This was all supposed to be about the workers' rights, so to speak. But that has not been brought up one time. It's all been misleading, the attack ads, things like that," Gill said. "The one reason they started this recall, they didn't bring up once."

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Re: Republicans hold off Dems in recalls!!!

You seem to take great joy in this minor victory for corporations over citizens and workers. I find that odd.
Anyway, we've already touched on this in the Wisconsin thread.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Republicans hold off Dems in recalls!!!

 

[Upgrade Dave]

'Preciate the merging of the threads, Q.

 

[thoughtone]

Next!​

source: The Raw Story


Wisconsin Democrats defend Senate seats in final recall election


Wisconsin Democratic state Senators Jim Holperin and Bob Wirch defended their seats from Republican challengers on Tuesday in the final set of recall elections.

Unofficial results show Holperin and Wirch easily defeated Republican candidates Kim Simac and Jonathan Steitz.

"I am proud to continue to represent the people of the Kenosha region," Wirch said in a statement. "The future of Wisconsin depends on the strength of our working, middle class families and I look forward to returning to Madison with two new Democratic Senators to enact a moderate, Wisconsin agenda that supports them."

In total, Democrats won 5 of the 9 recall contests.

Wisconsin Democrats picked up two seats in the state Senate after defeating incumbent Republicans in recall elections on August 9, falling short of the three seats needed to gain a majority.

Another Democratic senator, Dave Hansen, successfully defended his seat in a July 19 recall election.

“The victories tonight of Senators Wirch and Holperin cap off successful recall elections this summer for Democrats, progressives, moderates and independents," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said.

"Democrats won more races, recalled two Republican senators, protected every Democratic incumbent, shifted the balance of power in the state Senate away from conservatives, and forced Walker and the GOP to pay public lip service to moderation and bipartisanship for the first time since they took power in January," he added.

Under Wisconsin law, any elected official who has served at least one year of their current term can be recalled from office. Democrats are expected to launch a recall effort against Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who was inaugurated last January, in 2012, although support for such as recall is decreasing.

 

[Gunner]

Wisconsin Union Leader Issues Layoffs

Highlight:
WEAC Executive Director Dan Burkhalter said Monday that the layoffs and budget cuts are based on a projected loss of revenue as a result of Gov. Scott Walker's "union-busting legislation."

Now the union director is thinking like the responsible Governor of the state. No revenues, staff be cut. Say it isn't so?

Highlight:
The new legislation limits collective bargaining, but it also requires local unions to hold annual recertification votes, prohibits employers from automatically deducting union dues from a public worker's payroll and allows bargaining-unit members to opt out of paying union dues altogether if they wish.


So dues are no longer taken automatically from paychecks. People choose to pay. Funny how those dems only like choice when it comes to abortion. Everything else, they like enslavement. Why has union dues dropped? If everything was such a pleasant utopia all members would continue contributing to the coffers. Given a choice many members choose not to. Yet everyone else must give to allow them to keep their job????



Discourse:

WEAC issues layoff notices for 40% of staff
e-mail print By Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel
Aug. 15, 2011 |(289) COMMENTS

In the aftermath of legislation that clips the power of public employee unions in Wisconsin, the state's largest teachers union exhibited the first signs of a wobble Monday when it issued layoff notices to 42 employees.

The new legislation limits collective bargaining, but it also requires local unions to hold annual recertification votes, prohibits employers from automatically deducting union dues from a public worker's payroll and allows bargaining-unit members to opt out of paying union dues altogether if they wish.

The announcement of layoffs at the Wisconsin Education Association Council, which affects about 40% of its workforce, comes at a time when the organization is reaching out to members to rally support for the union.

WEAC Executive Director Dan Burkhalter said Monday that the layoffs and budget cuts are based on a projected loss of revenue as a result of Gov. Scott Walker's "union-busting legislation."

Burkhalter said WEAC's membership decreased because of extra retirements last year and districts limiting their hiring of new employees this year.

He said the cuts were not related to any prediction that there would be a further drop in membership as a result of the upcoming re-certification elections for local unions around the state.

The recertification elections are to be conducted by Dec. 1 for all bargaining units that don't have a contract in effect.

"By law, to continue on as the representative, the union needs to garner the re-certification votes of 51% of all eligible voters," said Peter Davis, general counsel for the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which will oversee the elections.

WEAC is made up of about 98,000 state teachers and education-support professionals. It collected about $23.5 million in dues in 2009, the latest year of data for which federal tax filing information is available.

It's been holding membership continuation drives this summer in districts where teachers and other workers are no longer covered by a contract and even making house calls to connect with people in person.

WEAC spokeswoman Christina Brey said home visits were a choice made by local union leaders, and she heard positive feedback.

"We really need to look each other in the eye at this point," Brey said.

Burkhalter said that a little less than a third of WEAC's membership does not have a contract covering it anymore.

He wouldn't say how many people have volunteered to continue their WEAC membership - it's internal information, he said - but he added that the organization has signed up members since the bill passed.

Membership is steady in districts that signed or extended contract agreements with unions before the new legislation passed, he said. That includes large districts with lots of members, such as Milwaukee and Kenosha.

In Fond du Lac, where a contract was not extended, Fond du Lac Education Association President Hedy Eischeid said her group and WEAC are working in concert to recruit members and talk to people about why the union is relevant. Persuading teachers to pay dues comes at the same time another element of the Walker law requires most public employees to pay more for their health care and retirement benefits.

Eischeid said the local organization traditionally forwards a portion of members' dues to WEAC, the national organization (for WEAC members that's the National Education Association) and UniServ ("united service"), the regional offices that help deliver services to members.

She said Walker's legislation was intended to break the power of WEAC and local unions and make them ineffectual, and that's "a slap in the face" to people who consider the work that unions do important.

Eischeid said that in Fond du Lac, teachers have united in shared anger over the new legislation, and more than 90% of the local membership has committed to stay in the union.

"We won't have 100%, and there are some people that we will not get to join," she said. "We didn't have people who were 100% with us even when (the district) took dues out automatically. But now we're having important conversations about that, and the power of dialogue is strong."

Eischeid didn't disclose the cost of union dues in Fond du Lac.

In Milwaukee Public Schools, where teachers are operating under an extended contract, most Milwaukee Teachers Education Association members pay about $1,000 per year in dues. Teachers who decline membership still have to pay a $700 "fair share" payment for contract enforcement and bargaining.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Re: Wisconsin Union Leader Issues Layoffs

for them Gunner. Some more people unemployed. That's good news.

The responsible Governor who claimed that they had a budget crisis but still gave away hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations? And passed a law to bust the union that did nothing to address the budget?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Gunner didn't break out his pom-poms?

 

[thoughtone]

Gunner didn't break out his pom-poms?

Lets recall Gunner!

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Lets recall Gunner!

 

[QueEx]

Lets recall Gunner!

When was the vote?

Nobody told me.

Didn't anybody think I might like to have tacos outside T.O.'s office (and vote too) ???

It must have passed, I haven't read him in quite some time

No wonder, I have TMobile.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fvo7zo8FGJg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[QueEx]

Group says push to recall Wisconsin governor on track

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker during a news conference at the state
Capitol in Madison, February 25, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Darren Hauck



Organizers of a petition drive to force Wisconsin's Republican governor into a
recall election next year said on Thursday that in just one month they had
collected 94 percent of the signatures needed for the special election.

The group United Wisconsin, which opposes the collective bargaining changes
Scott Walker pushed into law earlier this year, said it now hopes to gather more
than 720,000 signatures to recall the first-term governor by the January 17
deadline -- nearly 200,000 more than needed.

The group said it had already collected 507,533 of the 540,208 signatures
required and now hopes to gather 720,277 in all. That latter figure would
represent 33 percent of the 2010 general election turnout, although petition
gatherers only need 25 percent to force a special election.

Walker, elected in 2010, and a Republican-controlled legislature passed a raft of
highly controversial measures this year, including strict limits on the union rights
of public employees.

The anti-union measure triggered a fierce political backlash from Democrats and
union supporters.

After forging ahead with a conservative agenda that included the successful
passage of voter ID and concealed carry legislation, six Republican senators
faced recall last summer. Ultimately, two were recalled.

Organizers of the current effort to recall Walker have to submit the signatures
to the state's Government Accountability Board, which will then determine their
validity.

GAB officials indicated this week they may need more than the 31 days allowed
by law to finish the process.

In addition to Walker, as many as 17 state senators -- 11 Republicans and six
Democrats -- and the state's Republican lieutenant governor could face recall
elections next year.

State rules allow such special votes provided the targeted lawmakers have been
in office for at least one year and have not already faced recall.

The political balance of the state senate, where the Republicans hold a 17-16
majority, is at stake.





http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-recall-wisconsin-idUSTRE7BE1NQ20111215

 

[Upgrade Dave]

When was the vote?

Nobody told me.

Didn't anybody think I might like to have tacos outside T.O.'s office (and vote too) ???

It must have passed, I haven't read him in quite some time

No wonder, I have TMobile.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fvo7zo8FGJg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I can watch this commercial over and over.


"I like tacos."

Yo, Eric gave me the creeps just standing there.

 

[thoughtone]

source: OEN


Wisconsin's Recall Elections Are Set for June 5

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will be the first chief executive of an American state to face a recall election because he attacked the rights of working people to have a voice in their workplaces and in the public life of the land.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board on Friday morning certified more than 900,000 signatures on recall petitions to remove the anti-labor governor -- far in excess of the required 540,000. They also certified more than 800,000 signatures to remove his lieutenant governor. And four of Walker's key legislative allies, including the powerful majority leader of the state Senate, will also be forced to face the voters.

The accomplishment of the grassroots campaign to recall and remove Walker and his allies is dramatic. And the confirmation of that accomplishment marked "a historic day in democracy for the state of Wisconsin," according to Wisconsin AFL-CIO president Phil Neuenfeldt.

The accomplishment is, as well, unprecedented.

Two American governors have been recalled and removed in American history -- in North Dakota in 1921, in California in 2003. Individual legislators have also been recalled and removed.

But there has never been an instance where recall elections could on the same day remove a chief executive and flip control of a legislative chamber from one party to the other.

That's the prospect that Wisconsin faces on an electoral timeline that was formally set Friday morning by the GAB.

"Today's announcement from the Government Accountability Board represents another milestone in the battle to reclaim Wisconsin values. While this news comes as little surprise, it does serve as vindication to those that worked tirelessly throughout the petition campaign -- a campaign that collected over 1.7 million signatures, and stands as the largest recall in United States history," read a message from the United Wisconsin movement, which spearheaded the recall drive.

Unlike in some other states, the Wisconsin recall provision -- as written by the progressive reformers of a century ago -- does not take the form of a referendum on whether officials should continue in office.

Rather, it forces a whole new election, with partisan primaries and a general-election final.

Candidates will begin circulating petitions this weekend to gain ballot positions.

In instances where more than one candidate files for a party nomination, primaries will be held May 8.

The winners of those primaries will face one another in the June 5 general election.

The Wisconsin political field is very much in play. Walker is running for reelection, as is Lieutenant Governor Rebeccas Kleefisch. Democrat challengers have announced in both contests, with former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk gaining substantial labor backing in her run for the party's gubernatorial nod. Secretary of State Doug La Follette, Wisconsin's longest-serving statewide official is also running, as is state Senator Kathleen Vinehout, a rural populist who was one of the 14 Democratic senators who left the state Capitol in order to block action on Walker's anti-labor proposals. And, on Friday afternoon, following the certification of the petitions, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the party's 2010 gubernatorial nominee, entered the Democratic race.

Walker could well face a Republican party primary challenge, although he remains a favorite of the right-wing base that has come to dominate the once-moderate party.

There are likely to be primaries for the office of lieutenant governor and the state senate seats as well -- as the Republican Party of Wisconsin has indicated that it will file fraudulent candidates (so-called "placeholders") in all Democratic primaries.

While much of the media focus will be on the partisan jockeying, it is important to keep track of the reality of what has happened in Wisconsin.

An American governor sought to impose a radical austerity agenda that attacked labor rights, public education and public services -- while cutting taxes for multinational corporations.

The people of that state filled the streets and occupied the capitol to object.

The governor and his allies refused to listen to the people; they enacted the anti-labor law -- portions of which were, on Friday, found by a federal judge to be unconstitutional.

In the face of Walker's extreme moves, the people dusted off an old progressive tool of accountability -- the recall power -- organized the grassroots United Wisconsin movement that attracted 30,000 volunteers.

The governor pushed back with a multi-million dollar television advertising campaign that attacked the legitimacy of the recall and urged Wisconsinites to oppose it. His allies in the media portrayed the recall as inappropriate, unnecessary and costly. His political backers claimed that the recall effort was collecting fraudulent signatures and suggested, again and again, that it would not stand up to scrutiny.

On January 17, that movement filed close to two million signatures on petitions seeking the recall of the governor, lieutenant governor and four powerful state senators.

Now, a little over two months later, the petitions have not just been judged to be credible. They have been found to have a dramatically fewer flawed or fraudulent signatures than have historically been found on recall and referendum petitions.

Specifically, the GAB found that, of 931.053 signatures filed to recall the governor, 900,939 were valid.

Of 842,854 signatures originally filed against Kleefisch, 808,990 were found to be valid.

In each case, the totals were dramatically above the required -- 360,000 more than was needed for the gubernatorial race, 268,000 more that was needed for the lieutenant governor race.

"Despite intimidation, threats, and near obsession by our opponents to diminish and slander this movement, these results prove yet again their failure in stifling the voice of working people. This report underscores just how clean and ethical this historic campaign was," explained United Wisconsin leaders. "Those 30,000 volunteers who sacrificed their time to restore our democracy made sure they followed the rules and acted with the utmost respect for the process, leading to only a meager four signatures marked as fake."

 

[thoughtone]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y7v8f8jBrW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


source: Teamster Nation

Walker's 'Divide and Conquer' donor paid no state corp. taxes

Oh this is just charming. Cross posting from We Party Patriots:

It seems the billionaire Scott Walker-backer with whom the Governor shared his “divide and conquer” strategy toward unions can give $500,000 to her favorite anti-worker puppet despite not paying a cent in state corporate income tax between the years of 2005 and 2008, the most recent years with records to show.

Diane Hendricks, the owner of the Rock County ABC Supply, has outspent fellow billionaires Sheldon Adelson (Las Vegas casinos) and Richard DeVos (Amway) in the anti-recall cause to support Walker. Her main concern? Turning Wisconsin permanently into a “Red State” that adopts “Right-to-Work” philosophies.

According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, who recently investigated Hendricks, her large company employs limitless lawyers and uses tax loopholes to show zero profit. From their findings:

Hendricks, whom Forbes magazine says is worth $2.8 billion, heads Beloit-based ABC Supply Company, which the magazine calls “the nation’s largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor” with annual sales approaching $5 billion.

ABC Supply may be a huge money-maker for Hendricks, but the Wisconsin corporate income tax returns she files claim the company makes not a penny in taxable profit.

ABC Supply paid exactly $0.00 in state corporate income tax in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to the state Department of Revenue. Tax data for more recent years were not available when the information was requested from the department.

Hendricks emerged as a new topic of discussion-slash-hate after she was identified in a documentary called As Goes Janesville conversing with Scott Walker about a “divide and conquer” strategy in regards to unions. In that clip, Hendricks asked,

“Any chance we’ll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right-to-work state? What can we do to help you?”

Walker replied: “Well, we’re going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we’re going to deal with collection bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.”

Hendricks is a longtime supporter of Wisconsin conservatives and a devout anti-tax crusader.

Hendricks is well-known as a financial backer of conservative causes and candidates. Her political donations in Wisconsin date as far back as a $1,000 gift to then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1991, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

And she speaks out herself in favor of low taxes and less regulations. The opening sentence in an op-ed she wrote in 2010 for USA Today says: “Taxing job creators is a sure way to stop the engine of economic growth.”

It only makes sense that Hendricks would drink the Walker Kool-Aid and believe that unions, not large corporations evading taxes, are the cause of the state’s economic woes. She is part and parcel of the problem. The solution to the budget deficit is under her mattress.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y7v8f8jBrW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


source: Teamster Nation

Walker's 'Divide and Conquer' donor paid no state corp. taxes

Oh this is just charming. Cross posting from We Party Patriots:

It seems the billionaire Scott Walker-backer with whom the Governor shared his “divide and conquer” strategy toward unions can give $500,000 to her favorite anti-worker puppet despite not paying a cent in state corporate income tax between the years of 2005 and 2008, the most recent years with records to show.

Diane Hendricks, the owner of the Rock County ABC Supply, has outspent fellow billionaires Sheldon Adelson (Las Vegas casinos) and Richard DeVos (Amway) in the anti-recall cause to support Walker. Her main concern? Turning Wisconsin permanently into a “Red State” that adopts “Right-to-Work” philosophies.

According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, who recently investigated Hendricks, her large company employs limitless lawyers and uses tax loopholes to show zero profit. From their findings:

Hendricks, whom Forbes magazine says is worth $2.8 billion, heads Beloit-based ABC Supply Company, which the magazine calls “the nation’s largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor” with annual sales approaching $5 billion.

ABC Supply may be a huge money-maker for Hendricks, but the Wisconsin corporate income tax returns she files claim the company makes not a penny in taxable profit.

ABC Supply paid exactly $0.00 in state corporate income tax in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to the state Department of Revenue. Tax data for more recent years were not available when the information was requested from the department.

Hendricks emerged as a new topic of discussion-slash-hate after she was identified in a documentary called As Goes Janesville conversing with Scott Walker about a “divide and conquer” strategy in regards to unions. In that clip, Hendricks asked,

“Any chance we’ll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right-to-work state? What can we do to help you?”

Walker replied: “Well, we’re going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we’re going to deal with collection bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.”

Hendricks is a longtime supporter of Wisconsin conservatives and a devout anti-tax crusader.

Hendricks is well-known as a financial backer of conservative causes and candidates. Her political donations in Wisconsin date as far back as a $1,000 gift to then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1991, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

And she speaks out herself in favor of low taxes and less regulations. The opening sentence in an op-ed she wrote in 2010 for USA Today says: “Taxing job creators is a sure way to stop the engine of economic growth.”

It only makes sense that Hendricks would drink the Walker Kool-Aid and believe that unions, not large corporations evading taxes, are the cause of the state’s economic woes. She is part and parcel of the problem. The solution to the budget deficit is under her mattress.

Of course this didn't make the news anywhere but the MSNBC night time lineup but it was a stunning development. The Democratic Party and their PACs should be dumping money into Wisconsin.

 

[QueEx]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y7v8f8jBrW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


source: Teamster Nation

Walker's 'Divide and Conquer' donor paid no state corp. taxes

Oh this is just charming. Cross posting from We Party Patriots:

It seems the billionaire Scott Walker-backer with whom the Governor shared his “divide and conquer” strategy toward unions can give $500,000 to her favorite anti-worker puppet despite not paying a cent in state corporate income tax between the years of 2005 and 2008, the most recent years with records to show.

Diane Hendricks, the owner of the Rock County ABC Supply, has outspent fellow billionaires Sheldon Adelson (Las Vegas casinos) and Richard DeVos (Amway) in the anti-recall cause to support Walker. Her main concern? Turning Wisconsin permanently into a “Red State” that adopts “Right-to-Work” philosophies.

According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, who recently investigated Hendricks, her large company employs limitless lawyers and uses tax loopholes to show zero profit. From their findings:

Hendricks, whom Forbes magazine says is worth $2.8 billion, heads Beloit-based ABC Supply Company, which the magazine calls “the nation’s largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor” with annual sales approaching $5 billion.

ABC Supply may be a huge money-maker for Hendricks, but the Wisconsin corporate income tax returns she files claim the company makes not a penny in taxable profit.

ABC Supply paid exactly $0.00 in state corporate income tax in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to the state Department of Revenue. Tax data for more recent years were not available when the information was requested from the department.

Hendricks emerged as a new topic of discussion-slash-hate after she was identified in a documentary called As Goes Janesville conversing with Scott Walker about a “divide and conquer” strategy in regards to unions. In that clip, Hendricks asked,

“Any chance we’ll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right-to-work state? What can we do to help you?”

Walker replied: “Well, we’re going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we’re going to deal with collection bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.”

Hendricks is a longtime supporter of Wisconsin conservatives and a devout anti-tax crusader.

Hendricks is well-known as a financial backer of conservative causes and candidates. Her political donations in Wisconsin date as far back as a $1,000 gift to then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1991, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

And she speaks out herself in favor of low taxes and less regulations. The opening sentence in an op-ed she wrote in 2010 for USA Today says: “Taxing job creators is a sure way to stop the engine of economic growth.”

It only makes sense that Hendricks would drink the Walker Kool-Aid and believe that unions, not large corporations evading taxes, are the cause of the state’s economic woes. She is part and parcel of the problem. The solution to the budget deficit is under her mattress.

InFuckingCredible !!!

 

[thoughtone]

Of course this didn't make the news anywhere but the MSNBC night time lineup but it was a stunning development. The Democratic Party and their PACs should be dumping money into Wisconsin.

This proves that all you have to do is put an "R" in front of a candidate's name and 35% of the vote will automatically vote republican. Absolutely no minds of their own.

 

[Camille]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y7v8f8jBrW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


source: Teamster Nation

Walker's 'Divide and Conquer' donor paid no state corp. taxes

Oh this is just charming. Cross posting from We Party Patriots:

It seems the billionaire Scott Walker-backer with whom the Governor shared his “divide and conquer” strategy toward unions can give $500,000 to her favorite anti-worker puppet despite not paying a cent in state corporate income tax between the years of 2005 and 2008, the most recent years with records to show.

Diane Hendricks, the owner of the Rock County ABC Supply, has outspent fellow billionaires Sheldon Adelson (Las Vegas casinos) and Richard DeVos (Amway) in the anti-recall cause to support Walker. Her main concern? Turning Wisconsin permanently into a “Red State” that adopts “Right-to-Work” philosophies.

According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, who recently investigated Hendricks, her large company employs limitless lawyers and uses tax loopholes to show zero profit. From their findings:

Hendricks, whom Forbes magazine says is worth $2.8 billion, heads Beloit-based ABC Supply Company, which the magazine calls “the nation’s largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor” with annual sales approaching $5 billion.

ABC Supply may be a huge money-maker for Hendricks, but the Wisconsin corporate income tax returns she files claim the company makes not a penny in taxable profit.

ABC Supply paid exactly $0.00 in state corporate income tax in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to the state Department of Revenue. Tax data for more recent years were not available when the information was requested from the department.

Hendricks emerged as a new topic of discussion-slash-hate after she was identified in a documentary called As Goes Janesville conversing with Scott Walker about a “divide and conquer” strategy in regards to unions. In that clip, Hendricks asked,

“Any chance we’ll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right-to-work state? What can we do to help you?”

Walker replied: “Well, we’re going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we’re going to deal with collection bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.”

Hendricks is a longtime supporter of Wisconsin conservatives and a devout anti-tax crusader.

Hendricks is well-known as a financial backer of conservative causes and candidates. Her political donations in Wisconsin date as far back as a $1,000 gift to then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1991, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

And she speaks out herself in favor of low taxes and less regulations. The opening sentence in an op-ed she wrote in 2010 for USA Today says: “Taxing job creators is a sure way to stop the engine of economic growth.”

It only makes sense that Hendricks would drink the Walker Kool-Aid and believe that unions, not large corporations evading taxes, are the cause of the state’s economic woes. She is part and parcel of the problem. The solution to the budget deficit is under her mattress.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/...-Committee-asks-Walker-if-he-wants-to-recant-


Oh, this is rich. House Oversight Committee asks Walker if he wants to recant.


The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker today. In it, they ask him if he wishes to withdraw his testimony to their committee from April, 2011. New video has surfaced that directly conflicts with Walker's testimony.

(((VIDEO AT SOURCE LINK)))

And here is the letter sent today to Walker...

May 25, 2012
The Honorable Scott Walker
Office of the Governor
115 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

Dear Governor Walker:

On May 21, 2012, we wrote to Rep. Darrell Issa, the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, requesting that he send a letter asking you to explain your testimony before our Committee on April 14, 2011, particularly in light of a new videotape taken of you three months before the hearing and an article published by The Nation entitled, “Did Scott Walker Lie Under Oath to Congress?”

On May 22, you were asked about our letter by your local Fox affiliate, but rather than addressing the substance of our request, you accused us of acting politically because we did not send a letter directly to you.

To address your concerns, it may be helpful to explain why we wrote to Chairman Issa instead of to you. Pursuant to our Committee’s protocols, the Chairman typically writes letters on behalf of the entire Committee to seek clarification of previous testimony, to forward questions for the record from Committee Members, and for other purposes relating to witness testimony at Committee hearings. Chairman Issa has written several letters to witnesses this Congress when he believed they were not being truthful or when new information came to light suggesting that their testimony was not accurate.

Since you appear willing to entertain our inquiries directly, we ask that you submit to the Committee written answers to the following three simple questions no later than June 1, 2012:

1. Do you dispute that you met with Diane Hendricks, one of your top donors, on January 18, 2011?

2. Do you dispute that, in response to a question from Ms. Hendricks about whether Wisconsin could become “a completely red state,” you responded “Oh, yeah,” and that your “first step” as Governor would be to “deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions” in order to “divide and conquer”?

3. In light of your answers to these questions, do you now wish to withdraw your sworn testimony before the Committee in which you asserted that you never “had a conversation with respect to your actions in Wisconsin and using them to punish members of the opposition party and their donor base”?

In the interview with your local Fox affiliate, you stated that “the facts are the facts.” We agree, and in this instance, the facts were captured on videotape.

It is critical for Congress to obtain accurate information from witnesses who testify before the Committee in order to help inform our policy decisions. Your videotaped conversation with Ms. Hendricks not only raises serious concerns about the accuracy of your testimony before the Committee, but it undermines the entire rationale put forward for your unprecedented campaign against public sector workers.

We look forward to receiving your responses to our questions.

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings Gerald E. Connolly Christopher S. Murphy
Ranking Member Committee Member Committee Member

What's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah...BAM!