To all Progressives fighting the good fight – a New Year wish for our state and nation, to forward the traditions of good government of and by the people. A progressive replacement for the corporatic scourge that has hijacked representative Democracy. As a reminder of what we are fighting, and fighting for – a reminiscence [...]
Archive for December, 2011
A Holiday Message from Badger Democracy
Posted: December 25, 2011 in CommentaryTags: Badger Democracy, Holiday Greeting
A Holiday Message from Badger Democracy… May this Holiday Season be the harbinger for a New Year… Of peace, hope, opportunity, Equality, Liberty, and Justice FOR ALL Thanks to all of you who fight for a Progressive Wisconsin every day! Scott Wittkopf, Badger Democracy
Higher Fiscal Stress for Wisconsin Municipalities under new bill…more ALEC influence in Wisconsin
Posted: December 22, 2011 in Legislative action, Media CheckTags: AB 219, ALEC, Leah Vukmir, Municicpal Fiscal Stress Test, SB 240, Wisconsin Municipal Government, Wisconsin politics
Post-Retirement benefits for newly hired municipal employees in Wisconsin would virtually end, under new legislation making its way through committees in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly. AB219 has already been passed out of the Assembly Committee on Urban Affairs by a partisan 6 (R) to 3 (D) vote, and is in the Assembly Rules [...]
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald has “strayed”…not the Government Accountability Board
Posted: December 21, 2011 in Commentary, Legislative action, Media CheckTags: Government Accountability Board, Jeff Fitzgerald, Scott Walker Recall, Wisconsin politics
According to Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R – Horicon), the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) has “strayed” from its nonpartisan mission and should be replaced. Fitzgerald has stated that he felt the previous highly partisan ethics and elections boards ”…worked fairly well,” and he “…liked that system.” Speaker Fitzgerald supported and voted for the formation of the [...]
And the author of the mining bill is…no surprise
Posted: December 16, 2011 in Follow the Money, Legislative actionTags: Wisconsin Mining Bill
A source at the Legislative Reference Bureau has confirmed for Badger Democracy that Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) is the author of the Mining Bill. Honadel received money from Gogebic Taconite in his last campaign and is an American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC) member. Links to Government Accountability Board information, Campaign Contributions, ALEC information, and lobbyists can be found [...]
Koch Industries gets defensive about Badger Democracy expose on “Kochfacts.com”
Posted: December 14, 2011 in Commentary, Media CheckTags: ALEC, Koch Industries, Wisconsin politics
The Badger Democracy expose (“The ALEC-Koch pipeline to Wisconsin Legislators and the Mining Bill“) revealing the money and lobbying ties from Wisconsin Legislators pushing the Mining Bill; to Gogebic Taconite, ALEC, and Koch Industries has prompted Koch Industries to post a “Debunking Conspiracy Theories in Wisconsin” blog on Kochfacts.com. Seems Progressive blogs in Wisconsin are hitting [...]
The ALEC-Koch pipeline to Wisconsin Legislators and the Mining Bill
Posted: December 11, 2011 in Commentary, Follow the Money, Legislative actionTags: ALEC, Gogebic Taconite Mine, Great Lakes Legal Foundation, Hamilton Consulting, Koch Industries, Wisconsin Mining Bill
The Mining Bill released by Assembly Republicans late last week is clearly a case of Legislative patronage to a corporate sponsor – in this case, Gogebic Taconite Mining, LLC. Not surprising, but more disturbing, are the covert links to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Koch Industries, and closer to home, Hamilton Consulting in Madison. All three have [...]
Georgia Pacific (a subsidiary of Koch Industries) – an early gift from Wisconsin Department of Revenue?
Posted: December 3, 2011 in Commentary, Follow the Money, Media CheckTags: Georgia Pacific, Koch Industries, Richard Chandler, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Wisconsin politics
A confidential source inside the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) says that Secretary Richard Chandler has intervened in an action against Georgia Pacific to have the action dropped by the Department. Due to confidentiality statutes restricting access to audit information, Badger Democracy was twice denied an open records request seeking comment, denial, or further information by [...]
Breaking – Immunity for another person sought in Walker John Doe Investigation
Posted: December 2, 2011 in Media CheckTags: John Doe Investigation, Scott Walker
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that the John Doe Investigation into Scott Walker’s current and former aides is seeking to offer immunity to another individual. The continuing investigation being overseen by former Appeals Court Judge Neal Nettesheim(Appleton) is investigating current and former Walker aides’ conduct while employed by Milwaukee County, while Walker was County [...]
