Political Capital

2012-02-02T13:19:00.001-08:00

2012-02-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

The iron-ore mining process and mining equipment.

In the iron ore quarry mining process gigantic boulders are ground into all sizes of materials. The blasting process is the first step to determine what to do next. Rock hammers, drop balls, primary crushers and gyratory crushers are all required in the mining process. Coarse materials are sent by belt conveyer to the iron ore crushing plant or iron ore grinding plant for additional crushing, grinding and sizing. The mine stockpiles different sizes of iron ore materials for the mine owners.

In view of all the corruption and uncertainty in Wisconsin politics thanks to the Walker administration, AB 426 should be tabled until there is some stability in state government.

2012-02-02T11:33:00.001-08:00

The Shorewood Hills Village Board is moving full speed ahead with plans for Pyare Square Redevelopment.

VOSH received a proposal for the Pyare Square property earlier this month and the discussions have moved beyond the preliminary stages.

After review and public hearings, the plan commission makes recommendations to the board for the redevelopment plan that will include two eight-story buildings with underground parking to accommodate the residents of a mix of independent living, assisted living, skill nursing, and memory care apartments.

The business plan was submitted by Oak Park Place, which has facilities in Madison, Wis., Iowa and Minnesota.

Roughly 160 apartment units in varying size will include a beauty shop, pharmacy and restaurant.

Pyare Square will be demolished to make way for the project.

The board also nominated Assistant Attorney General Gary A. Freyberg for municipal judge to replace Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington, who was recently appointed to the bench by Gov. Scott Walker.

Copps

Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. hopes to sell 18.2 million shares of stock at $10 to $12 per share in its initial public offering the company announced recently, according to U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission filings.

Roundy’s parent company Willis Stein & Partners, Chicago, announced plans in December to raise $230 million in an IPO.

2012-02-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

It just keeps getting better!

Now companies want to build in states where they can more easily discharge mercury and other poisoning.

They’re just following the Wisconsin State Assembly over a cliff on open-pit mining bill, AB 426, which will weaken laws protecting Wisconsinite’s health and allow out-of-state mining companies to expose Wisconsin families to deadly chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and lead.

Studies reportedly “conducted on taconite mining in Minnesota and Michigan show that aggressive excavation of taconite and the processing of taconite pellets can cause toxic heavy metals — including arsenic, lead and mercury — to leach into air and water.”

WISCONSIN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS ... We need more Madhatters, as if we don't have enough.

http://host.madison.com/news/state_and_regional/iron-range-officials-upset-with-magnetation-threat/article_ebb4c82c-cc6e-5b0e-b9f1-1907667aaec5.html

2012-02-02T10:24:00.001-08:00

Sucking up to the Republican party as usual, Wischuckleheads just gave the gun lobby’s moll, Ma Galloway, two thumbs up.

Wischuckleheads says an opponent of hers will have “tougher sledding” than the challengers to Van Wanggaard of Racine and Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls. At least that’s what a few phone calls to Wischuckleheads’ insider election-watchers swear by.

Publicizing Tommy G. Thompson’s fundraising exploits despite his flubs and contradictions, Wischuckleheads’ insiders perk up their usually happy atmosphere with more stale news about Scott Walker continuing to prove he’s a fundraising dynamo. Alas, more dough would be moving his way if it wasn’t for that darned John Doe probe.

With $12 million or so in his campaign war chest mostly from out of state wealth (Walker has until March to solicit even more donations because of poky GAB’s extension.), it’s not worth Wischuckleheads’ political blog mentioning that United Wisconsin PAC raised nearly $100,000.

Small potatoes indeed and the petitioners are not among Wischuckleheads’ insider group of lobbyists, leggies and aides. According to Wischuckleheads’ stock opinion the grassroots protesters — as opposed to the Astroroots Koch boys — are “loud and crude.”

“United Wisconsin is the people’s movement. It’s not institutionalized.” Therefore they’re not part of Wischuckleheads’ subscriber base.

“To quote soon-to-be recalled Republican Gov. Scott Walker at the end of a telephone conversation with a man he thought was the corrupt right-wing billionaire David Koch: “Thanks a million.”
—Joel McNally

2012-01-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

Big Fitz is calling John Lehman a retread candidate?

But that’s exactly what Terry Moulton is and infamous Frank Lasee.

Fitzgerald also faces a recall election, but the Dems haven’t announced a candidate in that race.

Meanwhile, the MacIver Institute is grasping for computerized copies of the recall signatures to hand over to ALEC and the Koch brothers and Bob Swift Boat Perry and other nefarious politicos.

http://newsone.com/nation/kirstensavali/live-science-study-racists-right-wing-low-iqs/

2012-01-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

Stem cell research holds enormous promise for future treatments of everything from Alzheimer’s to heart disease, and the cells are being produced from ordinary blood and skin cells, there is no longer need to harvest stem cells from human embryos.

2012-01-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

How Wisconsin politics got so bad

The essentials of Robert's Rules for establishing decorum in a deliberative body don’t apply to the Fitz boys. They don’t see fit to be consistent with House Rules and with Parliamentary procedure. It’s a free-for-all. For example, Little Fitz enables hotheads like Joel Kleefisch to embarrass him and others on the floor.

Bellicose Kleefisch got his way while the Assembly gallery was cleared. What a dolt. It took courage for peaceful protesters to unfurl a "BURY THE BILL" banner. Yet backbencher Al Ott, who represents a district that has more cows than people, shouted "Rules!" from the back. Leadership then had the galleries cleared because it supposedly made "a mockery" of the proceedings that were all ready one big joke. Republican leadership is the lowest common denominator. It’s ridiculous to have the Fitz boys head both houses and Pa Fitz head of the state police. And Blinky is lieutenant governor while Joel is a pompous ass.

There is no modicum of democracy with the Fitz boys and belligerent rubes like the Kleefischs in power. Joel Kleefisch’s obnoxious behavior and disrespect for democracy is regrettable.

Maybe they’ll be implicated in Walkergate.

Interestingly, the aides accused of illegal campaign activity were supportive of Brett Davis, which means Blinky was second or third choice.

Gutting environmental laws

A safe and environmentally sound mining bill is code for the ultraconservatives to pass a mining bill no matter what. What remains to be seen is how over-imbiber Mike Ellis and Rob Cowles will vote on the bill after Walker politicized the DNR with a third-rate developer in charge of the agency.

Little Fitz dodged the $1.5 billion question of who authored AB 426.

None is listed. Spartacus-like Little Fitz moved that all Assembly Republicans become co-authors of the bill.

No one was in the galleries to watch the vote, though earlier it was packed with onlookers including numerous members of the Bad River Chippewa, at least until shrill Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer and Little Fitz ordered the galleries cleared after they heard “coughing of obscenities.”

When the Democrats questioned whether the absence of the public was a violation of the state open meetings law, Little Fitz sarcastically said they could watch it on TV.

When the Republicans talk about bipartisan approach to the Senate’s version of the mining fiasco that means they have 17 votes to pass the 35-year giveaway bill. Never mind that some of the Democratic reps weren’t provided copies of the bill.

$1.5 billion, 700-job iron mine in northern Wisconsin

Lobbyist

WMC’s Scott Manley is blowing mining execs and hosing the news media by saying "Wisconsin is on the brink of creating thousands of high-wage jobs if this bill is signed into law."

Manley, director of nonexistent environmental policy for WMC, also said "The Assembly Republicans deserve tremendous credit for passing these needed reforms, and the Senate needs to act quickly so the governor can sign them into law."

A hearing in Hurley was packed with mining backers. The spinmeisters for the mining interests paint a gaudy picture of everything but the truth regarding a deal in which they win and Wisconsinites lose.

The Dems aren’t opposed to reasonable mining practices they just hate the Republicans ramming through another ill-conceived bill.

Maybe Mary Williams' Hardee’s restaurants and Tom Tiffany’s river cruises will flourish and roll in the dough.

2012-01-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin Wildlife Federation says Assembly mining bill fails on all counts

On a party-line vote the state Assembly passed a mining bill that fails to shorten the time to permit a mine in Wisconsin, will result in substantial damage to fish and wildlife in Wisconsin’s lakes, streams and wetlands, takes substantial funding away from local units of government, eliminates the public’s right to have a contested case hearing on a mining permit and violates the reserved and ceded treaty rights of Native American tribes.

ailure to shorten the time to permit a mine: The bill provides that DNR must issue a mining permit in 360 days and if that deadline is not met, by default, the mining company can start mining. While this would appear to shorten the processing time for a mining permit, in fact it will increase it for two reasons. First, as DNR testified at the public hearing, if they could not make a decision in 360 days which is likely because of the complexity of most mining projects, they would just deny the permit. This would cause the mining company to file a new application. Secondly, this short a permit mining deadline would prevent the DNR and the US Corps of Engineers from having a joint process for the mining project. This will increase mining permit processing time and could well lead to inconsistent decisions between the two agencies which would be very harmful to the mining applicant.

Substantial damage to fish and wildlife habitat in lakes, streams and Wetlands: The bill as drafted weakens environmental standards for lakes, streams and wetlands that will cause substantial damage to fish and wildlife habitat that is critically important to sportsmen and women. Another damaging aspect of the bill is the default approval process that provides that if DNR does not process the permit in 360 days, the company receives an automatic approval. This default approval process will result in an unregulated mine that will result in substantial damage to Wisconsin wetlands, lakes and streams. Lastly, the bill authorizes the DNR to issue a permit if it determines that the economic benefit of the mine is more important than the lakes, streams and wetlands that will be damaged regardless of how much damage is being done. The bill remains in violation of the Public Trust Doctrine.

The bill takes substantial funding away from local units of government: Under current law, 100% of the funding from the net proceeds tax goes to local units of government that will be impacted by the mine. The bill takes 40% of that the local funding and diverts it to the state.

The bill eliminates the right of the public to have a contested case hearing on a proposed mining application: This takes away the legal right of citizens to question and verify the scientific analysis of the mining company in order to determine whether the mining project meets the standards for granting a mining permit. In addition, it prevents the public from testifying on whether the application should be granted. The bill also removes the current authority for citizens to file a lawsuit if the mining permit is not enforced.

The bill will violate the reserved and ceded treaty rights of Native American Tribes: The first mine that will be affected by this bill will be an iron mine in southern Ashland and Iron counties. The Bad River Reservation is within 10 miles of the mine site and is likely to be subject to environmental damage from the weakening of environmental standards under this bill. This will violate the reserved rights of the Bad River Tribe.

In addition, as stated above, the weakening of the protection for streams, lakes and wetlands will damage fish and wildlife habitat that is the basis for the off reservation hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering rights in the ceded territory of the Chippewa tribes. This is likely to violate the ceded treaty rights of those tribes. Because of these serious flaws and other problems in the bill, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is asking the State Senate to reject AB 426 and work with all interested parties to draft a bill that meets legitimate concerns regarding Wisconsin’s mining law.

2012-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

Former Walker aide to enter guilty plea, give info to prosecutors
Kelly Rindfleisch, Darlene Wink accused of political fundraising on Milwaukee Co. time

http://www.wisn.com/news/30305973/detail.html

Darlene Wink Complaint

Kelly Rindfleisch Complaint

2012-01-29T12:48:00.001-08:00

For the world, which seems

To lie before us like a land of dreams,

So various, so beautiful, so new,

Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,

Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;

And we are here as on a darkling plain

Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,

Where ignorant armies clash by night.

—From Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold

2012-01-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

There you go again

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just reported that Kelly Rindfleisch, had previously been granted immunity in the similar state "caucus scandal" 10 years ago - the biggest political scandal at the Capitol in memory. Now, she has been charged with four felony counts alleging she engaged in similar illegal fundraising on behalf of former lieutenant governor candidate Brett Davis, a Republican.

Jay Heck, executive director of the group Common Cause in Wisconsin, said he was surprised by the allegation that Rindfleisch and other Walker aides had failed to steer away from what has become a red flag in Wisconsin politics.

"That's the most amazing thing to me. I don't understand why she would have done that," Heck said. "To not heed those lessons is either arrogance or stupidity or both."

Walker: John Doe investigation is not targeting me

2012-01-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

Tom Fonfara

Tim Myers

Mike Rogowski

Bob Seitz

Wee Willie Williams

Tom Fonfara from Whitehall, Wis., Tim Myers, Tom Pyper and Mike Rogowski of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, former Dave Zien aide Bob Seitz and Wee Willie Williams lobby for Gogebic.

2012-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Skids greased for $1.5 billion Gogebic Taconite mine in Wisco Penokee Range
Whoops-a-daisy! Mining Bill

Open pit iron ore mine Marquette, Mich.

Assembly Bill 426 is a 35-year plan without due diligence that's a political football the Republicans want to pass right before the recall and general elections.

Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, is trying his damndest to attenuate the aggressiveness of the Republicans bent on destroying precious resources for dubious short-term gain.

But no one believes him. And no one except Gogebic Taconite, the self-serving creator of the bill and the Legislative Reference Bureau, have digested the 158-page monstrosity. Gogebic Taconite's fast-tracked bill rolls back environmental protections and raids segregated funds.

The bill gives Gogebic Taconite everything the company ever asked you for. They have every intention of blighting environmental standards. But no one in the state requested the bill, so where did it come from?

Provisions of the bill would result in the suspension of federal emergency flood insurance from FEMA. The bill exempts mining from prohibitions on building in a floodplain zone.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that a provision in the Assembly mine permitting bill being considered in the state Legislature Thursday could jeopardize the state's access to federal flood insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In a letter to state Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, who requested comment from the federal agency, the chief of FEMA's floodplain management branch said part of the Assembly bill that exempts mines from floodplain ordinances could prompt the agency to "seek enforcement of requirements that include suspension from the program."

Hulsey said Wisconsin property owners hold about 18,000 federal flood insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program representing about $3.1 billion in coverage.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/fema-says-mining-bill-could-cut-federal-flood-insurance/article_72ed4420-4865-11e1-9757-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1ksG355Ia

Likewise the Republicans’ wetlands bills would make it easier for businesses to circumvent DNR’s wetlands regulations by creating defined timelines for the permitting process, including some mechanisms for automatic permit approval and crating more opportunities for wetlands migration.

It’s no wonder the Republicans looked at the floor when dour Little Fitz asked them to falsely claim they authored the legislation.

Little Fitz petentulantly scoffed at the notion that there’s a "phantom author" of the bill by ordering all GOP members to be made coauthors, which the compliant GOP legislators did en masse.

The Fitz boys

The smart-ALEC Fitz boys, Pa Fitz and Scott “John Doe investigation is not targeting me” Walker's bad politics and worse history will be long gone before the 35-year Faustian deal bankrupts the state.

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp and Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder, who got a gun permit to impress Jodie Foster, ridiculously claim that $2 million is enough to cover the permitting costs "the Department could expect to incur during this budget biennium." But she reportedly did not close out the possibility of other costs.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, who lost so many elections to Roger Breske that he finally conceded a ran for the Assembly, erroneously claims that the Republican-controlled Legislature had to make a choice between China and Wisconsin.

He reportedly assailed Dems for protecting the contested case hearing, incorrectly saying it takes power out of the hands of DNR staff who just happen to be political appointees of the governor.

Quite frankly, Tiffany is a moron: "It has been repeatedly said, you need to trust the Department of Natural Resources. Those are the scientists, those are the experts. This bill says exactly that (so) let's let those professors in the DNR make that decision." Since when are realtors classified as scientists?

The state has seen as much energy being devoted to protecting the mining empire by the guys at the top — the dodgy Fitz boys and the head of the company ramming through a devastating mine for northern Wisconsin — as they are actually fighting state battles.

Republican shills planted in the Hurley audience during a faux hearing held by the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and Small Business, said the people of the community desperately want the mine and support the bill no matter what. The Republicans also have some prime Florida swamp land you might be interested in!

Bucyrus’ surface mining equipment is used for mining iron ore.

The mining equipment manufacturers will flourish, of course, but how many out-of-state technicians and local trucks drivers and backhoe operators will realize a job?

Tim Sullivan, former Bucyrus CEO and current head of the Wisconsin Mining Association, admitted when the bill was first unveiled that it wouldn’t create more jobs for those manufacturers, it would simply preserve existing jobs.

Nevertheless, when peaceful protesters slowly unfurled a "Bury the bill" banner they were removed from the gallery.

Why didn’t WisconsinEye, indebted to the state taxpayers for a cool $5 million, get a camera shot of that?

Not surprisingly, the party-line vote was 59-36. Reps. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, and Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, were paired member votes.

Gleefully, Walker admits he’s a tool of lobbyists.

Assembly passes mining bill
Controversial bill moves to Senate

http://www.wisn.com/video/30319260/detail.html

Displaying his ignorance, Joel Kleefisch (Blinky’s spouse) got downright belligerent on the floor. How did the Kleefisch rubes ever end up living in Oconomowoc?

2012-01-28T12:47:00.000-08:00

Two ex-Walker aides charged with illegal campaigning

Darlene Wink and attorney Peter Wolff before her initial appearance in court on charges of two misdemeanor counts of using county resources for political purposes.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/doe27-6q3v4uj-138159264.html

Walker: John Doe investigation is not targeting me

2012-01-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

Assembly, Senate Leadership Collect Top Per Diem In 2011

Associated Press
Jan. 27, 2012

MADISON, Wis. — Both Democratic and Republican leadership in the state Assembly tied in collecting the most travel reimbursements in 2011 in the Assembly.

Records released by the Assembly clerk's office show Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca of Kenosha and Republican Majority Leader Scott Suder of Abbotsford received $13,464 in per diems last year. Rep. Robin Vos of Burlington, co-chair of the Legislature's budget committee, also had the same amount.

Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon came in close second with $13,200.

Meanwhile, the state Senate's top Republican leader collected more travel reimbursements last year than any other legislator. Records released Friday show Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald collected $18,128 in 2011, up from $16,544 in 2010.

State lawmakers from outside Dane County can collect $88 per day in reimbursement. Legislators from Dane County can collect $44 a day.

The records were released Friday.

Per diems for state senators weren't yet available as of late Friday afternoon.

2012-01-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Republicans dig themselves into deep hole

Open pit iron ore mine Marquette, Mich.

It’s fairly obvious the state Senate version of the mining bill will be somewhat different than the Assembly’s travesty. Two major areas: reinstatement of contested hearings and wetlands protection may survive.

The bottom line is that thirty years from now northern Wisconsin will look like Houghton and Hancock in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they’ll be no jobs and those who thought they had retirement plans will discover they have nothing when the subsidiary that was created to rape the land goes bankrupt.

Speaking like a moderate on public television, of all places, Neal Kedzie talks the talk about sensible mining, but the Republicans won’t do anything until they have enough votes to pass AB 426 after the GOP rocketed it through the Assembly.

Watch Fred’s show on Mining Bill’s Future

http://wpt.org/

Moderate Dale Schultz has accepted the idea of a mine, what’s Rob Cowles want? Will Mike Ellis vote for the sinkhole after telling the news media he won't?

The rightwing crowd won’t say who wrote the legislation for them. No one owning up to it is reason enough to fire them all. Since the mining companies undoubtedly wrote the mining bill why even have representatives?

What’s amazing is the lawmakers have 300 idle aides to answer their phones. Thursday was so calm and peaceful in the state Capitol that one of staffers was nonchalantly walking around with a coffee pot. Nobody seems to represent their own districts anymore. It’s pathetic to see honest, hardworking people from Up North, stroll aimlessly around the Marble Big Top, erroneously thinking they can influence the outcome of something the majority has preordained itself to do.

The mining bill’s mishandling and secrecy is nothing new: the NRA drafted concealed carry for the state.

Similarly, a contested hearing after Scott Walkers's appointees in the state Department of Natural Resources issue a mining permit is ludicrous. Watch so-called moderates in the Senate cave to the wealthy out-of-state mining interests when they call for a vote on AB 426, the glory hole bill.

Over the past year, compromise in Wisconsin politics has been missing in action especially since the state is governed by a dictatorial regime of no compromise. Whatever happened to politics is the art of compromise?

2012-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

Wonder where the guv’s traveling in Ted Kellner’s private jet today? Walker’s probably meeting with the DC lawyers representing — along with Steve Biskupic of Michael Best & Friedrich — the campaign committee ergo the John Doe. Former guv’s used to post their weekly schedules.

Biz execs open checkbooks for Walker

While controversial GOP Governor Scott Walker is finally talking about a secret investigation that has already resulted in charges against some former staffers while he was Milwaukee County executive, the Alex P. Keaton’s in southeast Wisconsin are opening their checkbooks.

Business execs are “comfortable” with the political direction Walker is going despite the criminal charges against his former aides. But what form Bernie Madoff took didn't seem to matter to most of his investors, either. Notwithstanding, the business execs give big bucks to Walker: $4.5 million for the five-month period ended Jan. 17.

The dozens of wealthy big shots contributing, include:

Ray Reiman, Hexagon Investments, $10,000

Ted Kellner, chair of Fiduciary Management Inc., $8,564

Mark Neumann, Neumann Homes, $2,500

Michael Mahoney, Park Bank, $2,000

Jere Fabick, Fabco Equipment, $50,000

Jerry Courl, Courl Insurance, $25,000

Jim Caraway, attorney, $5,000

Fred Lubar, Super Steel Products, $2,000

Big time donors indeed, but $500,000 from Bob “Swift Boat” Perry alone makes observers want to puke.

Kellner, one of Milwaukee financial industry’s most prominent execs, contributed in-kind contributions, which means he lets Walker use his private Challenger 601 twin jet and he’s introduced Walker at several fundraising events.

Kellner reportedly ranks himself a moderate on social issues and conservative on fiscal issues.

State law allows unlimited contributions ahead of recall elections being certified. Otherwise individual contributions cannot exceed $10,000 per election.

The out-of-state deep pockets can donate however much dough they want.

Will these donations help Walker survive the recall campaign?

Walker might as well be announcing his complicity (guilt) with a plastic vuvuzela when he says things to the effect of: “My office has cooperated fully with the investigation and have no connection with the alleged crimes.”

That’s right, keep repeating it, that’s what the voters want to hear.

Meanwhile, Walker supports controversial strip mining as if he was cheerfully announcing a lottery winner while at the same time he ignores the promise of stem cell research that uses blood and normal skin cells instead of human embryos.

2012-01-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

The public has a right to know where the idea, legal language and nuances of Assembly Bill 426 originated from before the Legislative Reference Bureau confidentially drafted it.

Little Fitz rudely dodged the question when Ft. Atkinson Democratic Rep. Andy Jorgensen asked who authored the mining bill.

All of the Republican Assembly monkeys jumped up in unison when Little Fitz sought “co-authorship” and ridiculed the reasonable assertion that there was a "phantom author" of the bill.

It’s a good guess that Gogebic Taconite’s legal assistant Elizabeth Lochinski didn’t draft the 35-year partisan deal from the Upper Peninsula’s beautiful Ironwood.

Maybe baldy will vote agin it.

2012-01-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Not his heal hair.

Mean drunk on brandy again in the Inn on the Park, bat shit crazy Mike Ellis makes embarrassing footage on politiscoop .com that resulted in him making a lot of apologies.

The toupeed blowhard from Neenah ought to resign.

It should surprise no one that Ellis was rude, obnoxious and overserved at the hotel bar as usual. He is sarcastic when he's sober for chrissakes.

2012-01-27T12:05:00.001-08:00

Wisconsin politics has all the elements of a John Grisham novel.

Greed, big money interests, betrayal, the petulant Fitz boys from hick towns and their mean old pa from Chicago and his state police, an Eagle Scout from Iowa and a college dropout for guv and corrupt state Supreme Court justice Dishonest Gabe.

Scott Walker and the Fitz boys comprise the “leadership” that is beholden to mining interests, Washington, D.C. lawyers and lobbyists and billionaire donors from out of state.

It’s a Faustian deal. But the symmetry is off with the Koch brothers and Bob Perry, major donors to the far-right segment of the Republican party, giving Walker millions of dollars and treating doohickey Blinky like dog meat.

It’s a scary and hopeless thriller with no surprise ending except backloaded Blinky’s gonna be pissed if she turns into a pillar of road salt.

There’s nothing much more to corrupt in Wisconsin politics, especially with all the local TV stations saturated with Walker’s ads proving that money talks.

Here ya go. This site makes me a bit queasy, You owe me big time!

While Walker’s hand out patronage makes headlines the strip mine giveaway bill predictably passed the Assembly on a party-line vote. It’s not a “jobs” bill since the mining company will import workers from other states because Wisconsin workers don’t have the necessary skills needed for those jobs.

Walker: John Doe investigation is not targeting me

Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh are accused of embezzling over $60,000 from a charity to benefit military vets and their families.

Russell’s charged with stealing half the money donated to Operation Freedom in 2010. Walker apparently gave his tacit approval for Russell (a nonvet) to control the finances related to the veterans event. Walker and his patronage stooge, John Scocos, fawned over Kavanaugh at the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Walker appointed Russell and Kavanaugh to high-ranking positions.

A couple more former aides to Walker were charged recently with crimes linked to political fundraising while working on county time in the ongoing John Doe investigation.

Walker has made some awful appointments — starting with Scocos.

Thanks to Scocos the Veterans Affairs Board is dormant. It’s all part of Walker’s shell game that has caused so much turmoil and divisiveness in the state.

Perhaps Walker and Scocos can be a character witness at Russell’s and Kavanaugh’s trials.

In the meantime, Walker is deceitfully telling the voters he’s giving them what they want, when in reality, he’s giving the special interests what they want.

And that's just the half of it.

2012-01-26T14:43:00.001-08:00

Polly wolly doodle all the day: Own up to it. The Fitz boys and Scott Walker are screwing the Indians and everyone else.

But it's not because they're smarter. They control both houses of the Legislature and the governor's office.

The Fitz boys and Walker are ramming through a monster taconite low grade iron ore mine project in the Penokee Hills of Ashland and Iron counties. The strip mine will muck up the air, forests, wetlands, streams and Bad River Ojibwe tribe's legendary wild-rice beds and drainage into the Wolf River.

Members of the various tribes peacefully gathered in the capital city today to oppose the politically fast-tracked mine.

It’s a done deal. Ask the state police Pa Fitz sent to crack a few heads in the statehouse, if they give a shit.

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs dandy John Scocos was in northern Wisconsin recently fawning over veterans and elected leaders of the Oneida Tribe, trying to get them to support Walker, but Scocos is nowhere to be seen when the tribes are right across the street from his cushy bunker in downtown Madison.

Get a load of this. Scott Walker’s mouthpiece Ciara Matthews' spin following the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s action is that “The Milwaukee County Executive's Office expressed policy was that county employees were not permitted to use county time or resources to conduct any political activity. Scott Walker expected everyone to follow the law and made that clear publicly and privately.”

Three-star Boy Scout Walker knows wrong from right but continued to do nothing about it when the wrongdoing was discovered — in May 2010.

The John Doe investigation ought to pursue a plausible connection between WDVA and the allegations against Kevin Kavanaugh.

According to court records the Rolfs Foundation processed (laundered?) $50,000 in donations through WDVA: Since WDVA is required to follow standard procurement and accounting rules isn’t there an accounts receivable or bookkeeping record of the transaction?

Doesn't WDVA have an agreement with MOPH or a mechanism on how donated money is handled?

Why not?

2012-01-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Assembly Bill 426 on the floor today poses enormous risks to Wisconsin’s great outdoors

Big cheese Mary Williams, the fast-food heavyweight in northern Wisconsin, is mindlessly pushing a bill drafted by the mining industry to dramatically alter the state’s iron mining laws.

Williams shamelessly supports the demands of out-of-state mining interests looking to profit from Wisconsin’s natural resources.

The bill will surely sluice through Little Fitz’s house, putting the measure in the Senate where the moderate Republicans will have to vote their conscience.

2012-01-26T10:31:00.001-08:00

JOHN DOE
According to the Kelly Rindfleisch criminal complaint, Scott Walker sent a private email to a top staffer in the wake of that controversy.

"We cannot afford another story like this one," Walker wrote to Timothy Russell, his longtime aide and adviser. "No one can give them any reason to do another story. That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the work day, etc."

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/138099588.html

2012-01-25T10:55:00.001-08:00

"This is still an awful bill," said Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay. "The amendments don't go near enough; they don't go far enough. They don't address the concerns we heard over and over again repeatedly in hours and hours of testimony."

Wisconsin Politics: The promise of jobs is more important than the reality of mining.

Mining Bill
TransCamaro bad ass car in every garage in northern Wisco

Last week in the Capital Times: “It appears not every Republican is keen on provisions of the (mining) bill . . . The question that needs to be answered is if we can create jobs without turning half the state into a sinkhole,” Neenah Republican Mike Ellis said.

Republicans control the Senate by just one vote. Assembly Republicans have rushed a mining bill that some Senate Republicans oppose. Bills that would slacken the state’s wetlands laws, relax environmental permitting processes, remake the state’s mining law and hatch a state venture capital fund . . . “people just don’t have their arms around them yet,” Ellis said.

Ellis said in the Jan. 16 Wisconsin State Journal the partisan divide is wider than it’s ever been. He said it’s difficult for moderates in both parties to work with the majorities in their party . . . however, Sen. Dale Schultz, a moderate from Richland Center, said he is optimistic the mining bill will pass the Senate, but he doesn’t know when.

“My sense on mining is this. I believe it is critically important for us to create jobs,” Schultz said. “I’ve seen in my part of the state the best and worst of what mining can do. We have to be thoughtful about it.”

So-called moderate Republicans nonetheless will march in lockstep with the GOP majority. Besides that, no one in state government has quantified the number of jobs potentially created from the proposed sinkhole mine. And most of the mining technicians and workers will migrate here from other parts of the country. So how does that help unemployed and underemployed Wisconsinites?

What is the risk-value of destroying tourism to benefit a billionaire owner of the mine?

Heads the mining interests win, tails people of Wisconsin lose.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/committee-endorses-bill-to-ease-mines-creation-k83u7bm-138012983.html