Tuesday, March 25, 2014

KUSD + AFPWI = WTF?

By Jeff Simpson

The other day we brought you the story of how the right wing extremist hate group, Knot My Wisconsin, is involved in the Kenosha Unified School District's School Board race.   They are so involved that one of the candidates, Dan Wade, is actually Kristi Lacroix's father-in-law(Kristy is one of the main "knotsies"). 

That is fine, in our democratic republic, anyone with enough signatures is allowed to run and the more people who participate the better.  I just think it is important to know who these people are, since the pattern is the farther right someone is the more they tout their "independence".   However it is up to the people of Kenosha to do their homework and research and NOT vote people like this into office. 

However, no we have a very very troubling trend in Kenosha that will soon be spilling over to other districts  -  outside money!   This is not just any outside money, or outside money from a college roommate, etc...  This dirty money comes right from the despicable Koch Brothers and comes in the form of their incredibly dishonest and morally bankrupt front group - Americans for Prosperity


Americans for Prosperity — the conservative group funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch — is getting involved with the Kenosha Unified School Board race.
David Fladeboe, state director of Americans for Prosperity, said the organization has a field team working on the race, doing phone banks and canvassing in the district.
“We’re getting a feel for what the people in Kenosha are thinking and doing,” Fladeboe said. “Right now we’re doing phone surveys to figure out where people are on a number of issues.”
Four candidates are running for two seats on the School Board. Incumbent Jo Ann Taube hopes to return to the board. Also running are Mike Falkofske, Gary Kunich and Dan Wade.
Fladeboe said Americans for Prosperity is not specifically supporting any candidate. But he said the group decided to become involved in the race due to the board’s approval of new union contracts.
Taube voted to approve the contracts and is endorsed by the Kenosha Education Association, as is Falkofske. Kunich and Wade have been vocal in their opposition to the contracts and have been endorsed by the local Republican Party.
“We’ll have a team working to get out the vote,” Fladeboe said.

We know that "not specifically supporting any candidates" is a flat out LIE from Mr. Fladboe.  When Vicki Mckenna runs a fundraiser for you it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out who the candidates are that AFP-WI is campaigning for.  

As Jay Heck of Common cause says:


Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause, a Wisconsin campaign spending watchdog group, said Americans for Prosperity and other political organizations have become increasingly involved in local elections in the state, specifically in northern Wisconsin where the group has gone after opponents of a proposed iron ore mine.

But he said he had not heard of the group being involved in school board races in the state.

He called the development “very, very alarming.”

Mr. Heck goes on to add:


He said it appears to be part of an arms race in campaign spending that is seeking to have a greater influence on public policy.
“It’s a new trend. It’s now in virtually every competitive congressional and legislative race, but now it’s county supervisors and city council members. And now school board members down in Kenosha,” Heck said. “It’s the nationalization of state and local politics in Wisconsin.

Want to know more about the Charles and David Koch, the out of state billionaires that want to influence your election?   check them out here, here and here! 

As for their front group - Americans for Prosperity - They just got busted for lying about Obamacare. 

Is this the kind of group you want picking candidates for you?  Is allowing people this deceptive and morally bankrupt to influence your elections, what kind of message does this send to your children?    I also promise you that if you allow groups like AFP to start picking your School board candidates, they will NOT stop there.  They will work on influencing other school board races, and local elections, etc... 

Stop them NOW!!    Tell the out of state billionaire's to stay out of our schools.   You know they do not care a bit about your children! 

Vote FOR  Jo Ann Taube and Mike Falkofske!  










23 comments:

  1. The Koch Brothers have full control of the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and of course, Governor Scott Walker.

    Hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars to spend, where better to spend it than to hold 100% control over the educational system in Wisconsin. Elect pro-Walker School Boards that will complete the full decimation of public education in Wisconsin, so that the public will clamor for private school vouchers.

    The Koch Brothers already own the mainstream media outlets in Wisconsin. Both Gannett and the Journal Sentinel broadcast groups have been willing partners in the Koch takeover of Wisconsin politics and political agenda.

    With the entry of millions of Koch dollars into local school board races across Wisconsin and local County Board races, it looks like "Operation Angry Badger" wasn't just a plan, it is now reality in 2014 Wisconsin.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To me it appears that the Koch brothers, like Bradley and Devos, etc., now are looking into controlling local politics.
    Corporations openly say that they should get rid of elected school boards or take control of them. This is an open attack on public education, as well as other services provided by government. They will try to gain control by buying them off or properly "educating" them in their "free market" religion.
    ALEC has recently branched off with their American City County Exchange group, which does exactly what ALEC did, only at a localized level.
    So much for local control, which has traditionally been a Republican mantra. That idea has been shoved aside, now that the rich and corporations seem to have such an influence on state and federal government.
    Wisconsin's reputation for open and clean government has not coincidently suffered along with this trend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Let's be honest,

    What you are all saying is that the money wins.

    If Wisconsinites took an interest in their state and elections.

    And were well educated on the canidates and their views.

    Voting would still be a force against money.

    Dollar bills don't vote, people do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, money buys ads, and too many people are too lazy to research and do their homework on candidates, and end up voting based on ads they see. How do we change that?

      Delete
    2. You hit it on the head.

      How do you stop lazy,

      Not really sure, todays society is in a real mess.

      TV ads over research, ouch.

      Delete
  4. Dear 6:07 PM:
    We're all for honesty. Certainly more people would vote if new laws creating barriers for voting hadn't been rammed through. As long as one vote counts for one person, there is hope. We as voters are left to educate ourselves about who and what to vote for.
    It would be great if the legislators that we are given the opportunity to vote for were not spoon-fed their outside education, as well as receiving help from outside money and propaganda.

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  5. Even the Guardian in England is talking about what koch's front group ALEC has now started to do to steal local elections!

    WAKE UP!

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/conservative-group-alec-city-local-government

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now we have to read English newspapers to find out what is going on in the USA.

      Delete
    2. isn't that sad

      Delete
  6. Dan Wade is Kristi's stepfather. That is Kristi's mother in the picture of him on his Facebook page. Kristi's mother is the spitting inage of Kristi's older sister, Toni. Who I am shocked to learn the media hasn't gotten ahold of yet.

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  7. tsk tsk tsk ... shame shame shame, and a finger wave. AFP denies backing Gary J. Kunich, AND Gary has stated that he has NOT sought ANY endorsements, AND he's even said that AFP should stay out of this. (FYI: If Ms. Taube shed her endorsements, or rejected outside money, then we must have missed it!!) Yet CogDis (FYI: Chris Capper Liebenthal) spins a non-story into a blog article. I don't blame CogDis one bit for the spin ... it's what they do. But shame on anyone that believes their spin or believes that Gary is anything but completely independent. If you want to complain about outside money, then where did the money come from for robo calls backing Gary's opposition? D.C.? Hypocrite much?

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  8. O please , save me the sob story. They come to WI and advocate for no candidates except they have ties to two candidates and are advocating EXACTLY what the two candidates are selling?

    The problem with non partisan elections is hyper partisans like wade and kunich can hide and run from their beliefs.

    PS: I would like the place where gary said AFP should stay away.

    PSS: I also want to know how long I have to write here before I get a little credit from the rightys!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you won't ever get any credit from them,

      There is nothing that they do wrong. EVER.

      Delete
    2. I was referring to this - Yet CogDis (FYI: Chris Capper Liebenthal) spins a non-story into a blog article.

      The loons always come in to my posts yelling at Capper.

      Delete
    3. Haha mine too! Sorry Cap :P

      Delete
  9. Jeff,

    Why would you expect right wingers to ever get the facts correct?

    ReplyDelete
  10. The Kochs are in full invasion mode into the heart and soul of Wisconsin. Why does our quisling governor allow such treasons?

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/25/koch-brothers-invade-tiny-iron-county-wisconsin.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hopefully the Koch contribution will equal the money that the union has put into this election to support their rubber stamp candidates. The inmates want to run the asylum.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know you guys are not really good at thinking for yourselves, but let me help. The Koch billionaires live in Kansas, the teachers union is comprised of Kenosha teachers who pay hard earned dues and vote on who they want to support.

      Seriously 2 minutes on google and your world would be so much better

      Delete
    2. Fun fact: In 2012, the Koch brothers alone spent more than twice the top ten unions combined. So yes, let's see them cut their money flood back by at least 80%.

      Delete
  12. What's the alternative?? Let's get the extreme unioners in and bring common core into Wisconsin. Then true gifted geniuses can be forced into lower level curriculi and come out to be another liberal dumbed down factory worker. Besides, if Americans for prosperity wants to invest money into the futures of Wisconsin children, I thought the teachers were begging for more money for the schools. You have a group of wealthy Americans with a healthy interest in this state, don't piss it away because their candidates happen to have an "R" next to their names - signed, a soon-to-be Kenosha business owner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their healthy interest in our children is to put them to work in their factories. Not a good thing, actually.

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    2. Wow how can you fit that many untrue talking points into one post....lets look

      Extreme unioners? because they allow teachers a seat at the table?

      * Common core has been being implemented for four years now and while it needs some work it is actually a very good thing for our country.

      * It doesnt "force lower levelk curruculi" on anyone ...please do some research on it.

      * dumbed down factory worker ....wonder how many of them vote red?

      * AFP has no interest whatsoever in "investing money in the future of WI children" all they want to do is push their me me me agenda .

      * there is absolutely nothing healthy about the interest the Koch brothers have in wi

      Signed a current WI business owner

      Delete