Monday, June 22, 2009

WalkerCard

Just when I thought I've thoroughly covered one of Walker's shenanigans enough, like his tax payer/corporate sponsored campaign bike ride enough, and all of its ethical problems, something else pops up.

Mike Tate, recently elected to be the head of the DPW, hasn't wasted any time coming out with his volley against Walker. Tate explains to us in a press release, just how little Walker appreciates or supports Wisconsin businesses:
A call to the Hampton Inn confirmed that all 25 rooms in Walker’s block have already been reserved, meaning that Walker’s entourage will fork over a total of $3,925 to the state of Minnesota. Walker is illegally uses a combination of taxpayer dollars and corporate contributions to fund the campaign tour.

In the event that Walker chooses to reconsider his hotel choice, the DPW has taken the liberty of mapping out a route to a nearby Wisconsin hotel. Rooms at the Best Western in Superior, located just five minutes from where Walker will stay, run for just $89 per-night. See the directions to the Best Western: http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-kgHq

“At a time when Wisconsin businesses are in need of support, Scott Walker is splurging on out-of-state hotel rooms and showering Minnesota businesses with thousands of Wisconsin dollars,” said Tate.
They even come out with a pretty darn funny video as well, which they call "WalkerCard":



Zach at Blogging Blue reminds us that this isn't the first time Walker has outsourced business out of state, as when it turned out that his campaign's website was developed by a company in Ohio.

James Rowen tells us the whole thing is a misunderstanding. (BTW, James, you owe me a new monitor. The old one has soda all over it.)

Walker tells JSOnline that somehow by sleeping in Duluth will promote tourism more than if he slept five minutes away in Superior. Yeah, I know, I don't get it either.

But there are three things that Mr. Tate, Mr. Rowen and Mr. Wisniewski have all missed:
  1. Walker booked this tour six months ago. This means that either he was willing to spend tax payer dollars on the more expensive, out-of-state hotel, or he already had secured the funding from Air Tran, while their request for extra room at Mitchell Field was in front of the Board, which would cement the fact that Walker committed a violation of election ethics.
  2. Putting the fact that Walker chose the out-of-state hotel for a minute, one cannot ignore the fact that he chose the hotel that costs $157 per night over the hotel that was only five minutes away and would've cost $89, or $68 dollars less per room per night. Can we really afford someone that has that high taste with our tax dollars?
  3. Why did Walker ask Air Tran for the money anyway? If he was going to not do the right thing and use his own campaign money, but seek out illegal corporate donations, couldn't he at least have picked a company based in Milwaukee County? That is what he is supposed to be promoting anyway, right? I bet the folks at Midwest Airlines, which is based right here in Milwaukee, are just loving having the County Executive riding around campaigning with a big, old Air Tran flag on his bike. Walker disses Wisconsin and Milwaukee many times over with this stunt.

7 comments:

  1. "Walker tells JSOnline that somehow by sleeping in Duluth will promote tourism more than if he slept five minutes away in Superior. Yeah, I know, I don't get it either."

    Um, I do. Who do you think vactions here? Tons of out of staters. Including Minnesotainians. As a matter of fact he probably should have dipped into the UP, Iowa, and IL too.

    This is a ride PROMOTING (God, I love that word) Tourism. Let the guy do his job.

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  2. So by eschewing Wisconsin beds (you know, the ones he's supposed to promote) for the more expensive ones in Duluth, Walker is somehow in a better position pimp our area to the out-of-staters? I don't get it... is he doing press conferences in his sleep? Spin it any way you want, but with the extra money spent by him and money lost by our state, there's not one way this decision makes sense.

    And if Walker was doing his job, as you'd like to see happen, he sure as hell wouldn't be on this frivolous bike tour.

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  3. Not that I care, but I thought Air Tran took over Midwest? Or did that fall through....

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  4. Richard,

    As William points out, unless Walker was planning on talking in his sleep, while in the middle of some all-night tourist trap, it doesn't matter where he sleeps. Thus it would have made him seem more frugal to sleep in a hotel that was $60 per room cheaper, and it would have kept the money in Wisconsin.

    Kate, I'm planning on doing a quick post, but in short, the deal fell through. And Midwest was just bought out today by a third airline.

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  5. Oooooh......ok. Thanks. Use to be an excellent airline. I hear it's not up to their former standards, but then...who is these days. :/

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  6. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/123569/

    Where he stays is about the press he can get for Milwaukee, "...heading to Duluth to spread the message of all Milwaukee has to offer."

    AND check out this quote, "Scott Walker declined to answer questions related to his campaign because he was traveling in an official capacity as the Milwaukee County executive."

    But in one small sense you are correct, it may have been more frugal to stay in Superior and NOT get Milwaukee tourism in the Duluut News Tribune.

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  7. proof of the SIXTH! annual Promotional Tour! oh snap!

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