Friday, April 25, 2014

Political Incest

By Jeff Simpson

Shamefully, Wisconsin has been voted least likely to care about black children in our society:

According to a national report, Wisconsin has been ranked the worst state in the country when it comes to racial disparities for children.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a 66-year-old charitable organization concentrating on family issues and well-being, spearheaded the study. "Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children" scored states according to 12 different factors, from educational access to socioeconomic status and home life.
Wisconsin scored a 238 on its ability to prepare black children for educational and financial success, the lowest of all states (the average score was 345). Interestingly, Wisconsin was ranked 10th overall in its preparation for white children.

Since republicans have taken over our state, they have found the best way to address this is to end affirmative action and  take a vote secede from the rest of the United States.   Our own Governor, when he is not busy running for President of  the United States, has taken a survey of the state of Wisconsin and has declared the fact that minorities can vote with few obstacles to be THE biggest problem facing Wisconsinites today.    While many people in WI, if they knew were not busy worrying where their next meal was coming from, would vehemently disagree.  

Scott Walker appoints people to work on these problems, the problem is the people he appoints.    He gave republican lackey Joe Handrick the very important job of Equal Rights Division Administrator at State of Wisconsin - Dept of Workforce Development.  With Wisconsin having the biggest gap of unemployment in the nation between African Americans and Caucasians, his work is done there. 

Relax, I am not calling him a racist.   Just pointing out, that as a public worker, in a very important job serving the public, has prioritized his responsibility as helping Scott Walker win election. 

Here is Joe Handrick doing what he is actually being paid by our tax dollars to do - campaign for the republicans:

Winning one of those seats could be a tall order, according to an analysis by Republican strategist Joe Handrick, a redistricting consultant since the 1990 Census. The analysis is based on voting patterns in partisan statewide elections between 2004 and 2010. It projects which direction each seat leans and by how much, both before and after the district boundaries shifted in 2011.

Republican Strategist by day or Equal Rights Division Administrator by day?  When exactly did Matt Defour interview republican strategist for this story?  Should a republican strategist also be serving as Equal Rights Division Administrator?  Since when was that a political position?  Maybe we should just have every public worker who wants a raise, spend part of each day working on the "Friends of Scott Walker" campaign.  

But Wait there is more!  

A quick check of Joe Handrick's background and we see not only is he the Equal Rights Division Administrator and republican strategist, but he is also a lobbyist.    Although are you a lobbyist, when the people you are lobbying for do not want you to do it

Which now brings us to taxpayer republican's former Badger Advocate co-worker - Scott Tyre.  Scott Tyre is the husband of Mary Burke's top political advisor Tanya Bjork and also her business partner in republican lobby firm - Capitol Navigators! 



Yes, when you give $1000 to this guy, you are a republican lobbyist






Now ask yourself, if you are surprised, when the person running for the Democratic nomination of Governor of Wisconsin, hires someone to be her top political adviser whose main source of incomes is partnership in a republican lobby firm and runs a listless campaign! 

It is getting so bad that even Peter Barca had to weigh in!


“One mistake I think she’s made — and I told her people — she should be advertising now,” Barca, who represents Kenosha, told the Beloit Daily News. “She’s got the resources. People need to know who you are and feel comfortable with you and know your plan. Unfortunately the only way to get it out there is to advertise.”
Barca’s view is a common one. Former Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz made a similar point months ago, urging the Democratic candidate “to spend a bunch of money to define herself right now before she gets swift-boated by the other side.”
Other Democrats (and some Republicans) have wondered what the point is of recruiting a wealthy candidate if she’s not going to pump major money into the campaign. They argue that the function of Burke’s personal fortune is not merely to provide money that the campaign would otherwise seek from donors, it's to stimulate more contributions by showing that she is serious about winning the race. Donors don’t like to give to lost causes.

With such strong ties to each other is there any idealism or wanting to do the right thing?  Is there any motivation for these people except to have their hands on easy money?  On either side?  Once you get into the nuts and bolts of politics, can you tell what side is which?   Does anyone care anymore that people like Joe Handrick pass on actually performing their taxpayer funded job to campaign?  Why is there not outrage about the sad state WIsconsin is in?    







8 comments:

  1. I wasn't originally buying the "GOP mole" theory inside the Burke campaign, but why else are they being so soft on things that Walker and a WisGOP should be getting killed for? Barca going public as he did shows that others are asking the same question.

    And the point about how the consultant/lobbyist class is a good one. These guys care more about getting paid than they care about winning and getting things done. I also wonder why we aren't back in the streets.

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  2. Even more disheartening is the knowledge that every dollar I might contribute to Burke will end up in the pockets of right-wingers who own all the television outlets, radio stations and newspapers in Wisconsin, with a nice chunk left that will be paid to a Republican lobbyist. Our political system has devolved into an elaborate extortion racket and the Oligarchs are laughing.

    But whatever you do, don't criticize the Burke campaign, because that means you want Walker to win.

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  3. Jake, I want to be clear here. I do not think that she is a "gop mole" I do think though, that she is smart enough to know that, in todays political environment, her best long term financial success depends on her not being too aggressive in attacking scott walker.

    She could be Paul wellstone incarnate and progressive to the bone, but business is business.

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  4. I was actually referring to Bjork, Jeff. I think Burke cares about winning, but seems remarkably willing to take what I find to be bad advice from the alleged "experts" on campaign strategy

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  5. Unfuckingbelievable.

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  6. It is awfully strange that the DPW leaders would condone such relationships with the Teapublicans. Barca--a Democratic leader among legislators--also thinks the Burke campaign is not functioning like they want to win. You have to get your name and message out there, as well as give people real reasons to vote for you. You can't just depend on 'I look different than Scott Walker' to be your campaign.
    Tanya Bjork's strategic advice so far does very little to enthuse people enough to want to make the effort to head for the polls. Her devotion to Democratic Party ideas seems rather tepid: kind of like Bill Clinton getting ideas from Dick Morris.

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  7. About the Gorge Carlin clip. Heartland Institute is taking some heat (deservedly so) for posting a meme on their FB site that grossly misrepresents Carlin's message. Daily Kos has picked up on it. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/26/1294819/-George-Carlin-Quote-Bastardized-on-Facebook-by-Heartland-Institute

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  8. Burke's campaign is starting to remind me of the geezer who ran for mayor of Philadelphia against Frank Rizzo in the 70s. After one of his boring speeches, a supporter came up and told him, "you ain't much, but you're all we've got."

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