WEDC - the Walker Way

By Jeff Simpson

We recently brought you yet another story of the corruption, failure and massive waste of taxpayer dollars that is Scott Walker's crowning accomplishment - WEDC. 

As expected though, "but wait there's more", lots and lots more.     

We have chronicled SOME of the wasted Wisconsin taxpayer millions, now we find out that they have spent hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin taxpayer dollars sending their staff on vacations.  

 Those documents show the WEDC spent $39,386.49 on the trip to the Middle East in January and $16,284.49 on the trip to India in April.

Maley pointed out the outing to India will end up costing closer to $29,000. Those additional expenses were not included in the open records request because some invoices have not been submitted, he said.

“The (India) trip just occurred in April and we allow 90 days before we close the books on a trip,” Maley told Wisconsin Reporter. “So there’s still some significant outstanding invoices that are out there that we’re waiting for, for us to pay.”

Of the nearly $40,000 Middle East tab, almost $30,000 was documented by the three WEDC employees who took part in the trip: Ryan Murray, deputy secretary and COO; Stanley Pfrang, market development director; and Rachel Best, senior event manager.

Private business representatives who attended that trip were Khemissa Bejaoui, a human molecular geneticist with PreventionGenetics in Marshfield; Todd Muderlak, president of Xela Innovations in Glendale; and Tanya M. Salman, an attorney with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.

Reports for the India trip list a $13,600 generic expense, $1,080 in driver fees and $1,592 for flights.

That is a lot of our money to be spending to get no results.  Thank Goodness they are such fiscal conservatives that three people from the office ONLY spent over $10,000 a piece.   Where the heck did they eat?  Jiro's place?    I wonder how much they would have spent if they were not such fiscal hawks?  I also wonder how much they would have spent if they were actually able to help create jobs in WI.   

(Edit note: also not sure why an attorney from Michael Best would need to go to China on our tax dollars except for payback).  

 

But wait there is more, and this will come as a huge surprise I am sure.

 MADISON (WKOW) -- Nearly half of Governor Scott Walker's campaign fundraisers since April 1st have been hosted by people whose companies received financial awards from his administration.
 
Jack Link, the owner of Jack Link Snacks of Minong, joins Chris Shult, the proprietor of Bevco Engineering of Waukesha County, and Jon Hammes, the developer of the Edgewater Hotel project, in hosting fundraisers for Gov. Walker within the past three months.

Each has also directly or indirectly benefited from financial awards doled out by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), which Gov. Walker chairs.

 It makes it so much easier to raise funds when you can promise even bigger taxpayer rewards in return.