Snake Oil Salesmen Gone Wild!

 The term snake oil has evolved in meaning:

(the term)comes from the 19th-century American practice of selling cure-all elixirs in traveling medicine shows. Snake oil salesmen would falsely claim that the potions would cure any ailments. now-a-days it refers to fake products.

In reality, when snake oil was first introduced in America in the 1800's, it actually worked:

Among the items the Chinese railroad workers brought with them to the States were various medicines —including snake oil. Made from the oil of the Chinese water snake, which is rich in the omega-3 acids that help reduce inflammation, snake oil in its original form really was effective, especially when used to treat arthritis and bursitis. The workers would rub the oil, used for centuries in China, on their joints after a long hard day at work. The story goes that the Chinese workers began sharing the oil with some American counterparts, who marveled at the effects.

In our capitalistic system, when something is popular, others try and replicate it.  The problem often is they can not do it as well or with the same effects.  Snake oil was no different as they did not have any Chinese water snake's handy so they used American rattlers.   The main person who did this was entreprenuer Clark Stanley, aka The Rattlesnake king:

This set the stage for entrepreneur Clark Stanley, aka The Rattlesnake King. In an 1897 pamphlet about Stanley's life and exploits, the former cowboy claimed he had learned about the healing power of rattlesnake oil from Hopi medicine men. He never publicly mentioned Chinese snake oil at all. Stanley created a huge stir at the 1893 World's Exposition in Chicago when he took a live snake and sliced it open before a crowd of onlookers.

Stanley's version of snake oil was so popular he opened up two seperate production facilities(a true "job creator").   As so often happens in our Capitalist society, short term profits trump people, and it turns out that the one ingredient that Stanley's snake oil did not have was - snake oil.   

As the saying goes, "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it". 

In Wisconsin, we have our very own Clark Stanley's.   I recently chronicled some major changes that happened shortly after the election that were never discussed during the election cycle. 

Now we have a major issue that was actually discussed during the election, but not discussed very well.   

In September, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau told us to expect a $1,800,000,000 deficit when we start the new budget.   Mary Burke and the democrats seized on this of course:

“I agree, contributions are needed, what worries me is we are back to 1.8 billion dollar deficit,” said Burke.

Scott Walker flatly denied it:

“Again this is based on no growth, no change in expenditures. Our record has been every year we’ve been in office, we finished the year with a surplus. Going forward, every year I’m in office we’ll finish with a surplus,” Governor Walker said.

The Walker amen chorus even weighed in on this in this very paper:

From Law Professor Rick Esenberg, in a column ironically complaining about dishonest ads:

We don't have a budget deficit.

Christian Schneider even dedicated a whole column to it entitled "Mary Burke's Bogus Budget Deficit Snapshot". 

Upon release of the numbers, Walker immediately boasted, that over the course of the year, that three-month $55 million number would become $220 million, which would come close to wiping out Burke's "$1.8 billion deficit" claim. This is also tenuous math, as it again assumes the economy will be cryogenically frozen for four years. But as long as Democrats are able to get away with such a bogus figure, why not use their own formula to defend yourself? The $1.8 billion figure was widely reported around the state; stories pointing out that the number almost has been eliminated have been harder to find than Kim Jong Un.

State Senator Alberta Darling and representative John Nygren(and they are co-chairs of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee) :

"Wisconsin does not have a deficit," Darling said in a news release, which was issued with GOP Rep. John Nygren of Marinette. "Thanks to Republican reforms, the 2014 budget will begin with a $443 million surplus."

It turns out now that everyone was wrong, and they were not really close with the $1.8 BILLION dollar deficit.   The reality is the deficit is $2,200,000,000 dollars.  

It was actually legislation, The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, not the free market,  that ended the masive fraud that Clark Stanley was pulling on the American people.  

Stanley's punishment:

As for what happened to Clark Stanley after it was found that his whole empire was based on a lie? He was fined $20 (that's about $429 in today's dollars) for violating the food and drug act and for "misbranding" his product by "falsely and fraudulently represent[ing] it as a remedy for all pain."

Stanley did not dispute the charges.

It appears there are quite a few people in Wisconsin, starting with the Governor who owes us $20.   I fear though, like Scott Walker's last budget, that it will be you and I paying the price instead.

Cross posted @ Purple Wisconsin. 

A Traitor in Our Midst!

 

By Jeff Simpson

We at Cogdis brought you the story behind Tanya Bjork who was the top political advisor for Mary Burke.   We told you that for the Mary Burke campaign to succeed, she needed to rid herself of the weight of someone who was knee deep in the former caucus scandal and has turned into a republican lobbyist(owner with her husband of Capitol Navigators).   

A quick check of the Campaign Finance Database and we see that the very same lobbyist firm that Tanya Bjork is an owner of was sending thousands of dollars to Wisconsin Republicans in this election cycle.   

You absolutely can NOT make this stuff up.   While Mary Burke and the Dem party was begging you for money, her top campaign adviser was sending thousands to the Republicans!   Let than sink in for a minute.   In the meantime, Mary Burke was paying Ms. Bjork $10,000/Month of YOUR money to advise her. 

I wonder if she sent information also or just checks? 

To make matters worse, back when we were bringing the original stories to you, Ms. Bjork had on her Linkedin profile that she was a partner in Capitol Navigators.   Now in the same profile, she has scrubbed all mentions of CapNav and any mention of working with Mary Burke. 

What a great person, aiding the opponent and not acknowledging her friends presence. 

Textbook example of the old saying "With friends like this who needs enemies?"


People tell me that she will probably be on Hillary's team in 2016.  I am actually a fan of Hillary in 2016 but if Tanya is in, I am out! 

We were Bjorked this time, I wont be Bjorked again!

Four Years - One Pic- Nuff Said!

By Jeff Simpson

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I say this picture sums up four whole years!  

This is what Scott Walker brought to our state and its time to end his reign! 

PLEASE VOTE!  Please call your friends and family.  Let us end these scenes in WI and bring our state back to respectability!   

Let's elect Mary Burke!! 

Scott Walker's Inner Circle!

By Jeff Simpson

Just so everyone knows, the person who came up with the Mary Burke was fired silly meme, is not only Scott Walker's good friend, he is also head of the Jefferson County Republican Party:

The very same person also posted this on his facebook page(which disappeared)!

Cute isnt it?  

Ladies and Gentleman your Republican Party! 

Scott Walker's Friend

"Governors should be defined not just by what they do and say, but who they surround themselves with..." --- Scott Walker.

The Dog Whistles of Autumn

By Jeff Simpson

The Republican "superstars" of Wisconsin are on a #wicomeback bus tour of WI.  It is comprised of such people as Scott Walker, Paul Ryan(R-Wall St.), Rebecca Kleefisch, Ron Johnson, etc... 

They are trying to get out the vote in rural Wisconsin and that sound you are hearing is one LOUD Dog Whistle!  

This week, when I traveled through Wisconsin's Republican strongholds, I found something close to a panic about a close race that could be stolen by voter fraud. At a Saturday get-out-the-vote rally in conservative Waukesha County, headlined by Representative Paul Ryan, speaker after speaker warned that the Walker-Burke contest could be decided by faux votes from Milwaukee, the heavily segregated city down the road.

 "We don't have vans that are bribing folks with cheeseburgers in the city of Milwaukee," said Vicki McKenna, a conservative talk radio host based in Madison. "Theirs is a by-any-means-necessary movement: Drag people to the polls by promising cheeseburgers and cigarettes ... they're dragging people to the polls promising everything from barbecue to smokes."

 Do you see what she is doing there??? 

 2.

dogwhistle

In politics, to make an innocuous statement which is designed to trigger previously indoctrinated bigotry & hatred without being recognized by outsiders for bigotry or hateful speech.

 


It really is quite disgusting!  Lets make sure it does NOT work!  Wisconsin deserves so much more than that!  

Vote for Mary Burke!  

Compare/Contrast Wi Visitor Edition

By Jeff Simpson

We have had no shortage of political celebrities visiting WI to GOTV for the upcoming Gubernatorial race lately.  The company we keep says alot about us, and I think we have the perfect example.  

Governor Scott Walker who has run a divide and conquer strategy to perfection:

   

Mr. Walker has had his good friend Chris Christie come to campaign with him a few times.  here is Mr. Christie responding to a "heckler" who is actually a Hurricane Sandy victim who wants to know why the Governor is still sitting on 80% of the funds used for Hurricane relief. 

 

Mary Burke has actually had President Obama here and let's see how he handles protestors:

 

That pretty much says it all, one party, one candidate respects all points of view and one doesnt.   Which one do you want running our state for the next 4 years?  

I think the choice is clear!

Mary Burke By a Nose

 

Todd Robert Murphy calls Governor race for Mary Burke by a Nose

The Wisconsin Race for Governor Who will win?

The easy way out of this narrative on the gubernatorial race would be to call it a coin toss between Scott Walker and Mary Burke. All of the polling data is pointing in that direction. The paradox of this campaign is Walker should be winning handily and he’s not. Statistically speaking, it’s a draw. In combination with the tangible elements of the campaign, deciphering the qualitative complexities is a critical part of the equation. The elusive variables of a campaign are the things you can’t measure that are generally refined through experience. The more experience you have, the better your instincts.
The Burke-Walker race for governor is one of the most complicated political dynamics Wisconsin has experienced in a long time. And, the incumbent may lose. That could be construed as nothing short of heresy in the very red county of Waukesha. There is a case to be made for either candidate to win the election; my thesis dissects both sides of the argument. Few people who are active in either camp would discount my line of reasoning privately.

Some of the issues both candidates have been peddling on the campaign trail should be put into perspective or just debunked. Mary Burke is alleging we are headed for a $1.8 billion deficit, which is as close to impossible as me being named the next archbishop of Milwaukee. It assumes there will be no growth, or zero revenue growth. If the state of Wisconsin continues at its current growth rate we would likely achieve a balanced budget. So candidate Burke is fairly heavy-handed on the assumption side of her analysis. Act 10 is a non-issue at most kitchen tables in Wisconsin; it’s over, end of story, and the Capitol protests lost a lot of folks on the issue of collective bargaining rights. Privately, most municipal officials are happy with the result. Walker has avoided the issue and, to many, it’s one of his most significant achievements. His avoidance makes no sense.

Walker continues talking about 100,000 new jobs he’s created and the horrible hand he was dealt when former Gov. Jim Doyle left office. He promised he’d create 250,000 new jobs and hasn’t come close, so he’s carving the turkey from the backside of the bird. Any candidate who would have been elected in 2010 would have been left with a tough economy and a bleak job market. His refrain is a tired whine, much like President Obama blaming President Bush for his problems. Voters don’t care. Walker claims to have put our house in good order financially but there were plenty of developments nationally that contributed. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is something most people like, they want it improved, and they are saving money on health care costs. The frenzied pronouncements this would be the beginning of lousy health care were never true and it was never a good issue for Walker.

Property taxes are lower because Walker gave us across-the-board tax cuts, saving the average household around $150.00. But, he did so on the back of education cuts; a claim that Burke has hammered in her campaign. It’s mostly true. But he has also reprioritized the need for post-high school training programs. Still, Mary Burke’s pizza slice commercial is very effective and it looks like a decent pizza. And, Walker’s tax cut won’t cover the heating bill for most households this January.

Mary Burke, on the other hand, has tripped, stumbled, tumbled, slipped, plummeted, plunged, and vaulted her way from obscurity to make this a neck-and-neck race. She handled herself well in the debates, although few people actually watched them. She avoided embarrassing headlines and news reports. The charge of plagiarism on her jobs plan was mishandled by her campaign. Lifting work from other campaigns is done all the time and the accusation laughable to insiders. Still, it was dumb. But it appears, according to the polls, she dodged a bullet.

Jim Doyle and Mary Burke aren’t conjoined. Most people only vaguely remember Doyle. Tying Burke to Doyle was a weak tactic. There is research that demonstrates you can’t transfer the personal popularity or disdain from one politician to another. The electorate generally doesn’t blame candidates for prior association. Mary Burke’s tenure as commerce secretary isn’t very relevant in this campaign. It’s not like Jim Doyle was Jimmy Carter.

Burke hasn’t overplayed the woman card. It was the right move. Women aren’t a homogenous horde of Philistines who march in lock step to the single issue of the Emily’s List’s movement: abortion. Women are increasingly finding the single-issue resonance of Emily’s list abortion rights mantra insulting. While Walker may not be winning the women’s vote, the real question is: Will Burke win enough of it? While Walker’s ad, stating reasonable people can disagree about abortion, given his strong pro-life background, may have backfired. Many women found it offensive, not because of his position but because it was insulting to all women by its insincere pandering.

The charge of plagiarism on her jobs plan was ludicrous but an issue that looked like it would stick. Walker’s camps handled the initial reports very well. Lifting work from other campaigns is done all the time and not only in the written word but also in TV, direct mail, radio ads, and get-out-the-vote efforts. Does anyone really believe Scott Walker wrote all his plans? Many thought this would stick to Burke but it hasn’t.

Bill Clinton is a rock star and helps build the Burke brand--the Obamas don’t. They should be avoided; it hurts her. But again, not devastating.

Walker’s inability to move the needle in terms of favorability is puzzling. He hasn’t been a bad governor. He ran hard in the recall and has been ballot-tested twice before. He can’t seem to move beyond that 45 percent to 50 percent in the polls. It seems baffling for his campaign too. The question is, why?

The constant news reports on the Walker John Doe probe and the criminal acts of a half-dozen of his surrogates may have left doubts in the minds of voters as to his culpability. He’s never been charged. But the constancy of the news reports has taken its toll. I have written in the past that it is morally and ethically wrong to dangle unsubstantiated allegations tarnishing his name. And, it could be the one of the underlining reasons, as the incumbent he appears so vulnerable.

But Walker’s campaign has made mistakes. His campaign should have demanded many more debates. It was a mistake to hold two Friday night debates so close to the election and on high school football night. Many of his own people encouraged more debates. It was an opportunity to draw distinction with Burke on their respective approach’s to governance and define each other on important issues. It was a blown opportunity for people to get to know their governor.

When Scott Walker said in the last debate, “We don’t have a jobs problem, we have a work problem,” the context in which he made the statement was clear. But that’s not how it’s been reported and it hurt him. He also blundered significantly opposing a modest minimum wage increase. Over 70 percent of Wisconsinites support the increase. Despite a 5.4 percent unemployment rate, real income for average families is down more than $2,000 during Walker’s tenure. These are pocketbook issues to voters. It created a huge opportunity for Burke on topics of job creation and the modest minimum wage increase. She’s grabbed the ball and continues to run with it.

There is an apparent and mystifying disaffection with Walker and voters. It’s not quantifiable; people who are passionate about him are very passionate and people who dislike him really dislike him. In his own party, Republicans overwhelmingly favor Congressman Paul Ryan as the GOP standard-bearer.

Walker is almost robotically smarmy; when speaking he seems unapproachable. He tends to romanticize his tenure as governor and it’s simply not jibing with the difficulties people continue to deal with as we slog our way out of the recession. There is a discontent in the electorate. Wisconsin is still struggling and there is a feeling of stagnation and powerlessness that’s not parochial to our state. Republican pollster Frank Luntz, responding to a recent CBS poll, said there is a “crisis of confidence” in government institutions. He went on to say, “I think it’s going to hurt incumbents. Take a look at the governors’ races across the country, there are a number of incumbents from both parties that look like they’re going down.”

When he was asked if there is an anti-incumbent sentiment, he responded, “Exactly.”
Weighing the option of change for change’s sake is part of the intellectual deliberations voters consider when casting a vote. Francis Bacon wrote in his treatise “Novum Organum,” “For man always believes more readily that which he prefers. His feelings imbue and corrupt his understanding in innumerable and sometimes imperceptible ways.” Weather, and the lack of voter ID requirements, favor Burke, as imperceptible as that seems. The extended forecast is for a seasonal and sunny day.
Scott Walker came into this race with something to lose but his hold on the governorship has always been tentative. The 2012 recall should have reminded him of this. Walker has failed to reconnect strongly with voters. Mary Burke has stayed on message. It’s a simple message: We could have, and should have, done better the past four years.

Mary Burke is the next Governor of Wisconsin…by a nose.

Mise le Meas


(Todd Robert Murphy pays attention and has orchestrated over 80 political campaigns, including some of the biggest upsets in Wisconsin. You can contact him at toddrobertmurphy@gmail.com)

Eric Pizer Needs Your Help

By Jeff Simpson

We brought you the story of Marine Veteran Eric Pizer a while ago.  Now Mr. Pizer is doing what he has learned to do his whole life --  take action.  

Vote Mary Burke on November 4th.   We need a Governor who cares about actually governing. 

In The Public's Interest!

By Jeff Simpson - Cross Posted at Purple Wisconsin. 

There are 426 School Districts in the State of Wisconsin, that currently serve over 800,000 public school students.   In each of these 426 school districts, there is a democratically elected school board that represents the community in running the School District(approximately 3000 elected School Board members in WI).
 In 1921, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards(WASB) was formed.  WASB seeks to advance education through supporting the tradition of local school board control of the state’s public schools. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards is a member-driven organization that supports,
promotes and advances the interests of public education in Wisconsin.   WASB offers various services, from advice, to training, to advocacy and information.   One thing WASB also does is send out questions to candidates running for elected office that focus on education. 
This year was no different....well it was a little different(amphasis mine):
As it has done for a number of years, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) has conducted a question-and-answer with the gubernatorial candidates, in this case Walker, the incumbent, and the challenger Mary Burke.
According to the WASB website, “In keeping with our past practice, we posed a series of questions to the candidates on a range of education issues. Governor Walker’s response to the survey request stated ‘our campaign will not be completing any interest group surveys or interviews.’”
WASB did publish Mary Burke's responses and they can be found here!
Scott Walker has time to be interviewed by Hugh Hewitt, The right wing American Spectator Magazine, The right wing talk tank Hoover Institute, the despicable Rush Limbaugh, CNN, New York Times, and GQ, where this was revealed:
Back when Scott Walker was a young politician on the make, he was known in media circles as a guy only too happy to supply quotes. Today the governor rarely does interviews. (At the outset, his staff would only promise me two or three of what they called "pullouts"—a chance to ever-so-briefly grab him after an event and on the way to his car—though ultimately I was granted two sit—downs of about twenty minutes each.) Instead, Walker's preferred vehicle for conveying his opinions is supplied by Sykes and other (right wing)talk-radio hosts, since their deference to him is almost vassal-like. As Walker's former chief of staff, Keith Gilkes, told me, "It's a medium where the governor can go on the air and deliver a message unfiltered."
We also found out in the #walkerdocs drop, that Scott Walker enjoys telling our local right wing talk radio jocks what they should be talking about:
In 2008, after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorialized in favor of light rail, Walker turned to his talk radio allies to make clear his opposition to government-funded rail transit.
He frequently dropped conservative talkers Sykes, Belling, Weber, Jeff Wagner and Vicki McKenna emails with talking points about major issues before the county, and often distributed treats.
“County Executive Scott Walker plans on making his rounds next week to deliver his own special holiday treat — Frosted Pecans (I have already heard just about every nut joke, but you can try) to thank his radio friends for getting the word out throughout the year on the Executive’s Ride, the Budget, and other county-related issues,” spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin wrote in a December 2007 email.

Then of course if he filled out questionnaires to let people in Wisconsin know where he stands, it might cut into his time running around the country campaigning for others!  

 

It is hard to be "open for business", when you consider public education a special interest and have no time for it in your busy schedule of campaigning.  

 

As Derek Bok says "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." 
 

Scott Walker Has Only Made It Worse

For Reference:

Mary Burke Needs Your Help!

By Jeff Simpson

One of the interesting parts, and stupider questions, of the night was "say something nice about your opponent" and Ms. Burke stumbled!





While her team has never been the most competent or the wittiest, let me offer a couple solutions:

A:  I admire Scott Walker's ability to work with Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, when we know from Walkerdocs how much he and his team despise her.  

or 

A:  Scott Walker has been so unethical and worked so hard to divide the state, that has allowed many new opportunities for overtime for the hard working men and women, in law enforcement. Mr. Walker has also created numerous opportunities for law firms in WI to have record profits. I also am amazed at his creativity, as I had no idea you could actually fly from Middleton to Madison.

There are a couple of my suggestions, now add yours.  let's all give Ms. Burke some suggestions on how she should have answered that question!

Quince & Apple

Which Political Gift Is Worth More?

This is a serious question: Which of Boss Abele's political gifts is worth more?

Boss Abele has given about $40,000 to Mary Burke's campaign through direct donations and channeled through other means.

Going along with his willing failure to follow Freedom of Information Act laws, he is still stonewalling on releasing all of the Walkergate emails.

So which is the better gift - what is equivalent to pocket change for both Abele and Burke or keeping all of the information contained in the Walkergate documents away from the public?

Personally, I think that Abele is just hedging his bets, groveling to both candidates in order to "expand his sphere of influence."

But can anyone trust a man like Boss Abele who is playing both sides against the middle class?

Faux Plagiarism Charges Results In Faux Outrage, Real Hypocrisy

With all the sensationalism one would expect from tabloids, there have been allegations made that the Mary Burke's job plan included plagiarized sections from the economic plans of other Democratic candidates from around the country.

Immediately following this breaking news was more breaking news that the consultant hired by Team Burke, Eric Schnurer, was the author of said passages that were supposedly plagiarized.  In other words, the accusations became that Schnurer robbed his own intellectual property.

Interestingly, the American Political Science Association seea this so-called self-plagiarism as no big deal:

The American Political Science Association (APSA) published a code of ethics that describes plagiarism as "...deliberate appropriation of the works of others represented as one's own." It does not make any reference to self-plagiarism. It does say that when a thesis or dissertation is published "in whole or in part", the author is "not ordinarily under an ethical obligation to acknowledge its origins."

The worst that Burke could be accused of is hiring a lazy consultant who didn't rephrase his own work for her campaign.  Questions regarding some of Burke's hires have been raised before.

Regardless, the Burke campaign chose to end their relationship with Schnurer.

The reaction from Scott Walker and his Teapublican allies have been mind-boggling in their falseness and hypocrisy.

State Senators Luther Olsen, Alberta Darling and Leah Vukmir have called for Burke to drop out of the gubernatorial race because of these faux accusations.

That certainly takes some gall, considering that a bulk of the legislation that they "drafted" and passed came directly from ALEC, verbatim.  That fact is why Vukmir fought tooth and nail to stop a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from proceeding.

And if the source of many of the bills they "wrote" wasn't originally written by ALEC, it was written by big money special interests, like Gogebic Taconite or Chris Abele.

As mind-boggling as the hypocrisy of these state senators is, the hypocrisy that comes out of Scott Walker's mouth is utterly breathtaking in its audacity (emphasis mine):

During a campaign stop in West Bend, Walker indicated Burke had not gone far enough in dealing with the controversy over the copied passages.

[...]

Asked if Burke should pull out of the race, Walker said, "She should ultimately fess up to what actually happened with that plan."

"People expect a leader that's going to take responsibility for their actions," he added. "Most people look at this and question, either you didn't know what was in the plan, or you did and you hoped that people wouldn't find out that it came from somewhere else."

Really?! I mean, really?!

Would someone please remind me when Walker dealt with the controversy of Walkergate? When he "fessed up" to what actually happened in the county executive's office? Or the governor's office?

I'm sure glad that none of us were holding our breaths for him to come clean on that.  After all, the million plus dollars he spent on legal fees was just for compliance reasons, right?

I need to also point out that this is coming from the same man that claimed that he didn't know what was going on a mere 20 feet from his own desk while Milwaukee County executive, even though his name is all over the emails, both as a recipient and a sender.

People might call me a radical for this, but I think the fact that Walker and his allies stole our democracy and our rights are much more serious concerns than some schmuck too lazy to paraphrase his own work.

The Desperation of Scott Walker

By Jeff Simpson

Now that Scott Walker is trailing in the polls, he is becoming desperate.  He has been campaigning Al Dente, just hoping something sticks.  His latest attack on Mary Burke showed how distressed his campaign has become.

The person who cost Wisconsinites hundreds of millions of dollars to prove a hyper partisan point is now trying to  campaign on healthcare?   It shows how disconnected he actual is from reality!

"Luckily to be an Obamacare critic, being right is not a job requirement".

The question to Scott Walker, what in this law do you disagree with?

 

STOP Digging.

Deficits and Accountability, My Morning With Scott Walker

Yesterday morning I was invited by our School Board President to attend a meeting of Southeastern Wisconsin School Alliance.  This was a session she encouraged me to attend as part of my role as our board's legislative liaison.  In that capacity, I work with government officials across the ideological spectrum in order to advocate for the preservation of our public schools through proper funding.  As such, I spearheaded the drafting of a resolution against the voucher program that was passed by our board and sent to our state legislators prior to the passage of the 2013-15 budget.  In the final passage of that bill, the voucher program expansion capped at 500 students statewide.  Though we did not want to see the program expanded, I believe this is much better than what some members of the Committee on Education and on the Joint Finance Committee wanted.  There were other aspects to what was finally passed that were troubling, but I will discuss that later in another article.

Another area where damage was mitigated was the increase in per pupil adjustment/spending.  If you will recall, the original proposal in the state budget put forward by Governor Walker was ZERO.  As in zip, zilch, nada... Democrats in the Legislature and Senate stood strong on this issue and proposed an increase of $250 per pupil.  This amount was in line with what that average increase was in years prior to 2011 and was relative to CPI.  In 2011, Walker's first budget,  that amount per pupil was actually cut by -$528.81 per pupil,  followed by an anemic $50 increase in 2012.   This was just one level of the cuts levied by Walker's first budget, which was the largest reduction to public education in our state's history and the largest in the nation at the time.   So basically he made a huge draconian cut one year which was followed by an minor increase the next and everyone should now be grateful because it wasn't zero or even negative!  Oh thank you Mayor Quimby.  The  $250 level proposed by the Democrats would not have gotten our public education funding back to where it was over the last decade, but would have been a reasonable start to put the system back on sound footing.  In the end, after much negotiation and pressure from education groups across the state, the Democrats on the Joint Finance Committee, led by Jon Richards, were able to get $75 adjustment for 2013-14 and $150 each year thereafter.  This increase helped to offset property tax increases that had occurred across the state in recent years.  In Greenfield we were able to reduce property taxes by an average of 7.39%.  Remember to thank Rep. Richards for this the next time you see him.

This all leads me to yesterday's meeting and why I was eager to attend.  The program led off with a presentation by representatives from the Department of Public Instruction on a variety of subject including overviews of General Equalization Aid, Categorical Aid, and issues related to the way the state performs student counts.  All in all it was a very informative program that was well received by the 40 or so public school administrators and board members in the room.  

The second part of the program, the reason our Board President thought to invite me, was a Q&A session with Governor Scott Walker.  I know what you're thinking, you really wanted to attend such a session? Just let me state, I was willing to do this so you don't have to.  Also, I found it an intriguing opportunity most voters wouldn't get to partake in.  This wasn't a campaign event or a speech, this was a very select group of public officials on their ground, not his.  

The session began with some comments by the Governor about his connection to public education.  He retold the story about his own children and looking at Marquette University High School and Wauwatosa East and deciding Tosa East was the best option for them.  He emphasized this story by stating, "Our choice is public schools."  Let that bit of irony sink in.  If that were truly the case, why has he pushed so hard throughout his career in Madison to build up private schools by allowing them to receive public funds at the expense of public schools?  He again stated, "My goal is not one system or the other, my choice is public schools."  Why has he not acted forcefully to ensure accountability in the voucher program if that is the case?  He responded by stating "I absolutely believe in accountability, not only for tax payers and the public but for parents."  and that he will be supporting, "a school accountability measure next year to make schools receiving public funds accountable for how they use those funds."  When asked about his proposal to further expand the voucher system, he again stated, "there must be accountability."  and added that, "measurements must add value, not just paperwork."  and that, "Accountability shouldn't be measured by a focus on testing."  Think about that for a moment.  Now I am certainly not a testing advocate by any means, but testing does provide data points where certain achievements and comprehension can be measured and compared.  If public schools have mandates for testing and those tests are used to formulate the success or failure of those schools based on the state report cards each district receives, why would accountability mean voucher schools are exempt from that?  As for the rest, based on his past lack of support, I will file his responses in the "I'll believe it when I see it" file.

The discussion then turned to school funding and legislative policies.  When asked, "What is your position regarding a sustainable model for funding public education in Wisconsin?"  He responded by stating that he, "would like to change the aid formula to address the ways in which aid is affected by capital improvements and referenda."  Finally something I would like to see.  Currently, if you make large capital expenditures from Fund 10 (General Fund/Fund Balance), it negatively affects your state aid the following year.  There are ways to reduce the hit in state aid, such as what we passed in our district to expand our technology capabilities.  We set aside $3.5 Million in Fund 10 to be used over the course of 4 years.  This will help us absorb the negative impact.  I always found it odd that districts that underspend their budget were rewarded with more aid the following year, but then take a hit when they spend the money they saved.  Vigilance on behalf of the tax payers in this case ends up harming them with increased property taxes later.  It is my belief that a smart school board should be saving money over time to offset the need to go to referendum for major upgrades in their district.  Tweaking the way that formula works needs to be done and should be managed in a way that provides balance so districts have ways to provide the next level of education in a responsible manner.  I would be surprised if the Governor actually proposes something regarding this, but if he does and does it in a reasonable fashion, it would be the first initiative he has pushed that I would support.

Next the Governor was asked to explain his vision for public education in Wisconsin.  He first went to the standard, "We have to make education relevant." and discussed the need for, "an aggressive push to change the perception of tech and career colleges."  Which tied into a statement about the need to, "target aid to areas of need."  OK, I don't disagree.  He then brought up Act 10 stating that, "Act 10 provides more control at the local level but he would like to see even more flexibility."  If instability among staff equates to more control, that's a new one on me.  We continue to see districts across the state that are dealing with teacher resignations that are becoming harder to fill because of less people seeking education degrees.  Districts are beginning to engage in bidding wars for teachers with specialty degrees.  He further stated that Act 10, "allowed districts to focus on curriculum instead of grievances."  Interesting.  I don't know what the central office in his district looked like when he was going to school, but we have a Director of Human Resources and two Directors of Curriculum and Instruction.  One deals with grievances, the other handles curriculum.  It's pretty clear and basic.  If that is his reason for stripping away workers rights, I'd suggest he think of a better excuse than that.  He did let slip his contempt for unions with the statement, "unions didn't care about newer membership."  when discussing eliminating tenure.  Hmmm...not any union I ever experienced.  

Finally it came time for my question.  First I need to explain that I am a firm believer in the income tax over the property tax.  I believe the property tax to be regressive and disproportionately affects lower income home owners.  At the same time, the current state of our income tax in Wisconsin is also regressive in that higher incomes are taxed too low while middle and low incomes are taxed too high.  Because of loop holes in the tax code many high income individuals pay very little in taxes when compared to middle and low income individuals.  My other objection comes from the fact that at one time the state provided 2/3 of the funding to local districts.  That has not been the case for many years and as a result property taxes sky rocketed over the last decade and a half.  So I began by stating my concern on the impact of reduced aid to districts as it has a negative effect on the property tax levy.  I asked, "In light of the recent report from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau of a projected $1.8 billion structural deficit in the next budget cycle, what is your plan to maintain school aid from the state and protect property tax payers?"  It might have been too much to ask for a real answer on this question as well.  He began by expounding on the great work that the LFB does.  He then went on to criticize their numbers, stating that the LFB do not project revenue growth in their assessment and that his office projects a balanced budget.  Of course, the budget has to be balance by law.  The question was, in not so many words, how do you intend to get there?  He continued by saying that he believes revenues will increase.  OK?  So you're wishing for a good quarter to fix the problem?  Or perhaps some fairy dust?  He then went on to state that he wishes to see changes to how school aid is calculated.  Once again sir, not the question.  Unfortunately the way the program was set up, there were no follow up questions and his denial of the numbers in the Bureau's report was left hanging in the air.  The woman sitting next to me leaned over and said, "What does he mean they don't project revenues?  That's exactly what they do."  I found out she was a former IRS employee and really followed the budget numbers.  

In conclusion, our union men and women best be ready for the next attack, it's coming, and it will be swift.  He is evading answering questions honestly even when there are no cameras and many in the audience were probably friendly to his philosophy.  Most importantly, if you care about having leadership in this state that really understands the needs of providing the best education for our children so that they have every opportunity to succeed, get out there and knock on doors, make calls, and vote for Mary Burke.

The Rovian Gambit

By Jeff Simpson

We all remember that during one of the many #walkerdoc drops, we saw an email where Scott Walker was kissing up to Karl Rove.  

We know through the eight years of Karl Rove, being on the center stage as one of the power structure of the Bush administration, would pull out any and all stops to win! 

When The Bush team was trying to sell us that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction,  Ambassador Joe Wilson, who was sent on a mission to see if they actually did have WMD's(they didn't), came out publicly telling America that Bush was lying.    Instead of making their case against Ambassador Wilson, Karl Rove engineered an attack against Wilson's wife - Valerie Plame.  Plame was an undercover CIA agent at the time, but that did not stop Rove and crew from attacking her. 

Fast forward to Wisconsin 2014, Scott Walker is dropping in the polls like the temperature in November.  The Scott Walker for Governor campaign did a statewide survey of women head of households, on Monday night.

They obviously did not like the results, because the next day, in a classic example of tone deaf, they used an anonymous source, quoting an anonymous source attacking DA John Chisholm's wife. 

Anything to win. 

Clearly Rovian, blatantly cowardly yet right in the right wing extremists(like Charely Sykes) wheelhouse of low down. dirty, disgusting tactics.  

Do not believe it, do not listen to it, do not click on their disgusting links.   Understand its pure desperation and anyone in the "media" trying to push this story is not a serious person.  

Wisconsin Is In Good Hands

By Jeff Simpson


Scott Walker is not one who has hired particularly well in his career. 

 
However, Mr. Walker finally has a success under his belt.  He has hired Tom Engels, husband of Judi Rhodes Engels , to be his Assistant Deputy Secretary in charge of Department of Safety and Professional Services.

 Tom has had an interesting right wing career:

 Prior to coming to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Tom served as the Vice President of Public Affairs for the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.  From 1997 to 2000, Tom served as the Government Affairs Director for the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association.  Tom has previously held public service positions as then-Governor Tommy Thompson’s Deputy Press Secretary and as the Communications Director for the Senate Republican Caucus.  He also held various staff positions in the State Senate and Assembly.  Tom was also the District Field Representative for former United States Congressman Scott Klug.    

While Tom might not always have had the best influences around him,  but he seems to have handled it very well.  We know that Mr. Engels has been able to keep his head, because he has used it to donate to Mary Burke for Wisconsin.   

While his wife is being named in questionable fundraising schemes to help get republicans elected,

Tom was writing checks to Mary Burke to help take down the criminal schemer! 

Kudo's Tom Engels....this Bud's for you!