Compare/Contrast - Diet Edition

By Jeff Simpson

You can not make this stuff up!

We know earlier in the week, the republicans(with the help of 13 democrats) decided to tell people on FoodShare what they can and can not buy at the grocery store!

Let's let speaker Robin Vos tell us why he passed the bill(emphasis mine):

The goal of the state’s supplemental food program is stated plainly on its website: “FoodShare Wisconsin was created to help stop hunger and to improve nutrition and health.” Unfortunately, what’s missing in the program is the promotion of good health. Instead, the FoodShare’s QUEST card is a cash card for junk food. The simple reality is that people buy cakes, candy, chips and sugary drinks with their benefit cards. Of course, these items lack nutritional value and are hardly a recipe for good health.

A recent study from Yale University showed that billions of tax dollars each year are spent on sugary drinks through the food stamp program. The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University estimates $2 billion in benefits are spent on high-calorie drinks bought in grocery stores. Those figures don’t include purchases from every store. At a time when our country is battling an obesity problem, it’s not right that our tax dollars are being spent on items that doctors say clearly contribute to a national epidemic.

Now sit down while we tell you what the Wisconsin republicans, led by Speaker Vos, did less than 48 hours later(emphasis also mine):

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee inserted a provision into the state budget Thursday that would ban counties and municipalities from restricting the sale of food and beverages based on calories, portion size or nutritional quality. The change would not interfere with local governments to put limits on alcoholic beverages.

Rep. Pat Strachota (R-West Bend), the backer of the measure, called it an "anti-Bloomberg bill," referring to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who championed limiting serving sizes for soda. Strachota said she was backing it because she'd heard officials in Madison and Stevens Point were discussing similar limits.
She said people should be able to buy any size soda and popcorn at movie theaters.

"I want to make sure I can continue having that experience and don't have government telling me I can't have that experience," Strachota said.

Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) called the proposal ironic because it came two days after the Assembly passed a bill requiring that food satamp recipients spend two-thirds of their benefits on health food.
"It makes it seem you were really going after the way poor people behave and not everyone else," Mason said.
The measure passed 12-4, with all Republicans for it and all Democrats against it.

 Welcome to Fitzwalkerstan!

The ALEC 5!

Common Cause and the Center for Media & Democracy have been following and exposing ALEC's activities in Wisconsin.  They have done Yeoman's work on this important issue!  Such good work that 5 of Wisconsin's republican assemblymen tried to break the law to keep their association with ALEC private.  

  

"Please send ALL ALEC material to the Representative's PERSONAL email . . . from now on," says a June email to ALEC sent from Jeremy Thiesfeldt's state account.

The good folks at CC and CMD did not give up though and took these five to court, and of course, easily won.   Now the fact that these five "fiscal conservative" republican's tried to govern in private, it ended up costing the taxpayers of Wisconsin $2520 in court costs and fees.   There are plenty of places that could use that money right now!  

Five Wisconsin state legislators have agreed to turn over any correspondence and documents with or related to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and held on their personal email accounts; the action settles a lawsuit brought by the Center for Media and Democracy and Common Cause.

The Attorney General’s office will conduct the agreed-upon document search.

"As part of the settlement agreement, the five legislators admitted that ALEC-related records were held on their personal email accounts and are covered by the Open Records Law," said Center for Media and Democracy Staff Counsel Brendan Fischer, who filed the complaint. "They are finally complying with the law and agreeing to release those records to the public."

The five legislators -- Representatives Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac), Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva), Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), Tom Larson (R-Colfax), and Pat Strachota (R-West Bend) -- also acknowledged they have a duty as elected officials to fully comply with records requests from the public. They will pay $2,520 in court costs and attorney’s fees involved in bringing the lawsuit.

 "This agreement should put to rest Rep. Pat Strachota’s ridiculous assertion to the press that the suit was a 'political witch hunt,' and ALEC’s absurd claim that seeking its communications with lawmakers was 'abusing' the open records law," said Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy, which publishes PRWatch.org and ALECexposed.org.

However I doubt it will put to rest Stachota's ridiculousness or ALEC's desire to remain secret.   I also doubt it will mean that republicans will agree to open government in the future.  Remember this is the group that signed "secrecy agreements" during the redistricting process!   

For those of you who care about transparency, open government, not ceding responsibility to shadow organizations and wasting valuable taxpayer money should take a look at these legislators who stand for all of these things and their races!   

1.   Jeremy Thiesfeldt of the 52nd Assembly district.  To change from the tea party extreme to join the ranks of the rest of Wisconsin, Paul Czisny will represent you!  Check his website out here and his facebook page here! 

2.  Tyler August of the 32nd Assembly District.   If you understand that to move WI Forward to the future and job creation, you do NOT cut $1.6 Billion from education, then support and vote for Kim Peterson!  Her website is here and her facebook page is here!

3.  Dan Knodl of the 24th Assembly District.  If you are sick of wild partisan conspiracy theories and blatant dishonesty in advertising and want to be represented by a moderate intelligent skilled thoughtful representative, then Shan Haqqi is the one to vote for.  Check out Shan's website here and his facebook page here! 

4.   Tom Larson of the 67th Assembly District.  If you realize that the health care system in our country and state is broken and needs fixing and want someone with real world experience and ideas to do so, the support and vote for Deb Bieging!  Her website is here and her facebook page is here!

5.  Pat Strachota of the 58th Assembly District.  Unfortunately, Strachota is running unopposed.  If you want to know why the Wisconsin Democratic Party would allow an extremist who completely disregards open government like Strachota to run unopposed please contact the Wisconsin Democratic Party - infor@wisdems.org and (608) 255-5172

Let's show a message to all politicians and let them know that shadow private government behind closed doors and private email accounts is not something we will tolerate in WI!