Walker and Barrett Differ on Key Political Reform Issues

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Reform Update

May 21, 2012

CONTACT:

Jay Heck – 608/256-2686

1. Walker and Barrett Disagree on Political Reform Issues
2. ALEC Makes Mockery of Wisconsin Lobby and Tax Laws
   
3. To Understand the Infamous Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision -- Read This Article!
   

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1. As is the case with almost every other issue in the upcoming gubernatorial recall election, there are stark differences in the positions of incumbent Scott Walker and challenger Tom Barrett on how to reform (or not) the political process in Wisconsin. As most Wisconsinites know, issues like knowing what special interest groups are trying to influence your vote, how political campaigns are financed, how the boundaries of state legislative and congressional boundaries are drawn, and access to the polling place -- all underlie how state government works (or doesn't) and what issues of concern to voters will be addressed (or not) during the public policy-making process that follows elections.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette asked Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI) director Jay Heck to delineate the Walker and Barrett positions on political reform in this Sunday guest editorial. Read it and determine which candidate's position most closely mirrors yours.

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2. Last Thursday, CC/WI joined the Wisconsin-based Center for Media and Democracy at a Capitol press conference to call on Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to investigate possible tax violations by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a large and influential nationwide corporate lobbying umbrella organization that wines and dines state legislators in posh resorts in places like New Orleans and Phoenix, who then utilize ALEC "model" legislation (not of Wisconsin origin) of all kinds to ram through the Legislature past an unsuspecting public.

ALEC claims it is a "charity" and does not lobby and therefore reaps tremendous tax benefits by hiding behind this fiction. CC/WI and CMD sent this letter to Van Hollen asking him to look into the lobbying activities of ALEC. CMD also released this detailed, comprehensive report about ALEC's huge influence and involvement with Wisconsin legislators, of whom 49 of our state's 132 state legislators are dues-paying members of ALEC.

There was extensive media coverage of the CMD and CC/WI press conference, including on television here, radio here and here, and in print here and here. The press conference was also carried in its entirety by Wisconsin Eye.

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3. As unprecedented sums of corporate wealth and individual campaign cash inundate the recall elections in Wisconsin, as well as the upcoming elections for state and federal office -- and particularly for the U.S. Presidency, it is very important that citizens have a good sense of how this sad state of affairs came to be where it is today. Many of us have a vague sense of the Citizens United vs. F.E.C. decision by the U.S. Supreme Court issued on January 21, 2010 -- which literally opened up the floodgates that for 100 years had blocked unlimited campaign spending by corporations and other entities in the name of staving off some of the gravest excesses of the corrupting influence of money over our federal and state elections and in the public policy-making process that follows elections.

This most excellent article, "Money Unlimited," by Jeffrey Toobin that appears in the May 21st issue of The New Yorker, is an excellent overview of how the decision was made and for what reasons, and why it must and (many, including us, believe) will be overturned and relegated to the trash bin of history. The future of American democracy depends on it -- and as soon as possible.

If you read nothing else about money in politics this year, do read this!

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Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
Holding Power Accountable Since 1972

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Walker's "Divide and Conquer" Political Strategy Revealed in Shocking Video

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Reform Update

May 10, 2012

CONTACT:

Jay Heck – 608/256-2686

1. Walker's Plan to Make Wisconsin a "Red State"
2. Citizens, Legislators & Reformers Gather in Milwaukee for "Reform Forum"
3. Wisconsin in the Post "Citizens United" Supreme Court Decision
   

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1. As if there was any remaining question about what it was all about, there is none now. The surprise attack by Governor Scott Walker on public employee collective bargaining in February, 2011 was done, not to balance Wisconsin's budget, cut the state's structural deficit or to "save" the jobs of public employees. Oh, that's what Walker and his allies claimed and many Wisconsinites still haven't seen through it. Yet. There are many ways to balance the budget, eliminate the structural deficit and prevent employee layoffs. The Walker "bomb" was packaged to be sold as an economic measure to help Wisconsin.

But the action -- which has torn Wisconsin apart -- was done far more to gain partisan political advantage than it was to improve Wisconsin's economic climate.

Now we know, without any doubt, that the attack on public employees was first and foremost political. It was done to transform Wisconsin into a red state (solidly Republican) by crushing the political power of unions and others who have often supported Democratic candidates in Wisconsin. Walker, just two weeks after being inaugurated in January of 2011, went to Beloit to see Diane Hendricks, the billionaire owner of ABC Building Supply and a strong Walker supporter. Hendricks has contributed more than $500,000 to Walker since last year -- the single largest campaign contributor in the history of Wisconsin! She wanted something big from Walker and he told her he would deliver. And then, he did. It is quid pro quo politics at its most shocking.

In this amazing video, Hendricks and Walker have this exchange:

"Any chance we'll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions -"
"Oh, yeah," Walker broke in.
"- and become a right-to-work?" Hendricks continued. "What can we do to help you?"
"Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill," Walker said. "The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer."

Here is the complete story which was broken by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Still think big money plays no significant role in Wisconsin public policy-making? If so, you must be living in a cave in the woods. Under a rock.

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2. Last Monday evening, about a hundred citizens gathered at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee for another in CC/WI's continuing series of reform forums entitled "What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin -- And How Can We Fix It?

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske, State Representative Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee), former State Senator Peggy Rosenzweig (R-Wauwatosa) and CC/WI Director Jay Heck discussed with the audience political reform issues, including Wisconsin's voter photo ID law -- the most extreme in the nation, public financing of elections and disclosure of special interest money, the need for redistricting reform, whether our State Supreme Court Justices should continue to be elected or should we look at a merit selection process, and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. It was a lively discussion and exchange of views with the audience. Mary Kae Nelson, the President of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County moderated the forum.

You can watch the event, filmed by Wisconsin Eye, here.

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3. The January, 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United vs. F.E.C. is transforming American politics for the worse. The flood of corporate money -- most of it undisclosed -- unleashed by the misguided 5 to 4 decision is drowning out the voices of voters, turning national and state elections into auctions and increasingly steering public policy decisions to the advantage of the few who spend the most campaign cash.

The national publication Governing Magazine recently published this article about what the Citizens United decision is doing to Wisconsin. CC/WI was interviewed for the article and provided extensive background information.

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Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
Holding Power Accountable Since 1972

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Walker's Out-Of-State Millions to Flood Wisconsin Airwaves, Mail Boxes, Phone Lines

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Reform Update

May 1, 2012

CONTACT:

Jay Heck – 608/256-2686



1. Walker's Raises $13 Million -- More Than $8 Million of that from Outside of Wisconsin

2. CC/WI Signs On to Lawsuit Against Most Restrictive Voter ID Law in the Nation

3. Political Reform Forum in Milwaukee on May 7th

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1. Fasten your seat belts Wisconsinites. It's going to be an even more bumpy ride ahead.

Three month (January 18-April 23) totals for the state recall elections were announced yesterday and embattled Governor Scott Walker pulled in over $13 million dollars. That's more than any candidate for Wisconsin Governor has raised in an entire election cycle-- ever. By far. That's more than $135,000 a day--most from out-of-state. Almost three quarters of the number of Walker's contributions were from out-of-state donors and 63 percent of that $13 million -- or over $8 million -- was not from Wisconsin. During most of the three month period, the $10,000 limit on contributions to Walker was suspended because of a peculiar state law that allows individuals to make unlimited political contributions to candidates who have been recalled. And Walker, who has spent numerous days outside of the state raising campaign cash according to press accounts, has characterized his recall campaign as a national election and has been opening big Republican wallets in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, DC and many other places.

During the same three month period, Walker's Democratic opponents have raised just a fraction of what Walker has stuffed into his coffers. Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk raised $977,000 since January, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who didn't enter the race until March 30th, pulled in $830,000, Secretary of State Doug La Follette took in $118,000 -- all but $6,000 from himself, and State Senator Kathleen Vinehout took in about $44,000.

And then there is the millions of dollars of outside, special interest group money that is already being unleashed in Wisconsin.

For more on all of this, including CC/WI comment, go here  and here.

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2. Wisconsin, long one of the top two or three states in the nation in the percentage of eligible voters who participated in elections, was saddled last year with the most extreme and restrictive voter identification law in the nation. It is more extreme than voter identification laws in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina (which also passed its new law last year), and other states of the Old Confederacy who have long histories of denying many of their citizens the ability to vote.

Why did Republicans ram through this measure and why did Walker sign it?

Because they could.

But now, they are paying the price for trying to deny thousands of Wisconsinites their most basic and sacred act of citizenship -- the right to cast a ballot. The Wisconsin law has been enjoined on constitutional grounds by two Wisconsin judges and it will not be in effect for either the May 8th recall primary election or the recall general election on June 5th. For this very positive development, Wisconsin can thank the heroic leadership and efforts of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and others for defending democracy.

The Wisconsin photo voter ID law may also violate laws protecting federal voter rights. Last week, CC/WI signed on as amicus to a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin of the U.S. District Court. To read the brief go here.

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3. For five years, CC/WI has organized a series of forums throughout Wisconsin to bring citizens, legislators, advocates and experts of all political viewpoints together to discuss and debate political reform issues such as the Wisconsin, voter ID law, redisticting reform, disclosure of special interest spending in elections and others. Last October, over 160 citizens attended our forum in Wausau. In November, more than 200 people gathered at our Oshkosh Forum and this past March more than 150 filled every chair at our Sheboygan Forum.

Next Monday evening, May 7th (Primary Election Eve), we are hosting a reform forum at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Panelists include former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske, Democratic State Representative Jon Richards, former Republican State Senator Peggy Rosenzweig, Democratic State Senator Chris Larson and CC/WI Director Jay Heck. And you!

For more details about this free event go here.

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Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org

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