A Wisconsin Political Fix
not just another blog
September 13, 2011
By Roger Utnehmer
If Wisconsin had a Civility and Compromise Hall of Fame for politicians, State Senators Tim Cullen and Dale Schultz would be the first to be inducted.
It is a cliché to decry the lack of civility and compromise in state politics. Partisanship has polarized all branches of government. That’s why what Senators Tim Cullen, a Democrat from Janesville, and Dale Schultz, a Republican from Richland Center are doing to restore civility has profound potential.
Cullen and Schultz have visited each others’ districts. Each listened to the concerns of the others’ constituents. They are working together finding common ground on issues that matter to people regardless of political affiliation. Their reciprocal visits have already resulted in both recognizing the importance of rail service to rural Wisconsin as a tool for economic development.
More positive results will follow.
Both have been around state government long enough to remember the days of bi-partisan cooperation when legislators built bonds of friendship across the aisle. Congratulations to Senators Cullen and Schultz for attempting to restore that rich Wisconsin tradition. May their efforts be an example for their colleagues to follow.
Their bi-partisan cooperation is proof we have hope for better discourse in a state government troubled by discord and incivility. Thanks to two veteran legislators for restoring optimism and hope that things will be better.
That’s my opinion. I’d like to hear yours. I’m Roger Utnehmer
Roger Utnehmer is President and CEO of DoorCountyDailyNews.com, and a member of Common Cause in Wisconsin's State Governing Board.
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Press Release
August 4, 2011
CONTACT:
Jay Heck – 608/256-2686
CORPORATE/LEGISLATOR GROUP WHICH HAS INFLUENCED WISCONSIN LEGISLATION IS MEETING IN NEW ORLEANS THIS WEEK
Some Wisconsin Legislators May be Attending ALEC Conference - But Who?
Beginning yesterday morning and continuing throughout this week, corporate executives are sitting side-by-side with state legislators to draft "model bills" that put business interests ahead of the interests of many ordinary Americans.
It's all part of ALEC's annual conference taking place in New Orleans right now (ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council – a somewhat secretive front group made up of state lawmakers and hundreds of the nation's wealthiest and most powerful companies).
Many Wisconsin legislators have long had a close association with ALEC and a number of them may be in New Orleans now -- perhaps wining and dining and networking with executives and discussing new and existing "one-size-fits-all" legislation that did not originate in Wisconsin and may not be beneficial to many or most Wisconsinites. And many of these company executives have made campaign contributions to Wisconsin legislators to help encourage or thank them for their efforts.
You can access the Common Cause press release
here and on the release there is a link to the full Common Cause ALEC report released yesterday and a listing of campaign contributions to Wisconsin legislators from companies that belong to ALEC.
__________________________________________
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
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Press Release
July 29, 2011
CONTACT:
Jay Heck – 608/256-2686
TOTAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN AUGUST RECALL ELECTIONS COULD REACH OR SURPASS $25 MILLION
With the entire nation watching what will happen in the eight State Senate recall elections in August, the dollars are flowing in from all over the country to flood Wisconsin (and Minnesota) airwaves in order to to try to persuade the handful of voters who have not yet picked sides in these battleground districts.
At stake is what party will have partisan control of the State Senate and, perhaps, the future of the
Scott Walker and
Scott and
Jeff Fitzgerald - Republican Agenda. Some have suggested that the Wisconsin recall elections are a national barometer for what might happen all over the nation in 2012 -- including the fate of President
Barack Obama. We will know soon enough.
There have never been this many recall elections held at one time in Wisconsin or anywhere in the country, so to try to compare them with other elections or to put them in some national context is difficult if not impossible. But one thing is certain -- millions of dollars will be spent in almost all of the eight elections and the $3 million record spending for a single State Senate election that was set in 2000 is likely to be broken in one or more of the August elections.
One of them might be in the 10th State Senate District where current Republican State Senator Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls faces a serious challenge from Democrat Shelly Moore of Ellsworth. Harsdorf emerged as the winner in that 2000 election defeating incumbent Democratic State Senator Alice Clausing. The $3 million dollar record set in that election could be surpassed because of all of the spending for campaign ads on Minneapolis TV -- which covers the 10th Senate District of Wisconsin. To read more about the money being raised and spent in this race, go here.
One State Senate recall election that will almost assuredly surpass the $3 million record figure is in the Milwaukee area where Republican State Senator Alberta Darling of River Hills tries to fend off an aggressive challenge from Democratic State Representative Sandy Pasch of Milwaukee. Darling, utilizing her position as Co-Chair of the Wisconsin Legislature's all-powerful Joint Finance Committee, has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars. And Pasch has managed to raise enough to stay competitive.
Of course the biggest spending in all of these State Senate recall elections is by outside special interest groups on both the left and the right. Estimates of between $20-30 million in total spending on the eight elections in August are not inconceivable given the enormous stakes that both Republicans and Democrats have in controlling the Wisconsin State Senate. Much or most of the outside spending from both within and outside of Wisconsin is and will be undisclosed because Wisconsin has thus far failed to pass disclosure legislation that will force the outside groups to tell voters who the donors of all the money are and where it is coming from.
After the recall elections are over, and whatever the outcome, Wisconsin legislative Republicans and Democrats alike should join together and pass effective disclosure legislation -- something CC/WI has been pushing for since 1997. We are working with legislators of both political parties to get such a measure introduced. It is well past time to shed light on the big money that now controls Wisconsin elections.
For more on what CC/WI and others are saying about spending in the recall elections, listen to this short segment from Milwaukee Public Radio.
__________________________________________
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
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By Roger Utnehmer 
