Politics

Budget Deficit Grows, Walker Still Refuses to Say How He’ll Pay for Tax Cuts, Shifts

MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker still refuses to say how he will finance a budget-busting $3-billion tax cut and shift scheme that would slash funds from education, health care, and police and fire protection “¢ even after the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the state deficit is an even-larger $2.5 billion for […]

Walker’s Legislative Finance Team Called for More Spending than Governor

MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s self-appointed tax and spend team in the state legislature, Republicans Robin Vos and Alberta Darling, both called for more General Purpose Revenue funding than requested by Gov. Jim Doyle in state budgets in the past several years. Over the weekend Walker claimed Vos and Darling, who have […]

Neumann Finds Ally in Gard for Irresponsible Tax Cuts Paid for By Health Care Cuts

MADISON, Wis. — Former GOP Madison U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann has found a willing advocate in former divisive GOP Madison Assembly Speaker and twice-failed congressional candidate, John Gard, for his irresponsible tax plan that would slash income taxes only for the top one percent of income earners and reopen the corporate loophole for bankers and […]

Van Hollen Documents Show DOJ-GOP Coordination on Health Reform Lawsuit

MADISON, Wis. — The top deputy to Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen sought direction from a $57 million Republican campaign committee that supports Republican attorneys general leading up to the Wisconsin Department of Justice attempt to file a partisan lawsuit against the federal health reform act, according to a handful of records obtained by […]

Van Hollen Has Yet to Produce Records on Frivolous Health Reform Lawsuit

Van Hollen said Lautenschlager’s recent public support for the Open Records Law should ensure her prompt response to his request. Just this week, Lautenschlager filed suit against a Republican legislator alleging he took too long to respond to one of her requests. “I would expect to receive the requested information within ten business days,” Van […]

Walker Takes $120,000 from Health Industry, Opposes End to Health Insurance Stranglehold

MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker has strongly opposed measures to provide more Wisconsin children, pregnant mothers and uninsured adults have affordable health care, at the same time taking more than $120,000 in campaign contributions from the health care industry in just the last six months alone. “The health insurance industry knows they […]

State of Shock: Milwaukee County’s Suffering Under Scott Walker’s Failed Leadership

MADISON, Wis. — If Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is interested in providing an honest assessment in his 2010 “state of the county” address, it will be a long apology to the people of Milwaukee County for his failed leadership, skewed priorities and playing politics with county operations. “Under Scott Walker, the state of Milwaukee […]

Davis-Vukmir Record for Milwaukee Public Schools: Tens of Millions of Dollars in Cuts

MADISON, Wis. — A call for reform of Milwaukee Public Schools by Wisconsin Assembly Reps. Brett Davis (R-Monroe) and Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa), ignores recent anti-MPS votes by the duo, including the 2007-09 Assembly Republican budget which would have slashed a plan to give $15 million to Milwaukee Public Schools and an additional $85 million to […]

GAB Coddles All Children Matter with ‘Pathetic’ Wrist Slap

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board could be opening Wisconsin’s doors to an avalanche of future illegal campaign activity after settling for a miniscule fine of $500 from All Children Matter, ignoring evidence the group possibly funneled Wisconsin corporate contributions through a Virginia political action committee in violation of Wisconsin campaign finance law. […]

Van Hollen Plays Politics with Flip-Flop on Domestic Partner Protections

“The Legislature or the governing body of a political subdivision or local governmental unit is not precluded from authorizing or requiring that a right or benefit traditionally associated with marriage be extended to two or more unmarried individuals; for example, family health insurance benefits, certain probate rights, or the ability to file joint tax returns.” […]

Over $172,000 in Scott Walker Contributions Violate Campaign Finance Reporting Laws

MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s gubernatorial campaign failed to report the required employer information of top donors who gave him over $172,000 – a violation affecting one of every six dollars he took in his first finance period. Under chapter 11.60(1) of the Wisconsin Statutes, each violation can result in a $500 […]

Estate Tax Repeal Plan: $800 Billion in New Debt to Cut Taxes on Ultra-Wealthy

“The estate tax can’t have much effect on hiring by small businesses because hardly any owners ever face the estate tax …only 100 small businesses and family farms will pay any tax in 2009” —Tax Policy Center MADISON, Wis. — A discredited report being circulated by Scott Jensen’s MacIver Institute is calling for $800 billion […]

Robin Vos ‘War on Reality’ Ignores 77 Percent of Wisconsin Business Council Member Contributions Went to GOP, Conservatives

MADISON, Wis. — A One Wisconsin Now analysis of the political giving of the announced officials of the Wisconsin Business Council shows that conservatives and Republicans netted 77 percent of member giving, contradicting charges made by Rep. Robin Vos (R-Caledonia) the new organization is a liberal front group. “Robin Vos says an organization whose officials […]

WMC’s ‘Astounding’ $6.6 Billion Budget Deficit Solution: Tax Cuts for the Rich

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) has launched a newspaper ad campaign which argues the solution to the state’s $6.6 billion budget deficit is tax cuts for the rich “¢ the same economic plan enacted by George W. Bush and Congressional Republicans, which caused the nationwide economic crisis that plunged 47 states into […]

Koschnick Ad Full of Distortions; Breaks Clean Campaign Pledge

MADISON, Wis. — The judicial ethics of Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick are under fire after breaking his own clean campaign pledge by attacking Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson in a television advertisement with several dubious claims. “It’s telling about his ethics that Randy Koschnick has broken his own clean campaign pledge,” said Scot […]

K12, Inc. Staff Supporting Fernandez Campaign

MADISON, Wis. — Rose Fernandez, described in a recent newspaper article as “a nurse by training who has never held an education job,” received $1,350 in contributions from top personnel at the Virginia-based K12, Inc., the for-profit company expected to reap $5 million in Wisconsin taxpayer funds to administer virtual schools – a number which […]

Koschnick Has Heard 1,830 Cases from Lawyers Who Donated Campaign Funds

“If I knew I had received money from somebody on a case, I’d recuse.” — Randy Koschnick, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2/24/09 MADISON, Wis. — Jefferson County Circuit Judge Randy Koschnick has heard 1,830 cases involving 19 lawyers who made contributions to his prior judicial campaign, including 35 cases which are currently open. “Randy Koschnick heard […]

FernandezFiveMillion.com Details Network Involving Rose Fernandez, Private Education Advocates

MADISON, Wis. — Rose Fernandez, former head of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual Schools Families, is part of a network involving lobbyists, non-profit organizations, elected officials and even the law-breaking All Children Matter, seeking to give for-profit companies like the Virginia-based K12, Inc. Wisconsin education tax dollars. An interactive website detailing this network and its […]

Donors to Lawbreaking All Children Matter Dole Out $74,000 in Last Minute Contributions

MADISON, Wis. — Donors to the lawbreaking All Children Matter have just made an unprecedented 146 last-minute legislative contributions totaling $79,725 to 33 Republicans and 4 Democrats over two weeks in mid-October. These individuals, who have given All Children Matter more than $10 million, made 134 maximum contributions allowed under Wisconsin law during this final […]

Lawbreaking All Children Matter Continues Support for Towns

MADISON, Wis. — Former State Rep. Debi Towns continues to receive the backing from an organization that supported her last-minute attempt as she left office in 2006 to help divert tax dollars from the over $100 million four-year-old kindergarten system to for-profit private school operations. Top donors to the lawbreaking pro-private vouchers All Children Matters […]

Nearly 3,000 Petitions Call for Van Hollen to Investigate Suspicious McCain/RPW Mailings

MILWAUKEE — Nearly 3,000 Wisconsinites have signed a petition calling on Republican Attorney General and John McCain for President state co-chair JB Van Hollen to investigate suspicious absentee ballot mailings coming from McCain and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. One Wisconsin Now, which launched the drive, delivered the petitions to Van Hollen’s office Monday. “We […]

McCain Record, Statements Prove He Doesn’t Get It on Economic Woes of Working Families

MILWAUKEE — Sen. John McCain’s continuing refusal to accept responsibility for the current economic crisis brought on by the George W. Bush policies he supported in the U.S. Senate and wants to continue is another example of how on the economic woes facing Wisconsin families, McCain still doesn’t get it. “Sen. John McCain’s stubborn insistence […]

OWN Fact Sheet – McSame Old, McSame Old

With each passing week, food and gas prices climb higher and higher, while thousands of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes. Seniors are still forced to choose between buying food or their prescription drugs. Gas prices across Wisconsin are topping $4 a gallon. After eight years of a Bush agenda that has been […]