Wisconsin

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 […]

Memo to Paul Ryan from the 1st District’s Unemployed: No Mas!

Paul Ryan is officially the poster boy for the Bush economic legacy tour. Despite representing the three cities in Wisconsin with the highest unemployment rates, Ryan’s stepped up front and center to offer a GOP budget plan that continues the worst of the Bush economic policies — tax cuts for the rich, privatization and ignoring […]

Kevin Petersen Picks on Kids Because He’s a Big Ol’ Legislator

GOP Seat-filler Kevin Petersen is cheesed. He’s more than cheesed. He’s a whole lotta angry. He says veterans are getting shortchanged in the proposed state. The Waupaca state legie never had a thing to say about the endless shortfunding at the federal level under George Bush and the GOP-controlled Congress, but now he’s in a […]

One Wisconsin Now’s Official Repsonse to the Paul Ryan Budget for the Rich

One Wisconsin Now released the following statement from Executive Director Scot Ross regarding the finally-has-some-numbers House Republican Budget plan that cuts tax rates for the wealthiest Americans (like Paul Ryan) by another 30% and the fact that Ryan’s budget has utterly no chance to pass given his current status in the minority. “Whew.”

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 […]

Source of Koschnick’s funny numbers revealed

Ever wonder where Randy Koschnick’s campaign gets the funny numbers it uses in its bogus claims about Shirley Abrahamson’s record? Now it can be told, thanks to the latest campaign finance report Koschnick filed with the Government Accountability Board. Koshnick has gone to Ms. New Math herself — Jessica McBride Bucher. She can be relied […]

With Koschnick on the bench, leggies would rule

The last debate is over, and you have to say one thing for Randy Koschnick: He’s consistent. There’s another thing you can say, too. With him on the Supreme Court, you can forget about those pesky checks and balances. What the legislature wants, the legislature gets. His message in the final debate had a familiar […]

Facts Behind the Koschnick Ad Farce

Randy Koschnick today broke his clean campaign pledge in rip-roarin’ style, attacking Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson in a 30 second TV ad, that for now, is only available on the “internets.” Judicial integrity and ethics are critical for Wisconsin’€™s courts and Koschnick’s ad is the latest in a series of half-truths and distortions […]

Van Hollen Criticizes Corporate Lawsuits, Takes Credit for Corporate Lawsuit

To read the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page (and I would try and avoid), Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen is a lone midwestern warrior who has drawn a line in the sand to stop the endless victimization of the big corporations like AIG which serve our nation so selflessly. But a month later he […]

Randy Koschnick Called Out for Falsehood

The endless distortions of Randy Koschnick made news this week after the Jefferson County judge made a statement about the Greater Wisconsin Committee that was patently false according to the Associated Press. GWC always has meticulous fact-checking for the media for its issue pieces, but Koschnick wasn’t going to let a couple facts get in […]

“Young Gun” Paul Ryan Comically Misfires with No-Numbers Budget Nonsense

“Young Gun” Paul Ryan (cue shootin’ sound effect) wants to answer critics who say the numbers don’t add up when it comes to the GOP’s fiscal policy of helping working families by making them pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest billionaires and millionaires. He’s offered a budget plan that includes no numbers. This is […]

Wisconsin’s pro-nuke convert a paid lobbyist for nukes

Just in time for the 30th anniversary of the Three Mile Island accident on March 28 comes more evidence that the nuclear industry is making Wisconsin a prime target for making nuclear power an option again. In the last month, Wisconsin has seen a stacked legislative hearing, a drumbeat of pro-nuclear articles in Madison’s daily […]

Scotts Hit List: 230 workers, sick pay, overtime benefits, pay raises

Scott Walker had some real balls to say he wouldn’€™t accept federal stimulus dollars to help keep Milwaukee Co. from plunging further into an economic fubar. And while everyone around him could think of exceptional ways to utilize the available money, Walker insisted his plan for Milwaukee Co. wouldn’€™t rely on government dollars. Instead, Scott […]

No Surprise: Koschnick Caught Distorting AGAIN

If Randy Koschnick is one thing, he’€™s consistent. Time and time again, he has grossly distorted Chief Justice Abrahamson’€™s record. Fortunately, we here at OWN are willing to do the due diligence and research that Koschnick has no interest in doing. Randy Koschnick has claimed over and over again that Chief Justice Abrahamson ‘€œsides with […]

Supreme Court Numbers Debunk Koschnick Distortions about Crime Rulings

MADISON, Wis. — A painstaking analysis by One Wisconsin Now of more than 4,000 decisions made by the Wisconsin Supreme Court during the current term of Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson proves Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick has misrepresented Abrahamson’s record. A full accounting of her decision making shows the Chief Justice has supported the state’s […]

Bring the Guard Home campaign ramps up

A campaign to challenge the deployment of National Guard troops to Iraq and Afghanistan is about to ramp up in Wisconsin, with a three-day visit by the lead national legal counsel next week, and five events in Madison and Milwaukee. Part of a national campaign that is now in some 20 states, it challenges the […]

So Charlie and Mark, Wheres the Thunder on Pridemore?

So should we expect fireworks enthusiast Charlie Sykes, and the Mr. Pibb to his right wing Dr. Pepper Mark Belling, to call for Rep. Don Pridemore to be sent to Gitmo over the press release sent from his state office using state tax dollars attacking DPI candidate Tony Evers and to support anti-public education advocate […]

Will Paul Ryan Ever Be Asked About His Record?

GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, our state’s most reliable Bush lap dog and in whose failed policies are the foundation, walls and roof of our global economic collapse, continues to complain about President Obama’s budget. This is an alarming 2009 trend. President Obama announces steps to clean up the Bush-GOP economic disaster and Ryan dashes to […]

Six years of war sparks dozens of actions this week

Thursday marks six years since the “shock and awe” invasion rocked Iraq and the US kept the world safe from Saddam Hussein’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Dick Cheney continues to insist we “won” the war in Iraq because there is a new democratic government there. There’s also a new Democratic government here, and that, […]

Hungry for change, GOP county exec looks to Walkers missed opportunity

Outagamie County Executive Toby Paltzer, a GOPer, issued a press release today that makes Scott Walker look even more like a jerk for denying Milwaukee Co. their deserved share of stimulus dollars.It reads: ‘€œExecutive Paltzer is very supportive of the successes of Milwaukee County’€¦ However, if the Milwaukee County Executive feels reluctant to accept stimulus […]

Can’t pay a prevailing wage? You’re a loser.

It just never ends, does it? Now, rich corporate CEO’€™s are all a-flutter over *gasp* paying workers a fair wage. In Gov. Doyle’€™s budget, a new provision requires companies that receive help from the state to pay their workers the prevailing wage. J. Michael Mooney,  chairman of the MLG group, an investment and real estate […]

March Badness has begun!

Your March Badness 2009 bracket is ready. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/marchbadness/ March Badness is One Wisconsin Now’s tournament where you choose what’s the worst of the worst on the right so far in 2009. Click here to go directly to your March Badness 2009 bracket and pick what you think is the worst of the worst from conservatives. […]

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 […]

The Other March Bracket

Tournament time is here, and we need your help to pick the winners. We designed our own bracket and filled it with the worst-of-the-worst we’ve heard from the right so far this year — it’s called March Badness 2009 and your vote decides the winner. http://www.OneWisconsinNow.org/MarchBadness We’re stuck on 17 entries, so we’ve got to […]

Fernandez, Koschnick join the conservative circus

There’€™s a huge rift in conservatism these days. On the one hand, you have a faction that looks back in dismay at three losing election cycles and is trying to retool their message in hope for a better outcome in the future. On the other hand, you have a faction too stubborn to abandon their […]

Over time, garbage smells better to Bucher

Judge Randy Koschnick, would-be Supreme Court member, defends his willingness to try to get killer Ted Oswald off, while working as a public defender, by saying that Paul Bucher, then Waukesha County DA, who prosecuted the case, said Koschnick did a great job and has endorsed him. That’s certainly not what Bucher said at the […]

Media Darling GOPaul Ryan — Don’t Take My Rich Guy Tax Breaks Away

Sudden media economic darling Paul Ryan was on CNBC this morning. Before going forward, if you haven’t watched last night’s Daily Show analysis of the utter and complete failure of CNBC to do anything other than give bad financial tips and suck up to corporate CEOs, go to www.ComedyCentral.com and watch it. It starts with […]

Say no to more nukes in Wisconsin

An unusual closed hearing on nuclear power — closed in the sense that only invited speakers will get to talk — has been scheduled by two legislative committees for next Thursday, March 12. At first glance, it looks like one more stop in the railroad job that seems to be barreling down on Wisconsin, with […]

Headline of the week

The envelope, please. The winner is… Madison’s Capital Times: Randy Koschnick is soft on facts.

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 […]

Say Hi to Fernandez and Koschnick at Right Wing Free for All

Last week, One Wisconsin Now pointed out how the non, non-ideological Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance and its long-time face Todd Berry can be found this coming weekend speaking to the right-wing freakfest that is the Americans for Petroleum, er… Americans for Prosperity event in Milwaukee. A who’s who of state Republican electeds will be on hand […]

End Mandatory Overtime for Nurses

From Stephanie Bloomingdale of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. An idea whose time is way past. Bloomingdale is a member of OWN’s board of directors. Senator Judy Robson and Representative Sandra Pasch, both registered nurses, announced legislation to ban mandatory overtime for nurses and health care workers. The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses […]

Randy Koschnicks Phantom 60 Percent Number “- Where is the Proof?

Judicial ethics are essential in Wisconsin. Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick has made the claim Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson sides with criminals 60 percent of the time. While a number of media outlets have reported this phantom figure, Koschnick has refused to adequately explain what this number represents or how he arrived […]

Could Belling Be More of a Pig?

Whether Mark Belling will say something stupid or offensive or both appears to be a question in the same vein as, “Well, is it a day of the week that has vowels in it?” This one is a doozy, even for him On his show Wednesday, Belling was fired up against legislation to protect moms […]

GOP Legies Want Wisconsin to Have California’s Budget Crisis

Another headshaker from the Assembly Republican braintrust — this time bringing the same budget shackles to Wisconsin which helped drive California into its near economic collapse and nearly killed a bipartisan solution to their woes. Leah Vukmir and Rich Zipperer, who apparently have created their own Assembly Bad Ideas Caucus, are now pushing for a […]

It’s Time the Journal Sentinel Balance Biz Page WMC-Torinus Column with a Labor Column

Among the many head-shaking claims made by conservatives is that of the “liberal” media bias. As we know, the vast majority of American media: radio, TV, music, books, magazines, newspapers — is owned by six corporations. That number was 50 in 1983. Basic common sense says the biggest corporations in the world use their media […]

Unions – Good for Wages, Good for Workers, Good for Wisconsin

Much to the chagrin of the corporate honchos at WMC, strong unions ARE actually good for the economy, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress. Better yet, unions are good for the Wisconsin economy.  But perhaps most importantly, unions can actually help Wisconsin businesses weather this economic storm. Of course, those […]

“Blackwater can run, but it can’t hide’

Dan Kenney has a message for Blackwater, the controversial private security firm that just changed its name to try to escape its bloody past: “Blackwater’s new name is Xe, the symbol for an odorless, colorless gas. But the smell from its actions won’t go away, and the company will never be invisible,” said Kenney, who […]

Walker: Walking and Talking in McCain’s Footsteps at Bucyrus

What is it with Bucyrus in Milwaukee that attracts the worst of the worst on the right? It was only a short time ago that epic failure of a candidate John McCain visited the plant to tell us all ‘€œthe fundamentals of the economy are strong.’€ That worked out well. Now Scott Walker, literally and […]

FDR, Kennedy Spank Reagan in Historical Ranking

C-SPAN’€™s Survey of Presidential Leadership is now out, take a look. Of note: – FDR made the top 3 per the usual. – FDR, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, & Woodrow Wilson all outranked Ronald Reagan. – FDR scored more points than Reagan in all criteria, including Public Persuasion and Economic Management. – Bill Clinton moved […]

WMC’s New Tactic? The Fear of Fear Itself.

WMC is always against corporations paying their fair share in taxes. Now, they’€™re using the economic downturn to try and frighten all of us into laying down while WMC rams its radical pro-corporate agenda down our throats. In a new radio ad out this week, WMC is subjecting  hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin citizens who […]

Banksters, GOPer partying like its 1926

Last year, financial industry Banksters jetted into DC and made off with $700 billion aided by the likes of Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). But this week, when millions of Americans looked forward to a stimulus package of their own, Cornyn was surprisingly absent. Where was he, you ask? PARTYING AT A COCKTAIL PARTY WITH WALL STREET GOP […]

I Don’t WANNA Pay My Fair Share! – Corporate Shill from Dallas Whines

A story in the Wisconsin State Journal today inexplicably gives a forum to some blow-hard from Dallas named Barry Asmus who spent the better part of his speaking engagement at the WMC annual Business Day in Madison railing against making the super-rich and gigantic corporations actually pay their fair share for the services they so […]

State Banks Nab Over $2.4 Billion in Taxpayer TARP Funds While Fighting Against Paying Their Taxes

MADISON, Wis. — As Wisconsin banks have taken over $2.4 billion in taxpayer-financed Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout funds, two of the state’s largest banking lobby associations have joined with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce to fight efforts to close the $75 million-a-year ‘Las Vegas Loophole,’ which helps companies dodge Wisconsin taxes by opening up a post […]

Reagan Day Dumb

Remember last year when Sheldon Wasserman got called out by Alberta Darling for reneging on Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform “No New Taxes” pledge and everyone was like ‘€œDuh, Sheldon, you shouldn’€™t have signed that stupid P.O.S. pledge in the first place!’€? Thankfully some people, like Gov. Doyle, aren’€™t insane enough to put their […]

Standing up for workers…the Employee Wage Protection Act

A critical piece of legislation that would protect workers all across the state is up for a vote in the WI State Senate, and we need your help. The Employee Wage Protection Act, Senate Bill 2, would put workers first in the event a business closes or goes bankrupt. In these tough times, it’€™s more […]