Earned Media

Editorial: Once again, appointment has perception issue

Reaction to the appointment is mixed. Scot Ross, director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the hire “looks like pre-emptive insurance.” But Glen Jones, head of the Wisconsin Troopers Association, said Stephen Fitzgerald is “head and shoulders above” other candidates. [Appleton Post-Crescent]

David Prosser coddled pedophile priest

The priest, John Patrick Feeney, who is now 81, went on to abuse other children before he was sent to jail in 2004. Hell of a guy, that David Prosser. He does “work hard” and “write well.” One Wisconsin Now was on this last year. [Brew City Brawler]

Joel McNally: Truth-O-Meter crashes during tax cut analysis

Shrapnel from the crashing Truth-O-Meter then hit the progressive political organization, One Wisconsin Now. The group added up the cost of three Walker tax giveaways, noting the governor had added $140 million in new special interest spending to the state’s mounting budget deficit. [Capital Times]

Biz Beat: Walker budget plan called a ‘nuclear option’

Scot Ross of the progressive Advocacy Group One Wisconsin Now added: “You take away people’s rights and then use the National Guard to back it up. If this was happening in another country, we’d call it a Banana Republic.” [Capital Times]

Fitzgerald selected to head State Patrol

Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, questioned hiring Stephen Fitzgerald just before Walker presents a budget to lawmakers to erase a two-year shortfall of more than $3 billion. “It looks like pre-emptive insurance – ‘I need you to carry my water and I’m going to give your dad a six-figure […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Walker likely to propose Medicaid changes in State of the State speech

“That Gov. Walker’s new secretary in charge of these programs has both advocated for states ‘dropping out’ from federal Medicaid assistance and has not made a commitment to keeping SeniorCare is enormously troubling,” said Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. [Wisconsin State Journal]

State GOP starts 2011 in national spotlight

But many Democrats haven’t been impressed with their ideas, accusing Republicans of recycling failed policies and rushing through ill-conceived legislation that will worsen the state’s gaping budget hole.“I don’t think they’ve offered anything new,” said Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. “Except a reduced voice for working families.” [Wisconsin State Journal]

One Wisconsin Now says Scott Walker and the Legislature have increased spending by $140 million

But one of Walker’s political antagonists, Madison-based One Wisconsin Now, has slammed the three bills. In a Jan. 28, 2011, news release, the liberal advocacy group said: “Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled state legislature have added over $140 million in new special interest spending.” So, which is it? Tax cuts or spending? [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Supermajority Could Doom State’s Economy, Group Says

“Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans are willing to do anything to ensure the wealthiest Wisconsinites never have their taxes raised again,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “The people of Wisconsin are once again seeing Republicans bend over backwards to address the corporate special interest wish list and ignore the promise to […] [Ashland Current]

State of the Union round-up

“And speaking of Ryan, One Wisconsin Now notes that the budgetary messiah of the GOP “voted for eight straight Republican budgets that increased spending by a staggering 50 percent.” [DailyKos]

15 environmental, public interest groups: Expand renewable energy, not nuclear, 15 organizations urge

Signers include: Citizens Utility Board, Clean Wisconsin, Sierra Club John Muir Chapter, Wisconsin Environment, Midwest Environmental Advocates, WISPIRG, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger, Nukewatch, Coulee Progressives, One Wisconsin Now, and Town and Country […] [WisBusiness]

Lawsuit ends, war of words continues

A lawsuit over public records brought by a Madison advocacy group last year against Juneau County’s district attorney is over. But the war of words between One Wisconsin Now and Scott Southworth continued this week in the wake of a legal spat that originated with an opinion Southworth issued last year to all five Juneau […] [Juneau County Star Times]

Grothman has a dream

State Sen. Glenn Grothman has a dream – a dream to stop state workers from having time off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Critics have been quick to point out that Grothman has a history of what some would call “culturally insensitive” legislation. [Wisconsin State Journal]

Priebus’ Republican National Committee: A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of David Koch’s Americans for Prosperity?

But to Wisconsin progressives, Priebus is known as the state Republican Party operative who allegedly tried to suppress the votes of minorities and students in both the recent midterm congressional elections and the 2008 presidential election — in apparent coordination with David Koch’s Americans For Prosperity…. An audiotape of the meeting was obtained by the […] [Alternet]

Guest column: ID at polls could solve election abuses

In fact, progressive nonprofit organization One Wisconsin Now has already begun its attack campaign. In a Jan. 13 press release, the group claimed that voter ID is a “big government solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.” I disagree completely. [Green Bay Press-Gazette]

Capitol Report: Tort reform supporter bends truth about own legal history

For a bill designed to make it easier for Wisconsin businesses to operate without the fear of a lawsuit, there was a surprising lack of business owners who turned out to testify on its behalf. One of the few who did wasn’t exactly straight with the facts. [Capital Times]

Can Walker create 250,000 jobs?

It’s a goal that started as a campaign promise, one that drew scorn from critics such as the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. [Milwaukee Magazine]

Activist DA must pay

The DA has agreed to pay One Wisconsin Now $8,850 for its legal expenses and $100 in damages. The liberal group filed the lawsuit in September, suspecting Southworth was withholding emails it requested in April. [Milwaukee Magazine]

Southworth, group settle

One Wisconsin Now reported that Southworth had agreed to pay the group’s legal costs and expenses, as well as $100 statutory damages to settle the case. “One Wisconsin Now has fully prevailed against District Attorney Southworth’s withholding these critical public records,” said Executive Director Scot Ross. “[He] needs to explain to the public fully why […] [Juneau County Star Times]

Lawsuit over sex ed e-mail dropped

A liberal activist group has agreed to drop a lawsuit it filed alleging that Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth violated the state’s open records law. The agreement reached Tuesday between One Wisconsin Now and Southworth says that all of the records requested in April were turned over in October. [Associated Press]

Bill would require photo IDs at polls

Indiana’s bill served as the model for Wisconsin’s photo identification bill, said Executive Director of One Wisconsin Now Scot Ross. He added the comparison is faulty. “Close to 99 percent of the voting age population in Indiana had the required voting identification. It’s completely different in Wisconsin,” Ross said. [Badger Herald]

LETTER: Earnings gap shows rich could pay more

How fitting it was, though, that the letter was published on Jan. 7. According to One Wisconsin Now, it was on Jan. 7 that the average CEO in Wisconsin had already earned more income (in one week’s time, mind you) than the state’s median household will earn in the entire calendar year. [Wisconsin State Journal]

Republican Party chair Reince Priebus: What’s his record in Wisconsin?

In September, a nonpartisan watchdog group called One Wisconsin Now filed complaints with the federal and state attorneys general, charging that state Republicans and tea party organizations had engaged in vote suppression, targeting minorities and college students. In a statement released Friday, Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now, warned against the practice becoming […] [Christian Science Monitor]

Milwaukee officials get into scrap with recycling firm

This isn’t the first time that the Vandenbroek Republican has had car troubles. Over the last 20 years, he has been cited for operating while intoxicated, driving without a license and participating in a hit-and-run accident – details of which have been posted on a new website called www.meetthemajority.com. The website was created by the […] [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

GOP makes Voter ID a priority, not jobs

“The Republican Voter ID bill will waste tens of millions of dollars and create zero private sector jobs,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now executive director. “The Republicans have come up with a budgetbusting, big government solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.” [Milwaukee Courier]

Wisconsin voters may soon need to show ID to vote

The liberal advocacy group, One Wisconsin Now, has promised to challenge the law in court. The group says the bill will end up costing the state money because the Department of Motor Vehicles offices will have to extend their hours to meet the demand for the ID cards between now and the spring election. [Superior Telegram]

Meet newly-elected RNC Chair Reince Priebus

One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross said, “When voter suppression allegations have surfaced in Wisconsin for the past decade, the name Reince Priebus isn’t far behind.” [Think Progress]

Priebus will remain Wisconsin party chair for now

Not everyone was so gracious. Scot Ross, head of the Madison-based liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, accused Priebus of trying to suppress voter turnout over the years in Wisconsin. “Now that Reince Priebus will have the RNC’s treasury at his disposal, those across the county interested in fair and clean elections will be on […] [La Crosse Tribune]

Voter ID Plan Will Likely Hike Deficit Tens of Millions of Dollars, No Private Sector Jobs

Despite promises that their top priority is job creation, the new state Republican legislative majority is immediately trying to ram through a Voter Identification bill which will not create jobs and will likely cost tens of millions of dollars in order to meet constitutional requirements. “The Republican Voter ID bill will waste tens of millions […] [Winnebago Dems]

Threat of legal action hangs over voter ID bill

Republicans in the state Legislature introduced a measure on Wednesday that would require voters to show photo identification before registering or casting ballots.  As WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson reports, already there’s a threat of a legal challenge if the bill passes. [WUWM]

Liebham backs new voter ID bill

The bill’s critics say they’ll consider a legal challenge if the voter ID bill is passed. One Wisconsin Now director Scot Ross made that promise on Wednesday, saying that Wisconsin would have to expand the number of Department of Motor Vehicles stations in order to ensure there is enough access for people to get IDs. [Sheboygan Press]

Week in Review

Republicans propose a voter ID bill that would require residents to show identification when registering to vote, a law Jim Doyle repeatedly vetoed. They say it will reduce fraud, but Scot Ross, director of One Wisconsin Now, says “Voter ID is the Republicans’ attempt to rig elections in their favor by disenfranchising minorities, students and […] [Isthmus]

Republicans unveil plan for voter ID, constitutional amendment

With large GOP majorities in both houses, the bill on photo ID is expected to pass easily. But Scot Ross, executive director of the group One Wisconsin Now, said he would consider filing a lawsuit once the Legislature acts, over concerns that the requirement would infringe on the right to vote. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Wis. Assembly to consider ballot ID bill

The head of a liberal advocacy group said a legal challenge will be considered if Wisconsin law is changed to require voters to show a photo ID at the polls. [WISN-TV]

Proposed election law already facing legal challenge

The Wisconsin state Legislature is expected to pass a law requiring voters to show photo identification at polls. And one advocacy group says they are already considering a legal challenge. [WFRV-TV]

Liberal group considers legal challenge to ID

The head of a liberal advocacy groups says a legal challenge will be considered if Wisconsin law is changed to require voters to show a photo ID at the polls. [WKBT]

Footnote: How will Walker’s jobs tally be tracked

Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now said his liberal group is among those that will attempt its own tally in an effort to determine which jobs Walker should and shouldn’t get credit for creating. [Wisconsin State Journal]

State Republicans bring back photo ID legislation

“Voter ID is the Republicans’ attempt to rig elections in their favor by disenfranchising minorities, students and seniors citizens,” said Scot Ross, director of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. He argued that in order for the law to be found constitutional, the state would have to spend millions of dollars to add additional […] [Associated Press]

Vital Signs: Republican states echo WI health director’s support for ditching Medicaid

The article was e-mailed to me by One Wisconsin Now, a liberal advocacy group, whose Anna Landmark responded to my observation that it will be interesting to see how Smith administers programs he’s been so critical of. “Smith won’t be administering these programs, he’s been given the job by Gov. Walker to dismantle them,” she […] [Capital Times]

Dreading the Scott Walker era

“This is an unprecedented power grab to undercut the Legislature,” Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now, told The Capital Times. He said Walker’s proposal to circumvent the authority of government agencies would turn the governor’s office into “the state’s largest waiting room for lobbyists.” [Isthmus]

Walker’s proposals split groups

Scot Ross, executive director of progressive policy group One Wisconsin Now, said the governor is not prioritizing real problems. [Statehouse News]

Hundreds attend Wisconsin inaugural ball

Liberal groups like One Wisconsin Now slammed Walker for not giving the ball’s proceeds to charity, like Democrat Jim Doyle did in his two inaugurals. [WSAU-TV]

Walker, officials celebrate at inaugural ball, new governor’s work begins

One Wisconsin Now held a separate music show in Madison last night to raise money for relief groups and food pantries. Director Scot Ross said about 350 people showed up. Walker’s inaugural ceremony at the Capitol did collect food for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force. [Pierce County Herald]

New Governor holds inaugural ball at Monona Terrace

“(Doyle) donated all the proceeds (from) his two inaugurals to the Boys and Girls Clubs — to the tune of over $500,000. And when people are really hurting, we think that’s a more appropriate thing to do, and it’s a more inclusive thing to do,” said Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now. [WISC-TV]

Walker’s not-so-quiet power grabs

Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now, echoes Miller’s thoughts. “This is an unprecedented power grab to undercut the Legislature,” says Ross. “That is a pretty big warning sign for people in the Capitol.” Ross says Walker’s proposal to circumvent the authority of government agencies would turn the governor’s office into “the state’s largest […] [Capital Times]

First the dance, then work

Walker took some criticism from liberal groups such as One Wisconsin Now for not sending the proceeds of the ball to charity, as Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle had done in his inaugural events. Doyle’s events benefited Boys & Girls Clubs around Wisconsin, providing them $233,000 in 2003 and $323,000 in 2007. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]