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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
As an organization that believes everybody has a right to their day in court, One Wisconsin Now is keenly aware that Wisconsin conservatives have championed the smearing of defense attorneys and the erosion of the rights of the accused. Ask former Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler, the subject of millions of dollars worth of attacks […]
MADISON, Wis. — Citizens from across Wisconsin are calling for state Supreme Court Justices Annette Ziegler and Mike Gableman to recuse themselves from a case favored by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the big-business lobby which spent over $4 million during their campaigns. Today, One Wisconsin Now delivered 1,200 petitions to both Justices, signed by citizens […]
Board members of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance have donated over $288,000 to Republicans and conservative candidates since 1991.
Less than 12 hours after OWN asked concerned citizens to demand WMC-backed Justices Gableman and Ziegler recuse from the Virnich and Moores case, over 700 petitioners saw the obvious conflict of interest and signed the OWN petition. (If you haven’t signed the petition yet, join the party here!) Having previously been part of the Virnich […]
Herbert Hoover Walker, the Man Who Would Be Governor, wants to stick it to Milwaukee. Trouble is, Walker is the Milwaukee County executive, not some two-bit political hack from Elroy, as one of his GOP opponents once called Tommy “Stick it to ‘em” Thompson. Walker’s already said county taxpayers shouldn’t pay for programs that only […]
The headline reads “Case could rewrite corporate law in Wisconsin” and arguments before the Wisconsin State Supreme Court begin this week. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce has already made it known how it would like the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule. And who can forget the millions of dollars WMC spent supporting corporate-friendly and ethically-challenged judges […]
Even though I’m hardly surprised when a corporate hotshot at WMC is caught talking out of both sides of his mouth (yes, HIS ‘ still only 2 women on the board’¦), the size of John Torinus’ bullocks must give him trouble walking. Exhibit A: November 1, 2008 ‘ a scant 12 days ago. Milwaukee Journal […]
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been focusing all week on the serious problem of drunken driving in Wisconsin. In Wednesday’s portion of the continuing report, they focus on the fact that Wisconsin is the only state where first time OWI’s are not charged criminally. They specifically point to the Tavern League and their successful lobbying […]
Earlier this year marked the first time that a sitting Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice was disciplined by her own colleagues on the court. Now, only months after Annette Ziegler received a reprimand, the state Judicial Commission has filed a complaint against Michael Gableman, the empty suit that WMC helped install on the high court in April. […]
On Sunday the Wisconsin State Journal reported that Wisconsin’s largest lobbying organization, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) may be rethinking the tone of their infamous political ads. Who could ever forget the sleazy and misleading ads that they have run, most notably in their state Supreme Court efforts to install empty suit Michael Gableman while […]
Last week One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s big business lobby. The complaint was filed as a result of WMC’s lead lobbyist saying that they ‘actively lobbied for final passage of the UW budget’ even though that activity was never reported to the Government Accountability Board as required […]
One Wisconsin Now has filed a complaint with the GAB against Wisconsin WMC and its seven-member lobbying team for failure to report lobbying activities.
One Wisconsin Now has filed a complaint with the state’s Government Accountability Board (GAB) against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and its seven-member special interest army for failure to report lobbying activities. In an August 20, 2008 memo authored by WMC’s chief lobbyist Jim Buchen claims ‘WMC actively lobbied for final passage of the UW budget,’ […]
Over 10,000 emails went into the inboxes of WMC’s board members and their companies because the people of Wisconsin have some strong opinion about their work.
Just over a week ago, the One Wisconsin Institute launched an email campaign asking concerned citizens to send a message to the board members of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). To date over 10,000 communications have been generated in that very short time. This is just another example of how people all across the state […]
Yesterday we told you about the early success of our email campaign to the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) board. Since then many more people have responded and thousands more emails have been sent flooding the inboxes of those that sit on the WMC Board. If you have not yet had the opportunity to speak […]
Last week Rep. Frank Lasee announced his latest harebrained scheme, to drill for oil in the Great Lakes. There is nothing like handing over your most precious resource to an industry that can’t be trusted. And for what? For the remote chance that they will find (or spill) oil in 15 years and possibly save […]
The staff and leadership of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) have proven that they are drunk with partisanship. The only hope is for both the rank and file and higher profile members to have a long overdue intervention. The long list of events over the last several months should finally inspire the legitimate business interests […]
Pro-corporate soulmate Supremes Mike Gableman and Annette Ziegler get closer by the day. The latest revelation, Gableman’s going to pull a Ziegler and rule on cases where Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is involved ‘ despite WMC dumping nearly $2 million during his run to get on the high court. Ziegler earned front page headlines after […]
WMC has launched a (multi-)million dollar fundraising campaign to its members to finance continued issue-based smear campaigns against progressives who don’t kow-tow to WMC’s pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda. We all know WMC has distorted the records of numerous public officials over the years, most notably in recent efforts to get the ethically-challenged Mike Gableman and Annette Ziegler […]
It looks like we can all expect the races for the state Assembly to get really ugly this year, primarily because Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) plans on buying up as much ad time as possible. Some observers expect them to spend as much as $7 million to keep their iron fisted control of the […]
Earlier this year the One Wisconsin Institute launched an online resource that was the first of its kind. WMCWatch.org is a virtual library on Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s big business lobby. This valuable resource provides the legislation both supported and opposed by WMC, names the key people behind WMC, and lists the candidates […]
In a 4-3 decision the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against the State of Wisconsin in the Department of Revenue v. Menasha Corporation case. Of all people, ethically challenged Justice Annette Ziegler wrote the majority opinion. Last year hundreds of Wisconsinites called for her to recuse herself from the case because it was a major priority […]
Last week it was reported that a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) staffer condescendingly referred to the Epic Systems founder and well-respected progressive business leader as ‘that computer lady.’ As a result the One Wisconsin Institute launched an education effort this week questioning WMC’s attitude toward women and their history of opposing legislation that would […]
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) have shown themselves to be little more than a partisan organization in recent years. Rather than simply representing business interests in the state, they have become hugely partisan and practically the funding arm for right wing candidates. Understandably, this increasingly partisan direction has concerned numerous businesses that did not sign […]
After making my way from Center Street to Burleigh, I found a large crowd that gathered to watch the beginning of the Juneteenth parade. Again there was music from participating radio stations and from live musicians. First I saw a group of drummers marching with younger women in more traditional African garb and dancing. Both the drummers and […]
As soon as I turned the corner from Center Street onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, I was instantly able to take in the festive atmosphere from Milwaukee’s 2008 Juneteenth celebration. For those that may not know, Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. The atmosphere today reminds me […]
You undoubtedly know that Wisconsin ranks high among the 50 states in how much taxes its citizens pay. The media have been reporting it for years, and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and their Republican friends have made it an article of faith and a perennial campaign issue, blaming Democrats even when Republican spending was to […]
Shortly after Annette Ziegler was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court she closed her campaign committee and took her seat on the high court. Not so for the latest Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) empty suit Michael Gableman. He has started campaign fundraising some 10 years early. He is scheduled to have a fundraiser in […]
Once again John Torinus has written a column trying his best to minimize the serious violations of Justice Annette Ziegler. Like Ziegler, Torinus is willfully ignoring many factors in the unprecedented decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to discipline one of their own. Once again he fails to inform readers of his own conflict while […]
In an editorial today the Tomah Journal highlights a case that came before the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week. The case involved the family of a three-year-old boy suffering from brain cancer and a large HMO. The same day that the court slapped fellow Justice Annette Ziegler on the wrist for her willful violation of […]
On Wednesday the State Supreme Court issued its ruling in the disciplinary case against Justice Annette Ziegler. The matter has been a dubious first in the history of the high court. As expected, Ziegler’s colleagues took the recommendation of the Judicial Commission and the Judicial Conduct Panel and gave her a public reprimand, which was […]
WMC’s ground attack on the ability of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to regulate mercury is built on a “mountain of falsehoods” as far as environmentalists are concerned. It all started back in 2006, when Governor Doyle called on the DNR to develop a rule that would reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent. […]
Guess who is involved in yet another lawsuit against the State of Wisconsin? Why it is Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce of course! They have filed a lawsuit, along with other business interests, against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Apparently they want the DNR to suspend rulemaking on new pollution limits for power plants. They […]
**Update Below**Senator John McCain is visiting the Milwaukee area today and plans to have what he is calling an ‘economic summit.’ What is telling is who John McCain has decided to include in the discussion. Both panels at the event are stacked with nothing but CEO’s of large corporations. This includes one board member of […]
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) successfully bought a corporate majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week. They accomplished their goal in the most dishonest and deceptive of ways, churning out a nonstop flow of deceptive ads. They were successful at kicking out one of the most brilliant minds and first ever African American on […]
Even Charlie Sykes, who has no shame, is embarrassed — not by the kind of campaign that WMC and Mike Gableman ran, but by the candidate. He posts this comment from someone he calls a “savvy listener”: Shame on conservatives from letting 2006 hangover result in putting up such a completely lame slate of candidates. […]
Direct democracy is a necessity in this country. Being able to vote in open, free elections is important and everyone should have a voice to decide who works in their government. However sometimes appointments should be left to the governor and not to the voice of the Wisconsin voter.Such is the case in the current […]
Over the weekend the Associated Press ran a story pointing out the striking similarities of the current fight for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court and a new John Grisham novel, The Appeal. I have not read the book but just hearing some of the details, it seems like someone at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) got an […]
Heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune have given at least $6,000 to Mike Gableman’s campaign for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Who knows how many countless dollars they may have given to the right wing front groups like WMC to churn out sleazy ads? So why would out of state fat cats from the world’s largest corporation […]
Wisconsin, the People’s community Re: lobbyist’s and special interest’s contrary to Wisconsin Interests We people of Wisconsin have the responsibility and the authority to make the rules and decisions of our Wisconsin Community. Our Government is the infrastructure which is to carry out our demands. The Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce represent only business and business […]
*UPDATE BELOW*Way back in September, One Wisconsin Now made an open records request of Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman. In it we asked for copies of emails from his state email account that fit a very specific set of keywords and phrases. Most of them were political which included both names of individuals and organizations […]
Don’t mind me, I’m just practicing my hand at writing a Gableman/WMC style attack ad. You see, the United States Supreme Court threw out the murder conviction of a man yesterday because they found that the prosecution improperly kept African Americans off of the jury during the African American defendant’s trial. I can already see […]
*UPDATE* I learned after posting this item that John Torinus decided not to serve on the WJCIC after all. I am only aware of one news source that reported this change in his status and missed the development. The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee made a few late additions to their ranks, both of which […]
Last week the leadership in the State Assembly killed two bills that would have restored Natural Resources Board appointment authority of the DNR Secretary. They did this despite the overwhelming support for the bills by hunters, anglers, and a broad array of legislators. The Senate version of the bill passed by a strong bipartisan 21-12 […]