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Wisconsin Surprise: Rachel Maddow and Others Concerned Walker Bill Could Hand State Assets to Walker-Supporter Koch

by Dave C. Johnson — February 21, 2011 - 4:22pm
  • Topics: Corporate Campaigns, Corporations, Labor

    • In a new revelation about Governor Walker's "Budget Repair" bill, the Center for Media and Democracy has learned that a provision of the measure allows the sale of "any state−owned heating, cooling, and power plant" and does this "with or without solicitation of bids."

    And just who could be a recipient of no-bid state sales of publicly-owned heating, cooling and power facilities? According to the Rachel Maddow Show and other outlets, that could be companies controlled by the brothers David and Charles Koch, owners of Koch Industries, and big financial supporters of Governor Scott Walker. The Koch brothers have also funded groups that are attempting to create a crisis atmosphere over the state's budget, leading up to the attempt to pass this bill that could result in the low-cost transfer of state assets to their company.

    Kochs Behind Wisconsin Union-Busting Effort

    by Anne Landman — February 21, 2011 - 3:04pm

    Rick Ungar of Forbes.com draws a direct line from the Koch Brothers to the effort to kill public unions in Wisconsin. The Center for Media and Democracy, Mother Jones and other news outlets have already reported that much of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's campaign financing came from the Koch Brothers. After successfully getting Walker elected, the plan to kill unions is next on the Kochs' To Do list. Koch-funded groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Reason Foundation and Competitive Enterprise Institute have all been openly hostile toward public sector unions. For those who still doubt that what is happening in Wisconsin is part of a coordinated, national attack on unions, on February 18, the executive director of the Wisconsin Public Workers Union sent a message to Governor Walker's office saying the union agreed to the cuts in pensions and benefits Walker seeks in his "budget repair" bill. The governor's response? No, not good enough. He is still holding out for nothing less than an end to collective bargaining rights for public unions. Why are the Koch brothers so keen on Wisconsin? They have major business interests in the state, including a coal company, six paper-related plants and a large pipeline network. Even worse for Wisconsin citizens, the Kochs have been laying off workers from their Wisconsin-based businesses even while deriving an extra $11 billion in income from their company, Koch Industries.

    Main Source: 
    Forbes.com (blog), Februrary 18, 2011
    Op-Ed

    Wisconsin, Trailblazer for American Workers' Rights

    by Anne Landman — February 21, 2011 - 1:52pm
  • Topics: Activism, Human Rights, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • It is both ironic and symbolic that Wisconsin's governor is the most visible one leading the way to dismantle workers' rights in the U.S. Wisconsin has been a pioneer in achieving workers's right in America, making Governor Scott Walker's efforts in this state particularly poignant.

    In 1959, Wisconsin became the first state in the union to guarantee collective bargaining rights for public employees by enacting a law that protects municipal workers from being fired or otherwise discriminated against for engaging in union-related activities. That law was further strengthened in 1963 to give either the union or the employer the right to call in a "fact finder" to help resolve bargaining disputes. In 1965, Wisconsin's state employees won a limited right to bargain collectively, and those rights were further broadened over the next six years.

    News

    Wisconsin Protests, Monday, February 21, 2011

    by PR Watch Admin — February 21, 2011 - 12:00am
  • Topics: Activism, Democracy, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • TOM MORELLO IN MADISON, THE NIGHTWATCHMAN AND LEAD GUITARIST, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

    MOVE ON CALLS OUT GOVERNOR WALKER

    Move On, the Internet activist group, came to the aid of Wisconsin today, calling Walker out for saying he had received "19,000" emails in support of his proposal to end collective bargaining when some 200,000 people had taken to the streets this past week. Move On sent an alert to its Wisconsin members asking them to send an email to Walker letting him know how they feel, stay tuned for the count. Excerpt from the Move On alert:

    Wisconsin Fight: It's Not About the Budget

    by Anne Landman — February 20, 2011 - 12:35pm

    Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, in a February 20, 2011 appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, exposed Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's disingenuousness in linking restrictions on collective bargaining to a need to cut the state's budget. Wisconsin's unionized workers have declared they are ready to start contributing to their pensions and health care to help resolve the state's budget problems, Granholm pointed out. But despite extracting these financial concessions, Walker insists on trying to curtail unionized workers' right to collectively bargain. Granholm stated, "What is this [Scott Walker's effort] really exposed to be, but an attack on collective bargaining?...This is really about collective bargaining," and not cutting the state's budget.

    See also CMD's article on the manufactured budget "crisis" here.

    Main Source: 
    Meet the Press, February 20, 2011
    Op-Ed

    The Looming Assault on UW-Madison

    by Steve Horn — February 20, 2011 - 12:46am
  • Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Education, Labor, Public Relations, Wisconsin Protests

    • Op-Ed by Steve Horn, Madison, Wisconsin -- This is a story about Scott Walker and Biddy Martin's efforts to dismantle the University of Wisconsin-Madison. To complete the corporatization of the public's university is an important piece of what is happening both in Madison and nationwide. This story must be told before it is too late to save the university that belongs to the people of Wisconsin, and while democratic momentum is still on our side at the University, in Madison, and in the state of Wisconsin. Although seemingly specific to the UW, this is a case study about the future of public college education nationwide.

    News

    Wisconsin Protests, Sunday, February 20, 2011

    by PR Watch Admin — February 20, 2011 - 12:00am
  • Topics: Activism, Democracy, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • 1:00 a.m. - From Ben Manski: Police have stopped removing materials after TAA and other activists talked to them. Officers who were removing signs, etc were from new jurisdictions. New signs and materials, banners, etc, will be needed
    tomorrow.

    8:00 p.m. - The Associated Press is reporting that Ian's Pizza in Madison has received 40 calls as supporters across the nation have sent $2,500 worth of pizza to the capitol. Where are the cheese curds? The Huffington Post reports that some of the pizzas were sent from supporters in Egypt.

    5:06 p.m. - Brendan Fischer reports that pizza, water and bagels are still being handed out, and that rally leaders are reiterating the message that the protest must be kept peaceful, and that the Capitol must be treated with respect.

    News

    Wisconsin Protests, Saturday, February 19, 2011

    by PR Watch Admin — February 19, 2011 - 12:00am
  • Topics: Activism, Democracy, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • 8:00 p.m. - Signing off.

    Saturday's rallies were the largest yet! News reports have put the number of Walker protesters at the Capitol today at 70-80,000 compared to 3-5,000 for Tea Party participants.

    5:00 p.m. - TEA PARTY RALLY

    Brendan Fischer reports on the Tea Party rally:

    In what appears to be the largest day of protests yet, opponents of the budget repair bill filled the capitol square and paraded through packed streets while Walker supporters, Tea Party members, and conservative activists congregated in the state capitol's East spur. Approaching the spur at the height of the noon rally (organized by the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity), a deafening mix of competing chants ("Kill the bill!" "Pass the bill!" "Si se puede!" "What's disgusting? Union busting!") made it difficult to hear the speakers.

    News

    Wisconsin Protests, Friday, February 18, 2011

    by PR Watch Admin — February 18, 2011 - 12:00am
  • Topics: Activism, Democracy, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • 10:30 p.m. - Mary Bottari: WI Congressional Rep. Paul Ryan who was far from the protests in Washington this week, said disapprovingly that WI was beginning to look a lot like Cairo. Today, one person responded with a sign in 20 degree weather: "I thought Cairo would be warmer."

    10:00 p.m. - ASSEMBLY'S ABRUPT ADJOURNMENT CAPS CHAOTIC DAY IN CAPITOL

    A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter gives a dramatic account of what happened on the Assembly floor today:

    The Assembly teetered on the brink of chaos Friday evening but then adjourned peacefully after Republicans rescinded a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill that the GOP lawmakers took without Democrats present.

    In the Wisconsin Assembly on Friday, Republican leaders had called lawmakers to the floor at 5 p.m. to take up Walker's bill to fix a budget shortfall by cutting public worker benefits and bargaining rights. But they began business just before that hour, when Democrats were not yet on the floor.

    News

    The Koch Connection in Scott Walker's War on Working People

    by Anne Landman — February 17, 2011 - 3:55pm
  • Topics: Corporate Campaigns, Human Rights, Labor, Wisconsin Protests

    • Wisconsin's embattled Governor Scott Walker took large donations from Koch Industries in the run-up to the 2010 election that swept him into office. OpenSecrets.org reports that Koch Industries donated a total of $43,000 in two separate contributions -- $15,000 on July 8, 2010 and another $28,000 on September 27, 2010 -- to the Friends of Scott Walker Political Action Committee (PAC), to help get Walker elected governor.

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