Sadly, given the current state of our electorate, yes, I can and it’s profoundly frightening.
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Walker is a total slime. Everything he does is all about the quid pro quo, and cronyism. It would be only natural he would want to cover up his antics any way possible. I don’t think he even cares about governing. I don’t know why people keep voting for him
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If you read the text of motion #999, it says that these ‘Open Records’ changes were to take effect retroactively, as of July 1st; that is, before the proposal was even made.
And that means that had it passed, watchdogs like The Progressive et al would not have been able to use ‘Open Records’ to uncover who had moved to gut ‘Open Records’.
They would have wiped away the fingerprints. Lawyers call that ‘consciousness of guilt’.
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I get that TPM is interested in this issue from a freedom of the press perspective, but there were several other provisions inserted anonymously into this last minute grab bag of goodies known as a ‘motion 999.’ None of the originators of any of the items in this 24-page add-on are known, that’s how the budget process works in Wisconsin.
The anonymity and last-minute nature of ‘motion 999’ makes it the perfect place to alter state laws and regs without debate or citizen input.
It’s not that the GOP tried to sneak the restrictions to open access in via ‘motion 999’ as much as the provision to do so exists in the first place.
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Anyone surprised, at all?
The “New Darkman”
Well, they’re not all experts at it, but all Republicans lie.
A fine display of upright honest and aboveboard chicanery.
Repubs have no honor
Sure he was.
Just like Gov. Fatso was responsible for the bridge lanes being closed.
What I found frightening about the shit that was stuffed into the budget in WI is what I read yesterday on a DailyKos diary. If true…WI has bigger problems with what else is in this bill than just the open records law they were caught trying to eliminate or destroy. What’s scary is what’s in the bill that still remains unknown to the public.
The article I read is about Walker and his cronies making way with Enbridge…the same Enbridge as Keystone XL pipeline only the one in WI will be a whole lot nastier. Here’s the scoop:
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“He claimed that lawmakers were interested in the changes as a way to
protect constituents from being targeted by outside groups through open
records law…”
It would be useful to the non-WI readers to note the suit against Jon Erpenbach forced him to include constituent information. Jon originally sent the records with the names and emails redacted. The fucking Repubs forced him to include that info. Likely so they could continue their policy of harassing those of us who signed the recall petition or who just plain don’t like this government we find ourselves with.
So, now they try to claim this is what the bill was attempting to protect. Assholes! Every last one of them.
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On a slightly different note, I just wanted to take a moment and say I really like the addition of Ms. Sneed to TPM. Good article again.
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But wait there’s more:
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/07/06/3677107/scott-walker-uses-holiday-weekend-sneak-controversial-provisions-state-budget/
The open records law is getting a lot of attention as well it should, but the amount of shit being stuffed into this budget at the 11th hour for Walker and his cronies is beyond disgusting.
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Transparent, amateurs with poor trade-craft.
Was Nixon behind the Watergate Break In?
Was G.W. Bush behind Iran/Contra?
Was Cheney behind the Lies about Iraq?
DUH!
The MSM is about 75% of it.
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The proposal, part of a budget package known as Motion #999, would have
removed a number of legislative documents from under the scope of
government transparency laws, and would have permitted lawmakers to opt
out of submitting to other types of public records requests. The
proposal appeared to target communications tracking how legislation is
developed, which often reveals the influence of special interests.
Shorter version: it allows WI lawmakers to hide the connection between the quid and the quo.
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This is his strategy. Divide and conquer…remember? When he ran for governor, he said nothing about gutting public unions or right-to-work. In his second run, he ran a pro-choice ad and has since staunchly defended the passage of even more onerous legislation against women’s reproductive health.
I’d say he’s a snake, but that would be an insult to snakes. He deserves no quarter–just like the teachers and students in his state. Keep him in Wisconsin or he can go work as a towel boy for the Koch Bros. Whatever the case, he can’t be within a thousand miles of the White House.
I do not live in Wisconsin. But with a person like Walker running rampant, all of America is asking:
W H Y ?
That’s the other 25% of my previous post…
I can too, given the bubble that exists in DC/NY based reporting when it comes to the political horse race. They eliminate or purposely avoid any discussion of how these freaks actually govern while in office, refuse to expose their voting records, and ignore the way many advance anti-good government policies throughout their careers. The DC intelligentsia seem compelled these days to elevate batshit crazy politicians, ever since Sarah Palin began her ascent to within a stone’s throw away from the Presidency, all with their unabashed help. Frankly, its also how we got the Iraq War…and barely any lessons have been learned by any of these reporters since then, I’m sad to say. I’m still waiting for most of them to apologize for that unbelievable clusterfuck of ignorance and malpractice.
There is a cadre of political hacks and operatives that have worked in the DC press corp. for way too long. They’ve been given far too much import and sway than they have ever rightly earned…and all because they primarily shill for Republicans in the worst way possible…for corporate welfare and the 1% in this country. ‘Always Wrong Kristol’ proves my theory. On any given Sunday…there he is. In a sane world that freak should’ve been put out to pasture by now, and Faux News would have been taken off the air a long time ago for racist, xenophobic and misogynistic slander on behalf of a functional FEC and FCC (for which neither agency is capable of or given any authority to intervene appropriately by law).
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