Wisconsin Governor’s Plan Allows for the Selling of Energy Assets With No Bids – The fight in Wisconsin is over Governor Walker’s 144-page Budget Repair Bill. The parts everyone is focusing on have to do with the right to collectively bargain being stripped from public sector unions (except for the unions that supported Walker running for Governor). Focusing on this misses a large part of what the bill would do. Check out this language, from the same bill:
16.896 Sale or contractual operation of state−owned heating, cooling, and power plants. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state−owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).
The bill would allow for the selling of state-owned heating/cooling/power plants without bids and without concern for the legally-defined public interest.
Wisconsin Governor Talks Openly to Guy He Thinks is Billionaire David Koch – Charles and David Koch, two key financiers of the Republican tea parties, were also major financiers of Scott Walker’s bid for the Wisconsin governor’s office. Their political action committee gave Walker roughly $100,000 in campaign contributions during the 2010 election, according to campaign finance records.
Today, Walker took a telephone call from a parson identifying himself as David Koch. But it was actually a blogger from Buffalo, NY. Walker spilled the beans about his plans for dirty tricks against the unions and the Democratic senators. Walker also revealed that this is a coordinated effort between Republican governors in several states, and that he had thought about planting trouble-makers among the protesters.
But, more importantly, why would the governor give so many details out to this supposed billionaire, unless there is a tight relationship in their dealings? Oh yeah, the governor thanked “Koch” for helping push the cause forward. The caller later said he pulled the prank on Walker because he wanted to show how easily Koch could get Walker on the line when Democrats complain that Walker won’t talk to them.
Fox Reverses Poll Results to Portray Public as Anti-Union – A new poll was released Wednesday showing the public strongly supports union bargaining rights by a two-to-one margin. The Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends†program displayed and voiced the results of the poll backwards, in a way that depicts the public as strongly opposed to unions.
Indiana Official: “Use Live Ammunition” Against Wisconsin Protesters – A deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana said, “Use live ammunition” and “You’re damned right I advocate deadly force.”
Regards,
Jim
Andy Hailey