The day that the public educators rose up against Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald!

As a whole, American public educators are an interesting group of individuals in a profession that is not always accurately understood or fully appreciated.   Overall, support for the educator is typically one of being loved or loathed by the general public.  In Wisconsin, public educators are under attack by Governor Scott Walker and Senator Fitzgerald who have strategically turned the public against the educators through insistent vilifications and political spun messaging.

For the past fifteen – sixteen months the educators have been verbally accosted more than any other single group of Wisconsin public sector employees, with much of the public resentment being fueled by strategic venom spewing from Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald.   To better understand why Governor Walker is specifically targeting educators, read my blog post, “Governor Walker's Attack on Public Educators." http://republicansforahigherroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/governor-walkers-new-powers-in-action_22.html

Sadly, Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald’s use of the public educators as a political target has been very effective in pitting much of the state against one another, but especially in dividing the general public against state workers – most notably the public educators.  Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald’s vilifications of public educators  has even went as far as to sway many otherwise education friendly parents to say derogatory comments towards the profession, including parents whose own children have been or are being greatly impacted by outstanding educators.   

I can only imagine how some readers may question, “if public educators are supposedly the targeted victim of Governor Walker’s hidden political agenda, then why are these highly educated people being so quite and taking the abuse?”  The answer has two parts to it and both are rather simple.  First off, public educators are not afforded much of any autonomy for being openly vocal about anything negative within education.  As a society we expect the educators to exemplify the epitome of making the best out of anything that life throws your way.    But not only do we the general public expect educators to be the ultimate lemonade makers, we expect school district administrators and school boards to take action if educators speak out on any particular topics, especially political ones.  We require educators to teach our children how learn and apply critical thinking skills, but we do not by any means want those same educators to be exprssing their position on matters that may go against the norm.

Secondly, educators on average are passionately driven towards helping others.  Most would give the shirt off of their own back to make a positive difference in the lives of their students.  But when it comes to standing up for themselves, educators just are not hard-wired that way.  Educators can be like a momma bear with cubs when it comes to protecting their students in the form of advocating for them.  But advocating for themselves just does not come naturally to many of these professionals.  It isn’t that they are absent of an opinion or short on a position over controversial issues.  You just do not openly hear them taking their concerns to the internet, the media, or to the local community events.   The risk of backlash is to great for these public servants to risk their employment status over, even if doing it from their own home one their own time.  It is just a normal and unwritten part of being a public educator.

With all of that said, educators are typically good about getting out and voting.  So I will be curious to see how many of the public educators in Wisconsin will take full advantage of the opportunity to finally push back against Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald recall election day.  Think of the poetic justice if public sector employees, specifically public educators step out in droves to cast their vote against Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald. 

In Senate District 13 where I live, public educators could in fact be the crucial votes that make the difference in sending Senator Fitzgerald packing.  Future history references might just call it, “The day that the public educators rose up against Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald!”  I hope to be rrading about that historical piece soon.

Sincerely,

Gary

Why can’t guys like Senator Fitzgerald just be open and honest with us?

This might not seem like a big deal to some of you, but I find it rather interesting that NONE of the three incumbents of the four WI Senate re-call election races made their campaign fund figures available to the public.  Ironically all three are from the same party. 

What message does this send regarding open and transparent government?  It seems to fit with many other demonstrated actions by the GOP, such as the infamous “secrecy documents” of the redistricting maps.  And these guys wonder why they are being re-called.

I expect more from my legislators than what I am seeing here, especially from my senator (Scott Fitzgerald). 

Sincerely,

Gary

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Candidates in Senate recall races reveal fundraising amounts

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/candidates-in-senate-recall-races-reveal-fundraising-amounts/article_4eb70bfc-a9e7-11e1-80c8-0019bb2963f4.html

Truth be told, Governor Walker’s nose is looking longer!

Some people put far more stock into WI Politfact than I do.  But I do find it interesting that of the fifty public comments that they have analyzed by Governor Scott Walker, that four out of every five, (yes 80%) of what he has said has a less than favorable rating. 

For a man who claims to be of ultra high integrity, (with his esteemed accolade as an Eagle Scout to back it up) Governor Scott Walker does not appear to be telling the truth according to his track record. 

According to Politifact, only six out of fifty of Governor Walker’s claims were deemed to be “True.”  You cannot even get it to twenty percent unless you add in his six claims that ranked as “Mostly True.”   To top it all off, Governor Walker had statements that easily ranked in the “Pants on Fire” category four separate times, including the one in which he said under his budget-repair bill, "collective bargaining is fully intact."

No one is perfect, but would you accept this type of dishonesty from your own children, your neighbors or even your friends?  If not, then is this really the type of moral character that we are willing to accept by a sitting governor?   If any us would be fired from work and shunned by our friends and neighbors if we were this far off, this many times with telling the truth while going around and claiming to be the epitome of truth.

Personally, I demand more honesty and integrity from my governor than what Scott Walker is demonstrating and I hope that you do as well.  I need a governor who I can believe and Poltifact is just another source that has helped to further assure me that Scott Walker is not that man.

I wonder how Senator Fitzgerald’s record looks?

Sincerely,

Gary

__________________________________________________________________________________

Politfacts – Scott Walker’s record

http://www.politifact.com/personalities/scott-walker/

Is WI GOP paying for political yard sign rentals?

Someone passed along this link for me to read the article by Susan of Watertown, regarding the couple who were paid to put a “Stand with Walker” sign in their yard. 

Just to set the record straight, there is nothing illegal about it that I know of and paying people to put signs on their property is fair play for politics from a legal perspective.   But what about from a principle stand point?  Is this the type of election process that we desire for selecting our legislators?  What impact does it have on the quality of those actually throwing their hat in the ring for public office?

Forget about Governor Walker’s $30 million campaign fund for a minute, and take a look at someone like Senator Scott Fitzgerald in the district where I live.   Last I heard, he had close to $500,000 with over half of it from out of state, which makes me wonder just how much of it even came from within the district.  Regardless of the sources, we know that Senator Fitzgerald has more funds than any of the other three senators facing recall.  In fact, he has at least four times the available campaign funds as his opponent Lori Compas.

For those asking the question, “so what?”  Think about how unlevel the political playing field is and how daunting it would be for a non-wealthy person to get into office without being connected to some source of funding if you were to ever stand a chance at beating out a veteran incumbent.   If that incumbent had any campaign war chest at all, then the odds of a newcomer beating them out is even more unlikely under the current process.

Sadly, no matter how badly the incumbent may need to go and no matter how viable the new person was, being elected into office would be largely determined by money.   Case in point is the story conveyed in the attached article.  While some candidates are trying to campaign on a shoestring budget, guys like Senator Fitzgerald are out there passing out huge professionally designed and printed signs.  They may not be expensive, but they certainly are not free and $500,000 will buy you a lot of them to give away.  But when guys like Senator Fitzgerald and Governor Walker have the funds to pay people to put the signs on their property, the cost of the sign is not even an issue.   

I really wonder how many more signs were put up on properties because money was offered up?

Sincerely,

Gary

__________________________________________________________________________________ 

Calling for polling an interesting task

http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/opinion/article_f13eef7e-a623-11e1-8653-001a4bcf887a.html

Why is Governor Walker being non-compliant to open records request?

If Governor Walker’s job numbers were actually anywhere near being as good as he claims that they are, then why isn’t he jumping at the chance to comply with Rep. Richards’s open record request? 

Why not expedite the process for getting jobs numbers data to Richards ASAP so that Governor Walker can publicly further strengthen the success with job creation that he is touting? 

If Governor Walker’s claims are even half as good as he says that they are, wouldn’t it be prudent of him to ensure that this data got to Richards before June 5^th? 

Again, something else from Governor Walker that just doesn’t pass the smell test.  But maybe I am the only one that finds it odd for Governor Walker to be so non-compliant in this matter?

Sincerely,

Gary

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Rep. Richards: Walker continues to keep public in the dark about his unverified jobs numbers

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=271104

Talk is cheap Senator Fitzgerald - stop telling us and start doing!

Wed evening Senator Fitzgerald and Democratic opponent Lori Compas engaged in a public speaking forum at the Jefferson High School auditorium, in front of a crowd of approximately 600 persons. 

The moderator presented each of the two senate candidates with an opportunity to respond to various questions submitted ahead of time from the public.  One of the questions was, “what would each of the candidates do to restore civility to state government and get it to function better politically.”

For those who know me or who have been following my blog postings, it should be rather apparent that this is a topic of great interest to me.  In fact, my last blog post, “Does Senator Fitzgerald have the leadership for Wisconsin’s future,” I share my personal experience in bringing this very topic up with Senator Fitzgerald.

From that article on my blog, it should not surprise anyone that I am incredibly skeptical when Senator Fitzgerald attempts to convince the public that he supposedly wants to move Wisconsin forward.  For one, the senator talks a good talk, but where is his demonstrated action to assure us that he is even remotely serious about anything dealing with civility or and end to the divisiveness?  Secondly, read the first few paragraphs of the attached article that contains statements by Senator Fitzgerald.  At first glance it almost seems to suggest that the senator is calling for an end to the divisiveness in our state.  But look a little closer at what he is actually saying, paying particular attention to the cleverness of his wording.  

In his statements, Senator Fitzgerald is actually dodging any personal commitments to help facilitate efforts towards bringing healing back to our state.  In fact, he is not even taking any responsibility that his actions heavily contributed to the causative and divisiveness across our state that has friends, neighbors, and family members pitted against one another and not speaking.  Instead, Senator Fitzgerald is placing the blame on the “recall process and the recall efforts” as the source for the divisiveness.  By doing so, Senator Fitzgerald is actually deceiving his constituents into believing that they are being victimized by the liberal left and that the only way to fight back is to vote for him.

Go back to the attached article from the Daily Union, and look at the response that Senator Fitzgerald gave to the question, “what would each of the candidates do to restore civility to state government and get it to function better politically?”   Where in his response do you find anything of any value that even suggests that the senator is serious about leading us back to a place of greater respect and civility?  If any of you can find it, either your eyesight or your imagination is far better than mine.

Wisconsin does need to move forward without the divisiveness, but that process will require true leadership that Senator Fitzgerald does not demonstrate.  Nor does he appear to have any genuine interest in being part of.  Senator Fitzgerald has shown me that he is no longer as interested in his constituents like myself and my family, as he is in his special interest groups and his own career.  That is why I am supporting Lori Compas on June 5^th.

Sincerely,

Gary

___________________________________________________________________________________

Fitzgerald advises it's time to move forward

http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=115&ArticleID=11683

Does Senator Fitzgerald lack leadership for Wisconsin’s future?

What will Wisconsin look like after June 5th? There is no denying that our state has been stretched, torn, and divided with friends against friends, neighbors against neighbors, and loved ones no longer speaking to one another all because of recent politics.  But does it have to continue being this way and is this what we really want for our state after the election?

When Act 10 passed and the budget was in place, I actually met with Senator Fitzgerald in his office at the Capitol.  I asked him what his plans were for guiding us back to a place of healthy civility and normalcy.   He scoffed at the question and told me that he did not have the ability to have such impact. So I reminded him that he and Governor Walker certainly had a heavy and effective hand in pitting people against one another and creating a tremendous amount of divisiveness across the state.  I am not sure why this next part surprised me, but Senator Fitzgerald never even showed any ounce of concern over my bold statement. 

The saddest part of the entire exchange was when he responded back with a callous remark indicating that he had no desire to even try brining us back to a more positive light. He expressed that he was satisfied with the accomplishments of getting Act 10 passed and the budget in place, and the means of getting that done were justified.    He then asked me what I intended to do.   I talked about my continued volunteerism in the local schools and community.  Senator Fitzgerald literally laughed at me and those who feel that such efforts make any difference.  He then told me that the only way to bring real change was to be involved in politics, not volunteering.   He told me that it was “absurd” to think that such efforts could possible make any true difference in the big picture.

In the end I left the meeting feeling deeply affirmed that Senator Fitzgerald was not at all the man who I thought that he was when I voted for him in the past.  I walked away feeling as though I had just met the devil in disguise and that I had been betrayed.  From that point forward I have continually found examples indicating that much of the extremism in the Wisconsin GOP and in the Capitol seem to have a trail back to the man who I will never vote for again.

I may not like every piece of legislation that comes along or the impact on my pocketbook, but I do expect my legislators to be genuinely respectful of the impact that their actions have on us as constituents and the culture of our great state.  Unfortunately Scott Fitzgerald has repeatedly demonstrated in actions and in words that he feels differently.  The more that I reach out to him and the more that I pay attention, the more I see that he does not intend to change.  Frankly, I have reached the point where I do not even trust him anymore and I worry about what he still has in store for us if left in office.   

My list of concerns towards Scott Fitzgerald is long, but I am especially bothered by his comments made in the attached video back in December 2010.  The flowing is just a sample of what he said:

"Listen we have new majorities, if you talk to the members of the House of the Representatives and the way they view the world right now, the more feathers you ruffle right now the stronger you are going to be politically. I don't ever remember an environment where that existed before. It was always go along, get along. A little on the edges, yeah we would take a few shots here and there at some political enemies, but in the end we all just want to be on the same page. That just doesn't exist right now. I've never seen that before, it gives us a lot of leeway and a lot of chain to make some significant changes."

As a Republican I want greater civility for our state, and a senator with a genuine desire to serve the people – not a bully!  On June 5th I will be voting for Lori Compas, not Scott Fitzgerald

Sincerely,

Gary

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzs_ZMUvS_w  

Senator Fitzgerald enthusiastic about “ruffling feathers” and pushing ALEC agendas?

For those of you who found Governor Walker’s “Divide & Conquer” pitch to Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks’s to be interesting, I would be curios to see how you feel about this attached video with Senator Scott Fitzgerald?

In this December 2010 interview, Senator Scott Fitzgerald talks about the recent American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meeting that he attended and the support towards pushing “Right-to-Work” legislation.  Even more concerning are his comments about “ruffling feathers.”

Governor Walker can attempt to downplay his true position on right-to-work with as much spin and deflection as he can possibly muster, but in the end it will be the voters who will decide whether they believe him or not.  Personally I believe that Senator Fitzgerald’s remarks in the video help to affirm my claims that Governor Walker and the GOP are deeply committed to a plan for even more ALEC driven legislative changes that go well beyond the sampling that they have offered to date.  While I would love to be dead wrong about this claim, I sadly do not believe that I am. 

For those who feel that I am attempting to instill fear thorough a falling-sky conspiracy in hopes of garnering more votes against the governor and the senator on June 5th, I challenge you to explain the meaning behind the senator’s remarks in the video.  Then I would love to know if you are truly interested in being part of a Wisconsin that could potentially become even more divided than it has already become over the past fifteen months. 

For me, we have already become far too extreme under these guys, and I am telling you that as a Republican.

Sincerely,

Gary

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Fitzgerald Inc. Reveals GOP Plans for a "Right to Work" Wisconsin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzs_ZMUvS_w

"Listen we have new majorities, if you talk to the members of the House of the Representatives and the way they view the world right now, the more feathers you ruffle right now the stronger you are going to be politically. I don't ever remember an environment where that existed before. It was always go along, get along. A little on the edges, yeah we would take a few shots here and there at some political enemies, but in the end we all just want to be on the same page. That just doesn't exist right now. I've never seen that before, it gives us a lot of leeway and a lot of chain to make some significant changes."

Talk is cheap Governor Walker; even Republicans are growing tired of it!

Three key points jump out at me when I read this article about Governor Walker:

1)     Governor Walker talks about utilizing a more comprehensive and inclusive process when introducing future legislation after the recall election.  Well guess what, talk is cheap? This is not the first time that the governor has talked about how he will conduct himself moving forward.  But sadly, talk is all we seem to get from him on this issue. The governor only seems to reference his intent for being more open with us.  If he truly means what he says, then why can’t he just demonstrate it through action?  Or is he just offering lip service to deceive us out of our vote on June 5^th. 

2)     Governor Walker continues to be asked several times and in several different ways whether he would veto any right-to-work legislation.  Interestingly (but not surprising) this article shows that the governor continues to skirt around the question and offer a response that does not actually provide a definitive yes or no answer.  Governor Walker seems to be hiding something and I wonder if it is his way to not upsetting his out of state donors while trying not to lose votes that he so desperately needs.  Seriously, show me one time where Governor Walker has actually made a clear yes or no response to his position on vetoing right-to-work legislation.  After all, he did support the right-to-work bill when he was a legislator. 

3)     Governor Walker stated that "We don't want to redo the debate we had last year."  My only question for the governor on that one is simply, “when did you ever offer a debate, discussion, or anything of the sort?”  I vividly recall, (I mean remember) Governor Walker repeatedly telling us that we are broke and that there is nothing to debate.  If Governor Walker is thinking that we forgot about that or if he is hoping that we will start feeling sorry for him as we head to the polls, he is badly mistaken.  After all, it is a little too late for any Stockholm Syndrome at this point. 

Please read the article and let me know what you think.  Personally, I am growing tired of the governor trying to spin everything non-stop.  I am sure that I am not the only Republican voter who feels this way.  Let’s just get to the polls and get him out of office so that we can move on as a state.

Sincerely,

Gary

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Walker says he's not afraid to lose recall

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/walker-says-he-s-not-afraid-to-lose-recall/article_c883cb08-a066-11e1-8866-0019bb2963f4.html

Is Governor Walker actually Pinocchio in disguise?

Why does everything with Governor Walker have to be so contentious, and so full of suspicion?  Personally, I have never seen a politician in my entire life that generates as much controversy as Governor Scott Walker.  Seriously, every single day for the past sixteen months there seems to be something that he is doing or saying that does not pass the smell test.  It should not be this way with any Wisconsin governor.  At least not in my book.

Supporters of Governor Walker can and will say a lot of things to rebuke my discharge on this matter, but it is repeatedly evident that Governor Walker has clearly demonstrated  non-stop actions that are ripe for criticism on many levels at every turn.  Sadly, much of the divisiveness in our state seems to center around this issue by the governor and key legislators.  But does it really have to be this way?  If so, why?

For example, today Governor Walker not only announced the supposed new job figures touting job gains by his administration, he did so by posting the news through a TV ad.  That in and of itself may not seem like much, but consider the fact that Governor Walker is claiming that the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), which released the figures, had not shared them with him ahead of their release today.  Yet, the governor’s announcement of DWD’s figures were released in his TV ad that aired around noon today.   

Forget about the legitimacy of the actual figures; let’s simply talk about the reality of Governor Walker’s people being able to analyze the data from the DWD and turn it into a TV ad and have get it aired by noon, when they supposedly did not receive the data from the DWD prior to DWD’s public release late this morning.  Even Pinocchio would be intrepid to try and sell this one to us.

For once, just once I would love to see Governor Walker actually do or say something that is not so outwardly full of suspicion and deceit.  I for one find it incredibly difficult to believe that our state will ever regain normalcy unless such charades are eliminated in our state house.  Don’t we deserve that and more from our governor? 

Sincerely,

Gary   

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Walker already up with TV ad touting new job numbers

http://elections.wispolitics.com/2012/05/walker-already-up-with-tv-ad-touting.html

Republicans want Governor Walker to explain John Doe

Not only is Governor Walker still insisting that he is not the target of the John Doe probe, his ever so interesting spokesperson Ciara Matthews is now trying to convince the public that such constant attention on this topic is merely a political tactic by the left to distract voters from the governor’s supposed successes. 
All that I can say to that is this; “Seriously, Governor Walker!  Do you truly not understand that you have given us little to no reason to believe much of anything that comes from your lips?” Sorry Governor Walker, but I am not one of Pavlov’s canines, so relentless repeating of the same rhetoric by you or Ciara is not making your suspicious claims any more believable in my book. 

Here is another thing Governor Walker, it is not just the Democrats that are asking for some explaining by you.  I have said in previous posts that if you in fact have not done anything illegal and if you are not under investigation as you claim, then why do you have a criminal defense fund?  

I understand that the Government Accountability Board allows for a criminal defense fund to be created for reasons other than when you or anyone else are connected to a criminal investigation or when charges have been filed against you.  But if you really are not the target as you claim, then why are you refusing to explain how the rules are being applied to your situation, allowing you to have such a fund? 

Without your voluntary explanation to us the public, I am finding it rather easy to pass judgment that is not all that favorable of you.  After all, without your explanation, it is easy to base my judgment on the fact that several key people close to you are being questioned, some being convicted, and many being granted immunity.  It is also easy to pass judgment on the suspicious nature of you having hired six top notch criminal defense attorneys from across the United States.  It is also easy to pass judgment based on the more than $200,000 that you have already racked up in legal fees for attorneys to defend yourself for a situation that you claim not to be part of. 

Your seemingly non-cooperation in providing us the public with answers to this matter is rather interesting to say the least.  I wonder how many other republicans feel the same way and how it will impact their actions at the polls on June 5^th?

Sincerely,


Gary

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Legal defense fund questions persist

http://www.wrn.com/2012/05/legal-defense-fund-questions-persist/

Does Governor Walker have ANY Integrity?

How much does “integrity” mean to you as a value that you hold yourself and those around you accountable to?  Do you pride yourself on being a person of “integrity” and do you expect the same of others whom you associate with?  If you are a parent, do you make a point of nurturing the principles of “integrity” into your children’s upbringing? If you are an employer or someone who supervises others, do you hold them accountable to being of “integrity?”

I would be hard pressed to believe that any of us are truly opposed to integrity being a core part of our everyday fiber.  Furthermore, I would like to believe that we expect the same from others around us.  But how many of us are holding our publicly elected officials to those same standards that we demand of ourselves, our children, our employees, or our friends and neighbors? 

Regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or an Independent, at what point are you growing tired of the lack of integrity being demonstrated by Governor Walker?  While examples of his lack of integrity are plentiful, I want to encourage you to read the linked Editorial article from the Opinion section of The Cap Times. 

While I am not an avid reader of the Capital Times, this article does raise a rather interesting point in which they question whether Governor Walker lied while testifying under oath to the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on April 14^th, 2011.  Even if this little stunt does not land him in legal trouble, (or should I say “more legal trouble”) it simply makes me question how far the governor will get before party loyalty is not enough to prevent a large number of Republicans from saying enough is enough by switching over at the polls on June 5^th?

As a Republican myself who desires less extremism in the Wisconsin GOP, I know how I will be voting in the recall election.  And that vote will not be for a Pinocchio in disguise. Lastly, I do not believe that I am the only republican who feels this way.

Sincerely,

Gary  

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Did Scott Walker lie under oath to Congress?

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/did-scott-walker-lie-under-oath-to-congress/article_3bda14e0-9e9b-11e1-b345-0019bb2963f4.html

Seriously, Governor Walker’s wealthy supporter did not pay taxes?

Please tell me that this is not true.  Did this WI billionaire really not pay any taxes as stated in the attached article?  I am all for businesses being profitable and people making money, but we all need to pay our share of taxes.  But then to have this businesswoman actually complain to the governor about businesses not receiving enough help from the state is insane.

In my opinion if this article is true, it is another example of where the small business owners and individual taxpayers alike are getting the short end of the stick and it needs to be addressed.  But I doubt that Governor Walker will be bringing that point up anytime soon with Ms. Diane Hendricks who gave over $500,000 to his campaign fund.   

Is this really how we want politics and business to be in Wisconsin?  Shame on both parties for allowing this to happen while services are being cut to those who truly need some help.  Where is the shared sacrifice and modest concessions at in this picture?

Sincerely,

Gary

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One Wisconsin Now: Billionaire Walker backer's business pays no taxes

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=269822

Republicans for Lori Compas this time, not Senator Fitzgerald!

Okay, let me see if I have this all straight.  Senator Scott Fitzgerald has been saying repeatedly that he looks forward to running his recall campaign on his political track record.  Quite frankly, I would love to see that as well, but I am not going to hold my breath on it.

Yet even after all of the hype and chatter about his desire to do so, the senator instead decided to start off by none other than trying to attack Lori Compas on a personal level.  So much for a track record unless of course you subscribe to the fact that this is his M/O of late.

Sadly, this type of behavior is exactly what I have come to expect of Senator Fitzgerald, so I was not shocked at all to see him throwing out such barbs from the start.  Secondly, the man never ceases to amaze me with how incredulously arrogant he can be with such flippant remarks.  The man truly seems to lack a common sense filter between this thoughts and his tongue.  At what point will party loyalty by his supporters wear thin.

Getting back to Senator Fitzgerald’s multiple claims about wanting to run his recall campaign on his political track record.  After reading Sundays front page of the WI State Journal, I found myself struggling to find any thread of a connection between his sexist remarks and how it relates at all to his supposed track record.

Let’s face it; Lori Compas has challenged Senator Fitzgerald to five public debates, and he has not even given her the decency of a response.  So much for running on his track record.  For those who feel that the senator is able to campaign without debating her, I would agree.  But I would also say that it is very typical from what I have been seeing that Senator Fitzgerald tends to buffer himself from having to answer tough questions about his actions.  He puts on so called “listening sessions” only to talk in circles with GOP talking point rhetoric when anyone disagrees with him or asks him to clarify a flippant remark.  He also tends to only talk on radio stations with people like Vicki McKenna, Charlie Sykes or Jeff Wagner where he knows that they will go out of their way to only make him look good.

For once I wish that he had to debate someone publically where he was compelled to answer the actual questions, or where he was compelled to clarify his statements with validation of truth or fact.  Ten and only then do I believe that people will get an opportunity to see his true colors as a career politician who no longer represents us, (the people of Senate District 13). 

If people truly believe that Senator Fitzgerald is the right choice for this office, then they too should encourage him to debate Lori Compas.  If he is as virtuous as he claims and she as unqualified as he suggests, then a debate would call out both points and he would garner even more votes.  After all, if Lori (or Pollyanna if you prefer) is merely a figure head for others and truly incapable of doing this on her own, wouldn’t debating her be like shooting fish in a barrel? 

As many of you know, I use to vote for Senator Fitzgerald.  But after visiting with him and communicating with him via phone and email on occasion over the past sixteen months, I have come to see a man who I never imagined and I do not feel good about my previous support for him.   So while I will continue to vote as a Republican in most elections, I certainly will not be offering my vote to Senator Fitzgerald anymore. 

I truly believe that Lori Compas will be a fast learner in office and she will remain true to her word and grounded by principle without forgetting who she represents.  Even if she makes a few freshman mistakes as she or anyone would, Lori still has a lot of room for error without being nearly as bad as Senator Fitzgerald is.

I encourage others to voice their request for these two candidates to conduct a public debate.  We deserve that at the very least.

Sincerely, 

Gary

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Senate recall challenge by Compas is giving 'Fitz' fits

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/senate-recall-challenge-by-compas-is-giving-fitz-fits/article_fa31b11e-9c43-11e1-b492-0019bb2963f4.html

Compas issues YouTube rebuke to claim her husband is behind her campaign

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/compas-video-rebukes-fitzgerald-claim-that-husband-unions-behind-her/article_831c1cde-9df8-11e1-bdef-0019bb2963f4.html

Does Governor Walker suffer from amnesia over “Divide & Conquer”?

Yesterday in my article “Why should people still believe what Governor Walker says anymore,” I talked about the video clip in which Governor Walker used the phrase “divide and conquer.”  Today the saga of that video proves to be like a gift that just keeps on giving as we hear how Governor Walker responds to questions surrounding the video statements.

Sadly enough the first part of Governor Walker’s response is just as I told you it would be.  The governor is already trying to rely on the old plausible deniability tactic as his way of trying to marginalize the meaning behind his statements to Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks. In this morning’s Wheeler Report, Governor Walker said that “he could not remember all the particulars about why he would use the term divide and conquer as a strategy to end most public union bargaining.”

Yet later today at the opening of the WI GOP Convention in Green Bay, Governor Walker said that “his comments referenced his desire to get public employee unions out of the way of his reforms, saying special interests had stood in the way of his efforts to cut government spending while Milwaukee County exec and those changes were needed to fix the state’s budget. Instead, taxpayers needed to be back in charge.”

I do not know about the rest of you, but both of Governor Walker’s responses are lousy ones at best.  First of all, does the governor really think for one second that we believe that he does not remember the particulars of using the statement? I am not buying that one at all.  Secondly, are you telling me that after nearly 24 hours of thinking about his videotaped comments that his remarks at the GOP convention are the best that he can come up with?  I would seriously think about hiring a new spokesperson and or political advisor.

As far as Governor Walker’s “divide and conquer” statement, I still say that Governor Walker needs to explain exactly who it is that he is desiring to “divide” and what does he mean by “conquering?”  Furthermore, when Governor Walker referenced that “divide and conquer” was the first step, what are the next steps and how many steps are there in this plan that he does not recall (I mean remember) the particulars of? 

Governor Walker’s statements in this video are very telling of his true colors and the media and the public need to call him out on this issue to a very high degree of accountability and transparency.  Personally I would think that the private sector union people would be very uneasy over the possibilities that this video suggest as an even greater hidden agenda to be pursued by Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald after June 5^th.   

Sincerly,

Gary

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/barrett-walker-at-odds-over-divide-and-conquer-union-remark-oi5coda-151148935.html

Why should people believe what Governor Walker says anymore?

Surprise surprise, more evidence of Governor Walker telling the public one thing and then telling his donors something completely different.    This almost sounds like Senator Fitzgerald and the redistricting maps saga.

In this short video feed, notice that while Governor Walker never outright says that he will make WI a “Right-to-Work” state, he certainly does not offer any remote hints of saying or even suggesting “no” to the question posed by the Beloit area billionaire. 

As far as Governor Walker’s “divide and conquer” statement, I would love for the governor to explain exactly who it is that he is desiring to “divide” and what does he mean by “conquering?”

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/in-film-walker-talks-of-divide-and-conquer-strategy-with-unions-8o57h6f-151049555.html

For those wanting more evidence of Governor Walker’s non-answer responses, watch this video.

When Governor Walker was asked about WI becoming a “Right-to-Work” state by a reporter in this video, again notice how Governor Walker never actually answers the question.   Yes he gives a response, but he never actually states whether he would veto such legislation.  Instead, the governor provides a response that allows him to have an out in the future if someone tries to say that he promised that he would not make us a “Right-to-Work” state.  In the military we call this “plausible deniability.”  Always give yourself a way out if ever needed in the future.

As a side note, listen to how Governor Walker points out that private-sector union workers are the taxpayers.  Without question they pay taxes.  But notice how Governor Walker cleverly states this in a subtle, yet cunning manner that basically suggests that public union employees are not taxpayers.   Is this part of the tactics towards achieving the “division” component of his “divide and conquer” strategy?

http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/video/?bcpid=13960334001&bctid=1632810271001

What else is Governor Walker telling us that we might not want to believe?  Sadly, it does not have to be this way and I for one expect more in the way of integrity and transparency from my governor.

Gary

Governor Walker or Senator Fitzgerald – who is worse for our state?

So now that you have read Governor Walker’s campaign fundraising solicitation that I posted on my last blog, think about this; think about Senator Scott Fitzgerald.  Then ask yourself whether or not this is type of letter fits him just as much as it fits with what we have come to expect by the governor?

I am starting to hear from people who are telling me that they couldn’t even finish reading the letter because of the nasty and egregious tone that Governor Walker wrote it with.  People are telling me how sick it made them feel to read that Governor Walker was actually trying to portray himself as the victim in all of this.  Bottom line, the contents of Governor Walker’s letter to his potential donors absolutely reeks of blatant hypocrisy – if not outright lies.

As you ponder the nerve of the governor actually using this type of messaging to solicit money to keep himself in office, think about what he will actually do if he remains in office after the recall election.  I typically am not one to quickly buy into scare tactics by others attempting to purport or gin up a scenario that the sky is falling.  But I truly believe that we have yet to see how far this governor rally wants to go with his plan for our state.   But even with that said, more concerning to me is the notion of just how far Governor Walker will go if both he and Senator Fitzgerald survive the recall election.

So when you think about the governor’s letter and how extreme he wants to become, think about Senator Fitzgerald being right there lock step with him at every turn.   Believe it or not, there are days when I really wonder which of those two guys is more caustic to our state, Governor Walker, or Senator Fitzgerald?  After seeing the polling numbers from yesterday’s primary for Lori Compas, I believe that getting Senator Fitzgerald out of office is well within in reach and very realistic.  But, that means that each of us will need to reach out to one or two neighbors, friends, or co-workers that we have not yet talked to, and encourage them to vote on June 5^th. 

So many of you have been working hard to get us to this point and it shows.  But we are not done yet and a lot of work needs to be done over the next four weeks if we are to be triumphant in what has been a very taxing sixteen months.  Please let me know how you will be stepping outside of your normal comfort zone to get one or two extra voters to the polls in June, so that we can get the additional votes to remove Senator Fitzgerald from office.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92563168/First-Walker-Solicitation

Sincerely,

Gary

Seriously - Governor Walker is portraying himself as the victim?

Unbelievable, here we are over a year later and yet on the edge of being recalled out of office, Governor Scott Walker is still being relentless with the political rhetoric  and unfounded spin that he his messaging to the public.  Does this man no shame in how far he will go to deceive the public about the truth?

I would really encourage you to read Governor Walker’s campaign fundraising solicitation that he is sending out to potential donors.  It is long, but rather interesting as the governor literally claims that he is the one being demonized, vilified, castigated, and so much more.

Right now it is easy for the governor to spend his millions of dollars on saturating the airways and our mailboxes everyday with messages on what he wants us to hear, without being questioned on any of it.

Therefore, one of my strong desires in all of the recall efforts is for Governor Scott Walker to have to publically debate his opponent on the merits of his actions and his claims about his actions.  Then and only then do I believe that we the taxpaying public will ever get a chance to begin holding this governor accountable to telling the truth as he is compelled to explain and verify  his claims. 

I would love to know what you, your friends, neighbors, and co-workers think about the claims and appeals that the governor is making in the link below.  Specifically, I am curious how the contents of this letter demonstrates any remote interest in Governor Walker wanting to even think about bringing us back together as a state?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92563168/First-Walker-Solicitation

Sincerely,

Gary

P.S.  From my perspective, Lori Compas is truly a great person who I wish more of you in Senate District 13 could get to meet as candidate for office.  Just as Governor Walker needs to be publically debated, so does Senator Fitzgerald.