Power Progress

Brett Davis - Please Define "Work"

From the campaign website of State Representative Brett Davis (R-Oregon):

"As I continue my work on your behalf to lower health care costs, create jobs, strengthen our schools and control government spending, I want your thoughts and feedback."

Um...continue your work?

Here are my "thoughts and feedback..."

"lower health care costs"

Davis voted TWICE against a health care reform plan that would, by 2008, cut costs by 15% and cover 98% of Wisconsin citizens.

Davis authored the bill and voted for Health Savings Accounts, which are supposed to make it easier for individuals to buy the health care they want, but in reality, they end up providing tax breaks to the wealthy and little help to those who need it most.

"create jobs"

Davis voted against increasing the minimum wage, which had not gone up in seven years.

Davis voted against funding the Governor's Grow Wisconsin initiatives, a plan to make Wisconsin more business friendly and create new, good-paying jobs.

"strengthen our schools"

Davis voted against accountability standards for private schools receiving tax dollars through the Milwaukee Choice Program and he voted to expand the program. "Our schools" certainly doesn't mean schools in the 80th Assembly District.

"and control goverment spending"

Davis voted for over $40 million in pork projects outside his district.

Elected Officials Gone Bad

Public Service Announcement: 

In response to recent requests - Power Progress is happy to provide information for citizen whistleblowers on how to file a complaint when they see wrongdoing by public officials.

The Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit has a complaint form here:

http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dls/ConsProt/D06-2-public-complaint.pdf

WI Senate Candidate Bill McReynolds: Do As I Say Not As I Do

Bill McReynolds and John Lehman debated last week, and from all reports I've heard Lehman wiped the floor with Mac, not that you can tell that from the press coverage, which always feels the need to "balance" stories instead of just write the truth (but that's why we're here!).

A highlight of the debate was this whopper from Big Mac:

"He pointed to his work as Racine County executive, saying his budgets always fall within the parameters of plans like the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. McReynolds vowed to go to Madison and fight for controls on taxes and spending."

So let's take a look at Mac's budgets, shall we?

The reality is that Bill McReynolds' budgets increased the Racine County tax levy by 7.37% in the two years from 2004 to 2006.

But even more remarkable: Big Mac increased his personal office budget from $244,073 in 2004 to $354,073 in 2005, an increase of $110,000 in a single year, a whopping 45%!

Just what we need in Madison. More of the "Do as I say, not as I do" types.

Packing Heat on Playgrounds in Wisconsin

The recent tragic school shootings, including the death of a principal in Wisconsin, have reignited the debate on gun legislation.

Wisconsin State Rep. Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue) quickly announced his plan to introduce a bill that would “allow teachers, principals, administrators, and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons.“

To many, including me, this proposal sounds ridiculous. But is it any more absurd than when State Representatives Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay), Brett Davis (R-Oregon), Steve Freese (R-Dodgeville), Judy Krawczyk (R-Green Bay), Rob Kreibich (R-Eau Claire), Gabe Loeffelholz (R-Platteville), Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls), Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls), Mark Pettis (R-Hertel), Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford), Karl Van Roy (R-Green Bay), Steve Wieckert (R-Appleton), Jeff Wood (R-Chippewa Falls) and others voted for legislation allowing people to carry guns into day care centers, playgrounds, and public parks? 

The version of concealed carry legislation that these State Reps decided to push clearly put the safety of Wisconsin's children and families in jeopardy. As they roll out their new plans to keep children safe, keep in mind what they've already voted for.

Wisconsin SD 5: Tom Reynolds Fighting for the Right to Neglect His Children

This week’s 2,151 word Capital Times story on strange State Senator Tom Reynolds, while recounting most of his greatest hits in strangeness, missed one of the more troubling episodes in his political career.

This one is not quite as visually disturbing as the fingers and butts episode we shared with you some weeks ago. This one nearly constitutes child neglect.

You see Reynolds believes it is his God-given right to not buckle up his 5 children (ages 2 to 17) when they’re riding in his car.  After being ticketed for driving his children around unbuckled, Tom Reynolds demanded a jury trial, but was found guilty by a judge because the evidence was so convincing. 

And Reynolds didn't stop there: he then directed his state taxpayer-paid staff to develop legislation to eliminate "directed verdicts" by a judge in open and shut cases like his.

Here's a recounting of the case from Spivak and Bice:

And just take a look at some of the proposals the first-termer has been working on behind the scenes, including:

...Outlawing directed verdicts - when judges toss a case before it goes to a jury - even though they have been around for centuries. His proposal came after a Milwaukee County judge issued a directed verdict ordering Reynolds to pay nearly $140 in fines and court costs for not buckling his or his children's seat belts.

A transcript shows an annoyed Judge Carl Ashley urged Reynolds on three occasions to hire a lawyer instead of trying the case himself, advice Reynolds ignored. "It's the only seat-belt jury trial that I ever heard of anybody doing," said Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Resar, who won this slam dunk of a case. He added, "Directed verdicts are as about old as the legal system."

Tom Reynolds. Not fit for public office.