Seemingly, all Wisconsin is discussing a $500,000 Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation loan to a failing company of a Walker political contributor. Here’s a summary of what’s known so far. 1. The loan was to Building Committee Inc. (BCI), a business owned by William Minahan, a Walker political contributor (and Minahan made contributions to other campaigns,…
State Government
Government Spending, Libertarians, Local Government, State Government
The Well Runs Dry
by JOHN ADAMS •
As expected, a weak economy, despite four years of talk about spending to create jobs, jobs, jobs means that Wisconsin can expect no additional state revenue to lessen the impact of cuts to education, etc. In fact, revenue projections are below estimates. Here’s the news from the Journal Sentinel this morning (emphasis added): Madison —…
City, Local Government, State Government
The Tiny Benefit of Proposed Cuts to UW-Whitewater and the Whitewater Schools
by JOHN ADAMS •
For years, local conservative insiders (often big public spenders, always big talkers) have walked around this town like they owned all the city. Along the way, they’ve told anyone who would listen that they’re men of influence, movers and shakers, and people of particular importance. Gov. Walker has now proposed his latest biennial budget, and both…
Gov. Walker, Government Spending, Politics, Religion, Science/Nature, State Government, Wisconsin
Budget First
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, Gov. Walker declined to answer Englishman’s question about whether he, Scott Waker, believed in evolution. Today, in the Journal Sentinel, one learns that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos does believe in evolution. (I’ll bite: I was raised in a liturgical, high-church tradition that taught that the theory of evolution was consistent with faith. I…
Government Spending, State Government, University
Caution arrives late, doesn’t recognize its surroundings
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over these last several days, Wisconsin has begun a debate about the size of possible cuts to the UW System, to public school districts, and other parts of the state budget. Some of the discussion stems from a 2.3.15 analysis from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Fiscal Analyst Emily Pope, in reply to State Sen.…
Federal Government, Local Government, State Government
The Public-Sector Public-Relations Problem
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s almost no part of government, down to the smallest unit, that doesn’t approach the public as though a salesperson, as a matter of persuasion through public or media relations. Consider how odd, how ironic, this situation is: government, whose authority derives in a free society only from the public, uses public resources to present…
Business, Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, State Government
WEDC: Those Who Can’t Do, Lobby
by JOHN ADAMS •
One of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s many incompetent leaders, Ryan Murray, is leaving behind his controversial, failed role at the WEDC to become a lobbyist. Jobs agency official becomes lobbyist @ JS All Politics Blog reports on Murray’s shabby move: The No. 2 official at the state’s jobs agency has left the agency to…
Elections, Politics, State Government
The Importance of Skills
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at the Gazette, there’s a letter to the editor that touts Mike Sheridan, candidate for the 15th Senate District, as skillful: Your Views: Mike Sheridan has skills, ability to serve state Senate district (subscription req’d). I’ve written about Sheridan’s public career before; for those readers who are Democrats, and will vote in the primary,…
Politics, State Government
State Sen. Kedzie Rushes the Exits
by JOHN ADAMS •
Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, abruptly announced Monday that he was resigning to pursue a “new opportunity,” just about a month after announcing he would retire at the end of the year. He said he would leave office at the end of the day. “A new opportunity has come before me, however in order to pursue…
Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Misconduct, State Government
The Truth About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
by JOHN ADAMS •
There are those times when small-government conservatives, Democrats, and libertarians agree. Acknowledging the misconduct, failures, and cronyism of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation would be one of those occasions. It is, among other things, the state’s biggest white-collar welfare scheme, both mismanaged and mendacious. Here’s the effectual motto of the WEDC: Corruption, Cronyism, and Incompetence…
Elections, Politics, State Government
Low Comedy in 3, 2, 1…
by JOHN ADAMS •
Democrats have three choices for the 15th District Senate Primary: Evansville’s Assembly Rep. Janis Ringhand, Janesville-native Austin Scieszinski, or former Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan. One sometimes encounters a politician who simply refuses to remain a former politician, and when one encounters such a person, that discovery probably sounds like Mike Sheridan. (He’s reportedly walking about,…
Federal Government, Freedom of Speech, Liberty, Local Government, New Media, Open Government, Politics, State Government, Writing
Steps for Blogging on a Policy or Proposal
by JOHN ADAMS •
For bloggers who cover politics, policy-making, etc., just as would have been true of essayists and pamphleteers in an earlier time, it helps to have a method to one’s writing. In the paragraphs below, I’ll list steps one should take when approaching a topic. The steps are in a rough order, but in any method,…
Economy, Federal Government, Gluttony, Government Spending, Local Government, State Government, Taxes/Taxation, Walworth County, Wisconsin
The Crazy-Wrong Argument on Taxes
by JOHN ADAMS •
A succinct truth: money doesn’t grow on trees. Local government funds municipal projects in one of three principal ways: through local taxes & fees, local borrowing (debt in the form of bonds), or public money from other jurisdictions (grants from the state or federal government). These grants of state or federal public money are, themselves,…
Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Local Government, Official Misconduct, State Government, University
The Disgrace that is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
by JOHN ADAMS •
Sometimes one would prefer to be wrong, rather than right. The waste, errors, exaggerations, and lies of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation are such a case: Madison — Three Senate Democrats asked Wednesday [6.12] for a criminal investigation of Gov. Scott Walker’s signature job creation agency. The request comes after an audit last month found…