Money for Nothing & Your Tickets for Free
Recently filed campaign finance reports show that Governor Doyle continues to raise millions in campaign contributions from employees of companies who do business with the state.
Doyle canceled the state’s contract with Ademan Travel after a state official was charged with two felonies for steering the contract their way. But Doyle never returned the $20,000 of ill gotten gain from company executives, and his latest campaign finance report reveals that Doyle got another $250 from an Adelman executive this spring. It’s like $20,250 free, --- if you don’t count the cost of a trial and ongoing federal investigation, or the devastation to Georgia Thompson’s life.
And remember Burger Boat, the yacht making company whose two top executives gave $5,000 each to Doyle’s campaign right around the time it received a $2.1-million state grant? Doyle returned the $10,000 in January to appease his critics, but he managed to get it all back --- and then some. Doyle’s latest report shows $15,000 in contributions from one of the Burger Boat executives and his wife. That’s a $5,000 bonus!
Doyle has found that it’s good to be King, and as an avid football fan, he really enjoys the royal treatment. Eight great seats to a sold out Bears vs. Packer game at Soldiers field for the Governor, his son, his chief of staff, two cabinet secretaries, and three other staffers –all at the bargain basement price of $170. Can you even park at Soldier’s field for $170?
6 Comments:
Were you conscious or comatose, dear Debbie, during the 15-year run of Tommy G. Thompson? Do you think any donors did ANY business with state government, or did Thompson adhere to a monastic-like separation between campaigns and the day-to-day operation of state government?
Frankly, your death-bed conversion to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign strikes this observer at more than a little two-faced.
Hey, TDK, weren't you paying attention during the Jensen trial? All the Democrats told us that if everyone is breaking the law, it's still breaking the law. So if Thompson took a boat load of questionable contributions, when Doyle takes even more in with a much more direct benefit to the donor, I expect all the Democrats to be hopping up and down mad.
What would Feingold do?
What would Herb Kohl do? Do you think they would run the governor's mansion like Jim Doyle?
Oh, so now you agree with the Jensen verdict? You agree that what he and Schultz did was wrong? Hypocrites.
I think the politician to compare this to is not Jensen, who was convicted of using state resources for campaign purposes, but Chuck Chvala, who was convicted for felony corruption: selling votes for contributions. Doyle is selling state contracts and state business for the same.
As for Tommy, I don't recall the volume of money from individual contributors that Doyle is taking in: has anybody ever done a comparison of individual donors, Thompson and Doyle? I would bet money that Doyle far outdoes Thompson on the number of big ($10,000) donors.
This is in keeping with Doyle's utter lack of a common touch. He raises $$ like a hunted man, where Tommy did it to win, and he went to his supporters to do it: he was confident and he HAD supporters who voted AND gave. With his 42 % Doyle and Goodwin know they don't have anywhere to go but Philly lawyers and developers who will get business from the state.
"Devastation to Georgia Thompson's life"? Is anyone curious as to why she didn't try to cop a plea or, now that's she's been convicted, offer to provide testimony implicating higher-ups? Anyone? Maybe there's nothing more to this story than just the case of a seriously mis-guided state worker that McCallum's people hired.
But I digress--here's a proposal you can all get behind or not. A permanent ban on campaign contributions from corporations. Wouldn't that effectively end this debate? James? Deb?
Berger Boat COmpany hosted no such party. You have ticked off every Berger worker. The owners of the company, with their own money, not the boat companies can host whatever they want.
As far the Harbor grant you claim was directly given by Doyle...you're tin foil hat is far too tight.
According to DOT HAP analyst Larry Kieck, the applicant award process is a completely independent procedure. The advisory council was aware of the donations and provided the grant based on it's merits to Manitowoc.
“Applications are selected on a competitive basis and scored by a citizen advisory council,” Kieck said. “[The donations] had absolutely no bearing on the deliberations. The HAP advisory council … has no connection with any kind of campaign or political related activity at all.”
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