Wisconsin's Next Governor Could Be State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout

Scott Walker is I assert not going to run for president.

Walker's Democratic opponent for Wisconsin governor remains to be seen.

Mary Burke and State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (Alma, Wisconsin) are currently leading the Democratic field.

The following in one sentence tells why Vinehout will be the Democratic nominee in 2014:

Wisconsin Pays, Scott Walker Spends

Scott Walker on tape making pledges to billionaire, Diane Hendricks
Hendricks is Walker's largest donor, along with the Koch brothers

In March 2011, Scott Walker pushed and signed a law in which he gives himself the power to mandate Wisconsin taxpayers pay up cash for 37 new Walker political appointments. (See Stein, Marley. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, March 17, 2011; and Walker power grabs)

This was only the first in the train wrecks that do everything from paying off cronies with taxpayer money, to giving Scott Walker the power to sell off virtually any public land or facility to moneyed interests.

No consultations with the Wisconsin people, no campaigning on these radical policies; Walker is selling out Wisconsin and I would not be surprised to see Walker put the state capitol, what used to be known as the people's house, on the chopping block.

The examples of Walker's public corruption are legion.

The latest spend-thrift spree of Walker's is his tax-payer subsidy to Scott Suder, Walker's co-conspirator with ALEC and the Koch front group, Americans for Prosperity.

"In his new (Wisconsin Public Service Commission) job, Suder will earn $94,000 a year — an 88 percent increase over the $49,943 he made as a legislator. He'll be in charge of the agency divisions responsible for water compliance and consumer affairs," reports Uppity Wisconsinn.

All the while Suder and other Republicans continue to illegally ignore Open Records requests.

In the latest outrage, "Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has taken the unprecedented step of asserting that a state legislator cannot be held accountable for refusing to disclose public records in response to a lawful open records request by the Center for Media and Democracy."

It's Republican rule; and the people for whom they work are not the Wisconsin people so Republicans and Walker keep their business secret from the people.

With disdain for the Wisconsin people, in favor of a small groups of moneyed interests and cronies, is it any wonder Scott Walker has created a structural (built in) deficit and ruined the state budget by amassing a state debt that reaches record levels in the 2013-15 budget, as noted by State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma).

See also RE Sen. Vinehout's budget-deficit analysis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel simply refuses to take "yes" for an answer.

Schools, lakes, cemeteries for military veterans, the environment and people take huge hits while Walker and Republicans pocket huge pay-outs. The list of what Scott Walker is selling out is too long to fully note here.

As for that 250,000 new jobs promise Scott Walker campaigned on, Walker now says "it's really not about jobs."

The only people making out are Walker cronies getting paid by you.

Tom Barrett's Message Is Clear Among Four Strong Dem Candidates

Tom Barrett, Kathleen Falk, Kathleen Vinehout and Doug La Follette—each candidate represents a return to open government, a less divisive political culture, and the idea our state government belongs to us. Each candidate should repeat these truisms as a mantra, noting the high caliber of his and her Democratic primary opponents.

In the last 14 months we have seen Scott Walker's decimation of local democracy, violation of open meetings, secrecy, closing and literally locking down the capitol (the people's house), power grabs and lies, unprecedented out-of-state money, secret gerrymandering, misrepresenting the budget process, top aides charged with embezzling $10,000s from veterans and their families, secret criminal campaigns, libels made against the Wisconsin people fighting for basic civil rights, violation of pledges for clean and open government, corruption on an unprecedented scale, and on and on.

Tom Barrett's campaign message is easy:

In 2010 I told you the truth; Scott Walker lied to you.

In 2012 I will again tell you the truth, and Scott Walker will again lie to you.

By United Wisconsin

Scott Walker has defended his attack on collective bargaining by telling us that he "campaigned on it." Despite this blatant lie being debunked, Walker has continued to use this defense in an attempt to deceive the people of Wisconsin. But this lie can finally be put to rest.

Video (below) has recently surfaced exposing to the world how Scott Walker played politics with Wisconsin values. In the video, Walker explains one week before the election how he would “negotiate” wage and pension changes with unions, and compared it to his time as Milwaukee County Executive, when he “did that at the county”.



After seeing this, you know once and for all that Walker lied to the people of Wisconsin. Scott Walker assaulted workers rights in an effort to further the extreme agenda he and his corporate allies have for our state. This was NOT a budget decision, but a political one.

Tell Scott Walker that his lies and deception will not be tolerated. Call his office (608) 266-1212 and let him know his radical agenda is out of step with Wisconsin values, and his pink slip is coming!

Adam Kind of Slinger Is a Killer; Gov Candidate and Dem Sens Voted: Aye

Memorial Service for Bo Morrison

Update: Killer to Bo Morrison at approximately two minutes and thirty eight seconds into 911 call: "You stupid fucking kid." Nice.

Adam Kind is the admitted killer of 20-year-old Bo Morrison.

The killing by Adam Kind occurred in Slinger, Wisconsin, a village in Washington County, population: 3,901. [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Vielmetti) and PoltiScoop (Tascoupe) have excellent reports.]

The Washington County DA ruled the killing by Adam Kind is justified under the controversial Wisconsin Castle Doctrine, passed 26-7 in the Wisconsin State Senate last November, including the votes of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee), Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), and Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie). Of course the State Assembly overwhelmingly voted for passage as well, 71-24. The Castle Doctrine is close to the Florida Stand Your Ground law that was the basis of killing young Treyvon Martin. Most states also have Castle Doctrine laws.

But we're not kidding our selves.

Life is cheap for Adam Kind, George Zimmerman, and apparently for the politicians like Kathleen Vinehout, Coggs, Taylor and Wirch, who one would believe know better.

Wonder if these folks are having second thoughts now about their votes. Giving legal permission, it turns out, to load 45-caliber pistols, aim and shoot trespassers results in death by bullet. Who knew?

A we-were-wrong statement from all legislators and Scott Walker is a good beginning. Somehow I do not think this is forthcoming. At last Democrats and Walker have found something in common: Never admit a mistake.

Take a close look at the deceased, young Bo Morrison at right, and surprise: He's black and the killer is white.

Well, a bunch of young, loud, likely obnoxious underage kids were drinking and maybe smoking pot at a party at 1:00 a.m., got scared and ran when the party was broken up.

One of the kids ran inside Adam 'the killer' Kind's porch to hide. Kind, who moments before was on the phone with the 911 operator and police, had confronted the kids in the drive-way next door who were partying too loudly, went back and decided he had no choice when he heard a "banging," but to load his gun and kill Bo Morrison.

This was a lawful killing. But among the rational, this was a murder.

"When police arrived, they found Morrison still crouched between the dresser and refrigerator [on the porch], but found a bullet hole in the wall 49 inches from the floor. Morrison had been shot through the heart and lung" (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). Have a look at the Journal-Sentinel's timeline and graphic.

Privatizing murder is not the way forward for Wisconsin or any civilized society.