Spectrum Brands began its successful quest for a $4 million award from the state without revealing its identity or that it was already based in Wisconsin, public records show. Its hired consultant also suggested that the backlash over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill made his unidentified client reluctant to pick Madison — where it was, in fact, already located.
Category: Government
Posted inGov. Scott Walker: Uniter, Divider, Government, Money & Politics
Man on a mission
Gov. Scott Walker’s sense of mission has often brought controversy. While his supporters say his boldness will be rewarded, his critics blame him for dividing the state. Part three in a three-part series.
Posted inGov. Scott Walker: Uniter, Divider, Government, Money & Politics
Walker does it his way
Gov. Scott Walker says the main reason he’s held firm on core issues is that it was right: “The objective if you get elected is to do the things you said you were going to do for voters.” Part two of a three-part series.
Posted inGov. Scott Walker: Uniter, Divider, Government, Money & Politics
Love him or hate him
Gov. Scott Walker’s supporters and foes agree that he is not like most other politicians. The first governor in Wisconsin history to face a recall attempt is bolder, more focused, less cowed by criticism. Where they disagree is over whether this is a virtue or a vice. Part one of a three-part series.
Posted inGov. Scott Walker: Uniter, Divider, Government, Money & Politics
Full interview: Gov. Scott Walker, Dec. 23, 2011
Gov. Walker talks with Center reporter Bill Lueders about his regrets over the past year, his approach to conflict, his thoughts on out-of-state money that has flooded Wisconsin’s politics, and how he got the yearbook nickname “Desperado.”
Posted inMoney & Politics
Mapping Walker’s opposition, in and out of Wisconsin
Almost as if it were a holiday present to us, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board updated the campaign finance database with receipts from anti-Walker forces late last month. So as promised, I made a new interactive graphic to pair with my Dec. 20 visualization of Gov. Scott Walker’s support in 2011.
Posted inGovernment, Money & Politics
Scott Walker: Regrets, he’s had a few
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, known for his toughness in defending his positions, acknowledged Friday that he’s made mistakes in how he’s gone about achieving his agenda. The Republican governor, now facing a recall effort, said he regretted not having done a better job of selling his changes regarding collective bargaining for public employees.
Posted inMoney & Politics
Graphics: Nation pours money into Walker fight
Nearly half of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011 campaign contributions so far have come from outside Wisconsin. And, as he’s facing a potential recall, the normal individual limits do not apply. Explore where the money’s coming in from with our interactive map.
Posted inMoney & Politics
Out-of-state donors play growing role in supporting — and opposing — Walker
Scott Walker got elected mainly with the support of Wisconsin residents. But if there’s a recall election, whoever wins will have many out-of-state donors to thank.
Nearly half of the $5.1 million raised by the embattled Republican governor since July 1 came from outside of Wisconsin.
Posted inGovernment, Justice & Safety
Minor offenders, major consequences
Wisconsin is one of 13 states that automatically place 17-year-olds in the adult criminal justice system. In the past few years, nearly one-third of states have passed laws to keep more young offenders in the juvenile justice system. But not Wisconsin.
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Government, Money & Politics
Wisconsin wetlands seen as threat to jobs
On Feb. 2, 2011, the Legislature voted to exempt a little patch of land, less than a mile down the road from the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field, from the state’s wetlands rules, once called “the strongest wetland protections in the country.” The bill, passed on World Wetlands Day, will let up to three acres of the so-called Bergstrom wetland be filled with no additional permits or process.
Posted inEnvironment, Government, Health & Welfare
Under legal pressure, Wisconsin coal-fired power plants curb emissions
Dairyland and other Wisconsin coal-fired plants have begun lowering emissions, but not necessarily in response to demands by pollution regulators. Many of the changes have resulted from pressure and lawsuits brought by the nonprofit Sierra Club, which has campaigned for a decade to cut emissions from coal combustion. But enforcement is inconsistent, and some residents living in the shadow of coal plants are concerned their health may be affected.