Sorry...

...we're not here anymore.

Please visit us at ScottForGov.com.

Hope you see you there!

We're half way there...

Ok…so as I mentioned in my previous post, we never imagined that we would be successful in getting Doyle to “retire” so quickly. I’ll have to admit I obviously didn’t think it through far enough and now the blog “RetireDoyle” is just not going to cut it anymore. (and I had some great post ideas in the hopper!)

I am amazed at how many people are following this blog already. (Albeit quietly) We obviously struck a tone and provided something that people were seeking.

So, with that said, we’ve created a new blog so that we can continue with our 2^nd goal of electing Scott Walker as our next Governor.

We hope you will visit us as we get ScottForGov.com up and running. Join us as we expose the lies and distortions spread about him, show the true colors of Scott’s opponents and tell you why Scott Walker should be our next Governor.

We’re 50% done with our goal. Help us achieve the rest!

NEWS FLASH: DOYLE TO RETIRE (as Gov)!!!

Well, if sources (and there are many) are to be believed Governor Jim Doyle will be retiring (or at least retiring at the end of his term) as our Governor on Monday.

We at RetireDoyle.com would like to claim victory for accomplishing this goal in 2 1/2 weeks!!! Never in our wildest imaginations did we think we could retire Jim Doyle in such a short period of time. Others have tried, for many years...but we have delivered.

Politico.com was the first to break the story:

Gov. Jim Doyle won't seek re-election

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has told associates he will announce this week that he won’t seek a third term in 2010, POLITICO has learned.

He’s had to raise taxes and fees while furloughing state workers to help plug a $6.6 billion budget deficit. In doing so, his approval numbers have fallen below 40 percent. And just this week, he faced the embarrassment of seeing his legal counsel quit because she hadn’t passed the state bar.

Wispolitics has some additional reporting:
WisPolitics: Doyle plans Monday announcement on his political future

“Whether or not Governor Doyle runs again, Republicans will be well-positioned to take back the governor's office next year and get to work making Wisconsin great again," said state GOP Chair Reince Priebus.

"With a common-sense, positive plan for job growth and controlling health care costs while maintaining consumer choice, our agenda is a welcome contrast to the Democrats’ record of higher taxes and bigger government. We look forward to taking that message directly to the voters. Better days are ahead for the working families of Wisconsin.”

However...this was only HALF of our original stated goal. Our next goal is to get Scott Walker elected as our next Governor. We'll be just as successful in that effort as well. (Only wish we could do THAT in 2 1/2 weeks!!!)

Stay tuned...


UPDATE: One source said Doyle is expected to serve out the remainder of this term, which ends in January 2011. Doyle turns 65 in November 2010.

Scott Walker Endorsed by Congressman Petri

U.S. Rep. Tom Petri said Friday he is endorsing Scott Walker in the 2010 race for governor.

Walker, the Milwaukee County executive, is one of three Republicans seeking their party's nomination. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has not announced if he will run for re-election.

"Since Scott took the reins of county government in 2002, he has slashed the county debt by over 10 percent and reduced the taxpayer-funded work forceby more than 20 percent. That is exactly the kind of leadership Wisconsin needs to recover from Gov. Doyle's recklessness," Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said in a press release.

"Scott is the best person to lead Wisconsin forward."

I guess to have served with Mark Neumann in Congress is to endorse Scott Walker as Governor. Ouch, that has to hurt.

More on Doyle and Wood County

Is Doyle Playing "Show Me The Money" With Wood County DA Appointment?

Madison,WI – After three recent judicial appointments in Dane County went to the three highest contributors to Jim Doyle’s reelection efforts, it is becoming clear why Wood County does not yet have a new DA.

Someone needs to make a campaign donation ASAP.

“Over twenty people applied for circuit judge in Dane County and the top three Doyle contributors got the jobs. Now its revealed Doyle hired an individual who wasn’t even licensed to practice law in Wisconsin to be his Chief Legal Counsel…but she did give him $350 just before getting the job,” said Mark Jefferson, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “It’s looking like Doyle has been waiting for a campaign check before he’s willing to make anyone DA in Wood County.”

Officials in Wood County have been concerned for weeks over the vacant DA position and the potential threat to public safety in the area. However, they’ve been met with indifference in the Governor’s office.

“Wisconsin deserves better than what appears to be pay-to-play tactics from their Governor, and Wood County deserves a qualified District Attorney,” Jefferson said. “It’s time for the Governor to put campaign contributions aside and do what’s right for the people of Wood County and all of Wisconsin.”

Our Previous post on Doyle's Wood County DA Dilemma

Doyle Administration Conspires With Reporter to Blindside Political Foe

Take a look at this story. If it wasn't so scary, it would be laughable. The lengths that Governor Doyle, his administration and the media will conspire to make Scott Walker look bad is astounding.

Steve Schultz should be fired. Absent that, he should be removed from ANY reporting that has to do with County or State Government!!!

• A January 23^rd email from DHS Communications Director Seth Boeffli telling Department of Administration spokesperson Linda Barth: “We also have a sympathetic reporter at the MJS (Steve Schultze) and we were thinking about bringing him in early so he can get everything from us early on an embargoed basis.”
  
• A string of emails from February 6^th discusses Walker’s criticism of DHS for failing to give him notice of their plans and references a request Schulze made for the “paper trail” to prove Walker wrong.
  
• An email exchange between top DHS officials on February 5^th and 6^th characterize conservative columnist Patrick McIlheran’s piece on the issue as, “straight up lies,” and “ridiculously one-sided,” while Doyle’s DHS Secretary Karen Timberlake asks if there is “anything to be done about McIlheran.”

It's only going to get worse folks. They are afraid of Scott Walker and will pull out all the stops.

A bargain at a Million dollars

I'd like to see the ratio of dollars spent versus what WEAC will get for their lobbying efforts. (Although with as much as Jim Doyle and the Dems in the legislature are in WEAC's pocket, not sure why they needed to spend so much) Unfortunately, until we see the property tax increases that are coming, we won't be able to do that calculation. Regardless...you know they will get a great bang for their million bucks!

The Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state's powerful teachers union, spent the most, at just more than $1 million. The union won several victories in the state budget, including the elimination of caps on raises for teachers during contract negotiations.

The limits on teacher raises had been in place for years to hold down property taxes but the union, Gov. Jim Doyle and the Democratic-controlled Legislature said they were unfair.

Rest of the Story

You would think Jim Doyle would want MORE jobs in Wisconsin!

A new study says that "Cap and Trade" would hurt Wisconsin.

A new study by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) predicts widespread economic hardship for Wisconsin consumers and businesses if Congress adopts the "cap and trade" bill being considered by the U.S. Senate.

The bill is otherwise known as H.R. 2454 or the Waxman-Markey global warming bill.
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the bill in June.

"Wisconsin citizens can expect higher electric bills, higher heating bills and higher gasoline prices if Congress passes the Waxman-Markey bill," said James Haney, president of the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC). "At a time when we are struggling to keep high-paying manufacturing jobs in our state, this bill would take us in the wrong direction with tens of thousands of additional lost jobs."

Wisconsin consumers and employers would be hit disproportionately hard by global warming regulations because of the state's significant investment in coal-fired electricity, and the state's status as the single-most manufacturing intensive economy in the country, according to the WMC.

The study found that key Wisconsin industrial sectors, including papermaking, machinery manufacturing and other energy intensive industries, would lose thousands of manufacturing jobs as a result of higher energy costs stemming from Waxman-Markey.

"Wisconsin businesses are faced with a highly competitive international marketplace where it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete on cost," said Thomas Howatt, president and chief executive officer of Wausau Paper of Wausau. "Driving up the cost of energy in Wisconsin with regulations like cap and trade will put us at a severe competitive disadvantage with our foreign competition."

Specifically, the NAM study predicted between 41,600 and 56,700 lost jobs in Wisconsin by 2030, depending upon the future price of carbon permits. Those figures are expected to worsen as the H.R. 2454 energy rationing plan reaches full implementation by the year 2050. Since 1999, Wisconsin has lost 160,000 manufacturing jobs, and the state's unemployment rate is at 9 percent, the WMC said.

In addition to the lost manufacturing jobs, the NAM study concludes that Wisconsin consumers would face substantial energy cost increases as a result of the Waxman-Markey legislation, taking a significant toll on the state's overall economy.

According to this Journal Sentinel article Jim Doyle embraces cap and trade. "Regional plan is full steam ahead."

I've got an idea Governor, let's work on supporting bills that will ENCOURAGE businesses to come to Wisconsin and actually CREATE jobs. I'm tired of your efforts to scare business and jobs away!

Doyle lets his departments run rampant

Eh, what's $850k?

Here's another example of how poorly Jim Doyle runs his administration. They are supposed to be looking at cuts and savings, and here is this department spending $850,000 without authorization. (a firetruck? really? for the State Veterans administration?)

STORY

Officials at the state Department of Veterans Affairs are asking state lawmakers to cover the cost of about $700,000 in unauthorized expenses, including a firetruck, that exceeded the department's budget.

An analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau identified another $150,000 in unauthorized spending, bringing the total to about $850,000.

The purchases may have violated state laws regarding spending of state funds without specific prior authorization and spending in excess of budgets, the department said. It has asked the state Department of Justice to investigate the potential violations.

Journal Sentinel Bias

I know it's like saying water is wet, but the Journal Sentinel is showing their bias again this morning.

Take a look at this story: Foster Care Agency Fares Poorly in Report. Go ahead, read it. I'll wait.

So, after reading the story can you tell which government agency is responsible for the Milwaukee County foster care?

I'll give you a hint, it's NOT Milwaukee County.

I did a little, non-scientific, study and had 3 people read the article without telling them why I was asking. When they were done, I asked them who they thought was responsible for the agency. All three said Milwaukee County.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, a Jim Doyle agency, is responsible for the problems that the foster care system in Milwaukee County faces. If you read real close and buried in the story it does mention who oversees the program. But from the first sentence of the article, you are led to believe that Milwaukee County runs the program.

No, there's no bias in Journal Sentinel reporting.


On the story itself....

Among the issues uncovered in the report:

• Those involved in Milwaukee County's child welfare system are not sensitive to issues of race and poverty.

• The bureau's computer system does not allow workers to easily determine how many foster homes have space available and what type of children they will accept.

• So many different agencies are providing services within the child welfare system, it is easy for them to avoid responsibility for problems.

• Foster parents are being trained by people who do not have graduate degrees or experience working with troubled children.

And let's not forget about the death of a child that occurred under the watchful eye of Jim Doyle and his administration.

Money Talks

Bruce at BadgerBlogger has some more information on Chandra Miller-Fienen and a coincidental campaign contribution.

Just another example of how Doyle does "business".

Drip, drip, drip...

Documents Shed Light On Doyle's Legal Counsel

Documents Shed Light On Doyle's Legal Counsel

MADISON, Wis. (AP) ― Newly released documents show Gov. Jim Doyle's chief of staff knew the person hired to be the governor's chief legal counsel had not taken the bar exam.

E-mails provided to The Associated Press on Tuesday following an open records request show that Chandra Miller Fienen was given the title of chief legal counsel when hired last year even though she had not taken the bar exam in Wisconsin.

Miller Fienen resigned abruptly on Friday. Doyle's spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner says she did pass the bar after being hired, but for an unknown reason did not get licensed as an attorney.

One e-mail from Doyle's chief of staff, Susan Goodwin, to Miller Fienen dated June 29, 2008, mentions that one issue the two needed to discuss was "taking the bar."

drip, drip, drip...

Doyle's Choo Choo Train Sets

Governor Doyle likes to claim his little choo choo train project is the most "shovel-ready" rail project in the Midwest.

“We’re maybe one of the only states in the country ... if not the only one that’s actually planned for this moment,” Doyle declared July 17 in announcing a new partnership with the Spanish train company, Talgo, to provide sleek new rail cars. “This truly is the most shovel-ready rail project in the Midwest and, I think, the U.S.”

The problem is, that it is far from reality. There has not been sufficient research to support his argument. Before we run off and spend hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars, don't you think we should have the facts?

In a rare example of great investigative reporting Lexie Clinton of the Janesville Gazette helps show why this is far from "the most shovel-ready rail project in the Midwest".

-- Wisconsin officials don’t know how many people currently commute along the route between Milwaukee and Madison. State transportation spokesman Christopher Klein countered that record ridership in Wisconsin on Amtrak, the nation’s passenger rail service, shows the state is ready for more. “Wisconsin doesn’t need to prove we want to ride trains,” Klein said. “We already have.”

-- Officials in four cities where stops are planned—Brookfield, Madison, Oconomowoc and Watertown—are enthusiastic supporters but remain unaware of many of the details. Klein said Wisconsin is ahead of most states in planning but cited a federal report that acknowledged some details aren’t worked out because “states have had little time to prepare for a ... program for intercity passenger rail of this magnitude.”

-- Critics question the viability of the planned stop at the Madison airport, which is nearly 6 miles from the city’s major downtown destinations. Klein said bringing the train downtown would add at least half an hour to the trip, which would be “extremely undesirable” for passengers not stopping in Madison.

-- Other benefits of the project have been thrown into doubt by a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report that concluded rail projects would have “little impact on the congestion, environmental, energy and other issues that face the U.S. transportation system.”

-- The description “high-speed” is a misnomer. State transportation officials say the train likely would average about 70 mph the first few years. The train is expected to travel up to 110 mph by 2015 once the state completes additional safety improvements.

Read the rest of her article.

h/t Free Whitewater .

Wisconsin needs to go in a new direction

From the StevensPointJournal.com, an article by Scott Walker.

Wisconsin deserves a government that puts the needs of its citizens first, a state that places public safety and the education of its children above the demands of the special interests. We deserve a government that finds new ways to do more with less, not one that looks for new ways to tax families and employers when they can least afford it.

With so many Wisconsin families and employers struggling to make ends meet, it is difficult to understand why Gov. Doyle and the legislature would decide to raise taxes and fees by more than $2 billion while increasing new state spending by $3.6 billion.

To make it worse, they are not being honest with the taxpayers.

The governor says that the budget protects the middle class. In reality, this budget protects government at the expense of our families and employers. It will force families to pay more for property taxes, automobile insurance, nursing home and hospital care, and cell phone use. At the same time, it reduces state funding for law enforcement, local government services and even allows for the early release of criminals into our communities.

Gov. Doyle and legislative leaders say their tax increases are balanced with deep cuts in state spending. However, they actually increased state spending by 6 percent and included $37 million for legislative pork projects that range from renovating a local opera house to buying recycling bins. But even with the deep cuts to public safety and a massive $2 billion tax increase, Wisconsin will be left with a $2 billion deficit in the next state budget.

According to Chief Executive magazine, Wisconsin is ranked as the 43rd best state in the nation to do business -- near the bottom. What have Gov. Doyle and legislative leaders done to improve that ranking? They increased the capital gains tax on business investment by $242 million. This will only drive more employers and jobs out of Wisconsin.

We need to take our state in a new direction founded on the principles of limited government, economic growth and personal freedom.

Through their ingenuity, hard work and determination, the people of Wisconsin have made our state a great place to live, work and raise a family. Our companies are recognized as world leaders in everything from manufacturing motorcycles to making a better bovine. We are famous for our Midwestern work ethic. In fact, Wisconsin once led the nation in reform-changing welfare and providing hope to low-income families through education choice and charter schools.

Wisconsinites want government to live within its means and to set spending priorities that reflect their own priorities, rather than seek ever-increasing amounts of taxpayer money for programs that serve few, if any.

It is not enough to tinker around the edges of failed public policy. We need to change the way Madison thinks as well as the way it does business, but I need your help. Together, we can put government back on the side of the people and build a Wisconsin we can believe in again.

It is so nice to know there are still some politicians that understand what needs to be done and are looking to protect the taxpayers of this state. Walker is going to be a great Governor!

NOW they want to be sure.

Well, how nice that they now want to take the time to be sure things are as they should be. Too bad they couldn't have taken the time to actually find out if Ms. Miller Fienen was licensed to practice law in the state of Wisconsin before making her Chief Legal Counsel.

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

Gov. Jim Doyle is reviewing the work of his unlicensed former legal counsel to make sure she didn't inadvertently overstep her bounds, a spokesman said.

Chandra Miller Fienen resigned Friday amid revelations that she was not licensed to practice law in the state. On Thursday, an aide to Doye told the Wisconsin State Journal that Miller Fienen had not practiced law or represented Doyle in court while serving as his legal counsel.

"We think it's highly unlikely that she overstepped her authority," Doyle spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner said today. "We are doing a review just to be sure."

Friday was the last day for Miller Fienen, the daughter of Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, in the $100,000 a year job. Sensenbrenner said there were no plans so far for replacing Miller Fienen.

Doyle's missteps hurting Wisconsin

It's nice to see that the media is finally paying attention and seeing the mistakes that Jim Doyle continues to make. Here's an editorial from Sheboyganpress.com:

Editorial: Doyle's missteps hurting Wisconsin

Last week was a rough one for Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle

First, Doyle was roasted in editorials around the state for pushing a no-bid contract to spend $47.5 million on two sets of high-speed trains. The deal only needed an OK from the Joint Finance Committee, which it got on a party-line vote.

Though legal under an exemption to bidding, the deal for the trains is rightfully being criticized. Doyle claims the Spanish company that makes the trains was the only company interested in Wisconsin.

But how can the taxpayers really know unless the high-speed trains, which still have some serious questions surrounding them, were put up for competitive bids?

Then on Friday, a top member of Doyle's legal team, Chandra Miller Fienen, abruptly resigned when it was pointed out that she is not licensed to practice law in Wisconsin.

Miller Fienen, the daughter of state Sen. Mark Miller, co-chairman of the powerful Join Finance Committee, is listed as a member of Doyle's Office of Legal Council. Though she does not represent the governor or the state in court, she still gives legal advice to Doyle.

Doyle's choice of an unlicensed lawyer so closely connected to a state lawmaker — Miller Fienen said she came back to Wisconsin to run her father's political campaign — to advise him is troubling.

The no-bid contract spending $47.5 million of taxpayer money on high-speed trains is much more troubling because the state should not be spending that kind of money without competitive bids.

Miller-Fienen made it easy for Doyle to put this blunder behind him by resigning last week. But the cost is confidence in the state's top executive.

We can only hope that the deal Doyle and the Joint Finance Committee made on high-speed trains won't end up costing taxpayers more than it should.

A lesson in how not to budget

Here's a great article on the budget process written by Brett Healy of the MacIver Institute.

What's the bottom line? This budget spends $3.63 billion more than the last budget. This budget takes from Wisconsinites $2.05 billion more in taxes and fees than the last. This budget puts $3.58 billion of spending on the state's credit card. This budget lets local governments raise property taxes by $1.5 billion. And this budget burdens the next budget with future spending promises (a structural deficit) to the tune of $2.05 billion. 2011 isn't even here yet, and we already have spent $2 billion.

Irresponsible Budgeting by Jim Doyle???

Tell me it aint so.

The Leader-Telegram opines about the irresponsible budgeting by our Governor.

Our view: Deferring tough but necessary decisions is irresponsible budgeting.

Gov. Jim Doyle and his fellow Democrats who control the state Legislature expressed pride that for the first time in decades they were able to get a budget passed and signed by the July 1 start of the new two-year budget period.

But an analysis of the final budget by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance indicates that a shortcut to make that deadline left a $200 million hole in the budget that Doyle promises to close during the next two years by some unknown means.

I Blame Scott Walker

The Journal Sentinel is always quick to blame Scott Walker whenever he has to look at closing a pool or cutting hours. But it's AMAZING that when he extends pool hours, they can't even mention his name in the story.

One way to beat the heat is to head to a pool. Because of the heat advisory, Milwaukee County Parks is extending hours at all outdoor deep well pools from noon to 6 p.m.

"Cool Waters" in Greenfield Park and the David Schulz Family Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

See extended hours here

Stay cool!

Thanks...

This is a new blog and it takes time to build traffic. But I wanted to specifically thank the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration for increasing my stats today. They have been busy, busy, busy.

You have to wonder WHAT they could have been looking at.

Regardless....thanks. :)