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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Republican Candidate Issues "For Sale" Sign To Lobbyist Group

This may be a new tactic.

In what appears to be a complete role reversal of unashamed political pandering, Evan Wynn, Republican candidate for the Wisconsin State Assembly’s 43rd district (Hixson) has endorsed the legislative agenda of the politically active special interest lobbyist group Forward Janesville, a local privileged group oftentimes masquerading as a "community" organization despite top officials admitting they are working specifically for the interests of their paid and private membership, has challenged incumbent Rep. Kim Hixson to do the same.

In years past, Forward Janesville was more openly honest about their near-Randian brand of right-wing establishment partisanship when they regularly posted editorials in favor of corpo-crony Rep. Paul Ryan and Rep. Debi Towns in the Janesville Messenger. Since the advent of your favorite blog however, it appears they have purged most of the information regarding party connections from their website and reframed their appearance and ideology statements. However, all the same people with all the same connections and motives remain firmly in place.

Forward Janesville, whose membership is loaded with local business conservatives, also happens to be the primary lobbyist hypocritically pushing state legislators to liberally deficit spend over a billion dollars for the I39/90 interstate expansion. Their entire legislative agenda revolves around a tax-jacking wealth redistributive scheme by charging up and tax shifting a billion dollar road construction tab for their membership's pockets on the taxpayer's credit card while they enjoy additional tax credits and other targeted cash incentives. Who will wind up paying off the debt? Let's just say it won't be Santa Claus.

In a Forward Janesville editorial from May of this year, the group's VP wrote to say he was outraged by what appears to be a new development he noticed while on a junket in Madison.
Forward Janesville Editorial Excerpt:
Speaking of obstacles, some of our groups reported that an unfortunate trend is gaining steam at the Capitol. A number of offices have posted "no soliciting " signs on their doors with messages to the effect of, "If you aren't from our district, we don't want to receive your information."
Forward Janesville believes those legislators should be called out and scolded for standing up against solicitation. Say what?

Welcome to the new paradigm. Instead of candidates earning an endorsement from a voting bloc on their own principles and integrity, if it's really that important to earn an endorsement, the bold new world of misguided change agents like Evan Wynn running for public office actually challenge their competition to do as they do - and capitulate to the special interests.

This can't be a good thing.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've nailed it again. It's time for FJ to start endorsing candidates so we can see upfront who they believe in. The truth is they are mostly hardline republican cowards positioned in the community to suck on the stimulus teat while they demand more tax cuts so they're not the ones to help pay it back. Shills like Wynn need to be rejected.

Anonymous said...

This is a sharp observation by the writer and a very slick ploy by Forward Janesville to gain support for their legislative agenda at the same time appearing non-partisan.

That's all we need in government right now are more sycophants.

Lou Kaye said...

Okay, although the compliments are getting a little nauseating - keep 'em coming.

I'm with both of you on this. Legislators from either party might support positions that coincide with the positions of certain groups like the UAW or Forward Janesville, but to publicly approve or endorse their legislative agenda is pure vote pandering. If elected, Wynns' legislative office door will read "solitors welcome."

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