Is Janesville Metro Area At Crossroads For Progress?

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Kiplinger's recently issued their latest report on best American cities for every life stage and for your future. As was expected outside of the cost of living, Janesville did not fare very well.

Here's a snapshot of the chart listing a few cities posted at Kiplinger's Personal Finance considered for its list of Best Cities for Every Age, 2012. The Cost of Living Index is based on 100 being the national average. Job growth is the increase in employment from 2006 to 2011. Income growth is the increase in household income from 2006 to 2011.

Because the trends are taken within a five year window, The adverse economic effects from the closing of the General Motors plant are very obvious. As you can see, my town of Janesville is not doing well at all, particularly in the job and wage growth areas. It's in "Flint, MI" mode if I may be so blunt, and in fact has worse wage growth than Flint (2.5% vs 4.1%) over the same period of time.

With a feeling of complete helplessness, I've witnessed Janesville tumble down in slow motion from a solid upstart blue collar middle-class town and wrote about it all at this blog in real time as it happened, not after the fact.

Since 2006, I railed against the partisans and sycophants running the Janesville Gazette media monopoly and their decade long low-wage conservative agenda and war against school teachers, unions, liberals, democrats or anyone else who did not fit their particular brand of social engineering. Since that time I've "outed" the unholy alliance between the area's political action business groups and our local city and county governments. I even recall the dozens of emails I used to get from some Janesville residents telling me how wrong I was regarding my allegations of political activity about Forward Janesville and the Rock County 5.0.

I also remember like it was yesterday writing about the time when Congressman Paul Ryan, after being appointed to House committees, bragged that he would bring home even less of a return on tax dollars (federal aid, etc.) to his hometown and congressional district. These policies acted like a capital drain on the area and the results have been only short of catastrophic. I repeatedly warned readers that Janesville area workers and the people are losing the war many had no idea was being waged upon them, and that the American Dream isn't slipping away by chance, but is being systematically legislated out of our lives by right-wing ideologues. Apparently all to no avail.

All I can say now is let's hope we have bottomed out and the only way from here is up. But that's going to be a tall order to accomplish since most of the same phony people and the machinery that took us down that path are all still behind the wheel. That has to change first - before hope. With the opposition dug in with a divide and conquer mentality and in positions of power, we have a formidable enemy to overcome.

On the flip-side, there is some good news for Wisconsin. Madison, the Liberal Outpost and Unionista Sanctuary as eloquently described by the Democurmudgeon, was ranked No. 1 in the US by Kiplinger’s for young adults. The magazine said Madison was an “educated, tech-savvy city” with many recent college graduates who help foster an “entrepreneurial community” for start-up companies. Thugs. It even ranked high for families. Imagine that. Congratulations Madison!!

For the full report on best cities, click here.

Chart of 361 metro-areas and how they stack up.

Epic Fail: Rock County 5.0 and Allies Betray Themselves and Community

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Much has been made so far, rightfully I must add, of Scott Walker's outrageous discussion with Rock County 5.0 officials about using a strategy of "divide and conquer" on a constituency in the state of Wisconsin. There's still more to come in the following weeks, but there's also an equally disturbing local story unfolding that seems to be getting a free pass here in Rock County. We must keep in mind however, that local truth and justice is at the mercy of the Janesville Gazette media monopoly.

Rock County 5.0 Co-chair Hendricks greets Walker: "Any chance we'll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right-to-work?" Hendricks continued. "What can we do to help you?"

"Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill," Walker said. "The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer."

Bingo is his namo.

After wishing to turn Wisconsin into a "completely red state," the co-chair of the economic group Rock County 5.0 does not say what can "I" do to help. It's what can "we" do to help. Remember, Scott Walker was not holding a personal conversation with Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply or Mary Willmer-Sheedy of M&I Bank. Hendricks and Willmer were acting and speaking in their official capacity as co-chairs of the Rock County 5.0 economic development group with cameras rolling. That's why this meeting was held in the first place.

So why is that important and what's so special about the Rock County 5.0 group? Nothing good actually, in fact I've been one of few local voices warning that the groups Rock County 5.0 and Forward Janesville are not the helping hand community organizers that they project to be. They are mainly politically driven self-interest groups whose core leadership is comprised of hyper-partisan right-wing engineers. We're in Atlas Shrugged territory here with a smattering of old world Republican pseudo-conservatives. Do they have a few members who are sincere with the community and true to themselves? Sure they do. But the group's 'community' image is highly over-rated and mostly staged through their enabler the Janesville Gazette, the Janesville Messenger and radio affiliates, and that includes much of what people will eventually see of them presented in the documentary, As Goes Janesville, no fault of the film maker.

But what should be extremely important within the context of Walker's "divide and conquer" conversation with the RC5 is the following overview statement from the group's Website. It reads...

Overview Excerpt:
Rock County 5.0 is a five-year public/private initiative to advance Rock County’s economic development vision through a single voice. This vision, which has been developed through various interrelated local and/or countywide plans, represents a holistic approach to repositioning and revitalizing our economy. By working together as one community, we have the ability to leverage ideas and resources.

Rock County 5.0 will foster a culture of collaboration, open/maintain functional communication channels and create connections - among and between various constituency groups - in unprecedented ways.

So when the sitting governor of the state advances a "divide and conquer" strategy for economic development to the co-chairs of a "culture of collaboration" group, did they reject that negative language by saying something like, "in all due respect Mister Governor, we wish to advance our vision by communicating and collaborating unity between the various constituency groups. We cannot support your strategy." No, not at all. Instead, the one voice, one vision of the Rock County 5.0 nods in agreement and then in the following year donates a half million dollars to the deceitful man and his sinister plan.

Where's the outrage? Where's the condemnation?

In the first two days, the RC5 enabler Janesville Gazette constructed their own hit piece to marginalize Brad Lichtenstein, the documentary film maker who captured a piece of business as usual between Walker and RC5 officials and dared to publish it. The newspaper sees this stuff all the time locally and works hard at keeping it properly reframed, filtered, presented, or omitted - properly gazetted. Because Lichtenstein apparently did not gazette this unflattering segment, they go after his $100 donation to the Barrett campaign back in 2010 to prove his nose is crooked. Without posing questions in the story, they write up (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to the Gazette story) the film maker's comments in a grilling fashion and frame him defending the recording and release timing of the video. See, Lichtenstein is in denial. Seriously, that's how they see it. Just pay no mind to the conversation or content of the video or the hundreds of thousands donated to Scott Walker from members of the RC5 - because they're our local non-partisan economic development community group!

The Gazette also headlined a "Sides spin union remark" story to further impeach the issue as typical partisan banter and deflect away from the local Rock County 5.0 betrayal. So these folks have no shame at all. They go into defense by playing even more offense.

The Gazette also worked some damage control into the Lichtenstein article to help shield one of their own, Mary Willmer, from some of the heat created by this firestorm.

JG Excerpt:
Willmer was asked for comment today, and BMO Harris Bank, which owns M&I, responded with an email that stated Willmer was not involved in the Walker-Hendricks conversation.

“Any interpretation that Mary Willmer was involved in the conversation or endorses the content of the conversation or reflected the views of BMO Harris Bank is simply inaccurate,” according to the statement.

Although MBO Harris/M & I is a supporter of the RC5, the banks were not participating in the conversation with Walker. Willmer was not at the RC5 meeting with Walker on behalf of BMO Harris Bank. She was there acting as co-chair of the Rock County 5.0, so injecting that defense becomes an irrelevant deflection. Yet BMO Harris/M & I Bank are not entirely innocent bystanders in this matter because they continue to financially support the Rock County 5.0.

Willmer too, in the role of co-chair of the RC5 has attempted to distance herself from the conversation, but has not condemned Walker's strategy or Hendricks uber-partisan "red state" remark and neither has any cash donors or supporting allies of the group stepped forward to declare Gov. Scott Walker incompatible with their vision and core strategy.

The following is a list of Rock County 5.0's major donors and sponsoring allies. Please call or write a letter asking them to publicly condemn Gov. Scott Walker's "divide and conquer" strategy and to withdraw their support from the Rock County 5.0 group. Or explain how does Walker's polarizing and destructive strategy harmonize with the RC5's stated "culture of collaboration" and constituency goodwill? The fact is, it doesn't. They already have over a year of support under their belt for Walker, so be respectful but confident knowing that you are on the right side of history.

Investors: $50,000+
ABC Supply * Alliant Energy * The Beloit Foundation * Blackhawk Community Credit Union * Blain’s Farm and Fleet * Data Dimensions * GOEX * Hendricks Holding Company * Janesville Foundation * JP Cullen and Sons * Kerry * Prent Thermoforming * Beloit Regal

Investors: $25,000 to $49,000
Blackhawk Bank * First National Bank and Trust * Kaiser Companies * Rock Roads Companies * Stateline Community Foundation

Investors Up To $25,000
Baker Tilly * Brennan and Steil * Agrace HospiceCare * HUFCOR * Johnson Bank * Johnson Insurance * L.A. Duesterback and Associates * Murphy Desmond Lawyers * Nowlan and Mouat * RSM McGladrey * SSI Technologies * Westphal and Company

Investors: In-kind
Angus Young * BDN Connection (Beloit Daily News) * Blain’s Farm and Fleet * The Janesville Gazette * LAMAR * Terry Print Solutions

Source

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Local Alliance Needs Some Sunlight

Gazette a Government Watchdog? Not Even Close

Janesville, Is the I39/90 Expansion Worth an $80 Annual Vehicle Tax?

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For the first time in its history, the City of Janesville will be
charging vehicle owners an annual municipal wheel tax.

Coming on the heels of alarming shortfalls in state aid for local roads from Gov. Scott Walker, Janesville city government expects to raise about $550,000 annually from the new $10 tax to replace the lost revenue. Of course local taxpayers won't be seeing a corresponding tax cut from the state for receiving less state aid, that's a story for another time. But judging from a recent op-ed and comments made by officials of the local politically active pro-Walker business group, Forward Janesville, the I39/90 interstate expansion will likely cost taxpayers the loss of even more money in local road state aid.

Here's why:

In an op-ed titled, Don't shift road money to repair local streets, the vice-president of Forward Janesville and head of the I39/90 Expansion lobby, Dan Cunningham, strongly disagrees with Mayor Tom Barrett for suggesting that the state spend road money within its means. That's right.

According to the story, Barrett would like to see the state rededicate road funds back to local communities to help restore the balance of existing road repair and rehabilitation costs.

Barrett it seems, wants the state to fix what it has before it spends money on expanding roads it can't afford to maintain. You know, spend within our means AND spend to stay within our means. I know, that sounds crazy responsible. But Cunningham apparently sees Barrett's position as a serious threat to the funding source for their billion dollar interstate plaything because it appears that the state's road funds are operating in a zero-sum environment. It's either there's enough revenue to maintain what we have or enough to build new highways - but not enough for both.

Cunningham's argument means this is really bad news for Janesville taxpayers because the city has fallen behind on its own street repair and has begun borrowing for street repairs.

In a recent story, city officials have warned that the city is doing less and less in street maintenance during a time when costs are escalating while the city has twice as many streets to maintain than it did 20 years ago. Throw in Walker's cuts in state aid and you have the perfect storm for a tornado of local tax hikes.

That certainly played a big part of the reason for Janesville to institute the new $10 annual wheel tax, but that now appears only to force the door open just a crack for what lays ahead next. Janesville city officials have recommended that the city rehabilitates at least 15 miles of street a year just to keep pace. With the loss in state aid and the volatile cost of oil and asphalt, that means the city will have to look for an extra $3 million minimum just so streets do not fall into disrepair. Each $10 in wheel tax provides for about $550,000 and Janesville is already starting out at about $1.3 million a year in the hole, so an additional $3 million could conceivably pop the annual wheel tax to $70 or $80.

Janesville is not alone in this. With Walker's budget, all townships and counties will be effected and looking for new sources of revenue for local road maintenance. Particularly those with a history of being run on a shoestring. Milton, Edgerton, Beloit, Clinton, Brodhead, etc., you name it. The lost state aid will have to replaced.

With Walker's budget, the only alternatives are either a wave of local road tax referendums, hikes in levies or wheel taxes. The interstate expansion ramps up the tax hikes yet another notch, while Barrett's proposal restores fiscal sanity. Barrett knows it and Forward Janesville's Cunningham knows it, otherwise there would have been no reason for Cunningham's response op-ed.

Jobs really aren't the issue here either since a billion dollars in local road repair and rehabilitation will create just as many jobs for the state of Wisconsin as the billion dollar interstate expansion would.

You need a tax hike to repair local roads? That's your tough luck, but Forward Janesville will support that tax hike too. FJ doesn't care so long as their business membership picks up the prized interstate expansion plum. And, according to this blog posting in the Janesville Gazette, FJ sounds the alarm by taking sides in the recall election ...

JG Editor's Blog Excerpt:
“I have yet another reason to stay up to date on the gubernatorial recall situation. Should Tom Barrett win the primary and defeat Gov. Walker, the DOT’s Majors Fund—the state funding source for the 39/90 project—could be in serious jeopardy, as Barrett has publicly stated his desire to rededicate a chunk of this fund to local street maintenance.

The battle lines are being drawn.

NOTE: The DOT will have a series of public meetings on the project. The first is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. April 24 at the Edgerton Public Library.

Forward Janesville Puppets Reaffirm Stand For Act 10

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Last year, Rock County's state assembly legislators, Joe Knilans, Evan Wynn and Amy Loudenbeck, all broke the trust of the county electorate when they stood with their party and anti-labor special interests to pass the Act 10 Walker classwar budget ending public employees collective bargaining.

Just like Scott Walker, none of the three campaigned on ending collective bargaining rights.

But as expected, they all continue to stand firm with their past legislative voting actions against Wisconsin's wage earners and communities, oftentimes using some of the most worn out and lamest rhetoric for their own defense.

Such was the case in a Janesville Gazette story about Saturday's massive "Reclaim Wisconsin" rally. As usual, Reps. Knilans and Wynn came out swinging against labor union interests.

JG Excerpt:
Wynn said the problem was that unions could organize very effectively to elect the very boards or councils that they would later negotiate with, and that led to abuses.

Some workers were getting excessive benefits, Wynn said

That's interesting. Candidate Evan Wynn never had a problem before standing up with local special interests to influence boards, councils and state legislators. In September of 2010, he not only endorsed the politically active special interest lobbyist group Forward Janesville, a local privileged group comprised of the area's most affluent residents including Diane Hendricks of Koch's Millionaires Club fame, he literally challenged incumbent Rep. Kim Hixson to do the same! Instead of a political candidate earning an endorsement from a individual or organization, Wynn endorses the organization. Forward Janesville may as well run for office. Talk about selling out!

But Hixson wouldn't sell-out to a special interest group and for standing on his principles - he lost the election. Clearly, Forward Janesville knew what they were buying in Evan Wynn.

I knew the handwriting was on the wall when Forward Janesville invades Madison for their annual lobby junket and their members get all uptight if state legislators hang "No solicitors" signs on their office doors. Who would think we reached that point where public officials who aren't on the take - are the ones tossed out. But we've reached that point.

If you want to get a better idea to understand how powerful Forward Janesville really is, look at it this way. We had tens of thousands of people who could not afford a lobbyist protest almost daily for months simply to restore legal authority to collectively bargain for benefits or concessions - to no avail. After a year, there was zero impact on legislation!! Yet, 60 or so very special, unelected self-appointed local "leaders" could march into the capital, draw up legislation for a state-run corporate development slush fund and deficit spend a billion dollars on a highway expansion, and it happens? It can't be any more clear what's going on here.

Candidates and legislators alike however have now learned quickly that you negotiate tax-funded benefits and breaks for Forward Janesville members or else!

The ethically challenged Joe Knilans is also no exception when it comes to his cozy bedtime manners with Forward Janesville's elite cartel, the Rock County 5.0. Soon after his election, Knilans actually bragged about how he was able to cast his vote in Madison on two legislative bills, AB6 and AB8. Those were the bills that transformed the state's Department of Commerce into a shadowy public/private nexus of government leeches and political campaign contributors. In his press release, Knilans explained how he fought through a snowstorm to deliver his vote at the state capitol for the special interest group "Rock County 5.0."

I couldn't make this stuff up no matter how hard I try.

So the next time you hear Wynn, Knilans or Loudenbeck complain about how special interests have organized to elect or influence local boards, councils or state legislators they eventually negotiate with later to their benefit - ask them how Forward Janesville and the Rock County 5.0 fit into that pattern of abuse.

It should be noted that Amy Loudenbeck seems to carry almost a Ryanesque protected status within the Janesville Gazette's propaganda media machine. Although all three local republicans have voted in near perfect lockstep, Loudenbeck is rarely clumped together with the other two on current issues and positions.

NOTE: The link to Wynn's Forward Janesville endorsement and challenge to Kim Hixson to endorse FJ has been scrubbed from his campaign website. But the link title should explain enough -(http://www.evanwynn.com/index.php/2010/09/22/wynn-appluads-forward-janesvilles-efforts/).

Additional:

Rock Netroots - Notes On Walker's Assault

Business Group Pushing For Their Own Entitlement Society

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There's a lot to be said about Forward Janesville's latest legislative effort to push through their wealth redistribution tax proposals and massive infrastructure projects for their road-building membership in the state capital. The local lobby group easily wins the attention of state legislators while local protesters ignore the class war redistribution activity right at their front door. I'm beginning to fear the lack of attention and opposition is meant to be that way. That's too bad.

No question all of Forward Janesville's proposals have roots in a much broader nationalized trickle-down economic program that generates wealth not by free market demand inspired by education, labor or innovation, but on the redistribution of government collective revenue and phony incentive derivatives. So far, Forward Janesville likes the way things have been going in Scott Walker's Wisconsin. That should come as no surprise.

Probably the best example of this is listed among their priorities in their Ryanesque “Roadmap to Rock County’s Future” legislative agenda. They have a tax "portability" gimmick that would allow businesses who qualify for state income tax credits but could not use them effectively due to no reported profit, to transfer the credits to other companies who could use them. While you're at it, why not make them inheritable too?

First of all, these tax credits are nothing more than political payback and a pox on good government. As far as I'm concerned, every public office holder proposing and supporting these crooked ideas should be dragged out of office and flogged in a public stockade.

They don't create jobs and those far less special and without their own personal lobbyist will have to make up the difference in lost revenue. That's you and me. Secondly, it's obvious that these proposals are not driven by economic development but instead are geared towards the capture of every cent in a $10 million tax revenue cache Forward Janesville arbitrarily established for the program. It could easily have been $50 or $100 million. They figure since the money is there, they're entitled to it. It belongs to them and no one else. If they miss confiscating even one dollar according to plan, they believe the credit, whether earned or not, then belongs to the next available crony. This is the entitlement mentality in hyper-drive.

If you're a regular reader here, you'll know what I think of "jobs" tax credits, but this takes that backwards theory into a whole new realm of bold-faced wealth redistribution. We need jobs. Not political games and certainly not a new treasury draining entitlement society.

These wealth redistributive gimmicks are described in Senate Bill 291 and Assembly Bill 376.

Old Batch Of Youtube Videos On Forward Janesville/Walker Dinner Protest

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Here's a batch of hardly viewed short-length videos from the Forward Janesville Dinner protest event held outside the Holiday Inn way back on March 29th. I found these recently while surfing Youtube and was surprised to see most them have less than 10 views. One is posted below and you can view more on the FJ protest from this videographer here



The owner of this channel has over 400 videos posted, with mostly Janesville-only content. Youtube Augmuse Video Channel

Walker's Local Support Group Wants Teachers To Re-Open Contract

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The Janesville Gazette posted an editorial laying out the suggestion that Janesville school teachers owe it to the world to re-open their contract and surrender to Walker's uncompromising union busting demands.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Here's a message for officials from the Janesville School District, the teachers union and Forward Janesville who plan to meet Friday: Find a way.
Find a way to convince Janesville Education Association leaders and union attorneys that teachers can start contributing 5.8 percent of their salaries toward their pension fund without risking exposure to other concessions in Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

It takes a lot of nerve to ask only one party to make concessions without offering ideas or anything in exchange and then painting the teachers and their union as the primary suspects for the district's $13.4 million budget hole. Even worse and almost bordering on hysteria is the fact that it is Scott Walker who has cut state aid and prevented local communities from raising taxes, yet it's the teachers the Gazette blames for residents and businesses unwillingness to "donate" to a local fundraising effort to raise money for the schools - money that Walker carved out. The newspaper then tries to turn the tables on the teachers by claiming "businesses are reluctant to donate until they see the teachers union step up and show a commitment to saving quality education." Got that? It's the teachers union and donor fundraising - not the Governor and taxpayers - who are ultimately responsible for funding public education.

But I also think it's bizarre that Walker's local contribution base, the politically active business lobby group Forward Janesville, would be permitted to sit in this meeting after they gave standing ovations to Walker's budget speech at their annual dinner - this while hundreds of Janesville teachers and public sector workers were protesting outside at the dinner function. So the question is: Why should an un-elected special interest group be allowed to participate in this meeting? What is Forward Janesville bringing to the table and more importantly - what are they willing to concede? Will they match teacher concessions dollar for dollar? Don't hold your breath.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Many teachers say they're not in the profession for the money but instead because of a deep passion for educating young people. Their union must demonstrate that.

You can see where this is going. Instead of rewarding individual teachers with extra compensation, monetary or otherwise, for their often selfless work, the Gazette would rather take teachers up on their personal and individual commitments to kids and reward them with less. Oh, you think you're a care giver in your role as teacher? Well, let your union demonstrate your sincerity - you can start by demanding less. This is insanity.

When concerned but opposing parties get together to forge an agreement, there usually is an exchange of one thing for another, or in this case matching concessions from all parties. The teachers are not in this alone nor are they charged with the school district's budget duties or responsibilities.

It's time to clear the air and tell Walker that his tool, Rep. Joe Knilans, is the wrong tool for the job. Tell him the only way to make things right is to drop the budget repair bill - lock, stock and barrel.

Political Business Group Pushing For Access Into School District Administration

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As reported by our media monopoly the Janesville Gazette, Scott Walker’s local contributor base and cheerleader group, Forward Janesville, wants access into the Janesville School District administrative structure.

JG Excerpt:
Forward Janesville leaders are interested in offering its members’ assistance to the district and want to explore possible solutions that may not have been explored….

The politically active business group already has full access into Janesville municipal and Rock county governments. Now this powerful group of unelected and privileged local elites want the same access into the School District under the guise of offered assistance. They figure…why not?

JG Excerpt:
A blue ribbon committee to consider the district’s finances is another possibility, Beckord said.

Never mind that we already have a blue ribbon citizen panel to consider the school district’s finances…. It’s called the “school board.” With Walker's agenda driven by these deep-pocketed authoritarians and legislative enablers, Wisconsin is firmly on the way to having unelected shadow groups overseeing every aspect of state and local government. That must be their version of “local control.”

Will Walker's Janesville Contribution Base Donate To Public Schools?

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This ought to be interesting to watch.

A group exclusive of the Janesville teachers' union has formed to collect donations from the Janesville community in hopes to help shore up the district's $13.4 million budget shortfall.

Sunday's Janesville Gazette editorial was not shy about salting wounds in a punishing attempt to use the "Save Janesville Schools" campaign as a tool to malign teachers for standing up for their collective bargaining rights. A lot of people would like to keep the school's fundraiser apolitical. So much for that thought.

Janesville Gazette Editorial:
Sure, some will see the irony and even hypocrisy in teachers and the Janesville Education Asociation raising money to save jobs. After all, the union refused to reopen its contract out of fear of exposing itself to Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining limits. Then members joined protesters who harassed and intimidated local business people arriving to hear Walker's March 29 speech at a Forward Janesville meeting.

I don't see that as much of a hypocrisy as I see it as a challenge to the business community. But the hypocrisy I do see was when the organization, Forward Janesville, sent a letter calling the fundraiser "good news" and urging members to attend last Tuesday's fundraising meeting. This coming after nearly every key member of the politically active lobbyist group financially supported Scott Walker's campaign and applauded his every statement with standing ovations at the Forward Janesville dinner meeting. It's either you believe in supporting public schools and giving children a quality education or you don't. I don't know how much money FJ could give to Janesville's schools that would reconcile their support for Walker's plan to strip away bargaining rights and cut over $800 million from public education. For many obvious reasons, no amount of cash donations would likely be enough. Everyone would have been better off opposing Walker's budget repair bill. But that's just my opinion.

But this will be interesting to watch and see if their donations to Janesville's schools will exceed their donations to Scott Walker. And if it does - what will it mean?

Video: Janesville Marches in Protest To Scott Walker/Forward Janesville

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The Protest Scott Walker/Forward Janesville Facebook page lied. They had 356 signed up to attend but I would swear 1,000 showed up by 5:30 PM. A count from one of the organizers put the attendance at 1,532. But that kind of miscalculation, if I may call it that, is perfectly okay with me because it was a beautiful day in Janesville to go for a walk and exercise the vocal cords. There were lots of handmade signs on display all around as protesters lined both sides of the entrance street to the Holiday Inn forcing Walker's dinner guests in their Denalis and Benz through a middle class "gauntlet." It must have made their skin crawl to see hard workin' dirty finger nails and teacher's clip boards up so close. I was constantly moving around on both sides and caught glimpses of John Nichols from The Nation/CapTimes and John "Sly" Sylvester in attendance.

I was somewhat surprised to see so many of Forward Janesville dinner guests pointing antagonistically towards protesters and laughing from inside their cars as they drove through the gauntlet. A few turned around as they approached the Inn entrance doors and flipped the bird our way in a final salute before entering. Not many noticed it as most of the attention was kept focused on the protesters in the street.

Whatever the Janesville Gazette tried to conjure up against the protesters over the past two weeks failed to materialize. No counter protesters were noticed and no employees from the Gazette were arrested.

In the video below, I was stationed near the middle of the street facing the other way when everyone reclaimed the street and marched up through the middle to the Holiday Inn cul-de-sac entrance. Because of that I was unable to pan the scene or capture a wider view.

Slideshow here.

Protest Walker At Forward Janesville Dinner

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Protest Scott Walker with signs on public sidewalks around the Holiday Inn. The Forward Janesville dinner event starts at 5 PM (Cocktail Hour), but people are being asked to meet at 4 PM.

Where: Holiday Inn Express Hotel
3100 Wellington Pl, Janesville, WI 53546-1148 · Get Directions

When: Tues March 29, beginning at 4pm

Keynote Speaker: Governor Scott Walker

Opening the evening will be Rock County 5.0 Co-chairs, Diane Hendricks and Mary Willmer-Sheedy.

Protest Scott Walker/Forward Janesville Facebook

« What's this?
Holiday Inn Express & Janesville Conference Center, Contact: Stan S. Jones. No political contributions have been registered from the Janesville location. However, Holiday Inn (WI) has over $5,000 registered in political contributions (none for Scott Walker). Stan Jones served on the Board of Directors for the Janesville Chamber of Commerce and several other business associations in the Janesville area. A key player in Forward Janesville.

Total Political contributions: Holiday Inn (Statewide)
REPUBLICAN $4,300
DEMOCRATIC $1,117) Source

Rating: FJ$ (3/26/11) Legend of Symbols

Let's Focus On Sharing Pie In Janesville

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Uh-oh. That word "sharing" is in there. It must be a Socialist plot. This posting is a response to an editorial published in Thursday's Janesville Gazette written by Forward Janesville's John Beckord.

In his writing, Beckord tries to do several things. First he claims that the business establishment group Forward Janesville cultivates a working relationship with state administrations and politicians from either side of the aisle to make the best of things - whatever they are. That's not true as my previous posting shows that the group will publicly oppose the state's leadership and legislation if it runs counter to their own ideas. As far as anyone can tell, Scott Walker's budget plans satisfy the group's goals. Knowing the group's political ideology, I would have been shocked if FJ opposed Walker's budget or the GOP legislators.

Secondly, he claims the group is non-partisan and that they don't fund candidates - that simply by saying so - it must be true. However, the group's own top donors within the organization and their key membership are nearly all verifiably committed right-wing corporate ideologues who donate substantial amounts to Republican candidates and incumbents compared to Democratic candidates. A random sampling shows a margin of at least 20 to 1. Some of the top donors don't donate to Democrats - ever. Sorry to say, but Forward Janesville is nothing without its donor membership and their membership says "partisan." Who's right?

Thirdly, he downplays emailers who complained about "massive tax breaks" given to corporations. Beckord brings up only the $140 million Walker tax break to corporations and because it's a "future" tax liability, it won't have much effect on the current deficit. That's okay if it works for you.

But what about all the other tax breaks, tax credit zones, TIF tax shifts, corporate tax loopholes and surplus fund hand-outs? This is the ideological issue that is fueling a class war. Personally, I think if any tax credits are given for job creation at all - the workers should get them to help spur demand. Outrageous huh? But I also believe the Federal government should ban state and local communities across the country from offering selective tax credits and cash hand-outs to stock-owned and wealthy companies to compete for jobs. Allowing this bribery/extortion atmosphere to continue makes a mockery of good government and institutionalizes crony capitalism. It is a destructive force on modest local treasuries that pits one community against another, undermines the private sector venture capital and loan industries, increases taxes on the core population and defunds much needed public services. It's a loser for everyone except the top 2 percent. Lawmakers in Congress would do well by creating a law making such "incentive" activity illegal. That's what lawmakers are for.

Economic development incentives are designed to return to the State's Treasury more dollars than are granted in tax credits. -- Beckord

But from where are the dollars returned to the Treasury coming from? That revenue is coming from the paychecks of the workers while the tax credit dollars are recycled through the backdoor to the top profit collectors and dividend holders of the very company they're working for. This is wealth redistribution - only worse. It squeezes blood from a turnip and funnels it back to a bloated and carnivorous vampire. It's an outrage!

Lastly, Beckord frames the opposition to FJ's legislative goals and Walker's scorched earth budget as demonizers who are branding the state as anti-business and anti-corporation. When ironically, it was the mother lode chamber ship herself, the WMC, that pushed a media campaign during Doyle's last term doing just that - branding the state as an anti-business "Tax Hell."

On a related note: The Janesville Gazette, their affiliate Messenger publication and now Forward Janesville have all come out attempting to re-frame Wisconsinites contemplating boycott action against businesses that support Walker as ham-handed "zealots" who will only end up hurting their own local economy. False. (loud gameshow buzzer sound) Boycotting certain local businesses means other local businesses will see more economic activity. This in turn will create jobs and economic expansion where otherwise might not be possible. Consumers armed with the right information to support businesses that don't contribute to destructive causes will enjoy an individual enlightenment that can and will have a long lasting and positive pro-business effect on their quality of life and the community.

Forward Janesville Opposed Democrats Budget Bill In 2007

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I knew something didn't smell right when John Beckord of Forward Janesville implied that the business establishment lobby group doesn't take sides in the political arena. Through their media partner, the Janesville Gazette, the group constantly tries to paint itself as a willing participant and a non-partisan player regardless of the state's party leadership or legislative agenda.

JG Excerpt:
“If you think about the role and mission of this organization as it relates to economic development, it makes sense for us to cultivate a good working relationship with every administration, Democrat or Republican,” Beckord said..... “A key part of the concept of civility is a certain level of respect for our elected officials whether one agrees with them or not on matters of policy.”

None of that go-along-to-get-along with state leadership mattered to Forward Janesville or the Janesville Gazette when both institutions signed a petition to stop the state budget in 2007. Of course, Democrats were in charge at the time.

List Of Rock County Businesses Opposing Democrats Budget Bill 2007



You can view the full list of Wisconsin businesses that opposed the State Budget when Democrats were in control here.

ABOUT FORWARD JANESVILLE
From the Rock Netroots Archives:

Forward Janesville suffers from identity crisis

Forward Janesville chip off the old block (WMC)

Group gets Paul Ryan grant money

Local Alliance needs some Sunlight

Can local jobs be created without tax credits and subsidies?

Business Group Gets Bridge To Tax Credits

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Boehner Asks After Five Months: Where Are The Jobs?

“In North Carolina, they used stimulus money to hire one new state worker. His job? To apply for more stimulus funds from the taxpayers by the way of the Federal government.” – Rep. John Boehner

What's the big deal? Maybe it's a "strategy."

Rep. Paul Ryan earmarked $450,000 in federal “jobs” stimulus for his tightly knit base of hometown supporters.

Excerpt:
(Sept. 22 - 26, 2008)
$450,000 to Rock County and Forward Janesville, Inc., Janesville, Wisconsin, for a joint investment to support implementation of a strategy to recover from their recent loss of thousands of automotive jobs in the region.

After six months, Forward Janesville and J.P. Cullen & Sons sponsored a junket of about 50 people and trekked off to the Wisconsin state capital in Madison where they lobbied state legislators for more "jobs" stimulus funding in the form of business tax credits. They did this with a straight face while state legislators were grappling with a $6.6 billion deficit.

Now, ten months have passed since the EDA grant was announced and all I've seen they have to show for are tax credits for businesses, while jobs keep disappearing. Rock County (Alliance?) and Forward Janesville should step up and show taxpayers either where the money went or better yet - where the jobs are.

Note: Bridge to Rusty’s Backwater Saloon Rusty’s saloon is in Rep. David Obey’s district.

Companion Post

Local Alliance Needs Some Sunlight

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Sunday's Janesville Gazette contained an article titled They use one voice about a local governmental? economic development group working out of the Rock County Building to attract businesses here in Janesville.

Janesville, as most folks in the area are aware of, has suffered huge jobs losses in the past year with the closing of the GM plant. Obviously, Janesville needs all the help it can get to boost payroll activity, so some governmental interaction and cooperation is crucial at this important time.

But after reading the article and then cruising the Rock County Development Alliance Web Site, it became obvious that many important details were lacking regarding governmental accountability and transparency.

In the Gazette article, they refer to flying under the radar and working backroom deals as if it's the right thing to do. Secondly, there is an underlying premise projected here that simply because it's published and they're openly talking about it...well, that makes everything okay and acceptable. It doesn't.

But before I can sink my teeth into the questionable ethical aspects of their work, I am overwhelmed with a mountain of questions about the group that I can't believe a journalist did not ask.

JG Excerpt:
Each week, the group is in either Milwaukee or Chicago making detailed presentations to potential brokers, developers and investors.

Venable and Otterstein are both government employees. Who pays their wages when they are working under the umbrella of the Alliance? Who pays their dinner, lodging and travel expenses to trade shows around the state? Is the Alliance a non-profit organization? Is it a governmental agency? I assume it is but I'm not sure. The Gazette article did not clarify this and the Web Page lacks this information.

Is this a county taxed operation? Or is it paid for from taxes of participating locales. Where is funding coming from? Is this part of a $450,000 federal grant the county and Forward Janesville received a little while ago? If so, where is the breakdown of expenditures and future allocations?

How do individuals separate their governmental duties from their Alliance duties? The Alliance address is the Rock County Court House Building - under whose power and authority do they operate under? Do we assume the Rock County Board? If the Alliance is a multi-governmental body – who pays for what? Are local business owners involved? Who are its members? And what connection do they have in city, county and state government? What connection does the Alliance have to the local business elite? Where is the transparency?

Why doesn’t their Web page list their funding sources and all participating members?

JG Excerpt:
The alliance taps a bigger war chest of talent and money.

Whoa! That may be a good enough explanation for a Gazette journalist, but clue me in - I'm not smart enough. Whose talent and whose money? Is it a secret? An why is it a secret? State, federal, private? A combination? Explain? Are quid-pro-quos involved?

Look, it’s one thing being an informational and marketing kiosk for the county, that's a capable and necessary part government can play in attracting jobs. But it’s an entirely different thing when government employees participate in backroom deals greasing the way and blurring the lines between public and private while projecting an unfettered access to tax payer money. They should come clean on this.

Janesville Power Brokers Continue To Clique

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Among the pages archived here at Rock Netroots Commentary, you can find several dozen ethically questionable incidents carried out by Janesville city government over the past several years that have been literally swept under the carpet by its revisionist compliant media associate. Some of the most egregious examples of recent include a run-up to socialize the business expenses of a politically connected local investment group with a property tax-free facility and a fishy city contract. A non-partisan city council endorsing the legislative agenda of a politically active special interest group, and a deceptive if not outright dishonest presentation from the city administration during a council meeting on a decision to build a water tower on the city’s NE side.

Had these shenanigans occurred in any other town, they would have been scandalous high publicity events. On a few very rare occasions when Janesville media or city officials seemingly addressed obvious grievances, they simply apply straw man tactics to undermine civic reformers or demonize the messenger as a negative malcontent with an axe to grind. Yet strangely enough, the Janesville Gazette oftentimes has no problem pointing blame and running up criticism at officials of government outside of the local power-broking clique. On most occasions, the Janesville scandal is just simply ignored.

But the Gazette has the scoop on the donut eating contest in Walworth County!

King Daley of Chicago only wishes he had it this easy.

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The First 100 Days Of Inheritance

Notable Quotes Excerpt:
"When the Obama administration crashes and burns, with approval ratings that fall through the floor, political scientists can trace its demise to its first hundred days." — Dick Morris, Fox Political Commentator explaining why the obstacles and problems left by Bush are plenty enough to take down even the best of presidents.

Can Jobs Be Created Without Subsidies, Tax Credits?

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Now that the Ice Arena hockey agreement in Janesville is all but sealed, the Janesville Gazette has now turned their attention to promote the lobbying action taken by the private special interest group Forward Janesville. In Sunday's edition, they wasted no time attempting to shape public opinion with the front-page headlines and Webpage story about a small town in Iowa (Newton), who lost their single largest employer (Maytag) and somehow revived itself when they developed a regional plan apparently built on state subsidies and tax credits.

In perfect timing on Sunday, the Gazette’s little sister publication, the Janesville Messenger, also published their promotional frontpage story about the Forward Janesville's lobbying expedition to the state capital.

While just several days earlier, the Gazette also uncritically reported on Forward Janesville’s political expedition to Madison.

So what’s the connection with Newton, Iowa?

Well, last week Wednesday, the politically driven Janesville business group went up to the state capital, hat-in-hand, and unabashedly asked for self-serving tax credits from a state legislature grappling with a $5 billion deficit. The group, comprised of some of the wealthiest businessmen in the region, also expounded upon a regional concept of economic development.

JG Excerpt:
Forward Janesville Priorities:
-- Widening of Interstate 90/39 to six lanes between Madison and the state line.
-- Reforming Tax Increment Financing law.
-- Making state tax credits portable, refundable or saleable.
-- Designating Janesville as a Development Opportunity Zone, which would allow $10 million in special tax credits for job creation and capital investment.

First of all, the expansion of I-39/90 is an idea that does not belong to Forward Janesville, nor does the regional concept of economic development or TIF district reform. But what does belong to Forward Janesville is the request for $10 million in business tax credits and legislation designed to make tax credit portable and saleable enough to shift them around where they see fit. What does this mean for the average Joe? It means the working poor and middle class in Wisconsin will have to accept a greater share of the tax burden. Simply put, the wealthy don't want to pay the taxes and they own the megaphone, they’re asking for waivers. So, under the guise of job creation, Forward Janesville business heavies want to shift taxes. And that in order to pull us out of a hole, these mostly deep-pocketed individuals turn to the government first. So the Gazette uses Newton, Iowa as the first example.

JG Excerpt:
The space didn’t work for TPI, which makes massive blades for wind turbines. With $6 million in state incentives, TPI instead built a 320,000-square-foot plant nearby and employs 350 people, many of them former Maytaggers.

But could TPI have done it without the subsidies?

JG Excerpt:
Didier and Liebl shudder when asked what the local unemployment rate would be if TPI, Trinity, Iowa Telecom and Caleris hadn’t created nearly 1,000 jobs in Newton. “We say that Newton hit the lottery when we landed TPI and Trinity,” Liebl said.

Newton didn’t hit the lottery. The executives, CEO’s and shareholders of those companies are the ones who hit the jackpot with millions in government subsidies. Since they created the jobs, what did they need $6 million in state welfare for? Would those companies have expanded in Newton without Big government intervention?

Those folks, including the Gazette, Forward Janesville and all their supporters really have to take a good long look in the mirror at themselves. They can’t ask for tax breaks and government hand-outs for the few to spur economic development, take credit for the jobs, and then turn around and blame government for higher taxes and the economy.

The truth is, private business groups like Forward Janesville need to return to the basic fundamentals of American capitalism. They need to turn to their own members and lobby them for ideas, economic expansion tools and venture capital. Not the government. They need to consider banks for loans and barter between themselves and stop turning to government for all the answers.

One has to ask: Why aren’t these business folks in south-central Wisconsin hitting up on their man Paul Ryan for some dough? Why? Because Ryan already gave the special interest group a $450,000 federal hand-out for economic development and marketing. And do you know what their first major project was? You guessed it, they mashed together this junket so they could now lobby the state treasury for millions. You gotta hand it to ‘em.

I would not doubt if the WMC-connected Forward Janesville commissioned the WMC-connected Janesville Gazette to write those articles.

Newspaper De-Emphasized Council Endorsement Of Political Group

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The Janesville Gazette published an article detailing actions and discussion from Monday’s Janesville City Council meeting and predictably, the newspaper completely de-emphasized the city council’s endorsement of the politically active and special interest group Forward Janesville’s legislative agenda.

This is the full extent as to which the paper reported on this huge council decision.

JG Excerpt:
-- Adopted Forward Janesville's 2009-10 legislative priorities, one of which is the expansion of Interstate 39/90.

The truth is, the city council needn't endorse a special interest group to proclaim support for the expansion of I39/90 or any other aspects of the group's lobbying action if that was merely the case. They might also attempt to distort their ties as a public-private partnership, but this council endorsement was politically driven with partisan intentions, an important aspect of the council vote deliberately downplayed by the Gazette.

It was less than a year ago that the Janesville Gazette, inspired by and aided by at least one letter to the editor, cast negative dispersions against a Janesville resident running for city council and effectively shut down his electability. The candidate of course was not a member of Forward Janesville or the republican party, instead he was targeted by the letter writer and the newspaper for his ties to union labor and democratic support.

The letter writer and the newspaper eventually joined forces so-to-speak, and warned voters about electing such individuals to Janesville’s supposedly non-partisan form of city government. Back then, the County Republican party believed Democrats were making a powerplay at the local level for more political control. Remember, this was all less than a year ago.

It's all different now. The newspaper's seemingly sharp focus (actually selective) on partisanship in local government has suddenly gone AWOL. Ever since that last council election, the Janesville Gazette throttled up newsprint publicity for their politically active business crony. Nary a week goes by for the newspaper without favorable mention of Forward Janesville in some way, shape or form.

Because of the recent council endorsement, the city has entered a new era of regressive goverance beholden to political persuasion and special interests. In addition, the City of Janesville will be forced to entertain and make allowance for any and all political platforms and movements, lest they be accused of partisanship or discrimination. But these are just some of the new changes folks will have to get used to, not all necessarily negative depending on your point of view.

I bring this up because Janesville residents appear less concerned about the increased political influence and partisanship among elected officials as they are about political support for candidates in local elections. At least that's what the Gazette wants to convey. When in fact, there should be a heightened concern and alarm when it reaches the stage it achieved Monday night in the city council chambers. Our city council has failed like it never failed before. When any form of elective government (non-partisan or partisan) endorses the legislative agenda of a special interest group, it is a huge shot across the bow of democracy that we must not ignore. I know I won't.

Janesville's City Council Embrace Political Group

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Last night at Janesville City Hall, in what could be a watershed mark in the history of the city's government, the previously non-partisan Janesville City council unanimously endorsed the legislative agenda of the politically active organization known as “Forward Janesville.” The vote came after a city employee, Doug Venable, made a presentation to the city council on behalf of the group, and with little fanfare was quickly followed by a motion to pass the endorsement from Councilman Yuri Rashkin and seconded by Councilman Russ Steeber. Council members Kathy Voskuil, Tom McDonald and George Brunner followed through on rubber stamping this resolution. Council members Amy Loasching and Bill Truman were not present.

This council action should now dispel any notion that Janesville city government and its representatives are free of political influence or favors and further open the doors of the Janesville city council to all politically active organizations and individuals seeking to exert power over the city.

Political Business Group Suffering Identity Crisis?

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Over the past two months, the Janesville Gazette has ramped up the usual series of articles written in favor of and in seeming cooperation with the politically active private economic development business group known around these parts as Forward Janesville. For several years preceding this latest new chapter in publicity, the group seemed to be receding away from the traditional “chamber of commerce” label and more towards the “economic development” description when referred to in newsprint articles and ads. But lately now, they seem to be returning to the “chamber of commerce” description for some reason.

This rather unimportant about-face in the way they want the public to perceive them may have started in September with a posting of mine titled, Time for a downtown Chamber of Commerce, where I felt the city of Janesville and particularly its downtown businesses have been neglected by the group enough to suggest area businesses create a separate and new non-partisan business-driven Janesville Chamber of Commerce.

Although Forward Janesville considers itself the front door to downtown Janesville, most downtown business owners are struggling entrepreneurs and small business enterprise left to shift for themselves. While the downtown struggles to find ways to raise capital for image and publicity improvements, Forward Janesville captures a $450,000 federal grant for image and publicity improvements. When “real” chambers of commerce from the surrounding Rock County area join together to form a health insurance cooperative, Forward Janesville co-opts out. Yet when election time rolls around for seats on the local school board, county board or city council, the business group gets a free pass from published scrutiny on their organized influence and involvement in the non-partisan process.

Of course not everyone sees things that way. But the Janesville Gazette is probably the most important piece to the pie doing all the cream puff publicity work as a willing enabler for the business group. Who could forget the front page schmooze story on Oct. 31st titled, “What is Forward Janesville?” Or a forgettable commercial ad masquerading as a news article on Page 2A on Nov.11th titled “Campaign training to precede election.” When possible and if the means are available, the newspaper makes an effort to connect the politically active private economic development business group in everything it can. Even if it's just to drop their name. Coincidence?

So this is the bottom line on their latest publicity drive. The politically active private economic development business known as Forward Janesville wants us to know they are also the official Janesville "chamber of commerce"……I think. So don’t get any funny ideas.