Wisconsin Clean Elections Coalition

Promoting fair elections for all parties and independents

eNewsletter #5
(Feb 14, 2006)

 

 

This is a periodic newsletter on election and health care reform. If you wish not to receive it please unsubscribe at the bottom and accept my apologies for the intrusion.

 

 

In this issue:

 

1)    To play, you paid, lobbyist reveals (MJS)

2) U.S. Senate Bill S.2259, Obama's Ethics Bill 

3) From the Wisconsin State Journal

4) From Wisconsin Democracy Campaigns

5) Interesting Links (from Taxpayers for Common Sense)

6) Legislative Hearings (nothing new to report)

7) Book recommendations (2 new ones)

8)    Contact Information

9)    Removal instructions

 

Please do not respond to this email address. It is used for cleanup purposes only. Please use jelohman@gmail.com

 

 

1

To play, you paid, lobbyist reveals

Once secret testimony in Capitol scandal tells how money brought results

By STEVEN WALTERS and PATRICK MARLEY
swalters@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 31, 2005

Madison - Veteran Capitol lobbyist Bill Broydrick remembers that when Chuck Chvala ran the state Senate, campaign cash sealed a deal.

With Chvala scheduled to begin a nine-month jail sentence on Feb. 13 after pleading guilty to two felony corruption charges, Broydrick was recently shown a summary of his then-secret 2002 testimony about how the former Senate majority leader solicited lobbyists and their clients for contributions.

Asked why he made sure the Democratic senator from Madison personally got a $40,000 check from what was then called SBC/Ameritech for a shadowy campaign fund Chvala secretly controlled, Broydrick said: "It was very clear to me that, if you played ball, you got what you wanted."

See the entire text of the article at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec05/381961.asp

 

 

2

Tell Your U.S. Senator to Support S. 2259 -
Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act of 2006

Senator Barack Obama has introduced legislation to ensure that Congressional ethics rules are enforced. Currently, the congressional ethics committees are ineffectual. An independent commission with oversight of ethics rules is a critical step for Congress to take in response to the Abramoff scandal. 

See Common Cause (national) at www.commoncause.org/IndependentOversight

 

 

 3
Political donations aren't keys to the kingdom

Wisconsin State Journal, Feb 13

PHIL BRINKMAN pbrinkman@madison.com

On its face, the decision last year by representatives of Oracle Corp. to give more than $3,000 to Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign weeks after he approved a $29 million no-bid contract with the software giant has the hallmarks of a payoff.

The first gift, $250, was recorded on May 12, one day after the Democratic governor waived the requirement that the software support package be put out to bid. Weeks later, three out-of- state company representatives, including two who had never contributed to Wisconsin politicians before, gave the governor $1,000 each.

See balance of story at: http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=72387 

4
From Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 2/13 update

 

Around these parts, we've grown accustomed to Hall of Fame baseball announcer Bob Uecker's trademark description of the wildest of pitches. "Juuuust a bit outside," Ueck would say.

Well, in reviewing the latest campaign finance reports, the Democracy Campaign has found that donations made by a Madison real estate developer are juuuust a bit illegal.

In fact, Marc Vaccaro's contributions to Governor Jim Doyle and Attorney General candidate Kathleen Falk put him 45% over the legal limit. For details, see WDC's latest Big Money Blog .

Sign up to WDC's newsletter at: www.wisdc.org

 

 5
More Interesting links to recent stories
(compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense www.taxpayer.net)

 


Appropriations panel puts DeLay in seat Cunningham held (North County Times, California)
Most of the programs on Bush's budgetary hit list are retreads (
USA Today)
State interests unsure of budget's impact (
Mobile Register)
Bush's Policies, Election Politics May Block Deficit-Cut Goal (
Bloomberg News Service)
Lawmakers seek to rein in raging pork (
Gannett News Service)
Oversight for congressional pork (
Charleston Post and Courier)
Mad at everything (
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza)
Feinstein seeks to limit budget add-ons (
San Francisco Chronicle)
Lobbyists' bidding (
Orlando Sentinel)
Bill aims to control flood of pet projects (
Press-Enterprise, California)
Reformers taking aim at shadowy earmarks (
Houston Chronicle)
Boehner chosen to lead House GOP in break with DeLay era (
Knight Ridder)
Feinstein offers plan to curb on legislative 'earmarks' (
Copley News Service)
Lewis’s use of military aide may break the rules (
The Hill)
Rolling with Blunt (
Salon)

 

 

6
Upcoming Legislative Hearings

(no changes since last eNewsletter)

 

 

7
Book Recommendations (One on Health care)

 

Read the reviews on www.amazon.com

 

Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day: The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians are Bankrupting America

 

by Joe Scarborough  (ISBN: 0060749849)

 

A conservative insider who saw it up close and naked. Good presidential material, but likely not inclined to take a pay cut.

The Truth About the Drug Companies – How they deceive us and what to do about it.

By Marcia Angell, M.D. (ISBN: 0375760946)

 

If you thought the high profit margins were necessary for heavy R&D, you’ll know better after reading this excellent book. Those profits are taken after deducting for R&D, advertising, and exorbitant salaries. But Dr. Angell exposes much more behind the scenes that will deeply concern you.

 

 

 

8
Contact information

Lohman is a retired business owner in Colgate WI and volunteers’ time on the issues of Election reform and Universal health care -

Contact: Jack Lohman

 

jelohman@gmail.com or jelohman@charter.net

Phone 414-477-8686 (cell)

www.WiCleanElections.org

www.wi-cfr.org

www.SmokeFreeDining.net

 

 

9
Removal Instructions

 

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