Two years ago a Koch-funded PAC stepped into Wisconsin politics in a big way, to help Scott Walker win:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Funded by the Koch Bros.
by Andy Kroll, motherjones.com -- Fri Feb. 18, 2011
According to Wisconsin campaign finance filings, Walker's gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. That donation was his campaign's second-highest, behind $43,125 in contributions from housing and realtor groups in Wisconsin. The Koch's PAC also helped Walker via a familiar and much-used politicial maneuver designed to allow donors to skirt campaign finance limits. The PAC gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which in turn spent $65,000 on independent expenditures to support Walker. The RGA also spent a whopping $3.4 million on TV ads and mailers attacking Walker's opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walker ended up beating Barrett by 5 points. The Koch money, no doubt, helped greatly.
But
Koch Industries is based in Wichita, Kansas -- So why are they investing so much in Wisconsin politics?
Koch Industries Slashed WI Jobs, Helped Elect Scott Walker, Now Orchestrating Pro-Walker Protest
by Lee Fang, thinkprogress.org -- Feb 18, 2011
Koch Industries is a major player in Wisconsin: Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant [...]
According to the EPA, Koch businesses are huge polluters, emitting thousands of pounds of toxic pollutants. As soon as he got into office Walker started cutting environmental regulations and appointed a Republican known for her disregard for environmental regulations to lead the Department of Natural Resources.
[...]
Koch fronts are busing in Tea Party protesters to support Walker and his union-busting campaign. Last night, MSNBC’s Ed Schultz reported on the involvement of Club for Growth and the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity in the pro-Walker protest scheduled tomorrow.
The Koch's CEO in Wisconsin has only been to happy to oblige them ...
Environmental inspections drop in Walker's first year
by Lee Bergquist, Journal Sentinel -- May 19, 2012
Environmental inspections by the state Department of Natural Resources dropped sharply during the first year of Gov. Scott Walker's administration.
Inspections declined in most categories that affect air and water quality, and they mirrored a previously reported decrease in 2011 enforcement cases, according to DNR records.
[...]
It seems Koch Industries is already getting a nice return on their Wisconsin investment
Having your own CEO running a state, does have it's perks -- it makes it so much easier for the lawyers to drop in that free-market "fine print" when you need it ...
The other part of the Scott Walker plan: Firesale of Wisconsin state assets
by Joan McCarter for Daily Kos -- Feb 21, 2011
The lion's share of attention regarding Scott Walker's legislative proposal has been paid to the effort to revoke Wisconsin public employees' collective bargaining rights, but the 144-page bill [...]
16.896 Sale or contractual operation of state-owned heating, cooling, and power plants. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state-owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3)(b).
So what does that legalese mean? ... in a word,
Millions.
Millions more for Koch. Not a bad day at the office, eh? Nice work, if you can get it.
Gov Scott Walker a danger to the environment
by ecthompson md, whereistheoutrage.net -- Feb 27, 2011
2. POWER PLANT PRIVATIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL NEGLECT:
The same budget bill calls for a rapid no-bid “firesale” of all state-owned power plants. One progressive blogger [...] suggested that the provision will open the way for large, politically connected corporations, like Koch Industries, to buy up the state’s power plants on the cheap. [...] Many of Wisconsin’s power plants are in violation of federal clean air regulations and desperately need to be upgraded and cleaned up -- not dumped into the private sector.
[...]
That is what has already happened in the quid-pro-quo relationship between Wisconsin's CEO and Koch Industries.
But what has Koch done for Walker lately? Citizen-based Recalls have a way of messing up the best made corporate plans ...
Koch Brothers' Americans For Prosperity Goes All Out in Wisconsin Recall -- And Denies It!
by Brendan Fischer, PR Watch, alternet.org -- May 28, 2012
DC-based special interest group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is busing-in out-of-state Tea Partiers and spending millions on advertisements, rallies, and phone banks in the weeks before recall elections for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four state senate seats. But the group founded and funded by New York-based oil billionaire David Koch insists its activities have nothing to do with the Wisconsin campaigns or elections.
"We're not dealing with any candidates, political parties or ongoing races," said Scott Hilgemann, the director of AFP's Wisconsin operations, about AFP's four-day, ten-city bus tour taking place the week before Wisconsin's June 5 election.
"We're just educating folks on the importance of the reforms," he said.
[...]
THEY'RE BACK!
It worked so well the first time, the Koch-fund PAC is doubling down on their out-of-state investments. Taking a "political stand" has nothing to do with it.
Koch Industries Slashed WI Jobs, Helped Elect Scott Walker, Now Orchestrating Pro-Walker Protest
by Lee Fang, thinkprogress.org -- Feb 18, 2011
Koch's Americans for Prosperity group has launched a new website and petition called standwithwalker.com. The new site attacks all collective bargaining, not just for public sector unions. Koch's front group also declares: "In fact, every state should adopt Governor Scott Walker's common sense reforms."
Yep, PACs are simply "Issue-oriented advocacy groups" ...
ScottWalkerWatch.com
Category Archives: Environment
AFP claims they are simply an Issue-oriented group ... there's NO "vested interests" about it, at all.
RIIIIIGHT! They're just investing Millions in Walker, cuz they LIKE the guy!
Afterall, Koch Industries is getting pretty good at protecting their extra-curricular interests ... they been at this for a while you know. They're getting to be political pros.