Hang on to your lunch (or dinner, depending on your time zone). Swallow any liquids in your mouth (to save cleanup later). The utter GENIUSES in our state government, appointed by Governor Scott Walker, have come up with an astounding new policy.
I was gobsmacked by the article which appeared in our local newpaper about a new policy, unveiled today that not only requires onsiderably more permits for events at our Capitol and other state building, but would charges for "all costs" associated with any event or demonstration.
The policy says:
Groups must obtain permits for all activity and displays in state buildings and apply for those permits at least 72 hours in advance.
Groups holding demonstrations could be charged for the costs of having extra police on hand for the event. Costs associated with a counter-protest could be charged to that second group.
The costs would be $50 per hour per Capitol Police officer - costs for other police officers would depend on the costs billed to the state. The police could require an advance payment as a requirement for getting a permit.
Demonstrators may not tape or stick signs to Capitol walls not intended for signs. During the protests hundreds of signs were posted at the Capitol.
Any damage or cleanup after a demonstration could be charged to organizers. During the court fight earlier this year over access to the Capitol, Walker's administration said the demonstrators had done $7.5 million in damage to the building with the signs and other wear and tear. But almost immediately the administration sharply backpedaled from that claim , conceding the damage was significantly less.
Events can be terminated if they interfere with the business of the Capitol, including when noise from an event exceeds 90 decibels - about equal to a lawn mower or busy nearby roadway.
This is the most naked, extremist, unnecessary, and ideologically driven policy I've ever seen. It is a singlehandedly blatant attempt to stop, block or profit from citizens rights to assemble and protest. Walker, of course, is protested everywhere he goes. Protests occur daily at the Capitol, although have been limited in size lately unless there is a specific event, like the recent recall kick-off where tens of thousands gathered, and they are having an effect on Walker and his cronies. Walker gained national attention, negative though it was, not by his actions, but the reaction to it as tens of thousands protested his earliest legislation, the so-called Budget Repair bill. His reputation continues to be damaged by protests and recalls.
He's been unable to propagandize himself out of it, unable to lie about it, unable to prevent his popularity from circling the drain, so he'll just try to subvert our ability to gather to express our grievances and our grassroots strength in numbers.
These guys must stay up nights dreaming up this stuff. It's truly unbelievable, but, of course, these guys are really, really, really scared here in the WalkerKochStan they have created (and citizens have pushed back on).
I'll post more information as it becomes available.
Update #1: Madison based article here. Apparantly the first group that will be affected will be the Solidarity Singers who serinade in the Capital on a daily basis. There has been no response yet from any of the protest organizations, the Democratic Party, or the beloved Solidarity singers about this new policy.
Update #2: Just a quickie title change to make sure people knew who Walker was (particularly site newbies).
Update #3: Here's the link to their shiny new policy.
Update #4 (12/2 1:27 PM Central): There will be massive recall activity by the unions this Saturday in addition to the normal number of weekend volunteers. Word is now getting out on the new Walker Department of Administration policy and all it's doing is making people more anxious to get Walker and his cronies out.
Instead of playing it cool and keeping his head down like the other extremist Republican Governors are doing, Walker is doubling down on the crazy. We ought to thank him for adding more momentum as well as additional reasons to the movement to remove him from office.
Today he lights the official state Christmas tree for the first time. I hope he enjoys the event since it will be his first time lighting it as well as his last time. Update: He lit the tree as protestors turned their backs on him.
As if things weren't already on the far end of crazy, he also used prison labor to set up and decorate the Capitol Christmas tree rather than state employees. I'm wondering when he'll start pushing for child labor.
Update #5: New link here (which includes a nice picture of the noon time Solidarity Singers).
The Solidarity Singers have stated that they will not apply for a permit for their noon time sing-a-long because they feel they have a Constitutional right to free speech and assembly.
The Walkerite spin is already starting as word of the policy gets out:
The Department of Administration has stated that they will have an "educational period" until December 16 " to help people learn about the policy, including informational sessions scheduled in the Capitol basement next week."
DOA spokeswoman Jocelyn Webster said the policy is nothing new, and the “updated policy is meant to remove confusion and create consistency” for both law enforcement officers and the public.
“This is all existing policy,” she said, adding that it will now be more strictly enforced.
Baloney! They're trying hard to sell this as a "clarification" of existing policies, but it's not. It's an extremist attack on our Constitutional right to assemble and a serious change to existing policy.
Thanks, Chris Bowers, for front-paging this important change. You're an honorary cheesehead!