Well, it looks like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will be in Chicago to attend a Heartland Institute function on August 9 from 5:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Central Daylight Time.
The Heartland Institute put out this statement regarding Governor Walker's excursion to the Windy City:
On Thursday, August 9, 2012, The Heartland Institute will celebrate the 28th anniversary of its founding with a reception and dinner featuring Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker!
The event will take place in the Grand Ballroom on Chicago’s historic Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s grandest settings. Built in 1916, the Grand Ballroom features an 80′ domed ceiling and panoramic views of Lake Michigan. There is simply no other venue that compares.
Heartland is celebrating nearly three decades of discovering, developing, and promoting free-market solutions to social and economic issues. Since 1984, Heartland has been the preeminent free-market think tank in the Midwest, and in recent years has become the leading source of research and commentary for the nation’s state and local elected officials.
This year’s keynote speaker, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is the nation’s most influential and successful governor. Elected in 2010 to balance a budget that was billions of dollars in deficit without raising taxes, he did exactly that, winning the passionate support of taxpayers, business owners, and consumers across the state. After years of economic stagnation caused by high taxes and excessive regulation, Wisconsin is growing again.
To balance the state’s budget, Gov. Walker took on powerful public sector unions, reining in their collective bargaining privileges and requiring that public-sector workers start to contribute toward their retirement and health care benefits. Unions fought back, and after they failed to block legislation implementing Walker’s plan, they tried to recall him in a special election. On June 5, 2012, they failed, as Walker won reelection and a solid mandate to stay his course.
We expect to sell out the Grand Ballroom quickly, so act now to purchase tickets or reserve a table. This will be the biggest celebration of freedom in Chicago in 2012. You don’t want to miss it!
The Heartland Institute is a conservative think tank that is known for its rabid denial of climate change to the point that it is regarded as the single most influential organization in the climate change denial movement, but is also known for working with Phillip Morris to claim that secondhand smoke isn't a health risk and supporting school voucher programs. Additionally, the Heartland Institute has a "Policybot" clearing house for research from other right-wing institutions such as ALEC, the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation.
Now, if we can get a few thousand people to stand outside of Governor Walker's Navy Pier meeting with the Heartland Institute and peacefully protest Walker's presence in my home state, that would be absolutely perfect! A few months ago, he was attending a function that was put on by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in Springfield, the capital city of my home state. Thousands of protesters showed up to "greet" Governor Walker at that event.
Local news anchors here in Central Illinois just love reporting about Scott Walker when he bashes Illinois and the people that call Illinois home. Yes, many of our state's politicians are crooked. Yes, we have a mess of a pension system. However, there is no need for the Governor of Wisconsin to come down here and insult my home state and my fellow people that call it home!
As a form of "payback" for Walker deciding to muck around in Illinois politics, I've decided to include a 2014 Democratic Straw Poll for Governor of Wisconsin. The names I have listed on the ballot are Tom Barrett, Mahlon Mitchell, Russ Feingold, Peter Barca, Kathleen Falk, Kathleen Vinehout, Lori Compas, Steve Kagen, Chris Larson, John Lehman, Ron Kind, Jon Erpenbach, Dave Obey, and Doug LaFollette. Additionally, I'm also allowing for write-in candidates in the straw poll. To use the write-in candidate function, select "Write-In Candidate" in the poll, and then comment the name of the write-in candidate. You don't have to be a registered voter in Wisconsin to participate in this straw poll, by the way.
Solidarity!
Aaron Camp