49.6% applaud the magic of Scott Magnifico
People stand in awe as the budget is sawed in half before their very eyes! The lights change, the music swells, and Scott Magnifico waves his cape and 100,000 million dollar bills fall from the sky only to land on lots, acres, and homesteads across the state as a magic gift from Walker Magnifico. As with any slight of hand, everyone in the audience knows it's a trick.
Everyone knows some shifting of smoke and mirrors is at work behind the curtain to produce the illusion - but no one cares. We've come to be entertained, to see all the wishes, hopes, and promises we have longed for come to reality before our eyes. To pull back the curtain and reveal the gauges and levers, we know are there, would only serve to destroy the illusion and melt the dream.
Dare we look behind the curtain?
Along with Scott Walker came the advent of a slight of hand politics where the "reform" or policy change that met the eye were merely a distraction or a trick - the real workings, grinding, and sliding were usually performed by anonymous aids, staffers, and law firms behind the scenes. Of course, politics has always been played out through strategies that often approached and crossed the line of ethical acceptance, but never before had strategies been pursued with such complete disregard of ethics. The new shadow politics was played along the lines of "divide and conquer" and "the ends justify the means".
Walker's new shadow politics began with a secret email network that was employed during his campaign and became the subject of the ongoing John Doe investigation that began before he took office and continues to this day. Yes. It is still going on just behind the velvet curtain, off stage right. (The photo left features Scott Fitzgerald Senate head, Jeff Fitzgerald as Assembly head, and Daddy Fitzgerald head of the Wisconsin State Patrol - all at the same time)
Spoiler Alert - Read no further if you stand with Walker
Many tricks and slight of hand antics have occurred on the stage of Wisconsin Legislature in the past two years, but the "Amazing GOP Redistricting Show" was a sell out and brought in receipts at the box office of over 2 million dollars! Strike up the band!
But, the purpose here is not to provide more bold headlines for one of the most successful magic tricks in Wisconsin History - a feat of illusion that will live on for a decade when the next legislative districts are redrawn to reflect changes of population as demonstrated by the census.
Today, we will peek behind the curtain to take a look a the levers and switches of one of the greatest illusions ever performed under the guise of legislative action.
In the trick government orchestrated by Walker Magnifico and his two assistants the brothers Fitzgerald, we all know that the trio on stage in the silk capes that move and swirl for effect, are the set up. They are the distraction to hold our attention. The real "trick" is being manipulated in secret by an invisible man dressed all in black against a dark background - he is not there at all! The man off stage, behind the curtain is making it all work. You will not find his picture in a google search. You will not recognize his name in a newspaper article. He is invisible. Until now.
Legal costs for GOP redistricting plan top $2 million
By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel Nov. 1, 2013
Madison — Wisconsin's long legal battle over redrawing congressional and legislative districts to favor Republicans cost taxpayers $2.1 million — $200,000 more than previously reported, newly released legal bills show.
The bills also show a criminal defense attorney was hired for Capitol aide Adam Foltz in the late stages of the litigation as the plaintiffs raised concerns about the failure of the Republicans to turn over records in the case. Others lawyers involved in the case were focused on civil law.
Foltz's legal bills alone came to more than $26,000 — $14,420 for the Milwaukee law office of criminal defense attorney Michael J. Fitzgerald and $11,874 for Foltz's civil attorneys at Peterson, Johnson & Murray of Milwaukee.
No charges were filed against anyone out of the redistricting case, but the federal court in its final ruling on the election maps openly wondered about whether "historians, the media, professional regulators and disciplinary bodies" would wish to "take further action."
After the applause and accolades
Walker Magnifico and Brother's Fitzgerald have taken there bow to the wild applause of the "Stand with Walker" and the tea party trumpets blaring above the boos and hisses of the democrats and progressives. Who pays the bill and suffers the inequity the new maps present in a democratic system of government? Who is left less equally represented as a result of the "Amazing GOP Redistricting Show"? The people. The Taxpayers. The voters. Republicans, Democrats, Progressives, families, the rich, the poor all and everyone are all losers. But what a fine show it was!
Judges close redistricting fight with admonition
Panel scolds GOP, suggests probes in order
By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
June 3, 2013
"In closing, we simply re-emphasize our previous observations ... about the regrettable contentiousness that often accompanies partisan redistricting wherever it takes place and the additional Wisconsin-specific rancor brought on by the peculiarly furtive process adopted by the majority party this time around," the judges wrote.
After the show, what the people have gained is a bill for 2 million dollars and a less representative government. The Assembly lost six swing seats, going from 17 to 11. The Senate went from five swing seats to just two.
The press has reported, the courts have courted, and the people have been shafted, alienated, and charged.
Jeff Fitzgerald left government after his failed attempt at a U.S. Senate seat. Scott Fitzgerald has taken a less prominent roll in the Walker Magnifico show, but retains his seat in the Senate. Foltz is paid well as he continues strategies in the shadows like forcing legislators to sign confidentiality agreements, and hiring law firms to defend law firms to create shadows for the next slight of hand. Maybe something to match the United Sportsmen grant secretly embedded in the budget?
Nobody wins with Walker Magnfico
The recent government shut down has demonstrated how unbalanced, non-competitive, district mapping serves no one and threatens the all of us. All. As the federal court admonished the "particularly furtive process" of Walker Magnifico and the Brother's Fitzgerald only serve to create unnecessary expense, divisiveness, and less fair and responsive brand of government for Republicans, Democrats, Progressives, families, children... all.