Garthwaite to Introduce Another Do-nothing Bill - Assembly Democrat Disintegration Continues

The Kenosha News is reporting that Rep. Garthwaite has agreed to lead the way in the Assembly for a piece of legislation that is to be introduced by State Senator Bob Wirch. The legislation would mandate that state government (primarily the UW and prison systems) purchase at least 10% of their food goods from Wisconsin producers. This mandate would increase to 20% in 2020.

While "feel good" legislation like this mildly annoys me, I really don't have a problem with this particular bill other than that I don't necessarily agree that prisoners deserve to eat the fine products produced in our state. At the end of the day, however, I doubt that this bill will accomplish anything at all. I predict that Wisconsin's prisons and the UW already procure more than 10% of their food goods from Wisconsin producers. If this bill passes, it will probably just mandate what is currently standard practice in our institutions.

In other news, the payday loan scandal continues. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Assembly Democrats' payday loan bill narrowly passed committee today on a 6-5 vote. Rep. Dean Kaufert, a Republican supporter of payday loan reform issued a warning to Democrats stating,"Don't pose for holy pictures. You're in the soup. You're trying to find your way out of this.  . . . Trying to rush this through, get it by, get the stories over - I don't know; it's not pretty."

The Associated Press is reporting that Majority Leader Tom Nelson continues to deny his support to ethically challenged Democrat Speaker Mike Sheridan. Payday Gate is becoming a case study in public relations mismanagement and continues to threaten the reelection chances of vulnerable Democrats like Phil Garthwaite.

Garthwaite Faces Two GOP Challangers

The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reported Sunday that two Republicans are gearing up to take on Garthwaite.

Republicans seek to unseat Garthwaite in Wisconsin's 49th Assembly District.
TELEGRAPH HERALD

Travis Tranel wants another shot at Phil Garthwaite. But he's going to have to go through David Kuhle first.

Tranel, a rural Cuba City, Wis., Republican, told the TH last week he "absolutely, without a doubt" will be in the race for Wisconsin's 49th Assembly District seat, and plans to make it official in the coming months.

While he may be waiting for the right time to announce, Tranel has hit the ground running on the fundraising trail. Last year, his undeclared campaign took in more than $7,500.

"It's a lot easier the second time around," said Tranel, who ran unsuccessfully in 2008 against Democratic incumbent Garthwaite. "There's just so much more enthusiasm. It's just easier to raise dollars when you have that name recognition."

The southwest Wisconsin farmer was 22 when he bested a three-man field, including Kuhle, in the 2008 GOP primary. He went on to lose to Garthwaite in the general election, 54 percent to 46 percent.

Kuhle, an established Hazel Green Republican, now leads the Grant County GOP. He officially announced his candidacy several weeks ago, and reported $5,300 in his campaign bank at the end of last year.

Garthwaite moved into the election year with more than $14,000 in his campaign war chest. He says if the past is any indicator, he'll finish second in campaign finance.

"I've been outspent every time I run," he said.

More facing tax hikes in Wisconsin

Staying in the Badger State, a tax watchdog group warns significant changes to Wisconsin's income tax could affect thousands of taxpayers this year, many of them considered rich in political lexicon.

Due to state budget problems, income tax changes for tax year 2009 include a number of tax increases, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to public policy research and education.

The most substantial increase is a new top individual income tax rate of 7.75 percent on all taxable incomes exceeding $300,000 for married couples filing jointly ($225,000 for single filers). Capital gains taxes also increased, due to a reduction in the net long-term capital gains exclusion from 60 percent to 30 percent.

Federal tax changes for tax year 2009 largely benefit first-time homebuyers and those collecting unemployment benefits, WISTAX said.

Explanations of the changes and "plain-English" instructions for filing 2009 federal and state tax returns are available in the alliance's annual tax guide, Taxes10 (for a $3.95 charge). For more information, contact the organization at 608-241-9789 or wistax@wistax.org.

While Assembly Democrat Leadership Crumbles, another Vulnerable Democrat gets Himself into a Scandal

News stories about the troubles of Rep. Garthwaite's bosses in Madison continue to proliferate. The latest news is that the Democrat Majority Leader and Speaker are at odds, questions are being raised about the Democrat leader's travel reports, and apparatly the Speaker's campaign finance reports are all sorts of messed up.

Meanwhile, a Democrat Rep. who like Garthwaite stands a good chance of being defeated in the next election has found himself in the middle of a growing scandal. State Rep. Cory Mason, a Democrat from Deerfield, WI who represents Racine, WI is under attack for accepting campaign contributions from the owner of a company who would have received a state sanctioned monopoly thanks to legislation authored by Rep. Mason.

According to WKOW-TV, "Campaign finance reports and state e-mails show former Racine lawmaker Jeff Neubauer made a campaign contribution to the author of proposed environmental legislation with benefits to Neubauer's company on the same day the proposal was unveiled at news conferences."

After reading a few other articles about this, the facts appear to be this:

1. A former Democrat legislator, Jeff Neubauer wrote a bill that would give his business a near monopoly on certifying cleaning products as green. The bill would also mandate that all state buildings use so-called "green" cleaning supplies. Obviously, this legislation would bring in substantially increased revenues to Neubauer.

2. Neaubauer gave this bill to Rep. Mason along with a campaign check.

3. Mason introduced the bill and began ushering it through the legislature.

This story has been floating around for about two weeks but today's revelations from WKOW-TV bring it to a new level. The fact that campaign cash exchanged hands on the very day that this terrible legislation was introduced stinks like rotten cheese. This is relevant to Garthwaite in two ways.

If Garthwaite's leaders force him to vote for this stinky proposal, he could get dragged into this mess too. More likely, however, is that this will mean that fewer campaign dollars will be available for Garthwaite during the fall.

Mason is going to be in rough shape when the next election comes around. That means that all the cash Assembly Democrats were counting on from the Trial Lawyers Lobby, the Teacher's Union, and Tribal Gaming Interests will have to be spread thinner, leaving less money for Garthwaite to defend his terrible record.

"We Democrats authorized all kinds of new taxes"

In a political blunder for the ages Democrat State Senator Jim Holperin had a bout of honesty during a couple of email exchanges. Quite unfortunately for tax and spend Democrats like Phil Garthwaite, these emails just fell into the hands of the state media.

According to this Lakeland Times article, a constituent wrote the Democrat in support of increasing the beer tax, something Rep. Garthwaite has long supported. The Democrat Senator responded with the following:

"We Democrats authorized all kinds of new taxes in the recently adopted state budget (cigarette taxes, capital gains taxes, solid waste fees, cell phone tax, boat registration fee, etc. etc.) and took a lot of heat for that," Holperin wrote. "Nobody is eager to be voting for 'another' tax increase ... especially on beer! We're a brewery state, for crumb sakes (which maybe also explains our alcohol culture...)!"

Maybe a liquor tax instead, he contemplated in a message extending over two emails (he had accidentally sent the first in mid-sentence and launched the second email to complete the thought).

"However, the Senate may be in the mood to consider an increase in the liquor ... increase in the liquor tax but even that will be tough sell. I think the choices right now are, ignore the costs, pass the bill and worry about the inconsistency of that later. Or, pass the bill and increase the liquor tax by 50 cents."

In another email, Sen. Holperin described the Democrats' tax and fee increases in a more colorful way, "You know the Governor's got enough little tax and fee hikes in that budget of his to sink a good sized battleship."

Look for these words to becoming to a Republican campaign piece near you soon.

To read others' thoughts on this issue, see this release from Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, or this statement from the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

The Truth Behind Phil Garthwaite's "Get out of Jail Free Card"

Question: What does Paula Harris have to do with Phil Garthwaite?

Answer: Everything.

Thanks to Phil Garthwaite's "Get out of Jail Free Card," Paula Harris, or someone like her, is coming to a community like ours very soon.

Phil Garthwaite was the deciding vote during the budget debate last year to let approximately 3,000 felons out of prison early in order to make the government's books appear more balanced. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has since reported that Garthwaite's early release program is unlikely to save much, if any state funds. This is true because no corrections personnel will be cut and no prisons will be closed. Furthermore, many of those released will be dependent upon the state for housing and welfare for years to come.

Assembly Democrat supporters of the early release program like Phil Garthwaite argue that only non-violent offenders will be released. Such statements only prove that these representatives haven't read the legislation that they voted for.

Paula Harris, the subject of the above article, proves this point.

She was the very first inmate released early under the Assembly Democrats' "Get out of Jail Free" program.

Paula Harris was convicted of stabbing a friend to death. She was sentenced to 11 years for 1st degree reckless homicide. Thanks to Phil Garthwaite's deciding vote she only served 3.

Rep. Garthwaite would have you believe that his budget will only release non-violent offenders.

Rep. Garthwaite would have you believe that 1st degree reckless homicide is a "non-violent" crime.

Rep. Garthwaite is wrong.

The case of Paula Harris is not a lone case.

The second convict released early because of Phil Garthwaite's votes was Brian Boje.

Boje was in prison because he had been convicted of driving drunk five times. If you don't believe PGWatch, please click here. State records clearly show that Brian Boje was convicted of driving drunk 5 times and that he had a record of probation violations. Still, he was released from prison early thanks to Phil Garthwaite.

Should a 5-time drunk driver be considered a non-violent offender? Phil Garthwaite's votes indicate that he believes so.

In total, the first 22 convicts released under the "Get out of Jail Free" program are guilty of more than 150 crimes, including 74 felonies.

The next time you see Phil Garthwaite in Cassville or Boscobel spinning the facts about his "Get out of Jail Free Card" ask him about Paula Harris or Brian Boje, and then email PGWatch a summary of what he says. We'd like to know how he digs himself out of this one.

To learn more about this topic, please see the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute's report Back on the Street, or this column from State Rep. Scott Suder.

Garthwaite Flashback - "Get Your Ass Back Down to the South"

***This picture is not taken out of context. This is a photo of Grant County's Representative on the floor of the State Assembly screaming at Wisconsin businesses to get their "ass back down to the south."***

The latest figures from the Department of Workforce Development show that unemployment increased in Grant County by 11.6% in December. Today seems like a good day to revisit Rep. Garthwaite's infamous anti-jobs floor speech.

These days Rep. Garthwaite doesn't speak much in the legislature. He never says a peep on the Assembly floor. He doesn't debate. He doesn't hold committee hearings on legislation. He is by all accounts one of the most silent of all legislators in Madison. Perhaps his silence is attributable to the major blow up he had nine months ago when he told businesses to either accept job killing regulation or leave Wisconsin.

If you haven't watched Grant County's Rep. in action please click here to see how he behaves in Madison on the rare occasion that he speaks. Fast forward to 1:15:38 to see Rep. Garthwaite in his full self abasing glory.

"Get you ass back down to the South. I don't want you here. I don't want you in my community."

- State Rep. Phil Garthwaite speaking to any employer who opposes heavy handed government regulation. The specific bill in question that day was lobbied for by trial lawyers to make it easier for them to sue employers and to increase their odds of receiving large cash payouts.

"And the fact that his Democratic caucus is not overly concerned about this may indicate why so much is so wrong in Madison."

That is what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has to say about the Assembly Democrat Caucus in the wake of Payday Gate. Phil Garthwaite is a part of that caucus.

The Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Board has weighed in as well, and their comments aren't much prettier.

State Budget Deficit Balloons Under Garthwaite's Watch...Again.

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) reported today that Wisconsin's structural budget deficit increased by $277 million over the last six months. This is bad, bad news for the state but it isn't really all that surprising.

Garthwaite and the Democrat majority in the State Assembly voted to increase taxes by nearly $5 billion last year alone. When a government increases taxes on employers in the middle of a recession it hurts them. They stop hiring and sometimes lay people off. They put off expansions. Sometimes they even go out of business. The end result is lower than anticipated tax revenues.

Add to that the fact that Garthwaite voted to increase state spending by 10% and our state ends up with a huge budget deficit. According to this press release, Wisconsin's deficit is more than $2.3 billion. As Rep. Fitzgerald puts it, every man, woman, and child in Wisconsin would have to pay an additional $413 in taxes next year just so the state could break even. Please remind Rep. Garthwaite of this next fall when he brags about voting for a "balanced" budget.

For more information, see this release from Senator Mike Ellis.

In other news, even the neo-socialist Daily Kos is weighing in on the problems facing Assembly Democrat leadership in Wisconsin.

Who says we can't admit when we're wrong? Garthwaite increased state spending by 10%, not 6% as we had thought.

The hyper-geeky, ever correct number crunchers at the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WTA) reported today that Rep. Garthwaite voted to increase government spending by just more than 10%, rather that the six or so percent that PGWatch had reported. Our 6% number was based on reports released from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, news outlets, and Republican legislators. Sorry.

Read the full release from the WTA for more details.

Assembly Democrat Leadership Woes Forcast a Tough Fall for Vulnerables Like Garthwaite

This tersely worded story from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Patrick Marley spells trouble for Assembly Democrats. According to this and other stories, rumors spread around the Capitol Friday that Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan was in jeopardy of losing his leadership post over an alleged, inappropriate relationship the married speaker had carried on with a lobbyist.

Sheridan, Rep. Garthwaite's boss in the Assembly, denied these allegations Friday, stating that the lobbyist was just a friend and that they had gone on just one date. He has since amended his story stating, "I have dated a gal who is a lobbyist. It's not been a conflict, and I have no problem saying that..." The Speaker also told the Journal Sentinel that, "We (He and the lobbyist) went to a Christmas party. I think we went out with like a group of people a couple different times and that type of thing." "Like a group of people." "That type of thing." Why does the Speaker of the State Assembly sound like a kid who broke curfew and doesn't want to fess up to his parents about what he was out doing?

The Assembly Democrats already faced a tough election fight. The mood of the country and state is swinging back against their big taxing, big spending policies. Their total lack of focus on jobs and the economy over the last year doesn't help their cause much either. This potential scandal, however, adds a whole new dimension to the challenges that vulnerable Representatives like Garthwaite will have next fall.

For starters, this issue will further divide an Assembly Democrat Caucus that is already split over the proposed mayoral take over of the Milwaukee Public Schools. Coupled with their failure to put the Jeff Wood incidents behind them, the Assembly Democrats will be distracted this spring and will likely leave this session without having accomplished anything of substance on jobs, the economy, or anything else. What will they have to run on in the fall? A failed stimulus bill and honey regulation?

Secondly, an embattled and divided Assembly Democrat leadership will not be able to properly organize and fund raise for members facing tough challenges. Democrat Majority Leader Tom Nelson was already set to be in the fight of his life over budget pork that cost his district and comments he made in regards to the Democrat auto insurance premium hike of 2009
Sheridan too will now be preoccupied with his own survival.

Traditionally, Assembly Democrats have counted on large third party expenditures from public employee unions, trial attorneys, and tribal gaming interests to bail them out of situations like this. This year, however, those groups will be focused on getting a Democrat into the vacant Governor's mansion first, maintaining a precarious majority in the State Senate second, and keeping vulnerable Assemblymen like Garthwaite in office a distant third. This all spells trouble for the Democrat from Grant County next fall.

Garthwaite Spent 104 Days in Madison in 2009 with Little to Show for it

During his last campaign, I seem to remember that Phil Garthwaite liked to criticize Republicans in the Assembly for being a "Do Nothing" legislature.

Well the numbers are in on Garthwaite's first year as member of the Democrat Majority and they would appear to show Mr. Garthwaite as the pot who called the kettle black.

Number of Days Garthwaite spent in Madison - 104
Amount of Per Diem Garthwaite collected from the taxpayers - $9,152.00
Number of Days Garthwaite spent in legislative session - 25
Number of times Garthwaite's Committee on Rural Economic Development met - 1
Number of bills considered by Garthwaite's committee - 0
Number of Garthwaite bills signed into law - 0



There is something to be said for the Libertarian minded legislator who does not seek to pass legislation or to meet frequently in legislative session. As Thoreau, Jefferson, and Paine are all attributed to have said, "The Government is best which governs least." Were Garthwaite of this mindset I could forgive his inaction as a legislator. Garthwaite, however, is a self described progressive. His voting record, campaign materials, and public pronouncements all indicate that he believes that government action is the solution to our society's problems. This leaves one question for Mr. Garthwaite. If government is the source of solutions to our economic woes and other challenges, than why aren't you doing anything to prove it?