Garthwaite/Doyle/Greater Wisconsin Committee Ads - "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" Lies

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Politifact.com are calling Jim Doyle's Greater Wisconsin Committee attack ads "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" lies. Thus far, the shadowy attack group has spent over $200,000 in negative attacks to save their friend, incumbent Phil Garthwaite.



Here is their story:

Group says Wisconsin Republican Assembly candidates want to privatize Social Security
Pants on Fire!
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Campaign literature distributed by the Greater Wisconsin committee against a Wisconsin state Assembly candidate (back)

Campaign literature distributed by the Greater Wisconsin committee against a Wisconsin state Assembly candidate (front)

Worried about the future of Social Security? A liberal Wisconsin group is betting you are -- or that it can make you worried before election day.

The Greater Wisconsin Committee and its Greater Wisconsin Political Fund are using mailers and radio ads to target Republican candidates in key 2010 races for the Wisconsin Assembly. Democrats outnumber Republicans there, 56-42.

The central theme of the attacks: The GOP Assembly candidates, like their Washington counterparts, want to privatize Social Security.

Yes, Social Security, that venerable federal program -- one the state Assembly has no control over.

The wording of the attacks varies, but the claims are all similar to this one against Republican Travis Tranel, who is challenging Rep. Phil Garthwaite, D-Dickeyville.

"Travis Tranel," a mail piece says, "sides with those who want to privatize Social Security -- and risk our retirements on Wall Street."

Lest anyone miss the point, the flier includes a man -- presumably a fat-cat Wall Street banker or investor -- lighting his cigar with a Social Security card that’s been set aflame.

There’s also an image of a magnifying glass inviting readers to "check the facts."

Why, thank you. We will.

Asked to elaborate on her organization’s claims, Greater Wisconsin Committee executive director Michelle McGrorty offered two main points:

* In the group’s view, "A Roadmap for America’s Future" -- U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to tackle the federal debt and deficits, and make significant changes to taxes, Medicare and Social Security -- would privatize Social Security.

* Ryan, a Janesville Republican, has ties to the state GOP Assembly candidates targeted by the group.


At PolitiFact Wisconsin, this is familiar ground.

We gave Pants on Fire ratings to claims that GOP congressional candidates backed privatizing Social Security, when Democrats provided no proof beyond a sliced-and-diced statement and a two-word answer taken out of context.

Now state Assembly candidates? This could get good.

Let’s start with Ryan’s "Roadmap," a plan that has helped put Ryan on the political map, but one that does not have universal support among the GOP leadership in Washington.

PolitiFact National examined the roadmap in August 2010, after President Barack Obama alluded to it in saying GOP leaders are backing privatization plans that would tie Social Security benefits "to the whims of Wall Street traders and the ups and downs of the stock market."

If adopted, Ryan’s plan would enable workers under 55 to, voluntarily, invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in funds managed by the government. As Politifact National noted: "That's a far cry from privatizing the entirety of Social Security."

So, the Greater Wisconsin Committee is starting off on the wrong road with its claim about the roadmap.

As for the ties to Ryan, this is old-fashioned guilt by association ... and there ain’t much association, at least when it comes to the Social Security issue.

* Tranel, a Cuba City dairy farmer, is making his second attempt to unseat Garthwaite, a second-term Assembly Democrat. The mail piece that claims he "sides with those who want to privatize Social Security" says its proof is a newspaper article. In the article, Tranel expresses admiration for Ryan -- but there’s no mention of Social Security.

* Dennis Clinard, a retired U.S. Army master sergeant from Cataract, is seeking to unseat first-term Rep. Mark Radcliffe, D-Black River Falls. A flier says "Washington politicians who wants (sic) to privatize Social Security are the fund-raising muscle behind" Clinard’s campaign. The proof listed in the flier is Ryan’s appearance at a fundraiser for Clinard. It took in $7,250, according to a state GOP official, or about 15 percent of the $46,357 Clinard’s campaign has raised in 2010.

* Howard Marklein, a Wilson Creek accountant, is running for an open seat against Mineral Point Democrat John Simonson, a retired University of Wisconsin-Platteville economics professor. A mail piece says Marklein is "backed by Washington, D.C., politicians who want to privatize Social Security." McGrorty said the proof is a picture of Ryan and Marklein on Marklein’s campaign website.


We could go on.

A GWC radio ad says some tea party candidates want to eliminate Social Security and "we have one right here, this guy Jack Cummings." Cummings, an Endeavor farmer, is challenging first-term Rep. Fred Clark, D-Baraboo. McGrorty’s defense: The ad talks about a number of issues and doesn’t say that Cummings wants to eliminate Social Security.

Hmmm .... "We have one right here."

(Senate Democrat Ted Zigmunt of Francis Creek also uses a flier to accuse his Republican opponent, Andre Jacque, of supporting privatization of Social Security. A campaign aide cited Jacque’s endorsement by the Republican Liberty Caucus, but no statement Jacque has made about Social Security.)

How do the targeted candidates respond to all of this?

Brian Pleva, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, said none of them supports -- or has made statements in support of -- privatizing or eliminating Social Security.

Why would they? They’re not running for Congress.

In any case, we could not find any such statements. And the Greater Wisconsin Committee could not provide any.

Indeed, on two of the fliers, one of the check-our-facts citations is a report by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington. The report predicts cuts in Social Security benefits would result from Ryan’s plan, but that doesn’t address the question of privatization, and the report doesn’t mention the targeted candidates.

If you’re sensing a theme here, so are we.

In targeting Republicans in races that could shift the balance of power in the state Assembly, the Greater Wisconsin Committee is taking a page from the national Democratic playbook -- and misusing it. To play to fears of seniors and others, the group labels a proposal from U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, as privatizing Social Security.

Even if the plan did privatize Social Security (in our view it does not), the group has offered no evidence that the GOP Assembly candidates back it. The "proof" cited borders on absurd: One candidate praised Ryan, one got his picture taken with him and a third had Ryan appear at his campaign fundraiser. Is that cigar still burning?

If not, we need a light, because the ruling is Pants on Fire.

2009-10 Session Recap - Garthwaite on Spending

Despite a record budget deficit, Rep. Garthwaite supported Governor Doyle's plans to dramatically increase government spending over the past two years. A quick comparison of the last state budget to the current one reveals just how steep Garthwaite and Doyle's spending increases have been.

2007-09 Wisconsin State Budget
$59.99 Billion

2009-2011 Wisconsin State Budget
$65.77 Billion

Garthwaite/Doyle Spending Increase
$5.78 Billion
9.63%

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.

Will Garthwaite Support Doyle Property Tax Hike?

I heard Rep. Garthwaite say on the radio today that he was proud of Governor Doyle's State of the State speech. I certainly hope that this doesn't mean that Garthwaite plans to support the major property tax hike proposed by the unpopular Governor in that speech.

Here is a portion of a release from the non-partisan Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Inc. on Doyle's property tax proposal:

GOVERNOR CALLS FOR UNFAIR TAX AMENDMENT: WPT CALS FOR REJECTION

The Uniformity Clause of Wisconsin’s Constitution requires fairness in property taxation: equal taxes on equally valued properties, regardless of their classification.

In his State of the State address, Governor Doyle asked you to “begin the process of amending our Constitution…so we can direct property tax relief where people need it the most – on their homes.”

While the Governor was not specific about the amendment he was calling for, there are currently two Uniformity Clause amendments under consideration: AJR-8 and AJR-24/SJR-7. Under both amendments, renters, commercial, farm, and other business property owners would pay more than equally valued homes and more than under current law. (See April 9, 2009 LFB Memo to Rep. Ballweg)

Renters would pay more than owners of equally valued homes

Under both amendments, more than 633,000 hard working Wisconsin families and individuals who rent their homes and apartments would pay more than the owner-occupants of equally valued homes and condominiums next door or across the hall. Instead of receiving more property tax relief , those who rent would end up paying more property taxes on their homes under these amendments.

Tax shift could eliminate jobs, hamper recovery

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, AJR-24/SJR-7 would have increased 2008(09) business property taxes by more than $200 million, the equivalent of 4,024 medium wage jobs. Increasing businesses’ property taxes when many are struggling to meet their payrolls could result in more business failures and job losses. This would tend to slow our recovery rate and reduce the impact of the Governor’s jobs initiatives.

Agricultural property taxes would increase

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau AJR-24/SJR-7 would have increased taxes on undeveloped, forest and agricultural forest land by 23.8% in 2008(09). This could lead to abandonment of thousands of acres and hundreds of farmsteads due to inability to pay taxes on their woodlands.

Homeowners’ taxes subject to Legislature’s whims

AJR-8 would allow future Legislatures to tax homeowners more or less from year-to-year. When school and local government spending increases more than state revenues, the Legislature could increase instead of lowering taxes on principal residences – the main source of property tax revenue - to help schools and local governments fill their revenue/spending gap.

Rep. Garthwaite campaigned on a similar tax shift scheme in the last election that he called HOPE so I expect that he will support the Governor on this plan. A quick search of the legislature's website seems to confirm this. Rep. Garthwaite is a lead author of AJR 24, the bill to increase property taxes on farmers, renters, and small businesses in order to subsidize others.