tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post8474585972458428374..comments2024-02-20T19:58:27.733-06:00Comments on Jake's Wisconsin Funhouse: This weekend in WisGOP corruption pt. 1- WEDC and JD1Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-29182411678912844042015-08-03T23:09:21.931-05:002015-08-03T23:09:21.931-05:00Jake, there's another layer (of course) to rem...Jake, there's another layer (of course) to removing legislators from the WEDC board.<br /><br />The LAB can't speak publicly about the audit until after there's a Joint Leg. Audit Committee hearing. WIGOP (co-chairs Cowles and Kerkman) dragged their feet as long as they could and only last week scheduled a Hearing for Sept 2. Then within 48 hrs of the hearing being scheduled, Gudex/Hutton roll this out.<br /><br />Because LAB is muzzled until a Hearing, they weren't present at either the 6/30 WEDC Audit Committee meeting or the 7/20 WEDC Board meeting. The only people "officially" answering questions about the audit so far have been WEDC staff (mostly Chief Counsel Hannah Renfro). They've downplayed and dismissed just about everything in the audit, straight up lied about some of the recommendations, and called LAB "misleading." And everybody but Barca and Lassa have just gone along for the ride.<br /><br />The first WEDC Board meeting at which LAB will be able to talk about the audit and answer questions from board members will be in October. Gudex/Hutton are trying to pass their bill in time for that meeting. They don't want Barca or Lassa there asking tough questions about the audit and getting unflattering answers (on video). This is stage-managing for Walker '16 as much as anything else.<br /><br />If you watch WEDC meetings, it's pretty obvious that Barca and Lassa are the only ones actually reading the audits/reports/etc and doing any follow-up. I'll be overly-charitable and presume it's because the captains of industry on the WEDC board have bigger fish to fry in their private-sector lives and just want the meetings to wrap up as quickly as possible; but I'm sure at least some of them are politically motivated. The private sector board members just act like cheerleaders and accept anything WEDC staff says or suggests uncritically. It's telling that when they talk about WEDC's role the analogy they use most often is of a bank, ignoring the critical difference that banks aren't government bodies and aren't handing out tax dollars.lufthasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10874075983022034896noreply@blogger.com