Little-Noticed Provision In Walker's Bill Could Reap Huge Gains For Koch Industries

[midnight]

Source: The Huffington Post


Today 10:43 AM Little-Noticed Provision In Walker's Bill Could Reap Huge Gains For Koch Industries
The Huffington Post's Amanda Terkel reports:

While there has been significant attention devoted to the fact that Walker's 144-page budget repair bill would strip away collective bargaining rights for public employees, the site "Rortybomb" points out a less noticed provision that would allow the state to sell or contract out any state-owned energy asset in no-bid deals with private corporations. From the legislation (emphasis added):

16.896 Sale or contractual operation of state−owned heating, cooling, and power plants. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state−owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).
It's unclear what "the best interest of the state" is.

But if this deal goes through, one of the companies that could stand to benefit significantly is Koch Industries. Koch already has several companies in the state, including a coal subsidiary, timber plants and a large network of pipelines.



The Koch-funded group Americans for Prosperity has also been standing with Walker throughout his budget battles, busing in Tea Party activists and launching the site, Stand With Walker. After the election, Walker and other Republican governors received guidance from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group that is also funded by Koch dollars and has pushed anti-union measures.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/scott-walker-wisconsin-budget-protests_n_826021.html#113_littlenoticed-provision-in-walkers-bill-could-reap-huge-gains-for-koch-industries

---

It is becoming clearer everyday that Scott Walker is not serving the people of Wisconsin, but the the Koch corporation....

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[DebJ]

2. No bid, huh? So they bid with bribes instead.........

[DebJ]

3. Hope Rachel sees this.

[progressoid]

43. Hope the M$Media sees this.

But even if they do notice, it's doubtful they would do anything about it.

[Enthusiast]

60. Just like they did in Iraq.

This is what they accomplished when they stole the 2000 election.

[whathappened]

92. all these new govenors

must have been issued bushes book for dummies and how to cheat and steal from the tax payers , hang em all by the thumbs

[aquart]

4. They can't recall the crook. Can they impeach him?

[Jackpine Radical]

19. With a Republican legislature?

YOu're kidding, right?

[PatrynXX]

23. No. not kidding...

put enough pressure on the other state GOP and they might or face the shit hitting the fan. Always count on one thing with Republicans. pointing the finger other than themselves.

[harun]

5. GOP = Corruption.

[aquart]

6. Uh, when we've been in power a long time....

We ain't adorable.

[unblock]

10. yeah, but when we do it, we're ashamed of it. they made it into their official philosophy.

[No Elephants]

7. "any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state." Including $1.

Not even fair market value, loosey goosey though even that is.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. Exactly.

[FreakinDJ]

8. No Bid Sale = Coruption

[lark]

94. Hey, it's the Repug way

Cut out all the money for the working class and hand it over to the rich. Of course, the rich don't have to follow stds. or laws or help the state, they just get richer from money they got the various governments to send their way from our pockets. Of course, I'm guessing that some of that money makes it way back to the legislators pockets from the unlimited corporate sources.

[mzteris]

9. god he looks like a monkey -

just like George W. Bush...

[Enthusiast]

61. It is no coincidence

that he reminds you of Bush.

[TomClash]

11. The Shock Doctrine

Or with Scott Walker, more like the Schlock Doctrine.

[Auggie]

93. My first and only thought -- a classic example too!

Klein will have to write another book

[toddaa]

12. No bid? Is this another Enron in the making?

Anybody remember the summer before the Enron implosion in California. The Koch Brothers are going to hold Wisconsin hostage. Walker will compromise on collective bargaining and this little nugget will slip through, just in time for the summer heat wave.

It's like John Cole epic rant over the HBGary emails states so succinctly. We are a banana republic, the game is rigged, and there really isn't any point in holding elections anymore.

[aquart]

68. Nice of you to give up in advance.

Makes it so much easier for them.

[toddaa]

73. Gave up long ago

The only reason I show up is to get one of those stupid "I Voted!" stickers. Seriously, though, when Jamie Dimon is behind bars, I might consider voting to be bit more than theater. I really don't know how much easier they can have it and no matter how many elections we have isn't going to change the fact that this country is a corporatocracy and the Constitutional window dressing is being boxed up and put in storage.

I have voted in presidential and gubenatorial election since I turned 18, plus plenty of local and school elections. And I will continue to do so, but I am not going to delude myself into thinking you or I or anybody not in the top 2% income bracket are doing anything more than picking puppets for the owners of this country to give orders to.

[davekriss]

108. Give up in advance?

Some of us have been fighting the spread of friendly fascism for 30 years. However, like you, I am not willing to say the battle is over.

[guruoo]

13. Conservatives hate guv'ment, but they sure love them guv'ment no-bid contracts

:rofl:

[goforit]

14. OMG!! If Egypt, Tunisia, and Lybia can throw dictators out,

Can't Wisconsin throw a friggin Dictatorial govenor out much less the Koch family???

[midnight]

40. That Koch family is like an octopus... They must own Walker...

[cognoscere]

98. Actually, they can, and it wouldn't take much effort.

I keep hearing how we (WI) are making history. That is a big maybe, given who controls the media. BUT...if every one of the people who were in Madison protesting got ten signatures on a recall petition come next year, Walker would be toast. I think if the idea that all those people were going to try that, thousands more across the state would join in also. THEN...all those who signed could get that asshole Paul Ryan out of the U.S. Congress and send Ron Johnson back home to play with his johnson. After that, clean out the state legislature and watch how quickly the other 49 states realize how they too can get rid of the cancer known as Republicans. Now that would be history. Could it happen? Of course. Will it happen? Hard to tell. One can only hope and do whatever one can to help the cause.

[pansypoo53219]

15. scum walker was fond

of selling milwaukee county assets too. why not the state.

[burrowowl]

16. K&R

[Sabriel]

17. I can't wait for the heating plant outside my office window to be sold

I can't wait for the new owner to jack up the rates.
I can't wait for the new owner to avoid updating the scrubbers and other environmental controls.

I can't wait for 2012, when I can work on recalling this looter.

[texshelters]

18. For some reason

I can't recommend this, but I would.

Thanks.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[elocs]

20. What is the pronunciation of "Koch"? TIA n/t

[midnight]

27. Say it with the ch and not k sound....

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[shanti]

44. just like

boehner = boner. these people deserve NO respect.

[JDPriestly]

53. Koch is the German work for cook.

I have heard it pronounced on the radio to rhyme with crotch, but in German it is Koch -- long o and ch is a gutteral sound, not a sh sound. Koch and then a kind of quite cough for the ch. That is the best way that I can describe the German ch, and I realize that is not very understandable to an American.

[RedCloud]

76. As in "the books are Koched!"

[JDPriestly]

91. Great catch!!!

[tsuki]

70. Rachel said it was pronounced 'coke'. nt

[elocs]

77. Well, so far it is pronounced like "cook", "coke", or to rhyme with "crotch".

This is really as bad as getting a definitive pronunciation of "Iraq".

I read the name "Koch" here a lot, but I'm not sure if I have heard the name which probably can be pronounced different ways.

[Name removed]

87. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Evoman]

101. German...you say the Ko like kaw and the ch like your getting

mucus to spit a loogey. Which, incidently, you should do whenever you encounter a Koch brother.

[Overseas]

21. Walker should be impeached for his conflict of interest in imposing momentous debt

upon Wisconsin so soon after taking office.

And he's a clear cut union buster-- a non-negotiating bully who seems to prefer dictatorship.

I hope he and his ilk can be stopped.

[gristy]

22. I'm rec'ingevery thread on this

:mad:

[bhikkhu]

25. Of course there had to be a pay-off

I hope the koch bro's are watching what is happening to their types in Africa recently - they've got to realize their future is getting dimmer.

[madrchsod]

26. wisconsin state journal had this selling off the power plants story.....

at least two weeks ago. it`s interesting how wisconsin made the nation and the world to focus and expose the right wing`s attempt to destroy the unions and buy up the people`s property in wisconsin and other states.

hopefully the next state,ohio?,will get the same coverage

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

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[midnight]

50. Touche!

[Vidar]

29. K&R.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[femrap]

37. ...

:spray: :rofl: :yourock:

[whirlygigspin]

31. find or create an action near you

This seems to be picking up steam...another freeloading company wants the government to hand them billions while shifting all the burden onto working people...I say fuck that noise.

"Enjoying record profits and taxpayer-funded bailouts as the economy slowly recovers from a financial crisis, nearly two-thirds of US corporations don't pay any income taxes, instead opting to abuse tax loopholes and offshore tax havens. According to this study from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, 83 of the top 100 publicly traded corporations that operate in the US exploit corporate tax havens."

"Since 2009, America’s most profitable companies such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, Bank of America and Citigroup all paid a grand total of $0 in federal income taxes to Uncle Sam."

"Tax havens alone account for up to $1 trillion in tax revenue lost every decade, money that could be invested in K-12 education, colleges, public health, job creation and hundreds of other worthy public programs."

If we pay our taxes, why don’t they? If corporations profit here, shouldn't they pay here?

It’s time for ordinary Americans to fight back and demand an end to the corporate tax avoidance.

Join US Uncut and together let's make corporate tax avoiders pay.

US Uncut is a horizontal movement. There are no centrally planned protests.

If you want one in your town or city, you'll have to take it on yourself."

go to: http://www.usuncut.org/ for more information

US Uncut
List of actions so far

Sun Aug 26th 2012
Tampa, Florida
Fri Apr 15th 2011
La Grande, OR
Tue Mar 15th 2011
Lansing
Nashville Tn
Sat Mar 5th 2011
Nashville Tn
Wed Mar 2nd 2011
Berkeley, CA
Sat Feb 26th 2011
Boca Raton, FL
Boston, Ma
Charleston, WV
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Dallas/Fort Worth Texas
Denver/Boulder, Co
Eugene, OR
Honolulu
Jackson, Mississippi
Kansas City, MO
Lansing mi
Los Angeles, CA
Monterey, CA
New York City
Oakland/San Francisco
Online Anywhere
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, Maine
Portland, OR
Poughkeepsie
Red Bank, New Jersey
Red Bank, NJ
Sacramento, California
Santa Ana, CA
Seattle, WA
St. Paul
Utica, New York
Washington D.C.

Fri Feb 25th 2011
Butler, PA
Tue Feb 22nd 2011
Bellevue, WA
Columbus, OH
Santa Fe, New Mexico

[midnight]

51. "another freeloading company wants the government to hand them billions while shifting all the

burden onto working people...I say fuck that noise. " I agree and think your sentiment should be repeated.... Koch... "another freeloading company"

[whathappened]

110. there paying there stock holders

there stockholders and there high management are to be paid first , to mantain this flow of money , the working class must give up there share , i can't smell america anywhere in corperate goverment rulers

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Art_from_Ark]

33. The plot sickens

No wonder the governor wants to ram his legislation through

[nolabear]

35. Welcome to the information age, boys. You just can't pillage like you used to.

This is getting more interesting by the minute.

[roxiejules]

38. Koch controls transportation fuel in Wisconsin

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x589639


An unknown amount of company profits — figures are unavailable as the company is privately held — come from the Pine Bend Refinery near St. Paul, Minnesota, which supplies 30 to 40 percent of Wisconsin's transportation fuel and a large percentage of the jet fuel used at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

[midnight]

39. Thanks for this link... A reason Walker gave away a federally funded High speed rail system...

What an oily deal....

[donquijoterocket]

96. that and

Should such a rail link prove to be successful and popular it's a standing highly visible rebuke and rebuttal of all the repugs say they stand for; that government does not work cannot create or innovate or produce jobs.You couldn't have such a symbol in your state, and it's so European.Quite likely the bros. helped squelch the deal.Maybe in Florida as well where their criminal governor has done the same thing.

[Enthusiast]

62. No wonder they oppose high speed rail.

It takes Tea Party freedumb to be taken advantage of in this fashion.

[plumbob]

41. So he's a no-good corporate suckoff artist instead of just a harebrained

idealogue?

What a shock!

I sincerely hope that Koch and the guvnor get all that they deserve and quickly!

[Enthusiast]

63. Yeah, what a shock! nt

[defendandprotect]

42. K/R -- Koch Bros = corruption --

[Enthusiast]

64. I bet they were tight with

Ken Lay.

[BadGimp]

45. I call it "The Koch Kiss"

as in a big giant wet kiss on the lips for the Koch Brothers

[russspeakeasy]

46. Where is our leader on this????

[glinda]

48. Yeppers. Dems are totally mute from the White House.

[Enthusiast]

66. He works for THEM.......nt

[Enthusiast]

65. Yeah, where? nt

[Firebrand Gary]

47. What the Fuck??? Why is this not on every news channel on every station (Faux excluded)

So apparently it's ok for the private industries to spend untold amounts on elections so that once their "preferred" candidate is sworn in they can sell state assets back to their campaign donors? Just what we need, ARRRRR

[Kablooie]

54. That's the whole problem. This should become a national scandal.

But no one but a small group of progressives will ever hear it.
All the notable sources of public information are controlled by the scandal mongers.

[truedelphi]

56. I am already seeing the troll-written Letters to the Editors

About how a mob is trying to run the governing of the state of WI.

But what to do? After all, the same people that are organizing the trolls writing the letters also control the media.

[Kablooie]

57. He who controls the media controls the country.

And it ain't us, dagnabbit.

[Stalwart]

95. Its the Money that Controls the Media

He who controls the money controls the country.

Channeling Jefferson

We gave control of out money to the bankers. It is all debt money. We owned it, Constitution says so.

We must take it back and make it asset money. No fractional banking.

The cry is: There is no money! Wrong. There is money when it is asset money created by the government, not banks and spent into the economy.

When we fix that we fix things like what is happening in Wisconsin.

[DissedByBush]

72. We're all busy watching the protests

Nice diversion.

[Plucketeer]

49. What country would you wager that the Kock bros.

will exile to???

[dreamnightwind]

52. None

They'll probably end up running this one, unless we find a way to stop them.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

55. off with their heads ?

America is not yet ready for a French style revolution, but will "The Greedy" be able to stop themselves before they drive us to it?

[LawnKorn]

58. Instead of their heads, how about selective use of the income tax code and "Off with their money"

Hit the Koch brothers with a wind fall profits tax on no bid contracts with state governments selling assets.

[Enthusiast]

59. Yet Teabaggers still support

Walker. They support him even though he wants to allow the state to sell or contract out any state-owned energy assets in NO-BID DEALS with private corporations. This is insane! The Tea Party supports this theft!

The Tea Party is no grass roots movement. It was created entirely by 'Freedom Works' and the Koch Brothers for the sole purpose of supporting corporate thievery. That is not to say that many of the Tea Dummies are aware of it.

[spicegal]

67. Obviously the Koch brothers have bought themselves a

governor and are reaping the benefits. And here come those no bid contracts with certain private corporations, no doubt the corporations who donate the most to the governor's campaign coffers. This stuff should be illegal.

[myrna minx]

69. They are a seemingly never ending source of evil, aren't they.

:puke:

[rosesaylavee]

71. I think more than a few people have noticed it now.

K and R.

[Horse with no Name]

74. So that is the poison pill

Collective bargaining is just the ruse to keep everyone distracted as well as being the cherry on top.

[Major Hogwash]

75. Walker is trying to give away electric companies built and paid for by the taxpayers!!

Great balls of fire, he's nuts!!
He didn't campaign on this idea!!!

[Kingofalldems]

78. K and R for the idiot freepers and teabaggers--Koch's water boys

[bluecoat_fan]

79. kick

[LynneSin]

80. Can we hold Walker intact until they are able to recall him

I'll tell you this much, Scott Walker is only hurting the tea party and their candidates. 2010 alot of voters gave Tea Party backed candidates a chance to prove themselves in office and now we know - they are not good people. None of these Tea Party candidates will do anything to benefit the states that the represent - they are all about paying back the rich people that got them in office, like the Koch Brothers.

[KansDem]

81. Well, there you have it...

It's not about state budgets after all. It's about the wealthy scamming more wealth.

I wonder if this will be reported by the MoneyMedia?

[drm604]

82. Of course.

And taking away the collective bargaining rights keeps the unions from striking when it appears that they or their union brothers' and sisters' jobs and futures are being sold stolen out from under them. It all fits together.

[marias23]

83. Say NO to Kochs Send Money to Wisconsin

I have just had eye surgery for a torn retina and can barely see out of my other eye but I am getting this email out as the issues in Wisconsin are too important.

If the governor there succeeds, the union movement is the US is over. Not surprisingly, the other side is being financed by the Koch bros. We must counteract their power. Here is where to send money:


http://www.actblue.com/page/heroesinwisconsin

Read NY TIMES ON KOCH BROS SUPPORT

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html?_r=2&ref=politics

[Uncle Joe]

84. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, midnight.

[Maineman]

85. Americans for Prosperity should be called Prosperity for Billionaires

[Dustlawyer]

86. We have a Shadow Government at all levels!

[sulphurdunn]

88. The stenographers at the NYT

just ran this masterpiece of false equivalency. The relevant section is where the Koch stooges claim no financial interest for the brothers in the outcome of the battle and are dutifully quoted without question.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html?_r=1&ref=politics

[MJJP21]

89. Hopefully

Hopefully this bit of info will be getting into the media not only in Wisconsin but elsewhere as well. Always follow the money.

[Love Bug]

90. Why are we NOT surprised? "Follow the money..."

[bobthedrummer]

97. Here are a couple more things about what this "budget repair" dagger into the rights of all of us

entails.
Our secret society member Attorney General Van Hollen has declared "Obamacare" dead in Wisconsin no matter what happens anywhere else in the universe. There are provisions to modify/end Medicare indeed in Gauleiter Walker's proposed bill.

Walker is following the advice of his inner circle, many former Tommy Thompson cohorts.

When Tommy Thompson was picked as BUSH/CHENEY's SecHHS TT named Rubin Jose King Shaw Jr. to head Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services/CMS.

King Shaw Jr. moved from TT's DHHS to the private sector-Well Care.

Well Care charged with fraud (started 5-6-09 by seafan)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3864633

EDS of Plano, Texas has/had the Wisconsin Medicare/Medicaid account. RICHARD BRUCE CHENEY was on the Board of Directors of EDS.

I'm thankful that my organized Wisconsin teachers and professors taught me how to research!

K&R

[bobthedrummer]

111. kick

[Stalwart]

99. Power Plant Manager Wanted

Interviewing for a plant manager already.

http://www.thinkenergygroup.com/think.nsf/J/84239?Opendocument

[Vogon_Glory]

100. TEA-Publican Legislation: Cui bono?

Cui bono--'Who benefits?'. One of the lessons people are learning anew in Wisconsin and in other states is whenever a TEApublican" proposals so-called "tax-saving" and "budget-cutting" legislation, likely as not his or her campaign contributors are likely to benefit. Wisconsin s 196.49 (3) (b) is just one example of a barrage of right-wing legislation that includes such 'gems' as health care reform repeal (benefits the insurance companies), Arizona's SB 1070 (Benefits private prisons), budget cuts to securities regulators (Benefits the banksters).

PT Barnum WAS right. There's a sucker born every minute. What he didn't know is that these days they seem to overwhelmingly vote TEA Party / Republican.

:argh:

:dem:

[Little Star]

102. k&r

[JohnWxy]

103. RECOMMENDED. Information you won't hear on Corporate media.

[ieoeja]

104. The perpetrators of the Teapot Dome Scandal would only look at this and think...

... "why didn't we just make it LEGAL to steal government owned assets?!?"


Absolutely no difference between the two except that a hundred years ago they tried to do it secretly instead of making it legal. But that is the new country we live in now. They could sell a power plant for a dollar claiming it would increase competition thus driving down costs in "the best interest of the state," and a whole chorus of useful idiots would cheer and defend the theft.

[mvd]

105. K&R

Only at DU have I heard this come out. :kick:

[babsbunny]

106. I miss Keith Olbermann!

[soryang]

107. Isn't Ohio doing something very similar to this?

I heard that the State of Ohio was trying to pass legislation to sell off oil and gas leaseholds on state land for what sounded like ridiculously low royalty rates. The polution risk to Ohio's state parks and aquifer by fracking was ridiculously downplayed by the industry spokesman.

[TxVietVet]

109. Here's more.

http://www.theawl.com/2011/02/wisconsins-war-on-unions-coming-soon-to-a-town-near-you

Gov. Wanker wants to screw them bad in Wisconsin. I see he wants to continue his attack on county workers in Milwaukee County.

employees…"

The highlights:

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Make various changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages. Total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on the CPI unless approved by referendum. Contracts would be limited to one year and wages would be frozen until a new contract is settled. Collective bargaining units are required to take annual votes to maintain certification as a union. Employers would be prohibited from collecting union dues and members of collective bargaining units would not be required to pay dues. Changes effective upon expiration of existing contracts. Law enforcement, fire employees and state troopers and inspectors would be exempt from the changes.

STATE EMPLOYEE ABSENCES AND OTHER WORK ACTIONS. Authorizes appointing agencies to terminate any employees that are absent for three days without approval of the employer or any employees participating in an organized action to stop or slow work if the governor has declared a state of emergency.

QUALITY HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY. Repeals the authority of home health care workers under the Medicaid program to collectively bargain.

CHILD CARE LABOR RELATIONS. Repeals the authority of family child care workers to collectively bargain with the state.

UW HOSPITALS AND CLINICS BOARD AND AUTHORITY. Repeals collective bargaining for UWHC employees. State positions currently employed by the UWHC are eliminated and incumbents are transferred to the UWHC Authority.

UW FACULTY AND ACADEMIC STAFF. Repeals authority of UW faculty and academic staff to collectively bargain.

Authorizes DOA to sell state heating plants, with the net proceeds deposited in the budget stabilization fund.

PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS. Require that employees of WRS employers and the City and County of Milwaukee contribute 50% of the annual pension payment. The payment amount for WRS employees is estimated to be 5.8% of salary in 2011.

HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS. Requires state employees to pay at least 12.6% of the average cost of annual premiums



Gov. Wanker is like a bad dose of clap. He just won't go away and stop hurting them in Milwaukee County.

[bobthedrummer]

112. And the Fitzgerald Republicans clan headed Wisconsin State Troopers are actively seeking the

Wisconsin 14-similar to some of the historic roles of Praetorian Guards, Gestapo, SAVAK etc.