Who’s Really Behind Recent Republican Legislation in Wisconsin and Elsewhere?

[babsbunny]

Who’s Really Behind Recent Republican Legislation in Wisconsin and Elsewhere? (Hint: It Didn’t Start Here)

http://scholarcitizen.williamcronon.net/2011/03/15/alec/

March 15, 2011
A Study Guide for Those Wishing to Know More


After watching the sudden and impressively well-organized wave of legislation being introduced into state legislatures that all seem to be pursuing parallel goals only tangentially related to current fiscal challenges–ending collective bargaining rights for public employees, requiring photo IDs at the ballot box, rolling back environmental protections, privileging property rights over civil rights, and so on–I’ve found myself wondering where all of this legislation is coming from.
The Walker-Koch Prank Phone Call Reveals A Lot, But Not Nearly Enough

The prank phone call that Governor Scott Walker unhesitatingly accepted from a blogger purporting to be billionaire conservative donor David Koch has received lots of airplay, and it certainly demonstrates that the governor is accustomed to having conversations with deep-pocketed folks who support his cause. If you’ve not actually seen the transcript, it’s worth a careful reading, and is accessible here:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/article_531276b6-3f6a-11e0-b288-001cc4c002e0.html

But even though I’m more than prepared to believe that David and Charles Koch have provided large amounts of money to help fund the conservative flood tide that is sweeping through state legislatures right now, I just don’t find it plausible that two brothers from Wichita, Kansas, no matter how wealthy, can be responsible for this explosion of radical conservative legislation. It also goes without saying that Scott Walker cannot be single-handedly responsible for what we’re seeing either; I wouldn’t believe that even for Wisconsin, let alone for so many other states. The governor clearly welcomes the national media attention he’s receiving as a spear-carrier for the movement. But he’s surely not the architect of that movement.

So…who is?

[Keith Bee]

1. The Freemasons

Open your eyes, man!

[notadmblnd]

2. Koch via ALEC is a start.

I posted this in a thread yesterday. Here's what I posted and the link to yesterdays thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x753636


they even provide model legislation.

http://www.alec.org/am/pdf/tax/Budget_toolkit.pdf


Recommendation: Adopt a state hiring freeze encompassing
all departments.

Recommendation: Everything should be on the table,
including changes in benefits and increased employee
contribution rates, as well as employer contribution
rates. Most importantly, states should consider replacing
their defined-benefit plans with defined-contribution
(401k style) plans for new employees.

Recommendation: Freeze defined-benefit OPEB
plans, and replace them with defined-contribution plans
for new employees. One approach is to offer optional
participation in Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for state
workers. Indiana’s experience has been highly successful,
with 70 percent of state workers choosing the HSA
plans—with Indiana’s taxpayers saving millions in the
process.

Recommendation: Create a tracking system whereby
any position that is vacant for more than six months
is eliminated.

Recommendation: Policymakers should delay automatic
pay increases for state employees until the rising
costs of government are brought under control.
Recommendation: Lawmakers can improve the
performance of state agencies by implementing activity-
based costing.

Recommendation: States should create a permanent
sunset review commission to recommend ways the
state can cut costs, reduce waste, and improve efficiency
and service levels.

Recommendation: The state auditor (or similar position)
should be given the authority to conduct regular,
comprehensive performance audits of state agencies.

Recommendation: States should give authority to
independent firms to conduct regular, comprehensive
recovery audits of state agencies.

Recommendation: Increase the use of privatization
and competitive contracting to execute tasks to lower
costs and improve the quality of service provided.
Recommendation: Pass legislation creating a Florida-
style “center of excellence” on privatization and competitive
contracting.

Recommendation: States should prepare comprehensive
asset inventories—updated continually on an
ongoing basis to ensure currency and accuracy—and
commission a review to categorize all state-owned property
and identify asset divestiture and realignment opportunities.

Recommendation: Develop a program (or programs)
for state employees to allow them to be rewarded
for savings generated by new innovations or re-engineering
of existing business practices.

[KansDem]

3. This says it all...

Recommendation: Increase the use of privatization
and competitive contracting to execute tasks to lower
costs and improve the quality of service provided.

It's all about turning public services (including government) over to private corporations. And like "trickle down" economics, "lower costs" and "improved quality of service" will not happen...

[notadmblnd]

5. I like the one that recommends an immediate hiring freeze

then the one further down that recommends that if a position isn't filled in 6 months, the it should be eliminated. Also too (couldn't help myself there), I've never know anything to be cheaper when it was contracted out.

[Deep13]

4. I can only guess who is behind it.

[calimary]

6. Kicking this, too!

KNOW THINE ENEMY -

The better to destabilize and DEFEAT!!!!

:nuke:

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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