According to Wisconsin campaign finance filings, Walker's gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. That donation was his campaign's second-highest, behind $43,125 in contributions from housing and realtor groups in Wisconsin. The Koch's PAC also helped Walker via a familiar and much-used political maneuver designed to allow donors to skirt campaign finance limits. The PAC gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which in turn spent $65,000 on independent expenditures to support Walker. The RGA also spent a whopping $3.4 million on TV ads and mailers attacking Walker's opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walker ended up beating Barrett by 5 points. The Koch money, no doubt, helped greatly.
Rick Ungar of Forbes picks up on this and smells a rat (actually, it should be a weasel). He finds a Think Progress article which explains why the Koch Brothers are so interested in our great state:
Why are the Koch Brothers so interested in Wisconsin? They are a major business player in the state.
This from Think Progress:
Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:This leads to a question or two. Does Scott Walker call them "Master" while he genuflects in front of them? And did the Koch Brothers keep their receipt?
Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, papermaking equipment will be automated. [...] Malach tells FOX 11 that the layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant.
You really have to wonder how long it will take for Tea Party devotees to realize just how badly they are being used.
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Great catch from thinkprogress. I had no idea the Koch brothers had so pillaged Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteYou should look up the history of the paper plant now owned by the Koch brothers.
ReplyDeleteYou'll find that it was THE lowest-paying paper plant in all of Wisconsin before GP/Koch purchased it.
And yes, automation does eliminate labor. Been going on for around 40 years. Not to worry. We'll automate "social workers" in the next 2-3 years
Now it pays even less, doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not worried daddio, I'll just get a job in the nursing home they stick you in.
dad29:
ReplyDeleteYou should do a little research on the history of the paper industry in Green Bay. Once again you are spouting off without any facts. The Koch family owns 2 mills in GB, one the old American Can plant that is union, the other is the former Fort Howard plant, which was never union. The workers at the Fort enjoyed similar pay and benefits as those at the union plants in GB. That was because there were options available to them, like going to a union plant with better pay and benefits. This union busting foray by the right is just the tip of the iceberg. If allowed to proceed, wages will spiral downward because there will be no alternatives for a worker to improve their lot.
So all you mill workers that voted for Walker, will your mill be the first to only pay minimum wage?
Don't be to sure of even minimum wage, after all Koch is against minimum wage and what Koch wants Koch buys
ReplyDelete