Scott Walker has sought to avoid responsibility and accountability for his flagrantly corrupt Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. His people had hoped that by dumping the news last Friday it would all just go away. It is not going away.
First, if you're new to this particular Walker scandal trail, see these diaries from the last several weeks (and thanks to all the diarists):
Can we get a Federal Investigation into Walker's WEDC?
Smoking gun for Walker's WEDC? A Timeline.
Scott Walker Fired as Chair of His Own Job Creation Agency
A few dozen other WEDC awards worth a second look
Sketchy WEDC Awards, vol. 2 - Underwriting Boogaloo
Then, about last Friday's news:
Scott Walker's jobs agency improperly gave out $124 mil of taxpayer $
Chicago Tribune picks up big Walker corruption story w/ UPDATE
Today state Democratic leaders called on the WEDC CEO to resign:
On Wednesday, Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) and Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), both members of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Board of Directors, called on WEDC CEO Reed Hall to step down.
Also on Wednesday, Rep. Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire) echoed their call and shared their concerns about the long-troubled agency.
"The true measure of a leader is not how they perform under perfect conditions, but how they conduct themselves when dealing with a crisis,” said Wachs. “And as anyone who’s not paid to protect Governor Walker and Reed Hall will admit, WEDC in in a crisis. WEDC has stumbled through one misstep after another, and while I’m not confident new leadership will solve all the agency’s problems, nearly three years of continual violations of internal controls, policies and procedures show the need for a competent hand at the helm.”
State Senator Jon Erpenbach (thanks to Jon, my state senator!) also opined in the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
We have now discovered that in WEDC's first 15 months, 27 awards for a total of $124.3 million were put forth without a formal review of the deals by underwriters. This true lack of accountability and transparency lies squarely with the governor.
Unfortunately, in Walker's budget he did not propose increasing accountability and transparency in how taxpayer money was spent; he did the opposite. Walker's budget proposed exempting WEDC further from Wisconsin's open records law, which would only make it harder to find out the truth about failed accountability.
The apologists are in full damage control mode. Three of the WEDC directors (including former U.S. Congressman Scott Klug)
do their best to cover up the stench...:
Although WEDC has enjoyed great success in the marketplace, as board members, we are well aware and sensitive to the fact that the transition and journey of WEDC has not always been smooth, and we continue to hone our oversight and processes.
...[A]nd while there has been much focus on missteps, there has been little commentary or recognition of the many improvements in transparency, accountability, efficiencies and performance metrics over past structure & practice....
...and promptly get blasted in the comments:
In what world is awarding $124 million with NO underwriting of any kind an improvement in accountability?
EDC started by giving away $80 million in loans and grants without ever knowing where the money went, or on what if any terms it would be paid back. It never has been accounted for. Lisa Mauer, Dan Ariens and Scott Klug call that transparent? The 'transparency' continued with WEDC giving away $124 million in loans and grants to companies without any vetting at all, although there is for sure a connection to Walker campaign donors. $500 thousand to a 'virtual' company that promised to build a vertical take-off and landing plane, but only after putting $10 thousand into Walker's campaign trough. Seriously.
All while Scott Walker parachutes into Wisconsin, signs a bill into law that
eases gun regulations,
argues with his own Republican legislators over the
"crap" state budget, and
blames Nikki Haley for his weaseling around the confederate flag issue.
Oh, and Wisconsin lost 6100 private sector jobs in May. But no one noticed because of all the other fine news....