THE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA

"At the risk of sounding disagreeable, it's hard to find an "honest difference of opinion" on ideology that explains a paragraph like this one in Gov. Walker's new bill, spotted by my eagle-eyed pal Mike Konczal: "... 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 ... 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 ..."

This allows the governor to bypass regulators and legislators and sell the state's power plants, built with millions in taxpayer money to anybody he likes. This paragraph goes on to say that " any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project." The governor can give these plants away if he wants, and nobody can stop him.

Cui bono? Who could possibly benefit from giving the governor the ability to sell the state's "heating, cooling, and power plants" (there are 32 of them), or "contract with a private entity" to operate them, without a bid process or any regulatory oversight?

Let's see now: Wisconsin has nearly one million natural gas customers, so it would presumably be a company that "provides consulting, engineering, design, procurement, fabrication and construction services for the natural gas and gas processing industries worldwide" and has "been the general contractor on some of the largest natural gas plants built in the U.S." And since there are a number of coal-fired plants on the state's list, our corporation would need to be a "leading supplier of coal and related products typically used in industrial applications or to generate electricity."

Those quotes were taken from the website of Koch Industries, the company whose owners are bankrolling a little-known group that's behind initiatives like Walker's budget proposal.

Of course, the winning candidate doesn't have to be Koch Industries. Kris Broughton at BigThinkThinkEnergy says it "eliminates the waste of energy and money in facilities through a blend of Supply-Side and Demand-Side energy management measures," and they've placed a hiring ad that reads "Energy client is looking for experienced Plant Managers for multiple power plants located in Wisconsin." found anothe candidate.

The real issue isn't whether Koch Industries gets the deal to operate Wisconsin's power plants. Somebody will - and the assets built by Wisconsin taxpayers (including the public employees now under assault) will undoubtedly be given to the private sector at very favorable rates. It will be one more step in the Great American Giveaway -- the seizure of public resources by the private sector."

The above is an excerpt from "The War Against the Republic: The Battle of Madison" by Richard Eskow.

I believe what Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to do is, or should be illegal. Certainly it is unethical.

If you're reading this post, please, please, please wake up! Wake your neighbors up! You cannot allow these politicians who are bought and paid for by the 1-10% of the population (who control the majority of the wealth and income in this nation) to destroy the American Dream for the rest of us.

In Ohio, Governor Kasich is trying to push Ohio Senate bill 5; however, all the Republican governors' agendas are the same - bust the unions.

Call or fax or write or email your representatives and tell them you are against their anti-union bills.

Please be aware that when you're talking about teacher's unions .. you are talking about women who are the majority of teachers. The Republican agenda is very much anti-woman and *anti-women's rights. (update: the House did indeed vote to defund Planned Parenthood, and attack Title X. The battle against a woman's rights now rages in the U.S. Senate, and in conservative legislatures across the Unite States)

Click to contact:

Your Ohio state representative

Your representative in Congress

Read:

*Blog for Choice | Ohio Bill Would Eliminate a Woman's Right to Choose Before She Even Knows She's Pregnant

SCROOGE AND MARLEY INC. - THE TRUE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA by Thom Hartmann

AVERAGE AMERICANS ARE TIRED OF PAYING FOR THE MISTAKES AND GREED OF THE WEALTHY

Koch Brothers Behind Wisconsin Effort To Kill Public Unions - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - Forbes (February 18, 2011

WALKER PUNKED BY KOCH IMPERSONATOR

Anti-Abortion Georgia Lawmaker Proposes Law That Would Criminalize Miscarriages by Jason Linkins, February 23, 2011