Money & Politics

Bob Ziegelbauer wants to make it clear he’s not placing himself above his fellow state lawmakers: “I don’t want to be judgmental and say, ‘all these other guys, they’re just money grubbers.’” That’s not his point at all. Ziegelbauer, the lone independent among the Wisconsin Legislature’s 132 members, says raising money has never been a big factor in his political career, which spans three decades. The state Assembly representative from Manitowoc, who also serves as Manitowoc County executive, has always run modest campaigns that are largely self-financed. In the 2010 election, his first as an independent, Ziegelbauer raised and spent…

Michael Gableman, the Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, has been drawing flak over revelations that he received free legal help in an ethics case from a law firm representing clients with past and pending cases before the court. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group, has filed ethics complaints against Gableman with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission and state Government Accountability Board. Participants in ongoing redistricting cases involving the law firm, Michael Best & Friedrich, are asking that Gableman recuse himself or be disqualified. And Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne has asked the court to revisit its decision to uphold…

For Wisconsin residents, 2011 was the kind of year that helps explain why the Chinese consider “May you live in interesting times” to be a curse. Amid all of the hubbub and strife, many of us found ourselves hoping that things would get a bit less interesting. As Wisconsin was thrust into the national limelight, the intersection of money and politics became a busy place. Here are a few highlights: • During the first half of 2011, about 700 Wisconsin lobbying groups collectively reported spending $23.9 million trying to influence state law or policy. This included $7.2 million by 25…

Let no one doubt American ingenuity — especially regarding ways to pour special-interest money into the political process. In recent weeks, two conservative groups — the Madison-based John K. MacIver Institute and national Americans for Prosperity Foundation — have run three television ads praising changes in the state’s relationship with its public employees. “Wisconsin is stronger than ever, thanks to our budget reforms,” declares one ad. It says the state cut spending rather than raise taxes, asked government workers “to contribute to their own pensions and benefits … like everyone else,” and reined in “abuses of collective bargaining privileges.” The…

For a state that’s made “Open for Business” its official mantra, Wisconsin sure seems lukewarm about jobs in the highly competitive – and lucrative – field of wind energy. Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature have proposed stricter state rules regarding the siting of wind turbines, prompting several state wind farm projects to be cancelled or put on hold. Renew Wisconsin, a nonprofit group that advocates for sustainable energy, estimates this has cost the state up to 1,000 jobs and at least $1.2 billion in new investment. “Wind energy creates jobs, and Wisconsin needs jobs,” says Assembly Minority…

In line at a downtown Madison coffee shop, Scot Ross is approached by a woman who jokes that he’s becoming “the poster child for the recall.” Ross, the executive director of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, is amused by such comments. He says his group is as neutral as Switzerland on the effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker and other Republicans. “We don’t tell people how to vote,” he insists. “We don’t advocate for the election or defeat of any candidate.” Ross says One Wisconsin Now is merely playing a watchdog role, “to make sure those who want…

As Wisconsin braces for a new round of recalls, including what will likely be the costliest race for governor in state history, it’s worth remembering that what matters most is not the money but the message. Money is really just the means for delivering messages. And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s messaging machine is already revved up, especially on the critical issue of education. Consider the 30-second television ad that began airing in mid-November, as Walker’s foes launched their recall drive. “We were worried when the state budget meant there was going to be less money for our school district, and…

In four critical Wisconsin state Senate races last year, groups making independent campaign expenditures actually spent more than the candidates themselves. That jaw-dropping finding is from a report released this month by the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a Montana-based nonprofit group. The report, “Independent Spending in Wisconsin, 2010,” is part of a state-by-state series analyzing the impact of Citizens United v. FEC, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling which expanded the ability of corporations and unions to pour money into elections. In Wisconsin’s statewide elections last fall, the report found, 29 interest groups made independent expenditures totaling $9.8…

Asked to describe the connection between money and politics, Kelda Helen Roys (at left) drops one adjective, then another: “Inseparable.” “Insufferable.” As the Democratic state Assembly rep from Madison sees it, money has infiltrated every nook and cranny of politics. It keeps good people from seeking office, and it drives the agenda of those who are there. Roys even feels sorry for the donors: “I think everyone who gives money in politics wishes that they didn’t have to.” But there’s another adjective she could add to her list: Unavoidable. Roys, who is not seeking reelection to a third term next…

As Darcy Haber sees it, being a member of the Wisconsin Realtors Association is not an option; it’s a professional necessity. Otherwise, the Madison Realtor would not have access to the Multiple Listing Service, a critical industry tool for tracking properties. “I would argue that we can’t practice real estate in accordance with our ethics without it,” says Haber, a former lawyer, citing professional rules requiring licensees to stay abreast of “current market conditions.”  That’s why she’s upset that part of her past dues to the WRA have gone to groups she does not wish to support, as will an…