Scott Walker Will Unveil Budget in Front of Political Donors

In a "break from tradition" Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker just announced that he plans to unveil his two year budget at a local Madison business, rather than in a joint session of the Legislature in the State Assembly. He claims that the move is intended to highlight the commitment he made to create 250,000 jobs in Wisconsin over the next four years.

However, as a cynic, I suspect that Walker simply wants a more friendly audience for his unveiling, one that will pander to his "vision" rather than challenge the drastic cuts that will affect the lives of the majority of Wisconsinites. The unveiling is to take place at Vita Plus Corporation, in Madison. Founded in 1948, Vita Plus is an employee owned (read, "no unions allowed") livestock and animal feed supply company. Wisconsin does have a strong agricultural tradition, so I suppose if the Governor wants to conduct matters of the state at a place of business, then one rooted in agriculture might be appropriate.

It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Walker's tactics that current President and CEO of Vita Plus, Robert Tramburg, was a political donor to Walker's campaign for governor. He gave at least $500 prior to November. More importantly, however, Tramburg is on the Board of the Greater Madison Chamber of Congress, an organization not particularly known for its fondness for unions, although they were on board with the train plans. Also of note, the General Manager of Vita Plus's division SF Transport, John Every, was also a contributer to Scott Walker's campaign, but interestingly Mr. Every did not list an employer - a designation that is required by law.

Wisconsin law states that "all meetings of all state and local governmental bodies shall be publicly held in places reasonably accessible to members of the public and shall be open to all citizens at all times unless otherwise expressly provided by law.”  Wis. Stat. § 19.81(2). In his "Open Wisconsin Meetings Law Compliance Guide" from August 2010, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen states that "Although there are some exemptions allowing closed sessions in specified circumstances, they are to be invoked sparingly and only where necessary to protect the public interest." Essentially, the spirit of this set of laws is to keep government transparent. 


Given that Vita Plus is a private company, however, and is not public property, I suspect that there is no chance that Walker's meeting at their headquarters will be open to the public. Not being a Constitutional scholar like Michele Bachmann, I do not know if the presentation of a state budget would fall under the laws governing meetings of state government, but it should. 


This seems to me to be Walker's way to circumvent that possibility that pesky protestors might want to be present as he unveils his plans to gouge the majority of our citizens, while protecting corporations, big businesses, and the wealthy. He will use this private business as a comfortable shelter from the unpleasantness of the demands of his constituents. 


What a coward.