Liberal interests put free speech under attack
The free speech rights of Wisconsin business are once again under assault. This time it is not an official government action that is attempting to stifle the voice of the business community, but rather an organized campaign involving misinformation, intimidation and threats of boycott.
The effort is being spearheaded by certain Madison-based politicos, unions and other like-minded interest groups who feel that the business community, and more specifically Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, have been too effective at blocking their political and policy agendas.
Whether it is higher business taxes, more regulatory roadblocks to creating manufacturing jobs, or an activist majority on the Supreme Court, this faction has failed to convince the public to embrace its liberal agenda. They blame the business community and are now trying to silence the primary voice of the business perspective—the WMC issue advocacy program. In the Alice in Wonderland world of Madison politics, where the virtues of tolerance and diversity are considered sacred, there apparently is no room for an alternative political or policy perspective that strays from liberal orthodoxy.
The campaign to silence WMC includes both the current and former mayors of Madison, a handful of other Dane county politicians and at least one newspaper editor. They have a Web site devoted to WMC bashing and a couple of daily blogs. There is a weekly editorial rant in one of the local papers, which usually contains specious accusations of racism. They have organized pickets at WMC events, “meetings” with WMC Board members, and boycotts of WMC member companies.
Their objective is to intimidate business leaders into withdrawing their voice from the marketplace of ideas. That way, they ensure that the public is exposed to the only “true and correct” political and policy perspective as expressed by the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Greater Wisconsin Committee.
This misguided effort fails to account for the fact that Wisconsin business leaders are neither stupid nor cowards. As our economy sags and we continue to bleed manufacturing jobs, the WMC leadership is more resolved than ever to advocate for sensible policies aimed at improving the business climate and creating jobs in Wisconsin. They feel the business community has an obligation to help policy makers and the general public understand how high taxes and increasing regulation harm our competitiveness.
They also believe that public disclosure of the voting records and policy positions of elected officials, be they members of the Legislature or the Supreme Court, contributes to a healthy democratic process. And they are most firmly committed to ensuring that the public debate on politics and policy is not reduced to a monologue of left-wing rhetoric.
James A. Buchen is vice president, government relations, for the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, P.O. Box 352, Madison, WI 53701-0352; phone (608) 258-3400; Web site www.wmc.org.
Jul 19, 2008 at 7:40 p.m.
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Ahhh....but once they buy the majority of supreme court justices,(which will happen because not enough people care to go beyond the talking picture box in the livin room where those millions spew false propoganda) their agenda will have the upper hand. WAKE UP PEOPLE....The corporatist have more than their foot in the door.
Sorry about the run on=)
Jul 16, 2008 at 2:53 p.m.
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The best thing I can say about this inane column is that methinks he doth protest too much. Apparently, WMC can dish it out but can't take it.
I have attended meetings at WMC and been in direct contact with them because my former employer was a member. Though WMC will deny this, my experience with them is that they love and admire all things Republican and despise and detest all things Democratic. Alienating the sitting governor and half of the legislature probably isn't the smartest thing to do when you're representing the business community and trying to get things done. Because of their extreme stances, they haven't been able to push through much of their legislative agenda, even when Republicans held the majority in both houses. It's too bad, because the current governmental climate in Wisconsin makes this state very uninviting to businesses that might consider moving here, or have access to much better incentives from competing states (read: Lowe's distribution warehouse choosing Rockford over Janesville).
Due to their ineffectiveness in working with state government, they turned their attention (and their millions) to the State Supreme Court, where they correctly surmised they could buy enough advertising to get "their" justices elected, mainly because the general public pays little attention to the election. The "Loophole Louie" catchphrase was, unfortunately, a stroke of genius.
Why the Supreme Court? Because WMC got their shorts in a complete knot a few years ago over a Court decision that opened the door for "devastating" lead paint lawsuits. This, in effect, is payback for what they called "a liberal court that legislated from the bench." WMC's shrewd moves have already paid dividends, if you have been following the recent sales tax case featuring a majority opinion written by Annette ("Conflict of interest? What conflict of interest?") Ziegler.
WMC needs to quit playing the partisan political game and start doing what they are supposed to do - work with legislators on both sides of the aisle to make Wisconsin a business-friendly state that can attract and retain employers and jobs. Their current leadership and agenda guarantees that a significant portion of the Capitol will tune them out as just more conservative blah-blah-blah.
Jul 9, 2008 at 10:57 p.m.
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I read this editorial three times, and unfortunately didn't learn anything from it.
The writer rants away about "certain Madison-based politicos, unions and other like-minded interest groups" but there are no facts or details.
How about naming some names?
Jul 8, 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
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Add me to the list of people that want to silence WMC's political activism. I want WMC to serve the business community, not elect judges or politicians. And I'd like to see WMC sit out the health care issue, which because of its insurance members and its own selling of health insurance policies, has a severe conflict of interest that flies in the face of its majority members.
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