mouseyada, instead of complain you could have submitted your bid....yeah but that would have taken effort and work; not use to that are you.

Lets see who gets the nod to do the remodel ....a company owned by Diane Hendricks ? .....

I see a lot of the comments are in the normal mode of anti-Walker or pro-Walker. Sad that is the case on comments on most articles. I am neither pro nor anti .... I just think 478K is a tremendous amount of money at any time and especially at this time for kitchen renovation. Sounds like the government and their 600 toilet seats. Both parties claim they can reduce spending by reigning in known fraud and over pricing but neither seem capable of doing so. Why should they? They are spending someone elses money. OURS.

If I could get $478K from taxpayer dollars, I'd bulldoze my house (kitchen included) and build a new HOUSE.

almost half a million for a kitchen !? Really ?

wasp - Asking for $478K is a ridiculous request. My comment was supposed to be taken in jest. I personally feel that any improvements to the mansion should be paid for by the governor.

kenny_powers - Good investment? Do think wanker is going to sell the mansion? If he did we could get rid of the State Patrol officer that has to wait around to open the door for him, because Marie tonette, thinks it looks good. Or the people the need to shovel the lake, when people mark out things in the snow they don't like. More money saved.

The LEMMINGS continue to follow a leader with a Criminal Defense Fund and one that should be concerned about the FBI JOHN DOE Investigation. Time for the LEMMINGS to seriously look at:
"WALKERGATE THE YEAR IN REVIEW"

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/

In life we make choices on those we associate with and those choices by our Gov. should raise a HUGE Red Flag as to why so many are involved in criminal activity - Lots of Felonies.

*Coming SOON to WI - The "Right to Work Law" that will mean no rights, lower wages - Nothing.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepoliti...

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/arti...

DIVIDE AND CONQUER - RED STATE - SCOTT WALKER

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepoliti...

So, when we want to screw the public employees the party line is "the state's broke", after we succeed in screwing the public employees the party line is "we need half a million dollars for a new kitchen for Scooter's mansion". Hope all the state workers take pride in the fact that they're helping to pay for this unconscionable activity. I'm sure they relish the idea. It won't matter, Scooter's usual blind loyalists will be front and center to defend this scumbag to the hilt. As Mel Brooks once said, "It's good to be the king".

Its only a drop in the bucket compared to the money the billionaires put into hos campaign and legal defense funds. Too much.

You dont need a half million dollar kitchen to prep brown bag lunches.

time to payback Hendricks for campaign donations. she just happens to own CCI construction company in beloit.

wislady, you're a real piece of work! Why don't you move to Michigan since they're a right-to-work state now. This shouldn't surprise anyone considering Walker was a crook when he was the Milwaukee County Executive. Once a crook, always a crook.

A few years ago an awful lot of money was spent remodeling the kitchen at city hall, remember. I do not believe any meals are prepared there. Workers make coffee and microwave their lunch. Seems like the kitchen remodel at the Gov's mansion is really for the benefit of all who will occupy and enjoy that residence, not just the current gov. Lets move on.

Kitchen remodels usually see a return of 75 cents on the dollar...which is nice....I don't understand what all the hub bub is about...this is obviously a smart investment.

I think the money would be better spent on the Janesville School District.
.
Can we please have the money?!?!?

I can sympathize with Scott.
My wife also wanted to spend $478,700
remodeling the kitchen.

NO!!

I am sorry pudsweetie - just wanted to be like blisslady for a day.

What I find humorous is the fact that if this was Gov. Doyle or even Tom Barrett, if he had won, most of you wouldn't bat an eyelash at this, talk about hypocrites. Also you seemed to have missed one very important fact. Tonette Walker is going to have a fund raiser thru her Organization to raise money to put towards the renovations. Do you think that Mrs. Doyle or Mrs. Barrett would do something like this, I highly doubt it.

so how much actual cooking goes on in this kitchen? and what exactly is needed? Seems like there needs to be some details and explanation. I am guessing there is 15,000 meals served through the kitchen not actually cooked there. This seems like more of a want than a NEED.

I am sorry that people do not feel the need to preserve historic buildings. Even in Janesville, historic buildings are repaired and restored.

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/nov/19/...

Well you know the old Walker saying : "If you can't stand the heat.....tax payers will improve the air conditioning in the kitchen."

I also think 478K is extremely high for a kitchen remodel. My kitchen in the one house is from 1971 with remodeling consisting of new appliances when the old ones broke and new laminate flooring about 13 years ago. My kitchen/house in the other place is 7 years old. And the value of both entire places(land included) together do not come close to 478K. At most, maybe 65% of what they want to remodel kitchens. But then I had to use my money instead of the taxpayers money. Silly imo to even put in such a request with the current state of the economy.

wislady - As a matter of fact I do know the guv was re-elected in the recall. I do wonder if he would have survived 2012. The difference of course was the case was being made that the President was spending money trees and his wife on clothes. It was not taxpayer money. Our guv tells us we are broke and then wants to spend half a million on a kitchen. His bride Marie Tonette of "let them eat cake fame", also had to spend a bunch of money on stainless steel coolers, to replace the plastic that were in place, they were "tacky".

He deserves the best - this is the least we could do for him after he made Wisconsin 'open for business'.

Comments are as expected.

Name calling might be cute, if you are 3 years old.

I thought we were broke.

Over41 meals a day on average! Who the hell are we paying to feeding at a house where nobody is ever home. Even the right should see this as stupid! Why $478k? Is this another walker cronie trying to get his hand in the cookie jar. They might want to look at what happened to some of walkers other friends.

Walker was elected twice! The mansion is not his! The upgrade will be used by the next few governors! I see no problem with this.

I find myself actually agreeing with RAF on this one. Good grief, I hope I'm not becoming a righty.

It is very comical to watch the lefties complain about spending money.

Even a Walker Worshipper should find supporting this latest spending by the Governor stupid...but then again "stupid is as stupid does"

$478k for a re-model. You could build 2 average homes complete for that much money! What a scam job. Someone should tell the first lady the state is broke. Put this project on her Christmas list, or ask Diane Hendricks or the the Koch Bros. to ante up for her excessive wants. 15,000 meals adds up to 41 meals a day for a governor thats never in this state. Get Real!

Why not have his staff volunteer to do the work on a work release program?

wasp2491

Did you get the news...Walker won overwhelmingly in the RECALL. Maybe the MAJORITY of Wisconsin voters should have a say in whether or not the residence needs to be maintained.

donnaw - You are such a whiner, I know it galls you that Mrs. Obama is the First Lady for four more years. Did you get the news the president was reelected by an overwhelming electoral majority, get used to it.
The Christmas trees are donated and the first lady buys her own clothes.
This guv took money away from people, then testified in front of congress that it wasn't necessary for balancing the budget. Takes money away from the mortgage fund meant help homeowners to "balance" his budget. Now they have half million for a kitchen, spare me!

Waste of money
Just think of all the homeless that could live there
Or sell it for condos

Jvlhomeowner

Hardly a comparison, unless you feed 15,000 people a year also.

$478K is not unreasonable considering that the kitchen has to conform to all codes. Just ask the people at Cargill Methodist church what it takes to renovate a kitchen. I think they spent more.
I'm just sayin'...

Up keep is one thing, 400 grand for a kitchen is OVER the top!

It's so funny that you lefties getso riled up over remodeling two kitchens but Michelle Obama spends that on clothes probably every month or so and she will take these garments when she leaves. Gee, I don't know, buy thousands of dollars of designer clothes or fix up the kitchens for the next governor and families and visitors. Bet Obamas spent that on their Christmas trees this year.

The upkeep of the State Residence is just as important as the Capitol, it is a historic building.

Maybe we could call James Young (I hate my kitchen) or Alison Victoria (kitchen crashers) to do the work. It would save on tax dollars???

I think it would be nice if all the teachers and state employees took up a collection and paid for it with all the money they're now saving from not having to pay union dues. (sarcasm intended) In my opinion this just another example of the true feelings this cabal. There is a privileged, wealthy ruling class and then there the rest of us, that should work for whatever they think we deserve and be powerless. Then they have their sycophants, that they have convinced that they too will get to that level, so they go to any extreme to condone the leaders actions.

wislady wrote..."How may of you are still working in a kitchen from 1986?"
Except for the paint and fridge, ours is from the 60's and still works fine.

Half a million dollars to remod a kitchen? And you know there will be cost overruns. Always is with government work. Probably get a fancy new eatin' table too.

But don't forget the number of PEOPLE this project might employ. It's okay guys and I am not even, in any way, shape, or form, a Walker supporter.

wislady wrote..."How may of you are still working in a kitchen from 1986?"

Most of us probably wish we had a kitchen as updated as 1986.

wislady is a typical Repub who has no clue as to the reality of the typical Wisconsinite.

This is an example of excess in these financial times. This is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of working people that Walker took money from to "balance the budget".

Those of you who think this is a good idea need to send your own money to support this excess. Show your love.

I have to agree with wislady on this. It's the Governor's mansion,therefore government property, it doesn,t "belong" to him. It should be updated to keep it's current value.

I would think most large gatherings are catered. The caterers would have their own equipment I'd think (based on catering I've seen in the past). I doubt Mrs. Walker does the cooking.

I suppose they are required to use UNION workers, which would explain the high cost.

WASTE OF MONEY...needs to be stopped!

hard to believe it will cost that much to renovate the kitchens...makes me wonder what the deficiencies are...and how many of us have older homes with older appliances? a lot I'd bet...and the 15,000 people per year averages out to little over 41 people a day, and I could swing that from my 1970's 12' x 14' kitchen every and any day of the week...

How may of you are still working in a kitchen from 1986? It probably doesn't even meet code, for preparation of food for that many people.

Queen Antoinette has spoken. Let them eat cake.

Surely John Stossel will be here to bellow about the excess.

All four of you are correct!

can you imagine the uproar if Jim Doyle would have asked for this money? they would have had full page ads in the State Journal & Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel !!!

Mouse We know him all to well

Which one of his crooks will get the contract?