Sunday, June 22, 2008

Doyle Uses UW Golf Course for Fundraiser

Cornroaster has an interesting comment in the forum.

I heard Mark Belling talking about a Doyle Campaign Fundraiser at University Ridge Golf Course.  Isn’t the course owned by the University of Wisconsin?  And aren’t there prohibitions about state employees using state facilities for political fundraisers?  Just curious.  Does anyone have any thoughts or knowledge on this?

I believe that if they pay the normal fee for playing, they are fine.  If they used the facility at a discount or for free they would be in trouble.  That’s how I interpret the statutes.  Anyone have any insight?

(9) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1916 hrs
Law + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. Your interpretation is correct, Owen.  Elected officials can’t take advantage of privileged access to publicly-owned resources (for instance, those once-famous freebie tickets to Badger games that the UW lobbyists used to give away).  But Jim Doyle’s campaign can hold a fundraiser at U-Ridge because, presumably, any other private organization can also hold a event there.

    The general rule is that an elected official can use it if any other private citizen could do the same.  Now, if they were comping him the room for the reception or waiving the greens fees because he’s the governor, that would be a problem.  But since this is an annual event, I’d presume Doyle’s people have all that figured out.

    I do know that state employees cannot solicit (or be solicited for) political contributions while they are at work in state-owned buildings.  Perhaps that is what the commenter is thinking of.

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on June 22, 2008 at 2111 hrs


  2. It would be like Belling to bash first and ask questions later.  Plenty of politicos and commitees (CERS, SDCC, ADCC,  RACC, etc.) have held fundraisers over the years at this course.  It hasn’t been an issue before, but of course when the Governor does it, it is —as Richard Nixon liked to say—“wrong for sure.”

    Consistency has never been the hallmark of any of the Governor’s critics, of course!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 22, 2008 at 2127 hrs


  3. The only thing that Belling mentioned was that the Governor took the afternoon off to attend the fundraiser at a golf course during the flooding problems, and that he believed the media would make a big deal of a Republican governor doing the same thing under the same circumstances.  He did not bring up the issue of the course being owned by the state.  That was my question, since I seem to remember Scott Jensen being prosecuted bu a Dane County DA for something along the lines of use of state facilities for fundraising.  Before bashing Belling, you might check out what he said.  Maybe Wally is the one that will bash first and ask questions later.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 22, 2008 at 2140 hrs


  4. Jensen was convicted of three felonies, all relating to directing state employees to do campaign work on state time.  He was also convicted of a misdemeanor charge of intentional misuse of public office.

    We should, of course, note that those convictions have since been thrown out by the Court of Appeals.

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on June 23, 2008 at 0223 hrs


  5. Wally:

    The point Belling was making is that Diamond Jim had time to attend a fundraiser to befit his own self-interests when he should have been busy helping the flood victim. Note to Wisconsinites: You elected him..now you got him.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 23, 2008 at 1251 hrs


  6. Um, he’s the governor.  He governs.  What was he supposed to do to “help” the flood victims?  Give some more empty speeches about he feels the pain of others?  It’s not his job to fill sandbags - if he were out there doing that, conservatives would just bitch that he was looking for some cheap PR.

    And fear not, I feel the same regardless of party.  It wasn’t GWB’s job to grab a bucket after Katrina either.

    There are people starving in Milwaukee (so I read in the MJS).  I suppose it’s Jim Doyle’s fault because he’s not making them mac and cheese at the executive residence right now?

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on June 23, 2008 at 1443 hrs


  7. Recess:

    I thought about that after I posted.. Yeah, if he fained he cared, he’d get nailed for that as well; he should have just stayed home. It’s his arrogance that gripes me. The people of Wisconsin knew what a con artist he was and he won anyway. We get the government we deserve as someone said.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 23, 2008 at 1529 hrs


  8. “I thought about that after I posted.. Yeah, if he fained he cared, he’d get nailed for that as well; he should have just stayed home. It’s his arrogance that gripes me. The people of Wisconsin knew what a con artist he was and he won anyway. We get the government we deserve as someone said.”

    Bajasker, it’s obvious that you don’t know Jim Doyle.  He is one of the least arrogant people I have ever met.  This is a man who took his Wisconsin undergraduate degree and went into the Peace Corps.  Later, he took his Harvard law degree and went to work with native American tribes in Arizona.  If he was “arrogant” he might have headed straight to Wall Street and cashed in.  This isn’t who he is.

    The problem with many people on the far right and the far left is that they are blinded by prejudice.  If you demonize the opponent, you can then rationalize your irrational misconceptions.  Your post illustrates this point.  Thank you for making it for me so well.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 23, 2008 at 2144 hrs


  9. Whoa, Wally.  Any man who can stand up and tell us he isn’t going to raise taxes and then sock us at every turn is a liar. And to stand-up and do it with that smirk on his face makes him downright arrogant. He gets caught in con after con, lie after lie and doesn’t even budge. That’s arrogance as well!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 24, 2008 at 1221 hrs


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