Walker, staff win News Release Smokescreen of the Year Prize
I imagine it took Walker, the taxpayer-paid staff and his legislative foot-soldiers - - and, surely, some of those Walkerite campaign PR people hovering nervously at the computer since their big launch is just days away - - plenty of hours to settle on explanation for their bungled effort to kill Wisconsin's foundational Open Record law because they had so many chapters in The Politicians' News Release Smokescreen Handbook to consult:
* Non-denial denial.
* Sometimes lie a little.
* Claim the opposite.
* Sometimes lie a lot.
* Use words that convey calm, commitment, selflessness and sincerity, like "protect," "steadfastly," "substantive," "reasonable," " accountable," and "deliberative."
* Cover your ass, (CYA).
* Admit no wrongdoing, ever. Never apologize.
* Use big words. Buzzwords and jargon are best, as they cloud readers' minds.
So - - props across-the-board, ye smothers of the democratic process and state history - - Mission Accomplished.
Here from the Governor's official, taxpayer-paid website is the news release in its entirety, including a wonderful headline about transparency - - not a strong Walker identifier - - which sets the tone, as does the questionable but ironic date of July 4th:
- See more at: http://walker.wi.gov/newsroom/press-release/governor-scott-walker-and-legislative-leaders-make-statement-government#sthash.cEkCix47.dpuf
* Non-denial denial.
* Sometimes lie a little.
* Claim the opposite.
* Sometimes lie a lot.
* Use words that convey calm, commitment, selflessness and sincerity, like "protect," "steadfastly," "substantive," "reasonable," " accountable," and "deliberative."
* Cover your ass, (CYA).
* Admit no wrongdoing, ever. Never apologize.
* Use big words. Buzzwords and jargon are best, as they cloud readers' minds.
So - - props across-the-board, ye smothers of the democratic process and state history - - Mission Accomplished.
Here from the Governor's official, taxpayer-paid website is the news release in its entirety, including a wonderful headline about transparency - - not a strong Walker identifier - - which sets the tone, as does the questionable but ironic date of July 4th:
Governor Scott Walker and Legislative Leaders Make Statement on Government Transparency
Saturday, July 4, 2015 - Press Release
Madison – Today, Governor Scott Walker, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, and the Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs, Senator Alberta Darling and Representative John Nygren, released the following statement on the provisions related to the state's open records law included in the Motion 999:
After substantive discussion over the last day, we have agreed that the provisions relating to any changes in the state's open records law will be removed from the budget in its entirety. We are steadfastly committed to open and accountable government. The intended policy goal of these changes was to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents' privacy and to encourage a deliberative process between elected officials and their staff in developing policy. It was never intended to inhibit transparent government in any way.
In order to allow for further debate on this issue outside of budget process, the Legislature will form a Legislative Council committee to more appropriately study it and allow for public discussion and input.
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6 comments:
Amazing ....that news release was issued on Saturday. As of today [Tuesday] only one of the five included in the release has come forward and acknowledged their role in the proposal. I'm not a fan of Fitzgerald but at least he walked the talk in the news release and actually became open and accountable. The other four are still running and hiding from accepting responsibility. Stop and think.....these five over-rode the entire Joint Finance Committee action and in a split second removed the proposal from the budget without the JFC even convening. It shows that these five were running the show and were the ones drafting the proposal. No wonder no one of JFC knew where it came from. It just appeared and the 12 Republicans on the committee were told how to vote. Let no ever doubt that Walker's finger prints aren't on everything that comes out of the Capitol.
Our founding fathers just did a collective twirl in their graves.
@ Anonymous 7:34 pm :
The committee members who'd voted for that proposal, like Dale Kooyenga, were told before voting that "the changes would have made Wisconsin's open records law similar to those in other states and that of the U.S. Congress 'in order to facilitate more honest dialog'."
Who told them that, if not the same leaders who presented them with the proposal to vote on?
Republican legislators can't trust their own leaders not to lie to them....
The smokescreen works and will continue to work because Wisconsin residents fall for it. Although more and more are starting to wise up. It will be interesting to see if the nation will succumb to the BS once the weasel announces his candidacy.
I don't have as much confidence in the media as I used too. However walker will be an easy target since his hypocrisy and bs is pretty blatant. So I expect a few of the media stenographers will smell blood when scotty starts marching to the forefront but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. He just might be able to pull it off. Look he was elected governor 3 times already!
What I would like to know is why don't any of them read the material they are voting on before they vote on it. Anyone who read that motion could not mistake what it was meant to do. Why are they depending on "someone" to "tell" them what they should know by reading? If they don't know how to read, why are they working in our government in the first place? Personally, I am sick to death of hearing about our reps, senators, or other people work for us in some form or fashion using the excuse of not reading what they are voting on. Most of them have assistants who can help with the reading and comprehension of the material if need be. Dale Kooyenga, "we were told..." is a bunch of crap. You do not deserve to be in government as you represent no one. The same goes for all 12 on the committee who voted for this change. Shame on all of them. If we didn't already have the open records law on the books, none of us would know anything about this at all. And that is a scary scenario.
Mad as Hell -- And Wisconsin residents keep falling for it because it is being preached in churches all over the state. I can't tell you how many times I have seen these God fearing church people write and print what other people would consider flat out lies, and they truly believe it because it is taught to them in their church. They wouldn't lie to them in church of all places now would they. I have family members who, to this day, say Obama is a Muslim. It is preached to them in their church. All those sheep will be led wherever their church tells them to go. That does not seem to be very Christian to me. They need to get politics out of their churches. As it is, millions of people are being brainwashed on a regular basis.
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