The Political Environment: Walker's Remade Commerce Department: One Question?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Will the Wisconsin Open Meetings, Records and appointee economic disclosure statutes apply fully to Walker's remade Commerce Department?

George Carns said...: The partisan debate on this issue will be interesting to watch. On the one hand, WHEDA, associated with the state Commerce Department, has been a fairly successful and progressive Wisconsin public-private housing and economic development entity under Antonio Riley, now at HUD in Chicago. This could be a model for the new Department to begin with. At the same time, conservatives have been rabidly critical of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both of which are similar but federal public-private development corporations, so we do have to be watchful.

James Rowan is right to emphasize how crucial open meeting and disclosure rules would be for the new entity. However, it will be even more crucial for an energized state-wide coalition of non-profit housing and economic development agencies to then use these rules of citizen participation and accountability to aggressively fight for a fair share of resources for their own popular and progressive, urban and rural, community development strategy and projects.; December 28, 2010 at 8:02 PM
enoughalready said...: Very good question, James. I have to wonder if there is some state that serves as a model for what Walker has proposed. (I bet there is at least one.); December 29, 2010 at 11:22 AM