New Foxconn study demands Walker get in-depth scrutiny by 12/3 media panel

Given a stunning, independently-compiled expose about his crashing Foxconn  debacle - - 

- - what great timing by Wis Politics and the Milwaukee Press Club:

Former Governor Scott Walker to Speak at Newsmaker Luncheon

Walker will take questions from a panel of journalists and from the audience at the luncheon, set for 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Newsroom Pub, 137 E. Wells St. 

Questioners should pierce Walker's talking points and default to deflection and force him to explain why he put his re-election campaign above the public treasuries by routing unjustifiable and unsustainable subsidies and privileges to Foxconn, as a new, independent study lays out dispassionately:

The [George Mason University] Mercatus Center’s study, “The Economics of a Targeted Economic Development Subsidy,” looks at the economic case for and against economic development subsidies, focusing on Wisconsin’s pledge of $3.6 billion in incentives to Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group.

“The weight of economic theory suggests that these subsidies do not work and may even depress economic activity,” according to the study. “We show that under realistic scenarios the subsidy may depress state economic activity by tens of billions of dollars over the next 15 years.”

I have been following this story for 30 months and maintain a running archive about it all, here.

A Foxconn Fever primer

The new study is full of hared economic science and amazing/depressing tidbits which should be run past Walker. 

He'll never read it because he's free of accountability and prefers now to fly around the country making speeches and sampling airport food, but I urge the public and the luncheon's media guests and panelists to read it in full before the question period begins:

Some memorable excerpts from the study:

 A footnote in a chart shows the full cost of the $252.3 million in I-94 system highway expansion near Foxconn, and fast-tracked by Assembly Speaker Vos (my commentary on that, here) for the company's benefit actually exceeds $408 million, given interest added through years of borrowing: 

*Page 9:"...to pay off $252.4 million in general obligation bonds for roadway construction. This committment will cost $408.3 million over 20 years; $306.225 million is 15 years’ worth of payments."

*Page 21:"...from 2018 to 2032, Wisconsin GDP will total $6.3 trillion. The higher taxes to fund a Generation 10.5 plant subsidy will be associated with economic losses in the range of $5.7 billion to $34.3 billion over that time period. Higher taxes to fund the subsidy for a Generation 6 plant will be associated with economic losses in the range of $1.8 billion to $10.6 billion." 

*Page 27: In a discussion of "X-inefficiency," or 'slack.' "In the case of Foxconn, X-inefficiency sug-gests that Wisconsin’s subsidy will allow the com-pany to waste up to $231 million annually (on aver-age) in unnecessarily high production costs, as this is the size of the annual subsidy (see table 1)." 

*Page 32: "Targeted economic development subsidies follow a pattern that is common to many government transfers: those who benefit from these subsidies are few in number, whereas those who pay for them are numerous. Foxconn is again illustrative: just one firm stands to receive a $3.6 billion subsidy while some 16,000 other Wisconsin businesses must pay a corporate income tax that could be reduced by 22 percent in the absence of that subsidy."  

[From *Page 19] Similarly, the state's flat fuel tax of $0.309 per gallon could be lowered by 18.92 percent down to $0.25 per gallon. Or, more broadly, overall tax revenue could be reduced by 1.07 percent.

And by the by - -

* Page 8:"...a recent state audit has found that, on average, firms receiving Wisconsin subsidies create only about 34 percent of promised jobs. 

SW WI citizens organizing against CAFOs, polluted water

It was just days ago that some officials in the Southwestern part of the state thought the best way to fight groundwater contamination in Lafayette County was to punish public employees who talked about it and arrest reporters who produced stories which deviated from official news releases.

Rest easy, reporters and Lafayette County public employees: the County Board there appears to have sidetracked efforts to prosecute journalists for daring to report about the crap in the water...and has also set aside any plan to punish public employee who talked to the media about such matters.

Manure overflows from CAFOs like this one in Kewaunee County contribute to brown, contaminated well water in rural areas statewide.

For a better alternative, check out the grassroots organizing in Crawford County which is also in SW Wisconsin and just two counties to the NW of Lafayette. Hat tip for this extensive report by Gillian Pomplun:

GAYS MILLS - Citizens in Marietta Township and Crawford County are currently debating the extent to which CAFOs and their industrial waste management pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of local residents. 

Marietta Township recently enacted a CAFO moratorium passed by the town board in August....

In a related process, the Crawford County Land Conservation Committee is working with county corporate counsel to draft a CAFO moratorium for consideration by the Land Conservation Committee (LCC) and ultimately, the County Board of Supervisors.... 

In this context, almost 50 local residents attended a showing of the film, ‘Right to Harm,’ at the Gays Mills Library on Friday, Nov. 16. Given the situation facing the local community, the film provided a timely depiction of issues facing other communities who have had CAFOs begin operation in their area. 

Media friends: Here's a Black Friday 'sales' reporting idea

To ever so-slightly balance the massive buy-buy-buy reporting that passes for news, is there a reporter or assignment editor out there who would take on this easy task?

Pick a half-dozen brand name items pitched at say, three brick-and-mortar mainline stores which have online ordering, too.

Track the advertised prices daily through the New Year's holiday.

Publish the results so we could see whether 'sales' are really sales, or just marketing.

And then take a look and see if the same items are advertised a month or two later, and at what prices.

And, yes, I know these 'sales' began weeks ago, and coupons perhaps create lower prices on given days, and items get relabeled after real or imagined upgrades, or disappear completely, but can any news operation take a shot at providing some authentic consumer-news-you-can-use?

Help keep the trails happy (and quiet) in Blue Mound State Park

[Updated from Nov. 9:] 

The comment period for the drafting of an updated Blue Mound State Park master plan 
ends Dec. 2. Avail yourself of the options below to register opposition to snowmobiling in the park, and specifically not on the Weeping Rock and Pleasure Valley Trails. Stress park uses which facilitating hiking, cross-county skiing and other traditional park uses. 

From the DNR: 

In addition to the opportunities to offer input online...people may contact DNR Planner Phil Rynish, by email at phillip.rynish@wisconsin.gov, phone at 608-266-5854, or U.S. mail at Phil Rynish, Wisconsin DNR, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707-7921.  

The public comment period for the management alternatives is open through Dec. 2, 2019. Visit the DNR website for more information on property planning. 

------------------------------------------ 

It's time to hit the trail if you want a say in the future of Blue Mound State Park. 

You may remember that the WI DNR decided to allow snowmobiles inside the traditionally-quiet Blue Mound State Park back when the agency was run degraded with Walker's preferred 'chamber of commerce mentality.' 

Photo from Friends of Blue Mound State park website

That move was blocked by a Dane County Circuit Court because the agency's maneuvers violated its own rules. 

A judge has thrown out the state’s controversial decision to add a snowmobile trail to a state park known for silent sports such as cross-country skiing. 

The Department of Natural Resources violated its own rules when it approved snowmobiling at Blue Mound State Park, Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled Tuesday.

I'd written about the ruling, and put it into a larger context.

Court ruling for state park's integrity could assist another

Now Walker is gone and the DNR wants people to say what they want in a new master plan for park which is yet to be written.

You would assume this snippet about the park from a DNR communication, below, would elicit comments from preservationists, hikers and others statewide willing to leave their snowmobiles parked elsewhere: 

Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, the more than 1,100 acre Blue Mound State Park offers spectacular views, opportunities to see and learn about unique geological features and a variety of recreational facilities. Over 20 miles of scenic trails, access to the Military Ridge State Trail, bike-in campsites, a family campground, summer swimming pool, and a rustic cabin for people with disabilities make Blue Mound a popular year-round destination.

Here's information from the DNR about the park, agency master planning procedures, an upcoming public meeting in Mt. Horeb on 11/19, and comment opportunities.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encourages the public to learn about and provide input on management alternatives being considered for the Blue Mound State Park Master Plan online or in-person at the upcoming public meeting on Nov. 19. 

In March 2019, the DNR initiated the Blue Mound State Park master planning process with a public input opportunity. The input received at that time helped shape the management alternatives that the public can now review and comment on. 

The Blue Mound State Park management alternatives are options or concepts the DNR planning team is considering for recommendation in the eventual draft master plan. Management alternatives include topics such as project boundary adjustments, camping, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and forest and grassland management. A master plan, guided by Chapter NR 44, Wisconsin Administrative Code, establishes the level and type of resource management and public use permitted on department-managed properties.

The public can learn more about and engage in the planning process by attending an upcoming public meeting that will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, at Mount Horeb High School Auditorium, 305 S. 8th St, Mount Horeb.

The meeting will include a presentation beginning at 5:45 during which the public will have the opportunity to learn more about the alternatives and submit their input. Following the meeting, the public will have the opportunity to discuss the alternatives with staff during an open house.

In addition to the public meeting, people can review information about the proposed Blue Mound State Park Master Plan alternatives online which is also a great way to learn about and give input on the management alternatives. The public can read the management alternatives document and submit comments using the interactive public input form. Downloadable input forms that may be sent it via U.S. Mail are also available. 

Printed copies of the management alternatives document are available to read at the Blue Mound State Park Office or Friends Shelter. Hard-copy input forms are also available to submit at the park.

Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, the more than 1,100 acre Blue Mound State Park offers spectacular views, opportunities to see and learn about unique geological features and a variety of recreational facilities. Over 20 miles of scenic trails, access to the Military Ridge State Trail, bike-in campsites, a family campground, summer swimming pool, and a rustic cabin for people with disabilities make Blue Mound a popular year-round destination.

"The Blue Mound State Park Master Plan Management Alternatives reflect the many public uses and ecological capabilities of the property. We hope all who are interested in the park take the opportunity to learn more about the alternatives and have their voice heard in this next step of the planning process" said Diane Brusoe, DNR Property Planning Section Chief. 

In addition to the opportunities to offer input online, at the property or at the public meeting, people may contact DNR Planner Phil Rynish, by email at phillip.rynish@wisconsin.gov, phone at 608-266-5854, or U.S. mail at Phil Rynish, Wisconsin DNR, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707-7921.
-----------------------------------------------
From another WI DNR website, here are details about the comment options:

Have your voice heard! 

Submit your input on the management alternatives using one of the public input form options below.

• Online Input Form with Interactive Map [exit DNR]

• An input form with an interactive map to illustrate the management alternatives. This form is not recommended for mobile users.

• Online Input Form without Interactive Map [exit DNR]

• Submit your comments online using this form. 

• Recommended for mobile users.

• Hard Copy Input Form [PDF]

• Download and print this form to submit your comments via U.S. Mail....

  The deadline for submitting comments on the management alternatives is December 2, 2019.

  Please contact Phil Rynish, DNR Property Planner, at Phillip.Rynish@wisconsin.gov or 608-266-5854 with questions or comments.

Walker's partisan fiscal rant overlooks Trump/GOP's willful mismanagement

Scott Walker expressing concern about the national debt is like Trump pretending to be an environmentalist.

You'd think that savvy Republicans would disassociate themselves from the skyrocketing federal deficits in the Trump era - -

The U.S. deficit hit $984 billion in 2019, soaring during Trump era

The deficit grew $205 billion, or 26 percent, in the past year.

The country’s worsening fiscal picture runs in sharp contrast to President Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the federal debt within eight years. The deficit is up nearly 50 percent in the Trump era 

- - especially since once-upon-a-time Republicans routinely pretended to be fiscal conservatives.

None of this bothers Trump's Wisconsin re-election chair Scott Walker, as he took to Twitter on Nov. 25th to faux-fret about what Sen. Warren's Medicare-for-All program might do to debt which Trump and allies like Paul Ryan have ballooned.

@ScottWalker
Nov 25
“This is the same government that currently has a $23 trillion debt..."

And speaking about FUBAR economic financial planning, how are those damaging Foxconn subsidies looking, now?

Study: Foxconn subsidies could smother billions in future WI development

Officials seen burying economic growth alongside Mt. Pleasant budgets.

New US anti-cruelty law likely won't end WI-subsidized hound-wolf fighting

Glad to see that animal cruelty is finally a Federal crime.

Trump signs a sweeping federal ban on animal cruelty

However, the fresh legal protections will probably not prevent the continuing release of hounds to their deaths in known Wisconsin wolf activity areas because the new Federal law, as reported in Washington Post piece above, has exemptions for "recreational activities," including hunting, and other "animal management activities," as indicated in the above Washington Post story.

Needless to say, the hundreds of bear-chasing hounds that have been thrown into fatal jeopardy by their owners in recent decades did not find their violent deaths a matter of recreation or sound animal management. 

Not to mention the damage regularly inflicted on wolf dens which nurture the highly-structured wolf packs - - that, in turn, help cull weak or sick deer and otherwise contribute to healthy forests, science has shown. 

And additionally left in place: the stress on bears being harassed, chased and treed by packs of bear hounds running free during legal, bear-hunt 'training.' 

Also see this updated WI DNR website, then the FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] tab.

And while the dead hounds' Wisconsin owners get paid routinely and handsomely by the state (us) for their (dogs') trouble, it's worth asking again if this only-in-Wisconsin dead-hounds-for-cash plan is a matter of sound fiscal management, too:

2 more WI hounds thrown to wolves. Total DNR reimbursements to owners will exceed $800k 

The number of hounds killed in this homegrown, state-sanctioned and subsidized fashion is well over 300, and counting, according to this DNR reimbursement chart - - with more wolf-dog encounters sure to kill more hounds because this year's bear hunting 'training' season runs through Aug. 31. 

That's a lot of hunting dogs who had no say in the matter, and $800,000+ in public funds not available for public purposes. 

And while the state encourages these fatal wolf-dog fights and pays off the hounders, dog-on-dog fighting statewide is a felony.  

What kind of sick double standard is that? 

Both of the most recent subsidized kills were Redbone hounds, perhaps like this one:

Sore-losing KY Republicans imitating WI GOP's lame-duck lousiness

Outbreak of WI-cultured rot spotted in Kentucky, which makes sense because that's where it's leading GOP politician had been released it.

Wisconsin GOP pols with their lame-duck 


and continuing obstruction of Gov. Evers after he defeated Scott Walker, were following the 'block-everything' barriers which KY GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell erected against President Obama.

And now the GOP-run KY legislature is following the WI GOP's power-stripping moves with similar post-defeat imperious strong-arming of that state's duly-elected Democratic Governor.

Bill would strip Kentucky governor’s power to name state Transportation Secretary

GOP cheaters have figured out that they can win even after losing, because to them, democracy is just molding clay to be remade in their own image as the situation requires. 

Study: Foxconn subsidies could smother billions in future WI development

Yet another study lays out the perils of the Walker-Fitzgerald-Vos multi-billion taxpayer soaking for the environmentally-damaging, small-town bulldozing, GOP-serving Foxconn boondoggle:

Study: Wisconsin's Foxconn deal could depress economic activity by "tens of billions of dollars"

Readers of this blog who have followed here 30 months of continual reporting and analysis will not be surprised by yet another independent accounting that shows how blatantly the public has been misled, as the new report notes: 

Using Wisconsin’s Foxconn subsidies as an example, we have shown that under most plausible scenarios, the taxes funding the subsidies will discourage more economic activity than will be encouraged by the subsidies themselves," according to the report. "In short, the net effect of targeted economic development subsidies is likely to be negative."

More, here.

[Updated continuously from June, 2017] This 360-post archive, tracks, explains and provides context for Wisconsin's public awards environmental favors, legal privileges and $4.5 billion in state and local funds to subsidize and assist Taiwan-based Foxconn. 

Call it a Scott Walker - - and failed campaign maneuver - - production.

From NBC Nightly News, 7/21/19

The archive also documents waivers of what been routine judicial and environmental reviews for a promised now- cancelled perhaps back-on-again-but-smaller?? Foxconn factory development that is still in line to receive a massive daily diversion of Lake Michigan water.

Agencies hosting I-794 stormwater/green space meeting 11/26

From Urban Milwaukee:

PRESS RELEASE

Open house Tuesday on joint stormwater project under I-794

Meeting to also explore long-term vision of site

As part of the effort to reduce runoff entering local waterways from the I-794 freeway, a public meeting will take place Tuesday, November 26, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be an open house format at the Milwaukee Public Market (upstairs). Parking in the market’s lot will be free for participants; validation will be provided at the meeting.

The City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation are collaborating on this green infrastructure project under the freeway west of 6th Street between West Clybourn and West St. Paul avenues. The City is looking to advance this project as a part of funding the City receives through the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Green Solutions Program.

This green initiative will also consider future options to improve the space with better connectivity, visibility and community amenities.

Attendance and comments from the public are welcome and appreciated.

Walker's anti-science agenda ignored risks to WI walleye

During Scott Walker's ignorant and intentional 8-year war on the environment - - 

Like that rod and reel, his positions on climate science, clean water and the outdoors were upside down and wrong

- - I tracked, among other things, reports about climate change and stressed fish populations in Wisconsin waters - - here, for example, and earlier, here: 

Climate change threatens WI walleye, yet WI DNR denies climate change

Probably no fish is more dear to the state's recreational economy and thousands  of anglers - -  "highly prized," says the Wisconsin DNR - - than walleye. 

So maybe that same Wisconsin DNR will rethink its decision to scrub climate change from its websites now that climate scientists are saying measures should be taken because climate change will lessen the ability of some state lakes to support walleye:

Nearly 100 lakes in Wisconsin are predicted to support naturally reproducing walleye populations even under extreme warming conditions

These lakes are resilient to climate change, and should be protected from other stressors such as habitat loss, invasive species, or overfishing to maximize the potential for continued walleye production.

Some lakes that are unlikely to support natural walleye reproduction will continue to be suitable for adult walleye, and fishable walleye populations could potentially be maintained in these lakes via stocking.

Quality fishing opportunities for largemouth bass and other warm water species will improve in many lakes that become unsuitable for walleye. 

US Fish and Wildlife Service walleye image

And though ideologically-hidebound and science-debunking Republican budget-drafters restored only two of 18 DNR science positions which Walker deleted, a new report might get attention at the State Capitol: 

A new study by UW-Madison researchers says Wisconsin needs to change its approach to walleye management to halt decades of “hidden overharvest.”

A coveted trophy for anglers, a supper club mainstay and a staple of traditional Ojibwe diets, the cool-water fish has suffered a nearly three-decade decline as climate change and development have taken their toll on its habitat.

Since 1990, the walleye population in Wisconsin’s ceded territory — roughly the northern third of the state — has fallen by 36 percent, according to data from the state Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Also - -  full credit for the alarming status quo is due GOP State Sen. Tom Tiffany: 

State Sen. Tom Tiffany has owned up to asking for job cuts to DNR scientists, who he has said focus too much on climate change. 

On Friday’s Devil’s Advocate radio show, the Hazelhurst Republican said he asked Gov. Scott Walker and his staff to include a provision in the state budget axing approximately 17 positions from the Department of Natural Resources’ Science Services Bureau.

RoJo's office Thesaurus is FUBAR. Which is not serendipitous.

Senator Dimbulb von Putin Pal


says finding himself waist-deep in Trump's ethically-stained quicksand is "serendipity."

By 'serendipity,' GOP senator lands in middle of impeachment saga, as witness and potential juror

It's Johnson's word.

But remember, we are told, the word connotes fortune and good luck, and sprang from a fairy tale, so perhaps it's accurate, given the accidental nature of Trump's election and Johnson's first run for the Senate based on what the TV told him to do when the Fox Channel was on.

In his own words.

Serendipity...for Trump...sure: What defendant wouldn't want a bestsy patsy-pal on the jury?

But for Johnson, serendipity? Really?

Ask Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, George Papadopolous, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, the two Russian-American dopey-dupes-and-their-leader Rudy Giuliani how happy/serendipitous are their Trump-scripted-codas?

I believe Johnson meant 'stupidity.'

Nat'l public health experts urge CAFO moratorium

Public health experts are concentrating their work and concern on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. 

If only the Republicans running the Legislature would pay attention.

Readers of this blog are familiar with the air pollution, groundwater contamination and drinking water dangers posed by CAFOs across Wisconsin.

WI Central Sands the next Flint? Kewaunee County already soaks up that honor

One Kewaunee County CAFO runoff events, among many

You will remember that this powerful special interest has a hold on state GOP politicians, and through gerrymandering, that special interest enjoys out-sized power.

Vos, Fitzgerald go to bat for 'existing and expanding CAFO operations'

This new report underscores the need for a nationwide moratorium on additional CAFOs or their expansion 

Nation’s Leading Public Health Organization Urges Halt to All New and Expanding CAFOs

New Policy Implores Agencies to Impose Moratorium to Protect Public Health 

Nov 18, 2019

The American Public Health Association (APHA) enacted a new policy statement advising federal, state, and local governments and public health agencies to impose a moratorium on all new and expanding concentrated feeding animal operations (CAFOs). The new policy recommends a complete halt until additional scientific data have been collected and any public health concerns associated with CAFOs are addressed.

The Precautionary Moratorium on New and Expanding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations statement was developed by APHA members in collaboration with individual members from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF). The statement outlines the urgent need for full compliance with the policy and provides twelve action steps that span from ending the routine use of medically important antibiotics in food animal production to providing a mechanism that requires large scale producers to report environmental emissions hazards.

“CAFOs are the dominant production model for food animals in the United States, but government oversight and policies designed to safeguard the health of individuals and the environment from these operations have been inadequate,” says Bob Martin, director of the Food System Policy Program at the CLF. “This policy statement puts the public’s health first and if observed, it has the potential to protect the health of some of our nation’s most vulnerable communities.”

“Since CLF’s founding in 1996, a priority focus of our work has been to understand and address the public health implications of industrial food animal production. Our research and policy activities have linked this method of food production to a number of serious public health challenges,” says Martin Bloem, MD, director of the CLF and the Robert S. Lawrence Professor of Environmental Health with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. “We are pleased that the nation’s leading public health organization has taken a stand on this critical public health issue. All public health professionals, advocates, and policymakers should keep this new APHA policy statement in mind as they work to protect health and improve our food system.”

CAFOs confine large numbers of animals of the same species—such as beef and dairy cattle, swine, broilers (poultry raised for meat consumption) and laying hens—on a small area of land. The scale, density, and practices associated with these operations present a range of public health and ecological hazards, including large volumes of untreated animal waste, the release of environmental contaminants to air, water, and soil, and the generation and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. A growing body of evidence shows how CAFOs are directly associated with occupational and community health risks, as well as the social and economic decline of rural communities.

“Research has consistently found that living near CAFOs is associated with an array of negative health impacts, including respiratory disease, mental health problems, and certain types of infections,” adds Keeve Nachman, PhD, director of the Food Production and Public Health Program with the CLF and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. “It’s critical that we work diligently and swiftly to close the knowledge gaps related to the public health and environmental challenges associated with this method of food animal production.”
 

  
   

Robin Vos appropriates the word "integrity," costing his statement its integrity

I don't have a strong opinion about Robin Vos's highway naming bill which NBC15 in Madison says Gov. Evers has vetoed.

Vos accuses Evers of playing partisan games with bipartisan bill

Basically, I don't know anything about it other than what's in the story.

And I can even live with the power-grabbing, lame-duck legislating, election-nullifying GOP Assembly speaker 

accusing Evers of partisan game-playing at the expense of the people. That's Wisconsin Politics 101, though his Public Pity Pot Performance is definitely Pathetic.

But what I can't abide is his appropriation of the word "integrity" for an on-the-record statement.

“This bipartisan bill was intended to preserve the integrity of the tradition of honoring worthy individuals in our state and was widely supported in both chambers,” said Vos after the bill was vetoed. “It’s unfortunate that Gov. Evers chose to play partisan games by vetoing the bill. The governor continues to put politics over people.”

It costs the statement its integrity. 

Trump uses impeachment hearings to further demean women

Trump has bragged about assaulting women, and repeatedly slams women he thinks have wronged him.

This Time post put a fine point on it even before the impeachment hearings began:

Trump's Treatment of Women Was His Original Abuse of Power

Now he's continuing the misogyny on the taxpayer's (including women's) dime to further degrade women who dare speak truth to his power:

* First on the phone with Ukrainian President Zelensky to undermine and degrade US Amb. Marie Yovanovitch, the senior female among all US Ambassadors:

"The woman is bad news."

* Then today during impeachment testimony, via Twitter, with an embarrassing projection designed to undermine and degrade the most senior member of the US House of Representatives and highest-ranking elected woman in the government:

@thehill

·

1h

President Trump on Speaker Pelosi: "The woman's highly overrated. The woman is highly incompetent."