"Operation Angry Badger" - The Heartland Institute is trying to stifle the good People of Wisconsin

[Scuba]

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2012/02/heartland-institute-vs-angry-badger.html

To get a better idea of what kind of people they are, well, they get their funding in part by the Bradley Foundation, whose CEO is Michael Grebe, the same guy that's chaired Walker's campaign and is back in that position now. Oh, and the Koch Brothers have been known to fund their efforts at turning the county into a corporate state.

So what this has to do with anything? Well, they've set their targets on us, the good people of Wisconsin.

In their 2012 Fundraising Plan, which they did not want to be publicly known, the Heartland Institute has a section starting on page 13 a section titled "Operation Angry Badger." Here's what they have to say about us and their anti-Wisconsin agenda:

Wisconsin was the focus of national attention due to recall campaigns waged in 2011, and campaigns are taking place in 2012 against Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three Republican senators who voted for Act 10, the landmark collective bargaining reform legislation adopted in 2011. We have been following the Wisconsin debate closely, reporting on it in Budget & Tax News, commenting in op-eds and LTEs and on blogs, doing television and radio interviews, and sending research and commentary to elected officials in Wisconsin and nationally.

The recall elections of 2012 amount to a referenda on collective bargaining reform at the state level, making them of national interest. Successful recalls would be a major setback to the national effort to rein in public sector compensation and union power. Heartland is the largest and most influential national free-market think tank in the Midwest, so we are in the right place and with the right resources to help defend and secure Wisconsin’s recent gains.

We are contemplating five projects:
1. Recruit and promote superintendents who support Act 10
2. Explain the benefits of Act 10
3. Document the shortcomings of public schools in Wisconsin
4. Expose teacher pay in key districts
5. Create blogs that shadow small town newspaper coverage of the controversy

We anticipate that this project will cost about $612,000. Maureen Martin, Heartland’s legal counsel, with be the chief researcher and writer for this project. The anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 toward this project. We are circulating a proposal to other potential funders.

We know that this group is without scruples and will do everything and anything they can to prevent the people from reclaiming Wisconsin from the very same corporate interests that fund this shadow group.

[whathehell]

1. Deadbeat Dad Congressman Joe Walsh comes out of the Heartland Institute..

Need you know more?

[drm604]

2. K&R

[sybylla]

3. Seems like they don't have a clue about the political lay of the land here.

Every time a school has a referendum, the teacher pay is examined by someone in the community and held up as some reason to hang the school and it's teachers. I think pretty much everyone who cares knows about teacher pay.

Finding Supers who support Act 10 will be difficult. There are a few knuckle-dragging supers out there, but a lot of them answer to school boards who might not take so kindly to that kind of political activity as part of their official duties.

The shadowing small town newspapers with blogs won't get them real far. Their probably not real connected to the internet anyway. And those who are, probably already have their minds made up on the issue.

I wish them luck documenting the shortcomings of a public school system that statewide performs very high on lots of levels compared to other states. Sure, you can pull out a few struggling school, but I bet you'll find there isn't a thing in Act 10 that will help them.

[hue]

4. Thanks Scuba!!