(WI)Dept of Administration claims $7 million damage done by protesters to Capitol

[HereSince1628]

Can you read WTF!!!!!!!!!!!?

I walked through there last week...that estimate is way wrong by about 6.999 million

This was on a report on a Milwaukee televison station's afternoon news. Reported by Twitter from outside the Madison Courtroom.

What a pack of lies!

Edited to say it was on Milwaukee station.

[Dappleganger]

1. Where are the pictures and videos.

[HereSince1628]

3. They are acually all over the web.

I can't believe anyone thinks that sort of damage has been done.

[DURHAM D]

2. They are just trying to be funny - don't you think? nt

[HereSince1628]

4. Well. The tv station could have been pranked...but

my point is that scotch tape, masking tape, and duct tape don't do that kind of damage.

[Tx4obama]

5. The word 'damage' is missing from the OP title. n/t

[HereSince1628]

7. Thanks, typing madly to get this out while the court is in session.

Hopefully someone has a cellphone and access to the court.

[JuniperLea]

6. Weird how there's zero damage being seen in any of the photos

In the InterTubes! Tell those guys to take a lot of pics on the way out! It's not too low to sink for these asshats to do the damage themselves and blame it on others... in fact, that's their MO!!

[HereSince1628]

10. Well, I'd not say NO damage. Certainly the grass has been damaged

on the capitol grounds and there is some tape adhesive to remove from where signs have been attached to walls.

I don't remember seeing anything hung with a thumb tack or such. But I'll admit that I wasn't actually looking for such a thing.

[JuniperLea]

15. I'm betting damage at that high a price would be noticible...

Even if you weren't looking for it, right? Sometimes grass gets trampled in the name of free speech and the right to assemble.

These guys have nothing so they make desperate claims. It's pretty sad, actually.

What was the vibe like there?

[HereSince1628]

17. From what I saw, I'd say a couple hundred dollars in grass seed

and someone's time to spread it.

I used a bathroom in the capitol a week and a half ago and that bathroom was looking maintained.
I was not in a bathroom in the capitol building last week.

[TorchTheWitch]

25. and it always gets damaged by snow that normally happens in winter

They can get on this once spring returns and no new grass comes up. But I'm willing to bet that ain't gonna happen because grass dies in winter and returns in the spring. That's just how grass works.

[HereSince1628]

27. That's true, the anti-ice chemicals typically kill some grass.

[dkofos]

8. Just add it to your bogus deficit.

It was probably the cost of putting up the Jersey barriers, and his private security force.

[Blue Owl]

9. Guess we're gonna have to get rid of the Governor, then

He's the sole reason why everyone is there, after all.

[Lifelong Protester]

11. What BS! How about the estimated $200,000 a DAY it is

costing counties and municipalities to 'loan out' their law enforcement?? Any stories out on that? (I got this from a local LE person who needs to be kept anonymous)

[HereSince1628]

14. Maybe that was part of the damages? I dunno, only reporting what I saw

And the station admitted it was a twitter.

They did NOT indicate the twitter was from one of their reporters.

That by itself could be part of the story.

[Tx4obama]

12. They said the tape residue damaged the marble. But the blue tape leaves no residue! n/t

[aquart]

13. Such massive damage must be easy to document.

So where is this documentation?

[HereSince1628]

16. One would think.

[maxsolomon]

18. will those horrible anarchists and union thugs stop at nothing?

the sign clearly says STAY OFF THE GRASS, and they hate america so much that they didn't. not to mention that some of them jaywalked and therefore presumably PREVENTED COMMERCE FROM OCCURRING.

:sarcasm:

[HereSince1628]

20. Actually there are NO SIGNS SAYING STAY OFF THE GRASS

The WI Constitution provides that citizens shall have access to the Capitol and the grounds.

This is really a special thing about Wisconsin that made the protests possible.

God Bless our 'Socialist' Workers Heritage!

[hobbit709]

19. It was the coconuts falling from those palm trees.

[HereSince1628]

21. Damn! It's the NUTZ!

[rzemanfl]

22. They are claiming that tape damaged the marble. They should

look here:

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_5151369_remove-adhesive-duct-tape-marble.html

[DCKit]

23. I'll bet they pried all the "W"s off the keyboards, too. nt

[CLANG]

24. The entire building is made out of marble. A few posters isn't going to "damage" anything!

[Tx4obama]

26. MORE INFO below

Excerpt

Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said it will cost $6 million to restore the interior of the Capitol, including removing all the tape from the marble where thousands of fliers and posters have hung since the protests began Feb. 14 and 15. Huebsch estimated it would cost an additional $1 million to restore the exterior.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_e1975d48-45cd-11e0-bcc6-001cc4c03286.html


p.s. Blue tape that leaves no residue was used to put the flyers on the marble - so there was NO damage!!!

[HereSince1628]

29. Thanks, very much

I think this just goes to show the INCREDIBLE nature of the Republican attack on state workers and their supporters.

[Snoutport]

28. Turn it into the insurance company

I want to see them turn the bill over to their insurance company. Then they are committing insurance fraud on top of ignoring citizen's rights.

[Turbineguy]

30. It must be all the holes

they dug to plant those palm trees.

[rzemanfl]

31. No, it was the horses stomping on the lawn. n/t

[undeterred]

32. I was in there for a few hours on Sunday and I heard this claim

yesterday. What the hell? Marble lasts for centuries, but protesters can destroy it in 2 weeks with sleeping bags and masking tape? Are you kidding me?



I guess now they're backing off.

State officials back off Capitol damage claim

Madison — State officials charged with overseeing the state Capitol are now backing away from their estimate that demonstrators did more than $7 million in damage to the building. "I think that's more of a worst-case scenario," said Jeff Plale, the former Democratic state senator who is now the state facilities administrator. "There are other estimates."

Touring the Capitol Friday morning with state architect Dan Stephans, Plale said he had not immediately observed any damage from demonstrations over Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill, though the pair was just starting their tour. Plale said that he didn't believe the state had had any experienced contractor provide the quote on the damages.

Officials said in Dane County court Thursday that the damage could come from tape used for posting fliers and papers and other materials. Workers were already beginning to remove those Friday. In one second-floor hallway at least, a Journal Sentinel reporter could see no damage to the marble where the tape had been removed.

In court Thursday, officials with the Walker administration said that damage from the demonstration to the marble inside and outside the Capitol would cost an estimated $7.5 million: $6 million for damage inside, $1 million for damage outside and $500,000 for additional expenses. State officials made the claim as they were arguing their case for restricting access to the statehouse.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117409458.html

[Spike from MN]

33. Yeah, it's complete BS. Even the judge said there was no damage.

Here's the text of the ruling yesterday (emphasis mine):

"Today, I have ruled in favor of the Plaintiffs concerning the issues before me on access to the State Capitol of Wisconsin. After three days of testimony, the record establishes that the recent protest was unprecedented of the history of the State of Wisconsin. Thousands of people peacefully protested for two weeks and no injuries or damage to personal or government property occurred.

I credit that to the restraint and discipline of the protesters. I further commend law enforcement supervisors and every individual policeman or policewoman for the discipline and restraint shown during these unusual times.

The Order that I will issue granting the Plaintiff's relief will contain what I consider to be a reasonable restraint on the time, place and manner of future demonstrations and protests. The restraint is as follows. Staying after the building is closed, is prohibited. Protests and demonstrations can be held at any time when the Capitol is open during normal business hours and, of course, if either house of the legislature is in session or any public hearing is being held.

I have attached a copy of a Notice requiring that you peaceably vacate the State Capitol after business hours today. My intent is to facilitate the reopening of the Capitol consistent with the free assembly and free speech provisions of the Wisconsin Constitution as well as the parallel provisions of the U.S. Constitution."

Link to a pic of the doc: http://yfrog.com/h4n2emtj