According to the July continuing financial reports filed by candidates recently, incumbent State Senator Jeff Plale (“D” – South Milwaukee) raised just over $35,000 in contributions from individuals during the last reporting period.
While the overall amount of contributions to Sen. Plale isn’t newsworthy, what caught my eye was where the contributions made to Sen. Plale came from. Sen. Plale received a significant amount of contributions from individuals who don’t happen to live in his district, but who do happen to be associated with industries who’ve been very very generous to Sen. Plale during his time in elected office.
First, let’s start with the contributions Sen. Plale received from individuals associated with the cable TV industry:
| Sen. Jeff Plale’s Money Train – Cable TV Industry | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Occupation | Donation Amount |
| Fox Cable Network | Exec. Board | $200 |
| Time Warner Cable | Exec. Board | $300 |
| Time Warner Cable | Director/Production | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Director, Sales | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Manager | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Director, Training | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Director Warehouse | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Mgr. Human Resources | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Supr, Tech Operations | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Mgr. Construction | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Mgr. Process Impr. | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Mgr., New Property Sls | $100 |
| Time Warner Cable | Manager Construction | $200 |
| Time Warner Cable | Producer/Dir Programming | $200 |
| Wisconsin Cable Communication Association (cable industry lobby group) | Executive | $500 |
| Wisconsin Cable Communication Assocation | Executive | $250 |
| Grand Total | $2,650 | |
Almost ten percent of the donations Sen. Plale received from individuals came from folks directly associated with the cable TV industry. Now let’s take a look at the campaign contributions Sen. Plale received from his good friends in the power and energy industry, who really do represent a money train for Sen. Plale:
| Sen. Jeff Plale’s Money Train – Power & Energy Industry | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Occupation | Donation Amount |
| Alliant Energy | CEO | $250 |
| Alliant Energy | CFO | $250 |
| Alliant Energy | Executive VP | $250 |
| Madison Gas & Electric Company | VP/CFO | $150 |
| Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group* | Executive Director | $540 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Exec VP & CFO | $500 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | VP Regulatory Affairs | $250 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Counsel | $125 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Exec VP & Gen Counsel | $500 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Mgr. Govt Affairs | $200 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Power Marketer | $100 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Sr VP State Public Affairs | $500 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Mgr. External Communications | $200 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | Sr. VP & Chief Admin Officer | $500 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | VP Customer Service | $115 |
| Wisconsin Electric & Power Company | VP Local Affairs | $200 |
| American Transmission Company | Vice President | $250 |
| American Transmission Company | President/CEO | $250 |
| Grand Total | $3,690 | |
Contributions made to Sen. Plale from individuals associated with the cable TV industry and the power & energy industry represent nearly twenty percent of all the contributions Sen. Plale received from individuals.
It’s also worth noting Sen. Plale received two $250 campaign contributions from the President and Vice President of Government Relations for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, which is notable for its right-wing leanings, as well as having financed and run some of the most misleading ads ever seen in a statewide election.
*The Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group (WIEG) is a lobbying group representing Wisconsin manufacturing industries including but not limited to paper, malting, automobile, food processing, chemical, metal casting, and fabricating. On WIEG’s website, the group touts the fact that its members “killed” the global warming bill (presumably the Clean Energy Jobs Act). No doubt Sen. Plale, who played an integral role in helping to kill the Clean Energy Jobs Act (on Earth Day, no less), is proud of the support he’s received from WIEG.
Disgusting, but no surprise. Those donors are who Plale represents. That’s really what this primary is all about.
I can say nothing more true.
Zach
You usually at least pretend to be fair.
But this is getting Ridiculous!
Why not Just say LARSON GOOD/ PLALE EVIL
everyday if that’s the way you are going to skew your reporting!
maybe Al or the Madman want to “Look Over” Larson’s financial report with the same type of slant you just used on Plale!
Shep, I’ve looked over the individual contributions Chris Larson received, and I didn’t notice a single contribution from any individual associated with Time Warner Cable, WCCA, or any energy company. For that matter, I didn’t see a single donation from a CEO/CFO/other major executive from any company of any great size.
As for me pretending to be fair, I’ve never pretended to be fair; this blog is biased, as am I.
Yes, but are you balanced?
No.
Then what’s the point?
The point is to express my opinion. If you want unbiased reporting, this isn’t the place for you.
What no comment on all the special interest money (conduit) that Larson got?
That’s a post for another day…
But since you mentioned it, let’s talk about the Larson $22,845 in conduit money Sen. Plale received, vs. the $9,278 Chris Larson received in conduit money. John, I get that you support the incumbent over the progressive, but if you’re going to try to paint Chris Larson as being no better than Jeff Plale, you’re going to have to try harder.
No, I just do not like double standards, which this post reeks of. Congratulations on actually doing a comparison.
John, since we’re talking about doubles, let’s talk about the fact that Sen. Plale received over double the amount of conduit donations as Chris Larson. Heck, we can also talk about where Sen. Plale got those conduit donations from, such as Wisconsin Electric, Time Warner, etc., while Larson’s conduit donations came from powerful special interests like Community Organizer Jason Haas.
To be honest, I’m kind of surprised at your vigorous defense of Sen. Plale; I had you figured as more of a progressive kind of guy.
I see you are just supporting a candidate that is far left and won’t make your party open to compromise — which is something you are always accusing Republicans of doing. Must be more of that blatant bias you so readily admit to.
I’m open to compromise, and I’ve voted for Sen. Plale in the past. However, if I’m given a choice between a conservative Democrat and a progressive Democrat, I’m going to choose the candidate who I feel best represents the things I believe in. While I may have my preference as far as the types of candidates I’ll support, I also acknowledge that there’s plenty of room in the Democratic Party for candidates and elected officials who are more moderate/conservative.
THOSE DAMN UTILITIES…
A news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 21, 2010
MORE INFORMATION
Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044, mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
We Energies Wins Praise for Support of Clean Energy Jobs Act
A leading renewable energy advocacy group praised Milwaukee-based We Energies for its support of the Clean Energy Jobs Act legislation (Assembly Bill 649).
http://renewableenergymilwaukee.blogspot.com/2010/04/we-energies-wins-praise-for-support-of.html
From what I’ve heard, Sen. Plale’s efforts to kill CEJA were due to a number of factors, not the least of which was the influence of Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, who really wanted to kill CEJA (from what I’ve heard).
Well Zach I am sure that I am not the first person that has told you this but I will throw it out there anyway. Dont believe everything you hear! This is one of the greatest problems with almost everything on this retarded blog. You and your silly supporters have repeatedly pointed out why so many people oppose your position! You report on either useless matters or include such a significant bias that only a small group can appreciate. Maybe you would be more successful in your personal, professional and if it ever comes to fruition your political life if you would only put as much effort looking at the flaws of those you support as you do with your opponents. I am sure that you will have some way to discount everything that I have indicated in this post, which is perfectly fine, but I just thought that I could enlighten you to some of your obvious issues!
Peter, while I appreciate your concern about my level of success personally, professionally, and politically, I can assure you I’m doing just fine in all three areas.
As for your comments about this blog, if you don’t like what we have to say, then you’re certainly welcome to find a blog that’s more in tune with your own world view.
When ATT wanted to rewrite Wisconsin’s telecom law a few years ago, they went to Phil Montgomery and Jeff Plale. ATT provided a “bill mill” draft of the new law. They brought more than a dozen lobbyists to Madison and started handing out campaign contributions. Of course, the real promise is for future campaign contributions. The money train keeps running. It’s not just one-time pay-offs.
The new law removed all local control over cable franchises. It greatly affected the locally-grown, locally-approved funding mechanisms for local community television channels – the one that shows your government meetings, the one that your high school runs, the one that allows public access. The new law, Act 42, has helped make stations go dark. The station in Wausau, pop. 38,000, has now gone dark. Other stations may follow.