There is one common thread among those in the new Wisconsin conservative movement. Some people attribute it to the “tea party”. Which is partially true. It’s the religious part of the movement that correlates with my believe. Many Republicans, some hold high positions, within our state, county and local governments are members of WELS. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synods are politically active and demand of here voting eligible members to follow suit. They actively recruit and nominate from within. Senator Ron Johnson, a WELS member, is an example of the extreme views and positions held by members. Those in office that don’t comply, like Robin Vos, with the expected agenda become targets of political assassination. Vos has been fending off attacks for months. WELS is yet another group that Scott Walker caters to. Walker recognized there voting power at an early point in his career. Walker and WELS have both enjoyed the benefits of this symbiotic relationship. The school voucher program and the 20 week abortion ban can be directly attributed to this long standing relationship. Walker in turn reaps the benefits of the thousands of votes controlled by WELS. Many people are complaining about the power of political action committees (PACS) but in my opinion there is nothing more dangerous then a politician controlled by religious extremists. One way to solve this is to take away the non profit standing of churches that openly exert and yield political power. We should start with WELS.
Sorry… A couple of typos above. Belief not believe, there not here, than not then and finally and apologetically wield not yield.
Sorry for the above typos. In the order they were written… Belief not believe, there not here, their not there, than not then and finally and apologetically wield not yield. Embarrassing!
There is no doubt that the some Churches, an IRS (501(c)(3)group prohibiting political activity, are getting “cozy” with political groups IRS(501(c)(4) advocating on political or social issues such as abortion.
It seems to become a very important topic and activity peaks during election seasons such as the current one. Why else would Walker bring up an abortion bill at this time instead of earlier in his term as governor?
I have experienced instances of joint meetings or events of these two groups for political purposes using church facilities and church members which are violations of a religious group or church’s tax exempt status under IRS 501(C)(3).
Complaints alleging violations may be filed with the IRS using Form 13909.
Note that the proposal to remove legislators comes just 2 days after a Joint Legislative Audit Committee Hearing on WEDC was finally scheduled (about 4 months too late). I think the plan is to make sure Lassa and Barca are off the Board by the time of the Oct meeting, which will be the first time LAB can officially talk about the audit. Don’t want anybody at the Oct meeting who might, you know, actually ask questions (and get answers) about the audit.
A must read for people across the state. Thanks so much lufthase, excellent reporting. Your Mike Leon (MALContends links) and others are worth especially following in case anyone missed them.
There is one common thread among those in the new Wisconsin conservative movement. Some people attribute it to the “tea party”. Which is partially true. It’s the religious part of the movement that correlates with my believe. Many Republicans, some hold high positions, within our state, county and local governments are members of WELS. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synods are politically active and demand of here voting eligible members to follow suit. They actively recruit and nominate from within. Senator Ron Johnson, a WELS member, is an example of the extreme views and positions held by members. Those in office that don’t comply, like Robin Vos, with the expected agenda become targets of political assassination. Vos has been fending off attacks for months. WELS is yet another group that Scott Walker caters to. Walker recognized there voting power at an early point in his career. Walker and WELS have both enjoyed the benefits of this symbiotic relationship. The school voucher program and the 20 week abortion ban can be directly attributed to this long standing relationship. Walker in turn reaps the benefits of the thousands of votes controlled by WELS. Many people are complaining about the power of political action committees (PACS) but in my opinion there is nothing more dangerous then a politician controlled by religious extremists. One way to solve this is to take away the non profit standing of churches that openly exert and yield political power. We should start with WELS.
Sorry… A couple of typos above. Belief not believe, there not here, than not then and finally and apologetically wield not yield.
Sorry for the above typos. In the order they were written… Belief not believe, there not here, their not there, than not then and finally and apologetically wield not yield. Embarrassing!
There is no doubt that the some Churches, an IRS (501(c)(3)group prohibiting political activity, are getting “cozy” with political groups IRS(501(c)(4) advocating on political or social issues such as abortion.
It seems to become a very important topic and activity peaks during election seasons such as the current one. Why else would Walker bring up an abortion bill at this time instead of earlier in his term as governor?
I have experienced instances of joint meetings or events of these two groups for political purposes using church facilities and church members which are violations of a religious group or church’s tax exempt status under IRS 501(C)(3).
Complaints alleging violations may be filed with the IRS using Form 13909.
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/IRS-Complaint-Process-Tax-Exempt-Organizations
If you’re sick of hearing about the 2016 Presidential race and need a change of pace, I’ve got a very, very early preview of 2016 Assembly races up. 🙂
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/02/1406947/-2016-WI-Assembly-Races-So-you-re-telling-me-there-s-a-chance
WI Soapbox has a good article up about WIGOP trying to remove legislators (that is, oversight) from the WEDC Board:
http://wisoapbox.blogspot.com/2015/08/rick-gudex-asks-how-can-we-lower.html
Note that the proposal to remove legislators comes just 2 days after a Joint Legislative Audit Committee Hearing on WEDC was finally scheduled (about 4 months too late). I think the plan is to make sure Lassa and Barca are off the Board by the time of the Oct meeting, which will be the first time LAB can officially talk about the audit. Don’t want anybody at the Oct meeting who might, you know, actually ask questions (and get answers) about the audit.
A must read for people across the state. Thanks so much lufthase, excellent reporting. Your Mike Leon (MALContends links) and others are worth especially following in case anyone missed them.