Voting against critical relief in a pandemic made worse by the GOP spreading misinformation and outright lies is bad policy and bad politics, say Dems.

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin is building back better thanks to Gov. Evers quickly distributing  American Rescue Plan funds for broadband expansion, small business relief, the tourism industry, and rural health services. This critical pandemic relief was passed by President Biden and Democrats in Congress -- and was unanimously opposed by GOP lawmakers. Despite voting against the federal relief and attempting to slow down relief distribution in the state legislature, Wisconsin Republicans are all too eager to take credit for the ARP’s clear success in Wisconsin.

In fact, some of the most vocal opponents of the bill are going as far as to take credit for the benefits funded by the ARP. Take a look at failed Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden and Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07):

• Van Orden called the bill a “disaster,” “wasteful” and a “bribery bill,”
• Tiffany called the bill a “trainwreck.”

Just a few months later, both Republicans hosted a round table with local business owners touting the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund provided vital funds to businesses most impacted by the pandemic. This relief was funded by -- drum roll, please -- the American Rescue Plan.

Despite Tiffany and Van Orden’s stark opposition to the deal, their communities are now using the funds to build back better from this pandemic:

• Wausau is allocating federal funding to programs addressing homelessness that will expand affordable housing programs and support local businesses,
• La Crosse is providing grants to nonprofit organizations, and
• Eau Claire allocated millions in ARP funds to their pandemic response.

The hypocrisy continues with Representative Glenn Grothman (WI-06). Grothman touted both the stimulus checks and restaurant relief funds that were funded by the American Rescue Plan despite -- you guessed it -- voting against the “tremendous influx of resources.”

“Wisconsin Republicans like state Reps. Clint Moses,  Rob Summerfield, Samantha Kerkman, and state Sen. Van Wanggaard are quick to tout the relief that Democrats provided but that their party tried to block,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. “It turns out, voting against critical relief in a pandemic made worse by the GOP spreading misinformation and outright lies is bad policy and bad politics -- and Wisconsin families have had enough of Republicans’ obstructionism and hypocrisy. Make no mistake: every single Democrat in Congress voted for President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and Governor Evers has implemented it -- while every single Republican voted against it. Come 2022, Wisconsinites will hold Republicans accountable at the ballot box.”

Highlight Inept Response to COVID-19

MADISON, Wis. -- The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is launching a TV ad campaign against Rebecca Kleefisch’s failure to provide a plan for combating the COVID-19 pandemic - the number one crisis facing the state and the country.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Rebecca Kleefisch has yet to release a plan to combat a contagious virus that has killed more than 8,000 Wisconsin residents.”

Rather than encourage folks to get vaccinated or wear a mask, Kleefisch has offered up a garbled laundry list of things she wouldn’t do. Kleefisch even accused Gov. Tony Evers of not following the state’s emergency response plan, but state officials debunked that lie and confirmed that Gov. Evers has used the plan as a guide.

Kleefisch has been radical and reckless with the pandemic since last year - she’s supported bogus treatments for COVID-19, attended and promoted potential super spreader events, and spoke to anti-vaccine groups.

Click here to watch the ad.

“We’re 19 months into the pandemic, thousands of Wisconsinites have died—and Rebecca Kleefisch can’t be bothered to consider how she would respond to the pandemic,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. “Her failure to take the pandemic seriously is a slap in the face to the health care workers who have been run ragged and the thousands of Wisconsinites who have lost their loved ones. Wisconsin is worse off because of Republicans like Kleefisch who continue to be reckless and irresponsible on public health.”

Madison, Wis., -- Thursday, Senator Ron Johnson voted against funding the government, supporting a government shutdown which would slow economic growth and impact federal programs Wisconsinites care about, including potential loss in pay for essential workers like TSA, border patrol, and vaccine developers at the FDA. In response, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Senate Communications Advisor Philip Shulman released the following statement:

“Ron Johnson is too busy figuring out ways to dodge paying his fair share in taxes to care about the Wisconsinites who would suffer if he’d gotten the government shutdown he wanted. Once again, Ron Johnson is abandoning Wisconsin to instead focus on his self-serving political games.”

Wisconsin’ fifth congressional district covers Washington and Jefferson counties, most of Waukesha County, and portions of Dodge, Milwaukee, and Walworth counties.

WEST ALLIS, WI -- Jessica Katzenmeyer (D) is excited to announce her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives to represent the 5th Congressional District in the State of Wisconsin. 

“We need a government that works for the people,” said Katzenmeyer. “Our leaders who represent us should be the everyday people of our communities. As a self-employed contractor, I understand the struggle many Americans are facing. We need bold leaders with bold ideas who are not afraid to listen to different perspectives and get things done.” 

Katzenmeyer is proud and honored to be the first ever transgender congressional candidate in the history of Wisconsin. In 2020, Jessica ran for Wisconsin State Assembly with the hope of helping other Wisconsinites who know what it means to struggle. She became a leading voice in Wisconsin on LGBTQ rights as the state’s second-ever transgender candidate to run for state office, quickly gaining national recognition as an alum of the Victory Institute and being named a top-10 candidate to watch in multiple publications.

With healthcare as a priority, Katzenmeyer’s vision to move America forward focuses on expanding healthcare coverage, supporting our small businesses, and moving toward clean and sustainable infrastructure.

“It's not about the past, but how we are going to move toward a brighter future,” said Katzenmeyer. “It's a vision about how we are going to help people and have a positive impact on their lives. It's a vision of living in a country where we don’t ever have to worry about going into debt or filing for bankruptcy over medical bills. It's about a vision of living in a country operating on clean energy, breathing clean air, and drinking clean water.”

With a proud union background, Katzenmeyer worked for UPS for over 12 years, where she was an active member of Teamsters Local 344. Still serving her community, Katzenmeyer continues to volunteer with local and statewide campaigns and advocate for LGBTQ rights. She currently serves on the City of West Allis Plan Commission.

Wisconsin’ fifth congressional district covers Washington and Jefferson counties, most of Waukesha County, and portions of Dodge, Milwaukee, and Walworth counties.

The primary election will be held on August 9, 2022, with the general election on November 8, 2022.

Today, on Monday, October 4th, Katzenmeyer will be hosting a Campaign Kickoff event from 4:00-6:00 p.m. with a press conference beginning at 5:00 p.m. The event will be held at Public Table restaurant located at 5835 W. National Ave, West Allis, WI 53214.

To learn more about Jessica and her vision, please go to jessicaforwis.com. For updates, follow her at @JessicaForWis on social media.

Millionaire Senator Paid Less In Taxes Than Many Middle Class Wisconsin Families

Madison, Wis., Yesterday, a new report highlighted how Senator Ron Johnson, who made hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2017, paid the same amount in taxes as a Wisconsin family with a taxable income of $40,000. In response, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement:

“It’s simple: struggling Wisconsin families, whom Ron Johnson tried to stop from getting much needed COVID relief and a family tax cut, should not be paying more in taxes than Ron Johnson himself. Johnson rigged the tax system to benefit himself and his biggest donors. Ron Johnson owes it to every Wisconsinite to stop his shady dealings, come clean about his self-serving antics, and end his opposition to the Build Back Better plan that would help address the unfairness in our tax system and give a break to working families.”

This isn’t the first time Johnson has gamed the system to enrich himself. Following his 2010 campaign, where he loaned himself nearly $9 million, Johnson had his company PACUR pay him $10 million in what he called “deferred compensation.” More recently, Johnson changed the 2017 GOP tax scam bill that benefitted himself and his biggest campaign donors to the tune of over $200 million dollars in a single year.

Madison, Wis. -- Despite making millions of dollars in 2017, Senator Ron Johnson paid virtually nothing in state income taxes -- and won’t tell Wisconsintes why. See more below on how Johnson avoided paying his fair share of taxes in 2017:

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Multimillionaire U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson paid a mere $2,105 in state income taxes in 2017, despite making big bucks

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has pushed back on any suggestion that wealthy individuals, such as himself, should be paying more in income taxes.

"People should be paying their fair share," Johnson said recently on WISN-AM (1130). "But when you have the top 1% of taxpayers paying 40% of the income tax, I mean, at some point in time, you got to go, 'Well, that's got to be pretty close to their fair share, huh?'"

Good question.

But here's a better one:

How did a multimillionaire like Johnson, who makes $174,000 a year as a U.S. senator, pay only a couple of thousand dollars in state income taxes just a few years back?

To be exact, state records say Johnson, an Oshkosh Republican, paid Wisconsin a total of $2,105 in state income taxes for 2017.

For context, a married Wisconsin couple who jointly reported a taxable income of $40,000 — that is, their adjusted gross income minus all deductions and credits — would have had a 2017 state income tax bill of $2,107, two dollars more than what Johnson paid.

The state had a graduated tax rate of 4% to 7.65% in 2017.

Now consider this: In his federal financial filings, Johnson reported personal income ranging from $276,412 to $2.2 million in 2017 — on top of his Senate salary. That means he had a minimum income of $450,000 in the same year that he paid $2,105 in state income taxes.

And this: Johnson has averaged paying a little more than $60,000 a year in state income taxes to Wisconsin over the past decade — 30 times what he paid in 2017.

So why the big tax break four years ago?

A special one-year deduction? Business losses? Large charitable contributions? Or a tax break as a result of former President Donald Trump's 2017 tax bill?

Johnson's staff isn't saying.

"The senator had a smaller tax payment because he had less income to report in 2017," said Vanessa Ambrosini, a spokeswoman for Johnson.

Asked if the second-term senator would release his federal tax returns to provide some further context, Ambrosini said no.

"The senator will not be providing media with his tax returns," she said.

If Johnson decides to run for a third term, which is an open question, Ambrosini said he will provide the press with a similar level of "tax detail" as he has in the past.

It's not clear what that means. In the 2010 race, Johnson released three years of federal tax returns; he provided no returns in 2016.

"He had complied with all Senate financial disclosure requirements," Ambrosini said.

And what do those show?

His most recent report, filed in May, says Johnson had assets worth between $16.5 million and $78.1 million at the end of last year.

A big chunk of that —  between $5 million and $25 million — came from the March 2020 sale of his share of Pacur LLC, an Oshkosh-based supplier of specialty plastic packaging materials. Johnson headed the privately held company before he was elected to the Senate in 2010.

All of which is very interesting financial information on Johnson, who — you may recall — delayed and then voted against the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill earlier this year that included $1,400 stimulus checks and monthly child tax-credit payments for many Americans.

But those Senate records do not explain why he paid such a paltry sum to Wisconsin in 2017.

"Wisconsinites deserve to know what Sen. Johnson is hiding in his financial records," said Philip Shulman, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel turned up his past tax payments by asking the state Department of Revenue for the state income taxes paid over the past 10 years by Johnson and all the major Democratic candidates in the 2022 race for Johnson's seat.

[...]

In 2011, Johnson's plastics firm paid him $10 million in deferred compensation shortly after Johnson poured $9 million into his campaign to defeat then-U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold.

More recently, Pro Publica reported that Johnson fought to sweeten the tax break for companies known as pass-throughs  — so-called because profits are passed through to owners — in Trump's 2017 tax bill, a move that benefited some of his biggest donors. Among the beneficiaries were Dick and Liz Uihlein of Pleasant Prairie-based packaging company Uline and Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply in Beloit.

[...]

Nicholson Is Running Campaign Ads Through His Nonprofit To Boost Political Profile

Kleefisch irritated with the response to her radical record say WisDems, and her number one talking point was debunked by Politifact.

MADISON, Wis. -- Rebecca Kleefisch’s candidacy has been off to a rocky start - she’s already irritated with the response to her radical record, and her number one talking point was debunked by Politifact.

It's not surprising that after stumbling into the race, Kleefisch's allies have already rushed to create a Super PAC to save her candidacy. But nothing will cover up the fact that Radical Rebecca’s agenda as lieutenant governor deeply hurt Wisconsin.

Read about why Rebecca Kleefisch is wrong for Wisconsin below.

Urban Milwaukee: How Kleefisch Failed On Foxconn

Rebecca Kleefisch had a hard time in the early days of Gov. Scott Walker’s administration.

Her easy win in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor in 2010 shocked and dismayed the leaders of Walker’s campaign for governor, who favored Kleefisch’s GOP opponent Brett Davis. Walker’s top aide Keith Gilkes had declared that “we are not touching anything to do with Kleefisch,” calling her “radioactive.”

Walker aide Kelly Rindfleisch dismissed Kleefisch as “fluff,” while another Walker staffer declared that “I cannot see how anyone can take this woman seriously.”

[...]

In September 2015, Kleefisch and a delegation from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation went on a trade mission to Japan and Taiwan;  and in February 2017, she and representatives of the  WEDC went on a trade mission to Mexico.

It was on the first of those trade missions, Kleefisch would later claim, that she met with Foxconn officials and urged them to consider development in Wisconsin. So even the project Walker touted as his signature economic development coup was first pushed by his Lt. Governor, according to her.

There is no doubt Kleefisch was a strong proponent of the Foxconn deal, telling Channel 58 that “We are being very aggressive in our plans to assure we are putting together the very best package.” and marveling in 2018 at “how exciting the future is going to be now that Foxconn is joining Wisconsin’s economy.”

So what is the truth here? There are two ways to views Kleefisch’s eight years as Lt. Governor. The first is to take it at her word, that she was Walker’s jobs ambassador, in which case his failed promise to create 250,000 new jobs by the end of his first term falls equally on her.

[...]

In short Kleefisch and Walker failed to protect taxpayers, while Gov. Tony Evers did, massively scaling back the contract to allow only maximum tax credits of $80 million. Kleefisch supported what stands as the most embarrassing economic development project in state history.

The other way to view Kleefisch is that she was simply exaggerating her role in Walker’s administration, that she wasn’t really his “jobs ambassador,” probably didn’t coin the central slogan of his campaign, and didn’t play a key role in the Foxconn deal. In which case, there’s little she accomplished in those eight years.

But in either version of her tenure as Lt. Governor (and she clearly prefers the first version), Kleefisch made no effort to protect taxpayers from the debacle of Foxconn.

The Cap Times: Opinion | The urgency of defeating Rebecca Kleefisch

[...]

Kleefisch, in addition to Walker’s pro-big business, anti-worker stances, would bring right-wing extremism and intolerance to the governor’s office. One need only look at a thunderbolt comment she made on Sept. 9, shortly after announcing her run for governor. “I will sign a heartbeat bill” she told a radio show host, making clear her intent to bring Texas-style anti-abortion vigilantism to Wisconsin.

Fanaticism is nothing new for Kleefisch. Campaigning along with Walker in 2010, she publicly opposed same-sex partnership — a very limited set of rights for same-sex couples — saying: “At what point are we going to OK marrying inanimate objects? Can I marry this table or this, you know, clock? Can we marry dogs?"

[...]

Her views on health care access are callous and cruel. The Walker-Kleefisch regime refused to accept for eight years the substantial annual federal dollars for assisted Medicaid enrollment, with Kleefisch denouncing the Affordable Care Act as an “abomination” and supporting Walker’s participation in the GOP lawsuit to overturn the ACA.

[...]

The Cap Times: Opinion | Rebecca Kleefisch is rerunning Donald Trump’s losing campaign

[...]

Instead of expanding her appeal, Kleefisch launched her campaign with an embarrassingly predictable rehash of the messaging Trump lost with in 2020. “One year ago, Kenosha burned while Tony Evers failed to lead,” she claims in her announcement video. “Our police deserted and disrespected. Jobs destroyed. Lives were lost and small businesses were burned because our governor sided with rioters instead of the people of this community.”

[...]

Trump made a hyper-politicized “presidential” visit to Kenosha in the late summer, and then returned for an incendiary Election Eve rally at which he declared, “If you want your children to be safe … vote for your all-time favorite president.”

It was the wrong message at the wrong time in the wrong place, and the next day Wisconsin voters told Trump so by backing Biden.

[...]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kleefisch attacks Evers over Kenosha but also once said 'far too many shots' were fired in police shooting

Republican Rebecca Kleefisch in her run for governor has argued that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers abandoned cops after a police shooting in Kenosha, but in the hours after the incident she echoed Evers' sentiment by saying too many shots had been fired.

"All I know is what I saw and what I heard, which was far too many shots for a man who had his back turned," the former lieutenant governor told reporters on Aug. 24, 2020, a day after Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake from behind.

[...]

Evers spokesman Sam Roecker said Kleefisch's reaction to the number of shots fired was like that of other Wisconsinites.

"But instead of working toward justice, equity, and safer communities, it’s clear that now because she’s running for governor, Rebecca Kleefisch has to resort to inventing a new narrative that fits her radical agenda instead of being honest with Wisconsin voters," Roecker said in a statement.

[...]

Politifact: ​​No, Wis. Gov. Evers did not wait to send help to Kenosha during unrest

A year after the violent and fatal protests that took place in Kenosha, and a year before the 2022 election, political opponents are focusing on Gov. Tony Evers and his response to the crisis that left dozens of buildings burned and two dead.

The critique, in short: He did too little, too late.

Most recently, Republican Rebecca Kleefisch, the former lieutenant governor, made such a claim as she launched her bid Sept 9, 2021 to take on Evers, a first-term Democrat.

[...]

In an ad, Empower Wisconsin said of Evers and Kenosha violence: "It took the loss of lives before help finally came."

But the timeline shows Evers had sent in 250 National Guard troops in the days before the night Rittenhouse shot and killed the two men.

We rate this claim False.

Unlike what Kleefisch and the Wisconsin GOP like to claim, Gov. Evers promptly sent the National Guard to Kenosha during protests last summer.

MADISON - Rebecca Kleefisch’s gubernatorial bid is less than a week old, and she is already being called out for lying on the campaign trail. Today, a PolitiFact fact check determined that Kleefisch’s favorite talking point about Gov. Evers’ response during the Kenosha protests is false. The fact check determined that unlike Kleefisch and the Wisconsin GOP like to claim, Gov. Evers promptly sent the National Guard to Kenosha during protests last summer.

PolitiFact rated the claim used by right-wing super PAC Empower Wisconsin and similarly echoed by Kleefisch that “it took the loss of lives before help finally came” as “False.”  Instead, a quick fact-check found that Evers deployed the National Guard less than 24 hours after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, with 250 National Guard troops sent in to Kenosha before Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two men the next day.

Gov. Evers’ Communications Director Sam Roecker said, “The fact of the matter is, the state and Governor Evers worked closely with local leaders to provide assistance and fulfill every request they had.”

PolitiFact’s findings are bad news for Radical Rebecca, who has made similarly false accusations about Gov. Evers’ handling of Kenosha a cornerstone of her campaign. Kleefisch continues to lob baseless criticisms, “but in the hours after the incident she echoed Evers' sentiment by saying too many shots had been fired,” according to a report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Rebecca Kleefisch’s central line of attack against Gov. Tony Evers has been debunked in the first week of her campaign,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Kleefisch is running a campaign based on lies and unpopular policies because she knows her record is incomparable to Gov. Evers’. Wisconsin voters rejected the Walker-Kleefisch administration’s disastrous policies once before, and Gov. Evers’ strong leadership has time and time again proven they made the right choice.”

MADISON, Wis. -- Wednesday marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of the rich and diverse Hispanic and Latin American cultures that have shaped our country and state.

In partnership with President Biden, Governor Evers, Sen. Baldwin, and Reps. Kind, Moore, and Pocan, WisDems will continue to advocate for the Build Back Better agenda which is delivering for Hispanic families across Wisconsin by providing essential pandemic relief, investing in our state’s infrastructure, and protecting the right to vote. Our Wisconsin Legislative Latino Caucus and WisDems Latino Caucus continue to inspire the next generation of Latino leaders in Wisconsin and remind us of the importance of uplifting Latino voices in Wisconsin politics.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Interim Executive Director Devin Remiker released the following statement:

“This month, and every month, we recognize the achievements and contributions of Wisconsin’s Latino and Hispanic community. We must continue to work towards a more inclusive and equitable future. Our diversity is our strength and this month is another reminder to stop and recognize the accomplishments of our Latino friends, neighbors, and community leaders.

“Members of the Wisconsin Latino and Hispanic community represent the very best of Wisconsin’s values -- from business owners to activists, doctors, servicemembers, and dedicated community members. We recognize your profound impact on our state and know your successes will continue to benefit Wisconsin."