It is with regret that I find myself writing this dissertation after the ambush by Representative Barca on myself at the start of the Assembly floor session on July 9, 2015. The information included in this document was shared with the offices of Barca and Speaker Vos this past Monday, July 13, 2015, with a request that they acknowledge their improper interpretation of the “log rolling statute”, which would allow this issue to be permanently put to rest. Unfortunately, neither Barca nor Vos saw fit to respond to my request, thus I have taken it upon myself to attempt to clear my name.
Barca was especially nasty on the floor that day, calling me “reckless”, “ridiculous”, “guilty of a rookie mistake”, as well as other derogatory terms. Barca threatened to submit a “resolution to form an ethics committee and possible censure”. This is a very serious threat, and must be responded to.
This was all as a result of my public statement that ‘I will not vote in favor of any budget that does not have real prevailing wage reform, including the removal of all local entities from the provisions of this law’. I made this statement after being told by no less than three members of the Republican Assembly leadership team that making this statement constitutes a felony, and a felony which provides for a penalty of jail. I felt then, and this has been confirmed again now, that this is not true, and that the law actually encourages debate such as I participated in.
Rep. Barca also spoke of Senator Gary Hart and his boat, Monkey Business, as well as Hart’s secret lover, Donna Rice. The inference from Barca is clear: quit causing problems by standing up for the taxpayers so vigorously or we’ll come after you with the Wisconsin version of the paparazzi. I’m sorry Rep. Barca, but your private investigator would be quickly bored to death following me around. My boat doesn’t have a name, but if I was to name it, I would call it something like “Over-Taxed”. As for women on my boat, this week I’m taking six senior citizens from the local retirement home on a cruise and out to lunch. Shoot your cameras away; these fine ladies will get a hoot out of your attention.
As for other bad habits, I quit drinking so long ago I don’t quickly recall the exact date I threw the bottle away and took a vow of sobriety, and can’t think of anything else in my life that is even interesting to me. As for any felony violations related to my outspoken criticism of the prevailing wage statute, I think the attached opinion from Ozaukee County District Attorney, Adam Gerol, is as clear as glass; there is not even a hint of impropriety in what I said about prevailing wage reform being a part of the budget, or a prevailing wage reform vote outside of the budget. I could request another opinion from the Washington County District Attorney, but that seems like a true waste of law enforcement resources when we have an expert opinion that speaks with such finality.
I felt that when local community prevailing wage repeal was passed in the budget, that some reconciliation in the Assembly would begin to occur. Obviously this is not the case, as the attacks continue. I’ve also noticed that after I vocally took the side of the taxpayers versus special interests in the Capitol, that this is when the dirty tricks seriously commenced. My friends, I will not be deterred, and I promise to remain steadfast in my fight on behalf of the overtaxed citizens of this fine state, to find as much reform as is needed to get our state out of the rankings of the highest taxed in the nation.
After being harangued by Rep. Barca, Speaker Vos rose to speak. He stated “The very best thing you can do when you make a mistake is…apologize”. He also said “Once in a while you say something stupid, and that’s okay. Sometimes it’s okay for someone to stand up and say I was stupid”.
Rep. Barca and Speaker Vos, this humble Representative doesn’t want to publicly call you “stupid”. I’m just asking for the damage to my reputation to be repaired, and an apology from both of you that you were wrong with your interpretation of my statements would be a good starting point.
The accusations of illegal activity were ridiculous from the moment they were uttered. Politicians have been saying stuff like this forever. But what this really reveals is the coercive behavior that goes on behind closed doors in the legislature. It’s just that the public rarely gets to see it. It also reveals the extent to which Speaker Vos fought against repealing the prevailing wage laws. He was dragged kicking and screaming into the compromise they agreed upon despite his public statements claiming support for repeal.
The fact that anyone in the party of Hillary Clinton, would even comment on anyone else’s ethics is hilarious in and of itself.
Bob Gannon is really cutting his teeth on these absurd attacks.
This sounds like
1) ” the kids in school are really mean to me on the playground ”
Or
2) when asked in an interview to name a trait they have to work on , the prospect says
” I work too hard ” or “I’m too much of a perfectionist ”
( substitute principled conserrvative )
Or
3) I’m the first person in the history of the legislature to be 100% for the people I represent and these other guys are crooks
And charlatans .
I thought only liberals played the victim card .
Suggestion Robert :
1) Lose the Faulknerian paragraphs .
There are too many ADHD adults like me that drift off in the 9 th sentence of a paragraph
Your polar opposite Waring Fincke was guilty of this in his column but has started to break his stuff up .
2) assume the people of your district know you are a good person .Even though I disagree with just about all your politics , you have been a great community person
3) you are working at a sausage factory . We all know that . So make the sausage ( only the best conservative sausage of course )
And spare us the inconveniences of the arena you willingly chose to be in
Mark
I watch Wisconsin Eye a lot, both now and when the dems were in the majority. I’ve never seen the kind of childish scolding, castigation and hubris that’s constantly on display from the democRats. Every major legislative effort by the Republicans is met with ramming-speed negativism, sky’s-falling hyperbola and truth stretched all the way past totally ludicrous. Every issue for the ‘rats is “Act 10.”
I wonder if we could get the Peter Barca take on selling dead baby body parts?
After the assaults on political speech during the John Doe investigations into Scott Walker, you can bet your tail that I’m not going to have someone screaming “felony violation” in my presence, and for me not to publicly defend myself.
The left is allowed to make crazy and exaggerated claims about the republican agenda in Madison, and they are never challenged on it in the media. Sorry, I intend to call their bluff and not let them succeed at silencing conservative thought.
You have the governorship and both houses of the legislature .
The very idea that conservatives are being maligned by democrats when you can ( and do ) pass any legislation you want is laughable and pathetic
Sack up. Do your job and quit whining
Thank you Mr. Maley for your insight into what’s expected of political figures. During new legislator training it was never mentioned that the minority party was allowed to make false criminal charges, and that the recipient of such charges was supposed to “sack up”.
Classy crew those liberal dem’s seem to be.
Mark,
I find your advice fascinating!
You would give same “buck up” advice to gay couple in Oregon who filed a complaint against the Christian bakers because they didn’t feel obligated to participate in their wedding by baking them a cake?
Democrats are well in control in Oregon.
You wouldn’t come close to giving the “buck up” and get over it, advice to the gay couple.
Rather, it would be a sermon on so called tolerance and inclusiveness for the gay couple and forcing the baker to participate vs telling them to find a different baker. I missed that tolerance and inclusiveness support part of your sermon here with Bob.
Does Bob need to embrace some sort of different carnal proclivities or embrace weird lifestyle choices in his private life, like Bruce Jenner, for you to afford him some of that famed liberal tolerance and compassion you tend to talk about?
Would it help, if Bob is a climate change denier, that we label Bob, “Trans-climate”?
Still don’t trust Bob Gannon based on him lying about Mark Belling’s endorsement.
Mark Belling is a bully, and an entertainer, you decide which part is claiming that I’m a “liar”. A campaign volunteer who has zero political experience was running my website. He posted Belling’s editorial, which spoke kindly about me, under the endorsement section of the site versus the media section.
It was up for 24 hours before it was brought to my attention and fixed. Belling has since lied about me, but his general manager, Jerry Bott, and Belling himself, claim that was a mistake.
Thus under Belling’s world a mistake by others is a lie, but a lie by him is a mistake.
Kev, the gay couple didn’t run for office .
Bob did .
In baseball, a guy who could get rattled by things the other team said was called “Rabbit Ears ”
He is playing on a team that can run up the score at any time yet is somehow complaining that the losing team is saying bad things about his mom ?
Who is supposed to feel sorry for him ?
In most folks minds , running for office is an act of insanity because of all that comes with it .
But no one runs and wins and doesn’t understand the rules .
Hint- there are no rules !
I want to apologize now , personally for anything bad anyone Has Said about Bob in politics or will say about him .in the future
That should take care of things
PS- an old coaching tip
If you want to lead the orchestra , you need to turn your back to the crowd
I wish him well
Mark,
No rules?
Really?
That’s hilarious with all the invisible liberal trip wires out there on every issue.
My advice to Bob is, since there are seemingly no rules in civil society anymore: Consider accusing Peter Barca of felonies.
Barca has been in bed with the unions since day 1. I suggest a John Doe investigation of Barca just to make sure there is no funny business/illegal campaign coordination.
That is just as legitmiate as what Barca and Vos did here.
Mark has given his blessing to the “no rules” policy.
You know I don’t believe in blessings Kev.
Touche.
Would it help if I said “advocated a no rules policy”, instead?