Government

Shocker, Missing Wisconsin Senators Reel In Massive Union Donations

Posted on March 1, 2011 at 5:56pm by Mike Opelka
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Today is the big day for Wisconsin’s budget battle. The lines were drawn weeks ago between the GOP-contolled State houses and the union-supported Democrats when 14 Dems left the state to prevent a vote on the controversial plan to eliminate some of the collective bargaining for many public employees. In the time since the exodus much has been made about the financial support received by Gov. Walker from conservative donors like the billionaire Koch brothers.

Today we learned that unions financial support of Democrats in Wisconsin, especially those currently in hiding is equally staggering. According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign nearly 20% of recent campaign funds donated (2007-present) to the 14 Senate Democrats who are holding out in Illinois came from union employees. And one member of the MIA 14 is the recipient of the lion’s share of that windfall. Meet Spencer Coggs:

According to the Journal-Sentinel of Milwaukee (Milwaukee is in the district Coggs represents), approximately two-thirds of the campaign funds donated to Mr. Coggs came from the public sector. That information should not surprise anyone when you review the state Senator’s bio as presented by the local newspaper:

Before being elected to the Legislature nearly three decades ago, Coggs was a city inspector and the treasurer of his AFSCME local. He remains a member of the union because he is technically on leave from his municipal job, and he is active with two other unions.

It has been almost 30 years since Coggs worked in the unionized position as a city inspector, and he is still allowed to call himself a member of that union because he is on a “leave of absence?” Oddly enough, Mr. Coggs’ online bio does not mention his union membership, in fact this is all it says:

5th session in Senate (elected to Senate in November 2003 recall election, reelected 2004) (also served 11 sessions in Assembly 1983-2003). Born 8/6/49; married; B.S. UW-Milwaukee 1976; former City of Milwaukee health officer.

The donations from unions to Democrats and their causes was not lost of the GOP leadership in Wisconsin. Senate Majority leader Scott Fitzgerald claims that the Wisconsin Education Association Council spent almost $1.6 million supporting candidates in four different state Senate races. Additionally, SEIU and AFSCME are alleged to have pumped over $1.3 million into Wisconsin campaigns since 2008.

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Comments (8)

dontbotherme
Posted on March 2, 2011 at 11:31am
The Union owns these politicians. Bought & paid for. Whose best interests do they have in mind? It’s certainly not the people who elected them.
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fertlmind
Posted on March 2, 2011 at 9:38am
remove collective bargaining from this scenario and Wisconsin will have allot more republicans elected to state office.
more republicans will = financial stability and fiscal sanity for the states budget
every American has a responsibility to pressure state legislatures to reign in and limit public union influence on government
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VotersOfNY
Posted on March 2, 2011 at 7:49am
Time to break these unions. They are in bed with politicians and there is much corruption. Unions did it to themselves by getting so greedy.

Why do they feel they are entitled to have our taxes pay for their benefits? I have to pay my own health insurance and pension so let these lazy greedy bums pay their own way from now on. Screw the unions.
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pamela kay
Posted on March 2, 2011 at 2:57am
This is nothing new as far as the donations go. I just do not understand how any American citizen would make a pact with the devil knowing full well the state our country is in. I know that they don’t want to loose their jobs but this is wrong and they know it. It’s like turning your back or closing your eyes when you witness a crime that you could have stopped.. I don’t know how they look in the mirror. It makes me question how many people care or how many good honest hard working people are left in our society.
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copper
Posted on March 2, 2011 at 1:31am
It is NOT a big surprise. Why our own dear president was bought and paid for by the unions. That’s why he asks how high to jump every time they call. He told SEIU that their agenda would be his agenda in the White House. Well I guess they own that now too.

This man complains about Libya’s dictator…he’s not far behind. He thinks he‘s a one man Supreme Court and has the right to chastise everyone for what they do or don’t do. Sounds like a severe case of narcissim to me with delusions of grandeur. Wonder when we’ll have to start worshipping him as the “Caesar”?
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- joseph Fawcett
  Posted on March 2, 2011 at 2:08am
  This is not all that surprising in this day and age. I bet my last dollar that the Unions are making those 14 very comfortable in IL. I bet they are somehow paying for the rooms, transportation, food, drinks, and some parties. Unions are making this all possible and I believe directing each senator what to do and say. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Unions were making sure their families are visiting them and having a great vacation too. Maybe even giving the family members money to give to the Senators to pay for everything. This stinks of Unions all the way around.
  
  http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
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- Polwatcher
  Posted on March 2, 2011 at 5:36am
  Right before our eyes, these Senators are proving our point. Without union support these Senators would not be doing this. The unions buy our politiicians so that these corrupt politicians will give the unions our money.
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- smithclar3nc3
  Posted on March 2, 2011 at 9:07am
  Public unions are paid with tax dollars that in itself makes the whole issue a conflict of interest. Legislation needs to be passed to bar public unions and public employee from donating money to either side of our two party system. If they want to support a party they can do so by donating their free time to get the word out. But to use tax dollars to support a candidate is unethical to say the least.
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