A coalition of advocacy groups wants the two gubernatorial candidates to provide transparency and accountability in the campaign funding process. And, they want Mayor Tom Barrett and Governor Scott Walker to promise now to ask for a special session of the legislature soon after Tuesday’s recall election to address the issue.
“There has been a stunning silence about what is gonna be done about the carcinogens that have been unleashed on the body of democracy that is now been turned into a full-blown raging cancer. Who is talking about treatment? Who is talking about a cure?”
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign’s Mike McCabe says as of today, at least $62 million has already been spent on this election for governor. Combined with the senate recall elections … “Total spending last year and this year is now well over the $100 million mark.”
McCabe says most of the money in this recall election is coming from outside Wisconsin — from people who can’t even vote in our state.
Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) is among those seeking a change in the provision for unlimited fund-raising for targets of recalls. Bruce Speight is the group’s director. “What’s even more concerning is that candidates for governor have been mostly silent on these profound issues infecting our democracy. Neither campaign website has election reform as an issue. That needs to change today.”
The groups want to make it easier to track money spent by special interest groups; they want to force media outlets to keep an online public record of election advertising. And they want to make corporations get permission from their stockholders before spending money on candidates and issue ads.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:51