A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Scott Walker travels abroad on taxpayer money while preaching state budget cuts

Posted: Jun 17, 2015

Cost of his trip to London?

$138,200, according to Walker’s office.

Cost of trips to Germany, France, Spain and Quebec, Canada?

Yet to be released by Walker's office.

Double-standard/hypocrisy in government spending policy after announcing your presidential bid?

Priceless.

"Scott Walker - he's everywhere he shouldn't be."

Well, at least he'll get some foreign policy and diplomacy experience now. Not really, though, because these countries aren't exactly "hostile" to us.

Here's the URL just in case the link doesn't work. (I've noticed previously links from the WP sometimes don't work here).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-budget-fight-rages-at-home-wisconsins-scott-walker-goes-abroad/2015/06/17/d40ecc1e-1419-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html?hpid=z3

;

OBAMA TOUTS CLIMATE CHANGE WITH A "GOLF" - FOOTPRINT RIVALING A HERD

[ In Reply To ..]
OF DINOSAURS. USUAL LIBERAL HYPOCRISY.

Yep, their "faux" outrage so easy to spot. - Nothing new here

[ In Reply To ..]
If it involves a Democrat of any stripe, they get a full pass on everything from murder to killing 7-month-old fetuses. Their logic so logic, reads more like fantasy..Oh Wait...Sexual brutality and abusive fantasy is Bernie's department.

Why no mention of the taxpayer fund used for the bogus - "global warming" falsifiers

[ In Reply To ..]
Because all those flat earther Climate change touters, had to falsify the "climate change" so-called research. Just another Liberal lie amongst so many.

Is God really punishing Texas with floods? - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Climate change currently being discussed - on Senate floor

[ In Reply To ..]
Science is, well, a science.

Even the Pope gets it.

Nice deflection, but Obama isn't running, nor did he ever run on an antispending platform like - Walker ~ (edited) Julia Sugarbaker

[ In Reply To ..]
Had I just been asked if I thought Obama overspent or had questionable travel expenses, I would've answered "Yes, in some cases, Obama has overspent/has questionable travel expenses" - no shouting necessary:)

As for hypocrisy, I don't agree, but perhaps the definition of hypocrisy is needed here, from Merriam Webster:

"The behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do : behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel"

Um, since the Dems and Obama have never run on anti-govt spending platforms anyway, sorry, that doesn't qualify for hypocrisy - that accusation then belongs squarely on the shoulders of Republicans/Tea Party only for claiming they don't overspend in the first place, pointing the finger at those who do, then getting caught red-handed with their hands in the proverbial government cookie jar:)

For the most part, anti-government spending has historically been contrary to many Democrats' philosophy. However, this is one of the reasons I'm not a Dem and am a left-leaning independent, I am very concerned about government overspending, particularly that of our NEW candidates currently running for the office of POTUS.

As for climate change, can you prove our climate has NOT changed?

Unless someone here can prove our global climate has NOT changed, I'd think twice before I called other people "flat earthers" - because by definition, "flat earthers" are defined as anyone who CAN'T prove their speculative beliefs through scientific method (Helllloooo?).

Feel free to continue calling people that, but I don't think the right wing needs one more reason to be called "party of hypocrites" by pointing fingers at others for doing the same things themselves that they claim not to do - that cup overfloweth.

What’s the difference in state troopers and Secret Service? - - Nothing

[ In Reply To ..]
Both guard political figures – troopers guard governors and the Secret Service guards federal “employees.”

You should have finished reading the rest of your post:

The governor also traveled to Israel for five days in May, but his political organization and the Republican Jewish Coalition paid for that visit.

Walker in recent months booked three taxpayer-funded trips in quick succession: Four days in the United Kingdom in early February, followed by a week in April in Germany, France and Spain, and now this journey to Canada.

The governor also traveled to Israel for five days in May, but his political organization and the Republican Jewish Coalition paid for that visit.

Walker said the trips are vital to increasing exports overseas and persuading foreign companies to invest or expand in his state. Previous Wisconsin governors typically took three or four foreign trips a year, he said, so there’s nothing unusual about his travel.

Walker’s staff dubbed the Canadian tour a “business development mission,” paid for by the quasi-public Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

In Canada, Walker attended a weekend conference of U.S. governors and Canadian provincial premiers from the Great Lakes region, a gathering held at Le Chateau Frontenac, a palatial luxury hotel.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), who was also in Canada this week, said in an interview that he takes several foreign trade trips a year, including regular visits to China.

From the Milwaukee Journal,
"Taxpayers are not paying any part of the governor's Our American Revival travel. Additionally, Our American Revival is paying for all hotels, flights, rental cars, and any other travel expenses for the troopers when they are on political trips," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.

On official trips, however, tax dollars will continue to cover the troopers' travel costs.

For instance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this month that Wisconsin taxpayers paid $138,200 for his February trip to Great Britain, including the costs for state troopers.

That trip was organized as a trade mission, but most news outlets also covered it in the context of Walker's possible presidential run. Democratic Party spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff criticized the use of tax dollars on the trip, while the Walker administration said trade missions are common for governors and the trip's costs would pay off for the state's economy.

Last month, a top Walker aide told lawmakers that taxpayers would be footing the bill for security on all his travels. That has been the case for previous governors such as Doyle, whether the travel was official or political.

As usual, the Dems are having a fit, but the Journal didn’t wish to disclose Gov. Doyle’s traveling expenses except to say that “The security costs are more than triple than what they were during the final year in office of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, according to the documents released under a state open records request.”

Of course they would be lower…anyone with brains would realize that lame duck politicians usually don’t do much traveling for the good of the state or the country. Why bother to help the next in line?

I read the part about the trip to Israel, but don't consider privately-funded trips our busines - But here's a question ~Julia Sugarbaker

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm speaking of the WP article I posted, of course, not the MSJ.

Well, that's unfortunate the MSJ twisted things, I didn't read their article. In my case, I wasn't leaving the trip to Israel out of my personal commentary to be misleading - I honestly left it out because it was a privately-funded trip.

Because IMO, even IF the privately-funded trip to Israel was for presidential-candidate purposes rather than state trade, like he says the others were, that's fine by me and really none of my business - only expensive publicly-funded trips with luxury accommodations several times a year for "trade" or "with heightened security" are our business.

But here is my question: Why would the governor of any state, regardless of party, need to travel to foreign countries for "trade purposes" and stay at "palatial" accommodations or with "greater security" with taxpayers footing the bill, lame duck or not?

If Scott Walker wanted to curb the prior governor's spending habits, this is certainly NOT the way to do that.

And all the while, public teacher and police salaries and job positions are cut :/

I can't speak for Dems, but sounds like both Doyle AND Walker got a problem in that department?

I don't know much about Doyle because I don't live there and he isn't running for president - so did he preach against "antispending" like Walker? If he's a Dem, most like not, so even though the spending may have been a problem, only Walker is the hypocrite, then.

And I gotta say, the fact that Rick Snyder travels to Communist China for business doesn't exactly make me feel better, though, if it was meant to. I'm not sure who really wants to pay for him to do that. lol.

I can at least understand luxury accommodations for national/federal government officials and dignitaries, but not for state employees, sorry.

In fact, I find governors doing this on a regular basis at our expense an expensive equivalent to begging for business that's just plain embarrassing.

To me, that's like a used-car salesman driving around in a new-model loaner at someone else's expense, simply to seem more important than they are, begging for someone to buy a car from them :)

Wherever he is travelling, it appears he is - not in Wisconsin

[ In Reply To ..]
“I don’t know if he comes in through a tunnel, but I never see him here. Nobody has seen him here,” said state Rep. Chris Taylor, a Democrat from Madison. “I think he wants to be anywhere but the state of Wisconsin. I think he would go to Mars if he could.”

Probably a political move to leave as little fresh record as possible to be used against him in his bid for the nomination. He has already done enough damage for me, but people have short memories, this might work.

Ever smell a dead deer on a hot summer day? - WI tourist

[ In Reply To ..]
Per Minneapolis Star/Tribune:

MADISON, Wis. — Spot a dead deer on the side of the road? Gov. Scott Walker doesn't want the state Department of Natural Resources paying to clean it up.

Walker's budget would delete $700,000 in funding a year for DNR to pay for disposal of deer carcasses along Wisconsin's roadways.

Instead, responsibility for paying to cart off the dead deer would fall to whatever other government agency is in charge of the road. Or they may be left uncollected.

"Dead and decaying deer on the roadside are unsightly and can dampen Wisconsin's reputation as a tourist destination," the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau cautioned members of the Legislature's budget committee in a memo describing the proposal.

That warning appears to be winning over Rep. John Nygren, the Republican co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. Nygren said Tuesday he's inclined to make sure the state still pays for deer removal.

"Wisconsin is a tourism state, especially as you get up north, and I think it does send the wrong message to have these decaying, disgusting deer along the side of the road," Nygren said.

The DNR supports Walker's proposal.

* * *

I might add there was a mass exodus of experienced DNR officers a couple of years ago when Walker raided the DNR budget. The ones that are left are just the "yes, Scott, Koch Bro. people.

And let me guess; there isn't enough money in state roadways budget now either - Julia Sugarbaker

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, I know that smell, thanks for that lol (just teasing).

We're very lucky where I am, our state takes very good care of our state roadways until you get to the mountains which is trickier.

But I'm not sure if that's the case in Wisconsin - how is the budget for roadways in Wisconsin, not very good at this point?

Former Republican presidents, Teddy Roosevelt (conservation) and Dwight D Eisenhauer (roadway build/maintenance), are both rolling in their graves right now.

So it'll be left to the feds to clean up, at least what's on the interstates, and maybe they'll do some state cleanup too, now. Now that's a good idea, Walker, leave it to the Feds though you're all "go state!"

If I were the Feds, at that point, I'd be like:

"Okay, that'll be an additional $138,000 this year for the additional deer cleanup. You know, what you spent on that single trip to London to "discuss trade" that resulted in $0 in new business revenue from Great Britain. Oh, you don't think you should pay us that? We thought that's what you'd say. Well, we haven't found a place to rid the deer waste yet. Shall we just dump them on the governor mansion lawn, then? "

(Kidddddding, of course - just taking an already absurd decision out to the extremely absurd for humorous effect;:)

This is really petty. ALL governors travel outside their states and - outside the country.

[ In Reply To ..]
Usually, these are junkets to promote trade etc. specifically related to manufacturing and agricultural exports that are important to the economies of their states, but also for other reasons.

Sheesh.

Repubs aren't interested in the AMOUNT candidates spend on - trips w/taxpayer money? ~Julia Sugarbaker

[ In Reply To ..]
That's funny. Every time Obama goes on a legitimate business trip, right wing press is there to clock how much time was spent playing golf, how long he was away from the white house and practically going through his trash for receipts to find out how much he spent and on what.

I find it hard to believe any true Republican wouldn't be interested in how an actual Republican candidate for president spends what on where.

Or is it because they automatically assume a Republican is going to spend properly?

And that's exactly how the wrong candidate is gonna sneak up on ya and get elected.

But that's fine. Keep covering ones eyes and ears, until one of these candidates who doesn't know how to balance budgets any better than Doyle or Obama gets elected. That's a much better strategy. Really shows the critical thinking caps are on. I'm sure that's not what a few of these Republican candidates are counting on or anything.

But if just one of these "penny wise but pound foolish" Walker types, who simply doesn't know HOW to budget properly, gets in the white house, gets Congress to take too much in one area so they can spend more in another, we'll be in trouble - and wouldn't even know about until we really needed it in the first area.

But I'll remember "petty" was used next time budget issues are posted here about a Democrat for the 1000th time, including Obama, who isn't even running, and whom we've already established is not good at budgeting.

As I said, all governors travel - whether presidential - candidates or not.

[ In Reply To ..]
What's funny is the converse notion - yours, apparently - which is that if a governor becomes a presidential candidate he has to by God stay the heck home, dagnabbit.

P.S. I'm not a Republican. Funny how ass.ump.tions - come back around and bite, no?

[ In Reply To ..]
Do a little research on governors of both parties who have been presidential candidates and the traveling they did. You might even start with Bill Clinton.

My apologies, never met a leftie or moderate to defend Walker trips and bring up Clinton's - Julia Sugarbaker

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless of course Tea Party (Republican) was meant. I guess I consider Tea Party still Republican, tho, because all their politicians are still showing as (R) on CSPAN and the press because they're still registered as Republicans. In that case, can't fault the rest of us for the confusion ;)

But if you're a leftie or moderate, I apologize. It'd be highly unusual for someone to defend Walker's spending trips and ask me to investigate Clinton's, but let's go with your point about politician trips and spending at face value :)

Perhaps my other comment was overlooked - the one in which the title stated "Obama isn't running and didn't run on an antispending platform anyway?"

Because IMO, Dem presidents such as Obama and Clinton don't tend to run on antispending platforms anyway. That doesn't make it okay, in my eyes, as I also said, which is the reason I'm a left-leaning indy - I just expect less of people who don't promise to spend less in the first place, like Walker has.

But I do agree with you on the fact they DO have to leave sometimes. My point was the AMOUNT spent, not whether or not they are away at all.

Having said that, I would love to see whether these trips actually resulted in any new or increased business trade. And that should be re-evaluated yearly, IMO.

I can see another commenter's point, though - Walker is gone too much, as opposed to Ted Cruz, whom we all can see plainly is still there for Texas.

(Can't believe I just gave kudos to Ted Cruz, but gotta be fair - mark this day down, TP-ers! I just gave kudos to Ted Crus for something! lol)

Similar Messages:

May 10, 2012
Wow, a huge win for Scottie! Why do you think so many came out to vote for him when it wasn't necessary, being he is uncontested? http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/05/09/votes-point-to-strong-base-for-wisconsins-scott-walker/ Votes Point to Strong Base for Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Associated Press Tuesday night’s primary voting in Wisconsin offered a perhaps revealing insight into Republican enthusiasm before Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election ...

Apr 18, 2011
Wow, this is frightening. And notice it's Forbes and not just some blog. ...

May 22, 2015
In his two-year budget, Gov. Scott Walker called for a merger between WEDC and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, to be known as the Forward Wisconsin Development Authority. Under that plan, Walker called for removing all elected officials from the board, including himself. Earlier this month, Walker scrapped the merger plan, calling for all proposed agency mergers to be removed from the budget. He also asked lawmakers not to move forward with separate legislation propo ...

Sep 21, 2015
One down,(oops, two, forgot Perry) I'm afraid I don't know how many to go...and the real problem, there isn't a single one that I can stand...maybe the establishment figure wouldn't just absolutely scare the bejezus out of me---Jeb. Yep, it's Jeb. http://www.occupydemocrats.com/scott-walker-campaign-imploding-cancels-events-nationwide-as-popularity-plummets/ ...

Apr 04, 2011
No degree, little experience pay off big http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/119159584.html April 3, 2011 Just in his mid-20s, Brian Deschane has no college degree, very little management experience and two drunken-driving convictions. Yet he has landed an $81,500-per-year job in Gov. Scott Walker's administration overseeing environmental and regulatory matters and dozens of employees at the Department of Commerce. Even though Walker says the state is broke and public ...

Aug 22, 2012
Walker is doing great work in Wisconsin, even a lot of the libs (sans the unions) are happy with his economics. Romney would follow the same success rate when he's elected, and his loudest critics today just might begrudgingly admit he knows what he's talking about. ...

Feb 11, 2015
I guess Scott Walker needs to go back to college to earn that diploma he never bothered with . . . * * * Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) on Wednesday dodged a question about whether he believes in evolution. Speaking at the Chatham House foreign policy think tank London, Walker was asked: “Are you comfortable with the idea of evolution? Do you believe in it?” “For me, I am going to punt on that one as well,” he said. “That’s a question politicians shouldn’t be involved in ...

Mar 17, 2014
http://mediaw.nga.org/media/streams/Sesame/SesameStreetGovWalker1.mp4 Scott Walker does Sesame Street. What a wonderful guy helping kids out like that. He sure is smart and good looking, too. ...

Mar 23, 2015
I can't figure out why Ted Cruz is the hot ticket, right now, over Scott Walker, considering they're so similar on their views - what does he have Scott Walker doesn't other than "hot-topic" ethnicity? One of the most overlooked issues on this board is outsourcing, but it's the one that affects us as MTs the most. So it may surprise some to learn where these 2 conservatives stood on this issue - at opposite ends. Scott Walker wants to stop outsourcing: http:/ ...

Dec 10, 2013
The medical society representing Barron, Burnett and Washburn counties — with 75 dues-paying members — says America’s health-care system requires radical surgery. Tri-County Medical Society Resolution on the High Cost of Medical Care in America WHEREAS, Healthcare costs in the U.S. are exceedingly high compared to other countries, and, WHEREAS, Measurement of quality of care, such as longevity or infant mortality have been documented to be not as good as in other leadi ...

Apr 08, 2015
He hasn't done a good job at foreign policy himself. In response to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s criticism of his Iran policy, President Obama suggested that the presumed candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination “bone up on foreign policy.” In other words, anyone who disagrees with the president on Iran’s nuclear program, or any other national security issue, is just not knowledgeable enough to understand. Of course, there is a very ...

Feb 26, 2015
A few weeks ago, ABC News’ Martha Raddatz asked likely GOP presidential contender Scott Walker how he’d deal with the threat posed by the Islamic State terrorist group, also known as ISIS or ISIL. It did not go well. The Wisconsin governor mumbled something about the need for an “aggressive strategy,” which prompted Raddatz to ask what, specifically, that would entail. Walker then suggested “other surgical methods” beyond the airstrikes currently carried out by a U.S.-led coalition, ...

Apr 13, 2011
Salary of the US President...$400,000. Salary of retired US Presidents...$180,000. Salary of House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500....Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400..........Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000. HELLO! I think we found where some cuts should be made! ...

Mar 08, 2011
This is one article: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is promising an up-or-down vote on the $61 billion in budget cuts passed by House Republicans — just to show that version of the spending bill is “dead” – even if the upper chamber has to debate until 1 a.m. to prove the point. “I hope we have a vote on this today,” said Reid to reporters. “If not, we’re going to go through all this procedural process. They cannot stop us from having a vote o ...

Apr 03, 2011
Just FYI: I know some of you don't like Fox News, but try to tune in at 2 p.m. today for Chris Wallace (Fox News Sunday). Paul Ryan is on and he gives very detailed information about budget cuts for 2012. This budget will be released Tuesday, so this is kind of a sneak peak for anyone that's interested. ...

Jan 14, 2015
They will be able to answer about 4 out of every 10 phone calls until April 15. After that those who filed for extensions will not have access to phone assistance. Callers can anticipate at least a 30-minute hold. When you get someone on the line, don't expect them to know anything about anything beyond "basic" tax law, because that's the only kind of training the agency can afford to give them anymore. It will take months to receive written replies. On-s ...

Nov 04, 2015
I had heard about his misuse of taxpayer money for a long time, but I thought it was minor issues. "After reporting by the Times/Herald, Rubio did pay the Republican Party of Florida $2,400 for plane flights he double-billed to state taxpayers and the party." That is not a minor issue. Now I don't know who would be my choice of those 14 or 18 or however many they are now. I just don't like anything Carson stands for and his personality grates on me, so I'll leave him ...

Mar 05, 2017
intervention to fund Clinton Foundation. A case of US governmental meddling in the political affairs of a foreign ally previously investigated by Congress appears to have also been part of a scheme to launder taxpayer money and use it to fund the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, a crowdsourced investigation online has revealed. The effort has revealed that organizations tied to high ranking members of Shareblue and its holding company conspired with John Kerry's Department of S ...

Sep 29, 2014
The federal government is giving an ObamaCare insurance navigator Seedco, which has a reported history of fraud, $1.4 million to operate in Tennessee this fiscal year. ...

May 05, 2011
Kasich and Walker wanted to "honor" state workers. Well, as you might imagine, that didn't go over very well. The laughter is still going. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/05/kasich-walker-tributes-public_n_858041.html ...

May 30, 2013
And when Michelle goes separately, well..... we don't have to tell you. link ...

Oct 20, 2013
From the NY Times: World to Washington: ‘Really?’ By SERGE SCHMEMANN Published: October 19, 2013 FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ SAVE E-MAIL SHARE PRINT REPRINTS PARIS — Not many Americans traveling abroad over the past three weeks could escape some fairly unpleasant reactions to the government shutdown in the United States. Today's Editorials Editorial: The High Cost of Low Politics (October 20, 2013) Editorial: Europe&rsquo ...

Sep 08, 2016
It's been plain since the beginning of his political career that both the President and the First Lady harbor very deep-seated anti-American feelings. I realize that this is something so incomprehensible that a lot of Americans can't get their arms around the idea. An anti-American US President? It couldn't be, could it?! Well, yes it can. Most people had NO idea what they were really voting for when this man was elected, they were so caught up in electing the first black ...

Jul 23, 2016
The Dem convention is already a flop IMHO. It will be my great pleasure to give it a miss. I won't have these social misfits, miscreants, drug users and criminals telling me how to vote. ...

Feb 28, 2014
If you live in a red state and are unable to afford health insurance or find the costs to be outrageous, you have no one to blame but your elected officials. It is a shame, but you can change it by voting the bums out in the next election. I am fortunate enough to live in a very blue state and have reaped the benefits of affordable healthcare. ...

Mar 02, 2010
US Labor Department releases state-by-state figures on number of Americans who stand to lose unemployment benefits without congressional extension of program.WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released state-by-state figures on the number of individuals who will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming days if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.If Emergency Unemployment Compensation and full federal funding for the Extended Benefit program are not e ...

Jul 14, 2016
If you think African Americans are not targeted or racially profiled, listen to this guy, a black GOP senator who was stopped 7 times by cops last year. I have linked it, but also here is his statement yesterday. It is powerful because it is his personal experience. Scott’s address on Wednesday came after four other senators urged their colleagues to take a vote on criminal justice reform ― something many lawmakers say is badly needed. “There is a deep divide between ...

Nov 05, 2014
Among the people Republican voters re-elected last night was this charming fellow, Scott DesJarlais. Scott is a member of the US House of Reps, from Tennessee, a physician, and a divorcee. How swell is this guy? Well, two years ago it came out that he: A) Cheated on his wife B) Engaged in violent and threatening behavior against his wife C) Had at least four different affairs D) Including at least two with patients E) Prescribed unnecessary pain meds for and smoked marijuana wit ...

Apr 19, 2012
The National Institutes of Health has spent millions of dollars over the past decade to fund the construction of an HIV-prevention website that, among other sexually explicit features, includes a graphic image of homosexual sex and a Space Invaders-style interactive game that uses a penis-shaped blaster to shoot down gay epithets.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/19/nih-under-fire-for-grants-toward-creation-homoerotic-website/?test=latestnews#ixzz1sYFHH7TX I understand the need ...

Aug 21, 2013
clearly does not believe the lies he's serving to the people he is supposed to serve. Note that between 20 and 25% of all Floridians lack health insurance altogether. The number of those who are "insured" but still cannot afford to go to a doctor is much higher still. Coincidentally, there's tremendous overlap between the other states with the highest percentages of uninsured people and those with Republican governors. "Scott, who ran an international hospital company before r ...