A sign of a the apocalypse? Both Deb Jordahl (on the right) and Ed Garvey (on the left) smell something not quite right here. First Jordahl:

In the most brazen and cynical power grab of his Administration to date, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has created a new 15 person state agency to dole out more the more the $3.5 billion dollars in federal stimulus funds. 

In order to avoid legislative oversight and public debate over how the money is spent, Doyle created the agency by Executive Order and appointed Utility Executive Gary Wolter and Al Fish, UW Madison Associate Vice Chancellor for facilities planning and management to run it.  Wolter’s company, Madison Gas and Electric, is regulated by Doyle’s Public Service Commission, and Wolter and his wife Mari have donated more than $21,000 to Doyle’s campaign.  Al Fish is married to Doyle’s long time political confidante and Chief of Staff, Susan Goodwin.

In recent weeks the Governor has appeared before Congress asking for more than $3.5 billion to ease what he claims is the effect of the recession on Wisconsin's state budget.  Doyle has said he plans to use the money to temporarily plug gaping holes in the state budget left by his six years of irresponsible budgeting and incompetent administration of state government.

According to Doyle the new agency will work to understand how state and local projects can qualify for the most federal aid possible; recommend changes in purchasing and procurement rules so the federal money can be used as quickly as possible; and to identify rules and regulations that must be changed to qualify for the money.

In other words, Doyle’s new agency will be used to usurp the legislature’s power to appropriate funds, and to circumvent state civil service and procurement laws.  Doyle will say these moves are necessary to expedite projects that will stimulate the economy and create new jobs. But the real reason Doyle chose to use political cronies to dole out contracts without the legally required procedures is that it will grant him complete control over  the appropriations process, making it easier for him to extort campaign contributions from special interests and their lobbyists without fear of reprisal.  

The scenario is eerily similar to events that set off our nation’s current economic woes.  Millions of people borrowed money to buy homes they couldn’t afford.  The Federal government encouraged, and in some cases coerced financial institutions into making risky loans by guaranteeing them with taxpayer funds.  Led by Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac investors bought into bundled mortgage funds.  The market collapsed, homeowners were forced into foreclosure when they couldn’t pay the mortgage, and the federal government has been throwing money out the window ever since.  Now Doyle will force state and local taxpayers to be on the hook for billions in borrowed funds for projects they don’t need or want.

Politicians hastily agreed to turn over control of our tax dollars to bail out the financial institutions and their insurers, with no guarantee that our investment would benefit the Main Street consumers and businesses unable to access the credit they needed.  Now we have no idea where hundreds of billions of dollars has gone or exactly how much money the American taxpayers have lost.  Are we really going to sit back and let Governor Doyle and his special interest cronies do it to us all over again?

The only emergency here is that Doyle and company may not be able to shovel money out the door fast enough to avoid public scrutiny and criticism....

Doyle said he will use federal stimulus money to push through transportation and other public works projects which taxpayers have previously rejected or would likely reject if given the chance.  State and local taxpayers will be forced to provide a local match and fund operation and maintenance well into the future.

The role of the legislature is to appropriate funds, and Doyle has taken usurping legislative power of the purse to an art form.... Now that Doyle’s veto power has been curbed by voters in a statewide referendum, and both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats, Doyle has decided to replace them with a 15 person agency over which he has complete control.  Will legislative Democrats be as accommodating of Doyle’s power grab as Republicans were in 2005, or will they abdicate their power in the name of political?

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Ed Garvey writes about the move here.

Where will the money go and who will decide? A new state agency has been created with the awful title "Office of Recovery and Reinvestment."

This happened behind closed doors. Madison Gas & Electric president Gary Wolter will head the agency along with his deputy, who happens to be Susan Goodwin's husband, Al Fish, but, we were told, the "ultimate decision-makers" (I am not making this up)will be Mike Morgan, Secretary DOA, Frank Busalacchi, Secretary of DOT (a/k/a/ "Pave it to save it.") and Susan's boss, the governor.

One sentence in the Goodwin approved news release said a lot. (Nothing goes out unless she approves.)Jim Doyle asked Wolter to head this agency in December when none of us had even heard of a new agency. Yikes! Catch this: Wolter might have a conflict or two but not to worry because the governor talked to him about this possibility and Wolter will be ever watchful. If he sees a conflict he will step aside from that project. (Sort of like the Supreme Court on pornography-"you know it when you see it". "Whoa Nelly!