Chlorophyll

For Immediate Release May 29th, 2007

Today, the Wisconsin Green Party joined a growing chorus of local Democrats and state newspapers in calling for Joe Wineke to resign from his position as chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Wineke is a registered lobbyist for the AT&T corporation, and has been lobbying on AT&T’s behalf for a bill that would enable them to gain control of Wisconsin's cable TV services.

"Greens work for a government free of corporate influence, accountable to the people," said Ruth Weill, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. "Wineke's position as a paid lobbyist for a large corporation such as AT&T shows his primary allegiances. No political party established in Wisconsin law should permit its chief officer to put allegiance to corporate interests ahead of the public interest."

In the wake of the Wineke scandal, the Wisconsin Green Party calls for new state ethics rules that would prohibit lobbyists from serving in positions of leadership in state political parties. Greens point out that the state already regulates both political parties and lobbyists, and that it would be simple for legislators to amend Wisconsin's rules regulating lobbyists to include a ban on holding state political office.

"”We won't have much success in cleaning up Wisconsin government if the leaders of the political parties that run that government are allowed to take bribes from major corporations," said Ron Hardy, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party.

It isn’t just the chair of the Democratic Party whose loyalties are compromised. According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, "Democratic legislative candidates and leadership committees have accepted more than half of their large individual and PAC contributions from business interests in each of the past six two-year election cycles, ranging from 52 percent in the 2003-04 election cycle to 67 percent in 2001-02."

"A healthy business community is in Wisconsin’s public interest," said Hardy. “But in our current election system, the interests of business supercede the public’s interests. The resignation of Wineke, new ethics rules, and public funding of campaigns would facilitate prioritizing the public's interests.”

The Wisconsin Green Party supports an election system fully funded by the public.

For more information, visit:
http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org

Ruth Weill Co-Chair, Wisconsin Green Party
Ron Hardy, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party