There’s some more news coming out of Wisconsin. Earlier it was reported that the Senate voted to charge the fourteen missing fleebaggers with contempt if they don’t return by 4:00 PM. Now comes the news that the demonstrators have trashed the Capitol building to the tune of $7.5 million. This at a time when the state is going broke. Officials also want to remove the demostrators from the Capitol after finding live ammunition outside the building.
Most of the damage to the building was caused by people taping signs to the marble.
Cari Anne Renlund, chief legal counsel for the state Department of Administration, said in Dane County court that estimates of damage to marble includes $6 million to repair damaged marble inside the Capitol, $1 million for damage outside and $500,000 for costs to supervise the damage.
Much of the damage apparently has come from tape used to put up signs and placards at the Capitol.
State officials are asking to remove all unauthorized people from the Capitol and the grounds to conduct a security check after forty one rounds of live ammunition were discovered outside the building.
The request came after University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Chief Sue Riseling said in a Dane County courtroom on Thursday that police this morning found 41rounds of .22-caliber ammunition outside of the State Capitol.
Riseling said 11 rounds were found outside the State St. entrance, 29 rounds near the King St. entrance and one round near the Hamilton St. area.
She testified that, “I don’t like to see live ammunition when I see significant crowds,” she said before Dane County Circuit Judge John Albert. “The presence of that doesn’t thrill me.”
The disclosure came as organized labor continued its legal effort to force the state to provide more access to the Capitol.
Officials have tried politely asking people to leave without much success. Some are reported to have mental health problems.
The question remains: Will the police follow orders to remove the demonstrators?
Via Uncoverage
Update: There’s even more news out of Wisconsin. The Mayor of Madison tried to stall the vote on Governor Walker’s budget repair bill to give him time to negotiate sweet benefits for the city’s unionized employees.
Before protesters stormed the capitol, the mayor of the city of Madison tried to pull a fast one. The governor’s budget repair bill was on the fast track, and Madison Mayor Dave Ciesliewicz was racing against the clock to pass new union contracts first.
E-mails obtained by the FOX6 Investigators show that the mayor enlisted the help of State Senator Mark Miller. They both tried to convince the Secretary of State to hold up the bill by taking the maximum 10 days allowed by law before publishing the bill.
They were trying to buy some time so they could ratify new contracts to protect workers from benefit cuts. Citizens for Responsible Government Rep. Chris Kliesmet says, “This suggests, and this is a harsh word, collusion. There is collusion between some politicians and public sector employee unions. Period.”
Read the whole thing. Corruption is just a way of life for Democrats and unions.
Via memeorandum
Doug Ross linked – thanks!
Update: Left Coast Rebel linked and has more on the trashing of the Wisconsin Capitol.
Can you really report that amount of damage from tape to stone
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It’s 7.5 million because they’ll have state employees do the work instead of a private contractor.
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S. Jacobs,
Your response made me smile. Unfortunately, the ugly truth it in makes me cringe too.
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This would be clever if it were not the complete opposite of the truth. The estimates provided are from private contractors, which makes sense as Walker believes in privatizing state industry.
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So the progressives are guilty of a “minimum” of 7.5 million in damages. How progressive!
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One point left out. Sharpies, the favorite tool of teachers, was used to write union slogans on the marble.
As for just “removing” the tape? Clearly Dennis has no idea what damage certain adheasives can do to the finsh of polished marble. This building is a national monument folks! Dirt ground in into the floors for 2 weeks, cooking smoke, climbing all over every surface not meant to withstand boots,etc. In places the marble is going to have to be ground out (like where there was sharpie damage)and re-polished. Who’s going to pick up this tab? Once again, private tax payers for the “public” workers. Thanks, folks.
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Dear Governor:
I can supervise the cleanup for at least half that amount.
Call me!
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I heard it was 84 gablillion dollars. Imagine how much that would be in kreznaks!
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How many square feet of stone needs to be repaired?
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How many square feet of stone needs to be reconditioned?
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Why would the peaceful progressives need ammo?
I guess to defend themselves against all those hatefilled Tea Party types. Invite a union thug to your kiddies kindergarden to explain to them what they did to the US maritime, auto, steel, coal and textile industries.
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This is hilarious and ridiculous. I live in Madison and I have been at the capital. I did not see ONE BIT of damage from tape. Every single sign I saw had been taped using PAINTERS TAPE! That’s right, the kind of tape made not to peel off paint and most likely marble… Marble is one of the hardest and most durable (as well as beautiful) surfaces known to man. Why do you think the Greeks and Romans used to build temples and have statues carved out of it? Seriously people… use your brains…
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I will grant you that painters tape is not a threat for staining surfaces for any short period of time but seriously, Mandy you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about. Marble is one of the most delicate and porous materials used in stone work. It’s as bad as limestone. If you ever use it in your own home especially food prep areas, a commercial sealer must be used to avoid costly repairs from stains. Even when using granite for countertops, you are warned never to use putty to seal a faucet to the surface because it contains oil and can leach and stain, so rubber “O” rings are used.
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and you think a public building such as the capitol (bigwig environs) doesn’t get regular maintenance?
ps. Dale Schultz (probably the only R who teabuggers will try recalling) said the only damage by protesters was overly trodden lawn.
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Thanks for correcting her. Part of what is wrong with this country is growing ignorance.
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@Mandy…well said! Typical…let’s throw out this huge number that will really upset people and get them talking! Then days later when it comes out that the actual cost is NOWHERE NEAR the original ‘estimate’ most people will already have the inflated number in their heads and not care that it isn’t even true!
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yeah, with changeorders, contingencies, etc. walker’s sweetheart contractors will manage to double the estimate. then those sweeties will funnel (100′s of millions?) that take into walker’s bigger ambitions (aka, 2012 Repug presidential nomination?).
It’s a fascist’s positive feedback loop.
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[...] damage claim rocketed around the Internet (such as here and here and here) and on news reports and talk shows around the world (here and here). Lt. Gov. Rebecca [...]
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Keep drinkin’ the kool-aid, morons.
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Do you always believe everything you hear from your Republican cohorts? The $7.5 million has been debunked and retracted. See http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/mar/08/mike-huebsch/wisconsin-officials-claim-cleaning-state-capitol-w/
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[...] in prolonging real reform and ginning up the typical class warfare rhetoric). And $7.5 million in damages to the state capitol later — for which Wisconsin taxpayers are on the hook – at least [...]
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