Open Letter to Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

I am writing with great concern after reading Rep. Robin Vos’s request to have your agency compile a searchable database, at a cost of $100,000 of the taxpayers' money, in order that the public at large can  examine the recall signature lists.

Everyone can agree that open and transparent government is essential to the checks and balances with regard to our elected officials. Considering the GAB has always made the PDF downloadable version of the signatures available to the public, this request is another example of Republicans making us pay for their despicable activities, similar to $500,000 we had to pay when they decided to run fake democrats in last summer's recall elections.

This request is not only another recall-delaying tactic, but a serious and potentially harmful invasion of privacy of taxpayers’ choice to participate in democracy, more specifically, the recall of our elected officials. Rep. Vos is requesting that the GAB become a willing participant in voter caging by making it easier for citizens to be harassed by businesses, opposition, political action groups and more.

Proof of illegal actions on the part of pro-Walker provocateurs has already been documented. These actions were neither called out by the governor, nor investigated by law enforcement. Circulators have been harassed, assaulted and have even received death threats that have been captured on video. Recall signers have reported receiving harassing phone calls and threats because of their choice to participate in this historical event.The fact this information is already public is one issue; Vos wants to make it easily sellable to any and all bidders, including possible provocateurs (the kind Walker admitted in the fake Koch call he thought about employing) is another and should not be allowed.

Much like Walker's frivolous lawsuit to make taxpayers pay for verifying the signatures (something his many out-of-state recall campaign contributions are meant for), Vos's request would be an additional unnecessary expense to the citizens of Wisconsin. The cost of Vos’s proposal is not just monetary. Ever since Act 10 was illegally passed in the middle of the night, citizens have watched as their faith in democracy has been stolen out from under them.

Last fall the GAB stood up to this administration's power grab when the board refused to exclude technical college IDs as sufficient for voter registration. Despite the GAB and Nathaniel Robinson's well-reasoned objections (including the suggestion to actually look up the word "college" in the dictionary and determined "technical" colleges were indeed colleges) Chair Vukmir and the rest of the Republicans voted to override the GAB’s decision, thereby participating in a form of voter suppression that intentionally makes it more difficult for 400,000 citizens to register to vote. Despite Hebl, Taylor and Risser's impassioned pleas to not turn the GAB into another tool in Walker's box, Republicans voted once again to undermine voter confidence in our elected officials to operate in our best interests by cutting the GAB off at the knees.

This $100,000 software is meant to eliminate duplicate names or fictitious characters, not to circumvent private services taxpayers already pay for, such as a private phone listing. Have Gov. Walker or Rep. Vos ever requested such software in past recall elections? Why now? The information would also lend a tactical edge to Gov. Walker’s re-election campaign by exposing areas in which he is unpopular. If Gov. Walker chooses to challenge the signatures after the software has validated them, will this be done at the Governors expense or will taxpayers also bear this financial burden? Wisconsin taxpayers have already paid too many of Michael Best's fees.

Let Gov. Walker and Rep. Vos spend $100,000 of their out-of-state contributions on the software. It is incumbent on you to not act as a facilitator for those who may wish to use the information for more nefarious purposes.

The Government Accountability Board can be contacted by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (608) 266-8005