This regime has no regard for the democratic process.

Government e-mails reveal plot to stall budget repair bill

Madison mayor tried to get bill stalled while he signed new contracts

Bryan Polcyn

WITI-TV, MADISON

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."

Kliesmet says collective bargaining require that there be two sides. It is impossible to have collective bargaining with only one side."

Mayor Ciesliewicz says, "We ARE on the same side." The mayor admits they rushed contracts, but says the city negotiated in good faith. "That's the way collective bargaining works. It ought to be a negotiation, but at the end of the day we want to have good working relationships between labor and management here in Madison."

According to the e-mails, Secretary of State Doug La Follette declined to delay publication of the law, but it all became a moot point when Senator Democrats fled the state to block the bill.

Read the e-mails between Senate Minority Leader Mike Miller and Madison Mayor Dave Ciesliewicz.

Chris Kleismet from CRG said it appears the 14 Senators orchestrated their trip to Illinois to buy time for unions all over the state to work out new deals.

State Senator Mark Miller has yet to comment on this story.