Posted on 02/17/2012 6:48:56 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
A Chicago-based free-market think tank has prepared a strategy to sway the recall debate in Wisconsin, including detailing "the shortcomings of public schools," according to leaked documents that appeared this week on the Internet.
"Operation Angry Badger" purportedly describes a Heartland Institute proposal that would cost about $612,000 and focus on promoting Wisconsin Act 10, which curtailed collective bargaining for most public-sector workers.
"The recall elections of 2012 amount to a referenda on collective bargaining reform at the state level, making them of national interest," the document says. "Successful recalls would be a major setback to the national effort to rein in public sector compensation and union power."
The information from the organization's purported 2012 fundraising plan appeared with other documents on the DeSmogBlog and ThinkProgress websites.
In a statement Wednesday, the Heartland Institute said, "Some of these documents were stolen from Heartland, at least one is a fake, and some may have been altered."
The authenticity of the documents had not been confirmed, the organization said, but Heartland declared a two-page document on climate change to be a forgery. The organization also asked for "all activists, bloggers and other journalists" to take down the documents and publish retractions.
Thursday, Jim Lakely, a Heartland Institute spokesman, wrote in an email to the Journal Sentinel: "Our standing policy is to not discuss confidential documents. We are also in the process of taking legal action against the individuals who stole documents, possibly altered them, forged a memo, posted these documents online, and who commented on them without acknowledging that they were stolen or forged. Our previous statement is all we have to say about the matter at present."
...the Heartland Institute aims "to discover, develop and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems." The organization backs "parental choice in education."
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Institute cries foul, says some memos may be faked
Wisconsin Phony Document Ping???
If ou want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list, please FReep Mail me.
Any articles in the JS on how much Illinois union money is going into the recall effort?
The first excuse is always the dog ate it, now (insinuating) Republicans stole and forged them. Oh brother.
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