Walker outsourcing billboard featured coal miner from Russia

[Ellipsis]

Bahhaaaa... how simply elegant!


The Wisconsin Republican Party outsourced part of an advertisement against outsourcing jobs.

The campaign for Gov. Scott Walker bought space on several billboards throughout Wisconsin criticizing Democratic challenger Mary Burke for outsourcing jobs to China while she was an executive at Trek Bicycle Corp., her family's business. The billboard features a picture of a coal miner, inside the shape of the state of Wisconsin, with an arrow pointing to China.

But BuzzFeed reports that this miner is neither Wisconsinite nor Chinese immigrant — the photo is a stock image from Russian photographer Andrey Bortnikov, whose personal page identifies the miner as a current Russian citizen.


http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/walker-outsourcing-billboard-featured-coal-miner-from-russia-b99317820z1-268534762.html


Russia-Based Photographer Took Photo Of Coal Miner In Wisconsin GOP’s Anti-Outsourcing Ads
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/in-russia-coal-photo-outsource-you

[Brickbat]

1. Yeah, I have to say I'm a little more incensed about manufacturing in China than purchasing a stock

photo.

[hue]

2. Then you'd be really incensed over the millions of taxpayer $$s to Plexus & Eaton from WEDC.

[rlegro]

3. Outsourcing isn't good for American workers

However, in the case of the Trek Bicycle outsourcing, which apparently amounted to 15-20 jobs, the firm is building bikes in China which it is selling in China. I'm sure some of the parts must be shipped back here, so this isn't a pure strategy in any case, from an American worker's perspective. On the other hand, Trek makes more bikes *IN* the US -- all in Wisconsin -- than all the other US-owned bicycle makers combined. And employes 1,000 workers in Wisconsin.

Walker and his campaign are hypocrites because his administration not only sanctioned outsourcing by other state-located firms, but also gave them tax credits! And that outsourcing was far larger than was Trek's. Further, Trek did't take any such tax credits in its case.

Finally, in the past Walker has fundamentally supported outsourcing, in that he regards it as a private business decision. Yet here he is, dumping on one of the state's most iconic firms, because a daughter of the family is running against him. That's his right, but it's the first time he's ever been openly upset about outsourcing in his gnarly political career. Not only that, but Trek daughter Mary Burke has a position paper on ways to disincentivize outsourcing. No such position in the Walker playbook. He's just being opportunistic, as we see from that billboard. Outsourcing Is OK If You're A Republican.

[rlegro]

4. It's even richer than you might think, because....

There ARE NO COAL MINERS in Wisconsin.

[ewagner]

5. Right...

...another case of the geniuses running Walker's campaign grasping at anything whether it's relevant or not hoping to evoke emotion over substance....

We've got to get rid of this guy.

[yourout]

6. If Burke wins I shudder to think the shitstorm that will be the lame duck session.

Every vile piece of right wing crap they can stuff in a small window will rammed through.

[ewagner]

8. Agree n/t

[lutefisk]

9. Yep. Pretty much all summer in a day... n/t

[hue]

7. This shows how out of touch/far removed those who are running Wanker's campaign are from WI.

While it does seem easy to pull the wool over many naive Wisconsinites' eyes this is way too obvious that Wanker's message & policies are being managed from far, far away...