A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID

301. Welcome all to a very special Blog 29. I’ve been wanting to do this Blog for several months and I’ll tell you why. I was doing research a while back and I found this letter posted by the Mayor (See below), and I became extremely ticked off. First off, I don’t like it when local politicians get involved with state and federal issues and/or elections. A lot of cities have mayors and councils that run as “Non Partisan”. Unfortunately, “Little Jimmy Paine” can’t contain himself and that’s partly because he has no self-discipline or any common sense for that matter. The other reason is I am sick and tired of him and his dirty blasphemous mouth tearing down good people. He has a habit of doing this, which is one of the reasons he should not be holding office. I think it’s his way of obscuring his own lack of achievements and accomplishments. He wants to make successful people look bad to make himself look good. He does this all the time. You will read a lot more about “Potty Mouth Paine” in future Blogs. We will have more “A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID” blogs in the future featuring our cast of villains including a couple more on Mayor Potty Mouth.

302. So this is the article that really got me going.

I’m an elected official in Wisconsin. We need to get Ron Johnson out of office.

‘Mandela Barnes, who is challenging Johnson this November, is a once-in-a-generation candidate who is ready to actually represent the state of Wisconsin.’

Bye TAI CONTRIBUTOR- October 18, 2022 

Opinion column by Jim Paine

I’ve had the honor of serving as mayor of Superior, Wisconsin since 2017. Throughout my time as mayor, working every day to better the lives of the people I represent, I’ve had the support of many federal officials in making sure our community is getting the resources we need.

Unfortunately, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) isn’t one of them. He has consistently chosen to put his own interests ahead of what’s best for my city and our state.

You don’t have to just take my word for it. Earlier this year, Johnson voted against legislation that eventually allocated $187 million dollars in federal funding for projects benefiting communities across Wisconsin. It was Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) who spearheaded the effort to provide resources for local law enforcement and emergency responders, critical infrastructure projects, and community organizations that helped Wisconsinites.

Sen. Johnson, meanwhile, refused to lift a finger. Even as the pandemic hit the state hard and local communities struggled to get by, Johnson voted against efforts to help keep local businesses going and our economies churning. He made it clear that he’ll support legislation if it helps himself or his donors, but not if it helps the regular Wisconsinites he was elected to represent.

Frankly, it’s hard to ignore Johnson’s actions when he routinely votes against the interests of the rest of the state, showing what that would mean for the future of my city should similar problems ever arise.

In 2018, Johnson voted against a bill that was described as a “lifeline” by lobbyists for Wisconsin dairy farmers. It ultimately boosted farmers’ profits and provided critical resources and access to innovative programs.

Our farmers are the backbone of local economies across Wisconsin. When Johnson voted against them, he voted against all of us.

Johnson went out of his way to rig the tax code in a way that benefited himself and his biggest donors, but when Dane County Human Services requested financial support, he told them he didn’t believe in that kind of work from the government. The DCHS eventually got the funds they needed to keep up this critical work, but no thanks to Johnson.

Sen. Johnson has voted against our best interests over and over and over again, and, if reelected, he will continue to vote against legislation that would directly benefit our state. We’ve had 12 years of Johnson working against us, and enough is enough.

While Johnson refused to do his job, Baldwin fought for us — and her work helped so many family farms when the pandemic hit in 2020.

On the other hand, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D), who is challenging Johnson this November, is a once-in-a-generation candidate who is ready to actually represent the state of Wisconsin.

Barnes understands the challenges that Wisconsinites face on a personal level because he grew up in a working class union family, and he will bring those lived experiences to the Senate floor. He’s passionate about making sure that every Wisconsinite — from our smallest, most rural communities to our largest cities — have their voices heard.

I believe he will put partisanship aside to improve the lives of working families and vote in favor of crucial pieces of legislation. He will fight not just to keep jobs in Wisconsin, but to grow our workforce. He knows the value of investing in our state.

Barnes has said, time and time again, that he isn’t campaigning on “left” or “right” politics: His campaign is focused on issues that impact Wisconsinites of all political parties. That’s the kind of partner Baldwin deserves to have representing us in the Senate.

This November, it’s time to rally around the candidate who will always fight for Wisconsin. The candidate who understands the distinct challenges facing our state.

It’s time to vote Mandela Barnes into the Senate.

Jim Paine has served as the mayor of Superior, Wisconsin, since 2017.

303.

Below I will break down this ridiculous endorsement letter.

Mayor: ‘Mandela Barnes, who is challenging Johnson this November, is a once-in-a-generation candidate”

My Response: Thank God for that. But once a century would be better.

Mayor: Throughout my time as mayor, working every day to better the lives of the people I represent.

My Response: First off, you don’t work every day and you certainly aren’t making the lives of many people better. In fact, for many, you have made life worse, a lot worse.

Mayor:” Unfortunately, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) isn’t one of them. He has consistently chosen to put his own interests ahead of what’s best for my city and our state. You don’t have to just take my word for it.”

My Response: I don’t and wouldn’t take the Mayor’s word for anything. Then he babbles on about things that Ron Johnson didn’t vote for without digging into the facts to say why he didn’t vote the Mayor’s way. But I am sure as I can be, that it wasn’t because Ron Johnson does not have the best interests of Wisconsin at heart. It could be that a lot of those votes were because they were put in larger bills that were full of pork that would not be good for Wisconsin or the country for that matter. I bet if you looked into all of the Mayor’s accusations, you would find the real answers. And they wouldn’t point to Ron Johnson being anti Wisconsin. Don’t forget, this is the guy who’s chief of disinformation is non other than the Terror of Tower Avenue, Melissa Hyatt.

Mayor: “the future of my city”

My Response: Our city Mayor. You probably do think it’s yours but it’s our city, the taxpayers city.

Mayor: “He made it clear that he’ll support legislation if it helps himself or his donors, but not if it helps the regular Wisconsinites he was elected to represent.”

My Response: Really? I never heard him say that. Who told you that? Melissa Hyatt?

Mayor: “I believe he (Mandela Barnes) will put partisanship aside to improve the lives of working families and vote in favor of crucial pieces of legislation.”

My Response: I don’t think even you believe that. Mandela Barnes would likely be a member of the Squad in my opinion. He has always been a partisan hack. 

Mayor: “Barnes has said, time and time again, that he isn’t campaigning on “left” or “right” politics: His campaign is focused on issues that impact Wisconsinites of all political parties.”

My Response: You may be the only person on earth that believes that. That is one of the stupidest things the Mayor has ever said. And that’s saying a lot because the Mayor has said a lot of stupid things.

Mayor: “This November, it’s time to rally around the candidate who will always fight for Wisconsin. The candidate who understands the distinct challenges facing our state.”

My Response: They did. They voted for Ron Johnson.



Mayor: Jim Paine has served as the mayor of Superior, Wisconsin, since 2017.

My Response: Please stop reminding us.

So, I’d like you to read the bios of the Mayor, Mandela Barnes and Ron Johnson and I’ll comment after.

Mayor City of Superior 

Jim Paine was born and raised in Superior, WI. After graduating from Superior High School in 1999, Paine enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as an infantryman. After completing his military service, Paine returned home and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UW-Superior and later his Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership from UMD. Paine spent most of his post collegiate career working for DRCC, a non-profit serving people with disabilities. Prior to his election as Mayor, he served on the Douglas County Board of Supervisors, representing district 6 near UW-Superior. He was eventually elected Vice-Chair of the Board by his fellow Supervisors. With what free time he has, he enjoys camping, running, downhill skiing, and riding his motorcycle.

Mandela Barnes serves as Wisconsin’s 45th Lieutenant Governor. He was elected on November 8, 2018. He is the first African-American to serve as a Lieutenant Governor in Wisconsin, and the second African-American to ever hold statewide office.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lt. Gov. Barnes is the son of a public-school teacher and a United Auto Workers member, to whom he credits much of his success. He grew up attending Milwaukee Public Schools and graduated from John Marshall High School in 2003.

Lt. Gov. Barnes is an alumnus of Alabama A&M University. After his time there, he worked for various political campaigns and in the city of Milwaukee mayor’s office, eventually becoming an organizer for Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, a Milwaukee-based interfaith coalition that advocates social justice. He also worked for the State Innovation Exchange, a national progressive public policy organization.

In 2012, at the age of 25, Lt. Gov. Barnes was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served two terms. His tenure in the State Assembly included serving as Chair of the Legislature’s Black and Latino Caucus and becoming a recognized leader on progressive economic policies and gun violence prevention legislation.

Within his current role, Lt. Gov. Barnes uses a platform of sustainability and equity to fight for solutions that invest in opportunities and fairness for every child, person, and family in Wisconsin, regardless of ZIP code.

Ron Johnson came to Washington in 2010 after a successful 30-plus-year career in manufacturing because the federal government is bankrupting America. He thinks it is important for citizen legislators to ally with those who are seriously facing that reality. Ron’s experience starting a business, creating jobs and solving problems in the private sector taught him to attack the root cause of a problem, not mere symptoms. He believes huge deficits and slow economic activity are severe symptoms of the problem – but not the root cause. The ever expanding size, scope and cost of government is.

Ron graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in business and accounting after skipping his senior year of high school so he could work full time. As a boy, Ron mowed lawns, shoveled snow, delivered papers, and caddied for a few extra bucks. At the age of 15, he obtained his first tax-paying job as a dishwasher in a Walgreens grill. In 1979, he started his company – PACUR – and did everything from operating the equipment to keeping the company books, to selling its products and managing staff.



Ron served as Chairman of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from 2015-2021 and is now the ranking member for the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He also serves on the Budget and Finance committees. In November 2022, Ron was elected to his third term as U.S. Senator for Wisconsin. He resides in Oshkosh, Wisconsin with his wife Jane. They have three children and four grandchildren.

307.

Ask yourself this question. If you had to hire one of these three, which one would it be? Apart from Mayor  Paine’s military service, which we thank him for, he and Mandala Barnes have no real world experience, and no business experience, which in this day and age I think is important at all levels of government. I am not a shill for Ron Johnson or any other politician for that matter. But I am tired of this Mayor tearing down good people who have accomplished many things in their lives and he just rips them apart in one letter. What a jerk. Well, both the Mayor and Mandala Barnes have two things in common. First off, I would never have hired either one of them due to lack of experience. Secondly, they have made a career out of “sucking the tit of the taxpayers”. I hope the Mayor wrote that letter on his time and not on the taxpayers time because that would suck.

308. “On the other hand, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D), who is challenging Johnson this November, is a once-in-a-generation candidate who is ready to actually represent the state of Wisconsin.” I still can’t believe the Mayor said that. I also want to congratulate the Mayor on being the first recipient of the “A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID” segment. I am sure he will be in more of them in the future. But I will leave you today with some news stories about this once-in-a-generation candidate, the one, the only, Mr. Mandala Barnes. See you on the next Blog.

Brian

309.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes filed no income tax returns and was on BadgerCare during the 2018 campaign

Daniel Bice

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said this week that he is running for U.S. Senate in hopes of making certain that "wealthy people and corporations are paying their fair share" in taxes.

So says the candidate who didn't even file a tax return just a few years ago.

State Department of Revenue records say there is "no record" Barnes submitted a state income tax return in Wisconsin for 2018, the year he ran for lieutenant governor. Barnes didn't file a federal income tax return for that year, either.

It is not illegal for individuals to skip filing a tax return, especially if they are low income, but it is highly unusual for a top-tier candidate for statewide office, especially one who could afford to buy condominiums in Milwaukee and Madison shortly before and after 2018.

This is how he was able to do it:

Barnes' campaign said the 34-year-old politician left his position as a deputy director with State Innovation Exchange in December 2017 and did not have a paid job while running statewide in 2018. The state says those who made under $11,280 in 2018 did not have to file a Wisconsin return, and the federal figure was $10,400 for single individuals under 65.

For his health insurance, Barnes was on BadgerCare Plus—a government-funded Medicaid program that provides coverage to low-income Wisconsinites—for the year he was campaigning for lieutenant governor. He did not receive food stamps or unemployment compensation, however.

Throughout 2018, his campaign picked up nearly $15,000 in expenses for Barnes as he traveled across the state. He also lived off personal savings, including money from his family from an estate sale. His campaign said he tapped those savings again to purchase his two condos.Barnes is one of nearly a dozen Democrats running for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican who hasn't decided if he'll run for a third term.

Kory Kozloski, campaign manager for Barnes, said the candidate is not a multimillionaire like Johnson but someone who understands the needs of the working class. "Like millions of Americans, Lt. Gov. Barnes was a non-filer in 2018 as he committed himself to being a full-time candidate and taking his message of equal opportunity to every corner of Wisconsin," Kozloski said. But one of Barnes' Democratic opponents said it was hard to believe that another top contender in the race has tax issues.

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski paid no state income taxes for two years, and Alex Lasry, who is on leave from his job with the Milwaukee Bucks, got nearly $24,000 in property tax breaks in New York and Wisconsin that are supposed to be applied only to a primary residence.

"Let me get this straight," said Irene Lin, campaign manager for Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson. "One candidate took an illegal property tax deduction; another didn't pay any state taxes for two years; and now we learn the lieutenant governor didn't bother to file income taxes.

"Wisconsin deserves someone who is up front and honest with the people, always files and pays their taxes and doesn't game the system," Lin continued. "It is the very least we ought to expect of a candidate for the U.S. Senate."

Revenue Department records indicate that Barnes, a former three-term state legislator, has not paid as much in state income taxes as his political opponents over the years. As lieutenant governor, he is paid $80,684 annually.

In the past decade, he has averaged paying out $1,890 a year in state income taxes, records show. That's less than 4% of what Lasry and Gillian Battino, a Wausau radiologist, typically pay, with both averaging about $50,000 a year in state taxes. Both reported incomes of about $300,000 last year.

Still, Barnes paid more in state income taxes than Godlewski, who averaged forking over a mere $413 a year in income taxes to Wisconsin over the past four years, according to state tax records. Godlewski, a millionaire, drove down her tax bill through a combination of sizable charitable contributions, state economic development credits and venture investments in new firms.

In 2018, Barnes was able to live without a regular income by holding down his expenses, according to his campaign.

"While running for lieutenant governor, Mandela lived very frugally; his meals at home were ramen noodles or a peanut butter sandwich," Kozloski said. "Mandela has always said he is lucky to have parents who taught him good values, including living in his means."

As a candidate, Barnes did have the benefit of being reimbursed for gas, food, flights and hotel stays while on the campaign trail. From January through December 2018, Barnes' campaign picked up at least $14,732 of his expenses for a variety of items, including $1,376 in unitemized expenses, according to a review of his campaign reports.

Kozloski said Barnes maintained a "vigorous statewide campaign" while traveling extensively throughout the state. "He was reimbursed for that travel in accordance with standard procedures on a political campaign," Kozloski added. In the year before and after his statewide campaign, Barnes purchased a condominium, the first in Milwaukee and the second in Madison.

He paid $107,000 in cash for his Milwaukee condo in October 2017. His campaign said he used "life savings" to pay for it. Then, in February 2019, he put $30,000 down while purchasing a $122,000 condo on Sherman Terrace in Madison. He got a mortgage from Educators Credit Union to pay for the rest. Again, his campaign said he used personal savings for the downpayment.

Where did this 30-something public official pile up all these savings? It turns out he got a little help from his family. "Mandela’s parents were glad to be able to gift him a portion of the proceeds of an estate sale Mandela's father benefited from following the passing of Mandela's grandfather in 2015," Kozloski said. "Mandela added this gift to his life savings. There are no tax penalties or fees for a gift of this kind." Makes sense.

But that still leaves one other question out there. Was Barnes' year away from gainful employment the reason he didn't pay his parking tickets or  fell behind on paying the 2018 property taxes on his Milwaukee condo?

His campaign isn't saying. "Mandela has paid all outstanding property taxes and parking tickets," Kozloski said.

310.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes had unpaid parking tickets

By:AP

Posted at 3:15 PM, Jun 03, 2019

and last updated1:15 PM, Jun 03, 2019

unpaid parking tickets

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes says he has taken care of a $108 fine for unpaid parking tickets that prevented him from registering a vehicle he previously owned. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday on the nearly year-old fine. Barnes told the newspaper that he paid off the fine Friday after learning the Journal Sentinel was looking into it. Milwaukee Municipal Judge Valerie Hill found Barnes guilty of not paying for three parking tickets and fined him $108. He missed the two-month deadline to pay. He could not renew his vehicle registration beginning in September until he paid the fine. Barnes said he had no idea that he had the tickets for an improperly registered vehicle, a meter violation and for parking too close to a crosswalk.

311.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes walks out on interview after unpaid property tax question

By Amy DuPont

Published June 19, 2019

FOX 6 Now Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes stormed out of an interview with FOX6 News on Wednesday, June 19 after being asked about his unpaid property taxes. Barnes called stories about his delinquent tax bill ridiculous.

"I don't even know how that became a story," Barnes said. "Most people I know have a balance, and the check is in the mail -- simple as that. That was blown way out of proportion."

On the City of Milwaukee website, FOX6 found copies of three tax bills addressed to Mandela Barnes, with two marked delinquent.

FOX6 had been in contact with Lt. Gov. Barnes and his spokesman for several days prior to the interview. They were aware of the questions that were to be asked, and agreed to meet for the interview on Wednesday. The lieutenant governor's spokesman chose the time and location for the interview. 

According to city records, Lt. Gov. Barnes hasn't paid the 2018 property taxes on his Milwaukee condo. With interest and penalties, he owes $2,225.43. Barnes told FOX6 News the money was on its way.

"The check is in the mail. Typically it takes a little time for the check to get to the treasurer's office," said Barnes.

This wasn't the first time Barnes was late on a payment. In June, a newspaper reported that a Milwaukee municipal judge found Barnes guilty of not paying three parking tickets and fined him $108. He missed the two-month deadline to pay. Barnes paid the fine after learning the paper was looking into it. 

"If I realized it was parking tickets, they would have been paid, but it's a parking ticket," said Barnes.

As for property taxes, the most recent delinquent bill is due June 30.

"This is Juneteenth, and they want to talk about property taxes," said Barnes.

The bill said Barnes' property was eligible for foreclosure action. FOX6 News reached out to the city's deputy treasurer. He said homeowners have to fall behind for two to three years before that happens.

UPDATE: Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes has paid his delinquent property tax bill. Barnes owed the city of Milwaukee about $2,200 for his 2018 property tax bill. The money was due at the end of January. He received a delinquent bill in February and again at the beginning of June. According to the treasurer’s office, the city received the payment in full on Wednesday, June 26.

312.

WisGOP: Lt. Governor Barnes’ taxpayer funded security costs skyrocket

Barnes’ Cost to the Taxpayers on Track to be 50x Greater than Former Lt. Gov. Kleefisch

[Madison, WI] – Yesterday, it was reported that security costs for Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes has skyrocketed compared to his Republican predecessor, former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. In just the first two months of this year, the state patrol has racked up nearly 898 hours shuffling Barnes back and forth to official, personal and political events at a cost to the taxpayers of $36,622. This puts the state on pace to spend nearly $220,000 this year alone on Barnes’ detail. That’s more than 50x what was spent in 2018 to cover Kleefisch, who received just 95.5 hours of coverage throughout the entire year at a cost of $4,370. Unlike Kleefisch, Lt. Governor Barnes is using state patrol to drive him to personal events such as church and going ice fishing.

Lt. Governor Barnes’ misuse of taxpayer funds come at the same time that he and Governor Evers are proposing to increase taxes on Wisconsin families by $1.3 billion while also giving their cabinet secretaries double-digit pay raises. Wisconsinites do not want to pay higher taxes so that Lt. Governor Barnes can use the state patrol as his own personal chauffeur service.

STATE PATROL HOURS TO PROTECT BARNES SKYROCKET COMPARED TO KLEEFISCH

WisPolitics

JR Ross

May 14, 2019

On one day in February, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes drove to Kenosha, attended a Black History Month event at a school and had lunch in Racine before heading back to Milwaukee, where he started the day. There, he had a call with the president of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and by 5 p.m. was headed to dinner at the Mexican restaurant Cielito Lindo.

That day, taxpayers also picked up the tab for the State Patrol to put in 36 hours protecting him — the equivalent of three officers each working 12-hour shifts, according to a WisPolitics.com review.

It was part of a pattern for Barnes over just his first two months in office. The review found the state’s Dignitary Protection Unit put in nine times as many hours providing him protection as it did his predecessor during her final full year on the job.

…

Still, an aide to his predecessor Rebecca Kleefisch said the former lt. guv didn’t receive coverage for purely personal events, such as going to church, even at the height of the Act 10 protests.

That doesn’t appear to be the case with Barnes, according to the review, which found DPU provided protection for Barnes on seven days over the two-month period in which he had no official public events listed on his calendar. Three of those were Sundays, when the only entry on Barnes’ calendar was church. On another, a Saturday, the only entry was a 30-minute phone interview.

Still, DPU put in 18 hours protecting Barnes on one of those Sundays as he went to church with Gov. Tony Evers in Milwaukee and then drove to Madison six hours later, according to his official calendar.

State GOP spokesman Charles Nichols slammed Barnes’ use of state protection, particularly considering Dems attacked Gov. Scott Walker during the 2018 campaign as out of touch for his use of state planes to travel across Wisconsin. He said WisPolitics.com’s reporting suggested Barnes was using the DPU protection as a “perk.”

“DPU coverage is meant for security purposes, not a luxury where Lt. Gov. Barnes can be driven around in the back of a black SUV,” Nichols said.

…

WisPolitics.com requested information from the DPU on the days and hours Barnes was provided protection after the lieutenant governor was spotted at what appeared to be purely personal events with State Patrol protection. That request, which spanned immediately after Barnes was elected through March 1, found the first day he received coverage from the DPU was Dec. 28.

…

The cost for the nearly 898 hours the DPU logged accompanying Barnes to official, personal and political events totaled $36,662 — more than half of that for overtime — and puts him on pace for nearly $220,000 in protection for the full year.

Meanwhile, Kleefisch received protection on seven days over all of 2018, compared to the 47 that DPU officers accompanied Barnes between Dec. 28 and March 1. The total cost to protect Kleefisch last year was $4,370 for 95.5 hours.

…

Aide: Kleefisch didn’t receive protection for personal events

Kleefisch initially didn’t receive protection from the DPU after she took office, but that changed amid the protests over Act 10, said Daniel Suhr, her former chief of staff.

Even then, however, the standard was Kleefisch only received protection at official or political events where she was appearing as the lieutenant governor. That was particularly true for events that had been publicized ahead of time, Suhr said. But she didn’t receive coverage for personal events.

…

Records suggest Barnes often accompanied by more than one officer

The Department of Transportation, which oversees the State Patrol, refused to provide details on the number of officers that accompanied Barnes at various events, citing security concerns.

Still, it was clear from several entries that Barnes received protection from more than one officer on a given day.

The DPU reported 44 hours providing protection for Barnes Feb. 24, when he flew to Austin, Texas. There, he met with Mayor Steve Adler as well as officials from a pro-environmental group. He then went to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus luncheon before flying to Minneapolis.

The next day, he attended “Up North” events in Rice Lake, Barron and Cumberland. The following day, he was in Hayward and Springbrook, where he went ice fishing with Rep. Nick Milroy, D-Superior, before later returning to Madison.

Those three days accounted for 105 hours of protection from the DPU.

Similarly, Barnes racked up 94.5 hours over a three-day span in February while in Washington, D.C., for a political trip. On the day he flew back, he attended the 33rd annual Golden Shovel Awards presented by the National Association of Minority Contractors of Wisconsin and the state DOT in Pewaukee, did a reading event in Verona and attended a budget briefing before overnighting in Madison.

Asked for details on both out-of-state trips, Barnes’ office said it had provided WisPolitics.com all the relevant records relating to its request for the lieutenant governor’s official calendar. It also said personal events had been redacted from the calendar and it isn’t in possession of his political calendar.

313.

Mandela Barnes' ties to lingerie party barring 'ratchets' could haunt his Wisconsin Senate bid

Wisconsin Senate candidate was listed as co-host of lingerie party

By Houston Keene Fox News

Published August 23, 2022 8:00am EDT 

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democrat, could be dogged by his ties to a risqué party as he tries to oust Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in the November midterm elections.

Barnes was listed as a host for a 2009 event titled "Pretty In Pink A Vicky Secret Affair," a lingerie party that barred "ratchets" – slang for trashy women – from attending.

"All ratchets will be turned away!!! We don't have time for it, it's a Vicky's Party," the post said. "Vicky's" was an apparent reference to Victoria's Secret.

"Somebody said it's a recession, so if you the baddest, it may be a stimulus package for you!!!" the post said.

Barnes’ party also advertised prizes "FOR THE GIRL GOIN' THE HARDEST IN HER VICKY'S!!!"

The Democratic Senate candidate’s Facebook event said that bouncers at the door would be "handin' out free choke slams and sleeper holds" to men who showed up and that it is "a Vicky's Secret party, why would you wanna roll on the ground wit a dud anyway???"

The scandal initially broke as Barnes ran for lieutenant governor in 2018. Facebook screenshots of the event published by local media outlets at the time show that Barnes was listed as one of the party's co-hosts.

Barnes’ campaign pointed to the lieutenant governor's previous comments regarding the scandal.

Barnes previously told The Associated Press that he was not the driving force behind the party. "People get tagged/added as a co-host all the time," Barnes told the AP in a 2018 text.

Barnes denounced the party as "immature" in a statement after drawing scrutiny following the initial story. At the time of the post, Barnes was working for the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board.

"The theme of this 9-year-old party was immature. I am committed, as I have been throughout my time in public service, to gender equality, including closing the pay gap, expanding paid family leave, and protecting the rights of women to make their own health care decisions," Barnes said. "I won’t take lectures from a Republican Party whose standard-bearer today called a woman ‘Horseface.’"

However, even while denouncing it as immature, Barnes called the media firestorm regarding his comments about women "ridiculous."

"There were no complaints, it was just a party," Barnes said in an October 2018 interview. "That’s what they want to use, it’s desperation. They have done nothing to advance the cause of gender equality, whether it’s healthcare or equal pay… nothing."

"I didn’t fight back because it was so ridiculous. We can waste time spinning our wheels talking about distractions or we can talk about the real issues that matter," Barnes said. "That’s what we’re going to continue to do." 

The lieutenant governor is facing Johnson, who is seeking his third term in the Senate.

“I’m an elected official in Wisconsin. We need to get Ron Johnson out of office.

‘Mandela Barnes, who is challenging Johnson this November, is a once-in-a-generation candidate who is ready to actually represent the state of Wisconsin”.



Mayor Jim Paine