After Republican Rep. Robin Vos blew a gasket over the large UW rainy day fund, saved up all proper like, he was chuckling over this, and I suppose all other WEDC failures. Just amazing.
From WKOW's Greg Neumann:
The man hired to help the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation with its public image resigned late Monday after 27 News made inquiries about income tax and unemployment insurance compensation debts of close to $44,000 he owes the State of Wisconsin. John Gillespie, who WEDC brought in as its new Public Information Officer on April 8, owes $36,047 in back taxes to the State of Wisconsin, according to the Department of Revenue's delinquent taxpayer list.
In a separate case, the Department of Workforce Development filed a warrant against Gillespie in March of 2012, seeking $7,770 for unemployment insurance compensation benefits he had improperly received. Gillespie, who was being paid $73,000 in his first year at WEDC, had no comment (and resigned).
Tom Evenson, the spokesperson for Governor Scott Walker ("Governor Walker was not involved in this specific hiring process. Gov. Walker serves as the Chair of the WEDC Board of Directors.
Gillespie's resignation comes less than a week after a scathing state audit of WEDC showed the agency violated state statute by improperly tracking the loans and job creation efforts of the companies it has awarded money to since June of 2011. The audit showed WEDC also awarded money to ineligible projects and failed to keep track of its internal spending as well.
Voss is looking a wee bit less arrogant and a little pudgier these days. Where's the smile Voss? April 10th looming on your mind Woody?
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine who works for the state and I were discussing the WEDC issue the other day. She said she went to Madison for a work meeting and turned in her expenses. She was contacted, long distance of course, that she had a charge of $1.50 that was unaccounted for. It took her a long time to figure it out (on the taxpayer's dime) but eventually she realized what happened. While she was there she lost her cell phone and used the hotel room phone to call the number to find it. That one second call cost $1.50. She sent a check in for the amount, using a stamp also paid for by the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteToo bad she didn't have $54 million dollars of disallowable costs. In Scott Walker's and the Repub's world, that would have gotten a pass...unless she signed the recall!