The special interests can't seem to get enough of Jeff Plale, and he can't seem to get enough of their money.
Just a cursory look at the pre-primary campaign finance reports from Plale's committee shows that a huge chunk of the money his campaign has raised is from the special interests he's served so well in the State Senate.
Utilities, thankful for his "leadership" in playing a key role in killing a renewable energy bill in April, keep coughing up the dough.
Since July 1, Plale raised about $35,000 total and it looks like at least $10,000 of that came from people in the utility business -- $3,785 through the We Energies conduit, another $1,400 from people at Xcel Energy, $500 from three admirers at Alliant Energy, and $3,000 from three fine folks at Foresight Energy in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which, among other things, is in the coal mining business.
Then there's the outpouring of money from school choicers -- locals Susan and George Mitchell, but also members of the Walton family (of Wal-Mart, not the mountain) at $1000 a clip, another grand from a San Francisco couple. That's another $5000-plus for the coffers. (These are imprecise and probably underestimated due to lack of time to use a fine tooth comb.) And that's on top of huge expenditures, maybe $250,000, by a Scott Jensen-run school choice group on Plale's behalf.
What else? Money from big-time lobbyists, of course. The executives at Wisconsin State Telecommunications Assn., for whom Plale carried lots of water, are in. So are a bunch of auto dealers, the health care industry, and on and on -- some who want something, others who've already gotten something with Plale's help but want more.
What's wrong with that? Pressed for time, but will refer you to a couple of other items here and here that lay it out in more detail -- and will explain why we call it Pay to Plale.