The billionaire David Koch and his brother Charles, who were the subject of an unflattering profile in The New Yorker over the summer, are very involved in politics, having funneled a total of $2 million to mostly Republican candidates in the last election cycle. Their money is also reportedly behind a lot of the Tea Party movement, and they finance the right-wing organization Americans for Prosperity. Yesterday the president of that non-profit (ha) group turned up in Madison, Wisconsin to lecture union protesters who have occupied the Capitol building for more than a week now.
"We are going to bring fiscal sanity back to this great nation," declared the tool of the richest man in NYC (which puts him high in the running for richest worldwide). David Koch's (pronounced COKE) company, Koch Industries, was one of the biggest contributors to the election campaign of Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, so it's no shocker the billionaire is throwing his weight behind Walker, who wants to end collective bargaining rights for state union workers and slash union benefits.
Koch hasn't commented personally on his anti-union stance in Wisconsin, but he recently sent out a letter to wealthy conservatives inviting them to a retreat, asking, "If not us, who? If not now, when? It is up to us to combat what is now the greatest assault on American freedom and prosperity in our lifetime." It's true—look how that Socialist Obama is taxing the rich... Oh, wait. What's being dubbed "The Madison Movement" is seen by activists on both ends of the political spectrum as a potentially precedent-setting moment, as state governments nationwide struggle with budget cuts. And demonstrators in Madison are definitely aware of Koch's influence; the Times spotted one protester yesterday toting the sign: "Gov. Walker: Kick the Koch Habit."
In NYC, there's been at least one "Cheesehead" solidarity rally in support of the union protesters (video below), and the Teamsters Local 237 will "bus a couple hundred" members to Madison this week. "This governor has awakened a sleeping giant," deputy director Pete Gutierrez tells the Daily News. "We're going to bring down as many people as possible. It's an important issue and legitimate cause." And yesterday Senator Chuck Schumer issued a statement urging constituents to support Democrats in Wisconsin, "This is an important fight that could be a turning point for workers across America."
