WI Republican State Senator gets his mistress $11,000 pay raise for state job

[Bjorn Against]

A state worker with ties to Sen. Randy Hopper is being paid $11,000 more annually than her predecessor in a position at the department of regulation and licensing.

State officials said the woman, 26, was hired to a limited term, communications specialist position last month, with a salary equivalent to $42,328 annually.

State officials Friday said the woman’s predecessor left the position in January, with a salary equivalent to $31,200 annually. No explanation was given for the new hire’s higher pay.

Sources told WKOW27 News the state employee was the same person referred to by Hopper’s estranged wife when she publicly stated her husband started an affair in Madison. Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and his estranged wife are in the midst of a divorce action.

http://addins.wkow.com/blogs/scoop/2011/03/salary-boosted-for-worker-with-ties-to-hopper

Apparently Wisconsin Republicans only think public employees make too much if they don't sleep with them.

[Viking12]

1. Where I come from, there's a word for a girl like that

[Name removed]

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[rfranklin]

8. You're confused...that would make him the "john"

and she is the "whore." They are both at fault here.

Haven't you heard women refer to other women and themselves as "girls?" Or is another case of the "N word?"

[Name removed]

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[TBF]

63. So you are giving us permission to refer to you as "boy"? nt

[Name removed]

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[caseymoz]

71. Girl has a slightly different connotation in this context.

I don't blame her for taking a job her paramour offers her as long as she does the actual job. Especially when the salary, though higher than before, is not that high. $50k or so is middle-class, or what passes for it these days. And especially today.

It's only comparable to prostitution if she does nothing on the job, or the whole job is a front for her real job. Even then, she didn't betray her office and misappropriate funds. He did. I blame him.

And it's infuriating when Repub puts their paramour in a public sector job while attacking people in public sector jobs. Apparently he things civil servants are only good for one thing . . .

[sam sarrha]

87. i disagree.. it really sounds like prostitution

[caseymoz]

88. The difference might be . . .

I don't think prostitution is wrong, and I won't use it as an insult, and I won't exaggerate the sexual aspect of this.

I'll put it like this, if she does work on a public service job that fits the job description, then she's doing something besides prostitution, and one should properly describe that. If she got the job due to her relationship, people get hired for jobs due to other non-sexual relationships, too. You can call it fraud in the case of civil service, but it's not prostitution, because she's doing work besides sex or "servicing" a client.

If she doesn't do work according to her job description, yes, then, you can properly call it prostitution. If she's rescued from being fired or reprimanded due to her relationship, or if nobody dares fire or discipline her, then, also, it can properly be called prostitution. IMHO, though, it's the deception, the fraud entailed that makes it wrong.

Until I see other facts about how she did her job, I'm not going to classify her as a prostitute.

[tpsbmam]

90. I don't blame her for taking the job. I do blame him and/or complicit others

for paying her $11,000 more than the last person in that position. Unless she has sterling qualifications for the job that were lacked by the previous person, there's absolutely no justification for that. And even if she does have better qualifications, there's no excuse for that large a jump in salary. I'm sure for anyone else coming into that position, the salary would have stayed the same or perhaps risen A LITTLE if s/he had much better qualifications. These days when people have to suck it up and take what jobs they can find is no time to be giving your paramour special perks and salaries.

And when it comes to the rest.....they're both to blame.

[caseymoz]

118. Same here.

It does raise questions: why $11,000 more? What was it for? (That could be prostitution.) And how did he have the pull over the civil service to even do this.

That being said, it's still middle class. We're not talking Rolls Royces here.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. thank you -nt

[Name removed]

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[Viking12]

18. You're right. She's a 26 year-old woman

I assume you acknowledge that a woman that age is responsible for her own actions, right? Or are you the sexist that assumes the delicate little flower couldn't have said no to Hopper or turned down the position?

And, yes, it does take 2 to tango. My post never relieved Hopper of his responsibility in the matter. In fact, I have multiple posts over that last week that quite explicitly taking Hopper to task for his indiscretions.

[femrap]

25. Well....

I don't read everyone's previous posts before responding to one, do you?

Thanks for 'you're right.' I'll take it.

[Viking12]

27. So say it, "she's a whore too."

[Name removed]

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[Beaverhausen]

70. I will- she is a whore

Having sex for monetary gain makes one a whore.

She is not a person who any other women should be defending.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

77. No having sex for monertary gain does not make one a whore it makes......

one a prostitute... whore's gives it away for free to multiple partners

[Name removed]

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[caseymoz]

72. I don't blame her for taking the job.

Especially today. I might blame her for other things, such as doing absolutely no work if that's the case, as more details come out, but not that. He's the one who's betraying his trust.

What's so ironic about this is that a guy who attacks government employees would arrange for his mistress to have a public sector job. And where he votes to cut everyone else's salaries and pensions, she gets a higher salary. Tells you what he thinks the public sector is really for.

[Beaverhausen]

19. First- I'm 51 and call other women my age 'girls'

secondly, while Hopper is definitely scum, this "woman' entered into a relationship with a married man- she is hardly worth anyone's respect. They are both scum.

[Name removed]

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[Beaverhausen]

31. Wow- could you be any more insulting?

What is your problem? With women I have known for years, we still feel like "girls" when we are together. I said that I use the term with my friends.

I am not talking about being called a woman in the workplace. Totally different.

again, why are you defending the woman who is having an affair with a married man? In my book she is just as despicable as he is. But you think it's OK because SHE is not married? I don't even get that.

Women who enter into affairs with the husbands of other women don't deserve any respect whatsoever.

[LaPera]

46. I could, wanna give me a shot?

BTW - Love your user-name girl-friend!!

[Beaverhausen]

59. you want to be more insulting?

because I live in LA, you think you know all about me? Please, tell me more about myself. I can't wait.


RUDE!!!

[madinmaryland]

47. Well, as she said, she is from LA, where they feel the need to live the life

of the soap opera's. I think they spend way too much time in the sun, that it warps their sensibilities.

Go figure.

:shrug:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

52. Hardly,

We in Southern California just have better things to do that trip over ourselves looking for opportunities to be offended by innocent colloquialisms in a region where the native dialect is surfer dude/valley girl.

[madinmaryland]

74. I apologize for the east coast comment. It's the east coast bias in the M$M as upton calls it.

[femrap]

83. And never mind those

tanning machines!!!! Cancer city! And the highest concentration of Plastic Surgeons in the world...NYC next.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

41. you really, really need to stay out of California,

the colloquialisms might make you go postal,

[femrap]

65. Lived in the Bay Area for over

15 years. Hated LA...and so did most of SFers. LA is just too shallow and Hollywood....tans and implants. In SF there's fog and no one sits in the sun. The company I worked for was hqed in LA and I had to visit every quarter...I didn't like it. Everything was about the physical....brains weren't highly valued.

Not everyone can be a star and everyone seemed to want to be one...it was rather depressing.

Just like I found Las Vegas depressing.

N. CA always wanted to become its own state...Southern always took all the water and the $$$.


That was my experience....and my opinion, Sen. waltie.

buh bye.

[Name removed]

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[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

91. what a coincidence, we hate San Francisco too

and all the self-righteous pricks who surgically segregate themselves from the riffraff while feigning to be progressive by virtue of riding a bike, vocally championing all forms of vulgar public behavior and voting for assholes like Chris Daly. All the while supporting the very policies that contribute to one of the worst wealth disparities anywhere in America by making San Francisco utterly unlivable to anyone of modest means.

And I have never noticed a shortage of implants or bad tans among San Fransisco's sizable and aggressive cougar population.

Isn't generalizing fun?

[NBachers]

93. Aahhh I dunno about that- I work in a hardware store and I live in San Francisco

Yeah, it's a little studio apartment, but I raised my son here, and I've had a variety of working-class jobs in this town. On the other hand, I've been living in a rent-controlled unit for quite a few years, and it would be hell for me to go out and pay market rate for anything now. Fire away if you must.

I sure could've used some attention from that sizable and aggressive cougar population when I was young enough to qualify. Maybe they don't like guys who work and come home tired.

[Bluebear]

57. 'being in LA, I can understand the need to be 'young' evermore.' - Wow.

[blondeatlast]

62. Could you be any more insulting? Do all women have to kowtow to YOUR idea

of what women should be?

[marew]

33. Amen! n/t

[Darth_Kitten]

36. Do you call 50 year old men "boys"?

:popcorn:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

44. Gawd....it is like the 1970s all over again, isn't it?

to think we have to keep saying things like this... :popcorn:

[demwing]

45. I might - like when its night out with the boys

or when I'm being informal.

Whats wrong with that?

[Darth_Kitten]

116. Uh, probably nothing.....

:silly:

[DRex]

50. Or 26 year old men....

just to keep it equivalent... we are talking about a 26 year old 'girl' here, not a 50 year old 'girl.'

[Beaverhausen]

56. yes- as in "boys night out"

getting all offended that someone called this person a 'girl' makes me think there are people here who are OK with women who have affairs with married men, maybe even some who have done it.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Beaverhausen]

69. I have no lack of self-esteem

What name do you have for this person who entered into an affair with a married man (with kids) and then took a job that he helped her get, with a nice pay raise?

Or are you all for it and think she's a fine specimen of sisterhood?

[davidinalameda]

76. I'd call her a whore among other things

:shrug:

[NBachers]

94. It's called an "arrangement"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

96. personally I would believe adherents of identity politics...

to be more likely to have self-esteem issues than an ordinary person who is indifferent to generic use of gender labels.

[Enthusiast]

108. I vote 'scum' for both.

[Berserker]

53. I will blame her also

did she know that he was married? What does that make her? I don't fall for that innocent female bullshit.
If the roles were reversed the man would be a gigantic asshole and male whore for breaking up a home.

[Name removed]

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[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

40. It reminds me of a newspaper headline for an unrelated story

I am working in Canada and there is a brewing scandal involving a former staffer to the Prime Minister and a woman described as "a lobbyist and former prostitute" for a firm that sells water treatment equipment. Which sort of makes you wonder what type of "lobbying" she was engaged in.



You can probably guess which is which,

[arikara]

89. For real?

Another Harper government TM scandal? haha I haven't heard of it yet. Do you have a link?

[ewagner]

2. Let me be nasty for a moment....

If a man has sex with a woman and then gives her $20, we call that prostitution....

but

If a legislator sleeps with a woman and then rewards her with an $42,000 job (not to mention the $11,000 pay raise)then we call it....

FAMILY VALUES??????

[eowyn_of_rohan]

15. +1

[malaise]

16. You forgot 'married legislator'

Otherwise you nailed it.

[Old and In the Way]

3. I'm thinking this is going to get a little more attention in Wisconsin

than your typical 'family values' Republican hypocrisy.

[femrap]

4. This is great news....

so is he on the Recall List?????? Should be easy to get him ousted!

[riderinthestorm]

5. Even more interesting, his wife said he had moved to Madison to be with his mistress.

So he wasn't even living in his district anymore....

[Angry Dragon]

7. It gets better

http://www.politicususa.com/en/wisconsin-republican-mistress#comment-75386


'It’s all sounding rather Ensign/Edwards-ish, no? It gets worse, though. Hopper claims he is living in his district in an apartment complex conveniently owned by someone he employs. He refuses to give the address out, claiming that he’s gotten threats on his life and therefore it would be a safety risk to share that information. The man who works for Hopper says Hopper does live there, but no proof such as canceled checks or an address are forthcoming.'

[riderinthestorm]

9. More evidence of his lying scumbagginess! Rethug "family values" on display! nt

[Bozita]

26. I'm sure those death threats have been reported and are being investigated. ... Right?

[Darth_Kitten]

37. And she couldn't be alone, unlike his kids....

Yes, Republican family values at work!

[Zambero]

11. Please, Please Sen. Randy, hang on long enough to be recalled

By a landslide. In the meantime, let these revelations continue to see the light of day.

[Angry Dragon]

12. Regressive Party motto - more bangs for your bucks

[Arkana]

120. See, I'd have picked "Regressive Party: Giggity Giggity Goo"

but I like yours too.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. Weren't there musings about his national prospects as late as last week?

We can be relieved of those worries now, I think.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

14. But Wait! Walker says "Wisconsin is broke!" We ALL have to Sacrifice!

"The bottom line is we are trying to balance our budget and there really is no room to negotiate on that because we’re broke,"

"We are broke in this state! We have been broke for years!"

Surely they made a mistake. the thugs would never pay such an inflated salary to a marginally qualified person at a time like this.

[NBachers]

95. Well, unless the Randy little Hopper was focusing on her bottom line instead

[Blue Owl]

17. BUDGET CRISIS BUDGET CRISIS BUDGET CRISIS

Yeah sure, guys.

[shanti]

20. it sucks

but it happens a lot whenever someone new is elected. they give raises to their staff. there was tons of that shit going on with schwarzenegger.

[Bozita]

22. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

[Historic NY]

24. "Service Fee".

[Initech]

28. My last raise was literally $0.05 an hour.

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Snoutport]

35. i can get $1000 dollar raise...if I take a $900 dollar class.

but after taxes it is a $650 dollar raise... and then, to keep my license I have to do it again next year, and the year after, and the year after...

so, even though i get a raise, it costs more to get the raise than the raise pays.

[Initech]

39. It's fucked up isn't it?

[FredStembottom]

58. During the boom-boom 90's...

...my pay was frozen for 9 years.

But that was the entire blue-collar world at that time.
It was a structural slide. One Bill Clinton put into effect.
But.... nevermind, blue-collar workers were, like, soooo 1960's!

We's gonna be Symbolic Analysts!

But... it came to the cubicle workers, too.
Just 10 years later.

[lutefisk]

29. This is good information. As a Wisconsin state employee, I now know how to get a raise. Thanks!

My pay has actually dropped, and will be headed even lower soon. How do I get Randy's phone number?

:dilemma:

[Viking12]

30. But any raise you get would have to be spent on extra soap...

To clean the 'Hopper' off you. Net zero.

[Ilsa]

32. That would make a great public protest gag: lots of people should show up

at the Assembly or wherever in sexy clothes, lingerie costumes, really fussy stuff. Men dressed as women, too, in parody. Everyone could could use saccharin sweet flirty voices to call to their "lover boys" on the R side of the aisle, asking for special favors and jobs with bonuses.

[lutefisk]

42. I like it!

We could also send pictures, email him with provocative offers...lots of possibilities.

:thumbsup:

[mascarax]

43. Hey, that would make quite a campaign for Mr. Hopper

Lots of signs: "Randy, call me. I need an $11K raise too" (seems like a conversation starter).
And write in to his district's local papers - lots of Letters to the Editor.

Love your screen name, just prefer lefse.

[Snoutport]

121. lol

sleep with hopper? that is desperation!

[Snoutport]

34. why isn't this on channel 3000 or jsonline? can't wait for independent WI voters to see this

This guy should be fired on ethics grounds....they shouldn't even wait for a recall!!

[Darth_Kitten]

38. People should go post on his Facebook, it's kind of fun.

:popcorn:

[demwing]

48. Just did!!!

My post:

I've got to hand it to you...pretending Wisconsin was too broke to pay teachers, then giving a 30%+ raise to the woman you're having an illicit realationship with, AND abandoning your wife and children while hiding behind some "Family Values" rap? LOL!!! Man oh MAN, are you EVIL or what? I'm still geeking out about it!

[Darth_Kitten]

49. I'll check it out!!

Right on! :D

[demwing]

51. Was that you?

with the three kittens in your profile pic?

[Enthusiast]

109. Great post!

It must be removed!

[rpannier]

54. State officials said the woman,

She's a state employee.
Where is her name

[FredStembottom]

55. Rec+ for the OP.... if not the thread the developed under it.

Very important OP

[dkofos]

60. So, it's not who you know, It's who you blow.

[Beartracks]

61. WI 'Pubs screw workers literally & figuratively! n/t

[RB TexLa]

67. A politician got their girlfriend a job and raise, yawn. I would have done the same.

[skepticscott]

73. I'd be very interested in how

the higher salary was arranged. Civil service classifications and their associated salaries are set and matters of public record. One person in the legislature does not just change them with the stroke of a pen. Either she was hired under a different classification, or at a much higher level in the normal classification for that job. In either case, "no explanation" doesn't really hold water.

[Viking12]

75. She moved from lobbyist to state employee. The raise came with the new position.

[skepticscott]

78. No, it didn't

The higher salary was not as compared to her previous job, but as compared to the person who had held her new job before she did.

[Viking12]

86. Ooops, my mistake.

I had seen the story reported differently elsewhere so I didn't click through the link. That certainly raises some questions.

[blackbart99]

97. Most jobs like that have a salary range.

She obviously got the high end right away. She gives him a rise in his levi's and he tries to return the favor.

[NashVegas]

82. I Don't Think Collective Bargaining Means What Hopper Thinks Collective Bargaining Means

[tpsbmam]

92. This just gets better 'n better 'n better day by day.

Please tell me someone is going to find something felonious and this waste of oxygen can get prosecuted for something. That would just be the icing on this already delicious cake. As it is, I'm having a ball....er, blast watching this POS go down....er, get pilloried. :evilgrin:

K&R!!

[fasttense]

98. Corruption at every level.

It's corrupted, diseased and rotting from the roots on up. Every local government, every state house, every federal agency, every law passed, every executive department, every judiciary branch is corrupted with nepotism, cronyism, kick backs, sexual pay-offs, bribery, willful ignorance of laws and regulations, mealy mouthed excuses and cover ups. Our entire governmental system is a fetid stink hole of money grubbing, immoral, hate filled criminals.

If only the President who followed the bushes had cracked down on corruption, then most of our problems would be on the way to repair.

Instead the system is feeding on itself. Making the most corrupt and evil, the most wealthy and powerful.

To keep the criminal enterprise fed, the criminals are taking food out of the mouths of hungry children and turning off the heat in grandmother's apartment.

[Enthusiast]

110. If we had not chosen to

"look forward" this nation would not have slid into moral decay as it has.

[PurityOfEssence]

99. I believe that's called "Erective Bargaining"

He gets a rise; she gets a raise.

[mwb970]

100. Typical sleazy behavior from a typical republican asshole.

This is how they roll.

[Buddha2B]

101. $42k is still well under poverty line

in Australia.

$31k?? wow

[xchrom]

102. Recommend

[Stuart G]

103. I hope his home district knows about this..........nt

[Vinca]

104. Are you sure it was for a "state" job?

:rofl:

[LynneSin]

105. This guy will be unemployed after the recall. Just 2 more seats

:woohoo:

[Exilednight]

106. Recalls don't matter. I did a little research into this and found out that

Wisconsin state senators only serve a two year term. The way recall elections work in Wisconsin is first you have the recall, if the senator gets recalled, then an election is held during their next election cycle.

Since the senator has to have served at least one year, the next election cycle would be their normal election cycle.

[mzteris]

119. WRONG!

here's the GAB manual on recalls: http://gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/publication/65/recall_manual_for_congressiona_county_and_state__82919.pdf


pertinent bits:

Date of Recall Election: §9.10(3)(b), Wis. Stats.
If the filing officer finds that the petition is sufficient, the filing officer shall file the petition and
call a recall election to be held on the Tuesday of the 6th week commencing after the date the
filing officer files the petition. If that Tuesday is a legal holiday, the recall election shall be held
on the first day after Tuesday which is not a legal holiday.

Recall Primary: §9.10(3)(d-f), Wis. Stats.
If more than two persons compete for the office, a recall primary will be held on the date
originally set for the recall election. The recall election will then be held on the Tuesday of the
fourth week after the recall primary. If that day is a legal holiday, the recall election will be
held on the first day after Tuesday which is not a legal holiday. §9.10(3)(f), Wis. Stats.
The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the recall primary will be certified
to appear on the ballot in the recall election.




Who Can be Recalled?
Any elected officeholder who has served one year of the term for which he or she was most
recently elected, as of the date the recall petition is offered for filing, can be recalled.
§9.10(2)(s), Wis. Stats.
After one recall petition and recall election, no further recall petition may be filed against the
same official during the term for which he or she was elected. §9.1 0(6), Wis. Stats.
If the regular term of an elected officeholder's position is scheduled for re-election at the fall
election to be held within six weeks of the date the recall petition is filed, a recall election may
not be held.
2

[LynneSin]

122. I'm not sure where you did your research from - hell Wiki has the answers you needed

Senators serve for 4 years. I found it surprising that any Senate seat would be for 2 years. Usually that's the representative term. Senate terms (in just about any state) are 4-6 years.

So we have plenty of things we can do for the recall. This is why they are not recalling anyone from the house. That would be a waste of time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Senate

Members 33
Political groups Republican Party (19)
Democratic Party (14)
Length of term 4 years
Authority Article IV, Wisconsin Constitution
Salary $49,943/year + per diem

[Bluenorthwest]

107. The President says all straight couples are Sanctified by God

and that they have a spriritual element to their 'unions' which is not present in same sex unions. He says that. I note that on this entire thread, not one person spoke of the attack on the Sacrament of Marriage. What do the President and those who belive as he does say about this? If Straight Marriage is hand made by God, as Obama says, then is God fucking up the Sanctification process or what?
I see a lack of consistency in the reactions and views of the straight community in terms of marriage.

[Ikonoklast]

114. Give it up.

You use every chance you get to pull that same crap out, and somehow make a Republican politican cheating on his wife Obama's fault.


The mental gymnastics used to blame this on Obama must make you exhausted.


Not everything is about you. It makes it difficult to take you seriously when you use this same excuse for everything in order to bash the president with it.


"School lunch program cut back? It's because Obama is against gay marraige!"

[Raschel]

111. He must believe in the Newt credo that having sex equals passion for your country

[Kingofalldems]

112. Special Prosecutor needed immediately

[Ikonoklast]

113. Well, with no collective bargaining anymore in Wisconsin for state employees

it will come down to "Who do I have to screw around here in order to get a raise?"

[rustydog]

115. Apparently, Raunchy Hopper does not have casino-owning parents

to pay hush-up money...I mean the ability to give substantial gifts to the females their son is boning but is not married to....

[lutefisk]

117. Now he has a "high profile national campaign manager" to try and spin this...

"Jeff Harvey, Hopper's recently hired campaign manager, said he arrived in the state over the weekend. Harvey is a veteran of Republican campaigns who most recently worked on the election of Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., and was previously coalitions director for the campaign of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Harvey said the recalls of Republicans are being spearheaded by "union bosses who want to handpick new senators who will vote the way union bosses tell them to."

"They're attempting to undermine the voters who want to bring fiscal responsibility to Madison," Harvey said." (March 16)


http://oshkoshhub.thenorthwestern.com/article/20110316/OSH0101/103160577/Hopper-hires-GOP-veteran-to-manage-recall-vote

[Tamara in Madison]

123. More GOP family values

Sounds like the attitude Justice Prosser has. If you can't buy them, then they are ______! Have you heard what Prosser called the Chief Justioe of the Wisconsin Supreme court? Check out this article from Madison: http://www.examiner.com/independent-in-madison/justice-prosser-s-outburst-may-influence-wisc-supreme-court-election

I guess Prosser couldn't buy Abrahamson like the GOP bought him or the lobbyist Hopper bought.

T in Madison