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MacIver Institute’s Efforts to Continue in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling

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The Free Market Voice for Wisconsin Remains Open for Business

[Madison, Wisconsin...] As a result of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court’s injunction prohibiting the enforcement of a controversial rule, the MacIver Institute’s policy analysis, website and archives remain publicly accessible over the internet. With the injunction blocking a rule that would limit the rights of individuals and organizations to criticize their government, the MacIver Institute will also continue to publish its research and distribute updates to their vast email list.

“We believe the GAB’s attempt to stifle criticism of elected officials runs counter to the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and we are happy the State Supreme Court issued this injunction,” said MacIver Institute President Brett Healy. “With this reprieve, our website remains up and we’ll continue to churn out the information and analysis that thousands read every week.”

MacIver offers the public original news reporting through their copyright-free MacIver News Service. Any blogger, pamphleteer, newspaper or broadcast station in the state is free to reproduce our articles, with attribution, at no cost.

MacIver Institute analysts also produce research reports and provide commentary on the actions and policies of state and local governments, including the actions and policies of specific elected public servants.

The GAB’s rule would have restricted the rights of individuals and entities to inform, comment and criticize during the months prior to an election.

“The work of state government does not come to a complete stop 60 days prior to an election,” said Healy. “New administrative rules, burdensome regulations and even public policy ideas will be introduced throughout this time period and we will continue to report and comment on them.”

Thanks to their various distribution channels and social networking sites, MacIver’s work has been seen by hundreds of thousands of individuals over the last year and a half.

“The political class should spend less time trying to stifle free speech and criticism of their precious reputations and instead focus on the state’s out of control spending and crushing debt,” said Healy. “With a structural deficit of $2.5 billion and unemployment over 8%, Wisconsin needs their elected officials to grow the economy and bring back jobs.”

MacIver’s website is www.MacIverInstitute.com – individuals can sign up to receive updates at: http://maciverinstitute.com/contact-us/

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Tags: Free Market, Free Press, Free Speech, MacIver Institute, MNS
Posted in News | August 16, 2010 | | No Comments

If the Mainstream Press Ignore a Story, is it News?

Last week, our friends at the MacIver News Service reported a startling revelation.

The State of Wisconsin has again shuffled monies in order to meet continuing obligations, according to a memo made public Thursday.

Further, Governor Doyle’s Administration forecasts that during the month of December, the state’s General Fund may be more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the hole.

The Department of Administration released the forecast, and information regarding the fund balance transfers last week, although members of the Joint Committee on finance were first notified of the June fund conditions today.

The following day, MacIver News published another story that included the reaction of some prominent Republican lawmakers.

“This is the legacy of Jim Doyle,” State Representative Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) told MacIver News on Friday. “Out-of-control spending has real consequences and the massive tax increases imposed by Democrats last year only fueled more spending and made matters worse.”

Minus a brief mention by a subscriber-based news service, neither the fact that the state is projecting its General Fund will be $261 million in the red, nor the legislative reaction to that revelation has received coverage in the traditional, mainstream press. Fortunately, a few talk radio programs did discuss this topic, but they do not have the reach or market penetration of the newspapers and broadcast news outlets…yet.

Can you imagine that? The Doyle Administration is actually forecasting an imbalance of a quarter of billion dollars in the General Fund and most of the State of Wisconsin is clueless because for whatever reason, the news has gone unreported by traditional information sources. People may be suffering ‘bad economic news’ fatigue, but that’s not a reason to let such news go unreported.

It is a compelling example of the need for MacIver News Service to exist.

Through MNS, we provide the public with copyright free, original news reporting on the actions and policies of state and local governments, including the actions and policies of specific elected public servants. Our perspective pieces offer analysis and commentary on these same policies and people.

The MacIver Institute cares about public policy and the impact public policy decisions will have on Wisconsin’s future.

We understand the economic model of the news business has changed. Outlets that used to have significant resources devoted to following state government are now lucky to have one set of eyes watching the Capitol on a part-time basis.

In part, that’s why we started the MacIver News Service.

Any blogger, pamphleteer, newspaper or broadcast station in the state is free to reproduce our articles, with attribution, at no cost. Thanks to our various distribution and social networking channels, our reports have been seen by hundreds of thousands of individuals over the last year and a half.

So while we are dismayed at the fact significant stories are being missed by the traditional media, we are proud of the reputation we’re building. Here at MacIverInstitute.com, our goal is to create a place to which people who share our concerns can turn for information and insight.

Because, many times, it’s the only place to find the important information you need.

By Brian Fraley
A MacIver Perspective

Tags: MacIver Institute, MNS
Posted in mi perspectives | August 13, 2010 | | No Comments

Public Officials’ Access to the Public

Each week, the website WisOpinion.com asks two veterans of Wisconsin policy and politics, Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now and our own Brian Fraley (a Director at the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy) to engage in exchanges on a topic of their choosing.

In this week’s installment of “That’s Debatable,” Fraley and Ross debate the significance and value of the MacIver News Service.

From Fraley’s entry:

You have frantically sent out an alert telling people not to talk to our reporter(s)… Fortunately Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Risser, Representatives Colón, Grigsby, Sinicki and Young, and Milwaukee County Supervisors Mayo, DeBruin and Jursik as well as activists like the NAACP’s Jerry Hamilton understand that our reporting on issues like the MPS debate has been fair and honest. The more eyes watching government, the better. The more opportunities elected officials have to speak to those they represent, the better. Non-profit journalism is taking off because news consumers are smart enough to look for news in a lot of places, and public officials are willing to get their message out in new ways.

You can read the entire exchange here.

Tags: MNS, That's Debatable
Posted in mi perspectives | January 15, 2010 | | No Comments