Another Hopper Whopper - do his lies and stretching of the truth know any bounds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                               

August 2, 2011 

In Case You Missed It: Randy Hopper's Hot Air on Mercury Marine

Fond du Lac – In a detailed, first hand account, a Mercury Marine employee tears apart Sen. Randy Hopper’s false campaign claims that he played a pivotal role in keeping Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac. Hopper’s TV ads have already been rated “pants on fire” false by the nonpartisan Politifact for his ‘ridiculous’ attacks on his opponent. Now this new account of what really happened two years ago completely discredits Hopper’s claims.

In his ad, the Hopper campaign claims that he was able to “bring together business and labor.”

According to those at the negotiating table, that simply isn’t true.

Mark Zillges, a Mercury Marine employee of 26 years, shoots downs Hopper’s boasting and exaggerated role point by point.

Some Highlights from the guest editorial include:

As someone who was there during those tense times, I can guarantee Mr. Hopper did not play a major role in the outcome of that final vote. He did not, as he claims, "bring together business and union leaders."

Mr. Zillges also points out that the one thing Hopper could have helped with, state tax incentives for the company, he can’t. Hopper actually voted against them in 2009.

Of the $123 million in public subsidies for the company, $70 million of it came in the form of state aid. These incentives were part of Gov. Jim Doyle's 2009-11 budget — a budget Hopper voted against and publicly condemned.

Finally, Mr. Zillges best summarizes what Hopper is really trying to take credit for and the direction he wants to take Wisconsin’s economy and families in:

In short, the Mercury Marine model Randy Hopper is trying to take credit for is to grant giant public subsidies, raise taxes, give workers lower wages while granting bonuses for executives.

The entire guest column can be read here.

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Paid for by We Are Wisconsin PAC, Phil Neuenfeldt, Treasurer.  Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s agent or committee.