The Real Moochers

As usual, the biggest government moochers are the well-connected, not the downtrodden:

• Cliven Bundy is part of a long tradition: corporate mooching
• New GAO Report: Federal Government Not Collecting a "Fair Return" from Drilling on Public Lands
• Government Accountability Office: Taxpayers Getting Stiffed by Flawed Federal Coal Lease System
• Unfair Share: How Oil and Gas Drillers Avoid Paying Royalties
• Step right up, Big Coal, for America’s Big Coal Giveaway
• A Sweetheart Deal For Big Coal Is A Slap In The Face To American Families
• A Fair Share: The Case of Updating Federal Royalties
• A Comparison of the Share of Revenue Received from Oil and Gas Production by the Federal Government and Other Resource Owners
• The Public's Airwaves
• The Price of Free Airwaves
• The Sorry State of Corporate Taxes
• The U.S. Has A Low Corporate Tax

Racist Ranchers, Militias, and Other American Nuts

Walker Selling Wisconsin

Developer wrote Scott Walker expressing interest in buying state buildings

One of Wisconsin's largest real estate developers wrote to Gov. Scott Walker to express his interest in buying several prominent state office buildings at the same time the Legislature was considering doing away with competitive bidding for such sales, according to newly released records. 

Terrence Wall offered his cellphone number in the letter, urging that the "appropriate person" call him to discuss possible deals for properties including the State Crime Laboratory, records obtained by The Associated Press show. Wall also offered his support for the change in the bidding process, an idea that originated with Walker. 

Wall sent the letter on June 10. The Republican-controlled Legislature agreed 11 days later to allow no-bid sales of state properties over the objection of Democrats, who argued that it opened the door for political cronies to be cut special deals...

Walker called for legalizing no-bid sales of state properties in the budget he proposed in February. The Republican-controlled Legislature agreed in June, after adding a requirement that any sale negotiated by the governor be approved by the budget committee. The state Building Commission, which Walker chairs and is controlled by Republicans, would also have to approve.

 Stay classy, Scotty.

Ranked 19th - Milwaukee County Parks

ParkScore, from the Trust for Public Land, recently ranked the Milwaukee County Park system 19th. 

Minneapolis (1st) was the best, followed by New York City (2nd). Fresno (50th), Louisville (49th), Indianapolis (47th) and Charlotte (47th) were the worst.  Fresno's low score was 27.5. Minneapolis scored 81. Milwaukee scored 57.5. 

City Stats
City area: 154,497 acres
Median park size: 8.07 acres
Park land as % of city area: 10.4 %
Spending per resident: $70.67
Playgrounds per 10,000: 1.2
Population density: 3.8 per acre 

Park Facts
Park acreage: 16,085 acres
People served per park acre: 32
Oldest park: Cathedral Square Park, est. 1835
Largest park: Whitnall Park, 625acres
Most-visited park: Veterans Park