Posted on Monday, 26th January 2009 by Patrick Dorwin
Our own, Glenn Frankovis brings us word:
[County Supervisor] Mark Borkowski just called to let me know that he has information that [Elizabeth] Coggs] and [Toni] Clark have made a decision to reimburse the County and we should be reading more about this in tomorrow’s paper
Of course, BadgerBlogger readers knew it first 
Posted in Home | Comments (21) |
21 Responses to “Coggs & Clark to reimburse taxpayers for DC trip”
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January 26th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Here is a copy of the press release I have received:
January 26, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact: Milwaukee County Supervisor Toni Clark, 2nd District
414-278-4051 or [email protected]
Milwaukee County Supervisor Elizabeth Coggs, 10th District
414-278-4265 or [email protected]
MILWAUKEE COUNTY SUPERVISORS TONI CLARK AND ELIZABETH COGGS ACCOUNTS FOR WASHINGTON DC TRIP
Milwaukee, WI — Milwaukee County Supervisors Toni Clark and Elizabeth Coggs have decided to reimburse Milwaukee County for the funds used on their recent trip to Washington DC.
“After several discussions with constituents of the districts we serve, our colleagues, as well as other local, state and national elected officials, We’ve decided to reimburse all dollars approved and allocated to us by the office of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors for expenses incurred during our recent trip to Washington DCâ€, said Supervisors Clark and Coggs. “We just think it’s the right thing to do.â€
“Our trip to the nation’s capital was two-fold. It was an attempt to obtain face-to- face meetings with various members of the Milwaukee Congressional Delegation, non-profit organizations, philanthropic organizations and corporations with the sole purpose of finding non-traditional funding sources and entering into collaborative projects that could make a positive impact to the constituencies we serve. It also was an attempt to be a part of the Milwaukee delegation representing this region as part of the inauguration of the new president of the United States.â€
“We must admit, if we had given it more thought or was advised of the possible negative ramifications of our desire to travel during this past week, we would have definitely re-evaluated our choices and opted to reschedule. Although we stand by our final decision to have face-to-face meetings with potential contributors to reduce Milwaukee County’s tax base, we can certainly understand why some have had concerns about the timing especially with the escalated costs associated with lodging due to the historic activities taking place at the same time. For that we ask for the forgiveness of our constituents, our colleagues and the elected officials that have been singled out in relationship to this issue. We want to extend our sincere apologies to each and every one of you.â€
“I would like to add that as a result of this trip, my colleagues and I were quite successful in making significant headway with potential funding sources to allocate dollars that could soon help initiate new programs within Milwaukee County. One specific program could help significantly reduce children from entering into the Foster Care system, as well as, programs to assist young adults who are aging out of foster care,†stated Supervisor Coggs.
“We’re really excited about these programs and look forward to sharing the results of these programs during the upcoming months as they blossom into fruition.â€
January 26th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Wow enough of us call and it works. My supervisor called and told me the same thing. I hear they will hoprfully being paying us soon… that reassuring. We need to keep on them to make sure they pay this back.
What I liked my supervisor saying is that we should have more oversight on trips. Let make sure that passes.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Credit Dan Bice (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) for bringing this to the attention of the taxpayers, and credit all those who contacted their County Supervisors and/or other elected representatives and complained about this. Had Bice not exposed this, there is no doubt in my mind that Coggs and Clark would not be doing this. I would like to see D.A. Chisholm review this anyhow as it just kind of smacks of a burglar getting caught with the proceeds and offering to bring everything back if he doesn’t get charged. Kind of like a guy who pays off his back taxes, says he made an honest mistake and then gets appointed and approved to be Secretary of the Treasury.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
“Although we stand by our final decision to have face-to-face meetings with potential contributors to reduce Milwaukee County’s tax base…”
Reduce Milwaukee County’s tax BASE???
This is the Chairperson of Milwaukee County’s Economic and Community Development Committee (Clark) and Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee (Coggs). THEY want to reduce our tax BASE. This is really the best we can do for our elected officials?
January 26th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Where are the other county supervisors on this? Why didn’t they speak out about these two county
crooks”? (Especially my supervisor, Supv. Larson). What are they afraid of? What Coggs and Clark did was totally unethical and unprofessional. They must be held accountable and punished for this behavior. If this happened in the private sector they both would have been terminated. (NOT WHEN YOU HAVE A COUNTY JOB)! These are Milwaukee County’s “leaders”. I say get rid of them all. We don’t need supervisors. Aldermen do all heavy lifting. These people are a joke.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Mark told me there were several other County Supervisors prepared to call for an investigation. He mentioned Rice and Sanfillipo, but I just don’t remember the names of all the others.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Dennis
Larson is my supervisor too. He was the one who wanted to pass something so that the county is more responable with thier money. Also a nice gentleman named Jeff answered the phone. was very pleasant.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
When will people GET IT? Even Conservatives take their eye off the issue.
Coggs and Clark are “backtracking” because they got some heat. If they hadn’t been called on it, they wouldn’t have paid for it.
These 2 “Ladies” are simple basic urban CORRUPTION. “I’m sorry” doesn’t change who and what they are.
It’s no different than Obama and Rezko and the BRIBE PAY BACK land deal. No different.
I was a “bonehead”, doesn’t change the lack of honesty character nor intergrity.
Coggs and Clark, JUST LIKE GEITHNER were CHEATING, because they thought they could cheat without any punishment.
GEITHNER WAS REWARDED.
COGGS AND CLARK’S situation will be forgotten,
Obama SKATED on the REZKO deal.
Character no longer matters.
Rodham has the biggest CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN HISTORY. But……No one cares.
Liberalism is much much EASIER than being Conservative and having STANDARDS and VALUES that are difficult to live up to.
What Conservative would SURVIVE this nonsense?
None.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:40 am
I agree with Gus, at least as far as Clark, Coggs, and Geithner go. Had they not been caught and known they were in the wrong, they’d not “pay back” the county. I hope somebody is auditing via FOI every expense the county has paid this self-serving dynamic duo.
Here’s a Larry and Moe to go with Charlene Hardin’s Shemp.
As far as honesty in county government, under Lee “Slumlord” Holloway? Puh-lease!
January 27th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
translation:
We tried to get away with it. We had an alibi lined up, but you people are not buying it. Now that we will got caught, we are going to say we are sorry for the mistake but stand by our shaky alibi. We will even claim we will pay back the money we stole, but you will all forget about it after a short period of time and we will still get this for free. Too many of the people we represent either don’t care, don’t know, won’t remember, or agree that we should steal from the taxpayers in River Hills, Bayside, Whitefish Bay, Franklin, etc.
Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?
January 27th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
It is clear when they say “face-to-face meetings” undocumented meetings it is clear. Or to lazy to even write notes/reports/minutes regarding the meetings. Who, what, where, when?
I would say:
1. There would be no one that would tald to them without setting an appointment.
2. The appointments would be documented.
3. Their agenda would be documented.
4. All relevent information should be released if there was actually meetings.
5. Let’s contact who they talked to confirm.
6…
January 27th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Yeah right. Like Gwen Moore wouldn’t lie to cover a sistah’s lie.
January 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Lee Holloway just came unhinged, he is blaming Scott Walker for “leaking” the story of Coggs & Clark to Dan Bice. He then goes on to defend the $4,000 taxpayer funded vacation, calling it, “a legitimate use of their individual office accounts.”
The rest of the County Supervisors that voted to keep Lee “the slumlord thug” Holloway in his position of County Board Chairman should be ashamed of themselves!
Go check the whole thing: Holloway defends D.C. trip
January 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Holloway’s been unhinged for years. You’re just now noticing? The man’s a loudmouth and a bully as well as a slumlord and nobody seems to care because he has the race card in his pocket.
January 27th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Holloway is always complaining that he doesn’t get respect from Scott Walker. Did you read the letter he sent to Walker? Talk about no respect. And he accuses Walker with absolutely no facts or anything to back it up.
Hollway is just pissed because now he can’t submit the expenses for HIS trip to the inauguration.
Note to Holloway: The story was about to die. Not a real good time to stir it up all over again. You’re just making yourself look like an idiot.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
If Walker DID leak the story, so what? Someone had to get this out in the open. (Certainly didn’t expect Holloway to leak the story). What a bozo! The guy is totally useless. The entire county board is disfunctional. I just wish there was a way to send them all packing. Have you ever seen such a bunch of goofs? Wow!!!!!
January 27th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I see the “no snitching” mentality is alive in the Board of Supervisors.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I agree who cares who leaked it, they did the county a service.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Just smoke and mirrors, look over here at the bad republican, while we steal your money and assure everyone that it ok. Its for the children ya know.
Sort of like what Obama is doing with Guantanamo Bay, who really cares where the terrorists are detained? And a year to shut it down. Media and all behind him. A big speach. Smoke and mirrors.
I would concentrate on the 825 billion that he, the democrats and repulicans are planning to give away (split up for the friends of the government), not a good idea.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hollowy sure seems upset.
If the supervisors did nothing wrong, why would he be upset that their trip was exposed?
After reading the letter, I thought he was more ashamed of the funding of the trip than proud of his fellow supervisors.
Would the “stimulus money” that Scott Walker turned down but Lee Holloway wanted be used to further fund waste like this?
January 28th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Why are these representatives of the taxpayers refusing to speak to the media?