Leibham helps Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart family rewards him

Bill Stephen of Sheboygan, who blogs as Sadie Says, raises some interesting questions about the connection between State Sen. Joe Leibham's help for Wal-Mart and $1,000 in contributions from the Walton family. Don't hold your breath while waiting for the news stories:

Sadie Makes The Sheboygan Press

Letters: Did Leibham's 'help' net campaign contributions?

I am truly amazed at the mainstream media's coverage of the Adelman Travel contract. They rarely mention that this contract saved taxpayer dollars and was the best price when the contract was approved.

They never mention that the head of the Omega firm from Virginia (which didn't get the contract) stated that he thought the process was fair. Instead they choose to focus on the fact that leaders from Adelman Travel in Glendale, Wis., donated to the Doyle campaign.

They also suggest the timing of the donations makes the governor unethical.

Well, perhaps we need to look a little closer to home for a comparison.

I'm sure you remember the ongoing effort to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Town of Sheboygan.

On Feb 16, 2005, state Sen. Joe Leibham wrote a letter to the editor explaining that he had merely helped set up a meeting between town officials and Wisconsin Department of Transportation of the issue of access to the store from county Highway J.

He spends most of the letter trying to make the point that this was the type of everyday help he provides to his constituents, that it was nothing out of the ordinary.

He also mentions that he was asked on Dec 10, 2004 to provide this "help."

Is it purely a coincidence that on Dec. 30, 2004, he got a $500 campaign contribution from Jim Walton of Bentonville, Ark.?

Is it another strange coincidence that on Dec. 30, 2004, he also received a $500 contribution from Lynne Walton of Bentonville, Ark.?

Is it a coincidence that the Waltons are the same Walton family that owns Wal-Mart? Is it a coincidence that two weeks after providing this "help," Sen. Leibham received $1,000 from Wal-Mart heirs?

I would hope the media would provide equal coverage of this issue.

BILL STEPHEN
Sheboygan