WEDC backpedals on gag order for board members

Madison— The state`s flagship jobs agency sharply backpedaled Wednesday after facing criticism for a proposal that would have muzzled its own board members.

The proposal could have barred members of the Wisconsin Economic Develop Corp.`s board of directors from publicly divulging information about its taxpayer-funded operations and subjected them to discipline if they spoke to reporters.

Shortly after the Journal Sentinel posted a story about the proposal online Wednesday, WEDC Chief Executive Officer Mark Hogan told his fellow directors that he was shelving the proposal based on "feedback I have received from various board members."

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Ken Notes: The issues here is board education, as a board chair, mayor, development director, and advisor to the governor - I had to let board members and others what would be problematic for them to discuss in public. For example: A company inquiring about a building may very well not want their intentions known so as not to influence the price of the building, this is a fair request. But as I suggested, this is an educational process not a mandated one in the public arena. Bring me in for 1 hour and I will tell your board the meaning of, and uses for, closed session. If you have a rogue member it can be a problem, but the solution is again education and even a discussion with the press, off the record, suggesting their need to work with you instead of undermining your efforts. Now as a member of that very press let me tell you that this ALSO means you have to comment for the record on public issues and policy. WEDC has not been good about this, so my guess is that they may be in the cross hairs until they develop better relations with the press. EDUCATE me if I am wrong here!