As I See It
$500 an hour is the price of going too far
What is the cost of going too far? In
Wisconsin, the answer apparently is $500 per hour. That is how much the
state’s republican leadership is willing to pay to defend itself in
court. They’re bringing in the pricey lawyers to
defend themselves in litigation over their recent lame-duck session
that saw them strip powers of our new democratic governor. A lawsuit was
inevitable, so they’re rounding up lawyers. Governor Tony Evers has
hired a Madison law firm, paying them up to $100,000
to defend him. That is a handsome rate of $275 per hour. Republicans
meanwhile are willing to pay their lawyers $500 per hour. Their law firm
says it is less than their typical going rate, but the fee doesn’t
include the costs of printing, copying and travel
for the lawyers. And if they prevail, they will bill for their full
rate, not that discounted $500 an hour rate. That is a pricey fight to
defend something they shouldn’t have done. And once again, the costs of
all this fall on the shoulders or you and I,
the Wisconsin taxpayer. There should be a law that taxpayers shouldn’t
have to foot the bill for lawyers to make $500 an hour to defend some
power grab. Maybe if our legislative leaders had to pay out of their own
pockets, they wouldn’t be so underhanded in
their efforts to retain power.
