First Lady seeking $478,700 for new kitchen at Governor's mansion

[The Straight Story]

First Lady seeking $478,700 for new kitchen at Governor's mansion

MADISON (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin Department of Administration is asking the State Building Commission to approve $478,700 in general fund supported borrowing for kitchen renovations at the Governor's mansion.

The request for the revamp of both the first floor kitchen and the second floor private quarters kitchenette originally came from First Lady Tonette Walker.

The First Lady and members of WERF, the non-profit Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation, first pitched the idea of kitchen renovations to the State Capital and Executive Residence Board in September of 2011.

Minutes from that meeting show that WERF was going to request in-kind donations to replace the kitchen without any structural/permanent changes.

But in the DOA's request to the State Building Commission, the project description includes several changes to the kitchen with the installation of new equipment, such as commercial grade storage cabinets, shelving, disposal, dishwasher, oven, stove, refrigerators and freezers.

http://www.wkow.com/story/20289330/2012/12/07/first-lady-seeking-478700-for-new-kitchen-at-governors-mansion

[AnnaLee]

1. $500K? Reminds me of the expensive toliets.

I think they didn't go with the low bid.

[Initech]

5. Lewis Black said something like "You could have a solid gold toilet."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're gonna take a dump in it."

And we wonder why the rent is too damn high.

[xchrom]

2. Tonette!?!?

My. My.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Haha...so clueless

Half a mill for kitchen renos. Aiyiyi.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. How many people in Wisconsin live in a $478K home?

What a selfish inconsiderate bitch.

Yes, I'm calling her a bitch.

[sabrina 1]

15. Now, now. She's most likely trying to help some of her wealthy contractor buddies.

Don't you have any empathy for the wealthy? They have to make a living too!

Seriously, I'm sure this is all about donors to the campaign getting a payback.

She probably thought this would be a brilliant way to do it, renovate the kitchen.

[Frustratedlady]

6. Probably that expensive union labor the gov is fighting. eom

[LisaL]

7. Nearly $500,000 for kitchen remodel?

Really?
Most people live in houses that don't cost that much.

[Earth_First]

8. Holy shit, to be a union contractor on THAT job...

WOW!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. I'm sure the contractor is a close personal friend

or a relative of the Governor.

I doubt this job was put out for bids.

[sabrina 1]

16. I doubt it will be a Union Contractor. Most likely a donor to his campaign from the

private sector.

[Botany]

9. I'll do it for $50 K

Average price range for a house in Madison

$187,900 $265,929

[Angry Dragon]

11. let his friends the Kock brothers pay for it

[Marrah_G]

12. These people have an unbelieveable amount of nerve

[frazzled]

13. Well, you expect a commercial-grade kitchen like that to cost more

than one in a private residence (it did say that it serves 15,000 guests and visitors per year, so you need commercial stoves, refrigerators, ovens, etc.). But I would think at most half that price would suffice.

The cost of remodeling these semi-private public residences is always a controversy. I remember when the president of the U of Minnesota got driven out for renovations to the president's house.

[undeterred]

14. She must be planning to cook for the poor and homeless in Madison.

[hunter]

17. That would be a great!

Imagine a full time kitchen, staffed with previously unemployed trainees and well paid professionals, two shifts morning and evening devoted to providing good hot meals for the homeless, the poor, seniors confined to their homes by illness or infirmity, etc.

Put that half million dollar kitchen to hard use, seven days a week!

Instead this magnificent kitchen will be mostly unused except when the governor is hosting fancy parties for people who have never been hungry.

[former-republican]

18. sounds about right for a kitchen in a 20,000 square foot home

It's commercial ranges , commercial refrigerator probably a walk in refrigerator somewhere for banquets
shit like that..

It cost me $18,000 for just a small house.