Monday, February 26, 2018

Willy Wonka Stumps For Scott Walker




Which one is more apropo?   

A. Willy Wonka/Oompa Loompas


B.  Scott Walker/Friends of Scott Walker


Sunday, February 25, 2018

Cause and Effect - Franklin, WI

By Jeff Simpson 



By now, most of you have heard that the School District of Franklin, WI is under fire for disgusting racist acts

Franklin High School administration is investigating a complaint that inappropriate and racist conduct occurred during a boys’ basketball game last night and have been in contact with Racine Horlick leadership today.
An administrator immediately responded to the spectator complaint and a student in question was removed from the gymnasium. This matter remains under investigation.
Franklin Public Schools does not tolerate discriminatory or harassing conduct by students at school, at school sponsored activities and events, or otherwise.  
Sorry Charlie, I would love to believe that is your policy, EXCEPT for one big problem.  You recently put Larry Gamble on your School Board.  

For those who do not remember, Larry Gamble is one of the driving forces behind Verify the Recall, which was a wesbite set up for the sole purpose of  - discriminatory and/or harassing conduct, towards anyone who felt the need to practice democracy in a way that Larry Gamble did not like.

The website, Verify the Recall, seems to be so flooded with hits that searching the database for even one name can take hours, proving again just how consumed people are with the recall.
"In the first 20 minutes, we had about 50,000 hits," Larry Gamble, spokesman for Wisconsin GrandSons of Liberty. "It has not let up."

Wisconsin Grandsons of Liberty is a far right extremist group that claims to be non partisan but only supports the furthest right of candidates and bills.   

As readers of our humble blog know, there is more - there is always more. 

There is most definitely more to Larry Gamble. 

After the peaceful protests of 2011, Gamble did ORR on over 50 school districts to get them to release private personnel files of teachers who were absent during the protests in Madison. 

Gamble, wanted to make sure any teacher who missed those days would be harassed, threatened and branded!

    Larry Gamble, a retired pilot and Tea Party member from Franklin, estimates he filed about 50 records requests, including one for the names of Madison teachers who called in sick.
But legal counsel Dylan Pauly said the district doesn't want to release the names after board members and administrators received "a number of threats" against themselves and district employees.
In the most serious incident, a parent was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for a voice message he allegedly left on a middle school's general mailbox.
According to a police report, the parent was upset about school being closed and left a message saying, "I'm gonna come down there and punch you guys right in the face."
Mission Accomplished Mr. Gamble! 

Cause and effect, chain of events, all of this chaos makes perfect sense!

When you realize you have one of the master harassers in Wisconsin history, who has a history of racism, sexism, and bullying in his past, appointed to a School Board, then incidences of harassment, racism, sexism and bullying start to spike.   




We need to work to fix this and educate the misguided youth of Franklin, but the first step in stopping this is to stop acting like we are surprised. 


Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Joel Kleefisch Makes a Promise He Can Never Keep

By Jeff Simpson 



Today in the Wisconsin Assembly, the Democrats forced a vote on requiring background checks on gun sales in WI. 

In Wisconsin, the Democrats have no power, and nothing makes the Republicans madder then when they have to actually listen to the Democrats.   This procedure that the Dems used upset them but they just figured out a way to make take control back of the situation. 

The WisGop, after showing faux outrage, then used an amendment to change the bill to providing an unspecified amount of money(guessing its going to be no where near enough) to schools for armed security guards.

During the Assembly floor session Tuesday afternoon, Democrats pulled from a committee a bill that would require universal background checks for firearm purchases. Republicans allowed the bill to come to the floor, then introduced a substitute amendment that would offer grants to school districts that employ armed safety officers.
Lawmakers then spent several hours engaged in a procedural battle.
Ultimately, Republicans shot down the background checks bill. Rep. Kathleen Bernier, R-Lake Hallie, said she didn't necessarily disagree with the proposal but said she objected to the process by which Democrats brought it to the floor.  
Ok they play their games, and we all lose in the end, but the biggest problem is this.   While the WISGOP have decided instead of trying to stop the shooter from entering the school,  the best way to approach school shootings is hopefully have a shoot out in the school. 

As Representative Joel Kleefish says:

Kleefisch said the measure will allow parents to have "the unabashed confidence that at the end of the day, their kids are coming home." 
Unabashed confidence?   That is a quote that is not only NOT based in reality, but is shameful.

Let's take a look:

The most recent school shooting in Parkland Florida, had an armed guard on premises:

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) - Florida sheriff says the high school campus had an armed officer who never encountered the suspected shooter during attack.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Thursday that the officer never encountered the suspect during the Wednesday afternoon attack that killed 17 people.
17 people did not make it home that night, despite Kleefischs "guarantee".

Lets go back in time. Columbine - also had an armed guard on campus, who actually engaged with the shooters!

In 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 15 people and wounded 23 more at Columbine High School. The destruction occurred despite the fact that there was an armed security officer at the school and another one nearby
15 people did not make it home, despite the "guarantee".

There was actually one time where a school resource officer did contain the situation, but that was AFTER one 17 year old girl was shot dead.  She did not make it home again.


Research actually shows, that the answer to school shootings(which despite the fact that there are too many, are still extremely rare), is not more police presence in the schools.

 Cops on campus have been shown to have “mixed effectiveness with regards to school safety,” Jason Nance, a University of Florida professor whose work looks at the impact of cops on campus, told HuffPost in 2016.  
“Are schools safer because we have more police officers? There are big questions about that,” Nance said in an email on Friday. “And we don’t talk enough about the downsides of having more police officers in schools, such as more school-based arrests for matters that should be handled in other ways.”   

The reality is that as long as people have such easy access to guns, hate talk radio continues pointing out that liberals are your enemies, community mental health programs are diminishing and the stress of growing up is increasing, there will be the possibility of school shootings everywhere, and yet there will still be very few. 

The problem of course, is when it actually does happen to your school, where your kids are attending. 

Today, coming on the heels of a horrific school shooting in Florida, the Assembly Republicans did absolutely nothing to address the problem except make false promises and show the Democrats who is boss!

For parents out there(like me), make sure and tell your child, Please don't get murdered at school today

Just to wrap up, our country has chosen to shift all of the weight regarding your safety away from our lawmakers and gun manufacturers and instead put it squarely on the shoulders of your principal and teachers. These people who kneel down on the first day of school so they’re just as tall as you. These people who shake your hand and say, “Good morning!” and help you rehearse for the spring concert and take you on field trips to see different rock formations — they are now in charge of keeping you from getting murdered. Which really is the least they can do for all that money they make.



Sunday, February 18, 2018

Ironstache Slams Ryan For His Worse Than Nothing Gun Stance



After yet another avoidable mass shooting at a school, this time killing 17 students and teachers in Florida, Lyin' Paul Ryan, gave his standard cliche responses:
Amid renewed debate over gun control after Wednesday's school shooting in Florida, House Speaker Paul Ryan is arguing that now is not the time to wage political battles.

"This is one of those moments where we just need to step back and count our blessings," he told reporters Thursday at a news conference at the Capitol. "We need to think less about taking sides and fighting each other politically, and just pulling together. This House, and the whole country, stands with the Parkland community."

[...]

Pressed on whether he'd consider a select committee on combating gun violence -- a request that Democrats have made repeatedly -- Ryan said "I think Congress should do its job" and referred to mental health reform legislation the House passed in 2016.

"That legislation is now just taking place, that legislation is now being implemented," he said.
It's not surprising that Ryan refuses to do anything but moments of silence or offering up "thoughts and prayers.." After all, Ryan is the NRA's lapdog after getting $172,000 from them.

Randy IronStache Bryce didn't take long in pointing out all the wrongness in Ryan's do-nothing stance in an scorching open letter to Ryan:
Dear Speaker Paul Ryan,

After 17 children and educators were murdered with an assault rifle on Wednesday, you said that we shouldn't "rush" to have a conversation about guns.

Then when should we have it, Mr. Speaker? Next week? Next month? How about the month after that? Because I'm the father of an 11-year-old boy in public school in your District, and I'm ready, now.

Before you start on how what makes this country great is our respect for individual freedom and liberty, I know -- that's why I joined the Army to defend those values. But, as a veteran, I also know what an assault weapon does to the body -- and there's no reason for anyone other than a member of the military to be holding one. It's not worth the risk to our kids, or to the cops charged with keeping our neighborhoods safe, like my dad was.

In addition to being a father, I'm also a gun owner, and I'd like to ask that you never speak on my behalf again. Because you're not looking out for me.

What you're doing is not about protecting "the rights of law-abiding citizens," as you said yesterday. You're looking out for the special interest group that gave you nearly $200,000 in a single year -- the NRA. In fact, you've helped make gun lobbyists so rich that they donated more to your campaign than any other U.S. Representative.

But maybe I'm being unfair. You say you're a reasonable person, Speaker Ryan -- that you're not like the President and others on the political extremes. If that's true, then call a vote on reasonable gun reform.

You said yourself yesterday that we should fix the "gaps" that allow people who shouldn't own guns to buy a gun. So how about we start by considering that regulation you repealed last year that made it harder for those with mental illness to own a gun?

Or what about banning the bump stock a gunman used to murder 59 people in Las Vegas? You said you supported that, but four months have passed and you still haven't brought even that basic measure for a vote.

I've been your constituent for every one of your twenty years in office, so I know better than to expect a reply to this letter. But since you don't do town halls anymore, I needed to find a way to let you know, the parents of your districts are feeling scared tonight Speaker Ryan, and we need more than your thoughts and prayers.

We need you to do your job, now.

Randy Bryce
@IronStache
But to say Ryan didn't do anything would be not entirely accurate. He did do something after all.

Ryan traveled to Florida on Friday night. He didn't go to visit the injured victims in the hospital. Nor did he go to console the grieving families of those shot down in cold blood. And perish the thought that he went on a fact-finding mission to learn what he can do to actually make this country safer for once.

Naw, he went to Florida to party with some wealthy political donors. Yeah, he went to a frickin' party less than an hour away from the school where those people were murdered in cold blood. That's not any kind of thoughts and prayers anybody would or should expect.

But the poor baby couldn't just collect checks and kiss wealthy donors' asses in peace, even there:
The National Republican Congressional Committee — the national fundraising arm for House Republicans — lists a 2018 Winter Meeting held in Key Biscayne this weekend.

Ryan’s spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that he attended the event, which had been planned months in advance.

Thorne said she found Ryan in the middle of the room — “I shook his hand and everything,” she said — and introduced herself as a teacher and Key Biscayner.

“Nice,” the Republican congressman replied.

“Nice?” Thorne said. “You’re here celebrating the death of 17 children.”

At that, Thorne said, Ryan told her he “didn’t want to talk politics” or argue. When Thorne tried to continue, security escorted her out. She chanted “No more guns!” on her way out the door, she said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee — the national fundraising arm for House Republicans — lists a 2018 Winter Meeting held in Key Biscayne this weekend.

Ryan’s spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that he attended the event, which had been planned months in advance.

Thorne said she found Ryan in the middle of the room — “I shook his hand and everything,” she said — and introduced herself as a teacher and Key Biscayner.

“Nice,” the Republican congressman replied.

“Nice?” Thorne said. “You’re here celebrating the death of 17 children.”

At that, Thorne said, Ryan told her he “didn’t want to talk politics” or argue. When Thorne tried to continue, security escorted her out. She chanted “No more guns!” on her way out the door, she said.
And on Saturday, Randy Bryce slammed him again:

"We need a speaker who will listen to everyone, not just the NRA and other special interests who cut him checks," Bryce's statement said.
Ironstache knows the kind of big guns this country needs. It's not the semi-automatic weapons with bump stocks. It's the kind that a person gets from a lifetime of hard work that can handle the heavy lifting needed to repair all the damage done by Ryan and his ilk.

Please help Ironstache repeal and replace Ryan in November, if not for yourselves, for our children. Their lives depend on it.


Dallet Will NOT Be On My Ballot

By Jeff Simpson



This Tuesday is Spring Primary election day. 

In most places, the only race on the ballot will be for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  There are three names on the Ballot and two will advance. 

The first name is Michael Screnock.  The twice arrested Screnock is running on a platform of being completely impartial, yet has been endorsed by the NRA(the day before the latest school massacre), Scott Walker and (far) Right Wisconsin.   So we know he has no intention of actually being impartial.   

The next name on the Ballot is Rebecca Dallet, who is running on the same platform of impartiality.   She also has as much impartiality credit as Screnock.   Dallet has endorsed and been endorsed(and funded) by Chief Justice Pat Roggensack who is about as hyper partisan as there is sitting on a Court in America. 

Dallet had her crew out attacking, but strangely, the only attacks she has levied have been against her opponent Tim Burns(more info on Mr. Burns shortly).   She has had very little to say about Screnock, apparently not wanting to upset the far right wing of Wisconsin, (IE Roggensack) in case she ends up on the court or against Mr. Burns.   

She has had her crew attack even some not so strong supporters of Tim Burns.    Here are a few examples:

Nation Consulting and high priced consultant Sachin Chheda(who she has paid thousands to):
Sachin K Chheda: Andy O----- yeah, asshole. She gave money in 2014 because she knew that in 2018 Dallet would run against Mike Screnock, who was then Scott Walker’s lawyer, and spend the entire campaign criticizing the Roggensack court. Jesus you people are something else.
Apparently, calling people assholes is a new Consulting strategy that helps bring people together. 

Jessica LoveJoy, employee of a California Consulting firm and Dallet's Campaign Manager responding to my question of why she attacks Tim Burns and not Mike Screnock:

Jessica Lovejoy Jeff Simpson we have absolutely called out Screnock. Are you on our email list? Do you follow the campaign on twitter? 

Re: Burns — it’s funny how a white straight man can spend nine months spewing lies to everyone about a his opponent — a woman candi
date — by running negative ads on Facebook, calling her names, manipulating the press, and y’all so easily turn a blind eye... But the minute we put out a FACT proven by Politifact that he’s been misleading voters about his record and legal background you attack our campaign. Interesting how that works.


Apparently straight white males are now unable to have an opinion in politics(although they do vote).   I do agree that straight white males have caused some serious damage to our country (see Ryan, Paul) but so have straight white females and I do not discount all straight white females just because Pat Roggensack and Rebecca Bradley are horrible people. 

I can not bring myself to vote for someone with such poor judgement. 

The third candidate is Tim Burns.

Attorney Tim Burns is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia Law School and is licensed in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. He is currently a partner at Perkins Coie law firm in Madison, where he specializes in insurance law. Burns also serves on the national board of the American Constitution Society and is former chair of the American Bar Association's committee on Fair and Impartial Courts. To learn more about Tim Burns, visit burnsforwisconsin.com.
I strongly endorse Tim Burns!  

As a progressive, and not a lawyer, I do not want to know what the courts will rule before they even hear the case.  We have that in Wisconsin right now, thanks to the far right extremist that rule the Supreme Court now. 

The Wisgop knows that anything they pass, no matter how many lower courts would rule against them, has an ace in the hole waiting for them at the Wisconsin Supreme Court.   

Tim Burns has let it be known that he has progressive values and will carry them to the court.   To me, that does not mean he will rule for team blue everytime.   Anyone who reads CogDis regularly knows that being a progressive means that you are not on team blue 100% of the time since they are and continually stray from progressive values. 

Tim Burns saying he is a progressive with progressive values, means that he will bring no preconceived notions to the court but that he will look at the law through a lens of compassion, and empathy and neutrality. 

That is something that is sorely missing and we as Wisconsinites, progressives, liberals and independents can add to the Supreme Court in Wisconsin and it starts on Tuesday. 

Please Vote for Tim Burns for Wisconsin Supreme Court!  


 


The Cowardice of Paul Ryan

By Jeff Simpson



In June of 2016, there was a horrific shooting at a nightclub in Florida, 49 people were killed and 58 others injured.  At the same time, there was a Presidential election going on and Hillary Clinton, who had just secured the Democratic nomination had planned a tour through the Midwest with President Obama and one of her stops was supposed to be in Green Bay.   Ms, Clinton and President Obama, figured that even though they were going to be thousands of miles away, that to go about their business of campaigning and fundraising would be disrespectful to the victims and families and thus cancelled the tour.

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign announced Sunday that she was postponing an upcoming campaign appearance with President Obama in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando.

Fast forward two years and we are still sorting the pieces of another mass shooting in Florida.  This one at a high school where 17 people were killed and another 14 injured. 

The Republican Speaker of the House, Janesvilles own Paul Ryan (R- Wall St.) had no such qualms whatsoever.   Ryan held a major fundraiser in Key Biscayne, Florida. 

@PERSlSTERS
 16h16 hours ago
More
Sorry we crashed your donor party, @SpeakerRyan, but seriously.. A PARTY 48 hours after the #Parkland massacre?
As the teacher you're talking to in this photo said before your security guys had her and the scary pediatrician lady tossed, "No More Guns!!"
#GunReformNow #Resist

As the teacher tells it :
Thorne said she found Ryan in the middle of the room — “I shook his hand and everything,” she said — and introduced herself as a teacher and Key Biscayner.
“Nice,” the Republican congressman replied.
“Nice?” Thorne said. “You’re here celebrating the death of 17 children.”
At that, Thorne said, Ryan told her he “didn’t want to talk politics” or argue. When Thorne tried to continue, security escorted her out. She chanted “No more guns!” on her way out the door, she said.
Paul Ryan (R-NRA) did not want to "talk politics" at a major political fundraiser.   Meaning he did not have any interest in speaking to a teacher about how to keep schools safe.

Let the peasants grieve the dead kids, we have social security to cut!

Write the check and move on



That is why Charlie Pierce calls Paul Ryan - The. Biggest. Fake. Ever.

Please support either Cathy Meyers or Randy Bryce to end Paul Ryan's career as a gopher for the NRA.

Friday, February 16, 2018

The NRA's St. Valentines Day Massacre

By Jeff Simpson

We know(for now) that there was yet another school shooting, this time in Parkland Florida, where 17 people died and many more were injured.    This shooting happened on Valentine's Day!

I do not have the words for this, but so many others do, so I will let them do the talking!




 Morecarly Retweeted Tomi Lahren
I was hiding in a closet for 2 hours. It was about guns. You weren't there, you don't know how it felt. Guns give these disgusting people the ability to kill other human beings. This IS about guns and this is about all the people who had their life abruptly ended because of guns.
carly added,Tomi LahrenVerified account 
@TomiLahren
Can the Left let the families grieve for even 24 hours before they push their anti-gun and anti-gunowner agenda? My goodness. This isn't about a gun it's about another lunatic.





The WISGOP do NOT!

As Steve Kerr says, there is a way to address School Shootings:





Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Randy Ironstache Bryce: First Unionized Campaign

Lyin' Paul Ryan has earned that moniker by his inability to ever tell the truth. Ryan will lie about anything and everything from the real results of his tax cut scheme to calling Social Security and Medicare "entitlements" to his own personal feats.

The polar opposite is Randy "Ironstache" Bryce. Not only does Bryce talk the talk, but he also walks the walk. Living up to his campaign positions, he now has the first and only unionized campaign:
Today, the staff for congressional candidate Randy Bryce announced their unionization, becoming the first campaign to sign a contract under the new Campaign Workers Guild. Bryce is challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.

“As a longtime member of the Ironworkers Local 8, I understand the importance of basic guarantees such as living wages, healthcare, and protection from sexual harassment and discrimination,” said Bryce. “I’m running for Congress in order to ensure that all hardworking people can have these protections, so it only makes sense to start with our campaign team now.”

The contract, ratified in December, includes reimbursement for health insurance premiums up to $275/ month, a one percent pay increase, a formal grievance process and a third-party reporting system for sexual harassment.

“The members of the Randy Bryce for Congress Union are proud to work for a candidate who practices what he preaches,” said Bryce Digital Director and Union Steward Nate Rifkin. “Campaigns are fast-paced, start-up like environments. There is no H.R. department, so having formal systems set up around grievances and sexual harassment are sadly rare on campaigns – but we’re proud that Randy is leading the way.”
Not only his campaign staff now unionized, Randy urged them on because he knows and believes in the value of organized labor:
Wisconsin congressional candidate Randy Bryce is a union man. He’s a proud member of Ironworkers Local 8 in southeastern Wisconsin. He has organized with workers, marched picket lines, and rallied against Republican assaults on labor rights. Bryce maintains a heart-and-soul faith that working men and women have a right to representation.

Including, he says, the working men and women who staff congressional campaigns.

So when Nate Rifkin, the digital director for the Democratic challenger to House Speaker Paul Ryan, brought up the idea of organizing workers on the campaign, Bryce recalls that his immediate response was: “Let’s do this.”

[...]

“If I’m talking about the importance of unions on the campaign trail, it makes sense that the people who work on the campaign should have representation,” says Bryce, who encourages other candidates to get to know about the efforts of the Campaign Workers Guild to assure that campaign staffers are treated with respect. That goes for the campaigns of Democrats and Republicans, says Bryce.

Does that mean that Paul Ryan should welcome union representation of his reelection campaign staff? “Absolutely,” says the challenger. “I would encourage him to do so.”
I can't say that this surprises me at all. I served with Randy on the Executive Board of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and together, we organized one of the most original direct actions to support our brothers and sisters in the service industry. When Scott Walker and the Republicans were about to pass Act 10 in the middle of the night, Randy was there. When these same goons were about to pass Right to Work, Randy was there. When fast food workers protested for a living wage, Randy was there. When Michigan was working on their own anti-union laws, Randy was there.

It doesn't matter whether they were in the same union as Randy or even if they weren't union members at all, when workers were fighting for their rights, Randy would go where he was needed.

Randy also knows that a buck and a half a week isn't going to keep anyone's boat afloat, especially when they will lose hundreds of dollars at tax time. He knows that to raise all boats, it takes organized labor.

So naturally, he would be more than willing to not only allow, but help, his staff get organized. That's just who he is. He not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.

Although not surprised, I am doubly pleased and proud to be a friend, a fellow union member and a long time supporter of Randy's.

Please help Randy help all of us by fighting against the anti-worker agenda of Ryan, Trump and their Republican toadies and cronies. Please give whatever you can, even if it's just the $1.50 Ryan gave you in his tax cut.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Top Milwaukee Health Official Waffles About Anti-Vaxxers


The City Of Milwaukee has a lead problem with its drinking water. This was made worse when it was discovered that the Health Department failed to notify, much less provide help to, the families of thousands of children who tested positive for lead in their systems. This rightfully led to the top health department being separated from his job.

Milwaukee's Common Council appointed Patricia McManus, head of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin as the interim Health Commissioner in a hurried-up process. It looks like, in their rush, they went from the frying pan and into the fire, based on McManus waffling on a question about anti-vaxxers:
:The city's newly picked top health official told a radio audience that "the science is still out" on whether there's a link between some vaccines and autism.

Patricia McManus, who was chosen by the Common Council this week to lead the troubled Milwaukee Health Department, was asked during a radio show Wednesday about whether the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism in children.

“I don’t think the answer is yet there. I mean, there’s still people who believe it," McManus said on "The Forum" talk show on WNOV-AM (860). "And so I don’t know. I think the science is still out. I think that’s a decision that these families are going to have to make on their own at this point.”
This drew and immediate and scorching backlash from community health leaders:
"Unfortunately, she couldn't be more incorrect," said James H. Conway, a pediatrics professor at University of Wisconsin-School of Medicine and Public Health. "The science is clear and has been reviewed over and over not just by the CDC, but by NIH and numerous studies. The information is clear that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine does not cause autism."

Maureen S. Durkin, a professor of public health and chairman of the department of population health sciences at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said, "The scientific evidence is very clear at this point in showing no association between childhood vaccines and the risk of autism."

And officials at the National Institutes of Health referred to a statement on the institute's web page: "No link between autism and vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based compound, have been found."
Unbelievably, McManus tried to clarify matters with further waffling:
In a Friday interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, McManus insisted that she doesn't personally believe vaccines cause autism.

"I wasn't questioning the science," she said. "I think clearly most public health people, and most doctors in general, believe that even if you have issues with it, the best thing to do is to still get the immunization."

McManus added that she "is not going anywhere telling people not to get immunized." The city Health Department plays a leading role in promoting immunizations and investigates outbreaks of infectious diseases.

"I would like to have more research done on the whole issue in the first place, rather than just tying it to one thing, because I'm not sure that's it," she said. "It usually isn't. And I think that's what happens when you try to nail it directly to one thing, such as the vaccine."

McManus, a registered nurse with a doctorate in urban studies, said she has learned from decades as a health professional that "you give people information, but you don't just drill it in and just tell them that you're wrong and this is what you have to do."

"I just don't tell people what they have to do because they're going to make those decisions anyway," she said.
I just wonder if this woman and Dr. Sleepyhead Carson went to the same medical college.

Free Market Strikes In Green Bay

By Jeff Simpson 



 Karma bides it’s time. You will always have to watch out. Karma is unforgiving and always gets payback.– Benjamin Bayani
Jerry Bader, the right wing hate talker from Green Bay, who has a career of racism, sexism and flat out lies, was let go from his daily spewing hatred radio show.    

While Bader says it is because he is a never trumper, the reality is he is a small fish in a big pond and always thought of himself as a Muskie. 

His perpetual attempts to be a poor mans Charlie Sykes, turned out to be more worthy of pity than audience share. 

In an era where businesses are cutting costs and employees, one where Republicans like to tout the free market when hundreds get laid off, was bitten by the same bug that has brought him so much joy these last few years. 

His radio show was boring stale and unimaginative.  While his old employer still has hate talkers, Rush, Levin and Hannity are still being played on the airwaves, the station does not have to provide them with insurance, benefits or expenses. 

The free market in action. 

When Charlie Sykes defends you, there is nothing else that needs to be said!
Charlie Sykes‏ 
@SykesCharlie
Bader was a courageous, principled voice, who refused to join other talkers on Trump train despite threats from management. #Respect
Bader has another job. he works for Mediatrackkkers(which is part of the wing nut welfare system of WI).   In the history of their ridiculous blog, no one who has written for them has ever had even an inkling of principle.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

Justice today, was served! 
 The Law of Karma is also called the Law of Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction and: as you sow, so shall you reap.– Sham Hinduja



Thursday, February 8, 2018

Milwaukee "Democrats" Are Sabotaging the Blue Wave

By Jeff Simpson 


 As we are on the verge of a blue wave, as we have seen all over the country, and shortly that will start ramping up towards the November election.   

In Wisconsin, before we can even start to concentrate on getting some of the hard care right wing extremists out of office, there is a major obstacle to overcome first.  

Milwaukee Democrats.  

First there is the Supreme Court race, where there are three candidates(Burns, Screnock and Dallet).  Tim Burns proudly wears his progressive values on his sleeve and that does not sit well with the right wing.  It also does not sit well with Dallet, who has decided to spend her time attacking Burns.   

While campaigning throughout the state and at many Democratic events, Dallet, (with a team run by "Democratic" consultant and former Hillary top staffer and also working with Nation Consulting) takes every chance she can to run down the Progressive name and values.   

"He'll do whatever he thinks democracy dictates," she said, "But we as courts are limited." 
Dallet contended that despite Burns' claim of candor, he hasn't fully identified his clients, or how many cases he's handled in Wisconsin courts. She's dubious he would follow the law when it would direct an outcome he doesn't like.

Yes, she is trying to get elected and needs to discredit her opponent, the thing is the opponent she gives a pass to, is a twice arrested hard core right wing Walker apologist.    

Staying in Milwaukee, we see that Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, has started his own attack on Democrats.   

Abele wrote a check to start a PAC which is poorly called Leadership MKE.   Abele launched his new PAC to attack local leaders and stack the deck with Abele supporters in the spring election.   
 Leadership MKE will focus on numerous elections this Spring, including several Milwaukee County Board campaigns, local mayor races, and potentially some suburban school board and trustee elections.       
The organization’s platform is focused on continuing Milwaukee County’s growth through sustainable investments in social services, including investing in public safety services to make our communities safer, County Parks to ensure a high quality of life for all residents, public transit to connect workers to jobs, and local infrastructure projects to grow and attract new businesses across Milwaukee.  

The reality is that Abele, who has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into this PAC, is using it to target anyone that dares criticize his budget.   

It is incredibly interesting that Chris Abele has to charge people to park in public parks, but has an extra half million to attack the county board, laying around. 

Edit note: At some point the public needs to say no more of politicians spending millions of dollars attacking each other while children starve on the streets. 

As above, who is running this dark money attack on good people? 

Why long time Democratic insiders of course.   

George Aldrich, former chief of staff for Peter Barca, and Chris Abele and head of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee(which oversaw the Democratic drubbing in 2016) is executive director.  Andy Suchorski, former Nation employee, who also had a hand in the ADCC drubbing is Abele's and Leadership MKE's political director. 

With so many Democratic insider mercenaries working so hard to taint the Progressive and Liberal name in WI, all for a paycheck, that could be the biggest roadblock to the blue wave that Wisconsin so desperately needs. 

With friends like these, who needs enemies! 

If November does not go well, remember these people!





 




Saturday, February 3, 2018

Lyin' Ryan Tweets Truth On Tax Plan, Deletes It In Shame



On Saturday, Lyin' Paul Ryan accidentally tweeted the truth about his tax scam:



Ooooh! A whole $1.50 per week! That's a whole $78.00 a year! Talk about your windfalls!

I'm sure that this secretary will be equally glad to know that while she's getting her $78.00, the Koch Brothers will get only $1.4 billion per year. That earned Ryan a good boy treat of $500,000 in his campaign coffers from Charles Koch and his wife.

The secretary will be smart to get that membership card at Costco, because she can spend the remaining $18 on the tissues she'll be needing next April when she finds out she actually owes money because she can't claim her property tax or rent, her student loan payments or any of the other deductions she used to claim.

Ryan deleted his tweet when Randy "Ironstache" Bryce busted him on it and turned it into a campaign talking point:

And even though Ryan deleted, the world still saw it and gave him hell for it:





I bet about now that Lyin' Ryan is thinking even harder about retiring, especially before he gets embarrassed again by Ironstache beating him in November.

Cross posted from Crooks and Liars

Randy "Ironstache" Bryce Slams Lyin' Ryan Over Nunes Memo

More and more people are realizing that Lyin' Paul Ryan has been putting TrumPutin over both the nation and over his own party.

So when the Nunes nonsense memo came out on Friday, the gentle reader could probably guess what Ryan did about it. Yup, he put on his cheerleader costume, picked up his orange and red pom poms and sang the TrumPutin fight song:
:"The matter of concern outlined in this memo is a specific, legitimate one. Our FISA system is critical to keeping America safe from real and evolving threats. It is a unique system with broad discretion and a real impact on Americans’ civil liberties. Unlike most judicial proceedings, the FISA system depends not on an adversarial process, but instead on the government providing a complete presentation of the facts and circumstances underlying its warrant applications. It is clear from this memo that didn’t happen in this case, and as a consequence an American’s civil liberties may have been violated. I also have serious concerns with the practice of using political documents funded by a candidate’s political opponents to make law enforcement and counter-intelligence decisions. Amid all the political rancor, we must be able to work together to ensure the FISA system works as intended and Americans' rights are properly safeguarded. I am glad that this memo helps to provide greater transparency, and I reiterate my support for the similar release of the minority’s memo once it is properly scrubbed of all intelligence sources and methods. It is critical that we focus on specific actions and specific actors and not use this memo to impugn the integrity of the justice system and FBI, which continue to serve the American people with honor."

Randy "Ironstache" Bryce, the Democrat who will repeal and replace Ryan in November, was ready for it and responded, calling Ryan out :
“This is simple: President Trump said he wanted this memo released because it will weaken the investigation into Russia’s attack on our democracy. Speaker Ryan could have stopped the President, but he didn’t, he helped him.

This is why our Congress needs more veterans and fewer millionaires. The nation I enlisted for worked to spread democracy and fiercely protected its own. We understood the tremendous sacrifice so many had made to protect our free and fair elections, and we didn’t do anything to risk them. We certainly didn’t risk them to satisfy the President’s ego or to win a political game.

While damage has been done, we can still work to protect our elections from corruption in the future. I urge Speaker Ryan to immediately call for a vote on legislation introduced several months ago that would protect Special Counsel Mueller’s position and enable him to complete his investigation.”
Ryan needs to go. We need people like Randy who not only will stand up and fight for our rights but also for the country.

Friday, February 2, 2018

Priorities

By Jeff Simpson


Just to put some numbers in perspective - In Arkansas:

Asa Hutchison, the Governor of Arkansas, makes $86,890/yr.

Asa Hutchison has over $2 million dollars in the bank for re-election. 

A State Legislator in Arkansas makes $39,400/yr w per diem  of $153/day.  


The following data are the most current income statistics for Arkansas from the US Census Bureau, are in 2016 inflation adjusted dollars and are from the American Community Survey 2016 5-year estimates.
Median Household Income: $42,336.Average Household Income: $58,850.Per Capita Income: $23,401.2.6% of Households in Arkansas are High Income Households that make over $200,000 a year.
 The median home cost in Arkansas is $114,100. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 6.12%. Arkansas public schools spend $10,688 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383.

Arkansas has a 17.2% poverty rate.

Approximately 2500 people in Arkansas are homeless


As President and CEO at WAL-MART STORES INC, C. Douglas McMillon made $21,841,988 in total compensation. Of this total $1,278,989 was received as a salary, $4,851,561 was received as a bonus, $0 was received in stock options, $15,224,706 was awarded as stock and $486,732 came from other types of compensation.
 University of Arkansas System trustees have voted to give a 2 percent raise to system President Donald Bobbitt, which will increase his salary to $510,000 a year.


 Elementary School Teachers Except Special Education $44,490
Middle School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education $46,730
Secondary School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education $47,970
Finally:


 The buyout life is the best life, and former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema will be living right after being fired by the Razorbacks shortly after their season-ending loss to Missouri in November 2017.
According to a release from the Razorback Foundation, Bielema is eligible to receive up to $11.935 million in monthly installments through December 31, 2020.  Backdating that to December 2017, that would be $322,567.57 per month. That figure is subject to the right of offset, meaning any coaching salary he receives during that time frame would be deducted what's owed to him by Arkansas.Bielema went 29-34 overall in five seasons at Arkansas, 11-29 in the SEC. In 2017, his Hogs went 4-8 overall and 1-7 in conference play