Van Wanggaard Knows The Room

By Jeff Simpson

Van Wanggaard is an ex-cop and he knows how to read people.  When you have that kind of training and you spend everyday with the Republican thugs in the Wisconsin legislature, what do you do?

Carry a gun of course!

MADISON — A Wisconsin state senator says he brought a concealed gun to a committee hearing.
Van Wanggaard, a Racine Republican and a former police officer, is chairman of the Senate judiciary committee

Working with Senator Vukmir and Lasee on a daily basis will make anyone want to protect themselves.

Walker's Wisconsin! Parts II and III

State Representative Frank Lasee (R-Demented) has seen a problem that doesn't exist and he is bound and determined to fix it. He wants to make it easier for people to sue the owners of windmills, even if they are obeying the law:

Rob Kovach, a spokesman for Lasee, said no one is pursuing legal action, but the senator has worked closely with three families who have left their homes in Glenmore as a result of poor health they say were caused by low-frequency noise generated by the turbines.

“They could (sue) before, but this is more specific ... saying the thing was sited legally is not a defense,” Kovach said.

The only problem is that there is nothing showing that the windmills are creating
the problems they're being accused of creating:

“For example, even though the wind opponents in the Highland case tried their best, as all three PSC Commissioners noted, there was no evidence that the wind turbines at Shirley caused the health problems of those residents.”

In tests conducted at Shirley Wind Farm in December, scientists did not find a correlation that the low-frequency noise was responsible for the residents’ health effects, but recommended further testing at the site. Tests from the Shirley site were used to determine the feasibility of the Highland farm.

To prove his point, Lasee has issued a press release saying that it's up to the wind power companies to prove something that doesn't exist doesn't indeed exist:

State Senator Frank Lasee is standing up for families that have been hurt by 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines, demanding proof that these towers are safe before more are built. Democrats and environmental activists are pushing for more wind power in Wisconsin despite a lack of impartial scientific evidence showing that industrial wind turbines are safe. 

"I have spoken with children who have suffered a range of symptoms and families that have beenforced to move after 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines were built near their homes. The harm caused by these 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines is real. The science purporting to showing they are safe doesn’t exist," said Lasee. 

"Until we have solid scientific evidence showing that 500 foot tall industrial wind turbines are safe, we should stop subjecting Wisconsin families to the physical and financial harm they cause," stated Senator Lasee.

Even as this bit of hsckery is going on, we also have State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-Around the Bend) and State Representative Andrey Jacque (R-Groundhog's Day) want to make it harder for people suffering from mesothelioma, a fatal lung disease caused by asbestos, to sue for the damages they have suffered:

Proponents say Assembly Bill 19 would reduce "double dipping" and fraud by people claiming damages from asbestos-related and other personal injuries.

Opponents charge that the bill and its companion, Senate Bill 13, would throw up so many barriers to compensation that people suffering from mesothelioma — a fatal lung disease caused by asbestos — or other illnesses or injuries could die before they collect their money.

Obviously, this is a big problem in Wisconsin, right? Not really:

The bills' sponsors acknowledge they're not aware of any abusive practices in Wisconsin involving so-called "personal injury trusts," which are accounts companies set up to pay claims to injured parties after the companies go bankrupt. The most common are those set up by now-defunct asbestos manufacturers.

Hmm. So, unlike the imaginary damage caused by windmills, the diseases caused by asbestos is very real. And there is no known examples of someone abusing their right to seek redress for the damage caused to them.

So why are they pushing this unnecessary bill?

Oh, of course!

But similar bills have been passed in Ohio and are under consideration in Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas and elsewhere, according to Brendan Fischer of the Madison-based Center for Media and Democracy. Fischer's group tracks legislation initiated by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a corporate-funded hothouse for conservative, business-friendly legislation.

Sponsors Rep. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, and Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, both said they are or have been ALEC members, but they denied the controversial group had anything to do with the bill. Grothman said the legislation was written by the Wisconsin Civil Justice Council. Cook said his group did not consult with ALEC on the bill.

Jacque said his goal is not to delay justice for anyone deserving compensation but shield Wisconsin companies from "unscrupulous" attorneys and claimants.

"There's a reason why they (opponents) are trying to use emotion and muddle the facts on the legislation, because they don't want to have a debate on the merits," he said.

Is it any wonder that people are fleeing the state in droves?

We have the corporate controlled Republicans passing laws attacking problems that don't exist and preventing people from addressing serious, life-threatening problems that do exist.

This type of madness is when corporate special interests - especially out of state special interests - just come in and buy your legislature and governor.

Frank Lasee's Late Entry For Idiot of the Year

Although it's going to be damn near impossible for anyone to top Glenn Grothman for the Idiot of the Year, Senator Frank Lasee has put up a respectable entry to be the king of fools.

Last year, Lasee's entry for this dubious title was claiming that windmills are a health hazard.

This year, he's taken his game up a few notches with this piece of utter stupidity:

Recently, there have been reports that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation misplaced a $56 million dollar loan portfolio because of a problem with their software and borrowers have fallen $12 million dollars behind on loan payments to the state.

Thankfully the software problems are being fixed and the WEDC is under new management.

Unfortunately, some of the $12 million in late loans, like the $2 million left on a loan made to Flambeau River Biofuels by the old Department of Commerce, probably won’t ever be recovered by taxpayers. We need to be more careful about how we spend taxpayer money.

Next session there will be talk about a venture capital bill in Wisconsin, and even here there are people that want to give a small appointed committee the ability to dole out (I mean “invest”) hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars to get in the business of picking winners and losers with our money. This is a bad idea.

There are private venture capital firms in Wisconsin. One solution could be to partner with them on projects they are willing to risk their money on, under the same terms and conditions they have.

This is a lot different than what some in the legislature want to do, which is give that committee of appointed officials the ability to risk taxpayer money like the Federal Government has.

Either way, making a venture capital board with the ability to dole our money as they see fit is not a good idea. People have biases and they are going to push their own agendas, just like the President did by investing in Solyndra and the Chevy Volt. A select committee shouldn’t ever have the power to write checks for private businesses on the taxpayer’s dime.

You might be wondering, “Seeing how the government has wasted money playing venture capitalist, why would you vote for it at all?” The reason I would be willing to vote for a 60-40-percent split is because venture capital firms have a vested interest in making sure that they invest their money wisely and making a profit. If there truly is a lack of venture capital available in Wisconsin, then we the state, can and should make a profit, not lose money on poor risks.

Venture capital firms have to do their homework before they invest, otherwise they go broke, and that isn’t the case for members of an appointed government committee that can vote money to their friends and not pay any real consequences.

First of all, Walker's Economy Destroying Cronies (WEDC) did not "misplace" the tens of millions of dollars. One misplaces their car keys, but not that large sum of money.

What they did is give that money away to their friends and to Walker's campaign contributors and walked away without intending to keep track of it. And it should be noted that Walker himself is the Chair of this board, and the reins of the agency was given to Walker's hand-picked political appointee. I don't recall Walker stepping down from the governor's seat nor do I recall him being arrest in the Walkergate investigation - yet. So there is no new management.

And if Lasee was really concerned about being responsible for taxpayer dollars, making sure they weren't doling out the money to their friends, he would be calling for WEDC to be dissolved and abolished, since these private/public ventures never worked and never will.

And now this moron is suggesting we give even more taxpayer money to vulture venture capitalists. He's correct in saying that they do their homework and only go where there is a profit. But the way that Lasee and company can't even wipe their arses without screwing it up, I think we all know where the profit will be coming from and who will be collecting it.

The real kicker comes in at the end:

Conservatives need to show that we are serious about letting the free market work, and that it will create private sector jobs. The answer lies in getting government out of the way, not by throwing more of our taxpayer’s money at it.

If Lasee wants the free market to work and to get the government out of the way, let them do it without any taxpayer money. We'll see how long that lasts.

Arm Yourself With Education!

New Rule - Anyone who says that we need to bring guns into our schools, must immediately shut up and wear an I am a dunce hat!

The stupid is EVERYWHERE:

From Texas republican Governor Rick Perry:











To Paul Ryan(R- Hates Santa Claus) mentor and former "education secretary Gamblin Bill Bennett:

To Texas republican Louis Gohmert, to Wisconsin republican Frank Lasee, to Nebraska republican state Sen. Mark Christensen, to the Michigan legislature actually allowing guns in the classroom and the list goes on...

While it is not surprising that these anti - intellectuals are this ignorant, what does surprise me is that they have ever reached positions of power. I guess they do not remember that Columbine had an armed security guard. How did that work out for them?


I have a better idea, why don't we arm our teachers with up to date text books, and technology, and buildings that are not falling down and proper training and respect and smaller class sizes and more support staff, etc... You get the idea!

Lasee Tilts At Windmills

Senator Frank Lasee (R-On the ledge), wannabe US Senator and wannabe Don Quixote, has taken up the art of tilting at windmills, claiming that they are a health hazard.

This is the same guy who has supported nuclear power plants and sending our money and jobs to Canada for electricity that would have to be brought in on high-voltage transmission lines, both of which have been shown to actually have health hazards to people and animals.

But maybe he's on to something.  Isn't it wind power that ruined the Danish economy and made the Danish people go extinct? Oops, guess not.

I know what you're thinking, but it's the wrong question.  Instead of asking yourself what makes this guy think he has even a remote chance at being in the US Senate, you should be asking is how the heck does he keep getting elected to the state senate.