What Do You Think The Odds Are?

Because of the flooding in the farthermost northern parts of the state last summer, FEMA has approved of some $13 million in disaster relief.

It's good to see that at least one level of government is still there to help people.

But there is a catch mentioned at the very end of the article:

The local governments and the state of Wisconsin have to match 12.5% each to cover FEMA’s reimbursement requirements.

With Scott Walker and the Republicans slashing shared revenues in most parts of the states, these small communities are going to be hard pressed to afford their share of the reimbursement.

And Scott Walker might just try to refuse to pay anything, if he stays true to his nature and past patterns, such as the way he stole the foreclosure relief money.

Who knows, we could end up with a whole other scandal on our hands.

I Go With A Heavy Heart

I am soon to leave to go up north for the week, for the fun of Leafapalooza.

Instead of the usual light-hearted send off, I leave with a heavy heart knowing that there was yet another mass shooting in Wisconsin, this time at a spa outside of Brookfield Mall.

Meg and Jeff will hold down the fort while I am gone.

Take care of yourselves and each other while I'm gone, would ya?

Can You Afford To Hear Me Now?

If you own a landline phone, get ready to pay more, a lot more for it. And that's if your phone doesn't get cut off completely.

In 2011, the Republican led legislature passed Act 22, which was co-authored by State Senator Luther Olsen.

Generally speaking, per the State Bar of Wisconsin, what Act 22 does is: deregulates AT&T Wisconsin and Frontier North; changes the consumer complaint process;deregulates intrastate access charges; eliminates alternative regulation plans; and eliminates various Public Service Commission oversight duties.

What it does in reality is allows the phone companies to charge whatever the hell they want to for your landline.

Furthermore, if it is deemed too costly or too inconvenient to maintain your phone service, they can cut you off. It doesn't matter if you're in an area that doesn't have cell phone receptions or if you need the phone for emergency purposes. This is a real concern in many rural parts of Wisconsin where there already is only one phone company servicing the area. You can't just switch companies because there isn't another one to switch to.

And if you don't like their actions, well you're just SOL, because there will be no agency to help you.

As you can imagine, this came straight from the bowels of Hell, otherwise known as ALEC:

Telecommunications Modernization Act: On May 23, 2011, Governor Walker signed into law one of the first bills he requested, a radical deregulation of the telecommunications industry in Wisconsin. Under the bill, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) could no longer set telecommunication rates to keep prices low for consumers, perform audits of providers, or investigate consumer complaints. It is prohibited from regulating data services such as high speed Internet.

The law strips away 50 years of consumer protection for landline telephone subscribers. It guts the PSC's authority to regulate rates of basic phone service in areas with little or no competition. The Citizens Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group, opposed the action. "We're very worried that customers who have no choice in landline service will see either very high rates for that service or see that service disappear," Charlie Higley, the board's executive director, said in a May 24 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article on the manner.

The bill tracks ALEC's "Regulatory Modernization Act" which prohibits any commission from regulating rates and charges, terms and conditions of services, mergers or acquisitions and more. According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, in 2009 and 2010, the telecommunications industry gave Walker $87,822. Between 2007-2011, Scott Fitzgerald $12,770 from the Telecom Services & Equipment Industry. Jeff Fitzgerald received $10,419 for the same period.

Walker recently named former state Rep. Phil Montgomery chair of the Public Service Commission. Montgomery was ALEC's "Legislator of the Year" in 2005 and formerly headed ALEC's Telecommunication and Information Technology Task Force's Subcommittee on Competition. AT&T serves on ALEC's corporate "Private Enterprise" governing board and lobbied hard for the bill in Wisconsin, along with other telecommunications firm, such as Verizon, another ALEC member.

This law, which goes into effect in May 2013, is going to be very expensive for a lot of people, especially those in the rural areas.

Where our trailer is, there is no cell phone service. To get a reliable signal, you have to drive at least five miles. And there is only one provider up there. AT&T won't go there because it's "too expensive" and there's not enough profit to make it worth their while.

If the phone company we do have raises their rates too high, or cuts us off completely, that will make our investment into a freeze alarm a waste of money. We will also probably have to consider shutting down the trailer in the winter now.

But we are actually the lucky ones. There is one elderly woman at the other end of the road who will probably have to move to make sure she can reach someone in an emergency.

This is just one of the myriad of reasons why Olsen needs to be kicked out of office.

Fortunately, the voters have a very solid alternative in Margarete Worthington. You can learn more about her on her Facebook page and help support her campaign through her Act Blue page.

I Must Go Now! My Castle Needs Me!

I will be going up north to my little cabin in the woods for some much needed time away.  I will be back some time next week.  Try to hold things together while I'm gone, OK?

In the meantime, I'm sure (well, hoping anyway) that Jeff, Keith and Bert will keep you informed and entertained.

And when I do return, we will have much to discuss.

Peace and be good to yourselves.

The People Will Take Care Of Themselves

Even in the midst of the furthering of the corporate takeover of Fitzwalkerstan, there are still signs that the people haven't surrendered to the dark overlords and are willing to stand up and take care of themselves.

Case in point would be Weston, where they started correcting a wrong:

Village leaders now have to determine how they will answer voters' demands that Weston provide public transit service for its residents.

Voters overwhelmingly approved a measure Tuesday that will require the village to provide public transportation at least five days per week beginning Jan. 1.

Led by a coalition of local advocates for the needy, nearly 64 percent of Weston voters cast ballots in favor of public transportation while 36 percent said no.

The Weston Village Board voted in September to end funding for Metro Ride service in Weston, citing budget concerns. Public transit supporters filed a lawsuit against the village in February, and Marathon County Circuit Judge Michael Moran ordered the binding referendum in a written decision April 20.

Members of the Everyone Has a Place in Weston Committee spent the days leading up to Tuesday's election going door-to-door throughout the village. Amy Marthaler of Weston, chairwoman of the campaign, said though she doesn't use public transportation herself, she was thrilled with the amount of community support the referendum received.

"What a great result," Marthaler said Tuesday night after votes were counted. "I hope now that the village will hear and acknowledge the needs of the community and find a way to provide affordable transportation to those who need it most."

So while the right are trying to spin Walker's reelection as a mandate, the fact is the people are still rejecting his policies, but on a local level.

Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us in this.

Build It And They Still Won't Come

Even though the state is supposedly broke, Scott Walker just signed off on sending a planeload of cash to build some parking lots at Central Wisconsin Airport:

Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday approved a $1.75 million project that will add two new parking lots to the regional airport in Mosinee.

The project will add an additional 670 parking spaces to the two-runway airport. CWA currently has about 1,000 spaces.

That comes to be $2,611.94 per parking spot. For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if that contract goes to a Walker campaign donor. But, hey, CEO's of paving companies gotta eat too, right?

Business must be booming to require that kind of expenditure. Not really, as I pointed out at the beginning of the year:

It's been said time and time again. When you take money away from the people who would spend it, the economy starts to go stagnant and then the businesses start to suffer. It's no different in the world of travel:

A dramatic drop in traffic at Central Wisconsin Airport in 2011, combined with increasing fuel costs, has officials worried that 2012 could bring flight reductions that would crimp travel for people in the region.

More than 248,000 people flew into and out of CWA on commercial flights between January and November, a decrease of 14.5 percent from the same time period in 2010. Airport Administrator Tony Yaron blamed a sluggish economy and flight reductions by the airlines as reasons for the decline.

Until we get Walker, who's been tanking the state's economy and driving businesses to flee the state or just shut down, out of office, people will not be able to afford to travel as much, if at all. And no businesses are going to come to a state where the government is as corrupt as Walker's administration is and where the quality of life is resembling Mississippi's.

I'm sure that once Governor Barrett starts fixing the damage done by Walker, things, and business, will improve.

At Long Last!

The King has finally returned to the castle!

In other words, I'm about to go home for a couple, three days so that I can recharge my batteries for the big push ahead of us leading up to the recall of Scott "The Weasel" Walker and to keep up on the ever-expanding and rapidly growing event of Walkergate.

But do not fear, gentle reader, I do have three little posts triggered to launch over the weekend for your entertainment.

Enjoy your weekend.  You know I will!

Jobs For Wolves!

Or something like that:



Can't add much to that, can you?

Help Save Clintonville!

As you've probably heard by now, Clintonville, Wisconsin has been experiencing a series of loud booming and shaking during the last week.

Officials have stated that the cause is microquakes, small earthquakes registering with a 1.5 magnitude.

Don't believe them.

The sad truth is that Clintonville is only about 25 miles from my castle.  Sadly, due to the way that Scott Walker's malevolent state budget and attack on the working people, which has caused tens of thousands of people, like my wife, to lose their jobs, we simply haven't been able to make it up to the castle like we should.

In fact, we haven't been home for over three long months now.

And just as it breaks my heart not to go home, it is also hurting the land.  Any student of Arthurian Legend knows that "the land and the king are one".

So to help heal my broken heart and to stop Clintonville from being swallowed up by the land in its fits of agony, won't you please donate so that I can return to the land?  The link is on the right hand side of the site or you can click here.

I thank you and the land thanks you.

Wausau Workers Get Double Whammy

More than 500 workers of the Schield plant in Mosinee were already victimized by Scott Walker's job creation plan by losing theirs.

Now some of those victims have been revictimized as their identities have been stolen, apparently through their former employer:

The lives of nearly 130 current and former employees of window and door manufacturing companies across Wisconsin are in disarray after a massive identity theft that most learned of when they filed their federal tax returns.

Local and federal authorities have spent more than a year investigating identity theft involving employees of Schield Family Brands, which includes window and door manufacturers Weather Shield in Medford and Mosinee-based companies Peachtree and SNE Enterprises.

Officials involved in the investigation are tight-lipped and haven't said who or what caused the security breach at Schield, much to the frustration of victims. Local police departments are forwarding identity theft reports to the Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service for investigation and provide no updates on the case. Spokesmen for the two agencies said federal policy does not allow them to comment on an open investigation.

Calls to Schield were not returned.

"The company has not been very forthcoming with employees about a lot of things," said Lorraine Skerven, a former Weather Shield employee and identity theft victim. "They care more about their bottom line than anything."

The identity thefts come as a double blow to some employees who recently learned that the window company plans to close its Mosinee plant and slash more than 500 jobs.

It's hard enough for anyone not in the 1% to make a living in Fitzwalkerstan, but to have something like this happen is simply horrible. I hope these people are made whole again in the very near future.

Two Down, One To Go

Those that have followed me a long time know that there are certain things that really tick me off (besides Scott Walker).  Things like child abuse or animal abuse raises my anger like few other issues do.

One story that I've been following for three years, involved one of the harshest acts of animal abuse I've ever heard of and was made only worse because it happened in one of my favorite areas of the state, Central Wisconsin, where my castle is located.

The story involved three assholes that thought it'd be great fun to take snowmobiles and run down some deer, tormenting them and mangling the bodies.

The ring leader of these pukes, Rory Kuenzi, who was already serving a term for a drunk driving killing of a young man, was sentenced last year to 11 years in jail.

Now the second of the three has been sentenced:

A Waupaca man will serve a six-month jail sentence and probation time for his role in the 2009 snowmobile slaughter of several deer. 

Nicholas D. Hermes, 26, was sentenced Tuesday in Waupaca County Court for his role in the deer deaths along a trail in the Town of Lind. Hermes will spend 2½ years on probation and pay about $6,200 in fines and costs. 

In December, Hermes pleaded no contest to three felony counts of animal mistreatment and three misdemeanor charges of hunting deer out of season. Two felony mistreatment counts and two more counts of illegal hunting were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

The third fool, Robby Kuenzi is scheduled for trial April 3.  I expect him to get put away too.

Maybe they can share cell blocks with the Walkergate gang.

The Walker Budget Is Already Working! Part XLVI

This post really should have a title other than being a part of something, the news is that bad.

Central Wisconsin is being devastated. It had already been reported that Wausau Paper was closing up shop, putting more than 450 people out of work. The ripple effect of such a grievous blow could mean up to another 650 other jobs being lost due to the plant shutting down.

The region wasn't even done reeling from that news when they got clobbered again, this time putting another 550 people out of work:

Central Wisconsin's economy was slammed with bad news for the second time this week when Schield Family Brands announced Friday it will close its Mosinee factory.

Medford-based Schield, parent company to SNE Enterprises, Weather Shield and Peachtree Doors and Windows, said 556 workers will be affected by the closure. In a letter sent to company employees and the state Department of Workforce Development, officials from the door and window manufacturer wrote that permanent layoffs will begin Feb. 7 and continue through Aug. 31.

Company officials declined interview requests, and would not offer more details about layoffs, or whether workers will be offered jobs at its other factories.

That's 1,000 jobs gone within days. And if one extrapolates the ripple effect of not just one, but two major companies shutting down, on top of the money taken out of circulation by Scott Walker's Act 10, you easily come up with 2,500 jobs being lost.  And Christmas is less than two weeks away.  I can't help but feel horrified and saddened for all those good people who just had their holiday ruined by Walker's greed.

It's would be very, very difficult for the region to recover from that kind of blow in the best of times. Under the regime of Scott Walker, the chances become slim to none that things will get better.

We have to and we shall get him out of office. Before he bankrupts the whole state.

Grim Satisfaction

Nearly three years ago, Rory Kuenzi, his brother and a buddy of theirs thought it be grand sport to steal a snowmobile and ride down a small herd of deer.  The abuse and torture these assholes put those animals through is indescribable in its depravity.

Word just came out that after a lot of legal wrangling in an effort by Kuenzi to weasel his way out of the charges, he entered a plea of no contest to three counts of animal cruelty and two counts of possessing a dear carcass out of season.  Subsequently, he was given 11 years in jail, which is a lot more than I expected.

But even then, it's still a little anti-climatic since he will be serving this sentence concurrently with a sentence he received for killing a young man while driving drunk.

Reflections By The Fire

I got to spend the last part of my vacation up north by the castle.  Outside of a few minor annoyances, like the rain on Friday whenever I tried to do something, it was just what the doctor ordered.  Got the grass cut (more like got the hay harvested), a few other minor chores done and still had a chance to have a nice bonfire to burn some brush.

It also gave me a chance to ponder some things and observe others, which I present here in no particular order:

One of things that helped keep me out of the house and outside enjoying the beauty of the land was that the TV was rotten with political ads.  If you thought the Sandy Pasch/Alberta Darling contest was overdone, it was anemic compared to the ads between Jim Holperin and Kim Simac.

And indeed, the Koch Brothers are pouring money into that race like there's no tomorrow.  Their front groups were running no less than three different ads.  In two of the ads, they were playing the racist card, but it wasn't clear if this was because they thought that would sell up there or if it was more of a reflection of their own attitudes towards minorities.  Their ads also were rather disjointed, and seemed to be throwing everything they could hoping that something, anything, would stick. One of them jumped from veterans to the time the Democratic senators slowed down the Republicans stripping rights from the people of Wisconsin back to veterans and then to "illegal aliens."  They accused Holperin of just about everything but despoiling virgin goats and eating babies.

WISGOP ran their own "us vs. them" ad, trying to pit the protesters against the rest of the state.  I don't know if they understand that many of the protesters came from that region or if they even care.

Simac even had at least one ad that I saw.

The funny thing is none of them, not even Simac herself, could say one positive thing about her, but could only throw one barb after another at Holperin.

We Are Wisconsin also were running a few ads, but not with nearly the frequency that the Koch Brothers front groups were running theirs.  What I learned from these ads was that Simac doesn't like paying her taxes and that the books she writes get printed in China and not at one of the printing businesses here in Wisconsin.

Unlike Simac's side, there were a couple of positive ads as well, like this one from the Greater Wisconsin Committee:

But, in my humble opinion, the most effect ad was with Holperin in it. In said commercial, he simply pointed out that the big business/corporation folks were dumping a lot of money attacking him because he would not support giving them all the handouts they want.  He adds that they can attack him, but he will still work for the voters.  There was nothing flashy about the ad, but the truth behind it and the simplicity of it spoke very loudly.

The water levels in central Wisconsin, or at least in my little part of it, is still very high, especially for this time of the year.  It's a pleasant change from the drought that they were having up there for years. Although the higher water does make cutting the grass, especially near the marsh, rather challenging.

Barack Obama, even having the terrible month he's been having, must have gotten a laugh out of Iowa's straw poll.  I know I did.

If you're going to build a basement in the really sandy soil in my neck of the woods, which is not advisable, make sure you have a sump pump in place and make sure that said sump pump is on.  The neighbors learned that one the hard way.  The damage must be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

I saw the movie "V for Vendetta" for the first time (yeah, I'm way behind on my movie watching and my reading too).  It's kind of eerie how close it reflects American and Wisconsin politics right now.  But instead of those little knives, he should have had a good old sword.

Just like Milwaukeeans often feel like we're the unwanted stepchild by the rest of the state, those in central and northern Wisconsin feel abandoned and that everything they hear is Madison this and Milwaukee that (and that's just not from the Holperin commercial either).  It would appear that the politicians from both sides of the aisle are pitting different parts of the state against each other.  Their biggest fear is occurring now that the people from all areas of the state (even some from Waukesha and Washington Counties) are pulling together and challenging the status quo.

One of my greatest joys in life is to have all my chores done, sitting outside in the yard on a comfortable summer day, with the sound of the birds and the crackling of a small camp fire serenading you into a nap.

Not Just Another Weekend Up North

As most of my readers know, I have a trailer up in central Wisconsin where I like to go to unwind and recharge my batteries, so to speak.

The past two trips up have proven to be anything but relaxing, unfortunately.

Last month, I had to contend with a busted water pump, a septic tank inspection and a broken rib to name just a few of the "highlights" of that trip.

This past weekend, while neither as costly or as painful, also proved to be interesting.

As I was mowing the lawn (cutting the hay would be a more accurate term), I saw some neighbors who said that there was a rally that evening for Fred Clark.  They asked me to go along and I said sure.  They told me that Steve Kagen and "some woman" would also be there to speak.

When we arrived, the first person I saw was the "some woman," who turned out to be Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.  Since people were first arriving, I had a chance to chat with her for a few minutes.  I was quite impressed with her vision and her ability to explain it so there was no enigma or falseness, unlike Walker and his delusional belief that people will just get up one day and decide to drink the Kool-Aid of his economically suicidal budget.

Tammy did tell me that she has her organization ready to run a state wide campaign for US Senate to fill the retiring Herb Kohl's seat, but was also waiting to see what Russ Feingold might do.  I told her to stay in it regardless and that I thought she would do better than she might realize.

Fred Clark and Tammy Baldwin having a chat

 After doing some people watching and chatting with some of Clark's campaign staff, I wandered around the hall.  They had a phone banking volunteer schedule for all the way up to the August 9 recall election which was much fuller than I would have anticipated for a predominately Republican county.  It was nearly full!

When Fred Clark arrived, the entire hall broke out in ovation and they cheered him like a rock star coming on stage.

Steve Kagen getting the crowd fired up.

When the rally started, Steve Kagen started to get the crowd going by pointing out that Dems can win
in Waupaca County, as he had done.

Tammy Baldwin spoke next and told us how people in Washington were expressing sympathy for what the citizens in Wisconsin were going through and pointing out that the nation's eyes were upon us.  If we fail, they fear that the rest of the country could become a collection of corporate run states.

Fred then spoke and told the crowd how much he appreciated their support and assured us that as a farmer, a forester and a businessman, he does know how things work and what is important to the people in the area.  He added that those things held dear to the people did not include taking away rights or selling out to special interests.

On a side note, while I know the adage of how yard signs don't vote, there was a definite disparity in the number of Clark signs over those of his opponent, Luther Olson.   Where I saw scores of Clark signs, homemade and printed, small and large, I only saw four Olson signs. Three small ones in two yards and mid-sized one in an empty field, mostly obscured by the tall grass.

Between the signs, the crowd and the volunteer list, it is easy to see that there is an major enthusiasm gap going on up there. And it's quite understandably so.  Olson is unpopular with the Democrats and Independents for going along with what he even described as radical plan, taking people's rights, slashing funding to the schools and threatening the local economy by taking so much money out of circulation and into the hands of a few already super rich folks.  He is also in trouble with many of the Republicans because he was a staunch advocate for ethanol, seeing on how is family benefited a great deal from the higher cost of corn.

On the TV, Wisconsin Club for (Koch's bank account's) Growth is running a localized version of the ad they are running against Sandy Pasch and presumably all the other Democrats. Meanwhile, WeAreWisconsinPAC is running this hard hitting ad:



There are debates scheduled for the next three evenings in a row. If Saturday was any indication, I'd expect Clark to win those handily, like he should on August 9.

Have A Good Weekend And Behave Yourselves

I will be AFK and offline at the castle for the rest of the weekend. Behave and be safe out there while I'm gone. Last time I was gone for this length of time, y'all allowed Walker and his masters to buy the election for governor.

I don't want to come back to another headache like that one.

In Solidarity.

Voters Flunk Olson

Funny how the right wing keeps trying to tell us that #wiunion is dead, or at least fading out.

Tonight we've seen the rebirth of #walkerville.

Courtesy of We Are Wisconsin PAC

We also saw a very respectable number of people show up in the tiny town of Ripon to give soon to be former State Senator Luther Olson his grades on respecting the voters and listen to them. From a press release from We Are Wisconsin PAC:

Wisconsin Residents Take a Stand Against Sen. Olsen’s
Radical Education Budget Cuts

Constituents gather on Saturday in Olsen’s hometown to demands answers over his support for a budget that cuts $61 million from District 14 schools

RIPON – Just before noon today nearly 100 citizens gathered in Ripon, Sen. Olsen’s hometown, to express their disgust in his lockstep support of Governor Walker’s extreme cuts to education. Statewide education supporters fear cuts could result in a $1.7 billion loss of revenue for public schools and nearly $61 million in funding cuts for Senate District 14.

“Senator Olsen just doesn’t get it. In these tough times the last thing we need to do is shortchange our children so Walker and Olsen can give millions in tax breaks to their corporate donors,” said Mark Resch a local high school teacher. Ann Schmidt, a speaker at the rally called on Olsen to stand up to Walker, “Olsen claims to care about education but follows Governor Walker in lockstep while he cuts school programs our children need most. If he’s really an advocate for education, he’ll stand up to Walker’s shameful cuts.”

Senator Olsen chairs the Senate Education Committee and is also member of the Joint Finance Committee, the principal body deliberating Governor Walker’s budget. The Committee has proposed over $1 billion in education cuts while Olsen has personally sponsored $250 million in corporate tax breaks for out-of-state corporations.

Any rumor of the movements demise is rather premature and extremely exaggerated.

The above picture is also from their site and you can find more here.

Walker Misses The Woods For The Trees

Got to give it to Scott Walker.  He's blindly persistent if nothing else.

For example, tonight Walker joined reality TV star Sean Duffy for a fund raiser up at John's Steak Pit in Washburn, WI.  Now mind you, Washburn is just one of Wisconsin's many small towns, with a population of just over a couple thousand.  The Steak Pit sits only a couple of hundred of people, which probably isn't as much as could be held at the neighboring Super 8 Motel.

But true to his nature, Walker boldly tweets that the place is just packed!

Pretty amazing, all right.

Only problem is Walker forgets to mention a couple of things.

One, the crowd outside, protesting his unethical and unjust power grab and attack on the middle class, was at least as big, if not bigger:

Hundreds of angry Wisconsin residents rallied in Washburn this afternoon in advance of Gov. Scott Walker’s visit to a Republican Lincoln Day dinner. 

State Rep. Nick Milroy, D-Superior, roused the crowd as he shouted, “Scott Walker and his cronies will stop at nothing to further his radical agenda, and we’re not going to put up with it.” 

As Milroy finished speaking about 4:30 p.m., the crowd dispersed from behind Stage North to walk two blocks up to the Steak Pit, where Republicans were starting to gather for the invitation-only event. Signs on state Highway 13 leading into Washburn greeted the governor with sentiments such as “Recall Walker” and “Shame on You Gov. Walker.” 

Nearly everyone in the crowd was carrying signs including ones saying, “Take the Power Back Revolution” and “Out, Damned Scott, Out I Say.” 

A sign on the back of a vehicle on Highway 13 was addressed to U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, who is also expected to be at the Lincoln Day event. It said, “Hey Sean, You Had Support Among Us. Had!”

And then, if Walker was back in Madison, where he is supposed to be, he might have noticed a crows that I'm sure his Department of Administration would have called two dozen people, tops:



If he somehow manages to avoid a recall, the way he's going, I wouldn't be surprised to see him pull a Sarah Palin and bail out early.  I also wouldn't be surprised if his fellow Republicans start shunning him, like his protege Jeff Stone is starting to do.

Walker's DNR: Technological Advances Bad, Killing Good

One of the things that was on Scott Walker's agenda for turning Wisconsin into a third-world state was killing off the biomass power plant that was being built by UW-Madison. In Walker's world, being on the cutting edge of developing alternative energy sources is just too dang expensive.

However, what is not too expensive for the Walker administration is learning about the lives of deer:

Wisconsin wildlife officials plan to capture about 200 deer from a helicopter over the next few weeks.

The $94,000 project calls for sending a helicopter into the skies over Sawyer, Price, Rusk, Shawano, Waupaca and Outagamie counties looking for deer. A person on board will select a deer, fire a net at it, fit the captured deer into a sling and air-lift it to researchers, who will fit them with radio tags.

The idea is to monitor the deer until they die and learn more about deer mortality. It's all part of a $2 million effort to get a better handle on Wisconsin's deer population after hunters complained about an anemic hunt in 2009.

You know, for $20, he could have gone to Amazon.com and gotten any number of books that deal with the patterns of white-tail deer. Instead, he's spending two million dollars so that he can help make it easier for people to kill more deer.

I'm just waiting for the time when he proposes a bill to make knuckle-dragging the official state pastime.

Unless there is, of course, an ulterior motive. The areas being targeted include where my trailer is. Perhaps it's time for me to look up that nonsense about black helicopters the conspiracy nuts do go on about...

Unwelcome Neighbor

I'm surprised this hasn't happened to me yet:

"I saw that big large area of claw marks and I called my wife and her sister out and we saw that area of paw prints, looking around I didn't see anything coming out from under the deck, paw prints in the snow, so we weren't sure if t was under there or not but then when my sister in law let out a shriek and said it's under there, we all went and looked between the boards and we saw it's face and its moving around under there," says Burt Schmidt.

A 200 pound black bear that is... and it looks like it's making a home underneath the deck for the winter.

He says, Surprised... I'd think I've ever heard of a bear under somebodys deck before, the proximity, it's two feet away from me right now."

He says he would like the bear to be relocated as soon as possible for not only the safety of this Wausau neighborhood, but his family too.

That's why he's placed calls to local law enforcement, the DNR, and Wildlife Services.

Schmidt says, "Not too concerned inside, knowing he is going to be more active at night, because it was that night before the snow, that he clawed his bedding underneath there."