We learned a few months ago that the State had a big problem due to the loss of thousands of DNA samples. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke was quick on the draw throwing criticism out without hesitation. Then it was revealed that his own department had all been lax in their duties.
Today, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Clarke's office has missed over 500 samples, and still haven't collect samples from almost 200 of them. To make matters worse, he takes a page out of Scott Walker's playbook and finds himself some scapegoats to blame for it.
However, he fails to take any ownership of the problems that his poor leadership has caused. It's just like the time he got caught in trying to help a drunk driver, and then blamed the responding deputy that did her job as well as Clarke's.
It is a shame that our county sheriff won't hold himself up to even a fraction of the standards he calls on from his deputies.
Zach Wisniewski has more on this.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Better Than Prozac
Highly recommended by all mental health professionals, even if you are not depressed.
Believe In Wiscansan?
Scott Walker has made "Believe in Wisconsin" the slogan for this, the latest phase of his perpetual run for governor.
Besides the fact that he's not from Wisconsin either, he has been consistently going out of the state for his technology, his staff and his money.
One of the staffers he's brought in from the great State of Tennessee is his communication director, Jill Bader. She is here to help him communicate and reach out to the good people of Wisconsin, right? Yeah, well:
While they're still trying to figure out this new strange land, I say let's all go tobogganing.
Besides the fact that he's not from Wisconsin either, he has been consistently going out of the state for his technology, his staff and his money.
One of the staffers he's brought in from the great State of Tennessee is his communication director, Jill Bader. She is here to help him communicate and reach out to the good people of Wisconsin, right? Yeah, well:
While they're still trying to figure out this new strange land, I say let's all go tobogganing.
Meanwhile, At Milwaukee County First
Two new posts:
UW is running out of money. How will they pay for the county grounds?
Burning down the bus.
UW is running out of money. How will they pay for the county grounds?
Burning down the bus.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
RIP Bernard Schreiner
Bernard Schreiner, founder of one of the most well-known restaurants in Wisconsin, Schreiner's, in Fond du Lac, has passed away. From BizTimes.com:
Bernard H. Schreiner, 85, founder of the popular Schreiner’s Restaurant in Fond du Lac, has passed away.I remember going to Schreiner's on trips to and from the castle, either with my folks, or more often, with my grandparents. The place holds some good memories of good times and good meals. I always enjoyed the homelike atmosphere we enjoyed from the staff there.
Schreiner died at the St. Francis Home on Dec. 16, 2009, according to the Fond du Lac Reporter.
He was born on Aug. 31, 1924, in Woodville, Wis., a son of the late Albert P. Schreiner and Regina Vogds Schreiner. On Aug. 9, 1947, he married Maureen Showell at St. Mary Catholic Church, Fond du Lac. He was a member of Holy Family Parish, Fond du Lac.
Schreiner owned and operated restaurants in Marinette and Fond du Lac for 50 years. He was a member and past president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, which named him Restaurateur of the Year in 1976.
“Bernie was larger than life and humble. Not many folks could be both,” said Paul Cunningham, the current owner of Schreiner’s Restaurant, which is a popular stop for southeastern Wisconsin residents on their way to Wisconsin’s northwoods.
Nothing Good From The County Board
All the posts are at Milwaukee County First, but in a nutshell, the County Board really put their collective foot into it today by:
- Voting against the butterflies
- Voting for bigotry
- Voting to take bennies from workers, but keeping them for themselves.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Walker Should Be Ashamed Of Himself
Last Friday, WISN-TV reported on the consequences of Scott Walker's poorly thought out and wrong-minded plan to privatize all of the County's housekeeping staff. It was embarrassing to see Milwaukee County Courthouse looking so dirty and disgusting with piles of trash and clogged toilets.
Earlier this week, they went back to the courthouse and found that things were just as bad, if not actually worse than they were last Friday.
Now, the disgrace that Walker has brought upon us has reached national attention. At least they haven't gotten to Walker's apparent ethical issues yet, and seem to be focusing their attention on his ineptitude.
For the past six months, I, along with a few hundred other people who want Milwaukee County to be the world leader that it once was, have been working hard to prevent the county's further decline and maybe even reverse some of the damage done by politicians who, like Walker, put their own personal and political interests before the best interests of the County. While we are trying to fix our transit system, our parks system and restore vital services to our more vulnerable citizens, it only becomes harder when Walker does something like this.
While we are trying to make people want to come to Milwaukee County, whether it is to tour and see the wonderful things here, to move here and/or to bring their companies here, Walker is actively doing his very best to make Milwaukee County as unattractive as he possibly can. For the world of me, I don't see how having it proven beyond any doubt that he is incapable of running the county effectively is going to help his campaign for governor. But that is his problem, not mine. My concern is that he stop doing damage to Milwaukee County and to its image as he runs for higher office.
Cory Liebmann thinks Walker is shameless. That might very well be true.
But Walker should be ashamed for shaming us in front of the nation and the world.
Earlier this week, they went back to the courthouse and found that things were just as bad, if not actually worse than they were last Friday.
Now, the disgrace that Walker has brought upon us has reached national attention. At least they haven't gotten to Walker's apparent ethical issues yet, and seem to be focusing their attention on his ineptitude.
For the past six months, I, along with a few hundred other people who want Milwaukee County to be the world leader that it once was, have been working hard to prevent the county's further decline and maybe even reverse some of the damage done by politicians who, like Walker, put their own personal and political interests before the best interests of the County. While we are trying to fix our transit system, our parks system and restore vital services to our more vulnerable citizens, it only becomes harder when Walker does something like this.
While we are trying to make people want to come to Milwaukee County, whether it is to tour and see the wonderful things here, to move here and/or to bring their companies here, Walker is actively doing his very best to make Milwaukee County as unattractive as he possibly can. For the world of me, I don't see how having it proven beyond any doubt that he is incapable of running the county effectively is going to help his campaign for governor. But that is his problem, not mine. My concern is that he stop doing damage to Milwaukee County and to its image as he runs for higher office.
Cory Liebmann thinks Walker is shameless. That might very well be true.
But Walker should be ashamed for shaming us in front of the nation and the world.
Tis The Season - For Some Anyway
Christmas is a little more than a week away, with Kwanzaa also right around the corner as well. Our Jewish friends are celebrating Chanukah right now.
Regardless of one's religious beliefs, this is the time most people think warm thoughts on these cold, wintry nights, and think happy thoughts about their fellow men and women. It is in this light that many people are bustling around the stores and the malls to give gifts for their loved ones and friends.
Unfortunately, there are some that will be thousands of miles away from their loved ones, for they heeded a higher calling and are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or some other faraway land.
Remembering these brave and selfless men and women, Mayor Tom Barrett recently announced a drive to collect gifts for those in the armed service:
Regardless of one's religious beliefs, this is the time most people think warm thoughts on these cold, wintry nights, and think happy thoughts about their fellow men and women. It is in this light that many people are bustling around the stores and the malls to give gifts for their loved ones and friends.
Unfortunately, there are some that will be thousands of miles away from their loved ones, for they heeded a higher calling and are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or some other faraway land.
Remembering these brave and selfless men and women, Mayor Tom Barrett recently announced a drive to collect gifts for those in the armed service:
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Monday announced a holiday care package drive for Wisconsin armed forces stationed in Iraq.
Barrett called for donations of food, candy and other items for members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, based in Tomah. Among items also suggested for donation were cookies, coffee, microwave meals, magazines, DVDs and batteries.
Donations should be brought to collection boxes outside the mayor's office at City Hall.
On the same day Barrett announced this holiday gift drive, there was also an announcement about Scott Walker. It was not nearly as much in the holiday spirit:
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is trimming back his giveback of four days' pay this year to two, to match the reduction in the number of unpaid furlough days county workers must take.
Walker wrote a check to the county for one day's pay -- $497 -- in late November and plans to write a second check in that amount this week, Walker said.
He did so to fulfill a pledge he'd share in any cuts other county employees were forced to take to help balance the county budget.
Well, he can't be blamed too much, I suppose. After all, he has a big, new house to pay for, and large swimming pools don't come cheap, you know. Just ask the people who have to fight each year to keep their public pools open.
Not only that, but while Walker and the County Board are calling for the unions to give up both their cost-of-living and their merit raises, County Ordinances say that elected officials get their raises no matter what.
Makes the decision on who to vote for next year all the easier: Barrett, who understands looking out for his fellow citizens (in more ways than one), or Walker, who looks out only for himself (in more ways than one).
A Question
Why are most Walker supporters anonymous?
I don't have a problem with anonymity, per se, but at least make up a nickname for yourselves, wouldja?
Otherwise, I'll just presume your embarrassed to be a Walker supporter.
I don't have a problem with anonymity, per se, but at least make up a nickname for yourselves, wouldja?
Otherwise, I'll just presume your embarrassed to be a Walker supporter.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
How Stimulating! Walker Throws Sykes, Self Under The Stimulus Bus
For the umpteenth million time, Scott Walker has reversed himself on the stimulus funding in a piece he (or more likely, one of his interns) wrote for BizTimes.com.
This time, Walker is bragging about using the stimulus funding that he has flip-flopped on so many times, in order to create jobs and to fix some of the great damage his years of negligence has caused to Milwaukee County's infrastructure.
Unfortunately, Walker forgot to thank the County Board who had the fortitude to override Walker's political grandstanding and myopia and pass a resolution that allowed the County to pursue all the stimulus dollars it was eligible for, whether Walker liked it or not. They also kindly pointed out that you just did not and still do not have the authority to put any conditions on whether the stimulus dollars could be pursued.
Thank goodness they were smart enough not to listen to you then.
Then again, weasel speak is nothing new for you.
But the sweetest part of Walker's editorial was not that he again highlights his hypocrisy by once again flip-flopping on the stimulus.
The best part is just the simple fact that in the BizTimes.com piece, he is bragging about how the stimulus dollars will be creating jobs. He must not have realized that this throws his two biggest supporters under the bus, both of whom have been adamant that the stimulus would create no new jobs.
Those two supporters with bus tracks on them are Charlie Sykes and Scott Walker himself.
This time, Walker is bragging about using the stimulus funding that he has flip-flopped on so many times, in order to create jobs and to fix some of the great damage his years of negligence has caused to Milwaukee County's infrastructure.
Unfortunately, Walker forgot to thank the County Board who had the fortitude to override Walker's political grandstanding and myopia and pass a resolution that allowed the County to pursue all the stimulus dollars it was eligible for, whether Walker liked it or not. They also kindly pointed out that you just did not and still do not have the authority to put any conditions on whether the stimulus dollars could be pursued.
Thank goodness they were smart enough not to listen to you then.
Then again, weasel speak is nothing new for you.
But the sweetest part of Walker's editorial was not that he again highlights his hypocrisy by once again flip-flopping on the stimulus.
The best part is just the simple fact that in the BizTimes.com piece, he is bragging about how the stimulus dollars will be creating jobs. He must not have realized that this throws his two biggest supporters under the bus, both of whom have been adamant that the stimulus would create no new jobs.
Those two supporters with bus tracks on them are Charlie Sykes and Scott Walker himself.
Discrimination At The Courthouse
This nonsense by Walker and certain members of the County Board needs to stop now, if Milwaukee County is to have a chance to once again prosper.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Man With Donated Liver Hits 0.39 BAC
What a waste:
There are people that have been waiting years for a new liver. If the recipients are only going to waste their second chances at life, they don't deserve them. Give it to someone who will be taking care of themselves and their precious gift of life.A liver transplant recipient was given a public intoxication warning Monday afternoon after he registered a 0.39 percent blood-alcohol level, according to La Crosse police reports.
The 34-year-old man was found on a curb at Springbrook Way and Cliffside Drive about 3 p.m., reports stated. He could not stand or walk unassisted when a family member took him home, police noted.
Walker Impersonates Courthouse Toilet
There is more spillover from Walker Toiletgate.
JSOnline has finally heard from Aprahamian, and it was revealed that the donation and the RFP came only a month apart. This only confirms the violation of the ethics code.
Cory Liebmann posted that this is not the first time Walker has crossed this line, but regularly dances beyond it with total disregard for ethics. Cory forgot to add Walker's problem with accurately reporting Lear jet rides and his dealings with Air Tran.
But the most damning to Walker is that Channel 12, who first broke the story last Friday, did a follow up today. The toilet is still unusable.
Walker tries to again blame the workers. Again, the fact is, like so many other programs, what we are seeing is the results of his continuous cutting of staff to the point where the work can't be done anymore.
Walker then tells Channel 12 some bad advice:
Walker had previously suggested critics check out the county's Health and Human Services Center, where a private company has cleaned for years.Two problems. I work in that building, and we are on are third or fourth company in so many years. We still can't get things like toilet paper or soap stocked on a consistent basis.
Secondly, the Coggs Building was already discussed by Supervisor Peggy West in yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article:
Supervisor Peggy West said it was unfair that the board was shut out of details about the custodial services outsourcing. She said poor quality cleaning of the county's Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center, 1220 W. Vliet St., by another private service demonstrated the folly of outsourcing the task.
She called the Coggs Center "disgusting. It's gross, it's not sanitary," she said.
It seems like Walker is very much like the courthouse toilet. They are both full of **it, and it does not appear that this status will change any time soon.
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