Walker Claims $8.9 Million Surplus

A few questions pop into mind:

• Where do I go to get my money back?
• Should Walker really be bragging when he has a lot more than $9 million in problems to answer for?
• Why are the Teapublicans celebrating this news when it only means that we were either overtaxed or under-served or both?
  

More Issues Arise At BHD

Story is at Milwaukee County First.

Sex And The Grandstanding DA

This is a little old already, but I have to get my two cents in on it.

In Juneau County, the District Attorney, Scott Southworth, threatened to prosecute any teacher that followed state law and taught sex education that was not purely abstinence-based.

In other words, Southworth threatened to charge the teachers with following the law.

He made some kind of cockamamie excuse saying it would promote underage sex. If Southworth really believes that the kids aren't already having sex, he is deluding himself.

Illy-T has some ideas on whether that would be even a doable thing.

Now it looks like the DA was just looking for some attention instead of trying to make a point.

Whether or not the DA meant what he said, or he was just attention seeking, there is something the teachers should do. Since they are mandated reporters for child abuse and/or neglect per state law, I believe that it is their responsibility to report the DA for attempting to withhold state mandated education from the kids.

Is Dan Quayle Smarter Than Scott Walker?

The evidence:

Submission 1:

Dan Quayle Warns GOP About Dangers of the TEA Party

Submission 2:

Scott Walker hangs out with the TEA Party people

The Ruling:

Yes, Dan Quayle is smarter than Scott Walker.

Scary thought, isn't it?

Holy Handcuffs! Batman Arrested!

I wonder if they used Batcuffs:

Ashland police officers on Monday arrested a man dressed as Batman for violating a condition of his probation.

Officers were called to the area of Third Avenue East and Main Street at approximately 4 p.m. after calls that Ryan Defoe, 27, was attempting to direct traffic, Ashland Police Chief John Paitl said Tuesday.

I also wonder just what he was on probation for, and what the conditions of said probation were.

C/T AsSeenInWI

No Concept of Irony

Neumann: The Career Candidate by ScottWalkerForGovernor.

How many years has Walker been running for governor again? Seven, eight?

To Hell And Back

Grab a box of Kleenex and read this inspirational story of a young woman with some serious heart and will power.

Go get'em girl!

Sample:

Daniel Alloy, then a sergeant and now Brillion's police chief, listened as the boy told him his sister was being kept in a dog cage.

"I went in with the idea that this couldn't be possible - no one could do this to their own child," he said in a recent interview.

The parents denied any of their children were being confined and let him in.

Alloy went to the unheated basement and found a door with no knob or handle. He pushed it open and peered into the darkness. There was no bulb in the light socket, so he shone his flashlight and finally saw a small dog cage in the back of the cellar. All he saw inside the cage was a urine- and feces-stained blanket. Figuring nothing was inside, he picked it up to shake it and felt its heaviness - the weight of a scared 7-year-old girl. Then he saw two eyes peering out at him.

"I lost my ability to breathe from that point until I could get her out of the house. I didn't want (the parents) to have access to her. I was at the point where I could've lost my career by doing something stupid to them," Alloy said.

"I finally got my breath, and it was a whirlwind from there. It was like, 'Get these kids what they needed.' "

The officers asked the Rogers children what they wanted, and they said food. Someone went to McDonald's and brought back big sacks filled with hamburgers, which the kids devoured.

"Seeing all that stuff and having that emotion, I was never able to get rid of that. (Chelsea) and the kids have been in my thoughts constantly from that point," the police chief said. "I've been able to forget a lot of the bad things I've been through in my career . . . but I couldn't put that out."

America Always Gets the Last Word

'Nuff said:


Source

TEA Party Not So Favorable

I could have told them this:



The best part is that the news came from Faux News originally.

Wow! Fair Negotiations...What a Concept!

Paging Scott Walker, paging Scott Walker.

Maybe he can learn from a neighboring city where he gets the bulk of his supporters, Waukesha:

On a vote of 14-1 Thursday, the Waukesha Common Council approved new contracts with a 2010 pay freeze for its 10 employee unions.

The three-year agreements provide for 1% pay raises at the start of 2011 and 2012 with mid-year raises of 1% in both years - or 1.5% average increases in the final two years. In agreeing to the raises, the city and unions - except for two that have not yet voted on the new pacts - also agreed to increase employee shares of health insurance premium contributions, deductibles and prescription drug copayments.

The contracts cover about 400 of the city's 550 full-time employees.

In return for the pay freeze this year, the city agreed not to lay off employees or reduce their work hours unless the city loses more than $500,000 in state aid beyond what is budgeted.

Among other provisions, city police officers and dispatchers would not be required to live in the city. Firefighters currently don't have to live in the city.

Of course, then again, no one from the City of Waukesha's government is running for governor, so they don't have to come off as a pompous ass to impress the voters. They just do their job to do that.

Milwaukee's Least Favorite Game

Where in the World is Carlos Santiago?

Democrats Leading Republicans in Media Wars

While Scott Walker and Mark Neumann are having their great Twit Wars or the Fight for Facebook Friends, the Democratic candidates are leaving them behind in a trail of technodust.

As previously noted by Zach, Tom Barrett's campaign has started up with their SayNow service. From an email from Barrett's campaign:

"Our campaign has always been about making sure the voices of Wisconsinites are included in the discussion about the future of our state, " said Barrett. "My SayNow phone number is an innovative and easy way to have conversations with Wisconsinites on how to create jobs and change the way Madison works."

By simply calling Tom Barrett's SayNow number at 414-395-1855, Wisconsinites can get a message from Tom on the latest campaign updates and leave messages for Tom. Wisconsinites can also opt-in to receive alerts when new messages are available, participate in live conference calls, and listen to SayNow messages via the campaign's official presence on Facebook and Twitter.

"With so many important issues at stake in this election, it is more important then ever to connect candidates directly with voters," said Ryan Alexander, Barrett for Wisconsin New Media Director. "SayNow uses the power of voice and the ease of the telephone to personally connect Tom and his positive message of job creation with voters."

I've already called and it works pretty spiffy. It's nice to have a candidate that listens to the people as opposed to someone like Walker who is traveling the state telling people what they should be thinking.

Of course, it's not surprising that Walker doesn't listen to the people. Look at how his office treated some senior citizens last summer when he tried to close the two indoor pools:

On another note, five senior citizens mentioned to me that when they called your office to discuss this matter they were treated very rudely by your staff. I find that unacceptable and was very disappointed to hear that, as I know that your staff normally deals with constituents in a professional matter. One woman said that your staff was very argumentative and even said, "the lady asked me if I had any alternative cost-saving solutions." Now I know you agree that it is our job to work together to provide the best services we can to county residents, as we debate our county budget for almost two months every year. It is not up to them, that is why they elected us and put their trust in us to make the best public policy decisions.

Also leading on the new media front is Senator Russ Feingold, as Jim Arndt points out:

Senator Feingold recently launched a mobile messaging program allowing users to sign up for text message updates. The vote for predictions of sausage race winners on opening day was brilliant, though I missed my chance to cast a ballot. Text RUSS to 91990 to sign up for the updates.

The Democrats leading in the use of technology should not be surprising. Why the Democrats have the habit of looking ahead and embracing the future, the Republicans have been clinging to the past.

Another Problem with Deforestation

Although to me it kind of looks like a Scott Walker managed dog park:

Intellectually Dishonest or Just Plain Dumb?

Scott Walker and his campaign team are having a bad time of it apparently, judging from some of their stunts.

The most recent flailing from the Walker campaign was when he tried to seize advantage of this blog posting on JSOnline, in which it is reported that Tom Barrett expressed support for a bill working its way through the state legislature that would allow people to be registered to vote when they get their driver's license.

For the record, I've already said that I thought this idea was a waste of time, energy and money. But I must have some gift of foresight, since I wrote this:

I can just see the Republicans standing in front of the DMV with the papers waving in their hands saying how this proves their is voter fraud and that ACORN* is taking over the world.

*Yes, I know that ACORN is defunct, but there are some on the right already claiming this is a conspiracy to lull people.

Sure as the sun comes up in the morning, Scott Walker comes along and proves me correct when he tweeted this:

This was faithfully retweeted by his campaign staff, including his Director of Communication who was retweeting my favorite troll.

Now, would someone please let Walker know that ACORN is no more? He's getting so desperate that I am almost embarrassed for him.

Feingold vs. The Three Stooges and the Boogie Man

If people were wondering why I haven't written much about the race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Russ Feingold, well, there are a couple, three of reasons.

One is that many other bloggers, like Zach Wisnewski at Blogging Blue, Jim Arndt at Pretty Important Politics, Bill Christofferson at Uppity Wisconsin and the whole crew at One Wisconsin Now have been doing an admirable job. I don't see any reason for me to just repeat them.

Secondly, I have my old pal Scott Walker to focus on, and given my position in life, I have the ability to give an unique point of view and some information that can get lost in the shuffle.

The third reason I haven't written about the race is because I don't see it being much of a race so far.

Feingold is pretty well set, in my humble opinion. Despite the squawkings of the usual suspects on talk radio and the right wing echo chamber, I don't think many people have much against Feingold. He has always done what he had thought was the best for the state and for the country. And even when people disagreed with him, some quite vehemently, he continued with his listening sessions all over the state, despite the vitriolic rhetoric people threw at him.

Besides Feingold's track record, he doesn't have much in the way of competition.

One potential opponent is Terrrence "I don't pay taxes" Wall whose tax-dodging skills are only matched by his propensity to put his foot in his mouth.

Another potential candidate for the right is Dave "Orange T-shirt" Westlake, who cannot raise any money or gain any traction, even with his campaign gimmicks. Although to be fair, Westlake is coming to Drinking Liberally this month, so he has that much going for him.

The most recent candidate to throw his hat into the Republican three ring circus is Dick Leinenkugel, recently of the Doyle administration. Not only have the right wingers started to attack him immediately for having worked with Doyle (so much for their mewling about bipartisanship) but he has come out of the blocks only to land flat on his face by listing his former state work phone number as his campaign contact number. This is obviously a problem for him since it's a no-no to use state property for campaigning. Even more telling is that he resigned from that position before starting his campaign, so even if he could use that number, he won't be there to get any calls.

But enough of the stooges. Not even the usual right wing suspects are paying them much attention, unless they are bored and need someone to taunt.

The one person that the right wing his hanging their senatorial hopes on is a guy who isn't running. Yes, folks, I refer to the one and only TOMMY!!, aka Tommy "Stick it to 'em" Thompson, aka the real Tommy the Taxer. The Tommy Thompson that showed up at the Green Bay Packer's celebration of their first Superbowl win in thirty year drunk as a skunk.

I hope that, for their sakes, they aren't holding too much hope out for Tommy. I don't think he will be running for a number of reasons:

• He wouldn't want to take the pay cut,
• He has always wanted to be the center of attention. He wouldn't get that as just one of a hundred Senators,
• He wouldn't want to try to explain all the lobbyists hanging on him, and
• If he were going to run, Leinenkugel wouldn't have chosen to run, since they are family. This would indicate that Leinenkugel knew Tommy wasn't running.

I might start writing more if the race became competitive, but right now, I think Feingold's team and my cohorts on the left side of the Cheddarsphere have it pretty well covered.