Burnt Tea

The outside agitators known as Tea Party Express is invading Wisconsin this weekend, spewing their racist message and sullying our beautiful state with their mere presence.

Or they would be if anyone bothered to show up for their rallies.

From their own Twitter feed, claiming they are "On fire!" they have the accompanying photo:

The teahadists have fallen so low that a one-person rally is now considered en el fuego.

Something's burning and it's not just Alberta Darling's britches.

We Can Finish It!

The newest poster from the good people at We Are Wisconsin:

Me likey!

How Alberta Darling's Really Bad, Wretched Week Started - Burning Britches Behind Her

I don't know how in the world I missed this.

I've been chronicling Alberta Darling's really bad week, but missed the Friday before which could have triggered it all.

Darling apparently took to burning britches behind her when she got caught lying about her opponent, Sandy Pasch.  And her lies about Pasch were so grievous that the conservative Milwaukee Journal Sentinel couldn't spin her out of the self-created mess:

In seeking to tap into anger in some quarters over the Viagra issue, Darling claims Pasch voted to allow it for school district employees.

Darling cites Pasch’s support for collective bargaining. But there was no vote in Madison on the matter. The issue was resolved in Milwaukee when an arbitrator ruled in favor of the school district -- years before Pasch came to office.

We rate the statement Pants on Fire.

So that's how Darling got to the point where she is now.

Most people crash and burn. Darling couldn't even get that right. She had to burn and then crash.

It will be so good to see her go crashing and burning on Tuesday.

H/T to Illy-T.

Alberta Darling's It-Couldn't-Get-Any-Worse Week Did Just That

Alberta Darling's head must just be spinning as fast as her campaign is spinning all of the week's events.  The poor darling Darling thought she was Queen of the Senate, able to dismiss what we peons and peasants had to say as she rewarded her moneyed peers with gifts of tax payer-funded largesse.

But this week has had an unprecedented number of things come out that must leave her feeling utterly gobsmacked.

On Monday, the empresses' new clothes became apparent to all when it was revealed that she's not representing  her own constituents, much less 99.5% of Wisconsinites.

Tuesday outdid Monday when she became a walking gaffe machine, not able to name even one company that benefited from her draconian policies or one job she created.  She also admitted to her own doubts of winning next Tuesday. Perhaps she's taken a close look at her record and realized that she wouldn't vote for herself.

Wednesday looked like it was the nadir of the campaign for her when it turned out that the jobs she finally got around to claiming as being created by her were actually due to former Governor Jim Doyle and her opponent, Sandy Pasch.

But then came Thursday.

Thursday took the other three days and made them look like she was a lottery winner on each of them.

It started early too, when Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America and MoveOn.org teamed up for a massive ad buy to run this commercial in which Republicans express their shame of Darling and how they're going to vote for Pasch:



And this was the best part of her day.

It was also revealed that she "misspoke" regarding the timing of her departure from the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood. Darling had claimed she left the board before she was elected to the State Assembly in 1990. Turns out that she was there for a full five years after being elected.

To top it off, she then claimed that she left PP because they started focusing on abortions. She also used that excuse for why she cut funding to them in the current state budget. But was that the real reason? It seems unlikely:

Atkinson questioned why Darling, a co-chair of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, would make an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood, which could lead to the closing of clinics across the state.

"Her amendment eliminated state support to nine health centers serving 12,000 patients in small communities like Kenosha, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Wisconsin Rapids," Atkinson said in the statement. "The essential health care services provided at these health centers include life-saving cancer screenings, birth control and STD testing and treatment. Abortion care is not provided at these health centers."

And even this was small potatoes compared to the big story of the day.

On Monday, I wrote this (emphasis mine for this post):

t started out when we learned that she's being sued by One Wisconsin Now because she has, for two months, refused to even respond to an open records request for any communications between her office and a number of conservative groups and their members, which are pushing for the privatization of our schools. The only rational explanation for not even putting up a stall tactic with OWN is because there's been scads of contact between them, which would raise some serious ethical and legal questions for her. (This makes the accusations her campaign has been throwing around look all the more hypocritical and desperate.)

Again, I must be some sort of prophet.

Today it was found that OWN wasn't the only one she was playing stalling games with. She was also violating the rights of Cory Liebmann, Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

When Darling finally felt compelled by OWN's lawsuit to release these long awaited documents, the reason for her stalling quickly became clear.  It was indeed a cover up.

It turns out that she was having a lot of communication with the pro-privatization of the the schools, even as she was putting the political goals of these groups into law.  The same groups whom, after she just lavished all the the goodies on them, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in ads to support her re-election.

SIDENOTE: If all of Darling's dirty deeds weren't enough to sicken the average person, one of the bills she pushed through is detrimental to the most vulnerable of the vulnerable - special needs children.

Between Darling's continuing refusal to fill the DPW's open records request regarding her communication with Wisconsin Right to Life (who already is under investigation for likely criminal behavior) and the fact that they already have strong proof that Darling was in apparent collusion with the other ultra-right wing groups, the DPW has filed a complaint with the GAB and other jurisdictions regarding this possibly felonious behavior.

Now it's just a question if enough voters are paying attention and are outraged enough to stop this corruption.

But it's not all bad news for Darling.

She's now officially in contention with Scott Walker for the title of being the most corrupt and the most inept politician in the state.

Acknowledgments for their help: Cory Liebmann, Tom Foley, One Wisconsin Now.

Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Contradicts Republican Claims on Taxing and Spending

In the inbox was this press release from Representative Donna Seidel (D-Wausau):

According to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, taxpayer-funded spending increased by 7.6% and total spending increased by 3.5% in the 2011-13 State Budget.

“Throughout the budget process the Governor and his Republican allies in the Legislature claimed that their budget cut spending and did not raise taxes,” said Rep. Seidel (D – Wausau ). “Now the conservative-leaning Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance is contradicting the Republican talking points about frugality and moderation. Their analysis also makes clear that contrary to Walker ’s rhetoric, the budget was balanced on the backs of middle-class families rather than through shared sacrifice.”

The Taxpayers Alliance joins many citizens, legislators, media outlets, government watchdog groups and the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau who have presented ample evidence contrary to the Republican’s spin.

The Taxpayers Alliance notes that the budget included two tax increases: the Earned Income Tax Credit, which affects working families; and the Homestead Tax Credit, which largely affects seniors. Conversely, the Taxpayers Alliance highlights tax cuts that primarily benefit the rich with new capital gains exclusions, as well as large, multi-state corporations by reopening several tax loopholes. The article also points out that a new, $128.7 million tax cut for businesses would “erase much of the income tax liability for affected firms.”

“It’s time for Governor Walker and the Republicans to be honest with Wisconsin citizens,” continued Seidel. “Regardless of their repeated assertions to the contrary, their budget increases spending; increases taxes on those that can least afford it; increases fees; continues the use of fund transfers and fund raids; and increases borrowing.”

“What’s even more disappointing is that when the Republicans chose to increase spending, it was not to fund Wisconsin priorities like public education and job training,” Seidel concluded. “Instead, Walker and the legislators who have rubberstamped his agenda spent nearly $2.3 billion so far this session on tax breaks for corporations and the super-rich.”

Alberta Darling's Rotten, Horrible, Miserable Week That Just Wouldn't End

Poor old Alberta Darling.

The poor woman has had a very bad week this week.

On Monday, we learned that Darling doesn't represent the people or the businesses in her district.  Who she represents isn't clear, but my guess is their last name rhymes with Koch.

Tuesday, she was a walking gaffe machine.  The problems she had included:

• Getting sued for not complying with open records laws, trying to conceal her contact with various right wing school-privatization groups.
• She couldn't name one business in her district that hired one person because of her policies.
• She admitted she had no confidence in her chances of winning.
• She was being forced to choose between her constituents and the hate-mongering teahadists.

Wednesday came and smacked Darling around again.

First there was the news that despite her claims (which is really just a talking point for the GOP) that their budget would give local governments the "tools" they need to balance their budgets despite the state slashing their shared revenue without care or forethought, the fact is her own constituents in Milwaukee County are looking at draconian cuts to service, including the once majestic parks system, transit routes that would have served the people and businesses she should be representing but isn't and endangering public safety by cutting holes in all the safety nets, due to her budget increasing Milwaukee County's already looming deficit by another $21 million.

Then there came a first person description of Darling's appearance at yesterday's Newsmaker Luncheon, which included less than glowing reports such as this quip:

On her on-again, off-again, on-again support for paying corrupt Milwaukee cops accused of rape? She claimed she,well, she just changed her mind, and that's what people want anyway, isn't it? Elected officials who can change their mind. Yep.

But she wouldn't change her mind about the disastrous budget repair bill, oh, no, what she repeatedly referred to as, "The Tools." On that, she praised herself and compared herself to her immigrant grandmother, who was "very brave."

You can read the whole thing at Uppity Wisconsin.

And speaking of that luncheon, it is also the starting point for Darling's biggest headache of today.

If the gentle reader would remember, I had this to say about her jobs gaffe at the luncheon:

Later, she appeared at the Newsmaker Luncheon at the Milwaukee Press Club. When she was asked to name one company, just one, that had created jobs because of the union busting and the draconian budget, she could only come up with that deer-in-the-headlights look.

Hours after this gaffe, her campaign called to list three companies that had added jobs, but with no mention of when or if how they were related to Darling's policies. For all we know, they were added well before any of the GOP's malarkey got under way.

I must be some kind of prophet.

The three companies her campaign named were Cambridge Major Laboratories, Johnson Controls and Bradley Corporation.

Well, this is where things went from bad to worse for Team Darling.

You see, the thing is that all of these companies have indeed created new jobs. But not because of Darling's efforts. If anything, they created them despite Darling's best efforts.

Cambridge Major Laboratories received a Department of Commerce Industrial Revenue Bond allocation worth $6 million from Governor Jim Doyle.

Johnson Controls received WEIF support from 2008-2009, and the project was funded by ARRA funds (stimulus money) that Governor Doyle was key in attaining for the company. Furthermore, Johnson Controls also benefited from Wisconsin Energy Independence investments including $500,000 for battery research and development. (Point of interest, both Scott Walker and Darling were against the stimulus.)

Bradley Corporation benefited from Wisconsin Economic Development Tax Credits, a program that was created by Doyle and the Democrats in 2009.

Since Darling likes to tie her opponent, Sandy Pasch with Doyle and his budget, then I reckon it's fair to say that Sandy Pasch gets the credit for creating all these jobs.

I would suggest that for her Thursday adventure, Darling should apologize for her lying and thank Pasch for helping to  create those jobs.  Then she could admit and apologize for the soaring unemployment in the state, the unbearable increase in fees, the gashing of education and the stripping of working men and women of their rights.

No, it won't make her look any better to the voters. But at least she would be telling the truth for once.

Then she should just read the writing on the wall and take an early retirement.  Then she could still get back to the golf course with a month of summer left.

Is The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Planning A Desperate Ploy

Erik Gunn of Milwaukee Magaizine's "Pressroom Insider," in his weekly online column, points out that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is losing money hand over fist.  As a result, they have already cut 120 positions through attrition.  They have also opened up a buy out plan where employees can voluntarily sever their employment, getting two weeks of pay for every year they've worked there as well as six months of health care and other perks.

Citing many sources, Gunn also speculates on whether MJS is about to set up a pay wall on their site in an effort to get people to subscribe:

Meanwhile, as both AV Club and OnMilwaukee.com’s Tim Cuprisin have noticed, in reporting last week on the company’s drop in income, Brenner indicated the likely emergence of a pay wall at the newspaper next year.

It’s a rapidly growing strategy, led by The New York Times’ reintroduction of a pay system earlier this year.

As Paid Content recently noted, the Times’ new system has in six months garnered as many paid subscribers as its old “Times Select” model did in three years.

The circulation of their hard copy paper has been a steady decline, so it only makes sense that people turn to their online stuff, which is, for the moment free. I'm just so sure that their plan is a good one. Many people, including myself, have dropped them within the last six months simply because of their extremely support of Walker and is maleficent policies.  If they decide to go pay-per-view, I can't say that I would be tempted to buy into it.  I would try to find other sources that were more reliable, journalistically and ethically, and more economical.

The one thing that Gunn doesn't mention, but one that I've been speculating to myself for years, is that I would not be surprised in the least if MJS decides to try to force the issue by ending publication of the dead tree version of their paper.  That way they could really force people into having to buy their online paper or go without written news whatsoever.

Between their subscriptions and ad revenue and the money they'd be saving by cutting out almost all of their ink and paper publishing, Steve Smith and the Board probably think they can make quiet a make a pretty profit.  That's if there's still anyone who could afford to throw their money away like that.

Alberta Darling's Rotten, Miserable, Horrible Week Just Got A Lot Worse - And It Was Only Tuesday

Yesterday, we learned that Alberta Darling represents - well, we don't know who she represents. But we do know that she doesn't represent the working men and women or the small businesses in her district.

Today, her week just got a lot worse. And it's only Tuesday.

It started out when we learned that she's being sued by One Wisconsin Now because she has, for two months, refused to even respond to an open records request for any communications between her office and a number of conservative groups and their members, which are pushing for the privatization of our schools.  The only rational explanation for not even putting up a stall tactic with OWN is because there's been scads of contact between them, which would raise some serious ethical and legal questions for her. (This makes the accusations her campaign has been throwing around look all the more hypocritical and desperate.)

Later, she appeared at the Newsmaker Luncheon at the Milwaukee Press Club.  When she was asked to name one company, just one, that had created jobs because of the union busting and the draconian budget, she could only come up with that deer-in-the-headlights look.

Hours after this gaffe, her campaign called to list three companies that had added jobs, but with no mention of when or if how they were related to Darling's policies.  For all we know, they were added well before any of the GOP's malarkey got under way.

At the same luncheon, she was asked if she was going to win her election.

Her answer was, "I'm not sure."

Could you just imagine if the papers had asked someone from the Green Bay Packers if they had a shot at repeating their Superbowl win and Mike McCarthy or Ted Thompson said, "I'm not sure. It depends on how the other teams do."  Fans would be storming Lambeau Field with pitchforks and torches.

I tell you, if I was working or volunteering for a candidate that wasn't confident in her position or her chances, I'd be moving on immediately. Who wants to back someone when even they don't think they're a winner?

And to top off her already bad, miserable, rotten, no-good day, her own supporters put her in an untenable position.

The racist, hate-mongering Tea Party Express is coming to town to show their support for Darling.  Now she has to make a choice I'm sure she would much rather avoid.

On one hand, she can blow off these extremists and risk ticking off a large part of her base that she's been catering to for the past seven months, in an effort to reach the independents who she desperately needs to have a chance.at retaining her seat.

On the other hand, she can accept their invitation to attend their hatefest, at the risk of pushing even more independents, and not just a few Republicans, to the other side.

And this was just Tuesday. I can't wait to see what Wednesday brings, but I have an idea of what it might be.

Preliminary Budget Hearing Scheduled

From Mayor Tom Barrett:

Dear Community Members,

The City of Milwaukee will hold a 2012 Preliminary Budget Hearing to ensure the 2012 City of Milwaukee Budget addresses the needs of our community. Mayor Tom Barrett, Finance and Personnel Committee Chair, Alderman Michael Murphy, Budget Director Mark Nicolini and budget staff will provide information regarding the budget planning process and give attendees an opportunity to share input on City services. City residents are encouraged to attend.

2012 Preliminary Budget Hearing
Monday, August 8, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sarah Scott Professional Learning Center
(formerly Sarah Scott Middle School)
1017 N. 12th Street, Library, 3rd floor

Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities through sign language interpreters or auxiliary aids. For additional information or to request this service, contact the Mayor’s Office at 414-286-2200.

The invitation is also attached to this notice.

Sincerely,

Tom Barrett
Mayor

Finally, Some Truth In Advertising

They say the first step is admitting you need help.

Exactly For Whom Is Alberta Darling Representing?

Last Friday, Alberta Darling, in another show of desperation, went on air with Mark Bellowing of WISN and said that she is still spry enough to put her foot in her mouth:

I just went to a woman today and she said, “Why are you giving tax breaks to the wealthy?” I said, “What do you consider wealthy?” She said, “$250,000 and above.”

And I said “that is small business.” Those are small business people. Those aren’t wealthy people. We are not interested in raising taxes on the quote “rich.”

Wow! A quarter of a million dollars is chump change in Darling's eyes.

As my good friend, Jay Bullock points out, teachers don't exactly qualify as being rich by and stretch of the imagination. I can testify that the same holds true for social workers and most other represented Milwaukee County workers. Actually, it probably holds true for most public service workers, with the obvious exceptions of mistresses of state senators or sons of wealth donors.

Yet it's the teachers, social workers, park workers, janitors, plow truck drivers, etc. that the Republicans have attacked as being the "haves," living high on the hog at the expense of the "have nots." But if a quarter million is chump change, how can someone making less than 20% of that be the problem?

Another good friend, Jake, takes a different angle, figuring Darling is doing what any good senator would do and representing her constituents. To test this hypothesis, Jake took a look at the median incomes of the communities she represents. What he found fell short of the quarter million mark:

Median household income (2009 dollars)
Whitefish Bay $106,500
Mequon $101,385
Fox Point $100,000
Bayside $81,164
Germantown $71,647
Menomonee Falls $67,506
Glendale $63,770
Brown Deer $61,097
Shorewood $60,272
Thiensville $54,449

Mmm, while some of those incomes are up there, and most are quite a bit higher than your average public sector worker, they are no where near what Darling would call wealthy.

Well, Darling, reeking of flopsweat, scrambled to clarify her position (read damage control) said that a family with a quarter million is wealthy, a small business with that money isn't.

Ah! So she's repping the small business people in her district. Right? Wrong.

Jake also notes her slippery defensive gamble and calls BS on it and on her.

I would just add to Jake's observations that another strong point showing that she has as much disdain for the small business in her district as she does the tax payers and the unemployed or the needy.  For if she truly cared about these small business owners, she would never have agreed to cut the transit funding so deeply that customers and workers will no longer be able to make it to most of the businesses in Northeastern Milwaukee County.  This obviously will severely hurt these businesses, since they won't have workers to turn out the product or provide the service, and they wouldn't have the customers to purchase them even if they did.

So we've figured out that Alberta Darling is NOT representing public service workers, the families in her district or small business owners. So who is she representing? The Koch Brothers? Maybe. But she's not for the people of Wisconsin, that's for sure.

Whoever it is, all we know is that Alberta Darling is not standing up for the little guy or the working class, at all.

Luther Olson - Save Us From Trail Lawyers!

You know what I hate?

When I'm walking along one of the trails up north, on my way to go create some jobs, when all of a sudden, a big wind comes along and blows some lawyers in the trail, blocking my way. How am I supposed to create any jobs with these wind-fallen trail lawyers stopping me?

Thank goodness, Luther Olson will save us from that ever happening again!

And he'll also make sure that the young'uns get to learn about the birds and bees the old fashioned way - uninformed and out of uniform under the bleachers.  Or maybe Uncle Chester the Molester can teach them and save a few tax dollars too boot. What's a few more kids having kids in this old world anyway?

Maybe Olson can make that into a last minute slogan: Keeping the girls barefoot and pregnant and protected from trail lawyers.

Well, maybe it needs some more work.

Picture via Mother Jones.

H/T tips to @gnarlytrombone and @ariWISCslob on teh Twitter

Darn Those Aciton Committees!

From Koch News, aka MacGuyver Institute (motto: We can craft a lie with just a paper clip, duct tape and a ball point pen!), those crack political activists disguised as a harmless 501(c)3, comes this bit of breaking news (emphasis mine):

WEAC, Wisconsin’s largest teachers’union, spent nearly a half million dollars in one day on behalf of Democratic candidates through their political aciton committee, the MacIver News Service has learned.

Oops! It appears that the only thing broken is their spellcheck.  You think the Koch Bros. could afford better.  Then again, they bought Scott Walker, showing they don't know how to shop well.

I wonder when the guys at MacGuyver will get around to reporting how much the Koch Boyz are spending to defend their puppets Republican candidates. It really shouldn't be too hard - they could just start with their own salaries.

H/T Troglopundit - the taller version of Kevin Fischer.

WTF Has Walker Done As Governor So Far?

And WTF doesn't stand for "Winning the Future."

The Devil Can Site Scripture For His Own Purpose!

Scott Walker must be feeling the pressure. His poll numbers are dropping faster than the average Wisconsin salary.  He can't go anywhere, except maybe his underground bunker, without having scores of protest workers in his face.  He is mocked not only in every corner of the state, but across the country.  He knows his days in office are numbered and people will only get angrier as the full impact of his malicious budget is felt in a few weeks.

Walker, like many people, doesn't respond well to pressure and he has resorted to quoting scripture for his tweets:

Being tied up with other things, I had missed most of the reaction, which, as the reader can imagine, was less than warm.

Fortunately for me, one of my readers caught it and did the leg work for me with this letter to Walker:

Gov. Walker:

This is verse 9 in its entirety:

"But, he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Governor, do you feel as though the "spirit," has moved you to boast all the more gladly of your weaknesses?

The next time you talk to the Koch brothers, Mr. Grebe, and other wealthy campaign contributors, perhaps you could quote Matthew 25: 31-45:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Sincerely,

[Name Redacted]

Illy-T also caught Walker's tweet and posted his own response to Walker's thorny issue.

I would remind the reader of the famous line from "The Merchant of Venice," by the Great Bard himself:

The Devil can site scripture for his own purpose! An evil soul producing evil witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek.