OCNN cited for journalism innovation
In a competition that drew entries from The New York Times, USA Today and the BBC, a Web-based voter education program spearheaded by the Oshkosh Community News Network has been cited as a “notable” innovation in journalism.
Read more here:
http://www.oshkoshnews.org/blogs/oshblog/archives/2005/07/ocnn_cited_for.html
7.26.2005
Bush & Mother Finally Admit Who They Are 'Saving' Social Security For.....
The following are quotes from a Social Security forum (invitation only) Bush put on in Atlanta:
Turning to Social Security, Bush vowed that nothing in his proposal for individual investment accounts would reduce benefits for current retirees or those close to retiring. "Seniors have nothing to worry about. ... What you should be worried about is whether your grandchildren are going to get any checks," Bush said.
"I'm here because I'm worried about our 17 grandchildren," said Barbara Bush.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050722/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;
_ylt=Aik7ZjGasReEo9ZyXXdzJbeyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Barbara Bush says we need to change Social Security because Jenna might not have enough money to retire?
I do not believe that someone with her family's income or trust fund were the reason that Social Security was created.
They are flat out admitting that they want to convert Social Security into a huge wealth transfer from the least of our citizens to the wealtiest of the elite.
They can't even hide it anymore.
Turning to Social Security, Bush vowed that nothing in his proposal for individual investment accounts would reduce benefits for current retirees or those close to retiring. "Seniors have nothing to worry about. ... What you should be worried about is whether your grandchildren are going to get any checks," Bush said.
"I'm here because I'm worried about our 17 grandchildren," said Barbara Bush.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050722/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;
_ylt=Aik7ZjGasReEo9ZyXXdzJbeyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Barbara Bush says we need to change Social Security because Jenna might not have enough money to retire?
I do not believe that someone with her family's income or trust fund were the reason that Social Security was created.
They are flat out admitting that they want to convert Social Security into a huge wealth transfer from the least of our citizens to the wealtiest of the elite.
They can't even hide it anymore.
One Vet's Take on the War in Iraq
Commentary from Altercation (altercation.msnbc.com) on the war.
This was written by a Vietnam Vet after listening to remarks by another vet:
I agree with Secretary Webb that students at "elite" colleges rarely made it into combat with us -- though I attended such a college before and after my service in Vietnam and knew a core of mostly scholarship students like me there who willingly served -- but I don't think those college campus protests are what brought the Vietnam war to a close. It was when the folks in the coffee shops in places like Mason City, Iowa, and Silva, North Carolina, had had enough of the war and the lies that swirled around it that the war ended. "Stopping communism in Southeast Asia" from the Secretary's speech sounds as bogus now as it did then, I'm afraid. It's like "bringing freedom to Iraq" at the point of a gun. So here we are again, placing in harm's way the same kind of courageous, conscientious young men -- and now women -- as we were so many years ago, this time urged on by men, mostly men, from our own generation who used the advantages of their class to avoid the combat you and I faced.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3449870/
This was written by a Vietnam Vet after listening to remarks by another vet:
I agree with Secretary Webb that students at "elite" colleges rarely made it into combat with us -- though I attended such a college before and after my service in Vietnam and knew a core of mostly scholarship students like me there who willingly served -- but I don't think those college campus protests are what brought the Vietnam war to a close. It was when the folks in the coffee shops in places like Mason City, Iowa, and Silva, North Carolina, had had enough of the war and the lies that swirled around it that the war ended. "Stopping communism in Southeast Asia" from the Secretary's speech sounds as bogus now as it did then, I'm afraid. It's like "bringing freedom to Iraq" at the point of a gun. So here we are again, placing in harm's way the same kind of courageous, conscientious young men -- and now women -- as we were so many years ago, this time urged on by men, mostly men, from our own generation who used the advantages of their class to avoid the combat you and I faced.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3449870/
CIA Leak Case By the Numbers
Number of days after the article outing Ambassador Wilson's wife appeared that the White House required its staff to turn over evidence relating to the leak: 85
Approximate hours between then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez's advance notification to White House Chief of Staff Andy Card that he would require staff to turn over evidence relating to the case and formal notification to staff of that requirement: 12
Minimum number of times an Administration official leaked classified information about the identity of Ambassador Wilson's wife: 11
Minimum number of times after the beginning of the Justice Department's investigation that White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan claimed Karl Rove was not involved: 5
Number of press conferences since evidence linking Karl Rove to the leak was made public where Press Secretary McClellan has refused to comment on the case, citing an ongoing criminal investigation: 7
Minimum number of hearings held by Senate Republicans to investigate accusations against President Clinton involving the "Whitewater" case: 20
Total hearings held by Senate Republicans to investigate the leak of the covert identity of Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife: 0
http://democrats.senate.gov/leak.html
Approximate hours between then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez's advance notification to White House Chief of Staff Andy Card that he would require staff to turn over evidence relating to the case and formal notification to staff of that requirement: 12
Minimum number of times an Administration official leaked classified information about the identity of Ambassador Wilson's wife: 11
Minimum number of times after the beginning of the Justice Department's investigation that White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan claimed Karl Rove was not involved: 5
Number of press conferences since evidence linking Karl Rove to the leak was made public where Press Secretary McClellan has refused to comment on the case, citing an ongoing criminal investigation: 7
Minimum number of hearings held by Senate Republicans to investigate accusations against President Clinton involving the "Whitewater" case: 20
Total hearings held by Senate Republicans to investigate the leak of the covert identity of Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife: 0
http://democrats.senate.gov/leak.html
Pentagon's 'Task Force Baghdad' Makes Up Iraqi Quotes
More of the propaganda fed us by our own government. The quotes below were in separate DOD press releases, each attributes to an unnamed Iraqi:
From Sunday:
From Sunday:
" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified."
From July 13:
" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.' "
They go on to note that:
In both statements, the military quoted an Iraqi calling the attackers "enemies of humanity" and vowing to "take the fight to the terrorists," the latter an expression President Bush frequently has used in speeches.
And the final word from OUR government:
Task Force Baghdad with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division released both statements.
After the media contacted officials Sunday on the similarities, the military reissued the latest release without the quote.
"Task Force Baghdad Public Affairs regrets the confusion regarding two press releases issued in support of our operations July 24," said a statement Monday.
Although not referring to the quote in Sunday's release, it said there was "a draft press release which, due to an administrative error, was mistakenly issued on behalf of the 3rd Infantry Division."
Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division, also spoke Sunday of an "administrative error."
Kent did not explain why the quote apparently was changed to apply to the latest attack.
It is past time to hold this sort of behavior accountable. I applaud CNN for reporting it. Between this and thr Rove coverage, it looks like the media may be waking up.
Let's hope so.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/25/military.release/index.html
Email to Membership - Went Out Tonight
Fellow Dems & Friends of the Party,
As you may know, the last Friday of the month, Democrats from all over the Fox Valley converge for a scrumptious breakfast.
This month is no different, we will be meeting on Friday the 29th at 7:00 AM in our new location - B.J. Clancy's - 3341 S. Oneida St - Appleton.
Do not forget our normal business meeting - Wednesday, August 10th - 7:00PM at the Delta Family Restaurant - 515 N Sawyer St - Oshkosh.
We also have out Corn Roast upcoming, Saturday, August 27th - 1:00PM - Winnebago Community Park.
Also, please sign up for a shift at the fair, August 9th-14th. Contact me with a time you are available!
I hope to see you all as soon as possible!
As always contact me at any time!
-jef-
As you may know, the last Friday of the month, Democrats from all over the Fox Valley converge for a scrumptious breakfast.
This month is no different, we will be meeting on Friday the 29th at 7:00 AM in our new location - B.J. Clancy's - 3341 S. Oneida St - Appleton.
Do not forget our normal business meeting - Wednesday, August 10th - 7:00PM at the Delta Family Restaurant - 515 N Sawyer St - Oshkosh.
We also have out Corn Roast upcoming, Saturday, August 27th - 1:00PM - Winnebago Community Park.
Also, please sign up for a shift at the fair, August 9th-14th. Contact me with a time you are available!
I hope to see you all as soon as possible!
As always contact me at any time!
-jef-
7.25.2005
Ouch!
I've played a lot of sports, and dabbled in photography (journalism major in college).
But, don't worry:
"She's fine," U.S. diving team leader Bob Rydze said. "She's moving all her limbs. She just needs a few stitches."
But, don't worry:
"She's fine," U.S. diving team leader Bob Rydze said. "She's moving all her limbs. She just needs a few stitches."
My Recent Letter to the Northwestern:
Bush Election of 2004 Was Neither Definitive Referendum nor Mandate
In a recent editorial, the Northwestern declared, "There already has been a national referendum on the Iraq War issue, in the presidential elections last November."
It is incorrect to declare the 2004 election of George Bush a mandate or definitive referendum, on Iraq or other issues. The facts are simple:
- Bush won nationally by the narrowest percentage margin of any sitting president in American history since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
- Bush's popular vote margin was the smallest since 1976 (except 2000, of course, when Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore). Bush also lost the popular votes of Wisconsin and Oshkosh.
- The Republicans picked up seats in Congress, but more Americans voted for Democrats nationwide (Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin received more votes than any other Democratic member of the House).
- Statewide, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, who voted against the war, received more votes than any candidate in Wisconsin history, also carrying Winnebago County and Oshkosh by wide margins.
- Locally, the 2004 Republican Assembly candidate was out polled; then lost the popular vote for 2005 DPI statewide, and in every Winnebago County voting ward but one.
The "Republican/Bush Mandate" of 2004 is a myth. The Northwestern is incorrect to characterize it as a clear mandate for Bush, the Republicans or their policies.
Also, poll after poll shows America's growing unease with the Republican leadership that has haphazardly led us to war:
- In a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll, only 46% approved of Bush's performance (49% disapproved). Only 41% of those polled called Bush "honest & straightforward."
- In another NBC/WSJ Poll, only 33% approved of the Republican Congress, and by a 47 to 40% margin, would prefer to see Democrats in control in 2006.
In both polls, Iraq was the number one issue, and the economy the second.
When you look both at the poll numbers and the numbers at the polls, you see an America split down the middle, and a Democratic Wisconsin and Oshkosh. We also see Americans nationwide experiencing severe 'buyer's remorse' over the Bush administration and its policies.
This does not a Bush mandate nor referendum make.
In a recent editorial, the Northwestern declared, "There already has been a national referendum on the Iraq War issue, in the presidential elections last November."
It is incorrect to declare the 2004 election of George Bush a mandate or definitive referendum, on Iraq or other issues. The facts are simple:
- Bush won nationally by the narrowest percentage margin of any sitting president in American history since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
- Bush's popular vote margin was the smallest since 1976 (except 2000, of course, when Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore). Bush also lost the popular votes of Wisconsin and Oshkosh.
- The Republicans picked up seats in Congress, but more Americans voted for Democrats nationwide (Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin received more votes than any other Democratic member of the House).
- Statewide, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, who voted against the war, received more votes than any candidate in Wisconsin history, also carrying Winnebago County and Oshkosh by wide margins.
- Locally, the 2004 Republican Assembly candidate was out polled; then lost the popular vote for 2005 DPI statewide, and in every Winnebago County voting ward but one.
The "Republican/Bush Mandate" of 2004 is a myth. The Northwestern is incorrect to characterize it as a clear mandate for Bush, the Republicans or their policies.
Also, poll after poll shows America's growing unease with the Republican leadership that has haphazardly led us to war:
- In a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll, only 46% approved of Bush's performance (49% disapproved). Only 41% of those polled called Bush "honest & straightforward."
- In another NBC/WSJ Poll, only 33% approved of the Republican Congress, and by a 47 to 40% margin, would prefer to see Democrats in control in 2006.
In both polls, Iraq was the number one issue, and the economy the second.
When you look both at the poll numbers and the numbers at the polls, you see an America split down the middle, and a Democratic Wisconsin and Oshkosh. We also see Americans nationwide experiencing severe 'buyer's remorse' over the Bush administration and its policies.
This does not a Bush mandate nor referendum make.
Are We Truly Carrying a Mercenary Army?
I think this is a real question - here are some excerpts from an insightful op-ed.
I want to start with this quote (so as not to mistake this as an attack on the soldiers):
Neither the idealism nor the patriotism of those who serve is in question here.
The rest:
THE United States now has a mercenary army. To be sure, our soldiers are hired from within the citizenry, unlike the hated Hessians whom George III recruited to fight against the American Revolutionaries. But like those Hessians, today's volunteers sign up for some mighty dangerous work largely for wages and benefits - a compensation package that may not always be commensurate with the dangers in store, as current recruiting problems testify.
Our leaders tell us that our armed forces seek only just goals, and at the end of the day will be understood as exerting a benign influence. Yet that perspective may not come so easily to those on the receiving end of that supposedly beneficent violence.
But the modern military's disjunction from American society is even more disturbing. Since the time of the ancient Greeks through the American Revolutionary War and well into the 20th century, the obligation to bear arms and the privileges of citizenship have been intimately linked. It was for the sake of that link between service and a full place in society that the founders were so invested in militias and so worried about standing armies, which Samuel Adams warned were "always dangerous to the liberties of the people."
That tradition has now been all but abandoned. A comparison with a prior generation's war illuminates the point. In World War II, the United States put some 16 million men and women into uniform. What's more, it mobilized the economic, social and psychological resources of the society down to the last factory, rail car, classroom and victory garden. World War II was a "total war." Waging it compelled the participation of all citizens and an enormous commitment of society's energies.
The implications are deeply unsettling: history's most potent military force can now be put into the field by a society that scarcely breaks a sweat when it does so. We can now wage war while putting at risk very few of our sons and daughters, none of whom is obliged to serve. Modern warfare lays no significant burdens on the larger body of citizens in whose name war is being waged.
This is not a healthy situation. It is, among other things, a standing invitation to the kind of military adventurism that the founders correctly feared was the greatest danger of standing armies - a danger made manifest in their day by the career of Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Jefferson described as having "transferred the destinies of the republic from the civil to the military arm."
The life of a robust democratic society should be strenuous; it should make demands on its citizens when they are asked to engage with issues of life and death.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25kennedy.html?ei=5070&en=6aca49cd0f04a4dd&ex=1122955200&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
I want to start with this quote (so as not to mistake this as an attack on the soldiers):
Neither the idealism nor the patriotism of those who serve is in question here.
The rest:
THE United States now has a mercenary army. To be sure, our soldiers are hired from within the citizenry, unlike the hated Hessians whom George III recruited to fight against the American Revolutionaries. But like those Hessians, today's volunteers sign up for some mighty dangerous work largely for wages and benefits - a compensation package that may not always be commensurate with the dangers in store, as current recruiting problems testify.
Our leaders tell us that our armed forces seek only just goals, and at the end of the day will be understood as exerting a benign influence. Yet that perspective may not come so easily to those on the receiving end of that supposedly beneficent violence.
But the modern military's disjunction from American society is even more disturbing. Since the time of the ancient Greeks through the American Revolutionary War and well into the 20th century, the obligation to bear arms and the privileges of citizenship have been intimately linked. It was for the sake of that link between service and a full place in society that the founders were so invested in militias and so worried about standing armies, which Samuel Adams warned were "always dangerous to the liberties of the people."
That tradition has now been all but abandoned. A comparison with a prior generation's war illuminates the point. In World War II, the United States put some 16 million men and women into uniform. What's more, it mobilized the economic, social and psychological resources of the society down to the last factory, rail car, classroom and victory garden. World War II was a "total war." Waging it compelled the participation of all citizens and an enormous commitment of society's energies.
The implications are deeply unsettling: history's most potent military force can now be put into the field by a society that scarcely breaks a sweat when it does so. We can now wage war while putting at risk very few of our sons and daughters, none of whom is obliged to serve. Modern warfare lays no significant burdens on the larger body of citizens in whose name war is being waged.
This is not a healthy situation. It is, among other things, a standing invitation to the kind of military adventurism that the founders correctly feared was the greatest danger of standing armies - a danger made manifest in their day by the career of Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Jefferson described as having "transferred the destinies of the republic from the civil to the military arm."
Some will find it offensive to call today's armed forces a "mercenary army," but our troops are emphatically not the kind of citizen-soldiers that we fielded two generations ago - drawn from all ranks of society without respect to background or privilege or education, and mobilized on such a scale that civilian society's deep and durable consent to the resort to arms was absolutely necessary.
The life of a robust democratic society should be strenuous; it should make demands on its citizens when they are asked to engage with issues of life and death.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25kennedy.html?ei=5070&en=6aca49cd0f04a4dd&ex=1122955200&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
A Great View on the War....
During our widely separated but shared wartime years, we were led by presidents of Olympian eloquence (Roosevelt during World War II) and almost brutal bluntness (Truman during the Korean War), yet, on their own terms, they spoke with clarity, conviction and honesty about our national threats, challenges, sacrifices. And the price of peace was high.
Today, in Iraq, where nearly every dawn is lacerated by mounting carnage - local and foreign - American troops are hemorrhaging among the wounded and the dead, pawns in an unspeakable farce, for the United States of America is not at war.
Today, in Iraq, where nearly every dawn is lacerated by mounting carnage - local and foreign - American troops are hemorrhaging among the wounded and the dead, pawns in an unspeakable farce, for the United States of America is not at war.
Only 135,000 men and women in American uniform are fighting - volunteers, members of the National Guard, reservists. There is no draft. No threat of a uniform hangs over the citizens of a nation of nearly 300 million who, in polls, support the invasion of a remote country upon whom our government would pin guilt of 9/11 ... and then attack. An invasion that was ordered by an expertly trained but combat-innocent fighter pilot and a draft-deferred character with "other priorities" during the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile, perhaps one crucial question was omitted from those polls: "Is any member of your family uniformed and in Baghdad?"
David Douglas Duncan, who served in the Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 and who photographed the Korean and Vietnam Wars for Life magazine, is the author of "Photo Nomad."
It is a sin as a society that we grant the wealthy tax breaks while we send the poor to war.
Krugman on Jobs Moving to Canada
This carried echoes of Leach for me. I really think that we can make change here, but to do it we need to change what we think government is or should be.
As usual, Krugman says it better than I ever could. Here are some exerpts:
Toyota, Moving Northward
Modern American politics is dominated by the doctrine that government is the problem, not the solution. In practice, this doctrine translates into policies that make low taxes on the rich the highest priority, even if lack of revenue undermines basic public services. You don't have to be a liberal to realize that this is wrong-headed. Corporate leaders understand quite well that good public services are also good for business. But the political environment is so polarized these days that top executives are often afraid to speak up against conservative dogma.
But last month Toyota decided to put the new plant, which will produce RAV4 mini-S.U.V.'s, in Ontario. Explaining why it passed up financial incentives to choose a U.S. location, the company cited the quality of Ontario's work force.
What made Toyota so sensitive to labor quality issues? (...) Japanese auto companies opening plants in the Southern U.S. have been unfavorably surprised by the work force's poor level of training.
There's some bitter irony here for Alabama's governor. Just two years ago voters overwhelmingly rejected his plea for an increase in the state's rock-bottom taxes on the affluent, so that he could afford to improve the state's low-quality education system. Opponents of the tax hike convinced voters that it would cost the state jobs.
But education is only one reason Toyota chose Ontario. Canada's other big selling point is its national health insurance system, which saves auto manufacturers large sums in benefit payments compared with their costs in the United States.
Funny, isn't it? Pundits tell us that the welfare state is doomed by globalization, that programs like national health insurance have become unsustainable. But Canada's universal health insurance system is handling international competition just fine. It's our own system, which penalizes companies that treat their workers well, that's in trouble.
For now, let me just point out that treating people decently is sometimes a competitive advantage. In America, basic health insurance is a privilege; in Canada, it's a right. And in the auto industry, at least, the good jobs are heading north.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25krugman.html?ex=1122955200&en=e94463b4f00e2f24&ei=5070&emc=eta1
As usual, Krugman says it better than I ever could. Here are some exerpts:
Toyota, Moving Northward
Modern American politics is dominated by the doctrine that government is the problem, not the solution. In practice, this doctrine translates into policies that make low taxes on the rich the highest priority, even if lack of revenue undermines basic public services. You don't have to be a liberal to realize that this is wrong-headed. Corporate leaders understand quite well that good public services are also good for business. But the political environment is so polarized these days that top executives are often afraid to speak up against conservative dogma.
But last month Toyota decided to put the new plant, which will produce RAV4 mini-S.U.V.'s, in Ontario. Explaining why it passed up financial incentives to choose a U.S. location, the company cited the quality of Ontario's work force.
What made Toyota so sensitive to labor quality issues? (...) Japanese auto companies opening plants in the Southern U.S. have been unfavorably surprised by the work force's poor level of training.
There's some bitter irony here for Alabama's governor. Just two years ago voters overwhelmingly rejected his plea for an increase in the state's rock-bottom taxes on the affluent, so that he could afford to improve the state's low-quality education system. Opponents of the tax hike convinced voters that it would cost the state jobs.
But education is only one reason Toyota chose Ontario. Canada's other big selling point is its national health insurance system, which saves auto manufacturers large sums in benefit payments compared with their costs in the United States.
Funny, isn't it? Pundits tell us that the welfare state is doomed by globalization, that programs like national health insurance have become unsustainable. But Canada's universal health insurance system is handling international competition just fine. It's our own system, which penalizes companies that treat their workers well, that's in trouble.
For now, let me just point out that treating people decently is sometimes a competitive advantage. In America, basic health insurance is a privilege; in Canada, it's a right. And in the auto industry, at least, the good jobs are heading north.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25krugman.html?ex=1122955200&en=e94463b4f00e2f24&ei=5070&emc=eta1
7.24.2005
7.21.2005
Appleton Post-Crescent - Ryan's Social Security Bill is a Loser
Quote the editorial:
Editorial: Social Security bill is a big net loser
Here’s another reason why the leading Social Security “reform” bill in the House is a bad idea: It’ll increase the federal government’s massive budget deficit.
Despite claims by the bill’s sponsors — including Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. — that their plan wouldn’t grow the deficit, it does just that.
An analysis by the Social Security Administration shows that the GROW Accounts Act would add $851 billion to the $333 billion deficit over 11 years.
That’s because the bill would set up personal accounts for workers younger than 55, using bonding to finance them until 2016. Then it would use surplus Social Security taxes only. The bonding creates the deficit.
So for a program that adds hundreds of billions of dollars to our national debt, we get to keep the Social Security program solvent for an additional two years. Does that sound like a good deal to you? It doesn’t sound like one to us, either.
Proponents of the bill say this is just the first step in reforming Social Security to keep in solvent long into the future. But this first step is a doozy, which does little to accomplish the ultimate goal while plunging us deeper into another problem — the deficit.
http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/opinion_21881159.shtml
Editorial: Social Security bill is a big net loser
Here’s another reason why the leading Social Security “reform” bill in the House is a bad idea: It’ll increase the federal government’s massive budget deficit.
Despite claims by the bill’s sponsors — including Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. — that their plan wouldn’t grow the deficit, it does just that.
An analysis by the Social Security Administration shows that the GROW Accounts Act would add $851 billion to the $333 billion deficit over 11 years.
That’s because the bill would set up personal accounts for workers younger than 55, using bonding to finance them until 2016. Then it would use surplus Social Security taxes only. The bonding creates the deficit.
So for a program that adds hundreds of billions of dollars to our national debt, we get to keep the Social Security program solvent for an additional two years. Does that sound like a good deal to you? It doesn’t sound like one to us, either.
Proponents of the bill say this is just the first step in reforming Social Security to keep in solvent long into the future. But this first step is a doozy, which does little to accomplish the ultimate goal while plunging us deeper into another problem — the deficit.
http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/opinion_21881159.shtml
7.19.2005
How Times Change...
"If anyone in this administration was involved in it [the improper disclosure of an undercover CIA operative's identity], they would no longer be in this administration." - Scott McClellan, September 29, 2003.
"I don't know of anyone in my administration who has leaked. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing." – George W. Bush, September 30, 2003.
"I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts and if someone committed a crime they will no longer work in my administration." - President Bush, yesterday.
"I don't know of anyone in my administration who has leaked. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing." – George W. Bush, September 30, 2003.
"I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts and if someone committed a crime they will no longer work in my administration." - President Bush, yesterday.
7.15.2005
They Finally Said It Out Loud.....
Sen. Kanavas: Is It Time to End the UW System?
7/15/2005
Contact: Senator Ted Kanavas
(608) 266-9174
(Madison) Ju1y 15, 2005 - Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) today questioned the need for continuing the UW System and speculated that autonomous institutions could be more innovative and productive.
"It may be time to end the UW System and allow the individual campuses to stand alone, competing with each other for students."
Read it all here:
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=40752
The UW System is the gem of the state. The heart of our progress.
Now, here is the funny thing about his wish to end the UW (from his biography):
While attending the University of Wisconsin, Ted majored in political science where he was exposed to another form of community service, elective politics.
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen33/news/index11.htm
Just like the Madison Republicans - after they get their use out of it, it is no longer necessary.
Hypocrite alert!
7/15/2005
Contact: Senator Ted Kanavas
(608) 266-9174
(Madison) Ju1y 15, 2005 - Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) today questioned the need for continuing the UW System and speculated that autonomous institutions could be more innovative and productive.
"It may be time to end the UW System and allow the individual campuses to stand alone, competing with each other for students."
Read it all here:
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=40752
The UW System is the gem of the state. The heart of our progress.
Now, here is the funny thing about his wish to end the UW (from his biography):
While attending the University of Wisconsin, Ted majored in political science where he was exposed to another form of community service, elective politics.
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen33/news/index11.htm
Just like the Madison Republicans - after they get their use out of it, it is no longer necessary.
Hypocrite alert!
7.14.2005
So Much for His 2004 'Straight-Talker' Hype....
Bush honesty rating drops to lowest point
The survey, which was conducted from July 8-11 among 1,009 adults, and which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, finds that respondents, by a 49 percent-to-46 percent margin, disapprove of Bush’s job performance.
Furthermore, only 41 percent give Bush good marks for being “honest and straightforward” — his lowest ranking on this question since he became president. That’s a drop of nine percentage points since January, when a majority (50 percent to 36 percent) indicated that he was honest and straightforward.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8561443/
The survey, which was conducted from July 8-11 among 1,009 adults, and which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, finds that respondents, by a 49 percent-to-46 percent margin, disapprove of Bush’s job performance.
Furthermore, only 41 percent give Bush good marks for being “honest and straightforward” — his lowest ranking on this question since he became president. That’s a drop of nine percentage points since January, when a majority (50 percent to 36 percent) indicated that he was honest and straightforward.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8561443/
More on Plame/Rove Aftermath
Written by Larry Johnson, associate of Plame's:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/13/04720/9340
For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.
Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA. I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985. All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies. We had official cover. That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport. If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card.
A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed.
The lies by people like Victoria Toensing, Representative Peter King, and P. J. O'Rourke insist that Valerie was nothing, just a desk jockey. Yet, until Robert Novak betrayed her she was still undercover and the company that was her front was still a secret to the world. When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her.
According to the US Ambassador to Niger (who was commenting on Joe's visit in February 2002), "Ambassador Wilson reached the same conclusion that the Embassy has reached that it was highly unlikely that anything between Iraq and Niger was going on." Joe's findings were consistent with those of the Deputy Commander of the European Command, Major General Fulford.
At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying. Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass. That's the true outrage.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/13/04720/9340
For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.
Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA. I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985. All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies. We had official cover. That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport. If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card.
A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed.
The lies by people like Victoria Toensing, Representative Peter King, and P. J. O'Rourke insist that Valerie was nothing, just a desk jockey. Yet, until Robert Novak betrayed her she was still undercover and the company that was her front was still a secret to the world. When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her.
According to the US Ambassador to Niger (who was commenting on Joe's visit in February 2002), "Ambassador Wilson reached the same conclusion that the Embassy has reached that it was highly unlikely that anything between Iraq and Niger was going on." Joe's findings were consistent with those of the Deputy Commander of the European Command, Major General Fulford.
At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying. Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass. That's the true outrage.
Let's not forget the consequences of Rove's actions...
Leak of Agent's Name Causes Exposure of CIA Front Firm
By Walter Pincus and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, October 4, 2003; Page A03
The leak of a CIA operative's name has also exposed the identity of a CIA front company, potentially expanding the damage caused by the original disclosure, Bush administration officials said yesterday.
The inadvertent disclosure of the name of a business affiliated with the CIA underscores the potential damage to the agency and its operatives caused by the leak of Plame's identity. Intelligence officials have said that once Plame's job as an undercover operative was revealed, other agency secrets could be unraveled and her sources might be compromised or endangered.
A former diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said yesterday that every foreign intelligence service would run Plame's name through its databases within hours of its publication to determine if she had visited their country and to reconstruct her activities.
"That's why the agency is so sensitive about just publishing her name," the former diplomat said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A40012-2003Oct3
By Walter Pincus and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, October 4, 2003; Page A03
The leak of a CIA operative's name has also exposed the identity of a CIA front company, potentially expanding the damage caused by the original disclosure, Bush administration officials said yesterday.
The inadvertent disclosure of the name of a business affiliated with the CIA underscores the potential damage to the agency and its operatives caused by the leak of Plame's identity. Intelligence officials have said that once Plame's job as an undercover operative was revealed, other agency secrets could be unraveled and her sources might be compromised or endangered.
A former diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said yesterday that every foreign intelligence service would run Plame's name through its databases within hours of its publication to determine if she had visited their country and to reconstruct her activities.
"That's why the agency is so sensitive about just publishing her name," the former diplomat said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A40012-2003Oct3
Dean on Rove...
...in Madison!
Bush said in 2003 that he would fire anyone in his administration involved in the leak, and the White House has been on the defensive since the latest news reports showing Rove may have been involved.
"Now we're going to find out, Mr. President, if you'll keep your word: who do you value more, Mr. President, do you value intelligence operatives defending the United States of America or do you value political operatives from Texas?" Dean told a crowd of 500 in a downtown Madison theater.
"Who do you value more, Mr. President, the security of the American people, or your political cronies? Will you keep your word?"
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/12126172.htm
Bush said in 2003 that he would fire anyone in his administration involved in the leak, and the White House has been on the defensive since the latest news reports showing Rove may have been involved.
"Now we're going to find out, Mr. President, if you'll keep your word: who do you value more, Mr. President, do you value intelligence operatives defending the United States of America or do you value political operatives from Texas?" Dean told a crowd of 500 in a downtown Madison theater.
"Who do you value more, Mr. President, the security of the American people, or your political cronies? Will you keep your word?"
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/12126172.htm
Proud to Have Him as Our Chair...
Wednesday night may have been one of those rare occasions when a crowd was already boiling before Howard Dean gave a speech.
Not that the chairman of the Democratic National Committee calmed them down. He left a group of more than 700 people cheering after his short talk in the Orpheum Theatre on State Street.
This was after state Democrats barely avoided a fiasco, having rented only the theater lobby - capacity less than 150 - for the short-notice "grassroots" fundraiser.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=46832&ntpid=4
Not that the chairman of the Democratic National Committee calmed them down. He left a group of more than 700 people cheering after his short talk in the Orpheum Theatre on State Street.
This was after state Democrats barely avoided a fiasco, having rented only the theater lobby - capacity less than 150 - for the short-notice "grassroots" fundraiser.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=46832&ntpid=4
Repercussions of War....
Iraqi civilian casualties
By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published July 12, 2005
BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi humanitarian organization is reporting that 128,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion began in March 2003.
Mafkarat al-Islam reported that chairman of the 'Iraqiyun humanitarian organization in Baghdad, Dr. Hatim al-'Alwani, said that the toll includes everyone who has been killed since that time, adding that 55 percent of those killed have been women and children aged 12 and under.
'Iraqiyun obtained data from relatives and families of the deceased, as well as from Iraqi hospitals in all the country's provinces. The 128,000 figure only includes those whose relatives have been informed of their deaths and does not include those were abducted, assassinated or simply disappeared.
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050712-122153-5519r
How is your Congessmember responding:
John Nichols: State Dems rate high in peace report
Two Wisconsin representatives, Madison's Tammy Baldwin and Milwaukee's Gwen Moore, are among the most consistently anti-war members of the current Congress.
The Peace Majority Report, an online publication that works with a broad array of anti-war groups from Veterans for Peace to Military Families Speak Out and Pax Christi, has developed a scorecard that reviews the votes of members of the U.S. House and Senate on issues of war and peace.
Baldwin, who is usually considered to be the most anti-war member of the Wisconsin delegation, earned an impressive score of 89 percent
But Baldwin fell slightly behind Moore, who was elected last fall and so far is maintaining a 92 percent pro-peace score.
Sen. Russ Feingold earned a solid 77 percent pro-peace rating, while Democrat Sen. Herb Kohl had 62 percent.
Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, rated a credible 72 percent.
Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, the most conservative Democrat in the Wisconsin delegation, clocked in with a less-impressive 53 percent
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, scored only 21 percent.
Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, got 20 percent.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, was at 13 percent.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, brought up the rear with just 12 percent.
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=46897&ntpid=1
By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published July 12, 2005
BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi humanitarian organization is reporting that 128,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion began in March 2003.
Mafkarat al-Islam reported that chairman of the 'Iraqiyun humanitarian organization in Baghdad, Dr. Hatim al-'Alwani, said that the toll includes everyone who has been killed since that time, adding that 55 percent of those killed have been women and children aged 12 and under.
'Iraqiyun obtained data from relatives and families of the deceased, as well as from Iraqi hospitals in all the country's provinces. The 128,000 figure only includes those whose relatives have been informed of their deaths and does not include those were abducted, assassinated or simply disappeared.
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050712-122153-5519r
How is your Congessmember responding:
John Nichols: State Dems rate high in peace report
Two Wisconsin representatives, Madison's Tammy Baldwin and Milwaukee's Gwen Moore, are among the most consistently anti-war members of the current Congress.
The Peace Majority Report, an online publication that works with a broad array of anti-war groups from Veterans for Peace to Military Families Speak Out and Pax Christi, has developed a scorecard that reviews the votes of members of the U.S. House and Senate on issues of war and peace.
Baldwin, who is usually considered to be the most anti-war member of the Wisconsin delegation, earned an impressive score of 89 percent
But Baldwin fell slightly behind Moore, who was elected last fall and so far is maintaining a 92 percent pro-peace score.
Sen. Russ Feingold earned a solid 77 percent pro-peace rating, while Democrat Sen. Herb Kohl had 62 percent.
Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, rated a credible 72 percent.
Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, the most conservative Democrat in the Wisconsin delegation, clocked in with a less-impressive 53 percent
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, scored only 21 percent.
Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, got 20 percent.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, was at 13 percent.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, brought up the rear with just 12 percent.
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=46897&ntpid=1
7.09.2005
Invasion of the Business-Speakers
MSNBC has a great interview with Don Watson, author of "Death Sentences: How Cliches, Weasel Words and Management-Speak are Strangling Public Language." I haven't read the book, but it has been added to my list.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514826/site/newsweek/
Working in a professional atmospheree, I have always thought that 'business speak' is crazy. There is no word I hate more than 'proactive.' What does that really mean?
For everyone that has ever giggled at a memo, here are some great excerpts and examples:
Does it infuriate you that everyone, from the local pastor to your kids school principal, seems to have a mission statement touting their core values.
He laments the fact that librarians are now referred to as: information needs identifiers, and that his 12-year-old granddaughters report card said that she had developed a variety of products in history class. He cites a John Deere tractor safety notice that warns customers to lock the brake or unexpected non-powered tractor movement may occur.
We are all customers. Even the CIA talks about having internal clients. Im quite sure that in another iteration, the Army will talk about enemy clients. Once they decide were all customers then the consequences for basic relationships in civil society are not good.
I think it happened when we decided to a greater or lesser extent that we live in an economy, not a society. Its become badge of honor for people in their professional lives so theyll bring it home with them. Soon theyll be saying: Were going to watch 'The Wizard of Oz' together in a family scenario.
In the book, you quote President George W. Bush as saying: We need to counter the shockwave of the evildoer by having individual rate cuts accelerated and by thinking about tax rebates.
Ive collected examples that people have sent in on the Web site [www.weaselwords.com.au]. One of my favorites is from a high-school [evaluation]: Just as the skill and processes are not compartmentalized in the creation process, the evaluation of outcomes will occur against a background of understanding that separation of outcomes into discrete components is subordinate to the evaluation of the total process as a comprehensive outcome. Nobody has any idea what that means.
When you turn language into an assembly line, you take all the potential out of it. You can't write a poem in this language. You cant tell a joke, you can't convey feeling. You can't discover new meanings. This writing is incapable of taking you anywhere. It's deliberately circumscribed. It's almost an abuse of human rights.
Here's how we beat it:
How do we fight this abuse of language, or as you say, become a refusenik? When people use this jargon, ask them what they really mean.
But, there is hope:
Even after all the harm that American corporations have done to the language, there's still Mark Twain. Americans do great good for the language; they keep it alive and moving.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514826/site/newsweek/
Working in a professional atmospheree, I have always thought that 'business speak' is crazy. There is no word I hate more than 'proactive.' What does that really mean?
For everyone that has ever giggled at a memo, here are some great excerpts and examples:
Does it infuriate you that everyone, from the local pastor to your kids school principal, seems to have a mission statement touting their core values.
He laments the fact that librarians are now referred to as: information needs identifiers, and that his 12-year-old granddaughters report card said that she had developed a variety of products in history class. He cites a John Deere tractor safety notice that warns customers to lock the brake or unexpected non-powered tractor movement may occur.
We are all customers. Even the CIA talks about having internal clients. Im quite sure that in another iteration, the Army will talk about enemy clients. Once they decide were all customers then the consequences for basic relationships in civil society are not good.
I think it happened when we decided to a greater or lesser extent that we live in an economy, not a society. Its become badge of honor for people in their professional lives so theyll bring it home with them. Soon theyll be saying: Were going to watch 'The Wizard of Oz' together in a family scenario.
In the book, you quote President George W. Bush as saying: We need to counter the shockwave of the evildoer by having individual rate cuts accelerated and by thinking about tax rebates.
Ive collected examples that people have sent in on the Web site [www.weaselwords.com.au]. One of my favorites is from a high-school [evaluation]: Just as the skill and processes are not compartmentalized in the creation process, the evaluation of outcomes will occur against a background of understanding that separation of outcomes into discrete components is subordinate to the evaluation of the total process as a comprehensive outcome. Nobody has any idea what that means.
When you turn language into an assembly line, you take all the potential out of it. You can't write a poem in this language. You cant tell a joke, you can't convey feeling. You can't discover new meanings. This writing is incapable of taking you anywhere. It's deliberately circumscribed. It's almost an abuse of human rights.
Here's how we beat it:
How do we fight this abuse of language, or as you say, become a refusenik? When people use this jargon, ask them what they really mean.
But, there is hope:
Even after all the harm that American corporations have done to the language, there's still Mark Twain. Americans do great good for the language; they keep it alive and moving.
7.05.2005
Guess Who's a Democrat?
Katie Couric: I read, though, that you're a Democrat. Is that true?
Rev. Billy Graham: Yes. I am.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8326362/
Also here:
Graham called the Clintons "wonderful friends" and "a great couple," quipping that the former president should become an evangelist and allow "his wife to run the country."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050626/ap_on_re_us/billy_graham_14
Looks like Rev. Graham read into the New Testament as well.....
Rev. Billy Graham: Yes. I am.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8326362/
Also here:
Graham called the Clintons "wonderful friends" and "a great couple," quipping that the former president should become an evangelist and allow "his wife to run the country."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050626/ap_on_re_us/billy_graham_14
Looks like Rev. Graham read into the New Testament as well.....
"The people of Wisconsin have lost a true progressive..."
Joe Wineke's statement on our loss:
Statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on the Passing of Gaylord Nelson
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Contact: Jessica Erickson (608) 255-5172 x 406 (voice) (608) 255-8919 (fax)
MADISON -- Joe Wineke, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, released the following statement today on the passing of former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson:
"The people of Wisconsin have lost a true progressive -- a champion of the environment, of civil rights and liberties, who helped make our great state a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
"Gaylord Nelson was a man of humble origins who went on to accomplish great things, yet never forgot his Wisconsin roots. He was a man of principle and passion, who was committed to public service and the work that needed to be done to keep Wisconsin progressive. He was part of an remarkable group of people who built the modern Democratic Party, and his influence remains strong today.
"As a politician, he possessed both the willingness and the ability to work across party lines for the common good. Even as he debated vigorously with those across the aisle, he still showed his political opponents respect, admiration, and friendship.
"Gaylord Nelson is best known as the founder of Earth Day and the modern environmentalist movement. As a young boy growing up in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, his love and respect for the environment grew -- and only deepened throughout his 89 years. He recognized long before most politicians the passion the American people felt for the environment -- and the importance of preserving our natural world for future generations. And he succeeded in placing the environment on the national political agenda.
"Nelson’s influence, however, was much more far-reaching. He was not only a champion of the environment, but also of civil rights, civil liberties, and consumer protection. As a U.S. Senator, he fought on behalf of small businesses and Wisconsin dairy farmers. He worked to fight poverty, and provide jobs and training for struggling workers.
"And even as his health declined in recent years, he continued the fight to protect the environment, calling on President Bush and Congress this past Earth Day to provide real leadership on environmental issues. He kept up the battle because, as he said, ‘our work’s not done.’
"Our work is not done. And it is up to us to pick up the torch Gaylord Nelson long carried, and fill the enormous shoes he left behind.
"Gaylord Nelson’s life is an inspiration to all Americans -- and we are proud to call him a Wisconsin son. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Nelson family as we remember his life of service and sacrifice."
http://wisdems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&id=580598&PHPSESSID=cedcaa1effed523639ab933c0045062e
We were discussing the life and legacy of Gaylord Nelson at an event Sunday night. I found out we have a member of the Winnebago Dems who has been trout fishing with Gaylord Nelson.
What an experience that must have been.
Statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on the Passing of Gaylord Nelson
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Contact: Jessica Erickson (608) 255-5172 x 406 (voice) (608) 255-8919 (fax)
MADISON -- Joe Wineke, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, released the following statement today on the passing of former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson:
"The people of Wisconsin have lost a true progressive -- a champion of the environment, of civil rights and liberties, who helped make our great state a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
"Gaylord Nelson was a man of humble origins who went on to accomplish great things, yet never forgot his Wisconsin roots. He was a man of principle and passion, who was committed to public service and the work that needed to be done to keep Wisconsin progressive. He was part of an remarkable group of people who built the modern Democratic Party, and his influence remains strong today.
"As a politician, he possessed both the willingness and the ability to work across party lines for the common good. Even as he debated vigorously with those across the aisle, he still showed his political opponents respect, admiration, and friendship.
"Gaylord Nelson is best known as the founder of Earth Day and the modern environmentalist movement. As a young boy growing up in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, his love and respect for the environment grew -- and only deepened throughout his 89 years. He recognized long before most politicians the passion the American people felt for the environment -- and the importance of preserving our natural world for future generations. And he succeeded in placing the environment on the national political agenda.
"Nelson’s influence, however, was much more far-reaching. He was not only a champion of the environment, but also of civil rights, civil liberties, and consumer protection. As a U.S. Senator, he fought on behalf of small businesses and Wisconsin dairy farmers. He worked to fight poverty, and provide jobs and training for struggling workers.
"And even as his health declined in recent years, he continued the fight to protect the environment, calling on President Bush and Congress this past Earth Day to provide real leadership on environmental issues. He kept up the battle because, as he said, ‘our work’s not done.’
"Our work is not done. And it is up to us to pick up the torch Gaylord Nelson long carried, and fill the enormous shoes he left behind.
"Gaylord Nelson’s life is an inspiration to all Americans -- and we are proud to call him a Wisconsin son. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Nelson family as we remember his life of service and sacrifice."
http://wisdems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&id=580598&PHPSESSID=cedcaa1effed523639ab933c0045062e
We were discussing the life and legacy of Gaylord Nelson at an event Sunday night. I found out we have a member of the Winnebago Dems who has been trout fishing with Gaylord Nelson.
What an experience that must have been.
Governor Doyle Announces State of Wisconsin Will End Fiscal Year With a Positive Balance
Governor Jim Doyle today announced that the State of Wisconsin will finish the fiscal year (FY) in the black with an estimated balance of about $6 million. After Governor Doyle inherited a $3.2 billion deficit, FY05 marks the second consecutive year that the State of Wisconsin has been back in the black under Governor Doyle's leadership.
"When I came into office, I inherited a $3.2 billion dollar deficit -- the largest per capita deficit in the country," Governor Doyle said. "It was a hole so large no one thought it could be fixed without huge tax increases ... but by rolling up o! ur sleeves and cutting wasteful spending, we protected our core priorities like education, balanced the budget, and didn't raise a single tax."
http://wisdems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&id=580122
While I may not always agree with his spending priorities, you cannot argue with his success in keeping his promise to balance Wisconsin's budget.
"When I came into office, I inherited a $3.2 billion dollar deficit -- the largest per capita deficit in the country," Governor Doyle said. "It was a hole so large no one thought it could be fixed without huge tax increases ... but by rolling up o! ur sleeves and cutting wasteful spending, we protected our core priorities like education, balanced the budget, and didn't raise a single tax."
http://wisdems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&id=580122
While I may not always agree with his spending priorities, you cannot argue with his success in keeping his promise to balance Wisconsin's budget.
Gersh is Gone...
I have enjoyed Gersh Kuntzman's humor/interest column on MSNBC for awhile. This week he published his final one:
Parting Shots
My brand of liberalism has been called wacky, but now it’s the GOP that’s gone crazy on us.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8475067/site/newsweek/
I'll miss you, Gersh.
Parting Shots
My brand of liberalism has been called wacky, but now it’s the GOP that’s gone crazy on us.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8475067/site/newsweek/
I'll miss you, Gersh.
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