Here's a headline we can expect to see in Oshkosh over and over again...

...unfortunately:

Schneider, Becker Unhappy With ... (fill in the blank)

Headline should read "Cheney Continues Lying To America"

Granted, the sub-headline kinda does say that...

Cheney reasserts al-Qaida-Saddam connection

Vice president’s words come as latest Pentagon report again dismisses link

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his assertions of al-Qaida links to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq on Thursday as the Defense Department released a report citing more evidence that the prewar government did not cooperate with the terrorist group.

OshNW Letter Writer Gets It Wrong - Walter Reed Scandal Caused by Private Sector Healthcare, not Public

In today's OshNW, a letter writer blamed 'National Healthcare' for the scandalous treatment of our troops at Walter Reed.

These past few weeks there have been disclosures of substandard medical care of our military personnel at the Walter Reed Medical Center. Be honest. Are we really surprised by this information? This medical facility is run by our government. Turn anything over to the "leadership" in Washington and this is what you get!

I wish this letter writer would have done more research in the matter. If he had, he would have learned that it was by turning the operations of the Walter Reed facility to private interests that caused the decrease in quality of the care.

An Army contract to privatize maintenance at Walter Reed Medical Center was delayed more than three years amid bureaucratic bickering and legal squabbles that led to staff shortages and a hospital in disarray just as the number of severely wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan was rising rapidly.

Documents from the investigative and auditing arm of Congress map a trail of bid, rebid, protests and appeals between 2003, when Walter Reed was first selected for outsourcing, and 2006, when a five-year, $120 million contract was finally awarded.

The disputes involved hospital management, the Pentagon, Congress and IAP Worldwide Services Inc., a company with powerful political connections and the only private bidder to handle maintenance, security, public works and management of military personnel.

While medical care was not directly affected, needed repairs went undone as the non-medical staff shrank from almost 300 to less than 50 in the last year and hospital officials were unable to find enough skilled replacements.

Smoking Bans Protect Workers...

... no matter what the workplace is.

From the OshNW:

According to the health departments, Researchers with the U.W. Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Program "sampled 840 bartenders working in Madison and Appleton and found that, not only had their exposure to second hand smoke dramatically decreased" in the months following both cities' workplace smoking bans, but also that "the change in working conditions resulted in measurable and statistically significant improvement for eight upper respiratory symptoms, including cough, wheezing and sore throat."

I have always argued that smoking bans are for the workers. It is the same as an employer being required to have accessible doors.

Right now, someone with a breathing disorder can not work in a bar or restaurant. It is the same as if an office did not install a ramp.

You can not use the argument that "they can work somewhere else." It is wrong.

Also, if an employer allowed hazardous chemicals to leak in the water and air of an office or manufacturing complex, they would be rightly fined and hopefully criminally prosecuted.

Why is that OK in a bar or restaurant?

As America moves more and more towards a service economy, we need to place the same standards on all workplaces.

Doonesbury on Troop Support

Amen! Wineke on WMC:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jason A. Stephany, Political Director

April 4, 2007

608) 260-2408
StephanyJ@dnc.org

WMC: Partisan Hacks, Job Killers

Unofficial Independent Expenditure arm of the Republican Party gathers in Madison today

MADISON – As Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) kicks off their annual “business day” in Madison, Democratic Party Chairman Joe Wineke questioned what, exactly, the Republican front-group has accomplished for Wisconsin businesses.

“What has WMC done to grow the economy or create jobs in Wisconsin?” Wineke asked. “The answer is simple: nothing. WMC is too busy dragging our political process into the gutter and spending millions of dollars in negative campaign advertisements to worry about a positive business climate in our state.”

According to studies by several non-partisan watch-dog groups, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spent more than $4.5 million dollars in negative advertising in 2006 – targeting Democratic candidates for Attorney General, Governor, and the State Legislature. WMC continued its spending spree into 2007, buying the Supreme Court race with over $1.5 million worth of misleading attack ads against candidate Linda Clifford. Their spending on actual pro-business efforts pales by comparison.

“WMC’s spin-team will tell you that they’re not interested in campaigns, but the numbers don’t lie,” Wineke observed. “Nasty, negative campaigns are just about the only thing they’re interested in. If I was a WMC member, I’d start to wonder where my dues are going.”

By contrast, the Doyle Administration has worked with members of both parties, Chambers of Commerce, and business owners around the state to invest in our economy and bring thousands of family-family supporting jobs back to our communities.

“Given the choice between a bunch of Republican hacks who have done nothing to grow the economy and an Administration with a proven track record of job growth, I know which one I’d put my money on,” Wineke concluded.

Authorized and Paid For By the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Joe Wineke, Chair

Esslingergate, or It's Not the Crime, It's the Coverup II

The Northwestern covers my complaint about Mr. Esslinger's use of city resources for campaigning here.

A link to the city's Web site in an Oshkosh mayoral candidate's online web advertisement has resulted in a complaint to the Winnebago County District Attorney's office and changes to other candidate Web sites.

Oshkosh resident Jef Hall filed a complaint this week about an ad for mayoral candidate Paul Esslinger on The Northwestern's Web site. That ad for Esslinger, a current member of the city council, linked to Esslinger's biography on the city's Web site. Hall's complaint questioned whether the link meant that Esslinger was using city resources for campaigning.

They go on to explain that the link has changed (click here to read my take on that). Then there is this gem:

Esslinger said he consulted with the Wisconsin State Elections Board about the legality of the link before making the link part of his ad.

A spokesman for the State Elections Board said Thursday that there is no definitive answer about this issue.

(bold emphasis mine, not in the article)

That seemed odd to me. Kent Monte, who's blog is hosting the new Esslinger Bio link stated that:

Yesterday afternoon, it was pointed out that there may be an election violation with an advertisement on the ONW website front page. After confirming with the City Attorney and the SEB that although it COULD be considered a violation it would be difficult to prove that 50 hits came directly from that link. Rather than take a chance, I set up a biography on this site to allow the ONW to link to it rather than the city site.

The seems 100% contradictory to me. Mr. Esslinger claims, in a statement to a Northwestern reporter, to have called the SEB before making the link (which happened last Sat - Mar 24), while Monte claims they did not call them until after I filed my complaint, Wed - Mar 28.

So, I called the SEB back... I spoke to Kyle Richmond, the same person that Bethany Warner from the Northwestern spoke to for her story. He indicated to me that Mr. Esslinger did call in and speak with Richard Bohringer, the gentleman I spoke with previously and also with their Legal Council, George Dunst.

But, those conversations took place this week, after I made the complaint.

Once again, Paul Esslinger lied to cover-up.

Mr. Richmond stated he heard of no call to an SEB staff member about the Oshkosh Mayor's race inquiring about this issue before my call this week.

Mr. Esslinger, it falls to you... Did you make this call you claim? When? To whom?

Or are you trying to deceive Oshkosh voters for just long enough until the election Tuesday?

How to Spot a Fake - Monte/Esslinger Edition (it's not the crime, it's the coverup...)

As I have pointed out in previous posts, Kent Monte sometimes has a problem with the truth, and likes to change history on his blog. He has been known to post, then change the post without attributing the update, and then delete all together to hide his mistakes and lies.

Well, today he seems to be working with Paul Esslinger to attempt to provide cover for Paul Esslinger using of city resources for campaigning. Because Monte cannot be trusted to keep the posts on his blog as he originally put them up, I have saved the screen captures below:

How to spot a lie on Blogger:

After I filed my complaint, Esslinger had the banner link changed to Kent Monte's website and a post copying the City's website bio. Here is a screenshot (you might have to click on it to see the bigger version to read):

Esslinger/Monte want you to believe that this post has resided on Monte's blogsite since Jan 1, 2007, the obvious date of the post (second circle). However, Blogger has a standard for publishing posts. They put the year and month it was created in the URL (first circle). It is plain to see that even though Esslinger/Monte want the readers to believe that this post was put up on Jan 1, 07 it was actually published in March of 2007.

In fact, it even gets sillier.....

This blog didn't even exist in Jan 2007. As Monte admits below, the blog was created and the first post made on Feb 21, 2007. In this post (pictured below), you can see that the date of Feb 21, 2007 is plainly heading the post (2nd circle), that the year/month of the post is plain in the URL (first circle) and Monte writes that this is, in fact, the first time he is posting to this site (3rd circle).

Esslinger and Monte are trying to cover up using taxpayer resources with a lie to all of Oshkosh. Monte's posts on this are here and here, but I don't expect them to stay there very long. If the links disappear, that means the cover-up is continuing...

I think it is time to expect more out of our City Councilors - and much, much more out of a Mayor.

Oshkosh Mayoral Candidate Paul Esslinger is using city resources for campaign purposes

Below is the text of a complaint that I filed with the Winnebago County District Attorney's Office regarding Oshkosh Mayoral Candidate Paul Esslinger's use of city resources for campaign purposes:

Complaint - Oshkosh Mayoral Candidate Paul Esslinger is using city resources for campaign purposes.

1. Oshkosh Mayoral Candidate Paul Esslinger has purchased banner advertising on the Oshkosh Northwestern homepage (http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage).

2. The link provided when clicking on the banner advertisement sends the user to Paul Esslinger's biography on the City of Oshkosh website (http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Esslinger.htm).

Note: This does not happen when you click on the 'badge' advertisement (smaller square adds within the content of stories) for Mr. Esslinger, only on the 'banner' advertising (long thin banners on the homepage).

3. I spoke with an advertising sales person at the Northwestern, it was indicated to me that the candidates who purchase advertising chose where the links direct users. This person also indicated that they guarantee the purchaser of the advertising 25,000 impressions in the week that it is displayed.

4. I spoke with an election specialist at the Wisconsin State Elections Board who indicated that (while there is currently no precedent for internet links) this could fall under the prohibition of using city newsletters and business cards in electioneering. In such a case, it would become a violation when there were 50 or more instances of use. Looking at the guaranteed 25,000 impressions, a 'click rate' of 0.2% would result in a violation.

5. By using the city resources as a web presence, Mr. Esslinger is using taxpayer and government resources to save his campaign the expense of website hosting and construction. He is using these city resources as a contact point for campaign activities as his contact information is listed in the biography. This is an advantage that his competitor does not have. His competitor is required to expend campaign resources for this purpose.

6. Mr. Esslinger gains a false sense of credibility by using the city website for this biography. If he were using a true campaign website requiring disclosure that the copy was provided by the campaign, the reader would know this was a campaign biography they were reading. The city does not indicate who provided the copy. His competitor for the office does not have this opportunity.

Conclusion: Mr. Esslinger's use of the City website to provide a campaign biography and contact information is a violation of campaign rules. It also provides an unfair advantage and campaign funds saving that is not provided to his competitor at taxpayer/city expense.

Another Step To Irish Peace

Here is the story.

Good news about the power-sharing agreement. But the public statements from the Democratic Unionist leader contrasts heavily the Republicans:

"We've all come a very long way in the process of peace making and national reconciliation,” said Adams, the republican leader of Sinn Fein. “We are very conscious of the many people who have suffered. We owe it to them to build the best future possible.” Paisley, the Democratic Unionist preacher-leader known as “Dr. No” for his stubbornness, seemed to agree: “We must not allow our justified loathing for the horrors and tragedies of the past to become a barrier to creating a better and more stable future for our children.”

Let's hope this ends with a positive result, finally.

The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations

No politics, just a song that you need to hear.

Ziegler Hall of Shame Part 2 - Republicans

As I originally outlined in this post, any elected official or community leader that has endorsed Ziegler for Judge should be contacted and questioned about this decision.

When these DA's & Sheriffs run for re-election, remember that they stood behind someone that flaunted the rules of Wisconsin's Courts. Now is the chance for them to do the right thing.

In the interest of being fair and balanced, here are the Republicans:

Republicans:
Sheriffs:
Brown - Dennis Kocken
Burnett - Dean Roland
Calumet - Gerald Pagel
Clark - Louis Rosandich
Dodge - Todd Nehls
Door - Terry Vogel
Eau Claire - Ron Cramer
Florence - Jeff Rickaby
Grant - Keith Govier
Green - Randy Roderick
Green Lake - Mark Podoll
Iowa - Steven Michek
Jefferson - Paul Milbrath
Juneau - Brent Oleson
Kenosha - David Beth
La Crosse - Steven Helgeson
LaFayette - Scott Pedley
Lincoln - Jeffrey Jaeger
Marinette - Jim Kanikula
Marquette - Kim Gaffney
Outagamie - Brad Gehring
Ozaukee - Maury Straub
Sauk - Randy Stammen
Sawyer - James Meier
Shawano - Randy Wright
St. Croix - Dennis Hillstead
Vernon - Gene Cary
Walworth - Dave Graves
Washburn - Terry Dryden
Washington - Dale Schmidt
Waukesha - Daniel Trawicki
Waupaca - Brad Hardel

DA's
Ashland - Sean Duffy
Brown - John Zakowski
Calumet - Ken Kratz
Dodge - Steve Bauer
Door - Ray Pelrine
Dunn - James Peterson
Eau Claire - Richard White
Florence - Doug Drexler
Fond du Lac - Thomas Storm
Forest - Leon Stenz
Grant - Lisa Riniker
Green - Gary Luhman
Jefferson - David Wambach
Juneau - Scott Southworth
La Crosse - Scott Horne
Marquette - Richard Dufour
Monroe - Dan Cary
Oconto - Jay Conley
Outagamie - Carrie Schneider
Ozaukee - Sandy Williams
Racine - Michael Nieskes
Sauk - Patricia A. Barrett
St. Croix - Eric Johnson
Taylor - Karl Kelz
Vernon - Tim Gaskell
Vilas - Al Moustakis
Washburn - Mike Bitney
Washington - Todd Martens
Waukesha - Brad Schimel
Waushara - Scott Blader
Winnebago - Christian Gossett
Wood - Todd Wolf

Ziegler Corruption Timeline

Click here for the full time-line as well as the changing excuses (lies) from both Ziegler and Mark Graul.

Jan. 31: The liberal One Wisconsin Now Action group reports that as a Washington County Circuit Court judge, Ziegler was handling a case involving Wal-Mart, in which she owns up to $100,000 in stock.
Feb. 9: Ziegler withdraws from the Wal-Mart case, citing "an appearance of impropriety."
Feb. 15: Jay Bullock reports on his blog, "folkbum's rambles and rants," that Ziegler has presided over cases involving West Bend Savings Bank, where her husband, J.J. Ziegler, is a director
March 1: Ziegler campaign manager Mark Graul tells the Wisconsin State Journal that Ziegler's practice was to notify the parties of conflicts of interest and get their permission to continue overseeing the West Bend Savings cases
March 4: The State Journal reports that contrary to the state Judicial Code of Conduct and Graul's statement, Ziegler did not withdraw from at least four West Bend Savings cases nor notify the parties of her conflict. Ziegler responded that most of the cases were uncontested and some never reached her desk but were handled by a clerk
March 5: Ziegler tells an audience in Spring Green that she uses a "gut check" to determine whether she has a conflict of interest. She said "any judge ruling on those would've ruled the exact same way" and that neither she nor her husband got "one single penny or one single advantage for any decision in any of those cases."
March 6: The State Journal reports that in 46 West Bend Savings cases, Ziegler neither withdrew nor notified the parties of her conflict. The newspaper also reports that Ziegler presided over at least five cases involving United Heathcare, a
company in which she owns at least $50,000 in stock.
March 11: The State Journal reports that Ziegler has presided over 22 cases involving companies in which she owns $50,000 or more in stock without withdrawing or notifying the parties of her potential conflict. The newspaper also reports that in a 2000 opinion, the Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee advised that recusal would be required when a judge owns $20,000 in stock.

Some Figures From Paul Krugman

Why Dems are on the rise while Repubs continue to fall:

Consider, for example, the question of whether the government should provide fewer services in order to cut spending, or provide more services even if this requires higher spending. According to the American National Election Studies, in 1994, the year the Republicans began their 12-year control of Congress, those who favored smaller government had the edge, by 36 to 27. By 2004, however, those in favor of bigger government had a 43-to-20 lead.

And public opinion seems to have taken a particularly strong turn in favor of universal health care. Gallup reports that 69 percent of the public believes that “it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage,” up from 59 percent in 2000.

The main force driving this shift to the left is probably rising income inequality. According to Pew, there has recently been a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans who agree with the statement that “the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.” Interestingly, the big increase in disgruntlement over rising inequality has come among the relatively well off — those making more than $75,000 a year.

Read the rest here (sub required).

Big Day for Birthdays, Today in History

I love the NYTimes 'On This Day' feature - here are some highlights for today:

Birthdays:

77 - Sandra Day O'Connor - Former Supreme Court justice
76 - Leonard Nimoy - Actor (''Star Trek'')
73 - Alan Arkin - Actro
67 - James Caan - Actor
67 - Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the US House of Representatives
64 - Bob Woodward - Journalist
63 - Diana Ross - Singer
59 - Steven TylerRock singer (Aerosmith)
54 - Elaine Chao - Secretary of Labor
54 - Lincoln Chafee - Former U.S. senator, R-R.I.
47 - Marcus Allen - Football Hall of Famer
47 - Jennifer Grey - Actress ("Dirty Dancing")
45 - John Stockton - Basketball player
41 - Michael Imperioli - Actor ("The Sopranos")
22 - Keira Knightley - Actress

89 - Robert Frost - 3/26/1874 - 1/29/1963 - American poet
71 - Tennessee Williams - 3/26/1911 - 2/25/1983 - American dramatist and author

Quote of the Day - From David Brooks?

The Consevative Columnist Gets One Right:

The president says he will allow White House staff to appear before Congress, but not in public, not under oath and not with a transcript. The president apparently expects his supporters to rally behind the sacred cause of No Transcript. In time of war, he’s decided to expend political capital so that his staffers can lie to Congress without legal consequences.

Ziegler Hall of Shame Part 1 - Democrats

I have been tossing the Judge Ziegler controversy around in my head for a few days, and there is one question that I just don't seem to be able to answer:

Why does she still have such a long list of endorsers?

A quick recap:

As a Judge in Washington County, Ziegler has repeatedly and blatantly flaunted judicial ethics. Time and again she has ruled on cases where she has a substantial personal economic interest. The most outrageous being cases involving West Bend Savings Bank. Her husband sits on the board of the bank (a paid position), they lease office space to the bank, and have recieved more than $3 million in loans from the institution (Progressive Majority has the details). Yet she did not recuse herself from more than 70 cases before her.

She also has heard arguments for United HealthCare, in which she owns stock worth more than $50,000.

In fact, Progressive Majority has dug up at least 121 cases incolving companies that she owns a total of more than $300,000 dollars in stock that have come before her, yet she has not a single recusal.

So, we know that Annette Ziegler does not have the ethical make-up to be on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a body that should be investigating her lapses.

Why then, does she still have a long list of endorsers? I would like to encourage those in the blogosphere to contact the people she has listed as endorsers and find out if they stand by her ethical decisions.

Here is a list of Democratic elected officials that have endorsed her unethical behavior. Contact them today. Also, remember when they are up for election that they condone unethical behavior in judges.

Democratic:
Sheriffs
Barron - Thomas Richie
Bayfield - Robert Follis
Dunn - Dennis Smith
Langlade - William Greening
Milwaukee - David Clarke
Oneida - Jeff Hoffman
Pepin - John Andrews
Pierce - Nancy Hove
Polk - Tim Moore
Portage - John Charewicz
Rusk - David Kaminski
Taylor - Bruce Daniels
Trempealeau - Richard Anderson
Wood County - Tom Reichert

DA’s
Barron - Angela Holmstrom
Burnett - Kenneth Kutz
Clark - Darwin Zwieg
Crawford - Tim Baxter
Douglas - Dan Blank
Jackson - Gerald Fox
Langlade - Ralph Uttke
Milwaukee - John Chisholm
Rusk - Kathleen Pakes

I will follow up with Republicans and local Judges. I will be contacting my local officials, please contact yours.

Urge them to put out a public statement refuting Ziegler's lack of ethics.

The Northwestern Gets it all Wrong (An Open Letter)

Dearest Oshkosh Northwestern,

Look, I understand you are just trying to appear fair and balanced - but you messed it all up again. I'm sure you are all bright enough to really get it, so let's look at what today's editorial should have said.

In this, you made the point that Mark Green's illegal money transfer is the same thing as a Doyle donor being indicted for diverting contributions to the campaign. You surmise that both are corrupt.

Seriously, Democrats, Republicans both: Each of your top party people have been in or are in hot water.

This is not true. Let's look at the facts of these cases.

Mark Green, HIMSELF, decided to illegally transfer federal money into a state account. When he was told that it was against the law, he PERSONALLY flaunted the law and took the matter to the State Elections Board. They declared that he was, in fact in violation of the law. Mark Green agreed that he had in fact violated the regulation PERSONALLY (or why would he have agreed to the sanction).

Meanwhile - a contributor to Gov. Doyle, without the campaign's knowledge, launched an alleged scheme to give money to the campaign by paying his relatives. It is the contributor - a private individual - not a member of the campaign that may have violated the law. Neither Doyle nor any of his campaign staff were implicated (many stories mentioned that the Doyle campaign was cooperating in the investigation). It is not illegal for Doyle to accept donations. None of the donations were over a legal limit per person. All alleged illegal activity occurred before any money entered the Doyle campaign and they had any control over the situation.

The difference is stark and clear. In the Mark Green case, he PERSONALLY made the decision to break the law and flaunt it with lawsuits. Gov. Doyle has done nothing illegal, and is assisting in the prosecution of a contributor.

Dearest Northwestern, I would hope that you would clarify this point in a future issue.

I will be holding my breath.

Sincerely,

-jef-

P.S. You also insinuate that there has been pay-to-play casino deal with the Troha contributions to Doyle. This is also untrue. There is no casino deal in Kenosha, and many feel the deal is as good as dead. If you check your own reporting, you will see that the only politician that has gone pay-to-play with Troha is Republican Paul Ryan:

The latest investigation into Troha involves a deal he signed in 2005 with JHT Holdings, the conglomerate he used to own. Under the deal, his consulting firm was to receive money each year until June 2010 if federal lawmakers passed a measure easing truck hauling regulations.
...
Officials for Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., confirmed the lawmakers offered the amendment. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., signed a letter to Young and Oberstar and one to the Federal Highway Administration supporting the amendment.
...
Troha and his family and friends have given $58,802 to Ryan since he first ran for Congress in 1998, records showed.

To recap - as of the publishing of this editorial:

1. Mark Green has admitted (by agreeing to the settlement) that he attempted to violate Federal Campaign Finance law.

2. Paul Ryan accepted money from Troha and helped pass a law that resulted in an immediate profit for Troha. Ryan felt so guilty about it, he donated the money (therefore also admitting guilt).

3. Gov. Doyle has been accused of no wrongdoing, his campaign has aided in the investigation and Troha has seen no benefit from the contributions to the campaign.

Yet, Democrats and Republican are equally guilty?

My breath is still being held.

A Question of Priorities

A story on the Northwestern's website:

Community raising funds for puppy's surgery
Bones broken when dog
was hit by van

An east-side Green Bay puppy's fate lies in the balance as the community rallies to raise money needed for surgery after a van hit her last week.

Pepper, a 9-month-old Lab-Springer mix, bounded out through a door not latched securely on March 14 and ran into the street to visit the neighbor children.
...
Veterinarians at Animal House Pet Clinic, 3171 Voyager Drive, Bellevue, stabilized Pepper, but she would need to go elsewhere for more high-tech surgery, which will involve plates and pins on both hind legs. The surgery could range from $2,000 to $5,000...
...
Kelly Winters, a west-side resident and self-professed animal lover, heard about the dog on Monday and sent out a series of e-mails to her "animal-loving network of friends."

"I started getting immediate responses," Winters said, adding that she'd gotten several of her friends to commit to a small financial contribution by the end of the day.

While I cannot fault these kind residents their feelings for the injured puppy, I find myself thinking back to a story I recently posted as I read this:

Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.

A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.

If his mother had been insured.

If his family had not lost its Medicaid.

If Medicaid dentists weren't so hard to find.

As you think about the poor puppy's suffering, also reflect on the community at large. Where are our priorities?

Kinda Says It All...

The MJS sums up the entire Judicial race in 2 sentences:

The judicial ethics code says a judge must withdraw if his or her spouse is a director of a business involved in a case. Since 2004, Ziegler has handled two dozen cases involving West Bend Savings Bank, where her husband, J.J. Ziegler, is a director.

Are there any other questions?

Sick Day Payouts in the Private Sector?

Sick day payouts are almost non-existent for private sector employees, said John Metcalf, director of human resource policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

From this article in the MJS.

I have not done an in-depth study on this, but here is my personal experience:

Both of the full-time hourly employers that I have worked for in the private sector have allowed sick-day payouts. The difference being that they were in the same year.

If I was alotted 5 sick days in 2006, and only took 1 - I was payed out the remaining 4 in cash at the end of the year.

I do not have this benefit now. After I switched from an hourly position to a salary position, the perk was removed. However (and this is the key here...) it was replaced with a different benefit.

That way I did not lose in total compensation, I actually improved.

That is the rub in this discussion. If we take this benefit away, and we want to keep good people in place, what are we going to replace it with?

The American way is supposed to be fair pay for fair work. We offered these employees a position with defined benefits and wages that made up a compensation package. We cannot change those rules part-way through employment and after years of service.

It is unfair, it is un-American.

A Few Reasons I'm Glad Kagen Won...

The first few paragraphs of a Post-Crescent Story:

U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen plans to introduce legislation in Congress later this year for universal health care coverage.

His announcement to seniors at the Thompson Community Center on Friday came after he told them that he and U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., have introduced a bill to repeal the Medicare Part D late enrollment fee.

The bill, if approved, will be the first step to reform health care, he said.

Seniors who qualified to enroll in Medicare Part D but missed the May 2006 deadline and do not fall into a special enrollment period, pay 1 percent of the national average premium multiplied by the number of months they delayed enrollment.

"You shouldn't be fined for what the government can't explain to you," Kagen, D-Appleton, told a group of 30 seniors in attendance.

Additionally, Kagen said he has called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to grant Wisconsin a waiver to let SeniorCare continue.

NYTimes - 'Voter Fraud' is a Code Word:

In its fumbling attempts to explain the purge of United States attorneys, the Bush administration has argued that the fired prosecutors were not aggressive enough about addressing voter fraud. It is a phony argument; there is no evidence that any of them ignored real instances of voter fraud. But more than that, it is a window on what may be a major reason for some of the firings.

In partisan Republican circles, the pursuit of voter fraud is code for suppressing the votes of minorities and poor people. By resisting pressure to crack down on “fraud,” the fired United States attorneys actually appear to have been standing up for the integrity of the election system.
...
There is no evidence of rampant voter fraud in this country. Rather, Republicans under Mr. Bush have used such allegations as an excuse to suppress the votes of Democratic-leaning groups. They have intimidated Native American voter registration campaigners in South Dakota with baseless charges of fraud. They have pushed through harsh voter ID bills in states like Georgia and Missouri, both blocked by the courts, that were designed to make it hard for people who lack drivers’ licenses — who are disproportionately poor, elderly or members of minorities — to vote. Florida passed a law placing such onerous conditions on voter registration drives, which register many members of minorities and poor people, that the League of Women Voters of Florida suspended its registration work in the state.

The claims of vote fraud used to promote these measures usually fall apart on close inspection, as Mr. McKay saw. Missouri Republicans have long charged that St. Louis voters, by which they mean black voters, registered as living on vacant lots. But when The St. Louis Post-Dispatch checked, it found that thousands of people lived in buildings on lots that the city had erroneously classified as vacant.

Contractors (Mercenaries) in Iraq

History and information in this must-read article.

Unbeknownst to many Americans and largely off the Congressional radar, Blackwater has secured a position of remarkable power and protection within the US war apparatus. This company's success represents the realization of the life's work of the conservative officials who formed the core of the Bush Administration's war team, for whom radical privatization has long been a cherished ideological mission. Blackwater has repeatedly cited Rumsfeld's statement that contractors are part of the "Total Force" as evidence that it is a legitimate part of the nation's "warfighting capability and capacity." Invoking Rumsfeld's designation, the company has in effect declared its forces above the law--entitled to the immunity from civilian lawsuits enjoyed by the military, but also not bound by the military's court martial system. While the initial inquiries into Blackwater have focused on the complex labyrinth of secretive subcontracts under which it operates in Iraq, a thorough investigation into the company reveals a frightening picture of a politically connected private army that has become the Bush Administration's Praetorian Guard.

Sheriff Clarke as a Democrat?

Here is a quote I came across:

"While I’m a Republican and Sheriff Clarke was elected as a Democrat"

That's from a commercial recorded with Gehring and Clarke - he can't even say he is a Democrat.

Oshkosh School Board Candidate Becker: Teach Intelligent Design in School

He responded to a question on the OshNW forum:

A question was posed on the general thread about the inclusion of "intelligent design" in the science curriculum.

My position on that issue that is that if we are going to actually make sure that are students are "well rounded" that we need to offer all the possibilities and let the students make the decision as to which is the most plausible. I for one can appreciate both possibilities and while I believe that intelligent design was the "Genesis" of the universe, we must make sure that all possibilities are offered.

Please remember this anti-science view when you vote.

Cartoon of the Day:

WI State Elections Board: Republicans Are Lying to You

The full press release is here.

Wisconsin Elections Have No ‘Integrity Problem’ News Release Falsely
Claims Voter Registration System is Down

MADISON, WI – The Republican Party of Wisconsin’s claim that the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) is broken is false, an Elections Board official said today.

“We can provide public officials and elected representatives with the facts,” said Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the State Elections Board. “Claims such as these undermine the public’s trust in Wisconsin’s election system.”

The Republican news release called the SVRS a “voting system,” and said
the State has already spent its budgeted $27 million on the project. Neither is true.
...
Kennedy said the party’s claims of systemic voter fraud are unsubstantiated.

“It is irresponsible to claim that voter fraud has resulted from use of the SVRS,” Kennedy added.

What????

No Heroes until April 24th?

LWV on VoterID

Here is the release.

Here are excerpts:

...
Let’s put this issue to rest before wasting the paper and ink: this proposal would not improve our elections, but would prevent citizens from voting. Recent studies and common sense say the Legislature should kill this proposal immediately.

Allegations of widespread voter fraud do not hold up to investigation. There is no record of voters acting en mass to misidentify themselves or vote multiple times.
...
The New York Times1 recently confirmed common sense fears: requiring photo IDs to vote keeps people from the polls. The United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has decisive statistics verifying that minorities are most affected by this barrier to voting. We have long understood that poll taxes and literacy tests are unfair: they keep specific, targeted populations from voting and lead to a farce of democracy in which only some are represented. Photo ID requirements work the same way.
...
Those with low incomes or disabilities have the most difficulties obtaining an ID. Students and other mobile populations have a difficult time maintaining current IDs. These voters should not be punished.
...
Requiring a photo ID to vote is a proven method of keeping voters from the polls. That is a loss our democracy cannot afford.