Vitter, then and now...

From the Center for American Progress:

"I'm not going to answer endless questions about it all over again and again and again and again. That might sell newspapers, but it wouldn't serve my family or my constituents well."
-- Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), 7/16/07, speaking out publicly for the first time about appearing on the D.C. Madam's list

VERSUS

"Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don't care. ... But that doesn't answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern."
-- Vitter, 10/29/98

That is why it matters...

Republican Primary Winner: "None of the Above"

A new poll reveals a clear leader in the Republican presidential race: nobody.

The AP-Ipsos survey shows nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back any of the top candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney.

"None of the Above" got 24%, Rudy got 21% and Thompson (Fred) got 19%.

Quote of the Day - Dan Cody Edition:

I could not imagine saying it better (re: the Republican Assembly Budget):

Cutting elderly health care funding so gold bullion dealers can get tax breaks. I can’t wait for the 2008 election cycle to make that point over and over again.

Petri votes to stay the (failed, bloody) course in Iraq

In a press release last week, Rep Petri stated:

By a vote of 223 to 201, the House of Representatives voted late Thursday to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Rep. Tom Petri voted against the withdrawal proposal, and has issued the following statement:

I'm concerned that the current debate on Iraq in Congress is driven by domestic politics rather than by sensible foreign policy.

Yes, the situation in Iraq is unsatisfactory, to say the least. But while it's easy to say what isn't working, there seems to be a shortage of solutions that will actually work, and that won't threaten to expand the conflict throughout the entire region.

Rep. Petri, is it sensible to stay involved in (a sample of today's headlines):

Officials report massacre of Shiites in Iraq
Car bomb explodes near Iranian embassy in Baghdad
Two fathers with missing sons, one war
Iraq-bound Guardsman fast-tracks wedding for terminally ill father
29 killed in overnight attack in Iraq
Military Considering bigger Surge
Florida Army reservist asks court to stop 5th overseas deployment
Officials report massacre in Diyala
Triple bombings in northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk kill more than 80 ...

Those were from the last hour on Google alone.

It is time to admit that Iraq is the largest failure in memory and move on. No more sons separated from fathers, no more rushed weddings, no more lonely brides.

No more American lives in a failed, poorly planned experiment.

Rep. Petri, bring our troops home. This isn't about politics, it is about common sense and compassion.

Declared candidate for the 6th District Congressional District, Roger Kittelson has made it into the New York Times!

To find out more about Roger, email him at: kittelsonforcongress@gmail.com

Here is the full article (usually only up for a few days w/out a subscription):

Here are some excerpts:

Wisconsin Dem Says He Can Test House GOP Veteran — B’Gosh
By Jessica Benton Cooney, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Tom Petri has now served more than 28 years in the House, and the last time Democrats in his 6th Congressional District waged a serious effort to unseat him was in 1992. In fact, Democrats in 2006 did not even field a challenger — the sixth time that has happened in the 15 elections dating to Petri’s first victory in an April 1979 special election.
…
Democrat Roger Kittelson, a dairy marketing specialist, has entered next year’s race against Petri and contends he should not be counted out.

Kittelson enters the race with little experience as a candidate: His only past run was a defeat in a state House race in 1982 in his native Minnesota. By comparison, Peggy Lautenschlager, the Democrat who held Petri to 53 percent of the vote back in 1992, was a state House member and former county district attorney, who would go on to serve between 2003 and 2007 as Wisconsin’s first woman attorney general.

But Kittelson can’t be accused of not aiming high. His Republican opponent in his 1982 candidate debut was then the Speaker of the Minnesota House.

“I think I can win,” said Kittelson, who in an interview with CQPolitics.com said his determination to run is attributable “in part because of the direction of the country,” and also, he said, because “Petri tends to support the president’s lack of direction on the war in Iraq.”

Kittelson, who lives in the small town of Lomira, calls himself a conservative Democrat and says he plans to tout his support of affordable health care and a balanced federal budget.
…
Another Democrat from the district, state Rep. Gordon Hintz, noted that Republican Mark Green — a former four-term representative of the neighboring 8th Congressional District — barely carried the 6th District with 51 percent of the vote in his unsuccessful 2006 bid to unseat Democratic Gov. James E. Doyle.

Hall, Petri’s 2004 foe and now chairman of the Winnebago County Democratic Party, said there has been a huge political swing in the district that he suggested might be following a national change. “People don’t want to be Republican anymore,” he said. “Republicans don’t even want to be Republican, people here are clamoring for a change. The numbers are more on our side than they ever have been.”

Are we at the tipping point?

Polls as of 7/5/07:

Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush?
7/5/07 - Favor - Oppose - Undecided
All Adults - 45% - 46% - 9%
Voters - 46% - 44% - 10%
Democrats - 69% - 22% - 9%
Republicans - 13% - 86% - 1%
Independents - 50% - 30% - 20%

Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney?
7/5/07 - Favor - Oppose - Undecided
All Adults - 54% - 40% - 6%
Voters - 50% - 44% - 6%
Democrats - 76% - 24% - 0%
Republicans - 17% - 83% - 0%
Independents - 51% - 29% - 20%

Breaking News?

The OshNW has this item under the heading "BREAKING NEWS":

Lender foreclosing on 100 block apartment building

BB Syndication Services, the commercial lending arm of Banker’s Bank, has initiated foreclosure action on the apartment building at 100 N. Main St.

The Madison-based bank filed its initial paper work on June 29, and a receiver was appointed to oversee the building’s day-to-day operations on Tuesday by Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Barbara Key.

More on my opinion on the 100 Block later, but first just a simple question:

How is a report on July 13th about a case filed June 29th and before a judge on July 10th considered "BREAKING NEWS"?

Shouldn't the banner read: "WE'RE ONLY 3 DAYS TO 2 WEEKS BEHIND"?

That said, I think the key to this story is Ben Ganther. I will go on record that the 100 Block is good for Oshkosh. I like the development, I love Cranky Pat's and have attended several nice events on the patio.

There is no reason for it not to be successful, it seems to me.

Other than one thing: Ben Ganther. It was mis-managed. Hopefully the new management group will bring some competence to this endeavor.

I believe we have seen similar mis-management in other projects he has been involved with.

I believe in Oshkosh, I believe in new development for Oshkosh. And I hope that Mr. Ganther's poor record does not doom some of the great ideas and projects that are going on in Oshkosh right now.

Republicans to Protest Taxes... From the deck of an 85-foot yacht

You can't make this stuff up:

JOIN US AS WE SAIL OFF AND PROTEST OUR HIGH WISCONSIN TAXES!
Republican Party of Ozaukee County "Boston Tea Party"
21st Century style"Wine and Appetizer Sail"

Join us aboard the 85ft long tall ship "Appledore IV", for a little fun, whine and relaxation, as we set sail out of Port Washington to enjoy a two-hour adventure on Lake Michigan in protest of Wisconsin's High Taxes. While sailing, we will hear from a special guest speaker about our high Wisconsin taxes and what is being done about them; and, have the opportunity to participate in our very own Ozaukee County Tea Party.

(Note: the spelling of 'wine' as 'whine' is from their website. Freud...?)

As Republicans sail on their luxury yacht to protest 'high taxes' in the Assembly budget these same Republicans:

- cut nearly $12 million in tuition remission funding from Wisconsin veterans
- eliminated state funding for Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television
- deleted one-time funding for an infant mortality project in Racine County
- deleted the funding increase for breast cancer and cervical cancer screening services
- dramatically reduces funding for domestic violence victims
- cuts aid to poor first-time mothers who are in the third trimester of an at-risk pregnancy and are unable to work
- rejects provisions to require insurance policies to cover autism spectrum disorders
- reduces funding for foster care by $1.6 million
- deletes $1 million in funding for civil legal services for the indigent
- cuts funding for domestic abuse grants by about $1.3 million
- slash over $133 million from the UW System, including $26.4 million from Higher Education Grants that keep tuition affordable for lower income students
- lay off over 1,700 teachers
- slash more than $58 million from the funds our communities use to pay for police and fire protection
- cut what schools could spend per pupil by $64


However, it includes:
- tax cuts for venture capitalists
- health care savings accounts for those who can all ready afford their healthcare

I would hope that Wisconsin Republican's take to heart FDR's quote:

"It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach."

And realize that those who find misery on 85-foot yacht deserve no sympathy from those who find hunger or sickness in old-age, poverty and illness.

Where's Roessler?

Check this out: http://www.wheresroessler.com/

According to B&S, there is a bill board as well:

ACLU of Wisconsin and NAACP Wisconsin Community Summit on Fair Elections

From an email I received today:

ACLU of Wisconsin and NAACP Wisconsin Invite you to a Community Summit on Fair Elections

Help build the movement to repeal the most damaging of Jim Crow laws still in effect in Wisconsin.

Enfranchise all citizens in our community, including those who have finished incarceration sentences.

Thursday, July 19
11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
NAACP Headquarters – lower level
2745 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Milwaukee

Over five million people in the U.S. have been disenfranchised due to felony convictions. In Wisconsin, even after incarceration, citizens deemed safe to live in our communities, work, pay taxes, raise families and are still denied the right to vote if they are “on paper.” Some of them for years! This restriction adds confusion and bureaucracy. It even makes voting, the most sacred responsibility of a citizen in our country, a crime.

Join us in bringing Wisconsin up to date with most other Midwestern states who are streamlining their rules on voting.

This is a brown bag lunch event, however, if you RSVP by July 16, 2007, lunch will be provided. We are accepting $5.00 donations to offset the costs of lunch.

Please RSVP to Angie Vasquez in the ACLU of Wisconsin office, (414) 272-4032 x11

For more information on this issue, contact Renee Crawford, Associate Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin at: rcrawford@aclu-wi.org

Diversity is important in government and business...

A few years ago, we had a discussion in Oshkosh about the importance of diversity as it relates to city government.

I argued that someone who does not believe in diversity should not be the leader of our city.

It looks like the New North agrees with me:

Leaders from New North, Inc. the regional economic development hub of Northeastern Wisconsin, are continuing efforts to highlight the importance of workplace diversity in the region.

An article in the July 9 edition of USA Today, entitled “Companies Ramp Up Diversity Like Never Before,” singled out Procter and Gamble and Weyerhaeuser for proactively seeking diversity in their respective workforces. Both companies are large employers in the region, as Procter and Gamble has a strong manufacturing presence in Green Bay, and Weyerhaeuser operates plants in both Green Bay and Manitowoc.

“In order for our region to remain competitive in the global marketplace, diversity and understanding the importance of supporting the needs of a diverse workforce are essential for our success,” said Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of the New North, Inc.

Something to remember come election time. Understanding both economic, ethnic and social diversity is the first step to truly representing an organization, whether it is to voters, customers or prospective businesses.

Republican Party Press Release of the Week - Waukesha Edition

bwvFrom Wispolitics.com - The Waukesha Republicans are going to the fair!

The parts that confound me....

The Waukesha County Republican Party will once again have our booth at the fair in the arena. We are encouraging fair goers to stop by, join up, and vote in our Presidential Straw poll. Along with voting for your favorite candidate, if you haven’t renewed your membership or are interested in joining as a new member, we will have all the necessary forms to take care of your needs.

and then

The Republican Women of Waukesha County will once again have their jewelry and other merchandise for sale. Memberships for the RWWC will also be available.

Will someone clear this up for me once and for all? Do they not allow women to join the regular party? Why a separate organization and member dues for women?

Seriously... I want to know. I know what many of the ladies in the Democratic Party would do to me if I suggested they needed to have their own organization...

It might be the last thing I was ever allowed to say.

Ex-Republican Senator Urges Passage of Health Wisconsin Plan, Refutes Assembly Republican Spin

From Joe Leean, former Republican State Senator from Waupaca:

Here are the positives of the Healthy Wisconsin Plan:
Everyone is covered - that is why it is called universal.
The existing provider networks are maintained - that is why it is different than the Canadian or European models.
Every family may choose their own provider network - the same as state and many local government employees.
Your insurance stays with you regardless of whether you change jobs or lose your job.
The plan is governed by a board of trustees who will contract with the private sector for both administration and health care delivery - this is not a government health care program.
The funding for the plan is collected from assessments on income and payroll - this makes it fair, administratively simple and verifiable.
The plan provides affordable, comprehensive health care for every individual and family in Wisconsin not already covered by Medicare, Medicaid/BadgerCare, or in a state institution.
This plan will reduce state and local government costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. These savings could and should be used for tax reductions at both the state and local level.

Here are my responses to criticisms of the Healthy Wisconsin Plan:
"It is the largest tax increase in state history." Because the funding for the plan is assessed on payroll, it is collected as a tax. But the naysayers are neglecting to
point out that the approximate $15 billion collected for this plan eliminates more than $15 billion currently paid by businesses and consumers in insurance premiums.
"Families will have to change doctors." Not true. Families will have choices of health care provider networks just like legislators and other government and school employees.
"This is a government-run program." Not true. This plan is governed by a board of trustees made up of representatives of large and small businesses, labor, education and agriculture with an advisory group from the health care provider community.
"This plan is a last minute idea with no public scrutiny or input." Not true. Several groups including the committee I chaired have been working on this for over two years. Labor unions, business groups, health care providers, farmer organizations, senior citizen advocates, legislators, and the insurance industry have been part of these discussions. Furthermore, scores of forums, debates and news articles have covered this over the past year.
"This plan does nothing to control the cost of health care." Not true. The plan includes co-pays and deductibles to discourage inappropriate use of health care. It also provides preventive care with no co-pays and addresses chronic disease management. As I stated earlier, I wish Republicans would work with Democrats to include co-insurance and funded Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as my committee proposed in our health plan.
"This plan destroys the practices of health care professionals and their relationship with patients." Not true. Health care professionals will probably not even notice a change except that everyone will now have insurance.
"This will destroy Wisconsin's economy and drive away employers and jobs." Not true. Most businesses currently providing insurance will see an overall reduction in their health care costs. Businesses not currently providing insurance will incur increased costs but now both the owners and their employees will have affordable health care.

Healthy WI Overview

Click here for an overview of the Healthy WI plan.

Child Injured in Pool Mishap, the Rest of the Story...

My heart goes out to the family of Abigail Taylor, a 6 year old who has been severly injured due to suction from the open drain of a wading pool:

A 6-year-old girl who sat on an open drain in a wading pool lost part of her intestinal tract to the drain’s powerful suction, her family said.

Abigail Taylor was injured in the wading pool on June 29, according to her family.

Her father, Scott Taylor, said the suction caused a 2-inch tear in Abigail’s rectum and pulled out much of her small intestine. Doctors had to remove the part of her intestines that remained, according to the family’s lawyer, Bob Bennett.

Abigail remained in intensive care at Children’s Hospital on Thursday and appeared to be improving, Bennett said.

She was to undergo surgery on Friday, Bennett said. “She’ll receive her nutrition through a port for the rest of her life,” he said.

Bennett said the swimming pool’s drain hole was improperly uncovered. However, the general manager of the club where the pool is located said he didn’t think anything was wrong with the pool. He referred questions to the attorney for the club’s insurance company, who declined to comment.

Several states have passed pool-safety laws after children drowned or were disemboweled by drain suction. North Carolina, for instance, requires pools to have dual drains to diffuse the force of the suction and prevent children from being trapped.

What is not pointed out in the article, is WHY North Carolina has a law that protects children from this sort of mishap. A law that, had it been replicated in Minnesota, would have saved this girl her suffering and permanant loss to quality of life.

It is because of trial lawyers:

... 1997 product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved a three-year-old girl who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump when she sat on an open pool drain whose protective cover other children at the pool had removed, after the swim club had failed to install the cover properly. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, Sta-Rite continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings. Sta-Rite protested that an additional warning would have made no difference because the pool owners already knew the importance of keeping the cover secured.
...
The jury awarded the family $25 million, the largest personal injury award in North Carolina history. The company settled for the $25 million while the jury was deliberating additional punitive damages, rather than risk losing an appeal.

As it points out, the manufacturer injured 12 children before taking responsibility - only after having to settle this case for a large amount.

The lawyer that finally held this company liable and protected this from happening to other children in North Carolina...

John Edwards

"I Like Ike!" - Winnebago GOP Denies Bush and Supports Peace?

This week's parades saw the Winnebago Republicans hauling around a mock Ripon Schoolhouse decorated with "I Like Ike" paraphernalia.

(The Oshkosh parade did have a 50's theme...)

However, if they took a look at what Eisenhower stood for, I'm not so sure that today's Republican Party would truly 'Like Ike".

He sounds like he could join Edwards, Richardson, Obama and Clinton running for the Dems nomination:

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.

How far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?

I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.

I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.

In most communities it is illegal to cry "fire" in a crowded assembly. Should it not be considered serious international misconduct to manufacture a general war scare in an effort to achieve local political aims?

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.

May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.

Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.

There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs.

This world of ours... must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war.

I believe that anyone speaking the words above would be deemed immediately anti-American by today's Republican Party.

I don't, however, blame our local Republicans for looking back to better days. I would not want to have to publicly support the actions of today's Republicans.

Paul Esslinger, Contradicting Himself in 24 Hours or Less...

As I have discussed before, Oshkosh City Councilor and (repeatedly failed) Mayoral Candidate Paul Esslinger is very inconsistent in his personal beliefs.

Some may call it opportunism, others flip-flopping or perhaps out-right dishonesty.

Another blatant example of the (non-) rock-solid beliefs of Mr. Esslinger was on public display this week, when in a letter to the editor in Tuesday's Northwestern he lamented the loss of good manufacturing jobs in Oshkosh.

This was followed up by his parade appearance Wednesday morning.

Riding in the back of a Toyota...

Jessica McBride: "Poor people do not deserve healthcare."

Here is the money quote from her opinion piece on the Senate health plan:

(Healthy WI) ...would give everyone in the state health care like that enjoyed by the legislators and the governor. Why should a $7-an-hour worker get benefits the same as the governor?

Tell me if there is a different way to interpret that statement?

Thank you, Jessica, for the clear window into the Republican soul (or lack thereof...).

Americans (and Wisconsinites) want Universal Healthcare

Quotes from the GMToday Editorial by Tim Schilke:

Yet Moore’s right-wing critics are already in full counterstrike attack mode, claiming that even Democratic politicians fear the documentary, since they have no intention of taking on a "politically unpopular issue" like universal health coverage for all Americans. While it is interesting to claim that most Americans don’t want universal health coverage, it’s also a politically motivated fabrication.

A New York Times/CBS News poll from March of this year showed that 76 percent of Americans would choose universal health care over extending the tax cuts from earlier in the decade. Only 18 percent said they would prefer to extend the tax cuts over universal health care. Similarly, a 2003 poll from ABCNews and the Washington Post showed that 62 percent of Americans preferred a universal health care system to the current employer-based system.

Unlike most right-wing pundits who apparently never get sick, most Americans are facing the harsh reality of mounting medical bills and rising out-of-pocket premiums, some of which they cannot pay. Working Americans with a budget see their out-of-pocket health care costs rise with each passing year. Large corporations and small businesses alike are similarly burdened by their increasing share of the employee costs. In the meantime, health care consumers, otherwise known as sick people, watch as pharmaceutical and insurance companies report record profits at their expense.

Great Cartoon

From WisPolitics:

Quote of the Day: Guiliani in one sentance

Giuliani is thought to have problems among this segment because he is pro-choice, has been married three times (once to his second cousin) and has dressed in drag.

Why I don't do Google Ads...

Watchdog Milwaukee has a good article up about Coulter and McBride ruining it for the GOP.



However, if you look at the ads generated by Google to go along with the post, it is all advertising that benefits Coulter and the GOP.



Because there is no control over what will be posted, I don't think Google ads should be part of a political website.



It is not as serious for bloggers, but I 100% do not feel a candidate or local party should use free services or try to generate ad revenue through this means. Often, the advertising accompanying your message will undermine it.



I know these are random, but here is the screen grab I got when logging on the Watchdog:

The Democratic Party: Winning the Fight for the Future

I would once again like to applaud the Democratic-led WI Senate for passing comprehensive medical reform, including health care for all WI residents.

It is the right thing to do. Ethically, economically and politically. It is the right thing to do.

We are in a fight for the future. And the Democratic Party is winning:

In the current poll (of Americans 17 to 29), 62 percent said they would support a universal, government-sponsored national health care insurance program; 47 percent of the general public holds that view.
...
More than half of Americans ages 17 to 29 — 54 percent — say they intend to vote for a Democrat for president in 2008. They share with the public at large a negative view of President Bush, who has a 28 percent approval rating with this group, and of the Republican Party. They hold a markedly more positive view of Democrats than they do of Republicans.

Among this age group, Mr. Bush’s job approval rating after the attacks of Sept. 11 was more than 80 percent. Over the course of the next three years, it drifted downward leading into the presidential election of 2004, when 4 of 10 young Americans said they approved how Mr. Bush was handling his job.
...
The survey also found that 42 percent of young Americans thought it was likely or very likely that the nation would reinstate a military draft over the next few years — and two-thirds said they thought the Republican Party was more likely to do so. And 87 percent of respondents said they opposed a draft.

Just a thoght...

If we pass the Healthy Wisconsin Plan, there would be no need for Domestic Partnership benefits at the University...

Come on Republicans, get on board!

Cheney Runs Secret Govt - Tries to Shut Down Archivists

No real surprise here:

Vice President Cheney's office has refused to comply with an executive order governing the handling of classified information for the past four years and recently tried to abolish the office that sought to enforce those rules, according to documents released by a congressional committee yesterday.

Since 2003, the vice president's staff has not cooperated with an office at the National Archives and Records Administration charged with making sure the executive branch protects classified information. Cheney aides have not filed reports on their possession of classified data and at one point blocked an inspection of their office. After the Archives office pressed the matter, the
documents say, Cheney's staff this year proposed eliminating it.

The dispute centers on a relatively obscure process but underscores a wider struggle waged in the past 6 1/2 years over Cheney's penchant for secrecy. Since becoming vice president, he has fought attempts to peer into the inner workings of his office, shielding an array of information such as the industry executives who advised his energy task force, details about his privately funded travel and Secret Service logs showing who visits his official residence.

Meeting on Tax Loopholes Monday...

Press release from the Institute for Wisconsin's Future:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 15, 2007
CONTACT: Joe Fahey 414-731-4789

County Forum On Closing Tax Loophole
To Prevent tax increases for homeowners and businesses

Leaders from city and county government, community organizations and labor unions leaders from Winnebago County are encouraging voters to meet their state legislators and urge them to close a new corporate tax loophole that causes higher property taxes for homeowners and small businesses. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 18 at 7:00pm at the Coughlin Center in Oshkosh.

This loophole was opened by a recent court ruling. A New Jersey-based paper company argued that a 1953 law that exempted sewage treatment facilities from property tax should exempt them also (because they use re-cycled cardboard in their manufacturing process). A state court allowed this company, Newark Paper, to stop paying taxes on its paper mill property in Milwaukee County. This court decision turned a small and specific tax exemption into a giant tax loophole. Currently, hundreds of manufacturers throughout Wisconsin use recycled materials and dozens of companies have applied for this new tax loophole.

Any property tax decrease received by a corporation results in a property tax increase for everyone else owning property in the same city or county. This property tax break is a windfall for corporations who will continue operating as before, benefiting from the same fire and police protection, the same road repairs, snow removal and other services vital to their businesses. But these normal costs of doing business will no longer be borne by that business. Instead, the costs for the public services used by the corporation will be paid through increased property taxes by other businesses and all homeowners.

A group of Democratic and Republican legislators have sponsored a bill to close this new loophole and protect families and businesses from property tax increases. This bill – Senate Bill 122 – was introduced in April. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce opposes the bill and Assembly leaders in the state legislature have delayed it.

The June 18 meeting is open to the public and is an opportunity for the public to discuss the issue with their elected state legislators and ask them to close this loophole immediately.
###
Institute for Wisconsin’s Future Press Release

Why a Conservative America is a Myth...

Read the report here.

NYTimes Bob Herbert Comments on the Deamonte Driver Case

I posted about Deamonte here.

Bob Herbert adds this:

What we need is a national commitment to provide basic health care to all children, not just the children of the well-to-do. This should be a no-brainer. You’re a child in the United States? You’ve got health care. We’re not going to let you die from a toothache. We’re better than that. We’re not going to let your family go bankrupt because you’ve got cancer or some other disease, or because you’ve been in a terrible accident.

The cost? Don’t fall for that bogyman.

There’s plenty of give in America’s glittering $13 trillion economy. What’s the sense of being the richest nation on the planet if you can’t even afford to keep your children healthy and alive?

Fox Valley Metro Police Captain Compares Gays and Pedophiles

Chief David Peterson's quote from the Appleton Post-Crescent:

“You put a pedophile across the street from a day care center. He just sits there and looks out his living room window all day while they are playing outside in that little fence. You’re telling me he’s not going to have the urge? You can’t change a pedophile,” he said. “I compare it to someone (who) might be gay — and I have friends who are gay so I’m not anti. But a gay person is gay. You’re not going to change them. ... Same with a pedophile.”

Well, at least he admits that sexual orientation is genetic... But it is incredibly offensive to include references to our gay friends and neighbors along with references to pedophiles.

I would hope he would clarify his statements and offer an apology. If you would like to help encourage him to, he can be contacted here. Click on his picture to get a pop-up to send an email.

It is funny that he finds himself so interested in this subject. At the Fox Valley Metro Police Department Website, this dandy is under their Frequently Asked Questions:

Is it true that if a guy is driving a car with an underage girl in it that is barefoot, he can be arrested for statutory rape?
Huh? No... her mom just spread that rumor so that she’s not showing off her toes.

Maybe it's an inside joke, but, I sure wonder why it needs to be on a municiple website?

Taxes vs Services Provided

The Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter has a great editorial here.

Excerpts:

Local and state taxes as a percent of personal income are not really the issue. A more important issue is the value received for tax dollars spent.

Taxpayers are consumers of government goods and services. The question they must always be asking and answering is: are we getting value for the tax dollars we spend?

Here are some questions taxpayers may want to consider about taxes from any governmental source:

•If we want lower taxes, what are we willing to give up? What can the government do less of or not do at all that will reduce the amount of money it needs to operate?

•If a service is important to us, are we willing to pay higher taxes or sustain the current rates?

•Are the services being delivered in a reasonably efficient manner? Can operating efficiencies reduce the money required to maintain the same level of service? Could the service be done less expensively in the private sector?

•Is the tax burden shared in an equitable manner? Are all segments, residents and businesses, paying their fair share and how is that share determined?

•Are exorbitant fees replacing tax increases? Should some government services be funded strictly by user fees?