A different take

Oscars

2007-02-25T20:12:00.000-05:00

A few thoughts on tonight's awards...

Lead Actor

Will win- Forest Whitaker "The Last King of Scotland"

Should win- I can't pick Whitaker because I didn't see the movie. Although the movie was nothing to write home about, Ryan Gosling's performance in "Half Nelson" was stirring. I'll go with him.

Supporting Actor

Will win- Eddie Murphy "Dreamgirls"

Should win- Murphy. Wahlberg was the overshadowed by every other male actor in "The Departed". Arkin's role, in my opinion, was not very special.

Lead Actress

Will win- Helen Mirren "The Queen".

Should win- OK... The movie wasn't the greatest. Yes, she's had bigger roles. But Meryl Streep's transformation into superwitch overshadows the field here. Outstanding performance by an outstanding actress in "The Devil wears Prada".

Supporting Actress

Will win- Jennifer Hudson "Dreamgirls"

Should win- Cate Blanchett in "Notes in a scandal".

Director

Will win- Martin Scorcese "The Departed"

Should win- I have no clue how the general public should rate directors. I'll hold off until Best Picture which, to me, is really the same thing.

Best Picture

Will win- Hollywood likes to give awards for careers. It's a night for Scorcese. "The Departed" wins again.

Should win- This year's list is a bit uninspiring. "Sunshine" was cute but nothing more. I didn't see Iwo Jima, so maybe in a month I'll hedge my bet. But it seems to me that "The Departed" is the best in a mediocre bunch.

A Dennis York tribute

2007-02-10T00:19:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be appropriate to once again link to the best post I have ever seen during my stay in the blogosphere.

You will be missed, Dennis...

Dennis York revealed!

2007-02-09T17:33:00.000-05:00

One of the best bloggers around, Dennis York, has finally revealed his identity. His final post can be found here.

Wispolitics coverage can be found here.

Wisconsin State Journal coverage is here.

York is one of the bloggers who encouraged me early on in this experiment. I appreciated his comments as well as his entertaining blog.

H/T to La Raza...

Talk about a snowjob...

2007-02-05T20:53:00.000-05:00

James starts an interesting conversation on whether or not to have school today. Unfortunately, he appears to be on the wrong side of the issue. When did our society become so wimpy!

James is right about one thing... the Freeman sound off will be full of morons complaining that they had to change their morning schedule to see their kids off to school. Is there any question now that our priorities are all screwed up? Keep in mind that these are the same parents who will be complaining when their vacation plans are messed up by make up school days. My kids got off to school (I drove them.... yes, you can still do that!) and they don't seem to be in any danger from the ordeal.

As I ran errands today I was amazed at the number of school age kids in all of the stores. Too cold for learning... but just fine for a trip to the mall.

While schools may be in a lose - lose situation when deciding whether to call school off, the teachers inside the buildings aren't exactly showing much common sense either. Cold or snow days become fun days because we can't dare to actually educate kids while 6 or 7 students are gone. Which means they might as well as stayed home in the first place.

My kid's principal said the school was swamped with complaint calls all day today. I imagine that explains why school has already been called for tommorrow. Chances are the principal will here from the other side tommorrow.

Come on, people! Stop halting the world everytime the weather changes! This is Wisconsin, for cripes sake!

UPDATE: Spring City Chronicle has an outstanding post on the same subject. His, however, is written better. Check it out.

The Dog and the Under...

2007-02-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

I almost hate to make a prediction on the Super Bowl after my almost infallible election picks in November. But, everyone else does it, so here we go. Take the underdog Bears to cover and the game to go way under...

1. Everyone has forgotten that the Colts rush defense has been horrible for MOST of the year. The Bears will expose that and shorten the game.

2. Desmond Clark should have a huge game against the Colts pass scheme. He is absolutely essential in a Bear's upset attempt.

Colts 20 Bears 17...

And pigs fly...

2007-02-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

"We are sure that this statement will shock this community: The Waukesha Taxpayers League agrees that we have an educational funding problem in Wisconsin."

"Taxpayers have an obligation to provide our children with a good education."

By CHRIS LUFTER (Chris Lufter is a town of Waukesha resident and president of the Waukesha Taxpayers League.) Waukesha Freeman 1/31/07

Wow...

Favre's coming back

2007-02-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

Brett Favre told the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss. today that he is returning to the Packers for the 2007 season.

Last year I thought it was time for the Packers and Brett to part ways. He play had fallen off quite a bit in 2005 and I thought the rebuilding process needed to begin now.

This year, however, I am excited about his return. It is clear to me that his retirement means 5-8 years without returning to the playoffs. With the NFC so weak right now, a dabble in the postseason next year isn't out of the question with #4 at the helm.

My advice? Enjoy the year and enjoy watching one of the greatest ever play out his career. The playoffs would simply be icing on the cake....

A conspiracy?

2007-01-31T20:59:00.000-05:00

H/T to texasedequity. If public schools are forced to bleed enough, perhaps this idea will win support someday.

Bush Proposes Adding Private School Vouchers to 'No Child'Law
By Amit R. PaleyWashington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 25, 2007;

The Bush administration yesterday unveiled an education plan that would allow poor students at chronically failing public schools to use federal vouchers to attend private and religious schools, angering Democrats who vowed to fight the measure.The private school vouchers, which on average would be worth $4,000, were among a series of proposals presented yesterday that President Bush hopes will be included in the reauthorization of his signature education initiative, No Child Left Behind.

In a conference call with reporters, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said the initiatives were necessary to help students in the nation's 1,800 most persistently under-performing schools."How do we answer the question: What do we do for kids trapped in schools that continue to under-perform?" she said. "Is the promise of No Child Left Behind real?"Democrats in Congress assailed the plan -- which also would allow low-performing schools to override union contracts or become charter schools despite state laws limiting their creation -- and expressed concern that the politically charged proposals could delay the reauthorization, which is scheduled for this year."Ideological proposals like private school vouchers and attacks on collective-bargaining agreements won't help this reauthorization move forward on shared, bipartisan goals," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The plan also includes measures that enjoy bipartisan support. It addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of No Child Left Behind: that schools that meet state testing goals overall but fail in a small category must provide all students in the school with free tutoring or the option to transfer to another school. Under the president's proposal, only students in the categories that failed would receive those options.The initiative also would hold schools accountable for test scores in science starting in 2008 (the current program holds schools accountable only in reading and math).

It also would for the first time require states to publicize their performance on a national test that states are already required to administer.Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, attacked the administration's proposal to allow some school administrators to override labor contracts to push out bad teachers and attract better ones."The No Child Left Behind law was designed to close the achievement gap, not to strip collective-bargaining agreements," he said.

The president's plan also would allow mayors to take over chronically failing schools and for those schools to transform themselves into charter schools, even if that would violate a state law capping the number of charter schools.It was the private school voucher proposal, modeled on a plan implemented in the District in 2004, that seemed to anger some Democrats. The program in the Distict provides $7,500 vouchers, known in the administration as scholarships, to about 1,800 students, from kindergartners to high school seniors, attending 58 private schools."We have seen that the sky doesn't fall when kids go to private schools with public money," said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, who was briefed on the plan in advance by White House staff. "So school choice is not nearly as scary as some congressmen have led us to believe."

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, called the voucher proposal a "bad idea" that was unlikely to gain traction in Congress. "Private school vouchers, which would divert taxpayer dollars away from public schools that need them, have been rejected in the past and nothing has changed to make them acceptable now," he said in a statement.Spellings insisted that the administration will try to push through even those proposals likely to face stiff resistance in Congress. "I plan to fight hard for the whole kit and caboodle," she said.

© 2007 The Washington Post Company

The Donut Shop closes...

2007-01-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

One of Waukesha's true hidden gems, The Donut Shop, has apparently closed it's doors for good. Apparently, the news came as a shock to even the workers who did not see the closing coming. No word yet on why Cooperating Congregations make the decision to shut the doors.

Another Brewer rumor...

2006-12-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

According to Yahoo's sports site, a deal in which the Brewers send Turnbow and Kevin Mench to the Phillies for Jon Leiber is in place. The Phillies are waiting to pull the trigger if and only if a trade for another starting pitcher goes through.

Leiber is a quality pitcher who had a bad year last year. I like the deal if it goes down.

The reason for the season

2006-12-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

I received this via email last weekend and thought it was very appropriate for the season. The next time Bill O'Reilly goes off on the War on Christmas remember that there better ways to show your faith than simply spouting off all the time. Merry Christmas, everyone...

A Letter from Jesus Christ
(concerning His birthday celebration)

Dear children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of you're predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grapevine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgot that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that some people in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who those persons are, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

P.S. Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember, I LOVE YOU.

Why the BCS needs to go...

2006-12-04T00:17:00.000-05:00

How many years are we going to go through this until we simply stop watching the games?

The BCS, once again, got the most important game wrong. How can Florida, who lost to #10 Auburn by 10 at Auburn bounce ahead of Michigan? But more importantly, the BCS has completely ruined what used to be the best day of the year in sports. Take a look at what we would have had under the "old school" bowl formula and what we are stuck with now...

Rose Bowl:

2007- USC vs. Michigan
Pre BCS- (Pac 10 champ vs. Big 10 champ) USC vs. Ohio State

Edge: Close, but a game between the two conference champions would be more interesting to watch. Old school up one.

Orange Bowl:

2007-Louisville vs. Wake Forest
Pre BCS (Big 12 champ vs. At Large) Oklahoma vs. LSU

Edge: The old school game is a great matchup to finish off New Years Day. The 2007 version is background noise until the halftime show starts. Old School up two.

Sugar Bowl:
2007- Notre Dame vs. LSU
Pre BCS- (SEC champ vs. At Large) Florida vs. Michigan

Edge: The 2007 game is one of the few interesting games on Jan. 1... wait, it's on the 3rd now (more on that later). The old school game, however, is the night's national championship game if Ohio State falters earlier in the day at Pasadena. Old School wins again.

OutBack and Capital One (Citrus and Hall of Fame) bowls:

Both of these bowls could very well be the matchups we would have seen back in the glory days of the 80's. We'll keep them the same and call the games a push.

Fiesta Bowl:
2007- Boise State vs. Oklahoma
Pre BCS (At Large vs. At Large) Notre Dame vs. Auburn

Edge: I really liked watching Boise State play on the blue field. Advantage old school

Gator Bowl:
2007- West Virginia vs. Ga. Tech
Pre BCS- (ACC champ vs. SEC) Wake Forest vs. Tennesee

Edge: Both games would be entertaining. Again, maybe I'm old but I liked watching the best of the ACC compete with a SEC heavyweight. We'll call it a push.

Cotton Bowl:
2007- Auburn vs. Nebraska
Pre BCS (SWC vs. at large) Lousville vs. Texas

Edge: The Southwest conference is dead, so we''l match up last year's National Champ with #5 Lousville. I lost interest in watching Nebraska about a decade ago, so again, I'll call it even

Yes, I see the white elephant in the room. We lose the National Championship game. I would argue we may get two in return (if, as usual, the Big 10 falters in California). Short of a playoff system, I would rather see a return to the days when perhaps two teams could claim the title.

Perhaps my biggest complaint about the BCS system is the way it has ruined January 1st. Remmber the old days, with eight games in one single day? For 30 minutes the Hall of Fame bowl stood alone and a bit of the Rose Bowl was played with no other games going. At the height of the day, however, four games were going. If the Orange Bowl sucked, surely the Sugar was a great game. The afternoon tested your remoting skills with the Cotton, Citrus, Gator and Fiesta (Sunkist) all going on.

Now? The Fiesta and Rose stand alone. The Sugar and Orange have their own night. For all intent, the college football junkies dream day is over about 4pm. Championship Saturday for the conferences is now a bigger day. Heck, Separation Saturday probably has better games.

Ahh, for the old days. Now, I'll probably watch the Badgers and go catch a movie...

Baseball notes

2006-11-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Cubs sign Alphonso Soriano. Guess the Nationals should have traded him when they had the chance...

The Brewers remain the frontrunner in the Dave Roberts sweepstakes. A step up from Brady Clark and he's perfect for Tony Gwynn Jr. to learn from.

The Brewers are discussing a Kevin Mench for righthander Rodrigo Lopez. Lopez was 9-18 last year but does have two 15 game winning seasons under his belt. Anything for Mench is an upgrade right now.

Marion Barber III sucks!

2006-11-19T21:28:00.000-05:00

Why does Parcells let this piece of crap backup get cheese touchdowns every week?

And, yes, Julius Jones is on my fantasy team...

Aaron Rodgers in the second half

2006-11-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

This is an opportune time for Coach McCarthy to "officially" take over this Packer team. Brett has had a nice year... but this is as bad a a pro QB has ever looked for a half. It HAS to be one of his lingering injuries. The game is basically over... time to see if the kid can change the momentum.

UPDATE... Coach won't get the chance to make his mark. An injury to Brett makes the decision for him. Let's see what the second half brings...

UPDATE 2... OK, so that didn't work so well. How's Brett's elbow?

Kudos to Tyler Donovan

2006-11-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

I cannot begin to tell you how wrong I was. Iowa would steamroll them. The dream season, gone because of the Stocco injury.

I'm not sure if I just thought Donovan was THAT bad or if my dislike of Hartland Arrowhead entered into the equation... but this kid saved the day. Alumni still talk glowingly of Matt Schabert and his heroics against Ohio State. But this was even better. This wasn't a pass... or even a quarter. This kid hung in there for the entire game, never giving up that big mistake that would turn the game around.

It wasn't like PJ Hill simply took the game over. Donovan HAD to play well for the Badgers to win and play well he did.

Congratulations, kid. I was wrong about you...

Good going, Joe...

2006-11-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Senator Joe Lieberman on his reelection to the Senate. I only wish he would have reconsidered his quick decision to caucus with the Democrats, even if only for a while.

Shouldn't the Dems have been forced to think about their disloyalty, their disregard for history and their sheer stupidity before being given a "Get out of Jail" card from Lieberman? Here's a guy who agreed to take up his party's flag and balance the Presidential ballot with Al Gore. Here's a guy who took a pummeling and attempted character assasination from Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the circus on behalf of the "party". And yet his own collegues, upset with one stance Joe took, threw him to the wolves. Take a look at some of the recent comments made...

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who campaigned in Connecticut for Lamont, said he and fellow Democrats were not holding any grudges against Lieberman, who won a fourth term last week.
"We're all pros," Kerry said. "We're all adults and we're friends ... We're glad he's caucusing with us, and you move on."

Well how appropriate, Sen. Kerry, that YOU aren't holding any grudges against Lieberman. How did this guy ever become a Presidential nominee? First, he tries to single-handedly give the election back to the Republicans with his stupid joke, then he says this? Is his 15 minutes of fame about up yet?

Lieberman, who wants to be identified as an "Independent Democrat," said he was welcomed back to the party fold at a luncheon caucus by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who likened Democrats to a family and said families occasionally go through crises.

Yes, Senator Reid, families go through crises. But most families don't try to eat their own. You should be ashamed of yourself and your party... and Sen. Lieberman's decision to caucus with you should shame you even more.

"Not a single Republican senator or political operative has called to ask me if I would consider switching and organizing with the Republicans," he said. "I really appreciate that and they respect who I am and that I gave my word."

Sounds like at least one side understands the term loyalty...

Where do State Republicans go from here...

2006-11-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

The Recess Supervisor has an outstanding analysis of the state of the Republican legislators here.

It will be interesting to see if our friends on talk radio remain true to their convictions over the past few years. Long before Chuck Chvala became the focus of the airwaves for his pay for play antics Sykes, Belling and Wagner hammered him day in and day out for being an obstructionist. All he does is block legislation, they complained. He's a one man wrecking crew of the democratic process.

Think they'll launch the same attacks if and when the Assembly starts obstructing legislation???

I wonder how these guys sleep at night...

Predictions...

2006-11-07T03:14:00.001-05:00

Everyone else is doing it....

Governor

Mark Green has never been able to close that 4-8 point lead Jim Doyle has had all summer. It holds up one more day

Doyle 52%
Green 47%

AG

Kathleen Falk seemed like the better candidate for the Dem's but she never really put together a solid campaign after the primary. An invisible candidate. The Democrats lose one they really shouldn't have lost

Van Hollen 51%
Falk 49%

State Senate

Democrats pick up a seat or two. Sullivan beats Reynolds convincingly

Sullivan 53%
Reynolds47%

State Assembly

Again, the Democrats pick up a couple of seats. The race in Waukesha will be interesting simply because the Republican hasn't done anything since the primary. It truly is deja vu of the mayoral race. The (R) next to Kramer's name should give him the win... but this is a good test of just how republican Waukesha actually is.

Kramer 54%
Schmuki 46%

U.S. Senate

The most interesting story of election night. In no particular order...

Missouri: McCaskill beats Talent
Montana: Burns surprises Tester
NJ: Menendez beats Kean
RI: Chafee catches Whitehouse
Tenn: Ford upsets Corker
Vir: Webb beats Allen

Democrats win in Ohio and Penn, leaving them one short of a majority.

House

Democrats pick up 19 seats, giving them the majority.

Sign Patrol Update #2

2006-11-07T03:02:00.000-05:00

In an unprecedented move, the Green campaign or the Waukesha County leaders of the Green campaign have completely given up following election laws and literally have 20-40 illegal signs placed in boulevards, median strips or rightof way strips in many of the major thoroughfares.

Campaigns have always placed a sign or two in a critical area that they know may not survive election day. But never has a campaign so brazenly broken the law the weekend before the election.

The whole sign patrol idea was a way to gauge who was following the rules. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect a candidate to take it to such an extreme...

Politics... Manitowoc style

2006-11-07T02:31:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Manitowoc recently and found the town to be quite charming. The area's politics, however, seem to be quite mixed up.
The following is what I have been able to put together from my short stay there and a brief scan of the area papers...

Democrat Bob Ziegelbauer, who is also the County Executive, won a democratic primary against Anne Woznicki , who claimed Bob could not handle both jobs at once (Ziegelbauer plans on keeping both). Shortly after winning the Democratic nomination, Ziegelbauer appeared in a John Gard commercial, endorsing the Republican for Congress.

Area Dem's, furious over this betrayal, pulled their support from Ziegelbauer and are urging felloe democrats to write in primary-loser Woznicki. Governor Doyle, on the other hand, continued to support Ziegelbauer on the campaign trail, calling his Gard endorsement an "area where we disagree".

Sign Patrol Update #1

2006-11-07T02:24:00.000-05:00

The sign patrol was able to find a total of six Jim Sensenbrenner signs in the entire area... and four were illegally placed. (Nice percentage, Congressman) A couple of thoughts come to mind...

Did the signs illegally migrate across the sidewalk?

Would a fence have helped?

Sign Patrol- The Final Countdown

2006-11-06T01:49:00.000-05:00

The sign patrol has been out scanning the countryside for illegal lawn signs in an attempt to get to the bottom of who really are the rulebreakers in this election cycle. In a world where negative campaigning always works, voters really only have two choices. They can blindly follow a party and only believe what they are told to believe... or they can try to extract the truth from all the distortions, exagerations and flat out lies. So... is Doyle a sleaze, Green a money launderer or Sullivan a vote felon? Perhaps a look at how often they break the law while trying to get elected will give us a better idea of the make up of the candidate. Without further ado, the new spottings...

Herron, seven new sightings (Lannon, College, College, College, Tess Corners, Tess Corners, Tess Corners) for a campaign total of 7

Newcomer, three new sightings (83,83,83) for a campaign total of 3

Ziperrer, two new sightings (K, Delafield) for a campaign total of 2

Trawicki, three new sightings (MD, MD, MD)for a campaign total of 10. (Why are his signs still up, anyway?)

Schimmel, thirteen new sightings (Bluemound, Brandybrook, Silvernail, Silvernail, Silvernail, Silvernail, Silvernail, Silvernail, College, College, College, Moreland, Moreland) for a campaign total of 15. (What is it with law enforcement being the biggest rulebreakers...)

Green, sixteen new sightings (27th, 83, Wisconsin, SS, Summit, Delafield, St. Paul, St. Paul, Memorial, Golf Hills, College, College, College, 43rd, 43rd, 83) for a total of 17

Doyle, six new sightings (DE, Brookfield, Lannon, College, College, College) for a total of 6

Falk, one sighting total (Lannon) In fairness to Van Hollen, however, the sign patrol saw a total of two Katie Falk signs all election cycle.

Van Hollen, two new sightings (Pilgrim, Wisconsin) for a campaign total of 5. ( A rather low number considering the number of signs he had out.)

Past posts give primary numbers for other candidates...

Two new Waukesha Blogs

2006-10-17T23:50:00.000-04:00

"Rendezvous with Destiny" and "Two Heroes" have been added to the Waukesha County section of my blogroll. Both are a good read... click on them and check them out for yourselves.

Is it just me or...

2006-09-06T21:50:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Anibal Sanchez for throwing the first no-hitter in two and one half years.

But... am I just a conspiracy lover or was that last runner safe by a step at first??

This could get ugly...

2006-08-30T01:37:00.000-04:00

Let's follow today's twists and turns in the good ole 97th...

Kramer begins the day with a clean campaign pledge

Translation... I think I'm ahead, so let's not discuss issues.

Lufter follows with this press release accusing Kramer of a conflict of interest. "If this is the type of ethical lapse we can expect from Bill Kramer as a County Supervisor, what can we expect from his as a member of the State Assembly?", says the anonymous writer of the release (apparently not Lufter... it is written third person).

Translation... Game on.

Kramer returns volley with this response. "It deeply troubles me that a candidate for public office could show such a lack of understanding of the processes of government. One must question the personal ethics of a candidate who would make such a personal attack. When it happened to her I was angered and sympathized with her. I question how someone who has been the target of such a personal attack could use the same tactic against someone else. The only ethics in question here are Ms. Lufters", says Kramer.

Translation... I really didn't mean that clean campaign stuff.

Lufter responds. "We find it ironic that County Supervisor would complain that this attack is personal given that it is strictly about his voting record and his conduct as a public official, while he has made false personal attacks against Chris Lufter regarding her status as a member of the Republican Party." (Apparently, this release has two or more authors.)

Translation... Kramer had one more release today than we did.

All this in one day. Tomorrow, Lufter should sign the clean campaign pledge... and then attack him again.

I missed this on Sykes...

2006-08-30T01:18:00.000-04:00

A Democrat opposing the minimum mark up law.

Maybe there is hope for that party after all...

Sign Patrol... Week Three

2006-08-30T00:58:00.000-04:00

The sign patrol has been out once again looking for those politicians and wanabees who can't quite seem to follow the law when it comes to placing their campaign signs. Bob Collison, running in the 98th Assembly District and the two candidates for Waukesha District Attorney are new to the list this week.

In what has to be seen as the most impressive (or unimpressive, depending on your point of view) showing to date, Sheriff Dan Trawicki posts six new illegal campaign sign locations, vaulting him into a tie for the scoflaw of the election year award with Chris Lufter. Here are the totals after three weeks...

7 - Chris Lufter (Sunset, Moreland, Jefferson)

7 - Dan Trawicki ( Sunset, K, K, K, Oakdale, Oakdale)

5 - Paul Bucher ( Hewitts Point)

4 - Frank Goodwin (164)

3 - JB Van Hollen

3 - Dennis Krueger ( P, 83, J )

2 - Michael Landsgaard

2 - Brad Schimmel (Sunset, 83)

1 - Jim Sensenbrenner

1 - David Clarke

1 - Mark Green

1 - Bob Collison (164)

If they can't follow the law now...

A convert!!

2006-08-30T00:39:00.000-04:00

H/T to Jim Horn of Schools Matter

If she wins in November, we will only need about 50 more like her to overturn this stupid law.

Hey, its a start.

Recess Supervisor gets it right

2006-08-30T00:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it is hard to realize how bad an attempt at humor is until you read the real deal.

Here is how it's supposed to play.... and please ignore the Reynolds post below.

Train derailment

2006-08-23T07:34:00.000-04:00

The train derailment in Waukesha may cause quite a problem for commuters. As of early this morning, the crossings at Moreland, Whiterock, Main and Arcadian were still shut down. The Broadway crossing by the post office, however, was open.

Reynolds makes second demand on debate group

2006-08-23T02:05:00.000-04:00

State Sen. Tom Reynolds has added a second demand to the Brookfield church which thought they had organized a debate between Reynolds and challenger Jim Sullivan.

"There cannot be people in the church," added Reynolds, moments after demanding that non-media video cameras be barred from the debate. "You never know when you might make a funny face while answering a question and someone could actually see it."

Reynolds says he wished the organizers would've clarified that there would be people present, saying he was looking forward to the debate. He says if those church-goers are banned, he would reconsider pulling out.

Jessica and Owen

2006-08-23T00:20:00.000-04:00

In what only can be described as a nuclear meltdown, Jessica McBride has apparently had enough of Owen Robinson and his blog. Response throughout the blogosphere has been swift.

Grumps believes that Ms. Bucher over-reacted a tad while Brew City Brawler thinks that the spat is simply an example of how far the Republicans have lowered the public discourse.

Xoff, the first with the story, finds humor in the whole situation.

The Recess Supervisor finds it all rather boring.

Rendezvous and Real Debate look at the impact of the spat from a more global perspective.

I find it simply amazing that the mainstream media, namely talk radio, hasn't touched this issue. Perhaps media bias is alive and well. Charley and Jeff crawled all over Gwen Moore's childish tantrum at the State Capitol. Sykes frequently dedicates a segment to attacking Bill Christofferson when he posts something Sykes finds offensive. But nary a word on the air or on their blogs on this blow up. Makes you think they might have ignored the whole "you suck" controversy if it hadn't occurred one of their shows...

Doyle Green debate

2006-08-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

The Waukesha debate between Governor Jim Doyle and Congressman Mark Green will take place on Sept 15th in downtown Waukesha at the Rotunda.

Sign Patrol... week two

2006-08-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

Big news as the Sign Patrol enters week two in publicly outing those not interested in actually following election laws when it comes to sign placement. The Sensenbrenner sign on Pewaukee Rd. has been moved, probably due to immense pressure being brought down on the Congressman's campaign from readers of this blog. That, or maybe the county guy moved it when he mowed the right of way...

Anyways, our law and order AG candidate, Paul Bucher, has surged into a tie for the most lawless campaign of the season. The two-week totals are as follows...

4 - Paul Bucher (Capitol, Ryan)

4 - Chris Lufter (Christina's)

3 - Frank Goodwin

3 - JB Van Hollen ( Capitol, Capitol, Ryan)

2 - Michael Landsgaard (Ryan, Capitol)

1 - Daniel Trawicki (Ryan)

1 - James Sensenbrenner

1 - David Clarke

1 - Mark Green

Other candidates appear to be putting out signs as we speak, so next week's number should be exciting... well, for me at least.

Johnson lost

2006-08-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

Perhaps he should have stuck to calling voters in Missouri...

VOTE FOR BOB JOHNSON TOMORROW!

2006-08-16T23:43:00.000-04:00

I came home tonight to find a message on my phone from Rep. Bob Johnson. He urged me to vote for him in tomorrow's primary for the State Senate. He understood that I may have some bad things about him from his opponent but wanted to assure me that when he became my State Senator he would bring fiscal responsibility to the Senate.

That last promise perked up my ears a bit. I would love to see fiscal responsibility return to our legislature. However, I didn't hold out too much hope in that happening since Bob Johnson isn't running for State Senate in my area and the primary isn't tomorrow. So I did some searching.

It turns out that Bob Johnson is a State Representative from Missouri. Johnson, a moderate Republican, is taking on ultra-conservative Matt Bartle for the 8th State Senate seat. Bartle, it seems, decided to go on the offensive in the race, claiming that Johnson, if elected, would support radical gay and lesbian rights agendas. His proof? Several years ago, Johnson accepted a $3.18 drink from a registered lobbyist. That very lobbyist two years later went to work for a gay rights organization.

Yep, that's it. Reminds you a bit of politics in Wisconsin, doesn't it?

So now I have a reason to watch for primary results tomorrow night. But who do I root for? The right-wing wacko who campaigns like a sleazeball or the fiscally responsible candidate who calls people in Wisconsin to vote for him in Missouri.

I'll root for Johnson. Perhaps he was just trying to get a hold of Donovan Riley...

Somebody forgot to send the template to Baraboo...

2006-08-16T01:06:00.000-04:00

Lance has a rather unique idea of how to decide which way to vote on a school referendum. Ask tough questions, analyze the answers and decide what's best for the community.

I thought you were supposed to form a group, criticize the Administration, call the Board a bunch of crooks and then make a bunch of outlandish allegations.

Trust is an interesting word, isn't it Lance? So tough to earn and yet so easy to take away from others...

The lawnsign patrol

2006-08-15T01:36:00.000-04:00

I've admitted in previous posts that I am a campaign junkie. I love following races, forcasting winners and reacting to lessons learned in each election. There is, however, one aspect of election time I just can't stand.

I cannot explain my frustration with illegally placed campaign signs. How can people who are asking for the public's trust in making tough decisions be so cavalier about breaking the law? Is this how they will view the law when they are elected? Is it SO hard to put the darn thing back a few more feet if you're not quite sure where the right of way ends?

Part of my frustration results in nothing being done to these law breakers. I have called the police and they say they have better things to do (and I agree with them). I have contacted the District Attorney who is in charge of election and campaign laws and he actually laughed at me.

As a result, I have decided to keep track of signs I notice that are clearly not on private property. I will update the list periodically. If the law won't punish these evil doers, perhaps a public relations nightmare from my three readers will due the trick.

The returns are still early but here are the biggest rule-breakers as of now...

3 - Frank Goodwin (98th) Main St, Main St, Main St.

3- Chris Lufter (97th) Sunset, St. Paul, TT

2 - Paul Bucher 164, 164

1- Sensenbrenner Pewaukee Rd.

1 - David Clarke Lake Dr.

1 - Mark Green Lake Dr.

Special props go out to Mr. Bucher, whose two illegal signs happen to be large signs. Candidates will make an argument that lawnsign placement isn't their fault because homeowners frequently place them. Large signs, however, are almost always placed by the campaign...

Stay tuned!

Homer vs. Belling

2006-08-15T01:27:00.000-04:00

What could be the weirdest feud in quite a while continued today with both Mark Belling and Steve True commenting on the Journal Sentinel article over the weekend. Belling picked out a few of True's comments and belittled them on the air while True rather strangely had his producer repeat anything and everything that Belling was saying almost immediately after the fact. Homer then responded to Belling's comments.

True also stated that a simple apology, much like the one Belling gave on the air several years ago for the same language, would mark the end of the issue with True. One has to think that a small radio station like WAUK has prodded Homer to keep stoking the flames of this story. It has to be a huge spike in their listenership.

Inside Mark Green's war room...

2006-08-15T00:20:00.000-04:00

The following conversation is completely fictional. Any part of the dialogue that resembles actual campaign strategy is purely coincidental. Although you have to wonder how stupid they think we are...

Several men sit inside a small office. One of the men is clearly the Republican candidate for Governor in the State of Wisconsin. The others look like your everyday, run of the mill campaign strategists. Three of them, however, seem to be running the show. The meeting begins...

Green: "The purpose of this meeting was to what, again?"

Mark: "Clarify your platform. Weigh in on the heavy issues of the day."

Green: "Such as?"

The geeky one named Charley speaks first...

Charley: "TABOR."

Ordinary staffer: "Tourism, Environmental issues... and certainly Education."

Charley: "And TABOR."

Green: "Education has been covered. We did that tax holiday thing."

Mark: "Tax breaks once a year for school supplies. That should fix our public schools."

Ordinary staffer: "With all due respect, sir, people are starting ask questions about their neighborhood schools. With programs being cut year after year, and with Mr. Green backing away from two-thirds funding, parents are beginning to wonder if their taxes are going to go up or are schools going to get hit once again. We need a plan."

Charley: "TABOR would help schools."

Candidate Green gets up from his seat and starts to pace the room. There must be a way to convince voters that he is in support of education without actually doing anything. Slowly, a smile crosses his face. He sits down and turns toward the smart one in the room. We'll call him Jeff.

Green: "What was that gimmik... I mean idea from the Overstock guy? It had to due with spending education dollars in the classroom."

Jeff: "The 65 percent solution."

Green: "Yes, that's it!"

pause

Green: "How does that work?"

Jeff: "It says that 65 percent of all dollars spent on education must go into the classroom. Research has shown that too much is spent on administration, guidance, libraries and other out of classroom costs at the expense of the children. The more you spend on the kids the more they learn!"

Green: "So even if I backed away from two-thirds funding and froze school spending, I could confuse voters by saying I put more money directly in the classroom?"

Ordinary Staffer: "But Mr. Green..."

Jeff: "Precisely!"

Green: "Outstanding! Let's use that on one of our 100 stops in 100 days press releases. I was running out of material anyway. What day are we on?"

Ordinary staffer: "Day four, sir. But about your 65 percent idea... there's a problem sir!"

Jeff: "How can there be a problem? This has been run up the flag pole in state after state and always comes back a winner! Look at those Republicans... supporting public education!"

Ordinary staffer: "But in Wisconsin, sir, it's not going to fly! The school districts here already spend over 65 percent on classroom costs."

The room fell to a hush as the bad news sunk in. Another bumper sticker idea down the drain. Now perhaps saving education would take real work. A new funding formula. Lifting state imposed mandates. Reworking the QEO. But all was NOT lost. In their deepest moment of dispair, their fearless leader had a revelation...

Green: "I'VE GOT IT!"

Charley: "TABOR?"

Green: "The newest idea in Educational reform!"

Jeff: "Tell us!"

Green: "The 70 percent solution!"

Ordinary staffer: "Ooh geez..."

Local official passes away

2006-07-13T00:26:00.000-04:00

WEDNESDAY, July 12, 2006, 4:02 p.m.By Darryl Enriquez
Waukesha County supervisor dies
Waukesha County Board Supervisor Andrew Kallin died early this morning following a battle with kidney cancer that was diagnosed several months ago.Kallin, 50, was elected to the County Board in 2004, and quickly earned a reputation as a hard working and compassionate politician. He ran unsuccessfully for Waukesha mayor this spring Kallin was a property manager and mortgage broker. He is survived by his wife, Denise, and three children.

I met Mr. Kallin on a number of occasions during both his run for County Board and his recent run for Mayor of Waukesha. He seemed to be a down to earth, honest man who truly wanted to serve in the public sector because he believed he could help make our area a better place to live and work.

We need more Andy Kallins running for office at all levels of government...

Different Take award

2006-07-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

Check out this very thoughtful post on the current status of religion in the public arena. I may have to visit this site more often.

Congratulations to this week's "Different Take" award.

How times have changed...

2006-07-12T01:47:00.000-04:00

This will not change how Halloween in Madison is celebrated.

Don't we have a fundamental right in our early twenties to drink too much, wander down State Street and do something stupid?

Seriously, with the problems surrounding the Halloween celebration seemingly always on the rise, something needs to be done. But this won't work...

Is it time to consider Ben Sheets a bust?

2006-07-07T01:41:00.000-04:00

Ok, so maybe bust is a bit too strong. But in a State that either loves it's sports heroes to a fault (Favre, Allen and Sheets) or hates them from day one (Surhoff, Day and Buckley) one has to wonder how far the faithful will stand by Gentle Ben. Let's look at the numbers...

After being taken tenth in the 1999 draft, Sheets made quick work of the Olympic games and then the minor leagues. Without breaking a sweat, he arrived in Milwaukee early in 2001. Since then, however, things haven't went so well.

Big Ben has yet to win 13 games in a season. Yes, there was that hardluck year in 2004. A 2.70 ERA and still a losing season. But Sheets needs to stay healthy to win games and he's only logged 225 innings or more once in his career. Moreover, Ben has held opponents to a batting average of .260 or lower only twice in his big league career.

Compare those numbers to the player taken one pick before Sheets in 1999. Barry Zito has won 13 games four times and is five wins from doing it again this year. Six times he has held batters to .260 or below. Zito is 36 games above .500 in his career while Sheets is nine games under.

One can argue that much of the difference between Zito and Sheets has to do with playing on a winning team. Obviously, that helps. But the number of pitchers that have surpassed Sheets season win total of 12 is astounding. The Dodgers have four, with Sele, Tomko, Penny and Lowe all reaching the 13 win plateau. The Cardinals have five. The Reds, who rival the Brewers futility, have three as does the Cubs. In all, 39 of the 64 National Leaugue starting pitchers in late June had won at least 13 games sometime in their career. THAT'S 61 %!! Eleven more pitcher that meet the magic number of 13 were set to come off the DL sometime soon.

Is Ben Sheets a bust? No, not yet. But the time has come that we think of him in more realistic terms... a nice number two behind the real ace of the staff, Chris Capuano. Those of you my age remember a time when this area loved nothing more than ripping on BJ Surhoff. You could not go a week without hearing someone on the radio, at work or in the papers remind us that "we could have had Will Clark!" Yet Surhoff had a very nice career. Part of me thinks it would be poetic for someone to think back on that summer of 99 and proclaim... "We could have had Peavy or Crawford or Blalock or....

wait for it....

PUJOLS!!!

Post - July 4th comments

2006-07-07T01:03:00.000-04:00

A couple of thoughts about our celebrations of the past few days...

I like to get an idea of local political campaigns by their presence at obvious events (parades, fairs, pancake breakfasts etc.). It certainly isn't a complete picture but I do believe that when you begin to see one candidate clearly more visible it makes a difference. Many, including Wigderson, saw the writing on the wall in the mayors race for this exact reason. At the Waukesha parade I met Bill Kramer and saw volunteers from the Green campaign and the Dennis Krueger campaign. Curiously, I saw no candidates at the fireworks. I've signed a number of nomination papers at most of the fireworks shows I've attended in the past. Perhaps everyone has enough signatures.

Mike from Spring City Chronicles touched on a great subject. Why can everyone fly a flag to show patriotism but simply cannot tolerate fireworks? I spoke to a police officer on the night of the 4th who told me the police had spent all day following up on dozens and dozens of calls on fireworks DURING THE DAY! I understand the frustration of bottle rockets at 2 am... but in the middle of the day on the holiday itself? My goodness. At night, a County Sheriff came by at the fireworks and politely told my daughter to put out her sparkler. Apparently, last year a bare-foot child stepped on a hot sparkler and burned his/her foot. Her parents promptly sued the County. Sheriffs, in turn, were told to crack down this year even though they said they felt like smucks doing it. I've got an idea... have your kid wear shoes when they are running around after dark.

I was really disappointed to see the parade have to bring in a marching band from Whitnall High School when their are four great high school bands in Waukesha. North always seems to be at the parades... but were is South, West and CMH? If you want community support...

Speaking of Waukesha...

2006-06-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

There is a new website with yet even more Waukesha bloggers! Check out WaukeshaNOW.com for an abundance of information on the county seat. In addition, you will find four new bloggers talking about what is interesting about Waukesha...

1. Jay Walt- a community activist and leader

2. Curt Otto- a downtown resident and businessman with a quick wit

3. Brien Lee- a longtime resident and former aldermanic candidate

4. Ariel Schlesinger- a high school student with a different take

This appears to be a Journal endeavor, still in beta form. Similar sites are set up for other areas. We shall see how it does...

Kudos to those REAL Waukesha County bloggers...

2006-06-21T23:03:00.000-04:00

There is still a pulse. Not much of one, mind you, but this blog is still breathing. I've lost all my readers (I really miss all three of you). I really have only two choices... start putting up quality posts on a regular basis... or link to the heavyweights in this area and live off of their hard work. There really is no choice because the first option is just too much work.

Seriously, though, this blogging experiment of the past six months or so has taught a few valuable lessons. The first is that it is far easier to rag on the merits of an argument in the paper or on radio than it is to construct a well researched opinion that has to face the blogosphere. The first paragraph is easy... it's defending your statement that gets a bit trickier.

The second lesson is a lesson of respect. I'm not really sure how they find the time to do it... but the true bloggers give you up to date information on whatever the story of the day is. In Waukesha County, four bloggers I have found are must reads to stay on top of the day's hottest local news. Dean at Musings of a Thoughtful Conservative is probably the most even-handed of all the bloggers. I'm almost always sure that information he provides is factual. James over at Wigderson Library and Pub is the most active and the most political of the area's bloggers. I rarely agree with him but his debate skills are beyond question. Tim,at Other Side of My Mouth effectively gives the other side of the issues a voice. His blog, however, spends less time on local issues. Mike over at Spring City Chronicles has never made my blogroll simply because I have never agreed with anything he has written. He is, however, the single most important read in order to stay up on Waukesha politics. Tonight, in spite of my ideological differences, he gets added.

So if you've wandered to this site or by chance haven't seen one of the above, check out their blogs. There are those of us who come and go according to our schedules and interest in the stories of the day. And then there are the true bloggers of this area who deserve credit for rarely missing a story...

Who will be the next Jensen?

2006-04-19T01:32:00.000-04:00

Attorney Mike Maxwell has joined these gentlemen in trying to suceed Scott Jensen in the 98th Assembly district. In what looks like a re-run of the Dan Vrakas assembly seat, all candidates are falling over each other in an attempt to be the "most conservative".

Maxwell may, however, provide Zipperer with a bit of a challenge for the Republican money and endorsements.

We shall see...

Bloggers are conceited, meanspirited and... hold on, now, what does this button do?

2006-04-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. I thought most of you were pretty much jerks. Either that or my writing ability is almost nonexistent (which still may be the case). A couple of you who I have praised or pointed out in a post were particularly jags.

Let me explain. Computers are new to me. However, I love to write and I love politics. Hence, my interest in creating a blog. But goodness gracious... 5 months of occasional posts and not even one comment. Certainly not from one of the regcognized blogs.... but not even from the local guys who seem to keep tabs on each other even if they come from opposite viewpoints. Not one stinking comment. Geez, my writing really sucks!

Then came the problem. I like to start a post while reading other's work, then finish it off later. The post, however, shows up at the time or date I started the draft. For example, tonight's three posts are about five or six posts back because I started them a while back.

The solution? Simply press every tab on the screen. There HAS to be a way to fix this and put the last post published on the top of the page. While I haven't found out that quite yet.... GUESS WHAT I DID FIND?

20 comments. Just sitting there in a file, waiting for me to approve their posting on my blog. Some from as far back as four months ago.

So to those of you who critiqued, disagreed or even just acknowledged my attempt to post something worth reading here, I apologize for ignoring you. For those I've cursed under my breath because you comment EVERYWHERE but here... my bad. Who knows what I'll uncover under a different tab next week.

PS I even received a comment from the one and only Dennis York. And I big-timed him... blew him off completely. Beautiful

I'm such a dork...

More fallout from the Nelson win...

2006-04-15T14:51:00.000-04:00

The Recess Supervisor takes a swing at many of the conservative pundits who are trying their best to explain away the Nelson win . The Supervisor is particularly hard on Jessica McBride, who seems to think that whenever a Democrat wins the public was somehow duped. I would expect more thought out analysis from someone of her ilk.

Kanavas happy that the will of the people has been thwarted?

2006-04-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

The Waukesha County Board has been roundly criticized for taking away the referendum option from the Waukesha Taxpayers League.

Even County Executive Vrakas has taken a hit or two for not vetoing the measure.

Now, State Senator Ted Kanavas weighs in.

Will the criticism follow?

I wonder...

The Democrats thump their chest... well, at least one of them

2006-04-15T13:20:00.000-04:00

I'm quietly hoping all the ridiculous commentary on the Waukesha mayoral race has come to an end.

This, however, will probably ensure that doesn't happen. Pound your chest, Mr. Congdon, you've been waiting quite a while...

A Liberal in Brookfield?

2006-04-15T02:23:00.000-04:00

Now I've seen it all.

Give Timothy Rock a look over on my blogroll.

Jude Verdict

2006-04-15T02:08:00.000-04:00

The police officers walk.

More later...

A new, old addition to my blogroll

2006-04-15T02:01:00.000-04:00

Somehow, I managed to lose track of Carrick Bend Thoughts for a few months. Now that I've found his new home, I would suggest you give him a read...

Zipperer signs two campaign pledges...

2006-04-15T00:56:00.000-04:00

Rich Zipperer (R)Pewaukee has hit the streets running in his attempt to win the Assembly seat vacated by Dan Vrakas. A press release is touting his opposition to any tax increases while he is in the Assembly.

Unsubstantiated reports also have the candidate from the 98th signing another pledge to "do whatever John Gard says, regardless of what is good for my district".

If these reports are true, Zipperer becomes the 200th consecutive republican candidate to sign this pledge...

"Different Take" of the week

2006-04-12T01:47:00.000-04:00

Peter wins this week's award with a thought-provoking post on the dumbing down of our school systems. Many sites had the math joke but his take on the direction our public schools are taking puts him over the top.

I rarely agree with Peter on educational issues but here he's right on target...

County Board reduces itself...

2006-04-12T01:19:00.000-04:00

As reported on numerous local blogs, the Waukesha County Board voted to reduce it's size to 25 members tonight. This is another HUGE victory for the Waukesha Taxpayers League. For reasons stated in this post, I believe the County Board made a mistake tonight.

Could the WTL deliver the signatures needed to force a referendum? We may never know... but I have suspicions that they weren't that close...

Top ten reasons Larry Nelson won on tuesday...

2006-04-07T01:38:00.000-04:00

The local blogs are filled with theories and jokes trying to explain away the suprise result of tuesday's election. Some are valid, while others border on the insane. So in my best David Letterman voice, I give you the top ten reasons Larry Nelson is the next mayor of Waukesha.

10. Larry Nelson is a fantastic and tireless campaigner. His enthusiasm and optimistic view of Waukesha even impressed Dean at Musings.

9. Nelson absolutely destroyed Nischke in the forums. Even the presence of Jeff Wagner couldn't level the playing field.

8. The campaign turned in the last ten days and Nischke had spent all her money. As James Wigderson pointed out, while the editorials for Nelson rolled in and the publicity stunts (live sign-holders) started working, Nischke's campaign was in debt.

7. Nischke was constantly on the defensive. Her flip-flop on the size of the council never really ended, with her last few mailings still touting the idea. Her strongest lit piece was on Nelson's aldermanic record but she never really explained what her vision for Waukesha was.

6. The teacher variable. With 30 years of teaching under his belt, one can only guess at how many voters have sat in Mr. Nelson's classroom or met with him at conferences. His ability to speak in front of a crowd was a real benefit as well.

5. Waukesha hasn't had an outsider elected Mayor in at least 15 years. Lombardi, Opal, Vrakas and LaPorte all came from the Aldermanic ranks.

4. The conservative base stayed home. Others have suggested that they took the win for granted. I disagree. I'm not so sure that Ann has rock solid support from the base. There are rumblings from her time at the Waukesha YMCA. Some question her leadership at the Chamber. It wasn't passiveness, it was apathy.

3. The Waukesha County Republican Party has lost it's political power in Wisconsin. I'll wait while you get over your laughing fit... but it is true. Schober, Davis, Engeleiter... Farrow, Huelsman, Rosensweig... Dreyfus...These names, to the politically astute, bring memories of control, effectiveness and independence. They were leaders in their time who helped shape the direction of our State. The resignation of Scott Jensen brought an end to that era. We are now represented by the many faces of John Gard and Charley Sykes. Do what the bosses say even if it isn't in the best interest of your district. Show an independent streak and you'll find yourself in a primary (Rosensweig) or simply harrassed out of office (Huelsman). Now we're left with a bunch of second-rate politicians that are the Republican version of Jerry Klezcka. Take orders, do nothing and stay in office. Meanwhile, the future of the State is decided somewhere between Sun Prairie and Pestigo. The County is still conservative enough that you can throw an empty suit in an election and win it. The City, however, is apparently not.

2. History does repeat itself. Is this really that big of a suprise? When was the last time a conservative was Mayor of Waukesha? Carol Lombardi is certainly no conservative and probably leans more left than anything. Carol Opel was clearly a Democrat. Even the irrepressible Paul Vrakas seemed to me to be much more moderate than his son. It's been 20 years, folks. Why did we expect anything different?

1. In the end, it had to be the bookmarks...

OK.. so he's won bigger awards in the past...

2006-03-30T01:12:00.000-05:00

That fact notwithstanding, This liberal blogger wins the second edition of my weekly "Different Take" of the week award.

To shrink or not to shrink...

2006-03-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

Reversing it's direction for the 423rd time in the last few months, the Waukesha County Board has decided NOT to take the issue away from the Waukesha Taxpayers League and deal with it themselves. The Spring City Chronicle has done a great job of updating the issue on a daily basis. A couple of thoughts...

For the political junkie, this is the best of all scenarios. The Board has basically thumbed it's nose at the WTL. After years of inactivity, the taxpayers league has become a force again lately with a series of huge wins. A lopsided defeat of a school referendum and numerous wet, sloppy kisses from the newly elected County Executive both preceded the County Board issue. The fact that the Board almost acted to reduce the number of Supervisors out of fear of a binding referendum speaks volumes to the newly found political capital of the WTL. Can they get 11,000 signatures? Even with talk radio carrying their water, THAT'S A LOT OF SIGNATURES! We will soon find out.
From a personal point of view, the idea of a referendum interests me. I'm not quite as sold as the rest of the blogosphere that downsizing is the right answer. On one hand, 35 members is a whole lot of members. I've never sat on a committee or worked with a group that large that didn't have to work to get ANYTHING accomplished. On the other hand, do we want to lose another level of government? The Federal governement has long been beyond the reach of the ordinary citizen to make his voice heard. Several years ago, we lost our State government as well. When was the last time you contacted a State official and didn't get a form letter in return? On the local level, however, government is still within the reach of the ordinary citizen. Call or write a letter to your local trustee, school board member or supervisor and more times than not, you'll get a response. Not a canned version but , in many cases, a real conversation. Will a smaller board representing a larger number of people result in us losing government at the County level as well? That's probably a stretch but it is certainly moving in that direction. It also helps to explain why the most powerful special interest group in the county is so hell bent on lowering the number to 11.
Why did Jim Dwyer vote for the reduction in committee and vote against it at the full board?
Will anyone ever talk about the issues that would actually bring about a more responsible county government in Waukesha? Forget the size of the Board... or whether we should have a County Executive...why aren't we as citizens demanding that meeting be held at night when most of us could attend and exercise our right to free speech and why aren't these meetings on TV? Those two changes would bring needed accountability to the citizens, not a particular special interest group.

The next six weeks should be interesting...

Waukesha County Board debate... from the blogger's own mouths

2006-03-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

The next four days will be interesting for political junkies to observe the going ons surrounding the debate over reducing the size of the Waukesha County Board. Before I give my take, I thought it would be interesting to look at the development of the story, from a blogging perspective.

The debate began when the Legislature and Governor Doyle agreed to make it easier for boards to reduce their size by lifting some of the restrictions previously mandated. Jenna at right off the shore comments on the bill signing and Vrakas' interest in taking advantage of it.

The idea quickly took off. Milwaukee Talk Radio spent time on it and then James gives us a hint that the County Supervisors aren't going to go along with the change quietly. As with any story that receives time on the radio, politicians begin to fall all over themselves to pose for holy pictures in support of the idea.

The debate of the issue officially begins. A conservative surprises many by arguing against the proposal. A liberal agrees. One of the giants in the blogosphere joins in and lays the foundation for supporting the downsizing.

Dean fills us in on the proposal that County Executive sends to the Board. The supervisors, not suprisingly, react with anger and threats to the Executive.

As the rhetoric between Vrakas and the Board escalates, so does the public debate. Talk radio predictably begins personal attacks on the Supervisors, calling them "hacks" and "incompetant". The bloggers ratchet up their posts.

Mike fills us in on the next big turn in the story, a split between two special interest allies. Patrick clears up the split with an explanation of the Waukesha Taxpayers League's referendum plans. Meanwhile, the belittling continues.

Patrick slips farther into whatever world he is living in.

A few detractors of the change do remain. A voice from the North talks of their bad experience with downsizing and a local newcomer to the blogging world speaks out against the idea without fear of reprisal. Strangely, a few days later, he stops writing altogether. Hmm....

The debate takes a turn again when conservative stalwart CRG speaks up against the downsizing. The response was swift. Charlie Sykes says the group's 15 minutes of fame are over. The very next day, James explains to us that all is well again. Perhaps Mr. Kliesmet read Charley's marching orders wrong.

Tim Rock joins the pitiful game of personal attacks with a pathetic picture. No, I didn't laugh.

Patrick regains his senses long enough to inform us that the County Board is beginning to sense that the writing is on the wall. Mike, James and Patrick call for renewed efforts to get signatures before the Board can act.

Meanwhile, Grumps wonders why he is being recruited.

Three hours of reading. So who is right and who is wrong? I'll give my take... soon.

Walker out

2006-03-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

Jim Doyle's chances for re-election took quite a hit today as Scot Walker dropped out of the Republican primary. Walker claims it is a fundraising issue while Xoff and Dennis York are finding the Wisconsin appearance of RNC Chair Ken Mehlman this week too coincidental. The payoff must be big because Walker spared the Republican party a bloody 6 months. Either he is the most loyal party man in the State... or the RNC found his price. Chances are these two are on the right track.

However... two words keep coming up in the back of my mind...

Tommy Thompson??

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!

2006-03-21T23:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm fully aware that anyone who reads this will see through the rather veiled attempt to increase readership of my blog through this ridiculus award. But this "one reader a week" stuff is starting to hurt my feelings. So, without further ado...

The first ever winner of the "Different Take of the Week" goes to this blogger

Teacher movement

2006-03-21T02:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some fascinating statistics on a subject worthy of debate from both sides of the political spectrum. This is the stuff we SHOULD be talking about...

And they're off...

2006-03-21T01:33:00.000-05:00

Frank Goodwin, a Pewaukee school board member and Rich Zipperer, an aide to Jim Sensenbrenner, appear to be the first official candidates for Scott Jensen's vacated seat.

Hat tip to the Pewaukee Patriot.

I'm missing the point...

2006-03-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

Patrick from Badger Blogger comments on the lack of accountability in public schools. Let's see... we have a law in No Child Left Behind that demands that ALL children will test at the proficient and advanced range by 2014 or be deemed in need of improvement. A demand, by the way, that all school districts will ultimately fail to meet. Yet, this somehow isn't accountability...

On one hand, the anti-school crowd argues that voucher schools can't be handicapped with government regulations. "Let the parents be the judge of whether the choice schools are working." On the other hand, us public school parents are apparently too stupid to make those same judgements. So our schools get saddled with NCLB.

A little consistancy would help me, guys...

Let's focus, people...

2006-01-25T23:41:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice, just for once, if we could have a real debate on a serious issue? Take the expansion of school choice, for example. I, perhaps naively, thought the impending crisis involving the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program would lead to thought-provoking analysis on the history and the future of Milwaukee's historic program. Instead, we have gotten the following...

* Charlie Sykes and the other talking heads battering the Governor over not "caring" about the black kids in Milwaukee County involved in the program. Reality check. Charley and his cohorts spend hours scouring the wires for ANY story that could paint public education in a bad light. Could be in Virginia, California or right here in our back yard. If it can turn a few more listeners into education bashers, it's worth spending some time on. For these guys to say "do it for the kids" is truly remarkable. I wonder how they sleep at night.

* Our Republican Legislators in Madison saying the Governor is using the kids to appease WEAC and to increase funding to MPS. News flash. The Republicans have been counting the days until this crisis arrived. They've had years to avert this situation by working out some sort of compromise. They aren't interested in working out a solution nor do they care about the kids that might be removed from the program. They see this as a wedge that can be used for the advancement of their true motive... A slow death of the public educational system as we currently know it. None of them will admit this... but anyone with any knowledge of the Capitol is aware of it. This issue is about the expansion of the Choice program. First, to Milwaukee County, then to the rest of the State. Ultimately, a system where everyone gets an "education check", with the kids the choice schools don't hand-pick (special ed, gifted, etc.) ending up in what's left of the public school system. Jensen has been talking about it for years... the rest aren't quite as honest but ultimately feel the same way. So please, drop the feigned compassion for the kids.... you haven't paid attention to the children in your own districts for a decade.

* Governor Doyle and his ridiculous plan for an agreement. More SAGE money and increased funding for MPS? Is the Governor going to have one good idea in educational before his term is up? Remember, it was he who originally broke the two-thirds funding promise. It was he who pushed for increased funding of 4year old K when we aren't funding K-12 at proper levels right now. It was the Governor who led the charge for more breakfast programs in the State while class size is increasing throughout the State and co-curriculars are being cut.
If you're going to use the choice kids as a bargaining chip, Governor, why don't you attempt to align the revenue caps with the QEO? Why not try to get rid of this stupid notion that public school districts should pay for the busing of private school kids? Why not lift some of the mandates that State Government has thrown on the locals over the past 20 years? If you believe in using this as a bargaining chip... what a wasted opportunity.

*Lastly, a big thank you to Xoff for distracting the masses. Is Sykes' ad against the law? I have no idea. But the conversation over the blogs has went from debating the program to a childish argument over who owes who an apology. They like to get off subject, Bill, because the facts never really help their cause. And you gave them ammunition for the week.

My take on the school choice issue? That's tomorrow's post...

A month without a post?

2006-01-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

Well, almost a month. It's amazing what a computer virus can do to one's schedule. To top that, it took quite a few days to catch on the blogosphere once I got back online. Many ideas for posts... but a couple of thoughts while I find time to get back in the swing of things...

1. How do the best of the bloggers do it? The bloggers to the right of this page, along with a few others, are my daily reading. (I understand "Capital" has been forced to close shop???) Some I agree with and some rarely are in the same universe as me. But I have the utmost respect for all of them. I'm amazed that they can continually update their blogs with entertaining and mostly credible thoughts when I struggle to get a few up each week. It certainly sounded easier before I started this excercise.

2. Has the CRG started a recall of Scott Jensen and no one is paying attention? As his impending doom becomes clearer and clearer, certainly everyone can agree that his "alleged" violations are much more severe than many of the ethical or mythical claims trumped up about CRG's previous targets. Or could CRG just want responsible government some of the time...

3. I'll have more to say about the school choice issue soon. But, for Pete's sake, could our Waukesha County Legislators please just shut up about the Governor not caring for the children of Milwaukee? If just one of these politicians ever did even one thing to stand up for the kids in their own district, I'd give them some slack. But their idea of supporting education is to spend all of their political capital on behalf of kids in Milwaukee County. Stop playing political games with our kids...

Gas tax repeal: Winners, Losers and Hypocrites...

2005-12-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

Governor Doyle has announced he will sign the repeal of the automatic gas tax increase. Perhaps now a post-mortum will separate the movers and shakers from the pretenders. First, the winners in this saga...

1. Spencer Black and Tim Carpenter. Both of these long-time Legislators have been fighting to repeal this law for the better part of a decade. Black, in particular, has ridiculed both parties for allowing this law to stand for so long.

2. Milwaukee Talk Radio. After a series of disappointments in areas they have tried to flex their muscles ( TABOR and last year's Joint Finance budget meetings come to mind), Sykes, Belling and Wagner finally have another big win. I'm sure their egos are bigger than ever.

3. The Wisconsin taxpayer. This law was inherently unfair and anyone who defended it simply cannot say no to campaign contributions. It's about time.

The losers? Only one...

1. John Gard, who has been put on a pedistal for entirely too long in this state, showed his true incompetance on both Syke's and Belling's shows. Anyone who has spent anytime in the Capitol over the past decade either knows that he is a buffoon or is in denial because "he's on our side". It's simply amazing that the Republicans went from someone the caliber of Jensen to this guy...

The hypocrites? Make room, there's a whole lot of them.

1. The Democrats who voted against this bill. Remember the stink they made when Tommy vetoed a similar provision. To vote against it because "their guy" didn't bring it up underscores the problem we have in Madison.

2. The Republicans posing for holy pictures on Milwaukee Talk Radio. One by one, they all called up, their voice shaking with fear, and stated how outrageous this version of "taxation without representation" was. Well listen , folks. If it is taxation without representation today... it sure the hell was every time you ignored Rep. Black's call for repeal for the last decade. It sure the hell was every time you bottled up Sen. Carpenter's bill in committee the entire session. If just one of these Republicans had the moral compass to simply say "It wasn't on my radar before, but my constituents have spoken and I will vote for the bill... I would have sent a contribution check the next day. Instead, we get a bunch of foot soldiers who never think for themselves... or for their constituents. Their only decision is which master to follow... leadership or Talk Radio. (I really do think they were afraid of Mark Belling).

Lastly, we must admire the two brilliant political moves during this whole scenario...

1. Jim Doyle, for not ending up under the same bus that hit John Gard. It's good public policy, Governor.

2. Tom Reynolds, for grabbing an issue he didn't particularly care about (He voted against it in the past) and using it to become the darling of the blogosphere and talk radio. Two months ago, Reynolds was facing a tough reelection campaign with a probable primary to boot. Now, his seat is as secure as anyones in Southeast Wisconsin, assuming he doesn't do anything stupid in the next year (which may be a tall order for Mr. Reynolds).

Jeff Wagner, All Star Softball Player

2005-12-17T02:03:00.000-05:00

I wonder if anyone else was as taken back by County Executive Dan Vrakas' appearance on Jeff Wagner's show today. I have been amazed at the local blogs, which seem to comment on everything from Scott Newcomer's latest whereabouts to Jim Doyle's every sneeze, have been almost dead silent on this huge story. Leave it to WTMJ's Jeff Wagner, however, to clear the air on the radio today.

I happened to be at work... so all you get is a paraphrase.

Wagner: "Welcome to the show, Dan. We have all read the paper over the past few days news regarding the resignation of Jenifer Finley. Some have suggested that there is more to the story. Can you clear things up for us?"

Vrakas: "I'd be glad to. Jenifer has done an excellent job for me. I wish her luck."

Wagner: "Thanks for clearing everything up, Dan."

What?

This guy is a lawyer and now a news commentator and that's the kind of hard line questioning we get?

There's a reason that no one from the right is touching this story.

Here's about the only thing of substance I have found...

The Reggie Bush sweepstakes

2005-12-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

Ok... it's getting harder to completely buy into my previous Brett Favre post. But I'm still trying to enjoy every Favre moment. For those of you that have joined the Reggie Bush bandwagon, let me spend a few moments profiling the players the Packers will actually choose between next April.

1. D'Brickshaw Ferguson- The OT from Virginia is quite frankly the best player in the draft. The 6' 5" 295 lb. mamouth of a man is a great athlete who would require Tauscher to go back to Guard next year. An immediate starter and a ten year pro-bowler...

2. AJ Hawk- I know, the Pack's needs are on the lines. But it will be hard to pass on the best linebacker to come out of Ohio State in a decade. At 6' 1" 240, he would cover the entire field with his speed.

3. Mario Williams, Mathias Kiwanuka- These two defensive ends wouldn't help much in the running game but would give the Pack a true pass rushing phenom. Williams, 6' 7" 285, is a bit bigger than Kiwanuka and may not be pushed around as much by a big left tackle.

4. Deangelo Williams- He's only 5' 10" but carries twenty more pounds than Reggie Bush. Perfect for a west coast offense, he may be a poor man's Shaun Alexander. In any event, he certainly is a full-time back, as opposed to Bush (See Warrick Dunn).

The gas tax debate...

2005-12-01T01:32:00.000-05:00

My only post on the gas tax issue was more about open governement than anything else. It does, however, seem to be the topic of the hour so I will give my two cents...

I am amazed at how the far right can take any issue and turn it into a bash-fest on public education. Yes, the transportation fund was raided... and I believe we covered that issue at nausea during budget deliberations. Can we stay on topic, folks?

The views of our Legislators are easy enough to figure out. Why walk away from the trough? The Roadbuilder's own much of the Legislature. I simply don't understand, however, how anyone outside the walls of the capitol can support a tax that no one votes on. Yes, I know the income tax goes up as incomes climb.... blah, blah, blah. But seriously, how is this any different than automatic pay raises for politicians? Put aside the politics and the spin... and this is an issue that should transcend liberal and conservatives labels.

My vote for the best "Different Take" on the issue goes to GOP3 for their thoughts on the aftermath of this fight.

Hey! We're on Wisopinion!!

2005-12-01T01:07:00.000-05:00

OK.. OK, it's not like being classified a large mammal in the ecosystem. But it's a start. Being completely ignorant about blogging (notice the lack of pictures?), I have no idea how you end up on their list besides swallowing your pride and sending WisOpinion an email on your own behalf. Since I didn't stoop to that level, I'm assuming one of my three readers may have done it on their own. To this good samaritan, a thousand thank you's.

To the rest of you... an extra click here once a day wouldn't kill you and just may do some good to my battered ego.

The last to comment on Syke's show... and blogging in general.

2005-12-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

Xoff would not approve (as if he would ever see this) but I must make a few comments about the "big blogging show" from Sunday morning. As you can probably guess from reading below, very few things our local radio heads say make any sense to me but, on Sunday, I thought Charley's show was excellent. Church didn't allow me to see the last segment but the first twenty minutes were very well done. A better analysis than I could ever do can be found on various conservative blogs such as Badger Blog Alliance.

What I didn't hear covered by the panelists is the amount of time and energy that politicians are now giving bloggers. While Some will question the overall importance of blogs, one only has to look at the race to fill Dan Vrakas' seat in the 33rd to see an unprecedented attempt to get on the good side of bloggers. Candidates are tripping over themselves to make sure they are being portrayed as they would like. Will this continue to grow in the future? I would certainly think that in primaries, blogs will have a big impact.

As I read my favorite daily stops on the blogosphere, I can't help but notice how many bloggers are having their biggest month yet as far as hits to the site. Many of these blogs have been up for well over a year. I'm assuming their writings have been solid all along, so even though Sykes and the others have been touting blogs as the alternative media source for quite a while now, we may be witnessing a tipping point of sorts this fall and winter.

On a personal note, I had to chuckle at bloggers pointing to a milestone of 1,000 views a month... or 100 visitors a day. I'd take 10 a day right now...

Mariucci... Gone

2005-11-28T13:29:00.000-05:00

The Lions have fired Steve Mariucci. Think Brett would stick around if Mooch were the coach next year?

The infamous Dennis York post...

2005-11-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

By now everyone has seen the brilliant post on 11/17 (linked below).

I found this apparent precurser from a few days earlier...

May the force be with you...

2005-11-20T22:14:00.000-05:00

A new Blogger with a "Different Take" on the State legislature.

The rest of his blog looks interesting as well...

A poke at Badger Blog Alliance...

2005-11-18T23:17:00.000-05:00

Our Republican friends over at Badger Blog Alliance
either made a simple geography mistake or perhaps uncovered another closed door Republican caucus decision (re-drawing County borders). No wonder they keep winning elections around here...

Elm Grove is still in Waukesha County, folks...

Now this is talent

2005-11-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

This is the best writing I have come across in quite a while...

No wonder no one reads my blog...

Mary Lazich and abstinence...

2005-11-17T01:04:00.000-05:00

I see that Senator Mary Lazich's abstinence bill is gaining momentum in the legislature. Looking around the County, we now have Senator Kedsie and his bullying mandate bill, Rep. Jensen and his same sex classrooms bill and Lazich's abstinence bill. Without regard to the merits of each, it is certainly reassuring to see our elected officials taking on some of the most pressing issues facing public education today.

I can hardly wait to read more about these bills when the next round of updates or campaign brouchures begin to descend to my mailbox, reminding me that all of our legislators are supportors of quality public education.

Perhaps next they can tackle whether spaghetti straps should be worn in high schools...

A couple of thoughts on Wisconsin Eye

2005-11-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

Wispolitics has posted a press release stating that six new members have been added to the Wisconsin Eye Network Board of Directors, including former State Senator and Lt. Governor Margaret Farrow. A couple of questions come to mind...

1. How long until our MSM talk show hosts jump all over this story? Remember the hoopla over the naming of Tom Loftus as interim network president? I wonder how quickly the talking heads will criticize this as a partisan move. My guess is that Charley and company will remain silent.

2. Can anyone explain to me why it has taken four years (and counting) to get this project on the air? What has this network agreed to NOT show?

3. Are we allowing Wisconsin Eye into the caucus meetings? Obviously, the answer is no. So what good will this network be? After all, the great majority of State government is done behind those caucus doors. Example... Last week, Senate Republicans spent hours in caucus trying to figure out a way to stop Sen. Tom Reynolds from pulling his gasoline tax bill out of committee. They finally concocted an agreement which would keep everyone happy and, in effect, render the open session of the State Senate that day useless. Votes were decided, walking quorums were obtained and final outcomes were determined. Anywhere outside of Madison, that would be an open meetings violation. In the Capitol, however, it's business as usual...

So why watch the new Wisconsin Eye network? Well, it will certainly give bloggers more material...

Florence school referendum passes

2005-11-09T00:16:00.000-05:00

A last ditch attempt to save the Florence County School District appears to have worked as their referendum tonight narrowly passed. This is truly good news for the students up there. How it affects the school funding debate in Madison remains to be seen.

Will anyone in the MSM admit they were wrong about the Bucks trade?

2005-11-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

The twenty four hours after the Desmond Mason trade were filled with talk radio condenming the move. Mark Belling spent two segments trying to find someone who liked the trade. It is still obviously too early to make any judgements on the longterm effects of the move, but a couple of things that were widely agreed upon are flat out wrong...

1. This trade is a clear signal that the Bucks are not happy with the progress of Andrew Bogut. Clearly, this is not the case. In fact, the trade may be a sign that the Bucks think Andrew is ready to handle the role of a 4 or a 5. His playing time hasn't diminished with the addition of Magloire and he is handling himself quite well through three games.

2. The Bucks gave up too much.
Huh? The Bucks have a boat load of 2's and 3's and haven't had an inside presence in fifteen years, yet Mason was too much? Who was going to sit to get Mason minutes? Simmons? Redd?

3-0 is hardly a season but a couple of things are pretty clear. The Bucks, while their set offense is still sputtering, is outrebounding their opponents by a margin of 6. An opponent driving the lane with Magloire and Bogut doesn't have the walk in the park of old Bucks' defenses. And perhaps most importantly, TJ Ford's abilities are even more enhanced on a good rebounding team.

A trade well-done, Mr. Harris.

A TABOR-free week

2005-11-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

Are you as amazed as I am about the hush that has fallen on the talking heads over the TABOR issue? If things would have went well for them in Colorado last week, we would have never heard the end of it. Much like every local conservative who wins is billed as a mandate on the taxpayer Bill of Rights.

Well, the state that has been held up for two years as an example of why we need TABOR indeed had a referendum on the subject last week. Voters there decided that they needed a five-year break from the idea. That's right, Colorado voters decided to forego five years of tax savings because of the harm TABOR had done their state. One of the biggest supporters of the original push for TABOR, Gov. Bill Owens, led the charge to take the five year hiatus.

A couple of Wisconsin supporters have done their best to spin the loss into something they can swallow. Representative Pridemore, however, wins this week's award for reaching in a recent press release...

This week, Colorado voters decided to allow the government to keep the next five years worth of surpluses. These surpluses, due to the Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, ordinarily must be returned to the voters under the same constitutional amendment.
State Representative Don Pridemore, in response to this, said, “This shows the inherent genius of a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights."

Huh?

My annual thank you to Pres. Bush and Sen. Kennedy for NCLB

2005-11-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

My daughter just finished her standardized testing last week. I thought it appropriate to comment on why NCLB may be the worst piece of educational legislation in thirty years.

Teachers unions will continue to argue standardized tests are inherently unfair and do nothing to actually teach children. I agree. Supporters of NCLB will talk of a lack of acountability in public schools. Taxpayers have a right to know if their tax dollars are being used wisely. Again, I agree.

I fail to see, however, how anyone who objectively looks at the effects of NCLB in our schools can support it. Remember the conservative's battle cry in the 90's of how public schools have dumbed down curiculum? Our very own Charley Sykes even wrote a book on the subject. Yet they all seem to be in support of a federal law that does more to dumb down public schools than any new textbook or teaching theory.

NCLB tests every child in grades 3-8 and demands annual yearly progress (AYP) in a number of sub-categories as defined by race, learning challenges etc. Schools and even school districts that don't meet AYP several years in a row can face financial sanctions, among other penalties. AYP, however, is defined by our federal government to be moving students from the miminal and basic levels to the proficient and advanced levels.

Here lies the problem. My daughter already tests in the proficient and advanced areas in all subjects. According to President Bush and Senator Kennedy, her continued progress in school is no longer important. So she is subjected to weeks and weeks, (no, not days) of wasted educational time while teachers review school work done months and, in many cases, years ago. Review aimed at students on the threshold of reaching the proficient level on these standardized tests. Then, of course, there are the testing days themselves. Again, a waste of my daughter's time. How many times does the federal government think I need to see a 80-90% national aggregate score to understand I am blessed with a smart daughter? I believe the seventh or eighth time probably did the trick. STOP WASTING HER SCHOOL TIME!

Sound like a rant from a parent with an exceptional child? Think again. In Waukesha County, roughly 80-85% of all students are already scoring in the proficient and advanced areas. That's right, parents, your student's continued progress in school isn't important to our federal leaders either. Schools are being judged as "in need of improvement" not by how they teach the majority of their students but by how a small percentage of kids fare on high-stakes tests.

School districts around the county are responding to NCLB. Responding by refocusing their time, energy and, yes, resources toward making sure the 15% continue to show progress. The losers? The 85% we are ignoring. The 85% who see less of the classroom time spent on their academic level. The 85% who are seeing programs that help them cut to meet the demands of NCLB.

If it sounds like I don't believe their is an achievement gap in this country, you are wrong. It is, in fact, the biggest problem facing public schools today. Their are things we need to do to ensure the success of all children. Dumbing down our schools, however, isn't one of them...

Packer thoughts...

2005-11-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

A couple of thoughts on the latest Packer loss...

1. Robert Thomas looks like a player.

2. Nick Barnett cannot tackle.

3. I'm struggling not to go the route of many bloggers and start calling for heads. But I sincerely hope Ryan Longwell doesn't blame someone else for his missed kick again. Yes, he's won a lot of games for us. Quite frankly, however, I'm tired of the excuses, even if they have some validity. You are paid to make the kicks.

4. Is Sherman or Favre deciding to huddle when down two scores late in the game? This has to be the fourth time I have noticed it this year and, based on the response from the crowd, my anger is not alone.

5. As stated in a previous post, eight more chances to watch the greatest QB in Packer history. He certainly makes things interesting every week. He deserves a better ending to his career, however.

Chris Durski pulls a Dwyer...

2005-10-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

Well, Sykes, Wagner and Belling should have a field day on Monday. Remember the two week rant they each had on the Jim Dwyer commercial? (See post below). That scoundrel County Board Chairman had the audacity to perhaps lead voters to a false conclusion by quoting Dan Finley.

Well, the talking heads will love to hear this. Today, while driving down the road, I saw my first Pewaukee mayoral campaign sign. It was a Chris Durski sign and what I read almost forced me off the road...

Every candidate searches for that perfect campaign slogan. You know, there's a thousand of them out there... but which one is right for your campaign?

"For A New Direction"

"Trusted Leadership"

"It's Time for a Change"

I could go on and on but you get the idea. So what has Chris Durski selected for a campaign slogan?

"Your choice for Better Government"

Not bad, hey? Leads the voters to assume that the previous, or in the case, current mayor is doing a bad job and she is the one to turn the city around. I'm impressed. But wait, is there more here than meets the eye?

What was the name of that group trying to recall Mayor Nowak? Hmm. I believe it was PBG, or Pewaukeans for BETTER GOVERNMENT.

This must simply be one of those strange coincidences. After all, how many choices could Chris Durski be?

Your choice for clean Governemt?

Your choice for a New Direction?

The list could go on and on but you get the point. For some reason, that Better Government phrase seems to work the best, doesn't it? Especially since the PBG, last I checked, weren't going to endorse in this race. Nothing like a bit of an unofficial endorsement, hey?

To be completely honest, I have no idea whether Chris Durski would make a good mayor or not. I actually applaud anyone who sticks their neck out and runs. If she's the best candidate for Pewaukee, I hope she wins. Reading the paper leads me to question the current administration... but a read through of http://carrickbend.blogspot.com/ makes me give serious thought to the validity of many of the allegations made.

I actually think this was a sound choice by Ms. Durski. But, to be honest, it's not much different than Jim Dwyer's commercial. Will she be blasted for two weeks on the local air waves? Not as long as the CRG network is involved in Pewaukee. Sykes and company may not lose sleep over blasting their own as R.I.N.O.S, but to take on the new political thugs of Wisconsin? I don't think so...

I hope others are enjoying this Packer season as much as I am...

2005-10-30T20:37:00.000-05:00

What?

I'm serious. I haven't enjoyed a season this much for years. I know, they're 1-6. Doesn't matter this year. This year is thirty years in the making.

I'm of the age of growing up with Jerry Tagge, Jim Del Gaizo and Rich Campbell. My entire childhood all I heard of was Lombardi, Starr and Horning. I was in that horrible age group that never saw the glory years but never stopped hearing about them. At some point, I believe I started to resent them.

Which brings me to this year. Folks, this is it for Brett Favre. He is NOT coming back for another year. We have 9 more games ( God willing) to watch him. And watch him I will.

I'll live with the 5 interceptions... hell, he's had days like that ever since Holmgren left here. (Another post for another day.) For the first time in his career here in Green Bay, the games no longer matter. And for the first time in his illustrious career, I can simply watch and marvel at our great quarterback. In other years, I been lost in the playoff race. I''ve been busy yelling at the punter or listing reason why they should fire the coach.

But for the rest of this year, it's all about saying good bye to Brett. Our kids will grow up, growing tired of hearing the legends of #4. It maybe another twenty years before we get back to the Super Bowl. I don't know and this year I don't care.

I'm going to make sure I enjoy this gunslinger's last stand...

Talk show hosts at it again...

2005-10-28T23:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I am amazed at how someone who spends most of their day complaining of a newspaper and TV stations selectively picking their stories can be so good at selectively picking their stories. Let me explain...

Over the past month, talk radio has spent hours upon hours decrying Jim Dwyer for running an advertisement containing quotes from Dan Finley. It seems that a decade ago, when running for County Executive himself, Finley was quoted as saying that no one was more qualified to be the first County Executive as was the County Board Chairman (himself). Flash ahead twelve years and apparently the Dwyer campaign thinks that if it was true back then, it must be true today. Hence, the commercial and the outrage from our conservative talk show hosts that followed.

So why post on old news? Because while the MSM ran the Dwyer campaign into the ground with it's criticism, the Vrakas campaign was doing the same thing. Did you listen to the Vrakas ads on the radio.? (It was tough, there wasn't many of them) How did they end? Paid for by blah blah blah... Jenifer Finley, Chair... and goes on to list the treasurer, as required by law.

Ever hear a candidate list their chair on an advertisement? I haven't, not in twenty years of following elections. So one has to wonder, why the inclusion in this race?

Could it be that Vrakas does this every race? No, checked an old piece of literature, that's not it.

Could Dan be courting the womans' vote? No, he could simply have a female treasurer if that was his intent.

Hmmm...

Maybe... He wanted the name Finley in his advertisements (and on his signs, by the way). But you don't think that could lead people to think the Finley family as a whole was endorsing Mr. Vrakas in this race, do you?

Dan Vrakas was using Jenifer's support in this campaign to lead people to believe that Dan Finley was supporting his candidacy. Jim Dwyer used old quotes from the former County Executive to lead people to believe Dan was supporting him in the race. Both, in my mind, were good, political tactics.

One leads to two weeks of brow-beating and the other is ignored completely. Ooh, how I love that part of the MSM that insists they are not part of the MSM. Instead of an insight check, how about an integrity check?

Let the experiment begin...

2005-10-26T01:12:00.000-04:00

I've become addicted to blogs. I simply cannot get enough of them. It doesn't matter if they are on the left or the right, I love the give and take.

So the experiment begins. I will do my best to comment on interesting educational issues and the state and local politics of the day. I will also try to provide a bit of accountability and reaction to those lovable goofs on the radio.

Hopefully, you will be entertained.