Newspaper Injects Partisan Politics into Local Non-Partisan Elections

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Today, much like over the past 10 years or so, the only party politics openly exhibited in local non-partisan races in Janesville and Rock County has been created and disseminated by one source ...the Janesville Gazette. No doubt they think of themselves as the innocent messengers, but I believe it's important not to confuse the Janesville Gazette and their anonymous publishing "Sound Off" column gimmick with innocent bystanders who are merely reporting on local partisanship.

On the other hand, in no way am I trying to prove that political partisanship does not exist between candidates or in non-partisan offices. That is not the case here. My main point is it's the newspaper that is the guilty party for projecting accusations of partisanship on candidates simply for their friendships and affiliations, and then pushing an attack campaign against them for being transparent.

Predictably, the very first partisan attacks on local candidates this season did not come from political parties, special interests or from the candidates themselves. Not at all. Instead, they came in the form of anonymous comments published by the Janesville Gazette.

Janesville Gazette "Sound Off"
(anonymous column, Dec. 21)
On city council:
Check out the candidates. It appears there are a couple of hard-core political activists running. We don't need more politicians running for a nonpartisan council.

Janesville Gazette "Sound Off"
(anonymous column, Dec. 18)
On Democrats:
Regarding Democrats elect officers, Page 10A Wednesday, people of Janesville and Rock County beware. If you want the city and county to be the same financial mess that Gov. Doyle and President Obama have led us into, allow all of these people running for council and Rock County Board to get elected. Educate yourselves.

Of course the above flame-throwing comments were not posted where they could be challenged, like on a political blog or called into a radio show. Instead, they were published "anonymously" in the print edition of the Janesville Gazette! This is outrageous stuff.

Just for comparison, the Gazette editors recently refused to print a signed letter sourced from a Janesville resident because they claimed the core premise of the writer's letter was deemed false by Politifact. Unbelievable. But the newspaper prints this other unsourced cockamamie bullshit?

Yet, the editor claims to publish the best or most representative comments (in their view) of the community in their "Sound Off" anonymous column. So do they really believe the basis on what those comments are founded on to be true? Were they Politifact vetted?

If you happen not to like the comments published in their anonymous column, the editor laments, "well, they're not pretty." Which tends to say that the published anonymous comments really are more representative of what the editors think, without them actually saying it, OR what they want you to believe are representative of the community. At the same time, they admit to eliminating comments that are out of bounds or in bad taste, comments that actually could be representative of the community. But we'll never know. The question to ask is why in the world are they publishing an anonymous column at all?

Make no mistake. It is a powerful publishing tool and a political weapon to help shape public opinion.

So, after the above false and bigoted statements were published in print, the newspaper then does their usual "follow-up" a few days later by conjuring up a faux news article with statements from unassuming candidates that the newspaper purposely reframes against their newly invented partisan backdrop. The paper even digs into certain candidate's backgrounds further by pointing out their friendships and where their mom's have worked. They are way out of bounds, but we can expect a supporting editorial blasting away at the candidate's partisanship and the sad state of politics within the next week or so.

Since I began blogging here in 2006, all of the candidates and incumbents running for local non-partisan offices in Rock County, whether they referred to themselves as Democrats, Republicans, Independents or whatever have done a good job of keeping partisan politics out of their campaigns. They rarely if ever used true partisan differences against one another. The truth is, it's only the Janesville Gazette that feeds on the partisan distinctions and reshapes them into ad hominem attacks against targeted candidates.

As typical of the Gazette, the newspaper frames Democrats and unions as the subject partisans throughout the article and then attempts to "balance" their hit job with a few statements from a counter source, this time the local Republican party, but not until they limit and reconstruct the Republican position as a concluding response to the democrats "obvious" partisan infractions. They've been doing this for years.

Older Posts Related To Gazette's Partisan Attacks On Local Candidates:

Anti-Partisan Crusader's Selective Rage Targets Labor Unions (April, 2011)

When Phony Non-partisans Come Home (May, 2008)

Phony Non-Partisans Complaining About Open Advocacy (April, 2008)

Non-Partisan Elections Like Throwing Darts (March, 2007)

Janesville Gazette Checks Readers Letters With Politifact

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I really haven't been paying as much attention as I'd like to our area's local media monopoly, the Janesville Gazette. They were one of several reasons why I started this blog in the first place, but because of the serious threats our state and nation faces from the likes of Rep. Paul Ryan and Scott Walker, I've taken my eyes off of their little game. Besides, I thought I've seen it all about the Gazette and posted what needed to be posted here on my blog over the years. Well I was wrong.

Sunday, the Gazette posted an editorial titled, "Let's Pause Political Rhetoric For Civil Debate" where the the editor writes a story about the National Conference of Editorial Writers starting a Civility Project in an effort to raise the bar on political conversations.

The newspaper (editorial) eventually moves on to explain they're trying to do their part. For example...

Gazette Editorial:
... we won't run a letter from a Janesville woman who compared union protesters to murderous Mexican drug cartels.

If it was a signed letter from a genuine citizen entity in Janesville and did not contain obviously explicit language - why not publish it? That's her opinion. Besides, labor unions have heard it all so letters to newspaper editors won't change the temperature a whole lot.

I'm sure there was nothing new in the letter but the same old lies and smears anyways. But how about the time when their own endorsed Congressman Paul Ryan likened labor unions to Saddam's Hussein's strong-arm Ba'ath Party? Where was the Gazette's quest for civility then? What about the time during a radio interview when the toxic Ryan agreed with Glenn Beck's outrageous statement that "Progressives are a cancer?" How's that for poisoning the well of civil discourse? Or when the ever alarmist Ryan called the protest events in Madison, riots. Oh well, that's different I suppose, why he's a rising star.

But it gets better.

Gazette Editorial:
We wouldn't let another writer suggest Walker accepted a raise.

As we all know, Scott Walker's salary as governor is $7,000 more than the previous governor. Was it technically a raise? Well no, but it was an increase in the governor's annual salary at a time when Walker was cutting compensation for public employees and asked everyone to join him in his "Brown Bag" campaign. It's box wine for everyone!! Except himself of course.

The point is, Walker could have easily rejected the increase in salary by saying the state cannot afford it and that there is nothing to negotiate about it. You know, like he did with public employees. We're broke! Remember? But the fact that the editor rejected a signed letter from someone expressing their opinion without any apparent vulgarity or personal attack is an outrage. This is pure partisan censorship.

But it gets even better about why they rejected that particular citizen's letter.

Gazette Editorial:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Politifact project debunked that argument, saying it's only a "raise" if you start at one rate and increase to another.

That's why!?? So the editor qualifies readers signed letters, statements and opinions with Politifact. Unbelievable!! But using their logic, I suppose when Walker increased state spending by $1.1 billion, it really wasn't an increase because Walker was not the governor of the previous budget. Walker's starting from a neutral baseline, huh?

Many of the Journal's Politifact editorials have been debunked by several different opinion sources enough times to change their name to PolitiFarce. Plus, they are little more than an opinion editorial themselves. But oh well, if Politifact says so, it must be true or whatever. Sunday funnies!

In the past, the Gazette rebutted reader's letters criticizing Paul Ryan's ideological budget manifestos by issuing an "editor's note" regurgitating Ryan's talking points from his roadmap plan. In a later blog post, the editor explained he thought it was appropriate to post Ryan’s policy statements "to balance the letter writer's right to express himself with our desire to provide accurate information and perspective." No kidding.

The "Civility" editorial continued on about two other PolitiFact statements as if those opinions were the ultimate and irrefutable truth. But the fact that Janesville Gazette editors reject signed letters from local readers by vetting the letter writer's opinions through Politifact is just too bizarre and downright funny. How do we write in cyberspeak? LOL!!

BUT, BUT while the newspaper is now doing Politifact vetting of signed letters from their readers, they have for over the past decade fueled up for twice-a-week bombing raids of random rants, slurs and anonymous hit jobs on public officials, Democrats, school teachers and labor unions and have recently ramped it up during the recall petition drive.

In the past two weeks alone, the Gazette published dozens of dubious individual statements in their anonymous "Sound Off" column about the Walker Recall. These called-in comments were running 5 to 1 against the Recall and were loaded with attacks of mindless, worthless grunts and gurgles against Democrats, Recall petitioners, protesters and anyone opposed to Scott Walker. You'd read worn-out garbage such as, "malcontents demand recalls," "greedy and selfish teachers, "Do these fanatics know," "Democrats belong to unions and they are bought and paid for by Socialist agendas," "don't let the unions intimidate you," "recall Walker means putting unions back in charge," and of course "Unions are not your friend," just to mention a few. The main point is, the Gazette has been running an anti-union marketing agenda and social incivility messaging campaign for years under the guise of anonymity and with zero PolitiFact vetting. The editors have also pompously claimed their newspaper product best reflects the area's political persuasion, when in truth it is exactly the opposite. But they're proud of it. They're professionals.

Lastly, the editor tries to smooth over their obvious authoritarian bias and partisanship by stating that no one, conservatives or liberals, has the fear and rhetoric market cornered. That's true, but why state the obvious unless you're looking for an excuse or equivalency to your own bias?

The truth is, the Janesville Gazette and the mainstream media at-large have had the incivility market cornered all to themselves and they are beginning to lose some of that control. Isn't it time their subscribers demand they practice what they preach? But you can bet they're going to keep their tools of incivility like the Gazette's anonymous "Sound Off" column no matter what, it's YOU who have to give up yours.

Related:

Bliss Com, True Colors

Janesville newspaper rips through Unions with anonymity

Newspaper's Anonymous Column: A place To Offend

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If you haven't yet seen this, check out the latest episode of Civil Discourse Podomatic!

Janesville Newspaper Rips Through Unions With Anonymity

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For the past few weeks, the politically active Janesville Gazette has ramped up the usual highly caustic anti-union anti-teacher statements in their "professionally vetted" anonymous Sound Off newspaper columns. The recent upsurge in the newspaper's union centered articles and anonymous comments seems to draw on their reckless conservative assumptions that because the media's focus have become somewhat displaced by much larger and pressing issues than unions in the upcoming Wisconsin recall elections, they figure now is a good time to turn full attention back on them and re-energize their hardened conservative base with recycled anti-union propaganda.

Sorry, the newspaper's "anonymous" columns are not published online.

Gazette Editor's Sound Off Against Protesters

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Sunday's Janesville Gazette editorial was a simple rehash, cut and paste of the Beckord Forward Janesville editorial posted just days earlier, except the newspaper continues to malign the protesters without cause.

JG Editorial: (Titled: Forward Janesville is right to bring Governor here)
"The last thing Janesville needs is an ugly incident Tuesday that sends the wrong message about our community."

Yet despite dozens of peaceful local protests around the state during the past week including the multiple massive protests of tens of thousands in the Capitol without an "incident," the Janesville Gazette continues to demonize the protesters. What does the Gazette know about that? Are they working on planting some trouble or a "false flag" project to embarrass the protesters? Or are they just spreading fear?

No business in Janesville, not even the Forward Janesville corporate collective, has used their business services in such a way as to spread misinformation, lies, chaos and fear against the working poor, middle class, labor unions and now the protesters of Forward Janesville's dinner with Scott Walker - than the Janesville Gazette. Clearly the protesters are protesting the wrong institution.

Boycott Scott Walker Contributors Facebook

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SOUND OFF
Ramblings published in the Janesville Gazette anonymously

On School Budget: Once again, the teachers union say "no" to concessions. Their next strategy will be to tell us we don't care about our children. That's worked in the past.

Excuse me? But it was Scott Walker who said "no" to concessions, negotiations and compromise. He's leading the way. Don't blame anyone for following his lead. But look at the bright side. You'll be able to stop worrying about the teachers strategy when Walker finishes cutting nearly $900 million from education. Your children will be in your care.

On Unions: As unions continue their policy of negotiation by intimidation by calling for boycotts of businesses that supported candidates that they don't like, they should be aware that it could backfire. What if somebody called for a boycott of GM, Ford, and Chrysler and supported only buying cars from companies that build in America by non-union workers?

There's a lot of festering hate in that one. First of all, unions are not the only ones calling for boycotts. Plenty of regular old-mom-and-pop-never-been-in-a-union or "goons and thugs" in your book, are calling for a dramatic change in buying habits to help turn our ship around away from the brink of serfdom. Calling these boycotts "union" driven is repeating a false narrative from the guns blazing defensive corporate media. Plus, consumers have been boycotting, without union direction, American auto unions for over 30 years now, it's called Toyota. So go ahead, at this point it no longer matters.

On Yuri Rashkin: Regarding the March 23 Sound Off about a nonpartisan city council, if you think Rashkin is partisan, check out his Facebook; you will not believe it. He is not non-partisan at all.

I really love these. One anonymous statement challenging another anonymous statement. No nick name or screen name to follow. No attribution, no nothing but the fact that it is published in a newspaper. The truth is the partisanship or lack of partisanship of individual city council members has no bearing on the quality of the city council as a whole non-partisan entity. It's all in your head. However, a breach of that confidence arises when council members acting under the auspice of city council government endorse the legislative agenda of a politically active lobby group. Such was the case in January of 2009 when Rashkin made the motion to approve a resolution endorsing Forward Janesville's agenda. I gather however by the obviously neutral tone of the anonymous statement that it wasn't referring to that brand of partisanship.

Dirty Newspaper Spreads Vicious Rumor

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Today's Janesville Gazette anonymous column "Sound Off" was loaded with all the typical cheapshots and political propaganda aimed at supporting the newspaper's GOP political agenda, but this time the Gazette posted a dirty anonymous comment they want their readers to believe carries a genuine but veiled threat of violence against the area's GOP campaign contribution base, Forward Janesville. Forward Janesville will be hosting a victory party with Gov. Scott Walker in a couple weeks here in Janesville.

On Forward Janesville:
Congratulations to John Beckord and Forward Janesville for selecting a college drop-out, who dictates to an entire state and refuses to talk with 14 senators elected by the people, to be speaker at your annual dinner. He should fit right in with your group. I hope you are paying for security.

Once a year, the editors at the Gazette detail all the time and careful consideration they put into "selecting" comments for their supposedly anonymous column. As far as I'm concerned, when Gazette editors carefully "plant" unattributable comments like that in their print copy newspaper, they are totally complicit in stoking the flames of division and fear, they own its actions and intentions. It belongs to no one but them.

On Bliss Communications:
I am not going to read the Gazette, listen to WJVL or WCLO nor read the Messenger until your editorial policy is more in line with citizens of Rock County. This is much more Democratic and liberal county than your editorial policy reflects.

This one was worth a good chuckle. My friend (assuming this comment wasn't written by a Gazette tool), it's perfectly okay to read the Gazette and listen to their right-wing programming. Always keep abreast to what the opposition is doing, and they are certainly entitled to any editorial policy they want to impose on the community. But it's all beginning to boil down to whether you support them and their advertisers with your hard earned dollars. That is the bottom line. By doing so, you support the Republican Party. Sunday's newspaper alone contained the equivalent of a $2,000 contribution in propaganda to the GOP party, its candidates and goals. That's how they contribute.

Newspaper's Anonymous Column: A Place To Offend

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Today, one of the Janesville Gazette editors scoffed at the idea of a conspiracy theory purportedly leveled against the newspaper and references this blog as an example of those who help perpetuate the paper's credibility problems.

Gazette Editor's Blog Excerpt:
A few months ago, I ran a column by Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit. I don't recall the subject, but I do recall that I forgot to change our little standing header from "Other Views" to "State Views" above that column. A local blogger suggested I did it on purpose, as some sort of conspiracy.

He was referring to this observation I made in December of '08.

Excerpt:
Partisan Publishing?
On Tuesday, the Gazette published another op-ed written this time by Sen. Judy Robson titled Civilian Corps Served As Bailout During Depression under the heading "OTHER VIEWS. Robson is a Democrat.....and a woman, of course.

That's interesting. To bring this up after eight months have passed by. Time does fly. But calling a title a standing header and not a default header implies it remains (standing) until it is changed. The day before Robson's column, the header was "State Views" for Kedzie's op-ed. But I'm not blogging here to play "gotcha" with the Gazette, and one little editing mistake would hardly qualify for a conspiracy. Yet these little “forgot to” events in editing by the newspaper always seem to be driven against one particular political ideology or in favor of another.

Back in July of 2008, they posted an op-ed written by private citizen James Buchen in defense of the WMC under the heading “state views.” So when the newspaper posts an op-ed written by a democratic state legislator under “other views” it does look partisan. But a conspiracy? Not!

Hey, no big deal. Maybe that was another minor oversight or perhaps it wasn’t. I really don’t care what their reasons are now because these seemingly minor mistakes make up only a tiny, tiny portion of the newspaper's mountain of distortions and omissions I've archived here over the past three years, and I've missed dozens more. Yet, I’ve never implied any of it was a conspiracy. Bias? Absolutely. Do they use their presses to shape public opinion? I think so. Do they project a quasi-conspiratorial behavior and distort the news for their own political and social agenda? I believe my blog has dozens of examples to build a solid case for that one. But an actual "WaterGate" type of conspiracy? Again, I have no proof of that.

I don’t really pay much attention to these so-called header editing "mistakes" anymore. When I brought up a few examples on this blog, my point was to have people become aware of them and the power these so-called mistakes can have over a reader's understanding of important issues. Or you can just ignore it all.

Others can read my observations and draw their own conclusions. In fact, I’ve asked readers not to interpret some of my postings as proof of a conspiracy. But they are what they are. Besides, the Janesville Gazette is entitled to its opinion and I’m in no position to scold these educated professionals – they know exactly what they’re doing. But I'll take issue with their pattern of political and social bias and slanted editorial behaviors as often as I can and post my findings here.

Now back to the editor's blog. After accusing me of creating some sort of a conspiracy, he then twists and ties my observations in together with a phone call he recently received.

Gazette Editor's Blog Excerpt:
This week, I got a phone message from a woman who wondered if we let politicians listen to messages in our Sound Off call-in line. I'm not making this up, folks. I talked to the woman yesterday. She says she's in business with her husband, so she likes to share her opinions through Sound Off so as not to offend any potential customers. That's understandable.

The Gazette has a twice-a week newspaper column called "Sound Off," which is filled with a dozen or so supposedly random and sometimes offensive rants collected from anonymous phone calls. This column has been used by gutless cowards (its a double negative but it works) to tear down hardworking GM workers, labor unions, politicians, school teachers and of course their own neighbor while at the same time prop up a right-wing conservative political and social agenda. Yet, the Gazette has defended the column against questions about its programming honesty and mission. They have no intentions of shutting it down and have in fact expanded its deception by selecting on-line comments from their blogs for a Web-based version in Friday hard-copy editions.

It's like the lady implied, the Sound Off column is a great place where you can offend your customers - anonymously. Now that's the community spirit!

Pssst - Politics Still Important To Gazette

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Sunday's Janesville Gazette ran a front page article about seniors and the elderly being swindled out of their savings by slick talking con artists titled "Working to keep seniors secured." The article was very good and bordered on a public service message containing various groups, law departments and hotline numbers for contact help.

But would anyone think that the Gazette could have tied in a related story about senior fraud from three days earlier to add support for this feature? I'm talking about a press release from Rep. Tammy Baldwin who helped introduce legislation to prevent mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors.

Baldwin combats fraud targeting seniors
“I am constantly receiving word from senior constituents who are being preyed on by fraudulent marketing schemes, offers, and promotions. This is a serious problem and our bipartisan legislation offers some constructive solutions to protect senior citizens from fraud,” said Rep. Baldwin.

History has shown, had this legislation involved Rep. Paul Ryan instead of Baldwin, they most likely would have linked the two stories together as a main feature. I'll admit, omissions like this are difficult to attribute but it is for that reason that makes the Baldwin snub so obviously political.

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McCain Grandstanding Crisis

After McCain announced the suspension of his campaign and also wants to postpone the debate, experts are saying.....

JG Excerpt:
McCain campaign move dramatic.......it's a highly dramatic move, but we have to realize these are highly unusual times during a presidential campaign. He says McCain is attempting to establish that he can act as a leader and reach across the aisle.

Dramatic as in “drama queen.” McCain is desperate and playing the same politics of old. He is not only grandstanding a national crisis for the sake of his own political career, but he is also overstepping his bounds with the current president. GWB IS still president. And for someone who admitted knowing very little about the workings of the economy, having a deregulator like McCain participate in the financial fix is like having a gorilla with a hammer adjust the valve lash on a Lamborghini. He’s in way over his head.

McCain has now painted himself in a corner regarding the scheduled debate. If he doesn’t show up, it’ll prove he can’t chew gum and talk at the same time. And if McCain leaves his chair empty at the debate - people will remember on November 4th. If he shows up........he blinked. It's a win-win situation for Obama.

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Wednesday's Gazette contained an op-ed written by State Rep. Judy Robson titled Why must politics pit corporations vs teachers.

JG Excerpt:
But WMC’s tactics are more destructive than constructive. Instead of telling the world what a great place Wisconsin is to do business, they badmouth our state as a “tax hell.” This, despite the fact that numerous Wisconsin corporations pay zero corporate income taxes here, including 12 corporations whose executives sit on the WMC Board of Directors.

After reading Robson’s clear and concise perspective about the partisans who defend the actions of the WMC by pitting their motives against supporters of education as an equal and fair adversary, I can only disagree with the title. It should have read, “Why must corporations pit politics against education.”

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Gazette titles story Michelle Obama targets women, young voters. Targets??

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Sunday's Sound Off

On democrats: Why are the Democrats complaining that Vice President Cheney had five military deferments? Now we find out that mouthy Joe Biden had five deferments, and Bill Clinton refused to serve in the military. Where are the left-handed media now talking about Biden's five deferments, including your Gazette? -- anonymous

Two words can explain the differences between these men and their deferments because only one of them has been quoted as saying he had "other priorities" than military service in the 1960s. Yet despite being the only "chicken hawk of the three, if Cheney can serve as vice-president - Biden should be able to wing-it easily. But clumping the Gazette in together with the "left-handed" media because of a seeming lack of discussion over Biden's deferments is absurd. Give the right-wing Gazette some time, the campaign is still young.

Two Local Newspapers Approve Ryan's Roadmap

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Both the Beloit Daily News and the Janeville Gazette have publicized their support for Rep. Paul Ryan and his "roadmap" plan in two editorials over the past week. The BDN editorial titled McCain-Ryan? Not a bad idea seemed like the average GOP pep-rally.

BDN Editorial:
Besides all that, Ryan is a serious lawmaker with particularly impressive credentials on key domestic issues - economics, the budget, Social Security and Medicare - which McCain has admitted are not his strong suit.

Where do they get this impression from? That's like saying a bank robber is highly qualified to be a security agent. But seriously, I would like to know WHAT Ryan's impressive credentials are on those issues? And I'm not talking about a certificate hanging on the wall.

The title of the Gazette editorial "Ryan's 'Roadmap' is a good place to start debate" is self-explanatory. It concludes on this note.

JG Editorial excerpt:
But Washington must get talking about the problems, and Ryan has provided the first word.

No he hasn’t. Hillary Clinton has been talking about health care reform since the beginning of time and Al Gore made the Social Security lock box a campaign issue in 2000. Ryan's roadmap offers a $5000 tax credit for health care, a nearly equivalent benefit contained in the democrats expansion of SCHIP. Ryan had his chance and voted against the "real" first words on reform on all of these issues.

Countless others have made attempts to adjust the tax code as well and have taken the country in the wrong direction. Just witness the Bush tax cuts and the widening gap between the rich and the poor for the past six years. Ryan’s roadmap is based on a very backward if not utterly contradictory foundation: That the country cannot afford to keep it’s obligations to Social Security and Medicare unless we introduce massive tax cuts and credits. This is the M.O. of corporate driven top-down economics of old right-wing business politics - otherwise known as the status quo.

However, Ryan and his supporters imply that the left and others who might oppose his plan are the status quo, yet claims that America is majority center-right, i.e. the status quo. You can't have it both ways.

It's really stunning if not obnoxious that Ryan’s proposal asks the lower 80% to be prepared to accept some difficult decisions and prime up for some sacrifices, while he has plenty of room for massive and costly tax cuts that are geared toward the wealthiest.

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Here's an amusing anonymous comment about Paul Ryan from the Sound Off column in the Gazette.

Sound Off:
"Remarks in Sunday's Sound Off castigating Rep. Paul Ryan were offensive....." -- Anonymous

I'm assuming that was referring to this comment last week.

Sound Off:
I find it very interesting that he wants to fix what he helped create by rubber-stamping everything Bush has asked for." -- Anonymous

Well, around 90% is not everything, but I get the point. What I find more offensive is the idea that someone is not offended by Ryan's rubber-stamp voting record and even worse to imply that we should ignore it.

May 25th Sound Off:
"I don't know what Rep. Ryan is thinking, but as a Republican he's going to have very little authority in the next government." -- Anonymous

This is assuming Ryan is part of the next government. But I can't blame Ryan and his supporters for the growing sense of entitlement and cavernous narcissism. If there is any audacity in hope, this November is the time for it to show itself.

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On a separate note here, also in the June 1st (Sunday) Gazette, the editor Scott Angus wrote a separate opinion piece titled, "Tax drop is good news, but lets not go too far" that offered some restrained praise for the state of Wisconsin dropping out of the top ten highest tax states for the first time since 1980. Good news for Gov. Jim Doyle. What I found revealing here was the fact that Angus's perspective on the praise apparently was not shared by the Gazette editorial staff, as the heading at the top of this editorial was "Editor's Views" instead of the "Our Views" heading at the top of their "official position" newspaper editorials. The paper is owned by a member of the WMC Board of Directors.

Local Anonymous Column Out Of Tune

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........but running just fine.
Sunday’s Janesville Gazette Sound Off column contained 17 anonymous comments, typical for this popular newspaper forum. Of those 17, one was a disparaging remark against community activist Andreah K. Briarmoon. Another one went negative on union Rep. Mike Sheridan (D) and his support and phone-call campaign for Janesville city council candidate Kevin Bishop. One thought Rep. Paul Ryan should focus on running for governor. Another one recommended a book written by Texe Marrs about the evil Clintons. Another commenter thought the media should be investigating Bill Clinton’s post-presidential business life and background instead of fooling around with McCain. This next one was my favorite.

JG Sound Off:
On presidential politics: I was thinking of running for president on a platform of health care for everybody, free college education for everybody, no more property taxes but we’ll have a flat tax of 75 percent for everybody. Sounds good, doesn’t it?-- anonymous

I thought, promising more than you can deliver sounds like average election year rhetoric to me. But charging taxpayers more than double than what it costs, clinches it. The commenter must be a Republican.

The Sunday column was capped by two more negative remarks against the teachers union and the fight to protect their health care insurance.

If we go back to this past Wednesday’s Sound Off column, the anti-left rhetoric was about the same.

It started with a comment suggesting local town positions such as clerk and treasurer should no longer be elected offices. Followed by four consecutive negative comments against teachers, which was followed by two negative comments against Barack Obama. Another one criticized Gov. Doyle. One comment praised Gazette affiliate Stan Milam’s Show on WCLO. Finally the last politically driven rant was more sarcasm about the supposed hypocrisy of those against the Bush tax cuts while seemingly supporting the Dem-led economic stimulus plan. Aside from a couple of anti-corporate greed comments, the rest were mainly the local fare about rude drivers, newspaper carriers and everyday complaints. The point here is that the two most recent Sound Off anonymous columns were majority anti-democrat, anti-Clinton and Obama, anti-teachers and unions while a small minority were pro-Republican, Ryan and pro-self interests. Neither Wednesday’s or Sunday’s columns had pro-democrat or pro-dem issue’s comments.

This coming from a newspaper sitting in the middle of a county that recently voted 30,600 for democratic presidential candidates and 7,600 for republican candidates in the primary.

For clarification, I’m writing this not to complain, but to just make an observation.

If Waiting For CAFE - It's Too Late

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Wednesday’s Janesville Gazette posted an article in their editorial slot written by the Dallas Morning News about the consequences of post peak-oil.

Over a Barrel Excerpt:
"I am sorry to say this, but we are headed toward really bad days," a prominent energy economist told Time magazine last week. That was no alarmist talking. It was Fatih Birol, the chief economist for the International Energy Agency, an oil industry organization whose annual World Energy Outlook report is widely considered a reliable indicator of petroleum supplies.

This was a reasonable perspective, but considering that the high price of oil and not an actual physical shortage of it prompted this warning, I was left with the notion that this message was just another shot at expanding domestic oil drilling. Which is something I believe would have zero impact on lowering prices.

But more importantly, if the Gazette editors, their Janesville readers, the local UAW including corporate GM give this short message any real urgency, and not the speculation it may be built on, they had better not wait for the democratic Congress or Sen. Russ Feingold to bully them with CAFE standards into saving themselves - by then it'll be too late.

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Some Amusing Sound Offs

JG Sound Off:
On Smokers: To all Wisconsin smokers, as of Jan.1, stop buying lottery tickets. That will help offset the tax increase we unfairly have to pay. Lets not help out others who don’t care that we’re being extorted and harassed. -- anonymous

Let me get this straight. You want cigarette smoking lottery ticket buyers who can’t break their nicotine addiction to suddenly find the willpower to stop their gambling habit? – just so you don’t help others. Oh, well of course!

JG Sound Off:
On City Budget: Let’s review; city faces $1 million dollar budget shortfall. Reported in the Gazette, city puts $1 million in escrow for aquatics facility, which only a few people want, I might add. Mr. Scheiffer, do any idea lights go on? -- anonymous

According to some in Janesville, you’re taking it out of context. Haven’t you had the time to sit down and educate yourself by watching the Janesville budget hearings and learning sessions televised on public access JA-12? Oh, I’m sorry – I forgot. The Janesville city council went out of their way to deny those prying contextual cameras and microphones into the room. If they say you have it all wrong – thank them.

JG Sound Off:
On Christianson Column: Brian Christianson’s sinister disrespect and sarcastic attitude (Page 8A, Nov. 5) are disgusting. – anonymous

I actually feel slighted by this. I don’t know about the disrespectful part, but the sinister sarcasm and the disgust are nearly complimentary around here and something I thought I had locked down all to myself.

Ryan Ineffective On Health Care Crisis

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The “new” Janesville Gazette, same as the old Janesville Gazette has been on a roll lately. Predictably ripping some of the strongest representation we have in Rock County, both State Rep. Judy Robson and Sen. Russ Feingold. Sunday’s Gazette editorial slamming Feingold for his stance on CAFE was just another rehash of an editorial from a few months ago. Apparently, readers don’t mind paying full price for the brainwashing, the lack of new direction or the constant repetition of the same old attacks and reruns.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
ON SCHIP: Those who criticize Paul Ryan’s stance should have read his column in Monday’s Gazette. He is for the original SCHIP program and for children but voted against this plan because it added unqualified pork-barrel issues. – anonymous

Politicians, and that includes Democrats, who would put tax dollars, pork spending, taxpayers, saving money, privatization for profits, lower taxes, pork dollars, higher taxes, money or whatever they want to call it ahead of the health care and welfare of any child are pure losers, plain and simple. Particularly so during this time of increased Federal revenue collections, democrats should see no need to compromise this bill.

Paul Ryan Column Excerpt:
Why expand SCHIP to people who already have coverage, when so many low-income children remain uninsured?

This raises the question: Why give tax cuts to people who don’t need them when so many others get by without tax cuts.

Paul Ryan Column Excerpt:
If universal health care is the goal, as proponents claim, this is the wrong pathway.

Universal health care is a goal, but not a goal by expanding SCHIP. This is where Bush and Ryan have stigmatized the expansion of SCHIP by wrongly painting it as spring board to universal health care. It’s not. And lastly……….

Paul Ryan Column Excerpt:
Makes it simple for illegal immigrants to fraudulently qualify for Medicaid and SCHIP – allowing states to disregard the requirement to view actual documents of applicants.

Do you mean the same way illegal immigrants are allowed to fraudulently qualify for a low paying job?

This sounds more like a procedural problem than a policy issue. But let’s pretend it’s not. Let’s face it, 20 million illegal immigrants didn’t sneak in without the help or knowledge of the U.S. government. Once again Bush (and Ryan) feels these people are good enough to work on American soil for poverty level wages but not good enough to qualify for poverty level assistance. Even still, are we going to blame another unresolved issue, illegal immigration, as an excuse to deny expanding health care for children?

Ryan says there’s a better way but doesn’t elaborate. But from what I understand, Ryan’s solution to everything is privatization, thereby distributing all of your health care dollars among the profit takers and speculators first, and let their profitability decide what YOU can afford. This is not what America is about, we’re not a third world country yet…….or are we?

View individual donations to Rep. Paul Ryan here
View corporate donations to Rep. Paul Ryan here.

Strive For Better Pay And Benefits - Support Unions

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Things are fairly quiet in Janesville considering the midnight hour is just around the corner regarding UAW and teacher union contracts.

JG Sound Off:
On GM Workers: Go fight, Janesville GM workers; at least your pay and benefits are equitable to the work that you do. Try being a teacher. -- anonymous

But you know it’s coming. Anarcho-capitalists, conservatives, Republicans, libertarians and corporatists living, working and residing in Rock County are licking their chops at the thought of UAW union concessions. They can’t wait. The first thing their media enablers will do is draw up charts and peer statistics comparing percentages of any new UAW wage and benefits concessions to others in the area – but primarily to teachers unions. This will go on for months.

There is a lot riding on the negotiations not only for GM workers in Janesville or the teachers unions but for everybody else – even the seven dollar and hour workers will lose if union workers must sacrifice. Don’t give up without a fight and all workers regardless of union affiliation should be supporting their cause.

JG Sound Off:
On Teacher Contract: Only “about 200 of the 800-plus teachers came to the meeting” Page 7A, Thursday. This shows most don’t care enough about their contract to attend a meeting. If you expect public sympathy on this contract, forget it. -- anonymous

To the contrary, that was a great turnout. For one thing it showed that enough teachers are concerned enough to make a stand and show support for their leadership. Any more and I’d say they have a problem. So, one out of four ain’t bad. Try to get one out of four Janesville residents to show up at City Hall to stand up against council rubber-stamping. You’d be lucky to get one brave soul out of 62,000.

JG Sound Off:
On Health Care: If we get the government involved, it will be like the motor vehicle division or the post office - go stand in line and wait. -- anonymous

This rant or one with the same message is printed at least once a month in the paper. But this person may have a point. You mean it will be affordable for everyone? But universal health care IS NOT government-run health care. The actual health care will still be provided by private enterprise competing for your business. The only reason why people don't stand in line and wait for health care now is because the lines aren't clogged by all the people who need help but by only those who can afford it.

Sounding Off On Republican State Budget

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Sunday's Janesville Gazette contained two over-assuming anonymous calls about the Republican State budget proposal.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On education funding: A letter to the editor Tuesday indicates that Republicans are cutting spending for education. This is not true. Under the Republicans budget, there will be an additional $62 million given to the education system in Wisconsin. -- anonymous

Wow – thank you for your generosity.

Differences in Budgets:
The differences between the two parties are stark on issues such as taxes and higher education. The Assembly Republican budget would slash $96 million from state universities' basic budgets plus other cuts while Doyle and Senate Democrats would increase spending on higher education by roughly $225 million -- a difference in priorities of well over $300 million.

And that’s only higher education. I’m just roughing it here but most school districts are looking need a minimum increase of 3.2% in the next budget just to make ends meet. During 2003-2005, schools cost the state around $9.5 billion, so 3.2% would work out to about a $304 million necessary increase in shared revenue, all things being equal. Assuming as much as the anonymous caller is, the Republicans generosity turns out to be short $238 million just to balance. I'd say that's a cut.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On Tax Credit: Why is the Wisconsin Homestead Credit being changed? According to information I received, any person older than 65 would be ineligible for the credit. I think anyone over 65 and single probably needs it worse than married couples over 65. --anonymous

For some reason, the Gazette lets this statement go uncorrected. The caller either misinterpreted the information or it was a misprint. Only the Republicans are tampering with the eligibility requirements of the Homestead Credit - not the Democrats. Here's the scoop.

Republican Homestead Credit proposal:
Cuts $106.6 million from the Finance Committee’s funding level for the Homestead Tax Credit program, primarily by eliminating eligibility for single, childless adults who are under age 65; and also by indexing only the upper income limit for inflation, and not other formula factors, such as the maximum credit.

Why they would discriminate against childless single people under 65 is anybodies guess. The Homestead Credit is not only based on your adjusted state income tax figures but it also includes total household income, qualifying for it is difficult. The "childless" connotation also seems deliberate to confuse and shrink citizen opposition, perhaps they meant "dependents." Nevertheless, when you’re low income – YOU'RE LOW INCOME.

Beginning in 2008, Wisconsin will no longer collect income tax on Social Security benefits. Just when Democrats fight to make Wisconsin a senior friendly state, republicans want to take it away. With Democrats it's two steps forward – with Republicans, seniors take one step back.

The Homestead Credit changes in the Governors budget calls for the credit to be indexed for inflation while leaving the eligibility requirements intact. Currently the formula has been the same since 1991. The real value of the credit has fallen 27% since 1985.

This is serious business for seniors but it applies to anyone who previously qualified for the credit. It’s very simple. If you are a home owner living on a fixed income – get on the phone now!! and call your state representative and tell them to index the formula for inflation and leave the Homestead Credit eligibility requirements alone.

Here’s a JS Online article from July 9th spinning Republican budget cuts into an expansion for choice.

On Anti-GM, Wages And Tricks

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Apparently the Gazette has been getting some flak over their presentation of some recently released GM factory productivity reports, enough for the editor to clarify that the Gazette is not anti-GM. I agree, but if they’re not mixing words here, they’re mixing definitions.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On Editor’s views: The Gazette does seem negative toward General Motors. Any other papers reporting on the same issue do report much more positively. No one even remembers the strike 40 years ago, so that’s really a lame excuse. But I do remember a time when the Gazette was not so negative toward GM, and those were much tougher times for GM. -- anonymous

I don’t know how everybody is defining GM. Are we defining GM as the white-collar corporate behemoth or as the giant Suburban parked in the driveway? Or are we defining GM by the quality of their assembly-line workers OR by the unions, wages and benefits they represent?

The Janesville Gazette owes much of their sizable wealth to the success of the GM plant. Unlike some of the retail giants on the Northeast side, GM brings cash into Janesville so the old saying “how goes GM goes Janesville” still stands, and by Janesville that includes the Gazette. So I can’t see the Gazette ripping corporate GM, it would be against their political religious beliefs. And I can’t see the Gazette making a personal argument, whether right or wrong, against the workers because they are subscribers and that would hurt the paper's profits.

With the Gazette, they have everything to gain by editorializing about Janesville’s top-notch work force, with or without performance and productivity reports. But if everyone agrees that the Gazette as an entity leans heavily to the right, supports and promotes the Republican agenda enough to be labeled as a rubber stamp themselves, then it should be obvious ideologically speaking, they are anti-union. Not to be confused with anti-GM or anti-workforce. But would they ever admit it? Not in a million years. In fact, they tip-toed through this public relations minefield by already placing the blame for any possible inefficiencies at GM on the age and layout of the plant.

When was the last time anybody can remember the Gazette making a case promoting/supporting higher wages, fewer hours, and better benefits for union workers?

When was the last time the Gazette editorialized that union workers should have to co-pay for health benefits to balance a budget or take pay cuts to remain competitive?

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JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On presidential candidates: The Democratic candidates say they were tricked by President Bush. Do you want a president who can be too easily tricked? -- anonymous

Admitting you’ve been tricked is half the battle to recovery. Apparently, this caller still prefers to be hoodwinked by the Republican candidates who are staying the course in denial with the decider and the deception.

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JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On low wages: You would think that with all the stuff our government has gotten this country into that they would want to reap the maximum possible from the working people in the form of taxes on wages. But by conspiring with the corporate people to keep wages low and allowing illegal aliens to work, aren’t we just screwing ourselves out of tax revenue? -- anonymous

EXACTLY! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ll flatter myself by saying this caller reads this web page because this rant is another one of my economic theories to prosperity for all. I might add that the non-tax paying worker is not only getting screwed out of a decent wage but also being cheated out of sharing in the costs to keep America strong – all for the sake of corporate profits for the few.

It really hurts that our Congressmen have been legislating this into law and helping corporate interests screw our country, particularly those republican compassionate conservatives.

This all began with Ronald Reagan, a hero to the Republican Party.

Sound Off Echo Filter Turned On

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Last week, the Janesville Gazette decided to make a few minor changes to it’s anonymous call-in column known as Sound Off. Apparently, they will no longer allow anonymous comments to call out letter writers by name, a small step forward, but they will be increasing the noise to sound ratio, in other words, they are letting readers know the filter will become even more restrictive – thus taking two steps back. However, I'm not complaining or defending the existence of the Sound Off column in any context for that matter. Make no mistake, printing anonymous comments is a powerful, powerful tool employed by the Gazette.

JG Excerpt:
Our review showed that Sound Off echoes the news and the issues that matter to this community.

Oh,umm sure. But only after one person transcribes the calls and marks them if she believes they come from the same caller, then the Opinion page editor picks and edits the submissions which echo his view of issues that matter to the community and then, he passes them on and they are again reviewed to make sure they echo the issues that really matter.

They can shape and direct public opinion in any fashion they choose without offering one shred of empirical provenance. Of course people shouldn’t be too excited over what the Gazette prints here. What they omit is what should draw concerns. Here is just a sampling of two anonymous comments found in last weeks Gazette – with my response.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On Gov. Doyle: It’s a pretty sad day when Gov. Jim Doyle turns down federal money to the schools just because he doesn’t want abstinence taught to our children. (Page 3B, March 4th) What would it hurt? It might do some good. Sad, sad state of affairs. -- Anonymous

Oh? But Gov. Doyle does want abstinence to be taught in schools, in fact he insists on it – as part of a comprehensive sex education program. Even without the $600,000 from the Fed, Wisconsin schools will teach abstinence, just not in the absence of teaching the birds and the bee’s or warning of sexually transmitted disease.

More and more and particularly during the Bush era, states are being forced to jump through narrow-minded ideological hoops in order to see a return on their Federal tax dollars and this is just a small example. Doyle is to be commended for refusing money that would effectively dumb down our children. The sad, sad part is that Bush now has $600,000 more to waste in Iraq. That money belongs to the Wisconsin taxpayers, and should be put into a state rainy day fund for future school needs.

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
On health care: Regarding Walter Reed Hospital and maybe other VA facilities, a government healthcare program, be careful what you vote for in the future. We may all be sorry. -- Anonymous

Our President has an ivy-league degree in business. But you wouldn’t know it when you consider what he's done to some of our most precious public entities such as Walter Reed or other once shining jewels serving the common good within our Federal system. Those that he failed to deliberately dismantle he neglected, and those he failed to neglect, he completely and utterly mismanaged. We may not be sorry for what we vote for in the future, but a growing majority are sorry for who we voted for in the past.

The Sound Off column affords the newspapers editors the ultimate potential for packaging a false public perception - and it should never be taken seriously. I tend to view the column mostly for it’s comical entertainment value, plus I can have my way with any comment I choose without offending anyone – after all they’re anonymous.

Sunday School Funnies

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JG editorial excerpt:
The four court gym at each school would offer proper space for more physical education classes each hour. Childhood obesity is a growing problem, so let’s help…..And at about $100 per year per $100,000 home, it equates to sacrificing just one meal out a month.

There you go! Have each schoolchild skip one meal a month and you could cut millions off the referendum and the kids will be healthier, too.

JG excerpt:
I’m a student at Craig High School. I would like to know why we can spend billions in Iraq and some people don’t want to spend 28 cents a day to improve my education in our community. --anonymous

Great question! Could it be because those who can’t afford the 28 cents a day are not vicious extremists who use our troops to invade a sovereign nation and steal their oil? The Bush administration has blown over $325 billion of our money in Iraq. Money that could have otherwise been spent to improve Janesville schools, Rock county roads, police and fire departments and most of all, our health. Ask your Rep. Paul Ryan this question after he authored earmark control that allows the president to cherry-pick domestic spending on things like your education. But remember he’ll say, Iraq is a matter of our national security, so the president can spend all the pork on it he wants. For a teenager to ask a double-edged question like that shows that the Janesville schools are doing a pretty good job on teaching the kids deductive thinking.

JG excerpt:
A resident on page 1A Oct.30 complains about having to pay $12.50 a month for an owner of a $150,000 home. Tell me you cannot afford that for the welfare of the children. -- anonymous

I’ve taken some liberties with that comment and rewrote it. Here’s what the caller should have said: A resident on page 1A Oct. 30 complains about having to pay $12.50 a month for an owner of a $150,000 home with a debt load of over $300,000 for the next 25 years on their mortgage excluding their $3,500 a year property taxes. Tell me you cannot afford that for the welfare of the my children.

JG excerpt:
Proponents say its for the children. That’s what they always say to make everyone feel obligated. Start talk about trimming the fat off the top and then talk about money. – anonymous

I agree, the guilt tripping has been pretty heavy towards those who are against this referendum. Start trimming the fat off the top…. Of what? The school children? That would help.


It’s not about the schools or the children. For many, it’s the referendum.