The debate is over, the science is in, and the time to act is now. So I threw on my winter boots, slipped on a pair of warm gloves, and began shoveling away about three inches of an inconvenient truth. Several more inches are on the way.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Junk Science Dumps Glacier over Midwest
Another one of Al Gore’s glaciers broke away and melted into the arctic sea a few months ago. Leave it up to Al to explain that a precursor to the rise in global temperatures is increased precipitation directly caused by the evaporation of greater surface waters covering the planet resulting from glaciers breaking away and melting more quickly than previously believed. Ahh, you may have noticed I left mankind and all of its negative effects out from of the equation. Except for Al Gore that is, I blame him.
The debate is over, the science is in, and the time to act is now. So I threw on my winter boots, slipped on a pair of warm gloves, and began shoveling away about three inches of an inconvenient truth. Several more inches are on the way.
The debate is over, the science is in, and the time to act is now. So I threw on my winter boots, slipped on a pair of warm gloves, and began shoveling away about three inches of an inconvenient truth. Several more inches are on the way.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Outgoing Councilman: Council Run By Business
Several outgoing Janesville city councilmen gave their farewell speeches on live public access cable Monday night during a meeting in the Janesville council chambers. The three councilmen, Greg Addie, Tom Wellnitz and Tom Brien each received a plaque and gifts honoring their public service. Afterwards, they each offered their perspective on both the good and bad times they had while serving their constituents. By far though, Tom Brien offered a near historical perspective of his time on the council beginning way back in 1991.
Obviously sitting in comfortable surroundings with his son and grandchildren, Brien spoke casually and reminiscently about his experience working with the city for the past 16 years. But I really began paying attention when he confirmed one of my own positions regarding the relationship between city hall and business.
His observation combined with the Gazette's media monopoly activities fits like a finely cut scrollsawed puzzle that people refuse to connect today. While many Janesville residents wallow away in denial, Tom Brien just comes right out with it.
On the topic of the newly elected inbound council, Brien felt the next council will be the most representative of the city that he has seen in his years on the council. Again, that speaks volumes about how woefully inadequate at-large city council elections are. Large neighborhoods on the west and south sides have had no representation for years and still won't even with the new council.
I applaud Brien for his service and thank him for offering these views during his farewell speech. Three cheers and a hat-tip.
I would not doubt if they edit Brien's full farewell statement when they broadcast this council session again on JA-12. Watch for it!
Obviously sitting in comfortable surroundings with his son and grandchildren, Brien spoke casually and reminiscently about his experience working with the city for the past 16 years. But I really began paying attention when he confirmed one of my own positions regarding the relationship between city hall and business.
"The councilYIKES!! I almost swallowed my tongue! This - coming from a councilman of 16 years. Even I didn't expect that one. But Brien continued on when he elaborated on how his introduction to Forward Janesville, the city's chamber of commerce, got off on the wrong foot because one of their mission statements was to recruit candidates for public office.iswas run pretty much by the business community" -- Tom Brien 4-9-07 Note: Upon further review, Brien spoke in the past tense, however, his observation is very relevant today.
His observation combined with the Gazette's media monopoly activities fits like a finely cut scrollsawed puzzle that people refuse to connect today. While many Janesville residents wallow away in denial, Tom Brien just comes right out with it.
On the topic of the newly elected inbound council, Brien felt the next council will be the most representative of the city that he has seen in his years on the council. Again, that speaks volumes about how woefully inadequate at-large city council elections are. Large neighborhoods on the west and south sides have had no representation for years and still won't even with the new council.
I applaud Brien for his service and thank him for offering these views during his farewell speech. Three cheers and a hat-tip.
I would not doubt if they edit Brien's full farewell statement when they broadcast this council session again on JA-12. Watch for it!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Republicans Bashed Bush In Damascus
Republican representatives Darrell Issa of California, David L. Hobson of Ohio and Frank Wolf of Virginia abandoned their post up on Capitol Hill and went to Syria to give aid and comfort to him [Assad] instead of supporting the president.
You know where these Congressmen should be? They belong right here in the Capitol doing the work of the people. They should be on the phone calling Crawford, Texas pleading with President Bush not to veto the funding for the troops.
Instead, the three republican congressmen go to the belly of the beast - to the terrorists themselves in Syria to sip tea with them and give aid and comfort, instead of funding a withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. House Leader Nancy Pelosi happened to go to Syria with this fact-finding delegation. However, she took no part in the attacks on President Bush.
Why do Republicans hate Bush - shame on them!
You know where these Congressmen should be? They belong right here in the Capitol doing the work of the people. They should be on the phone calling Crawford, Texas pleading with President Bush not to veto the funding for the troops.
Instead, the three republican congressmen go to the belly of the beast - to the terrorists themselves in Syria to sip tea with them and give aid and comfort, instead of funding a withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. House Leader Nancy Pelosi happened to go to Syria with this fact-finding delegation. However, she took no part in the attacks on President Bush.
Excerpt:Fortunately, only Republicans bashed Bush and his policies according to the reports.
In a telephone interview last night from Saudi Arabia, Hobson said Pelosi "did not engage in any bashing of Bush in any meeting I was in and she did not in any meeting I was in bash the policies as it relates to Syria."
Excerpt:What is he saying? That President Bush has a dysfunctional foreign policy? What would possibly give anyone that idea?
Asked to comment on Bush's criticism of the congressmen's visits to Damascus, Issa said: 'President Bush, is the head of state, but he hasn't encouraged dialogue. That's an important message to realize: we have tensions, but we have two functioning embassies.'
Why do Republicans hate Bush - shame on them!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
G.O. & P. Railroad Ends At 7th District Court
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals released Georgia Thompson, the former state employee erroneously convicted of directing a state contract to Adelman Travel. The judges felt that Ms. Thompson was simply just doing her job.
Things don’t get much worse than this. When an innocent person becomes a victim to the extent of Georgia Thompson, it's time to take a closer look at the vicious partisans bending the ears of state and U.S. district attorney’s. Ever since Tommy Thompson quit on the state and Scott McCallum lost the G.O.P. governorship to Jim Doyle, right-wing power players and their quasi-nonpartisan enablers have been gunning for Jim Doyle. In light of the recent attorney firings scandal facing the Bush Administration, the motivation for this railroad job may have come on orders from the very top.
And one has to wonder what Steven Biskupic had to conjure up to avoid being one of those district attorney’s canned for performance and managerial reasons. Clearly, Biskupic serves at the pleasure of one of the most politically motivated and bitterly partisan presidents of modern times, none other than George W. Bush.
The result of this smear campaign is that it has damaged the credibility of the Justice Department in the eyes of the general public and in court cases. The Thompson Travelgate case may very well set a precedent for future politically motivated corruption cases, so that when an corrupted politician comes before a court, lawyers can credibly argue that this was a political witch hunt and as a result the case should be dismissed.
Read the court order and oral arguments here.
Things don’t get much worse than this. When an innocent person becomes a victim to the extent of Georgia Thompson, it's time to take a closer look at the vicious partisans bending the ears of state and U.S. district attorney’s. Ever since Tommy Thompson quit on the state and Scott McCallum lost the G.O.P. governorship to Jim Doyle, right-wing power players and their quasi-nonpartisan enablers have been gunning for Jim Doyle. In light of the recent attorney firings scandal facing the Bush Administration, the motivation for this railroad job may have come on orders from the very top.
Doyle said Republican officials spent "millions of dollars" running ads that turned Thompson into a symbol of corruption in his administration.The US Attorney from Wisconsin, Steven Biskupic appears to have pushed this case right before the 2006 election as a means to implicate Gov. Doyle in a corruption case, and to bolster the candidacy of Bush rubber stamp Republican Mark Green. Throughout the campaign the most scandalous activity they could connect to Doyle was accepting gift tickets to sporting events. This searing hatred for the democrat has resulted in nearly ruining the life of an innocent civil servant.
And one has to wonder what Steven Biskupic had to conjure up to avoid being one of those district attorney’s canned for performance and managerial reasons. Clearly, Biskupic serves at the pleasure of one of the most politically motivated and bitterly partisan presidents of modern times, none other than George W. Bush.
The result of this smear campaign is that it has damaged the credibility of the Justice Department in the eyes of the general public and in court cases. The Thompson Travelgate case may very well set a precedent for future politically motivated corruption cases, so that when an corrupted politician comes before a court, lawyers can credibly argue that this was a political witch hunt and as a result the case should be dismissed.
Read the court order and oral arguments here.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Video Competition Act Will Boost prices
Paul Williams, a Janesville city councilman and council representative on the city’s cable advisory committee wrote about his position and recommendation regarding the Video Competition Act. It’s odd to see someone from local government insinuate that established businesses and corporatists are attempting to smother local control under the guise of improved service and cheaper rates for consumers.
While Democrats and most of the Left are protesting the Iraq War and thinking of ways to impeach George W. Bush, the right in the meantime have been pushing local referendums and lobbying state governments with bills that will do two things - increase local taxes and fee’s for the masses and create record profits for the few. This is what will happen if they pass Wisconsin bills SB 107 and AB 207.
I agree with Williams and Foust, lets hope the Video Competition Act is defeated outright or at the minimum, completely restructured to protect local control and free access community channels. But lower prices resulting from competition? Nonsense!
Learn more - get involved!!
JG Excerpt:Americans have heard this before many times and have clearly bought into the same corporate sales pitch offered by giants like Wal-Mart. People just naturally think competition means lower prices, but unfortunately we live in different economic times now. Businesses nowadays sell for the highest price the market will bear, not the lowest. We are all willing participants in an economy driven by the GOP growth mantra, a supply side pressure philosophy riding high under the banner of Federal tax cuts, privatization, outsourcing and competition at the expense of the very same people they have convinced will share in the resulting newfound wealth.
Supporters say competition would provide consumers with alternatives, reduce cable bills and save consumers money. -- Paul Williams
Cable Debate:
The proponents of the bill were associated with AT&T, their lobbyists, large business organizations like WMC, or the unions of workers who'd get the jobs associated with new video build-outs.
This video debate has been largely absent from the Wisconsin blogosphere. – John Foust
While Democrats and most of the Left are protesting the Iraq War and thinking of ways to impeach George W. Bush, the right in the meantime have been pushing local referendums and lobbying state governments with bills that will do two things - increase local taxes and fee’s for the masses and create record profits for the few. This is what will happen if they pass Wisconsin bills SB 107 and AB 207.
JG Excerpt:But even if the bills fail which they should, the problems resulting from contracts that permit a business full monopolistic rights must be changed. This is perhaps what is at the heart of the problem.
Under current law, a company that wants to serve a Wisconsin community generally must negotiate a cable franchise agreement with the community. Janesville has a franchise agreement with Charter Communications. -- Paul Williams
Cable Competition:But is that true? According to Councilman Williams, cable providers could waltz right in, sign an agreement and set up shop overnight - WITHOUT the bill.
The bill would eliminate the monopoly that cable companies currently enjoy, and give Wisconsin's TV consumers a real choice.
JG Excerpt:But if these franchise agreements do not have built-in exclusion laws that prohibit a competitor from entering the community, why haven’t others like AT & T entered? My other question is why can’t others just split the costs and demands of the original franchise agreement? Certainly, I know things are not this simple, but if competition is inevitable, local communities should strive to accommodate the profiteers on our own terms and not have them dictated to us by lobbyists.
"Another video service provider could come into Janesville right now and sign a franchise agreement with us, and we'd be more than happy to do that," – Paul Williams, Janesville Council
JG Excerpt:Cable companies will have to pay the same studio royalties and right-of-way fee's no matter how many providers are in town, and if the customer base is split up, each cable company will be doing accounting, service fleets and programming in perpetual duplication and redundancy. Expect higher prices.
And what about your monthly cable TV charges? The proposed legislation prohibits both the DFI and municipalities from regulating video and cable service rates in a competitive environment. Has competition from satellite TV reduced your cable TV rates? -- Williams
I agree with Williams and Foust, lets hope the Video Competition Act is defeated outright or at the minimum, completely restructured to protect local control and free access community channels. But lower prices resulting from competition? Nonsense!
Learn more - get involved!!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Elmbrook School District Taxpayers Just Too Smart
If you live in Janesville and haven’t been paying attention to the $108 million renovation plans proposed in the Elmbrook School District referendum, it really won’t matter for you to know that it failed.
The largest community in the Elmbrook School district, Brookfield, boasts a total property value of almost $6 billion, which ranks behind only the much larger cities of Milwaukee and Madison. When it comes to a school district with resources to finance public education, few can match Elmbrook. Were they too wealthy to pass the school referendum?
Forty-nine percent of the city's adult population, census figures say, has at least a bachelor's degree double the national profile. Or, were they too smart to fall for the old tricks and deception?
Yet when Elmbrook residents voted Tuesday to address problems the district says it has with its two high school buildings, the plans were rejected by lopsided margins. Turnout was 58% in Brookfield, the highest since 1991 for a spring election in that city. They defeated the referendum, 61% to 39%. I know, they must hate kids.
Residents said they are already satisfied with the district's education and facilities and see little need for the unprecedented price tag of more than $100 million. But others see the results as further evidence of an economic and political climate that makes passing school spending proposals difficult. In this Bush booming, job producing and wild growth economy – how could that be?
Many in Wisconsin think they reflect the anti-tax climate and budget pressures on families, such as rising fuel, utility and health costs. But not if you live in Janesville. The Elmbrook school improvement plans presented in Elmbrook's referendum would have had a tax impact on an average $335,000 McMansion of $342 per year for 20 years. That is very close to what homeowners in Janesville will pay relative to value, if you recall. Our referendum will cost about $105 for every $100,000.
In Janesville, we don’t worry about such trivial things as heating bills, health insurance, mortgages or rising taxes, everything is sooo low here why, we have little to lose.
People in Elmbrook apparently believe what they think, and not what they're told. Proof that their schools are just fine.
Note: A quote by Dale Knapp of the Taxpayers Alliance taken from this article was removed from this posting. The date was mistakenly overlooked, the quote was over a year old.
The largest community in the Elmbrook School district, Brookfield, boasts a total property value of almost $6 billion, which ranks behind only the much larger cities of Milwaukee and Madison. When it comes to a school district with resources to finance public education, few can match Elmbrook. Were they too wealthy to pass the school referendum?
Forty-nine percent of the city's adult population, census figures say, has at least a bachelor's degree double the national profile. Or, were they too smart to fall for the old tricks and deception?
Yet when Elmbrook residents voted Tuesday to address problems the district says it has with its two high school buildings, the plans were rejected by lopsided margins. Turnout was 58% in Brookfield, the highest since 1991 for a spring election in that city. They defeated the referendum, 61% to 39%. I know, they must hate kids.
Residents said they are already satisfied with the district's education and facilities and see little need for the unprecedented price tag of more than $100 million. But others see the results as further evidence of an economic and political climate that makes passing school spending proposals difficult. In this Bush booming, job producing and wild growth economy – how could that be?
Many in Wisconsin think they reflect the anti-tax climate and budget pressures on families, such as rising fuel, utility and health costs. But not if you live in Janesville. The Elmbrook school improvement plans presented in Elmbrook's referendum would have had a tax impact on an average $335,000 McMansion of $342 per year for 20 years. That is very close to what homeowners in Janesville will pay relative to value, if you recall. Our referendum will cost about $105 for every $100,000.
In Janesville, we don’t worry about such trivial things as heating bills, health insurance, mortgages or rising taxes, everything is sooo low here why, we have little to lose.
Blogger:Why doesn’t THAT surprise me?
All I can say is I have heard rumblings that this (referendum)may pass. Has anyone given thought to the fact that the schools will be expanded, while the district is experiencing declining enrollment. Factor that into your decision.
People in Elmbrook apparently believe what they think, and not what they're told. Proof that their schools are just fine.
Note: A quote by Dale Knapp of the Taxpayers Alliance taken from this article was removed from this posting. The date was mistakenly overlooked, the quote was over a year old.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
PowerBall Politics - Profits 2 People 0
I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong. I’ve always thought that people want to elect the best candidate regardless of partisanship, and would vote against abuse of power and poor judgment 100% of the time. Well, not when it comes to presidents or state supreme court judges. This is a sad day for Wisconsin. It’s really too bad that people bought into all those WMC attack ads which did not really discredit Clifford’s ability as much as they attacked her personally. I have to admit though, that as much as Linda Clifford’s ads negatively portrayed Ann Ziegler’s judicial history without attacking her personally, her ads never really mixed in anything positive and substantial about herself. Simply put, Clifford didn’t make it personal enough with Ziegler or herself for that matter, too cold and businesslike, while WMC and Ziegler ads mocked Clifford personally and effectively with the dark moonlit images and repetitive sound bites. This was also a very telling display of power by business special interests like the WMC.
Walworth County made the biggest mistake of their political lives by choosing to forfeit representation and downsize the county board from 25 to 11 members. Nobody can save them now, but Rock County residents better have their democracy radar turned on because the wealthy power players here are going to use the Walworth vote as a battering ram.
Walworth County made the biggest mistake of their political lives by choosing to forfeit representation and downsize the county board from 25 to 11 members. Nobody can save them now, but Rock County residents better have their democracy radar turned on because the wealthy power players here are going to use the Walworth vote as a battering ram.
JG Excerpt:Yep, the people there before were lazy, dishonest shmucks who played into the hands of greedy venture capitalists. What a disgrace!!
"Our objective is to get good, honest people into office to run a $147 million operation. The people there now can't do it." -- Bret Strong (downsizing supporter)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Choose Severson For Janesville School Board
As one of nearly ten thousand Janesville residents who voted against the $70.8 million school expansion and utility upgrade referendum, it became difficult to encourage anyone to vote for Dennis Vechinsky again for the school board. Vechinsky has been a dedicated and passionate member of the school board for nine years now and is a great guy, but unfortunately as board president he helped lead the way to ramrod the referendum through the board despite an objection from at least one member, Bill Sodemann.
Sodemann, a former young Democrat turned Republican (for shame) may have turned his back on the party but never turned his back on some of the fine principles of democracy he learned in his youth and thought the taxpayers should have been offered a greater voice and flexibility with a four-part referendum. Now it may be true that other candidates running for the board would have supported the one-part referendum in the face of the impending budget cuts, but nobody will ever know that for sure.
If you voted “no” for the school referendum, now is perhaps your last chance to show your displeasure over the recent course of events.
Peter D. Severson however, seems to be somewhat of a dark horse, but he certainly is enthusiastic and I like his concern over the recent high expulsion rate in the district. The district set a record with 58 expulsions last year and with a social-work background, Severson would like to bring those numbers down. This is perhaps the noblest cause of all, to save even one child from making the mistake of a lifetime is worth far more than any four-court gym could offer – it is priceless.
For these reasons, he is my third choice for the Janesville school board.
Sodemann, a former young Democrat turned Republican (for shame) may have turned his back on the party but never turned his back on some of the fine principles of democracy he learned in his youth and thought the taxpayers should have been offered a greater voice and flexibility with a four-part referendum. Now it may be true that other candidates running for the board would have supported the one-part referendum in the face of the impending budget cuts, but nobody will ever know that for sure.
JG Excerpt:We only can say for sure what history has recorded, and that is Dennis Vechinsky was the school board president during the referendum run-up and along with the Janesville Gazette helped keep the wraps on the multiple annual budget short-falls until the vote tallies were over. This is the status quo, it starts and stops right at the top.
Sodemann also said the present and previous school boards bear some of the responsibility for the funding problem.
If you voted “no” for the school referendum, now is perhaps your last chance to show your displeasure over the recent course of events.
Peter D. Severson however, seems to be somewhat of a dark horse, but he certainly is enthusiastic and I like his concern over the recent high expulsion rate in the district. The district set a record with 58 expulsions last year and with a social-work background, Severson would like to bring those numbers down. This is perhaps the noblest cause of all, to save even one child from making the mistake of a lifetime is worth far more than any four-court gym could offer – it is priceless.
For these reasons, he is my third choice for the Janesville school board.
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