Budget Monster Heading Doyle's Way

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The WMC has succeeded in stopping the Wisconsin state budget. If you recall, it was only a few weeks ago when the special interest group was given access to the state legislature to present their position against Healthy Wisconsin. They got their wish but they want more.

In Wisconsin, state Republicans don’t fall too far from the borrow-and-spend budget tree their brethren in past GOP Congresses grew from. It is beginning to appear that Wisconsin republicans, threatened by the pay-as-you-go balancing democrats are hellbent on either shutting down the state or producing a budget that guarantees another deficit. Whatever they think they’re doing, I hope they keep doing it. I couldn't write the script any better for them.

Examiner.com Excerpt:
Doyle said Friday that approach would transform the Legislature into the U.S. Congress, lurching from one financial crisis to the next. He also said Republicans have not shown where they'd get that $4.8 billion.

The Republicans agree in principle (minus Healthy Wisconsin) to nearly the same amount of spending the democrats asked for but cannot figure out where they're getting the money from? And they're blaming Democrats? It doesn’t make sense. But hey fellas, instead of collecting the money in taxes to pay the bills, hold some craft and bake sales every day. That ought to satisfy the WMC. Fight tooth and nail against the tax on Big Oil profits too, we can all relate to that.

The late budget already looks deliberate if not a desperate political ploy by the Republicans to slow down or hold back state Democrats recent bump in popularity. That's obvious.

Sending the Governor another flatlining budget monster requiring a surgical veto knife to balance won't work either. Been there, done that, and besides you've already gone to that well too often. I can’t wait for the 2008 elections.

Floating Referendums Can Restore Sinking Confidence

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Now that the dust has settled from the UAW strike, people in Janesville can get back to the main issue of the day - the decision to build a central city-wide aquatics center.

Back on September 23rd, the Janesville Gazette editorialized that residents should drop the referendum idea regarding the $5 million project. On the surface I agree with the idea that we elect leaders to make decisions and should let them do their jobs. But now it’s only a matter picking and choosing sites, bells and whistles which most agree should be left up to the council and committees. However, we've gotten way ahead of ourselves, the problem here is that the initial decision to go ahead with planning a new aquatics center is what most are opposed to.

Again, most are questioning the logic and authority to move forward with the spending and the planning in the first place. Recent observations of neglected city-run parks and existing pool facilities also makes the addition of a multi-million dollar aquatics facility to the city’s maintenance inventory seem like a folly.

The Gazette noted their editorial rejected the referendum idea and did not endorse any pool plan. But they did not reject the administration's initial plan to move on a new facility either, it can be safely assumed at this point their position is pro-new water facility.

But this argument is not about the aquatic center in the Gazette’s eyes. Janesville in their view is run just like the growth doctor ordered – a small council of seven volunteer citizens elected at-large, a city manager whose duty and position is relegated to little more than bean counting, and citizen committees handpicked, approved and indoctrinated by the very administration they are charged to oversee. Some might say I’m bashing the city council and manager. I’m not. Most of them, but not all are dedicated people doing a decent job with what they have - I just strongly disagree with the agenda and the non-representation process. In an earlier posting, I’ve said that Janesville operates essentially leaderless, but again that has nothing to do with city hall personnel. It’s set up to be leaderless – it’s the process. The power players love it.

The continuous suggestion of a referendum on nearly every major new project is a vote of no-confidence in city leadership, plain and simple. This is what the Gazette wants to shut down.

Janesville, like many cities across the U.S. has taken the pro-growth route as the priority in nearly every decision they make, when they should be making decisions based on everything BUT growth. When things are working right and decisions are based on quality and not quantity, the environment, affordability, long-term durability, access, adaptability, future expansion and enjoyment - growth will follow.

Unfortunately though, if it comes down to a referendum for the aquatics facility, the pro-growth club will be out in full force just like they were with the school referendum. The power players including the chamber of commerce will have to spend money to run ads in the paper. The Gazette will run articles about peer cities with pool facilities, growth charts and quality of life issues till you turn blue, while those against the aquatics expenditure inherently don’t have the media resources or the organization. The growth people will prevail.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
We generally don't favor referendums for making tough decisions. They cost money.

I know this will sound like surrender but considering the way things are set up in Janesville, we’re better off trusting the council to do the right thing. This way there is a chance however remote, they might opt for smart choices including to restore, renovate and maintain the recreational facilities we have. Either way, opposition to future spending projects and corporate welfare growth enticements will fall on deaf ears in city government at least until some people with a new and different perspective are brought in, and the system is changed.

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Globalists: Pushing Americans Off A Cliff

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Tuesday’s Janeville Gazette contained two editorials. One, a rather neutral if not outright shallow editorial about the nationwide GM-UAW strike. The other, an open letter to Gov. Jim Doyle blaming him for what appears to be their own (GOP) party endorsement inadequacies.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
So are Democrats really bargaining in good faith? Not in our book.

The paper also ridicules Senate tax increases as tough to swallow but then approves of the $1.25 cigarette tax increase because studies have shown taxpayers are forced to pay up to $500 million annually in medical costs directly tied to smoking.

The newspaper then urges residents to remind those stubborn (taxpayer protecting) Republicans of these numbers. The Gazette editors are convinced of this, so therefore it must be true.

But the UAW strike editorial is far more telling once again of the newspaper’s position with the local autoworkers union. Reminding readers of GM workers pay and benefits as if something to be ashamed of, and questioning the wisdom of the strikers.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Local GM workers get hourly pay and benefits that most Janesville residents can only dream about. Why, many residents wonder, would they be so crass as to strike given GM's perilous finances? Do they want to chase more jobs overseas?

Not once in this lightweight editorial did they make any attempt to explain or defend the union position as the only position workers must take if they want to have any chance slowing the exodus of manufacturing jobs. Not once did the editors question the wisdom of CEO's, executives and upper management taking HUGE pay increases and bonuses when concessions are required to save the company.

Corporatists and investment profiteers are committed to the globalization agenda and will blame anything they can for turning their backs on American workers. If it's not health care costs, it's the unions, if it's not the unions then it's government regulations, and if it's not government regulations it's pensions, entitlements, competition or anything else they can think of for workers to forfeit to "save their jobs." Experts have said GM is holding all the cards, but the only one that matters is the turn your back on America card - the exit card - so it's entirely up to them whether this strike continues.

Some industry observers think the UAW's position is a bluff or just political theatre. I wouldn't be so sure.

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Paul Ryan Votes Against Expanding SCHIP

The Northwestern.com Excerpt:
"More government-run, big-bureaucracy health care that pushes people out of private coverage isn’t the answer to our health care crisis,” Ryan said

Ryan....explaining why the current free market system of healthcare has failed but should not be tampered with, particularly by the government.

GM Forced Strike - Talks To Resume

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First day of strike - article links.

Chicago Tribune Excerpt:
'Mommy is going to go out and save some jobs today.' It's family first at the UAW." -- GM assembler

Chicago Sun-Times
Star Tribune
Channel 3000
WKOW
Houston Chronicle
Green Bay Press Gazette
Yahoo News
Rockford Register
UAW – About Strikes

VIDEO: Watch Workers Walk Picket Line
VIDEO: Watch Workers Speak About Strike

Negotiating With The Budget Boogeymen

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In an effort to lead the way past all the partisan bickering, Sen. Judy Robson has once again stepped up to the plate with her willingness to cross party lines and initiate efforts necessary to finally craft a workable state budget with the help of Republicans. But despite capping off a compromise where Democrats are willing to drop Healthy Wisconsin from the budget operating table in exchange for increased revenue, among them a tax on big oil profits, state Republicans still appeared hostile to any reconciliation.

LaCrosse Excerpt:
“I am providing you nothing in return,” Huebsch said at the meeting.

As much as I can respect Robson’s willingness to extend concessions in the name of progress, it still takes two to tango.

LaCrosse Excerpt:
“No more reasons why we can’t get the budget done,” Robson said. “I hope this will be the beginning of the end of this budget stalemate.”

Not when you're dealing with the boogeymen.

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Bush Seeks $200 Billion Surge In War Money for military-industrial complex. Bush can’t let the words of spokesmen Osama bin Laden go wasted when they are still fresh in everyone's memory. Congress will rubberstamp it or forever be labeled “defeatists” and “cut and runners.”

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Rise in Gasoline prices
In May of this year, I predicted gasoline prices would NOT fall in September or October because it's NOT an election year. Just lucky.

Gazette: Teaching Can Be Rewarding

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Today's Gazette editorial titled Higher education is better option close to home seemed innocent enough until they dropped this line.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
With the shortages of math, science and special education teachers and those teaching bilingual courses, a teaching degree can be rewarding.

Remember the Mr.Miffed fictional editorial in a January edition titled “Teachers need reality check on benefits?” That one editorial was and is the best example of the Gazette’s position regarding teachers wage and benefit "rewards."

JG Mr. Miffed Excerpt(From January 21th):
Teachers also must realize that us taxpayers are finding fewer good jobs with generous benefits these days. Look at out many jobs GM has squeezed out at the plant. And new jobs seem to be service work – low paying jobs at big box stores, burger joints and the like. Again, teachers need a dose of reality. I support your efforts to get them to share health care benefits.

But only after they trash-can teachers healthcare and benefits, eagerly endorse GOP politicians who would rather exclude oil profits from taxes than give education the funds necessary to keep good teachers close to home AND write editorials equating a career in teaching with flippin' burgers for a living. Yeah, if you can survive all that, a career as a teacher in Janesville can be really rewarding.

RipRap

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Mattel Apologizes to China:
Proof these guys will say anything to keep the cheap labor and wild-west business practices in China intact. Don’t want to rock that boat – no sir! That’s “free markets.”

Worth less than a Looney
Look at the bright side. If the dollar keeps falling, American companies won’t be able to afford taking their jobs overseas. AND I don't think there's anything left for America to lose under Bush. He has left no stone unturned.

From bad to worse. How to destroy an economy in ten easy steps.
Fed Cut Starts Borrowing cycle all over again. Fed Chief Bernanke taking us in the direction of “loose” money and a cheaper dollar, the same misdirection Greenspan chose that put us in this dilemma in the first place.

With all the hype surrounding Greenspan in the past week I would agree that he was smart and a legendary double-talker. But Greenspan supports privatization, trade agreements (genuine free markets need agreements?) and selling treasury notes to force globalization complicity under the guise of indebtedness. Most in our Congress legislate this tangled web and more. America is spiraling down while the rich are getting richer. I may be the only person in the world to say this, but to put it as nicely and bluntly as possible….......Alan Greenspan is a screw-up.

Student tasered by Jethro Bush’s University Police for “inciting a riot.’ Demanding that Bush be impeached should start a groundswell of enthusiastic citizens to march on the White House. But nooooooooo. Governor Jethro will be pinning medals of bravery on the premature reactionary taser cops for Christmas.Betrayal is the perfect theme and ultimate truth for what Bush and his hand-picked supporters are doing to the country. It’s too bad MoveOn linked up the Petraeus name to this…...that was sooooooo republican. In fact it was Republican!! MoveOn may have gotten the idea from none other than Rush Limbaugh when Rush, earlier this year referred to Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as Sen. Betrayus for his anti-rape Iraq stance.

Evansville Plans Community Center

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There really isn’t much to say about the Evansville Community/Senior Pool and Recreation Facility as reported in the Janesville Gazette. It sounds fantastic!! All the right moves, keywords and media presentation – million dollar donation, downtown location, non-profit group, game room, craft room…..the list goes on and on.

JG Excerpt:
"With the costs involved, we're hoping to shrink that to one pool because it's very costly for a small community," she said. "We're trying to be as frugal and realistic as we can."

They’ll need more than a million dollars but what a start!