The Hanging Chad

There is so much in the news these days, I struggle with picking a topic.  For some reason, Chad Lee is bothering me.  I think it is mostly because there doesn’t seem to be one living, breathing soul willing to take on the 60% Madison liberal base other than him.  I guess you could say Chad has me hanging.

Lee’s problem isn’t that he isn’t conservative enough based only on the very fact he has offered no opinion on anything that proves he is a conservative.  He has only filed as a Republican and then wishy-washed his way around the debate with his lack of knowledge and conviction.

I am giving him the credit of assuming this positioning was developed based on his then inexperienced and unkowledgable campaign strategy.  He, along with the team that stuck with him, believe you can win Madison by tricking them and having no opinion (see my earlier post).  Gosh, those UW professors are pretty gullible.  They just might fall for that.

Heck, Scott Klug wasn’t a liberal, but he won.  What Klug did was state a common sense, conservative view point.  He didn’t embrace Republican talking points.  He embraced fiscal responsibility.

Klug presented reasonable talking points.  He did not shy away from who he was.

Lee needs to do the same.  The problem is Lee is young and has no experience at anything other than helping his brother build a business that most likely exploits illegal immigrants (that’s right…he hire’s the Hispanics that clean your house and no one wants to admit are there illegally because someone else hired them).

Klug was a reporter.  He reported on the news and knew the topics of the day.  His knowledge and experience helped him form sensible and logical arguments.

I want a conservative to win this election.  Not the “tea party exclusive” type candidate popularized by the media.  I want the same type of “tea party exclusive” candidate Scott Klug was.

Klug was the unarmed gunman at an execution that was firing back.  And he delivered Madison with his conservative convictions.

I want to vote for Lee.  It’s been a couple years.  Maybe he has found himself. He’s not Kelda Helen Roys or Mark Pocan, but that alone does not make him the better choice.

He just needs to state that he believes in something.  At this point…anything!  Just don’t leave me hanging, Chad!

Homeless in Pod A

First we had Sleepless in Seattle.  Now Sauk County wants to star in Homeless in Pod A.  Touching isn’t it?

Sauk County Supervisor Peter Murray wants to turn the infamous Sauk County Jail’s Pod A into a homeless shelter.  Of course, this will received by the county’s left as just a wonderfully fantastic and compassionate idea.

If someone like Supervisor Virgil Hartje had made such a suggestion, he would have been railed for being a cold, heartless, anti-semitic bastard for suggesting the homeless be housed in jail cells.

It is nice, however, to see the county board liberals outing themselves one by one.  The county’s left is so empowered these days, anything is a go!

A Sauk County deputy costs approximately $100,000 a year (salary, benefits, etc). I am not sure if there are 5 or 500 homeless people roaming the streets of Baraboo, but assuming we could open the pod with a minimum of 1 guard is expensive.  You see, there has to be at least one guard available to separate the homeless from the prisoners on the other side of the door.  Murray’s idea also does not appear to consider other staffing needs and how to feed these people (Happy Meals for everyone!).

At least Pod A generated money to offset the costs of having the pod open.  Murray’s proposal is a drain on county resources.  I wonder if “fiscal hawk” Tom Kriegl will support this idea?  After all, he hates jails and the thought of luxurious homeless shelter must be appealing in some manner.

I wish I could discuss this more, but this idea is so dumb it’s challenging to find an illogical argement.

 

Chad the Explorer

Madison’s worst excuse for a Republican is considering a comeback.  That’s right – Chad Lee has announced an “exploratory committee” as he “considers” another run for Congress.  In 2010, this guy got fewer votes than Peter Theron did in 2008 and is so dim, he has to “explore” another run.

Let me help you, Chad the Explorer.  You’re going to run – who are you kidding?

Just what America needs.  A young, inexperienced career politician looking to cash in on the life-long pension and health care plan.

In case you missed his incredibly awesome run in 2010, here is what you missed:

• Refused to seek Right-to-Life endorsement.
• Refused to seek NRA endorsement.
• Monday, August 23 (WIBA):
  • Brian Schimming:  “Chad Lee, a lot of discussion over the repeal of the new law (Obamacare).  Would you vote to repeal the law in whole or part?”  Chad Lee:  “Well, right now repealing it (Obamacare) is not an option”.
• August:
  • Lee’s key staffers leave Lee staff over Lee’s policy positions (or he couldn’t pay them).
• October 21, 2010 (The Isthmus):
  • Lee lauds certain aspects of the health-care reform bill that Baldwin backed.  “Are all 2,700 pages of it bad? Absolutely not,” he says.
• September 13, 2010 (Congress Watcher):
  • On the environment, Lee offers a mish-mash policy of political convenience, which combines a complaint that cap-and-trade proposals don’t do enough to limit greenhouse gas emissions with a pledge to prevent the federal government from doing anything much of anything at all to deal with the growing problem of climate change.
  • September 15, 2010 (The Isthmus):
    • I ask about Lee’s position is on rail, and the supporter doesn’t know. Neither does spokesperson Kirsch or other staffers I talk to. My question is simple: “What is your position on high-high-speed rail?”  If elected, will Lee join Walker in working to get the federal government not to spend $800 million on high-speed rail in Wisconsin? Non-answers Lee, “It means right now the federal government doesn’t have money to spend.”  So would he work to kill the train or not? “My number-one priority is balancing the budget,” he says. “We should not spend money you don’t have.”
    • Lee’s age has defined him somewhat in a race where incumbent Baldwin already enjoys a strong support base.“The media tries to play it as a negative side, but I look at it as an asset,” Lee says. “I come from your generation. We need people that can represent that generation. Tammy is 48 and I don’t see her staying in touch with people our age.”

• October 27, 2010 (WISC-TV):
  • In a final question the candidates were asked about how they’d help achieve the United Nation’s millennium development goals.  Lee remained generic, answering he’d work together with others, in much the same way that he’s built a successful business. Seeming to seize the opportunity,  Baldwin began her response, saying that in order to answer that question,  you’d have to know what the millennium development goals are, implying that Lee did not.
• October 13, 2010 (WKOW-TV):
  • “I don’t know about you, but I’m not expecting  social security to be there when I grow up – when I retire,” Lee said, quickly correcting himself.  (He declared himself the winner of this debate!)
• October 26, 2010 (Badger Herald):
  • Lee’s campaign has been an attempt to separate himself somewhat from the state GOP. His campaign flyers and posters purposefully do not include party affiliations, Lee says, because he is not running for party ideals.

I’d love to say this guy isn’t a conservative, but I am not sure he knows what he is.  For the love of Madison, I hope the GOP finds a candidate for this race.

More CSWAB activism

My apologies for such a prolonged absence, but I have been so overwhelmed with the news, it has been impossible to spend the time necessary to do the necessary research to counter-act the “news”.

But I am back with more on CSWAB.  They have effectively hijacked the mind of reporter Tim Damos and their cronies who occupy seats on the Restoration Advisory Board and Badger Oversight Management Commission.

Yesterday it was reported in the local news that the Badger Oversight and Management Commission (BOMC) has contacted the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding the cleanup for the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) lands.  It is my personal opinion this group has overstepped its boundaries.

The BOMC was created to oversee the management of the BAAP properties AFTER the property has been turned over to the new owners which primarily include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The BOMC is charged with maintaining the proposed status of restoring prairie and agricultural lands for the purposes of recreation and farming.

Their request is to support a letter drafted by a DNR representative who attempted to place testing standards upon the Army that do not exist.  It was an overstretch of what the DNR could impose on any individual or corporation and was unjustifiable, thus the DNR retracted this letter.

Additionally, DNT is not an explosive.  It is an accelerant with minimal toxicity levels in its present form.  The word “explosive”, as they describe DNT, leaves a false impression one might actually burst into flames while taking a shower and it is simply not accurate.  The language is inflammatory at best (sorry – had to get that pun in there!).

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHFS) finalized a report in 2003 that states levels of “DNT has a number of known toxic effects on the health of both people and animals, but these harmful effects occur at levels that are many times higher than the levels in private well water near the former DuPont Barksdale property.”

Barksdale is located in Bayfield County and had levels of DNT more than 7 times greater than what has been found at BAAP.  It also had 18 contaminated wells compared to 5 found around BAAP.  DFHS concluded “DNT is quickly metabolized and does not bioaccumulate in any tissues, organs or fluids. DHFS also examined available screening tests of organ function that would directly or indirectly demonstrate specific adverse impacts specifically attributable to DNT exposures experienced by residents.”

It is also documented that DNT has little tendency for DNT to persist in the environment because it is decomposed by sunlight and by bacteria.  (http://www.environmentwriter.org/resources/backissues/chemicals/24dinitro.htm).  The other forms of DNT are not considered because they are inert compounds.

The common link between the RAB and the BOMC is common representation from Citizens for Safe Water at Badger (CSWAB) that consistently promote representations of DNT that are not accurate.  Their sources are highly questionable and as an activist organization, they are funded by extremely radical groups from out-of-state.  In fact, if you do a Google search, the only results for the inert compounds always trace back to CSWAB.

One such organization is called R.E.S.I.S.T.. R.E.S.I.S.T. began in 1967 with a “call to resist illegitimate authority” in support of draft resistance and in opposition to the Vietnam War. Based in Massachusetts, they have given CSWAB at least $18,000 in the past 6 years; including the 2010 “Hell, Yes!” award for “inspiring, radical activism that cuts to the heart of RESIST’s mission to challenge illegitimate authority, with particular emphasis on anti-war and anti-imperialist efforts.”  Clearly, this agenda has nothing to do with safe drinking water.

It is difficult not to opine about this, but when the Army is harvesting DNT at over $18,000 a pound, one has to wonder where the sanity is.

Sauk County Board rejects Sinklair’s referendum

In a rare display of common sense, the Sauk County Board defeated Rob Sinklair’s poorly worded, extremely biased, self-promoting, anti-Walker, pro-Union referendum last night.

http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/article_722a4b28-2b87-11e1-bcce-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=story

Sinklair was hoping this would get him traction to capture District 20 now that he has been redistricted into Merrimac.

Here’s to watching lefty Judy Ashford hand it to super-ultra left Rob Sinklair in April!

GAB: Stupid isn’t even this dumb

This comes from the “AYFKM?” department.  Adolph Hitler and Mickey Mouse can sign the recall petitions.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/suspicious-recall-signatures-with-proper-dates-and-locations-will-be/article_628e5998-25ba-11e1-915d-001871e3ce6c.html

This is beyond any logic and defies stupidity.  Stupid isn’t even this dumb.

This recall process is a joke.  When we get through this process, it’s time to clean house on this process or eliminate it.  If a state representative can get a gazillion drunk driving tickets and he is allowed to stay in office, then people who introduce legislation (and vote on the same) should have the right to stay, too.

A culture of cheats

Ryan Braun.  Say it isn’t so!  A source in Major League Baseball says Ryan Braun has a positive result for steroid use.  Is there anybody left in baseball that isn’t cheating?   I hope this source is proven wrong, but not only is the cheating wrong, but it will be the general acceptance of fans after he serves his 50 game suspension that is also wrong.

If Braun was cheating, he has essentially stolen millions of dollars and robbed legitimate players of a spot on the All-Star team and the National League’s Most Valuable Player award – both prizes that are generally tied to lucrative contract bonuses.   Despite all of this, fans will still love him.

Cheating is cheating no matter how you look at it and when millions of dollars is up for grabs – it is even worse.

I just hope the guy who finished second in the MVP voting can accept the fact he (I assume) grabbed the #2 spot behind a cheater.

The only way to get performance enhancing drugs out of the sport is for a serious penalty.  Not a 50 game slap on the wrist.  It should come with a minimum 3-year suspension or a ban for life.

No exceptions.

If baseball won’t do it, fans should stop paying to see the games.  That’s the only way to get the message across that cheating is unacceptable.

Instead, fans will line up in Milwaukee for game #51 in 2012 to cheer on their favorite cheater.

Justice Agenda

Climate Justice for Women!

Renewable Energy is People’s Power!

It’s an agenda and it is not good.

Climate justice now for all women?  What the heck?

Whining about mining

The Wisconsin State Urinal headline:  Fewer Hoops – and Protections.  The left is all worked up about a proposed taconite mine in northern Wisconsin.  Taconite is essentially a rock formation that contains less the 15% iron and is very expensive to extract.

The Urinal wrote a 11 paragraph story and not once did they give the reader any detail about what fewer protections the proposed bill has.  It mentions only that the proposed mine will face fewer legal challenges and they will be exempted from “some wetlands and other water protections”.

The bill is actually more about the “Regulation of activities in or near navigable waterways”.  The proposal also effects pier placements, bridges, boathouses, etc.  It fixes a lot of stuff crammed in over the years that were extremely prohibitive.  For example, a property owner who places a pier under the current law, has to file for a permit to place a pier in the lake if it exceeds a certain limit.  The law was very confusing and this clear’s up that language.  It even eliminates the requirement to get a permit for a pier you already had!

Most of the changes are not about the proposed mine at all and it does not exempt them from following the rules.  What this bill does say is if you make an application for a permit under Chapter 30 rules to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - here is the schedule and the DNR has to stick to it.

It also says if you own a mining facility (like the facility in Ashland), you can file a notice within 40 years of closure, that you are going to continue to be financially responsible for the site.  This will allow an existing mining facility to reopen again in the future.  It does not say they are exempted from any of the current laws and it does not say you get to use 40 year old standards to operate the mine.  It also says, however, say that by reserving this right – we’re accountable with our pocket book.  That is a protection and it’s only place in the amendment the word mining even shows up.

Feel free to read the legislative bureau’s report and the proposed amendments to Chapter 30:  https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/proposals/ab421.  In contrast to the Urinal story, it does not “exempt an iron mining company from having to protect high quality wetlands”.

The summary of the bill makes it very clear that people cannot tie up a an applicant’s legal right to a permit (not just mining) that is required under Chapter 30 just because you don’t like mining or any other permissable activity.

Wisconsin is Wisconsin today because of two dead industries.  The fur trade and mining.  There isn’t much of a market for fur these days, but iron seems to be one of those necessary commodities and despite the expense of extracting it from taconite, it is a profitable industry.

Ooh…. profits.  There is that scary word again.  Don’t forget the profit comes after they pay the cost of a lot of expense – including the 700 estimated employees this particular mine will provide.  Those 700 employees will extract 100% profit after a hard day’s work.

And once the taconite mine opens back up near Ashland, the quality of the rivers, lakes, and swamps of the area will not go back to 1970 standards.

Act 10 – Please!

Dear teachers:  Act 10.  At least 10.  Your age would be preferred, but I think 10 might cut it.

My 10-year old came home from school and asked if it was OK that one of her teachers carried a bunch of “Recall Walker” signs into the school to give to the other teachers.

The 10-year old knows this is wrong – that’s why she asked if it is OK; however, because it was one of her teacher’s that was involved, she questioned herself.

The teacher involved is, actually an excellent teacher and we’re damn lucky to have her.  She is eligible for retirement – but didn’t run for the door screaming like the other 6,000 early retirees.  She showed up at school while others played hooky and went to the Capital – I mean – called in sick.

She even questioned (privately) the antics, but that was nothing more than a thoughtful moment.  She’s a very liberal person and I knew she would not fall to our side.

Despite this misjudgement.  I respect her.  She acts her age.  She is very friendly to me and engages me in conversation every time I come to school.  Several other teachers do the same thing and they too have my respect.  They know where I stand on this issue and I have never ever minced words about it.  But, we respect each other’s opinions and we agree to disagree.

There are at least 2 teachers that can’t even look me in the eye.  When they do, you can see the anger.  It’s the same look my daughter use to give me when she didn’t get candy at the checkout.  Please – act 10.  At least.  Adults – and my 10 year old – know that not everyone agrees.  That is no reason to “hate” people.

They have lost my respect.

What’s ironic is these 2 teachers have, in my opinion, been a couple of the better teachers at the school.  I would even argue, they are a couple of the best teachers.  When the district was looking to save $1 million during the Doyle administration’s budget cuts three years ago, they were on the cutting block because of tenure.

I defended them to people in the administration, but it was irrelevent because the UNION CONTRACT doesn’t care how good they are.  The contract says they are lowest in seniority.  Period.  At that time, I thought we were fortunate they were spared.  I have my doubts now.

I now question their ability to perform as teachers.  If they cannot be responsible adults in dealing with me, how can I possibly expect them to assist my child when she has social issues amongst her classmates?

Fortunately, my kid will be OK because her parents recognize how important her social life is to her and we work daily on those issues so they do not interfere with her ability to learn and pay attention in class.  But what about the other kids who don’t share their issues with mom and dad?

The good news is they are teaching my 10 year old what bad social behavior is, so I guess I can cut them some slack.  Maybe the other kids are learning this from them, too.

Their little temper tantrums have me thinking, though, that teaching must be just awful.   In fact, it is so horrible, as some of the highest paid people in the state, it is still not enough.  They need more money because it’s all about the kids.  Oh, wait.  It’s about the pension plan and the cadillac insurance the taxpayers pay for.  Never mind.

I guess then it just a horrible career field.  Whew.  We’re incredibly lucky there isn’t a shortage of teachers.  Oh, wait.  There isn’t.  In fact, every job opening created by the flood of early retirement was immediately filled.

Well, then, I guess it is such a tough field, that only those folks who are truly dedicated can do the job under these conditions and because of their own specialness – they often send their own children into the teaching profession (think of all of the husband, wife, and their children teachers – they are in every district).  That’s because it takes a special person to send your kids down into the coal mine.  Oh wait, these are classrooms, not coal mines.

OK.  I think they should quit their jobs anyhow and just teach us all a lesson.  After all, they have convinced me that they are actually worth more in the private sector and, that being the case, they shouldn’t have to suffer.

These people are so talented and exclusive to their own abilities, I think they should even run the private sector and pull us out of this recession so we can once again afford to pay those who come in to save the day when they leave.  Oh crud.  They can’t.  it’s against the rules to throw a temper trantrum outside your boss’ window.

Well, then CEO it is!  Then they can fire the protestors when their employees become disgruntled.

Whew, glad I solved that dilemma for them.  Oh, wait.  They support protesting.  Darn.   I thought I had it all solved.

Here is the bottom line.  My kids know, when things suck and you can’t change it, you have to get over it.  You don’t always get your way in my house and, if you throw a hissy-fit, you’ve just made your life a whole lot worse.  That’s teaching them how to grow up.

So I appeal to all of you teachers out there that feel you have been beaten up by the ”bully” Walker:  You can’t have your cake and eat it too – all while sneaking a piece of cake from my plate at the same time.

It is also OK to disagree and still be friends.  Adults do it all of the time.  So grow up!  Act 10! At least.  PLEASE!