Sunday, April 30, 2006

Kenosha Taxpayer's double whammy

It was bad enough hearing the news on Friday morning, that the strongest amendment to cap state and local spending did not pass, but that very same morning, Kenosha taxpayers got slammed twice as hard.

On the front page of the Kenosha News on Friday morning, the Kenosha taxpayers were given notice that the teacher's union had turned down the new insurance proposal. Instead the teacher's union had decided to throw away at least $6.7 million a year. Phew! $6.7 million right out the window!

To those of you unfamiliar with the proposal, Kenosha teachers were being offered an new insurance carrier, UnitedHealthcare, to replace WEA Insurance. The insurance plans were identical, the teachers would have sacrificed absolutely nothing in insurance coverage if they chose the new plan. The only difference was that the UnitedHealthcare plan was at least $6.7 million less expensive.

Instead of completely flipping out on Friday, I thought it best to take a couple of days to settle down. The first thing I wanted to here was the excuses given by the teachers as to why they did this. There were a few excuses, but apparently, the teachers were a little too embarrassed to actually talk to the Kenosha News and give their excuses.

According to the Kenosha News, Sat, April 29:

"None of the 24 teachers approached by reporters Friday said they cast a ballot for the UnitedHealthcare in this week's vote.
Tom Lockhart, in his fifth year teaching math at Bradford High School and one of just two teachers willing to give their names to a reporter, changed his mind shortly before voting for an insurer on Tuesday."

Only two of 24 teachers interviewed would give their names? Yep- I should say these teachers were pretty embarrassed. They should be embarrassed!

Now for those lousy excuses that teacher's gave for wasting $6.7 million-

- Other customers have complained about UnitedHealthcare (Hello, they are an insurance company, right? Every insurance company has complaints filed against them! Welcome to the real world.)

- UnitedHealthcare did not do a good enough job in selling themselves. One teacher was quoted as saying to the Kenosha News-"Supposedly they were identical. My wife looked at the comparisons and she came to that conclusion. But it didn't come across in person." (Hello again! Usually a $6.7 million saving sells itself! They wanted a sales pitch???)

- and last but not least, another teacher was quoted as saying to the Kenosha News- "In the '90s teachers fought hard to keep their good insurance. We gave up three years with no pay raises. We even gave back money one year so we could have good insurance." (Hello! Hello! Hello! Nobody is trying to take away your good insurance! As a previous quote from one of your fellow teachers says- they were identical!)

Since all of these excuses were so bad, perhaps we can help our teachers come up with a few better excuses, such as-

- The teachers forgot to bring their "thinking caps" with them when they were heading off to vote. You know when teachers tell the kids- "Don't forget your thinking caps!" - perhaps the teachers should have remembered their thinking caps also?

- Perhaps the teachers are in the hip pockets of WEAC and the insurance company- WEA Insurance. You know how people call Bush supporters "Bushbots", perhaps too many of our teachers are "WEABOTS"? Maybe the teachers just cannot help themselves- they are trained to do exactly what WEAC tells them too. No thinking for themselves, let the union think for them? Just a thought.

- Of course we can never forget the standard excuse that surpasses all other excuses- "It's Bush's fault!". 'Cause we all know that Bush is to blame for everything. Perhaps that evil George Bush was in the room with them and telling them- "Just throw away that money, the taxpayers won't mind."

All I can say is perhaps the teachers will remember this day when they are up for raises again. They need to remember the day that they threw away $6.7 million worth of taxpayer money.

That money could have saved some teacher's jobs this year who will be laid off.

That money could have gone to pay down the $9 million worth of debt that the school district has acquired.

And most importantly, that money should have gone to the kids attending school in Kenosha. It could have meant new books, new lab equipment, new sports equipment or even some new desks and chairs.

These teachers talk a big game about just wanting to "help the kids". Well, some of Kenosha's finest teachers proved how much they actually care about the kids and their needs when they decided to throw $6.7 million of taxpayer money out of the window.

Just to be fair, not every teacher voted for WEA, but a huge majority did. Also to be fair, this was only the teachers that did this to Kenosha's kids and Kenosha's taxpayers. The administrators, secretaries, service employees, carpenters and painters did vote for the new insurance. They should be commended.

PS. Just as a side note- WEA Insurance has had their own share of complaints. WEAC's website even makes this claim. "the Trust's health plan has the fewest number of complaints...." The fewest number of complaints? I am guessing there are still complaints anyway, right? Perhaps WEA should add that to their company letterhead? I am sure it will instill confidence. It would be kinda like a major airline claiming- "We have the fewest number of crashes resulting in deaths" Huh?

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Tough version of TPA fails miserably

The tough version of TPA failed miserably. 32 yes 66 no

The Assembly is currently back in caucus, attempting to come up with a plan to salvage the state only tax restrictions.

Before we get too upset about this- don't blame the 1st district Republicans. All except one of our Republican 1st district representatives voted "yes".

To each and every one of the "yes" votes, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your vote.

Thank you to Rep. Kerkman, Rep. Vos, Rep. Lothian, Rep. Gundrum, Rep. Nass, Rep. Stone, Rep. Gunderson, Rep. Honadel. You all, truly represented the taxpayers of the 1st District.

Also, from the list in the previous post- I would like to thank Rep. Hundertmark also. We know that Rep. Hundertmark is not in the 1st District, but we love her so much down here that we have adopted her as one of our own. Go Jean Go!

The only "no" vote was Rep. Towns. Perhaps an explanation is in order from Rep. Towns? The taxpayers of the 1st District will be waiting for your response(err... excuse).

A message from the GOP 1st District Chair and Vice Chair- Bob Trapp and Bob Geason

This is a timely message from the two Bobs from the First District GOP, Bob Trapp and Bob Geason.

The Wisconsin Taxpayer Protection Act is supposed to come up for vote on Thursday April 27th in the State Assembly. This is our chance to lobby our legislators to vote for limits on how fast government can grow on an annual basis.

We don't know how else to put this but this is crunch time. We all whine and complain about taxes in the state BUT FEW IF ANY have actually made their views known where and when it counts. Well it's time for us to be heard.

We have heard people complain about runway property taxes. On Thursday, you have a chance to do something about it. To be real upfront about it….If you don't call, then stop complaining about taxes.

We know that's a pretty direct approach, but so far we have heard little or no response.

The game is on the line. YOUR paycheck is on the line. How much more personal can it get?? Even our local guys that are on board with the TPA need to hear an encouraging word from us. Reach out across the state to friends. Ask them, tell them, beg them to call and TELL their representative they expect them to vote in favor of the strictest of Taxpayer Protection Amendment law possible and let’s get government spending under control.

Bob Trapp- First District Chair
Bob Geason- First District Vice Chair

Our State GOP Legislators Phone Numbers

Rep.Vos rep.vos@legis.state.wi.us 1-888-534-0063

Samantha Kerkman
rep.kerkman@legis.state.wi.us 1- 888-534-0066

Thomas Lothian rep.lothian@legis.state.wi.us 1-888-529-0032

Stephen Nass
rep.nass@legis.state.wi.us 1 -888- 529-0031

Debi Towns rep.towns@legis.state.wi.us 1-888- 534-0043

Jean Hundertmark rep.hundertmark@legis.state.wi.us 1 -888- 947-0040

Jeff Stone
rep.stone@legis.state.wi.us 1-888- 534-0082

Mark Gundrum
rep.gundrum@legis.state.wi.us 1 -888- 534-0084

Mark Honadel
rep.honadel@legis.state.wi.us 1-888- 534-0021

Scott Gunderson rep.gunderson@legis.state.wi.us 1-888- 534-0083

Call one. E-mail one.

Call them all. E-mail them all.

These are in our area. I don't know how much easier we can make it.
It's time to be heard. Let YOUR voice be heard.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Call your legislator- support the Taxpayer Protection Amendment

Here we go. This is the moment of truth. The Taxpayer Protection Amendment is scheduled for a vote on Thursday, April 27 in the State Assembly.

If you are not exactly sure how the TPA will work, click on the link for a straightforward, easy to understand explanation.

http://www.wmc.org/PDFfiles/TaxComparisonPiece.pdf



Call your legislator. Ask him or her to vote for the Wisconsin taxpayer. If you are not sure who your state legislator may be, click on the following link to find out-

http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/

If you already know that your legislator will vote in favor of the TPA, call them anyway and still show your support.

We wouldn't want to enforce the laws, would we?

I know that I should be surprised, but when it comes to the immigration debate, nothing surprises me any more.

It appears that Kenosha news is encouraging illegal immigration. There was a story in the K-News today, discussing the fears that some have had over rumors of immigration raids. Of course, instead of the K-News supporting the immigration laws, they are encouraging breaking the laws. This is on the front page of Kenosha News today:

Who to Call

Residents who are concerned about suspicious activity regarding immigration ENFORCEMENT can call:
Voces de la Frontera at 619-4180 or (414) 643-1620
La Campeona at 635-1460

Huh? If we are suspicious of “immigration enforcement”? This doesn’t say if you are suspicious of illegal immigration activity to call. No instead, the K-News is telling us to do is call if we suspect some time immigration enforcement will be taking place, then we should call. Basically, give the illegal immigrants a head’s up that something bad might be happening.

Of course, this isn’t the real kicker. We have been given 3 phone numbers to call if we suspect some form of “immigration enforcement”. Guess whom else we are supposed to call:

Kenosha Police Department at 605-5200

Huh? If we suspect some kind of law enforcement taking place in our community, we are supposed to call the police? Why- doesn’t the Kenosha Police Department want to stop illegal activity in our community? From the looks of things, it appears that the Kenosha Police department is not the least bit concerned about lawbreakers in our community.

Clearly the Kenosha News and the Kenosha Police Department have decided that immigration enforcement is a bad thing. How pathetic is it that our very own police department is not the least bit concerned about enforcing the law? God forbid our law enforcement officials at the police department actually try to enforce the law. Makes you feel safe, doesn’t it?

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Wisconsin Taxpayer Revolt- Join the revolution today!

Clearly, the Democrats are scared. On the front page of the Kenosha News today, we have the pleasure of reading about some of our local legislators reaction to the “Taxpayer Protection Amendment”.

From the Kenosha News April 25, 2006:

Local Democrats are bemoaning the prospects of a spending limit showdown in the final days of the current Legislative session, which is set to expire next month.

“I would love to meet if (Republicans) would like to meet on health care, job creation- kitchen table issues- as opposed to those other issues that they tend to be divided on,” said Assembly Minority Leader Jim Kreuser, D-Kenosha.

Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, said he believes Republicans should hold off on trying to rush an amendment through, if the GOP is confident it will capture the governor’s seat from Democrat Jim Doyle this fall. Doyle has vetoed past tax “freeze” proposals, prompting Republicans to turn to an amendment.

“I think they should listen to the voters in November instead of tinkering with the constitution,” Wirch said last week.

Yes, indeed the Democrats are scared to death that some form of a “TPA” will make it thru on Thursday. Apparently, the minority leader cannot even say the words- “taxpayer protection”. Instead he calls taxpayer protection, “those other issues”.

It really is not tough to say- “taxpayer protection”. Really, Representative Kreuser, just try saying these two little words together. I might actually have a little more respect for you, if you do. Until then, I have no respect for you at all.

Also, Representative Kreuser, you need to actually start talking to your constituents and find out what we are actually discussing around our kitchen tables. With tax day having just recently passed, you are fooling yourself if you actually believe that we did not have one or two serious conversations around the kitchen table about how to pay for our ever-increasing taxes. We also talk about the huge government waste of our hard earned taxpayer dollars, when we are sitting around our kitchen tables. Getting our government to control their horrifying spending habits is also something that we actually talk about at our kitchen tables. Guess what? We also discuss our own budgets and wonder why our very own state government cannot live on a budget. Instead that state government keeps increasing my taxes in order to pay for their own bad spending habits.

As for you, Senator Wirch- it would have been real nice if you and our governor had actually thought about us, the lowly taxpayers, before vetoing taxpayer protection three separate times. As we are all aware, the Democrats are having an absolute fit that we, the taxpayers, actually want to put our state legislators on a budget. Your hope is that if you stall long enough, perhaps the taxpayers in Wisconsin will just settle down and forget about all about our out of control state government and your bad spending habits. It's not going to happen!

Sorry Senator Wirch, but it is too late for that. We, the lowly taxpayers in Wisconsin have started our very own tax revolt. Senator Wirch- you have had 18 years in the legislator, which is plenty of time to get yourself and your friends in Madison under control. You and your buddies have done absolutely nothing to protect the Wisconsin taxpayer for way too long. Now, you are asking us to wait another few months??????

Why should we wait another few months? So we can sit thru another round of campaign promises that go completely unfulfilled?

Representative Kreuser and Senator Wirch- do you remember back in 2004 when you promised us “real” tax reform? You both promised us that you were working on a plan that would provide “real” tax relief for the Wisconsin taxpayer. You asked us to trust you and that you were working on a plan.

What happened to that campaign promises? Whatever happened to the “real” taxpayer relief that you promised us?

Was it all a lie, just so you would be re-elected? It sure looks that way. You two have done absolutely nothing to protect the taxpayers. You and our governor just continue to spend and spend and spend, and completely ignore us.

Well, not anymore. As taxpayers, we have had enough. You days of broken campaign promises are over. The taxpayers of Wisconsin are looking for something better. We want our government to work for us, instead of us working for them.

The Wisconsin Taxpayer Revolution has begun!

Monday, April 24, 2006

Say a prayer for the Hawkins family




Update:

Our prayers are with the Hawkins family and friends tonight. They have lost a mother, wife, daughter, friend, and a companion. Words cannot express our deepest sympathy for her husband, her children, her parents, her friends and her community. God bless Pamela Hawkins and all those who's lives she touched and blessed.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Campaign trip or fundraiser?(posted by Boot & Sabers)

Check out Boots & Sabers tonight-

They have discover yet another one of governor's misuse of taxpayer funds.

How in the world is a plane flight to see a former Senator, considered to be state business and not a political campaign?

How do these Dems continue to get away with this garbage?

Doyle's in re-election trouble

I know Jim Doyle is hoping that Bush's low poll number will help him get re-elected. Guess what, Governor Doyle? George Bush is not on the ballot this November- YOU ARE!


Check this out from the Washington Post, Doyle is in the top 5 for goverships at risk of changing party hands-

5. Wisconsin -- Jim Doyle (D): The last time we ranked the top ten gubernatorial races, we said that "the lone bright spot" for Wisconsin's incumbent was the fact that Republicans faced a competitive September primary. Uh oh. The decision by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker to drop out of the contest in favor of Rep. Mark Green clears the Republican field and further endangers Doyle. Controversy continues to dog Doyle regarding alleged no-bid contracts being awarded in exchange for donations. Polling shows Doyle mired in the low 40s -- a worrisome sign for any incumbent less than seven months from an election. (Previous ranking: 7)

I was disappointed to see Scott Walker drop out of the race, but I don't believe I realized how much he sacrificed for the state of Wisconsin.

Thank you Scott Walker- you can bet that this conservative will not soon forget what you did for our state!

Why am I not surprised? Doyle shows up in Lake Geneva and discusses increasing taxes!

I know this may not come as a shock to some of you, but Doyle showed up in Lake Geneva last Thursday and promptly began discussions on increasing the sales tax for Lake Geneva. Doyle took one look at beautiful Lake Geneva and the $$$$$ signs started showing up in his eyes.

Doyle: Lake Geneva area has value as a tourist attraction

ELKHORN - The need for the greater Lake Geneva area to be classified as a premier resort area, which would allow municipalities to collect a special sales tax, was one of the issues discussed Thursday as state officials fanned out across Walworth County.

A special sales tax? You know, not only tourists, but real Wisconsin people live, work and play in Lake Geneva. How does this effect them? These people shop at the local shops, they frequent the local restaurants, they rent boats to fish on the lake and just for fun, they stay at the fancy hotels for an evening away from home. Not all of these people in Lake Geneva are rich tourists. Why in the world would we want to hurt these locals, by charging them extra sales taxes.

Why does Lake Geneva "need" to collect more money from the locals?????

Lake Geneva is beautiful and the locals have made Lake Geneva a real tourist attraction over the years. Why should they be punished for making their community so beautiful?

The locals are living and thriving in the beautiful community that they created. Let's not drive the locals out of Lake Geneva and hand the community to the tourists. The locals created beautiful Lake Geneva, let's not take their community away from them, just because our Governor sees big fat tax $$$$$ signs in his eyes.

What the Governor "needs" to do is leave Lake Geneva alone! Let those people that created this great tourist attraction, actually enjoy their own community!

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Blog world is going wild about CIA leaker!

Not since Rathergate have I seen the blog world go this nuts over a single story. Of course, what is not interesting about this saga? We have CIA spies, politics, the WH, and conspiracy theories popping up all over the place. A real live novel is developing before our eyes.

Here is just a few links to the blog world, where this story is playing out-

Michelle Malkin

RightWinged.com

Captain's Quarters

The Jawa Report

The Strata-Sphere

Expose the Left

Wizbang

Powerline

Mark Levin

Right Wing Nuthouse

I could go on and on, but this is enough reading to keep you busy for hours. Just in case you run out of stuff to read on this subject- check out the Free Republic website. The Freepers have a lot of interesting pictures and articles in their posts.

Enjoy!

Pulitzer Prizes for treachery (The Washington Times)

I find it rather amusing that on Wednesday, the original author of the Washington Post story, Dana Priest, wins a Pulitzer prize for the CIA secret prison story. The very next day, on Thursday, the CIA official that leaked the story to Priest is fired for releasing classified information.

However, what is not amusing is that a CIA official decided that putting their political beliefs ahead of this nation's security, is truly pathetic.

Some conservatives in the media are having a field day with this. I cannot help myself, I just have to post this op-ed from The Washington Times. Douglas MacKinnon nails the liberal media!

Pulitzer Prizes for treachery
TODAY'S COLUMNIST

By Douglas MacKinnon
April 21, 2006

The Pulitzer Prizes were just awarded, and once again, I was left off the winners list. Why? Why would the Pulitzer committee knowingly choose to undermine my self-esteem?
As I wring my hands and wrack my obviously inferior brain, the answer hits me like a bolt out of a blue state. I didn't win, get nominated or even noticed because I didn't meet their very rigid criteria for selection. As simple and telling as that.
And what exactly is the litmus test a writer has to pass before the Pulitzer committee deems his or her work acceptable? Well, as near as I can tell, to make the grade, one must have done at least one of the following: Betray national secrets; go after only Republican lobbyists; tackle only Republican corruption; blame the United States for everything wrong in the world: and the surefire attention getter; try to tear down the presidency of George W. Bush.
Think I'm exaggerating for reasons of hyperbole? First of all, I'm not even sure what hyperbole means. But since I know the Pulitzer committee likes big words, and since I'm not a quitter, I threw it in. Secondly, let's look at a few of the actual prizes awarded by the "nonpartisan" Pulitzer committee, to see if I hit the mark with my list of criteria that would collapse the left side of any scale.
Dana Priest of The Washington Post, won the best reporting award for revealing that the CIA was using secret prisons in Easter Europe to interrogate terrorists.
In other words, they gave an award to a reporter who got a tip from a government worker who betrayed his or her country by revealing top-secret information. The reporter and The Post, in an effort to become the darlings of left, then splashed said top secret information all over the front page. Who benefited from this "Pulitzer Prize Winning Reporting?" Terrorists who mean to kill everyone in the United States.
Next, you have the New York Times winning a Pulitzer Prize for announcing President Bush's "domestic eavesdropping program." Again, a proudly left-of-center newspaper is given a prestigious award for revealing top secret information that can only bring aid and comfort to al Qaeda and other terrorists who mean to destroy us and our allies.
It should be noted that with regard to the two prizes just mentioned, in the interests of national security, Mr. Bush personally appealed the patriotism and commonsense of both The Post and the New York Times, and implored them not to run the stories. Both papers, it seems, put their strong dislike of Mr. Bush and his policies before the future safety of Americans.
Next, you have the San Diego Union Tribune and Copley News Service getting an award for exposing the bribery of former Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Make no mistake, Cunningham was and is a low-life. In fact, I went after him several times in previous columns when no one was really paying attention. But a Pulitzer Prize for "exposing" the bribery. Come on. The guy was living in a $2 million home, driving luxury cars, and living on a yacht, rent free in Washington. Next someone is going to tell me they give prizes for predicting the sun is going to come up in the morning.
With that same Republican-bashing theme in mind, The Post won yet another prize for making the words "disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff" part of the media lexicon. Again, no issues with going after Abramoff. Whatever prison time he serves will not be nearly enough. But what about corrupt Democratic lobbyists? They are out there, but don't seem to rate equivalent attention from The Post or the Pulitzer committee.
Still not convinced that Columbia University and its Pulitzer committee uses a liberal checklist? Then I implore you to look at the names of this year's finalists. From Republican-hating fashion writers, to Republican-hating editorial cartoonists, to Republican-bashing editorial boards, you will find a wish list from the left, of politically correct, more than diverse, "journalists" who are driven solely by an agenda and not the responsibilities of a once noble profession.
I wonder if the Pulitzer committee will award a prize for "examining and exposing" the "blatant liberal bias" of the Pulitzer committee. I think I'll submit this column just in case.

Douglas MacKinnon served as press secretary to former Sen. Bob Dole. He is also a former White House and Pentagon official, and an author.

CIA leaker found and fired

We have been hearing for the last 24 hours that the CIA leaker, who gave the Washington Post the CIA black prison story, has admitted that they leaked classified information to the Washington Post. This admission of guilt lead to the leaker being fired by CIA director Porter Goss.

The new twist on the story today is that the name of the CIA officer, who leaked the classified material, has now been discovered. The AP is reporting that the CIA officer's name is Mary McCarthy.

The officer was a senior analyst nearing retirement, Mary McCarthy, The Associated Press learned. Reached Friday evening at home, her husband would not confirm her firing.

Who is Mary McCarthy? Well, of course, she is a DEMOCRAT! The New York Times is reporting that she gave $2000 to the Kerry campaign.

Public records show that Ms. McCarthy contributed $2,000 in 2004 to the presidential campaign of John Kerry, the Democratic nominee.


After doing a Newsmeat search on Ms. McCarthy, you can see that she gave a sizable amount of money to the Democrats in order to defeat George Bush in 2004.

1. She gave $2000 to John Kerry's campaign on 03/14/2004
2. She gave $5000 to the Ohio Democratic Party on 10/05/2004
3. She gave $500 to the Democratic National Committee on 10/29/2004


Clearly, McCarthy had a political axe to grind when she decided to leak classified information to the Washington Post. Don't you just love it when Democrats put politics above national security?

More media bias!

Yet one more example of media bias.

Today, the AP came out with a story today about an ethics investigation into the Democratic governor in Kansas. This is the story-

A spokeswoman for the Democratic governor confirmed Friday that the Governmental Ethics Commission staff had discussed an e-mail with Sebelius' campaign committee. The commission is expected to take up the matter when it meets next Thursday, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.
Under Kansas law, it is illegal for a legislator or state official to solicit contributions from lobbyists while the Legislature is in session.
The email was "an update on schools" that was sent while legislators were still debating funding issues, Corcoran said.
"Despite their best efforts, this list may have inadvertently included the e-mail addresses of ineligible individuals," she told The Associated Press Friday.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Friday that the email included a link to the governor's campaign Web site, where contributions could be made. The newspaper, which first reported the ethics investigation in the campaign, said three lobbyists gave it a copy of the email.


Instead of the leaving the story at that, the AP reporter proceeded with his bias. Of course, the reporter had to mention the "Republican culture of corruption" in his story. Even though this particular governor is a Democrat.

The allegations come as national Democrats are making ethics a major campaign issue in the wake of the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal in Washington.

Just to make the story even more biased, this particular AP reporter decided to plunk in a story about a unethical Republican. Plunked right in the middle of the story is this:

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, is now considered vulnerable in his re-election bid because of an ethics scandal involving his failure to report free golf outings and other gifts. Taft pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor ethics reporting violations last year and was fined $4,000.

I have a couple of questions for this biased reporter-

1. What does the Ohio governor have to do with a story about ethics violations committed by Kansas governor?
2. The Ohio governor pleaded "no contest" and paid a fine LAST YEAR. This happened a year ago, in Ohio, not Kansas, why bring up this today? What has this got to do with what is happening today?
3. Once again, the "culture of corruption" stuff is in another story. Clearly this is the Democratic Party's theme of the year. In a story about Democratic ethics violations, why are you bringing up the Democratic Party's talking point? Doesn't that just make the Democrats look like hypocrites?

And the #1 most pathetic part of this story is that when this reporter brought up the Ohio governor, he got the story just plain wrong. The AP reporter states:

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, is now considered vulnerable in his re-election bid because of an ethics scandal involving his failure to report free golf outings and other gifts.

Re-election bid??? The Republican governor is now vulnerable????

Someone needs to tell this reporter that Ohio Republican Governor Bob Taft is not running for re-election! Duh!!!!!

Hat tip to Free Republic for posting this story.

Friday, April 21, 2006

The protesters will be there, will you?

On Saturday, April 22nd, Congressman James Sensenbrenner will be holding two town hall meeting. Because of Congressman Sensenbrenner's strong stance on illegal immigration, the protesters will be out in full force.

Show your support for Congressman Sensenbrenner:

Saturday, April 22nd, 9:00am
Elm Grove Village Hall
13600 Juneau Blvd.
Elm Grove, WI 53122

Saturday, April 22nd, 1:00pm
Village Hall - Municipal Building
300 Slinger Road
Slinger, WI 53086

Move over, Cindy Sheehan, there is a new moonbat taking charge- Russ Feingold

Cindy Sheehan has some competition for the "Moonbat of the Century" award. Wisconsin's very own Senator Russ Feingold has set his sites on the award. Feingold's PAC, Progressive Patriots Fund, has a new video out, supporting Feingold's moonbat theories.

In the video, the moonbats accuse the President of using the terrorists surveillance program to get "anybody who has the nerve to disagree with you." Of course, the moonbats have produced no evidence to date, that this theory is true. However, one of the benefits of being a moonbat, is that no evidence whatsoever is necessary, in order to make a moonbat claim.

Both Charlie Sykes and Jessica McBride have addressed Feingold's theories on their blogs.

The most disconcerting problem when looking at this issue, is discovering that being a moonbat pays and it pays very well. Yesterday, the AP had a story out showing exactly how well being a moonbat is paying off for Feingold-

Feingold's leadership PAC, the Progressive Patriots Fund, pulled in $282,000 last month, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission Thursday. That compares with $105,000 the PAC raised in February.

Feingold's PAC finished the period with $466,000 in the bank.

Playing on a person's anger and hatred of President Bush has raised a lot money for Feingold's PAC and will continue to raise money for him-

"I bet that really did stimulate contributions a lot," said Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "The censure resolution, and lack of any other Democrat backing it, really put a lot of Bush-haters onto Feingold."


I wonder if Feingold is proud of the fact that a bunch of contributors, full of hatred, are supporting him?

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Sykes addresses the floundering TPA

Charlie Sykes addresses the floundering TPA.

Is the TPA dead? Mr. Sykes addresses the four major steps necessary to keep the TPA moving forward. Check out the article .

This is a total bummer (sarcasm)

Aw bummer, Hillary's poll numbers are collapsing-

Rasmussen Polls-

April 19, 2006--Just 26% of Americans say they will definitely vote for Senator Hillary Clinton if she runs for President in 2008. That matches the lowest level of support ever recorded for the former First Lady and is the sixth consecutive Hillary Meter poll showing her solid support below 30%.

The number who would definitely vote against Clinton in 2008 rose a couple of points in our latest survey to 41% (see trends).

Crosstabs are available for Premium Members.

Senator Clinton's effort to shift perceptions of her politics towards the center have stalled as well. She is viewed as politically liberal by 47% of voters while 35% see her as politically moderate.

In January 2005, 51% saw Clinton as politically liberal. She moderated her image in the early part of last year, but the number seeing her as liberal has not consistently dipped below the 45% range.

Collectively, today’s Hillary Meter places Senator Clinton a net 58 points to the left of the nation's political center. Two weeks ago, she was 56 points to the left of center.


Election 2008

If Hillary Runs?

Definitely Vote For 26%
Def Vote Against 41%
Depends On Who She Runs Against 26%

RasmussenReports.com



Will they ever get it together?

I am getting awful tired of the battling in Madison over taxpayer protection. First we have several forms of TABOR which were vetoed, then we switch over to a state constitutional amendment called the "Taxpayer Protection Amendment".

Now, a couple of Republican legislators have decided that they do not want a constitutional amendment, instead they want to go back to writing a law again.

Read this article.
The Republicans are now working against each other??????

This is ridiculous! Will our Republican legislators ever work together and get something accomplished? We send these guys to Madison in hopes that they will work together as conservatives, for the common good of this state.

Why can we not get some caps on spending in Madison and some taxpayer protection? It is time. The republican legislators have played around long enough. It is time for them to pull together and work together for the citizens of Wisconsin.

In the words of Larry, the cable guy- "Get 'er done!"

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Spare the IPod, Unspoil the Child(Michelle Singletary, WP) written by guest blogger- "Republican Teacher"

Sunday morning's Business section column in the Kenosha News, from Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post hit the nail on the head. She talks about her disgust with the music industry and communications companies targeting the TWEEN (8-12 yr. old) and teen population. Well, I am a parent of two tweens, and a teacher to 100 teens, and I completely agree. My two children do not have cell phones or iPods, but I asked them about their peers. They reported that many do. WHY? Why are we feeding into this instant gratification and materialistic society. We are creating a monster, from which we will never be able to turn back from. So, as a teacher, I have to plan about three different activities to fill my 47 minute period, and can't expect to hold my students attention for more than about 12 minutes.......they don't know how to wait, to listen, to be patient..........and often, they have to answer the phone, yes, even during class, they try to sneak their phone and respond to a text message. I feel like I am interrupting something by trying to teach!

As fiscal conservatives and people that believe in less government, we must teach our children to live on small budgets, just as we expect Madison to learn to. They need to "earn" an allowance and save money. And, as Michelle says, "go read". My son is a ravenous reader, and my daughter can still appreciate Barbies. They ride their bikes to the park, play outside, and are forced to "create" fun. They still think it is exciting to go the library. This digital age is creating bored children that lack creativity and patience. SO, as a parent and teacher, I hope that Easter baskets were filled with bubbles, books, and maybe a jump rope - not digital gifts!

McClellan Resigns!

Scott McClellan resigns and Karl Rove sheds some duties-

here is a link

In honor of our friends at Real Debate Wisconsin, who suggested Ann Colter as a replacement for Scott McClellan, I have a suggested replacement myself-

General Honore!

General Honore to the media- "Don't get stuck on stupid"!





Potluck Protection Act of 2006 (By RYAN J. FOLEY, AP Writer)

I read this article in the Kenosha News written by the AP, and I was not sure if I should laugh or cry. Then, I got angry....

Is this really why we send our elected officials to Madison?

From the article-

Saying residents don't need the government intruding on their spaghetti dinners, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill into law Tuesday exempting potluck meals from state public health regulations.
Rep. Barbara Gronemus, D-Whitehall, served up the bill last spring after she heard anecdotal reports of overzealous health inspectors threatening to shut down the community meals at schools, churches and union halls. Lawmakers of both parties lined up to get a piece of credit for protecting what they described as an American tradition.


The worst thing about this, is that no one can figure out why our legislators wasted their time-

The bill had confused health inspectors who said they already did not regulate potlucks and could provide no examples of meals ruined by regulation.

Jim Clark, past-president of the Wisconsin Environmental Health Association, said the new law would have no practical effect. Potlucks already are not regulated, he said, and health officials can still stop people from serving unsafe food to the public.
"If there was confusion, it does provide that much clarification," he said of the bill. "But I know a lot of people around the state in public health and none of them had any confusion on this issue."


Check it out, there was even opposition to the bill-

His group and others representing public health officials dropped their opposition to the bill after lawmakers removed an exemption for potlucks held at taverns. Meals at taverns should be inspected, Clark said.



Really, do we need our legislators and our Governor wasting valuable taxpayer's dollars by spending their time working on protecting our potluck dinners?

Don't get me wrong, I like a potluck as well as the next person. But was it necessary for our legislators and our Governor to protect our right to potluck????

Good grief! Perhaps now, our Governor and our legislators should get back to worrying about the TPA, and protecting the Wisconsin taxpayer.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Oopsie- the Kenosha Education Association officials are offended

According to Saturday's paper, the KEA is offended by the allegations that they are slow to move on the insurance proposal made to them, that would save $6.7 million of tax payer dollars.

From the Kenosha News, Saturday, April 15, 2006-

Teachers in the Kenosha Unified School District will come to decisions on an insurance plan in their own time, according to a union official, and do not appreciate the implication that their decisions could be grounds for directing layoffs in their direction.

On April 25, the teacher members of the Kenosha Education Association will vote on whether to stick with their health coverage, provided by WEA Trust, or switch to another plan starting in the 2006-07 school year, offered by United Health care for nearly $7 million less.

Until then, said Bob Baxter, executive director of the KEA, the union would continue a "comprehensive, deliberate and systematic review" of the coverage offered by the two plans.

"In our opinion we have not unnecessarily delayed this process and are moving forward in the decision-making process", Baxter said. "The KEA believes it's members deserve to have all of their questions answered before a vote is taken on this very important measure."

On Wednesday, Unified officials sent layoff notices to 142 employees, 57 teachers and 85 educational assistants.



Quite frankly, I don't care if the KEA union officials are offended. Here is a list of people that have every right to be offended:

1. KEA teachers and educational assistants- these people have bared the brunt of the KEA's failure. The KEA has had since the beginning of the school year to evaluate the insurance plans. They have months and months to answer every single members questions. Yet, last week, 58 teachers and 85 assistants lost their jobs because the union leaders dragged their heels for months and months. The teachers pay for the union to look out for their best interests and the union forgot to take care of them. I wonder if 142 former employees of Kenosha Unified are sitting at home tonight wondering why they paid union dues all year long, especially now that their union failed them.

2. Kenosha Unified students- have every right to wonder why their teachers will not be coming back next year. They can even wonder why there are even more kids packed into their already full classrooms next year and they do not get the time and attention that they deserve. Every child deserves a great education, and yet, some of their teachers were just laid off.

3. Taxpayers- have every right to be offended by the KEA slow action. It is our tax dollars that pays for this insurance. The taxpayer has every right to demand action on their money. It is the taxpayer's children that go to schools, that are already packed full. It will be the taxpayer's money that will fix the $9 million deficit, no matter which direction the vote may go.

In one single vote, the teachers can save $7 million and they will not have to sacrifice anything. In fact, by the end of the 2007-08 school year, the deficit will be gone. In one single vote, the teachers can protect their fellow teachers and their own students. The time for the vote was 3 months ago, before 142 employees lost their jobs.

Why in the world would the KEA postpone a vote, knowing that the school year is coming to an end and next year's budget is already in the works? The KEA has had this proposal for months and months and yet they have not acted. They certainly did not bother to protect their own teachers, the students or even the taxpayers of Kenosha.

What would be really interesting to find out is- Who is the KEA protecting? WEA Trust? WEAC?

Sunday, April 16, 2006

A nation needs to protect it's foundations

On the third Saturday of every month, the Kenosha News prints a opinion piece from both the Democratic leaders and the Republican leaders of Kenosha.

I was very impressed with this article written by Jan Anderson, a local businessman, from the Republican view. I thought I should share it with you-

Jan Anderson(Kenosha News, Apr. 15,2006) writes:

A nation needs to protect it's foundations

Every building has a foundation. It's the silent and unseen support for all that shows. It is the most important part of the building. Neglect the foundation and the structure will grow weak and unsafe. Nations, too, have foundations. They have principles on which they are formed and by which they endure. Current events have prompted the need to inspect what upholds America.
The big old melting pot is boiling furiously. The consequences of illegal immigration are now surfacing across America stirring a lot of talking and shouting. What is it all about, Alfie? Is it about low wage jobs that citizens won't take? Are Americans who object to open borders racist?
The core of the matter is more important: It is about our foundations. The problem of illegal immigration is one of law and order It's about widespread disregard for the laws that define us and provide the basis of American order.
It's said we are a nation of law and order. What does that mean? It means that we express our ideas of societal order in the laws we write and enforce. For example, we prefer reasonable driving speeds on our highways; therefore we enact speed limits- laws that restrain the excessive to promote reasonable travel. Speed limits demonstrate our desire for ordered driving. We write laws for ourselves-for our benefit-not for citizens of another country. In order to preserve the society we desire, we expect obedience to our laws and provide penalties for violating them.
The violation of any law erodes the order implied by law. A weakened order leads to disorder, and then, to worse. You can picture the regression. The constant violation of our laws of citizenship is eroding the foundation of who we are as Americans.
What does it mean to be an American? It means first to be a citizen according to the legal requirements of citizenship. An American-loving, flag-waving German or Malaysian or Mexican cannot be an American until he is a citizen. He may love America above all other lands, but without the legal status of citizenship, he is just a cheerleader.
Citizens have rights. They benefit from the order expressed in our laws. They have the right to disagree and peacefully engage the means to persuade and effect change. This is the great advantage of being an American. A non-citizen does not have that right. Indeed he cannot have that right, for if we grant to non-citizens the foundational benefit to citizenship, then there is no real benefit to citizenship. If there is no benefit to being a citizen, then citizenship should be abolished. Without citizens, borders are superfluous and could be erased. Without borders, nations do not exist.
If we won't defend citizenship, we won't defend American.
Now, if we're unwilling to erase our borders, then we must clarify who are citizens within our borders. We must define the requirements of citizenship and enforce those requirements. We must reinvigorate enforcement of the laws that express the order of America, beginning with the laws of citizenship. And should there be benefits for citizenship, those benefits should be reserved for citizens.
Addressing the problem of illegal immigration is neither racist, nor economic, it's about mending and preserving our foundations.

He is Risen!

John 20:11-18

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Governor fails- written by guest blogger- "BBG"

BBG writes-

Congressman Mark Green will hold a press conference in South Milwaukee on Monday morning to highlight the dismal job Jim Doyle has done for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. If you agree Doyle is a failure, support Mark by attending this event at the South Milwaukee Post Office 2210 10th Ave. 10:15 am Monday April 17th.

The date seems to fit as it is the liberal tax and spenders favorite day. The day you have to send your hard earned money to them to waste. Doyle and friends like Wirch, Steinbrink and Kreuser will be having a party on us the taxpayers.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

The Blog world is buzzing- written by a guest blogger-"Republican Teacher"

Republican Teacher writes:

The blog world has been a buzz this week:

Re: the potential return of Tommy Thompson to WI politics. Journal Sentinel bloggers Spivak and Bice have gone so far in their support of Tommy, as to criticize Charlie Sykes for saying Tommy's time has come and gone. I would love to see Tommy come back to WI politics and challenge Herb Kohl, but as far as a governorship, I agree with Charlie. Mark Green has been touted by the right as the next governor of WI, since Doyle won.

As firmly as I was behind Scott Walker, now it is time to back Green and acknowledge him as the rightful owner of the Republican nomination for Governor in 06. We must stand united as a party. Spivak and Bice seem to support a primary battle (which I happen to agree with in concept) but for that to be the case, we need to have an earlier primary. Otherwise, like Tim Michels and Scott Walker came to realize, you spend all of your money winning the primary and have nothing left in the final 6 weeks to defeat your TRUE opponent, the liberal incumbent. Tim Michels (another great man I worked my tail off for) feel victim to this circumstance and was left attacked in the final days by Feingold's commercials every 10 seconds on the TV. Sadly, the same may have happened to Walker.

So, support Mark Green for Governor, and Tommy for another office. His time for Governor has, in fact, passed.

Duh? Do ya think?

Rarely do I agree with Steve Lund(Kenosha News Columnist) on anything. Even Steve Lund cannot deny the numbers on this issue. Like Steve, I believe this is a no brainer.

The teacher's union in Kenosha have the opportunity to save the taxpayer's of Kenosha County $6.7 million and they have to sacrifice nothing

Steve Lund's article-
See if you think this decision would be simple or complicated:
Suppose you have to pick a health insurance plan for a big employer, such as a school district. There are two plans with identical benefits, but a big difference in price. One costs $2,600 more per employee. If you pick the more expensive plan, 142 or more of your coworkers will be laid off. If you pick the less expensive plan, nobody gets laid off and everyone’s health benefits stay the same. Which one do you choose?
Take your time. You don’t have to decide right away.

Just keep in mind that the truck drivers and warehouse workers have already decided. They picked the lower-price plan.

The carpenters and painters have already decided. They also picked the lower-price plan.

The secretaries have decided. They picked the lower-price plan.

The interpreters, a group of 11, also decided. They picked the higher-price plan.

That’s the way things have gone with bargaining units in the Kenosha Unified School System. Each unit had to choose between health plans offered by WEA Trust, the district’s usual insurance company, or United Health Care, the other finalist in the bidding process. WEA Trust’s plan is the more expensive option.

According to figures released by the school district, the United Health Care plan will cost $16,034 per employee. The WEA Trust plan is projected to cost $18,710 per employee.

The difference in impact on the annual school district budget is $6.7 million. That’s why so many people will be laid off if the employees ultimately decide to go with the more expensive plan.

The only ones who are having trouble making this decision are the teachers and educational assistants. Those are the largest employee groups and the groups that will suffer the brunt of the layoffs. They have postponed a vote.

The teachers, however, think it’s a real head-scratcher. They seem to be taking a simple multiple-choice question — with only two choices, it couldn’t be much simpler — and turning it into a 500-word college-application essay.


One complicating factor that can be added to the mix is tradition. WEA Trust has been the insurance carrier for the district for 19 years.

Another factor is the relationship between the teachers union and the WEA Trust. The Kenosha Education Association is an affiliate of the Wisconsin Education Association, which created the WEA Trust in 1970. The WEA Trust is a not-for-profit corporation that serves only public school districts in Wisconsin where affiliates of the WEA have the bargaining rights.

Fred Evert, president and CEO of the WEA Trust, said the company serves about 350 of the 420 WEA-affiliated districts in the state, including large districts such as Waukesha and La Crosse.

“Kenosha is one of the larger, if not the largest, client,” Evert said in a phone interview. “It is one we’d like to keep.”

Why shouldn’t this be a simple matter of taking the lower price?

“If one considers insurance a commodity, like a load of gravel, then price is determinative,” Evert said. “However, insurance is not a commodity. Benefits, level of service and motivation of the company matter. We’re not for profit. We do not pay commissions. Our sole motivation is to our members. “The level of customer service, the level of care for the price — the value equation — is second to none.”

To those complicating factors, we ought to add one more simplifying consideration: Taxpayer service. If the school district goes with the lower-price plan, taxpayers get 57 more teachers and 85 more educational assistants for their taxes. If the district picks the higher price plan, taxpayers still pay the same, but they have a school district with 142 fewer people actually working with the students.

No matter how many ways anyone finds to make this question complicated, it still looks like a simple question of price. What would be complicated is explaining to taxpayers and parents why you voted for a plan that results in fewer people on the front lines of education and delivers no additional benefits. For that matter, how would you explain it to the ones who are laid off? That would be complicated.

This one really is simple: Go with the better price.


My message to the Kenosha County Teachers- THIS IS A NO-BRAINER- TAKE THE LOWER PRICED PLAN!!!! PLEASE!



Not guilty for all three officers

JS Online story-

Jury finds 3 former officers not guilty


More to follow.....

Friday, April 14, 2006

Congressman Murtha and Congressman Moran take hit on the chin from Sgt. Mark Seavey

I picked this video up off of the blog of All Things Conservative

Apparently Murtha never even bothered to visit troops from his own district returning from battle in Afganistan.

See the video for yourself

It feels good to laugh!

In the world of politics, sometimes you just need a good laugh. Ways to often, activists, like me, get caught up in the melody drama in the political world. The political world is can be very harsh and unrelenting at times. It is refreshing when a politician comes along and cracks a good joke. A good joke can lift any activist’s spirits.
That happened this week. I was discouraged and frustrated with the political world. I was getting steamed as I read this article about Governor Doyle using state workers to put together spreadsheets about the governor’s “good deeds”. Of course, when Republicans are accused of using state workers during their campaigns, they end up in court. But if a Democrat does the same thing, apparently it is perfectly appropriate. I was getting more and more upset until I read Congressman Mark Green’s response:

Green said he would "leave it to others" to decide if the practice was inappropriate but added that he doubted Doyle's aides would find much to trumpet.
"I'll just say that I find it amusing that he has to send out a search party to find accomplishments," he said.


Ha! Ha! Snort! Snort! Now that was funny Congressman Green! Thanks for the laugh, I needed it!

Monday, April 10, 2006

Money talks, even in a village trustee election

What happened in Tuesday election in Pleasant Prairie? How in the world did a lie win the election for a couple of village trustee seats?

For a little history on the lie, here is what happened. Last August, Kenosha County Sheriff, David Beth, approached the Village board about a proposal to combine his sheriff’s department services with the Pleasant Prairie police department. I could go into the details of how many cars that the sheriff was offering to continue to patrol the streets of Pleasant Prairie and the plan that the sheriff had proposed to continue to employee the Pleasant Prairie police and the amount of money that the Pleasant Prairie taxpayers could have saved. I could even go into Act 40 that the governor signed in August giving cash strapped communities the ability to combine their police services with the sheriff departments services. But the whole proposal was moot. The trustees of the Village of Pleasant Prairie voted down the proposal decisively in October. The final vote was 3-1 against the sheriff’s proposal, with one trustee abstaining from the vote.

Enough said, right? The issue is dead, right?

Not quite, a little over 4 months later, the issue was resurrected. The two incumbents desperately needed an issue to run on. Incumbents Kumorkiewicz and Serpe were facing the same election challenges that last year’s ousted incumbents were facing. The most affluent community in Kenosha County is heavily in debt. Somewhere close to $100 million. Of course, the incumbents did not want to run on this and have to explain the debt to the voters, so they created their own issue.

The two incumbents, Kumorkiewicz and Serpe decided that this dead issue that had already been voted on, would be the issue that they would run on. And so, the mudslinging began. Magically a 527, called KOPS (Keep our police services) popped up to support the theory that if either of the challengers were elected, then Pleasant Prairie would lose their police services. Of course, neither of the challengers, Larry Matson or Frank Hauck, ever said they would vote to get rid of the police department, but it didn’t matter. The Sheriff came out and said that the issue was dead, but for some reason, this did not matter either.

The 527, known as KOPS was on the march, in support of getting the incumbents re-elected. As it turns out, most of this entire campaign came down to one thing- MONEY! KOPS and the incumbents had the money and the challengers did not. KOPS had plenty of money to run their campaign of deception. KOPS did mailings, made campaign buttons and the yard signs were just everywhere. According to the Kenosha News published on March 29, 2006, KOPS had raised $19,000 in support of the incumbency's misleading message. One donor in particular, gave $12,500 to the KOPS deceptive campaign.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that “yard signs do not win elections”. In my opinion, unfortunately, deceptive yard signs may have won this election. One fellow in particular, stated to the Kenosha News in April 5th edition after the election, that he read the KOPS yard sign that suggested the challengers would get rid of the police so he wanted to vote to keep the department.


In my opinion, there are two very distinct problems with today’s elections. The first problem is that we, as voters, let the candidates define the issues. Sorry, but issues that are important should always be defined by the voters and never by the candidates. Instead, the candidates Kumorkiewicz and Serpe defined the Village trustee’s races to be about “keeping our police services”, instead of being about leadership in the community. Kumorkiewicz and Serpe got a free pass on the explaining the massive debt that they have overseen.

The second problem with elections today is plainly- money. If you can raise enough money, you can cover up the real problems in a community and literally deceive your way into office. $19,000 can buy a lot of yard signs and completely cover up the real problems facing a community. The voters in Pleasant Prairie never got a chance to deal with the real issues facing their community because they were too busy trying to save their police department. That is too bad, the voters in Pleasant Prairie deserved an honest debate about real issues, and they did not get that debate.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

And so, the battle begins

I thought long and hard about the topic of my very first blog post. (About 5 seconds) What topic is fresh on everyone’s mind? You got it, last Tuesday elections.
Let’s start with the good news first. Al Ferber was elected to serve in Somers. Mr. Ferber has been a quiet, dignified, fiscally conservative leader in the Somers community for many years. The good news is that Mr. Ferber will continue his fiscally responsibly ways and be an immense asset to the Somers community. Congratulations to Mr. Ferber and the community of Somers.
Another piece of good news, Judy Rossow was re-elected to serve as Kenosha’s 2nd District County Supervisor. Mrs. Rossow, another fiscal conservative has worked very hard to control taxes and still pay off the county debt. Congratulations to Mrs. Rossow, we look forward to your leadership on the County Board for the next couple of years.
Of course, not to be forgotten- re-elected to the KUSD School Board were Pam Stevens, Marc Hujik and Eric Olson. In years past, watching the KUSD School Board in action literally left a person feeling dizzy. Olson, Stevens and Hujik have been a steadying force on this school board that was desperately needed. Congratulations to all three, thanks for your tireless service to the kids in our district.
Now on to the bad news, the really, really bad news! The big KOPS lie won and they won big. Pleasant Prairie taxpayers took a huge hit in Tuesday’s election. How can a manufactured lie by the incumbents win them re-elections? Well, stay tuned tomorrow for the answer to this question.