Fred Dooley for Alderman

As some of you are already aware, Fred Dooley, blogger Real Debate Wisconsin, is running for Alderman in Racine.

It is very cool to see a blogger put his name on a ballot.

Fred's campaign website is up and running-

Dooley for Alderman

As we all know, campaigns take money. On this new website you will find that you can donate thru Paypal or with a credit card.

I would like to encourage everyone that can spare a few dollars to donate to a real conservative living in Racine.

The Packer's playoff chances are slim, very slim

The Packer's playoff hopes took a huge blow last night with the New York Giants victory.

Either way, it has been great to actually root for the Packers over the last several weeks.

The Packers gave us some hope and something to root for.

At the beginning of this year and until several weeks ago, it appeared that all hope was lost for making the playoffs.

I have to say, it has been fun watching the young defense grow into a group that has been quite formitable over this past year.

I am really looking forward to tonight's game. If Favre plays in his last game tonight, it would be a fitting for it to be against the Bears.

Bret Favre has been a "Bear" killer over his career and it would be great to see it again tonight.

Go Packers, beat the Bears!

Obituary

I received this in an email from a friend. Thanks Deb!

How true is this?

Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair;
and
Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a 6 year old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, which only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their misbehaved children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

State Ethics board fines Doyle

Big whoop. The ethics board actually fined Doyle a few bucks.

I wish someone could explain to me why it is okay for Doyle to accept free Packers tickets for one game,

In October, the Ethics Board said Doyle had not violated the ethics code when he accepted four tickets to a 2003 Packers game in Chicago from an insurance executive who does business with the state.

But it is not okay for a different game,

Gov. Jim Doyle's purchase of tickets provided by a lobbyist for a Green Bay Packers football game in 2003 was improper under the state's lobbying laws, the state Ethics Board said Thursday.

continued...

Apparently it is okay to accept free gifts from people doing business with the state, but it is not okay to accept tickets for lobbyists attempting to do business with the state.

Go figure that one out.

ReCall of McGee continues to move forward

It's really hard to keep up with the McGee recall stuff.

An investigation by the DA's office has been opened up in the recall effort. McGee is attempting to use the investigation as a way to block the recall.

However, a judge is allowing the meeting with the city's election committee. The Election committee approval of the signatures collected in the recall effort should take place by next Wednesday.

If you are confused about the recall effort, it is because McGee wants you to be confused. The more confusion he causes the longer he is able to hold off the recall effort.

At the request of the Milwaukee County district attorney's office, a secret John Doe investigation has been launched to look into matters related to the recall effort against Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee.

The John Doe proceeding allows officials to subpoena witnesses and compel testimony under a judge's supervision. The John Doe was requested Dec. 21 by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf. It has been assigned to Circuit Judge Jean DiMotto.

Landgraf is assigned to the office's white collar crime unit and is handling the recall-related investigation.

John Doe hearings generally are secret, although judges can open them to the public in some circumstances. In any case, those involved are not allowed to discuss any aspect of the proceedings.

The Journal Sentinel independently confirmed the existence of the John Doe.

The city Election Commission is to meet Tuesday to determine if there are enough valid signatures to force the recall, which would be held in conjunction with the spring elections.

McGee attorney Mike Maistelman went to court late Thursday to attempt to block the meeting, citing the ongoing investigation.

But Chief Judge Kitty Brennan denied Maistelman's request to immediately issue a temporary restraining order to postpone Tuesday's hearing. She ruled that Maistelman failed to show that McGee would suffer irreparable harm if Tuesday's Election Commission meeting proceeds.

continued...

Bye Bye Saddam!

Saddam to be hanged within 48 hours.

My prayer is that this will give a measure of peace to millions of Saddam's victims.

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death for his role in 148 killings in 1982, will have his sentence carried out by Sunday, NBC News reported Thursday. According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins this Sunday.

continued...

Imagine that- it worked

Scott Walker stuck to his guns and sent layoff notices to over 100 county employees. Strangely enough the union showed back up at the bargaining table-

Health care had been the biggest issue in the talks, but the focus shifted to job security after Walker started action to lay off dozens of courthouse complex maintenance and security workers and parks maintenance workers, and to hire private contractors to take over some of their jobs. The union won a temporary order blocking the layoffs, and it would have sought a permanent order in Wednesday's hearing if a deal had not been reached.

The county board supervisors almost blew it by attempting to override Scott Walker with a temporary solution, that only funded the jobs for three months-

In his budget, Walker sought privatization and job cuts as a way to push AFSCME toward health care concessions. Supervisors rejected that idea and instead chose to keep the jobs intact but fund them for only three months, as their bargaining strategy.

Unfortunately for the county board supervisors, they are not allowed to fund the jobs for only three months. This invalidates the budget, so Scott Walker proceeded with the layoffs.

Now, it appears that Scott Walker and the taxpayers got the concessions they needed from the union-

AFSCME previously had agreed that its members would pay more for their health insurance and that controversial pension and sick leave benefits would be scaled back. Those were key goals for Walker, who won office amid the scandal surrounding the generous benefits and who has repeatedly blamed the county's financial problems on benefit costs.

It is truly pathetic that the county board supervisors did everything in their power to block Scott Walker.

For over two years this thing had dragged on and on.

Union leaders hope to hold a ratification vote within the next three or four weeks, Abelson said. The County Board could vote on the contract Feb. 1, Holloway and Schmitt said.

Now, all this deal awaits is county board approval and union approval.

We'll see what happens with that.

Real Debate Wisconsin: Dooley for Alderman

Real Debate Wisconsin: Dooley for Alderman

One of the most difficult decisions a person can make in life is to put their name on a ballot.

Fred Dooley, a fellow conservative blogger, has made the decision to run for Alderman in Racine.

I want to wish Fred the best of luck and to let him know that I will do whatever I can to help him with his grassroots effort.

RIP President Ford

Rest in Peace President Gerald Ford

Former President Gerald R. Ford, who declared "Our long national nightmare is over" as he replaced Richard Nixon but may have doomed his own chances of election by pardoning his disgraced predecessor, has died. He was 93.

The nation's 38th president, and the only one not elected to the office or the vice presidency, died at his desert home at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

"His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country," his wife, Betty, said in a statement.

continued...

EXCUSE ME!

Hat Tip- Peter at Texas Hold 'Em Blogger

I'm am horrified.

I cannot believe that any person would even suggest this.

This dufus from our state assembly(of course he is a Democrat) actually believes that the state is entitled to the unused portion of my Christmas gifts.

MJS-

Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) said today that the value of unused gift cards should go to the state treasury - not to the merchant - and that change will be part of a bill he'll introduce in the legislative session starting in January.

Kessler said millions of dollars a year go unused by gift card recipients, and retailers are allowed to book the unused values after the cards expire. He cited figures from Consumer Reports showing that 19% of all gift cards are not used because they are lost or expired.

Kessler called that a "windfall," which he said could be used to support schools, health care or roads. Under his bill, after a one-year expiration date on all cards, 80% of the value of unused cards would go to the state treasury. Merchants could keep 20% of the value of an unused card to pay for processing, Kessler said.

"I'd rather have people spend the money and use the gift card, but if they aren't, I'd rather the state get the money," Kessler said.

Two bills regarding gift cards failed to pass in the last legislative session; one would have eliminated fees or expiration dates on gift cards and the other would have required conspicuous posting of expiration and service charge policies.

Should we now be required to send all of our unused gifts directly to our state government?

No really. This state assemblyman plans on introducing legislation.

What makes this guy actually believe that the government is entitled to unused portions of personal gifts.

Good grief!

J.B. has a few folks running scared.

Good for JB. Some folks are frightened by what JB will do when he enters the office of Attorney General.

Good these folks should be scared.

JB promised that he would fight the real criminals and not create his own set of rules to enforce.

After Lautenschlager made criminals out of cranberry growers and ignored the sexual predators roaming the streets, we need someone to enforce the laws and do something that actually keep the citizens of this state safe.

We don't necessarily need to be protected from cranberry growers. However, we do need an Attorney General to protect us from sexual predators, murderers, thieves, etc...

MJS

Some are concerned about how Van Hollen will proceed. Bruce Nilles, an attorney for the Sierra Club, said Van Hollen made some "terrifying statements" during the campaign and, as a result, environmental protection experts are on alert.

"His actions and his statements so far do not bode well, but at the end of the day the real evidence is what does he actually do," Nilles said. "Does he actually try to reach out and demonstrate he's representing all of us and not just those who put him in office?"

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spokesman Jim Pugh said Van Hollen ran as an independent prosecutor who would enforce laws, not try to create them.

"If there's a business in Wisconsin that's breaking the law and the attorney general is responsible for enforcing that law, he should get busy enforcing that law," said Pugh, whose group spent $2.5 million on ads against Falk. "No one expects to have it any other way."

The Sierra Club should be scared. They helped Lautenschlager make of mockery of Wisconsin laws by turning our cranberry growers into criminals.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Ignorance is bliss?

Interesting blog from Patrick McIlheran yesterday about school choice-

Numbers count, particularly when they’re off by 40%

In my column in today’s Journal Sentinel, I suggest that now’s the moment for Milwaukeeans committed to school reform to step forward and run for the Milwaukee School Board.

Quite a few are already, or at least saying they will: The Journal Sentinel’s Alan Borsuk reported in early December that 14 people had filed statements of intention to run, a necessary first step. The number of possible candidates appears to be still higher now, though how many actually will succeed in collecting signatures is unclear.

I lament, too, that the election may in part turn on support or opposition to all the new ways of educating kids in Milwaukee. That argument should have been over long ago, decided in favor of more power for parents and educators and less for one big system.

That it’s not is in part because some people don’t bother even to get the facts straight. For instance, I talked to one public official who helps make state education policy and who is against school choice. Fair enough: People of good will can disagree on this.

But the official complained that the state needs to put some kind of cap on how much aid can go to schools taking students in the choice program. The grants are just too high, he said, saying, several times, that a school gets $9,100 a year for taking in a choice student.

No, it doesn’t. You can check this for yourself with the Department of Public Instruction, led by a known opponent of school choice, and I confirmed it again myself:

A private Milwaukee school that educates a child in the school choice program gets, at most, $6,501 this year. It actually gets the total of its operating and debt service cost per student — as reckoned by an outside auditor — or the $6,501, whichever is less.

In other words, a state policymaker misunderstood how much money followed choice students by 40%. Sure, he just got a figure wrong. But an error of that magnitude changes one’s whole perception of the program. The mistaken figure would suggest choice grants were bigger than the per-pupil state aid Milwaukee Public Schools get, about $7,000 in 2004-05, according to state figures, and near the total of taxpayer money that MPS spends on educating a child: $10,748 in 2004-05, again according to the state.

In fact, the choice children’s education is less costly. There are probably legitimate reasons for some of MPS’ higher expense. But the discussion has to start with correct facts.

Otherwise, it leads to sloppy suggestions. One that’s been bruited about — I heard it most recently from state Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) — is that choice grants be limited to the tuition a private school charges the other children attending on their parents’ own dime. Private schools are “profiting” off choice students, he says, when the choice grant brings in more per student than tuition.

He’s overlooking one key thing:

Tuition, particularly at the parochial schools that make up the bulk of those in choice, doesn’t cover the full cost of education. Children whose parents pay tuition are often subsidized by the churches that run the schools, usually because the church sees sponsoring education for parishioners as part of its mission. The subsidy can be substantial, sometimes equalling what a parent pays.

If the state limits the choice grant to what parents pay in tuition, it’s saying that, in return to taking in poor children who may have no particular connection to a congregation, the parishioners will have to subsidize those strangers’ children, too.

There would be few faster ways of shutting down school choice than to throw such a burden on the collection basket. The point of choice was not to throw part of the public’s educational burden off onto church donations but to let poor kids afford what better-off families do. Particularly since many churches running choice schools aren’t particularly wealthy, the options most likely to close down would be the schools most closely linked to poorer parts of the Milwaukee community.

The state doesn’t have an exact figure on hand, but the majority of choice schools get the full $6,501 grant per choice student. That is, an outside audit finds that the cost of educating a child is not less than that. In fact, many spend more and make up the difference with fund-raising, so talk of schools “profiting” on choice students verges on the obscene.

The reality is that Milwaukee children need as many options as they can get. They need a strong Milwaukee Public Schools, since that’s likely to remain the primary educator of children here, and that system won’t be strengthened by killing off school choice. The city needs to get past having to defend school choice — and choice’s critics need to get past trying to kill it.

What I don't understand is why anyone would try and kill the school choice program.

Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that education from a private school is better than an education from a public school?

Sure, an argument could be made that public schools have more resources. However, that does not seem to matter when it comes to actually giving a child an education.

I am not saying that public school education is a bad thing. Personally, I went to both.

Killing the school choice program, would literally kill the hopes and dreams of many low income families looking to give their children and good, solid education.

By the way, how is it possible that our elected officials are so ill informed as to not know how much it cost the state pays per child to be in the school choice program?

These elected officials are either purposefully lying about the numbers or they have literally turned a blind eye to the numbers because they do not want to know the truth.

Ethiopia launches offensive against Somalia

A new offensive in the war on terror has just opened up. For many years, the people in Somalia have just been slaughtered. The UN has proven themselves to be completely ineffective when handling this horrifying situation.

USA Today

"Our defense force has been forced to enter a war to defend (against) the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land," Meles said a few hours after his military attacked the Islamic militia with fighter jets and artillery.

Ethiopia has decided to take a stand against the Islamic extremist militias that have overrun Somalia.

My guess is that Ethiopia has decided that they will not be next on the list of nations that the extremist will go after and they have decided to take a stand to fight the extremist in Somalia instead of waiting until the extremist take over their county.

Here is a map of Ethiopia, in order to get a better picture of the region-

Click on the map to enlarge-

Remember those nasty earmarks?

Remember the Democrats bold pledge of "no earmarks" in spending bills?

Well, as it turns out, nothing changes.

All of the recurring earmarks will stay in the spending bills, but will be no NEW earmarks-

From the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 — The Democrats taking over the Congressional appropriations committees next year have boldly pledged to place a moratorium on earmarks, the pet spending items that individual lawmakers insert into major spending bills behind the scenes.

But like much resolute talk in the Capitol, the declaration may not have the sweeping effect that the plan’s backers have suggested and its critics have denounced. Although earmarks figured prominently in some recent Congressional bribery scandals, they have also become cherished instruments of political power, used by party leaders to reward or punish members and by incumbents to buy good will among their constituents.

So the Congressional reaction was swift and vigorous when the two new appropriations chairmen, Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and Representative David R. Obey of Wisconsin, said in a joint statement that “there will be no Congressional earmarks” in the resolution they draft to bridge over the unfinished spending bills for the 2007 fiscal year, declaring “a moratorium on all earmarks until a reformed process is put in place.”

Lawmakers told constituents their projects could be decimated. “Terrible,” “unprecedented” and “unacceptable,” said a statement from Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico.

But the scope of the declared moratorium may be far more limited than it sounds. For one thing, the Democrats have not said they will delete financing for earmarks that lawmakers included in spending bills for the 2006 fiscal year and hoped to renew for 2007, a category that may include the majority of earmarks.

Instead, what the Democrats will omit is the long explanations usually appended to each spending bill to instruct federal agencies how to spend the money. Their resolution will include only total numbers for each agency, without the instructions.

The result will make it hard for members of Congress to ensure passage of a first-time earmark like the $500,000 to help expand the Peoria zoo that was inserted into a spending bill by Representative Ray LaHood, Republican of Illinois. Mr. LaHood and other Republicans have complained most loudly about the plan, accusing Democrats of ignoring local needs.

But many if not most earmarks are recurring items, like money for a university research program or a public works project that Congressional sponsors insert each year. No Democrats have suggested any plan to cut or redirect that money.

continued...

Ouch...

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (AP) — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger broke his leg while skiing with his family Saturday morning, a spokesman said.

Schwarzenegger was taken to a hospital for X-rays and was discharged with a fracture to his right femur, said Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications.

He will have surgery to repair the bone when he returns to Los Angeles, Mendelsohn said.

The governor remained at his Sun Valley home Saturday night and still planned to spend Christmas there.

No one else was involved in the accident, Mendelsohn said.

Hey Governor, I hate to say it, but you are getting old just like the rest of us. Best wishes and get well soon.

An open letter to Falk Co. Management...

I have got to say, that I am not real happy about reading this in today's MJS-

As leaking propane gas pooled into a deadly concentration in a building in the Falk Corp. complex, workers from mechanical contractor J.M. Brennan Inc. assured people around them that they had the situation under control and discouraged the call for an evacuation, a spokesman for Falk said.

This may be true, but I still take issue with this fingerpointing. It was Falk's equipment, Falk's responsibility to maintain the equipment, and Falk's employees lives that were on the line.

It is the sole responsibility of Falk to do whatever they can do to keep their employees safe.

With that being said, still...

Bad things happen to good companies. Every precaution known to man could have been taken and yet, this still could have happened.

I feel bad for the managers and employees of Falk. I am certain that if any one of them had any idea that this was going to happen, they would have done everything in their power to stop it.

It is time to learn from this horrible accident and move on.

During this holiday season and for the next several months, hundreds of employees are counting on Falk managers to learn from this horrible accident and pull the company back together.

Falk's responsibility is to figure out what went wrong and fix the problem. They also have a responsibility to rebuild and get their 700 employees back to work.

This is a tall task for the management team of Falk Co.. But I believe they can do it. This is a strong company with good employees, that has been around for over 150 years. (for a little history lesson on Falk, check out this link.)

After everything that I have read and seen about Falk Co., I guess what I am really trying to say is I believe in the Falk Co..

There will be lawsuits, fines and alot of scrutiny headed Falk's way. This is all unavoidable and a necessary part of the healing and learning process.

This company has survived many wars, the historic depression era, fires and explosions. They can survive this too.

If I had one piece of advice for the Falk Co., it would be turn to their employees and the Wisconsin community. They will help them rebuild.

Even though you cannot bring back the lives that were lost, the employees of Falk Co. and the Wisconsin community can rebuild this company.

To the management team of the Falk Co., let your employees and our Wisconsin community help you build a bigger, stronger, smarter and more successful company.

It's the American way!

We, as Americans, love to build stuff. It is time to do it again.

Who should you root for this weekend?

Okay, even though the Packers do not play this Sunday, we still need to be rooting for some teams, so the Packers can make the playoffs.

According to the MJS-

If you're a Green Bay Packers fan, here's a reminder of whom you should be rooting for and against this weekend.

You want:

* New Orleans to beat the New York Giants
* Washington to beat St. Louis
* Carolina to beat Atlanta
* Seattle to beat San Diego

New sales tax seems to be dead

Thanks to Scott Walker, Rep. Scott Gunderson, Rep. Samantha Kerkman, Rep. Steve Nass, and Rep. Robin Vos for coming out so quickly and opposing the new proposed sales tax for the new rail system.

Mayor Barrett, as usual, kinda waffled on it. He opposed adding the buses to the new tax, but he did not oppose the tax for just the rail system.

A proposed three-county sales tax for commuter trains and public buses is certain to be reworked in the face of swift opposition from local leaders and state legislators Thursday.

However, this issue is not dead. My guess is that these folks will continue to push this new rail system down our throats, whether we want it or not.

Joe Wilson fighting the subpoena to testify

I heard on Belling today, at the very end of his show, that Joe Wilson is fighting having to testify in the Libby case.

I then went searching for some information on this. Sure enough, Belling is right. Cleverly hidden in this story is this line...

MSNBC

Sloan's appearance on "Hardball" upset U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton - who was asked by Sloan Wednesday to quash a subpoena Wilson received from Libby's attorneys to appear as a defense witness in the Libby trial.

This is Joe Wilson's chance to get someone in the Bush administration, which he has been trying to do for years.

Why is heaven's name would Joe Wilson's attorney asked to have the subpoena quashed?

Is Joe Wilson hiding something?

(Of course, I know the answer to this last question. I am just being facetious.)