The Pods have it

Most readers have heard about the $27,000 ipod giveaway by the Milwaukee Public Schools. There's lots of talk on conservative blogs and talk radio, but one point that I haven't heard and yet I think is extremely important is "What business does the Federal Government have in interfering with local schools?"

MPS got a federal grant to pay for the iPods, but federal money is still public money.

And that's exactly my point. If the federal government didn't have the "extra" money to spend on schools, we wouldn't have had this situation in which MPS in essence bribed and lied their way to more federal funds.

Schools should be a local issue, funded by local money. The Feds should concentrate on that which the constitution gave it authority to be concerned with and schools are not part of that umbrella. Why do we need 3 layers of bureaucracy (local, state, federal) to accomplish the task of reading, writing and arithmetic. We don't.

In troubling economic times we need to purge out the excess and get back to basics. If that cutting out ipods, well sometimes life just isn't fair.

Do not call

Don't procrastinate, Sunday is the deadline to get on the Wisconsin No Call list. This service does a pretty good job of stopping those telemarketing calls. How good is this service from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection? Well I was getting a call from one company and when I talked to them I threatened to report them as I was on the No Call list and never heard from them again.

Click the title to get to the Web Page or call 1-866-966-2255.

So Much to be Thankful For

Being thankful is a daily exercise for me, it's a vital part of my prayer life.

Here's my list on this day that most give an extra bit of time to what they're thankful for.
My Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
My family, Dad, Amy, Brian, Christina, Dathan, Dominic, Gabriel, Olivia, Anna.
My friends, real & virtual.
What I have and even what I don't have.
Opportunities - these just seem to grow at an abundant rate.

Peace to you all this fine day.
Sam

Talk vs Action

This is a message for all.




Peace - Sam

Sometimes You Gotta Know

With the long series on drunken driving by the Journal-Sentinel the paper also sent out a survey of state senators and assembly persons about their views on 6 questions concerning the issue. My state employees, Lena Taylor and Fred Kessler didn't respond.

So today I sent each of them the questions with a request of them to answer. Here's a copy of my email:

My name is Sam Hagedorn and I live in your senate district. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is in the process of long series of articles on drunken driving. They have an online questionnaire which they sent to politicians and you didn't respond. I'd like to know what your answers are to the following questions. And all I'd like for answers now is Support - Opposed - Undecided.

This should not take but 5 minutes of your time. Thanks in advance for your time and service.

Here are the questions:

Do you support lowering the felony OWI from 5th offense to 3rd offense?

Legislators have promised to introduce a bill that would require an ignition interlock for anyone who has more than .16 blood alcohol content. Do you support or oppose this idea?

Twenty-three states have banned all-you-can drink bar specials. Wisconsin is not among them. Should the state ban all-you-can-drink bar specials?

Wisconsin is the only state in America that does not treat the first OWI as a criminal offense. Should first OWI be a criminal offense in Wisconsin?

Some college presidents have called for reducing the drinking age. Do you support lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 if doing so would not cost Wisconsin any federal transportation funds?

MADD’s national president recently called for Wisconsin to allow roadside sobriety checkpoints. Would you support this change?

Wisconsin hasn’t raised its beer tax since 1969, and the tax rate is among the lowest in the country. Do you support any increase in the beer tax rate?

Should 5th time offenders convicted of felony OWI receive mandatory prison time?

I will report the findings as soon as they respond to me.

45 Years Ago Today

Esteemed Christian author passed from our time/space dimension to eternity. Mere Christianity was one of the first Christian books I read some 25+ years ago. I figured the I could or should have is "mere" Christianity. Little did I know there was no mere involved.

This is a good intro to the book and the man.

Kathleen Parker - You're Wrong

Not being a Republican, though trending that way, I find myself a bit uneasy giving them advice. But Kathleen Parker's column "Heresies and Other Truths" has me dumbfounded.

She says "the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh." It seems Mrs. Parker has either forgot or is ignoring recent history. I just finished reading some articles on the rise of Ronald Reagan and if he'd followed her advice we'd have had a second Carter administration.

The problem isn't that Republicans haven't adhered to their beliefs, it's that they've strayed from them. But not according to Mrs. Parker "the GOP has surrendered its high ground to its lowest brows." The tsunami that was the Republican revolution had it's surge standing firm on the Judeo-Christian ethic along with conservative stances of lower taxes and less government involvement. The cause of it's demise hasn't been it's adherence to those beliefs, but a morphing into quasi-conservatism.

To grow the party, the Republicans should stand on the principles that make it the right choice. They need to govern and legislate from their core beliefs. Contrary to Mrs. Parker’s belief that the Republican Party needs a new base, I believe the growth will come by standing firm on the social and economic standards that make it the grand old party it is. Heck I’d even consider joining then

New Beginning

I'm changing this blog from a "me" oriented venue to one that will be concerned with Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area, from politics to sports, faith and general observations. This is a step for me as I have opinions, but usually keep them to myself. No more of above, it's time to get off the pot as they say.

Peace - Sam