Does anyone listen?

From the Wisconsin State Journal.


Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker said

He would support a return to automatic gas tax increases so long as Republicans also support the measure and the money goes only to pay for road repair and construction.

With all the hub-hub about the automatic pay raise, you'd think this would be a non issue. The buzz as far I'm understanding it is that the people of Wisconsin want their representatives to be accountable for legislation that takes effect, not hide behind regulations that automatically raise the budget, no matter how large or small.

Former State Senator Tom Reynold's 2006 bill (SB331) was passed by the Senate 20-13 and by the state Assembly 74-23. It also cost Senator Reynolds his seat. I'm wondering if any of the current legislators are willing to put principle ahead of security. It will be interesting to see if there are any flip flops this time around.

To be upfront I have to say I donated to Tom's campaigns and he's been a friend of mine since 1984 or so when I needed printing done. He freely gave of his time and was still the best deal in town for the jobs I needed done. I'm proud to call Tom & Sandy my friends.

2009 global warming

I've got a feeling that in this coming year the battle of global warming will be fought on a more neutral field. There were no real massive natural disasters in 2008. And it seems that time erases the impact of many negative things, thinking about 9/11. With President Bush back in Texas we should hear less gripping about Katrina.

Plus the message by the anti-green's is now not about the varying temperatures, but on whether or not this cycle we're in is man made. That's the focus now. Here's a quote from Ireland's Environment minister Sammy Wilson

I think in 20 years’ time we will look back at this whole climate change debate and ask ourselves how on earth were we ever conned into spending the billions of pounds which are going into this without any kind of rigorous examination of the background, the science, the implications of it all. Because there is now a degree of hysteria about it, fairly unformed hysteria I’ve got to say as well.

This could be the battleground, especially in tough economic times.

Minister Wilson also makes a great point when he says,

A fraction of the money we are currently spending on climate change could actually eradicate those three problems alone, a fraction of it.

That's something we should all look at.

511

According to Madison.com you can now just dial 511 to get road conditions information.
The state website just says information is coming soon. Who's right?

I called 511 and unfortunately my call could not be completed as dialed.

Another Raid Option?

Could the state deficit and the political ponzi scheme known as the budget find a new money source? You can read about the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands in this fine editorial by the Capitol Times.

No Bull(ying)

The Oshkosh Northwestern has an article about an Anti-Bullying Bill that is being considered by the state legislature for the third time and how with Democratic control is gaining support for passage this year.

My first thought was, why does the state have to approve an anti-bullying law? One would think that schools have some sort of rules that would cover this. After 5 months of study the conclusion of a committee to study this came up with this conclusion,

schools either follow state anti-bullying guidelines or come up with their own.

Really? After 5 months this was their conclusion? It took 5 months to come up with something that could have been stated in 5 minutes. It should be noted that according to the article a majority of the 426 school districts in Wisconsin don't have a bullying policy. What we don't find out is what a bullying policy is.

Luckily there's a link to BullyPolice.org which gives us some answers. They sum it up this way, The only differences between a terrorist and a bully, is in the organized planning or cause of the activity, and the scale of terror. A bullied child will believe that there is no difference between a terrorist and a bully, given the above definitions.
If you need more info about bullies, go visit their site.

From what I can tell the Wisconsin bill is more about money than substance.

The committee wants to allow schools to exceed state-mandated revenue limits by up to $40,000 or $100 per student, whichever is greater, to cover school safety costs.

What isn't stated is if this a yearly or one time allowance. It seems that bully's reign supreme because of money constraints. I'm finding it difficult that schools don't have a policy that tries to control unruly behavior, I guess things have changed more than I thought since I went to school.

Besides the money issue the guidelines and possible law would also include a requirement that school districts hold two school safety drills a year and a loosening of privacy laws.

Under the change, schools would have to turn over student records to any law enforcement agency or district attorney investigating a student if they certify in writing that the records are for juvenile justice purposes and related to an ongoing investigation. They also would be required not to disclose the records to any other person. A school liaison officer, oftentimes a police officer assigned to work in a school, would also be given the same legal access to student records that teachers and administrators have.

This I'm sure is a legal fight waiting to happen especially since Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen supports it.

If one takes the money out of the formula, then this legislation is pointless as I again can't believe that any schools don't a policy to take the issue of student safety in place. Terrorism or not.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all.

What a surprise - NOT

Obama winning praise for transition strategy.

This headline in the Journal-Sentinel is no surprise whatsoever. The first thought that went through my mind is what isn't he winning praise for.

Obama also has been helped by other factors, some say. The Bush administration has been not only cooperative but actively engaged in the transition process. The public's impatience with bickering and hunger for problem-solving has caused some Republicans to shun an adversarial posture. Positive media coverage has carried over from the campaign.

Say what one may about President Bush, he's shown nothing but class in the transition even showing concern for the incoming president. The media, except the fringes on both sides has been Mr. Obama's biggest ally. In their eye he can and hasn't done any wrong. In my eyes, he's done nothing and said nothing.

Hut Not Hut

I don't think Mr. Obama could play QB. You see they have to make decisions, quick decisions and from everything I've seen he seems to be either reluctant or incapable of doing that.

Where's the Baby

Two women who were dressed in their finest were having lunch together in a very exclusive restaurant. A friend saw them together and came over to their table to greet them. "What's the special occasion?" she asked. One of the women said, "We're having a birthday party for the baby in our family. He's 2 years old today." "But where is the baby?" the friend asked. The child's mother answered, "Oh, I dropped him off at my mother's house. She's taking care of him until the party's over. It wouldn't have been any fun with him along."

How ridiculous - a birthday celebration for a child who wasn't welcome at his own party! Yet, when you stop to think about it, that's no more foolish than going through the Christmas season, with all of its festivities, without remembering the One whose birth we are supposed to be honoring.

And that's the way many people celebrate Christmas. In all the busyness - the party-going, gift-shopping, and family gatherings - the One whose birthday they are commemorating is almost completely forgotten.

Shoe looks like freedom

The tossing of the shoe at President Bush makes me say, nice reflexes and that tosser should be thankful that Iraq is free otherwise he'd be someones shoe leather.

Chapter 220 reaching it's quota

It seems that the Chapter 220 school programs is filling up and some suburban school districts are closing that opportunity for the 2009-10 school year. Some interesting points in the Journal Sentinel article are the chart, the fact that 2/3 of the MPS students who use Chapter 220 are not minorities, the economic impact behind this decision and [what a surprise] a questionable quote from Milwaukee School Board Member Jeff Spence.

Mr. Spence says,

I guess I'm more interested in making sure that, through fair housing, you have access to jobs and schools in communities throughout southeast Wisconsin," Spence said. "When you don't have housing for people who are at different socioeconomic levels, your chances of having diversity in those school communities are less. So I look at that now as the goal.

Now I'm no expert on the responsibility of the MPS School Board Members, but I'm quite certain that making sure one has access to jobs and schools through fair housing is not something he is accountable for. Charlene Hardin and her travels should be. Keeping costs down (and my taxes) should be. Making sure MPS students are getting an education that will help them in the future definitely is.

Obama's He Man Jobs

Has no one noticed that all of the employment opportunities President Elect Obama has talked about creating are construction type jobs? What about us old farts who may want to change positions and get a piece of this gravy train.

? for the President Elect about the internet

You said this

In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet.

I can understand why you didn't make this announcement at a press conference, because I'm sure some observant press type would have asked you this simple question.

"President Elect Obama, What school, library or hospital does not have broadband access."

Now I guess I have the advantage of living in the great city by the great lake, Milwaukee, but I've not heard of any public school, library or hospital in the area where broadband or wireless access to the internet is not available.

Can you hear me now?

Obama & School Spending

Obviously the President Elect's economic team doesn't read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In November the paper reported the following:

A slight improvement in enrollment this fall - equal to about one student per building - is about all that has changed for 25 schools that were at the heart of a troubled $102 million construction program for Milwaukee Public Schools.

Yet despite this report here's part of the Obama New Deal.

“[M]y economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.”

Another piece of information from the Journal Sentinel article.

One especially eye-catching example of underused property - $7.2 million worth of space for 400 students, attached to a flourishing private school on the north side - remains vacant.

We are not in a movie Mr. President Elect. Just because you build it, does not mean they will come or learn. My view hasn't changed, teach the students how to read, write and do some math. Throw in some good old common sense and morals and I'd bet the kids would prosper more. By morals I'm thinking more like saying thank you, excuse me, your welcome. Etiquette like holding doors open, respect and manners in general.

Oh yeah, federal government can butt out. You are not needed to do this basic task.

Jubilee?

So with all the bailout talk and deficits, I think an out of the box solution would be to call a year of Jubilee. Erase all debt, all the slaves (of things) would be freed, and return the property (not homes) to their owners.

This way we could start afresh and hopefully not make the same errors that have led us into this situation.

Could it work? Doubt it, but is it worse than other solutions being tossed around? Not really.