Skip to main content

Recent comments

User login

Navigation

Who's online

There are currently 0 users and 0 guests online.
Home

Wisconsin Politics

Big surprise: F. Jimmy doesn't bother listening to his constituents if he can help it.

October 18, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Uppity Wisconsin's picture
Original Author: 
Man MKE

F. JimmyF. JimmyI know it's an exercise in futility, but trying to talk sense to Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner is, in my mind, better than ignoring him. F. Jimmy is, unfortunately, my congressman and a number of times in the past I've written him to state my views on issues ranging from the environment to our nation's military posture. His office has always returned a form reply, disagreeing entirely with me, but at least they have paid attention. Not any more, apparently.

Recently I jumped onto Sensenbrenner's web site to compose a message urging him to reconsider voting against components of -- or better yet, the entire -- jobs package proposed by President Obama. Yes, this is a fool's errand, but I keep telling myself if we fill up their email queues with views and constituent requests contrary to their world view, senseless legislators like Sensenbrenner might just have to sit up and listen a bit -- if only to save a few votes in a fast-narrowing political environment.

Sports And These Erratic Republican Debates

October 18, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
Looking for an analogy. Super Bowl? Hardly. Little League World Series? Not even close.

Eight-and-under youth soccer? Now you're talking. A lot of sound and motion but nothing close to a game plan, and no one scores.

In The State That Gave Away A New Amtrak Line...

October 18, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
There are still rail crossings that need fixing, and someone has to monitor rail-related fencing, though it's not clear why this isn't a mid-level task managed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Anyway...who is Scott Walker, Mr. Small Government, declaring as the best person for this job,at $90,001 a year?

Jeff Plale, the former Southside Milwaukee Democratic state senator who sided with Republicans on key issues late in Governor Jim Doyle's last term and landed. so far, two plum jobs with Scott Walker. 

We Have A Governor Who Defaults To Spin, Falsehood

October 18, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
Why does Governor Walker have such a hard time being straight with the public?

Remember his no-tax increase budget that actually raised some people's taxes?

Or the union-busting policy tucked into his "modest" budget repair bill?

And his repeated insistence - - vetted and found to be false - - that he had been upfront about his plans to Drop The Bomb on collective bargaining?

Now it's reached the blatantly absurd - - offering after-the-fact spin over his failure to meet a campaign promise to "immediately" begin making larger contributions to his pension account.

Adding seven months to immediately is like announcing a new, 19-month calendar.

And how do you rack up "half-false" or worse on 23 out of 35 statements analyzed - - almost 70% - - in your PolitiFact file?

Activists Can Press For Medicaid, Environmental Fairness On Wednesday

October 18, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
Big day tomorrow, as Wednesday offers a special citizens environmental lobby day at the State Capitol as well as a half-day town hall meeting on proposed Medicaid cuts.


With Walker, Spin Trumps Facts

October 18, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
Scott Walker continues to spin his failure to meet a campaign promise about immediately paying more into his state pension by claiming that when the final accounting is done, he'll actually pay in more.

Nice try - - and we've been trackingand summarizing for the archives his rhetorical games since April - -  and again - - but that's not the issue.

The issue is that he said he'd begin paying in more "immediately," yet he and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch waited months before making the increased payments.

All they had to say is, "we forgot."

Or "tweaking the state payroll computer program took a long time to get straight."

Or "the dog ate my forms."

Anything other than trying to change the conservation and terms of the original statement after the fact..

This  is back-filling, sheer CYA, and completely dishonorable.

Both Parties Have Failed On Climate Change

October 17, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
The New York Times notes America's singular state of denial, inaction and downright arrogance about climate change awareness and effort.

Look to our politicians' short-term thinking and the pervasive influence of climate change experts, such as Professors Beck and Limbaugh, the Koch Brothers' money and the propagandists at Fox.

Transnational Tar Sand Oil Pipeline Hitting The Fan

October 17, 2011 by The Political E...

Original Author: 
(James Rowen)
The political and environmental implications of building a pipeline from Canada's ruined arboreal forests to the Gulf of Mexico, principally to serve the world market, is reaching a decision-point and forcing Pres. Obama to choose among priorities and constituencies.

This blog has been reviewing the issue for some time, and Wisconsin has had its share of oil pipeline leaks that indicate the damage should the proposed pipeline leak over US farm land and underground fresh water supplies.
Premium Drupal Themes by Adaptivethemes