James Rowen

And Speaking Of Why Americans Hate Congress, Consider Eric Cantor's Continuing Cold-Heartedness

August 26, 2011 by The Political E...

The ideologically-craven House of Representatives Majority Leader says, as he did in the wake of the Joplin tornado disaster, that any federal assistance for victims of hurricane Irene will have to be provided through spending cuts, not a fresh appropriation.

We'll see if he holds to that Tea Party callousness if his home state's Virginia Beach, Newport News or inland areas get socked.

And about our Congress' conduct and ratings...

Paul Ryan Took The Windex Pledge

August 26, 2011 by The Political E...

Genesee...Town Of Waukesha...Pewaukee...Delafield: Who ISN'T In Waukesha City's Water Application?

August 25, 2011 by The Political E...

Man, oh man - - it's hard to keep up with the other communities included in the City of Waukesha's application for a precedent-setting diversion of Lake Michigan water.

Though the application is in the hands of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and will be there, I'm guessing, for a year - - get me a scorecard.

And so, apparently, add the Town of Delafield to the list, though as is true with the Town of Waukesha, I don't remember any action by local Delafield officials to opt into the application - - meaning not just the benefits (clean, abundant water) but also costs and responsibilities under state law and the Great Lakes Compact (a high-bar, demonstrated need, public input, conservation plans with demonstrated results, and so on).

The regional planning commission (SEWRPC) may be responsible for the application's shirttail  relations, like Delafield, et al, because the planning agency produced a diverted water service delivery map required for Waukesha's application, but SEWERPC never held a hearing on which communities or whose residents thought who should receive the diverted water, its benefits and obligations/costs.

Another Senior Walker Aide Steps Aside

August 25, 2011 by The Political E...

Cindy Archer was also the top Walker administrator during his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive, and like Tom Nardelli, his former chief of staff, is also off the state job to which Walker appointed her.

Makes you wonder...More later.

Whitefish Bay's Water Woes Tell Important Fiscal And Political Story

August 25, 2011 by The Political E...

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin is a small, traditional and comfy Milwaukee-area suburb and village just to the north and east of the big city, but its storm and sewer infrastructure has been overwhelmed by heavy rains that have validated Midwestern climate-change predictions about the arrival of more frequent, heavier and costly rain events.

The science says it all.

New research summarized here projects significant consequences for Wisconsin as soon as the next few decades, increasing in severity into the middle and end of this century...

Toward the end of the century, if current pollution trends continue, projected effects in the state include:

Far more scorching summers

• Every summer in Wisconsin would be hotter than 1988—the hottest summer during the historical baseline.
• Milwaukee would experience more than 55 days per summer with highs over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and more than 22 days with highs over 100°F.
• Milwaukee would face at least one heat wave per summer like the one that killed hundreds in Chicago in 1995...