The Cactus Has the Pricks on the Outside

By Keith R. Schmitz

Many of us have had our suspicions about Hummer owners As for me Hummer almost ruined The Who playing "happy Jack" over their commercial showing a kid stealing this and that to build a kiddie Hummer and then running off the track to win the soapbox race.

But now this:

People who drive Hummers receive almost five times as many traffic tickets as the average driver, according to a new study.

The study found those who drive the leviathans get 4.63 times as many tickets as the average driver, something the researchers attribute to the feeling of invincibility that comes from driving a rolling bank vault.

The study suggests such an attitude is unique to Hummer drivers and doesn't apply to everyone in an SUV, because the the Hummer was followed by the diminutive Scion tC and xB. People behind the wheel of those cars were 4.6 and 4.03 times, respectively, as likely to get tickets than the average driver. The researchers attributed that to the fact the average Scion driver is in his or her early 20s. Other vehicles on the top-10 list included the Toyota Solara and Subaru Outback.

Deep Thought

by folkbum

Michael Steele will do for the GOP's relationship with African Americans what Ken Mehlman did for the GOP's relationship with the LGBT community.

An Analogy

by folkbum

Hans von Spakovsky : voting :: Laurie Mylroie : Iraq

• von Spakovsky appears deep in this previous post; it's testing time at school again, if you couldn't tell

Ald. Donovan and Me

by folkbum

After my op-ed was published last Sunday, I waited anxiously for the responses to start rolling in. Yesterday and today saw letters to the editor published in the paper reacting to what I wrote. Letters editor and long-time friend of the blog Sonya Jongsma Knauss has often noted that though the paper does not run every letter it receives, it does try to run letters proportionally to the size of the response--i.e., if the letters are running 2-1 pro-con on an issue, they'll run 2 pro letters for every 1 con letter they run.

So far, the pro-con ratio for me seems to be 3-1, with four letters having been printed. Thursday's letters included a complimentary one by an MPS teacher; today's letters include a blast from the past, a friendly letter from an old Dean campaign ally I haven't heard from in years. (Also note that blog contributor Keith Schmitz is in the letters today, comparing tax cuts to chocolate. Chocolate lovers everywhere will be sending hate mail in 3 ... 2 ...)

But Thursday's letters also included something from Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan:

I wholeheartedly agree that Milwaukee has a good many issues in need of fixing. Not the least of which is a disgracefully high level of poverty in our inner city. Yet where I disagree is in his premise that poverty is the cause of the failure of Milwaukee Public Schools.

Let's get real. While I have no doubt that numerous social ills, often associated with poverty, place incredible challenges on MPS, until that system stops playing the blame game and this community fashions a school system capable of meeting all of its challenges, will anything meaningful change?

This blog is no fan of Donovan, and if he knows we exist then I would imagine that he's no fan of this blog. I called Donovan out by name in the long post here that my op-ed was adapted from; I also went after him in January's Compass column which ran across some of the same territory. He has every right to respond to that kind of direct attack, I get that.

But reading Donovan's response (I'm a little surprised he didn't put it in a press release), you get a picture-perfect view of what's wrong with people who have his attitude. It doesn't matter what the cause of any given problem is, the solution is solely the responsibility of MPS. My kids don't come to school? My fault. They don't do their homework? That's on me, too. They fight in the cafeteria, hallway, or classroom? No doubt I caused it. They vandalize cars in the parking lot? All me. (If you think I'm kidding about the extent of this attitude, read the comments to this thread at Badger Blogger--big fans of Ald. Donovan. Seriously.)

It frustrates me to no end, every day of my professional life, that I cannot snap my fingers and make my students' lives outside of school easier or more conducive to learning. But I can't. And I similarly cannot, with the resources that I am provided, do enough to overcome the challenges of their outside lives and catch them up to where they need to be.

This is the bane of every urban district in every major city in America. No one has, to use Donovan's terms, fashioned a school system capable of meeting all the challenges, capable of overcoming rampant poverty and its deleterious effects for the bulk of the students. The success stories are few and far between and, generally, damned expensive. (Here's one I read about recently.)

But Donovan's bloviations here also prompted the fourth of the letters to the editor, which came in this morning's paper:

Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan sees little or no correlation between poverty and poor performance by students in Milwaukee Public Schools []. He apparently feels that the system and teachers are to blame when children don't attend class regularly and fail to do the assigned work. He says crime rates have nothing to do with poverty.

This from a guy who has mercenaries patrolling three parts of his district because, apparently, the Milwaukee Police Department isn't doing as good of a job as expected by the citizens living there.

I believe the proper reaction is, as the kids say, "Oh, snap."

"I'd say he needs some more time in traffic court."

by folkbum

This is not about Lena Taylor--you can tell by the pronoun, although I think the same is true for her--but about Jefferson County judge Randy Koschnick, who is running for the state Supreme Court against Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. What prompted the declaration that Koschnick needs time in traffic court? His own decision to just make the law up as he goes along:

Incredibly, Koschnick managed to get reversed in presiding over a traffic citation. In County of Jefferson v. Demler, Judge Koschnick determined that the County's failure to subpoena a witness was excusable neglect. Now, the standard for excusable neglect is well-known and long established. But Koschnick gave the County a free pass, without explanation, when the County was negligent in failing to subpoena a witness. (If you're a judicial conservative, you don't make the law up, you follow the gosh darn standard.)

In finding that Koschnick erred, the Court of Appeals noted that Koschnick failed to provide any legal basis for his decision. [. . .] As a result of Koschnick's error, the traffic citations were dismissed.

I realize that when you're SCOWI CJ like Abrahamson, it is hard to get overturned on appeal, what with there not being many higher courts to appeal to and all. But it should be pretty embarrassing for a judge to be overturned on a traffic ticket because he just makes stuff up.

And note who the complainer is here--Super Id, a self-described Republican and fan of Atlas Shrugged. If Koschnick could potentially be losing that demographic, well, congrats Justice Abrahamson.

What's the Rush?

By Keith R. Schmitz

First a joke.

What's the difference between Rush Limbaugh and the Hindenburg?

One is a big flaming Nazi gas bag. The other is a dirigible.

Any ways thanks to the GOP and those who love them, tap dancing isn't dead. Such as it is in a letter that ran in today's Journal Sentinel:

Leonard Pitts' Jan. 27 column "Limbaugh's calculated rage" read like it was from one (of many?) who doesn't listen to Rush Limbaugh but feels free to criticize something without knowing the context in which the comment was made. If Pitts did know the context, he did not share that with his readers. It was this: Limbaugh believes President Barack Obama intends to try to grow big government and move the United States toward a European-style socialism. Limbaugh wants the president to fail to be able to set policies in place to do that.

As some of you may remember Milwaukee had a couple of Socialist mayors, church-going all, and things ran better here than during the past eight years under a less so socialist president.

Been to Europe? Unless people are putting on, and they are very bad at that in France, Europeans under crushing socialism don't seem so glum.

But what about this concept of the country succeeding, but Obama's policies failing?

Huh? Right now we will be pretty much operating on what will be Obama policies, so the success of this country is not mutually exclusive to Obama's programs. That would be like removing the core of an apple without breaking its skin.

But since when has logic been part of the Limbaugh nation, once referred to as the Republican party?

Unemployevich

by folkbum

It is a sad day for comedy writers everywhere. The rest of us, I think, are relieved.

By the way, I love this photo of Blago. The AP photographer really captured that "Well that didn't work" look.

He's Not Gettin' a Dell

By Keith R. Schmitz

Now we've gone and pissed off the head of the KGB.

Bold = Tax Cuts for the Unemployed

by folkbum

Did I say bold? I meant dumb:

County Executive Scott Walker issued the following statement regarding tonight’s State of the State Address:

“The workers at Harley-Davidson who just heard that they are getting laid off need help now. The best way to truly stimulate the economy is with bold tax cuts that put more money into the hands of consumers."

They don't take taxes out of the unemployment checks, Scott. I'm terribly sorry you missed the chance to learn that for yourself last year, but any time you want to quit your job to test your theory, be my guest.

Man-Savage, indeed

by folkbum

Barry Orton, about friend-of-the-blog Ben Masel, suing:

Previously unreported details that came out at the trial included the fact that officer Michael Mansavage first missed Masel and instead peppersprayed his partner John McCaughtry, who was holding Masel by the arm at the time. Apparently, once McCaughtry and Mansavage had wrestled Masel into a face-down position on the ground, with McCaughtry's knee on Masel's back, Mansavage then peppersprayed Masel in the face. Mansavage also threatened to use a Taser on Masel for not putting his arm behind his back to be handcuffed fast enough, when the arm was, in fact, trapped under Masel's body.

News today: hung jury. Suing the Powers That Be for violating his civil rights is Ben's primary source of income; I hope take two is more successful for him.

Shovel Ready BS

By Keith R. Schmitz

Always a marvel to watch how purposely planted mis-information courses through the conservative body politic like ptomaine poisoning.

Local right wing sheep herder Charlie Sykes has this charming little habit of drive-by dropping bits of invective. This is sorta like one of the features on the Crazy World of Arthur Brown's performances where his roadies would stir up the crowd by dropping rubber bands on them and shouting "worms."

At the end of a January 26th post slamming the economic stimulus proposals, Sykes salts the end with the comment, "Apparently, Democrats also want to bail out ACORN." This links to his whacko gal pal Michelle Malkin, she the defender 0f America against the threat of keffiyehs.

Malkin parrots Cong. John Boehner's (R-Crybabyland) charge "that the left-wing voter fraud/illegal alien/housing entitlement racketeers at ACORN “could get billions” more in federal taxpayer funding from the Democrats’ stimulus bill."

She makes the jump from "apparently" to "to the victors go the spoils. Stolen from the pockets of your children and grandchildren." As if her Bush buddies have left kiddie pockets unmolested.

Limbaugh also carries the water on this point. At this point I have run out of high-blood pressure meds and you'll have to find the rest of the yodeling yourself.

Media Matters spoils the party and points out:

Limbaugh's claim that pursuant to the economic recovery plan, $4.19 billion "is going to ACORN" is false. The false claim is based on a misrepresentation of a provision that would appropriate $4,190,000,000 "for neighborhood stabilization activities related to emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes as authorized under division B, title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008." The provision requires that money to be distributed through competitive processes.

Competitive bidding? Wow! What a concept!

We certainly saw nothing like this during the conduct of the "reconstruction" of Iraq or the rebuilding of the Gulf following Katrina. Maybe Malkin and others of her ilk expect that this is the typical way to conduct government.

But for those of you who fret there is going to be this flood of stimulus ear marks should get used to this bizzare competitive bidding behavior on the part of the Obama administration. Bear in mind they won on a campaign that was rolling in cash yet compelled us volunteers to find donated canvassing space and whose staff largely worked for free.

Habits are hard to break no matter the party.

UPDATE -- The Brawler delves into more of Sykes' lies about the stimulus. 

Brace yourself.  A lot more of this will be rolling down the chute as the GOP gets desperate as they see their fantasies come to an end.

A Welcome Return

by folkbum

Ken Mobile is blogging again, and making a lot of sense.

Cutting out the Muddle Men

By Keith R. Schmitz

Let's throw this one out for batting around.

Health insurance companies have been with us since roughly World War II, when wages were frozen and companies had to come up with an alternative perk for their employees.

The war ended but the health insurance companies have lived on, becoming a major player in our health care system, with combined revenues for the top five insurance groups of $404 billion and profits hitting nearly $17 billion. Bear in mind we spend $2.5 trillion on health care in this country.

Not surprisingly as unemployment rises and while many companies are dropping this high priced coverage the numbers of policies written is declining. Net premiums written for these companies though grew an average of nearly 6 percent even as total members declined by almost 2 percent. Total revenue and net premiums written for the health industry as a whole grew 8.7 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively.

Availability of insurance to cover medical procedures has probably led to the rise in the cost of medical treatment. I am old enough to remember when a doctor made house calls. Something I feared since it often meant an injection in the backside.

No more as physician time has become too expensive, and it has risen because health insurance companies were able in part to make the payouts that grew the salaries.

No doubt about it. We have the best health care system on earth in terms of technology but one of the worst when it comes to access. Basically if you can't afford treatment there is a possibility you don't get it, because health insurance companies for many have become the gatekeepers.

As much as bold capitalist types tout the empowerment of "consumer health care," none of them have answers to the problem of health insurance companies employing armies of experts just to deny claims or even prevent people in the first place from getting coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Maybe I'm wrong on this point and would love being corrected.

Health insurance companies introduce waste into a system that suffers enough from productivity issues. Every medical office has to have at least one FTE to deal with the insurance paperwork and physicians are continually on the phone fighting denials of claims, taking away valuable time from patients.

So the question is, what would happen to us as a country as if health insurance companies were subtracted from our health care equation? Are these companies barnacles on our economy that need to be scraped off or do they serve a valid function?

Answers such as the government doesn't do anything right is a great ideology but not an answer.

Though we would feel for people in the health insurance industry loosing their jobs, for many that champion health care insurance companies there seem to be little concern about workers loosing their jobs on the altar of free trade.

So have at it.

UPDATE -- One irrelevant reply on this topic. Looks like insurance companies have no place in the health care system.

McIlheran Watch: First Amendment is "a certain narrow-minded secularity."

by folkbum

I have received a few responses to my op-ed in yesterday's paper, most positive, many from fellow teachers. The Cheddarsphere has tended so far to leave the column alone, though I did get a rise out of one of my more regular sparring partners who was, in fact, mentioned in the piece.

I wrote, as part of a list of "solutions" to MPS's problems proffered by a variety of folk, "editorial columnist Patrick McIlheran [. . .] wants to put God back in MPS." I did not think this controversial, because, after all, I based that on what McIlheran wrote himself two weeks ago:

Frankly, I think it would be hard to teach morals and ethics without some reference to God, however understood. That’s why I send my kids to a school that’s free to mention Him. It’s wonderful that about 20,000 Milwaukee children can do so under the school choice program.

That still leaves 80,000 in MPS which, because of a certain narrow-minded secularity in American political culture, can’t mention God. Pity.

I do not think I was stretching; I have a hard time believing any reasonable reader could see those words and not come away feeling he thinks MPS needs God. Apparently, McIlheran disagrees. Last night, he wrote, "Bullock is wrong when he assumes I want to put God back in MPS." He goes on to explain that what he really meant was that he wants to take all the kids out of MPS and put them into private schools where God (or the deity of parents' choice) is woven into the education. That's so much better.

As one who works with the students in question daily, I do not believe that what they lack is religion. Occasiaonlly the worst offenders will talk of what they did and who they saw at church last weekend, just before they send a stream of profanity across the room disrupting the class. (I am not making this up.) I doubt, sadly, that many could spell atheist or secular, let alone embrace those principles for themselves.

(Aside: Saying MPS students need religion is in some ways like saying they need self-esteem. Are you kidding? Most of my students already have incredibly high self-regard, often vastly overestimating their own abilities and prospects for the future. The boys are all convinced they will be NBA stars and the girls are convinced they will win "American Idol" some day. I do not need to stroke their egos or boost their self-esteem!)

What disturbs me now in retrospect about McIlheran's original piece, the one that said it was a "pity" that God was being left out of MPS, is that he dismisses the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States as "a certain narrow-minded secularity in American political culture." I am sure that when James Madison, et al., were crafting the words that barred an establishment of religion, the last thing they expected to be called was "narrow-minded."

There is a probably apocryphal story about a certain ex-president referring to the Constitution as "just a [. . .] piece of paper." I doubt he said that, but it seems clear that there is a certain strain of conservative who values his own sense of the way things ought to be over the way things are, and whatever gets in the way is mere formality and not actually prohibitive.

But regardless of whence people personally get their sense of right and wrong (McIlheran links to some discussion in his post; fellow atheist Scott Feldstein was writing about this recently, too), we are country of laws that derive not from divine inspiration but from a secular notion of individual rights. The right to be free from others' religious imposition is an important one to me, and somehow, absent God, and following a fully secular education in integrated, relatively urban public schools and a non-religious private college, I turned out just fine. I demand nothing less of my own students today, and I don't--I shouldn't--need to threaten them with eternal damnation to get them to behave in class.

Mathias for School Board

by folkbum

(Very late update: Apparently, the fact that the post below includes a typo and a colloquialism is a source of great amusement to simple-minded conservative trolls. Apologies if you were sent here expecting to be see some horrible and unspeakable human failure.)

Milwaukee's fourth school board district has been without representation since at least the first of the year and without effective representation for some time before that. The incumbent is running a quixotic (though less noble) write-in campaign and is likely to be defeated soundly in the primary.

The February 17 primary offers the voters some choices; my recommendation is Michael J. Mathias.

I've known Mathias for some years now as a member of the progressive blogging community here in Milwaukee. He is smart, her is a hella good writer, and he has a big heart and thoughtful mind. He has kids in MPS schools, including one with special needs. I've had a few conversations with him recently about this seat, and he has both a solid grasp on the issues and a sense that there is still a lot more to seek out and learn. He will not merely fill a seat on the board; he will be a tireless advocate for progress and the well-being of our children.

The astute among you will note that Mathias is not the candidate endorsed by my union, and you would be right. The thing is this: MTEA has endorsed a member of the union, which is not a bug surprise, but it could be bad thing. If she is elected and she remains a substitute teacher (and, given the comparatively low pay of the board, I wouldn't blame her), she will not be able to serve as a full member of the board, as she would have to recuse herself from any votes on contractual matters.

Mathias will have no such restrictions on his voting. Isn't it time the fourth district had full representation?

Welcome "Crossroads" Readers

by folkbum

The long version of what you read in Sunday's paper can be found here, with much discussion already underway in the comments there. Join in!

Also, check out the Bay View Compass, my usual printed home.

... adding: One thing I would adjust slightly from my original post is my paraphrase of Fernandez's plan (I'm sure someone will come by here to complain) to clarify that she wants to replace the MPS board, not merely to empanel a group to make binding recommendations. My critique remains: We are not far past the last attempt at "big idea" gathering, which she seems to ignore.

In this season of goodwill and glad tidings

by folkbum

There are those who could use a little bit of help. One of those, digby reminds us, is Barbara O'Brien. She holds a special place for me because she edited the only book that I am in (so far), which was the first book-length academic examination of political blogging. Consider chipping in.

The saddest part about Drinking Liberally tonight ...

by folkbum

... was not that the Sugar Maple was packed to near overcapacity for the whole evening and it was hard to move around at times. No, it's that the capacity crowd of gleeful, exuberant, celebratory Democrats could barely muster the energy to make a solid effort at throwing slippers or hats or gloves at a guy in an orange jumpsuit and a George W. Bush mask. It took Teh Man many tries to convince someone to do it, and the winner (for this was a contest! with prizes!) could only muster a (I kid you not) "Fer cryin' out loud, get out of here already!"

Jason made a valiant effort to drum up the crowd for the pelting, but it was really kind of embarrassing to watch.

On the other hand, there really was a great crowd and a great vibe and way too many bloggers there to list all of them--including Greg Kowalski, whom I met for the first time tonight finally. Lots of fun and good conversation. (And Nick: Ally's a keeper.)

So it's back to work today

by folkbum

Although I keep thinking there's something else going on today that I should be paying attention to. No idea what it is, though. Long weekend made my brain soft. Consider this an open thread to discuss what's afoot today.

Oh, and don't forget to come to the party tonight.

Dick Chaney to Appear at Inauguration in Wheelchair