By Keith R. Schmitz
In an updated version of Lord of the Flies, the CPAC convention this weekend in grasping for all the straws then can put in their mitts are agog over a 13 year old. The kid's book outsold Sam the Unlicensed Plumber.
But this might be as good as it gets for conservatives/Republicans. A just released report found that 75% of the teens surveyed are optimistic that the administration can solve our current economic problems, and 81% are interested in finding out the causes of current problems.
Conservatives course already believe they know the problems and won't solve them.
Looks like the kids are alright.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Weasel Speak Hits Wall Street
by capper
Milwaukee County Executive wrote an editorial piece which was published in the Wall Street Journal. The editorial was nothing more than a revision to his campaign stump speech which he pretended was his State of the County address. I do find it bemusing on why he would choose to put in the Wall Street Journal, as opposed to a local paper, or several local papers, like most politicians seeking a higher state office would have done. But then again, Walker doesn't have a lot of support outside of the southeastern corner of the state, so he may have tried, and failed to do that.
Most of the Posse Comatose gave it no more than a passing mention in a post, although Kevin Binversie did come out gushing a little:
A great deal of Walker's editorial on why he thinks the stimulus package is so bad is nothing more than a blatant attack on Governor Jim Doyle.
But when Walker gets to his own bragging points, that is when the Weasel Speak kicks into high gear:
But for the 2007 budget, and the surplus that he is claiming, isn't his to claim. As I pointed out at the time, and was thoroughly reported by the local paper, Walker took himself out of the budget process by vetoing the entire budget, due to his displeasure of all of the amendments the County Board had put to his original proposal. The County Board then overrode his veto, making the entire 2007 budget their own. That is why there was such a large surplus. The adults took over and ran the show, leaving Walker without anything to do but pout.
Likewise, his claims for the 2008 budget is less than honest. Walker claims that the budget will break even, but that is not a guarantee. As was reported deep in the body of a story on a different matter, we find that the County, as it stands right now, is facing a deficit (emphasis mine):
Later in his article, Walker again went on with his tired and already spiel that the only way to create jobs is to give laid off workers tax breaks. But what I would like to know is Walker really knows of job creation. He had no advanced education on it, since he is a Marquette dropout. He has no personal experience since he has been a career politician his entire life. He has no professional experience, as evidenced by his losing control of the entire public assistance department, losing control of the Private Industry Council, and losing state contracts on a jobs training program.
I would be also remiss if I failed to point out that under Walker's reign, Milwaukee County's parks are falling apart, the transit system is in critical condition and about to fail next year without extraordinary efforts to keep it solvent, and many other services have steadily decreased, all of which has threatened the safety and well-being of the citizens. And even then, the county tax levy has increased 17% since Walker first took office as the County Executive.
There were 717 fully funded but unfilled positions across the county last year. Where is all that money going? It's certainly not to the workers, and it's certainly not to the citizens who need services.
There are a couple other points that Walker screwed up. One of them is the fact that, as much as the right would like to deny it, the fact is, Ronald Reagan, did indeed raise taxes as well as ballooned the deficit.
Another thing is that Walker apparently conveniently forgot that the position of County Executive is non-partisan.
In plain English, Walker is not only unfit to be a governor, he is not even fit to be a county executive.
Cross posted at Cognitive Dissidence.
Milwaukee County Executive wrote an editorial piece which was published in the Wall Street Journal. The editorial was nothing more than a revision to his campaign stump speech which he pretended was his State of the County address. I do find it bemusing on why he would choose to put in the Wall Street Journal, as opposed to a local paper, or several local papers, like most politicians seeking a higher state office would have done. But then again, Walker doesn't have a lot of support outside of the southeastern corner of the state, so he may have tried, and failed to do that.
Most of the Posse Comatose gave it no more than a passing mention in a post, although Kevin Binversie did come out gushing a little:
With a message like this, Walker can turn what is going to be Doyle and the left’s argument “Walker Made Milwaukee County a Mess,” and turn it on its head. Try as they might, liberal bloggers will eventually have to turn the cannons inward and defend the fiscal policies of Governor Jim Doyle - a wholly-owned subsidiary of WEAC - before the 2010 Governor’s election. Try and say all you want of how “Walker screwed up Milwaukee County,” I will forever throw down my trump card in this political game of sheepshead:Jim Doyle Screwed Up Wisconsin. A state is much, much, much bigger than a county.
But let's take a serious, factual look at this message of Walker's, shall we?
A great deal of Walker's editorial on why he thinks the stimulus package is so bad is nothing more than a blatant attack on Governor Jim Doyle.
But when Walker gets to his own bragging points, that is when the Weasel Speak kicks into high gear:
My county, however, finished fiscal year 2007 with a $7.9 million surplus and will break even for fiscal year 2008 when the books are closed next month. Why? Because we made tough budget decisions demanded by the taxpayers.By the way, that's it for his bragging points. He apparently couldn't find anything else positive to say about himself.
But for the 2007 budget, and the surplus that he is claiming, isn't his to claim. As I pointed out at the time, and was thoroughly reported by the local paper, Walker took himself out of the budget process by vetoing the entire budget, due to his displeasure of all of the amendments the County Board had put to his original proposal. The County Board then overrode his veto, making the entire 2007 budget their own. That is why there was such a large surplus. The adults took over and ran the show, leaving Walker without anything to do but pout.
Likewise, his claims for the 2008 budget is less than honest. Walker claims that the budget will break even, but that is not a guarantee. As was reported deep in the body of a story on a different matter, we find that the County, as it stands right now, is facing a deficit (emphasis mine):
As can be easily seen, Walker is lying. The 2008 budget is currently in a deficit. It is only if the County Board approves his proposal to use that windfall inheritance that it has even a chance of breaking even. As of last week, the County Board still hadn't done so, and it is not clear if it will.The gift to the county makes an even bigger splash, given its much smaller budget. A $1.1 million check from Allen's estate was sent to the county in December and about $1 million more is expected later this year, said county Corporation Counsel Bill Domina. The County Board's finance committee is being asked next week to approve placing the first check in the county's contingency fund.
County Budget Director Steve Kreklow said the Allen cash will be used to pay down the county's 2008 year-end deficit. The county was projected to end the year with a $1.7 million deficit, in a tally done Oct. 31.
The first payment from the Allen estate "came at a great time when we certainly needed it," Kreklow said. Unusually high overtime costs and the failure of the county to sell any of its Park East Freeway parcels have been blamed for the potential year-end shortfall.
By law, the county must operate with a balanced budget. In practice, that means if there is some red ink after all the bills and checks for a year are processed, money from the next year's budget must be first spent on balancing the prior year's budget.
Later in his article, Walker again went on with his tired and already spiel that the only way to create jobs is to give laid off workers tax breaks. But what I would like to know is Walker really knows of job creation. He had no advanced education on it, since he is a Marquette dropout. He has no personal experience since he has been a career politician his entire life. He has no professional experience, as evidenced by his losing control of the entire public assistance department, losing control of the Private Industry Council, and losing state contracts on a jobs training program.
I would be also remiss if I failed to point out that under Walker's reign, Milwaukee County's parks are falling apart, the transit system is in critical condition and about to fail next year without extraordinary efforts to keep it solvent, and many other services have steadily decreased, all of which has threatened the safety and well-being of the citizens. And even then, the county tax levy has increased 17% since Walker first took office as the County Executive.
There were 717 fully funded but unfilled positions across the county last year. Where is all that money going? It's certainly not to the workers, and it's certainly not to the citizens who need services.
There are a couple other points that Walker screwed up. One of them is the fact that, as much as the right would like to deny it, the fact is, Ronald Reagan, did indeed raise taxes as well as ballooned the deficit.
Another thing is that Walker apparently conveniently forgot that the position of County Executive is non-partisan.
In plain English, Walker is not only unfit to be a governor, he is not even fit to be a county executive.
Cross posted at Cognitive Dissidence.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Outrage Machine in 3 ... 2 ...
by folkbum
It seems that a major print publication has once again identified a Republican who holds non-partisan office, but who has done something stupid, by party affiliation. As the outrage machine likes to tell us, they never do that to Democrats.
It seems that a major print publication has once again identified a Republican who holds non-partisan office, but who has done something stupid, by party affiliation. As the outrage machine likes to tell us, they never do that to Democrats.
Abstaining from Intelligence
Keith R. Schmitz
What do you call people who have their kids follow abstinence only sex ed?
Grandparents.
More and more studies are finding that yet another conservative fairy tale fails to play well in the real world. As usual this is a their answer to a complex problem that this simple, straightforward...and wrong.
Many of you recall the Bristol Palin interview on Fox News a few weeks back, where she maintained her mother's approved mode of sex education is "not realistic at all."
People are taking back their government and reinstating common sense. The Pittsburgh School Board this week voted to replace A-O with comprehensive sex ed and no doubt more will follow.
In the usual case of money well wasted, the Bush administration spent $176 million the last year W had the budget on this bit of alchemy.
Unfortunately things have not changed in the House of Representative, oddly the Democratically controlled House, which despite the Senate Finance Committee’s recommendation to cut $28 million in funding for abstinence-only until marriage initiatives cut only $14 million. Why the lapse of guts is hard to explain, and why the party does disappoint from time to time. A penny spent on this program is a penny too much.
Write David Obey and tell him to rethink this bit of miss-allocation of funds.
What do you call people who have their kids follow abstinence only sex ed?
Grandparents.
More and more studies are finding that yet another conservative fairy tale fails to play well in the real world. As usual this is a their answer to a complex problem that this simple, straightforward...and wrong.
Many of you recall the Bristol Palin interview on Fox News a few weeks back, where she maintained her mother's approved mode of sex education is "not realistic at all."
People are taking back their government and reinstating common sense. The Pittsburgh School Board this week voted to replace A-O with comprehensive sex ed and no doubt more will follow.
In the usual case of money well wasted, the Bush administration spent $176 million the last year W had the budget on this bit of alchemy.
Unfortunately things have not changed in the House of Representative, oddly the Democratically controlled House, which despite the Senate Finance Committee’s recommendation to cut $28 million in funding for abstinence-only until marriage initiatives cut only $14 million. Why the lapse of guts is hard to explain, and why the party does disappoint from time to time. A penny spent on this program is a penny too much.
Write David Obey and tell him to rethink this bit of miss-allocation of funds.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Haloscanned
by folkbum
UPDATE: I believe you can make comments now. I just can't go in and fix your typos for you.
Haloscan is having its quarterly (ish) FUBARing at the moment. If you have something really important to say, go bother capper.
UPDATE: I believe you can make comments now. I just can't go in and fix your typos for you.
Haloscan is having its quarterly (ish) FUBARing at the moment. If you have something really important to say, go bother capper.
But for the Grace of God
By Keith R. Schmitz
I am getting tired of reading the smug, callous and yes, brutish accusations against those who have found themselves in a fix -- often a terrible fix -- during this housing crisis. You know. Calling those left with the short end of the stick losers, lazy and worse.
You don't have to go far to find stories about people who are at the risk of losing their house because the loss of a job, a gash in their pay, a major medical hit, death of a spouse or other economic calamity. I'll start you off with this article from Time.
This is not only ignorant, but in some cases whistling past the graveyard.
Wonder why Obama is so popular? A vast majority of people have jobs, but realize that it could be yanked out from under them in a flash.
The cold icy fingers of the bad economy are finding their way into every neighborhood, even the gated ones.
For those sitting on the side lines patting themselves on the back about their wonderful initiative and their self-assurance that they are better than these people; be grateful the government, your government, is on the job trying to solve this mess that your beloved former president left you.
Or else you too could become a statistic.
I am getting tired of reading the smug, callous and yes, brutish accusations against those who have found themselves in a fix -- often a terrible fix -- during this housing crisis. You know. Calling those left with the short end of the stick losers, lazy and worse.
You don't have to go far to find stories about people who are at the risk of losing their house because the loss of a job, a gash in their pay, a major medical hit, death of a spouse or other economic calamity. I'll start you off with this article from Time.
This is not only ignorant, but in some cases whistling past the graveyard.
Wonder why Obama is so popular? A vast majority of people have jobs, but realize that it could be yanked out from under them in a flash.
The cold icy fingers of the bad economy are finding their way into every neighborhood, even the gated ones.
For those sitting on the side lines patting themselves on the back about their wonderful initiative and their self-assurance that they are better than these people; be grateful the government, your government, is on the job trying to solve this mess that your beloved former president left you.
Or else you too could become a statistic.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Powerful Poor
By Keith R. Schmitz
One of the cherished myths of the sullen and resentful on the right is that programs such as the Community Reinvestment Act caused the housing crisis. Fed chair Ben Bernanke ain't buying it.
One of the cherished myths of the sullen and resentful on the right is that programs such as the Community Reinvestment Act caused the housing crisis. Fed chair Ben Bernanke ain't buying it.
Fixing the Internets
by folkbum
Woman pleads guilty toThe hard work of fixing the internets will, apparently, continue indefinitely.electionregistration fraud
By Larry Sandler
Feb. 26, 2009 12:50 p.m. | A Milwaukee woman has pleaded guilty to election fraud for submitting dozens of fake names and addresses tocity election officialsthe Community Voters Project, which turned her and the evidence over to the D.A. during a voter registration drive.
Compromise Suggestion on Taxes
Keith R. Schmitz
Many GOP critics accuse the Democrats of taking the African-American vote for granted.
I think the same is true the other way around when it comes to small business. The GOP IS the party of big business, and if they were sincere about small business they would advocate better anti-trust enforcement, serious solutions to healthcare and administration of the Small Business Administration to help small business.
A good example is the GOP's willingness to let the Big Three automakers go into bankruptcy, delivering collateral hits to their small business suppliers. As a small business, the GOP certainly does not speak for me.
As usual they are holding small business hostage when it comes to our economic turnaround. The point being made is that if taxes are increased on those making over $250,000 year would be a hit to small businesses.
My good friend on the right Mike Frederick pointed out in the NY Times last week that he would have less money to plow back into the business if his taxes are raised. Though I dispute that only a minority of small business people are any where near $250M per year, point taken.
Actually the solution could be rather simple. Why not design a credit for someone who owns a small business based on their number of employees. As usual, some will find ways to fake their way around it, but audits could extract the fakers.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wooldridge Brothers: Days Went Around
by folkbum
Once again, I marvel at the Power of the Blog™. It only took six years of blogging, but I have finally found myself on the receiving end of that mythical Free Stuff, and no doubt now that the floodgates are open, I will be deluged with books and CDs and so forth. Any minute now.
What broke open the floodgates is the excellent new CD by the Wooldridge Brothers (web, myspace), a pair with strong Milwaukee roots and a definite midwestern sensibility in how they roll. Days Went Around is a fun romp, and worth a listen.
The CD opens with "Thumbs," an upbeat number that draws a pretty clear line between the txt generation and us normal people. "It's a new day/ in a new age/ and I'm lost," it begins, and includes the very important declaration, "When you say I luv U/ please spell it right." The theme kind of comes back a couple of tracks later in "Connecting to Aphrodite," a short Elvis Costello-y tune about a guy "looking for Nirvana in a plastic box."
Other standout tracks include "Hey," which showcases Scott Wooldridge's piano playing; and "Coffee Spoons," which borrows a line from TS Eliot and wraps it in a new clever lyric and some of Brian Wooldridge's jangly guitar. "This Rain" is probably my favorite, though--a near-perfect 3-minute pop song with a catchy melody and a classic play-out fade.
The Brothers have, as I mentioned, Milwaukee roots, going all the way back to the Squares, a band some of you probably remember from the 1980s and 1990s (they were before my time in town), and there are some familiar names in the credits, even to a guy like me only peripherally connected to the local music scene. The CD was mostly recorded with Ric Probst, who recorded Peter Mulvey's last album. One song was recorded with Jon Leubner, who is the engineer of choice for a number of my friends, including the Moxie Chicks. melaniejane makes an appearance on cello.
The Wooldridge Brothers have a Milwaukee CD-release show at Turner Hall on March 6. Sadly, I'll be down the road at the John Prine show (working on that project of People To See Live Before They Die), but you could do a lot worse on a Friday night than go check out the Wooldridge Brothers' show.
Once again, I marvel at the Power of the Blog™. It only took six years of blogging, but I have finally found myself on the receiving end of that mythical Free Stuff, and no doubt now that the floodgates are open, I will be deluged with books and CDs and so forth. Any minute now.
What broke open the floodgates is the excellent new CD by the Wooldridge Brothers (web, myspace), a pair with strong Milwaukee roots and a definite midwestern sensibility in how they roll. Days Went Around is a fun romp, and worth a listen.
The CD opens with "Thumbs," an upbeat number that draws a pretty clear line between the txt generation and us normal people. "It's a new day/ in a new age/ and I'm lost," it begins, and includes the very important declaration, "When you say I luv U/ please spell it right." The theme kind of comes back a couple of tracks later in "Connecting to Aphrodite," a short Elvis Costello-y tune about a guy "looking for Nirvana in a plastic box."
Other standout tracks include "Hey," which showcases Scott Wooldridge's piano playing; and "Coffee Spoons," which borrows a line from TS Eliot and wraps it in a new clever lyric and some of Brian Wooldridge's jangly guitar. "This Rain" is probably my favorite, though--a near-perfect 3-minute pop song with a catchy melody and a classic play-out fade.
The Brothers have, as I mentioned, Milwaukee roots, going all the way back to the Squares, a band some of you probably remember from the 1980s and 1990s (they were before my time in town), and there are some familiar names in the credits, even to a guy like me only peripherally connected to the local music scene. The CD was mostly recorded with Ric Probst, who recorded Peter Mulvey's last album. One song was recorded with Jon Leubner, who is the engineer of choice for a number of my friends, including the Moxie Chicks. melaniejane makes an appearance on cello.
The Wooldridge Brothers have a Milwaukee CD-release show at Turner Hall on March 6. Sadly, I'll be down the road at the John Prine show (working on that project of People To See Live Before They Die), but you could do a lot worse on a Friday night than go check out the Wooldridge Brothers' show.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
by bert
In these tough times we’re in right now, I think it’s important to just stop and laugh once in a while.
Take what was going on yesterday. From what I could tell, there were a lot of folks in a bad mood. And the problem was poor people.
The most visible face of the day was this guy Rick Santelli on CNBC. The constantly replayed video clip showed him clearly upset and calling the people in financial trouble “losers.” Santelli led the commodity-trader guys standing around him to boo bitterly when he mentioned “the neighbors that can’t pay their bills.”
Charlie Sykes clearly relished this clip and ran it first thing on his radio show Friday. Like a bass plug at dusk, this clip lured callers to Charlie, people from places like Fox Point, who were audibly angry at those other people not paying their mortgages. Sykes, while himself using the term “deadbeats,” did something funny when he injected parenthetically like audio fine print that not everyone in financial trouble was to blame. And he mentioned unscrupulous lenders.
What’s funny is Sykes didn’t give examples of those unscrupulous lenders. God forbid he'd take calls on the topic. He could have mentioned Countrywide Financial for instance, which just this week settled a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin, one of many states suing the company for deceiving those customers who got mortgages through them.
What’s also funny is that Countrywide was not too long ago a heavy advertiser on Charlie’s WTMJ radio station. Remember hearing their commercials on the radio all the time? Countrywide used those WTMJ airwaves to promote refinancing and purchasing of homes.
Friday those same airwaves were deftly maneuvered by Charlie to paint a picture of a country, the United States, that sickens him and his callers, that is infested with losers and deadbeats. Rush Limbaugh likes to call them “human debris”. Jay Weber over on AM-WISN prefers “scumbags.”
Let's remember, the right wing has always been defined by the contempt and fear it feels toward poor people. They really like Ayn Rand. And now they really like Rick Santelli. But it is rich that they pick this precise moment to pull out and polish up this tired “hate-the-poor” thing and take it for yet another spin.
We all know which side plays for keeps when it comes to class warfare. They've got their Bernie Madoff, Allen Standford, and John Thane of Merrill Lynch with the $35,000 commode. If you heard about the shenanigans at World Bank on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, you know how these lenders were operating. Like Digby said, no one was holding a gun to these guys' heads to make loans.
But, isn't it absurd that in the midst of these salvos of cheating, robbing, deception, and greed that yesterday all their broadcasters were in effect bursting in to the other side's infirmary and wagging their finger at those on the gurneys?
The only proper response is just to stop, think about it, and laugh.
In these tough times we’re in right now, I think it’s important to just stop and laugh once in a while.
Take what was going on yesterday. From what I could tell, there were a lot of folks in a bad mood. And the problem was poor people.
The most visible face of the day was this guy Rick Santelli on CNBC. The constantly replayed video clip showed him clearly upset and calling the people in financial trouble “losers.” Santelli led the commodity-trader guys standing around him to boo bitterly when he mentioned “the neighbors that can’t pay their bills.”
Charlie Sykes clearly relished this clip and ran it first thing on his radio show Friday. Like a bass plug at dusk, this clip lured callers to Charlie, people from places like Fox Point, who were audibly angry at those other people not paying their mortgages. Sykes, while himself using the term “deadbeats,” did something funny when he injected parenthetically like audio fine print that not everyone in financial trouble was to blame. And he mentioned unscrupulous lenders.
What’s funny is Sykes didn’t give examples of those unscrupulous lenders. God forbid he'd take calls on the topic. He could have mentioned Countrywide Financial for instance, which just this week settled a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin, one of many states suing the company for deceiving those customers who got mortgages through them.
What’s also funny is that Countrywide was not too long ago a heavy advertiser on Charlie’s WTMJ radio station. Remember hearing their commercials on the radio all the time? Countrywide used those WTMJ airwaves to promote refinancing and purchasing of homes.
Friday those same airwaves were deftly maneuvered by Charlie to paint a picture of a country, the United States, that sickens him and his callers, that is infested with losers and deadbeats. Rush Limbaugh likes to call them “human debris”. Jay Weber over on AM-WISN prefers “scumbags.”
Let's remember, the right wing has always been defined by the contempt and fear it feels toward poor people. They really like Ayn Rand. And now they really like Rick Santelli. But it is rich that they pick this precise moment to pull out and polish up this tired “hate-the-poor” thing and take it for yet another spin.
We all know which side plays for keeps when it comes to class warfare. They've got their Bernie Madoff, Allen Standford, and John Thane of Merrill Lynch with the $35,000 commode. If you heard about the shenanigans at World Bank on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, you know how these lenders were operating. Like Digby said, no one was holding a gun to these guys' heads to make loans.
But, isn't it absurd that in the midst of these salvos of cheating, robbing, deception, and greed that yesterday all their broadcasters were in effect bursting in to the other side's infirmary and wagging their finger at those on the gurneys?
The only proper response is just to stop, think about it, and laugh.
Tom McMahon Goes NY Postal
By Keith R. Schmitz
The local right wing regards feels Tom McMahon is cute and clever.
There is that cutesy picture of him on the site with what looks to be an ice bucket on his head.
Then there are his too clever by half four block presentations, simple minded statements of complex issues that conservatives can understand and love. It has been tempting to parody them.
You don't have to dig too deep to see the hidden meanness and this disgusting post drops the mask.
It's a comparison of OJ and the President.
The local right wing regards feels Tom McMahon is cute and clever.
There is that cutesy picture of him on the site with what looks to be an ice bucket on his head.
Then there are his too clever by half four block presentations, simple minded statements of complex issues that conservatives can understand and love. It has been tempting to parody them.
You don't have to dig too deep to see the hidden meanness and this disgusting post drops the mask.
It's a comparison of OJ and the President.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Two legs good. Four legs bad. GOP "Consistency" on Deficits
By Keith R. Schmitz
Why are the only hard news interviews seemingly on the Daily Show?
The other night Jon Stewart put New Hampshire Senator John Sununu on the griddle over the new found GOP religion on deficits (emphasis mine).
Remembering back a few years ago a combination of boredom and lack of knowledge about my high blood pressure led me to tune in Mark Belling one afternoon during the Bush administration. He was challenging his listeners to come up with a reason why deficits were bad. Since he was not exactly broadcasting to the Wharton School of Business no answers were forthcoming.
It occurred to me that rewinding to the early years of Bill Clinton when again I was bored and not knowledgeable about high blood pressure Belling was then exhibiting his brand of mental unhinging on deficits.
Clinton goes on to build that surplus $1.2 trillion surplus, despite his "distractions" and GOP railing about "tax and spend" Democrats.
Now rather than tax cuts for the wealthy and a boneheaded invasion of Iraq to bequeath to our grandchildren there is deficit spending intended to help out our economy and average people. GOP defines these deficits as wasteful.
Two legs good. Four legs bad.
Maybe the GOP should change their web site URL address to Expediency.com.
Why are the only hard news interviews seemingly on the Daily Show?
The other night Jon Stewart put New Hampshire Senator John Sununu on the griddle over the new found GOP religion on deficits (emphasis mine).
Stewart: I'm not an economist, but let's say I start out with a surplus and I say lets have a tax cut to stimulate the economy, lets make it 1.2 trillion dollars and that surplus turns into a deficit. Why would I at that point go, hey you know what could fix that? A tax cut.This GOP view seems to change with administrations, and as usual right wing talk radio carries the water.
Remembering back a few years ago a combination of boredom and lack of knowledge about my high blood pressure led me to tune in Mark Belling one afternoon during the Bush administration. He was challenging his listeners to come up with a reason why deficits were bad. Since he was not exactly broadcasting to the Wharton School of Business no answers were forthcoming.
It occurred to me that rewinding to the early years of Bill Clinton when again I was bored and not knowledgeable about high blood pressure Belling was then exhibiting his brand of mental unhinging on deficits.
Clinton goes on to build that surplus $1.2 trillion surplus, despite his "distractions" and GOP railing about "tax and spend" Democrats.
Now rather than tax cuts for the wealthy and a boneheaded invasion of Iraq to bequeath to our grandchildren there is deficit spending intended to help out our economy and average people. GOP defines these deficits as wasteful.
Two legs good. Four legs bad.
Maybe the GOP should change their web site URL address to Expediency.com.
Update: F. Jim proves more of the above point. Someone please explain (and I'm sure someone will) why blowing money out of a confetti cannon at the Defense Department does not constitute reckless spending?
Maybe that needs to change, then
by folkbum
Power of the blog! Ask a question:
Power of the blog! Ask a question:
Why isn't Bob Donovan running for school board?And get an answer:
Milwaukee's City Charter prohibits an elected official from seeking an additional elected office. Believe me, I looked into the possibility.Given the frequency with which it happens all over the state that folks hold two elected offices at a time, it never occurred to me that Milwaukee would have a prohibition against such a thing. It seems like an unwarranted and unreasonable restriction to me.
Alderman Donovan
Alderman Robert Donovan | 02.19.09 - 9:28 am | #
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Reminders
by folkbum
A reminder that the Wispolitics Budget Blog isindespensable indispensable this time of year.
A reminder of just how close we came to disaster.
A reminder of the Really Big Show Saturday night. You'll be there, right?
A reminder that Mathias, Evers, and Abrahamson need your help now that the primary is over.
A reminder for reader Andy that he doesn't need to spend $3000 on appliances. (I got my first dishwasher for $10, if I remember correctly.)
A reminder to commenters here: I havenever banned anyone only banned one person from this site. Ever. In six years. But if your comments have a very high profanity-and-insult-to-content ratio, you'll be gone. That is all. (This item updated.)
A reminder that the Wispolitics Budget Blog is
A reminder of just how close we came to disaster.
A reminder of the Really Big Show Saturday night. You'll be there, right?
A reminder that Mathias, Evers, and Abrahamson need your help now that the primary is over.
A reminder for reader Andy that he doesn't need to spend $3000 on appliances. (I got my first dishwasher for $10, if I remember correctly.)
A reminder to commenters here: I have
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Saddle Sore
By Keith R. Schmitz
Once again another Republican gets the wrists slapped for unauthorized music use.
This time it is GOP Congressional Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), the southern version of Pompadour Paul Ryan.
Cantor released a music video last week using Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" to definitively announce "The House GOP is back" because of his party's unanimous opposition to the stimulus.
Cantor's clip has since been pulled from YouTube after a copyright infringement claim filed by Stage Three Music, which owns the rights to the song.
This of course, is not the first time off the GOP being too clever by half and paying for it. If you recall last year the Wilson sisters got ticked when Sarah Palin used Barracuda at rallies. There are many other instances.
For a party that prides itself on being business experts, they seem to know precious little about copyright laws.
Once again another Republican gets the wrists slapped for unauthorized music use.
This time it is GOP Congressional Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), the southern version of Pompadour Paul Ryan.
Cantor released a music video last week using Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" to definitively announce "The House GOP is back" because of his party's unanimous opposition to the stimulus.
Cantor's clip has since been pulled from YouTube after a copyright infringement claim filed by Stage Three Music, which owns the rights to the song.
This of course, is not the first time off the GOP being too clever by half and paying for it. If you recall last year the Wilson sisters got ticked when Sarah Palin used Barracuda at rallies. There are many other instances.
For a party that prides itself on being business experts, they seem to know precious little about copyright laws.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Why isn't Bob Donovan running for School Board?
by folkbum
I'm serious. Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan seems hell-bent on remaking the Milwaukee Public schools in his own tough-guy image, and yet he's not taking advantage of the opportunity that exists right now for him to put himself in a position to change the schools.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is a part-time gig, and plenty of other people do it while holding down a steady job. The seat where he lives is up this year. He obviously has the support of a lot of people in his district, and experience campaigning. If he were to win, then he would be able easily to introduce whatever resolutions he wants to change whatever schools he wants through the channels that already exist instead of trying to weasel his way in through the mayor or the governor or some other entity that actually has no control over the local schools.
In other words, he needs to stop trying to bully the district; he needs to put his money where his mouth is and run.
In the meantime, we all have to wonder exactly what's going through Donovan's head when he writes sentences like, "As it relates to MPS, the collective leadership in Milwaukee is, with few exceptions, the emperor who has no clothes, naked before us and revealing nothing but shortcomings." I, for one, have never imagined the, um, shortcomings of Milwaukee's leaders. But whatever, Bob. I await tomorrow's press release.
I'm serious. Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan seems hell-bent on remaking the Milwaukee Public schools in his own tough-guy image, and yet he's not taking advantage of the opportunity that exists right now for him to put himself in a position to change the schools.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is a part-time gig, and plenty of other people do it while holding down a steady job. The seat where he lives is up this year. He obviously has the support of a lot of people in his district, and experience campaigning. If he were to win, then he would be able easily to introduce whatever resolutions he wants to change whatever schools he wants through the channels that already exist instead of trying to weasel his way in through the mayor or the governor or some other entity that actually has no control over the local schools.
In other words, he needs to stop trying to bully the district; he needs to put his money where his mouth is and run.
In the meantime, we all have to wonder exactly what's going through Donovan's head when he writes sentences like, "As it relates to MPS, the collective leadership in Milwaukee is, with few exceptions, the emperor who has no clothes, naked before us and revealing nothing but shortcomings." I, for one, have never imagined the, um, shortcomings of Milwaukee's leaders. But whatever, Bob. I await tomorrow's press release.
Shovel Ready Nonsense -- State of the County
By Keith R. Schmitz
Many others have feasted on pieces on this turkey known as Scott Walker's state of the county speech, due in part because all you need to know about this candidate for governor is right here.
Essentially, while others a pursuing nuclear physics in terms of economic, the County Executive is practicing alchemy. The mantra of tax cuts proves the observation that when you are a hammer the world looks like nails.
Here we have as a major emphasis of the speech his fantasy plan for a sales tax holiday. Yet he brags about the bond rating for the county versus that of the state.
So how can he propose lopping off a major source of revenue, with no suggestion of where the money is going to come from to make up the gap? Certainly the proposal from some that the state pass combined reporting for corporations as an offset will not be in Walker's quiver.
Also disturbing is asking county workers to bear the burden of "streamlining" government through job cuts and "reforms" in collective bargaining. With consumer spending making up 70% of our economy it is hard to see how emulating the private sector's means of first resort will help improve this economy.
Usually in deep recessions such as this one you see governments being a means of putting people back to work. I know Walker wants to substitute county workers with private sector employees, but these positions will no doubt be underpaid with few or no benefits.
We did tax cuts for the past 30 years and they have flunked the audition. Stagnant middle class growth, America falling behind in health and education in a highly competitive world, crumbling infrastructure; all have been a result of "starving the beast." We have instead starved the best.
If this stimulus is done right, emphasizing "done right," we stand the chance of not only turning this economy around but also shrinking the deficit through a growing economy. But not doing a stimulus, which features government investment in our economy, ensures we can expect to head towards a depression.
Many others have feasted on pieces on this turkey known as Scott Walker's state of the county speech, due in part because all you need to know about this candidate for governor is right here.
Essentially, while others a pursuing nuclear physics in terms of economic, the County Executive is practicing alchemy. The mantra of tax cuts proves the observation that when you are a hammer the world looks like nails.
Here we have as a major emphasis of the speech his fantasy plan for a sales tax holiday. Yet he brags about the bond rating for the county versus that of the state.
So how can he propose lopping off a major source of revenue, with no suggestion of where the money is going to come from to make up the gap? Certainly the proposal from some that the state pass combined reporting for corporations as an offset will not be in Walker's quiver.
Also disturbing is asking county workers to bear the burden of "streamlining" government through job cuts and "reforms" in collective bargaining. With consumer spending making up 70% of our economy it is hard to see how emulating the private sector's means of first resort will help improve this economy.
Usually in deep recessions such as this one you see governments being a means of putting people back to work. I know Walker wants to substitute county workers with private sector employees, but these positions will no doubt be underpaid with few or no benefits.
We did tax cuts for the past 30 years and they have flunked the audition. Stagnant middle class growth, America falling behind in health and education in a highly competitive world, crumbling infrastructure; all have been a result of "starving the beast." We have instead starved the best.
If this stimulus is done right, emphasizing "done right," we stand the chance of not only turning this economy around but also shrinking the deficit through a growing economy. But not doing a stimulus, which features government investment in our economy, ensures we can expect to head towards a depression.
Vote Today
by folkbum
It's primary day for the spring non-partisan elections. Your humble folkbum recommends the following candidates:
State Superintendent: Tony Evers
Milwaukee County Circuit Court: JD Watts
Milwaukee Board of School Directors, District 4: Michael Mathias
Milwaukee Board of School Directors, District 7: Felicia Owen
Update: Finally, I'm number one at something!
It's primary day for the spring non-partisan elections. Your humble folkbum recommends the following candidates:
State Superintendent: Tony Evers
Milwaukee County Circuit Court: JD Watts
Milwaukee Board of School Directors, District 4: Michael Mathias
Milwaukee Board of School Directors, District 7: Felicia Owen
Update: Finally, I'm number one at something!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sykes and Selective Outrage, pt. XVIII
by bert
It's fair enough that Charlie is going after the state and its lavish $4.6 million in state aid that it gave to the crew that filmed "Public Enemy" around Wisconsin. Charlie called this "corporate welfare on steroids." Mention of steroids turns my mind immediately to baseball. And now that I mention it, I don't recall Sykes' show opening up with both barrels about the taxpayer money going for Miller Park, even though the sales tax revenue going to the stadium exceeded $26 million last year alone. And what was that bailout money on that went to Associated Bank?
It's fair enough that Charlie is going after the state and its lavish $4.6 million in state aid that it gave to the crew that filmed "Public Enemy" around Wisconsin. Charlie called this "corporate welfare on steroids." Mention of steroids turns my mind immediately to baseball. And now that I mention it, I don't recall Sykes' show opening up with both barrels about the taxpayer money going for Miller Park, even though the sales tax revenue going to the stadium exceeded $26 million last year alone. And what was that bailout money on that went to Associated Bank?
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