A site devoted to issues of public concern in the area of Burlington, Wisconsin, across the United States, and in the world at large.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Feudalist Robin Vos Assaults the Serf's Right-to-Know
So I picked up a Wisconsin Gazette the other day and there was a good article about all the anti-conservation mearsures crammed into the Badgered State budget by the Republicons. Many of the items focused on the Enbridge Tar sands company and their pipelines and guess who comes into play, our own little feudalist Robin of Vos.
Enbridge was having trouble with Dane County in getting approval for their pipeline. So GOPsters made any local insurance requirements illegal. Cuz they're all about local control, right? Furthermore, they changed Wisconsin's eminient domain law, giving Enbridge essentially the right to take any property they want, anywhere in the state, for any pipeline they want to build.
And here's the kicker Wisconsin Public Radio obtained drafting memo's through the Public-right-to-know law that a staffer in Vos' office invited Enbridge attorneys to sit down with law maker's and "assist" them in drafting these measures.
More evidence about why the GOPsters in general and Robin Vos in particular, don't want you to know, what they don't want you to know and why they don't want you to know it, to protect their "Constituents" from the serfs, you know, you the people!
Monday, July 27, 2015
Republiclown Debate!
The first Republiclown debate is next Thursday night (8/6) and I can't wait. We should have a drinking party. Everytime something stupid and/or obnoxious is uttered you have to drink a thimble full of 3.2% beer. We'll get trashed!
I anticipate laughing my ass off! As the Dear Leader of the fields of Iowa, Wrong Way Walker has a big target on his forehead. Pull!.
Especially now that one of Walkers money gods called The Donald Dumbdumb and the Trumpster responded 'Oh, finally I can attack. Finally. Finally.' I would have never done this,"
Especially now that one of Walkers money gods called The Donald Dumbdumb and the Trumpster responded 'Oh, finally I can attack. Finally. Finally.' I would have never done this,"
Trump: "Wisconsin's doing terribly. First of all, it's in turmoil. The roads are a disaster because they don't have any money to rebuild them. They're borrowing money like crazy," he said. "I wrote this stuff all down, although I don't need it because I have a really good memory — but they projected a $1 billion surplus and it turns out to be a deficit of $2.2 billion. And money all over the place. The schools are a disaster, and they're fighting like crazy because there's no money for the schools. The hospitals and education is a disaster."
But wait there's more: http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-scott-walker-dumbdumb-2015-7
But wait there's more: http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-scott-walker-dumbdumb-2015-7
THIS is why I've been hoping and praying that Walker would run. Now if only the rest of my dream will come true and this will be his undoing. He's going to ripped and new one and nobody deserves it more. As bad as Trump would be, I honestly believe Scott Walker would be far worse, I'm not sure the country could weather a Walker regime. George W. Bush was easlily the worst president in American History. It's not even a close contest. Wrong Way Walker would be GWB on Steriods!
Here's to next Thursday being the beginning of the end of this @$$hole. Thimbles up, Cheers!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Vulture Vos: Eviscerate Public Right-to-Know!
None of the 16 Republicons on the Badgered State's Joint Finance Commitee would admit to authoring or introducing the budget amendment that would have eviscerated the public's right-to-know who is writing their laws and lobbying their supposed "Representatives". But they all voted for it (all four Democrats voted against).
When a furor arrose about this traitorous attack on democracy from left, right and center the GOPster Bosses blinked and shelved their assault . . . for now.
In his opinon piece on this near fiasco, Burlington Area Progressive Jim Hansen quoted a response to his email from Robin Vos: “After substantive discussion…we have agreed…that any changes in the state’s open records law would be removed…The intended policy goal of these changes was to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents….It was never intended to inhibit transparent government.”
Yeah right and I have a bridge for sale. That's nothing but full damage control GOPropagandist spin.
Wrong Way Walker, Scott Fitzgerald and Vos have all acknowledged their involvement. However, now we know that it was in fact Robin Vos, Assembly Speaker and Wisconsin Public Sector Chair of the Fuedal American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) that coordinated this attempt to screw the citizens of Wisconsin out of their democracy.
Oh and when the Bosses Blinked they issued this joint statement on the matter: After substantive discussion over the last day, we have agreed that the provisions relating to any changes in the state's open records law will be removed from the budget in its entirety. We are steadfastly committed to open and accountable government. The intended policy goal of these changes was to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents' privacy and to encourage a deliberative process between elected officials and their staff in developing policy. It was never intended to inhibit transparent government in any way.
Sound familiar? Right out of the Viper's mouth!
The statement went on to say that a Legislative Council Study Committee would be formed "to allow for public discussion and input."
Stay tuned good people. This is just one attack in an all out war on representative democracy by the oligarchs and their GOPish minions!
Yours Truly,
Sean Cranley - CorpSerf#: IMNFD-1-ONURFD-2
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Open Records Law
Recently, late in the evening of Thursday, July 2, the powerful
Legislative Joint Finance Committee approved last-minute changes to Wisconsin's
Open Records Law in the 2015-'17 budget by 12 Republican votes and four
dissenting Democratic votes. These changes were added without the knowledge nor
any input from the public! As of yet, no GOP lawmaker has taken responsibility
for drafting the changes.
The proposed changes would have restricted public records
communications with current and former staff, drafting records of legislation,
as well as records created by the Walker administration, state agencies, and
local governments.
On July 4 news media across the state urged citizens to contact
their government lawmakers and request they remove the proposed changes to the
Open Records Law. Of the emails I sent to lawmakers and public officials, only
a reply from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos addressed my concerns. He said that
“After substantive discussion…we have agreed…that any changes in the state’s
open records law would be removed…The intended policy goal of these changes was
to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents….It was never intended
to inhibit transparent government.” However, their self-serving action suggests
that GOP members are trying to hide information from the public!
In the end, the voice of the people from throughout the state
demonstrated to the Republican lawmakers that Wisconsin deserves and expects
transparent government. Lawmakers, however, have not abandoned this issue and
have called for a legislative study to further explore changes to Wisconsin’s
Open Records Law. This is a bipartisan issue that should concern every citizen.
In the coming days, citizens need to contact their elected officials and voice
their opinion on this most important issue.
Jim Hansen
Burlington, WI
Monday, July 13, 2015
Higher-Income American Schools Out Score All Other Developed Countries!
I appended the following article on to a BAP Blog post regarding the Republicon attack on our public schools as "failing", but it deserves it's own post, because of this big, but little known FACT: However, closer inspection of the numbers reveals that “the average American PISA reading score for higher-income schools exceeded that of all other developed countries . . ."
http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20121209/SHE06/312090207/Community-Conversation-Tackling-poverty-key-meaningful-education-reform?odyssey=nav%7Chead
EXCERPT: The educational disadvantage for the poor is apparent in international exams such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In the most recent PISA exam, the United States placed average to below average when compared to other developed countries in reading, science, and math. These are the statistics certain politicians like to quote when they speak of “reforming” our education system. However, closer inspection of the numbers reveals that “the average American PISA reading score for higher-income schools exceeded that of all other developed countries while the average score for lower-income American schools was far lower. In fact, the PISA scores by America students were more influenced by their parents’ economic backgrounds than any other OECD country.” (“America’s Poverty-Education Link,” Howard S. Friedman) In other words, our educational system is not in dire need of reforming, but it is definitely not working for the children whose families are in poverty.
A side effect of the way Report Card scores are calculated penalizes schools with more economically disadvantaged students. For example, scores are lowered 5 full points because of lower attendance rates and another 5 points if dropout rates are more than 6 percent. Each teacher’s Personal Performance Review Score is now partially tied to their school’s Report Card score. Many districts are also moving to tie teacher pay to their personal scores in the belief this will make teachers more accountable. As a consequence, experienced high-quality teachers are likely to gravitate towards the schools and districts which have the best facilities and the lowest poverty — where their score and pay is not penalized. Alongside several years of budget cuts to education, these ingredients are not likely to encourage the best and brightest to enter or stay with educating our youth. Policies that indirectly favor wealthy districts are not a recipe for success for our nation or our children.
So you GOPsters can take your school "reform" and your false mantra of "failing public schools" and stick it righ where it belongs . . . in the garbage. It's the Poverty Stupid!
http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20121209/SHE06/312090207/Community-Conversation-Tackling-poverty-key-meaningful-education-reform?odyssey=nav%7Chead
EXCERPT: The educational disadvantage for the poor is apparent in international exams such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In the most recent PISA exam, the United States placed average to below average when compared to other developed countries in reading, science, and math. These are the statistics certain politicians like to quote when they speak of “reforming” our education system. However, closer inspection of the numbers reveals that “the average American PISA reading score for higher-income schools exceeded that of all other developed countries while the average score for lower-income American schools was far lower. In fact, the PISA scores by America students were more influenced by their parents’ economic backgrounds than any other OECD country.” (“America’s Poverty-Education Link,” Howard S. Friedman) In other words, our educational system is not in dire need of reforming, but it is definitely not working for the children whose families are in poverty.
A side effect of the way Report Card scores are calculated penalizes schools with more economically disadvantaged students. For example, scores are lowered 5 full points because of lower attendance rates and another 5 points if dropout rates are more than 6 percent. Each teacher’s Personal Performance Review Score is now partially tied to their school’s Report Card score. Many districts are also moving to tie teacher pay to their personal scores in the belief this will make teachers more accountable. As a consequence, experienced high-quality teachers are likely to gravitate towards the schools and districts which have the best facilities and the lowest poverty — where their score and pay is not penalized. Alongside several years of budget cuts to education, these ingredients are not likely to encourage the best and brightest to enter or stay with educating our youth. Policies that indirectly favor wealthy districts are not a recipe for success for our nation or our children.
So you GOPsters can take your school "reform" and your false mantra of "failing public schools" and stick it righ where it belongs . . . in the garbage. It's the Poverty Stupid!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Happiness is a Warm Gun NOW! - Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Wrong Way Walker and the Wasconsin Rulercons, slaves of the Gun Lobby, just did away with The Badgered State's long standing 3-day waiting period for an FBI background check before purchasing a hand gun. Meanwhile, the Bureau just admitted that due to human error the fact the little racist gunman who killed 9 black church goers during worship on June 17th had a drug arrest that would have precluded his purchase of the weapon of mass murder used in his terrorist assault. But the three days ran out before the problem could be rectified. Nine dead. Nine grieving families. One bereaved community. Three Hundred Thousand Mourning Americans.
So much for the three days is too long to wait for yer weapon in the digital age. Way to go ProLife WisGOPsters!
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Gerrymandering an Assault on Representative Democracy!
I heard former State Senator Dale Schultz (R- Richland Center) speak very eloquently about this effort on WPR yesterday. Please "Like" the Wisconsin Fair Elections Project FB page and Sign The Petition!
Monday, July 06, 2015
Lakeland Times "Attempted Murder of Honest Government"
Our View: The Wisconsin Republican Party: Corruption, cronyism, and sleaze
"Attempted Murder of Honest Government". Lakeland Times, way up in the Badgered State's northland Nails It on the Rulercon's attack on Democracy!
EXCERPT: "As it stands, the Thursday night, pre-holiday attempt to eviscerate the state’s open records laws is a political calamity for the Republicans — there’s no way this outrage won’t damage the GOP brand — but unless it’s pulled from the budget it will become a policy travesty that will do far more harm to the very foundation of democracy.
Rulercons & the Public's Rights
Nothing good happens
after midnight. That goes double for the attempted imposition of government secrecy by the Rulercons. On the eve of our Declaration of Independence from a tyrant, last
Thursday in the wee hours all 16 Republicans on the Badgered State's Joint Finance Committee voted to eviscerate the public's open records law and gag
current and former legislative aids from discussing who is drafting our laws. Though NONE will take credit for introducing this garbage!
The corrupt Wrong Way Walker and his minions didn't like that We The People found out that Gogebic Taconite wrote the new mining law that ripped a deep hole in our environmental standards. Alberta the Darling of Fox Hills didn't like it that the public was informed that profiteers were writing Wisconsin's Vulture School expansion bill. Robin Vos despises citizens knowing that he's the public chair of the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) that screws the public by global corporations secretly writing and voting on laws that are brought to the Badgered State and imposed on its citizens.
The corrupt Wrong Way Walker and his minions didn't like that We The People found out that Gogebic Taconite wrote the new mining law that ripped a deep hole in our environmental standards. Alberta the Darling of Fox Hills didn't like it that the public was informed that profiteers were writing Wisconsin's Vulture School expansion bill. Robin Vos despises citizens knowing that he's the public chair of the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) that screws the public by global corporations secretly writing and voting on laws that are brought to the Badgered State and imposed on its citizens.
This is just one more
salvo in the Republican Party’s war on the public, our Public K12 Schools,
Public Tech Colleges, Public Transportation, Public Employees, Public Parks and
Lands, Public Universities and now the Public’s right to know. These people are
no longer Public Servants, they're private servants, they don’t believe in
representative democracy, you know, our Republic. These Slow-Motion Terrorists
are working on behalf of their private master's interests to wage war on the
public. In light of which, the word “public” no longer fits in the name Republican
Party. Since they’re all about power and control, let’s call them what they are
Rulers!
Thankfully,
the good people of Wisconsin, both the left and right recognized this assault
on representative democracy and revolted! And as with their outrageous attack on the Wisconsin Idea, these Rulercons blinked and pulled back their blitz on our freedom and our Republic. But make no mistake, they all voted for this
garbage and it shows exactly who they are. Traitors!
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