Shinseki Falls on Sword . . . AGAIN!

Getting rid of Shinseki, in typical DC fashion, is a do nothing non-solution designed to look like something is actually being done, when it's not. Nuthin up my sleeve, presto!

First of all I would point out that all of the major veterans organizations except one wanted Shinseki to be kept on the job. They ought to know.

Secondly, getting rid of Shinseki isn't going to help. We now have the new guy in charge, Sloan Gibson who may be a very good administrator, but he's only been with the VA for 4 months and therefore has a steep learning curve. One step backward.

But what is ironic about this is that Shinseki was undermined as Army Chief of Staff by Donald Rumsfeldt for telling the truth to the Senate Armed Service Committee that the 145,000 troops the Bush administration planned to send to Iraq would be inadequate to maintain order and that several hundred thousand troops would be required. He was of course proven right within a couple months when the shit hit the fan there with looting and an insurgency.

Now despite huge increases in funding for the VA under President Obama the VA is taxed with caring for the many tens of thousands of vets that were horribly injured in two expensive, off the books wars sold on lies by the Bush crowd, injuries that in many cases would have been fatal in previous conflicts, but which many survived due to advances in quickly and effectively caring for the injured in the field and getting them to a hospital. These are very challenging and expensive injuries to treat.

Do you remember when our troops started up-armoring their humvees in the field with whatever they could grab because they didn't yet have the parts needed to protect against road-side bombs? And Rummy said "you go to war with the army you have, not the one you wish you had. That jack-ass wasn't fired. But Shinseki once again falls victim by having the VA we have instead of the VA we wish we had and one that is swamped by the devastation caused by the bumblings of the worst president in American history, a fool who was completely in over his head and whose damage to our country Obama has had to contend with and fix from day one.

It's a shame, Shinseki, an honorable man and and servant of his country has once again fallen on his sword and once again, it won't help fix the things that are broken.

Capital Floods Capitol - Move to Amend!

Capital Floods Capitol

Money is not "Speech"!

Money is Amplification.

If I went down to the town square with a megaphone and drown out other people's voices, I would get arrested for disturbing the peace.

Citizens United is not Freedom it's a Drowning!

Stop the Deluge!

MOVE TO AMEND

We the Corporations, in order to form a more Perfect Corporatocracy . . .

Thanks to the Roberts Court, Corporations have more Constitutional rights than Actual People!

This is why we're collecting signatures in Burlington.

We're on track to collect the signatures we need, but we've got to maintain the momentum and a couple hours of your time would help enormously. we're running two canvassing shifts this Saturday, 9:30-Noon and Noon to 2:30. We go out in pairs, it's easy like a walk in the park. Some folks are even coming from out of town to help us! Please sign up for shift and fight for our democracy.

Sign up here: http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50961/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=10882

Thank you for all you do.
Sean
(262) 237-4351
scranley@wi.rr.com

More background info here: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-extreme-courts-citizens-united-is.html 

Witch Hunt

I didn't write this song about the Republicons hatred of Obama. But with the GOPsters gearing up for another run at the Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi "scandal" the conversion of my rough audio recording into a video could not have been more timely.

I also feel I must point out that once again the Cult of Con is enraged and engaged in rank GOPocrisy. You see the equivalent of 13 Benghazi's occurred during Bushyboy's reign of error, without a peep from our elephantine friends. Four people were tragically killed during the Benghazi attack, while 13 attacks above killed 94! The Republicons could investigate these, but no.

Even better, the Reptilian Republicon Hatriots could investigate the Bushite War Criminals who lied us into the unprovoked attack on Iraq the resulted in the massive loss of blood and treasure with the death of over 4,000 (One Thousand Benghazis!) Americans and several hundred thousand Iraqis. But they're not interested in real justice, they just need to feed their fear and loathing of the black guy in the Whitehouse.

Witch Hunt features:
Sean Cranleys on vocals;
Skim Crumbly on finger style acoustic guitar;
Scat Cratley of a lead guitar;
Cran Codiddilehopper on 5-string banjo; and
Sham "Blowhard" Cranster on hamonica

Recorded and produced by Scan Crinkley Studios

Move to Amend Kickoff a Success!

We got 82 signatures on Saturday for the kick off! 

The Move to Amend effort is to place a referendum on the ballot this fall to push for the overturn of the anti-democratic Extreme Court's Citizens United decision! 

Read more here: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-extreme-courts-citizens-united-is.html

This effort will continue until July 15th. We need about 700 signatures, which is totally doable. You can volunteer just about anytime, all the materials you need to collect signatures are available for pickup on the nice enclosed porch (pictured above). Canvass for just a couple hours of fresh air and exercise, cover a stationary event or just grab a petition and get the signatures of your friends and family. 

Just contact me and I'll fill you in on what to do!

Sean Cranley

scranley@wi.rr.com

(262) 237-4351

Tomorrow - Fight for Your Democracy!

Make that Top Line Read BURLINGTON!

Tomorrow (Saturday May 17th 2014) meet at 324 Amanda Street in Burlington to fight for democracy!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1480655752163657/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

FuxSnooze Strikes Again!

Many of you have no doubt seen the latest FuxSnooze generated "outrage" orbiting the interwebs (including the BAP Yahoo group), decrying that Mary Burke's Company hasn't paid state income tax in three decades. As it turns out, that's kinda like saying fish don't comb their hair.

Thanks to Steve Herr for clearing up the Fog of Fuxed Up Misinformation being passed along by the unwitting.

Steve Herr - "It only has to do with the form of taxation. Trek (like my own business) elected to go with what's called Subchapter S status.  What happens is the corporation computes it's income for the year, files an 1120S return at the federal level, (There's a similar form at the state level, the number escapes me at the moment) and then allocates that income to the shareholders based on each shareholder's percentage of ownership by filing K-1 forms, which report income to the IRS just like W-2 forms do for wages.

The shareholders then report the allocated K-1 income on their 1040 forms on Schedule E , line 28, and add it to the income they get taxed on.

This only applies to closely held corporations (there's a limit on the number of shareholders).  

So yes, Fox News is technically correct - Trek has not paid income tax.  BUT TREK IS NOT SUPPOSED TO UNDER SUB S, THE SHAREHOLDERS PAY IT!!!!

It's just a smear on Fox New's part, probably fed to them by Walker's campaign."

May 17th - Act to Overturn Citizens United - Your Democracy Depends on YOU!

Make that Top Line Read BURLINGTON!

Remember that corporation that sat next to you in 3rd grade? No? How about that time you opened your mouth to speak and dollars came out? Yeah, me neither.

Yet your would be Rulers would have you believe that corporations are people and money is speech, because those are the tools of the moneyed aristocracy to rule over the once Sovereign Citizens of the United States of America.

Please come out just for a couple hours (9:30-12:00 or 12:00-2:30) in Burlington on Saturday May 17th to strike a blow for government of We the People like our founders envisioned:

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." - Thomas Jefferson

"The end of democracy and the defeat of the American revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of the lending institutions and moneyed incorporations." - Thomas Jefferson

SIGN UP HERE! http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50961/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=10882

See Event info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1480655752163657/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Vulture Vos Vows Repeat at Rape of Representative Democracy

Robin "Vulture" Vos

In response to Federal Judge Lynn Adelson's ruling Tuesday that Wisconsin's Voter Suppression law is Unconstitutional, because it Suppresses Voters, the fALEC Gerrymanderer Robin "Vulture" Vos stated; "I'm going to do whatever it takes to ensure that we have voter ID in place as quickly as possible," . . . "If that means having a special session so we have it in place by the fall then I'm definitely open to doing that, and I support it. If it means that because of Judge Adelman's actions that won't actually occur then we will do whatever we can in the most expeditious manner to make it work."

Special session you say Vossy to pick at the carcass of democracy?

Move to Amend Citizens United in Burlington?

The Extreme Court's Citizens United  Decision Is an Assault On a Nation conceived in Liberty  and Dedicated to the Notion that  All PEOPLE are Created Equal! Who wants to DO SOMETHING about it! burlingtonareaprogressives@gmail.com Most of you are more than aware (you would'nt be here if you weren't) of our  three decades-long slide into Plutocracy. Although a Scientific study by  researchers at Princeton has concluded that we live in an Oligarchy, it's  pretty much the same thing. Thanks to Jay Askin for sharing the linked article! However, in recent years America's slide toward the abyss of a society of  serfs and ruling feudal lords has been greased by five Posers in Priestly  Robes. In 2010 the Judicial Hactivists that makeup the Supreme Court  Reactionaries Of The United States (SCROTUS) reached beyond the  decision placed before them in the Citizens United vs FEC case in order  to achieve their Plutocratic goals. They not only swept away decades judicial  precedent and laws written by representatives of We The People and signed  by our elected Presidents, they declared that Corporations are "People" too  and entitled to free speech. How many of you went to grade school with a  corporation?! Of course to these Robed Reactionary Shills for our "Funding  Fathers" money equals speech!  Check your pockets and see how much  free speech you've got left at the end of the month. Recently, these Judicial Hacktivist Corrupticons decided in favor of McCutcheon instead of the FEC, greatly expanding the "free speech" of a few hundred billionaires to buy or threaten the politicians that are supposed to represent us all! And now, the Plutoctopus is increasingly reaching all the way down into our most local elections! Why should some fat cat from Michigan or Oklahoma decide who should "represent" you in the legislature or on you're school board, for crying out loud? Are you angry? Concerned we're losing our democracy? Do you want to do something about it? burlingtonareaprogressives@gmail.com On April 1st 2014 Thirteen original communities (13 to 0!) in the Badgered State joined those preceding them, and by strong margins, passed referendums calling for a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Extreme Court's legislating from the bench ruling. This a bi-partisan issue, you can't get 68% (Delevan), 85% (Edgerton) or 56% (Conservative Elkhorn) without a fair number of Republicans! We would need 558 valid signatures in 60 days from the citizens of the City Burlington (fewer from surrounding towns/villages, if pursued) to place the following referendum on the the ballot: RESOLVED, the City of Burlington, Wisconsin, calls for reclaiming democracy from the corrupting effects of undue corporate influence by amending the United States Constitution to establish that: 1. Only human beings, not corporations, unions, nonprofit organizations nor similar associations are entitled to constitutional rights, and 2. Money is not speech, and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we hereby instruct our state and federal representatives to enact resolutions and legislation to advance this effort. 558 is a doable number, especially with crowd drawing events like the Burlington Farmers Market (Thursdays), Memorial Day Parade, Chocolatefest and 4th of July Fireworks all right in the heart of Downtown between 5/8 and 7/6. But we need enough people committed to pitching in to preserve their Freedom to make this effort successful and worth undertaking. These are places many of you are going to be anyway! There are over 200 people on this list and 150+ on our facebook group, enough to make this a cakewalk. Please respond if you want to contribute a few hours to help. burlingtonareaprogressives@gmail.com Not only is this the right thing to do for our country, it will raise awareness and engage the public about the issue of money in politics, helping to build the movement. Put another city on the map calling for a constitutional amendment, which is how we can leverage our grassroots power at the state level to push Wisconsin to join the 16 other states by going on record demanding a constitutional amendment be introduced in congress. Give citizens one more reason to get out and VOTE in the fall mid-term election, which typically has lower turnout (especially Democrats) than in Presidential election years. The nine scariest words in the English language are; "I'm a corporation, I'm here to write your laws." Those ruled in the interests of others do not have liberty! Yours Truly, Sean Cranley CorpSerf ID: IMNFD-1-OURFD-2 . . . or are we?

Strangulation of Local Control

PLUTOCTOPUS REX!

First we saw that American Majority, a national group funded by the Koch Bros was training Tea Party candidates for the Burlington School Board.

Then we saw that the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC), also a Koch supported group is also going to insert itself into local elected officials across the country.

And now we see that the national group Americans for Plutocracy, also funded by the Koch Bros has injected itself into the Kenosha Unified school board race, because the existing board had not used Gubnah Walker's divide & conquer "Tools" to sufficiently punish the public school teachers.

Just connecting the dots . . . or should I say suction pads?

Americans for Plutocracy, fALEC and Merican Majority, all tentacles of the Koch Bros Plutoctopus and all worming their way to strangle your local control and shroud your democracy in an inky cloud. Because Republicons no longer believe in local control. They only believe in CONTROL! 

State Senator John Lehman This Thursday!

Mark your Calendars!

Burlington Area Progressives

Are hosting:

State Senator John Lehman

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
Thursday April 10 - 7:00 pm
Los Compadres Restaurant
725 Milwaukee Avenue
Burlington

The event is free and open to the public!

John has seen up close the challenges our Badgered State faces due to Political Agendas, Partisan Schemes and Plutocratic Power Grabs that have needlessly divided our state and our citizens. Come and hear how we can restore Wisconsin's reputation for Goodwill, and Clean, Fair, Open and Progressive governance.

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. – Plato

www.burlingtonareaprogressives.com

burlingtonareaprogressives@gmail.com

Short Changed on Freedom of Speech

Short Changed on Your Freedom of Speech

Attention American Consumers!

You are yet permitted to move about the confines of this country consuming. Meanwhile, the Extreme Court anointed $upercitizens will exercise self-determination over their Dominion on behalf of themselves as a service for you all. You're welcome, don't mention it.

Please note that the pasture beneficently afforded you by your Rulers for your consumption, stretches from sea to shining sea and from the Great Lakes to the Rio Grande. Know your place, go forth and shoptill you drop! And if you'd like to exercise your "Freedom speech" in our Fiefdom, rest assured you've been "herd". Resistance is Feudal.

Bow Serf!

Chief Injustice Roberts

Behold the Face of Corruption!

The Fascist Five Judicial Hacktivists on the Extreme Court have now emphatically confirmed what they are.

God Damned TRAITORS!

First there was the over-reach of the Citizens United decision for which Chief Injustice Roberts went beyond what was necessary to simply decide the case at hand and expanded the scope in order to achieve his Plutocratic Political Goals. Not prudent, not Judgely Dude!

That Legislating From the Bench Betrayal of Representative Democracy opened the flood gates of Anonymous Money from Billionaires and Corporate "Persons" to swamp democracy. Although the likely result is that the Stinking Plutocrats probably won't even have to spend all that much of their Precious Money. After making examples of a few of their Wayward Vassals, the mere threat of wielding their Royal Money Scepter as a weapon against our "Representatives" will be more than sufficient to make them hew to the path demanded by their Feudal Lords.

Then came Wednesday's Atrocity against Democracy, the McCutcheon decision which doubled down on the previous Demonstration of Fealty by ensuring that our Rulers will be able to Purchase Politicians in Bulk. After all, Economies of Scale is practically the Capitalist's Prime directive!

BASD - Five Blows in a Row for Rational, Local Control!

Burlington 

Votes

Two Years

In a Row

Five Blows 

for Rational 

Local 

Control!

Vote Totals:

Todd Terry 1,983

Rosanne Hahn 1,751

William Cambpell 1,677

Bob Lemken 1,003

Jim Berndt 964

Catherine Thielen 327

PS. I was kind of pulling for Jim Berndt. He told folks at the forum sponsored by the Standard Press that his Daughter had just graduated from an out of state college with a teaching degree. But when he asked her if she was coming home, she said that Wisconsin is no longer a good place to be a teacher. Obviously he raised an intelligent daughter who gets what's going on in the Badgered State!

I was however somewhat put off by the pairing of his signs with Lemken's, one of the WeVoBee candidates. But not as put off as I was but the pairing of Lemken's signs with the "I Stand with @$$#*!% Walker" signs, YIKES!

The other WeVoBee, Thielen dropped out. Pitty. Based on her letters to the editor, hearing her debate would have been worth twice the price of admission!

VOTE!

It's election day tomorrow, April 1, 2014, please Vote!

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. - Plato

Climate of Denial, Dishonesty or Pure Stupidity?

As predictable as clock work, my "favorite" Climate Denial and Tea Swilling Troll, Nemo crawled out from his 

bridge to offer his "Thoughts". Is it denial, dishonesty or pure stupidity? You decide.

 Nemo said...

Holding back reality? Have you been outside this year? (sorry, I couldn't resist. We all know that weather does not equal climate unless it confirms the religion of Mann)

Second, you censored someone else? I thought what we had was something special. I'd write something pithy and you would respond in the only way you could given your limited abilities. And now I catch you censoring someone else? It really hurts sean, it really hurts. Heh.

3/20/14, 6:16 PM

 

 Nemo said...

And speaking of reality, did ya see that the APS (American Physical Society) is jumping ship on Mann made warming? No? Look here. But what would "a leading voice for physics and an authoritative source of physics information for the advancement of physics and the benefit of humanity" know about reality, eah? Heh.

3/20/14, 6:30 PM

 

 Sean Cranley said...

Well Nemo, I didn't realize that eastern North America constituted the entire globe. Have you looked what the winter has been like in the American West? How about Alaska? Siberia?

Oh and quick click on your link got me: "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."

3/21/14, 2:34 PM

 

 Sean Cranley said...

So I did your homework for you, AGAIN. And look what I found, More Nemo-tistical Non-sense, AGAIN!

The APS is NOT jumping ship on anthropogenic climate change. They are in the routine process of reviewing their statement, which they do for ALL their statements every 5 years!

This is yet another example of why you are either STUPID or DISHONEST and such an incredible waste of time! IDIOT!

This is exactly the kind of bullshit I was referring to when I said: "This is the problem I have observed repeatedly with the anti-science folks. They cobble together and misinterpret a series of facts in a vain attempt to stick their finger in the dike holding back reality."

http://www.aps.org/policy/statements/climate-review.cfm

From The APS Website:
The American Physical Society formally reviews its statements every five years. In accordance with that process, the APS Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) formed a Subcommittee to review its Climate Change Statement. The members of the Subcommittee are: Steven Koonin (chair), Phillip Coyle, Scott Kemp, Tim Meyer, Robert Rosner and Susan Seestrom. The Charge to the Subcommittee was approved by POPA and the APS Executive Board and is included in the Supporting Documents links.
As part of the POPA-approved process, on January 8, 2014 the Subcommittee convened a workshop with six climate experts. The Subcommittee used that meeting to delve more deeply into aspects of the IPCC consensus view of the physical basis of climate science. In doing so, it hoped to illuminate for itself, for the APS membership, and for the broader public both the certainties and boundaries of current climate science understanding. The framing document, expert bios, and the complete transcript for the workshop are included in the Supporting Documents links.
The workshop was the first step in a deliberative process. As a membership organization of over 50,000 physicists, APS adheres to rigorous scientific standards in developing all its statements. If the Subcommittee recommends updating the existing APS Climate Change Statement, then, consistent with APS by-laws, all APS members will be given an opportunity to review the statement and provide input during a comment period.

3/21/14, 2:51 PM

 

Climate of Denial

Click to Enlarge

The above letter to the editor published March 6, 2014 in the Burlington Standard Press is provided with commentary as follows:

In his climate change denial letter in last week’s edition, Aaron Reesman said “Anyone who has studied the geologic history of Wisconsin would tell you that if it wasn’t for climate change, we would be sitting on the bottom of an ancient inland sea.” Well I’m geologist so I guess that means me. And like the rest of his letter Mr. Reesman has misinterpreted the facts, leading to erroneous conclusions. 

Yes Wisconsin was once under a warm shallow sea, but what altered that was hundreds of millions of years of plate tectonics, which lifted Wisconsin up and moved it north, thereby slowly changing the climate, not the other way around. This is the problem I have observed repeatedly with the anti-science folks. They cobble together and misinterpret a series of facts in a vain attempt to stick their finger in the dike holding back reality. 

Republicon Blitzgesetz (Lightning Law) - Again

Republicon Blitzgesetz (Lightning Law)

And the Republicon Rape of Representative Democracy goes on. Once again we're witnessing the Radical Reactionaries in the Badgered State engaging in Blitz Gezets (Lightning Law), rushing through a swath of controversial, self-serving and politically motivated bills in the last days of the legislative session to limit public scrutiny and opportunity to react:

http://www.unitedwisconsin.com/with-election-looming-republican-senate-rams-through-voter-suppression-pay-to-play-bills-in-final-days-of-legislative-session

https://www.unitedwisconsin.com/wisconsin-manufacturers-and-commerce-behind-last-minute-push-to-increase-power-of-lobbyists-in-wisconsin

https://www.unitedwisconsin.com/republicans-make-last-minute-blitz-to-weaken-electioneering-disclosure-rules-in-wisconsin

They have no shame.

fALEC Tentacles to Penetrate Your Local Government

GOPlutoctopusRex

Like it's sibling organ and GOPlutoctopus Tentacle, American Majority (see BAP Blog-Slitherin on A$troturf), the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) will now extend it's Rape of Representative Democracy by Inserting Itself into your local county, city, town, village and school board to Secretly Write and Vote on Laws on behalf of their Sponsors and our Corporate Overlords. These Republicon Traitors to Democracy have now flipped the meaning Local Control, it may be your locality and they want Control. 

Let us kneel and solemnly trace the blessed sign of the dollar across our hearts in reverent submission to Gerrymandering, Voter Suppression & Secret Corporate Laws - The GOPster Holy Trinity of Hidden Agendas. Freedumb!

Yours in Fealty to our Rulers,Sean Cranley - CorpSerf ID# IMBNFD-OURBNFD-2

They're Baaaaaack - Slitherin on A$troturf

American Majority Training
City of Burlington
Public (IRONICALLY!) Works Building

Some folks never cease to amaze. Last year, the We Vote Burlington Tea Party supported candidates for School board, Julie Koldeway and Norma Miller, not only refused to participate in a debate so the citizenry could hear their positions, when they also refused to be interviewed by the Standard Press, they were offered an opportunity to respond in writing to written questions, they again refused. One wonders who trained them both to use the tactic of obfuscation. Well this year We Vote has decided to sponsor a debate (March 11, 7pm – BHS auditorium) , wow, just wow.

When I first wrote about American Majority and the WeVoBees, I ended with "These are the national people that are behind the local people that are after your local schools and your money. And you can bet they'll be back!" Well . . .

After the last school board election I did a little research which raises some questions about the current We Vote supported candidates and those of the past two elections that the citizens of Burlington should be aware of. I found a big-money national group called American Majority that seeks to help Tea Party candidates take control of your local school board and its budget as documented here: http://americanmajority.org/majority-2/its-time-for-new-leaders-in-our-education-system/

This is an excerpt from the American Majority Website about the 2012 board election: “One of the groups that joined the New Leaders Project is We Vote Burlington. Activists in a local group led by Bonnie Ketterhagen attended an American Majority training and decided to bring some change to their own school board. They recruited two new candidates for the school board elections, trained them using American Majority’s campaign resources, and helped them to victory in the spring of 2012.”  END They are referring of course to Phil Ketterhagen and Roger Koldeway.

I also found a post on their website about the board election last spring: http://americanmajority.org/blog-2/it-begins-here-24-conservative-victories-in-wisconsin/