Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Donald's Dumpster Fire

By Jeff Simpson



#neverhillary


Here is The Donalds former National Security Advisor at the Republican National Convention.  If Mr. Flynn had "done a tenth of what she did" he would be in jail.  Unless of course he is granted immunity.   Flynn uses hashtag #neverhillary but has since switched to using #folsumprisonblues

 Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is willing to testify before federal and congressional investigators in their ongoing probe into Russian meddling in the US elections, but only if he is granted immunity, his lawyer said Thursday.
We will see what happens from here, but I am betting he gets his immunity, and never sees a day in prison.  However he has already been tried and convicted for being an idiot.  

I am not saying Mr. Flynn is guilty of anything, I will let this guy say that! 

"I mean, five people around her have had, have been given immunity to include her chief of staff," Flynn told NBC's "Meet the Press" in a September 2016 interview, referring to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's email controversy. "When you are given immunity, that means you have probably committed a crime."


 Maybe The Donald does not exactly only "hire the best people" after all.  

We tried to reach out to The Donald for a comment, but he was too busy trying to explain to a women's empowerment group, who Susan B Anthony was.   Honestly!



No one will ever accuse The Donald of being someone who respects women, or of being a Historian for that matter. 

As an optimist, I like to always point out the positive.   Things could be worse than being part of The Donald's team, you could live in deep red state Georgia where (surprise surprise) the highways are crumbling and on fire.    





Monday, March 27, 2017

A Turkey In West Bend And For Once It Wasn't Owen Robinson

My mind automatically goes to Owen Robinson whenever I hear the words turkey and West Bend in the same sentence.  For once, it wasn't him:
On Sunday afternoon, residents of a home in the Town of West Bend heard a "commotion" from inside an upstairs bedroom.

They cracked open the door and were startled to see a turkey on the bed.

The homeowners called sheriff's deputies, who arrived five minutes later to find the turkey "destroying" the bedroom, according to a popular post on the department's Facebook page.

The turkey had broken through a second-story window. Deputies had a "plan to safely take the bird into custody without knocking the stuffing out of it," wrapped the bird in a blanket and took it outside.

"Although the deputies suspected fowl play, the turkey was released from custody with no charges," officials joked in the Facebook post.
Then again, on second thought, maybe it was.

Paul Ryan's Freudian Slip Is No Slip

He means it, folks:


Constitution Interrupted

By Chris Taylor 



 After the 2010 tea party takeover of Wisconsin, it became clear that the real force behind policymaking in Wisconsin is not the voters, but the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the most powerful right-wing policy-making machine in the country.  A ménage a trois of powerful corporations, state legislators, and right-wing think tanks, ALEC pushes out model legislation that promotes corporate hegemony.

I know because I am a Wisconsin legislator, and a member of ALEC. 

For the last six years, the ALEC agenda has rolled through Republican state houses - including mine - crushing labor unions and workers’ rights, voting rights, consumer and environmental protections, and campaign finance reforms. And now, ALEC, their funders and partners, are leading the effort to amend the U.S. Constitution to kneecap the federal government.

At my first ALEC conference in 2013, Citizens for Self-Governance (CSG) rolled out the “Convention of States” campaign. Their scheme was to get 34 states to pass resolutions calling for an Article V Convention of States, provided for in the U.S. Constitution, in order to propose constitutional amendments that severely limit the government’s ability to regulate and spend. CSG’s Mark Meckler, founder of the Tea Party Patriots, and his colleague Michael Farris railed against the federal government, civil rights, and social safety nets.  Meckler proselytized like a preacher at a church revival, exhorting us to use our power as state legislators to save the country and join their movement, for which we would be handsomely rewarded with bundled campaign contributions and grassroots support. We were given a model Article V constitutional convention resolution, urged to save the Republic, and sent on our way.

One of my Republican colleagues was sitting several rows in front of me, and I knew then this effort would come to Wisconsin.  His resolution, which would make Wisconsin the 30th state calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose a balanced budget amendment, will soon be considered by the Wisconsin legislature.

ALEC is a driving force behind this austerity movement, supplying model bills, “how to” books, and support for pro-amendment groups.

The last time we had a Constitutional Convention, George Washington served as chair. This is a high-stakes process.  The convention can amend the Constitution in any way it sees fit, and can write its own rules.  In a hyper-partisan environment, most convention delegates would be chosen by Republican legislatures.  The only safeguard is that three quarters of states must ratify any proposed amendment.

After CSG’s presentation, a representative from the right-wing Madison Coalition asked about my thoughts on such an effort. I told him I didn’t think people would go for it.  He replied that because Republicans controlled so many state governments and the corporations pushing these changes had unlimited money to spend, they didn’t really need the people.

That sums up ALEC.  ALEC’s drive to amend our constitution has nothing to do with actual people and everything to do with their big corporate backers.  They want to stop the federal government from protecting our environment, giving workers a voice at the table, paying fair wages, and giving the economy a boost during recessions.  To them, government is not about the people, but the most powerful doing what they want, when they want, and to whom they want.

As I left that first Convention of States meeting, I was asked by a young, enthusiastic ALEC staffer whether I was “ready fight the fight with us?”  Indeed, we must be ready to fight.   


Office of Representative Chris Taylor
306 West – (608) 266-5342
PO Box 8953

Madison, WI  53708

Friday, March 24, 2017

Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick & The American Dream

By Jeff Simpson



The Donald recently did what he seems to do best, bleed his supporters for money, to add to his personal bank account.   See the Donald keeps holding campaign rallies despite the fact that the campaign is over.   This is done for a couple reasons.  1 all money raised can then be sent to his campaign fund and 2. not being an official government function he can have more control over information given and with whom.  


However something of note happened at the Kentucky rally.  The Commander-in-Chief of the United States, the most powerful individual in the world, the leader of 325 million people, addressed a major issue that has been bothering him.    No it was not hunger, unemployment, poverty, ISIS, student loan debt, our crumbling infrastructure, racism, global climate change, the horrors of Syria, the possible infiltration of Russia in his administration and our election?   Ummmm NO.

Those issues were not on The Donalds radar...this was:


With all of the pressing issues facing our world today, The Donald decided what was most important thing to address was to gloat that a black quarterback in the NFL is currently unemployed.  Sure Mr. Kaepernick is well known for silently taking a knee during the national anthem as a protest for how African Americans are treated in the US.

That led this guy to call Kaepernick Unamerican:


The reason Kaepernick does not have a job yet, is because he is asking for starters money and will have to go somewhere to be a back up but facts have never been of much interest to the Donald.  

Instead, while Kaepernick job hunts he is doing something that the Donald has never been able to do in his 70 years on this planet - rise above the bullshit.  


While Trump continues to prove he is way over his head and childish, Colin Kaepernick keeps living the life that all Americans should aspire too.  

Is the American dream to be able to gloat when others face hard times and brag about your supposed advanatages or is it to go about your business, and help others when you have the ability to do so?  

I would say that I wish we could get them to change places but I doubt The Donald has enough talent to do much of anything, but make a living threatening to sue small businesses.

It is going to be a long four years!  


Thursday, March 23, 2017

Christian Schneider's Twaddle

By Jeff Simpson



Christian Schneider, the Bradley foundations implant into the Journal Sentinel, was recently lauded for writing a column about how crazy right wing Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is.

Unfortunately, the kudos were misplaced.   Christian Schneider and his dopplegangers like Charley Sykes, Vicki Mckenna, etc... are responsible for him being in the position he is in.  Which we will get back to later, first I want to give him credit where credit is due.

Schneider, as the ultimate Republican Party insider, let some truth accidentally slip into his column:

Politicians often need permission to talk a certain way — in the GOP's more conservative years, Paul Ryan gave Republicans permission to talk about reforming Social Security and Medicare without committing political suicide. After former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley condemned her state's connection to the Confederate flag, the dam burst and other Republicans followed.

You mean the GOP electeds are all lemmings and are not allowed independent thoughts or actions?  Who knew?  

In a first on CogDis I would like to congratulate Mr. Schneider for telling the truth and letting us get a glimpse inside Republican war rooms.  

That being said, let's go back to Sheriff Cowboy hat.     Our readers know that we have covered the traveling Sheriff numerous times right here and here among others.   The last thing I would ever do is compliment the Fox News Sheriff.

However many of our friends on the right used to shower him with compliments!

In Clarke's last race against Chris Moews, he squeeked out a victory, by a razor thing margin and had tons of free airplay and a bunch of white suburban voters who were doing what they were told by the one and only Charley Sykes.

They also greatly elevated interest in the race, helping conservative talk radio hosts Mark Belling and Charlie Sykes in their successful effort urging Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary and support Clarke.
Now there is a concerted efforts by the so-called "never trumpers" to take down Sheriff Clarke, not because of his idiotic tendencies, perpetual travel or complete incompetence, but because he has a huge man crush on The Donald(whom they also helped create)

Can we please, please, please, stop giving the right wing Wisconsin cabal credit for trying to rewrite their own history and wash their hands of the mess they made?  

These guys set the whole village on fire and are now pretending they have never played with matches!


College Dropout Governor Who Doesn't Govern, Calls Professors Lazy!

By Jeff Simpson



Some things you just never see coming, and you can not make up.  This is most definitely one of them,.

Scott Walker, who dropped out of college midway through, and somehow found himself Governor of Wisconsin,.has found out he does not much like actually governing.  Walker has found that fundraising and scoring political points to cash in later is much more appealing.

He is currently chair of the Republican Governors Association(RGA), where he travels the country and helps elect Republicans to Governorships.  This, of course, means he gets to spread around resources to where they will best help his own career when he runs for President again.   Which is all fine, except rumor has it he actually has a full time job.

Let's not stop there.  Last year, after winning re-election(and promising not to do so), had a chat with God(supposedly) and decided he was being called to run for President of the United States.  While running for President, and collecting his full time pay and Cadillac benefits, worked a max of 48 minutes a day.

Apparently he did not listen very well to God, because after months of campaigning(and not working) and blowing through over ten million dollars, Scott Walker returned to Wisconsin, dropped out of the race and earned himself a solid 0.0 rating amongst Republicans.

Now Scott Walker has decided that Professors at our world class university system are not working hard enough, and will punish anyone who does not teach more classes!

But wait, There's more!!

Scott Walker put this in his latest budget and sent it to a GOP led legislature that works a few weeks a year, and gets a full time salary and benefits package! 

These three groups are going to get together, when they can find the time, to debate how lazy college professors are!

UW system spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said professors who focus on research can bring millions of dollars to the states, noting that Wisconsin students, faculty and staff secure more than 150 patents on new products and discoveries annually.
"My whole reputation is research," said Laura Albert McLay, a UW-Madison associate engineering professor who specializes in improving efficiency. "The university wouldn't run if we spent all our time teaching."
She estimated that she put in about 50 hours in a recent workweek, with about half of that time spent teaching or helping students in her classes. The rest of her time is typically taken up with tenure and diversity committees and research with graduate students. Their projects have included developing mathematical models to help doctors prioritize patients and technology workers better protect their infrastructure.
Walker is trying to make college more affordable, she said, "but it's important to have a real understanding of what professors do and what their lives are like. If a plan like this isn't executed well, people will leave. There will be an exodus."


Of course, the idea of an investment in our future is something that is a foreign concept o our friends on the right.  The question you have to ask yourselves is, with 150 patents yearly,and such life changing inventions as Social Security, the round silo, the bone marrow transplant and maybe one of the biggest inventions of all - tap beer, all here for us as a result of the University of Wisconsin system.  Are we as a society, willing to forego life changing research, to appease a few people, in an anti-intellectual, extremist base, who have never stepped foot on(or were forced to leave early), a college campus?



Tuesday, March 21, 2017

An Economy that Works for Everyone

By Chris Taylor 



Last fall, I had the opportunity to travel across Wisconsin.  No matter where I went, I found stagnant wages, underemployment and was confronted with a growing sentiment that our economic system is rigged against hardworking Wisconsinites.  It’s easy to see why.

Over the last three decades, the average incomes for Wisconsin’s top 1 percent have increased by 120 percent, yet the incomes of the remaining 99 percent grew by just 4 percent (Pulling Apart 2016, by the Wisconsin Budget Project and COWS).  Not only are middle income people paying the largest percentage of their income of any group in state and local taxes (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy), but the number of Wisconsin middle income families is declining faster in Wisconsin than any state in the nation (Pew Charitable Trust).

Wisconsin’s economic system is rigged to benefit those at the top and one need not look further than the Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit beloved by Governor Walker and legislative Republicans.  The biggest corporate tax giveaway in Wisconsin history, this corporate handout is projected to cost more than $650 million over the next biennium, with 88 percent of this tax giveaway going to individuals making more than $500,000.  11 millionaires, making more than $35 million each, will receive nearly $22 million in tax breaks, funded by your tax dollars.  Despite claims that this drives economic development, recipients are not required to create one single job and can even outsource jobs!  In fact, Wisconsin had roughly 4,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in September 2016 than September 2015.

While Wisconsin’s wealthy continue to receive bountiful handouts, most other working families continue to struggle, working harder and harder just to get by. This is why last week I joined several of my Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that provides Wisconsin’s middle income families with the raise they need.

Combined with instituting a millionaire’s tax on families making more than $1,000,000, we take the money Republicans want to send to Wisconsin’s wealthy and we instead give a tax break to the low and middle class families who need it the most.  Our tax cut is targeted to individuals earning between $12,000 and $60,000, and married couples making between $20,000 and $100,000, with the average family of four earning an annual income of $45,000 receiving a $607 tax break.  From needed car maintenance to additional extracurricular programs for the kids – we know Wisconsin families benefitting from our tax cuts will reinvest this money in Wisconsin’s economy.  A thriving middle class isn’t just the result of a strong economy – a strong middle class builds a strong economy.  This proposal puts more money into the pockets of Wisconsin’s families, which means more money in our local economy.

To the hard working families of Wisconsin—we hear you. We understand the struggles you face every day.  We are committed to doing everything we can to give you a needed raise and to build an economy that works for you, not just those at the top.

Office of Representative Chris Taylor
306 West – (608) 266-5342
PO Box 8953

Madison, WI  53708

Watch Scott Walker Eat

By Jeff Simpson 

Recently, Samantha Bee did a whole segment on Scott Walker and his creepy obsession with food.   




We already knew how much Scott Walker likes to drink beer and spend money like a drunken sailor.  
Now Samantha Bee took it a step further and painstakingly combed through Walker's tweets to see the numerous pictures of ham sandwiches and desserts.   

Despite his tweets being made fun of universally, there is no amount of shame that can stop Scott Walker from attempting to be one of the "cool kids".   

Now he was drinking some Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and God knows what else before watching the Badgers Basketball 


Pre-game at Jackson's with Tonette, Matt & Alex.

 


Maybe under the new GOP plan of bold reforms we can all adopt seniors and drop off doggy bags of half eaten foods to take the place of Meals on Wheels.  

Of course Captain Panderer also wants to let Marquette fans know that he can get drunk during your games also! 

Sharing a drink & pizza with my sons before the game.
Apparently, Miller Lite is not strong enough for the kids, so they are going straight Bourbon. Hopefully it is made in Wisconsin.
Thank Goodness for Scott Walker's kidneys that UW-Milwaukee did not win their title game and make the tournament also.   
By the way if you think all Governor Walker does is drink? That is because, being the good Christian he is, he gave up sweets for Lent, and he needs something to cover for his sweet tooth!

Banana Cream Pie on before I give up sweets for Lent.


If that picture does not keep you up at night, nothing will!

Of course we wont be able to get treated to the pleasure of Scott Walker drinking and stuffing his face from the stalwart of Halverson's Supper Club in Stoughton. since they shut their doors last weekend after 90 years in business!  

Ut sure isn't working but at ;least Scott Walker gets plenty to eat and drink!    





Monday, March 20, 2017

Broadband Expansion: Rural Wisconsin Needs the Real Deal

By Kathleen Vinehout



"All we seek is help to get the basic broadband services that you all take for granted,” Justin Fortney from Clifton Township in Pierce County wrote to me. “It has been frustrating for us families to watch the digital revolution pass us by…We often…pack the family into the car and drive to a relative’s house or commercial business to use their Internet.”

According to the federal government’s most recent information, Wisconsin ranks last in the Midwest in both rural and urban broadband access with only 44% of rural folks accessing download speeds of 25 Mbps.

Both federal and state governments responded with grant programs to expand broadband but there are problems with assuring that residents actually receive the promised services.

With much fanfare, Governor Walker recently announced his plan to add money for broadband to schools and rural areas. Later, Senator Marklein released a different bill. The Senator’s bill was voted out of his rural affairs committee and is headed for final passage soon.

Sen. Marklein’s bill is false advertising. The bill is neither “rural” nor “broadband.” As now written, nearly every Wisconsin county would be eligible for expansion grants. “Broadband” for awardees is defined at the “turtle-slow” speed of 5 Mbps download and .6 Mbps upload. In addition, such a paltry amount of money is used for grants that would not cover my small rural county with broadband even if we used all the statewide funds.

More problems exist with the federal grant programs.

Mr. Fortney described the problem in his email. He refers to one federal program known as “CAF-II.”

“Our area is CAF-II Subsidized Area, but still no Internet. These limited funds are being used by the…company to further increase the speed of areas that already have broadband.” Mr. Fortney described how both large companies near him said they have no plans to provide services to him. Yet both companies received large grants to expand broadband.

The two large companied mentioned by Mr. Fortney sent representatives to a community meeting I attended last year. Neither company would commit to expanding service in Pierce County. In the words of one company representative, “I don’t want to promise you fiber where fiber is not going to come…It’s not a great business investment to put in copper or fiber,” and “We’re not going to go trenching through a bluff…[we are looking for] where can we grab the low hanging fruit.”

What can Wisconsin do if these large companies do not intend to use federal dollars to bring the 21st Century to rural Wisconsin?

First, we should agree on WHAT IS broadband. The federal definition – 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload is a good place to start. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 49 (the bill speeding for hasty passage) will award grants to those providing much less.

Second, money for “Rural” broadband should go to rural areas. Senate Bill 49 – and the current state grant program – makes nearly the entire state eligible for awards. The Public Service Commission has broad latitude to send the money to just about any county in the state. This should change.

Third, Wisconsin must invest enough money to actually make a difference in the problem. To date, the state awarded 42 grants totaling approximately $3.9 million. This money is not enough to provide broadband for just my small home county. In comparison, Minnesota appropriated $65.5 million and Governor Dayton is proposing spending another $100 million.

Finally, Wisconsin should independently verify that companies keep their promises to the state (in their grant applications) and to consumers. I frequently hear of companies promising one speed and delivering another, of broadband maps that show an area as served and it is not, and of companies using poor service in an area to apply for a grant and then not delivering services to the neighbors.


Broadband is the 21st Century equivalent of electricity. Someday most of us may plan a visit to a rural area or are going to need to contact someone in a rural area. All of us are going to eat something grown in a rural area and these days you need broadband for farming. We need to make sure the promised “Rural Broadband” bill is the Real Deal for rural Wisconsin.

Clarke Issues Threat Against Milwaukee Mayor Barrett

On Thursday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett ripped into Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke regarding Clarke's misplaced priorities:
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett mocked Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. as an absentee sheriff focused on his conservative television career instead of public safety.

"I think he's got a great gig going right now. He's fightin' crime one conservative cable TV show at a time," Barrett said Wednesday during an interview with Wisconsin Eye and the Journal Sentinel. "He's made a great name for himself, I think, as the darling of the conservative cable network. I think he can make a ton of money doing that."
Clarke offered a surprisingly tame response to Barrett's comments.

Well, he was at first, anyway.

On Friday, perhaps after celebrating with a few green beers, Clarke took to the official Facebook page of the Sheriff's Office to have his tantrum:
Comment from Sheriff Clarke in response to Barrett’s recent remarks about the sheriff:
“The last time Tom Barrett showed up at a crime scene he got his ass kicked by a drunk, tire-iron-wielding man who beat him within inches of his life. The milquetoast mayor trying to play cop foolishly thought he could simply talk the man who beat him senseless into backing down. Bet he won't try that again!

Timid Tom should leave policing to the professionals like me, and stick to coming up with a plan to reduce the violence, carjackings, random shootings that leave children dead, and the burglary ring currently plaguing the north side of Milwaukee. After that, he can come up with an action plan to reduce Milwaukee's growing poverty, failing schools, infant mortality rate and joblessness.

All of these urban pathologies have occurred under his watch. Former Mayor John Norquist handed him a pretty good city. Barrett has Milwaukee circling the drain with no end in sight. The only plan he has is to ask for more money, blame guns, and blame Gov. Walker and the GOP in Madison. Whoever told Barrett it was a good idea to come out of hiding and take shots at me gave him some bad advice. I will give Tom "Mr. Peepers" Barrett this much credit however - he would know what a crime scene looks like because Milwaukee is full of them. If you had to call for help, who would you rather see show up, me or timid Tom? Time to crawl back into your hole Tom, unless you want some more of this because I have some.”
The incident with Barrett that Clarke is referring to is the one in which Barrett came upon a man that was threatening his ex-girlfriend's mother, who was shielding his own son from him. Barrett intervened immediately and even broke his hand punching the drunken bully in the face.

Barrett's office replied that Clarke was hitting a new low:
Patrick Curley, chief of staff to Barrett, said the sheriff had crossed a line with his Facebook post.

“To dismiss and to minimize the actions the mayor took to protect the lives of a woman and child is unconscionable and a sad and true reflection of the sheriff himself," Curley said. "David Clarke can find no new lows, no new depths to sink to.”
Clarke would have been much better to keep his big mouth shut.

Clarke, who rarely goes even to the bathroom with a small platoon of deputies to act as bodyguards and babysitters, doesn't know what to do when he comes across a crime scene.

In 2008, Clarke found a drunk driver stuck in a snow bank. Instead of arresting the guy, Clarke proceeded to try to help the drunk driver get unstuck. It wasn't until a deputy showed up that any real law enforcement took place:
Clarke, the first cop at the scene, instantly moved into helper mode. First, he tried to push and then pull Allen's vehicle out of the snow bank. But even with the help of another motorist, Clarke couldn't get Allen and his Ford Taurus back on the road.

That's when the second officer arrived.

Deputy Sandra Santoro did what any good cop should have done from the start.

Santoro ran a check on the driver and found that his license was suspended. She then sized up Allen, noticing his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that he reeked of alcohol. Visible inside his car were two empty beer bottles, one empty beer can and an open beer can, still three-quarters full.

"I'm not gonna lie to you," Allen told Santoro, according to her police report. "I was drinking. I had a few beers. I knew I was busted when you guys came.

"I almost got away with it."

As it turned out, Allen's blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. The 43-year-old driver later pleaded no contest to drunken driving, agreeing to pay a $764 fine.
Clarke then refused to do his duty by writing a report on the incident. Furthermore, he went on to discipline the deputy for making him look bad because he didn't know what to do with a drunk driver.

Before Clarke gets on any more squawk shows, maybe he should go back and take some remedial law enforcement classes. Then maybe, just maybe, spend some time in Milwaukee doing his job.

On second thought, it would be better overall just to vote him out next year. Then he can going on ranting to his heart's content.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Woo Hoo! Party Like It's 1939!


I came across this invitation for a party in the Northwoods of Wisconsin on Facebook:
THIS SUNDAY-TOMORROW!! KIM SIMAC-Northwoods Patriots & Concerned Women For America is our Keynote Speaker! Jeffrey Mursau, our 36th District Assemblyman will share what's happening in the WI State Legislature and Judge Robert Kennedy Jr. will speak about the President's Immigration Ban. There will also be Raffles & good food! Come and help us Celebrate this time in our history.
There is so much wrong with this short paragraph that it'll never be right.

First off, there is the irony of a judge named Robert Kennedy speaking at such an event.

Long time readers of Cog Dis might remember Kim Simac's name. She is teabagger that ran for office during the recall election against Democratic Wisconsin State Senator Jim Holperin. During her brief run, we learned that she doesn't like to pay taxes and can't spell worth a damn. We also learned that despite her poor spelling, she did write a pro-gun children's book called, "With My Rifle By My Side."

But the biggest question in my mind is what the hell are thy celebrating? The attacks on people for their skin color, their religion, their gender and/or their sexual orientation? That's not really a time in our history. It's more like a nightmarish reenactment of 1939 Nazi Germany.

Maybe they're celebrating the fact that a great many of them - the dairy farmers - are suffering under Trump's repeated attempts at an immigration ban:
Now living with their two young children on a Pepin County dairy farm in northwestern Wisconsin where Manuel works, the couple — who asked that their real names not be used because of their immigration status — are making plans to leave their life in America’s Dairyland and go back across the border, much sooner than they had expected.

They are among the estimated 51 percent of all dairy workers in the United States who are immigrants. A significant portion — more than three-fourths of the workers at some dairy farms according to workers, farmers and industry experts — are undocumented after entering the country illegally or overstaying visas.

Like the Jiménez family, some now live in fear of deportation because of vows by President Donald Trump — who in November used a strong showing in rural areas to become thefirstRepublican presidentialcandidateto carry Wisconsin since 1984 — to crack down on undocumented immigrants. It’s unclear how many immigrants working on dairy farms in Wisconsin are here illegally.

Dairy producers in Wisconsin increasingly struggle to recruit and maintain the immigrant workforce on which the state’s $43 billion-a-year dairy industry relies, Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism found in interviews this month with farmers, workers and industry experts.

Farmers say deporting immigrants working here illegally could harm Wisconsin’s signature industry, which ranks second in the nation for milk production and first for cheese. Milking cows can be a dirty, physically demanding job that includes long, irregular work hours; farmers say few Americans are willing to do it.
Or maybe their celebrating that even more of them are going to go bankrupt before succumbing to any major illness, thanks to Ryancare (or Trumpcare, if you prefer):
No congressional district in Wisconsin delivered a bigger victory margin for Donald Trump last fall (20 points) than the rural northern one represented by Republican Sean Duffy.

But by one key measure, no district in Wisconsin would lose more health care aid under the GOP plan to replace Obamacare.

Wisconsin is part of a national pattern in which the Obamacare enrollees who appear to be hit the hardest by the Republican plan fit the demographic and geographic profile of Trump’s political base.

These enrollees are in their 50s and early 60s. Trump won that group by 15 points in Wisconsin, according to exit polling.

And they disproportionately live in rural areas that voted for Trump and are represented by Republicans in Congress.
Being this kind of stupid has gotta be a pre-existing condition, so they wouldn't have been covered on that under Ryancare anyway.

But try as I might, I cannot fathom that much hatred, racism and bigotry that one would be willing to celebrate their own demise because of it.

Waukesha School DIstrict Tackles Le'veon Bell

By Jeff Simpson



The Wonderful City of Waukesha!   We have pointed out before, that while Waukesha seems to currently be running our state, that is NOT a good thing!  

Well, Waukesha is at it again, this time via their local school district.

Ava Tarantino, a local high school junior is (for some reason) a major Pittsburgh Steelers fan and by default a fan of their best player Le'Veon Bell. 

One of the benefits of this era of social media, is you are a computer keyboard away from contacting your heroes.    Ms. Tarantino did just that and reached out via twitter!

 
600 & it's a deal


Ms, Tarantino ended up with over 1500 retweets and as Mr, Bell put it: 

welllll, a deal is a deal ......see youu at your prom 😊
 
A deal is a deal and all is well that ends well.  A local junior asks her celebrity hero to her junior prom, he says yes and she gets to have one of the most memorable experiences of her lifetime.  
A quick disclaimer, Mr. Bell, obviously posted 600 retweets without truly thinking it through and once he did, decided he would live up to his deal and enjoy the moment.   Mr. Bell had already made plans to bring his mother with him and his fiance was going to join him also and do Ms. Tarantino's makeup.   

What a great experience and fun for all.   Including the rest of the attendees of Prom who can say they were at the same Prom as an NFL Superstar.   



Waukesha School District spokeswoman Terry Schuster said Bell could attend the public events with 17-year-old Waukesha West junior Ava Tarantino, but she said district policy bars from the dance guests who have been involved in drug, alcohol or violent criminal incidents.
"You can Google Mr. Bell," Schuster said, an apparent allusion to the 2014 incident that earned Bell a two-game suspension. District policy also bars guests who are older than 19.
Bell, 25, has completed his probation program related to those transgressions. He’s also served not one but two suspensions related to the incident. (He missed time in early 2016 after missing subsequent drug tests.)

 While Ms. Schuster's "google him" comment, was incredibly unprofessional, I decided to take her up on that!

A quick google search tells me that you allowed Wild Bill Kramer to visit an elementary class of all places!  

Ok I get it, he was a predator who was finally jailed for his actions, but he was your elected rep, so you let him around the kids.  Hopefully someone was with him at all times!

Maybe it is the fact that it is a high profile athlete with a well publicized past that makes you nervous in terms of the publicity you would receive by his being involved at your school.

Well a quick check of the "google" look what I found!

Mark Chmura, a former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl tight end and now the tight ends coach at Waukesha West,
I guess a city that voted overwhelmingly for this guy, does not find sexual assault to be as egregious as smoking marijuana.  

Or perhaps there is a difference that is causing the change of heart that I just can not see:



















Nah! Couldn't be.   

Support Ms Tarantino in having a memorable Prom with people doing good deeds not one where she remembers the paranoia!  

Contact the school and tell them to stop blocking Le'veon Bell! 


Gray, ToddSuperintendent
Lindholm Administration Building
(262) 970-1010tgray@waukesha.k12.wi.us
And the School Board!  
  • Barbara Brzenk Photo

    Barbara Brzenk, Vice President

    1903B Springbrook North
    Waukesha, WI 53186
    (262) 896-0956
    E-Mail Address: bbrzenk@waukesha.k12.wi.us

    Term Expires: 2017

  • Photo of William Baumgart

    William Baumgart

    612 Elk Lane
    Waukesha, WI 53188
    (262) 547-2854
    E-Mail Address: wbaumgar@waukesha.k12.wi.us

    Term Expires: 2019

  • Joe Como Photo

    Joseph Como, Jr., President

    331 S. Greenfield Avenue
    Waukesha, WI 53186
    (262) 524-8639
    E-Mail Address: jcomo@waukesha.k12.wi.us

    Term Expires: 2017

  • Greg Deets

    612 Minaka Dr
    Waukesha, WI 53186
    (262) 544-9715
    E-Mail Address: gdeets@waukesha.k12.wi.us

    Term Expires: 2019

  • Patricia Madden Photo

    Patricia Madden, Clerk

    317 Cheviot Chase, #2
    Waukesha, WI 53186
    (262) 896-1744
    E-Mail Address: pmadden@waukesha.k12.wi.us

    Term Expires: 2018

    • Patrick McCaffery

      Patrick McCaffery

      1010 Belmont Drive
      Waukesha, WI 53186
      (262) 524-8254
      E-Mail Address: pmccaffe@waukesha.k12.wi.us

      Term Expires: 2018

    • Kurt O'Bryan Photo

      Kurt O'Bryan, Treasurer

      W251 S4439 Oakview Dr.
      Waukesha, WI 53189
      (262) 549-6439
      Email Address: kobryan@waukesha.k12.wi.us

      Term Expires: 2018

    • Karin Rajnicek Photo

      Karin Rajnicek

      W220 S3864 Crestview Dr.
      Waukesha, WI 53189
      (262) 574-7677      
      Email Address:krajnice@waukesha.k12.wi.us

      Term Expires: 2017

    • Amanda Roddy

      100 E Main Street, #206
      Waukesha, WI 53186
      (262) 470-0058
      E-Mail Address: aroddy@waukesha.k12.wi.us

      Term Expires: 2019