Curmudgeon's Corner

Nicole Sell...

What a miracle this 16 year old's recovery from a gunshot wound to the head is to behold.  It is nothing short of an act of God that she continues to live with us in this place.

I hope the sheriff's department will be relentless in its efforts to locate the person or persons responsible for this near-tragedy.  Someone knows something, as is almost always the case.  That someone needs to step forward and enable the authorities to close the file on this case.

Kenneth Rogers...

The new superintendent of Germantown Schools will take his new position on July 1st.  Now the superintendent of the Eleva-Strum Schools, he'll be moving to our community soon.  Welcome Mr. Superintendent.

I hope you will be able to work closely with the elected school board members while you breathe new ideas and approaches into our district.

Allan Kehl...

Another politician gets caught with his hand out, and has entered guilty pleas to federal charges that he took $15,000 from Dennis Troha of Kenosha.  Worse yet is the fact that Kehl is the former Kenosha County Sheriff.  He maintains, of course, that this money didn't influence his thoughts about the gaming casino Troha was trying to get established.  Sure Allan, we believe you...sure we do.

Newsweek...

We can all relax now that Newsweek has declared the debate on global warming to be over.  Here I was thinking that an honest, earnest debate had yet to begin on the subject, but I must've been wrong.

Certainly this liberal bastion of a magazine couldn't have misinterpreted all the evidence.  Oh, that's right...we really don't have any hard evidence yet do we?

Charles Krauthammer has a great column in the Journal Sentinel this morning if you're interested.

A name familiar to many Germantown people will become even more familiar.  Jason LeSage, a two-term Germantown school board member has filed as a Republican in the race for the 24th Assembly district seat.

In reading his press release, it appears we may have a choice between two conservative thinkers.  LeSage indicates that he favors lower taxes, fewer regulations and reduced government spending.

He also has agreed to participate in our 'debate' with Randy Melchert; as a matter of fact, he offered to participate since he claims to be a reader.  That may be the only soft spot we'll find in him :-)

He was an intern in Senator Alberta Darling's office, and holds a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from UW-Milwaukee.

We welcome Jason to the race and look forward to getting to know him and Randy Melchert better over the next few weeks and months.  I had actually wondered 'out loud' about Jason LeSage as a possible candidate over a cup of coffee with a friend the other day.

Will we find a Democrat candidate before this is all over?

It has just dawned on me that the 'something' that seemed to be missing from the Memorial Day tableau was the American Flags that used to fly for this holiday/day of remembrance on the village light poles and utility poles.

My recollection is that they used to be in place for Memorial Day and flew through the July 4th holiday period before being taken down and stored away for the next year.

What happened to our flags?  Is this being done as a cost-cutting move?  Is this simply being done because someone thought it unnecessary?  Are the flags in such a state of disrepair that they can't be flown?

A few days ago I asked the rhetorical question about Germantown changing.

This seems another example of the subtle changes going on in the village.  I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about this change.  I confess that I cannot remember if this same thing happened last year.

We are supposedly one of the best thirty places places to live, but this kind of oversight, whether intentional or unintentional, seems to belie that honor. 

Our flag has been sufficiently desecrated by those who do not see the need to honor it as was always the case in our earlier years.  To miss or avoid the opportunity to fly flags on such holidays seems wrong to me.

If we could look into the future and learn the outcome of our decisions before we implemented those decisions, would we do so?  If we did see the outcome, would we persist even if the outcome was not desirable?

We have just that opportunity, as a state, before us today.  We can see the outcome of following the path we've been following and we can see it in time to avert the same consequences...if we are willing to do so.  The Wall Street Journal offered us the opportunity this morning.

Michigan is the example.  Tax increases are the path that was followed.  Dire consequences are the result.

Governor Granholm, a second-term Democrat, shut her state down last year until she got her wish of increased taxes.  Her tax increases were supposed to raise another $1.3 Billion in new revenue that Michigan could 'invest' in social programs, and to lure new businesses to the state.

The outcome isn't what she envisioned.  Michigan's revenue is down by one-third from what had been expected.  Tax collections are falling further and further behind as people lose jobs and as property values fall.  Michigan is actually in a recession unlike what the mainstream media would have you believe about the country as a whole.  Of course, Michigan's Governor blames everything but her tax hikes for this dilemma.

Michigan's unemployment rate is now at 6.9% far ahead of the country and its neighboring states.  Michigan ranks 4th in the country in terms of declining property values for homes.  Two families leave the state for every one family that moves in (which is virtually what is now happening in Wisconsin).

The only thing enjoying growth in Michigan today is government according to the WSJ editorial.

If even more convincing is necessary, just take a look at Texas.  Texas has been following the opposite course and has arguably the most vibrant economy in our country today.  New businesses are streaming into Texas and unemployment rates are less than 4%.  Tax rates have been reduced and good things follow.

So, we do have the opportunity to look into the future and see the outcome for Wisconsin...if we're willing to do so and if we're smart enough to believe what we see.

Our state's elected officials need to pay attention, and they need to pay attention from this day forward if we are to avoid the same future.  We must cut spending.  We cannot mortgage our future by borrowing money like there's no tomorrow...if that continues, there may not be a tomorrow, at least not a fiscally-sound and affordable tomorrow. 

Wisconsin is in the midst of its own budget woes; we watched the 'special session' that was called to deal with those issues.  There was actually nothing 'special' about those sessions.  When Governor Doyle seems a better tax cutter than the Republicans, then there was nothing 'special' about the session.

This started with the headline, "If We Could Look Into The Future, Would We?"  I fear that the answer is no, unless us citizens begin to demand different outcomes.

The third edition will begin with Rep. Wasserman's response since Senator Darling batted lead-off last edition:

Do you support the right of properly-trained and screened citizens to carry a concealed weapon?  If so, why and if not, why not?

Rep. Wasserman: 

The devil is in the details on this one.  Our Constitution protects the right to bear arms.  We also have a State Supreme Court ruling upholding the right to protect ourselves in our homes and our businesses.

Logically there must be some way of transporting guns in between these two places.  I feel very strongly that we could have passed a bill, but the last couple of times we voted on concealed carry, extremists on both sides of the issue refused to compromise.

Sen. Darling:

Yes.  The concealed carry bill debated in the legislature last session would have permitted individuals to carry a concealed weapon only after passing a criminal background check and completing a training and safety course.

One under-appreciated aspect of this debate is the 2003 ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Wisconsin v. Hamdan.  In that decision, the court ruled that a business owner had a constitutional right to have a concealed weapon at his business for his protection and defense.

Understanding that there are likely to be additional challenges to the current law banning concealed weapons, the Court asked the legislature "to consider the possibility of a licensing or permit system for persons who have a good reason to carry a concealed weapon."

Without that system, additional court decisions striking down the ban on concealed carry may ironically lead to what opponents of the bill fear most - the ability for anyone to carry a concealed weapon anywhere in Wisconsin, with no limits on eligibility, no requirements for safety or training and no registration.

Still, I would not support this bill if the result would be an increase in public incidents of violence.  Fortunately, we can look to the experiences of 48 other states that already have concealed carry laws (with millions of permit holders over many decades) that have not seen licensees contribute to increased levels of gun violence.  Rather, as a group, permit holders have proven to be remarkably law-abiding.  I find it particularly telling that no state has ever repealed its concealed carry law, which speaks to the fact that the safeguards inherent in these permitting systems work as intended.  I do not expect that Wisconsin permit holders would be any less responsible or trustworthy.

* * * * * * * * * *

A. What would you do to cause technical colleges to be more responsive to the taxpayer?   B. And, do you support Germantown's expected petition to move from the MATC tax district to either the MPTC or WCTC districts?

Rep. Wasserman:

A. I support legislation to make technical college board members elected, not appointed.  Local elected representation is critical.  Any board that gets to levy a tax should be accountable to the taxpayers.

B. I've long been a supporter of local control.  Madison doesn't always know best, and if I wanted to be a local official making local decisions, I would run for local office.  And as with membership of technical college boards, this should be a local decision.

Sen. Darling:

A. I would make technical college board members elected officials.  Unelected technical college boards are one of the last few entities with the authority to tax without any direct accountability to taxpayers.  Members of technical college boards are named through a convoluted appointment process that sets aside seats based on race, gender and employer.  These unelected technical college boards have lately been approving property tax hikes that vastly outpace the tax growth of other local governments who, not coincidentally, are run by elected officials.

That is why I introduced a bipartisan bill that would end the insulating appointment process for technical college board membership and replace it with an election process similar to most other local government positions.  The rationale is simple.  I believe technical college board members would feel more pressure to lower their taxing and spending if they had to answer directly to the voters who foot the bill.

B. Yes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once again, I want to thank both Rep. Wasserman and Sen. Darling for their participation.  We are looking for other reader questions, so please don't be bashful.

* * * * * * * * * *

One last item for today:  we have received Assembly Candidate Randy Melchert's commitment to participate in a similar 'debate' that may be a bit lopsided unless he has an opponent.  So far, there is no indication of any other activity on either the Republican or Democrat sides of the aisle.  The seat in the 24th District has long been thought to be a solid Republican seat, but one would think this might be the time that gets tested.

Since we don't know how Randy Melchert sees all the issues, it seems appropriate to have  this discussion even if he remains unopposed.

I just read the 2007 version of this Memorial Day Blog once again.  Not a lot has changed except that we may be even further polarized politically than we were a year ago.  That is to be expected when we find ourselves in the midst of presidential campaigning, fighting an economic slowdown, watching fuel and food prices escalate almost daily...and as we watch flags in our village and state being flown at half-staff.

The one thing that has stayed constant is the resolve and spirit of our fighting men and women who are posted in many countries of the world.  Those of us who would criticize the U.S. for being the 'policeman of the world' need to step back and ask themselves these questions:  If not us, whom?  If not us, where would the world be today?  If not us, where would we be today?

Can we survive and prosper in an isolationist world?  I doubt seriously that this would be possible.  We cannot rely on the United Nations to send a military contingent here and there as hot spots erupt.  We are the military contingent that gets sent wearing blue helmets.  Those other 'wanna be' world powers simply do nothing but respond in token fashion, or respond with more behind-the-scenes-political maneuvering to worsen already aggravated situations.  Russia is on its way back into the early twentieth century courtesy of Vladamir Putin and his new puppet president.

Against this backdrop, we watch as our politicians posture to take best advantage of the wind's direction that day.  They 'debate' various things, always with an eye toward whatever camera appears in the room.  They say whatever is convenient at the moment and then backfill as they trip over their words a day or a week later.

The one constant is the resolve and spirit of our fighting men and women.  That is as it has been and always will be so long as our freedom endures.

We remember those who have given their lives that we may live in freedom.  We remember those who gave limbs and sight so that we might live in freedom.  We remember young families without a dad or without a mom or a son or daughter or a brother or sister so that we might live in freedom.

When was the last time you walked up to a person wearing the uniform of one of our branches of service and thanked them for their service and their sacrifice.  Too long ago I'd wager.

We remember the more than 50,000 who gave their all in Viet Nam.  We remember Korea and World War II and World War I.  We remember those who protect us today from the spread of world terrorism, and who will again report to that theater of operations for another tour.

Please take a moment of your freedom to say a prayer for those men and women both past and present.  Please take a moment of your freedom to walk up to someone wearing the uniform of the United States military and thank them for their dedication, their bravery and their courage and their readiness in the face of every threat so far seen by our country.

And, please take a moment to let your elected officials know just how important it is to you that they continue to truly support our military; not through lip service and posing for 'holy pictures', but truly support our men and women.  These are not something akin to chess pieces that become political playthings.  These are not the illiterate and underclass of our country.  These are the best and the brightest.  These are the true defenders of our freedoms, not those who serve in some government capacity or other that too often is a hindrance rather than a help to our men and women in uniform.

Thank you!

There seems a very real sense in our community that bodes ill if the school board decides to pursue a re-vote on the same bonding issue from the spring election this fall.

Judging from the discussion that has ensued since that news was made public, whether or not formalized by the board at the time of its disclosure, the residents of the school district appear to feel very much opposed to the idea that a re-vote would follow so closely on the heels of the recent defeat.  And, they seem to be especially opposed to a re-vote on the identical bonding questions.

We are able to observe the 'test tube' that is called Hartford and what we see in that situation could easily be what we'll see in Germantown unless the school board steps to the plate with a different approach.  Even though the board used the services of a communications consultant, the communication seemed to be unidirectional.  The district voters' response was this: "you talk to us but you don't seem to listen to us".  That may be an over-simplification, but that is the essence of the problem today.  In Hartford, now, when the real damage is done, the board seems to have realized that it might need to reach out and learn why.  That may well be 'too little, too late' and that will be a shame because there are undoubtedly needs.

If the voters are 'given another opportunity' in the same form and in such a quick fashion, they may very well take that as an insult and seize that opportunity to really show their dissatisfaction. That will succeed in nothing more than polluting the well for a good long time to come.

There seems more a problem with feeling that the board has ignored the voters' feelings as expressed in the initial outcome, than outright opposition to anything the district wants to do.  Although, the district is getting very close to the edge of that chasm, in my opinion, and really needs to step back, reassess and reformulate its approach.  The outright distrust factor is growing and will only be overcome with earnest effort.  It will not be overcome with 'in your face' tactics...and that is what seems to be happening today. 

It seems from my vantage point that communication has been lacking.  I know that the school board hasn't taken that approach intentionally; at least I hope that has not been the case. Communication involves give and take.  It involves outreach in a form that seems more earnest than purely intended to show voters why the district is correct.  The district may well be correct, but the voters need to come to understand that.

Just as all students don't learn in the same way, all voters don't learn in the same way.  Maybe we need to slow the process a bit, engage the citizenry in other ways and have some earnest back and forth conversations.

My opinion is that a mistake was made when taxpayer money was spent on the Baird effort; it wasn't a lot of money, but it didn't sit well in the community.  I think that simply having had board members out in the community would've been better providing they were each on the same page.

We are, by all signs, involved in an oil cost run-up driven by demand being greater than supply.  It is exacerbated for us Americans because our monetary policy has seen an intentional softening of the dollar (our money is worth less than other peoples' money, so it takes more of it to buy a barrel of crude oil).  I paid $4.20 per gallon yesterday with the price of crude oil standing at about $130 +/- per barrel.  Predictions of crude oil prices of $150 per barrel or more are seen or heard regularly now.  And, the cost of oil could well be higher than that by year-end.

How did we get to this point?  We got there by congressional law making, by presidents rolling over and signing those bills, and by our country's increasing needs/demand for gasoline and diesel fuel.  Why would we permit ourselves to become part of such a quagmire?

Politics!  Politics played by those on both sides of the aisle.  Conservatives seem to have lost their voices.  Liberals never seem to lose their voices.

Laws were re-written more than thirty years ago to make it nearly impossible for a new refinery to be built.  Those were the result of congress being rolled by the environmentalists and presidents either believing the rhetoric of the day or fearing the backlash should they stand up to the rhetoric.  This has continued to this very day.  We are forbidden from drilling within 200 miles of the California and Florida coastlines but the Chinese are already doing so as we sit on our thumbs.  We are unable to pursue the shale oil deposits that span our northern plains and southwestern states.  We have ample untapped resources that are readily available but our laws don't permit us to make use of those resources.

We see the 'global warming' group and the 'environmentalist group' driving our economy into the ground...and we have not found the moral outrage/courage to stand up to them and say "no more"!  We could easily build new refineries in any number of locations around our country but we're not permitted to do so.  We know how to drill and refine today without ruining our world.  It takes from 6 to 10 years to bring a new refinery on-line so the time to have declared a moratorium on the rules that made it impossible to build new refining capacity has come and gone.  But, the typical congressional response of "that will take ten years" should remind us that if we don't roll back those silly laws today, it'll take ten years from whenever we do roll back those silly laws.  The time to begin is now, not next week or next month.

We witnessed the ridiculous 'hearings' held by congress in the past few weeks.  We watched as Sen. Herb Kohl embarrassed himself by chiding the 'big bad oil companies' for making a profit.  He is a former businessman who certainly understands that profit must be derived in order for businesses to exist and grow.  He knew how that worked when he ran Kohl's Food Stores.  He certainly must have some comprehension as the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.  His statement to the oil company executives that their profits didn't seem fair gives one a lot of insight.  He knows better but he will play/pander to the crowd he favors.  He 'feels' as do most liberals.  He doesn't necessarily reason.  He has his millions, so he can set out to control everyone else who aspires to similar success.

Sen. Kohl is but one of the 535 members of congress.  Too many of those men and women are too intent on keeping their offices to actually vote the way they probably know they should.  You have probably heard the old phrase that states you must "go along to get along".  That should be inscribed over the doorways leading to the House and the Senate chambers since it is the rule that is followed by the vast majority of people who walk through those portals.  That is true on the national stage, the state stage and the local stage.

The people who go to Washington and who do not give in and play by the Washingtonian rules are few and very far between.

Whose fault is this dilemma in the final analysis?  Yours and mine. 

We're the men and women who have permitted this to happen.  We don't vote in the House or the Senate, but we do elect those who do...and we do not seem to unelect people very often once they've gotten into office.  Rep. Steve Kagen (D) from the Appleton area stands for re-election this November.  He is at his most defeatable point historically.  If he survives the first re-election campaign and keeps his seat, he is likely to be in that seat for so long as he desires without regard to how he votes or doesn't vote.

We're so unconcerned about our vote, it seems, that we don't even think voting is sacrosanct enough to require valid photo identification before we're permitted to cast a ballot. 

So, all this angst has been brought to us by us.  Remember that the next time you buy gasoline or diesel fuel.  Remember that the next time you go to the grocery store and try to make your food budget stretch.  Remember that when you ponder whether or not you'll be able to take a vacation this year, or buy new school clothing for your children, or go out for a fish fry.  Remember that when you try to stretch your retirement income to cover your basic needs.

And, when you've gotten yourself all 'cranked up', if that happens, make a resolution to get involved and stay involved and to talk with your elected representatives at every level of government and let them know what you think and what you want them to do on your behalf.  And, if they fail you, fire them with your vote at the polling place.

Had you and I done that two decades ago instead of simply going with the flow, maybe we'd not be in the situation we find ourselves in today.

Randall Melchert has announced that he is seeking election to the Assembly seat (24th District) being vacated by Sue Jeskewitz at the end of her current term.

He is the son of a prominent Menomonee Falls couple and the family has deep roots in the Falls.  Randy, as he calls himself, declares himself to be conservative and his stated positions suggest that he may be quite conservative.  His campaign site (www.randymelchert.com) contains position statements on a variety of subjects.  He is a member of the Waukesha Republican Party.

Among his areas of expertise is apparently that of debate skills.  That should serve him well in both his campaign and in the Assembly if he is victorious.

I have extended an invitation to him to engage readers by responding to questions that will be published on Curmudgeon's Corner much as we've begun doing in the Senate race.  I hope he will accept that invitation.

There is, so far, no indication of any opponents but that may develop over the coming weeks.

The MATC has developed yet another draft budget after the first such exercise produced the need for a 6.4% property tax increase (see Blog of April 23rd).  At the time of that budget draft, the governor apparently said he would not countenance such an increase.  MATC announced then that it would go back to the old drawing board and see what could be done to get down into the range of 'as little' as a 5.0% to 5.5% property tax increase.

Guess what?  They can now apparently declare victory in this onerous task since the finance committee is only proposing a revised draft budget that would consume another 4.9% increase in property taxes.  The proposed draft will come to a vote by the full board on May 27th.

MATC has developed budgets since 2004 that will have caused property tax increases of more than 30% if this draft is ultimately approved.

Has your personal income increased by 30% in the past four years?  Has your savings account grown by 30% in the past four years?  Has yours become a single income family instead of a dual income family in the past four years?  I doubt it.  But, if so, congratulations!  Even with such an increase, if that has happened for you, I'll wager that you have better places to put your hard-earned money.

The MATC finance committee says it has cut all it could cut from the budget.  Jeannette Bell, committee member and former West Allis mayor, was in favor of not only this 4.9% property tax increase, but also favors reducing the reserve account held by MATC which has been done as part of this draft. 

People costs are budgeted to increase significantly.  Wages and salaries will go up about $1.5 million.  Health care costs will rise by some $2 million.  Other 'fringe' benefits will add another $4.5 million, including  $2 million required to bring the recognition of accrued benefits onto the MATC books like any other 'business' must do today.  That is $2 million of 'funny money'; where else would we find accounting tricks employed if we were to subject this institution to the standards maintained by businesses?

I cannot accept the statement that MATC has cut 'everything possible' and still needs this kind of increase budget over budget.  The paragraph above suggests to me that people costs are way too high, and a very quick way to achieve reductions there is to have fewer people.  Maybe MATC should think about outsourcing certain functions.  Maybe they should think about 'tough love' negotiations with union representatives.  There are or ought to be limits even for tax-funded entities.

Maybe MATC needs to review its class demand and determine the bottom third by attendance and end those classes.  If there is insufficient demand, there is apparently not an identifiable 'significant' need.  MATC cannot be providing services to a market that doesn't exist in sufficient numbers to show demand.  That would free up space for other uses, and it would, or should, enable staff cuts that will reduce costs.

It is impossible to forget, in this debate over MATC, that there is a very real problem with the Milwaukee schools system and we must recognize that some of MATC's costs should rightfully be paid for by the Milwaukee school system since MATC is mopping up after that dismal performance.  Adult high school education classes and GED classes are an example of how the public education structure in Milwaukee fails its students and the residents of the community.  Interestingly enough, this may well be an intended consequence rather than an unintended consequence.  It gets non-Milwaukee taxpayers to pay more of the Milwaukee education costs than is already done through state tax distribution formula.

Finally, I suggest once again that MATC needs to clean up its many acts.  It needs to get out of the failed business incubator function.  It needs to quit building physical monuments to itself and its leaders.  It needs to look at sale and lease-back arrangements.  It needs to reduce staff. 

Frankly, it is becoming more and more apparent that significant leadership changes may be required, as well.  MATC leadership seems to be ignorant of the public's needs.  This is an institution answerable to no one other than the governor through his ability to appoint members to the state technical college board.  The state legislature and the governor must act to bring this renegade system under absolute control.  There must be a change in the manner in which the state board and the district boards are created; voters need to determine who sits on those boards.  The current incestuous approach simply doesn't work...for anyone other than the leaders and those who sit on the rubber stamp boards.

All this brings me to the next obvious question:  Where do we stand in the quest for permission to move to another technical college district?  There seems to have been a long delay in the process; maybe it is justified.  I hope it doesn't mean that the movement has been quietly put to sleep.

A front page story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel got my 'juices' flowing this morning.  The headline says, "Region stays on polluted list".

One air monitoring device less than one mile from the Illinois border in Kenosha County was detected to have been slightly beyond the ozone limits that EPA had laid on us.  Never mind that the prevailing winds blow that here from the Chicago land area, we are compelled to burn reformulated fuel, we're supposed to observe 'ozone alert' days and not even mow our grass.  I am surprised that we are not forbidden from firing up the charcoal grill too.  Oops!  We certainly don't want to give the EPA any more great ideas.

Why have I heard nothing about the Chicago land area and its massive efforts to limit the pollution that was detected ever so slightly on the very southern edge of Kenosha County.  Maybe there are no 'massive efforts' about which to write.  Why is it that we are forced to pay the price for the pollution from our neighbors to the south of us?  What penalties are they paying for having caused this in the first place.  Are they making any progress or are we the perpetual scapegoats?  Are we to burn reformulated gasoline for the next 100 or so years?  And, of course, we get to burn food as part of the reformulated gasoline movement since state and federal governments have mandated its use even though it is terribly inefficient, even though a gallon of ethanol requires something on the order of 1,800 gallons of fresh water to manufacture.

Reformulated gasoline was never as efficient as regularly formulated gasoline.  My mileage was at least 10% worse even before ethanol was required in our gasoline.  Whatever the federal government has managed to overlook is being found by our state government.  Legislators with very obvious special interests, coupled with the ethanol industry lobby, have pushed the state mandate for ethanol use on us and they didn't even have to breathe heavy to make it happen.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has also added to this fiasco by recognizing that since we are at the point of virtually having attained that which they told we'd have to attain, it has raised the bar.  We were originally instructed to attain the level of 84 parts per billion.  Even with the aberration of 2005 when wind movements blew Chicago land 'crap' into Kenosha County, we were over the benchmark by 1 part per billion.  Washington County has been shown to be at 72 parts per billion, for example, but we're captured by the drag line net of the federal government.

Not to let simple-minded folks like we taxpayers think we were going to win one from the 'Feds', the national benchmark of 84 parts per billion will be dropped to 75 parts per billion in 2013.  So you see, the goal posts continue to be moved.

I wonder what might happen if we had a whole group of legislators in Washington like Jim Sensenbrenner and Paul Ryan?  Maybe the federal government would learn that not all badgers roll over and play dead!

This should serve us as a beacon in the night when we think about the environmental movement in general.  We'll never reach the levels of anything that will be deemed enough.  We'll always have to reach some newly discovered (or created) benchmark.  There are twice the number of polar bears today that existed twenty-five ago and yet our federal government has just declared them to be on the endangered species list.  Al Gore has spun his myth on global warming and, even though 32,000 scientists have just stated that they do not believe in the global warming myth, we continue to be forced to follow the 'great one' and his preaching.  Yes, it is preaching; his movement is a religion and he is its leader.  He rules his domain from his 14,000 square foot dwelling except for when he is jetting around the world spewing carbon emissions about the globe.  Oh, I forgot, we can purchase carbon credits so that a tree can be planted...a tree that will not reach maturity and begin delivering on its promise of cleansing carbon dioxide from the air for a decade or better.

One of my favorites is, of course, the compact fluorescent light (CFL) that is essentially a container of mercury waiting to pollute our homes should one break, or pollute ground fill sites for another million years or so since the majority of people are not going to properly dispose of them.  The science behind these kinds of scare tactics is suspect, at best.

The next two questions in our 'debate' are posed below.  We'll reverse the order and feature Sen. Darling's responses to each question followed by Rep. Wasserman's responses.

What specific existing state programs can be cut to stop the ongoing issue of budget shortfalls?

Darling: 

During the 2003-05 budget process, I was the Senate Chair of the budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance.  In that budget, we cut spending on state government operations by 27.5%, without cutting core services such as programs upon which low-income citizens rely.

In addition to the types of spending cuts such as those made in that budget, it's worth discussing programs that were created or expanded in the state budget passed last fall.  In that budget, which I voted against, the Governor proposed increased spending of nearly $100 million of "general fund" revenue just for new or expanded programs.  Certainly each of those programs will will have supporters and the merit of this spending can be debated, but there ought to at least be a discussion on whether these spending increases can be set aside or delayed until we resolve the state's fiscal problems.

Earlier this May, the  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran an article about how some prison guards appear to be abusing the sick leave and overtime rules to inflate their salaries into the six figures.  Tightening up the sick leave and overtime policy at the Department of Corrections is just one specific example of where the state can still provide necessary services but at a lower cost to taxpayers.

Wasserman:

Instead of program closures we should have county closures.  There's no reason for Wisconsin to have 72 counties.  Counties are often just an extension of state government, and one of the primary reasons why taxes are so high in Wisconsin is because we have the third highest amount of government per capita in the nation.  For example, Appleton is in three counties; Wisconsin Dells is in four.  Bayside, in my district, is in two counties.  That means keeping multiple sets of tax records and voting lists and keeping track of different court systems, highway departments, sheriff's and veterans' offices.  I proposed legislation to downsize and streamline government by reducing the number of counties to 18 or less, a 75% reduction that would save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.  Creating new county lines that do not divide communities artificially will consolidate services by ensuring that only one county serves each city, village or town.  It's time we changed our government structure from an 1848 model to one that meets the needs of the 21st century.

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Do you support the repeal of state minimum mark-up laws?  If so, why and if not, why not?

Darling:

Yes.  The mandatory minimum markup on gasoline was enacted in Wisconsin in the 1930s to prevent large conglomerates from entering the gasoline market and driving "ma and pa shops" out of business.  The minimum markup law requires gas retailers to mark up the price of gas by 9.18%.  The Federal Trade Commission and economists have suggested the law restricts competition, hurts consumers and drives up the cost of gas.  This antiquated law makes it illegal for Wisconsin gas retailers to offer discounts on gasoline.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Callahan ruled in October 2007 that Wisconsin's minimum markup law violates federal anti-trust laws.  However, he did not issue an injunction against the state's law, so the law is still in place until the Legislature acts to repeal it.  I am coauthor of a bill that would repeal the minimum markup law, but the session ended in March without a vote on the bill.

Wasserman:

I have voted for every single repeal of the minimum mark-up law since I've been in the legislature.  I have been very frustrated by legislators in both the Republican and Democratic party who would rather talk about the free market than support it and have refused to take up this issue.

In addition to supporting a full repeal, I introduced legislation that would repeal the minimum mark-up on prescription drugs.  Recently Wal-Mart and Target expanded their $4 a month discount drug programs, but the minimum mark-up law prevents such programs from taking full effect in Wisconsin.  You might think we'd have to go to Canada to buy cheap drugs but no, all we have to do is go to Illinois, where blood pressure medication that costs $28 here sells for $4 there.  It's bad enough that we're paying more for gas because of the minimum mark-up law, but paying more for medication becomes a life and death issue when people are facing such tough times with their budgets.  The minimum mark-up law in all forms has to go, but let's begin with my proposal, which will drastically reduce the cost of healthcare in Wisconsin.

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My thanks to both Sen. Darling and Rep. Wasserman for making this forum possible.  We have more questions already answered and will produce another of these 'debates' in the next week or so.

In the meantime, please help us by sending you questions or subjects you'd like to see addressed, and I'll gather the information from both the incumbent and the challenger so that all can share in the answers.  You can do so in the form of comments tied to this Blog or simply by clicking the email link at the top of this Blog to reach me that way.

It is difficult, at best, to process information and understand whatever bias one might've injected.  There may be bias or it might be imagined.  The bias, if present, could be caused by the processor or it could have been injected into the process itself through the data gathering effort.

There is a certain tone, a certain something that seems to be going on in our fair community.  We have had political change, but it is hard to determine if that was a cause or an effect, or maybe a combination of those drivers.  We have an aging volunteer community that may foretell of more changes.  For example, will there cease to be a Mai Fest in a year or two or three given the fact that many of the organizers and behind-the-scenes drivers are getting almost too old to continue on their chosen pathways.

There are the rumors that one hears and there may or may not be truth, to whatever degree hindsight will prove, but those rumors have gained in intensity and show no signs of diminishing.  Again, that may be a bias that I've injected or that has been provided knowingly or unknowingly by the people involved in the process.

There is the sense that the school bonding issue, if brought back with no change, and if not thoroughly 'vetted' in public, will be a disaster.

There is the presidential race that will continue to confuse and confound us all until November.  There is the state senate race that will continue to elicit feelings, pro and con, about each candidate.  There is the assembly vacancy that will likely have candidates from both major parties, but that is yet to unfold.

My sense is that we are witnesses to something that will unfold over the course of months and, maybe, years.  I sense what some might refer to as a watershed.  But I have not been able to pin down anything of sufficient substance as of yet to begin to draw conclusions.  All I have are feelings and yet those are giving me the sense that there is something on our collective horizon that we'll look back on for years to come.

You know how the hairs on the back of your neck sort of stand up?  What do you think?

I received an email from a regular reader this morning asking me what my opinion was concerning the announcement that the elementary school bond issue will be back on the November ballot.  He forced me to give thought to something I had managed to push from my mind for about a week, but that hiatus is over.

First, let me say that I think the district has had a poor public relations week.  The announcement that the bond issue, apparently unchanged, is expected to be on the ballot in November was probably awkward enough.  Then, we learn of the expected budget deficit for the current year, and we learn that the proposed budget will require a property tax increase if approved as explained.

I've not engaged anyone from the district on the subject of the reappearance of the bond issue, and have had no contact regarding budget shortfalls.

There was some analysis done as the result of the spring election where the bond issue was defeated.  That apparently showed some interesting results when reviewed area by area.  Remember that the Germantown School District encompasses more than simply the Village of Germantown.  The most recent election apparently showed results indicating that some non-village areas were quite opposed while the village proper was more evenly split, or at least that is my recollection.

My supposition, and it is only that, is this:  November will see a significantly higher turn-out of voters.  The district may have reasoned that this will be a 'fairer' review of the proposal and it may have reasoned that the outlying non-village areas' votes might be outweighed by greater village turn-out, desiring to take its chances on that populations' decision this time around.

Beyond this, the budget deficit is understandable given the economic conditions we're experiencing.  Energy and food costs are up significantly and those are the primary areas identified as the 'culprits' in the budget shortfall.  The fact that preliminary budget numbers for the next period are reflecting the need for greater revenue is not surprising on its face.  The amount of the deficit and the amount of the need for the next period will be of more interest.  The tactics employed by the school board and the district administration in meeting these issues will be very informative.  We are in a superintendent 'lame duck' position and the new person selected will have had little, if any, substantial input by the time hiring decisions have been taken.

I must say that I'm disappointed with this confluence of events.  I don't know what, if any, press releases may have been issued on the bond issue decision.  If there were such releases, there is little indication of that fact since the news was simply dropped in our laps without forewarning or preparation for receipt of the news.  Then, to see the news about the current and prospective budgets pop up within days, citizens were subjected to what in our small world is tantamount to a 'media blitz'.

I fear that some significant damage has been done to the district's credibility on both issues whether or not deserved.  Those opposed to the bond issue have a ready-made counter offensive dropped into their laps.  Those who favored the bond issue have been embarrassed, self included.

All the old bromides about school boards being more interested in buildings than students, etc., etc. will be front and center during the election season.  And, frankly, the district has brought that unto itself whether through arrogance or ignorance or simple mishandling.

SynergyHealth made its decision to go with the proposal from Progressive Health (Froedtert & Community Health and Columbia St. Mary's) as I had predicted a couple of months earlier.  It isn't that I'm such a great predictor.  This was the most logical decision that could've been taken given the circumstances that existed.

This means that there is a new alliance that will encompass much of the northern two-thirds of the greater Milwaukee market including portions of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties.  Doctors in the West Bend Clinic were firmly opposed to becoming a part of the Aurora system.  Aurora worked for the better part of a year to try to convince the SynergyHealth group that it was their best choice.

In the end, Aurora pulled its proposals from the table when it became obvious they were not going to prevail (better to pull out than be beaten).

So, what does this mean for those of us in the West Bend/Jackson/Hartford/Germantown/Menomonee Falls area?  It means that we continue to have a choice in our healthcare system.  It means there are now essentially three systems serving our marketplace: ProHealth based in Waukesha (Medical Associates), Aurora (Advanced Healthcare) and Froedtert & Community.  Our community-based hospitals are given a new opportunity to maintain and grow their service offerings.  We will be able to take advantage of some of the best healthcare in the United States.

What will it cost us?  That remains to be seen.  Aurora is rapidly increasing its presence with new buildings and new hospitals.  Many of those are, in my opinion, unnecessary duplications that mean we're being 'over built'.  Decades ago, a Certificate of Need had to be completed and approved by state officials before a new healthcare facility could be built.  That was known as CON in 'governmentese'.  Since that law was repealed, the only things really necessary are local approvals and the ability to finance the project.

Examples would be the new Aurora complex being built in the Town of Summit between ProHealth's hospitals in Waukesha and Oconomowoc, and the new Grafton location being built less than ten miles away from a new Columbia St. Mary's facility.  The debt service is large and that means that rates may have to be increased to support the needs that were created by building.

Obviously, the remaining healthcare players are fighting for their continued existence.  But we healthcare consumers pay the price for those battles, so we have to remain aware and we need to become much better buyers of healthcare.  Too many people are blaming insurance companies for high health insurance costs when the real problem is the high cost of health care.  These kinds of building campaigns do nothing but hurt us more in my opinion. 

One of Germantown's commercial success stories has to be the company known as Cambridge Major Laboratories.  Its CEO is Michael Major and his company has been over-achieving since its founding by Major in 1999.  This company, now international in scope, is on the top of the wave of pharmaceutical company outsourcing.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel business section discusses the firm and its new expansion plans today.

The ground breaking ceremony will occur on June 5th and will feature a distinguished guest as the result of another Germantown resident's outreach.  Washington County Supervisor Peter Sorce issued an invitation to Governor Doyle asking that he attend this ceremony and has received confirmation from the Governor's office that the Governor will make the trip to Germantown to be present when ground is officially broken for the new Cambridge Major plant expansion.  Sorce has been active in and around Germantown having served as a Village Trustee and now as a County Supervisor.

We are well-served, in my opinion, by Pete Sorce's presence and his representation.  I may not always agree with his position, but I do recognize that he has Germantown's and Washington County's best interests at heart.

It appears that the Assembly and Senate have reached sufficient agreement to bring a budget repair bill to a vote later this week.

Word available indicates that there may have been a few actual budget reductions while the bulk of the heavy lifting is being done on the back of money being pulled from the transportation fund and money being pulled from the 'rainy day' fund.

Additional tactics reportedly include pushing some school funding into the next budget period and adding some additional taxes that were overlooked before this.

The long and short is that we'll be borrowing more money to replace the tax collection shortfall that will be used for transportation expenses.  Some cookies have been included that don't seem to have anything to do with the budget dilemma so those must've been payment for votes promised by some of the politicians.

We will be looking at the same set of issues next budget at this rate since we're not fixing the problems by reducing expenditures.  Except those issues will very likely have bigger teeth.  Our elected officials are being asked to vote in favor of a deal that pins its hopes on an improved economy by the next time the 'problem' pops up on radar screens.

What will it take to get actual budget reductions approved?  Apparently more people in office with the fortitude to stand up against the tax and spend crowd that sits in far too many chairs today.

Moms are very special people.  I speak from the authoritative positions of a son and of a father and grandfather, and of a husband.  I think often of my mother.  I remember her caring for me and about me.  She was not a perfect person, and I 'm sure she didn't know all the things about parenting that moms do today, but she was my mother and she always will occupy that place in my world.

I saw my wife raise our children.  She was always there for them.  I can't lay claim to the same thing.  I wore a military uniform and I worked to support a family.  Those things meant that I wasn't always there for my children...but I knew that my wife, their mother, was and that was my way of justifying my not being around as much as I would've liked or as much as my wife would've liked.

She worked hard too but somehow always found the time to be a mom.  That is, I believe, a big part of what makes a mom so special.  She was the person who made sacrifices for her children when their father was not so inclined or felt he was unable to do so.  Her children knew that even if dad wasn't home, they could rely on their mother to be there.

My generation had more 'stay at home' moms than the generation of today does.  In fact, moms who worked outside the home, except for farm moms, were the minority in my generation.  That has been turned upside down since and the reverse is certainly true today.  Both mom and dad need to work today to support their families.  Day care centers were unheard of in my generation, but are the norm today.  There are more step-moms today then ever before, as well.  While they do not have the very same maternal bond, they too share the mom and child bonds that develop from everyday life, from the trials and tribulations, from all the smiles and hugs and kisses.

Will the children of today feel a difference?  I hope not and I don't think so.  Kids of today already have formed that bond between themselves and mom.  In some instances, they were deprived of mom's time and attention...and even in those cases, I think there is a connection that will continue throughout their lives.

I have been blessed in my memories of my mother, my childrens' mother and in being able to watch our kids and grandkids grow up and in knowing how they feel about mom.  

This is a special thank you to all the moms and Gammas and Nanas.  Where would we dads and kids and grandkids be without you?  In the case of mom, we wouldn't be at all...and I hope we don't permit 'science' to intrude on this blessed relationship that is God's gift.

I was very surprised to learn that Rep. Sue Jeskewitz had announced that she would not be a candidate for the 24th District seat in the Assembly this fall.  She will have served for 12 years, is 66 (although she doesn't look more than 55) and apparently has just decided it is time to stay home.  She is part of a 'political' family, so I know this decision could not have been taken lightly.

Some of her positions caused me angst as readers know.  I have heard others refer to her as a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and there have been those times when I felt that way as various issues came up and decisions were made.  I am obviously more conservative than she has been.  I understood that and still made visits to her offices in Madison whenever I was part of a lobbying group.  She and her staff were always very considerate although it is difficult to tell what the true position of virtually any politician is by simply visiting their office and chatting on talking points for 5 to 10 minutes.

There are probably several people out today with nomination papers seeking signatures that will enable them to run.  There may be some behind the scenes activity that has already led to a 'chosen one' on the Republican side.  I am not privy to any of that information.  There are certainly those in the Democrat party that are working feverishly to secure the best possible candidate since this seat had been quite safe for Rep. Jeskewitz.

I do hope that we will be given a candidate for whom we can vote that is decidedly conservative.  The Assembly must stay Republican if we conservatives are to have any hope of keeping the state on something even remotely resembling the straight and narrow we would prefer.  Can you imagine the damage that would've been done in the past couple of sessions if both the Senate and the Assembly had been under Democrat control with Governor "taxalot" in office?

That title to an opinion piece in this morning's Wall Street Journal caught my eye as it did yours.  The complete piece can be found on the Wall Street Journal website's public opinion page if you want to read it.

This piece traces the rise and fall of the Clinton machine within the Democratic party.  That rise and fall encompasses more than a decade of our country's history and includes discussion of things such as the technique of 'triangulation' that was used to occupy all sides of particular issues, the blaming of their own foibles and shortcomings on the Republican 'attack machine'.  It discusses the lost billing records, the cattle futures, the illegal foreign fund raising, the definition of the word "is", Paula Jones, and the Lincoln bedroom.  And, it reminded me of the pardons that President Clinton issued in his last days in office.  Those were so bad that even Representative Barney Frank (D) who had been a staunch defender of the President called them a "betrayal" and "contemptuous".

David Geffen, a major Hollywood Democratic contributor and king-maker was recently quoted saying, about the Clintons' ability to lie, "everybody in politics lies", but the Clintons "do it with such ease, it's troubling".  What a damning statement.

This reminded me of all that we've lived with and through when it comes to the Clinton family since their rise to national politics from their start with Arkansas politics.  It also presented the trouble that the Democratic party has today in trying to convince Hillary to just give it up and go away as a presidential candidate.

All this is happening because a rising star named Obama has arrived on the scene.  The Democrats seem to have found their next Clinton.  That he has virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve as our President seems to matter little, if at all.  He is a gifted orator and his populist message seems to be getting the job done.  'So be it' seems the Democrat chant.  Get the office and then we can worry about how he governs and leads.

So it appears that the Democratic party is in the process of more than a separation from the Clintons...but...they've been counted out before and have, so far, managed to return each time.  Maybe it is a bit too soon to count them out.  Hillary has very likely planned to run again in 2012 if Obama loses to McCain this year.  She'll still have a 'bloody pulpit' in the Senate from which to rebuild whatever she has lost in the current campaign.

But, what an amazing thing this has been to see the story of this past decade plus laid out so vividly to the detriment of the Clintons