Political Heat

Actions perpetrated against recall organizers (and others) should be condemned Political differences exist -- we shouldn't fret too much over this fact of life. But how we deal with our differences is of great importance to the preservation of our democracy. There's no excuse for violence (rhetorical or otherwise) in political discourse, no reason for intimidation of any kind within the free exchange of ideas. Where's the value in it? What good does it do to debate with one another, only to win or lose that debate out of some unrelated fear rather than relevance to the topic at hand? Such deplorable tactics only serve to disrupt the examination of ideas and democracy itself. Within our own state, such intimidating methods are sadly infiltrating our discourses regarding the recall of Gov. Scott Walker. Recently, these tactics have included the pu rposeful and celebrated ripping/shredding/burning of recall petitions (with legitimate signatures included), throwing soft drin...

Campaign focused on one aspect, not total eradication, of collective bargaining A few conservative sites in the Wisconsin blogosphere have brought up a contentious opinion regarding Gov. Scott Walker, his removal of bargaining rights for state workers, and whether he campaigned on that idea or not in 2010. An assertion is being made on these blogs that, prior to what has been basic common knowledge up to this point, Walker DID indeed campaign on ending bargaining rights for state employees. Take these two blogs as examples of that assertion. Tim Gray, of useyourgraymatter.com , and Steve Prestegard, of The Presteblog , have both made the claim that, not only had Walker campaigned on the subject, but that unions even knew about it at that point in time. Gray referenced an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which stated: Two leading candidates for governor [Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Scott Walker] say they could save taxpayers up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year b...

48 days remain to get less than half the signatures needed for recall In an email to supporters, United Wisconsin made a breathtaking announcement. In less than two weeks, recall organizers have attained more than half of the required number of signatures needed to trigger an election against Gov. Scott Walker. To put that in perspective, organizers now have 48 days to collect just over 240,000 signatures. Names are being taken down at a rate of more than 1,000 per hour. Skeptics will remain, but it's clear that the momentum remains on the side of those looking to take Walker out of office. Exactly whom they will put up to go against him remains an unknown at this point -- but with numbers like these it's clear the people of Wisconsin want a change.

Ad ignores the realities that have plagued the state The second commercial spot put out by the campaign to defend Gov. Scott Walker against a recall is a powerful ad, one that puts a schoolteacher on the side of Walker -- an ironic move since the teachers of this state have been largely against the ideas the governor has implemented. It's also an ad that marginalizes the recall campaign's reasoning behind why a recall against Walker is necessary. Let's assess a little deeper what Kristi is saying. "I'm not big on recalls..." OK, let's stop there. The very man Kristi now supports benefited from a recall campaign to win the County Executive position he held before the governorship. He did so due to a scandal that the county was facing at that time, but even under the standards that some GOP lawmakers in our state are trying to force on us, the recall would never have happened. So if someone is against the recall because they don't LIKE recalls, they...

Announcement may set the record straight on number of signatures gathered so far The recall organization A United Wisconsin to Recall Walker is set to make a major announcement tonight: It may have to do with the subject of this post that the Democratic Party of Wisconsin made today on their Facebook page: It appears that there is no level too low for opponents of the recall to stoop to.

Walker's grammatical slip-up provides proof that education isn't a high priority The value that our governor has placed on education in Wisconsin can be summed up through the actions he's performed thus far. Gov. Scott Walker's educational background itself is flawed. Walker failed to attain a college degree , becoming the first Wisconsin governor in 64 years to lack one; and while it isn't necessarily something that's required for the job, for a person who is meant to be the chief executive of our state, it seems like a no-brainer that he should hold some form of educational certificate beyond a high school diploma. He made severe cuts to our state's public schools, and limited their ability to raise funds on their own, resulting in a shortfall of $1.6 billion dollars. The result of these cuts was that more class sizes grew and more programs were cut overall across the state. Now we get this little gem : clear proof that our governor's grammatical abil...

Net jobs rate of change was better a year ago under Doyle Late last week I examined the employment numbers that had just been released for the month of October. As I wrote, the numbers weren't too promising : The Wisconsin jobs report for October has been released, and unfortunately the news is not so good. 9,700 jobs were lost last month, most of them within the private sector. ... To reach Gov. Scott Walker's goal of 250,000 jobs created in his first term, it would take more than 71 years at the current rate we're going at, or 17 more terms than the one he promised it would require. I also took a look at what was the driving force behind the jobs numbers -- or rather, what WASN'T driving a growth in jobs across the state : Companies need capital to hire people, it's true, but they also need a reason to hire them in the first place. Demand is what supplies that need -- if a corporation has a higher demand for their good/service, they will hire a worker, if the capi...

Move to change district maps ahead of time political, illogical Republicans in Wisconsin are suing to have their newly-drawn legislative districts in place if and when the recall elections occur next spring against several state senators. The move appears to be completely political, not practical by any means, and would defy logic for what the purposes of recall elections are in the first place. Recalls exist to replace an unwanted representative within a sitting district . Once replaced, the newly-elected individual serves out the remainder of the term the previous representative would have otherwise completed, and thus representing the constituents of the previous representative's first electoral win. We shouldn't move to new districts prematurely -- doing so would set a new precedent, one that unnecessarily disenfranchises thousands of residents. Conversely, should the challenges fail, or should some senators face no challenge at all, there's no doubt that these represe...

A quick lesson on how to increase demand, and thus the need for jobs, in our economy A lot of talk is centering around how to create jobs in our state, especially in the midst of thousands of job losses Wisconsin has seen over the past few months. In October alone, Wisconsin saw a loss of nearly 10,000 jobs , mostly in the private sector, despite billions of dollars in tax giveaways and significant tort reform to corporations that were meant to spur growth. Perhaps to assess how to better create jobs, we should re-examine the question, "Why do companies need workers?" The answer isn't terribly startling: To provide a good or service to people. Companies need capital to hire these people, it's true, but they also need a reason to hire them in the first place. Demand is what supplies that need -- if a corporation has a higher demand for their good/service, they will hire a worker, if the capital to do so is available as well. But without demand, there's no NEED to h...

Nearly 40,000 descend on the Capitol to help kickoff first week of recall Among tens of thousands of Wisconsinites, I was part of the recall rally in downtown Madison today. The event brought back memories of February, of when we marched in the streets daily against the atrocious budget repair bill that brought about the end of workers' rights for public employees in the state. The difference this time? Optimism -- we all know our goal, and we all know it's attainable. In fact, more than 105,000 signatures have already been collected -- and that was before the rally took place today. With one-fifth of the required signature threshold nearly already attained, it's quite possible that the movement could get more than what's needed by Christmas. Such a gift is surely on the wishlist of many in the state, a majority of which support the removal of the governor .

Job growth and employment dismal since start of Gov. Walker's term in office The Wisconsin jobs report for October has been released, and unfortunately the news is not so good. 9,700 jobs were lost last month , most of them within the private sector. The updated numbers for September show that Wisconsin had a total of 2,757,200 jobs in the state. But from September to October, nearly 10,000 jobs were lost, dropping the state totals down to 2,747,500 (PDF). Compare that to the beginning of the year, when in January Wisconsin had approximately 2,744,000 jobs. From that time on, we've seen a great fluctuating number of jobs in the state, swelling to a high of about 2,775,100 this past June. But since that time, Wisconsin's job numbers have dropped as much as they've gained -- the net total from January to October is only a gain of 3,500 jobs. To reach Gov. Scott Walker's goal of 250,000 jobs created in his first term , it would take more than 71 years at the current r...

Lower property assessments responsible for statewide tax levy decrease Gov. Scott Walker, in the midst of a recall signature drive against him, is already coming out swinging, sending out TV campaign ads on Monday Night Football and claiming his methods are "working" for the state. His latest talking point is that his reforms helped lower state property tax levies by more than $47 million this year . Because of this, many people are likely to see lower tax bills, in effect vindicating Walker's entire plan (in his own mind) to remove bargaining rights for state workers in Wisconsin. "Our reforms are protecting taxpayers while keeping our schools great," Walker said. Yet, besides the fact that the $47 million across the state only saves the average property owner $18 per household , there's a serious flaw in Walker's reasoning. When you take a look at the state's average mill rate -- or the rate per $1,000 that assessed property gets taxed at -- you ac...

Nearly 3 in 5 Wisconsinites support Walker recall A poll released today by Wisconsin Public Radio and St. Norbert College reveals just how disenchanted Wisconsin voters are with Gov. Scott Walker's job performance. 58 percent of state residents give Walker a disapproval rating . That same number supports his recall, while only 37 percent feel that the governor shouldn't face a special election. The numbers are a sign of how dangerously close Walker is to losing his job. Should the petitioning phase (of gaining more than 540,000 signatures) be successful, Walker will have to do his damnedest to make sure that he looks better than his opponent. Whether he does so through positive marketing of his name or negative mudslinging of the Democratic candidate is left to be seen. But it's pretty clear, at least I think, that the petitioning phase will be successful in meeting the signature threshold needed to force a special election. It will be surprising to see it fail in any way, ...

Implementing "reforms" would have resulted in a net number of layoffs due to Walker's budget A recent survey of school districts across the state shows that the budget cuts implemented by Gov. Scott Walker hurt schools more than helped the fiscal situation in Wisconsin (especially given that $1.6 billion in cuts were made against education while $2.3 billion in tax giveaways were granted to corporations across the state). Most districts responding to the survey said they had to make cuts to both programs and personnel. More than 4 in 10 elementary schools in districts across Wisconsin said they saw higher class sizes as a result of the Walker budget, and 7 in 10 said they had to cut at least one program (some more than that) as well. But many are critical of the survey -- some, including the Walker administration, place nearly all the blame on districts that approved teacher contracts without using the controversial measures implemented through the budget repair bill (w...

Recall of Walker imminent, justified for a plethora of reasons Today marks the start of a historic occasion -- today begins, in earnest, the recall of Gov. Scott Walker. While recalls shouldn't be done on whims, shouldn't be taken lightly, or utilized for every member of elected office whom a minority simply disagrees with, in this instance removal is entirely warranted. Gov. Walker has, in essence, flipped this state upside down. He acted as a typical candidate for office last year...but once sworn in, he behaved as atypical as one could imagine him being. Progressives weren't naive; they didn't expect Walker to take office and act in THEIR interests. Walker had the dual backing of social conservatives across the state as well as the financial support of the corporate elite (both within Wisconsin and beyond its borders). So it wasn't a surprise when tax cuts and tort reform took hold of his agenda. What was surprising -- to the left, the center, and even some on th...

Honor those who have served and currently serve our nation Today is Veterans Day, a day dedicated to the recognition of our service men and women whose enormous sacrifice for our country cannot be thanked enough. We honor these individuals for their courage and selflessness that is beyond extraordinary, beyond what is asked of any other citizen of our nation. We may not always agree on the conflicts we involve ourselves in, for various political or moral reasons. And that is OK -- our leaders deserve a healthy dose of scrutiny when they propose to defend America from external threats (for at times these acts of defense deserve the utmost scrutiny one can give). Yet, no one should overlook the tremendous and oftentimes thankless service our men and women in uniform have performed for us. It is through their work that our freedom remains defended, that our country stays safe. On this Veterans Day, show respect for those who have defended our nation. You may not agree with their mission, ...

School districts wind up slashing programs, grow class sizes, to make up for losses When Gov. Scott Walker signed into law his budget bill that cut education by nearly a billion dollars , many progressive minds in the state predicted that the resulting action would be a greater number of layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to programs within many school districts. Turns out, they were right (PDF). According to a survey conducted by Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) -- in which 82 percent of the districts asked to participate actually responded -- most districts in the state have seen a net loss in the number of teachers, administrators, and other staff as a result of the Walker budget passed in June. Nearly 90 percent of students in the survey are affected by this drop, with almost 70 percent of students affected by teacher losses alone. As a result, class sizes have reportedly increased in more than 4 in 10 of elementary schools responding to the surv...

Recall election presents different challenges than citizens' veto in Ohio Last night, in an unprecedented vote for workers' rights, citizens in Ohio chose to restore collective bargaining for state employees. Similar in nature to the law passed in Wisconsin earlier this year, Ohio's law went even further, not only removing the rights of state workers (like teachers, social workers, prison guards, etc.) but also the rights of emergency response employees (such as police officers, firefighters and EMT, and so on). But Ohioans rejected the measuring by overwhelming margins. Collective bargaining remains a protected right in the Buckeye State, meaning its governor cannot impose undue concessions without offering an agreeable package to his workers. Negotiation, not dictation, remains the preference of Ohio voters. In Wisconsin, we're not as fortunate -- we lack the ability to force a citizens' veto on legislation we deem improper. Instead, we are able to recall specifi...

Focus of religious representation on public grounds should emphasize equality of faiths The Holiday tree, as it's been called since 1985, has been a dazzling display within the Capitol rotunda that I've always looked forward to seeing for as long as I can remember. Of course, growing up in Madison, the Capitol itself fascinated me on its own. But seeing that tree, monumental itself when seen from the eyes of a child, always brought home the idea that Christmas was right around the corner. Yes, I said Christmas. As a child (and I assume this is the case for children today), I never referred to the evergreen as a "holiday" tree. I called it what it clearly was: a Christmas tree. I still do, as an adult. So when Gov. Scott Walker calls it a Christmas tree , it's ironically one of the few things I can agree with him on. I don't know if Walker is intending on promoting Christianity or not through his declaration -- if he is, then he's wrong for doing so -- but ...

Legislative committee removes four-hour training requirement for concealed carry permit holders Today a Republican-controlled legislative committee removed the rule established by Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen to require gun owners seeking a concealed carry permit to obtain at least four hours of training . The new standard will be anything but uniform: any training, for any amount of time (even a half hour or less, conceivably), will be acceptable to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The move worries even Van Hollen, a Republican, who established the rules to keep things consistent and safe : The effect likely will be that the state Department of Justice will accept any training certification submitted with an application for a concealed weapons permit, Van Hollen told the committee just before it voted on the matter. Thus, some people could wind up getting permits after a bogus instructor passes out permits after teaching a course that lasts just a few minutes, ...

Unemployment rate lowered under Doyle, grew under Walker More analysis of employment numbers between current Gov. Scott Walker and his predecessor, Gov. Jim Doyle. This time, let's look at the unemployment rate: The rate of unemployment Wisconsin had seen included 16 straight months of dipping , starting at a 9.2 rate in January of 2010 and getting to its lowest point at 7.3 percent in April of 2011. From May to August, however, there was four months of unemployment increase. In September, the rate once again lowered to 7.8, an improvement of 0.1 percent. Walker and his supporters have previously touted the accomplishments they've made in job growth for the state. But it's clear to anyone looking at this graph that the accomplishments aren't that stellar after all. First off, the first dip in unemployment that Walker has taken credit for at the beginning of the year took place at the end of the sixteen-month streak that included twelve months of unemployment decrease u...

Net employment growth rate faster under previous governor's last year in office than under Walker's "reforms" year Some more fun with numbers... Last month I took a look at the employment numbers that Wisconsin had posted for the month of September. Comparing the number of employed Wisconsinites from that month to the beginning of the year, it was clear that not much change had taken place , that Gov. Scott Walker's "reforms" weren't putting Wisconsin back to work. There's a stark difference, however, between the number of employed versus the number of jobs created. People can work two or three different part time jobs; and while that's only one person "employed," it still technically counts as three jobs created. So let's look at these numbers. From this year alone (January to September), the number of jobs in the state has increased by 11,800 (click here to read why Walker's job boasting claims are misleading). Judging by...

State split on grounds for removal, but a clear majority disapproves of governor's job performance A poll released this week demonstrates just how dissatisfied Wisconsinites are with the performance of Gov. Scott Walker, not even one year into his first term in office. According to the results of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute's poll , 56 percent of the state disapproves of what Walker has done in his first 10 months as governor. Only 42 percent approve of his job performance. As far as a recall goes, Wisconsin is evenly split, within a statistical tie over the question of whether Walker deserves to be removed from office or not. 49 percent believe a recall is undeserved while 47 percent feel it should move forward. Four percent are undecided. Though it appears a plurality doesn't want a recall to happen, viewed from a different angle a majority is either for a chance to remove Walker or is riding the fence on the issue (totaling 51 percent). Again, the numbers are...

Top five stories from the month of October Here, in reverse order based on readership, are the top five stories from last month. 5. September job numbers out -- WI still not growing What can we draw from this? Walker's jobs session earlier this year didn't do anything to help the state. His job session that is currently taking place, with many of the same initiatives found within it, will likely have the same effect. 4. In trying to explain broken promise, Gov. Walker lies to the people Walker's broken campaign promise isn't as controversial as it seems -- it doesn't put Wisconsin in a worse-off state of being. Still, to insist that his promise wasn't broken because he's made additional "payments" to make up for that lost time is faulty logic: the governor promised within a set time-frame that he'd make those sacrifices, and he didn't. 3. Democratic poll shows governor recall a strong possibility More than half the state disapproves of Walk...

Some images and thoughts from the evening I stopped by the United Wisconsin office opening this evening, not long enough to hear anyone speak but long enough to witness the enthusiasm of those involved. Here are a few images from the early part of the night: These images were taken at around 5 o'clock, shortly after the office opened. Though the images I took make the office seem rather empty, many more people came, and it was very difficult an hour later to even enter the building. I had to leave early, but it looked like the event was going to be one to remember, a great prelude to the signature process set to start in two weeks.