Political Heat

Representatives deserve removal when they fail to act in the people's interests With certain exceptions, the legislature and other lawmakers ought to work concurrently with the opinions and desires of the people who elected them to office. Special interests and wealthy campaign donors shouldn’t be given preferential treatment; the citizens themselves, who elected them with plurality consent, should instead be given the special attention, and their needs given precedence above all others. Granted, certain exceptions do exist: when a popularist idea interferes with individual rights, it should be soundly rejected. No citizen should see their privileges revoked on account of a mob mentality. With that said, a popular mandate ought to be respected; and when it’s not, it should be incumbent upon the people to have the power to remove a person from office who is meant to represent them. The recall election in Wisconsin serves that purpose. When the wishes of the people are igno...

State lawmakers should embrace rights of same-sex couples to marry With Minnesota poised to become the 12th state to recognize same-sex unions as legitimate marriages, many questions come about on the national and local levels. Across the country, millions of Americans are wondering: how long will it take until the rest of the nation fully recognizes the rights of our gay and lesbian citizens? And will it take more than state action, but federal intervention as well, to require states that are less-than-willing to grant these rights to same-sex couples to take notice? In Wisconsin, many equality advocates are wondering what it will take to recognize the rights of partnerships in the Badger state. The fight will undoubtedly face an uphill battle: a 2006 voter referendum altered the state’s constitution, restricting marriage to solely “one man, one woman.” Reversing that amendment would require two consecutive sessions of the legislature to take up the measure, and for another ...

Conservative approach to economics won't fix Wisconsin's job growth woes How many jobs can you create with season tickets to UW Badgers football? That’s a good question for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation , the semi-private government institution created by Gov. Scott Walker to help spur job growth and business creation. On the issue of job creation, the WEDC has been an utter failure. Both the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have noted that Wisconsin has lagged in jobs, dropping to 44th in the nation after previously holding the number 11 spot before Walker took office. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also pointed out that, in terms of short-term job growth, Wisconsin is dead last in the nation . While the state falls behind the rest of the country, the WEDC has been mismanaging its funds in ways most taxpayers wouldn’t be happy with, including buying alcohol for events, buying season tickets for Badgers football games, and...