Political Heat

Walker and GOP set to privatize water, removing control from the public's hands The Flint Water Crisis has been on my mind lately. A lot.  Thousands of citizens were poisoned with lead-contaminated water, which is no laughing matter. Lead exposure can make victims prone to aggressive behavior, memory loss, anemia, headaches, abdominal pain, and other troubling symptoms .  For children, it’s worse. Because the body is still developing, a child exposed to lead can expect to have lower IQs, hearing problems, growth delays, and problems with learning in the short- and long-term.  Flint, Michigan may seem far away from us, but Wisconsin is facing its own water crisis , dealing mainly with arsenic levels being too high. From the Appleton Post Crescent : [Arsenic] levels above the federal standard have been detected in 51 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, according to a 2006 Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council report. The most serious health effects from arsenic ex...

74 percent of young people disapprove of Scott Walker's performance as governor Are millennials leaving Wisconsin because of the conservative policies put in place in recent years? That’s a good question worth looking into. A recent letter to the editor in the Stevens Point Journal demonstrated a real concern about whether Gov. Scott Walker’s policies were driving young people out of the state. Millennials and younger voters are likely not in sync with Walker’s and Republicans’ policies privatizing our public lands, whether for hunting, fishing, or recreational pursuits. ... Voters of all ages continue to witness Republicans and the governor limiting their right to vote and their access to polling sites. Do the businesses, chambers of commerce and media elites of central Wisconsin support this public assault upon people’s voting rights, including those of veterans? (It’s worth reading the whole letter if you have the time, and I suggest you do so by clicking the link a...

Clinton trends towards progressivism, but Sanders is a true progressive at heart We are just about one week away from the Iowa caucus, and thus one week away from the official start of the nomination process for each party’s choice for presidential candidate. Endorsements are coming in from every corner of the country, from political leaders (current and past) as well as newspaper editorial boards. Recognizing that my humble blog isn’t exactly the most influential that there is when it comes to presidential politics, I’d still like to add my two cents as to who should be our next president. That person should be Bernie Sanders . I’m not naive -- Sanders has some huge hurdles to surpass, primarily his own competition within the Democratic Party. And in Hillary Clinton we have another candidate who would do a fine job in her own right as president. Should Sanders not receive the nomination from the Democrats, I’d be glad to put my full support behind her. However, Sanders represe...

GOP Assembly member insists that changes are in line with La Follette’s legacy, ignoring historical documents that say otherwise The drastic changes to Wisconsin’s civil service law are heading to Gov. Scott Walker’s desk following Senate approval of the Assembly-passed bill this week. Rep. Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) produced a press release celebrating the changes . But his release is a doozy of a spin, so prepare yourself for a point-by-point breakdown of what he had to say. “Wisconsin’s civil service laws are overdue for common-sense changes that keep pace with a changing workforce.” This would make sense to anyone reading them. Surely changes, if they’re needed, should be considered. But the bill that Gov. Walker plans to sign doesn’t make “common-sense changes” to the law -- it dismantles it completely, creating a resume-based hiring plan that allows very little transparency in the state’s hiring process. The law was put into place more than 100 years ago to prevent po...

PTSD is a serious condition, and the president has worked tirelessly to help vets Sarah Palin, fresh off of her recent endorsement of Donald Trump for president, is facing some heat. Her son, Track Palin, was recently arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and obstructing the reporting of that assault, as well as possessing a weapon while intoxicated. If you need help, please contact the Veterans Crisis Line, or chat with someone online now Several commentators have suggested Sarah Palin, as mother to Track, is responsible in some ways for her son’s actions. I take a different view: I’m a firm believer that one’s family members, including those who are the direct children of politicians, shouldn’t reflect on the politician themselves . They may share a bloodline, but Track’s actions are not Sarah’s responsibility. He is a grown man, and his mistakes are his to deal with. However, Palin’s own commentary on the incident doesn’t make a lick of sense, and her rationale for her s...

Governor Scott Walker offers no opinion on the issue ahead of the State of the State address State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) and State Rep. Robert Brooks (R-Saukville) have introduced legislation that would allow concealed carry license holders the right to carry weapons on school grounds throughout Wisconsin. But before we examine that proposal let’s take a quick glance at how well concealed carry, up to this point, has worked in general for the state so far. In 2011, when Walker signed the concealed carry bill passed by the state legislature into law, he did so with great fanfare. Specifically, he included a very notable promise: that the state would be safer for it. “By signing concealed carry into law today we are making Wisconsin safer for all responsible, law abiding citizens,” Walker said back then . And how has the state fared? Not as well as Walker suggested it would. Wisconsin has seen a drastic increase in violent crime since the governor signed the bill i...

The Democrats are offering a positive vision of an American future After the latest Democratic Party debate, I’m genuinely excited about this presidential election campaign. Don’t get me wrong -- I frequently get upset or discouraged by the amount of attention that the Republican candidates are receiving this year. Theirs is a set of campaigns that is dedicated toward appealing to the lowest common denominator -- they work to get votes through fear and intimidation tactics rather than substantive policy. But after tonight, I’m genuinely excited about the prospects of a Democratic candidate becoming the next president of the United States. All three candidates tonight brought candid conversation, bold ideas, and yes, some criticism of each other’s plans and policy stances. But rather than attacking each other relentlessly throughout the debate, each candidate brought dignity and thoughtfulness to their responses, a welcomed departure from what we’ve seen from conservative candid...

Bob Gannon apologizes for gesture, but stands by his racially charged remarks Rep. Bob Gannon (R-Slinger) is at it again. This time, he’s taking heat for “flipping the bird” to Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) on the Assembly floor. Why was Gannon so mad? He apparently couldn’t stand the criticism he was getting from lawmakers regarding his recent racially inflammatory comments . From Madison.com : Gannon, R-Slinger, made the gesture and stormed off the Assembly floor during an emotional debate with Milwaukee lawmakers over comments Gannon recently made about crime in black neighborhoods of Milwaukee. He apologized for the gesture, but not for his remarks. Gannon later made an apology (in the classic “sorry-not-sorry” sense of the word) regretting extending his middle finger towards his esteemed colleague but not holding back on his senseless rhetoric. Gannon said Milwaukee's mayor, police chief and district attorney are failing to keep the city's citize...

Walker pats himself on the back while students continue to struggle For most of his time as governor, Scott Walker has ignored the plight of students of higher education who are dealing with massive student loan debt across Wisconsin. His major solution has been simplistic: keeping tuition frozen so that it can’t go higher. While tuition freezes are a good start, they don’t solve the problem -- they just keep tuition at high rates. It’s like fixing a clogged sink by turning off the faucet. Any plumber will tell you that doesn’t solve the problem, and any educator will tell you that tuition freezes aren’t a solution to higher education expenses either. Seven-in-ten students in UW System schools graduate with student loan debt (PDF), placing Wisconsin third worst in the nation when it comes to the percentage its students are left debt-ridden. On average, those students graduate with nearly $30,000 in debt. Walker knew he couldn’t just keep saying he froze tuition and think t...

Legislators should focus on uniting the state, not on finding ways to divide us further My state rep, Bob Gannon (R-Slinger), needs to have a seat. As Chris so eloquently wrote about yesterday, not only is his recent press release racist, but it's also fact free. Milwaukee is the economic engine of the state. But unfortunately, his press release resonates with so many people who live out here. Their disdain for Milwaukee and anybody who isn't white is clear. I moved to Washington County from the city when I was a teen and it was kind of a culture shock. I've heard so many openly racist comments from people who live here I've lost count. They express such contempt for our wonderful city and how "dangerous" it is, etc. Then they drive into our fine city to work every day, and then dash back to the burbs where they live. I find that frustrating, and it pisses me off. Milwaukee is good enough for these folks to collect a paycheck in and when they want t...

Wisconsin Republican makes lofty claims based off of racist insinuations State Rep. Bob Gannon (R-Slinger) is at it again. Last month Gannon alleged that a gunshot in East Towne Mall could have been prevented if the area had allowed concealed carry on its premises. “A gang banger in the mall with a gun is going to think twice if there could be a law abiding CCW holder standing behind them fully prepared to shoot center mass,” Gannon wrote in December . He took it a step further, however, saying that because Wisconsin didn’t have the death penalty, it was up to citizens to arm themselves and “help clean our society of [the] scumbags” in our state. Gannnon apparently has more controversy to dispense (beyond encouraging citizen gunslinging in Wisconsin). On Wednesday he published a press release (PDF) that alleges crime in Milwaukee County is responsible for the state’s jobs woes overall. “Milwaukee is ranked the sixth highest city nationally in per capita murders by Forbes...