Quote of the day

As an aside, I was just thinking the on my walks the last couple of days that I was a lot happier before I started seeing a doctor regularly again.

- Huckleberry Dumbell, Spring City Chronicle

Lessons in two tragedies

The Spring City Chronicle reads Reuters and discovers that the problem may not be with the guns or the gun laws, but the person firing the gun.

"Unpaid taxes may be the Lord working in mysterious ways"

It was a packed house at today's town hall meeting with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner and State Representative Bill Kramer. There were 90 people there (not including staff), three times the normal amount according to Congressman Sensenbrenner. Among the notables: former Waukesha mayoral candidate Jim Young, blogger M.E. from Stand in the Trenches, Alexander from A Little Off Main, Waukesha County Treasurer Pam Reeves, former Waukesha County Supervisor Alicia Silva. The Spring City Chronicle also reported Lynn Gaffey, owner of the Almont Gallery, was there. Token liberal Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson was there but did not speak or ask any questions.

I say "token liberal" because this was clearly a conservative crowd. The most critical questions were those wishing the Republicans would fight harder against President Obama and Governor Doyle.

Sensenbrenner replied that "elections have consequences" and that he and Kramer are "out of the legislating business." The agenda is being set by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan. However, he pointed with some hope to the House Republican unity in voting against the "non-stimulus stimulus bill." In response to a question about universal health care, he also pointed out Democrats had a bigger majority when Hillarycare was shot down in the House.

When asked about alternative fuels, Sensenbrenner explained some of the problems with ethanol, noted that biomass fuel is still a ways off, and then declared his support for nuclear power to applause from the room.

To the amusement of the room, one woman asked who is it in Washington that determines they don't have to pay a fine when they don't pay taxes. "Why, the secretary of the treasury," replied Sensenbrenner. He then explained that he did not think Treasury Secretary Geithner made an innocent mistake, and he praised Feingold for voting against Geithner.

Along the same lines, in response to another question about universal health care, he pointed out that the President hoped to have an easier time pushing it through because former senator Tom Daschle is a former majority leader and something of a policy wonk on the issue. "Unpaid taxes may be the Lord working in mysterious ways."

One person asked about the federal stimulus bill, noting that the $13/week we'll be giving back next year in taxes. Sensenbrenner told her, "Your calculator works better than the one in Washington."

On the subject of global warming, Sensenbrenner called the proposed "cap and trade" carbon tax "cap and tax." He said global warming sceptics were being subject to "scientific fascism" in the way they are ridiculed and personally attacked.

"What is clear," he told the audience, "is the economic devastation of cap and tax."

But the repeated question was what could the members of the audience do to help fight the Democrats? Both Sensenbrenner and Kramer answered the best thing people could do is stay informed and tell their friends and neighbors. To one member of the audience with a brother-in-law in Wausau, Kramer and Sensenbrenner listed the Democrats representing the city and told him to tell his brother-in-law to call those Democrats. Sensenbrenner also suggested they all show up the next time Feingold had a meeting in Waukesha and express their concerns to him.

As for Senator Kohl, Sensenbrenner noted dryly that the only way any of the audience would see him is to "purchase $110 seats at a Bucks game. You might see him there."

It's too bad neither Kramer nor Sensenbrenner said, "Join the Republican Party."

A blogger is born

Jeff of the Five Points Blog is a proud new dad of a baby boy.  The Spring City Chronicle has the appropriate artist's representation, thus sparing all of us the birthing video.  Rumor has it the child was named Ash Sprizzo.  However, I tend to discount such rumors.

Congratulations to the Five Points family and we look forward to the baptism in the Fox River.

Some blogging news

Congratulations to the Spring City Chronicle on its latest traffic numbers. Today, Boots & Sabers, tomorrow Ann Althouse?

Blog Net News is looking for Wisconsin's conservative blogs. I don't want to get into the whole controversy over their use of blog content, but if you do want to be listed there please let them know.

Shocking boneheadedness wins award

The Spring City Chronicle has awarded the "Boneheads of the Year" award. The excitement is just electric.

Tim Schilke needs better reference points

In today's Waukesha Freeman, a caller to the Sound Off line makes an excellent point:

Schilke column

In his Nov. 18 column, Tim Schilke quoted freaky rocker (his definition) Marilyn Manson as a source for his anti-gun position.

Last week he was referring to King Arthur’s court and Celtic legends in an attempt to justify his anti-hunting position.

It is time for The Freeman to get a writer who is grounded in reality, not in has-been rock stars and bedtime stories.

Although Schilke may have authored “Growing up Red,” he obviously has not grown up.

I totally agree with the caller. Instead of those references, Schilke should use more Caddyshack, Animal House, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein references. Oh yeah, and heavy on the Seinfeld.

And what's this "vacation" nonsense?

Meanwhile, another caller makes a suspicious prank call to the Sound Off line,

Over the past few months a lot of people have been sounding off about train whistles, baseball in Frame Park, bagging leaves and white deer. It seems people have forgotten what the true meaning of Sound Off is for ... which is making fun of Mayor Larry Nelson! I wish people would get back to the basics and start making fun of our mayor.

God bless them, they must be fans of this blog. That, or it's the mayor wanting to see his name in print more often. Somebody check that phone number, please.

Ht: Spring City Chronicle

Rep Bill Kramer endorses feasting on the remnants of Native American civilization

State Representative Bill Kramer sent his Thanksgiving greetings to his constituents in this morning's Waukesha Freeman (a bargain at 50 cents, not just on Black Friday).

Almost 500 years ago, a group of Pilgrims set forth to a new country, to find a new way of life, a new way to practice their faith. And in that harsh, new environment, they saw fit to draw near their neighbors and friends to join them in giving thanks to God for their safe delivery, the fruits of their labor and their safety.

And today, we gather this season for the same reasons – to give thanks for our safety and the blessings and grace of God in each of our lives.

(ht: Spring City Chronicle)

A blow for human rights in Canada

Mark Steyn gave National Review Online an update on Canada's Human Rights Commission, an organization which was not interested in human rights, particularly the right of free speech.

...earlier this month, over 99 per cent of delegates to the Conservative Party convention voted to abolish Section 13 (the "hate speech" provision) of the Canadian Human Rights Act, and a brave principled Liberal, Keith Martin, renewed his private member's motion in the House of Commons to do the same.

This morning, the CHRC issued the so-called Moon Report on free-speech issues. Most of us expected it to be a whitewash. Instead, Professor Moon says:

1. The first recommendation is that section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) be repealed so that the CHRC and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) would no longer deal with hate speech, in particular hate speech on the Internet.

This is a great tribute to what Ezra calls his campaign of "denormalization" of Canada's Orwellian "human rights" racket. They're not yet ready to throw in the towel completely, but it's fluttering limply on the edge of the ring. Canada may be preparing to rejoin the ranks of free nations.

Meanwhile, The Spring City Chronicle wonders if we may need some deliverance here from the speech police.

This guy sounds like a racist redneck, fine, bad man. Two things bother me: First is this notion that you can be charged with a hate crime without any underlying other crime having been committed. I can rationalize a hate crime enhancer which would increase the penalty for another crime, but that wasn’t the case here. Refuse him service, kick him out of the bar and have him arrested for disorderly conduct if he doesn’t go, but charging that words prove someone’s beliefs is, to me, charging someone with a “thought crime”. That seems more than a little Orwellian.

A few personal notes this morning

Mary Kilzer passed away this week. The mom of our neighborhood friends who was more than generous with her time. Her house was often the gathering place for the neighborhood children, even well into our teenage years. To Kurt, Joel, and Steve, my deepest sympathy.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dave Doege passed away last Saturday. I never met him but once sat on a panel with his wife, Gretchen Schuldt who blogs at Milwaukee Rising. She's posted a friend's remembrance of her husband's life. Our sympathies to Gretchen.

Our prayers go out to Elderberry Dumbell, the sister of Spring City Chronicle scribe Huckleberry Dumbell. We wish her a speedy recovery from bypass surgery.

Finally, congratulations to Liz Stewart-Pirone who announced she has passed the License to Steal exam in Ohio and is a practicing member of the bar. While she is {ahem} a Democrat, we suspect Ohioans will be well-served by this new attorney. And congratulations to her husband Joe Stewart-Pirone who is now well on his way to the punitive redistribution level of taxation.

Triumph of reality over pessimism

 The Spring City Chronicle predicts the Packers will win this week.

Let's celebrate by stopping a stadium

Happy Birthday to the Spring City Chronicle. It is three years old today.

Let's catch you up to speed on a few things. The Waukesha Freeman reported over 100 people attended last night's walk in Frame Park. They are also reporting Waukesha aldermen are getting calls, and not just from the mayor. (For the fun of it, someone should file an ORR for the mayor's phone calls to the aldermen while on his most recent travels.)

Meanwhile, the Waukesha Freeman weighs in on the editorial page:

But the larger question is very simple: Does the community want to allow its treasured Frame Park to be used in this way by a private enterprise? We say absolutely not.

It’s one thing to hold an annual festival in the park, but it is something else entirely to allow a business to set up shop in this manner.

We think the mayor has good intentions in trying to bring the baseball league to Frame Park. The mayor thinks the new baseball facility will enhance the park. He also sees the baseball team as one piece of an overall vision for Waukesha that includes several other developments around town such as the Clarke Hotel project.

But even though the plan has some promising aspects, it poses too much of a threat to the park’s character.

The park is seen as a jewel – elegant and classy. Many local citizens have put their heart and soul into making Frame Park the beautiful place it is. Let’s not mess with it.

Meanwhile, the blog Fox Head has decided to jump off the fence.

Last week I had to make a road trip to Appleton on business. In Appleton they have just a stadium for baseball that is similar in concept to what is being proposed. Granted the stadium sits by the freeway and I believe it is larger than the one proposed, but it gave me an idea of what we would be looking at.

After all of these comparisons and envisioning what we would be looking at, and my own wants, I have come to the conclusion that we don’t need the stadium in Frame Park.

It simply does not fit the ambiance of Frame Park and I believe that despite the money being thrown around and the dollar signs that Mayor Larry is seeing, this would be a very misplaced venture and would only hurt the feel and look of Frame Park.

Beyond that, look at what 35 nights would be doing to the neighborhood. The traffic, the noise, and the lights will make 35 nights out of the summer miserable for people who are just trying to live their lives in peace. I know from personal experience what a hassle it is to get around when a game is going on. I get to enjoy that each time Waukesha West hosts a football game, not to mention the lights and the noise. Fortunately it’s only a few nights in fall that we get to enjoy that, but I definitely know how the surrounding neighborhoods would feel.

Building on that, even with the football games we are in a rural enough of a setting that at least I can circumvent the traffic. Frame Park is in the middle of downtown Waukesha, imagine the traffic snarls and problems when a game lets out. Add to that, the fact that they may serve beer at the games, now you have people who have had a few trying to make their way home in the middle of downtown.

Next stop, BID meeting Monday night.

Clear the air

Whoever sent this cartoon to the Waukesha Freeman Sound Off, more please.

ht: Spring City Chronicle

Hearing trains in my sleep

Apparently the sound of inconvenient train whistles will only be temporary, provided the federal government approves the plans. (ht: Spring City Chronicle)

We are going to get the Great Lakes water applications through in plenty of time, right?

If you thought we hated trains before

Someone (the mayor? the city administrator?) at city hall dropped the ball and the necessary paperwork to keep the quiet zones at train crossings was not filed. (Ht: Spring City Chronicle)

The affected crossings are at: Sunset Drive, West Avenue, College Avenue, Maple Avenue, Grand Avenue, Barstow Street, East Avenue, Broadway, Arcadian Avenue, Hartwell Avenue, Main Street, Whiterock Avenue, Moreland Boulevard, MacArthur Avenue, Prairie Avenue and Grandview Boulevard.

This is after, of course, the city budgeted money to change the crossings to keep the quiet zone status.

The whistles start blowing on Monday.

Financial tales out of school

Ya know, sometimes something just kinda bothers me. I read this story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel how the Waukesha school system was in the hole for their investment scheme. Then I read this story about State Rep. Bill Kramer, financial planner, looking at the deal and not seeing any problems (ht: Spring City). And then I started hearing other descriptions of what is actually being invested and how and...

I don't think Kramer was told the whole story, and I'm beginning to believe this is not a tale with a happy ending.

So, any of my finance gurus want to take a look at this mess and tell me what you think?

Yes, it has flaws

Dean takes a thoughtful look at the Great Lakes Compact and finds it flawed but ultimately necessary.

Meanwhile, the Spring City Chronicle takes on Mayor Larry Nelson for conspiring with Democrats to behave like Democrats. He also asks the not-so-fun question, what if?

The problem is, what if works both ways. If the pact fails, then we still have any governor can veto any diversion for any reason.

I understand all of the opposition to the pact and the desire for development. And yes, I'm afraid of skyrocketing water bills, although I think that will happen anyway. After all, any plan to return the water back to Lake Michigan is going to be expensive. But someone is going to have a hard time convincing me that going back to the drawing board is going to make things better.

For an opposing view,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Senator Ted Kanavas
March 6, 2008 (608) 266-9174
Kanavas Statement:
Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson Endorses Plan
That May Exclude Waukesha From Receiving Fresh Water
(Madison)…“This is not how we do things in Waukesha County.” said Senator Ted Kanavas (RBrookfield) after he learned about secret, closed door dealings between the Mayor of Waukesha and Senate Democrats who are trying to enact a version of the Great Lakes Water Compact that does very little to ensure that communities in Waukesha County will have access to drinking water in the future.

With a long tradition of broad cooperation on important issues facing Waukesha County, Waukesha County state legislators were frustrated by Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson’s lack of sound judgment after he kept legislators from Waukesha County out of the loop on private negotiations he had with Democrats in the Wisconsin State Senate.

“The Mayor made an incredibly important, non-partisan issue partisan,” said Senator Kanavas. “He decided to exclude Waukesha County legislators and negotiate with Senate Democrats, the Department of Natural Resources and Governor Doyle, to the detriment of everyone else in Waukesha County.

“The Mayor did not stop there. Before he even saw the final version of the bill, Mayor Nelson issued a statement endorsing a bill that fails to ensure the City of Waukesha will have long term access to fresh water. Democratic state senators waved the Mayor’s statement in the air during the Senate’s floor debate, using it as ammunition against Waukesha County legislators who were fighting for their constituents.

“The bill that Mayor Nelson endorsed will have a substantial impact on Waukesha County and the State of Wisconsin for the next two hundred years. Decisions about the future of Waukesha County should not be made behind closed doors, during private meetings, or during one day of debate on the floor of the State Senate, without even seeing the final version of the legislation.

“Protecting the Great Lakes is far too important to be given such short shrift. A decision of this magnitude should not be rushed through the State Senate without proper consideration. Mayor Nelson should be ashamed of himself for collaborating with the Senate Democrats to the detriment of his constituents and every other resident of Waukesha County.”

Killing the death tax

Fred Dooley at Real Debate Wisconsin is sponsoring a petition to stop the death tax from rising from the grave. The petition is online.

One Wisconsin Now (a really fascist sounding name, isn't it?) has launched a petition effort of their own to raise this killer zombie.

"Wisconsin will not allow the legislature to slash programs for the poor, elderly and disabled to protect a massive tax break for the state's next Paris Hilton," said {Scot Ross, Executive Director of One Wisconsin Now}. "These tax breaks for the super-rich started this year and if we have a budget shortfall, they need to end now."

Ross, of course, was the poster child for the Assembly Democrats' role in the Caucus Scandal. Perhaps he's concerned that state funding of legal help for former Democratic aides might be in jeopardy.

But surely his class-warfare rhetoric, aside from being old and tired, is out of place? After all, to solve Wisconsin's long-term economic problems, we should be encouraging as many of the Paris Hilton set, not to mention the Kohls and Cudahys, to settle in Wisconsin. Wealth preservation and encouragement of wealth growth is the path to prosperity. Even as Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton is encouraging Hollywood to bring their movie-making industry to Wisconsin, surely we would want to put out the welcome sign: "Bring us your entrepeneurial, your rich, your captains of industry yearning to be free of those wanting to destroy wealth to fund short-term desires."

As for Ms. Hilton, I know a realtor who has a nice starter home in New Berlin for sale, as well as a blogger looking to sell a condo in downtown Waukesha.

Maybe Vrakas should just have Allison give all of his speeches

I hope Allison enjoys the flattery:

And there’s a quote from County Executive Chief of Staff Allison Bussler. A real quote. Real words were spoken. I was once on a hilltop in the Kettle Moraine Forest just before dawn. Just as the sky began to glow in the east, the birds began to sing. First one here, one there, soon the forest was alive with songs. Was it like that?

Almost worthy of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Find classic movies at Amazon.com

Good journalism

Mike at Spring City Chronicle helped win an award ...for the Waukesha Freeman.

The awards included a firstplace prize in investigative reporting by Freeman reporter Kollin Kosmicki and his series of stories about former Waukesha Alderman Glenn Savoie, who was discovered to have solicited prostitution from two girls – a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old – and spent 16 months incarcerated after violating terms of probation and a subsequent prostitution offense.

“It was one of those stories where the media brought light to a problem, so it’s nice to get recognized for my part in that,” said Kosmicki, now managing editor of the News-Graphic newspaper in Cedarburg.

The Spring City Chronicle was the first to break the story of Savoie's checkered past. For some reason I thought of this:

Later on he had an idea - to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI's on the way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Green - and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man - a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque - or a signpost - or a statue of him in that town!

Some time ago, I wrote in an e-mail to another blogger that in a few years I would be at a conference of bloggers and see a bunch of Wisconsin Newspaper Association members in attendance. It's also entirely possible that in a few years we may start seeing bloggers getting honored by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. That's still a few years off, and there's some work to be done proving that some bloggers in Wisconsin are actually writers.

That having been said, I do want to congratulate the Waukesha Freeman for winning eight awards this year, especially fellow opinion page columnist Pete Kennedy:

The Freeman also received second-place honors in the following categories: editorial page, local columnist (Pete Kennedy), feature writing, spot news photography and overall page design.

Third-place prizes recognized the paper’s work in all-around newspaper photography and enterprise/ interpretive reporting for a retrospective series marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting murders committed by Terry Ratzmann, a New Berlin man who killed seven others and then himself at a church service inside a Brookfield hotel in 2005.

The Freeman competed against newspapers from throughout Wisconsin with similar circulation.

Gives me something to shoot for this year.

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