Friday, April 29, 2016

RoJo Wants To Reform Something

By Jeff Simpson

Our Dumb Senator wants to "reform" something:


Ron introduces reform package aimed at wasteful govermnet spending

Posted by Staff
Apr 28, 2016 5:48:25 PM
Federal News Radio
By: Meredith Somers
April 27, 2016
Oil paintings, presidential allowances and administrative leave — the legislative package Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) plans to introduce covers a variety of federal programs and payments, with the singular goal of government reform.


Maybe that is why Mr. Johnson has done absolutely nothing in his six years of non work for the people of Wisconsin.    He does not know he works for the people of Wisconsin in the US Government.  

Vote for Russ Feingold in November!   Let's get intelligent adults back in our Government.


Paul Ryan Wants To Kill Me


  

By Jeff Simpson

Janesvilles own Paul Ryan (R - Wall St.), recently took over the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives, promised a new tone of civility within his party.

Imagine my surprise, when I read this story today:

U.S.  House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan called on Wednesday for an end to Obamacare’s financial protections for people with serious medical conditions, saying these consumers should be placed in state high-risk pools.
In election-year remarks that could shed light on an expected Republican health care alternative, Ryan said existing federal policy that prevents insurers from charging sick people higher rates for health coverage has raised costs for healthy consumers while undermining choice and competition.
The rule, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, has been praised by patient advocates for providing access to medical care for people who previously could not afford private health insurance. The Affordable Care Act also bars insurers from excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions.
“Less than 10 percent of people under 65 are what we call people with pre-existing conditions, who are really kind of uninsurable,” Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, told a student audience at Georgetown University.

I have never been shy about sharing my journey fighting Cancer publicly.   It is a club I would rather not be in but, as Mr. Ryan speaks so much about choice, it is a choice I(and millions of others) did not have.

While Mr. Ryan speaks of "ONLY 10 percent", which is approximately 27,481,309 million Americans that he is referring to.    A mass shooting is defined by four or more people being shot or killed, I hate to think what the needless death of 27.5 million Americans would be called.

Before I get accused of histrionics and hyperbole, I understand that allowing insurance companies to drop us "who are really kind of uninsurable," will not immediately kill all of us.   It will immediately kill some of us, and eventually kill a vast majority of us.   

I know personally, without the quality health insurance I have, I would have died a horrible painful death by now.   There isn't a health savings account south of Janna Ryan's family Oklahoma oil money,that could even come close to putting a dent in the bills my medical issues have racked up.  

Now Mr. Ryan, who is third in line from the Presidency of the United States, has decided it would be best if insurance companies would not have to cover me for a reasonable rate.   

Let's take cancer for instance :  
Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and its incidence continues to rise. Each year 12.7 million people discover they have cancer and 7.6 million people die from the disease. However, evidence shows that 30 - 40 percent of these deaths can be prevented, and one-third can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment.     That translates to 340,000 cases of cancer a year in the US alone that can be stopped or cured with early diagnosis and treatment.   
The only possible way to get early diagnosis and treatment is to have affordable health care and see your doctor regularly.    Without health insurance or with a ridiculously high deductible, people will not go to the doctor and get treated.  Nikolas Kristof of the New York Times gave us an incredible inside look of just this very instance that happened to a good friend of his.  It is a tough but very important read.

But wait there is more!    If an insurance company is allowed to drop you after a diagnosis, then you are stuck during the hardest time in your life(trust me it takes quite some time for the (you have cancer) news to truly sink in) calling around and pricing private insurance plans for the uninsurable.  
One thing for me, and I am sure most others, is consistency in care.   When you change or price insurance companies, you have to keep your doctors in mind.   My case is so incredibly complicated, I have at one time or another, spent time with 8 different groups of surgical specialists.  Can you imagine half way through treatment/diagnosis having to switch to another hospital and finding a whole new group of 8 different teams and get them up to speed while hoping that the insurance company I picked was not also planning on dropping me.

The stress on not just me, but my family, and wife and children was unbearable to begin with.   When a family member gets an illness the whole family and friends get it also.   Does Mr. Ryan also plan on allowing the insurance companies to drop my wife and kids also because I am expensive?   If that is the case, the 27.5 million Americans starts to increase exponentially.    

We know from experience and hindsight that many patients can not wait for treatment because of no insurance, shopping insurance companies or denial of services by the insurance company you have.

People have literally died because of this 

Many people on both sides of the aisle, realize that Obamacare is not perfect.   They realize that there are many different tweaks that need to be done to help insure all Americans.   Almost all people realize that the one good thing we can agree on is that insurance companies can no longer drop people who get sick and actually have to use their insurance.

That is all but the most extreme of us.  Paul Ryan is one of those people who are too extreme.  

Are we a nation that wants people who are unfortunate enough to get a debilitating disease to die off quickly to cull the herd?  Or are we a people that understands that "All (wo)Men Are Created Equal" and no diagnosis should be a death penalty?

I have been told many times that we have the government we deserve.   Let us come to common ground and understand that I do not deserve to die because I happened to have cancer.   I do not deserve to die a painful death early because I can no longer afford high risk insurance.

No one in Wisconsin deserves to have Paul Ryan represent them

It is time we retire Paul Ryan from Congress, for the sake of 27.5 million of your friends and neighbors and family members!



Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Law Bores The GOP

By Jeff Simpson


If you remember, the Bradley Foundations, latest employee to be given the power of elected office Rebecca Bradley.  

Also rememeber that Ms. Bradley was the appointed member of the Walker Crony squad and one of the first things she did as a Supreme Court Justice, and member of the highest court in the state, was to leave the court in the middle of oral arguments to run to a fund raiser put on by her bosses.  

Well disrespect for the law and their position goes even higher than the Wisconsin Supreme Court, all the way up to Supreme Court of the US.  Justice Clarence Thomas, he of the wife who is crazy tea party fame, apparently is up too late at night trying to think of an actual question to ask, that he can not stay awake during his day job.  

A recent Supreme Court Sketch artist released a drawing of inside the courtroom:

160422_SLATEST_Clarence-Thomas-Sleeping.jpg.CROP.promovar-mediumlarge

Notice anything there?  Yes that is a sketch artists drawing of Justice Thomas sleeping.   I guess the case was boring him, and since he is a far right ideologue and joke on the court, and like Bradley, he knows how he is told to vote, so who needs to listen to the details?

Whats next?  If I did not know better,  I would think that the GOP would have such a lack of respect for the law that Scott Walker will appoint David " Ike Turner" Prossers appointment as someone who did a barnstorming tour in local bars speaking with hate talker Vicki Mckenna on a perverted version of freedom.  

Nah!  Nat even Scott Walker is that brazen with that little respect for the law?

Right?





Scott Walker and Beelzebub



By Jeff Simpson


The quote of the day comes from former Speaker of the House John Boehner.  The orange man lets it fly when asked about Ted Cruz.

Asked about the 2016 presidential candidate at a forum hosted by Stanford in Government (SIG) and the Stanford Speakers Bureau, Boehner drew laughter for making a face of disgust, according to the Stanford Daily.

"Lucifer in the flesh," Boehner said, according to the paper. "I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life."


He added that he would vote for Donald Trump in a general election if he becomes the Republican nominee but that he would not vote for Cruz.

If there is anything that shows how extreme and out of touch the WISGOP is with not only Wisconsin but the rest of America also, by the fact that the hate talkers and most electeds got together, collaborated and pushed Ted Cruz to victory in the WI primary.

Scotty himself gushed over Cruz

 "After eight years of the failed Obama-Clinton Administration, Americans are looking for real leadership and a new direction. Ted Cruz is a principled constitutional conservative who understands that power belongs to the states — and to the people — and not bureaucrats in Washington," Walker said in a statement released as he announced his decision on Sykes' show. "Just like we did in Wisconsin, Ted Cruz is not afraid to challenge the status quo and to stand up against the big government special interests. He is the best-positioned candidate to both win the Republican nomination and defeat Hillary Clinton. That’s why I endorse Ted Cruz for President of the United States."

In citing his reasoning for backing Cruz, Walker said, "I just fundamentally believe that he is a constitutional conservative," in addition to favorably 
comparing Cruz's style and policies as more suitable to the middle of the country. 
"I wanted to make sure I was supporting someone ... I wasn't against someone," said Walker, who said he plans to campaign on behalf of Cruz ahead of the state's primary on April 5. "I want to be for something."

Maybe its the fact that the WISGOP, follow Ted Cruz's policies that they are so uptight, petty and angry,  





Walker, GOP To Strengthen Chokehold On State Supreme Court

After seeing his colleague, Patrick Crooks, die in office and after the death of Antonio Scalia, Wisconsin Supreme Court Injustice David "Choke Hold" Prosser has announced his retirement before he becomes number three:

The gentle reader would be smart to wonder if this move was just a retirement and not a political move by the Wisconsin GOP. Since Scott Walker's appointee Rebecca Bradley and her corporate sponsors successfully bought her election in the spring, the state supreme court would be able to avoid the deadlock we see at the United States Supreme Court. Furthermore, whomever Walker anoints, er, appoints as Prosser's successor would be safe until at least 2020, when the next election would be for that seat on the bench.

All of this naturally leads to speculation on whom Walker will anoint, er, appoint at his masters' bidding.

While no names have been floated out there yet, rest assured that this person already as a predated application sitting on Walker's desk.

A couple of names that immediately comes to mind would include Jim Troupis, whom Walker appointed to circuit court last year. Troupis' "qualifications" include working on the GOP's gerrymandering scheme as well as successfully defending Walker's Act 10, the right to work law for public sector employees.

Another name worth watching would be Brian Hagedorn, Walker's former state solicitor, whom Walker appointed to the appellate court last year, despite his only qualification being keeping Walker from having to face accountability in the John Doe investigations.

Whomever Walker appoints to the seat, rest assured that they will have taken a vow to protect and serve their corporate sponsors, the GOP agenda and will never, ever let that silly old constitution get in the way of their mission.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Christian Schneider - Stupid M@th@rf$ck$r

By Jeff Simpson

For a time everyone respected and was sad to hear the news that Prince had passed.

 Apr 21Wow. Growing up in the 80s, the music of Prince was a big deal. What a shock!
Christian Schneider


Politicians went crazy with tweets after Prince's untimely death Thursday, but Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker did it best.

 Apr 21Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today. To get through this thing called life...

Seriously, USA Today called out Scott Walker as being brilliant for plagiarizing Prince's lyrics on the day Prince died.   Not to mention that a quick search of twitter and you see too many tweets to count with the same thing.

 Apr 21Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to get through this thing called life. And if the elevator ever brings you down


Apparently Scott Walker says the same things everyone else is saying but he says it best!    I wonder if Paul Singer has ordered his fathead of Scott Walker for his office wall yet or not?

Speaking of fatheads. Christian Schneider has had enough.

See while everyone jumped on the bandwagon of a private phenom who kept to himself, a funny thing happened along the way.  We found out that Prince was such a private person, that he had actually been giving to and supporting many causes without feeling the need to broadcast it.

Prince supported Black Lives Matter.  He also forced InStyle Magazine to hire a black woman to interview him in 2000. sent money to the family of Trayvon Martin, paid for solar panels for people tp put on their houses in the poorer areas of Oakland(double whammy, minorities and alternative energy), helped start the #Yeswecode, was a forty year Union member and strong supporter of the working class, made a point to elevate and mentor women in music.

The stories are endless and still trickling out, including one more I want to share.  A few years ago, the great drummer from Madison, Clyde Stubblefield, was diagnosed with bladder cancer and like most musicians was without insurance.  While his friends held some fundraisers for him(remember we have a coffee can healthcare system in America), it was Prince who heard about it and stepped up and paid the $80,000 bill that Mr. Stubblefield still owed.   Most of these stories being told now were done with the condition of anonymity.    That is who Prince Rogers Nelsen was.  

All of these stories coming out has made our friends on the far right very uncomfortable.  How can someone with Prince's resources dedicate his life to helping the poor, the working class, women and minorites instead of chasing every single dollar he could?   How could he do acts of kindness and not brag about it?   How could there be more to the person than the tiny talented recluse we see pop up on rare occassions?

That kind of human spirit and giving character is what leads to stories like this from Christian Schneider.    Schneider is employed by the Bradley Foundation and on loan to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as the person they call when they need to get ahead of a stroy or change a narrative.   Mr. Schneider desperately tries here and fails as miserably as New Coke.

Good grief. First of all, there's a 95% chance none of you mourning Prince's death had listened to anything he recorded in the past quarter of a century. When he played at halftime of the Super Bowl in 2007, you said to yourself, "Hey, he used to be great!"
 And no, Prince did not make you the person you are today. You know no more about sex or life or the color purple than if he had never existed. If you learned about "compassion" from a guy who reportedly didn't allow employees to look at him in the eyes, perhaps some counseling is in order. (The only lasting effect Prince had on preteen boys in 1984 was forcing them to daydream about the feminine wonders to be found in Lake Minnetonka.)
 But the compulsion to grieve so publicly is simply too much for people today to resist. It's almost as if there is some government bureau taking note of who expressed sadness over Prince's passing and who didn't. It's not like saying "so sad Prince died!" on Twitter goes into your compassion bank, to be cashed in at a later date. You won't be on trial, and the judge says, "Well, he did steal that car and ram it into that hospital for puppies, but then again, he also seemed pretty shaken up about Bowie's death."

I could point out that social media is part of community and when some people grieve, they need community to help them.  However I am certain that it would go right over Mr. Schneiders head(unless it had a check attached).

 “Supporting people in grief means being with them in their pain and sorrow and taking our cues from them and what they need. It’s not helpful, logical or useful to pass judgment, and in fact, I think it’s precisely that judgment that often causes grievers the most pain.”

The reality is Schneider does not care of you grieve, how you grieve or that the great and talented Prince is no longer with us. Schneider's task was to try and diminish his legacy and get you to not look under the surface to who Prince was.  

The more we admire and hold up people who use their celebrity and gifts to help mankind, the more their silly version of "I built this and no one helped me" or the "drag yourself up by your bootstraps" and other just as ridiculous memes of the far right wing are becoming.  

In the age of information, the goal of certain people is to make sure you are not privy to certain information.  It is unfortunate that the largest newspaper/media outlet in our state allows that to happen and gives him a forum of faux credibility.

If you want to read a truly great and comprehensive eulogy of Prince I recommend this one.

Here is Prince's iconic performance at the half time of the 2007 Super Bowl! 






Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Referenda Sustain Schools During time of Decreasing State Support

By Kathleen Vinehout 

School districts these days more or less live and die by these referendums in terms of their ability to sustain programs and staff,” Dan Rossmiller of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) recently said as reported by the 
Isthmus.


So far in 2016, voters approved more than three-quarters of the 85 ballot referenda to raise property taxes to send more local dollars to schools. The nearly 77% pass rate is much higher than a few years ago.

People are voting to raise property taxes to keep their schools alive.
Recently I met with officials from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to understand school funding trends. I learned there was a big shift in the success of referenda. Prior to 2011 (and the deep school cuts that year) about half of school referenda passed. In the past five years about two-thirds passed.
Historically, communities voted to raise school property taxes to build buildings. Prior to 2011, nearly two-thirds of referenda votes were for the purpose of raising debt for building projects.
After 2011, over half of the votes to raise school property taxes are to fund current educational costs. But there is a limit to how much people can raise their property taxes to pay for current operations.
Back in 2012, the community of Gilmanton raised the school portion of their property taxes by over 40% to keep their beloved school alive. After the vote, many constituents told me “voters will never again” be able to afford such an increase in property taxes.
At a recent legislative breakfast, local school officials pleaded with lawmakers to increase state aid. School officials spoke of local “referenda fatigue” meaning people just can’t afford to raise their property taxes even though they want to keep the school district afloat.
Superintendent Dr. Connie Biedron reviewed the different ways the state cut funds to schools: cuts in state aid, local school districts paying for Milwaukee charter schools, local school districts paying for private school vouchers.
“I’m so grateful people are supporting schools by passing the referendum, but we are facing a continual decline in state funding”, said Dr. Biedron, “Communities can’t continue to tax more. They just can’t support taxing more.”
Prescott is a community that recently voted down a referendum for “existing educational programs and staff”. The February loss means the district is facing cuts of nearly 10% of its budget.
Just over river from Prescott, in Minnesota, voters do not face the same harsh realities of raising property taxes or facing deep cuts to schools.
Minnesota funds about two-thirds of school budgets with state aid. Only 30% comes from local sources like property taxes. Todd Langenfeld, a Prescott resident active in the referenda discussion, told me, “Wisconsin made a commitment to fund schools with two-thirds state funding. But we are well below that.”
The state of Wisconsin contributes about 45% (compared to Minnesota’s 64%) of the cost of schools, while locals contribute almost half.
Mr. Langenfeld continued, “To make up the difference, Prescott goes to referendum. If the state kicked in more, people would pay less in taxes.”
When the state pays less, people face awful choices; raise property taxes just to stay even with the cost of educating children or keep property taxes the same and cut children’s educational opportunities.
For Prescott, state funding this year covers about 53% of students’ costs. But two years ago, the state aid covered about 55% of the school district budget. Given rising costs and the expiration of a “non-recurring” referendum (renewed since 1999), it is not surprising voters faced a hard choice.
Prescott voters will get another opportunity to support their schools on May 25, 2016 when a special election will be held on another referendum. This time voters will be asked to make permanent (or recurring) the expiring referendum.
The immediate lay-off of teachers, cuts in student activities, canceling bus routes, and closing buildings may be averted with the passage of the May referendum.
However, voters all around the state must solve long-term problems by electing a Legislature willing to tackle the tough questions of how to increase permanently the state share of money for our children’s education.  

Madison Office
108 South, State Capitol
(608) 266-8546

Mailing Address
PO Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882

Rep. Taylor Urges GAB to Request Critical Funds for Voter ID Information Campaign

Rep. Taylor Urges GAB to Request Critical Funds for Voter ID Information Campaign
Legislature has an obligation to fund needed campaign

MADISON – Today, the Government Accountability Board (GAB) held their April 2016 board meeting. Rep. Taylor (D-Madison) appeared at the meeting and urged GAB members to formally request funding from the legislature for a comprehensive Voter ID information campaign. Though Democrats strongly oppose this law, which suppresses individuals’ ability to vote, particularly people of color, individuals with disabilities and students, most legal challenges to the law were unsuccessful and Wisconsinites are now required to present a specific photo identification for voting. Under the 2011 Voter ID law, the state was also required to fund a public information campaign but has failed to provide funds to execute this campaign. After her remarks in front of the GAB, Rep. Taylor issued the following statement:

“Few things are more precious in a democracy than a person’s right to vote. The enactment of one of the most restrictive Voter ID laws in the country is compounded by the fact that Republicans have failed to provide the funding necessary to execute a public education campaign that, for the most part, the GAB has already prepared and is ready to launch. It is imperative that every person eligible to vote is able to do so in the August primaries and the November general elections, but the Voter ID law is very restrictive and complex. The state has an obligation to make sure each voter knows what they will be required to present to be able to vote.”

“The GAB needs to immediately request funds from the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to begin this desperately needed campaign, and the JFC should immediately provide these funds. We saw a high turnout in the April election, but it would have been even higher if everyone knew what documents they needed to cast their vote, and we have heard many stories of individuals who were turned away from the polls or simply gave up waiting in long lines.  We know that approximately 1 million more voters are expected in the general election this November. It is our responsibility to ensure that the millions of Wisconsinites who want to exercise their right to vote have the necessary information and documentation to vote. As legislators, we should be doing everything in our power to make it easier, not harder, to vote.”

###


PO Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
(608) 266-5342
Twitter.com/christaylorwi
Facebook.com/representative.taylor
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Meet The GOP Education Czar


  

By Jeff Simpson 

I am not sure how I missed this story earlier but its time to catch up.  The Republicans passed a law stating that they can make a charter school in any district that has more than 25000 students(Milwaukee and Madison).    
The BIG Government Republicans in our state decided the best way to improve our public educational system is by hiring some young kid from out of state, who  has never taught in our schools or probably even stepped foot in a public school in Madison or Milwaukee. to run a NEW Government agency

The chief of staff for state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, has been hired by the University of Wisconsin System to oversee the creation of independent charter schools in Madison and Milwaukee.
Gary Bennett, a former public school teacher, will begin April 1, according to the UW System.
Not only did they increase the Government, they made him a  "special assistant to the President" of UW further stretching their resources because they also are going to pay him $95,000(with Cadillac Benefits).   Its amazing how the Repubs, keep putting their otherwise unemployable party members in high paying state jobs.   

In his new role, Bennett will earn $95,000 and report to UW System President Ray Cross as a special assistant to the president. 

For those of you scoring at home, the 7 members of the Madison School Board get paid $8000/yr with NO medical insurance.    That means the 7 members make $56000 a year while Mr. Bennett makes this plus an extra $40k and benefits.  Or about the cost of TWO classroom teachers and Mr. Bennett is not accountable to anyone and has no contact with children.

The taxpayers are very generous wth Mr. Bennett, especially when no one knows what he does all day.  Let's go to Mr. Bennett for his explanation.

Bennett declined comment Thursday.
$95,000 does not buy as much as it used too.

Because I am late with this story, we have the benefit of some hindsight to see how it is working so far.  

Thanks to Rep. Sondy Pope we know. 

The private voucher and charter school lobby spends millions every year padding Republicans’ campaigns, and this session they were gifted with another big return on investment in the Office of Educational Opportunity and its newly appointed "czar."
A partisan "czar" was appointed to oversee the newly created OEO. This individual can authorize charter schools in Wisconsin’s two largest districts, Madison and Milwaukee. Students can live in any district and still attend these new charter schools.
This “czar” will have vast power over schools in Wisconsin. His authority overrides that of locally elected school boards in Milwaukee and Madison. His salary and benefits, and those of his staff and office, will be paid by the already cash-strapped UW System.
In Summary, the Wisconsin Republicans passed a non fiscal, policy in the budget(to avoid debate), where they increased the size of Government and created a new "czar". interviewed in private, hired a former staffer(cronyism to the extreme) who has never even taught in WI, who makes double the taxpayer funded salary or what a teacher does, who will be completely unaccountable to anyone but the Republican party and his sole job is to take away local control from democratically elected school boards in Madison and Milwaukee.  

Sounds about par for the course under the Walker regime.




Monday, April 25, 2016

How Much Is Your Job Worth To Scott Walker

By Jeff Simpson

Sometimes it is hard to tell but if you work at Humana, we have hard numbers.  

First some back story.  Humana is a $41 Billion dollar company based in Louisville, KY. and currently employ over 3700 people in WI.  As most things in for profit healthcare, that was not enough so they worked out a deal to merge with Aetna(a $48 Billion dollar company).


This merger means that approximately 3000 Wisconsin jobs(mostly in Green Bay), will be outsourced from WI and your health care premiums will go up.  Take some heart though, even though you will lose your job and pay more in health insurance premiums, The CEO of Humana, Bruce Broussard, will receive a golden parachute of over $40 million as a result of the deal. 

As Robert Kraig noted:

“It is outrageous that the Walker Administration is doing nothing to safeguard Wisconsin jobs or protect health care consumers in return for allowing this mega health insurance merger to go forward,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “It is deeply troubling that the Walker Administration is allowing big insurance companies to further rig the health care system against health consumers and workers.”
The Walker Administration could have blocked the merger, or it could have imposed conditions. Some of the conditions suggested in the letter from advocates for consumers and workersinclude:
  1. Requiring premium stability or heightened rate control for a number of years post-merger.
  2. Requiring that the merged company pass along any cost savings associated with the merger to consumers, in the form of lower premiums and deductibles.
  3. Requiring the merged company to enter the Wisconsin Exchange.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin further proposed that the new company should guarantee no reduction in its Wisconsin workforce. Humana currently employees over 3,000 people in Green Bay and 3,700 workers statewide.


While Robert Kraig is on the right path, he did not quite follow it all the way.  See as everything else in politics and especially with Scott Walker - follow the money.   

Gov. Scott Walker received nearly $36,800 in contributions from employees of Aetna and Humana, and from a Humana political action committee over the last five years.  The Walker administration recently gave a nod to the merger of the two giant health insurers.
Humana agreed last July to be acquired by Aetna for $37 billion in a deal that would create the second-largest managed-care company in the United States. The deal must also be approved by insurance regulators in about 20 states, including Wisconsin, where the companies do business. Then, the U.S. Justice Department must give the merger final approval.
Attorneys general in 15 states have joined a federal Justice Department antitrust investigationof the Aetna-Humana merger and another merger involving Anthem and Cigna. Wisconsin is not one of those states.
To our friends in Green Bay and throughout the state, who will be losing their job, just know that Scott Walker sold you out for $12.26 per job loss.   

To be fair, that $12 will buy him a dozen shirts at Kohls! 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Hillary's Losing Formula



By Jeff Simpson


An interesting article came out this weekend letting the Democratic party know that they should ignore the Bernie Sanders backers at their own peril. 

Nor are young people simply opposing things with easy slogans; they have overwhelmingly gathered behind Bernie’s standard this year. They preferred him to Hillary 84-14 in Iowa; that’s not a typo. Here’s a video from a *side street* next to Sanders’ rally in Washington Square Park, NYC this week.
And yet the older generation continue to shut younger voters out, denigrating their causes as pie in the sky. It’s amazing that they continue to make their voices heard, with all the institutional and media forces acting against them. Again, credit where credit is due.
Since Obama became President, Democrats have lost 13 net Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, a whopping 913 state legislature seats and 30 state legislature chambers. No typos there either. In most of those categories, these are the biggest losses by a two-term President in history.

Then almost like clockwork this from the New York Times.

Despite the passions stirred during the primary, Mrs. Clinton does not feel pressure to enthrall the supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, since she thinks most of them would ultimately vote for her, an assertion backed up by polling. 
 You can not make this stuff up.   As we have found out, the one thing we learned this election season is that the Democratic Party does not have much affection for the Progressives in America.

 Over the past year, the insurgent political campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders has revealed quite a bit about the reasoning of partisan Democrats, and thus separated the progressives from the liberals. As a populist candidate who has refused support from Super PACs and big monied interests, Sanders has shined a light on the unpleasant reality that the Democratic party — and its likely presidential nominee — is almost as reliant on funding from billionaires and Wall Street as the detested Republican party is.How much will partisan Democrats be willing to forgive a Hillary Clinton administration? Many neoconservatives have already admitted that they prefer Clinton over Trump. At this rate, Clinton could fulfill most of Trump’s reactionary platform and still find widespread support among the Democratic faithful.
Earlier this week, the Clinton campaign accused Sanders “of trying to convince the next generation of progressives that the Democratic party is corrupt.” But do progressives really need to be persuaded that the Democratic Party is part of a corrupt political system, or that it is more reactionary than progressive on many issues? This is self-evident, and the Democratic party has done an excellent job over the past few decades making that case itself. The question is: how long will Democratic voters remain blindly loyal to their party?
One last thing, for the hillbots and Clintonistas who brag about the New York primary win....lets not go so fast. 








One good thing to know is that the elected officials in Wisconsin and most of our superdelegates side with Charlie Koch



Gordon Hintz Hates Sondy Pope



By Jeff Simpson

We brought you the story yesterday of how Gordon Hintz was so incensed that someone would dare to challenge Robb Kahl in a primary.


This is such a distraction," said Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh. "Think about this. Hopefully all 35 of us (Democrats in the Assembly) are going to come out strongly for Robb. Every dollar and every door that we do for our colleague is another dollar and another door that we’re not doing in a Republican district that we can win. When we pick up a seat or two fewer in the fall, I’m going to think about these so-called progressive hypocrites that went after this unnecessary seat to make themselves happy or to high-five their friends at the co-op."

The vision of 35 sitting assembly reps doing doors in a Democratic Stronghold to make sure their buddy gets reelected while letting reps such as Scott Krug, Andre Jacque and Robin Vos skate free, while passing a whole different group of young progressives doing doors for their candidate would explain everything you need to know about the end of the Wisconsin idea.

However as we say here, there is more....there is always more.

It seems as if Robb Kahl is not the only Democratic incumbent to have someone challenge them in a primary.   For instance, Representative Sondy Pope has TWO challengers.     Luke Joseph and Dale Yurs.  

Yet Mr. Hintz expects Sondy Pope to spend her time helping Robb Kahl(who probably has a zero percent chance of being beaten) get reelected.   Despite the best effort of the Solidarity singers and your local coop to hijack the election.  

So the question you have to ask is why is Robb Kahl untouchable but Sondy Pope should be left to twist in the wind?   Is it because she is a woman?  Or does he not want to work with someone who tragically lost his ability to walk?   Or maybe there are other reasons he is not telling us.  

Maybe the best thing to do is contact Gordon Hintz and ask him to explain and tell him he owes the people of the Democratic party an apology!

Madison Office:Room 109 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Telephone:(608) 266-2254
(888) 534-0054
Fax:(608) 282-3654District Phone:(920) 232-0805Voting Address:502 East Irving Avenue
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Staff:Carly Michiels Carly.Michiels@legis.wisconsin.gov
Emily Pritzkow Emily.Pritzkow@legis.wisconsin.gov


@gordonhintz




Saturday, April 23, 2016

What's Wrong With the WISDEMS? Gordon Hintz!

By Jeff Simpson

If you want to know why the Democratic Party has went from controlling the legislature and the Governors office to being irrelevant in the state, I can sum it up in two words.

Gordon Hintz.

I am not talking about when he threatened Michelle Litjens with violence, thus allowing the Republicans to switch the debate from the horrors of ACT10 to the violence of the Dems.   I am also not talking about the fact that he likes to drive without license or insurance.  I am not even talking about the fact that in a state where sexual trafficing is a major problem was arrested for visiting prostitutes.  I mean come on, in Wisconsin even Robin Vos can get dates(they are usually married but still dates) without paying.  

I am actually referring to his latest hot headed rant.

It seems that someone has decided that they want to perform their civic duty in America and run for office.  Apparently, they did not get the permission of Mr. Hintz and it does not sit well with him.

From Jessie Opoien and the Cap Times:

This is such a distraction," said Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh. "Think about this. Hopefully all 35 of us (Democrats in the Assembly) are going to come out strongly for Robb. Every dollar and every door that we do for our colleague is another dollar and another door that we’re not doing in a Republican district that we can win. When we pick up a seat or two fewer in the fall, I’m going to think about these so-called progressive hypocrites that went after this unnecessary seat to make themselves happy or to high-five their friends at the co-op."
Let's take a look at this statement:

There are 35(out of 99 seats) in the assembly that are democrats,  That means they have lost 64 seats to Republicans.  I am not sure how many doors and dollars they have spent trying to win some of the 64 Republican seats but it is not working.

*  "Progressive Hypocrites" like the vast majority of elected Democratic elected officials who came out strong for Hillary Clinton despite her poor record on Human rights and middle class job?  

*  He has managed so far to completely rip on the part of the Democratic base that belongs to Co-Ops.   Now we know why they voted for Nader.  

There is more:

Hintz, who has served in the Assembly since 2007, called Anderson's move shortsighted.
He also noted that Anderson's campaign is staffed by current and former members of the League of Conservation Voters and Fair Wisconsin, groups that have endorsed Republicans as recently as 2014.
 
* why stop at Co-Ops, now Hintz has offended the League of Conservation Voters AND Fair Wisconsin

There is even more: 

  Hintz said he generally has mixed feelings about primary challenges in safe districts, adding that it's not enough for the incumbent to have voted with the party. Kahl, he said, has been a team player who works to get Democrats elected throughout the state.That's the kind of attitude progressives should want in a candidate, Hintz argued.
"I'm in the business of trying to elect more Democrats, not trying to increase the size of the Solidarity Singers," Hintz said.
*  As for the working to get more Democrats elected, see above.  there are 35/99.   They are not working that hard.  

*   So now Mr. Hintz has made fun of the Solidarity Singers.   The only people who Hintz seems not have ripped on as part of the Democratic base are a few lobbyists.  

But wait there is so much more:, Robb Kahl jumps in:

The incumbent, Kahl, hasn't decided whether he'll seek re-election — but he talks like a candidate looking toward a future campaign.
Kahl said the delay is more personal than anything — he and his family are moving to a new home and haven't had much time to discuss it together. He said he'll make his decision known within the next few weeks out of courtesy to anyone else who might be considering a run.
The deadline to turn in signatures is June 1.  It is the end of APril, if Mr, Kahl decides to not run and lets us know that "in a few weeks" who can turn it around in a few days?   

In response to Anderson's suggestions that Kahl isn't representing the interests of his party or his constituents, Kahl challenged him to point to a vote demonstrating that.
Anderson cited a 2013 bill that prohibits people from trafficking food stamp benefits. The measure, signed into law by Walker in July 2013,passed the Assembly on a bipartisan 73-24 vote. Kahl was one of 13 Democrats to support it.
He also cited a bill that would have made it easier for private, out-of-state companies to buy municipal water systems. That bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote, which means no roll call was taken. The Senate did not take it up.
Challenge offered and Challenge accepted.  Unfortunately there is more:

"He (Anderson), like a lot of, frankly, extremists on the far end of the spectrum, cannot seem to get past this fascination or obsession with Scott Walker," Kahl said.
So true, except for the fact that our schools have been devastated, major companies have closed down, we have record debt, hundreds of thousands of workers have taken majkor pay cuts,  and we have given millions to donors via the scam of WEDC,  Except for that one would hardly know that Scott Walker was Governor.  Move along nothing to see here.   
"This whole fascination with whether or not I’ve been a Democrat since birth is frankly nauseating, and the voters are sick of it, too," Kahl said. "My journey here has not been a straight line, but I also do not apologize for that fact ... I think the majority of voters in this state don’t simply live by this strict ideology of politics that is really only being dictated to us by the extremists on both sides."

"People like Jimmy Anderson don’t understand that reality," Kahl said. "It’s clear he just wants to come out and take this hard stance on the far end of the spectrum. That’s his prerogative, but I can assure you, if he is elected, the people of the 47th will not be served, because he will get nothing done."

Nobody works as hard as the current group of Dems, I mean without them we would not have been able to give the billionaire Bucks owners 500 million dollars of our money to build a new arena.   When you have a solid record like the current Wisdems, it makes sense that you would speculate as to how hard others would work.    '

Also nothing drives up turnout on election day like sitting legislators rip[ping on their base.  

Besides the person who these two are skewering for wanting to be involved in our democracy?

Jimmie Anderson:

Anderson said his desire to serve in public office stems from personal tragedy. In 2010, he and his family were hit by a drunk driver in California. The crash left Anderson paralyzed from the chest down and killed his parents and younger brother.
A California native, Anderson and his wife decided to stay in Dane County after finishing their law and veterinary degrees in Madison. He founded a nonprofit, Drive Clear, aimed at preventing drunk driving and helping its victims. With that organization established, Anderson started looking for his next move.
Having benefited from the highly politicized Affordable Care Act in the treatment of his injuries, Anderson was inspired to run for office. The provision of the law prohibiting health insurance policies from placing lifetime limits on most benefits kicked in just as Anderson had learned he was close to reaching his plan's lifetime limit.
"It was a wake-up call," he said. "I had been kind of cynical about politics, and it made me realize I needed to do something."

The nerve of Mr. Anderson surviving a horrible tragedy and wanting to give back to the public with his life that has been forever changed.  

Gordon Hintz owes Mr. Anderson and the Democratic base an apology.   

He owes it immediately and publicly.