Can’t see how it could have been otherwise – Poll Shows Unhappiness with Wisconsin Politicians.
Politics
Libertarians, Politics
Wisconsin Independent Parties Struggle to Keep Places on Ballot
by JOHN ADAMS •
The inability of Libertarians and Greens to field more candidates affects ballot access in the future. They will have to wait until 2012 to regain qualified status. In the meantime, thousands of green or libertarian-leaning voters will influence races within major party contests. It’s really the difference between being libertarian and Libertarian. See, Libertarian and…
City, Planning, Politics, Uncategorized
Persistence in the Wrong Course
by JOHN ADAMS •
At the conservative Commentary, Peter Wehner offers a critical assessment of the federal administration that I think would be more apt for the municipal administration of Whitewater, Wisconsin: Its policies are failing, its popularity is sinking, its excuses aren’t working, and its incompetence is showing. Yet the administration appears incapable of admitting – even to…
Government Spending, Politics
Amity Shlaes on Government’s Arrogance
by JOHN ADAMS •
In a essay at Bloomberg, Amity Shlaes, fellow in history at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes that Arrogance Surplus Leads to Government Excesses: Commentary by Amity Shlaes. She describes the arrogance of lawmakers and planners in Washington, D.C. (and what she writes would apply just as accurately to state and local governments): The problem…
Politics
Unfounded Charges Against the Tea Party Movement
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yesterday, at its annual convention in Kansas City, the NAACP issued a resolution condemning elements of the Tea Party movement as racist. It’s an over-reaction to that movement, and debases legitimate charges of racism. No matter how controversial or unwelcome the Tea Party wave is for the left, it’s not a racist movement, and certainly…
Politics, Press
The Congressman’s Constituents
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a video making its way through cyberspace that’s sure to the the first of many like it this election year. The video shows the reaction of participants in a town hall meeting to Congressman Brad Sherman’s declaration that he knew nothing about a Department of Justice dismissal of a case against of voter intimidation…
Economy, Free Markets, Law, Laws/Regulations, Politics
Milk, Wisconsin Dairies, Competition, and Anti-Trust
by JOHN ADAMS •
Jessica Vanegeren of the Capital Times has a thorough story online about the dairy industry in Wisconsin and beyond, entitled, Does Dean Foods Have Unfair Advantage? Hers is thorough description of the Wisconsin dairy scene, emphasizing the influence of Dean Foods. I would only add that our outgoing governor has shown himself susceptible of pressure…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Law, Police, Politics
Citizens’ Complaints and the Reaction of Misguided, Selfish Officials
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a question about (limited) government: If the residents of a town want an official fired, is the fundamental problem that they’re asking that he be fired, or the reason that they’re asking? In the Township of Linn, not far from Whitewater, a group of residents want the police chief fired. They’ve filed a complaint…
Politics
State Journal: Running for Governor (of WI) with Hope — but without much money or recognition
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a story at the Wisconsin State Journal about small-party candidates who are running for governor of Wisconsin. See, Running for Governor with Hope — but without much money or recognition. It says much about our politics that although Wisconsin makes it easy for smaller-party candidates to get on the ballot, they’re unknowns. The story…
Law, Politics
Wisconsin Supreme Court Deadlocks in the Gableman Ethics Case
by JOHN ADAMS •
Wisconsin’s newest Supreme Court justice, Michael Gableman, is embroiled in an ethics case, and Wednesday night (!) that court deadlocked on whether Gableman committed misconduct. See, Supreme Court Deadlocks in Gableman Ethics Case. The issue before the court was. as Ryan Foley of the Associated Press notes, was “whether Justice Michael Gableman violated the judicial…
Politics
Milwaukee County’s Immoral Utilitarianism: Update 14 (Trying to Hide the Truth Until After the Election)
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a new story at the Journal Sentinel entitled, “Review of Patient Safety at Mental Health Complex to Take Year: Board will issue recommendation in the interim for consideration in county’s 2011 budget.” The story offers new and vital information: Waiting until after the November elections: Milwaukee County has already tried to quell controversy with…
Politics
Update: The Outgoing Wisconsin Administration’s Cronyism
by JOHN ADAMS •
I posted last week about the cushy job that a Doyle Administration official, Michael Morgan, got with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. See, The Outgoing Wisconsin Administration’s Cronyism. Morgan didn’t even need to submit a resume before he got the six-figure job! (A public records request from the Wisconsin State Journal revealed that he emailed it…
Freedom of Speech, Liberty, Politics
Our Robust Heritage: “The Feuding Founding Fathers”
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve contended consistently that robust, polemical commentary is part of the American political tradition, and that it always has been. (On the left side of FREE WHITEWATER, there’s a link to a few examples from different times in our long history.) Ron Chernow, author of Alexander Hamilton and Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller,…
Freedom of Speech, Politics
Reason.tv Interview with Brian Lamb of C-SPAN
by JOHN ADAMS •
Few people have made government more visible to more Americans than Brian Lamb, the CEO of C-SPAN. Because of Lamb’s efforts, millions of Americans have seen live proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate, public hearings, political debates, and lectures on public policy, history, and literature. Reason.tv has a short interview — about six minutes…