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Politics

Milwaukee County’s woes make possible exec candidates hesitant – JSOnline

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The county’s a mess, but Wisconsin’s governor-elect bears some of the responsibility for that sorry condition.

Fence-sitters contemplating a run for Milwaukee County executive are daunted by the county’s financial troubles and growing calls for dissolving county government, according to [County Treasurer] Daniel Diliberti – one of the fence-sitters….

County Executive and Governor-elect Scott Walker has advocated for eliminating county government, as have members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

A special election for the remainder of Walker’s unexpired term as county executive is expected to coincide with the spring elections.

With the county facing a huge structural budget deficit and Walker pledging to put state government on a diet – a move that could mean diminished state aid for the county – it’s no wonder the would-be candidates are mostly staying on the sidelines, Diliberti said during a meeting with Journal Sentinel editors and reporters.

See, a Diliberti: County’s woes make possible exec candidates hesitant – JSOnline.

Politics

Politics Daily: Newt Gingrich Deletes Tweet Touting His Pearl Harbor Books

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Why does anyone take him seriously?

Newt Gingrich has apparently thought better of using this Pearl Harbor Day to sell books.

Mediaite reported the former speaker of the House has deleted a tweet that reminded his Twitter followers about the two World War II novels he has co-written:

“The 69th anniversary of the japanese attack is a good time to remind folks of our novels pearl harbor and days of infamy newt.”

Via Newt Gingrich Deletes Tweet Touting His Pearl Harbor Books.

Government Spending, Politics

The Economic Incompetence of the Political Class — Forbes.com

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Charles W. Kadlec, founder of the Community of Liberty:

In the U.S. at least, the looming debt crisis among states and municipalities also reflects a lack of diligence on the part of the citizenry. This can be attributed in part to a naïve assumption by the electorate that those in government, freed from the profit motive, could be trusted to do what was “right” for the community as a whole.

Instead, what we now can see is that elected officials, following a power motive, can be as greedy and irresponsible as anyone in the private sector. In many cases, officials from both parties have been captured by powerful interests, including public sector unions and recipients of transfer payments. As a consequence, they have willfully committed current and future taxpayer money to benefit those with political power at the expense of the community as a whole.

One lesson is that to live in liberty requires an elevated level of diligence, oversight and skepticism of our elected officials. Taxpayers and financial market regulators need to insist on more honest accounting and disclosure of the true costs of the government programs in general….

See, The Economic Incompetence of the Political Class.

Government Spending, Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Projected Biennial Budget Deficit

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There’s much debate — more than there should be — about the size of the projected Wisconsin state budget deficit. In late November, the Doyle Administration announced a projected deficit of only about 1.5 billion dollars. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s PolitiFact Wisconsin observes, the projected deficit is closer to 3 billion dollars:

An independent researcher who has studied the deficit, University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky, said the DOA report obscured the real size of the problem by incorporating solutions into the mix — solutions that Walker may or may not pursue.

“You have to go back to the status quo — before furloughs — to see what the magnitude of the problem is,” Reschovsky said.

Reschovsky issued his own estimate in September pegging the deficit at $3.1 billion, though he says it would be under $3 billion if he did it today.

That Wisconsin’s projected deficit is twice as large as projections that assume continuing the furlough program (and other spending reductions) shows how troubled are Wisconsin’s finances.

It’s predictable that an outgoing administration would want to minimize Wisconsin’s fiscal problems. Republicans, having served for years, should not be surprised. There’s much fuss that this is all ‘Madison math.’ In Madison or any other state capital, it’s more like incumbents’ math, regardless of party.

Local officials will be sure to complain that any reductions in state aid to cities and schools are all Madison’s fault. Therein one sees the double standard to which those local leaders adhere. Now that times are bad, reductions in aid are loudly decried as Madison’s fault (rather than the fault of local over-reliance on outside revenues; when times were good, and the state poured money into cities and schools, local officials saw those funds as proof of their own vision and competency (with little credit going to Madison).

Reliance on state sources of revenue is simply imprudent over-reliance. Cities that have battened on the state’s contributions, and yet haven’t managed to cut more than just a bit, will find the next few years particularly difficult.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12-7-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast calls for a mostly sunny day with a high temperature of nineteen degrees.

Whitewater’s Common Council meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is available online, and includes, among others, these items:

  • Second reading of Natural Landscape Yard Ordinance (Park & Recreation Board Recommendation)
  • Second reading of an amendment to Chapter 5 relating to Transient Merchant Licenses (Request for Extension of closing time for downtown transient merchant businesses from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.).
  • Consideration of discussion and possible action regarding building permit fees
  • Consideration of the adoption of a social media policy.

At Lakeview School, there will be a PTA meeting at 6 p.m. tonight. Lincoln School, home of the Leopards, has a book fair in the library today.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that events of this day occurring in 1941 and 1943:

1941 – Wisconsin Man Survives Pearl Harbor Attack

On this date Russ Warriner, a 25-year-old first class seaman on the USS Arizona, miraculously survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The explosions ripped apart the Arizona and killed nearly all his mates. At the time of the attack, Warriner was on the sky control platform, where his job was to spot enemy ships and planes. The bomb that struck the Arizona sliced through the steel deck and exploded into a fuel tank. Fire flared for seven seconds before it ignited 1.7 million pounds of explosives held in the ship’s magazine. More than 1,000 sailors died instantly, including many on the lookout platform with Warriner. Warriner lost his balance and fell onto the platform. His hands swept through fiery magnesium remaining from incendiary bombs and were nearly burned off. He was knocked off the ship, pulled aboard a small motor boat, and eventually made his way to shore. Warriner was treated at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois, where plastic surgeons were able to repair his hands. Warriner settled in Wisconsin, married and raised two children. In the late 90s, Warriner was a retired piano tuner living in Beloit Township. [Source: Janesville Gazette]

1943 – USS-Wisconsin Christened

On this date the USS Wisconsin was christened by Wisconsin’s first lady Madge Goodland. The ship was re-christened by Mrs. Goodland in March, 1951 during the Korean War. The USS Wisconsin was inactive for many years but was recommissioned in 1989. [Source: First Ladies of Wisconsin, the Governor’s Wives by Nancy G. Williams, p.181]

Laws/Regulations

Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Month for November 2010: Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett

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Here is the caption accompanying the video:

This month nannies banned beverages that mix booze with caffeine and one top official even hinted that the feds may disable cell phones in cars.

But this time top dishonors go to the heartland mayor who sacked the Lingerie Football League.

Presenting Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Month for November 2010: Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett!

Approximately 1.17 minutes.

“Nanny of the Month” is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer: Alex Manning. Opening animation: Meredith Bragg.
more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12-6-10

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast calls for a chance of flurries, with a high temperature of twenty degrees.

In the CIty of Whitewater this afternoon, there will be a Parks & Recreation Board meeting this afternoon, at 5 p.m. The agenda is available online.

The New York TImes recalls that on this day in 1923, “a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as President Calvin Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.”

Science/Nature, Weird Tales

San Francisco Chronicle: Injured Oregon Hunter Lives on Beef Jerky for 4 Days

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For a survival situation, having any prepared food is auspicious; many are not so fortunate.

An elk hunter is recovering after spending four days and three nights stranded in a central Oregon forest with just a small bag of beef jerky to sustain him.

There are, however, certain dangers that beef jerky can’t overcome —



Via Injured Ore. hunter lives on beef jerky for 4 days. more >>

Crime, Law, Laws/Regulations, Libertarians, Press Release, Taxes/Taxation

Wes [Benedict of the LP] for Wesley Snipes | Libertarian Party

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The Libertarian Party issued the following press release about tax protester Wesley Snipes. Note that Snipes was acquitted(!) of tax fraud and conspiracy, but he’s been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on a misdemeanor conviction merely for being a non-filer.

Wes for Wesley Snipes

Why men can’t jump on Wesley Snipes

WASHINGTON – Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party, issued the following statement today:

“The federal government’s recent demand for tax protester Wesley Snipes to report to prison brings attention to how horrible the federal income tax system is.

“The three-year federal prison sentence for Snipes’s failure to file tax returns is absurd. Snipes is not a threat to anyone, and the judge who sentenced him clearly just wanted to scare others who might think about resisting federal taxes.

“Maybe it’s worth reminding people that Wesley Snipes was acquitted of tax fraud and conspiracy charges in 2008. He was only found guilty on misdemeanor charges of ‘willful failure to file an income tax return.’

“Why is a failure to file a tax return a criminal non-act? Should people ever be sent to prison for not doing something? If the IRS wants to come after Snipes and take his money, they have power to do that. Who does it help to send the man to prison?

“The tax code is incredibly vague and open to interpretation. In fact, the ‘law’ is largely written by IRS bureaucrats. If they decide the law says one thing, you’re OK; if they decide it’s something else, then you’re headed for prison.

“The federal tax code also allows for ‘selective enforcement,’ to put it mildly. Why is it that Wesley Snipes gets a prison sentence, but known tax cheat Tim Geithner gets promoted to Secretary of the Treasury? Maybe Tim should be Wesley’s cellmate. Throw tax cheat politician Charlie Rangel in the slammer too for good measure.

“Why do people like Wesley Snipes and Tim Geithner work so hard to avoid paying taxes? Because THE TAX IS TOO DAMN HIGH! When the government wants to grab 35 or 40 percent of what a person earns, you can expect that person to spend a whole lot of time, effort, and money to get around it. Accountants and tax lawyers use a giant bag of tricks to help their clients pay less tax. When the IRS decides that they’re just inside the legal bounds, then everything’s great. But when the IRS decides they’re just outside the legal bounds, now the person’s supposedly a horrible criminal who deserves our hatred. Was Snipes a fraudster, or was he just trying to do what he thought the law allowed? It all depends on who you ask.

“Should we simplify the tax code? Obviously. But better yet, I want to get rid of the federal income tax and replace it with nothing. A federal government limited to its proper functions would cost so little compared to today’s bloated, unconstitutional leviathan, that an income tax would be unnecessary.

“People can argue over whether non-payment of taxes is immoral, and whether people are ‘avoiding’ or ‘evading.’ (I think one of those two is illegal, but it’s hard to remember which.) As an organization, we can’t encourage people to break the law. Did Snipes break the law? I have no idea. Did he behave immorally? I don’t know. What I do know is that the law is horrible, and the IRS is immoral.”

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Crime, University

Wisconsin State Journal: Questions abound after uptick in hate crimes at university campuses

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Reporters Deborah Ziff and Doug Erickson write about the rise in hate crimes on some state campuses. They note how standards for cataloguing incidents vary between schools —

Even on UW campuses, there is variance in what officials interpret as a hate crime.

At UW-Eau Claire, racist graffiti in four bathroom stalls in March, including a threat to kill black people, will be reported as a hate crime, said David Sprick, UW-Eau Claire police chief. Yet an arguably similar instance of graffiti at UW-Stout this fall — “Faggots must die” on a residence hall whiteboard — is so far being classified by the university not as a hate crime, but as a bias incident.

“I think you’ll find some inconsistencies in what people consider a crime and what people consider an incident,” Joan Thomas, UW-Stout dean of students, said adding that the university’s classification on the graffiti incident could change upon further review.

The fluidity is evident at UW-Whitewater, where officials initially called a November incident a hate crime. A female student was shoved and called a derogatory name for a lesbian. Upon further investigation, the incident is not being considered an assault, and, therefore, does not meet the hate crime definition, said Mary Beth Mackin, assistant dean of student life.

And then there’s the case of Meyer, the UW-Whitewater student who was punched. While the act was indeed a hate crime and has been a source of much campus concern, the university will not be reporting it to the federal government because it occurred a couple of blocks off campus, Mackin said.

There’s no obvious answer why these incidents are occurring more frequently —

Campus officials voice puzzlement over what’s driving the outbreak. UW-Stout leaders say they’ve been left to wonder if the poor economy and the nastiness of election-year politics have something to do with it.

That theory — that vitriolic political discourse is giving unstable people a license to lash out violently — doesn’t fly with [director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino Brian] Levin. If that were the case, the national numbers would likely reflect it by now, he said.

Sometimes hate crimes follow a period of greater visibility for a particular campus group, such as gay students, said Jack McDevitt, a criminology professor who studies hate crimes at Northeastern University in Boston. Other students, who may be seeing diversity for the first time in their lives, may feel threatened, he said.

It’s nearly impossible to see how the poor economy’s directly to blame, as there would be incidents like this off campus, in other parts of life, far more severely affected by the recession than college campuses (towns that lose factories, etc.). In any event, bad economic times are no excuse for violence, and most people eschew violence even in desperate times.

(Alternatively, one would have to suppose that the recession drove some increment of people who otherwise would have sought work immediately into college programs instead, and that this increment was less socialized than others, and less willing to adjust to a diverse environment. There’s no way to be sure, though, apart from a school’s own review of admissions data. Even then, a clear answer might not be forthcoming.)

Via Questions abound after uptick in hate crimes at university campuses.