Saturday, July 12, 2014

Holy marketplace, Batman! Look at these low market rents!

Holy Redeemer apartments hit the market.  (Capital Times, 7/11/2014)

Have I got a deal for you!  "I told them this is a genuine benefit, we believe, to the university and the city, and that it's really unfair for the rules to be changed at the 11th hour," [Monsignor Kevin] Holmes told the Wisconsin State Journal in a story last year. 

The tax exemption, Holmes argued, would allow the church to keep rents low in the new building. 

The remaining 90% of the apartments must be leased to UW-Madison students in order for the property to remain tax-exempt.


See in-between pricing options at Lumen House

Related article:
City passes conversion.  (Badger Herald, 5/1/2013)

Wisconsin Public Libraries: Number of Programs and Program Attendance, 1991-2013

Except for the 1998 blip (previously noted), the number of programs for all ages offered by Wisconsin public libraries has steadiliy increased.  A new record was set in 2013.


Concomitantly, program attendance is steadily increasing -- except for that dang 1998 blip.  2013 is the 2nd year in a row that attendance has exceeded 2,000,000.


The number of programs for teen and adults offered by Wisconsin public libraries has increased considerably since 2008.


Related posts.
Wisconsin public library circulation, 1990-2013.  (7/10/2014)
Wisconsin public library revenues, 1990-2013).  (7/11/2014)

Friday, July 11, 2014

Quinnipiac Poll: The Age Divide in Voters' Party Preference

First the good news.    Based on these poll results, the Republicans do not have a bright future.  Voters under 50 support the Democratic Party by a sizable margin.


Now the bad news -- i.e.biggest challenge for Democrats' get-out-the-vote efforts.


Which, if you recall, allowed a flood of Tea Party candidates to take office.  The low number isn't in itself surprising: Turnout among young voters regularly drops in midterm elections. The latest numbers suggest, however, youth turnout could dip below the level of 2010, when 31 percent said in February of that year they'd definitely vote, and about 23 percent actually made it to the polls.

Wisconsin Public Library Revenues: 1990-2013

Total public library revenue peaked in 2011, then reversed course in 2013 after a 1% drop in 2012.


The 5% dip in 1998 strikes me as an anomaly when comparing the one previous and one following year, as if revenue was not fully reported.
  • 1998.   $167,330,548 
  • 1998.   $158,578,992 
  • 1999.   $180,137,962
It's an abnormal pattern to me, a 5% decrease followed by a 13.5% increase.

The same blip occurred in 1988 with both municipal and county funding


Municipal funding for public libraries peaked in 2011 but then made a slight turnaround in 2013.

County funding for public libraries has increased since 1999.  Since 1990, the only drop in county funding for public libraries occurred in 1998.   Hmm.

The percentage of municipal funding for public libraries as a percentage of total revenues decreased from 64.1% 1990 to 58.5% in 2013.

The percentage of county funding for public libraries as a percentage of total revenues increased from 17.5% 1990 to 22.3% in 2013.


Act 150.  (Effective July 1, 1998).  Under the county funding section of the law (Wisconsin Statutes Section 43.12), counties are now required to pay each public library in the county at least 70 percent of the cost of library services provided to residents of the county that do not maintain a public library.  (Milwaukee County exempted.)

Act 420.  (First payments made in 2008.)  A new provision of the law extends to adjacent counties the requirement that counties reimburse public libraries for the cost of serving county residents who live in areas of the county without public library service.  (Milwaukee County exempted.)

Related post.
Wisconsin public library circulation, 1990-2013.  (7/10/2014)

Quinnipiac Polls: Marco Rubio's Favorables Stuck in Neutral

July 8, 2014, release detail. 


Related posts:
Quinnipiac polls: Chris Christie's favorables take a tumble after George Washington Bridge scandal hits the news .  (7/10/2014)
Quinnipiac polls: Since May 2013, Jeb Bush's unfavorables outpace his favorables .  (7/9/2014)
Do Republicans have a problem with women voters?  (7/9/2014)
Based on 15 months of Quinnipiac polling, Scott Walker is the only Republican candidate with any momentum.  (7/9/2014)
Republican 2016 Presidential primary preferences are flattening.  (7/9/2014) 
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

Thursday, July 10, 2014

What'd I Say

Photo by Retiring Guy



Ash Trees on Cooper Avenue in Middleton: Going......going.....

Note the thin canopy.

Photo taken today by Retiring Guy
6900 block of Cooper Avenue


(I thought the emerald ash borer hailed from Asia.)

We have 3 huge silver maples in our yard, no ash trees.  An employee from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was conducting pest surveys and notified the WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the City of Middleton City Forester. Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made the final confirmation. Middleton now joins a growing list of Wisconsin communities where the insect has been detected.

The red arrow on the aerial map below indicates where the above photo was taken.  Note the absence of yellow crosses.  The ash trees here are on private property; hence, they don't show up in the survey.


Rerlated post: 
Emerald Ash  Borer's impact on Middleton.  (7/5/2014)

Wisconsin Public Library Circulation, 1990-2013


Since its 2009 peak, "traditional" public library circulation in Wisconsin has declined nearly 7%.

For me, the line graph here would be more instructive if we had a breakdown of print and audiovisual formats.  At the Middleton Public Library, for example, circulation of print materials increased 32% from 2004 to 2007.  Circulation of audiovisual materials increased 40% during the same period. Not a significant difference, I'd say.

Are both formats now similarly contributing to a decline in "traditional" circulation?

This caveat in the Instructions for the Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report (2013) should be noted here.  

Do not include Overdrive or NetLibrary use (uses of these non - physical materials are reported in 7, below ) . Interlibrary loan items provided to the library and checked out by the library should be reported her e as a circulation . Do not include interlibrary loan items sent, or checked out to, another library.

"Uses of downloadable content" = 2,215,193 in 2013, an increase of 69.2% over the previous year's total of 1,309,122.  (No earlier statewide statistics are available in the Service Data report.)

Uses for Beet Greens


One of the items on our annual Bastille Day party menu is a walnuts and beets salad.

"I always feel guilty throwing the greens into the compost," my wife confessed this morning as we drove  to Metcalfe's.  "Could you do some research for me on how we could use them?"

How can I say no?

Help is on the way.

7 things to do with beet greens.  (The Mindful Foodie, 10/12/2012)
  1. Use them in a curry with the beets   (Doesn't work.  The beets have already been claimed.)
  2. Add to a frittata instead of spinach.  (We stopped at Scott's Pastry Shoppe at the end of our walk this morning.  I still have half a Persian to finish.)
  3. Substitute for spinach in a spinach-and-feta pie.  (No time.)
  4. Juice 'em.  (We don't have a juicer.)  
  5. Put 'em in a salad.  (We already have a ton of kale.  Are beet green chips a possibility?)
  6. Add to a soup.  (We're not in a soup mood right now.)
  7. Saute them with garlic and herbs. 
Considering all there is to be done between now and late Saturday afternoon, we'll go with #7.

I see a simple lunch in my near future.

The Eaton Corporation/WEDC Timeline of Shame

Plexus among companies that outsourced, got state money. (Fond du Lac Reporter, 7/9/2014)



Related posts:
Wisconsin featured in report on privatized state economic development agencies.  (10/25/2013)
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation pledge: Following the money.  (7/23/2013)
Incompetence rewarded.  (5/9/2013)
And while we're at it, let's take a look at WEDC 's core values. (5/9/2013)
WEDC Public Information Officer Resigns After 1 Month on the Job.  (5/9/2013)
Plenty of time for messaging but none for fixing what ails WEDC.  (5/9/2013)
Previous WEDC audits?  What previous audits?  (5/8/2013)
Are you seeing a trend yet?  (5/8/2013)
Echoes.  (5/7/2013)
Get me rewrite.  (5/4/2013)
Legislative Audit Bureau Report on Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation: The "Cliff Notes" Version.  (5/3/2013
"Tales of woe never end at WEDC."  (4/25/2013)
Enterprise Florida and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation share a lack of transparency.  (2/28/2013)

Get Me Rewrite: Scott Walker Celebrates Business Expansion and Campaign Contributor


No mention is made of Brian Kulak's campaign contributions.  Work on the expansion is expected to wrap up next month, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The project got tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and support from the Racine County Economic Development Corp., the news release stated.

Quinnipiac Polls: Chris Christie's Favorables Take a Tumble After George Washington Bridge Scandal Hits the News

July 8, 2014, release detail. 


Favorable opinions down 24 percentage points in 1 year.

Unfavorable opinions up 20 percentages point in 1 year.

Timeline:  George Washington Bridge scandal.

Related posts:
Quinnipiac polls: Since May 2013, Jeb Bush's unfavorables outpace his favorables .  (7/9/2014)
Do Republicans have a problem with women voters?  (7/9/2014)
Based on 15 months of Quinnipiac polling, Scott Walker is the only Republican candidate with any momentum.  (7/9/2014)
Republican 2016 Presidential primary preferences are flattening.  (7/9/2014) 
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Quinnipiac Polls: Since May 2013, Jeb Bush's Unfavorables Outpace His Favorables

July 8, 2014, release detail. 





Related posts:
Do Republicans have a problem with women voters?  (7/9/2014)
Based on 15 months of Quinnipiac polling, Scott Walker is the only Republican candidate with any momentum.  (7/9/2014)
Republican 2016 Presidential primary preferences are flattening.  (7/9/2014) 
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

Do Republicans Have a Problem with Women Voters?

Question asked in Quinnipiac Poll, June 24-30, 2014.   (If Republican or Republican Leaner) If the Republican primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, for whom would you vote? 


Related posts:
Based on 15 months of Quinnipiac polling, Scott Walker is the only Republican candidate with any momentum.  (7/9/2014)
Republican 2016 Presidential primary preferences are flattening.  (7/9/2014) 
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

Beer Can Chicken: Photos and Recipe

All rubbed up and ready to go.




Done to perfection, with a side of foil-wrapped potatoes and onions.


Based on 15 Months of Quinnipiac Polling, Scott Walker is the Only Republican Candidate with any Momentum

The trend as tracked by Quinnipiac.

The biggest winner:  Scott Walker, from 2% in April 2013 to 8% in July 2014.  (It will be interesting to learn if this bump is confirmed in other polls.)

The biggest loser:  Marco Rubio, from 19% in April 2013 to 6% in July 2014.

The steady guy:  Jeb Bush in the 10%-11% range.

Biggest recent casualty:  Chris Christie.

Flash in the pan.  Ted Cruz

On a seesaw:  Paul Ryan.

Nothin' doin' from the start:  Bobby Jindal.

Ted Cruz was not included in the April 2013 poll.

And surprisingly, Quinnipiac didn't include Mike Huckabee on its list of choices until the most recent poll.   (Ditto for Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.)

Related posts:
Republican 2016 Presidential primary preferences are flattening.  (7/9/2014) 
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

Republican 2016 Presidential Primary Preferences are Flattening

And are not particularly flattering to any of the candidates.

The question:    If Republican or Republican Leaner) If the Republican primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, for whom would you vote? 


The rest of the results:
  • Rick Perry (Texas Governor):  3%
  • John Kasich (Ohio Governor):  2%
  • Rick Santorum (perennial Presidential candidate):  2%
  • Bobby Jindal (Louisiana Governor):  1%

Related posts:
Scott Walker edges out Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary poll.  (6/20/2014)
Another Presidential poll, another 5% for Walker.  (6/16/2014)
Hello, Wisconsin independent voters, Scott Walker is polling at 6% in Iowa.  (5/23/2014)
If that's the case, Walker should immediately announce that he's not a candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.  (5/23/2014
The Marquette University Law School poll asks the question, Do Wisconsin voters want to see Walker run for president in 2016? (5/22/2014)
"Scott Walker" tied with "None" for 1st choice in CNN/ORC Republican Presidential preference poll.  (5/8/2014)
Another Presidential primary poll, another 5% showing for Scott Walker.  (5/1/2014)
I hope Scott Walker had a good Easter cuz Donald Trump is outpolling him in New Hampshire. (4/20/2014)
Fox News: Scott Walker polling neck-and-neck with Rick Santorum.  (4/17/2014)
Iowa Republican caucus voters not singing Scott Walker's song.  (4/10/2014)
Scott Walker still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".    (4/4/2014)
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President.  (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony.  (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll.  (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh".  (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind.  (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3.  (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2.  (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1.  (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads.  (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself.  (12/30/2013)

The Library Funding Solution: Miami-Dade County Style

Library Supporters Feel Betrayed By Mayor Gimenez's Budget. (Miami New Times, 7/9/2014)


Related posts:
Miami-Dade Public Library System faces challenge of managing $20 Million budget cut and keeping all 49 Branches open .  (4/13/2014)
New Dade County administrators' plan: Keep all library branches open, slash hours of operation.  (8/28/2013)
The sustainable funding challenge.  (8/7/2013)
And throw in a few Little Free Libraries for good measure.  (7/20/2013)
Finally starting anew at the Aventura Northeast Branch Library.  (4/5/2012)
13 of 49 Miami-Dade County Public Library branches on chopping block.  (11/19/2011)

Wisconsin State Assembly District 59: Who's on the Ballot for the August 12 Primary?

Open seat. Incumbent not running for re-election.


64.5 miles from Hartford to New Holstein.  

Public libraries in the (less than compact) 59th Assembly District
Campbellsport Public Library
Jack Russell Memorial Library, Hartford
Kewaskum Public Library
New Holstein Public Library

The 4 Republican candidates

Candidate biographies

The winner of the August 12 primary will run unopposed in the November general election in this bright-red district.

The 58th is currently represented by Dan LeMahieu (R-Cascade), who is retiring after serving in the Assembly since 2003 -- for 6 terms..

How safe is this district for Republicans?    LeMahieu won his first election in November 2002 with nearly 80% of the vote.  The second-highest vote-getter ran on the Libertarian ticket.  In each of his 5 re-elections, LeMahieu ran unopposed.

Pop quiz:  When was the last time voters in the 59th Assembly District had the opportunity to vote for a Democrat on the ballot? 

Answer

Related posts
Who's running unopposed in the Senate and Assembly? (6/16/2014)
August 12 primaries
Assembly District 1.  (6/17/2014)
Assembly District 4.  (6/18/2014)
Assembly District 8.   (6/19/2014)
Assembly District 10.  (6/20/2014)
Assembly District 16.  (6/20/2014)
Assembly District 19.  (6/22/2014)
Assembly District 20  (6/23/2014)
Assembly District 22  (6/24/2014)
Assembly District 26  (6/25/2014)
Assembly District 27.  (6/26/2014)
Assembly District 33.  (6/27/2014)
Assembly District 43.  (6/30/2014)
Assembly District 45.  (7/1/2014)
Assembly District 51.  (7/2/2014)
Assembly District 55. (7/3/2014)
Assembly District 58.  (7/7/2013)

City and County of Eau Claire Ban Use of E-Cigarettes


Eau Claire City Council bans use of E-Ciga.  (WQOW, 7/7/2014)

By a vote of 9 to 1.  Starting Monday the use of E-Cigarettes will be banned in all city buildings. On a 9-1 vote, the Eau Claire City Council is banning the use of e-cigarettes in all city buildings, city buses, all schools and Hobbs Ice Center.

In May, the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors banned the use of e-cigs within 25 feet of county buildings.

Related posts:
You'll be bowled over by this headline.  (4/15/2014)
E-cig companies go tutti-frutti for youthful lungs.  (4/14/2014)
More on those harmless e-cigarettes.  (3/24/2014)
West Bend, SB440, and e-cigarettes.  (3/6/2014)
E-cigarette makers have a bridge (or two) for sale -- cheap!  (3/5/2014)
Analogy, metaphor, and idiom in a New York Times article on e-cigarettes.  (2/23/2014)
Heckuva job, Jenny.  (9/6/2013)
With work hard to come by, Jenny McCarthy takes a smoke break.  (8/30/2014)

Aging In Place Lots Slowly Being Transformed into Aging In Place Housing

The land bordering this cul-de-sac, located off Mendota Avenue just up the hill from Lakeview Park, was cleared three summers ago.   And that was it.  No construction took place until this year.


At this point, lot 6 is the only construction site.  Looks as though it will take quite some time before this in-fill development is completed.


Clearly, "common-sense bills" and "Grothman" should never be used in the same sentence

GOP congressional candidates boycott League of Women Voters forums. (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/9/2014)

Mr. Common Sense


There is one adult in the room.   A third Republican candidate, Rep. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, issued a statement criticizing the decision to boycott the forums. 

“When the professional politicians are afraid to talk to people who disagree with them, you get Washington-style gridlock,” Stroebel said. “Unlike Senator Leibham, I am willing to tell people where I stand on the issues facing America today.”

Related posts
Two career politicians pledge limited service in the U.S. House of Representatives.  (7/8/2014)
Glenn Grothman, Affirmative Action, and the demographics of Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.  (4/28/2014)

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

At Penny Mustard, You'll Have to Answer the Question for Yourself



Chain tests new concept in mattress shopping: Stores with no employees. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/8/2014)

Mattress shoppers gone wild?   Underlying the Huths' approach is the notion that many shoppers would rather not have a salesman hovering nearby as they lie down, roll about and do whatever else they might want to do to test a mattress.

Stores will be "fitted with security cameras."

Ducks on a Pond, Season 2

Butter Producers Boost Exports at Our Expense

 *2014 total based on actual total for January through April.
Source:  U.S. Dairy Export Council

Low Supply of Butter Means That Prices Could Soon Rise. (Wisconsin Public Radio, 7/7/2014)

Well, if it's any consolation, lard makes a pie crust incredibly light and flaky. Thanks to recent research suggesting it’s not as unhealthy as people once thought, butter is back in vogue. Unfortunately, butter stocks are low, especially when compared to the last few years. Dairy economist Mary Keough Ledman said higher exports are behind the drawdown.

Sounds to me like a variation of "My position doesn't matter"

Walker:  No comment on ex-aide's big pay raise.  (Green Bay Press-Gazette, 7/8/2014)

Taking care of his own.  Her [Cindy Archer's] hourly salary is $54.34 an hour. That's an 11.7 percent increase from the $48.62 per hour she was making previously as the office's administrative services director and 31 percent more than her predecessor, Gail Zaucha, earned.   Zaucha left the post in March. 

Archer was one of Walker's top aides when he was Milwaukee County executive.

Related post:
Your Scott Walker "campaign group: missing links.  (11/22/2012)

Employers See Upside to Minimum Wage Increase

Not everyone is in pearl-clutching mode.

U.S. retailers raise minimum wage ahead of schedule. (Baltimore Sun, 7/5/2014)

Benefits of raising the minimum wage.   Gap Inc. brands — Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, Athleta and Intermix — are among a growing group of major U.S. retailers now paying more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour for entry-level employees. Others include Ben & Jerry's, Costco, Ikea and Whole Foods. Paying workers more reduces turnover and hiring costs, the businesses say, because it makes for happier employees who stay longer and better serve customers.


Related posts: 
Why C1 Bank CEO Trevor Burgess supports an increased minimum wage.  (7/6/2014)
Why Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti pays his team more than the minimum wage.  (7/5/2014)
Efforts to raise Nebraska's minimum wage gets boost.  (7/4/2014)
Seattle's minimum wages;  It's complicated.  (6/29/2014)
What happened the last time a minimum wage bill was introduced in the Wisconsin state legislature
.  (6/27/2014)
 UW-Milwaukee survey:  76% of respondents support raising the minimum wage.  (6/25/2014)
Wisconsin's $7.25 minimum wage: "Minimum comfort" indeed! (6/24/2014)
U.S. minimum wage since 1960.  (6/24/2014)
Support for minimum wage hike grows.  (6/21/2014)
More evidence that Scott Walker and the Republican state legislature is increasingly out of touch with the people they serve.  (5/28/2014)
Earning minimum wage and looking for a place to live? Check the "Dumps" listings! (4/25/2014
Scraping by on $83.65 an hour.  (3/17/2014)
Minnesota legislature looks to boost minimum wage from $6.15 to $9.50 per hour.  (3/4/2014)
The minimum wage:  It's not the same all over.  (2/18/2014)
A border debate on the minimum wage.  (2/16/2014)
The MacIver Institute's Pavlovian response to an increase in the minimum wage. (1/10/2014)
The view from the other side of the counter.  (11/29/2013)
The minimum wage and the poverty guideline.  (11/20/2013)
Most of us don't buy into U.S. Chamber of Commerce handwringing over minimum wage.  (11/1/2013)
A look at the minimum wage.  (9/28/2013)

State Property for Sale: Badger Road State Office Building, Madison

Constructed in 1957 

51,000 square feet on 2 floors.

Easy access to major highways.


State lists properties that are good prospects to sell.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/1/2014)

News article bullet point.   ■The Madison headquarters of the Department of Employee Trust Funds, which oversees benefits for public employees. Officials have talked in the past of merging those offices with a new building for the DOT.

Related posts:
The Knapp House.  (7/2/2014)
Wiscraft Industries.  (7/4/2014)
Northern Wisconsin Center.  (7/6/2014)
Ethan Allen School.  (7/7/2014)

Two Career Politicians Pledge Limited Service in the U.S. House of Representatives

On Politics: Republican Congressional candidates pledge to serve limited terms. (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/7/2014)

Three Republicans candidates looking to succeed Rep. Tom Petri in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District have pledged to serve a limited number of terms.in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Remember When the Focus was on Traffic-Related Deaths?



Wisconsin State Assembly District 58: Who's on the Ballot for the August 12 Primary?

Open seat.  Incumbent not running for re-election.


Public libraries in the 58th Assembly District
Slinger Community Library
West Bend Community Memorial Library

Academic library
UW Washington County Library, West Bend

The 3 Republican candidates

Candidate biographies

The winner of the August 12 primary will run unopposed in the November 4 general election.  The 58th Assembly District is among Wisconsin's reddest.

Patricia Strochota (R-West Bend) currently represents the 58th District.  She has served in the state legislature since 2004, winning each election with ease.



Related posts
Who's running unopposed in the Senate and Assembly? (6/16/2014)
August 12 primaries
Assembly District 1.  (6/17/2014)
Assembly District 4.  (6/18/2014)
Assembly District 8.   (6/19/2014)
Assembly District 10.  (6/20/2014)
Assembly District 16.  (6/20/2014)
Assembly District 19.  (6/22/2014)
Assembly District 20  (6/23/2014)
Assembly District 22  (6/24/2014)
Assembly District 26  (6/25/2014)
Assembly District 27.  (6/26/2014)
Assembly District 33.  (6/27/2014)
Assembly District 43.  (6/30/2014)
Assembly District 45.  (7/1/2014)
Assembly District 51.  (7/2/2014)
Assembly District 55. (7/3/2014)

State Property for Sale: Ethan Allen School, Wales (Shuttered in 2011)

216-acre multibuilding secure facility!

Recently remodeled!!  

Immediate occupancy!!!

Pictured here: $2 million visitors' center, completed in 2009.


Among other recent improvements:
  • Gatehouse, completed in 2009.   ($1,250,000)
  • Roof repairs ($1,200,000)
  • Water heater replacements ($500,000)

Millions spent on improvements to Ethan Allen School. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/6/2011)

Wonder how much cost savings was actually realized.  Gov. Scott Walker and the Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that Ethan Allen and Southern Oaks Girls School in Union Grove are closing July 1, a move aimed at erasing the state's deficit. 

Juvenile offenders are being transferred to the Lincoln Hills correctional facility in Irma in Lincoln County, about four hours from Milwaukee.  (70% of offenders were from southeastern Wisconsin.)

The consolidated operations will save more than $23 million a year in institution operating costs over the next biennium, according to the Department of Corrections.

Related article.
Ethan Allen School still at stalemate.  (Kettle Moraine Index, 6/26/2013)

Related posts:
The Knapp House.  (7/2/2014)
Wiscraft Industries.  (7/4/2014)
Northern Wisconsin Center.  (7/6/2014)

Not sure if Paul Soglin's mustache would survive a Vesuvius-like smothering of Madison

But there's a good chance the tile in his house would.

Pompei, June 2014
Photo by Retiring Guy

Madison in 100 objects: These are the things that define us.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/6/2014)

Lists!  We love lists!  Ancient civilizations are defined by their artifacts. If Madison were suddenly smothered by a Mount Vesuvius, or swallowed up by Lake Mendota like Atlantis, what would future archaeologists conclude about us? What would we want them to find — and what would we wish had stayed buried forever? 

Paul Soglin's moustache.

Scott Walker, do you still "stand with" this statement?

Photo credit:  State of Wisconsin

Walker and Barrett debate.  (Wisconsin Radio Network, 5/25/2012) 

Apparently, the answer is "yes", as this is what we heard from the Governor's spokesman the other day.

“Gov. Walker took an oath of office to uphold the constitution of the state of Wisconsin that defines traditional marriage as passed by the voters as well as the laws of the state that also bar discrimination based on race, gender, age or sexual orientation.”

Wisconsin Attorney J. B. Van Hollen is singing a similar tune“As Attorney General, I have an obligation to uphold Wisconsin law and our Constitution." 

And he twice uses the word "oath" in this op-ed piece.

Other same-sex marriage posts:
In Scott Walker's case, not "taking the bait" means weaseling his way through the campaign.  (7/7/2014)
From the why-is-this-news department.   (6/15/2014)
Somebody needs lessons in leadership.  (6/15/2014)
To be an attorney, you need to graduate from college.  (5/27/2014)
Your state tax dollars at work (to keep Walker's base happy).  (3/25/2014) 
Did you know that it's National Heterosexual Marriage Week USA?   (2/8/2014)
What else would you expect from someone who needs to pander to a Tea-Party base in order to keep his dim 2016 hopes alive? (2/6/2014)
Virginia Republicans hang down their heads.  (1/6/2014)
Beware of Cal Thomas.  (4/1/2013)

In Scott Walker's Case, Not "Taking the Bait" Means Weaseling His Way Through the Campaign

Social issues spill into the governor's race. (Wisconsin State Journal,7/6/2014)

Looks like the dam broke, Scotty.   Gov. Scott Walker began the year warning his fellow Republicans across the country to avoid “taking the bait” on divisive social issues, arguing that the GOP should instead focus on the economy.

Especially since the economy is such a winner for him! 


So sayeth spokesman Tom Evenson.

Other same-sex marriage posts:
From the why-is-this-news department.   (6/15/2014)
Somebody needs lessons in leadership.  (6/15/2014)
To be an attorney, you need to graduate from college.  (5/27/2014)
Your state tax dollars at work (to keep Walker's base happy).  (3/25/2014) 
Did you know that it's National Heterosexual Marriage Week USA?   (2/8/2014)
What else would you expect from someone who needs to pander to a Tea-Party base in order to keep his dim 2016 hopes alive? (2/6/2014)
Virginia Republicans hang down their heads.  (1/6/2014)
Beware of Cal Thomas.  (4/1/2013)

Sunday, July 6, 2014


Jim Brosnan, Who Threw Literature a Curve, Dies at 84. (The New York Times, 7/4/2014)

Paving the way for Angell, Kahn, and Bouton In 1959, Brosnan, who played nine years in the major leagues, kept a diary of his experience as a pitcher, first with the St. Louis Cardinals and later, after a trade, with the Cincinnati Reds. Published the next year as “The Long Season,” it was a new kind of sportswriting — candid, shrewd and highly literate, more interested in presenting the day-to-day lives and the actual personalities of the men who played the game than in maintaining the fiction of ballplayers as all-American heroes and role models. 

I was 10 years old when The Long Season was published.  At that point in my life, I was reading what Washington Post book critic Jonathan Yardley refers to as hagiographic biographies of stars written for adolescents -- and wouldn't have been able to define "hagiographic" to save my young life. 

Fortunately, the Madison Public Library still owns a copy, the only one available in LINKcat, so I can read for myself what all the fuss was about.  Brosnan was called a "kooky beatnik" by Joe Garagiola, a journeyman back-up catcher who went on to become, in my estimation, the 2nd most annoying baseball announcer in history.  (Tim McCarver will also be my #1)

Must say something about catchers and the broadcast booth. 


Society for American Baseball Research:  Jim Brosnan