Saturday, October 7, 2017

Cam Newton sez he's sorry




If you are a person who took offense.....

Sources:


Foxconn fallout: Greensboro News & Record editorial staff wants North Carolina to be a billion dollar baby



Excerpt from Our Opinion: N.C.’s Foxconn bid fell woefully short.  (Greensboro News & Record, 10/6/2017)

The 84 GOP members of the Wisconsin State Legislature are 98.5% white


GOP Plan Divides Racine Schools by Race. (Wisconsin Budget Project, 10/6/2017)
The budget encourages wealthier, less racially diverse areas of the Racine school district to break off and form their own separate districts, concentrating poorer students in the remaining portion of the district.

Racine has a higher proportion of students from low-income families than other similarly-situated school districts in Wisconsin and the lowest share of adults with a college degree, according to a study from the Public Policy Forum. The Racine school district itself also faces challenges, including a financial hardship created by lawmakers: The state docks the district about $9 million a year to offset the cost of providing private schools in the area with public money for tuition vouchers.


Related reading:
State legislator demographics.  (National Conference of State Legislatures)

Thursday, October 5, 2017

UPDATE. Deanna Alexander, ever the political provocateur and exhibitionist



Reported in County supervisor defends campaign fundraiser at shooting range days after Las Vegas massacre, by Daniel Bice, 10/4/2017)


Original 4/23/2015 post, "The Wit and Wisdom of Deanna Alexander, Provocateur and Lover of the Limelight", starts here.

Deanna Alexander represents the 18th District on the Milwaukee County Board.

Photo source:  Milwaukee County Board
Deanna Alexander on Twitter

Another example.

On November 13, 2014, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Alexander created a Facebook page to raise $10,080 for her father's funeral.  A few days earlier, she had voted against a proposal to restore funds for indigent burials in the county budget.

She raised $14,505.  

Just wondering.  Should we ask for receipts acknowledging a donation to the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship Charity and/or Christmas gifts purchased for children with parents in prison?

And then there's this,.

Supervisor's newsletter mistakenly says photo ID is needed Tuesday.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/31/2014)

The article notes that  "a postcard is going out that tells voters in her district they don't need photo ID at the polls."

IS going out?   Not yet sent out 4 days before the election?

My guess is that the headline writer neglected to set off mistakenly with quotation marks.

Dear Politifact, Hairsplitting aside, America has a gun violence epidemic



Sources:
Gun Violence archive:  General methodology.
A Guide to Mass Shootings in America.  (Mother Jones, 10/2/2017)

PolitiFact: Was Las Vegas the 273rd mass shooting in U.S. this year? Or the 7th? Or what?  (PolitiFact Wisconsin, 10/4/2017)

In this lazy, barely-scratching-the-surface "analysis", PolitiFact Wisconsin does not use any of the following words:

  • inclusionary
  • standards
  • exclude


Original 8/18/2017 post, "Dear Politifact, there's a big difference between ;is bringing; and 'is pledging'", starts here.


Scott Walker says Foxconn 'bringing' 13,000 jobs to Wisconsin -- what exactly does that mean?.  (PolitiFact Wisconsin, 8/17/2017)
Actually, it's all talk right now.  But the 13,000 is more than talk. Foxconn is pledging a $10 billion investment and the state is offering $3 billion in incentives, with $1.5 billion aimed at the creation of 13,000 jobs. [emphasis added]

And how did that Foxconn pledge go to Pennsylvania?


In 2013, Foxconn’s chairman sent a jolt through this state capital when he said his company — best known for making Apple iPhones in China — would invest $30 million and hire 500 workers for a new high-tech factory in central Pennsylvania.


False.

Other Foxconn posts:
WEDC hasn't done its Foxconn homework yet and GOP committee members are fine with that.  (8/16/2017)
UPDATE. Funny how there's all this talk about Foxconn jobs that pay well below the alleged average salary.  (8/12/2017)
Reggie White:Green Bay Packers:: Foxconn:Wisconsin (Scott Walker analogy reveals his crazed desperation).  (8/10/2017)
Foxconn has been looking to replace workers with robots for at least 2 years. (8/9/2017)
Scott Walker and Terry Gou share a laugh at Wisconsin taxpayers' expense.  (8/8/2017)
Really, Ray, all this and heaven too provided by a factory to assemble display panel screens?  (8/6/2017)
That was then. This is now. The free market/small government Robin Vos.  (8/4/2017)
Bloomberg sees short-term gain, long-term pain for Wisconsin's Foxconn deal.  (8/4/2017)
Sean Duffy gets it wrong.  (8/3/2017)
Scott Walker and Paul Ryan collude on campaign digital ads for Foxconn.  (8/3/2017)
Here's some news that pains Scott Walker to his core: Foxconn considering Dane County site.  (8/2/2017)
Fast Company: Scott Walker deal a transfer of wealth from Wisconsin taxpayers to Foxconn shareholders. (8/2/2017)
Donald Trump pinches off another loaf.  (8/1/2017)
Scott Walker lets Fiserv piggyback onto Foxconn legislation.  (8/1/2017)
Calendar UPDATE. In the case of the committee hearing, 1 day is sufficient time to prepare, sez Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.  (8/1/2017) 
Rep. Bob Kulp sprinkles Foxconn fairy dust all over the Badger State.  (8/1/2017)
Of which just 3,000 of these 'new' jobs are permanent.  (7/31/2017)
UPDATE. State Sen. Van Wanggaard on board with Wisconsin's Foxconn deep-pockets strategy.  (7/30/2017)
A Ring of Familiarity. Once upon a time in Pennsylvania.....  (7/29/2017)
Matt, it doesn't appear that 'rigorous' and 'review' are in Scott Walker's and Foxconn's vocabulary.  (7/29/2017)
Scott Walker and Foxconn steamroll environmental regulation going forward.  (7/29/2017)
UPDATE.  The luring of Foxconn intensifies in Wisconsin.   (7/20/2017)
While Wisconsin and Michigan duke it out for low-paying jobs, Foxconn announces $5 billion investment in India.  (7/8/2017)
UPDATE. Foxconn becomes pawn in Wisconsin transportation funding tussle.  (7/6/2017)
Foxconn officials eyeing sites in Michigan.  (7/6/2017)
UPDATE. Foxconn becomes pawn in Wisconsin transportation funding tussle.  (7/6/2017)

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Will transportation be Scott Walker's Achilles heel in 2018 election?



Reported in Wisconsin abandons I-94 east-west project in Milwaukee County for lack of funds.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/4/2017)

Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pennsylvania: Pro-life until his own sperm hits the bullseye



Reported in Rep. Murphy Urged Mistress To Get Abortion During Pregnancy Scare.  (CBS Pittsburgh, 10/3/2017)

Other Murphy post:
No friend to the environment.  (4/17/2015)
He's a coal man.

Scott Walker, our sloganeering governor, is open for business



Did Gov. Scott Walker Issue Executive Order to Win Republican Senate Holdouts’ Budget Votes? (Urban Milwaukee, 10/3/2017)


Related reading:
Gov. Scott Walker's deal-making with senators raises questions of logrolling from opponents.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/29/2017)

Stephen Paddock stayed at 1705-square-foot, $477 per night suite with "perfect views" at Mandalay Bay


Source:  Mandalay Bay

Floor plan (text box added)

Related posts:
Fighting fake news: Google to make improvements? Facebook working to fix? Don't count on it!  (10/3/2017)
Lots of death, destruction and carnage to be done in 700 rounds per minute.  (10/2/2017)
Irony alert: Where Stephen Paddock shopped for guns in Mesquite, Nevada.  (10/2/2017)
Las Vegas massacre through a To Tell the Truth lens.  (10/2/2017)

Things you can do while swishing your mouth with coconut oil for 10 minutes


1.  Check your email.
2.  Dust and vacuum a room.
3.  Sort clothes and start a load of laundry
4.  Request or renew library materials online.
5.  Compile a grocery list.
6.  Clean the bathroom.
7.  Reorganize your sock and underwear drawer.
8.  Fill a bag with books for a library friends' sale.
9.  Clear out all of the clutter in your car.
10. Make a room-by-room list of household projects.



Reported in Coconut oil uses touted, but benefits questionable.  (Madison.com, 10/4/2017)

UPDATE. Did Facebook help to tip the state to Trump?



Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted Wisconsin, Michigan.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/3/2017)
It has been unclear until now exactly which regions of the country were targeted by the ads, and while one source said that many appeared in areas of the country that were not heavily contested in the elections, some clearly were geared at swaying public opinion in the most heavily contested battlegrounds, the network reported

Counties where Trump won 60% or more of the vote are highlighted




Original 8/21/2017 post, "Plenty of voter remorse in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania", starts here.



Return to the Rust Belt: Dismal Job Approval Ratings for Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania, & Wisconsin.  (Marist Poll, 8/20/2017)
“For residents of these three critical electoral states, the reaction to the first round of the Trump presidency is decidedly negative,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “Residents are clearly dissatisfied in how candidate Trump transitioned into President Trump.” 
Many Republicans and Tea Party supporters are in the president’s camp. Still, notable proportions of Tea Party supporters in Michigan, 24%, and Pennsylvania, 24%, have doubts about how the president is executing his job.


A few numbers to consider:
  • 302 - Trump's Electoral College tally
  • 232 - Clinton's Electoral College tally
  • 270 - Electoral votes needed to win Presidency
  •   46 - Electoral vote total of WI, MI, PA
  • 256 - Trump's Electoral College tally had Clinton prevailed in these 3 states 
  • 278 - Clinton's Electoral College tally had Clinton prevailed in these 3 states.
Clinton lost WI, MI, and PA by a total of 72,744 of the votes -- or 0.55% of the total votes cast in these 3 states.

Also of note.  Overall, Clinton won the popular vote by 2,868,691 -- 48.5% for her and 46.4% for Trump.

Thanks to the likes of 96.1% white Taylor County, the Wisconsin county where Trump received the highest percentage of votes, even outdoing 93.1% white Washington County (67.9).


La Crosse couple extend their Oktoberfest activities into the wee small hours of the morning



Reported in La Crosse man arrested for having sex in car tells officer he was 'blocking' him.  (Madison.com, 10/3/2017)

"Blocking" as defined by Urban Dictionary.


Dirty deeds undone not so dirt cheap


The city Board of Public Works Monday approved a $33,000 bid to clean up pigeon feces in the Main Street Parking Ramp, as well as giving parking utility coordinator Jim Flottmeyer the go-ahead to hire another company to seal the area. The city also took the opportunity to discuss pigeon removal efforts.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Americans tend to get their undies in a bundle when it comes to protest




Hmm, the top 3 cities aren't located in the South.


Timi Yuro had a top 10 hit with "Hurt" in 1961.



Aren't we making progress!!


Political opinions?  How about dearly held personal beliefs?   Betcha a person of white privilege composed this question.

If you're not a regular reader of Charles M. Blow's op-ed column in The New York Times, now is a good time to start.

If you look at a real catastrophe, like the election of Donald Trump as president....



Trump: Puerto Rico deaths low compared to "real catastrophe" like Katrina.  (Axios, 10/3/2017)

Up until about a week ago, Trump had been trending upward in his average approval rating,  But there have been fluctuations since day 1.


Meet the spoiled, pampered lapdogs of the Wisconsin Supreme Court


Match the names to their cute little faces here.

Wisconsin Supreme Court cuts stipends for judges who asked for tougher conflict standards.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/27/2017)

Related posts:
Pay to play: Meet the conservative lapdogs of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  (4/21/2017)
Dear Annette Ziegler, There is no "gobs of GOP money" clause in the Wisconsin constitution.  (4/20/2017)
Concerning Rebecca Bradley: Meet some of the Wisconsin voters who would be disenfranchised by recusal rules.  (4/20/2017)
UPDATE. This week in Wisconsin Supreme Court integrity.  (3/16/2017)
Breaking the law. Just imagine the GOP outrage if Shirley Abrahamson was a featured speaker at, say, a La Crosse County Democratic Party fete.  (3/3/2017)

Dear Roger Roth, One million acres equals 1,562 square miles


Which is nearly 2 1/2 times the size of Outagamie County.


Quoted in Wisconsin Republicans launch new rollback of air, water protections.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 10/2/2017)
About a million acres of wetlands could be left vulnerable and as many as 300 hazardous air pollutants could become unregulated under a pair of proposals circulating among lawmakers.

The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce lobbyists are leading the cheers.  Scott Manley, who served as chief of state for Republican Cathy Stepp, is Senior Vice-President of Government Relations.

Related reading:
WMC Tops Lobbying Groups in the First Six Months of 2017.  (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 8/29/2017)
The top-spending lobbying group between January and June was Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business organization, which doled out about $407,800 to lobby about 2,800 hours. The group is a political heavyweight when it comes to influence on state spending and policy, as well as election spending in legislative and statewide races.

Related post:
Get the lead out?  WMC sez NO!.  (4/18/2017)

Lots of death, destruction and carnage to be done in 700 rounds per minute



Reported in Las Vegas shooter may have used trigger crank, expert says. (USA TOday, 10/2/2017)

Monday, October 2, 2017

Irony alert: Where Stephen Paddock shopped for guns in Mesquite, Nevada



19 guns, loaded high-capacity magazines found in Vegas shooter's room.  (ABC News, 10/2/2017)

Wherein it is reported....


Related post:
Las Vegas massacre through a To Tell the Truth lens.  (10/2/2017)

Las Vegas massacre through a To Tell the Truth lens


One of these men killed at least 58 and wounded more than 500 people.  What is your name, please?





All quotes from Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock was a high-stakes gambler who 'kept to himself' before massacre.  (Washington Post, 10/2/2017)
“One of the first times we met him, he told me he lived there, in Vegas,” said [Don]Judy, [next-door neighbor until 2 years ago.] “He explained that he was a gambler, and a prospector. He said he was buying this house to check it out for his mother . . . and that if she liked it, he planned to buy another next door with a floor plan like ours.”

For those not familiar with this game show's format.


Or you can watch a full episode.

When it comes to guns, the Wisconsin GOP legislature trots out all sorts of eliminations


Locations of SB 169/AB 247 sponsors (all GOP)

Bill would allow Wisconsin felons to possess antique guns.  (McClatchy, 10/1/2017)


Why a well-intentioned "Thank you for your service" is not enough



The high risk of suicide among veterans.  (Axios, 10/2/2017)
The VA rolled out its "REACH VET" (Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health Veterans Enhanced Treatment) program between November 2016 and February 2017, which uses a predictive model to analyze veterans' health records to identify those most at risk for suicide. The idea is that identification can lead to further engagement with primary care or mental health providers.

Related reading:
Don't Say 'Thank You For Your Service' This Monday.  (NPR, 5/27/2017)
Here's How to Actually Thank Veterans for Their Service.  (Military.com, 2016)
How To Thank Veterans For Their Military Service.  (Task & Purpose, 11/11/2015)

It's standard practice for Costco to remain closed on Thanksgiving Day



Reported in 56 Retailers Have Already Confirmed Thanksgiving Day Closure.  (24/7 Wall St, 10/2/2017)

Survey sez...

Source:  YouGov

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Greetings from Mission Dolores, San Francisco


From Retiring Guy's postcard collection


Related reading:
The California Missions.  (California Missions Foundation)

Other greetings:
Submarine Gardens, Santa Catalina, California.  (9/30/2017)
Flying fish boat tour, Santa Catalina, California.  (9/30;2017)
Crescent Avenue, Avalon, Santa Catalina, California.  (9/25/2017)
Transamerica Building, San Francisco.  (9/23/2017)
Golden Gate Bridge.  (9/10/2017)
Golden Gate Bridge.  (9/9/2017)
San Francisco Chinatown.  (9/8/2017)
San Francisco: Test your Segway skills on Lombard Street.  (8/30/2017) 
San Francisco Bay Area.  (8/26/2017)
San Francisco.  (8/26/2017)
Downtown San Diego.  (7/9/2016)
San Diego.  (6/25/2017)
San Bernadino, California.  (6/23/2017)
Sacramento Municipal Auditorium.  (6/18/2017)
Weinstock Lubin Department Store, Sacramento.  (6/17/2017)
Sacramento.  (6/17/2017)
Pasadena.  (6/14/2017)
Lake Merritt, Oakland.  (6/13/2017)
Oakland, California.  (6/12/2017)
Greyhound Bus Terminal, Los Angeles (6/11/2017)
Coffee Dan's, Hollywood.  (6/11/2017)
Brittingham's Radio Center Restaurant, Hollywood.  (6/10/2016)
Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel.  (6/9/2017)
Pershing Square, Los Angeles.  (6/8/2017)
Fox Carthay Circle Theater, Los Angeles.  (6/7/2017)
Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.  (6/4/2017)
Hotel Teris, Los Angeles.  (6/1/2016)
Broadway in Los Angeles.  (5/31/2017)
Los Angeles Civic Center.  (5/30/2017)
Southern California palm-lined street.  (5/29/2017)
Downtown Los Angeles.   (5/24/2017)
Giant Springs, Great Falls, Montana.  (5/23/2017)
Hollywood Boulevard.  (5/22/2017)
Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.  (5/21/2017)
Brown Derby, Hollywood.  (5/20/2017)
Southern California.  (5/20/2017)
Mojave Desert (Joshua trees).  (5/20/2017)
Rose Hill Motel in Mena, Arkansas.  (5/20/2017)
Will Rogers Ranch.  (5/20/2017)
Grauman's Chinese Theater.  (5/18/2017)
Hollywood Boulevard.  (5/18/2017)
Barstow, California.  (5/17/2017)
California.  (5/14/2017)
Parklabrea Towers, L.A.  (5/14/2017)
La Jolla Children's Pool.  (5/13/2017)
Los Angeles.  (5/11/2017)
Laguna Beach, California.  (5/10/2017)
California.  (5/9/2017)
Los Angeles.  (5/9/2017)
California.  (5/8/2017)
Pomona College, Claremont, California.  (5/7/2017)
La Jolla, California.  (5/6/2017)
Hope, Arkansas.  (5/4/2017)
Bakersfield, California.  (5/3/2017)
Little Rock, Arkansas.  (5/1/2017)
California.  (4/28/2017)
Little Rock, Arkansas.  (4/19/2017)
Superstition Mountain, Arizona.  (4/15/2017)
Tucson, Arizona.  (4/12/2017)
Phoenix, Arizona.  (4/8/2017)
Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah.  (4/8/2017)
Dothan, Alabama.  (4/5/2017)
Mobile, Alabama.  (4/5/2017)
Anniston, Alabama.  (3/29/2017)

Trump's America: Sumner County, Kansas


Kansas won't expand Medicaid, denying a lifeline to rural hospital and patients.  (Intercept, 10/1/2017)
Kansas had long rejected the expansion of Medicaid authorized by the Affordable Care Act, until, that is, President Barack Obama left office, and the legislature voted to accept the federal money. The expansion was a lifeline to towns like Wellington. Across Kansas, and throughout much of the rural U.S., small hospitals have been closing. In 2017, Wellington’s Sumner Regional Medical Center joined a growing list of more than 600 rural hospitals that, according to 2016 report by health analytics firm iVantage, are at risk of shuttering, potentially leveling blows to local economies and leaving residents without nearby emergency services and accessible routine care.


Source: Wikipedia 



Source: CNN




Other Trump's America posts:
Hendricks County, Indiana.  (10/1/2017)
Kootenai County, Idaho.  (9/25/2017)
Union County, Iowa.  (9/10/2017)
DeSoto County, Florida.  (9/9/2017)
Erie County, Pennsylvania.  (9/2/2017)
Grays Harbor County, Washington.  (8/20/2017)
Franklin County, Iowa, (8/14/2017)
UPDATE:  Essex County, New York.  (1/29/2017)
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.  (8/10/2017)
Wright County, Iowa.  (8/8/2017)
Cabell County, West Virginia.  (8/4/2017)
Northampton County, Pennsylvania.  (7/20/2017)
Mesa County, California.  (7/20/2017)
Pontotoc County, Mississippi.  (7/19/2017)
McDowell County, West Virginia.  (7/10/2017)
Shasta County, California.  (7/4/2017)
Piscataquis County, Maine.  (7/3/2017)
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota  (7/2/2017)
Autauga County, Alabama.  (6/29/2017)
Letcher County, Kentucky.  (6/29/2017)
Huron County, Ohio.  (6/19/2017)
Wisconsin Dairyland dilemma, part 2.  (6/19/2017)
Jackson County, West Virginia.  (6/18/2017)
Jackson County, Ohio.  (6/6/2017)
Spartanburg County, South Carolina.  (6/5/2017)
St. Joseph County, Michigan.  (6/5/2017)
Cambria County (Johnstown), Pennsylvania.  (6/3/2017)
Union County, Tennessee.  (5/30/2017)
Marion County, Iowa.  (5/23/2017)
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.  (5/22/2017)
Douglas County, Oregon.  (5/17/2017)
Perry County, Illinois.  (5/8/2017)
Bryan County, Oklahoma.  (5/5/2017)
Greene County, Pennsylvania.  (5/3/2017)
Huntington County, Indiana.  (4/27/2017)
Lawrence County, South Dakota.  (4/27/2017)
Gaines County, Texas.  (4/26/2017)
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.  (4/26/2017)
Morgan County, Colorado.  (4/25/2017)
Oneida County, Wisconsin.  (4/24/2017)
(Trending) Trump's America.  Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. (4/22/2017)
Van Wert County, Ohio.  (4/12/2017)
(Impatient) Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District.  (4/18/2017)
New Jersey's 7th Congressional District.  (4/14/2017)
Bryan County, Oklahoma.  (4/3/2017)
Trumbull County, Ohio.  (4/3/2017)
lMarion County, Tennessee.  (4/1/2017)
Illinois 16th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)
New York 19th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)
Granger, Indiana, bad hombre.  (3/26/2017)
Clark County, Kansas.  (3/21/2017)
Defiance County, Ohio .  (3/21/2017)
Williams County, Ohio.  (3/21/2017)
Sawyer County, Wisconsin.  (3/20/2017)
Clark County, Wisconsin.  (3/19/2017)
Taylor County, Wisconsin.  (3/19/2017)
Highland County, Ohio.   (3/19/2017)
Buffalo County, Wisconsin.  (3/19/2017)
Union County, North Carolina.  (3/9/2017)
Franklin County, Illinois.  (2/27/2017)
Knox and Whitley counties, Kentucky.  (2/17/2017)
Cabell County, West Virginia.  (2/9/2017)
Where voters abandoned the Democratic Party in droves.   (2/7/2017)
Poweshiek and Webster counties, Iowa.  (2/7/2017)
Adams and Waushara counties, Wisconsin.  (2/6/2017)
McHenry County, Illinois.  (2/5/2017)
Essex County, New York.  (1/29/2017)
Mitchell County, Kansas.  (1/29/2017)
Fayette County, West Virginia.  (1/24/2017)
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, home of the Little League World Series.  (1/24/2017)
Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.  (1/21/2017)
Get me rewrite: Buncha white people in Boone County, Iowa, talk about Trump.  (1/15/2017)
UPDATE. Luzerne County, Pennsylvania is a Trump election success story.  (1/14/2017)
Monticello, Iowa. New York Times joins the search for Trump's America, a very white place.  (1/13/2017)
UPDATE. Boston Globe reporter continues to explore Trump's America, where mostly white people live.  (1/13/2017)