Saturday, October 17, 2015

Dear Glenn Grothman, Breaking up is hard to do


Comma, comma, down dooby doo down down 
Comma, comma, down dooby doo down down


Photo credits:  LinkedIn, U.S. House of Representatives

Walker taps Green Bay native as federal government liaison.  (WBAY, 10/17/2015) 

“Roskam is very smart,” said Grothman during an interview with Action 2 News.  
“I’m very sad to lose him, and Governor Walker is very fortunate to have him,” Grothman said.

Related post:
Friday afternoon news dump: Scott Walker appoints young guy in baseball cap as new Director of Federal Relations.  (10/16/2015)

5 days on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and already Rebecca Bradley is receiving awards


Just in time for the campaign season.



Trailblazer Award Winner: Justice Rebecca Bradley. (Right Wisconsin, Powered by Charlie Sykes, 10/16/2015)

Her major accomplishments:
  • 2012.  Appointed by Scott Walker to serve on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
  • May 2015.  Appointed by Scott Walker to serve on the District 1 Court of Appeals.
  • October 2015.  Appointed by Scott Walker to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Related posts:
Rebecca Bradley asks issue advocacy groups to observe 'rule of courtesy'.  (10/16/2015)
To which the packed audience responded with a loud, unified chorus of "THAT'S DEBATABLE!!"  (10/12/2015)
Rebecca Bradley talks in code at her christening ceremony.  (10/9/2015)
UPDATE: Scott Walker's Supreme Court appointment: Is it all about the money or who gets the money?  (10/9/2015)
Rebecca Bradley hopes Scott Walker will punch her $1,350 ticket to a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  (10/5/2015)

'Got any spare change?' pleads Scott Walker



Scott Walker faces tough task in repaying presidential campaign debts.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/17/2015)

Jason Stein reports that Walker will need to raise more than $1 million to pay off his campaign debts.
In addition, Walker cannot simply go to a handful of donors to write the six- and seven-figure checks that helped fuel his super PAC Unintimidated. His debt is in his official presidential campaign committee, which is limited to maximum donations of $2,700 per contributor under federal law.

Working for Wisconsin
  • October 5.   Governor Scott Walker Kicks Off Working for Wisconsin Tour at B&W MEGTEC 
  • October 5.  Governor Scott Walker Tours University of Wisconsin-Stout Fab Lab
  • October 6.  Governor Scott Walker Tours Chippewa Valley Technical Center
  • October 7.  Governor Scott Walker Delivers Remarks at Amazon Fulfillment Grand Opening 
  • October 8.  Governor Scott Walker Tours Stoughton High School Fab Lab
  • October 8.  Governor Scott Walker Tours Argon Industries
  • October 8.  Governor Scott Walker Tours Green-Tek, Inc. and Coextruded Plastics Technologies Inc.
  • October 9.  Governor Scott Walker Visits Stella-Jones Corp.

Related post:
Headline News: About Scott Walker being 'an effective steward of our country's finances'.  (10/16/2015)

Robin Vos, tool of the NRA



As quoted in Vos Says He's OK With Allowing Concealed Weapons In UW Buildings.  (Wisconsin Public Radio, 10/15/2015)


It's all about the money.

Related reading:
Influence Peddler of the Month:  National Rifle Association.  (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 9/1/2015)
The Money Behind Making It Easier to Get a Gun.  (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 2/19/2015)

Navigating through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Job Center website

More than 100,000 jobs listed on state's Job Center site. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/16/2015)

Left unexplained.
Recent improvements to the site, JobCenterofWisconsin.com, led to an increase of 16,000 jobs postings, the department said in a news release.

The first-time visitor must complete the following steps: 

1 Create a logon

2 Accept User Agreement Statement

3 Fill in the 'logon creation' blanks

4 Enter SSN, DOB, gender

5 Provide contact information 

6 Select education/employment status

7 Ethnicity/race/English-speaking skills

8 Confirm

9 Search
Year after year, even in starting a job search, the story remains the same.

Related reading:
Improve computer skills to improve job prospects.  (The World Bank, 6/29/2015)
Computer, Other Basic Skills Lacking, Many Job Seekers Admit.  (IT Business Edge, 3/12/2014)
Computer skills critical for today's job seekers.  (University of Central Florida, 4/21/2013)

If you ask Scott Walker about his presidential campaign funds, expect an automatonic response



As quoted in Daniel Bice | No Quarter, Scott Walker spending little time talking about campaign funds.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/16/2015)

Variations on a theme:
  • "I gave my comments on the 21st of last month about my campaign. That's all I'm going to say about it to the press.  I've certainly talked to individual supporters along the way, but I'm focusing on being governor."
  • "I made my own comments about the campaign on the 21st, and I'm not going to look backwards. I'm going to look forwards.  You can look at the reports, but I'm focused on being governor."  [emphasis added]

Like father, like sons?
On our first day of travel, I want to take an opportunity to share with you the whirlwind that has been the last 24 hours. We started out our day practicing our remarks, while Dad met with several reporters.*  [emphasis added]

*The first 2 sentences of "Announcement Day", the first post on the Walker sons' campaign blog, The Trail.   This one is written by Matthew.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Headline News: About Scott Walker being 'an effective steward of our country's finances'......




One of the debts is via Barclays and is estimated to be between $10,000 and $15,000. The interest rate on the debt is 27.24%.

Dear Liz, a full-time job at $12.25 per hour is barely above the poverty level for a family of 4



Walker touts workforce development at Bangor business.  (Coulee News, 10/15/2015)

What's with all this drug talk?  The word appears 6 times in the last 5 paragraphs of the article.
Walker touts workforce development at Bangor businessThe company hasn’t had many candidates fail the drug test, she said. The biggest hurdle is getting willing people to apply. The company offers starting wages of about $12.25 per hour, which Russell said were competitive, but has continued to struggle filling positions with only a few interviews each month.

William Weidert (1926-2015) Warren High School Class of 1943



1943 Dragon yearbook

William's high-school activities:
Basketball (2, 3, 4); Bookkeeping Club (2); Boys' A. A. (4); Junior Shorthand Club (2).


1967 Warren City Directory



The popularity of 'William' as a baby name is graphed here.

As for 'Leo' and 'Irene', after nearly a century of relative togetherness, they went their separate ways.


Downtown Madison pocket park proposal put on hold


West Mifflin and Bassett Streets


City could condemn properties for Downtown park.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 9/16/2015)
The blocks currently contain the Ambassador West apartments [pictured below] and a collection of rental houses.



A 'behinder' view.

All photos by Retiring Guy

But now...

Madison may pause condemnation bid to pursue alternate site for Downtown park.  (Madison.com, 10/16/2015)
Alternative site not identified.

Blogging is one of the things Alex and Matt Walker did to earn their $10,000



July 14.  "Announcement Day."  (Matthew David Walker)
July 15.  "Pulling An All-Nighter."  (Alex Walker)
July 17.  "Iowa [hearts] Scott Walker."  (Matthew David Walker)
July 18.  "The Road to 99 Continues."  (Alex Walker)
July 19.  "Another Day in the Walker Winnebago."  (Matthew David Walker)
July 20.  "Ready for the Long Haul."  (Alex Walker)


August 30.  "What the Walker Family Did Before and During Thursday Night's GOP Debate."  (Matthew David Walker)  

The young men accumulated 562 followers along The Trail.

Missing one element of the Ben Franklin trifecta, Jeb Bush announces he will adjust his bedtime hours




Related reading:
Five myths about Jeb Bush.  (Washington Post, 6/19/2015)
2.  George is the dumb one, Jeb is the smart one.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

"Nimble": The new shorthand for "we're cutting staff and the rest of you are going to have to pick up the slack!"


Jack Dorsey photo credit:  Techonomy

As quoted in Twitter to Cut More Than 300 Jobs.  (The New York Times, 10/13/2015)

Within an hour after reading the above article, I encountered this slide during a webinar on the restructuring of the University of Wisconsin-Extension.  (highlight added)


Suggested on-your-own exercise:  Google restructure small nimble.

Dear City of Milwaukee, I checked the applicants 'references', just in case you're interested




Another strip club seeks to open in downtown Milwaukee.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/12/2015)

Hoping that lightning strikes twice?
So far the case has been a win for Silk Exotic owner Jon Ferraro and his partners, although it did not clear the way for Silk to open a club downtown, something Ferraro has been trying to do for six years. Buzdum said his application has nothing to do with Silk or the lawsuit.

'REFERENCES'

July 10, 2003
Meth lab is first in Waukesha County.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
The building is owned by Germantown resident Boro Buzdum and his brother Radomir.  Boro Buzdum said he didn't know about the activities of his tenants.

June 22, 2010
The fun is gone:  Play center closing its doors.  (Germantown Now)
And owner Boro Buzdum says he feels cheated.  
Cheated, in part, by the community, which Buzdum says didn't support the business as much as he had hoped.  
But he also feels cheated by the village of Germantown, after officials said they would not renew Family Fun Land's two licenses needed to operate an arcade because the business owes $42,000 in property taxes that are now six months late.  [emphasis added]

April 7, 2012
Washington County - Town of Trenton - Say NO to Strip Club. (WISSUP = WISCONSIN SPEAKS UP)
"A stage-to-ceiling dance pole has been installed at Player’s Pub & Grill. The manager of the establishment Boro Buzdum on Highway 33, in the town of Trenton has applied for the right to convert the business into a Gentleman’s Club with exotic dancers." 

June 24, 2014
Germantown restaurant to remain open despite foreclosure.  (Germantown Now

According to village ordinance, no liquor license may be granted if taxes are deliquent for more than six months. While Buzdum, who is brothers with Buzdum Trust trustee Boro Buzdum, said he understands the ordinance, he pleaded with the board to consider his situation.  [emphasis added]

July 9, 2014
Slinger man seriously injured in Dodge County crash.  (Fond du Lac Reporter)
Boro Buzdum, 49, of Slinger, was traveling north on Highway O near Washington Road in the town of Ashippun on July 8 at 11:46 p.m. when he hit a deer with his Harley Davidson motorcycle, according to the Dodge County Sheriff's Office.

Newspaper route driver needs to work on his delivery



Apparently, some of the news was already being digested.   Or used to 'feather a nest'.

Photos by Retiring Guy

WEDC open for business: Another 'no vetting' special deal


Photo credit:  Oneida Eye

Oh, there's lots more.

Warrants allege Green Bay businessman defrauded WEDC for more than $1 million.  (Chippewa Herald, 10/15/2015)
The Green Box case bears similarities to a $500,000 loan to Building Committee Inc., which the State Journal first reported in May. In both cases, the companies didn’t disclose prior lawsuits to WEDC and defaulted on their loans, and yet WEDC continued working with them. WEDC officials have said policies have been put in place to ensure such cases don’t happen again.

Other 'they don't vet' posts:
Babble On: Scott Walker needs to start vetting his mouth.  (8/25/2015)
"Oh, That Pesky Vetting Process", starring Scott Walker.  (7/21/2015) 
Vet (verb): Not in the Scott Walker administration vocabulary.  (7/14/2015)
We've seen this happen before -- an administration too lazy to be bothered with a vetting process.  (3/19/2015)
Cheerleader Regina Millner ("She's a Big Republican") Defends Scott Walker in Regents Appointment Flap.  (6/14/2013)
WEDC public information officer resigns after 1 month on the job. (5/9/2013
It's called vetting.  (6/24/2011)

Related WEDC posts:
Scott Walker's growing list of things worth considering: U.S.-Canada border wall, wreaking havoc in Washington, tougher penalties for WEDC fraud   (9/8/2015)
Todd Jensen, former WEDC underwriter, provides the recipe for the current agency disaster.  (8/9/2015)
We know Scott Walker didn't graduate from college, but apparently he hasn't been paying attention to anyone but himself since kindergarten.  (6/25/2015)
4:24 p.m. Friday WEDC news dump.  (6/20/2015)
The stink of WEDC follows Brenda Hicks-Sorensen to Nebraska.  (6/16/2015) 
Scott Walker tries to run, but there's no place to hide.  (5/26/2015)
No matter how you slice it, Alberta, it's still stinky cheese.  (5/23/2015)
Joint Finance Republicans to Scott Walker:  "You're Fired!".  (5/21/2015)
Chairman of the Board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation -- Nice work if you can get it.  (5/20/2015)
It's story time.  (5/18/2015)
From the pay-to-play archives: The William Minihan-Scott Walker connection.  (5/17/2015) 
What's wrong with this Scott Walker headline?  (5/16/2015)
Chairman of the Board Scott Walker's BIG, BOLD idea.  (5/8/2015) 
Based on WEDC's previous track record, this is what came to mind when I saw first saw this headline.  (4/2/2015)
Apparently, being the CFO of WEDC is not much of a resume-builder.  (3/13/2015)
WEDC's revolving door.  (9/12/2014)
Here's how the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is "Reinventing Economic Development".  (8/24/2014) 
Company looks to expand its business geographic focus?  (8/14/2014)
Scott Walker and the horrible, terrible, no good, very transparent day.  (7/28/2014)
Kestrel Aircraft: All these incentives, but no construction, no jobs.  (7/13/2014)
The Eaton Corporation/WEDC timeline of shame.  (7/10/2014)
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

Meet 'the crazies', the members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Freedom Caucus: Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)


The 35th (and last) in a series.
“I think it signals the crazies have taken over the party, taken over to the party that you can remove a speaker of the House who’s second in line to be president, a constitutional officer in the middle of his term with no allegations of impropriety, a person who’s honest and doing his job."
Rep. Peter King (R-NY)


Quote source: Cattle Call (YouTube)
Photo credit:  U.S. Congress

I suspect -- and I'll be looking into this in future posts -- that 'regular order' is a Republican code phrase along the lines of  'rule of law', i.e., 'what I say goes!'.

Working our way through the list of crazies:

Related posts:
Meet the members of the U.S. House of Representatives Freedom Caucus.  (9/28/2015)
No friend to the environment.  (9/30/2015)

Meet 'the crazies', the members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Freedom Caucus: Reid Ribble (R-WI)


The 34th in a series.
“I think it signals the crazies have taken over the party, taken over to the party that you can remove a speaker of the House who’s second in line to be president, a constitutional officer in the middle of his term with no allegations of impropriety, a person who’s honest and doing his job."
Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
Make that a former 'crazy'.

Quote source: Roll Call (10/8/2015)
Photo credit:  U.S. Congress

Working our way through the list of crazies:

Related posts:
Meet the members of the U.S. House of Representatives Freedom Caucus.  (9/28/2015)
No friend to the environment.  (6/29/2015)

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Sheboygan Common Council wheel tax vote: The yeas, the nays & the chickenshits


Photo credits:  Sheboygan Common Council

Sheboygan wheel tax gets initial approval.  (Sheboygan Press, 10/13/2015)
The Committee of the Whole voted 8-2 to recommend creating a $20 wheel tax on every car registered within the city of Sheboygan. Only aldermen Jim Bohren and Joe Heidemann voted against the measure, though a surprising six aldermen were absent for the vote. The measure now moves to the Common Council for full approval.  [emphasis added]

Meeting minutes

Related wheel tax posts:
Sheboygan Council Vice-President tells his colleagues not to pee their pants at upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.  (10/11/2015)
Sheboygan Common Council ponders an annual $20 wheel tax.  (8/25/2015)
Janesville becomes 5th community to impose a wheel tax.  (12/1/2011)
Three Dane County supervisors propose wheel tax.  (11/9/2011;  it didn't fly.)
Hudson lawmaker puts his finger on Janesville's pulse.  (10/20/2011)
Mayville retains its wheel tax.  (10/13/2011)
Wheel tax proposed in Janesville.  (10/12/2011)

Headline News: It's a day of vindication for those who read Playboy for the articles



Blame it on the internet.
"You're now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it's just passe at this juncture," Playboy Enterprises CEO Scott Flanders told The New York Times, which first reported the change.

Back to the future

Related article:
Yes, people DID buy 'Playboy' for the articles.  (USA Today, 10/13/2015)

Related post:
Playboy cover to cover.  (3/19/2009)

The Republican Party wants your money in the worst way


Just for fun, I signed up for RNC Chairman Reince Preibus's email blasts.

Here are a couple screenshots from the latest edition.


You end up with the same fundraising appeal.



Now it's time to make sure we beat Jim Webb Hillary Clinton Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee

Ted Cruz strikes a surprisingly weary pose to acknowledge his recent 3rd-place finishes in the polls


Looks like Ted is trying for 'smolder'.  

No catch there either.



The behinders in the 10/10-12 FOX News poll:
  • 5% - Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee
  • 3% - Rand Paul
  • 1% - Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki
  • 0% - Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham
Other stuff:  The poll has a particularly high margin of error for the following groups:
  • +/-7.0%.  Independents
  • +/-9.5%.  Blacks
  • +/-7.0%.  Under age 35

Related posts:
Clearly, the manufactured glow of Carly Fiorina's September 16th performance is fading.  (10/12/2015)
For now, Investors' Business Daily poll looks to be an outlier as Trump is back in 1st place.  (10/7/2015)
 Blathering his way to oblivion, Donald Trump falls out of first place in latest poll.  (10/4/2015)
Nothing to write home about in latest Republican Presidential primary poll.  (10/3/2015)
Another ho-hum Republican Presidential primary poll.  (10/1/2015)
The September polls have not been kind to Donald Trump.  (9/27/2015)
Scott Walker down to zero in latest Republican primary poll -- behind Rick Santorum, no less.  (9/20/2015)
Ben Carson closes the gap with Donald Trump in latest Republican primary poll.  (9/15/2015)
Scott Walker joins the bottom feeders in latest national Republican primary poll.  (9/14/2015)
CNN/ORC poll gives Scott Walker a pity-pat, lifts him out of behinder bin.  (9/10/2015)
Scott Walker slides to 3% in latest national poll; has 8th place all to himself.  (9/3/2015)
Scott Walker is likely to BLAME CANADA for his latest poll showing.  (9/1/2015)
Donald Trump maintains his lead, Scott Walker continues to slide in national Republican Presidential primary polls.  (8/27/2015)
Donald Trump maintains a sizable lead in latest national Republican Presidential primary poll.  (8/18/2015)
Donald Trump maintains his lead in national polls; Scott Walker is yesterday's news.  (8/16/2015) 
Trump continues to ebb, Fiorina surges in latest national Republican Presidential primary poll.  (8/12/2015)
Running up to Thursday's FOX News GOP debate, Donald Trump continues to run the poll table.  (8/4/2015)
A hot bat: Donald Trump goes 10 for 11 in July.  (8/3/2015) 
Another day, another 1st place poll finish for Donald Trump (9 and counting).  (8/3/2015)
Donald Trump continues to run the poll table: 8 in a row.  (8/2/2015)
Trump wins 6th national poll in a row.  (7/30/2015)
In his last 5 'starts', Donald Trump is 5-0 in national Republican presidential polling.  (7/27/2015)
Trump wins 4th national poll in a row; Walker closes gap.  (7/23/2015) 
Trump takes his 3rd national poll in a row.  (7/20/2015)
Donald Trump takes 1st place in consecutive national polls.  (7/17/2015)
On day 2 of Scott Walker's presidential campaign, a just-released Suffolk University/USA Today poll has Donald Trump in 1st place.  (7/14/2015)
Monmouth University poll casts a pall over Scott Walker's presidential candidacy announcement.  (7/13/2015)
Scott Walker leads in Iowa Republican presidential polling, but nationally it's a different story.  (7/1/2015)
Republicans' 2016 Presidential primary preferences look like a bunch of scribbles when graphed.  (6/22/2015)
Has anyone else noticed that Scott Walker peaked 2 months ago in New Hampshire? (6/14/2015)
Same as it ever was, pretty much, in latest Fox News poll.  (6/3/2015)
The latest CNN/ORC Republican presidential primary poll likes the Florida boys.  (6/2/2015) 
5-way tie in latest Quinnipiac Republican presidential primary poll.  (5/28/2015)
Republican presidential candidates find little elbow room in latest Fox News poll.  (5/16/2015)
Latest Public Policy Polling (PPP) numbers keep Republican candidates in a jumble.  (5/14/2015)
The Florida Boys leave Scott Walker in "show" position in latest Republican presidential horse race poll.  (5/5/2015)
Tracking the national Republican presidential primary polls.  (4/3/2015)
Scott Walker tied for 2nd with 'Dunno' in latest CNN/ORC poll. (3/19/2015)
Don't know/no answer/somebody else/won't vote leads latest Quinnipiac Republican Presidential primary poll.  (3/6/2015)
Someone else/no one, Ben Carson have best 1-2 punch in Public Policy poll.  (2/24/2015)
On the merry-go-round: Mike Huckabee takes the lead in the latest Republican Presidential preference poll.  (2/18/2015)

Never a good idea to use 'hors d'oeuvre' in a defense statement


Photo credit:  Facebook

As quoted in Jury rejects woman's suit against nephew for energetic greeting.  (USA Today, 10/13/2015)

The New York Daily News reports that Jennifer works as a human resources manager.   Is this her resume?

Meet 'the crazies', the members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Freedom Caucus: Alex Mooney (R-WV)


The 33rd in a series.
“I think it signals the crazies have taken over the party, taken over to the party that you can remove a speaker of the House who’s second in line to be president, a constitutional officer in the middle of his term with no allegations of impropriety, a person who’s honest and doing his job."
Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Quote source:  Press release
Photo credit:  U.S. Congress

Working our way through the list of crazies:

Related posts:
Meet the members of the U.S. House of Representatives Freedom Caucus.  (9/28/2015)
Meet the members of the Republican Study Committee.  (8/17/2015)
No friend to the environment.  (6/22/2015)