Each year, on the first day of Wisconsin hunting season, it's dress-up day for Scott Walker

Patrick Durkin: GOP not leading Wisconsin hunters, anglers by example.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 12/30/2017)

Online returns not ready for prime time

A fantasy.  Published May 30, 2012.  7,335 views.  Comments disabled. 




Many Unhappy Returns? Online Holiday Shopping’s Big Hangover.  (The New York Times, 12/26/2017)

But while a handful of retailers receive nearly unanimous praise from shoppers for open-ended, friction-free returns of purchases made online (Amazon, Nordstrom, L.L. Bean, Madewell, among others), and many offer more generous policies during the holiday season, plenty still impose tight limitations and draconian requirements that seem designed to either discourage returns or drive traffic into their physical locations.

And with shoppers like Gina Mezzacappa, why would retailers want to loosen limits and requirements.

Reported in Christmas May Be Over, but Holiday Shopping Is Not. (The New York Times, 12/29/2017)

Like Johnny Mathis, retailers are singing Gina's praises.


'Gina' debuted at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending September 22, 1962.  It spent 12 weeks on the chart, 5 of them in the top 10, peaking at #6.

Donald Trump buys into Fox & Friends fake news

At the same point in time in their 1st presidential terms, Barack Obama's approval rating is 11.8 percentage points higher than Donald Trump's.

At the same point in time in their 1st presidential terms, Donald Trump's disapproval rating is 11.1 percentage points higher than Barack Obama's.

Source:  Obama (Real Clear Politics), Trump (FiveThirtyEight)

Donald Trump's America First view of global warming

@realDonaldTrump

Must of the rest of the world is experiencing seasonably warmer temperature anomalies, i.e. departures from long-term averages.

Source:  Climate Reanalyzer 

Related reading:
A Response For People Using Record Cold U.S. Weather To Refute Climate Change.  (Forbes, 12/28/2017)

Too much of a big chicken to schedule a special election, Scott Walker plays his shitty hand (part 2)

After winning his 1st election by 13 votes, Ripp has won his subsequent 4 elections by an average of 15 percentage points.  Obviously not a large enough margin for a very skittish Wisconsin GOP.

Source:  Ballotpedia (2010, 2016), Wisconsin Elections Commission (2002, 2006)

Two GOP lawmakers resign to take jobs in Scott Walker administration.  (Madison.com, 12/30/2017)

A spokesman for Walker said special elections will not be held for the seats, meaning they’ll be vacant for more than a year and filled after the November 2018 election — at which time they already were set to be on the ballot.

Related post:
Frank Lasee.  (12/30/2017)

Get me rewrite UPDATE. 100% of Wisconsin's land area is within a county

Wisconsin has 1,259 towns.

Source:  Wisconsin Towns Association (Town Quick Facts)

A topic of discussion south of the border.

Related reading:
Too much local government:  Illinois' thousands of local governments.  (Illinois Policy Institute, Nov. 2013)
Let’s go to town on cutting wasteful township governments.  (Chicago Sun-Times, 7/5/2017)


Original 12/29/2017 post, "Get me rewrite:  I'll give you my local government when you pry it from my cold, dead, white, male hand", starts here.

Wisconsin Towns Association (arrow and underline added)

No lie:  A baker's dozen Trues from 2017.  (PolitiFact Wisconsin, 12/29/2017)

Waiting for someone to provide a breakdown of town board representation by race and ethnicity.  Wisconsin is 81.7% white, but if you exempt Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties, the precentage jumps to 93.1.

College football bowl season reality check: Lots of folks just don't give a fuck

Source:  Economist/YouGov

Once upon a time, a team had to earn its way to a bowl game.

Nowadays, a team doesn't need to have a winning record.

Robert Still (1925-2017) Warren High School class of 1944

Source:  Warren Times Observer

1944 Dragon yearbook

Richard's high-school activities:

[none]

1967 Warren City Directory  

• Still Robt L (Gladys V) clk NP h210 N Carver

1983 Warren City Directory  

• Still Edith E Mrs retd h212 Connecticut Ave
• Still Robt L & Gladys V; clk NP h210 N Carver St

The popularity of Robert is graphed here.  Let's take a look at Gladys.

Source:  Social Security Administration

Gladys peaked during the 1st decade of the 20th century, reaching as high as #11 in 1901 and remaining in the top 50 through 1930.  She was the 43rd most popular baby name for girls during the 1890s.  As for the 21st century?  She stumbled out of view after 1999.

Other members of the class of '44:
Janet Cannon Templeton.  (11/17/2017)
Marjorie Eleda Larson Brenan.  (10/31/2017)
Charles Gray.  (8/6/2017)
Crissi Danos Verros.  (3/27/2017)
Barbara Chester.  (1/27/2017)
Raymond Elsholz.  (7/26/2016)
Barbara Berdine Graham.  (6/16/2016)
Grace Youug Strand.  (2/13/2016)
Mary Davis Christensen Spencer.  (9/27/2015)
Leonard Lucia.  (7/4/2015)
Mary Blackwell Bancroft.   (6/22/2015)
Kenneth Klenck.  (1/31/2015)
Dolores Nuhfer Anthony.  (9/21/2014)
Marjorie Christensen Anderson.  (10/6/2013)

Alabama special election certified; Roy Moore offers his bible to Doug Jones for swearing-in ceremony

Reported in Doug Jones certified as winner of Alabama U.S. Senate race.  (al.com, 12/28/2017)

Juxtaposed headlines tell doubly troubling story

Private prison investors set for giant windfall from Trump tax bill. (The Guardian, 12/28/2017)

Under the new GOP law, investments in so-called “real estate investment trusts” (reits) will see a 25% reduction in tax, from 39.6% down to 29.6%. 

Corecivic, formerly Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), and the Geo Group, which together own more than 80% of private prison beds in the US, both restructured as reits in 2013 after a private letter ruling by the Obama Administration IRS green-lit the change.

Why For-Profit Prisons House More Inmates Of Color.  (NPR, 3/13/2014)

In the nine states Petrella examined, private facilities housed higher percentages of people of color than public facilities did. Looking back at the contracts the private companies signed with the states, Petrella figured out the reason behind the racial disparity: private prisons deliberately exclude people with high medical care costs from their contracts. 

Younger, healthier inmates, he found — who've come into the system since the war on drugs went into effect — are disproportionately people of color. Older inmates, who generally come with a slew of health problems, skew more white.

Phyllis Miller Maze (1930-2017) Warren High School class of 1948

Source:  Warren Times Observer

1948 Dragon yearbook

Also in the picture:  As a result of my friendship with Mardi (given name: Marie), Yolanda become my second mom starting in high school.  Oh, what I wouldn't give for a huge helping of her timpano right now!

Phyllis' high-school activities:

Girls' Club (3, 4); Stenographers' Club (4); Dramatic Club (2, 3, 4); Dragonette (2); Carnival (2, 3).

1967 Warren City Directory

• [county section] Maze Clifford Sugar Grove
• Stewarts Phyllis Mrs clk National Forge h120 Orchard

1983 Warren City Directory

• [county section] Maze Clifford Rt 3 Sugar Grove
• [county section] Maze Phyllis Rt 3 Sugar Grove

The popularity of Phyllis as a baby name is graphed here.   Let's take a look at Kenneth.

Source:  Social Security Administration

Clearly, among baby names for boys, Kenneth was one of the steadiest performers of the 20th century, spending the entire stretch in the top 100.  Although he never cracked the top 10, he spent 41 years (1924-1964) in the top 20, peaking at #13 in 1939.  Currently, the air is slowly seeping out of his tires.

Other class of '48 graduates:
Dorothy Anderson Turner.  (9/27/2017)
Margaret Mathyer Conroy.  (4/26/2017)
Ruth Figliuzzi.  (11/5/2016)
Donna Mack Schuler.  (3/19/2016)
Carol Jean Niver Hampson.  (10/22/2015)
Frank Marlett.  (9/13/2015)
John Giltinan.  (7/76/2015)
Lela Nichols Akeley.  (6/24/2015)
Ella Atwell Blum.  (12/24/2014)
Betty Carlson Johnson.  (10/26/2014)
H. Kent Peterson.  (10/1/2014)
Kenneth Lundahl.  (9/21/2014)
Carl Leave.  (12/26/2013)

UPDATE. Politically, you know you've hit rock bottom when you get kissed off by Steve Bannon

Actually, you'd think Nehlen would have earned at least a few gold stars from Bannon.

Reported in Ryan challenger Paul Nehlen is 'dead' to Steve Bannon, Breitbart.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/27/2017)

Related links:

• #itsoktobewhite
• The Culture of Critique  (Amazon; note 'customers who bought this item also bought'
• The Culture of Critique (goodreads)
• Kevin MacDonald (Southern Poverty Law Center)

11/14/2017 update, "Paul Ryan doesn't support Roy Moore and the fake news addicted Paul Nehlen is outraged", starts here.

P. Nehlen.  Piece.  Of.  Work.

@pnehlen

11/11/2017 update, "This Roy Moore shout-out from a guy who received 16% of 2016 House primary vote against Paul Ryan", starts here.

Most Wisconsin Republicans say Roy Moore should get out of Senate race if claims are true.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/10/2017)

In another, he wrote, “Women falsely accused Trump of sexual harassment, too. Sickening anyone would try to smear Judge Roy Moore @MooreSenate.” In a statement to the Gateway Pundit website, Nehlen called the story on Moore and response to it a “desperate ploy by Mitch McConnell” from a Ryan playbook.

Even a cursory review of Nehlen's Twitter feed makes it clear that he feasts noisily and sloppily at fake news websites.


8/16/2017 update, "Paul Nehlen, the official clown candidate in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district", starts here.

If you recall, Nehlen won 15.9% of the vote the first time he challenged Ryan last year.  One of the crazies at Alex Jones' Infowars website thinks Nehlen will win this time.

Quoted in Wisconsin Republican seeking rematch with Paul Ryan says 'Pizzagate' is real.  (Chicago Tribune, 8/14/2017)


6/17/2017 update, "Breitbart contributor Paul Nehlen thinks second time is charm against Paul Ryan", starts here.

He collected 15.9% of the vote in last year's U.S. House Wisconsin 1 Republican primary.

Reported in Paul Nehlen to challenge Paul Ryan after losing by 68 points last year.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/16/2017)

3/15/2017 update, "The Breitbart bash continues:  The audio may be 'exclusive' but the news is 5 months old", starts here.

Breitbart remains relentless in its howling pursuit of Ryan.

Breitbart, 3/14/2017

CNBC, 10/10/2016

House Speaker Paul Ryan told fellow Republican lawmakers Monday he will not defend Donald Trump and will focus only on maintaining GOP control of both houses of Congress. 

But the House speaker has not pulled his endorsement of Trump, a Ryan spokeswoman told NBC News.

2/15/2017 update, "Remember Paul Nehlen?  No?  Breitbart does and welcomes him to its Paul Ryan Team Bash", starts here.

Where you'll find the rest.  Exclusive—Nehlen: Paul Ryan’s Border Adjustment Tax As Bad As TPP.  (Breitbart News, 2/15/20217)

Nehlen got his butt kicked by Ryan.

Source:  Ballotpedia

Original 8/4/2016 post, "5 days before primary election, Paul Nehlen reveals himself to be total nutcase."

Not to mention desperate for attention.

Reported at  Madison.com, 8/4/2016

CNN, 8/2/2016

Related posts:
Dear Paul Nehlen, You've been dismissed.  (6/17/2016)
Like the Isley Brothers, Paul Nehlen is going to pop that thang.  (5/21/2016)
Wealthy businessman Paul Nehlen has had it with House Speaker Paul Ryan.  (3/31/2016)

Climate change as a matter of fact: Maine shrimp season

It's Maine Shrimp Season, Without the Shrimp.  (The New York Times, 12/26/2017)

What makes this an unusual closing is that fishermen are not being blamed for the immediate problem. Cod was overfished. Sea urchins were overfished, as Maine shrimp were in the late 1960s and ‘70s, But the most widely accepted theory for the rapid decline of this species, which extends no farther south than the Gulf of Maine, is the same force being blamed for disruption of fisheries around the globe: climate change. Continue reading the main story. 

While summer swimmers may still gasp with shock on entering Maine’s chilly waters, the Gulf of Maine is warming, and becoming increasingly inhospitable to the shrimp. Average winter sea-surface temperatures have increased 4.5 degrees in Boothbay Harbor since 1906.

The Original Maine Shrimp Cookbook

Previous climate change as a matter of fact posts:
Beavers migrate to Arctic.  (12/24 /2017)
Rising seas + draining underground aquifers = Jakarta disaster.  (12/22/2017)
U.S. Department of Defense.  (12/16/2017)
Shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.  (12/14/2017)
Emaciated polar bear.  (12/9/2017)
California fires.  (12/8/2017)
Wisconsin.  (11/16/2017)
Hampton Roads, Virginia.  (11/4/2017)
U.S. military bases.  (9/22/2017)
Georgia peach orchards.  (9/18/2017)
Northeast U.S. pine forests.  (8/29/2017)
Tangier Island, Virginia.  (8/25/2017)
South of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. (8/25/2017)
New Orleans.  (8/12/2017)
Kenya.  (7/23/2017)
Portugal.  (6/19/2017)
The Netherlands.  (6/19/2017)
Brazil.  (6/8/2017)
Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.  (5/20/2017)
Madeline Island, Wisconsin.  (2/23/2017)
Mexico City.  (2/19/2017)
Kansas.  (1/29/2017)
Moose of Maine.  (1/21/2017)
Florida Keys.  (1/14/2017)
California wine country.  (1/11/2017)
Kaktovik, Alaska.  (12/20/2016)
Bolivia.  (7/11/2016)
Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park.  (7/7/2016)
Kiribati.  (7/6/2016)

Peru,  (5/21/2016)

UPDATE. Donald Trump and his easy-to-win trade war: Not so for Harley-Davidson

Reported in Amid Sales Drop, Harley-Davidson Wants to Teach More to Ride.  (U.S. News and World Report, 12/26/2017)

The sales decline continues. Harley sold 124,777 new motorcycles through nine months in 2017, down from 135,581 during the same period the previous year, according to the company's most recent earnings report.

Graph found at 12 Motorcycle Statistics That'll Floor You.  (Motley Fool, 3/5/2017)

Other tidbits:

• California leads in sales with 13.7% of total
• Women comprise 14% of motorcycle owners in 2014, up from 6% in 1990.
• Median age is 47, up from 32 in 1990 and 40 in 2009
• Median household income in 2014:  $62,200

Donald Trump on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: "You just tell them and they believe you".

Source:  The White House

CHARTS: See How Much Of GOP Tax Cuts Will Go To The Middle Class.  (NPR, 12/19/2017)

The Republican tax bill, which Congress sent to President Trump on Wednesday, would give most Americans a tax cut next year, according to a new analysis. However, it would by far benefit the richest Americans the most. Meanwhile, many lower- and middle-class Americans would have higher taxes a decade from now ... unless a future Congress extends the cuts. [emphasis added]

Text boxes, arrows, and borders added

Related Tax Cuts and Jobs Act posts:
UPDATE: Orrin Hatch grateful for the "great Christmas honor" of being called out for his "utter lack of integrity".  (12/26/2017)
Presdient Trump:  Only in it for the money.  (12/8/2017)
Plutocracy gone wild at SwampFest: GOP expects Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will seal the deal for midterm elections.  (12/2/2017)
It's called hypocrisy, h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y.  (12/1/2017)
Please tell me again how thte cynically named Tax Cuts and Jobs Act helps the middle class.  (11/30/2017)
Racial and ethnic makeup of the 115th Congress.  (11/30/2017)
Plutocracy in action: Donald Trump's America First tax cuts line the pockets of foreign investors with $520,000,000,000.  (11/30/2017)
Donald Trump's pants on fire.  (9/29/2017)

3 auto tours of Nakoma neighborhood, Madison WI west side

Route designations

• video 1, red arrows
• video 2, purple arrows
• video 3, green arrows

Source:  City of Madison neighborhoods 

(text boxes, highlights, and arrows added)

Nakoma boundaries:

• East:  UW Arboretum
• North (southwest to northeast): Odana Road
• West:   Midvale  Boulevard
• South: Mohawk Drive

Timeline and description

• 1914 and 1915.  Most of property purchased by Madison Realty Co.
• 1916.  Contest to name streets. 
• Description
• picturesque suburb
• winding roads
• private water system
• private bus system
• parks, tennis courts, golf course
• Housing styles (Colonial, Greek and Tudor revivals; French Provincial, Craftsman, Prairie)
• 1917.  New grade school opens
• 1920.  Nakoma District Welfare League, a women's group, formed
• 1921.  Nakoma Golf Club, a private country club, opens.
• 1927.  80 families live here.
• 1928.  First addition to development created
• 1931.  Restrictive covenant bans African-Americans from living in neighborhood
• 1931.  Annexed by City of Madison
• 1936.  Home construction resumes at a pace comparable with 1920s
• 1945.  All 11 of pre-WWII portions of neighborhood occupied 
• 2016.  Average home value:  $444,642

Sources:

• City of Madison neighborhood profiles
• The Origins of Some Madison, Wisconsin, Street Name. Part VI.  (Historic Madison, Inc. of Wisconsin)
• Nakoma's prestige is framed around the family home.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 9/21/2016)
• The Nakoma neighborhood:  A walking tour

Related posts:
Auto tour of Sunset Village neighborhood, Madison WI.  (12/20/2017)
Auto tour of Glen Oak Hills neighborhood.  (12/17/2017)
Auto tour of Crestwood neighborhood.  (12/8/2017)
Auto tour of Westmorland neighborhood.  (12/7/2017)
Approach and auto tour of Owen Parkway, Hoyt Park.  (12/6/2017)
Auto tour of Indian Hills subdivision,  (12/6/2017)
Auto tour of Pilgrim Village.  (12/5/2017)
Auto tour of Highlands.  (12/5/2017)
UPDATE.  Madison's "Levittown" at 66. (12/2/2017)

UPDATE: Orrin Hatch grateful for the "great Christmas honor" of being called out for his "utter lack of integrity"

Opined in Tribune Editorial: Why Orrin Hatch is Utahn of the Year.  (Salt Lake Tribune, 12/25/2017)

Apparently, Orrin, his family and did not read the editorial.

@orrinhatch

Original 12 /14/2017 post, "Dear Orrin Hatch, this is not what democracy looks like", starts here.

(emphasis added)

Republicans say they have a tax cut deal but Democrats can't see it.  (USA Today, 12/13/2017)

Related Tax Cuts and Jobs Act posts:
Presdient Trump:  Only in it for the money.  (12/8/2017)
Plutocracy gone wild at SwampFest: GOP expects Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will seal the deal for midterm elections.  (12/2/2017)
It's called hypocrisy, h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y.  (12/1/2017)
Please tell me again how thte cynically named Tax Cuts and Jobs Act helps the middle class.  (11/30/2017)
Racial and ethnic makeup of the 115th Congress.  (11/30/2017)
Plutocracy in action: Donald Trump's America First tax cuts line the pockets of foreign investors with $520,000,000,000.  (11/30/2017)
Donald Trump's pants on fire.  (9/29/2017)

Even in Texas, Trump has a problem with Republican women

Rebelling Republican Suburbs Offer Democrats Path to House Control.  (The New York, 12/18/2017)

Related reading:
UT/TT Poll: In Texas, vast majority of Republicans still support Trump.  (The Texas Tribune, 10/19/2017)

The president got better marks from men (52 percent favorable) than from women (39 percent); and from white voters (55 percent) than from black (14 percent) or Hispanic voters (34 percent).

Wisconsin Republicans offer up some good news for 2018

Janesville Gazette, 12/25/2017

And what they plan to support is not a winner with taxpayers.  Republicans seem generally supportive of Walker's call to spend $6.8 million on the marketing campaign focused on trying to lure workers from Chicago, the Twin Cities and Detroit. Democrats see it as a waste of money, arguing that more fundamental policy changes are needed to make Wisconsin more attractive to millennials.

Historic giveaways: Most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history is Scott Walker's top accomplishment in 2017

Reported in Wisconsin & Foxconn: The Most Expensive Taxpayer-Funded Jobs Program In History.   (Real Clear Markets, 12/26/2017)

Upping the ante doesn't always work for Scott, such as during his disastrous presidential campaign.

Other Foxconn posts:
December 2017
Gateway Technical College cutting-edge Foxconn curriculum does not include workforce development, employee relations, and management concepts.  (12/25/2017)
Let's put this Foxconn deposit in perspective.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE. Scott Walker Monday tweet storm attempts to distract us from his highway funding mess.  (12/19/2017) 
GOP legislative aide and letter writer Keith Best needs to brush up on his Foxconn analogies.  (12/16/2017)
UPDATE: The Wisconn Valley Way to Wisconsin's fiscal and moral bankruptcy.  (12/15/2017)
Scott Walker, meet Andrew Ng, who wants to help Foxconn bring intelligence displayed by machines to Racine County.  (12/14/2017)
Billions for Foxconn but a raw deal for Mount Pleasant residents John and Kim Mahoney.  (12/13/2017)
Some residents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will help to foot the bill for a $140,000,000 Foxconn campus electrical substation.  (12/12/2017)
A deafening silence: What role will robotics play at Foxconn's Mount Pleasant manufacturing plant?  (12/12/2017)
Inquiring minds want to know why driverless technology wasn't discussed during Foxconn contract negoatiations, Scott Walker.  (12/12/2017)
Donald Trump and Terry Gou: Scott Walker loves these two peas in a pod.  (12/9/2017)

Foxconn moves into Hallmark territory: They like us, they really like us!  (12/3/2017)
 
November 2017
Scott Walker and Terry Gou agree that a projection is not the same as an obligation.  (11/30/2017)
Multinational company earning billions in annual revenue gets loan from Racine County.  (11/26/2017)
Scott Walker:  Dealmaker, optimist.  (11/25/2017)
Foxconn now hiring: Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.  (11/19/2017)
Hypocrisy alert: The free-market, individual responsiblity, limited government-lovin' MacIver Institute approves Wisconsin's $3 billion Foxconn dole.  (11/14/2017)
Scott Walker views his Foxconn deal through rose-colored glasses.  (11/13/2017) 

October 2017

Survey says (in so many words): "Pshaw" to the hogwash that Foxconn will benefit all of Wisconsin.  (10/27/2017)
UPDATE. Robin Vos doesn't want to count his chickens before they hatch but remains confident it's going to happen.  (10/23/2017)

Big payday for some Racine County farmers, not so much for homeowners.  (10/12/2017)

Racine County, Mount Pleasant, to Foxconn: No need to reach for your wallet.  (10/11/2017)

Incoming Quality Control Specialist at Foxconn requires high school diploma or equivalency.  (10/9/2017)

In the bonus round, Tammy finds herself in a big yellow taxi mood.  (10/9/2017)

Mount Pleasant Village President welcomes average debt of $3,917.55 per person with open arms.  (10/8/2017)

Dear Politifact, Hairsplitting aside, America has a gun violence epidemic.  (10/5/2017)

August 2017

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)

July 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)

UPDATE. In a see-saw way, NBC/Wall Street polls find an expanding approval/disproval ratings gap for Trump

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/25/2017 update, "CNN charts a growing gap in Trump approval/disapproval ratings since September", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/22/2017 update, "According to a year's worth of Economist/YouGov polls, Trump's disapproval rating spiked during 1st weeks of his presidency",  starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/22/2017 update, " Nearly a year's worth of Reuters/Ipsos polls show a steady deterioration of Trump's approval rating", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

From a +1 approval rating in February to a -28 approval rating in December.

12/20/2017 update, "A year's worth of Quinnipiac polls shows Trump treading water since late July", starts here.

And his approval rating remains essentially unchanged.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/19/2017 update, ". Public Policy Polling finds Trump's disapproval rating at highest level to date in presidency", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/18/2017 update, "CBS News approval/disappoval polls find Trump treading water since June", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

Real Clear Politics daily average

12/17/2017 update, " Latest Monmouth poll finds Trump's approval/disapproval gap seriously expanding", starts here.

From May through September, Monmouth found continuing evidence of a shrinking gap, going against the grain of Trump's average poll numbers.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

12/13/2017 update, "Donald Trump hits new low in approval polls", starts here.

No wonder Roy Moore is struggling in Alabama.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

8/30/2017 update, "Poll:  Fox News finds it increasingly difficult to prop up Trump", starts here.

Donald Trump Better Not See This Brand New Fox News Poll.  (The New Civil Rights Movement, 8/30/2017)

Drilling down:

• % of respondents who approve strongly of the job Trump is doing as president has dropped 7 percentage points:  35% to 28%
• % of respondenets who are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today has dropped 10 percentage points since April:  45% to 35%
• Joe Biden scores highest (56%) on on favorability of 9 individuals and items
• Mike Pence's favorability rating has droiipped 5 percentage points since October:  51% to 46%
• Mitch McConnell has never been anybody's favorite

8/18/2017 update starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

Trump Temperamental Consequences.  (Monmouth University, 8/15/2017)
The one-quarter of the public who solidly support the president are more likely than the full population to be 

• age 55 and older (46% versus 35% of all American adults) 
• less likely to be under 35 years old (22% versus 31% of all American adults)
• more likely to be non-Hispanic whites (79% versus 65% of all American adults). 
• somewhat less likely to hold a college degree (21% versus 29% of all American adults) 
• evenly split on gender (52% male and 48% female) similar to the population at large (48% male and 52% female)
• income profile is also similar to the full population.

8/15/2017 update, " Recent CBS News polls contribute to Trump's gaping maw", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

CBS NEWS POLL.  President Trump’s Approval Steady While Views of Economy Rise.

Also of note:

• Trump is seriously underwater with Independents:  32% approve/59% disapprove
• On the issues (approve/disapprove)
• Economy (46% / 45%)
• Health care (32% / 59%)
• Immigration (37% / 57%)

8/12/2017 update, "Another day, another increasing disapproval rating for Trump", starts here.

Note that the states Trump flipped -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa -- give him an average approval rating of 40-44%.

Source:  Reuters-Ipsos

8/2/2017 update, "Quinnipiac has some very bad news for Trump", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

Trump drops to new low, close to 2-1 disapproval, Quinnipiac University poll finds; 71 percent say President is not levelheaded.  (Quinnipiac University poll, 8/2/2017)

• Embarrased by Trump as President:  54% yes, 26% no
• Abuses powers of office:  57% yes, 40% no
• Thinks he's above the law:  60% yes, 36% no
• Should stop tweeting from his personal Twitter account:  67% yes, 29% no
• Approve strongly or somewhat strongly of the way Trump is handling his job
• 76% Republicans (delusional)
• 34% Independents
•   2% Democrats

7/20/2017 update, "The more the guy bellyaches, the wider the gap between approval (black line) and disapproval (red line)", starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

7/22/2017 update starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

People Like The Senate Health Bill More Than They Realize — IBD/TIPP Poll. (Investor's Business Daily ,7/5/2017)

The IBD editorial board has made a specialty of flogging Obamacare.  (Here in 2013, here  in 2016, here in 2017.)   In the survey, the options "cut Medicaid and give states more options" and "scale back Medicaid after 2020" are offered with describing the consequences.


7/21/2017 post starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

Some of the specifics from latest Economist/YouGov poll:

• Mood of country:  66% say everyone's in it for themselves
• 64% are somewhat or very pessimistic that Republicans and Democrats in Congress can work together
• United Kingdom gets the best "friend or enemy rating" with 53% choosing 'ally' as answer

7/20.2017 post starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

Fox News polls:  July 19, 2017

• Disapproval of Trump's handling of Russie jumped from 52% in April to 56% in July
• 37% think Trump's disruption of Washington is a good thing
• 25% support, 55% oppose Senate version of health care bill
• 60% agree with statement 'We should keep [Obamacare] and make it better

7/19/2017 post starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

From the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey:

• Of the 1,530 survey sample, 658 identify as Democrats (13% approval rate), 554 as Republicans (79%), 171 as Independents (37%)
• 12% say 'morality' is bigeset problem facing the U.S. today

7/18/2017 post starts here.

Source:  Real Clear Politics

From PPP's latest survey:

• Given the choice, respondents prefer Trump over Pence as President, 37% to 31%.
• They prefer Hillary Clinton over Trump, 49% to 42%.
• 43% support, 40% oppose the Affordable Care Act.
• 20% support, 57% oppose health care bill currently being considered by Congress.
• Putin's favorable/unfavorable ratings:  9%/71%.
• 36% think Russia story is fake news, 51% do not, 13% unsure.
• In a series of questions, respondents trust the media (New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC) more than they trust Trump by an average of 17 percentage points
• Mitch McConnell's (18%) and Paul Ryan's (24%) approval ratings are much worse than Trump's.