Well, I just got back from watching the Rose Bowl downtown, and needless to say, I AM INCENSED. Bad missed tackles on big plays, idiotic, childish TOs n plays that won't be replayed, and inexcusable mistakes in key moments tend not to win you big games when they matter. I'm tempted to just accept that my alma mater at UW-Madison may have national title talent, but will never have the intangibles or abilities to take it all the way.
I'm just glad the 20 people reading this know me as the 37-year-old Jake, which means after this initial rage wears off in a couple of hours, this will be more like my attitude.
Which is probably better than my early-20s something attitude, even though it does sum up my feelings toward Bret Bielema and discussing this giveaway of a game right now. (yeah, the languagre is NSFW, as is what's going through my head)
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The media "Village" - no judgment required
Great find by Phil Scarr at Blogging Blue, which leads you to an outstanding article at the Huffington Post from Jonathan Bines eviscerating worthless New York Times columnist and usual Sunday talk show guest David Brooks. Particularly, Bines nails Brooks for his mastery of the D.C. cocktail party usage of false equivalency. For example:
Uhh, NO THEY ARE NOT. One statement is correct (Medicare would end as we know and be turned to a voucher system under Paul Ryan's plan), one is wrong (Obamacare does not institute "death panels", insurance companies are a different matter). This is not a debatable matter.
And David Brooks is a symbol of a much bigger problem in today's media. Brooks is a major member of the D.C. "Village", where hanging out in the right social circles and getting the right people to talk to you is more important than actually, you know, REPORTING WHAT'S HAPPENING. And the real goal with the average Village "journalist" is access, not analysis, so if you can give both sides equal creedence (whether they deserve it or not), then you'll get all the interviews and invitations to big events you want. Doing real journalism, like what someone like Matt Taibbi does in exposing Wall Street malfeasance and their allies on Capitol Hill, means you have to describe it as you are seeing it, which means you call out bullshit and corruption when it appears, and tweak a lot of powerful noses in the process.
And you wonder why D.C. was stuck on talking about deficits and debt when the vast majority of America was more concerned about inequality and unemployment in 2011? Because to the Villagers, what's going on in their little elitist bubble should be considered much more important to America than what's actually happening in...most of America. We saw the same thing during the protests here in Wisconsin last February, when the Sunday talk shows were refusing to have organized labor officials on their shows when discussing labor issues. Because after all, why would labor unions be considered a reliable source when discussing collective bargaining and the state of labor? Why shouldn't we rely on the David Brookses and George Wills and other Villagers and paid political spinmeisters to be the ones talking about issues which they have zero personal experience about?
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pulls the same no-judgment garbage in their editorial today, trying to credit Gov. Walker for "thinking big."
CMON J-S! Be honest and ask if this worked to improve our economy (being Number 1 in job losses for the last 5 months indicates no), and don't take the Administration's assertion that they cut "the state's chronic structural deficit" at face value, especially when your own Politi-crap publication said 6 weeks ago that the GAAP deficit has gotten bigger under Walker. Taking away thousands of dollars of take-home pay and banishing 50 years of bargaining rights in order to funnel money to corporate contributors IS NOT A FUCKING GAME outside of the Village. But Journal Communications has to show how "fair and balanced" they are toward this administration, and wants Walker to keep calling in on WTMJ, so they can't tell the truth that this attack on hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites has caused major pain and is a massive failure, and have to leave it up to "debate." And Republicans get away with throwing these whoppers out there all the damn time, without the media calling them out on it and having the judgment to stop giving these people a perceived "equal opinion" that they are not worthy of.
That's the kind of insider bubble mentality that we have to puncture, and that's why it's up to us to hold the media's feet to the fire every bit as much as should try to we hold our politicans accountable. Because D.C. Villagers and Journal Communications corporates won't make the effort to address the public that pays their salaries until they face shame and a loss of income from that public. Both politicans and media have chosen to remove themselves from our reality in favor of staying confortable inside their little world, and it's time for us to expose and invade that world, and show that many of these emperors have no clothes, and not worthy of any air time. A major 2012 resolution should be to call out bullshit every time it's being thrown out, and not to let the Villagers and the politicians get away with their half-truths and half-assedness.
[Brooks writes] "Republicans decry the technocratic rationing model as "death panels." Democrats have gone into demagogic overdrive calling premium support ideas "privatization" or "the end of Medicare." (The Missing Fifth 5/2)In other words, in Brooks' world if a Republican says something that's strong and false, and Democrats respond with something strong and based in truth, both parties are doing the same thing, and are equally to blame for the problem not being solved.
Already many consultants are telling Republicans to drop austerity and go back on offense: Spend 2012 accusing the Democrats of sponsoring death panels. The Democrats will spend 2012 accusing Republicans of ending Medicare. Whichever party demagogues best wins. (Medicare Survival Guide, 5/26)"
Since the accusations made by Democrats and Republicans against each other must balance, Brooks is able to dispense with consideration of their relative merits. Republicans are engaged in demagoguery, falsely accusing Democrats of supporting "death panels." Consequently the corresponding Democratic accusations must also represent demagoguery -- whatever they may be. As it happens, Republicans are, in fact, calling for the replacement of Medicare with a program that would offer "premium support" for private insurance. To quote David Brooks: "True Medicare reform replaces the fee-for-service system with premium support." (David Brooks, The Serious One 11/7). But because the Republicans are engaging in demagoguery, to describe this Medicare-ending privatization plan as a call for "privatization" or the "end of Medicare" must also represent demagoguery. Q.E.D.
Uhh, NO THEY ARE NOT. One statement is correct (Medicare would end as we know and be turned to a voucher system under Paul Ryan's plan), one is wrong (Obamacare does not institute "death panels", insurance companies are a different matter). This is not a debatable matter.
And David Brooks is a symbol of a much bigger problem in today's media. Brooks is a major member of the D.C. "Village", where hanging out in the right social circles and getting the right people to talk to you is more important than actually, you know, REPORTING WHAT'S HAPPENING. And the real goal with the average Village "journalist" is access, not analysis, so if you can give both sides equal creedence (whether they deserve it or not), then you'll get all the interviews and invitations to big events you want. Doing real journalism, like what someone like Matt Taibbi does in exposing Wall Street malfeasance and their allies on Capitol Hill, means you have to describe it as you are seeing it, which means you call out bullshit and corruption when it appears, and tweak a lot of powerful noses in the process.
And you wonder why D.C. was stuck on talking about deficits and debt when the vast majority of America was more concerned about inequality and unemployment in 2011? Because to the Villagers, what's going on in their little elitist bubble should be considered much more important to America than what's actually happening in...most of America. We saw the same thing during the protests here in Wisconsin last February, when the Sunday talk shows were refusing to have organized labor officials on their shows when discussing labor issues. Because after all, why would labor unions be considered a reliable source when discussing collective bargaining and the state of labor? Why shouldn't we rely on the David Brookses and George Wills and other Villagers and paid political spinmeisters to be the ones talking about issues which they have zero personal experience about?
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pulls the same no-judgment garbage in their editorial today, trying to credit Gov. Walker for "thinking big."
Voters have very strong opinions about Gov. Scott Walker, and for many it's because of his signature idea of 2011: He pushed to roll back more than 40 years of accepted practice by sharply curtailing bargaining rights for most of Wisconsin's thousands of public employees.Look at the weasel words in those 3 paragraphs: "the accompanying budget cuts will hurt the state over the long term, and they may be right. "This was one of the bigger ideas of the year - and one of the bigger political bets in Wisconsin." "signature idea of 2011." Yeah, well if I said sticking bratty children in an oven as a way to get them in line might work, would the J-S laud that as a "big thought" and "signature idea" as well.
The results of this experiment in governance may not be known for years. Property tax bills certainly were moderated as a result of the governor's initiative, and the state's chronic structural deficit was tamed. But schools and municipalities complain that the accompanying budget cuts will hurt the state over the long term, and they may be right.
It's possible Walker may not be in office to see how all this turns out: It's likely that an effort to force him to defend his seat in a recall this summer will succeed. Whatever happens, this was one of the bigger ideas of the year - and one of the bigger political bets ever in Wisconsin.
CMON J-S! Be honest and ask if this worked to improve our economy (being Number 1 in job losses for the last 5 months indicates no), and don't take the Administration's assertion that they cut "the state's chronic structural deficit" at face value, especially when your own Politi-crap publication said 6 weeks ago that the GAAP deficit has gotten bigger under Walker. Taking away thousands of dollars of take-home pay and banishing 50 years of bargaining rights in order to funnel money to corporate contributors IS NOT A FUCKING GAME outside of the Village. But Journal Communications has to show how "fair and balanced" they are toward this administration, and wants Walker to keep calling in on WTMJ, so they can't tell the truth that this attack on hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites has caused major pain and is a massive failure, and have to leave it up to "debate." And Republicans get away with throwing these whoppers out there all the damn time, without the media calling them out on it and having the judgment to stop giving these people a perceived "equal opinion" that they are not worthy of.
That's the kind of insider bubble mentality that we have to puncture, and that's why it's up to us to hold the media's feet to the fire every bit as much as should try to we hold our politicans accountable. Because D.C. Villagers and Journal Communications corporates won't make the effort to address the public that pays their salaries until they face shame and a loss of income from that public. Both politicans and media have chosen to remove themselves from our reality in favor of staying confortable inside their little world, and it's time for us to expose and invade that world, and show that many of these emperors have no clothes, and not worthy of any air time. A major 2012 resolution should be to call out bullshit every time it's being thrown out, and not to let the Villagers and the politicians get away with their half-truths and half-assedness.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Final thoughts for 2011- Every Breath We Take
Just wanted to leave a last note as we wash away this extraordinary year. When I started 2011, I wasn't in a good place politically, as the election of Scott Walker and other deceptive, foolish Tea Baggers had led me to wonder if there was any point in doing things the way I thought was proper. It didn't seem like having good values and working hard was paying off, not in the corporate world, not at the ballot box, and not in everyday life. It seemed like indifference and lies were trumping decency, fact, and doing the right thing.
Then Scott Walker "dropped the bomb" in February, and the despair turned to anger. And when I saw tens of thousands of my fellow Wisconsinites take to the streets with the same emotion, I realized that all was not lost- that decency and respect and doing the right thing still mattered deeply to more people than just a handful that I was fortunate to know personally. I have full confidence that 2011 will be shown to be the year that millions of people finally GOT IT, where they realized that most of our elected officials do not have our best interests at heart, and that it's going to take direct action to drive these moneychangers from the temple. And that direct action means more protests, recalls if necessary, and puncturing the bubble that far too many of the media and middle America want to rest in.
You saw this reflected in this blog. I'd only written occasional items in the first 3 years this had been in existence, mostly casual economics-related stuff or sports items or general silliness that I'd come across. But I found an outlet for all the anger and bullshit and undiscussed realities that needed to be let out into the open. I noticed how the media was failing to report was obvious to anyone who was in Madison in February and March of 2011- that there was an out-of-state corporate takeover of Wisconsin and Wisconsin's values being attempted, and despite the media's "false equvialency" game of lies and spin, that reality was on one side, and Scott Walker/ Koch/ ALEC was on the other. And that something had to be said and done to break through the noise.
I also knew how to read and figure state and local budgets, and figured this space could be used to allow people to separate the fact from the bullshit as to whether Wisconsin was truly "broke", and if these rash meaures were actually needed. I figured out very quickly that the state was far from broke, and having the archives for these posts have frequently led to future posts as the WisGOPs continue to think that the average citizen will have the convenient amnesia that our media seems to have (or wants to have in exchange for access). I realized I could use this space to alert others to what was really happening in our state and nationwide, let them find the same information I knew, and have them become educated in the budgetary and rhetorical games these guys were trying to play (like when I knew in March that Walker was lying about laying off state employees because the numbers didn't add up) My goal at the time was to not only let people know I thought something was bullshit, but to have them DISCOVER AND SEE WHY it was bullshit, and then encourage them to use that knowledge to act, and pass those facts onto others.
But this blog changed when I woke up on the 4th of July, used my knowledge of K-12 policies and the state budget, and exposed the lies the Walker boys were making about Kaukauna schools. 2 days later, I checked back into this space, and saw that instead of the usual 15 or 20 hits, there were more like 400. And it turned out that Greg Sargent of the Washington Post had discovered my story and shot it nationwide. It's still by far my most-hit post, at nearly 2,000 pageviews as I write this.
And maybe the Kaukauna incident has now allowed this blog to take on a life of its own. I almost feel a need to say something every day or two, or whenever the latest lie or instance of corruption or policy failure comes out of Wallker's administration (which seems to be about every day or two these days). And the 2 or 3 people that have stumbled upon this place have now become 10 or 20 or 30, they're passing along the words that I have, and are adding their own knowledge, allowing us to write abook of reality in Wisconsin to counter the fallacies in Walker World. And they're teaching me a lot more with their great work. Since the media won't do the job, it becomes our job in the Cheddarsphere to drive these bastards out, and because we know the facts and have the outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and these blogs, WE WILL DRIVE THE BASTARDS OUT. Sure, it won't be easy, but it's a whole lot more doable when the facts tend to fall on your side. In 2012, I may be busy with other parts of my life, but I'll still be on this site quite a bit, doing what I can to bring what I see and know to the rest of you, and thanking you for helping me know more too.
And for Governor Walker, and the WisGOPs and your corporate puppetmasters, I have one final message, courtesy of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland. As an extra bonus, maybe this'll bring the tune back to you in the way Sting originally intended it to mean.
That's right, we'll be watching you. Happy New Year to all who read this, and let's make some history.
Then Scott Walker "dropped the bomb" in February, and the despair turned to anger. And when I saw tens of thousands of my fellow Wisconsinites take to the streets with the same emotion, I realized that all was not lost- that decency and respect and doing the right thing still mattered deeply to more people than just a handful that I was fortunate to know personally. I have full confidence that 2011 will be shown to be the year that millions of people finally GOT IT, where they realized that most of our elected officials do not have our best interests at heart, and that it's going to take direct action to drive these moneychangers from the temple. And that direct action means more protests, recalls if necessary, and puncturing the bubble that far too many of the media and middle America want to rest in.
You saw this reflected in this blog. I'd only written occasional items in the first 3 years this had been in existence, mostly casual economics-related stuff or sports items or general silliness that I'd come across. But I found an outlet for all the anger and bullshit and undiscussed realities that needed to be let out into the open. I noticed how the media was failing to report was obvious to anyone who was in Madison in February and March of 2011- that there was an out-of-state corporate takeover of Wisconsin and Wisconsin's values being attempted, and despite the media's "false equvialency" game of lies and spin, that reality was on one side, and Scott Walker/ Koch/ ALEC was on the other. And that something had to be said and done to break through the noise.
I also knew how to read and figure state and local budgets, and figured this space could be used to allow people to separate the fact from the bullshit as to whether Wisconsin was truly "broke", and if these rash meaures were actually needed. I figured out very quickly that the state was far from broke, and having the archives for these posts have frequently led to future posts as the WisGOPs continue to think that the average citizen will have the convenient amnesia that our media seems to have (or wants to have in exchange for access). I realized I could use this space to alert others to what was really happening in our state and nationwide, let them find the same information I knew, and have them become educated in the budgetary and rhetorical games these guys were trying to play (like when I knew in March that Walker was lying about laying off state employees because the numbers didn't add up) My goal at the time was to not only let people know I thought something was bullshit, but to have them DISCOVER AND SEE WHY it was bullshit, and then encourage them to use that knowledge to act, and pass those facts onto others.
But this blog changed when I woke up on the 4th of July, used my knowledge of K-12 policies and the state budget, and exposed the lies the Walker boys were making about Kaukauna schools. 2 days later, I checked back into this space, and saw that instead of the usual 15 or 20 hits, there were more like 400. And it turned out that Greg Sargent of the Washington Post had discovered my story and shot it nationwide. It's still by far my most-hit post, at nearly 2,000 pageviews as I write this.
And maybe the Kaukauna incident has now allowed this blog to take on a life of its own. I almost feel a need to say something every day or two, or whenever the latest lie or instance of corruption or policy failure comes out of Wallker's administration (which seems to be about every day or two these days). And the 2 or 3 people that have stumbled upon this place have now become 10 or 20 or 30, they're passing along the words that I have, and are adding their own knowledge, allowing us to write abook of reality in Wisconsin to counter the fallacies in Walker World. And they're teaching me a lot more with their great work. Since the media won't do the job, it becomes our job in the Cheddarsphere to drive these bastards out, and because we know the facts and have the outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and these blogs, WE WILL DRIVE THE BASTARDS OUT. Sure, it won't be easy, but it's a whole lot more doable when the facts tend to fall on your side. In 2012, I may be busy with other parts of my life, but I'll still be on this site quite a bit, doing what I can to bring what I see and know to the rest of you, and thanking you for helping me know more too.
And for Governor Walker, and the WisGOPs and your corporate puppetmasters, I have one final message, courtesy of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland. As an extra bonus, maybe this'll bring the tune back to you in the way Sting originally intended it to mean.
That's right, we'll be watching you. Happy New Year to all who read this, and let's make some history.
Walker boys keep lying on lowering school taxes
Great stuff from Heather Bourenane Monologues of Dissent today. She not only revisits my post from last month, reminding you that FUBAR'ing Wisconsin schools came at a net savings of a whopping $18 per Wisconsin household, she also destroys Gov. Dropout for lying in his email to constituents.
No, it's not working, and it will never work. And the more we tell the truth, the more we'll kick Walker and WisGOP's reality-ignoring asses in 2012.
First of all, you claim in your letter that you have lowered the school portion of the property tax levy by one percent across the state, putting $228 million "back in the pockets" of Wisconsin taxpayers, which you claim "amounts to $69 for every man, woman and child in the state" just for the school portion of the tax bill. What kind of fuzzy math is this? Every man, woman and child? The 2010 census puts the population of Wisconsin at 5,686,986. Multiply this by $69 and you get $392,402,034 (not the $228 million you claim you put back in our pockets). As my Dad asked, where's the other $164,402,034? In your pocket?And it gets even better from there, because Heather wasn't even lucky enough to see those menial savings in Sun Prairie:
This question is rhetorical, of course, because these figures - like my question - are a joke. It just doesn't add up. According to data from the Wisconsin Taxpayers' Alliance, Wisconsin taxpayers actually saw an increase in the tax rate ($9.84 this year, compared to $9.76) despite an overall decrease in the tax levy. In 2010-11, the school district levies statewide totaled $4,692,935,468. In 2011-12, the total is $4,645,873,099. That's a .98 percent decrease, true: a difference of $47,062,369
So let's do the real math. If we divide that $47,062,369 by the 5,686,986 Wisconsin men, women and children whose pockets you care so much about, each of them saves $8.28 compared to last year. Not the $69 you claim. (Not that even $69 a year would do anything to compensate for how much less I now take home in my paycheck, incidentally).
And for what it's worth, my own property taxes did not go down. They went up, and significantly so, due in no small part to the handiwork of our conservative City Council and Mayor John Murray (you know, the guy with no justice experience that you just appointed to be head of the Office of Justice Assistance for close to $100,000 a year?). [Ed. Note: Murray's also a main guy behind the September firing of an state employee who dared to remind co-workers that people could get free IDs to vote. ] And our school tax levy only changed by a few cents, even though citizens had turned out in force at the annual School Board Budget Meeting and voted to raise it more to safeguard against your cuts that would force us to drop some much-needed programming.
No, it's not working, and it will never work. And the more we tell the truth, the more we'll kick Walker and WisGOP's reality-ignoring asses in 2012.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Van Hollen's DOJ, WisGOP, and Michael Best - pure naked corruption Pt. 2
This is why a good memory is something I'm glad to have. Just in time for New Year's we have a new revelation in the Walker Admin's John Doe investigation, and it inovolves a lack of cooperation (cover-up?) at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The Patrick Marley and Dan Bice story includes emails that clearly shows DOJ officials getting a supbpeona for emails from Scott Walker's guv campaign, and clearly were worried about it.
Who is Ray Taffora? He's the former Number 2 guy in the Attorney General's office and a GOP campaign contributor who left DOJ right after the election to go to Michael, Best and Friedrich to help the Walker boys during the Act 10/ budget repair bill controversy, and signed a blank check, taxpayer-funded contract right before Walker "dropped the bomb." Hmmm, wonder why he wouldn't want something like Scott Walker's campaign to get investigated too deeply when he stood to make major bank off of Walker's election? And neither would GOP Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who heads up the DOJ.
We also saw Taffora's name earlier this week as part of the group of Michael Best and GOP officials that were meeting in secret to hammer out redistricting this summer. You know who else we saw in that redistricting story that was in the news in the las 48 hours? Eric McLeod who just quit Walker's commission that helps Scotty pick judges. (fun sidelight- in typical Walker lying fashion, Scotty tried to claim to the media that he had asked for McLeod's resignation to make it look like Walker believed in "transparency"....except Walker made the statement after McLeod had already told Walker he was quitting.)
There's so much smoke here, I'm starting to choke from just looking at the connections between the DOJ, Michael, Best and Friedrich, and the GOP. It's all out there, just connect the dots, folks.
"This is one to try and stay away from. I can't see any good coming from it," Ed Wall, head of the department's Division of Criminal Investigation, wrote in a Nov. 15, 2010, email.Notice a familiar name in there? I did - the name of Ray Taffora.
"Absolutely," responded David Spakowicz, director of field operations for the division's eastern region.
Wall's email was sent just hours before he met with Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm about the John Doe investigation. Also at the meeting were then-Deputy Attorney General Ray Taffora and Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern.
The meeting happened just two weeks after Walker was elected governor and a month and a half before he was sworn in....
...the records also show Department of Justice officials discussed the investigation on Nov. 1 - the day before the election and the day prosecutors executed a subpoena for emails from Walker's campaign, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
"Are you available for a call - ASAP - in order to brief you on this sensitive matter?" Spakowicz wrote Wall at 1:40 p.m. that day.
Wall said he was available and six minutes later wrote to Taffora, then the No. 2 official in the department, to ask when he could take a call.
David Matthews, director of field operations for the Division of Criminal Investigation, later wrote Wall to say: "Spak has briefed me on today's SW activities."
Who is Ray Taffora? He's the former Number 2 guy in the Attorney General's office and a GOP campaign contributor who left DOJ right after the election to go to Michael, Best and Friedrich to help the Walker boys during the Act 10/ budget repair bill controversy, and signed a blank check, taxpayer-funded contract right before Walker "dropped the bomb." Hmmm, wonder why he wouldn't want something like Scott Walker's campaign to get investigated too deeply when he stood to make major bank off of Walker's election? And neither would GOP Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who heads up the DOJ.
We also saw Taffora's name earlier this week as part of the group of Michael Best and GOP officials that were meeting in secret to hammer out redistricting this summer. You know who else we saw in that redistricting story that was in the news in the las 48 hours? Eric McLeod who just quit Walker's commission that helps Scotty pick judges. (fun sidelight- in typical Walker lying fashion, Scotty tried to claim to the media that he had asked for McLeod's resignation to make it look like Walker believed in "transparency"....except Walker made the statement after McLeod had already told Walker he was quitting.)
There's so much smoke here, I'm starting to choke from just looking at the connections between the DOJ, Michael, Best and Friedrich, and the GOP. It's all out there, just connect the dots, folks.
Family Care fiasco = everything we can't stand about Walker
I couldn't help but roar in laughter as Scott Walker's pathetic act this week at a press conference announcing the removal of Family Care enrollment limits. It's something that has all of the elements of what has made this administration such a failure.
1. Stupid ideological pose causes equally silly reversal- Capping the amount of elderly and disabled people who can enroll in a system that allows them to stay in their own homes is sick on its face, and the mark of a sociopath who views people as nothing but commodities. But then to turn around, reverse that policy, and then promise $80 million to go toward Family Care with no explanation of where the money will come from is beyond stupid. It's much like how $500 million in Medicaid cuts were slipped into the state budget, and then the details worked out later on how to throw 64,000 people off of Badger Care. Just saying something will happen isn't the same as actually making it happen.
2. Shooting first, dealing with the fallout later - This is a recurring theme with this administration. Instead of figuring out if they actually could continue to receive federal Medicaid funding if they cut people off of Family Care, the Walker boys just went ahead and did this. That's the most interesting part of the letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to the Wisconsin DHS to me.
It is strongly reminiscent of the fuck-up involving high-speed rail, when the Walker folks tried to insist rail money could be used for highways, and the Federal Railroad Administration had to remind them that no, rail money is for...rail, and Wisconsin taxpayers ended up paying millions more than they otherwise would have and got less for it. The Walker Administration is either so arrogant or stupid that they are incapable of realizing the strings attached to federal money- while constantly attaching strings like tax levy limits and Act 10 requirements to local governments.
3. The lies and the lying spin - This is the most egregious part. It was bad enough when the press conference was first held, and it seemed like a cynical move designed to soften up Walker's image among a voting populace that already views him as a scumbag. But then when it came out that Walker was lying about why the caps were lifted (because the Feds told him to, not because he wanted to), DHS Administration Secretary (and deceitful Heritage Foundation hack) Dennis Smith followed up with this pathetic press release trying to weasel out of this embarrassment and claim no wrongdoing.
4. The aftereffects after the move - The "expansion to other counties" may also be a disaster in the making, because Dane County Exec Joe Parisi did a good job trying to cut off Walker at the pass with his own letter to Dane County state legislators asking that Dane County not be part of any Family Care expansion. The reason why? Dane County already handles long-term home care services at a level above and beyond Family Care, and Parisi's predicting that Walker might use this Family Care expansion as a mandate to make Dane County cut its level of services.
It wouldn't be out of the question for the low-lifes in the Walker Administration to try to pull a stunt like that, under the guise of "efficiencies" and "improvements" for Family Care. It's why we have to keep an eye on what the proposal that comes out of covering the new enrollees in Family Care really is once it goes into the Joint Finance Committee, and see if anything else is cut or "lapsed" as a result. It's been this Adminsitration SOP to assume the average Wisconsinites is as stupid as the average talk-radio listener, and won't look too deeply as to what will really happen in the bill, and that's the time we need to be most vigilant and remind people of why we're in this mess in the first place.
So if someone has been out of the state for a year and is asking "Well, why do people hate Scott Walker?", just show them the 4 different types of wrongdoing that this one Family Care incident illustrates. And it's why we have to end it now, before the damage gets deeper and tougher to get out of.
1. Stupid ideological pose causes equally silly reversal- Capping the amount of elderly and disabled people who can enroll in a system that allows them to stay in their own homes is sick on its face, and the mark of a sociopath who views people as nothing but commodities. But then to turn around, reverse that policy, and then promise $80 million to go toward Family Care with no explanation of where the money will come from is beyond stupid. It's much like how $500 million in Medicaid cuts were slipped into the state budget, and then the details worked out later on how to throw 64,000 people off of Badger Care. Just saying something will happen isn't the same as actually making it happen.
2. Shooting first, dealing with the fallout later - This is a recurring theme with this administration. Instead of figuring out if they actually could continue to receive federal Medicaid funding if they cut people off of Family Care, the Walker boys just went ahead and did this. That's the most interesting part of the letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to the Wisconsin DHS to me.
Please note that these types of waiver amendments, even if potentially approvable, may receive only a prospective approval date. Until specific approval of an amendment is received, the State is required to continute to operate the waiver as described in the currently-approved 1915(c) waiver application...In other words, you don't get to change the caps until we tell you you can change the caps. So now all these individuals are rightfully put onto Family Care with no way to pay for it.
Because the currently approved waiver includes an entitlement to waiver services, we are instructing the State t operate the waiver as it was approved by CMS.
It is strongly reminiscent of the fuck-up involving high-speed rail, when the Walker folks tried to insist rail money could be used for highways, and the Federal Railroad Administration had to remind them that no, rail money is for...rail, and Wisconsin taxpayers ended up paying millions more than they otherwise would have and got less for it. The Walker Administration is either so arrogant or stupid that they are incapable of realizing the strings attached to federal money- while constantly attaching strings like tax levy limits and Act 10 requirements to local governments.
3. The lies and the lying spin - This is the most egregious part. It was bad enough when the press conference was first held, and it seemed like a cynical move designed to soften up Walker's image among a voting populace that already views him as a scumbag. But then when it came out that Walker was lying about why the caps were lifted (because the Feds told him to, not because he wanted to), DHS Administration Secretary (and deceitful Heritage Foundation hack) Dennis Smith followed up with this pathetic press release trying to weasel out of this embarrassment and claim no wrongdoing.
"The sole person responsibile for yesterday's announcement on lifting the Family Care caps is Governor Walker. The Governor stated publicly severeal times that he was committed to Wisconsin's seniors and disabilities with his intention to lift the cap by the end of the year...WHAT A WHINY, LYING BITCH! Untrue that this was all Walker's decision, and then whining over "critics" who dare to tell people how things really went down. If you don't like the job, Denny, GET THE HELL OUT and go back to D.C. where you bubble-thinkers belong.
Critics who are not involved in our discussions with our federal partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are choosing to ignore the months of work we have done to get us to the point of yesterday's announcement. The Governor also announced we would be expanding the program to counties previously not served by Family Care, a decision that goes beyond any procedural matters raised by CMS."
4. The aftereffects after the move - The "expansion to other counties" may also be a disaster in the making, because Dane County Exec Joe Parisi did a good job trying to cut off Walker at the pass with his own letter to Dane County state legislators asking that Dane County not be part of any Family Care expansion. The reason why? Dane County already handles long-term home care services at a level above and beyond Family Care, and Parisi's predicting that Walker might use this Family Care expansion as a mandate to make Dane County cut its level of services.
It wouldn't be out of the question for the low-lifes in the Walker Administration to try to pull a stunt like that, under the guise of "efficiencies" and "improvements" for Family Care. It's why we have to keep an eye on what the proposal that comes out of covering the new enrollees in Family Care really is once it goes into the Joint Finance Committee, and see if anything else is cut or "lapsed" as a result. It's been this Adminsitration SOP to assume the average Wisconsinites is as stupid as the average talk-radio listener, and won't look too deeply as to what will really happen in the bill, and that's the time we need to be most vigilant and remind people of why we're in this mess in the first place.
So if someone has been out of the state for a year and is asking "Well, why do people hate Scott Walker?", just show them the 4 different types of wrongdoing that this one Family Care incident illustrates. And it's why we have to end it now, before the damage gets deeper and tougher to get out of.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Walker and WisGOP- follow the money here and in Cali
Couple of sick stories involving the money chasing and funneling that defines the Wisconsin GOP and Scott Walker's reign of terror over this state.
The first involves Governor Dropout and his gravy-training of the Badgers' trip to the Rose Bowl. Why you give a governor who intentionally gave huge cuts to the UW System is being allowed to travel as part of the UW's 32-person party is beyond me, when instead that spot should go to a UW worker who got their take-home pay dropped by $300 - $500 a month so that Scumbag Scotty could shovel tax breaks at his campaign contributors.
But rooting on a university he couldn't even get in to apparently isn't all Scott Walker is doing out in California, as apparently he's headlining a fundraiser in the OC tomorrow night. If the UW is paying anything toward Walker's attendance or travel to LA, they need to rescind it NOW, and make Scotty pay for his own damn tickets. Heck, Walker was more than willing to take a trip out West on someone else's dime.
But it's the way WisGOP operates - take money in from selfish interests, pass bills to reward said special interests (remember the famous "this is OUR moment" line to the fake Koch?), and then funnel taxpayer dollars to contracts that go to said special interests.
The latest example includes the testimony that came out today from GOP staffers during a hearing in front of federal judge looking to overturn the GOP-led redistricting for the 2012 November elections. I'll leave the clear lies in the testimony about the redistricting not being political in basis (check out the story yourself if you want) . Here's another passage that caught my eye which shows how this REALLY worked.
Not only did these guys get an office at taxpayer-funded partisans Michael, Best, and Friedrich (who took home a cool $400,000+ for helping the GOPs in these shenanigans), but check out who they're hanging with.
1. Eric McLeod- He's the guy who represented Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman for "free" when Gableman was accused of ethics complaints by state investigators. Now you see what that "free" service helped to buy.
2. Jim and Sarah Troupis- who pulled down $75,000 from David Prosser during the Supreme Court recount, and has pulled down $700,000 in work for the GOP for the Act 10 and redistricting suits.
3. Ray Taffora- A former DOJ lawyer who gave $4,000 to JB Van Hollen's campaign, quit his DOJ job when Walker took over to head to Michael, Best and Friedrich, and then got Van Hollen to sign MBF up with a $500,000 no-bid contract to take cases relating to Act 10 and other issues, instead of having Van Hollen keep it in-house with lower-cost DOJ lawyers. And done with Walker's complete approval.
Hmmm, you think it might be easier to have redistricting or Act 10 stand up in the Wisconsin Supreme Court if you've bailed out 2 of the 4 judges that you need to see the case your way? And you get the impression this redistrciting testimony is only the tip of the iceburg in how these backroom connections between politicians, law firms, and judges all tie together when it comes to making law in Fitzwalkerstan?
It's a nice little country club they have, isn't it? You know the only people left out in this club? The millions of Wisconsin taxpayers that allowed them to get into power (out-of-staters are fine if they pony up a few bucks). You'd be a fool to think any of these corrupt bastards would give up the good deal they seem to be pulling down at our expense, so instead it's gotta be us Wisconsin taxpayers that take em out, and shut down their backroom mob rule.
The first involves Governor Dropout and his gravy-training of the Badgers' trip to the Rose Bowl. Why you give a governor who intentionally gave huge cuts to the UW System is being allowed to travel as part of the UW's 32-person party is beyond me, when instead that spot should go to a UW worker who got their take-home pay dropped by $300 - $500 a month so that Scumbag Scotty could shovel tax breaks at his campaign contributors.
But rooting on a university he couldn't even get in to apparently isn't all Scott Walker is doing out in California, as apparently he's headlining a fundraiser in the OC tomorrow night. If the UW is paying anything toward Walker's attendance or travel to LA, they need to rescind it NOW, and make Scotty pay for his own damn tickets. Heck, Walker was more than willing to take a trip out West on someone else's dime.
Fake David Koch: [Laughs] Well, I tell you what, Scott: once you crush these bastards I’ll fly you out to Cali and really show you a good time.And it's not like going out of state to shake down right-wing greedheads is a new thing for Scotty. Seems like he's been doing it plenty in recent months, without letting the public know when he's leaving his post. "Thanks a million?" More like "thanks a $2.5 million," which is what he's taken from people who can't vote for him in this Summer's recall election. And you wonder why people think this guy is tone-deaf and out of touch with the Wisconsin public.
Walker: All right, that would be outstanding. Thanks, thanks for all the support and helping us move the cause forward, and we appreciate it. We’re, uh, we’re doing the just and right thing for the right reasons, and it’s all about getting our freedoms back. [Editor's note: "freedoms"? Being down 34,000 jobs with lower take-home pay for hundreds of thousands more tends to get in the way of "freedom"]
Fake Koch: Absolutely. And, you know, we have a little bit of a vested interest as well. [Laughs]
Walker: Well, that’s just it. The bottom line is we’re gonna get the world moving here because it’s the right thing to do.
Fake Koch: All right then.
Walker: Thanks a million!
But it's the way WisGOP operates - take money in from selfish interests, pass bills to reward said special interests (remember the famous "this is OUR moment" line to the fake Koch?), and then funnel taxpayer dollars to contracts that go to said special interests.
The latest example includes the testimony that came out today from GOP staffers during a hearing in front of federal judge looking to overturn the GOP-led redistricting for the 2012 November elections. I'll leave the clear lies in the testimony about the redistricting not being political in basis (check out the story yourself if you want) . Here's another passage that caught my eye which shows how this REALLY worked.
An office was provided to Foltz, Ottman and Handrick at the Madison branch of Michael Best, where they worked on the maps, according to the testimony. Also involved in developing the maps were the Fitzgeralds, Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford), Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Sen. Rich Zipperer (R-City of Pewaukee). They were assisted by attorneys Eric McLeod, Jim Troupis, Sarah Troupis, Ray Taffora and Michael Screnock, according to the testimony.
Not only did these guys get an office at taxpayer-funded partisans Michael, Best, and Friedrich (who took home a cool $400,000+ for helping the GOPs in these shenanigans), but check out who they're hanging with.
1. Eric McLeod- He's the guy who represented Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman for "free" when Gableman was accused of ethics complaints by state investigators. Now you see what that "free" service helped to buy.
2. Jim and Sarah Troupis- who pulled down $75,000 from David Prosser during the Supreme Court recount, and has pulled down $700,000 in work for the GOP for the Act 10 and redistricting suits.
3. Ray Taffora- A former DOJ lawyer who gave $4,000 to JB Van Hollen's campaign, quit his DOJ job when Walker took over to head to Michael, Best and Friedrich, and then got Van Hollen to sign MBF up with a $500,000 no-bid contract to take cases relating to Act 10 and other issues, instead of having Van Hollen keep it in-house with lower-cost DOJ lawyers. And done with Walker's complete approval.
Hmmm, you think it might be easier to have redistricting or Act 10 stand up in the Wisconsin Supreme Court if you've bailed out 2 of the 4 judges that you need to see the case your way? And you get the impression this redistrciting testimony is only the tip of the iceburg in how these backroom connections between politicians, law firms, and judges all tie together when it comes to making law in Fitzwalkerstan?
It's a nice little country club they have, isn't it? You know the only people left out in this club? The millions of Wisconsin taxpayers that allowed them to get into power (out-of-staters are fine if they pony up a few bucks). You'd be a fool to think any of these corrupt bastards would give up the good deal they seem to be pulling down at our expense, so instead it's gotta be us Wisconsin taxpayers that take em out, and shut down their backroom mob rule.
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