Friday, January 6, 2012
$1.8 million is from the US Department of Education.
Information and tools to help Wisconsin students prepare for college just got a lot more accessible, according to a statement from Governor Scott Walker's office. In a written release today, Jan. 6, Walker announced that the state has $2.8 million available to help kids plan their route to college. $1.8 million is from the US Department of Education's College Access Challenge Grant program, and another $936,000 is from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, a Wisconsin nonprofit. “The single largest concern Wisconsin businesses are reporting is having a skilled workforce prepared to fill their job openings. Getting our students the right education and training beyond high school is critical to meeting this need,” said Walker in…
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Governor Walker speaks to Fox6 News this morning. From recalls to regrets, he shares his thoughts.
In an interview with Fox6 this morning, Governor Scott Walker says his administration came in to fix Wisconsin's troubles for our next generation and that is this is "about the future and not the past." Walker says he is focused on creating 250,000 jobs by 2015 and that if he were to grade himself as Governor so far, he would get a B. Walker also claims he should have spent more time laying the groundwork and explaining the reasons for the changes his administration was making. You can see video of the entire interview HERE.
Monday, December 26, 2011
"Governors Journal" says Walker has defined the issues in a state beset by financial difficulties.
Governors Journal has named Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker its Governor of the Year. In a story that ran over the Christmas weekend, staff writers describe Walker as the "best symbol of the struggle between the two political parties about how best to meet those fiscal challenges." The writers defend Walker's introduction of Act 10 - the Budget Repair Bill - as the the result of years of warnings about underfunded pensions and binding arbitration, finally put into action because of the larger, national economic crisis. Next to the presidential election in 2012, Walker's potential recall could be the biggest political story in the country, the story says. Win or lose, though, Walker is considered a star in the Republican Party and amongst …
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The extreme right wing agenda is stripping away women's most basic rights and freedoms.
It never ceases to amaze me how contradictory our politicians can be. Many of them tout: “Less Government!!” “More Freedom!!” “Less Regulation!!” Yet, some of their actions imply the exact opposite. One of the most glaring examples of this is the crusade against women’s health and reproductive rights. After the November election in 2010, political offices filled with Tea Party candidates and extremist views. People were angry and frustrated with our current two-party system which followed the status quo and never seemed to create the changes for which they hoped. So libertarian views with a side of religious undertones subsequently landed many of these fanatical law makers in capitols around the country. Since then, the proposed and …
Friday, December 16, 2011
They say the way the election board is verifying signatures is unconstitutional.
Reports of signatures on recall petitions from Mickey Mouse and Adolf Hitler no doubt played a part in the decision by Governor Scott Walker's campaign to file suit against the Government Accountability Board. The Republican Party of Wisconsin is also filed, on the same side as Walker's campaign. According to a story from the Associated Press, Walker's campaign wants a judge to order the GAB to look for and eliminate duplicate signatures, obviously fake names like Mickey Mouse and Adolf Hitler and any illegible signatures. The GAB, however, says it is up to the officer under recall to challenge those same signatures. Allowing multiple signatures is unconstitutional because it "violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution …
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Governor Scott Walker announced the appointment on Dec. 13.
Update, 5 pm: If all goes according to a tentative timeline, Racine County District Attorney Michael Nieskes will take his new oath of office as a Circuit Court Judge before the end of the year. He is looking forward to starting this new chapter in his career. "It is gratifying that the Governor has this confidence in me," Nieskes said. "I got the call at 8:30 this morning, and after I get a formal letter from his office, I will take the oath." What follows then will be two weeks of mentoring with a current judge and assignment to civil court where there is an opening. Nieskes is the prosecutor of record for pending criminal cases in Racine County so he can't yet serve in the criminal division. He said he got the bench book so he can …
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Homeowners are protected if they kill an intruder, researchers can use legal, prescription drugs in their work, and penalties got stiffer for folks who knowingly receive stolen firearms, amongst others.
It was a busy week for new laws this week; Governor Scott Walker signed 21 of them into law. Here's the list from a press release from the Governor's office: Special Session Senate Bill 12 This bill indicates and specifically lists the factors a court must consider when determining whether attorney fees are reasonable. Those factors include things like the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the case, and whether the case prohibited the attorney from taking on other work. The bill stipulates that when compensatory damages are awarded, reasonable attorney fees may not exceed three times the amount of the damages awarded. “Protecting job creators from excessive attorney fees will improve our business climate, and …
Friday, December 9, 2011
Cory Mason is contemplating a run for Lt. Governor while former State Sen. John Lehman may try to get his old seat back from Van Wanggaard.
Update: Rep. Cory Mason told Patch on Dec. 9 that he is humbled and flattered residents think he could be part of a team that would restore democracy to Wisconsin. Still, he thinks the focus should remain on collecting the necessary signatures for recall. "We need to stay focused on the recalls of the Governor and the Lt. Governor because of their agenda that unfairly targeted the middle class," he said. As for why he is interested in the Lt. Governor's office, Mason said the position is one of support so its hard to define without a solid gubernatorial candidate in place. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) has been mentioned as a possible challenger should there be a Walker recall election. "Certainly the candidate potentially facing Governor Walker…
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A message on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin website is asking supporters to give $150,000 by Dec. 16.
Supporters of the effort to recall Governor Scott Walker need to put their money where their pens are if the movement is going to succeed. In message to party members and residents on Dec. 7, Mike Tate, chair of the party, said supporters need to bring in $150,000 by Dec. 16 or recall efforts will stall. The money, he wrote, is needed to keep local recall offices open. Here is his full blog entry: I have some urgent news to share with you about our grassroots campaign to recall Scott Walker. It won't happen. We won't recall Scott Walker. We won't restore workers' rights. And we won't elect new leadership that Wisconsin families can trust to create good-paying jobs and get our economy working again. That's what we won't do if we don't meet …
The Lt. Governor writes that Wisconsin is a better state because of Governor Walker's initiatives.
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
This Op-Ed first appeared in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: As a mom with two small kids, I'm glad that Scott Walker is looking out for families like ours. As lieutenant governor, I see his leadership skills helping Wisconsin families like mine. It was a rare thing to cover a politician who said what he'd do and do what he said. Walker is that rare type. He promised to reform government and put it back on the side of the people. He promised to protect taxpayers and truly balance the budget. He promised to help the people of Wisconsin create more good jobs. Walker showed his respect for the hardworking people of our state by keeping those promises. After taking office, the governor called lawmakers in to start working on jobs. Legislators …
mau
1:38 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
My son, a laid off journeyman plumber, is taking advantage of his time off by taking more classes at the plumbers union training center. The latest course is setting him back upwards of $300. He is laid off, still paying his union dues, can not take a job with a non-union plumber (he's indentured to the union for 5 years, even though they find no jobs for the laid off plumbers), gets no discount … more ›