Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Drowns In Lake Superior

RIP.

Rod Nilsestuen, the secretary of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, died Wednesday, the governor’s office announced in a news release.

A source a confirmed late Wednesday that Nilsestuen drowned while swimming in Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Police in Marquette, Mich., confirmed late Wednesday that a drowning occurred in the afternoon but were not releasing the identity of the victim pending notification of family. Police said in a news release that the victim was a Wisconsin man visiting Marquette.

Harley Davidson Scouting Sites

Predictable.

Company executives are sitting down with union leaders this week in order to find a way for Harley to stay in Wisconsin. The production workers’ contract expires in 20 months.

A company spokesperson has stated that scouts are already investigating other cities for its engine and transmission departments.

As I said in the past, Harley is selling a luxury item in a down economy to a demographic that is trading in their hogs for condos in Florida.  They haven’t done a good job in adapting their product offering (granted, it’s hard to do when the lion’s share of your product is the image), so they are left with trying to cut production costs.

“NOT the Whiteman’s Bitch”

Uhhhhh… OK.

State elections officials Wednesday narrowly rejected a Milwaukee Assembly candidate’s attempt to run with the slogan “NOT the ‘whiteman’s bitch’ ” under her name on the ballot.

Ieshuh Griffin, an independent candidate with a history of feuds with local officials, said in response she would sue the state Government Accountability Board for infringing on her freedom of speech.

For the record, this statement is almost as nonsensical as the slogan:

Board member Thomas Barland, who voted to allow Griffin to make the statement, disagreed.

“She says a lot in five words,” Barland said of Griffin. “It wasn’t pornographic. It wasn’t obscene, and I didn’t interpret it as racial.”

Not racial?  Seriously?  This man is voting on these things?

Fundraising Effort

If you happen to have any money left over after contributing to Haiti relief, Nashville flood relief, oil spill relief, your local food pantry, and various charities and causes which are important to you, I strongly, strongly urge you to contribute to the Send Wendy to Australia to See Her Musical Hero, Anthony Warlow, Perform in His New Musical, ‘Dr. Zhivago’ Fund. Each and every penny you contribute will make someone very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very happy.

And I promise with all of my heart that if I get to go I will only post one more “Warlow Wednesday” to summarize the trip.

Volunteers are standing by to take your call. Thank you.

(I’m just kidding, you know. I’ll never stop posting Warlow Wednesdays.)

Extreme Whale Watching

Wow.

4K Moving Ahead in West Bend

Sigh...

Two of three members of the Board Instruction Committee gave the okay to Ted Neitzke to continue studying the possibility of adding 4K to the West Bend School District. Voicing strong objection to this added program, Dave Weigand recommended not pursuing it further.

The West Bend School District is looking to “partner “with local parochial schools, the YMCA daycare and other preschool providers for an offsite 4K program. It would not be fully funded until its third year.

Tim Stepanski questioned why the district would add a non-mandated program in the midst of “budget cuts”. Weigand echoed that thought, further stating that the district would likely use union teachers, which are part of the current budgetary problems we have today. Weigand cited the financial liabilities and legacy costs that come with hiring teachers from the teacher’s union. No one denied that the district would hire union teachers for 4K, even though it would not be necessary to due to 4K not being mandated by the state.

[...]

Kris Beaver strongly supported the proposed program, stating that not all moms can prepare their kids for school. “There are moms who know how to teach kids and moms who don’t”.

[...]

We are told that this program is optional, “We’re not encouraging anyone to do anything.” they say. But, they are forcing the tax payer to add another program which will increase taxes and cause parents to give up their responsibilities to the schools again.

So let’s see… we allegedly have a budget crisis, but in the past few weeks we have moved ahead with a new fitness center, keeping the pool open, and now 4K - none of which are either mandated or part of the core mission of the district.  I guess there’s plenty of money flowing already.  It’s like the guy in the welfare line talking on his brand new iPhone.