Student Protesters To Be Disciplined

Good.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago said Friday that the university will discipline students who tried to enter the building that houses his office a day earlier, saying the university will not tolerate assemblies that become violent.

Santiago said in a statement that the school will pursue charges against the 13 students and two other protesters who were arrested Thursday on suspicion of unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct and throwing hard objects.

UWM Police officers said the protesters punched them while trying to rush Chapman Hall during the rally against the rising cost of college and against budget cuts for university departments. Officers discharged pepper spray into the air to get students to back away from officers who had been pushed into the doors of the building, school officials said.

“For these individuals who demonstrated no respect for our campus community, we will pursue legal action and, for the students, we will review whether any university rules were violated that require additional action,” Santiago said.

Discipline by the university could range from a verbal reprimand to expulsion.

If they are expelled, then they won’t have to worry about the cost of education. 

Do Over

So after destroying thousands of jobs and ruining lives, Government Motors says “OOPS!  Do over!” 

General Motors Co. will reinstate more than half the dealerships it targeted to drop from its network.

GM executives said Friday that about 600 dealerships out of the 1,100 seeking to stay with GM will receive letters giving them the option to remain with the automaker.

The Detroit automaker last year told 2,000 dealerships it would revoke their franchise agreements in October 2010 as part of its restructuring. The company has said it needs to shrink the number of showrooms to keep the remaining ones healthy.

The dealerships, who say they have been treated unfairly, have been appealing the decision.

Pretending to Care

You know… Doyle has been governor for seven years.  He didn’t show any interest at all in reforming MPS until Obama dangled some money in front of him.  The MPS board also hasn’t shown any interest in reforming MPS.  Nor the legislature… not the mayor… methinks that all of their current carping is more about them not getting to spend a bunch of federal dollars than it is about helping the kids of Milwaukee. 

Wisconsin’s failure to make it past the first cut in the national competition for $4.35 billion to improve schools launched a volley of finger-pointing Thursday between the governor, legislators and interest groups.

Gov. Jim Doyle criticized the state Legislature for not acting on reform measures the governor wanted in the state’s application for the federal Race to the Top grant competition, namely allowing mayoral control of Milwaukee Public Schools and giving the state Department of Public Instruction enhanced powers to intervene in struggling schools.

He also criticized the MPS board for inaction on critical issues, including its inability to come up with its own reform agenda for drastically improving educational outcomes for children.

“Today’s announcement should be a wake-up call to many,” Doyle said Thursday. “U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has made it clear: The federal government will provide significant resources to states that are serious about reform. Milwaukee needs clear, consistent, accountable leadership focused on reform.”

Tear Down Badger?

It’s a good question.

The citizen group tasked with providing the West Bend School District advice on facility planning questioned Thursday whether the portion of the Badger Middle School scheduled for demolition could be salvaged to alleviate building space needs.

  Committee members are exploring the possibility not because they believe it is really a viable option, said Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee cochairman Randall Stark, but because they “want to be able to rule it out with confidence.”

  “It is more of a confirmation exercise,” he said.

  Committee members Kraig Sadownikow and Randy Marquardt said community members were asking why a school building was being demolished at a time when the district is short on facility space.

  Superintendent Pat Herdrich said that the Badger Middle School referendum question voters approved addressed handicapped accessibility issues at the building, not growth. The district was twice cited by the Office of Civil Rights because the structure, now slated for demolition, did not meet present-day standards.

  Contractors Bill Pennoyer, senior project manager of VJS Construction Services, and Robert Vajgrt, principal architect of Eppstein Uhen, said to keep the building at this point in the process would present a host of obstacles, including site, mechanical, drainage, traffic flow and parking problems. Preserving the building would also result in the elimination of the relocated football field and track.

Yes, the building isn’t up to code, but does that mean it’s useless?  It’s served the community for decades.  Could it be of use for a few more years as the district deals with space issues?  Could it serve as offices or space for extracurricular activities?  Anything?  It’s worth a look.

Teachers’ Union Responds

Kudos to the Daily News for publishing this letter.  Here’s a snippet. 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The West Bend Education Association sent this letter to members on March 3, in response to the letter West Bend School Board members sent to teachers Feb. 26.)

  Dear West Bend Education Association Member: Recently, you received a letter from the West Bend School Board blaming the teachers and the state for the district’s budget problems. Our organization of professionals sees things differently. Teachers, who stand at the front of the district’s classrooms, will not quietly stand by and let quality education suffer as short-sighted solutions are offered up for long-term problems. The root cause of West Bend’s funding troubles is Wisconsin’s outdated school funding system, not teachers.

  Here is an overview of where we stand:

  After parents, teachers have the greatest impact on student learning - an impact that benefits the whole community. We take pride in our work, and this pride shows in our students’ performance on ACT exams, Advanced Placement tests and in our high student graduation rate. The West Bend economy depends on excellent schools and staff. It attracts and retains businesses and families to our community. To keep pace with surrounding school districts like Cedarburg, Germantown and Slinger, West Bend must continue to attract and retain the best teachers, and part of that requires offering competitive compensation packages.

In other words, “FU taxpayers, gimmie gimmie gimmie.” 

I would love to have an experiment with this.  If we cut teacher pay by 10%, what would be the effect?  In a community with 12%+ unemployment, would they seriously leave?  If they did, would it be difficult filling their positions with comparable talent?  I’d say “no” to both questions. 

Again, I put the onus on the actual teachers.  If the union speaks for you, then fine.  If not, then you need to speak up because YOUR union is forcing a crisis that will result in some of you losing your jobs and all of you being viewed as leeches.

While the union wants to whine about the funding formula, the reality is that it won’t change before this contract is written.  You have to play the hand you’re dealt.  The money has to come from somewhere.  Teachers have a choice to insist on an increase, which with result in unemployed teachers, deferred maintenance, programming cuts, or worse, or do what they said they would do in the Fall and accept the circumstances of our economic climate.  For those who shouted last year that a tax increase would deprive me of a latte a week, it’s time for the teachers to show that they actually care about the kids and are willing to make the same trivial sacrifice. 

Obama Demands Action

Finally!

“I don’t see how another year of negotiations would help.”

Oh, I though he was talking about Iran.  Nevermind. 

Milwaukee Democrats Seek to Make Milwaukee County a Tax Island

Yeah, good plan 

Struggling to enact a transit sales tax before the end of the legislative session, Democrats are pushing a revised bill that still would establish a new Milwaukee County transit authority, funded by a 0.5% sales tax, that could take over the Milwaukee County Transit System, with County Board approval and eventually could merge into the existing Southeastern Regional Transit Authority.

But it would drop earlier plans for separate Kenosha and Racine transit authorities funded by hotel, vehicle registration or property taxes. Instead, starting Jan. 1, the Kenosha and Racine bus systems would become part of the regional authority, which already is responsible for the planned KRM Commuter Link rail line. The state could provide some added transit aid to those cities’ transit systems.

I fully support this legislation.  I look forward to consumers and businesses moving to Washington County in order to escape Milwaukee’s ever-increasing tax burden. 

We welcome all of you to Washington County.  We’re not perfect, but we’re a helluva a lot more sane than Milwaukee  

Average Teacher Compensation in MPS Tops $100k

Stunning.

For the first time in history, the average annual compensation for a teacher in the Milwaukee Public School system will exceed $100,000.

That staggering figure was revealed last night at a meeting of the MPS School Board.

The average salary for an MPS teacher is $56,500. When fringe benefits are factored in, the annual compensation will be $100,005 in 2011.

Obama Fails to Fill Civil Liberties Board

Heh.

When President Bush two years ago failed to name members to a federal board to monitor the protection of civil liberties, Democrats and activist groups were duly outraged, seeing it as one more example of his administration’s indifference to the subject.

But more than a year into a new presidency, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board—created by Congress in 2007—remains as much a cipher under Barack Obama as it was under George W. Bush. The White House has yet to nominate a single person to sit on the five-person board. It has no members, no staff, and no office.

Chileans Defend Themselves From Looters

Scary stuff. 

Garrido’s son armed himself with a garrote and joined a local crime watch whose other members wielded knives and pistols. But it didn’t make Garrido feel much safer. She worries they’ll kill someone.

She also worries that criminals will get in anyway, simply by wearing twisted plastic bags that patrol members use as armbands to identify themselves.

“I’m destroyed,” Garrido said. “Last night I heard gunfire all around me. They’re looting things and walking around with rifles doing anything they want. Nowhere is safe.”

Like her neighbors, she must make the stressful decision each day of briefly abandoning her home so she can fill a wheelbarrow with water from a system that in normal times irrigates a traffic circle.

Under a state of emergency declared by Bachelet on Sunday, about 14,000 troops were sent into the quake zone. They can shoot to kill if necessary. The military says that hasn’t happened.

A homeowner shot and killed a young man entering his house in the town of Chiguayante, El Mercurio newspaper reported.

In Concepcion, an unknown number of looters set fire to the El Polar department store Tuesday and were caught inside by the flames. Their bodies have yet to be recovered.

It’s a good lesson that when society breaks down, you will have to rely on yourselves and your neighbors.  Prepare for it before it happens. 

Rangel Temporarily Steps Down From Chairmanship

If he had any ethical standards, he would resign permanently.  But, of course, he doesn’t have any standards. 

Rep. Charles Rangel announced Wednesday he will temporarily step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, saying he didn’t want his ethics controversy to jeopardize election prospects for fellow Democrats.

The 20-term Harlem congressman held a news conference on short notice, telling reporters, “My chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press, and in order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter” asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work.

Customer Service Fail

I recently needed to set up some additional email accounts with my ISP.  I can do this online, so I went to take care of it.  After having some issues, I decided to chat with support.  I’m a big fan of web chat because I can multi-task while I work on the issue.  Here is the text of my chat with some specific company and personal information removed:

Thank you for choosing ******* Chat Live! A Customer Care representative from My Account will be with you shortly.
You have been connected to TTD Pia .

TTD Pia : Thank you for contacting *******. My name is Pia. How may I help you today?

Owen Robinson: Hi Pia. My Account appears to be behaving improperly. When I login, I can only login with my old zip code and it takes me to an account called “Owen Cleanup.”... I’m trying to get into “My Account” to manage my email addresses, but it keeps going to the “Owen Cleanup” account and I don’t have access.

TTD Pia : I apologize for the inconvenience you are experiencing with your account access. Are you using Internet Explorer?

Owen Robinson: yes. IE8

TTD Pia : I see.

TTD Pia : Before I could assist you further, may I please have the account holder’s name, phone number, and service address?

Owen Robinson: Owen Robinson. ********************************

TTD Pia : Thank you for verifying the account. May I know who I am chatting with?

Owen Robinson: Owen Robinson

TTD Pia : Thank you. Please try to delete your cookies, then access the site again.

TTD Pia : To delete the cookies and clear the contents of your browser’s temporary Internet files folder, please do the following:

1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options, and then click the General tab.
2. Click Delete Cookies, and then click OK.
3. Click Delete Files, and then click OK.
4. Click Clear History, and then click Yes.
5. Click OK.

Owen Robinson: OK, hold on

TTD Pia : Alright.

Owen Robinson: done

Owen Robinson: working on accessing the site again

TTD Pia : Alright.

TTD Pia : Is it working now?

Owen Robinson: I went to the main page and clicked Log In. I logged in with my email address and password. It worked and welcomed me as “Owen.” I then clicked on “My Account and Help” and then “Manage Email Accounts.” At this point it prompted me to login again with a login page that asks for a username, password, and zip code. It does not accept my email address as the username, but does accept my username “*********” and my old zip code.

TTD Pia : Your login information is incorrect.

Owen Robinson: It accepts that login, but then takes me to the “Owen Cleanup” account and won’t do anything from there.

TTD Pia : I can certainly assist you with your login information.

TTD Pia : For security and identity verification purposes, may I please have the account holder’s name, phone number, and service address? 

AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!  At this point, I disconnected the chat.  If your company is going to offer a customer service web chat option, please have people on the other end that know what they are doing. 

Teachers’ Union Gives Finger to Taxpayers

This reaction was expected.

West Bend School Board members crossed a line when they sent a letter to teachers about labor negotiations Friday, according to the representative of the West Bend Education Association.

  Contract negotiations for teachers in the West Bend School District started last fall, and moved into mediation in February. If a voluntary settlement cannot be reached through mediation, which can take place over a series of meetings, the terms of the contract will be settled through binding arbitration.

  “The approach taken by the board was disrespectful to the membership,” said Jeff Wickland, who is representing the West Bend Education Association and is executive director of Cedar Lake United Educators Council.

  The two-page letter, which was signed by each School Board member, stated that the “current collective bargaining process is going to directly impact the amount that has to be reduced for next year’s budget.”

  Superintendent Pat Herdrich recently recommended $2 million in cuts for 2010-2011 school year budget. The cuts are necessary to bring the budget under the revenue caps, and as a result of reduced state funding for schools, she said.

  “To target our members, their wages and benefits is unfair,” Wickland said. “We are not the problem. The school funding formula is the problem.”

In other words, “FU, give us more money.”  Personnel costs constitute roughly 85% of the district’s budget.  You CAN NOT seriously address the district’s finances without addressing those costs.  The reason that the union doesn’t like the school funding system is that it prevents the board from jacking up taxes to pay higher personnel costs. 

Look, here’s the reality.  Even if the school district taxes to the max again, which will draw even more fire from the public, they will come up short.  The school board does not have the power to change the school funding formula.  It has to play the hand it’s dealt.  And if the union insists on increases in this economy, that money has to come from somewhere.  It will come from programming, teacher jobs, or the other 15% of the budget. 

The school board is doing the right thing here.  There will be consequences if the teachers’ union insists on an increase.  We don’t live in a fantasy land of endless resources here. 

If you are a teacher in West Bend and disagree with your union, it is your responsibility to tell them AND the school board that they don’t speak for you.  Silence is acceptance. 

Good Times

We went to (yet another) high school basketball game this evening.  The whole fam went.  We had the best time and drove home singing to Queen at the top of our lungs. 

Good memories were made tonight…

Bill To Include Mental Health For Background Checks Passes Senate

I’m OK with this bill.

The state Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would require gun dealers to check whether someone has been involuntarily committed for mental health reasons before selling them firearms.

The move is meant to help prevent shootings like the one at Virginia Tech in 2007 that killed 32 students and teachers.

Gun dealers currently have to conduct background checks through the state Department of Justice, but the checks don’t include information about mental health commitments by state courts.

The bill passed without debate and now heads to the Assembly, which like the Senate is controlled by Democrats. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has supported the idea in the past.

As the bill is written, the courts would have to declare if someone is unfit to possess a gun and notify the DOJ.  The courts would also have to notify the DOJ if a person is returned to being deemed fit to possess a gun.  Then the DOJ includes this information in the criminal background checks that they already do and the gun dealers are already required to request.  So the gun purchasers are afforded due process in the court system regarding their mental health status and it provides a reasonable layer of regulation for preventing nuts from legally buying guns. 

I don’t think that it will have any substantial effect on the true nuts who will find a way to get a gun, but it doesn’t strike me as overly onerous.  Nobody wants a nutjob to have a gun.