by Owen | 2117, 23 Feb 1616 | Politics | 9 Comments
Good. I don’t know where the Senate Republicans found a backbone, but I’m glad they dug it out of storage.
The Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have officially declared they will not hold a hearing on anyone President Obama nominates for the Supreme Court.
In a letter today, signed by all 11 Republicans on the 20-member committee, the members tell their Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, they will “not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next president is sworn in on January 20, 2017.”
by Owen | 1933, 23 Feb 1616 | Politics | 6 Comments
After 7 years of trying to close it despite bipartisan opposition, Obama is intent on leaving his successor with the aftermath of yet another mistaken policy.
Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama on Tuesday called for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility after delivering his plan to Congress to achieve a goal that has long eluded his presidency.
The blueprint comes seven years after Obama made an Oval Office vow to permanently shutter the prison for enemy combatants, but it already faces objections from Republicans and legal obstacles they have placed to transferring Guantanamo detainees to U.S. prisons.
The truth is that there isn’t anything wrong with Gitmo. In fact, it is an ideal location to house our nation’s most dangerous foreign combatants. It is isolated and secure. The problem liberals have with it is the fact that we’re holding Gitmo detainees at all. Even though Obama has released a lot of dangerous people and intends to release some more under this plan, he still wants to keep the most dangerous in custody, but move them into prisons in the homeland where they are less isolated. What is solved by that? nothing. All it does is make them a little less secure and a little less isolated.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s the end of the world if we stop housing terrorists at Gitmo. I’m sure we can keep them fairly secure in other facilities. There just isn’t any good reason to move them from a facility that is already secure. Why risk it when Gitmo is working just fine? Does anyone seriously think that closing Gitmo will buy America any goodwill with the Islamic terrorists who want to kill us?
Obama’s plan has nothing to do with security and everything to do with feelgood liberalism.
This morning, Tuesday, February 23, 2016, the HUHS administration was made aware of a concerning social media exchange that had taken place involving our HUHS students.
Over the course of the day, the Hartford Police Department(HPD), Washington County Sheriff’s Department, (WCSD) and HUHS administration continued to investigate this incident.
The student involved was not in school today. As a result of the HPD and WCSD investigation, a 19-year-old male has been taken into custody related to this incident.
My column for the West Bend Daily News is online. Here you go:
Earlier this month, I passed a milestone of sorts. On Feb. 7, 2006, The West Bend Daily News debuted a column from a local writer who was making a few ripples in the emerging pool of online media — me. After 10 years, 520-ish columns and almost 400,000 words, we have discussed a lot of issues together. It is enlightening to look back to those first few columns and see how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.
My very first column was about the Washington County sales tax. It was implemented in 1998 as a temporary measure to fund some critical county capital projects. In 2006, the projects had been paid off and the County Board was to vote on whether or not to extend the tax or let it expire as intended. My advocacy for ending the county sales tax as intended went unheeded and Washington County continues to pay a sales tax today that was implemented as a “temporary” measure.
In another early column, I lamented the first anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo et al v. City of New London in which the court ruled that the government could use the coercive power of eminent domain to confiscate private property not only for public projects, but for private projects that might lead to increased tax revenue. It was a tragic ruling that fundamentally eroded Americans’ property rights.
The uneasiness of Americans with this court-instituted government power is acute, as Donald Trump’s history of passionately supporting the aggressive use of eminent domain for the benefit of private developers has become an issue in the presidential election. Furthermore, the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who dissented in the Kelo decision, has reminded voters that the balance of the Supreme Court is on the ballot in November, too.
Virtual schools filled an early column, too. In 2006, they were still relatively new in Wisconsin. The notion of offering an education completely online instead of in a traditional school setting was a radical thought. It also threatened the entrenched power of the education establishment, so WEAC, the state teachers’ union, sued on the grounds that parents were not permitted to have such a large role in their kids’ education because the parents are not licensed teachers. The lawsuit was thrown out of court, WEAC is a shadow of its former self and virtual schools have continued to expand and offer families diverse educational options to fit their lifestyles and their children’s learning styles.
Last week, thousands of people supporting illegal immigration protested in Madison. Ten years ago, I wrote about our horribly flawed immigration system and the greatest victims of that system — illegal aliens. Because they are in our nation illegally, they are abused and exploited by businesses, landlords, political opportunists and others who extort illegal aliens with the threat of deportation. It has been 10 years and nothing has changed.
In that column, I wrote, “Illegal immigrants should not be made citizens, nor is there any reasonable way to deport them en masse, but the fear of their absence is folly. Through tighter border security, more aggressive enforcement of laws against illegal immigration, reforming the legal immigration laws to make them sensible and stiff penalties for businesses who exploit them, we can fix our illegal immigration problem.” That remains true.
In 2006, I also wrote about the looming debate over the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, the weaker child of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which had failed to pass in 2004. Both TABOR and TPA were constitutional amendments that would have restricted the growth of government. While there were several versions and varying proposals, the TPA would have essentially restricted the increase of government spending to inflation plus population growth. The goal of both TABOR and TPA was to keep our government from growing faster than our ability to pay for it.
While the TPA was a fairly modest proposal to rein in government spending, it failed to pass. Since then, the population of Wisconsin has increased by 2.4 percent, median household income has decreased by 8.1 percent, but state and local government spending has increased by a whopping 23.8 percent. With the utter failure of Wisconsin’s politicians to restrain their spending within the confines of the taxpayers’ ability to pay, perhaps the next legislature will have the courage to take up TABOR again and protect future generations from their elected leaders’ largesse.
Many things have changed in the last 10 years, but many things remain the same. One thing that remains the same is that this column continues to appear every week in these pages to discuss current issues. I look forward to looking back 520 more columns from now and reading about what was going on way back in 2016.
Key Takeaway: ISIS is executing a sophisticated, multi-front campaign against Libya’s oil facilities, demonstrating the organization’s growing capability abroad. President Obama reportedly ruled out significant military intervention against the group as of February 18. The administration opted to continue intermittent strikes against ISIS leaders in Libya instead, such as the strike on an ISIS leader in western Libya on February 19. This surgical approach is unlikely to defeat the group, which maintains more than 5,000 fighters and is reinforced by leadership sent from Iraq and Syria. Libyan ground forces are also unlikely to expel ISIS from its areas of control. ISIS’s safe haven in Libya will allow it to survive even if it is defeated in Iraq and Syria. ISIS will use its Libyan base to exacerbate regional disorder and likely to attack Europe.
Fueled by Libyan and Iraqi oil, ISIS is doing nothing but growing stronger.
A well-known business executive with strong ties to Wisconsin is moving his Florida company’s headquarters to Milwaukee, creating management jobs and possibly paving the way for manufacturing here.
Tim Sullivan, the former chief executive of Bucyrus International Inc. (now Caterpillar Inc.’s mining equipment division) said Monday he’s moving REV Group Inc. from Orlando, Fla., to offices in downtown Milwaukee and possibly the suburbs over the next few months.
REV Group is a privately-held manufacturer of ambulances, firetrucks, buses, shuttle vans, motor homes, and other specialty vehicles. It has about $2 billion in annual revenue, 5,700 employees, and 15 factories in Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, Florida and Texas.
Wisconsin has an adult population (21 or over) of about 4.4 million. Roughly 1 out of every 16 Wisconsin adult residents now has a concealed carry permit.
There was one manslaughter homicide by a citizen with a permit — who claimed self defense, but was convicted by a jury– in the last four years. That translates into a homicide rate for permit holders of about .22 homicides per 100/000 people per year. That’s less than 1/13 of the homicide rate for Wisconsin on average.
Hopefully Wisconsin can advance constitutional carry so that these kinds of milestones become meaningless.
Boris Johnson has transformed the terms of the EU referendum debate by announcing that “after a huge amount of heartache” he is to throw his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU.
The London mayor announced on Sunday that he will campaign for a leave vote after concluding that David Cameron’s deal will not deliver the reformed EU he promised.
Speaking outside his home in north London, the mayor said his decision had been “agonisingly difficult”. But he added: “I would like to see a new relationship based more on trade, on cooperation, with much less of this supranational element. So that is where I’m coming from and that is why I have decided, after a huge amount of heartache, because the last thing I wanted was to go againstDavid Cameron or the government, I don’t think there is anything else I can do.
“I will be advocating Vote Leave – or whatever the team is called, I understand there are a lot of them – because I want a better deal for the people of this country, to save them money and to take control. That is really what this is all about.”
Downing Street issued a low-key response. A No 10 spokesman said: “Our message to everyone is we want Britain to have the best of both worlds: all the advantages of the jobs and investment that come with being in the EU, without the downsides of being in the euro and open borders.”
Essentially, many in Britain think that their nation’s membership in the European Union costs more than it’s worth. The increasing regulatory regime of the EU is threatening the British economy. What’s aggravating the issue is the migrant crisis in mainland Europe where their lenient migrant policies are creating huge costs and problems for which the EU wants nations like Britain to pay.
Remember that it was only in 2014 that there was a huge national debate in Britain about Scotland cleaving from Britain and becoming an independent nation again. A big part of that debate centered around Scots’ desire to join the EU as an independent nation and reap the perceived benefits that smaller, poorer nations enjoy with their EU membership. In that vote, the Scots agreed to stay part of Britain, but it wasn’t a landslide (55% to 45%). Now all of those same Scots will vote on EU membership.
Britain won’t vote until June 23rd. It’s going to be a long, passionate debate.
So after agreeing to a path to nuclear weapons for Iran, Obama wanted to give North Korea a free hand with its nukes? Lovely. Well, at least we’re not normalizing relations with anti-American regimes that oppress their citizens… oh, wait.
The White House secretly agreed to enter negotiations with North Korea to formally end the Korean War, going so far as to agree to eliminate preconditions concerning its nuclear program, just days before the country tested what it claimed to be a hydrogen bomb.
The Wall Street Journalreported the Obama administration instead “called for North Korea’s atomic weapons program to be simply part of the talks. Pyongyang declined the counter-proposal, according to U.S. officials familiar with the events. Its nuclear test on Jan. 6 ended the diplomatic gambit.”
In the wake of the Jan. 6 nuclear test, the U.S. and Japan imposed new sanctions on North Korea, with the U.S. blacklisting “primarily Chinese” companies that do business with the dictatorship, according to the Journal.
News of the failed negotiations will be a headache for the Obama administration, which sought to capitalize on the momentum generated from another nuclear deal with Iran. Conservatives in Congress and elsewhere have harshly criticized the president for what they see as insufficiently tough foreign policy.
(CNN)Jeb Bush is suspending his campaign for the Republican nomination, he announced Saturday night.
He needed to drop out. He wasn’t going to win. Perhaps if he were the first Bush son to run, he would have had a chance. Let’s hope some others follow his lead.
by Owen | 1905, 20 Feb 1616 | Politics | 0 Comments
Although there’s a lot of counting left to do. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the field does. As for Trump… I’m embarrassed for the Republican Party right now.
(CNN)Hillary Clinton will win the Nevada Democratic caucuses, CNN projects, a crucial victory that could ease concerns about her ability to secure the party’s nomination.
With 72% of the expected vote in, Clinton was ahead of Sanders 52.2% to 47.7%.
The win provides a jolt of momentum to the former secretary of state as she heads into the February 27 South Carolina Democratic primary and Super Tuesday on March 1.
by Owen | 1428, 20 Feb 1616 | Off-Duty | 1 Comment
CPR comes in handy 25 years after Red Cross course
This is National Heart Month and at least two people at UW-Washington County can offer solid testimonials on why everyone should take a course on CPR.
“I didn’t have a choice but to jump into action,” said Cherie Hart, an associate lecturer in music at UW-Washington County.
The scenario that occurred the first day of this semester played out in Hart’s second-floor office at UWWC. “It was January 25 and one of my students was in my office and he started convulsing and lost consciousness,” Hart said.
Within a minute, Hart started CPR. “I was by myself, I looked in the halls twice and there was nobody around.”
Hart’s student, Jerry Williams, is taking her Fundamentals in music course. He suffers from ventricular fibrillation. “I retired about five years ago but taught traditional shop and tech-ed,” Williams said. “I find it ironic I’ve taught electronics for 34 years and I have some faulty wiring.”
Hart is small in stature and Williams is well over 6-feet tall.
“I needed somebody to help me get him onto the ground to properly do CPR,” she said. “The third time I looked out there was a kid, Tyler Schulz, walking by. We got Jerry on the ground so I could really do compressions.”
It was about 25 years ago Hart took a CPR class from the Red Cross.
“I don’t know why but it stuck,” she said. “It’s not hard to do but I just remembered it.”
For someone who has spent a career in music, Hart was quickly able to discern the situation.
“When he first lost consciousness I wasn’t sure what was going on but then he turned greenish grey and I knew he didn’t have long,” she said. “I called 9-1-1 and they said I had to get him on the ground to do it (the compressions) properly.”
With the help of Schultz, the two got Williams on the ground and Hart started chest compressions; that was enough to get Williams color back. “The dispatcher stayed on the phone with us,” said Hart, alternating between breaths and chest compressions.
Schultz raced to waive the rescue crews to the correct door and brought them to the office.
“This was the first time I put my CPR training into practice,” said Hart.
Once the emergency crews arrived, they slid Williams into the hall, took over compressions, shocked him twice and the second time was enough to bring him back.
Reflecting on the experience Hart said, “I feel like parts of me are still on the floor.”
Williams, who remembers little about the incident, was back in class by the end of the week.
“He said thanks many times,” said Hart. “Taking a CPR class should be mandatory. Knowing how to do CPR gave me something to do instead of standing there helpless.”
Hart is using the situation as a catalyst and offering extra credit to any of her students that take a CPR class.
Memorial balloon release Sunday for Ryan Yauck
There will be a balloon release Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. at Riverside Park in West Bend as a tribute to Ryan Yauck, the 18 year old who was killed in an accident Monday on Highway 45. Visitation for Yauck will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the West Bend High School Silver Lining Arts Center with funeral services at 11:45 a.m. with Pastor Troy Loether of Kettlebrook Church officiating. Burial will follow in Holy Angels Cemetery.
Delta Defense named 2015 Business of the Year in WB
Delta Defense has been named the Business of the Year 2015 in the city of West Bend. Tim and Tonnie Schmidt were presented the award this week for their outstanding commitment to the community, economic growth, leadership and job creation.
Over the past few years Delta Defense has quickly grown as a thriving business, solid employer and dedicated community servant.
Delta Defense was recognized for its 110,000 active members and more than 70 employees. “In three years in this position I’ve only lost three employees,” said human resources director Cynthia Wade Zimmer.
Delta Defense has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies.
Delta will be moving into a new state-of-the-art headquarters in West Bend Corporate Center.
Delta Defense is strongly committed to supporting the community and area non-for-profit organizations. Delta Defense works to donate 3 percent of its annual sales to the community.
Volunteer Center of Washington County, the Downtown West Bend Banner Art Walk, and the Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s.
“Being selected as the Business of the Year makes me feel proud and appreciated and it validates everything I know about West Bend,” said CEO and President Tim Schmidt.
This is the second year the award has been presented in West Bend; the inaugural recipient of the award was West Bend Mutual in 2014.
“For organizations like West Bend Mutual and Delta Defense to decide West Bend is going to be the place where they grow their business, that has a big impact on this community,” Mayor Kraig Sadownikow said.
“It also makes a difference when their employees live and invest their time and energy in this community that makes a big impression on West Bend.”
Sadownikow said the impression of West Bend used to be it was a challenging place to do business. “In the last five years we’ve worked to change that and improve our customer service and I’m hoping we can attract a dozen more businesses like Delta Defense or West Bend Mutual,” he said.
Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s heads to New Mexico
The annual Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s bicycle tour will head to New Mexico. I will fly out June 22 with my bicycle to Albuquerque, head northwest to Shiprock and then pedal home. I’m calling it ‘vacation.’
Once again, a huge thanks to Tim Schmidt and USCCA for stepping forward as the primary sponsor of the tour. “I believe in you, Judy, and I believe what you’re riding for is so important,” Schmidt said.
The Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s hopes to clear $100,000 this year. All donations stay local and help support music and exercise activities at Cedar Community in West Bend. Watch for another big announcement about the tour Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Cedar Ridge.
Athletes for the Arts to host The Well Pennies
The West Bend High Schools will host The Well Pennies for a spring concert Friday, May 6 at The Silver Lining Arts Center. The Well Pennies” are a nationally known band from Los Angeles, consisting of a husband and wife duo. The Well Pennies have a folk-pop format and they will be accompanied by over 100 high school orchestra students.
“This is the third year Athletes for the Arts have hosted a concert,” Superintendent Ted Neitzke said. “The Plain White T’s performed the first year and last year it was I’m not a Pilot.”
The collaborative concert will raise money for The Silver Lining Arts Center and a fund for a new and improved sound system in the high school field house.
The benefit concert is a student-led project organized by members of Athletes for the Arts and made possible with help from the community. Tickets will be $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold at various locations.
Interfaith Caregivers unveil “heartwork”
More than 100 people took part this week in the “Pieces of the Heart” Open House at Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County. The organization, which connects older adults with caring volunteers, welcomed guests to tour its new location, 2374A W. Washington St. in the Lawrence and Vivian Stockhausen Center.
Volunteers with Interfaith celebrated with homemade cookies and sweets and administrators unveiled the new “heartwork” artwork which is a display of the community’s connection to Interfaith.
English import store opening in downtown WB
Downtown West Bend will soon to be home to an English import store, Mind the Gap, 121 S. Main St. “I’ve been in banking the 12 years and this has been a dream of mine to open a business,” said Robert Tye of Kewaskum. He’ll be opening Mind the Gap within the next week with his wife Sarah.
Originally from England, Tye speaks with a thick Essex accent. “We’re calling the shop Mind the Gap and we’ll have English food, sweets and chips,” he said. “The main part of the business will be English toys, umbrellas, and British pop culture.”
The couple said items connected to British culture are on the rise including Harry Potter, Dr. Who, and Sherlock Holmes.
“This is huge now,” said Tye. “A big fan base has grown over the last three years. British items are in high demand on Amazon and I’ll have them in the store so people can pick them right up and not have to wait for delivery.”
Tye, 32, and his wife picked downtown West Bend for their store because of the proximity to their home in Kewaskum and they’ve found the community friendly.
“We love West Bend – so many nice people, we wanted a warm environment – a place where we thought we could make it,” he said. “This is a perfect location with Music on Main and the Farmers’ Market.”
By July, Tye would like Mind the Gap to carry English beer and have a beer-tasting section.
Mind the Gap will be open seven days a week starting at 10 a.m.
Mind the Gap is an English saying related to the underground rail system. When the train pulls in there’s a familiar voice that says ‘Mind the gap’ because you’ve got to get across that space to get on the train. A soft opening will be held in the coming weeks as the store prepares a grand opening March 1.
Quinn Skidmore heads to D.C.
West Bend West High School senior Quinn Skidmore will head to Washington D.C. at the end of the month to compete for a $30,000 scholarship in the VFW Voice of Democracy essay contest. Skidmore took first place for the district and she advanced from the state-level competition.
The Voice of Democracy contest required high schools students to write an essay and record a 3-5 minute audio rendition of that essay on the theme, “My Vision for America.” The results will be announced at an awards program Monday evening Feb. 29.
Exciting art coming to MOWA
Remember the posters from Kissey’s car show in Kewaskum and the artwork from the goofy Wacky-Pak cards from the 1980s – that style of poster art will be taught in a unique studio class Feb. 27 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art. The class will be taught by Milwaukee graphic designer and illustrator Michael Adler who will lead students through the creation of an “eye-popping” poster using illustration and design skills all while studying world-famous artists as a guide. Register by Feb. 23.
MOWA will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a talk from current members honoring their former teachers, mentors, and friends. Cake and refreshments will be served.
Updates & tidbits
–The Washington County Board of Canvass will finalize election results from the Feb. 16 primary on Tuesday, Feb. 23 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The city of West Bend will canvass its votes Monday, Feb. 22 at 8:30 a.m. in the Clerk’s Conference Room at City Hall. The General Election is April 5.
-Jake Poad, a 2003 graduate of West Bend West High School, is the new manager at Pick N’ Save south. Poad replaces Luke Waning who managed the store the last few years.
-Assembly Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) and Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac) will meet with students at David Star Lutheran in Jackson on Monday. Kremer said they will talk to students about what government is about. Kremer and Thiesfeldt are both graduates of David Star Lutheran and Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School.
– Forward Dental and Dr. Richard Lightsey are now accepting patients at the West Bend clinic, 1006 S. Main St. Dr. Lightsey is a graduate of Marquette University.
-Living Word Lutheran High School in Jackson has secured full funding for its new LW Global Education Building. The purpose of the building will be to house up to 20 boarding students. The construction of the facility is fully funded by third source investors. “Our partners provide the capital to build, furnish, and operate,” said Principal Dave Miskimen. “Living Word provides the land and management.” Stay tuned for construction details.
–The Kettle Moraine YMCA’s gymnastics team is hosting a gymnastics meet Feb. 27-28. Nearly 500 gymnasts from throughout Wisconsin will compete in USAG Levels 1 – 9 and xcels. Competitors as young as 5 years old begin at 8 a.m. The event runs throughout the weekend.
-Kewaskum Middle School presents Peter Pan. Performances at the Kewaskum High School Theater is Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.
– On March 2 a group of volunteers from the Washington County Senior Center including volunteer coordinator, Pat Martin, will be reading to students at Green Tree Elementary School in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
-A special bicycling committee is working on several events for later this year including Bike to School Day on May 4 and Bike to Work Day on May 20. A special helmet fitting is also set for April 30 at the Kettle Moraine YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day.
Theo Richter ice house
Today’s 1920 history photo is courtesy Lee Krueger. It’s the Theo Richter ice house.
I was after a photo of maple syrup tree tapping. Krueger said the weather is warm enough and the sap is probably running but “all our equipment is still in storage.”
Krueger and his wife Mary live on Little Cedar Lake. He’s been making syrup for the past 47 years. “As a kid I made it with my grandfather,” he said. “I resurrected syruping in 1969 after I returned from ‘Nam.”
A typical three-week season of the maple run ends when the trees start to bud. A good year, according to Krueger, may produce 2,000 gallons of sap, which boils down to 50 gallons of syrup.
Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg said it will start tapping trees on Tuesday. Most of its tree tapping is coordinated with education and school tours.
Nashville Public Library officials have told Nashville’s chapter of Black Lives Matter that meetings that welcome only people of color can’t take place inside the city’s libraries.
That decision has outraged members of Black Lives Matter, who say the library canceled all future meetings the group had organized for later this month.
But library officials say they’re simply enforcing a library policy that says all meetings at their facilities must be open to the general public and news media.
“The library didn’t cancel anyone’s meeting,” said library spokeswoman Emily Waltenbaugh, referring to a Black Lives Matter meeting for Saturday morning that the organization has now rescheduled for a church instead.
“We’re a library,” she said. “We’re taxpayer funded. We have to be open to anyone anytime.”
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern over the detentions of Uganda’s main opposition candidate Kizza Besigye and harassment of opposition party members in a call to President Yoweri Museveni on Friday, the State Department said.
Kerry also called on Museveni to rein in the security forces and to lift a block on social media and mobile money sites, the State Department said.
Seattle Parks and Recreation is facing a first-of-a-kind challenge to gender bathroom rules. A man undressed in a women’s locker room, citing a new state rule that allows people to choose a bathroom based on gender identity.
It was a busy time at Evans Pool around 5:30pm Monday February 8. The pool was open for lap swim. According to Seattle Parks and Recreation, a man wearing board shorts entered the women’s locker room and took off his shirt. Women alerted staff, who told the man to leave, but he said “the law has changed and I have a right to be here.”
Particularly sticky is this:
Right now, there’s no specific protocol for how someone should demonstrate their gender in order to access a bathroom. Employees just rely on verbal identification or physical appearance, and this man offered neither.
Nor can there be a specific protocol. In our culture, we have been conditioned to not question how someone feels. If a man says he identifies as a woman – even if he has a magnificent beard and a soothing baritone voice – who are we to doubt him? What city employee is going to risk being sued and/or fired for making that call? Once we have unmoored ourselves from nature and centuries of social norms, it is no easy matter to settle on a new societal consensus.
The 2015-17 state budget allowed school districts to increase revenues — state aid and property taxes — for students attending private voucher schools, typically about $10,000 per pupil. The districts also lose state aid based on the amount claimed for a voucher, which is capped at about $7,300 for K-8 and $8,000 for high school.
[…]
The scaled-back version of the bill that passed Thursday would allow school districts to retain as much funding in state aid and property tax levy authority per pupil as the amount of each student’s private school voucher.
Under current law, a school district can levy a tax at their spending level for a kid that they don’t have to educate. Under the new bill, a school district can still levy slightly less tax for a kid they don’t have to educate. Either way they are collecting taxes (revenue) without needing to spend anything (cost). It seems that the only people for whom either arrangement is unfair are the taxpayers.
Milwaukee County investigators fired back Friday at Attorney General Brad Schimel in a court filing, calling his public statements about their actions in a halted John Doe probe into Gov. Scott Walker’s recall campaign “defamatory” and “unacceptable.”
Last month, Schimel asked a federal judge in a related lawsuit not to block the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s order that the investigators turn over evidence collected in the John Doe investigation, which the state court halted in July.
In a statement issued the same day as his filing, Schimel said the state high court determined investigators “are requesting the federal court contradict the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s order requiring that the evidence unlawfully seized by the John Doe investigators be kept under seal.”
Schimel also told conservative talk radio hosts that day that the investigators were illegally holding the evidence and that they “stole” it, according to a transcript of the interview.
Members of the West Bend Cultural Alliance, the organization hoping to buy the vacant theater at 125 N. Main St., met Thursday night to rehearse what steps need to be taken to reach that goal.
John Sancomb, who led the meeting in the absence of President Nancy Storrs, said a plan needs to be drawn up that will satisfy the city’s Common Council and the Downtown Business Improvement District — both of which have shown support for the project — and will be attractive to possible donors.
Thursday night was only the second time the Alliance has met since becoming involved in the plan to renovate the theater and refurbish the now-defunct bridge into a usable span over the Milwaukee River, providing pedestrian access to parking across the river.
“We need to have a clearer vision of what the theater can be,” Sancomb said.
Kevin Zimmer, who initially proposed restoring the theater, said a study was done by an architectural firm, but “it was a very grandiose plan that included using additional buildings,” something Zimmer said he doesn’t think should be part of the plan.
You might remember that this came to a head last month when the city was moving ahead with a plan to tear down the Bridge to Nowhere – a defunct enclosed pedestrian bridge over the Milwaukee River. The folks who wanted to renovate the West Bend Theater insisted that the bridge was critical to that renovation and got the city to keep the bridge. The city agreed after the BID put up the money to tear down the bridge in the event that the theater renovation never comes to fruition. The city put a time limit on these plans and told the group that they have to have an approved plan and (I think) broken ground by this time next year. If they don’t, then the city will call in the money from BID and tear down the bridge.
That was a month ago. Since then, the Cultural Alliance has only met a couple of times. The only thing they have agreed upon is that the seats in the renovated theater should be removable. That’s it. They can’t agree on the final vision. As far as I can tell, they still don’t even have a plan to fund the renovation. In a project of this size and scope, a year (less than a year with the time needed to get city approvals) goes very quickly and it appears that they have frittered away a month already.
It’s disappointing. We would all like to see the theater renovated, but it’s beginning to look like the effort is stumbling. Unfortunately, if they don’t get their act together, West Bend will go through another controversy next year when the city moves to tear down the bridge and the Cultural Alliance pushes for more time.
