Boots & Sabers

The blogging will continue until morale improves...

Month: June 2016

Dept. of Corrections Begins Force Feeding Protesting Inmates

I, for one, oppose the DOC’s refusal to permit these prisoners to exercise one of their few remaining freedoms of choice. If they choose not to eat, that’s their right. If they die because of that choice, so be it.

The state Department of Corrections is force feeding at least three inmates as a hunger strike aimed at ending a form of solitary confinement that can go on for years — even decades — continues for a third week.

Around the Bend by Judy Steffes

Automotive Row on Hwy 33 Just Got Bigger

Automotive row on W. Washington Street in West Bend just got a little bigger as Steve Kearns sold another property on the southwest corner of Valley Avenue and Highway 33.

Just last week Kearns cut a deal with Russ Darrow.  He sold nearly 11 acres on West Washington Street just east of Valley Avenue in West Bend to Darrow for $3 million.

On Monday, Kearns completed another deal for 3.65 acres on the west side of Valley Avenue. He sold the parcel to Sam and Mary Ann Scaffidi, owners of Heiser Chevrolet Cadillac in West Bend.

“The reason my dad and I like this parcel is because I absolutely love West Bend,” said Mary Ann Scaffidi. “I’m from a smaller  town and I love …..

Remembering Gene Otten – “I’d have to say Grandpa loved his family most.”
Elise Ann Otten reached out to the Washington County Insider and shared this note and some photos of her grandpa, Gene Otten, who passed away June 11, 2016:

“On behalf of the Otten Family, thank you again for writing a piece on my grandpa’s funeral service. We’ve all very much appreciated and gotten a kick out of the other posts you and the good people of Barton have written both on the Washington County Insider and the Facebook group. It’s been so wonderful to read the memories over the past few days.

I’ve attached the reflection my cousin Sophia Dramm gave at the beginning of the service (see below). It truly embodies how my dad, my Aunt Lynda and all of us grandkids feel about Gene and being a part of his family.”

My grandfather was a special man. He was kind, generous, devoted, holy. All of these things came from his incredible ability to love. He loved his dear friends, his church, the customers at his grocery store, his brothers from the Knights of Columbus, the strangers he met on the street – and his family. To describe my Grandpa in one word would be “loving.” Of course, you all know that, and that’s why you’re here. You had the honor to be loved by the wonderful Gene Otten, and are returning the love today.

Not to be biased, but I’d have to say Grandpa loved his family the most. I mean, he said it before every meal, “Thanks dear Lord for Sue and family.” I was blessed to have been a part of Gene’s family as his granddaughter for nineteen years – nineteen years too short.

Besides loving, Grandpa was always incredibly proud of us grandchildren. He was especially amazed by our intelligence, with four of us at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and one at Marquette University, and always loved the fact that we all went to Catholic high schools. Grandpa always called us “wizards” at school and often wondered exactly where our smartness came from, claiming it was “not from his side.”

When Grandpa was proud of us, you could literally see him glowing with pride. There were two times when I knew Grandpa was especially proud of me. One time was when I got accepted to UW-Madison, which he didn’t realize for a good five minutes because he couldn’t hear me on the phone. The other was when I performed a lead role in “The Nutcracker” ballet, which he called “The Woodpecker.” In those times, Grandpa was so happy for me that I felt his love at its very strongest.

Of his family, Gene loved his wife, my grandmother, Sue, the absolute most. He had so much devotion to her. (Actually, the last time I was up here reading was for her funeral in 2009.) Every day since her death, Grandpa visited Grandma’s grave, praying, crying, watering flowers, visiting other family members. He went every single day. If that’s not commitment, then I don’t know what is. Though they were divided on Earth after her death, he made sure they remained united by heart. But now, they have been reunited. Though there’s not a time that goes by when I think of my grandma and miss her, and now my Grandpa, I can honestly say that I feel at peace knowing they are together again.

All of us here have been touched by my grandpa’s love in some way. Though he’s not with us anymore, I think we are all certain he is now in a better, more beautiful place with some of the people he loved the absolute most. Thank you for coming to celebrate his life.

Amazing Ride For Alzheimer’s 2016 Is Under Way

DAY ONE – And the license plate makes it official: On Tuesday, June 21, Judy Steffes left for New Mexico to begin her cycle tour back to West Bend. It is an annual event that continues to grow as she raises funding for Alzheimer’s programs at Cedar Community of West Bend.

Starting out on Day 1 of the 2016 Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s Judy hit an unexpected flat tire. Not one to be troubled by minor inconveniences, she changed out the tire and ramped it up on the road.

Jim Glover from JCM Automotive on Yale Blvd. donated an old New Mexico license plate to the tour.
“The previous governor told us we had to go from an all yellow plate to a rainbow color so we’d be diversified,” he said laughing.

I Haven’t Taken a Spill Like That Since I was….6?

Total disclosure, I had my first big crash on Tuesday. Fluke accident. I was on the sidewalk looking at local art, rounding a corner and my wheel hit a crack and stuck. Down I went like a sack of potatoes, but a little more clunky.
Good grief, I haven’t fallen down since I was about 6 years old. When did the ground get so far down there?

I was clipped in to my pedals, which helped not at all. Of course it was the busy corner on the Main drag. I’ll admit it wasn’t the most graceful recovery. It was kind of a sit up, then to a knee and finally reaching for a nearby wall to heft myself off the ground.

I took a major pause to give the impression I was reassessing the situation…. in reality it was me shaking off the stars. Dang – could’ve broke a hip.

Landed on my biggest muscle. Thank God that has plenty of cushion.

JESUS or Jesus

I came upon this Big Jesus Sale. Just had to stop and check it out.

Found quite a few Big Jesus wooden carvings, nothing I could carry on my bike so I decided to push along.

A sales person met me at the door and clarified. “The owner’s name is Jesus – HAY-SOOS – the Mexican pronunciation.  ‘He’ was having a big sale.”NM LICENSE PLATE

Brexit

I gotta admit, I thought they would vote to stay in the EU.

Prime Minister David Cameron is to step down by October after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, he said “fresh leadership” was needed.

The PM had urged the country to vote Remain but was defeated by 52% to 48% despite London, Scotland and Northern Ireland backing staying in.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage hailed it as the UK’s “independence day”, while Boris Johnson said the result would not mean “pulling up the drawbridge”.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was “absolutely determined” to keep Scotland in the EU so a second Scottish independence referendum was now “highly likely”.

It’s proving to be a fascinating political year on both sides of the pond.

New State Government Employment Rules Released

The devil is always in the details of implementation, but it’s a good start on paper.

Among the most serious offenses that can lead to immediate firing are:

  • Harassing a person while on duty.
  • Being intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance.
  • Stealing state property or services, stealing money, or damaging state property.
  • A criminal conviction, while on or off duty, that makes it impossible for the employee to perform work duties.
  • Misusing or abusing state property, including using state equipment to download, view, solicit, seek, display, or distribute pornographic material.

The work-based offenses that put state employees on track to be fired through a progressive-style of discipline include:

  • Violating the state’s work rules, including being disobedient.
  • Appearing intoxicated at work.
  • Possessing drugs.
  • Giving false information.
  • Appearing unkempt or inappropriately dressed.
  • Running a personal business on state time.
  • Misusing or abusing days off.
  • Inflicting mental anguish on another person.

Democrats Throw Tantrum

Bunch of babies.

Democrats, led by civil rights icon John Lewis, took control of the chamber Wednesday morning demanding a vote on gun control legislation. Republicans are resisting a vote — saying they don’t want to give in to such tactics — and emerged from a private meeting Wednesday evening with a different plan: trying to hold a vote on stalled funding to combat the Zika virus.
“With the threat of the Zika virus — to pregnant women especially — we must pass this bill before we leave town and that’s our drive and our goal and I’m hopeful that we will not see obstructionism by certain members of the House and or the Senate to keep that from happening,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers told reporters.
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, House Speaker Paul Ryan dismissed the sit-in effort as a “publicity stunt.” Behind closed doors, he promised Republicans they would vote on a veto override and take up Zika funding.
They want to take away Americans’ rights so bad that they are willing to sit around for hours in an ornate, air conditioned room.
Got it.

List of Supreme Court Finalists Down to Three

This is a pretty good list.

The finalists are 2nd District Appeals Court Judge Mark Gundrum, 3rd District Appeals Court Judge Thomas Hruz and attorney Dan Kelly. Gundrum is a former Republican state lawmaker who served with Walker in the Assembly.

Walker named Hruz to the appeals court in 2014.

Kelly is an attorney who defended Republicans’ 2011 redistricting plan.

Two other semifinalists who did not make Walker’s final list were Jefferson County Circuit Judge Randy Koschnick and Marinette County Circuit Judge James Morrison.

Trump Pays Self

This has been Trump’s MO for every business he has every run. It is how he got rich. No matter how well the company does, he always pays himself well. That way, even if the company fails, he still comes our ahead. He’s doing the exact same thing with his newest venture.

Washington (CNN)Donald Trump has directed nearly one-fifth of his campaign cash to companies that are part of his vast business empire, new federal records show.

Trump, hurting for cash after he suddenly stopped self-funding his campaign last month, has mixed his public campaign and his private ventures for nearly the entire 2016 race. He has promoted Trump products at campaign events, publicly litigated a federal civil suit he’s facing over Trump University on talk shows, and, this week, will bring the political press to Scotland for a tour of a Trump golf course.
And it shows in his latest campaign finance report, filed Monday: Trump-linked businesses account for 17% of all campaign expenses to date. He’s paid almost $11 million to Trump organizations since launching his campaign a year ago.

Act 10’s Effect on the Teacher Workforce

Interesting findings from The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty.

Some of the findings include:

  1. When compared to neighboring states, Act 10 had no significant impact on the number of students per school teacher.  Put another way, changes in classroom size did not differ significantly from changes in neighboring states.
  1. When compared to surrounding states, we did not find any significant effect by Act 10 on school district spending on teacher gross salaries (incl. bonuses, some pay for performance, and stipends).  We did find an effect by Act 10 on base salaries.  We suspect that this reflects the new marketplace for teachers post-Act 10 where districts are moving towards pay-for-performance, bonuses, and stipends, as described in a previous WILL study.
  1. There was little difference in the change in average teacher experience before and after Act 10.
  1. There was little difference in the change in racial makeup of the teaching workforce before and after Act 10.
  1. Wisconsin’s teacher decline began well before the implementation of Act 10.

Paul Nehlen’s Business Doesn’t Appear to Actually Do Any Business

The evidence is pretty damning that Paul Nehlen, Paul Ryan’s primary opponent who is running to the right of Ryan, is a fraud.

Paul Nehlen has made his business experience the centerpiece of his primary campaign against House Speaker Paul Ryan, but while he claims to be a “Wisconsin small business owner,” there is no evidence that his business has ever actually done business in Wisconsin…or anywhere else, for that matter.

Good work by Dan O’Donnell.

A&M Improves Diversity Without Affirmative Action

This is interesting.

The Texas Tribunereports that Texas A&M University has seen a 114 percent increase in black and Hispanic student enrollment since 2003 — effectively more than doubling its minority student population — despite the fact that it refuses to employ affirmative action. In comparison, black and Hispanic enrollment has only grown by 45 percent over the same time period at UT Austin, which proudly uses affirmative action.

What’s Texas A&M’s secret? Campus officials told the Tribune it’s because they use the state’s controversial Top 10 Percent Rule:

Texas’ Top 10 Percent Rule … promises automatic admission into public Texas universities for students who rank near the top of their high school’s graduating class. The rule ignores the SAT and other factors, which on average benefit white and Asian students, and was meant to ensure that a certain number of students from the state’s poorer, lower-performing schools can also get into a top public college.

With the rule in place, then-President Robert Gates figured A&M could achieve more diversity without changing other admissions policies.

“Every student who is at A&M must know … that he or she and all students here have been admitted on personal merit,” Gates said at the time.

On the other hand, I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the 10 Percent Rule. Imagine that your kid is brilliant so you send him or her to the best high school you can. In a school of other exceptional kids, your kid is in the 11th percentile. He or she is still brighter that 99% of the kids at a lot of other schools, but since he or she is in the 11th percentile at this school, the 10 Percent Rule doesn’t apply. Meanwhile, a lot of slots at some of the better schools are being filled up by kids who are in the top 10% of crappy high schools. Many of those kids don’t graduate because they lack the skills, but they took a slot nonetheless.

I don’t think I would like to see a similar rule passed in Wisconsin, but the consequences – both negative and positive – are instructive.

Stroebel Resists Push for Tax Increase for Roads

Good points.

But state Sen. Duey Stroebel said all the talk of the declining condition of the state’s roads needs to be debunked.

The Saukville Republican said in an interview broadcast Sunday on “UpFront with Mike Gousha” that people should consider the source and motivation of those who publicize road grades.

“We hear about these studies that say how bad our roads are,” Stroebel said. “Well, you look at who pays for those studies? It’s people who make money building roads. The road builders are paying for those studies.”

Stroebel opposes tax or fee increases to help pay for what some claim is a crumbling state transportation system. He said other studies show a different picture for Wisconsin’s roads.

A report by the conservative Reason Foundation showed Wisconsin’s highway ranking improving from 31st in 2009 to 15th in 2012.

Stroebel said that in the Reason Foundation report, the four states ranked as having the worst roads have prevailing wage laws and no right to work law. The 10 states with the best roads, he said, do not have prevailing wage and have instituted right to work.

As with anything…. follow the money. There is a reason that we have a coordinated push for more transportation spending.

Stroebel brings up a good point about prevailing wage. Although Wisconsin has gotten rid of the prevailing wage requirements for some projects, we have not fully repealed prevailing wage requirements. Let’s fully enact these policy prescriptions before thinking about tax increases.

WEAC Membership Plummeting

Wow.

[Madison, Wis…] More than 58 percent of active union members left the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) since 2011, according to a new study by the Education Intelligence Agency. The drop in membership is the largest percentage change in the country over the last five years.

In just the last year, almost 5,100 members left the state’s largest teachers’ union – a 12.3 percent drop from 2014. Before the passage of Act 10, WEAC had almost 100,000 members. Today, the union stands at just 36,074 members.

The landscape for WEAC hasn’t changed since Act 10 was passed. We saw a big drop in membership right after ACT 10 went into effect with about a third of the membership leaving. Since that initial drop, another third has left. WEAC appears to be struggling to show value to the existing membership.

Fixing state budget potholes

My column for the West Bend Daily News is online. Here you go:

There is a battle brewing over transportation funding in Wisconsin causing fissures between some prominent Republicans. Specifically, Speaker Robin Vos and Gov. Scott Walker are at odds, but both of them are wrong.

Virtually everyone in Wisconsin agrees that maintaining a quality transportation infrastructure is vital to the state. Our economy flows across our roads, rails, waterways and skyways. Constructing and maintaining our transportation infrastructure is a defined responsibility of our government. It is the scope and means of fulfilling that responsibility upon which disagreements arise.

With an election looming and the next state budget debate coming in less than seven months, people are already maneuvering for position. The problem with the state transportation budget, as defined by some, is that the funding cannot keep up with the necessary spending.

The money for state transportation spending comes from a variety of sources. Chief among these sources are the fuel tax and registration fees, which account for 56 percent of all state transportation revenue. Twenty-four percent comes from federal funds, 7 percent comes from general purpose revenue and other funds, and in the most recent budget, 13 percent came from borrowing.

According to the state Department of Transportation, all state transportation revenue, 56 percent of all funds, has only risen by 3.4 percent in constant 2013 dollars since 2006. Over the same period, state transportation appropriations rose by 5.1 percent in constant 2013 dollars. The biggest problem is that the revenue from the fuel tax has been essentially flat for years. The concept of taxing fuel was a good one as it served as a proxy for usage with people who use the transportation system more having to pay more for it. But in an age of fuel-efficient vehicles, electric cars, etc. the fuel tax is a poor proxy for usage. A new taxing mechanism is needed, but there are more fundamental issues that need resolving before determining the optimum funding methodology.

Essentially, the cost of transportation is increasing faster than the revenue that is used to fund it. The state has been patching the problem in the past few budgets by borrowing to fill in the gap. This is where the rub between Walker and Vos comes in.

Vos believes it is poor public stewardship to continue borrowing money to fill in the transportation budget. Such borrowing merely forces future taxpayers to pay for today’s transportation needs with interest. Vos wants to fix transportation funding for good so borrowing is not necessary. Vos’ goal is laudable.

Walker has said that he does not support any additional funding for transportation needs unless an equal amount of money is taken out of the budget elsewhere. He recognizes that despite years of improvement, Wisconsin is still a tax hell. The state still ranks as one of the worst in terms of state and local tax burden (second worst by WalletHub, fourth worst by CNN Money). Walker is insisting the overall budget remain flat and wants the Legislature to prioritize taxing and spending while not increasing the overall tax burden on the taxpayer. Walker’s goal is also laudable.

They are both missing the point. The problem with Wisconsin’s transportation budget is not that there is not enough money. The problem is the state is spending too much.

I wrote about this fact last May when this issue flared up again and it has not changed. A look at the Reason Foundation’s most recent 21st annual highway report shows Wisconsin is spending way more than comparable states.

For example, Wisconsin and Minnesota have almost the same number of highway miles at 11,766 and 11,833, respectively. They also have almost the same number of lane miles. They are both cold-weather states with a major metropolitan area. In terms of total spending on roads, Minnesota spends just over $132,000 per state-controlled mile. Wisconsin spends 72 percent more for a total of almost $227,000 per mile.

Breaking down the numbers is even more interesting. Wisconsin spends 25 percent more on administrative costs, but actually spends 38 percent less on maintenance. The big difference comes with construction. Wisconsin is spending 75 percent more than Minnesota for every new mile of road. In summary, Wisconsin spends a lot more money on administration and construction, but less on maintenance than Minnesota. That is a difference in priorities.

To think of it another way, if Wisconsin just lowered its spending to the same amount per mile as Minnesota and prioritized maintenance over construction, it would save Wisconsin $1.1 billion per year and solve the transportation budget problem overnight while leaving a surplus to return to the taxpayers.

Wisconsin does not have a funding or taxing problem — it has a spending problem. Vos and Walker should look for common ground on reducing spending before locking horns on how to pay for the spending.

Brit Tries to Kill Trump

Dude… keep that crap on your side of the pond.

A Briton who tried to grab a police officer’s gun at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas said he wanted to shoot the US candidate, court papers say.

Michael Steven Sandford, 20, did not enter a plea when he appeared before a judge in Nevada and was remanded in custody until a hearing on 5 July.

He is charged with an act of violence “on restricted grounds”.

He had reportedly tried to seize the gun after saying he was seeking Mr Trump’s autograph at Saturday’s rally.

He said he had been planning to try and shoot Mr Trump for about a year but had decided to act now because he finally felt confident enough to do so, court papers say.

SCOTUS Rules In Favor of Police in Unconstitutional Stop

I find myself agreeing with the dissent.

While the court held that the initial stop was unconstitutional, due to lack of reasonable suspicion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that overturned the Utah Supreme Court and held that because the arrest warrant was valid, the evidence was admissible.

Thomas portrayed the incident as the result of a couple “at most negligent” mistakes on the part of the officer, and downplayed its broader significance.

“There is no indication that this unlawful stop was part of any systemic or recurrent police misconduct,” he wrote. “To the contrary, all the evidence suggests that the stop was an isolated instance of negligence that occurred in connection with a bona fide investigation of a suspected drug house.”

But Sotomayor said the case was anything but minor.

“Do not be soothed by the opinion’s technical language: This case allows the police to stop you on the street, demand your identification, and check it for outstanding traffic warrants — even if you are doing nothing wrong,” she wrote.

Senate Succeeds in Thwarting Anti-Liberty Laws

Good.

Washington (CNN)Senators couldn’t muster enough bipartisan support to pass a series of gun control measures Monday, the latest in a long string of failed attempts at enacting tighter curbs on firearms in the United States.

 

Boy, no bias in that sentence by CNN, eh? I’m glad to see the Senate supporting the rights of free Americans who haven’t done anything wrong.

GAB Winds Down

Thank goodness.

Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board, the election and campaign agency that supporters laud as a pioneering success and critics call a failed experiment, ends this month after nearly a decade in existence.

It was a failed experiment. Now we need to keep a close eye on the new boards to make sure they are meeting expectations for impartial administration of our electoral system.

 

AG Lynch to Release Limited Transcripts

This is BS. These are public records and there is absolutely no reason to NOT release them in their entirety unless there is information in there the release of which would damage an ongoing investigation.

The Justice Department says the FBI and Orlando authorities, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s office, are expected on Monday to release a limited transcript of conversations Mateen had with authorities during the shooting as well as a timeline.
“He talked about his pledges of allegiance to a terrorist group. He talked about his motivations for why he was claiming at that time he was committing this horrific act. He talked about American policy in some ways,” Lynch said. In one of the call he pledged allegiance to ISIS, authorities have said.
“The reason why we’re going to limit these transcripts is to avoid re-victimizing those people that went through this horror. But it will contain the substance of his conversations,” she said.

State Fails to Sell Unused Property

Argh

In 2013, lawmakers agreed in the budget bill to give Gov. Scott Walker broad authority to sell state land and buildings to pay off state loans, but the program has only been used in one deal that had already been in the works for years before.

In that deal the state has approved selling two state properties, both connected to the same development to replace the state Department of Transportation headquarters. In that case, the $13.1 million from those two sales is mostly being used to hold down new debt on the massive project on Madison’s west side.

[…]

In a June 2014 memo to the state Building Commission, the Walker administrationlisted 10 possible properties to sell, including: a hangar at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison; the now-closed youth prison in Wales known as Ethan Allen School; the Northern Wisconsin Center for the developmentally disabled; the Wiscraft Workshop and administration buildings in Milwaukee; and various heating plants, cooling plants and telecommunications infrastructure around the state.

But so far the state has not sought to sell any of the other properties that might be allowed under the law, including prisons, highways and university dormitories.

The 2014 memo gave no details on the potential property sales and omitted the fair market value of possible sale properties, even though a 2013 law required the administration to give that information to the Building Commission by then.

Ummmm… June 2014 was 2 years ago. Has anybody done anything since then? Remember that we are talking about assets that the state isn’t using. Not only could the state use the proceeds from selling them to offset debut, but it would put those properties back on the tax rolls, thus taking pressure off of all other taxpayers.

The Walker Administration needs to get off its ass and move some assets.

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