Boots & Sabers

The blogging will continue until morale improves...

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Month: May 2017

Republican Agenda Slipping Away

by | 0723, 18 May 1717 | | 8 Comments

It appears that the Republicans in Washington have no capacity to lead and pass their rhetorical agenda.

Despite the flurry of activity, the prospects of quick action on taxes are dim because Congress has so many other things to deal with. Mr. Trump is expected to release a budget next week. That will set off a new debate about cuts to domestic programs and increases in military and border security spending for 2018. Congress faces an October deadline to pass a funding bill for next year. Otherwise, parts of the government will shut down.

Republicans in Congress must separately approve a budget resolution this summer if they want to use the reconciliation process to pass a tax overhaul with a simple majority in the Senate. That will determine the scope of the tax legislation that Republicans can pursue if they choose to exclude Democrats from the process. Health care legislation that is being put together in the Senate could lead to additional delays.

And to top things off, Republicans and Democrats must reach a deal this fall over raising the debt ceiling.

“I’m not optimistic that we can have actual legislation on the president’s desk in calendar year 2017,” said G. William Hoagland, vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center and a former director of the Senate Budget Committee. “There are a lot of other things on their plate, and they don’t have that many days left.”

2018 is shaping up as a Democratic sweep. Who will turn out to support a party that can’t get anything done even when they own Congress and the Presidency?

David Clarke Joins Dept. of Homeland Security

by | 2017, 17 May 1717 | , | 0 Comments

Good for Clarke!

Sheriff David Clarke will be leaving his position as Milwaukee County Sheriff (a position he’s held since 2002) to take a position with the Trump administration’s Dept. of Homeland Security as a multi-agency and local law enforcement liason.  Listen to my exclusive interview w/Clarke here:

Sheriff Clarke retires  

To learn more about the division Sheriff Clarke will oversee, click HERE.

Clarke says he hopes to be able to help fill the gaps between local law enforcement needs, local and federal intel and the federal government.  He says he told Gov. Walker some months ago he was likely to leave, but said he has not had a conversation w/Walker about his replacement.

Read more: http://newstalk1130.iheart.com/onair/vicki-mckenna-29300/exclusive-clarke-makes-announcement-on-my-15839681/#ixzz4hOAXF0dZ

Republicans Get Wobbly on Tax Relief

by | 0711, 17 May 1717 | | 4 Comments

Wisconsin Republicans seem to have lost the will to actually make bold reforms. Some want to nibble around the edges and some want to be Democrats. Complacency is a sure path to returning to the minority.

Gov. Walker wants to eliminate the tax, which is the last remaining portion of the state property tax. However, Joint Committee on Finance Co-Chairs, Senator Darling and Representative John Nygren, said there is division in their caucuses whether or not to do that.

“I think there’s some in our caucus that have concerns about the funding that the mill tax – things it funds with forestry – especially when you get into more rural parts of the state, but we also know it’s been a little bit of a slush fund,” Nygren said.

Nygren said he agrees with the governor on eliminating the tax. Darling said lower property taxes is a shared priority between the governor and legislature, but was less committal about where she stands on the issue.

“I think if you ask the regular person, what’s the most onerous tax? They’d say the property tax,” Darling said. “So that’s why we have it as a priority, and why it’s going to be a big issue of whether to accept the governor’s proposal on the forestry mill tax, or to have an alternative.”

Obama Praises Himself for Courage

by | 1533, 16 May 1717 | , | 0 Comments

Heh…

“I actually think that the issue that required the most political courage was the decision not to bomb Syria after the chemical weapons use had been publicized and rather to negotiate them removing chemical weapons from Syria,” Obama said in an interview with Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, which was published Monday.

That decision has come under renewed scrutiny following last month’s deadly sarin gas attack on Syrian civilians carried out by Syrian President Bashar Assad. President Trump subsequently ordered the bombing of a Syrian airfield and criticized Obama for not following through on a threatened military strike after Assad crossed what Obama had said was his “red line.”

“Now, we know subsequently that some [chemical weapons] remained, so it was an imperfect solution,” Obama said. “But what we also know is that 99 percent of huge chemical weapons stockpiled were removed without us having to fire a shot.”

Actually, we do not know that 99% of the chemical weapons were removed. We know nothing of the sort. What we do know is that Obama told us that 100% of the chemical weapons were removed and that hundreds of dead Syrians dispute Obama’s assertion.

Dakota Oil Pipeline Opens

by | 0600, 16 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

And the jobs start coming.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota is experiencing an uptick in oil activity after the state’s unprecedented oil boom cooled a few years ago.

The completion of the Dakota Access pipeline is among factors that has the oil industry newly optimistic.

Industry officials say the pipeline could open markets abroad where premium prices are typically fetched.

The price for North Dakota sweet crude has risen about $10 a barrel from a year ago. About 50 drill rigs were working in the state last week. That’s up more than 80 percent from the same time last year.

The increase in drilling activity has created a big workforce shortage. Officials say there are 500 more jobs listed in the heart of the state’s oil patch than one year ago.

Release of the Walker Trilogy

by | 0555, 16 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

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

In perhaps the most anticipated, but least surprising, announcement in Wisconsin politics, Gov. Scott Walker told fellow Republicans at the state Republican convention in Wisconsin Dells he is ready to serve a third term as governor.

Although he has said that, he will withhold an official announcement until after the budget is passed, there is little doubt that Walker will ask the voters to elect him as their governor for the fourth time.

One could not help but contrast Walker’s 2017 Wisconsin GOP convention speech to the one he made to the same audience last year. By the time the Wisconsin Republicans convened in 2016, Walker’s presidential campaign had been dead for nearly eight months, but Walker was clearly in no mood to talk about the presidential campaign or his future. In a speech that did not mention the Republican presidential nominee once, Walker focused on getting Republicans to focus on re-electing Sen. Ron Johnson.

The focus and mood were very different this year. Walker delivered a rousing highlight reel of his record as governor and enjoined the Republican stalwarts in the audience to rally to his campaign. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, Walker will have no problem turning out his base of supporters again. And while many conservatives became frustrated with Walker when he uncharacteristically flirted with nonconservative positions during his run for president, his record in less than seven years as governor is truly unmatched in advancing conservative principles and issues. Of course, Walker had the support of a Republican Legislature for much of his tenure, but those Republicans have been increasingly conservative thanks in large part to Walker’s leadership.

Most people place Act 10 at the top of the list of Walker’s achievements. Act 10 was a reorientation of the government paradigm that continues to pay dividends to Wisconsin’s citizens. It deserves to sit atop the list, but that list, taken in its totality, dwarfs Act 10.

Since Walker assumed office, Wisconsin has passed concealed carry legislation, required voters to present a picture identification, made Wisconsin a right-to-work state, expanded school choice,

frozen tuition at Wisconsin’s public universities and much, much more. Walker and the Republican Legislature also funded the state’s rainy day fund, cut billions of dollars in taxes and turned Wisconsin into a state that repeatedly runs surpluses instead of the perpetual deficits we saw under Gov. Jim Doyle.

The results speak for themselves. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since President Bill Clinton was in the White House. At the same time, Wisconsin has one of the highest percentage of people in the workforce. And the average annual wage for private sector workers is up more than 11 percent since Walker was elected. Wisconsin is working.

It is small wonder why Walker would want to run for a third term. Most governors would be proud to run on one or two of Walker’s achievements. No governor in America can run on such a chockfull record of success.

The Democrats appear to agree. Walker’s impressive record and bursting campaign coffers has already scared away most serious contenders. The Democrats are scraping the edges of their party and the private sector for anyone willing to charge the Walker windmill and finding few takers. The Democrats will eventually find someone to run and will attempt to sell them to the voters as the second coming of FDR, but Walker will be exceptionally formidable even in a year when national trends point to Democratic wins.

The next gubernatorial election is still 18 months away, but it is difficult to envision Walker not sticking around as governor well into the next decade.

Regulations With An Expiration Date

by | 2138, 15 May 1717 | | 27 Comments

I like this idea.

Under the proposal from Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, and Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, new regulations would expire after seven years unless in the year before an expiration date a state agency flagged the regulation for review.

Legislators on certain committees would be able to object to rules being extended, which would then require the rule to be rewritten and go through the normal rule-making process.

Existing regulations would sunset on a timeline to be set by the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules. The bill also requires agencies to eliminate the use of words and phrases that are outdated or that are now understood to be derogatory or offensive.

The bill would effectively flip the onus for cleaning up the state’s hundreds of pages of administrative rules from legislators to state agencies, Steineke said. Rather than legislators combing through the administrative code for rules they want to eliminate, agencies would have to keep tabs on which rules they want to keep.

There are oodles of regulations that are outdated, unenforced, unenforceable, or downright stupid. This would weed those out and leave only the important regulations in place.

Bill to Make “Stealthing” a Crime

by | 1723, 15 May 1717 | , | 0 Comments

Interesting bill.

Under the legislation, if a person were to remove or tamper with a sexually protective device during intercourse without the partner’s permission, state law would say there was no valid consent for the act.

[…]

According to the article, the women interviewed who had experienced “stealthing” said they did not consider it to be directly equivalent to sexual assault, but one referred to it as being “rape-adjacent.” The article also cites men who write online about their experiences in “stealth” condom removal and share tips on how to do it successfully.

Although Brodsky’s article focuses primarily on women who were “stealthed” by men, she notes men can also be victims of the practice.

The types of devices covered under Sargent’s bill include “a male or female condom, spermicide, diaphragm, cervical cap, contraceptive sponge, dental dam, or any other physical device intended to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection.”

It would not cover a situation in which a woman lied about being on birth control or a man tampered with a woman’s birth control pills. The bill deals strictly with physical contact, Sargent said.

I did not know that “stealthing” was a thing. On the issue, it makes some sense. After all, if a couple decides to have sex under the condition of using some sort of birth control, then it seems like there should be some consequence if one of the parties unilaterally violates that condition. But proving such a case seems like a fruitless exercise unless the offending party is bragging about it online.

On the other hand, there is an assumed risk of pregnancy and STDs whenever you have sex. Even the best chemicals and devices are fallible. If someone gets a disease or gets pregnant, it would be difficult to prove whether it was due to a failure of the protection, intentional disuse of the protection, or unintentional misuse of the protection. Such a law seems like an invitation for people to blame and punish their partners when a sexual encounter results in an undesirable consequence.

Finally, I think the exclusion of a woman, or a man for that matter, lying about taking a chemical form of birth control to be inconsistent. It is still a situation where one person violated the conditions of sex and it potentially led to an undesired result. And that result has life-long consequences for both participants. If tampering with a contraceptive sponge (a device only used to prevent conception and not to prevent STDs) is covered, why not cover all forms of birth control?

In the end, this bill is interesting and potentially necessary, but I can’t think of a way to draft it in a way to avoid a lot of negative consequences. Perhaps the current rules of the road are best: if you are going to have sex, be prepared to accept any and all of the consequences.

Microsoft President Hammers Government Secrecy

by | 2207, 14 May 1717 | , | 2 Comments

He’s got a point.

In a blog post on Sunday, Microsoft President Brad Smith appeared to tacitly acknowledge what researchers had already widely concluded: The ransomware attack leveraged a hacking tool, built by the U.S. National Security Agency, that leaked online in April.

“This is an emerging pattern in 2017,” Smith wrote. “We have seen vulnerabilities stored by the CIA show up on WikiLeaks, and now this vulnerability stolen from the NSA has affected customers around the world.”

He also poured fuel on a long-running debate over how government intelligence services should balance their desire to keep software flaws secret – in order to conduct espionage and cyber warfare – against sharing those flaws with technology companies to better secure the internet.

“This attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem,” Smith wrote. He added that governments around the world should “treat this attack as a wake-up call” and “consider the damage to civilians that comes from hoarding these vulnerabilities and the use of these exploits.”

Accidental Hero

by | 1550, 13 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

Excellent!

A UK security researcher has told the BBC how he “accidentally” halted the spread of the malicious ransomware that has affected hundreds of organisations, including the UK’s NHS.

The 22-year-old man, known by the pseudonym MalwareTech, had taken a week off work, but decided to investigate the ransomware after hearing about the global cyber-attack.

He managed to bring the spread to a halt when he found what appeared to be a “kill switch” in the rogue software’s code.

“It was actually partly accidental,” he told the BBC, after spending the night investigating. “I have not slept a wink.”

Although his discovery did not repair the damage done by the ransomware, it did stop it spreading to new computers, and he has been hailed an “accidental hero”.

“I would say that’s correct,” he told the BBC.

Millennials and Wealth

by | 1045, 13 May 1717 | | 1 Comment

Um… has Jetten actually met any millennials?

As research into income and wellbeing becomes increasingly nuanced, growing numbers of experts are also speculating that traditional symbols of wealth – such as owning a car or a house – are set to shift, as millennials in many countries become the first generation to earn relatively less than their parents and struggle to buy homes in tough property markets.

Though frustrating for millennials, “it may mean that this generation will show fewer of the negative effects of wealth such as selfishness, narcissism and a high sense of entitlement,” says Jetten.

Populism

by | 1031, 13 May 1717 | | 1 Comment

Populism was never a fixed doctrine but rather a vague social ideal common to many agrarian societies undergoing rapid but uneven modernization. The two major movements to call themselves populist in the late nineteenth century occurred on the rural periphery of European civilization: in Russia and America. Common to both (and to later populist movements) was a thirst for social regeneration that idealized the older agrarian-based human relationships yet ironically prepared the way for further consolidation of centralized economic and political power.

Populism became a mode – and not just a mood – of thought when an educated elite defended the ways of a backward region or economic sector confronted by the advance of capitalism and a market economy. It was cultivated by those whose education had alienated them from native root and values yet who sought symbolic and psychic compensation in the idea that “the people” would produce “some sort of integrated society” that would avoid the depersonalized elitism of capitalism. Thus populism tended to revive romantic faith either in a threatened culture (the earlier Russian Slavophiles) or region (the later American populists).

Written about the 1870s European revolutionary culture in a book published in 1980. Still holds true with American populism in 2017.

– Billington, James Hadley. Fire in the Minds of Men. New York: Basic Books: n.p., 1980. Print. Page 402. 

Walker To Run Again

by | 0923, 13 May 1717 | | 12 Comments

The biggest non-secret in Wisconsin politics is out.

Gov. Scott Walker plans to tell Republicans at their annual convention Saturday that he is “ready” for four more years, eliminating any question about whether the governor would seek a third term.

“I’m ready. I’m ready to help lead Wisconsin forward for four more years. But I need your help,” Walker plans to tell Republicans, according to excerpts of his speech provided to the Wisconsin State Journal by his campaign.

Walker has repeatedly signaled he would seek a third term but has said he will not formally announce his decision until after the 2017-19 state budget process is complete later this summer.

“We won in 2010 with a grassroots army of volunteers. We won with an even bigger force during the recall election in 2012. And we won with another grassroots flurry in 2014,” Walker plans to say. “Now, we need your help again.”

 

Wannacrypt Races Across the World

by | 0741, 13 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

Please, folks… keep your computers updated.

LONDON — As many as 74 countries have been hit by a huge, fast-moving and global ransomware attack that locks computers and demands the digital equivalent of $300 per computer, Kaspersky Lab, a Russian-based cybersecurity company, said Friday.

The infections have disabled more than a dozen hospitals in the United Kingdom, Spain’s largest telecom company and universities in Italy as well as some FedEx computers. Ransomware encrypts the files on a computer or network demanding that payment be made in Bitcoin or another untraceable digital currency before the criminals will unlock the files.

Infected computers showed a screen giving the user three days to pay the ransom. After that, the price would be doubled. After seven days the files would be deleted, it threatened.

[…]

Kasperksy’s Baumgartner did note that although the ransomware was able to offer “how to pay” documents in dozens of languages, the only language whose writing was perfect was Russian, with the others showing distinct signs that a non-native speaker had written them. “The English is very good, but there are a couple of quirks that would lead me to believe it wasn’t written by a native English speaker,” he said.

Around the Bend by Judy Steffes

by | 0719, 13 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

Special Mother’s Day at Hillcrest Farms in Allenton

A triplet set of Meridian heifer calves were born Thursday to one of the oldest cows at Hillcrest Farms in Allenton.

“We were anticipating twins but we didn’t know there were triplet heifer calves in there,” said Shannon Dwyer. “It’s pretty rare to have triplets but it’s even more rare to have females. Normally when you have multiple births one is a female and another is a male; it’s just extremely rare.”

Dwyer works the farm with her parents Tom and Mary Dwyer. It’s the original homestead of her grandparents Harold and Margie Seyfert who started the farm in the early 1950s.

Dwyer said all the calves were born unassisted. Each calf weighed about 65 pounds at birth. “Each one is healthy and very spunky,” she said.

While the girls are doing fine, Dwyer said the 6-year-old mama cow is actually doing great.

“This is a pretty stressful experience for her,” said Dwyer. “This cow is amazing. She looks great, is in great condition and she had enough milk to feed all three calves and then some so she’s really impressed us.”

Preparing for the births Dwyer said the vet came out to check the pregnancies. “We make note of anyone who has a multiple birth,” she said. “We’ll give them more time off from the milking herd.

“We gave her some extra attention last night; she had been through a lot. We already had her checked out so we’ll continue to give her special care.”

Just a day ahead of Mother’s Day weekend, the calves are settling in and Mary Dwyer has already welcomed them into the family.

“My mom named the girls Billy Jo, Bobbi Jo, and Betty Jo,” said Shannon Dwyer.

One odds maker said the chances of having triplet heifer calves is about 1 in 400,000.

Old pedestrian bridge For Sale

The Bridge to Nowhere is for sale. Steve Awve, owner of West Bend Crane Inc., put the bridge on the market the day after removing it from over the Milwaukee River in downtown West Bend. Awve was paid $24, 500 to remove the 40,000-pound steel bridge. He is working to refurbish the bridge, put in a new steel deck and “make it look nice.” Awve said three other cities are already interested in the bridge, which he will build to suit. Contact Steve Awve for more information 262-689-7728. On a side note: Awve would like to extend a thank you to West Bend city engineer Max Marechal for “being great to work with” during the bridge removal process.

New facility for West Bend Health Center

A new facility is in the works for the West Bend Health Center, 1700 W. Paradise Drive in West Bend. In an effort to best serve the community of West Bend, the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network is working on a comprehensive plan to address “meeting long-term community needs for health services.”

Tim Olsen is the manager of public relations at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin

“The new building will enable more efficiencies and better support care processes and technology that have developed since the West Bend Health Center was built in 1990,” Olsen said.  “The current health center will remain open to serve patients while the construction work is underway.”

Olsen said Froedtert is in the “early, early stages” of planning and the new design is still a work in progress.

The plan does include the relocation of the West Bend Surgery Center to the St. Joseph’s Hospital campus.

“The plan will follow the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin philosophy of providing the right care in the right place at the right time,” said Olsen.

“This level of commitment is a reflection of how important the West Bend community and Washington County are in the health system’s growth plans.”

West Bend Mayor Kraig Sadownikow confirmed early Tuesday he had heard rumblings there could be some new construction ahead for the West Bend Health Center.

“An organization as significant as Froedtert does not take infrastructure investment lightly,” he said. “I’m certain their decision points to the strength of our local economy and community.”

The news about more construction in West Bend follows on the heels on several other significant developments including a new corporate headquarters for Delta Defense, Meijer opening Tuesday, May 16, a new Honda dealership coming to West Bend, and finally Pizza Ranch to open in the former Ponderosa building.

Sadownikow qualifies the development as a well-rounded growth patterns.

“Residential construction is strong and we have seen expansion and growth in our commercial and industrial markets as of late. When these markets are strong healthcare and retail expansion typically follow closely behind,” he said. “Fortunately West Bend continues to have strong education, strong job opportunities, and is a safe community that really is attractive to people of all ages.” Construction of a new West Bend Health Center is expected to begin in summer 2018.

Juliene Riffel Hefter to receive national Paragon Award

A nice honor for Juliene Riffel Hefter of West Bend who was recently notified she will be receiving the 2017 Paragon Award in the category of Recreational Swimming. Bruce Wigo, CEO/ President International Swimming Hall of Fame, said the award recognizes Riffel Hefter’s “outstanding service and contributions towards advancing the aquatic discipline of Recreational Swimming.” Riffel Hefter said she is honored and humbled to receive the award.

“Aquatics has been my passion since I was very young and I’ve been truly blessed to be able to do what I love to do for a lifelong career and promote drowning prevention and education to so many communities nationally and internationally,” she said.  “Being recognized by Pentair and the International Swimming Hall of Fame is amazing and it’s especially rewarding as I can remember swimming at the Hall of Fame pool for college training and it was an experience of a lifetime. Getting recognized there will only add to that experience.”

Riffel Hefter is the Executive Director/CEO for the Association of Aquatic Professionals. She is a 1982 graduate of St. Frances Cabrini School, a 1986 graduate of West Bend West High School and started her career as the Manager of Recreation Services for the City of West Bend.

The award will be presented Friday, August 25, 2017 at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, on the occasion of the 2017 ISHOF Honors Weekend.

Setting veterans markers in Washington Co. Memorial Park cemetery

There were sunny skies and a bit of a breeze on Saturday but more-than-desirable working conditions for a group of volunteers who replaced veterans markers on graves at Washington County Memorial Park. Hundreds of markers were measured to a standard 8 inches and the plastic marker noting the time of service was replaced with a metal marker. The project is being done prior to Memorial Day. The West Bend Memorial Day parade will step off at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 29. A ceremony will follow at the Old Courthouse Square on Fifth Avenue and Poplar. The keynote speaker will be Vietnam veteran Richard Limbeck.

 Jim Spella to be honored by Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Community-minded attorney James Spella is being named the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s 2017 Professional Adviser of the Year for his decades of thoughtful service to clients in West Bend and beyond.   Spella is a partner at Schloemer Law Firm in downtown West Bend.

Law Enforcement Memorial

May 15 through May 20, 2017 is National Police Week in the U.S. On Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Washington County Fair Park Pavilion, Washington County Law Enforcement Agencies will host a Law Enforcement Memorial Service to honor Washington County Law Enforcement Officers that died in the line of duty, and to pay tribute to all police officers throughout the country that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. All citizens are invited and encouraged to attend this ceremony.

KML student to cover U.S. Open at Erin Hills

Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School junior Jacob Moeller will have quite the summer experience as he was just notified he will be part of the media covering the U.S. Open.

Moeller is a student reporter for WashingtonCountyInsider.com

This year he has covered the sports scene at KML reporting on boys basketball, soccer and cross country.  Moeller is a strong writer whose story content makes you feel like you’re on the sideline. He turns in assignments on deadline and manages to juggle a busy schedule with school, sports, work and his commitment to his faith.

Watch for stories and video updates from Moeller during the U.S. Open coming to Erin Hills, June 12 – 18 on WashingtonCountyInsider.com

Updates & tidbits

-This year’s recipients of the Rolf’s Educational Foundation Teacher Awards: Mark Drake – High School Category, Donna Goetz – Professional Special Services Category, Kylie Thompson – Middle School Category, Mickiah Wolff – Elementary Category.

-On Monday, May 15 at 7 a.m. the traffic signals outside the new Meijer store, 2180 S. Main Street in West Bend will switch to full rotation. This past week the lights flashed yellow and red in an effort to prepare motorists for the new traffic pattern at the intersection of Humar and S. Main. Meijer opens Tuesday, May 16.

-Forward Dental in West Bend is now providing Pediatric Dental Care. Dr. Stephen Froehlich will be accepting patients ages 13 years and under.

-There will be a dedication ceremony Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m. at Holy Angels Cemetery on Main and Decorah to recognize the Civil War memorial stones being installed at all cemeteries in Washington County. This is the first of a number of ceremonies honoring our county’s Civil War vets.  This effort was, in large part initiated by Gene Wendelborn and Terry Vrana.

-Rep. Bob Gannon presented Dr. Tom Albiero of West Bend with the Hometown Hero Award this week in Madison. Gannon praised Albiero’s work and volunteer spirit with the Albrecht Free Clinic in West Bend.

– Two people in the district office in the West Bend School District have turned in their resignations including Chief Operating Officer Valley Elliehausen and Director of Accountability and Assessment Kurt Becker. Elliehausen has been with the district since 1997. Pending approval Elliehausen’s resignation will be effective June 14 and Becker on June 30.

– Holy Angels Student of the Month for April includes Emily Rauch, Alex Gonzalez and Nate Waech. Emily is a kind and friendly person who combines these personality traits with hard work and effort. Alex is smart and outgoing, with a lot of energy. Nate is a polite, confident, likable student.

– Jacob Beine, a junior at West Bend East, and Liam Hupfer, a junior at West Bend West High Schools both earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.

-The annual Ride of Silence is Wednesday, May 17 in the parking lot just south of the Museum of Wisconsin Art. The Ride of Silence aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways.

-The Eleventh Annual SAMBA Chicken Dinner is Saturday, May 13 in the Lions Pavilion in Allenton Veterans Memorial Park.

-Thanks to generous family foundations, corporations, community organizations, civic organizations, and the COLUMNS Foundation, West Bend High School seniors were presented with more than $680,000 in scholarships and awards. The Scholarship/Awards Night was held at the Silver Lining Arts Center.

What do you remember about the May 10, 1990 snowstorm?

This week neighbors across Washington County remembered 27 years ago and the snowstorm that occurred May 10, 1990.

It was late spring, baby birds were in the nest, trees and plants were blossoming and Mother Nature decided to heave 10 inches of heavy, wet snow into our lap. What do you remember?

Melissa Schubert I remember that day. We were so excited to start wearing shorts in May – school rules- and then that happened.

Rob McKnight We were moving to Wisconsin from Alaska and the blizzard stopped our moving truck. Welcome to the real frozen tundra!

Sarah Stier Rescuing my geraniums, snowman with the kids, no telephone!

Jodi Pisarski Aderman I was a senior in high school. I thought my mom was kidding when she woke me up to tell me there was no school. Part of our tree fell on top of our house. My dad, who was a West Allis cop, had to work overtime from 3rd shift because of all the accidents and came home so tired, my brother and I shoveled the driveway.

Samantha Tennies Hearing the trees Crack over my head as I was trying to walk to my son’s day care. They had heat. My apartment did not. Did not make it. Was picked up by my friend Susie and spent the day with her family making snowmen. One of my fondest memories.

Terry Rosenthal I counted 11 cars in the ditch on HWY 45 from Jackson to Kewaskum. When I arrived at the HS, I found out that was school was canceled. the trees looked really strange in the sunlight because the leaves glowed green with the snow covering them.

Denis Kelling One of the most fun days of my life! I was working at Coca Cola and had a ride along on the truck with me that day. A gentleman from Australia! Never seen snow in his life!

Steve Hoogester My kids waking me up saying school was cancelled because of snow. My response was …nice try. Then they make me look out the window.

LJ Eggert My husband and I JUST moved back from Mesa Arizona! We rolled into the Appleton area, experiencing Mother Nature’s sense of humor, and wondered where in the back of our rental truck our winter coats resided! YIKES! We were quite cold in our little spring jackets!

Schalon Schleicher I was in my senior year of high school. I worked at the nursing home and they came to pick me up for work. I could not drive at the time. lol that seems like a lifetime ago!

Debby Wolfe-Schmid I remember my wash lines hanging half way to the ground with several inches of snow accumulating on them and propping our clump birch tree up with 2x4s

Andy Perreth Our lilacs were in full bloom when it hit. Lost them all.

Laurie Schloemer Aleven I was walking to my last final exam at UWM! When I got there… found out it was cancelled…ugh!

Donna Kuhaupt I remember going for a walk and seeing the nest of beautiful blue robin eggs surrounded by snow…so sad.

Naomi Hanson Schueller I remember my mom driving us to school and picking up the science teacher, who was walking, on the way!

Dave Kearns I remember that the next major snowstorm that year came on October 10th. Five months to the day after the May 10th storm.

Michele Baertlein Jackett I remember my parents waking me up to bring plants in!

Kristopher Haessler My 13th birthday and no school, what a great present!

Chicago Man Shoots Would Be Carjacker

by | 1916, 12 May 1717 | | 2 Comments

Aim higher next time.

SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE – A man shot a suspect who was trying to carjack him Wednesday morning in the West Elsdon neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

The 29-year-old man was standing outside his vehicle in the 5300 block of South Pulaski at 11:32 a.m. when he was approached by two males who demanded his keys, according to Chicago Police. One of the males was armed with a handgun.

The victim, who has a valid concealed carry license, pulled out a weapon and fired, striking one of the suspects, police said.

The suspect, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the groin and taken in good condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said. The other suspect ran away but was later taken into custody. A weapon was recovered.

Free Speech Hearing Not So Free?

by | 1043, 12 May 1717 | , | 2 Comments

Talk about your lazy reporting.

A public hearing on a Republican bill to prevent students at University of Wisconsin campuses from disrupting controversial speakers wasn’t exactly a model of the pro-free speech sentiment espoused in the proposal, said some critics who waited hours to have their say.

“I’m here to testify against it, and it’s been like five hours and we haven’t heard testimony from one person who’s against the bill,” said Savion Castro, who will be a UW-Madison senior in the fall. “The chair, I’m assuming, has discretion over who can speak, who doesn’t speak and in which order they speak. So I think it is kind of ironic.”

Apparently, the reporter, Steven Elbow, didn’t think it was worth looking into the process used for speakers to validate or refute the student’s accusation of bias. I’ve been to a government hearing or two in my time. Typically, people sign up to speak as they get there and then the speakers are called in the order they were received. Sometimes, various government officials get dibs to speak first, but the general public speakers are usually brought forth on a first come, first serve basis. Was there a different process followed here? Mr. Castro seems to think so, but the reporter never checks.

As it stands, it looks like the hearing drug on for hours and hours and mostly everyone got to say their piece. What’s the issue?

Walker Rejects Splitting Transportation From Budget

by | 0714, 12 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

Good.

Gov. Scott Walker and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald on Thursday rejected an idea put forward by the Republican leaders of the Legislature’s budget committee to take up transportation funding in a separate bill outside the normal budget process.

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, said they support the option, which could extend debate about how to fund transportation beyond the July 1 start of the 2017-19 biennium.

It could also change the political dynamics of how a deal on transportation is reached, allowing minority Democrats who otherwise wouldn’t vote for a majority Republican-authored budget to boost one of the GOP factions on the contentious issue.

Here’s what Speaker Vos and others are up to… they want a tax increase for transportation. They know that they will not get that passed through the Republican caucus and Democrats won’t vote for the budget. So the tax increase is DOA. But if they split off transportation from the rest of the budget, they think that they can cobble together the tax-increasing group of Republicans and just enough Democrats get a tax increase passed.

But beyond political concerns, it does not make any sense to split off transportation from the rest of the budget. The whole purpose of writing a budget is to balance priorities against each other within the confines of limited resources. Splitting off a massive portion for separate consideration obliterates the budgeting process.

Education Over Conservation

by | 0752, 11 May 1717 | , | 0 Comments

Good.

A bill to create a new taxpayer-funded college scholarship for Wisconsin’s brightest students would have another big outcome — decimating a popular program that uses tax dollars to buy natural areas for public use.

When the bill’s GOP authors announced the bill Tuesday, they didn’t highlight its effect on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, which expands outdoor recreation opportunities and protects environmentally sensitive places.

After three years, the bill would leave the fund unable to purchase any of the high-value land it currently targets.

It’s no secret that I despise the way Wisconsin manages the Stewardship Fund. Essentially, here’s how it works today… the DNR is authorized to borrow million of dollars every budget for the purpose of buying land, and then the taxpayers pay off the debt. Note that the entire program is driven by the mandate to spend the money. It is not based on the need to buy specific land parcels or conserve particular ecosystems. The DNR has a pile of money that they must spend to buy land.

It is a horrible program for a few reasons. First, it is not based on actual needs. The DNR will buy the land because it needs to spend the money. This leads to all sorts of bad consequences including overpaying for lands, likely corruption and sweetheart deals, and sloppy management.

Second, every piece of land the government buys is another acre that some private owner is not paying property taxes on. The more land the government owns, the more concentrated the tax burden becomes in the people who continue to own property. This makes it difficult to fund local governments and schools – particularly in rural areas where the population density is low.

Second, the program is not designed to achieve any specific goal. Essentially, how much land should the government own to achieve the goal of “conservation?” According to Communists, the government should own all of the land and private ownership would be outlawed. As designed, that’s where the Stewardship Fund is headed since there isn’t a goal or cap on government ownership. I don’t think that’s the goal, but then what is it? Right now, the governments at various levels own about 17% of all of the land in Wisconsin. Is that the right number? 20%? 12%? Until we know the goal, we are just spending money to spend money.

A properly run stewardship program would allocate money to acquire land on an ad hoc basis after a thorough review by a legislative body of the need and local economic impact of the acquisition. And there would be a target of the maximum allowable amount of land the state should own in each county to be agreed upon with local elected officials.

I would prefer that the legislature just scrap the Stewardship Fund as it exists and make a more sensible program, but starving it to pay for kids’ educations is not the worst thing in the world.

Turnover at West Bend School District

by | 0719, 11 May 1717 | | 0 Comments

Huh.

May 11, 2017 – West Bend, WI – Two people in the district office in the West Bend School District have turned in their resignations.

According to a memo West Bend School Superintendent Erik Olson has received resignations from Chief Operating Officer Valley Elliehausen and Director of Accountability and Assessment Kurt Becker.

I don’t know Becker, but Elliehausen always did a nice job. We don’t yet know the reasons for these resignations, but it doesn’t strike me as unusual. There’s a new Superintendent and it’s the end of the school year. This is the time when staff tends to leave – voluntarily or not.

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