Boots & Sabers

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Month: February 2019

MacIver Banned From Government Briefing

by | 2329, 28 Feb 1919 | | 16 Comments

Well, well… I seem to remember liberals getting their knickers in a twist when the White House banned a single reporter (not the news agency) from briefings.

Evers administration made that clear — again — on Thursday afternoon, when his handlers barred MacIver News Service from attending a Capitol Press Corps budget preview powwow behind closed East Wing doors.

This, despite the fact that MacIver has long been a credentialed Capitol news organization in good standing.

The usual players were there — the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin State Journal, the Associated Press, TV reporters.

They were all on the “list” that Evers’ comms director Melissa Baldauff sent out earlier in the week. MacIver News Service learned about the press briefing and sent two requests – at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon, and again Thursday morning — asking to attend.

Crickets.

Two MacIver News Service reporters arrived with other Capitol Press Corps journalists just before 1 p.m., when the press briefing was slated to begin. An Evers official told the reporters that MacIver News was not on “the list.” When a MacIver reporter noted the news agency had sent two email requests to attend the briefing, the governor’s handler said she would speak to Baldauff.

She came back a moment later and said that she was sorry but news organizations had to “RSVP” to the meeting by 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Those who did not would not be allowed in. When a MacIver News Service reporter informed the official that MacIver did not receive a notice and could not possibly have RSVP’d, the official suggested MacIver call Baldauff, who, of course, would not be taking calls at the time of the briefing.

Baldauff and other Evers’ communications officials have repeatedly failed to respond to MacIver News Service’s request for comment and information. They did finally respond to MacIver’s open records request seeking salary information for Evers’ cabinet members. That document revealed state secretaries have received double-digit raises from the salaries of their predecessors in the Walker administration.

Talks with North Korea Fail

by | 2300, 28 Feb 1919 | | 13 Comments

This is disappointing on many levels.

President Donald Trump landed back in Washington after the sudden collapse of his nuclear summit with Kim Jong Un – after saying in an interview he appreciates that North Korea spent ‘a lot of time’ building up its nuclear arsenal.

In an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, conducted in Hanoi before Trump told the world why he failed to reach a deal with the North Korean dictator, Trump said he and Kim did not see eye to eye on what North Korea would have to give up for sanctions relief.

‘Well, they wanted to denuke certain areas and I wanted everything,’ Trump told Hannity.

‘And the sanctions are there and I didn’t want to give up the sanctions unless we had a real program. And they’re not ready for that and I understand that fully, I really do. I mean, they spent a lot of time building it and that doesn’t mean the world has to be happy,’ Trump said.

Vos Responds to Evers’ Budget

by | 2219, 28 Feb 1919 | | 4 Comments

Yup

Wisconsin has a significant amount of new money coming into the state and a surplus from the current budget. The problem isn’t that the state doesn’t have the revenue. The problem with Governor Evers’ budget is that it spends too much. It spends way more than Wisconsin can afford by increasing spending by $6 billion. That translates into an increase in spending of about $1,071 for every man, woman and child in Wisconsin. His budget also raises property taxes to the highest level in nearly a decade. This is clearly a budget that is not based on the reality that Wisconsin families see every day. It’s a liberal wish list.

Whether or not this is a serious or successful budget proposal depends on what Evers was trying to accomplish. If he wanted to actually advance some policies and initiatives that were important to him through a Republican legislature, then this is a total failure. All it did is tick off the very legislators whose support he will need to advance his ideas. His proposal is so far to the left that it does not have any room for compromise.

If Evers was trying to write a liberal manifesto to appease his rabid liberal base, then mission accomplished. It’s a masterpiece. I guess we’ll see how loyal that base remains when Evers fails to move the liberal ball a single yard because he’s terrible at his job.

West Bend School Board Member Raises Concern about Biased Referendum Presentations

by | 0851, 27 Feb 1919 | | 1 Comment

Good for Ken Schmidt.

WEST BEND — The $47 million April referendum and allegedly presenting biased, persuasive information on its issues were discussed at the West Bend Joint School District Board of Education regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Board member Ken Schmidt said he heard some district officials were encouraging residents to vote one way or another, which is illegal.

“I want to make sure the district is doing what’s legal,” he said.

In response, Superintendent Don Kirkegaard said he was aware of the legality of attempting to persuade people to vote one way or another and is not urging voters in that manner. No materials are encouraging them one way or the other, he said.

Here’s the game they play… it is illegal for the Superintendent or district staff to advocate for or against a school referendum because they are paid by tax dollars. But the definition of “advocacy” centers around the use of specific words like “vote for,” “please support,” etc.

So they avoid those words, but the material is heavily slanted. For example, take this comment:

If the referendum fails, there is indeed no backup plan, Superintendent Don Kirkegaard said. These improvements need to be done; waiting isn’t much of an option…

Putting aside, for a moment, the fact that it is management malpractice to not have alternate plans, this makes it clear that Kirkegaard wants people to vote for the referendum.

Or this:

“I can say with full honesty that I wasn’t the driving force in making this recommendation,” Kirkegaard said. “But if I was here three years ago, I would’ve made this recommendation because I think it makes sense.”

That is Kirkegaard offering his opinion. That isn’t a factual presentation. If the Superintendent says that it makes sense, then isn’t he, ergo, advocating for its passage?

The most egregious area where they advocate is in the information they choose to share and how they present it. For example, their misleading way of presenting the tax load. Or the fact that their materials label everything as a “need.” Is replacing cabinetry really a need that requires a massive tax increase? Or the way they continue to throw out phrases like, “some (high school) classrooms have not been
updated in nearly 50 years. THE SCHOOL IS ONLY 49 YEARS OLD and the vast majority of them have seen multiple updates over the years. Frankly, I’d like to see the proof that ANY of them haven’t seen some updates.

I doubt that school officials have done any illegal advocacy by the letter of the law, but it is certainly clear to anyone listening to them that they are advocating for its passage.

State liberals implement religious test for public office

by | 0834, 27 Feb 1919 | | 0 Comments

Here is my full column that ran in the Washington County Daily News yesterday.

There is a dangerous strain of anti-Christian bigotry emanating from the political left in our nation. It has been growing for years, but it has finally festered to the point that, for too many on the left, a person is unfit for public office if they simply and faithfully live their lives according to their Christian faith. That bigotry is rearing its vile head right here in Wisconsin with the left’s most recent attack on Judge Brian Hagedorn.

Judge Brian Hagedorn serves on the District 2 Court of Appeals and is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He has an exemplary record of legal, judicial, and community service. He is also a lifelong Christian who has actively lived his faith.

One way in which he and his wife chose to serve their community was to help found a small school called The Augustine Academy. The school teaches kindergarten through eighth grade and is founded on a model that teaches the whole child — intellectually, spiritually, and morally — to “thoughtfully engage the world.” It is an education rooted in the Christen Gospels.

The matter that liberals have taken issue with is the fact that this Christian school actually expects the students and staff to live according to their Christian teachings and to not live in sin. One of those teachings is that engaging in homosexual acts is a sin.

This is not an uncommon teaching. Many Christian denominations teach that homosexuality and/or homosexual acts are a sin. Catholics, Lutherans, many Evangelicals, Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mormons, most Assemblies of God, etc. all adhere to this teaching. So too do Muslims, Orthodox Jews, and some other faiths. Most Christian faiths also teach that we are all sinners and that God loves us all despite that fact.

Whether one agrees with this teaching or not is not the issue. Our nation was founded on the principles of religious liberty and the freedom to associate, or not associate, with whomever one pleases. It has long been the modern American ethos that one can practice their faith and still serve in public office.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states that, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” This includes requiring that people who serve in public office do not have any religion at all.

The radical left is trying to destroy our religious liberty by implementing an anti-Christian religious test for public office. A candidate fails their religious test and is declared “unfit to serve” if the candidate is a practicing Christian. Their religious test is unconstitutional, un-American, immoral, and undermines representative government.

In the case of Judge Hagedorn, liberals have declared that because he helped found a Christian school that teaches something they disagree with, he is unfit to serve as a Supreme Court Judge. Take note that they are not saying that they disagree with his personal views or that the other candidate is better. They have said that he is “unfit.” Also take note that they are not pointing to a single decision as an Appeals Court judge, an assistant attorney general, or as a private lawyer that makes him “unfit.” According to them, the mere fact that Hagedorn is a practicing Christian is enough to make him “unfit” to serve the people of Wisconsin.

If we accept the liberals’ standard that practicing Christians are unfit to serve in public office, then we abandon the tenets of religious liberty upon which our republic was founded. Christians should not have to subserve their Christian values to the rigid, bigoted liberal secular orthodoxy in order to be considered “fit” to serve.

Judge Hagedorn is a smart, fair judge who sincerely adheres to his Christian faith. He is precisely the kind of judge Wisconsinites need on the Supreme Court.

Belling Slams Realtors for Anti-Christian Bigotry

by | 0830, 27 Feb 1919 | , | 169 Comments

Looks like Belling and I were on the same wave length this week. He brought up a couple of angles that I did not in regards to the ugly anti-Christian bigotry running through the Left these days.

The Realtors positioned themselves as being against bigotry but the action was, in and of itself, an act of overt bigotry. The Realtors made it clear that a candidate for public office who holds traditional Christian beliefs can forget about getting the organization’s support. This is vile anti-religious bigotry. The Realtors, in their attempt to take a stand against bigotry, in fact engaged in bigotry. The Supreme Court election is critical. If Hagedorn loses, the court is only one seat away from flipping to a liberal majority. When that happens, look for all of the reforms passed during the Walker era to be struck down. The stakes are very high. The Realtors’ gratuitous trashing of Hagedorn damages his campaign and makes it likelier that Wisconsin’s highest court will eventually flip to the left.

The attack on Hagedorn’s religious beliefs is part of a concerted liberal effort to block Catholics and some other Christians from serving as judges. The nomination of Gordon Giampietro to a federal judgeship in Milwaukee recently died because of the opposition of Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who objected to an interview Giampietro gave in which he defended his acceptance of Catholic teaching. Baldwin’s stand was publicly criticized by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki and all of the state’s other Catholic bishops but Baldwin prevailed. Now, a similar attack is aimed at another would-be judge, Hagedorn.

It is unimaginable that anyone could get away with attacking a Muslim candidate’s religious beliefs. Someone who ripped a Jewish candidate for following that religion’s teaching would be labeled an anti-Semite. But it is now standard operating procedure to attack the beliefs of conservative Christian candidates.

State liberals implement religious test for public office

by | 0643, 26 Feb 1919 | , | 8 Comments

My column for the Washington County Daily News is online and in print. Here’s a taste:

There is a dangerous strain of anti-Christian bigotry emanating from the political left in our nation. It has been growing for years, but it has finally festered to the point that, for too many on the left, a person is unfit for public office if they simply and faithfully live their lives according to their Christian faith. That bigotry is rearing its vile head right here in Wisconsin with the left’s most recent attack on Judge Brian Hagedorn.

[…]

Whether one agrees with this teaching or not is not the issue. Our nation was founded on the principles of religious liberty and the freedom to associate, or not associate, with whomever one pleases. It has long been the modern American ethos that one can practice their faith and still serve in public office.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states that, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” This includes requiring that people who serve in public office do not have any religion at all.

The radical left is trying to destroy our religious liberty by implementing an anti-Christian religious test for public office. A candidate fails their religious test and is declared “unfit to serve” if the candidate is a practicing Christian. Their religious test is unconstitutional, un-American, immoral, and undermines representative government.

Federal Judge Rules Male-Only Draft is Unconstitutional

by | 2049, 25 Feb 1919 | , | 18 Comments

This was only a matter of time. The draft is more of an academic exercise for everyone born in the last 30 years or so, but including women just makes sense at this point.

A federal judge in Texas has declared that an all-male military draft is unconstitutional, ruling that “the time has passed” for a debate on whether women belong in the military.

The decision deals the biggest legal blow to the Selective Service System since the Supreme Court upheld the draft registration process in 1981. In Rostker v. Goldberg, the court ruled that a male-only draft was “fully justified” because women were ineligible for combat roles.

But U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ruled late Friday that while historical restrictions on women serving in combat “may have justified past discrimination,” men and women are now equally able to fight. In 2015, the Pentagon lifted all restrictions for women in military service.

The case was brought by the National Coalition For Men, a men’s rights group, and two men who argued an all-male draft was unfair.

Men who fail to register with the Selective Service System at their 18th birthday can be denied public benefits such as federal employment and student loans. Women cannot register for Selective Service.

Fitzgerald Responds to Evers’ Proposed Assault on School Choice

by | 2043, 25 Feb 1919 | | 16 Comments

Yup. Evers’ budget is shaping up to be a liberal manifesto with little room for compromise.

[Madison, WI] — Following Governor Evers’ announcement that he plans to freeze voucher school enrollment for low-income students, Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald released the following statement:

“Governor Evers’ plans would do immense harm to the voucher program and create uncertainty for schools, students, and their families. The program has expanded educational opportunities throughout Wisconsin and helped children escape failing schools.

“For nearly ten years Governor Evers helped to implement the choice program as the head of the Department of Public Instruction. He has turned his back on the very families the policies he enacted sought to help. Why are some of the first targets of his budget minority families, low-income students, and parochial schools from around the state?

“Wisconsinites should have more choices when it comes to the education of their children, not fewer. Budget leaks of far-left proposals like these only make bipartisan compromise more difficult. Republicans in the Legislature have spent years helping build the voucher program. We will not support a budget that includes this proposal.”

Around the Bend by Judy Steffes

by | 2057, 24 Feb 1919 | | 0 Comments

Pat on the back for Brian Bell and 15-year-old daughter Liz

“Right place, right time,” according to Brian Bell. The co-owner of Cedar Lake Sales and his daughter Liz, 15, were presented with appreciation pins from retired DNR Wardens Rick Wolff and William Mitchell this week.

Bell said the story behind the story happened two weeks ago, Saturday, Feb. 9, in the Upper Peninsula in Bond Falls. The father and daughter were snowmobiling and riding back on the trail along the road when they saw three emergency vehicles.

“The Michigan D.N.R. guy locked eyes with me, walked over, said there was a bad injury accident and asked if he could borrow our sleds to get to the scene,” Bell said. The Michigan Forestry agent Zach Painter and conservation officer Josh Lopac with the Michigan D.N.R.  loaded a defibrillator and some emergency gear onto the snowmobiles and they were off. “That’s pretty much what we did,” said Bell.

For the next hour Bell and his daughter stood around listening to the scanner. “We heard they pulled her out on a sled and then we heard Flight for Life landing… somewhere,” he said.

The two officers returned and told the Bells, “You helped save a life today.”

Minimal information was released on the accident. For as much as Brian Bell could determine, a woman was seriously injured after crashing her snowmobile into a tree. “All we were told is there will be a lot of recovery ahead of her,” Bell said.

In hindsight, Bell said the accident just reinforces the safety needed when out on a snowmobile or any motorized vehicle.

Building formerly home to tavern in Barton has been sold

There was an interesting property sale recently in Washington County that carries with it a lot of history.

 

The two-story was originally built in 1870 and an addition was put on in 1991.

The latest property listing shows the parcel belonged to Catherine Barbercheck. If that name rings a bell….. it should.

For quite a few years the building was home to the Trio Bar. Records in the city assessor’s office show Bonnie Kudek was a previous owner.

Kudek, 64, died June 20, 2013. Her obituary read, “During her years of employment, Bonnie worked for Amity in West Bend, managed the Trio Bar in Barton for numerous years and was employed at the Citgo station in Kewaskum for many years.Bonnie will fondly be remembered as a “people person” who will be deeply missed by her family and by all who knew her.”

The location, 1727 Barton Avenue, was sold Jan. 20, 2019 from Catherine Barbercheck to C & A Wilde Investments LLC from Cedarburg. The property was assessed at $280,400 and was sold for $285,000.

What do you remember about The Trio Bar in Barton? And what was in the building immediately to the north where Sandy’s Barton Cafe is currently?

-Tom Brace – The building next door, which is Sandy’s, was Don’s Appliance.

-Cathy Larsen Barbercheck – It was also Lownik’s Restaurant before it became Sandy’s Cafe

Former Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Hetzel has died

Michael J. “Mike” Hetzel, 69, of West Bend, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, at Froedtert Hospital with his family at his side.

Mike was born on September 3, 1949, in Hartford. Mike did everything for everybody.   He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and enjoyed activities including camping, riding his motorcycle, and working on DIY projects.    Mike worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department for 35 years and retired as a Lieutenant for the department in 2007.   He continued to work for the department part time as a special deputy.

Memorial services for Mike will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Myrhum ~ Patten Funeral Home in West Bend. In lieu of flowers please contribute donations to the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Paula Anderson wrote about Mike – “Anyone who ever had to call Lt. Hetzel on the phone knows his signature line and how he said it. “This is Hetzel.”  He was my second shift Lieutenant when I was brand new and he was always kind and patient with me, even after I accidentally paged the SWAT team out by mistake, AND put the sally port door down on the back of a squad.  Rest In Peace LT.

City of West Bend to sell Mutual Mall

There is an accepted offer on the old West Bend Mutual Mall, 1043 S. Main Street.

For many in West Bend the building is the former home of Larsons Family Furniture.  An advertisement from a phone book cover reads, “Where Value is Measured by Quality at Modest Prices.”

Photo courtesy Kirk Dyken

The phone book cover from 1962 shows an address of 723 N. Main Street.  Jim Larson moved the business to S. Main by 1964.

“I knew Jim Larson and when he built there on S. Main Street it was way out of town and everybody thought boy that’s way out there and he’s not going to have any business out there,” said Jerry Mehring of West Bend. “He built beyond Decorah Road and we thought what’s he doing way out there.”

This week the City of West Bend reviewed a purchase agreement from ICAP Development.

The city owned the property since purchasing the City Hall parcel, formerly West Bend Mutual Insurance. West Bend Mutual reportedly owned the location to the north for possible expansion.

“The building (Mutual Mall) is in need of lots of work,” said city administrator Jay Shambeau. “When we walked through with some commercial realtors they quickly said it had potential for redevlopment.”

Shambeau said ICAP Development and Dan Jeserig, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, have 90 days to do its due diligence and make a decision on the parcel. “They will work with someone to redevelop it,” said Shambeau. “Similar to other sales we did, like with Qualm Engineering, we set some standards.”

The purchase price of the parcel is $500,000. There was no assessed value because it was owned by the City and therefore tax exempt. “We talked about the $2 million minimum value regarding the new development and it will be great to get it back on the tax rolls,” Shambeau said.  ICAP has 90 days to make its decision.

On a history note: What do you remember about the former Larson’s Family Furniture?

-Jerry Mehring – “Jim had a lower level to his store and that was pretty unique for the time.”

–Cathy Lawton – “Larsons Furniture was a beautiful store. I bought pottery pieces made in Portugal from there and still have them to this day.”

–Joseph Hynst – “Kettle Moraine Fitness Center used to be on the lower level. Owned by Todd & Jay Pruitt.” 1980’s and early ’90s.

-Sarah Hupfer – “Don’t forget The Wooden Nickel.”

Saying goodbye to Leah Baughman from Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County

A bit of a shocker this week at Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County as Leah Baughman announced she is leaving her post to move back up north with her family.

Over the years Baughman has become a fixture at Interfaith and in the community.  Leah is always volunteering at local events. She and her family are often spotting at the Downtown West Bend Farmers’ Market or at the local chili cookoff.

A note from Baughman is posted below.

Dear Interfaith Family,

I wanted to take a moment to let you know I am leaving my position here at Interfaith in the next few weeks. My family and I will be moving to the Northwoods back to my roots and closer to family.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed working at Interfaith, meeting all of the wonderful volunteers and working with some spectacular gals in the office. The past two years has been an amazing experience that has enriched my life and truly warmed my soul to see so many people giving their time and love to brighten the lives of seniors.

Even though I will miss all the clients, volunteers and great people I have met on this journey, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase in life.

Please keep in touch, I would love to hear from you!!

Thank You for everything! I wish you all the best.

Yours truly,

 Leah

P.S. Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!! I really don’t have the words for how much I have enjoyed working with and getting to know you all. This really is the most awesome and kindest group of people I have ever met.

Please stop in to say Good Bye at the March Percolate Friday, March 1 – 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

I would love a chance to say Good Bye, please stop in at the next Percolate. If you are unable to stop then and would like to, please drop by when you can.

January 2019 Students of the Month at Holy Angels                      By Mike Sternig

Holy Angels School has named Sam Ciriacks, Tyler Sernig and Estella Lambie as the January 2019 Students of the Month.

6th Grade:  Sam Ciriacks – Sam’s teachers have noticed him growing into his role as a junior high student. While he was somewhat tentative at the beginning of the school year, Sam has shown ever-increasing confidence. Sam is always willing to volunteer for new experiences and participates strongly in all of his classes. Sam is an easy-going, friendly student who enjoys sports and video games.  He is especially interested in football, following the Packers and playing the sport himself.

7th Grade:  Tyler Sternig – Tyler is an intense competitor who sets high standards for himself. He takes pride in doing well in all of his classes, aiming for straight A’s every quarter. Tyler loves science, but all of his teachers applaud his participation, work ethic, and effort. Outside of the classroom, Tyler helps out at school by serving at Mass and working as a patrol. He likes sports, particularly baseball, participating in many summer tournaments.

8th Grade:  Estella Lambie – Estella is a likable student who has shown steady growth in organization and responsibility throughout her junior high years. Her teachers appreciate her willingness to work with a variety of partners, and her friendly personality. She is always in a good mood and spreads positive energy. This year, Estella has pushed herself outside of her comfort zone, particularly by joining Honors Choir. She serves at Mass. Her interest in helping others makes her consider teaching and pediatrician as possible careers.

Updates & Tidbits

– Primary Election Day, Feb. 19, was sunny and a bit chilly and in Hartford 117 of 2,694 registered voters went to the polls to cast a ballot in the race for Dist. 1 alderman. The top two vote getters Erin Wilk (48 votes) and incumbent Joseph Fulop (34 votes) advance to the April 2, 2019 election.

– If this doesn’t give you a shot of summer. The sign at Mills Fleet Farm on Highway 33 in West Bend reads, “Now accepting honey bee orders.”  It looks rather facinating. It looks like the bees will come via U.S. Postal in May. There’s a note to “warn your postmaster of the impending shipment.” I will have to review the ordinance in West Bend but good grief we just allowed chickens so for sure bees would be ok. Right?

Prepping for Lenten fish-fry season at The Columbian

The Columbian, 3245 Lighthouse Lane, is starting to prepare for the Lenten season.

Here is the Lenten Fish Fry Schedule at The Columbian:

March 8          Helping Hands Fish Fry Fundraiser  4 p.m – 7:30 p.m.

March 15        Bryan’s Buffet  4:45 p.m. – 8 p.m.

March 22        Beads of Hope Fish Fry Fundraiser  4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

March 29        KC Third Degree Fish Fry  4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

April 5            KC First Friday Fish Fry    4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

April 12          Helping Hands Fish Fry Fundraiser  4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

April 19          Bryan’s Buffet  4:45 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The Helping Hands and Beads of Hope Fundraiser evenings include 2 to 3 piece of baked or fried cod.

Bryan’s Buffet features a $14 buffet includes sirloin tips, fish, chicken, salads, coffee, milk and desserts.

Just a little history note on the season of Lent:

“Lent is the six-week period leading up to Easter. It’s one of the most important times of year for many Christians around the world, particularly those within the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox tradition.

“Lent is frequently seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. From its start on Ash Wednesday, March 6, until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, April 21, Lent has been a traditional time for fasting or giving something up or abstinence.”

 Sold-out performance for John McGivern at UWM at Washington County

Emmy Award winner and master storyteller John McGivern performed in front of a sold-out crowd Friday night at UWM at Washington County.

The animated McGivern told stories about true kid life including paper routes, working hard because “you didn’t want to have the word ‘lazy’ written on your gravestone,” growing up in an Irish Catholic family, not being allowed another glass of milk because your dad said “we’re poor.”

Dressed in comfortable blue jeans, white shirt, brown sweater and jacket, McGivern brought the audience into his life of growing up on the east side of Milwaukee. The “closer to the river” east side Milwaukee not so much the Lake Michigan east side Milwaukee.

His family was his favorite fodder and the common thread was, aside the vintage vehicles like a Rambler and VW Beetle, his topics which melded into a rhythm we could all relate.

”I had to race from my morning paper route to school because every morning at St. Peter & Paul grade school we had Mass,” said McGivern. “I’d be running up the stairs with $7 worth of dimes in my pocket and there would stand Sr. Mary Ray Nitschke.”

Armed with a heavy Midwestern accent McGivern would impersonate his mother. He even told a delicate story of his aging parents, his father’s stroke, his dad’s love of a toupee and cleaning out his mother’s dresser.

”There were delicates in there,” he said of her  undergarments. “And underneath the underwear…. I found my dad’s teeth.”

Brazen, bold and boisterous. McGivern cracked himself up on stage which made it all the more fun for the audience.

“John McGivern is simply the best,” wrote Danette Daliege.

After reading from a white 3-ring binder a collection of some nasty emails directed to his show, Around the Corner with John McGivern, the house lights were brought up and McGivern fielded questions from the audience a’la Carol Burnett.

One woman had a strong suggestion that McGivern do a show on Allenton. Another man flagged McGivern as a fellow classmate at seminary, McGivern’s seminary teacher John Craig was even in the audience.

After the show McGivern came out to the lobby to meet with fans, shake hands, take photos and help create more memorable moments.

“Another great performance,” wrote Lisa Ryan.

“Wonderful night, tons of laughs, great show!” wrote Catherine Schmidt.

“He is a gem,” wrote Cathy Lawton. “Good clean humor.”

Evers’ Fake Stat Disappears into the Memory Hole

by | 1221, 24 Feb 1919 | | 16 Comments

Well, well…

In a press release and on his official Twitter account Evers declared that “drug-related offenses make up as much as 75-85% of inmate populations.” 

The claim is patently false. 

And it appears Team Evers knows that now, too. 

The latest version of the press release on the governor’s web page scrubs the 75-85 percent “fact.” The release now notes, “This is an updated version that corrects an inaccurate statistic that was included in error.” It does not specify what the “inaccurate statistic” was, but the figure’s disappearance and actual facts fill in the blanks. 

As NewsTalk 1130 WISN talk show host Dan O’Donnell noted in his column this week for MacIver News Service, 11 percent of inmates were incarcerated for drug-related offenses, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ most recent analysis of inmates. 

AOC Pays Staffers Lavishly

by | 1553, 23 Feb 1919 | | 109 Comments

While she’s taking a victory lap, remember that she’s paying them with your money that was taken from you with the full coercive force of government. She sacrifices nothing. It’s not heroic.

Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced this week that no one on her staff would make less than $52,000 a year, a move aimed at championing a “living wage.”

The progressive firebrand’s policy creates an unheard of salary for young House staffers in Washington, D.C., where the average rent is more than $2,000 a month, Roll Call reported Friday.

“It’s likely one of the highest entry-level salaries on the Hill,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. “We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage.”

Socialist Venezuelan Government Kills Own People

by | 0824, 23 Feb 1919 | | 20 Comments

For the horrendous crime of wanting to accept aid so that they can eat and heal.

A high stakes bid by the Venezuelan opposition to transport aid into the country turned deadly on Friday as government forces opened fire on a group of indigenous volunteers, killing at least one woman and injuring 12.

Members of the indigenous community in the southern town of Kumarakapay, bordering Brazil, on Friday night took the commander of the Venezuelan national guard prisoner in retaliation.

Jose Miguel Montoya Rodriguez was being detained by members of the Pemon tribe, following the death of Zoraida Rodriguez in the clashes.

The violence cast an ominous shadow over the massive aid delivery planned for Saturday, with hundreds of tonnes of medical supplies destined to be brought across the border from Brazil and Colombia.

Juan Guaido, the self-declared “interim president” who has marshalled the hugely symbolic aid delivery, condemned the killing of Rodriguez, and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.

[…]

Cucuta has four bridges crossing into Venezuela, and the volunteers, told to dress in white, will set out at 9am (2pm GMT) – “not smugglers in the night,” said Jose Manuel Olivares, a 33-year-old doctor-turned-politician, who will on Saturday lead one of the columns.

“We will do it by the light of day, with full transparency, because we have nothing to hide.”

Freddy Superlano, a deputy for the Chavez family state of Barinas, added: “We’ve thought it all through, with the aid. It’s much more than politics. It’s the survival of the nation.”

Mr Guaido insisted that the aid must be allowed to pass, and issued another plea to the soldiers to allow its safe passage.

“You must decide on which side you stand, at this decisive hour,” he tweeted on Friday night.

“To the soldiers, between tonight and tomorrow you must decide how you want to be remembered. We know you stand with the people. Tomorrow you must show it.”

Feinstein Puts Kids in Their Place

by | 2155, 22 Feb 1919 | | 1 Comment

Good for Feinstein.

When Feinstein pushes back on the young activists’ request, one child says: “The government is supposed to be for the people, by the people, and all for the people.”

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I know what I’ve been doing,” Feinstein responds. “You come in here and say it has to be my way or the highway. I’ve gotten elected. I just ran. I was elected by almost a million vote plurality and I know what I’m doing. Maybe people should listen a little bit.”

“I hear what you’re saying,” a teenage activist says. “But we’re the people who voted you, you’re supposed to listen to us.”

“How old are you?” Feinstein asks her.

“I’m 16,” the young woman responds.

“Well, you didn’t vote for me,” Feinstein says.

We’ve done a good job teaching our kids confidence and supporting their self esteem. We have done a lousy job teaching them humility, self-awareness, and respect for elders.

Evers Vetoes Tax Cut He Promised

by | 1745, 22 Feb 1919 | | 1 Comment

I know I’m a little behind. I’ve been busy.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday vetoed the first bill sent to his desk by the Republican-controlled state Legislature — a GOP-backed proposal to cut taxes on middle-income earners in Wisconsin.

In his veto message, Evers said he objected to “passing a major fiscal policy item outside of the biennial budget process, which will begin in less than 10 days.”

I call BS on that statement. He objects because he doesn’t really want tax cuts. He only wants tax redistribution and tax increases. At least, that’s all he has proposed so far.

Hagedorn Responds to Anti-Religion Bigots

by | 2039, 21 Feb 1919 | | 86 Comments

from RightWisconsin.

By Judge Brian Hagedorn

The recent attacks against me go far beyond this campaign. The underlying argument, no matter how it is packaged, is that you cannot be a person of faith and, at the same time, be a faithful judge who treats everyone with respect. Their message is clear: people of faith need not apply.

But the Constitution requires adherence to no creed; it provides no religious test for public office. I wish Lisa Neubauer would agree and uphold the Constitution. Instead, she has partnered with her special interest allies to demand a religious and moral creed that she wishes to impose on people like me. If you don’t agree with it, you can’t serve in public life. This is dangerous and wrong. By standing by these shameful attacks with a wink and a nod, it is Lisa Neubauer who has made clear she cannot be trusted to defend our constitutional freedoms.

All this is a desperate effort to distract voters from the real issue in this race: Lisa Neubauer and her allies want to take over the Supreme Court to accomplish their political agenda. And they will do anything to personally destroy me to accomplish their political goals through our courts.

I remain undaunted by these smears, and I’m not going to back down. I’m running to protect the public and defend the rule of law. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. The job of a judge is to say what the law is, not what the judge thinks the law should be. And unlike Lisa Neubauer, I will protect your religious freedom to practice whatever faith you may hold.

If you truly want an impartial judge, stand against these shameful attacks.

Realize that the standard the Liberals are setting – with Hagedorn and many of the federal appointments – is that one can’t be a practicing Christian and serve as a judge. They are arguing that mainstream Christian views are inherently disqualifying. They are seeking to impose the exact kind of religious test for public office that our Founders abhorred.

Work is Good

by | 0532, 21 Feb 1919 | , | 3 Comments

Yes it is. And Rep. Brandtjen wonders why Governor Evers is against it.

It didn’t take long after Tony Evers was elected governor to signal that he may remove the work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults receiving Medicaid benefits.

This is an inexcusably horrendous idea. What’s wrong with requiring able-bodied people to work for taxpayer- provided benefits? Work is good. People are much happier when they feel a sense of purpose. Why in the world would Tony Evers want to remove incentives to work? It’s almost criminal. Work determines who we are and who we become, it’s our identity; our contribution to ourselves and the greater community. Work should be encouraged because it’s healthy. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that being employed reduces a wide variety of health risks including stress, heart disease and stroke.

[…]

Why wasn’t this issue brought up during the campaign? It’s simple; no one supports encouraging people to fail. This is just another example of the soft bigotry of low expectations. If Tony Evers can justify this position I’d love to hear his rationale.

It seems to me Democrats simply do not value work, jobs or anything else that might make their voters freefrom the economic chains of government programs. It certainly would explain their vehement opposition to the Foxconn project, which would bring thousands of jobs to Wisconsin. Where am I wrong?

Break free from debt in the West Bend School District

by | 0707, 20 Feb 1919 | , | 0 Comments

Here is my full column that appeared first in the Washington County Daily News.

Nothing quite strangles a person, family, community, or nation like debt. Whether it is credit card debt, student loan debt, medical debts, the national debt (now a crushing $22 trillion), or school referendum debt, it not only drains resources in the present, but it robs the future of its choices. Debt is the master who brokers no dissension or leniency. Debt must be served before all others. Why then, does the West Bend School District want to saddle the taxpayers with another generational debt when they are so close to being debt-free?

One of the ways that credit card companies, car dealers, student loan companies, and other people who make money off of your debt sell their products is to focus on the payments instead of the actual debt. By taking a $50,000 car and stretching out the loan to 10 years, suddenly a person earning $30,000 per year can “afford” a really nice car. That works great until it is year eight, the car needs expensive repairs, and there are still two more years of payments due.

This is exactly the misleading game that the West Bend School District is using to sell a massive debt to the citizens. In April, the citizens will be asked to approve borrowing $47 million for a new Jackson Elementary school and revamping parts of the high school. It will cost approximately $74 million to repay the $47 million loan.

One of the selling points for the referendum is that it will “only” cost an additional 13 cents in the annual property tax mill rate to buy shiny new buildings. The mill rate is simply a term that gives the tax rate per $1,000 of property value. So if you own a home valued at $200,000, the 13 cent mill rate increase would cost you $26 per year. That seems cheap, right? “Less than a cup of coffee a month,” the advocates will tout. “Can’t you spare a cup a coffee a month for the children?” And so it goes. We have seen the arguments before. But let us look at the math.

If you add up all of the property in the West Bend School District, it has an aggregate value of $4,720,140,099. A 13 cent additional mill rate would generate $613,618.20 in additional tax revenue per year. How long does it take to pay off a $74 million debt at $613,618.20 per year? Even allowing for moderate annual increases in property values, it would take over 100 years to pay off the debt. How is the West Bend School District going to pay for the fancy new schools with only an additional 13 cents in the mill rate? What sort of financial sorcery is this?

The answer, of course, is that it will not cost just an additional 13 cents in the mill rate. It will cost much, much more. In the current tax levy, the taxpayers of the West Bend School District are paying a $1.01 mill rate to pay off the old referendums passed in 2009 ($27.4 million) and 2012 ($22.865 million). For that same $200,000 house, the homeowner is paying $202 per year just to pay for debt issued in the past decade.

The old debt is being steadily paid off and will be completely paid off by 2028 — nine years from now. Some of that debt begins to be paid off this year. In short, if the citizens vote against the referendum, they will see this portion of their property taxes decrease starting next year and will be eliminated in less than a decade. If the referendum passes, the district will simply redirect that money to the new debt.

The notion that we can pay $74 million in debt with a 13 cent mill rate is ludicrous and to claim so is intentionally deceptive. The truth is that it is not only a tax increase, but forgoing a sizable tax decrease. However one manipulates the mill rate, $74 million is still roughly $1,850 for every adult in the West Bend School District. That is a lot more than a cup of coffee.

Getting out of the debt cycle is a choice. It starts at home by paying off old debt while resisting taking on new debt. It starts in the West Bend School District by paying off the old referendums before passing new ones. Instead of stacking debt on top of debt, the citizens of the West Bend School District should break free of the debt trap and vote “no” on the referendum on April 2.

 

Evers Wants to Get Wisconsin High

by | 0733, 19 Feb 1919 | | 23 Comments

Heh.

Gov. Tony Evers will propose legalizing medical marijuana in his state budget address later this month, the governor announced Monday.

The push for medical legalization will be accompanied by several other marijuana-related proposals, including legalization of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, establishing expungement procedures for people with marijuana possession on their criminal records and bringing state laws on cannabidiol, also known as CBD oil, in line with federal standards.

I suspect one of two things is happening here:

  1. Evers is truly a leftist who wants to legalize pot. Or he has surrounded himself with advisers of that ilk. But if they truly believe in this, it seems disingenuous to put it in the budget instead of advocating it as its own bill.
  2. This is a negotiating tactic for the budget. It is a common negotiating tactic to put things in a proposal that are intended to be jettisoned in exchange for something more important. For example, “sure, I’ll drop the weed proposal if you increase K-12 spending to my level.”

Be wary that this isn’t just designed to distract the public while they ram through massive new spending and taxes.

Break free from debt in the West Bend School District

by | 0711, 19 Feb 1919 | , | 4 Comments

My column for the Washington County Daily News is online and in print. I take a look at the math behind the rhetoric of the upcoming referendum in the West Bend School District. Specifically, I take issue with this lie being promoted on posters around town:

Here’s a part:

One of the selling points for the referendum is that it will “only” cost an additional 13 cents in the annual property tax mill rate to buy shiny new buildings. The mill rate is simply a term that gives the tax rate per $1,000 of property value. So if you own a home valued at $200,000, the 13 cent mill rate increase would cost you $26 per year. That seems cheap, right? “Less than a cup of coffee a month,” the advocates will tout. “Can’t you spare a cup a coffee a month for the children?” And so it goes. We have seen the arguments before. But let us look at the math.

If you add up all of the property in the West Bend School District, it has an aggregate value of $4,720,140,099. A 13 cent additional mill rate would generate $613,618.20 in additional tax revenue per year. How long does it take to pay off a $74 million debt at $613,618.20 per year? Even allowing for moderate annual increases in property values, it would take over 100 years to pay off the debt. How is the West Bend School District going to pay for the fancy new schools with only an additional 13 cents in the mill rate? What sort of financial sorcery is this?

The answer, of course, is that it will not cost just an additional 13 cents in the mill rate. It will cost much, much more. In the current tax levy, the taxpayers of the West Bend School District are paying a $1.01 mill rate to pay off the old referendums passed in 2009 ($27.4 million) and 2012 ($22.865 million). For that same $200,000 house, the homeowner is paying $202 per year just to pay for debt issued in the past decade.

The old debt is being steadily paid off and will be completely paid off by 2028 — nine years from now. Some of that debt begins to be paid off this year. In short, if the citizens vote against the referendum, they will see this portion of their property taxes decrease starting next year and will be eliminated in less than a decade. If the referendum passes, the district will simply redirect that money to the new debt.

The notion that we can pay $74 million in debt with a 13 cent mill rate is ludicrous and to claim so is intentionally deceptive. The truth is that it is not only a tax increase, but forgoing a sizable tax decrease. However one manipulates the mill rate, $74 million is still roughly $1,850 for every adult in the West Bend School District. That is a lot more than a cup of coffee.

It really is distressing that the advocates for the referendum – who do so under the mantra of providing a better education for our kids – either don’t understand, or don’t care, about accurately explaining how debt works. This is why we end up with so many adults caught in a debt trap. They aren’t being taught any better.

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