tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203759362012-01-30T16:17:22.582-06:00One person's take on life and politics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and beyond.Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.comBlogger6671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-12632180716053711022008-07-18T12:58:00.001-05:002008-07-18T12:59:57.916-05:00

Milwaukee Rising can now be found at http://milwaukeerising.net/wordpress/Swing on by!

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-64559216695895268162008-07-10T06:46:00.002-05:002008-07-10T06:48:29.795-05:00

The Texas Department of Transportation recognizes that roads cost more than just building them. Wisconsin doesn't like to recognize that fact. More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-67966921297487876842008-07-10T06:34:00.002-05:002008-07-10T06:45:51.320-05:00

The Senate yesterday voted to give telecos legal immunity for participating in illegal wiretapping. In a grossly disappointing pander to the right, Sen. Barack Obama went along with the plan. (Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, on the other hand, led the fight against it.)Now that this anti-constitutional piece of legislation is about to become law, the ACLU promises to challenge it:“This fight is

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-17457968322369345282008-07-08T06:10:00.002-05:002008-07-08T06:14:43.617-05:00

The commercial is playing over and over again. It's John McCain, talking again about his bipartisan plan to reduce gas prices at the pump.But what's the plan? The ad doesn't tell us.Perhaps we're supposed to let that slide because he's a war hero, you know.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-43168646306966233172008-07-07T05:57:00.002-05:002008-07-07T06:04:42.507-05:00

The Wall Street Journal reported today that oil may be moving into $200 a barrel territory. Here's a piece of the story.The one shift in demand that would have a serious price impact would be any sign of diminished thirst for fuel in China. Speculation has run high for months that Chinese demand may have surged artificially in advance of the Beijing Olympics as the country turned to oil over coal

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-89388106496086554592008-07-07T05:49:00.003-05:002008-07-07T05:52:45.022-05:00

A Canadian investment bank says cars will leave American highways in droves.The highway guys at WisDOT have their eyes shut tight, their fingers stuck in their ears and are singing loudly, "la la la la we can't hear you!"The choir is directed by Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi.More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-7374016203523505802008-07-04T10:41:00.005-05:002008-07-04T10:57:18.431-05:00

SEWRPC Executive Director Phil Evenson says he did not advocate tolling to provide congestion relief for some freeway lanes as I, picking up from the JS, said he did.Evenson's right. He didn't say it.More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-21398772202861101812008-07-03T06:36:00.002-05:002008-07-03T06:41:37.642-05:00

Central city landlord Will Sherard, who's been flouting for three years a court order to fix his crappy properties, gets hammered in federal court with a $500 per day per unit fine.Good.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-14597068919710651152008-07-02T05:56:00.003-05:002008-08-18T07:03:15.973-05:00

It's good news that the Marquette Interchange will come in under budget and a bit ahead of schedule.Let's celebrate, even though we don't know how big those savings will be.Construction did not shut down Downtown or hurt traffic flow much at all, which should prompt people to ask just how much WisDOT's longed-for wider freeways are needed.The structure is still too big and expensive and, while

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-58660639852239564902008-07-01T19:38:00.002-05:002008-07-01T19:55:42.838-05:00

Wow, JS joins Fox News in the "Fair and Balanced" parade.The paper did a big story on the merits, or lack thereof, of reformulated gasoline. The politicians it quoted were US Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville), and State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills).Think there might be a bias there?Not to worry. To balance things, the paper quoted a guy from Wisconsin Manufacture & Commerce.Snort.But wait,

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-28008456992738041752008-06-30T05:47:00.002-05:002008-06-30T05:55:52.121-05:00

Here's to being low-brow enough to think it's funny. San Francisco residents are going to vote on whether to name a sewage treatment plant after George W. to provide a " 'fitting monument' to the outgoing commander-in-chief's achievements," according to The Independent.Activists from the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco, a mischievously-named group behind the move, will ask

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-56000590774306904312008-06-27T08:20:00.001-05:002008-06-27T08:23:22.871-05:00

It's for the benefit of the few at the cost of the many.More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-52481422978883307192008-06-26T06:02:00.003-05:002008-06-26T06:26:53.670-05:00

State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is complaining to the Journal Sentinel that investigators didn't tell him they closed a case eight months ago.It is not confidence-inspiring to know we have an attorney general who waits that long before doing anything about an investigation conducted by his office that he believes was botched. It simply raises more questions about Van Hollen's management

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-6384273913164030312008-06-25T06:06:00.002-05:002008-06-25T06:12:45.882-05:00

A jury has spoken and former Ald. Michael McGee is guilty.It's still crazy that he was locked up for more than a year pending trial, but now that the jury has spoken, lock the guy up for a while.McGee represented a district where he could have done so much good because so much good needs to be done. Instead, he operated a shake-down machine.Nauseating.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-1043404713241309712008-06-23T06:39:00.002-05:002008-06-23T06:44:34.467-05:00

The Congressional Dems are giving in to the Bush administration demands that telecos get immunity for the illegal eavesdropping they did at the behest of the administration.Here's the quiz: How can you tell when Congressional Democrats will behave with craven cowardice and cave in to Bush et al. on a vital issue of personal or constitutional liberties?Answer: They schedule a vote on it.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-69630259186552849952008-06-21T21:12:00.002-05:002008-06-21T21:15:40.093-05:00

And the mosquitoes came also.They were hungry.They were multitudes.And all of Milwaukee heard the sound:Bzzzwhinnnnne. Bzzzwhinnnnnne.Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-36681129305876012052008-06-19T06:44:00.003-05:002008-06-19T06:48:00.730-05:00

Americans drove 30 billion miles fewer in from November through April than they did a year earlier during that period. Will WisDOT notice?More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-6818258573898370412008-06-18T06:06:00.002-05:002008-06-18T06:30:56.934-05:00

It is not just that SEWRPC hid itself in the suburbs.It's not just that SEWRPC stocks its advisory committees overwhelmingly with white gentlemen of a certain age. The commission itself has historically been distinctly lacking in ethnic varietly.It's not even just that SEWRPC waited 25 years before developing an equitable formula to distribute transit dollars -- the new fair one, by the way,

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-22244247683110112772008-06-17T06:37:00.003-05:002008-06-17T06:49:33.614-05:00

It was a huge headline on a story that said exactly nothing new.Scott Walker wants to privatize the airport, but we knew that already.Walker fed the JS a line, and the JS dutifully transcribed.Federal Aviation Administration officials assured him in meetings last week in Washington, D.C., that the county could redirect airport lease revenue to transit.The FAA actually has no interest in how the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-10111021462291039142008-06-17T06:14:00.002-05:002008-06-17T06:22:18.625-05:00

It's amazing to me how newspapers and TV are blindly and faithfully reporting that the Saudis will increase oil production by 200,000 barrels a day.Even if the totally corrupt Saudi regime is telling the truth, the increase is not enough to matter and won't last. Some good background here.The Saudis, who are not our friends, are not going to save us.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-25378277514358780342008-06-16T06:21:00.003-05:002008-06-16T06:40:02.911-05:00

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation told federal highway officials that it was an "active partner" on the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming and part of the task force's Transportation Work Group.A WisDOT official told the the work group co-chair, though, that the agency did not "have a seat at the table."Both of these statements cannot be true.What!? WisDOT fabricating?!!? Tell me

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-34560254250034583382008-06-12T06:22:00.001-05:002008-06-12T06:23:45.280-05:00

Wherein Frank contradicts himself completely. And this guy's in charge of transportation in the state?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-90955610458801152232008-06-11T06:22:00.002-05:002008-06-11T06:25:24.159-05:00

The JS needs revenue and I absolutely hope the paper finds it, but having three visually screaming pop-ups on the same story is a bit much.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-21121235133493837002008-06-08T18:31:00.009-05:002008-06-09T07:02:07.996-05:00

Here is sort of mini-west side tour. The Hank Aaron Trail was totally flooded during the storm. The evidence:There was a ton of garbage caught on the railings. Logs and debris were scattered on the path.There were some problems in and near Jacobus Park. Depressingly, it will be up to Scott Walker and Milwaukee County to fund the repairs.The picture below is of a fence in the park.Here is Wood

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-12019629721646271292008-06-08T15:52:00.003-05:002008-06-08T17:19:03.599-05:00

Everything and everyone is wet.But it could be worse.It could be that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation would like to increase the size of the freeway next to your house, bringing it even closer to your back door and increasing by 50% the amount of impervious surface that will send polluted runoff into your yard.It could be that WisDOT would like to increase the pitch of the freeway to

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-12746667864367659212008-06-07T20:33:00.002-05:002008-06-07T20:37:51.790-05:00

One of the TV weather guys said there have been 4,000 lightning strikes tonight (I think just in Milwaukee County!).At first I thought, "Wow, that's a lot of lightning strikes!"Then I thought, "How would he know how many there have been? Who is out there counting them?"Then my husband told me that a short time earlier, the same weather guy said there were 20,000 lightning strikes.Oh.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-24334233839508417192008-06-07T10:18:00.002-05:002008-06-07T10:22:13.083-05:00

Well, that didn't take long.From the Associated Press:A little-known country judge's road to the Wisconsin Supreme Court is being eyed by John McCain backers as a map for him to win the state. Republican operatives are closely studying how circuit judge Michael Gableman, a conservative candidate from from Webster in far northwest Wisconsin who never ran a statewide race before, was able to oust

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-64480752543394389302008-06-06T06:15:00.002-05:002008-06-06T06:31:09.464-05:00

The refusal of prosecutors to investigate whether State Supreme Court Employee Mike Gableman made political calls from his office is disheartening. One Wisconsin Now asked the Government Accountability Board, two district attorneys and State Attorney General JB Van Hollen to investigate the calls Gableman made back when he was Ashland County district attorney.None of them did. Instead, they

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-87798327796467088382008-06-05T06:20:00.002-05:002008-06-05T06:40:25.269-05:00

Hillary Clinton is bowing out and, yes, it's time. The votes are counted and she lost the Democratic primary. Barack Obama won.The people who are mad at Clinton for not getting out earlier are really, really mad. This seems kind of strange to me. It's competition -- there is no "on' and "off" switch. Was it clear that Clinton blundered in key ways? Yup. Did the contest distract Democrats while

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-14186018743997891732008-06-04T18:35:00.004-05:002008-06-04T18:47:46.155-05:00

There is so much garbage in this lot in the 1300 block of W. Center St. that the birds come to feast on it.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-88671200844137526792008-05-30T05:48:00.002-05:002008-05-30T05:58:20.928-05:00

The nation's businesses are starving for engineers.Colleges are not turning out enough engineers to meet the demand.So what does UW-Madison do?UW-Madison proposes raising the tuition for undergraduate engineering students by $700 a semester over the school's base tuition.Something learned in basic economics classes (no surcharge required): A bad way to get people to do something you want them to

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-64456733042705366732008-05-29T06:30:00.002-05:002008-05-29T06:33:25.818-05:00

Yeah, the downtown Post Office is ugly and all that, but when it moves to Oak Creek and transit collapses, as it is scheduled to do, how do Milwaukee residents without cars even have a chance at those family-supporting jobs in Oak Creek?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-65946239142084042008-05-28T06:39:00.002-05:002008-05-28T06:52:10.867-05:00

The state is about to start throwing money out the window in the form of a wider North-South I-94.Part of the problem of spending $200 million (plus interest on the bonding!) to expand the freeway is that it will do nothing to improve traffic flow in Racine and Kenosha counties. It's crazy -- if it won't help and will do all the bad things that freeway expansion does in terms of wasted tax base,

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-80955681768820648422008-05-27T06:00:00.002-05:002008-05-27T06:08:07.159-05:00

Mayor Tom Barrett is weighing the possibility of closing four neighborhood libraries as the city faces huge budget pressures, according to the JS.There is no mention of any possibility of a reduction in the always-expanding police budget. Yes, public safety is absolutely important, but constant increases in police ranks while public libraries are shuttered can only mean one thing: the barbarians,

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-7183268773380700822008-05-25T20:31:00.002-05:002008-05-25T21:48:41.443-05:00

Attorney General JB Van Hollen's accelerating ego inflation/paranoia is getting a tad out of control.This guy is just weird.First there was the story of Van Hollen's demotion of State Fire Marshal Carolyn S. Kelly because she allegedly threatened top Justice Department officials. According to the JS:E-mails show Kelly and Warren (James Warren, her former boss) were frustrated by Van Hollen's

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-14165133778591345582008-05-22T06:24:00.002-05:002008-05-22T06:42:01.260-05:00

Politicians keep whining at our good and excessively corrupt and venal friends in the Saudi government that they should be sending us lot more oil.First, it's likely they don't have the spare oil to send. Look beyond the stories about Bush trying to convince the Saudis that they ought to help us with our addiction, and you can find a lot of data suggesting that the Saudis ability to increase oil

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-27238399742744829792008-05-21T05:48:00.003-05:002008-05-21T06:08:31.135-05:00

You've got to hand it to the wireless phone service providers -- they just show no ability to show shame.The providers have come up with a proposal to waive the outrageous fees they charge for customers who want an early out from their cell phone contracts -- the phone companies have agreed to waive the charges for those least likely to need the charges waived, according to the Associated

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-44803209584032741472008-05-20T06:45:00.002-05:002008-05-20T06:49:10.046-05:00

What can't afford to remove invasive species from its property, but can afford to build a bigger Zoo Interchange project and maybe destroy a bunch of homes and businesses along the way?You guessed it. Your Wisconsin Department of Transportation. More here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-64101350341496568132008-05-17T07:19:00.002-05:002008-05-17T07:26:40.695-05:00

In case you missed the controversy -- Below is an excerpt of terrific Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin analyzing President Bush's great war-time sacrifice -- golf:And yet now it turns out that Bush has indeed made a personal sacrifice on account of the war. According to the president yesterday, his decision to stop playing golf five years ago wasn't just an exercise in image control or a

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-90016360442979789092008-05-14T06:27:00.002-05:002008-05-14T06:47:23.654-05:00

The JS reports this morning that County Executive Scott Walker says moving the mental health hospital to the old St. Michael Hospital is a financially sound move that can provide the opportunity for "culture change."Supervisor John Weishan says Walker is using "hokey numbers" and a union official says the St. Michael proposal is "absolutely ridiculous."What happens to the mental health hospital

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-71043741029088230642008-05-13T19:34:00.003-05:002008-05-13T20:00:09.832-05:00

Abe already has been a hero, rescuing orphaned possums from the certain death.Now, this remarkable creature has revealed a new talent. Turn up those speakers, give a listen to this two-second video, and try prevent your wonder from blooming into outright awe.We are so very proud.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-67270525382066789892008-05-12T19:39:00.002-05:002008-05-12T20:10:29.168-05:00

The misnamed budget repair bill is nothing but junk. Crap. Garbage.It stinks. Toss it out and pretend it never happened.Start with the property tax exemption for low-income housing. The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities no one knows how much property it will strip from local tax rolls.It may remove tens of millions of dollars from the local tax rolls and shift the taxes paid by countless housing

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-70454912213351941062008-05-12T06:47:00.002-05:002008-05-12T06:59:09.658-05:00

Real estate millionaire Joseph Zilber is giving 50 of those millions to improve life in Milwaukee's low-income neighborhoods. Zilber's incredible generosity got lots of press.Another positive development for Milwaukee was reported in the back pages of the paper: Marcus White, the executive director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, is leaving that job to take a new job with the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-60412935471566270942008-05-11T08:40:00.002-05:002008-05-11T09:01:26.104-05:00

Saw this amazing review for the Flip mini-camcorder in the New York Times.Ordered one from Amazon.com for $150, $30 off regular retail! Boast to friends of the great deal.Got the camera -- it is so cool. Try to edit some video -- the trusty ol' Studio 9 software can't open it.Run to the local Best Buy. Plunk down $130 for Studio 11 Ultimate. Go home. Start loading software. Oops! The graphics

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-42889272302735832152008-05-09T06:12:00.006-05:002008-05-09T07:33:56.862-05:00

Golly -- I'm a library apologist, and so is my husband, my sisters and certainly my father, too (big, big time). Many people I know are library apologists and we are damned proud of it.What's a library apologist and why would anyone coin such a silly term? Well, what it isn't 100% clear, but apparently it is anyone who supports public libraries. It is certainly anyone who supports public

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-68716651704511852702008-05-07T07:39:00.002-05:002008-05-07T07:51:41.855-05:00

A couple of items from this morning papers to realize how just totally incompetent (or corrupt) the Bush administration really is.1. Federal agents raided the home and office of Scott Bloch, the Bush-appointed head of the Office of the Special Counsel. According to the Wall Street Journal:Mr. Bloch, who was appointed by President Bush, has been under investigation since 2005 by the Office of

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-26741570331452408962008-05-07T05:39:00.002-05:002008-05-07T05:49:07.448-05:00

Portions of the humungous storm water detention ponds on the County Grounds, the key element in an $84 million flood abatement project, are washing away.The designer for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District project is HNTB, Wisconsin's favorite political donor and highway engineering contractor (could those two things be related?).MMSD says it's investigating the matter to find out what

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-85612732549457774292008-05-06T06:24:00.002-05:002008-05-06T06:35:22.748-05:00

The JS today opines on the importance of transit and advocates for a $10 wheel tax to support it until a better idea comes along.There already is one out there.The State Department of Transportation is proposing to spend at least $200 million to expand North-South I-94, even though, according to WisDOT, the expansion won't change traffic speeds along most of the corridor.The JS should simply

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-9593959663857235962008-05-02T07:13:00.002-05:002008-05-02T07:17:17.027-05:00

The deadline for comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the proposed North-South I-94 reconstruction and expansion project is May 5.Comments can be sent via e-mail to dotsefreeways94nsc@dot.state.wi.us, phone (262) 548-8721 or fax (262) 548-5662.An analysis of many flaws in the plan is here.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-89751743021426635092008-05-02T06:17:00.002-05:002008-05-02T06:21:44.042-05:00

US Sen. Russ Feingold testified this week on the pernicious effects of the Bush administration's penchant for creating laws and not telling anyone about them. An excerpt is below (hat tip to Secrecy News); the rest can be found here.These examples are the topic of much discussion and concern, and appropriately so. But there is a particularly sinister trend that has gone relatively unnoticed – the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-45186296232831031812008-05-02T06:12:00.002-05:002008-05-02T06:14:51.957-05:00

Can anyone tell me why I'm supposed to give a rat's behind about who Barbara Walters slept with 30 years ago?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-55035462166678767182008-05-01T06:04:00.002-05:002008-05-01T06:09:54.549-05:00

The New York Times reported yesterday that fewer than 2,000 homeowners at risk of foreclosure have been helped by a Bush administration program that was supposed to assist them. So much for dealing with the foreclosure crisis. Why does this remind me of the administration’s response to Katrina? See the potential for a disaster. Don't prepare for the disaster. Watch the disaster occur. Don't

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-41253200852535685882008-04-29T06:13:00.003-05:002008-04-29T07:06:40.796-05:00

A car doesn't have that little registration sticker on its license plate. A quick radio check, though, shows that the vehicle is properly registered.It's possible that the sticker was stolen. That is a problem, especially as car registration fees keep climbing and fewer people can or will pay the amount due.It's possible that the sticker just fell off.If you were a parking checker, what would you

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-30646741674000209052008-04-29T05:58:00.003-05:002008-05-03T12:47:37.612-05:00

Mark Benson is probably going to prison for a long time for driving drunk, getting in a car accident and killing Jennifer Bukosky, her unborn child, and her daughter.Benson, once a doctor, is at near the bottom of a very long road down. He will likely hit the deepest part of down about five years into his prison sentence when there's still a long way to go til he's released.Benson, back in the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-69180334523928049282008-04-25T07:17:00.003-05:002008-04-25T07:33:02.096-05:00

The Brewers are incredibly exciting this year, even the roller coaster the bullpen has become. Doesn't that heart-freezing mixture of excited optimism and dread whenever a pitching change is made make life more interesting? It's also great that attendance is booming.But I beg to differ with this morning's JS story that the Brewers are successfully dealing with crowd-related problems, including

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-43419804677185356732008-04-23T07:22:00.002-05:002008-04-23T07:47:07.170-05:00

The JS today reported that mother ship Journal Communications net income dropped 91% in the first quarter compared to first quarter returns a year ago.It's even worse than the paper makes it out to be.While the JS was quick to note that last year's first quarter income was boosted by the sale of Norlight Communications, it failed to report -- whoopsie! -- that this year's first quarter income

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-7236181344914124552008-04-22T07:49:00.002-05:002008-04-22T07:54:21.150-05:00

It took 45 ballots yesterday for the County Board to re-elect Lee Holloway as chairman.Newly-elected Supervisor Theo Lipscomb finally voted for Holloway, after refusing to vote for anyone because, he said, he did not feel it was appropriate for a newcomer to weigh in on the issue.Not a real auspicious start for the new County Board.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-78430979610552999552008-04-18T05:54:00.002-05:002008-04-18T06:10:03.833-05:00

Absolutely and very happily did not watch the Obama - Clinton debate Wednesday night because this campaign largely has been one of trivia and silly gotcha moments. It was worse than feared -- the JS reported Thursday morning that one of the burning issues discussed was -- really, really, honest-to-gosh-can-you-believe-it -- flag lapel pins.A moment of despair: a debate between potential leaders

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-20395580081853734652008-04-17T06:32:00.002-05:002008-04-17T07:01:18.691-05:00

Widening North-South I-94 will not improve traffic speeds in Racine and Kenosha counties beyond improvements that would occur with a far less expensive no-expansion-beyond-design-enhancement reconstruction plan, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.That's right. WisDOT has been insisting for years that it is necessary to spend $200 million. plus millions of interest, to widen I

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-1521569380254519362008-04-16T06:29:00.002-05:002008-04-16T06:44:25.578-05:00

From this a.m.'s JS story on the swearing-ins at City Hall:None of the speeches displayed the bravado of former Ald. Michael McGee, who declared four years ago, "You'll never hear about me taking any money under the table." Why was that line there? Will we be reading quotes from convicted (and awaiting a new trial) former State Rep. Scott Jensen every two years when new legislators are sworn in?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-73459067831481082992008-04-15T06:37:00.002-05:002008-04-15T06:46:28.372-05:00

Scott Walker won in Story Hill.It was close -- he outpolled Lena Taylor by just three votes.Story Hill is a pretty Democratic place. Incumbent Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler won big here, as did County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin, who beat a conservative helped by Walker.Yet Walker won in Story Hill.It says just tons about Lena Taylor's campaign.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-36080702100515045142008-04-12T06:45:00.002-05:002008-04-12T06:53:03.830-05:00

Former Ald. Michael McGee may very well be a crook and a thief. He may even have conspired to have someone beat up.It is still time to let him out of jail to await trial.He has been in jail since last May, unconvicted of any crime. Federal defendants who do things far, far more violent than McGee is alleged to have done are allowed bail or are sent home on electronic monitoring.Is there something

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-88283323735834321752008-04-02T05:21:00.004-05:002008-04-02T07:12:10.700-05:00

There are lots of bad people in Wisconsin. Newly-elected Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman credited his victory to the "good people" of Wisconsin. Some 391, 549 people voted for Louis Butler. Hmmmm.Don't take those signatures for granted. Incumbent County Supervisor James White, having failed to get enough valid signature on his nomination papers, was ousted by a write-in candidate, Theo

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-34802601221572977982008-04-01T05:19:00.002-05:002008-04-01T05:27:41.327-05:00

Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson proposes to deal with the financial mess in the country mostly by consolidating agencies.This may seem like a harmless, if ineffective, feint to fool the country into thinking the federal government is actually doing something, but it could be worse than that.Remember Homeland Security? After 9/11, President Bush consolidated law enforcement agencies into that one

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-80496210171929009812008-04-01T05:14:00.002-05:002008-04-01T05:19:45.473-05:00

Here they are: the official Milwaukee Rising political endorsements, in alphabetical order, of those officials for whom some Milwaukee west siders can vote:Supreme Court - Louis Butler15th Supervisory District - Lynne DeBruin10th Aldermanic District - Michael MurphyBetcha stayed up all night waiting for that, eh?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-14341344672516564972008-03-22T06:39:00.002-05:002008-03-22T06:45:37.958-05:00

From Politico:One important Clinton adviser estimated to Politico privately that she has no more than a 10 percent chance of winning her race against Barack Obama, an appraisal that was echoed by other operatives.Ouch.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-546683705819726872008-03-21T07:10:00.002-05:002008-03-21T07:19:00.665-05:00

It was hard to accept that SEWRPC, repeatedly castigated for its high-handed and arrogant treatment of the public ("No! You are not allowed to talk at our public meetings!") would actually have the gall to out-arrogant itself.It did, though, with the closed door selection of Deputy Director Ken Yunker to succeed Executive Director Phil Evenson when he retires.No public input. A decision made by a

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-38987191121069940562008-03-21T06:22:00.003-05:002008-05-14T06:40:45.772-05:00

Milwaukee County is inexplicably and maddeningly behind the rest of the world in making the business of the public available to the public.It has resisted for years doing what other governments have done for years -- post information related to County Board agenda items on the Internet. This isn't about the committee and Board agendas themselves -- the County Board does post those. This is about

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-28666545327122462642008-03-19T07:08:00.003-05:002008-03-20T06:19:49.622-05:00

The paper version of the JS finally, finally, finally covered the proposal to allow all billboards in the city to be converted to changing digital message boards.The first story ran Tuesday, the day of the council vote on the issue.And it made a difference.The worst version of the ordinance -- caving in to the billboard industry entirely -- was well on its way to becoming law after more than a

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-69284365668152604262008-03-17T19:37:00.002-05:002008-03-17T19:58:47.951-05:00

Ready? You need to know this as the economy craters and the country hurtles toward God knows what kind of financial disaster. Here it is -- the critical information of the day:Women spend only about $25 on a new bra.My reaction to this stunner must be similar to that of millions of women. WHAT!!? Where can you get a decent bra for just $25?Bras are one of the great rip-offs of the "foundations"

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-70064779996254093712008-03-17T06:39:00.002-05:002008-03-17T06:46:53.746-05:00

The misbegotten effort to allow every billboard in the city to be converted to a changeable electronic message board is a bit less misbegotten than it used to be. The latest version limits message changes to every eight seconds instead of six and adds protections for residential neighborhoods.It still ain't great -- the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee rejected Ald

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-78319605675132793352008-03-14T06:25:00.002-05:002008-03-14T06:30:11.156-05:00

Is your question about parks? Transit? House of Correction? Unfunded state mandates? Selling county land? Privatizing the airport?Hear the candidates’ answers: Scott Walker, incumbent, & Lena Taylor, state senator WHEN: Saturday, March 15, 2-3:30 p.m.WHERE: Our Savior’s Lutheran Church 3022 W. Wisconsin AvenueMODERATOR: Larry Sandler, Milwaukee Journal

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-4757152263778597062008-03-13T04:14:00.003-05:002008-03-13T04:21:06.874-05:00

One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study. I'm skeptical about that number, but let's assume it is true.What does it say about teenage boys?

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-20365794373390762612008-03-11T06:27:00.002-05:002008-03-11T06:32:59.897-05:00

Gov. Doyle wants to erase the state deficit in part by moving $190 million from the transportation fund and covering the gap by borrowing more.Hmmm, more borrowing equals more interest payments equals higher taxes. Boy, the Republicans ought to hate that.$190 million is just a touch less than the $200 million (at least) it will cost to add additional lanes to North-South I-94 as part of the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-36911691599836229222008-03-11T06:11:00.002-05:002008-03-11T06:21:29.744-05:00

One Wisconsin Now has done an excellent job of looking at Mike Gableman's entirely less-than-lackluster career, his suspicious appointment, and now his attendance problems.From OWN:Documents obtained by One Wisconsin Now show as an appointed member of the Judicial Council, Gableman missed five of the seven meetings held and his service on the Council was terminated when he resigned as Ashland

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-66245069439048438442008-03-10T07:34:00.005-05:002008-03-10T08:32:19.167-05:00

The workmanship on the new Hawley Rd. viaduct, just 1 1/2 years old, continues to amaze.But not in a good way.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-88898117124083729332008-03-10T07:23:00.001-05:002008-03-10T07:27:26.211-05:00

Our county executive, at the St. Patrick's Bluemound Rd. parade.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-87940864605096549142008-03-08T07:16:00.002-06:002008-03-08T07:18:38.002-06:00

There are always interesting things to see on the walk to work. Yesterday, for example, I saw two pickup trucks, surrounded by a group of maybe 10-20 men, parked side by side in the middle of the street.As I drew closer, I saw the men were clad in Nazi uniforms.Sure hope there was a WWII re-enactment going on somewhere.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-53073869000767028562008-03-07T06:51:00.002-06:002008-03-07T07:01:17.624-06:00

The Senate passed the Great Lakes compact yesterday on an amazing 26-6 vote. Compact expert Jim Rowen has oodles (that's a technical aquatic term) of comment and background info at The Political Environment.

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-28231172634424813512008-03-06T18:41:00.004-06:002008-03-06T18:56:45.354-06:00

Illusory Tenant is busy polishing furniture, hoping the payoff is more sex.May be another one of his illusions, but who knows?Me, being female, note that the story in the JS is cast through a merely male point of view: The average dad has gradually been getting better about picking himself up off the sofa and pitching in, according to a new report in which a psychologist suggests the payoff for

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-1664107070053213992008-03-05T19:28:00.004-06:002008-03-06T08:34:24.298-06:00

The tradition has been this, according to testimony at the Common Council's Public Works Committee:The city removes the snow from bus stop "landings," or the places where transit users get on and off buses; the county, theoretically, keeps bus shelters clear of snow.Until this year, when the county simply notified the city that the county would no longer take care of shoveling or plowing out bus

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-10199217929265334362008-03-05T18:38:00.002-06:002008-03-05T19:22:10.659-06:00

Bob Herbert's column in the New York Times yesterday defined the cost of this country's military adventures as opportunities lost, as defined by Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel prize-winning economist, and Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International."For a fraction of the cost of this war, said Mr. Stiglitz, "we could have put Social Security on a sound footing for the next half-century

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-4461723575407707092008-03-01T07:58:00.002-06:002008-03-01T08:12:35.222-06:00

Milwaukee County Transit System ridership plummeted 9% last year, according to the JS. That's a stunning figure, but not really surprising. In an era of high oil prices, global warming and job migration to the suburbs, state transportation planners continue to push for bigger highways that will aggravate all the negative trends.Then there is County Executive Scott Walker, who thinks everyone

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-66084524657886306232008-02-28T06:22:00.003-06:002008-02-28T06:52:52.085-06:00

Fixing potholes is one of the more mundane aspects of local government. Suddenly, because Milwaukee streets are so old and because city residents are unwilling or unable to pay the very high special assessments for street reconstruction the city levies and because of the weird weather we've been having and because of difficult city budgets, potholes are big and potholes are big

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-54254080692395978512008-02-27T05:58:00.002-06:002008-02-27T06:11:08.175-06:00

Is the Milwaukee Police Department's report on non-voter fraud a precedent? Will the department regularly issue reports on crimes that might have been, but weren't? Or maybe it's not non-crimes, but simply sloppy government management, that will trigger the department to issue 67-page reports three years after the fact.Wow. Better add another three recruit classes at the Police Academy and

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-64811537211471121782008-02-26T06:27:00.001-06:002008-02-26T06:29:18.691-06:00

From the Bellingham Herald:The bulk of funding for the federal Highway Trust Fund comes from the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax. But revenues from the tax have flattened, probably because people are driving less in response to the rising price of gas and because cars have become more fuel efficient. The federal gas tax was last increased 14 years ago. White House budget officials

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-89268849443442121462008-02-21T07:11:00.002-06:002008-02-21T07:18:18.675-06:00

It's not a good feeling to realize that the ol' web host is...not there. At all. May the IT gods bring it back. But for now, what should have been there is here.Feb. 21- The Sheriff Department's three-year-old medical records system for jail and House of Correction inmates, acquired under circumstances that raise conflict-of-interest questions, is so bad it should be replaced, according to a new

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-13423952974103361982008-02-20T07:09:00.003-06:002008-02-20T07:38:43.460-06:00

Lynne DeBruin came in first in her three-way re-election battle, which was not really a surprise because she is a good supervisor who has served her constituents well under a county financial situation that made the job more difficult.What is surprising (at least to me) is that Dan Cody, a who had union and organized support, was knocked out of the race and the very conservative Dan Wycklendt, a

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-43587140019541510572008-02-19T18:44:00.003-06:002008-02-19T18:52:09.522-06:00

Washington Post columnis David Ignatius came up with an amazing theme on Sunday: Barack Obama's policy positions need to be examined more closely by the press so the country doesn't suffer "buyers' remorse."Except many primaries are over and lots and lots of people in lots of states have lost their chance to be more fully informed before casting their ballots.For gosh sakes, David, couldn't you

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-51559634066838317372008-02-19T05:09:00.004-06:002008-02-19T05:49:47.066-06:00

The battling letters bout between County Executive Scott Walker and Chief Circuit Judge Kitty Brennan continued last week, with Brennan winning on points.If you remember round 1, Walker wrote to Brennan to suggest that judges be careful of whom they sentence to work release. Brennan wrote back, in a bit of an over-reach, that Walker was asking judges not to sentence anyone to work release. She

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-48713322003828794972008-02-16T05:33:00.002-06:002008-02-16T05:52:06.808-06:00

Michael Horne at MilwaukeeWorld did some asking of WisDOT and got a "sort of" answer to his question about traffic counts about traffic counts at the controversial 27th St. freeway exit, but not records he requested (WisDOT sometimes has problems with that pesky open records law). Even the information WisDOT provided him demonstrates that the agency has been undercounting cars using the

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-56105269497821976182008-02-15T07:12:00.003-06:002008-02-15T07:42:51.803-06:00

The U.S. Senate this week caved in completely, totally and absolutely to President Bush's demand to expand federal eavesdropping authority and to forgive telecom companies for prosecutable trangressions they have committed in his name.It's a terrible trampling of the constitution and the justice system, but that's never stopped Bush before. Senators were so afraid of being accused of being weak

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-65685231676454882102008-02-13T18:47:00.003-06:002008-02-14T05:37:25.944-06:00

County Executive Scott Walker didn't tell judges not to sentence anyone to work release, as Chief Judge Kitty Brennan said in a letter this week -- he just told them not to sentence anyone to work release who "presents a reasonable risk to the safety of the public. "Walker did not define what he considers a "reasonable risk," and the category could be fairly narrow or exceptionally broad. Brennan

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-16861074271922566052008-02-13T06:21:00.002-06:002008-02-13T06:38:07.772-06:00

Whoops! Those pesky little details. The JS, in opining against the residency rule for teachers, brought up the case of Custer teacher Dan Bearss, who was forced to resign because he didn't live in the city.Unmentioned by the paper is that Mr. Bearss knew a condition of his employment was that he live in the city, but did not feel he should be bound by his contract because he did not want to be

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-49071693985724093262008-02-12T19:13:00.000-06:002008-02-12T19:36:02.815-06:00

Scott Walker is suggesting that judges not sentence inmates to work-release, according to a letter from Chief Judge Kitty Brennan. Brennan suggests that Walker has a duty to provide a decent work-release facility, as much as would rather not do so.Brennan's letter also raises the key question: if judges don't have work release, where the hell are they supposed to put these miscreants? Should

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-63777364973900913452008-02-11T18:47:00.001-06:002008-03-03T05:55:24.483-06:00

Every billboard in the city could be converted into brightly-lit LED message boards that change messages every six seconds, under a proposed ordinance being pushed hard by the billboard industry with enthusiastic in-house assistance by Ald. Mike D'Amato.Fortunately, Aldermen Robert Bauman and Michael Murphy got the matter referred back to the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, so

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-68174847265901232602008-02-09T19:26:00.000-06:002008-02-10T08:04:35.726-06:00

Author Lesley Kagen was at Vliet Street's Perpendicular wine bar recently to promote her critcally acclaimed book, "Whistling in the Dark."The book takes place on Milwaukee's west side, including Vliet St (Perpindicular, by the way, is at 5000 W. Vliet St.), back in the days when the Zoo was in Washington Park and kids ran around seeking dinner at whichever neighbors had the best food.Kagen, who

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-51782401806640508792008-02-09T14:22:00.000-06:002008-02-09T14:52:24.387-06:00

JK Rowling is trying to claim ownership of everything Harry Potter, to a far greater extent than recognized by courts previously.According to New York Times columnist Joe Nocera: She is essentially claiming that the decision to publish — or even to allow — a Harry Potter encyclopedia is hers alone, since after all, the characters in her books came out of her head. They are her intellectual

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-34570574038520301622008-02-08T06:30:00.000-06:002008-02-08T06:57:20.812-06:00

US Attorney Gen. Mike Mukasey is worried that giving crack offenders a chance at slightly early releases from prison is a terrible thing because "many of them" are "violent gang members.""1,600 convicted crack dealers, many of them violent gang members, will be eligible for immediate release into communities nationwide," Mukasey said, according to the Washington Post.A federal panel voted to

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375936.post-85153609173648635812008-02-07T06:10:00.000-06:002008-02-07T06:34:32.701-06:00

The bad news is that the Senate killed a stimulus package last night that would have extended unemployment benefits and increase heating assistance for the poor.It died by a single vote. The Republican front-runner for president, John McCain, didn't bother to show up for it.The good news is that the Senate killed a stimulus package last night that had become a double-sided duct tape for special

Gretchen Schuldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07354557506635026880noreply@blogger.com2