Meet Will Kuehn, Candidate for Madison Alderperson District 13 (Quicktime Video/MP3 Audio). Check out Will’s website and blog.
Category: Politics
Wisconsin DPI Candidate Primary
Alan Borsuk posted a brief summary of the four DPI candidates for Tuesday’s primary here.
Milwaukee Vote Problems: Absentee Ballots
Greg Borowski continues to look into Milwaukee’s recent election:
In a review of the Nov. 2 election, Milwaukee officials on Friday blamed a massive crush of absentee voters for problems in getting ballots to everyone who requested one, and for not getting all the returned absentee ballots to the polls before they closed.
The two problems, which have almost become footnotes amid more recent election questions, are both serious. In the first case, some residents who sought ballots were unable to vote. In the second, 238 ballots that did come almost missed being counted.
Sensenbrenner Strikes again – H.R. 418: National ID Bill
From the taking away our rights to make us safer department, Wisconsin Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, assured of a safe seat, has introduced a National ID bill (H.R. 418). I wonder if any of his constituents understand or support this initiative.
We remember Sensenbrenner’s earlier efforts on behalf of his Hollywood constituents…
How any of this benefits Wisconsin’s citizens or economy is beyond me. Sensenbrenner is a poster boy for congressional redistricting reform.
Decland McCullagh forwarded this:
You will remember that late last year, Congress passed (and the
President signed) legislation which starts us down the road to a
National ID card. In the name of preventing alien terrorists from
operating in this country, the so-called Intelligence Reform bill gave
federal bureaucrats unprecedented new powers to force changes in
state-issued driver’s licenses — including, possibly, the addition of
computer chip technology that can facilitate the tracking of all
U.S. citizens.Now, the House will be debating new legislation, H.R. 418, that was
recently introduced by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). In
considering this bill, the U.S. House will vote on whether to empower
the federal government to determine who can get a driver’s license —
and under what conditions..
BU: 50% of medical expenses are wasted….
About 50 percent of health care spending is eaten up by waste, excessive prices and fraud, according to a report set for release today by Boston University researchers.
Major sources of unnecessary spending include administrative costs and profit in the insurance industry, high prices of prescription drugs and health services and, to a smaller extent, theft and fraud, according to the study.
Wisconsin Property Taxes: Doyle Plan vs. Republicans
Patrick Marley, Steven Walters & Scott Williams on the two “freeze” (not really) proposals:
But the two proposals are difficult to compare because the approaches are so different, Berry said.
“From the perspective of local government, they would probably prefer Doyle; from the perspective of a fiscally strapped property owner, the Republican plan would probably be preferable,” Berry said.
Milwaukee Voting Strangeness – Continued
Tom Kertscher & Greg Borowski continue looking into Milwaukee’s troubled election records:
If Milwaukee election records are correct, someone named Marquis F. Murff registered at the polls Nov. 2 and voted from an address on E. Knapp St.
Trouble is, the address is home to St. Catherine Residence, which has allowed only women to live there for 110 years.
Indeed, city records show that someone with an identical name and middle initial also registered at the polls that day and voted from 1503 N. Franklin Place. That address does not exist.
Farm Subsidies: Out of Control
Four recipients of federal farm subsidies who likely don’t need the handout:
- David Rockefeller, the former chairman of Chase Manhattan and grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, who received 99 times more subsidies than the median farmer;
- Scottie Pippen, professional basketball star, who received 39 times more subsidies than the median farmer;
- Ted Turner, the 25th wealthiest man in America, who received 38 times more subsidies than the median farmer; and
- Kenneth Lay, the ousted Enron CEO and multi-millionaire, who received 3 times more subsidies than the median farmer.
Read more here.
Redisctricting: Time for Wisconsin to Join the Reform Movement
Adam Nagourney takes a look at the growing redistricting reform movement, led by California. We have several congressman who are now in safe seats, including Obey, Ryan and Baldwin. Nathaniel Persily nails it:
There is a problem when the turnover in the United States House of Representatives is lower than it was in the Soviet Politburo.”
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is leading the movement.
Extensive Discussion on Wisconsin Taxes
There’s been no shortage of articles on Wisconsin’s tax climate recently.