A Donut That Doesn't Sit Right

I'm not talking about a jelly donut. I'm talking about the donut in the Medicare debacle that Congress passed recently.

Check the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/washington/30medicare.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin


This Medicare bill was a pure and simple boondoggle for the drug companies. Fortunately, we have SeniorCare that Governor Doyle got extended, but more needs to be done.

From the Democratic Difference:

We seek an affordable single-payer health care system that provides universal access, promotes preventive health care, and covers prescription drugs, and all physical and mental illnesses.

We support Badger Care, Wisconsin Senior Care, Medicaid and Medicare with prescribed drug and medical device benefits and oppose undercutting Medicare by HMOs and insurance companies.

We favor enhancing programs for the aging and disabled, including subsidized long term in-home or nursing home care.

That's a boondoggle I could stomach!

Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is!

That would be Senator Russ Feingold.


http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=478014

From the article:

Unlike any other '08 prospect in his party, his early money is coming mostly from small donors.

In the first half of 2006, the Wisconsin senator raised 62% of his funds from people giving $200 or less..........

In an interview last week, Feingold said raising his money in small donations was in keeping with his past Senate races, his belief that it's healthy for the political system...........



Sounds like a man of the people to me.

More Ideas On Healthcare

There are far too many people in this state and country without health and medical coverage. There are just as many with inadequate or partial coverage. It's a problem that leads to a lot of talk, but very little action. Most agree it is a problem, but as an opinion piece in the Wisconsin State Journal notes, there are just as many opinions on what to do as there are people without insurance. They bring up a pretty good point. Do we really need a one-size-fits-all national coverage plan? Or can we have the federal government work with states to come up with solutions that fit each state's individual needs?

Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin would seem to favor that approach.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/opinion/index.php?ntid=92691

Not mentioned in the article is the fact that Ron Kind has also been working on this idea.

I believe it can be done. It will take working together with state and federal governments. With the relationships I've developed with Congressman Kind and Senator Feingold, I don't see working with them being a problem.

It will also take strong bi-partisan work at the state level to develop a program that works for Wisconsin. If you keep up with my blog, you know my feelings on Health Savings Accounts. In a nutshell, I view them as a band-aid being applied to a hemorrhage. They may help a little, but they are by no means the silver bullet. Having said that, a state plan could incorporate health savings accounts for those few who would benefit from them. Other options could be incorporated for the majority of people who will not benefit from the health savings accounts.

Putting this idea on the table for discussion in Madison would be a great start. It's too bad the past and current legislature didn't see fit to try. It's time for a change.

School Finance

If you've read the newspapers, heard the radio interviews, or talked to me face-to-face, you've no doubt heard me bring up the current crisis our school districts face when it comes to school finance reform. I've mentioned many times that John Simonson, who is running for the State Senate (17th district) does a far better job of articulating the problem and potential solutions than I do. Since I don't speak for John, I figure I can let you see firsthand what he is thinking in regards to school finance.

http://www.johnsimonson.com/documents/k12fin.htm

When you see John, make a point to talk to him about the issues. He's a very bright man, to say the least. We'll do well having him elected to the Senate.

In Case You Haven't Heard

I picked up a pretty significant endorsement.

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=67469

As the release mentions, Senator Feingold and I share the same desire to clean up government and restore accountability. I am appreciative of the fact that he recognizes that and took the time to check out our campaign and liked what he saw and heard.

Also, for those of you who pay attention to the Assembly races in neighboring districts, (or live in one) you have to like what is happening in the 51st district. Steve Hilgenberg is making an awful lot of noise. I've had the pleasure to visit with Steve a few times, and I can see why he is getting such great support. He is definitely worthy and will be a great statesman. Check out Steve's website if you have time. www.SteveHilgenberg.com

Good News For Dairy Farmers

Governor Jim Doyle and his cabinet were in Grant County yesterday for a number of events. One of which was a press conference at Tom and Connie Kunkel's family dairy farm near Cuba City. (Their 3 girls were on hand as well. Very impressive family).

The Kunkels expanded their herd by gutting out their stanchion barn and putting in a parlor. They did quite a bit of work themselves, and received a Grow Wisconsin Dairy Initiative grant to help out. They won't be the only ones, as the Governor announced an additional $860,000 in federally funded grants for Wisconsin's dairy industry.

Courtesy of the Wisconsin Ag Connection:

http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.cfm?Id=879&yr=2006


In addition, Doyle announced some help for dairy producers who are struggling to get medical coverage. They now will have a better chance at qualifying for BadgerCare Plus.

Also courtesy of Wisconsin Ag Connection:

http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.cfm?Id=878&yr=2006

This plan needs federal approval, so it isn't a slam dunk, but Doyle indicated that he didn't see federal approval being too difficult.


These are the kinds of things we need to see from state government. Partnerships that foster economic growth are vital to the health of rural Wisconsin. Expanded access to healthcare is vital to our well being. The job is far from over, but at least the Governor and Rod Nilsestuen, the state Ag Secretary, are on task. Sure beats obsessing over trivial things designed to pander to a political base, as the current state legislative leaders are doing.

What Do You Think?

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "I don't care what people think, I only know what they ought to think."

Unfortunately, that seems to be the attitude of those in leadership positions both in Madison and Washington D.C. Ideology has taken over where reality should reign supreme. We saw it with President Bush and his veto of embryonic stem cell research. The far right neo-con mindset is one of telling what to think rather than asking you what you think and then acting upon it. Not exactly what our founding fathers had in mind. They had that silly notion that government is to be "of the people, by the people, for the people" Today's "leadership" seems to find that notion to be something of an inconvenience.

I'll expand upon this thought later. I am rolling up the sleeves and getting ready to head to Platteville this evening to meet with Governor Doyle and his cabinet at the Strawberry Festival. I'm gonna tell them what I think, and I'll not settle for them telling me what I ought to think.

ENOUGH!!!!!

If you grab the paper or go online for your state news, you can't go through one day without hearing about this candidate or that candidate taking money from a sleazy outfit or getting it illegally or unethically. It is getting to the point that every dollar donated is being accused of being dirty. All that does is muddy the water to where the real dirty money is lumped in with the legitimate money and is that much harder to distinguish.

So let's get rid of all this dirty money talk by cleaning up our elections. This is a rehash of an earlier edition, but for those of you who may have missed it, check out this group.

http://www.wicleanelections.org/

Tip Of The Cap

A tip of the cap to the folks who put on another successful Blakes Prairie Jr. Fair in Bloomington. The Combine Demolition Derby was a smashing success. Pun intended. They went from 3 entrants last year to 14-15 this year. (I never did an actual count) The crowd was over flowing with young and old enjoying the show. Great job, Bloomington!

To Those Heading Off To College: Good Luck

So you'll be off to college in another month, eh?

Well, Carrie Lynch has a few things you may want to consider.

http://www.wisopinion.com/blogs/whatsleft/2006/07/new-must-have-for-college-this-fall.html


Congress cut student aid by $12 billion in the most recent federal budget while interest rates on student loans climbed two percentage points July 1, the largest increase in history. The maximum Pell Grant has been frozen for four years at $4,050, which "barely covers a third of an annual public-college bill." Not surprisingly, two-thirds of all graduates of four-year colleges now finish with sizable loans. Public college graduates have an average $16,000 of debt, while private school graduates have an average $20,000.

Again I ask the question; Why does the Republican Party hate education so much?

Freedom Of Speech (with government escorts)

Check this article out.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=17178

FEMA has some temporary trailer parks in Louisiana for hurricane victims. They can invite media members to their trailer and give interviews, but only with a government escort sitting with them!

Unbelievable.

He Just Doesn't Get It!

President George W. Bush demonstrated his ignorance of and disdain for science, and his apathy for those who suffer from incurable disease and injury today. He vetoed a bill that would provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. All the more frustrating is his reasoning for doing so. I'll get to that in a bit, but first a bit of background on stem cell science.

In the stem cell debate, you will hear opponents of embryonic stem research claim that we "have enough adult stem cells to work with," or that "I only support adult stem cell research and not embryonic stem cell research." So let's sort that out first.

There is a difference between Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) and Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs)


Adult Stem Cells: When you have an injury, Adult Stem Cells work to create new tissue. They are in your skin, organs, etc. They can grow to become new tissue, but only in the same environment that they exist. Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. A great deal of work needs to be done to expand their therapeutic utility.

Embryonic Stem Cells: Embryonic Stem Cells can become any tissue. We've already been able to demonstrate this unique ability unlike with adult stem cells so far less work is necessary to expand their therapeutic utility. Embryonic Stem Cells created our skin, liver, spleen, etc. They are not as limited as ASCs. That is why they hold such promise.


ESCs come from material collected at fertility clincs. The stem cells are derived from blastocysts. They can them be used in stem cell research. If not, the embryos in the fertility clinic will be disarded in a medical waste facility. Which leads me to President Bush's reasoning for vetoing the embryonic stem cell funding bill.


President Bush said, "This bill would support the taking of innocent human life of the hope of finding medical benefits for others. It crosses a moral boundary that our society needs to respect, so I vetoed it."

Let me break it down for you Mr. President.

These embryos are going to be discarded. They will be thrown away. You are not saving anything. You are only standing in the way of scientists who are trying to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Juvenile Diabetes. You are playing politics with people's lives so you can curry favor with the James Dobsons and Pat Robertsons of the world. Your ignorance is delaying finding potential cures to debilitating diseases.

Hope you are happy, Mr. President. But I'll bet your science teachers are very embarrassed.

Just As I Suspected!

This past Sunday, I finally figured out how my Dad leans. He leans left. And left. And left. And left.

It took 18 holes of golf to figure it out. But there he was, going left. Unfortunately, I'm afraid to tell you I lean a little right. And right. And right. So between Dad and I, we played military golf.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.

Just me and Dad on the golf course on a beautiful day. A little warm, but it was great! I think that fits into that family values thing that I'm not supposed to have because I'm a Democrat. Only republicans have family values, ya know. The rest of us are just heathens. (sarcasm alert) But I digress.

Oh, and from the category of "don't argue with your mother. I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it.":

Mom offered me an incentive to take a bit of a donation to the campaign for new boots. If I didn't use it to get new boots, she was going to buy me some khaki pants and make me wear them instead of jeans.

?????????????????

Looking forward to those new boots, Mom!

For Sale:

For Sale:

Beautiful highway systems in a rural setting in southwest Wisconsin. 2-lane and 4-lane models available. Publicly financed, publicly maintained, but privately owned! Owner obtains the right to arbitrarily establish toll fares. Be the first foreign country in your neighborhood with your own American boondoggle. Bad Credit or No Credit? No worries; we finance!

Sounds awfully silly, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it's happening in America today. Paul Soglin has the details.

http://www.waxingamerica.com/2006/07/america_for_hig.html


I highly recommend you read Paul's article. It's rather disconcerting.

I don't generally like the "left vs. right" debate, because it over-generalizes things. I like to address issues on their own merit. But this is pretty damning evidence that the philosophy of the "right-wing neocons" is disastrous. Their tunnel-visioned approach to reducing the size of government and cutting spending leads to idiotic soultions such as selling off America's infra-structure to foreign entities. Utilities. Highways. Ports. What's next?

Does the concept of a sovereign nation mean anything at all to them? Dare disagree with them and they hurl insults and question your patriotism. They call you America haters. And to demonstrate how much more they love America than you, they sell it off? To show you how much more patriotic they are than you, these paper mache' patriots sell off your assests to the highest bidder? Absolutely deplorable!

What's next? You can damn well bet that schools are next in line. As I've mentioned in earlier blogs, the right-wing has an easily palpable contempt for education. They want to under-fund it, privatize it, make it unaccountable, and then profit from it. And they do so with very little regard for the social fabric.

We see it already in Wisconsin. In the last budget, as I've again mentioned in other blogs, the Republican budget proposal provided only a 1% increase in public school funding. Say what you want about Governor Doyle, but he came up HUGE for our school districts in the last budget. To the tune of around $400 million dollars more than the right-wingers proposed. Of course, the right-wingers cried and whined because he had to cut out some of the "hard earned" pork projects they earmarked for their lobbyists. But he honored the state's committment to fund 2/3 of the states public education. And he cut state spending in the process!!

Further compounding this is the fact that the right-wing is pushing for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights. They called it TABOR until they found out that people hated it and deemed it a poor idea. So they changed the name to Taxpayer Protection Ammendment. (such a beautiful and noble name, don't ya think?) But no matter what they call it, it is still an extremely flawed concept.

Had TABOR passed, (or TPA, or Bride of TABOR, Sister of TABOR, or whatever you call it) it would have crippled local, municipal, and school governments, hospitals and clinics, and businesses. The affect would be that TABOR would impose spending caps on what the state could spend on local governments. Anything above the cap, and property taxes would have to be raised to pay for it. In a nutshell, it would free the state of it's funding obligations while still allowing them to dish out pork for their pet projects. Rural areas would get hurt the worst. And then the domino effect starts. Property taxes shoot through the roof. Taxpayers get upset. So to ease the tax burden, government privatizes roads, schools, utilities, etc. Residents pay through the teeth in fees that the private entities charge for basic services. Services become monopolies, and we lose our personal freedoms. All because right-wingers hate government that doesn't generate personal wealth and keep them in power.

Make no mistake; the idea of TABOR is not going away. The Republican leadership has vowed to bring it back up in the next session. It passed in the Assembly, with Gabe Loeffelholz casting the deciding vote to cripple local government. It failed in the Senate, but they will be back, unless they don't have the majority in the Assembly.

I don't think Loeffelholz and his fiscally irresponsible cohorts should have a second chance to pass this disaster, do you?

Time for a change!

A Couple of Points on Ethanol

One from the Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/opinion/index.php?ntid=90921

One from me:

It's a damn shame that, while our elected leaders in southwest Wisconsin voted for the E10 mandate, they were sure quick to quiet down when republican leaders in Madison opposed it. In fact, they folded like a cheap tent. It's not enough to just vote for something. You've got to make your voice heard in Madison and convince others to vote for it.

Opposition to the E10 mandate came largely from Milwaukee republicans and Milwaukee conservative talk radio. It would have been nice if our representative in the 49th would have gone to the people of Milwaukee and made the case for ethanol. But I guess that would be asking too much.

Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota are far ahead of us when it comes to renewable fuels production and usage. But we can catch up. It just takes a little initiative from elected leaders. We don't have that in the 49th district. But give me your vote on November 7th, and we will.

Wisconsin's state motto is: FORWARD! Not "let's sit around and let everyone go first."

I Couldn't Say It Any Better

This article, by former Governor Lee Dreyfus, is very much representative of my views on the proposed constitutional ammendment banning civil unions.

http://www.gmtoday.com/milwaukeetoday/editorials/dreyfus.asp


Dreyfus writes:

For example, I personally do not approve of same-sex marriage unless a church says it is acceptable. The state, in my opinion, has no say in this matter whatsoever; and I certainly would not approve the use of the constitution to limit the freedom of churches to practice their religion, as they see it. Make no mistake; that’s what this amendment would do.

And later:

I would warn church leaders to be very resistant to inviting the government into your tents. If you let the camel’s nose in, the hump will surely follow.

That to me is one of the bigger issues of this whole thing that I don't think proponents of this measure take into consideration.

The proposed ban on Gay Marriage/Civil Unions, supported by many religious groups and by people who cite religious conviction as their reason for supporting it, is an open invitation to government regulation of religion. Church leaders who support this are basically telling the government, "Come on in and tell us how to worship. We don't want freedom of religion. We want government sanctioned religion.

As for the civil union aspect:

Now let me move on to the term "civil union." Actually, all of us who are married before an altar of God signed on to a civil union as well. Do you remember that after the wedding you both probably went into the cleric’s office and signed some papers? That was the civil contract aspect of marriage, and the state has granted the power to execute such a contract to both clerics and judges. You may call that your marriage license, but it is actually a union recognized under civil law.

Why do we do this? Because it is in the best interests of society and of the common welfare to do so. It is beneficial to give tax advantages, property rights and tax deductions for children so that men and women are encouraged to live together, be responsible for each other and produce the next generation of citizens. That civil contract is quite binding and requires an involved legal procedure to undo it.
Now what about those couples who do not wish to or cannot physically produce children? The state covers them in a civil contract as well. The church also gives them the sacrament of marriage if they are a male and female.

Makes sense to me.

On November 7th, I will vote against this proposed ammendment.

Because I do not want my government in my church.

I do not want my church in my government.

And for those who would claim that it "defends marriage," I would offer this.

We already have a law in Wisconsin that says gays cannot get married, and yet we have a divorce rate of 50%.

Take a look at the social pages in the paper. Take a black marker and cross out every other engagement announcement. Because the law of averages says that's how many will make it.

Is that the status quo you are trying to defend?

If we want to preserve marriage, let's work on the issues that threaten it. Low income, lack of health care, drug and alcohol abuse, husbands and wives that work too many hours or too many jobs. Those are the things that can create a divided house. Ed and Fred or Thelma and Louise wanting to live together and share things has nothing to do with it.

Democracy in Action

This Saturday in Platteville is Grant County's turn for Senator Russ Feingold's listening session. Here's the info:

FEINGOLD HOLDS LISTENING SESSION IN
GRANT COUNTY ON JULY 15

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will hold a listening session in Grant County on Saturday, July 15. Senator Feingold has pledged to hold listening sessions in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties each year of his six-year term and this will be the Senator’s 14th year of holding listening sessions. This session will mark the 36th listening session of 2006, and the 972nd since 1993. Feingold will hold his 1,000th listening session at the end of 2006. If constituents need special accommodations at the listening sessions they should contact Senator Feingold’s Middleton office at 608-828-1200.

His Grant County listening session will be held at 9:15 a.m. in the City Council Chamber at the Platteville City Hall, 75 North Bonson Street, Platteville. The meeting will last up to an hour.

“I again look forward to meeting with constituents in Grant County,” Senator Feingold said. “These listening sessions are an excellent opportunity for me to hear directly from constituents about any issues or concerns they may have, and I appreciate the effort people make to attend these meetings and let their voice be heard. Their ideas and advice continue to enable me to serve the people of Wisconsin to the best of my ability.”

This is your chance to tell your Senator what you think is important. He doesn't spend a lot of time giving a speech. Generally what happens is he'll give some opening remarks, and then will go through the questions you have, calling on each person individually. Upon entering, you can grab a comment card and sign your name and put your question down on paper. Senator Feingold then goes through the cards and you get your own one-on-one opportunity. It is definitely not a controlled event. He will talk with you about what you want to talk about. Not what he wants you to talk about, like so many others do.

You see, Senator Feingold still believes in democracy. Of the people; by the people; and for the people!

My Boots.........

may have finally bit the dust. I had vowed that I would wear my scrubby old cowboy boots on through to the November 7th election. But I'm afraid I may have to modify that plan. When you are walking the streets and sidewalks visiting with voters and come home and have holes in the bottom of your socks, I think it's time to change.

But I can adapt. I had planned to put those ratty old boots on display in my Assembly office after I get elected as a reminder to all who enter that that is how you win elections and represent the people. Not through lobbyists. Well, now I can put two pairs of boots up there, because I am sure I will wear these out too.

I may have to invest in some air fresheners for the office too.

More Federal Cuts to Education

You have to honestly ask yourself, "Why does the Republican led House of Representatives hate education so much? Why do they not want our students to succeed?"

Here's a very interesting, yet frightening look at what already has happened and what may happen when it comes to Congress and funding for education.

Courtesy of Jay Bullock:

http://folkbum.blogspot.com/2006/07/bush-endorses-doyle.html

Health Savings Accounts

Health Savings Accounts are the Republican Party's answer to all our medical coverage problems. But a recent analysis shows the results are mixed, at best.

http://www.iowaagconnection.com/story-state.cfm?Id=630&yr=2006

Health savings accounts (HSAs), combined with high-deductible health plans, can decrease cost-sharing for Americans who spend the least and the most on health care, but actually increase cost-sharing for people in the middle, a new study finds.

Doesn't sound like a fix to me.

Finally. A Big City Newspaper That Doesn't Blame Farmers

Caught this article on the Capitol Times website.

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/index.php?ntid=90506&ntpid={TOP2_NTPI2}


Farmers are well aware of the fact that they are price takers, not price makers. It'd be nice if the rest of the country was more aware of that. It would also be nice if we had a representative who made the rest of Wisconsin aware of it.

That's why we need a voice to go to Madison to get our farmers access to affordable medical coverage.

That's why we need to push harder for expanded renewable fuels production.

That's why we need school finance reform to lower the property tax burden.

Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and when farmers make money, they spend it. They can't arbitrarily raise prices like the grocery stores. So to compete, we need to give them the tools they need.

Here They Come

As the elections roll around, the special interest groups with the feel-good names rear their ugly heads once more.

Today, it's the "Coalition For America's Families." Nice beautiful sounding name. But in the end, they use their issue ads to spread lies, fabrications, and half-truths.

Here's more.
http://ineffect.blogspot.com/2006/07/cfaf-ad-is-par-for-course.html


And for more on the CFAF, courtesy of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign:

http://www.wisdc.org/


Coalition for America's Families
The Coalition for America’s Families surfaced in the 2002 elections and spent undisclosed amounts on negative issue advertising to support Republican legislative candidates. The 2002 elections gave Republicans control of the Senate.
The Virginia-based group describes itself as a coalition of businesses, non-profit organizations and others. The group is led by Steve King, a conservative Republican who once headed the state GOP and now runs Tomah Products in Milton .
In April 2006, the group launched a statewide radio ad campaign telling people to urge their state senator to support a proposed constitutional amendment to control tax increases dubbed the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. The advertisement also told people that Democratic Governor Jim Doyle was opposed to the amendment and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green supported it even though a governor plays no role in approving or rejecting a proposed constitutional amendment.
In January 2006, the coalition joined the Alliance for Choices in Education and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce to air radio ads that told Doyle to lift the 15,000-pupil cap on Milwaukee school voucher program, commonly known as school choice. The program uses state taxpayer money to pay for low-income Milwaukee school children to attend private schools. One of the ads likened Doyle to two southern white governors who tried to block school desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s by standing in schoolhouse entrances.
Doyle later expanded the program 50 percent to serve 22,500 pupils.
The group also ran ads in 2005 condemning provisions in Doyle’s proposed state budget to let illegal aliens receive in-state college tuition and to use state tax money to pay for domestic partner health care coverage.
The group’s 2006 and 2005 ads are posted at CFAF's website.
In 2002, the group aired radio ads against Democratic Senator Jim Baumgart of Sheboygan and Kim Plache of Racine, who ended up losing their reelections.

Thanks to the internet, it is now easier for voters to find out the truth behind the people who put out the sleaze and filth in the issue ads. Rest assured, there will be more.

Politicians And Parades

They seem to go hand-in-hand in an election year. The soles on my boots are getting well worn. I'm hoping they'll hold out until the election in November. When I get elected, these old boots are going to sit prominately in my office so all who enter will know that that is how I won this election, and that is how I intend to represent my district. Pounding the pavement and meeting with the people, having regular office hours in the district, and letting our voice be heard loud and clear!

Thanks to the folks in Bagley and Boscobel. It never ceases to amaze me that these small towns in our district can have such huge crowds. It's good to see so many people involved and supporting their communities. The Fire Departments of Bagley and Boscobel should be commended.

Speaking of fire departments. I can't help thinking about TABOR, or TPA, or whatever gimicky name Republicans attach to it, when I see the fire trucks in these parades. I do so because under the Taxpayer Protection Act which passed the Assembly, local governments, police departments, and fire departments would suffer the worst. Under TPA (Gabe Loeffelholz cast the deciding vote,by the way) the aforementioned local entities would have their hands tied when it came to funding for their essential needs. The state would impose funding limits upon local governments, while doing nothing to stop dishing out the pork to special interest groups. So if a community needed upgrades or new equipment, they would have to raise property taxes to pay for it. While that is happening, the state legislators are dishing out the pork to their lobbyist friends, who use it to build things that local governments will have to maintain. They'll have to raise property taxes again just to have the funds to maintain the new stuff. And on and on and on.

Fortunately, TPA did not make it through the Senate. But you can bet your bottom dollar that Republicans are going to try again in the next session. They absolutely do not want local issues to be controlled by local governments, etc. They love the Big Brother approach of "we in Madison know what's best for you in rural Wisconsin. You just sit back and be quiet. Trust us."

I trust the mayor of Lancaster, the chairman of Mount Hope Township, and the Village President of Dickeyville a lot more than I do the folks in Madison. And that attitude won't change once I'm elected.

A Day Of Reflection

Thanks to everyone for your support yesterday in Bagley at their parade and 4th of July Festival. I appreciate it.

I found out this morning that a co-worker of mine lost his 19 yr. old daughter in a motorcycle accident Friday night, so not much else matters today. May God bless the Callaghan family. We miss you, Sam.

Grab your kids and give them a little something extra today.

I'll see you in Boscobel tomorrow.