Thanks to the AP article in the Washington Post and to the FdL Reporter. Photo at right is of Gorske's 18,000th Big Mac, from an unknown few years ago.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Finally! Wisconsin gets some positive coverage in national media
Thanks to the AP article in the Washington Post and to the FdL Reporter. Photo at right is of Gorske's 18,000th Big Mac, from an unknown few years ago.
Brief Newt in WI update: still on for Wed.
Former Speaker and current presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is still slated to host an "open house" near LaCrosse tomorrow night (Wed.) at 6:30 PM, according to a spokesperson this evening from Drugan's Castle Mound Country Club in Holmen , where Gingrich will appear in the "Grand Norway Area." The event is open to the public, and while it appears there will be no speech, there will likely be opportunity to meet and greet the former Speaker. Oh, it will also include a cash bar and appetizers (although it was unclear whether or not the appetizers will be free--most likely with public workers having to pay their fair share).
Gingrich is in the midst of a primarily Iowa campaign swing, during which, according to the Des Moines Register, he's "targeting "Obamacare" and promising to eliminate or reduce taxes, mostly for businesses" (that's a surprise, right?). It's thought that Gingrich has to also assuage conservative angst on character issues which arose primarily from his own marital infidelity (with eventual current third wife Callista) as he railed about then-President Clinton's infidelity with a White House intern.
Tonight (Tues.), Gingrich is in Minneapolis as the main speaker at a $100+ plate dinner for the conservative Minnesota Family Council.
Wednesday's event in Holmen is about 20 minutes north of LaCrosse, at Drugan's, a site that has hosted Gingrich events before, with owners Mike and Mary Drugan having known for many years Gingrich's current wife Callista, who grew up in nearby Whitehall.
If you go, give my best to the Newtster.
Gingrich is in the midst of a primarily Iowa campaign swing, during which, according to the Des Moines Register, he's "targeting "Obamacare" and promising to eliminate or reduce taxes, mostly for businesses" (that's a surprise, right?). It's thought that Gingrich has to also assuage conservative angst on character issues which arose primarily from his own marital infidelity (with eventual current third wife Callista) as he railed about then-President Clinton's infidelity with a White House intern.
Tonight (Tues.), Gingrich is in Minneapolis as the main speaker at a $100+ plate dinner for the conservative Minnesota Family Council.
Wednesday's event in Holmen is about 20 minutes north of LaCrosse, at Drugan's, a site that has hosted Gingrich events before, with owners Mike and Mary Drugan having known for many years Gingrich's current wife Callista, who grew up in nearby Whitehall.
If you go, give my best to the Newtster.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Walker brings the Fonz on board
Governor Walker has come up big in his pledge to boost the state's tourism industry. His Department's new "Picture the Fun" tourism campaign travels back to the '50's with the announcement that Wisconsin tourism has brought aboard "The Fonz" actor Henry Winkler from the 1970's TV sitcom "Happy Days" in a 2011 ad to promote the state. I think it's possible Walker thinks he's Fonzie--viewed as cool and able to solve everyone's problems. Comparing Walker to the bronze Fonz in downtown Milwaukee, it's hard to tell whose head is harder.
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Photo of Walker on a Harley from http://www.flickr.com/photos/theaudioslave/
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Republicans screw WI's teachers yet again
I'm a teacher, and I'm pissed off. Wisconsin Republicans are going directly after my profession again, and they don't seem to realize (or care) that their moves directly impact kids. The stripping of collective bargaining, overnight mandatory pension and health "contributions," insults, and almost $1 billion in cuts to WI's education aren't enough, now teachers are going to be disciplined on how their students perform on a one-shot standardized test.
This is part of the state's proposed new education "reform," which also includes increased charter schools (which haven't been proven to be more effective)--with lax teacher requirements, no income restrictions for participating families, no caps on participation, and not the same required standardized tests as public schools. (Click here for a great article about such detriments and corporate connections).
So, why is this a bad idea? Let me count the ways. Standardized tests aren't really accurate measures of what all kids have learned. Some kids don't do well on one-shot paper-pencil tests. Some students excel in areas not fully covered by testing (I've got a student who will be the next Stephen King, but his creative writing is never so assessed). Some kids are at a disadvantage because they haven't had the same experiences or backgrounds (I'm required to give an elemenrtary assessment that includes canoes--which if a kid doesn't know that word, they have a problem).
Kids--just like adults--also have bad days. Imagine if all jobs were dependent on how your production was on a particular day--nevermind that you just had some problem with your family, or the neighbor's party kept you up all night, or you have a touch of the stomach flu. Your performance on this particular day is the one that counts, And then imagine your boss got paid or judged on your performance for that day alone. If the state government had that requirement, in light of the nine looming Senate recalls, Walker wouldn't be drawing a salary.
Some years, some groups of kids learn better than others. If I was judged on the smart, enthusiastic kids I have this year, I'd be rich, I guess. If I was judged on the performances of an unmotivated, not-as-academically-bright class from a few years ago--a class with which I had to work even harder--I'd now be unemployed. And that same group, sadly, has had difficulties throughout their school careers, despite the best efforts of some very good and dedicated teachers.
And just for argument's sake, how do you judge a class on a standardized test? Do you give the blame to the current teacher, or the previous teacher? The one before that? The "inadequate" experience they had in Kindergarten? And how about the fact that not even all grades have standardized testing? Which, by the way, some non-public schools won't even be required to do the state standardized test ever.
And how does this affect students?
If the impetus behind this is eliminating bad teaching and removing bad teachers, this process will do exactly the opposite. In lieu of creative thinking and problem solving, students may very well spend their time getting ready for this paper and pencil test. Bad teachers will look good. Bad teaching will look good. Test scores will look good. But the kids will be much worse off.
Instead, reform the teacher evaluation processes, provide resources for schools, don't tie the hands of public schools by paying students to go elsewhere. Give a better chance for students--and teachers--to be successful.
And make those changes in an inclusive way--don't just have corporate interests, or those fearful of getting axed by the Walker administration, on such a panel. This isn't a slam against college drop-outs, but I don't want one in charge of running our educational system--just as I wouldn't want the guy who didn't finish med school doing my heart surgery.
Whew. Thanks for letting me get that all off my chest.
This is part of the state's proposed new education "reform," which also includes increased charter schools (which haven't been proven to be more effective)--with lax teacher requirements, no income restrictions for participating families, no caps on participation, and not the same required standardized tests as public schools. (Click here for a great article about such detriments and corporate connections).
So, why is this a bad idea? Let me count the ways. Standardized tests aren't really accurate measures of what all kids have learned. Some kids don't do well on one-shot paper-pencil tests. Some students excel in areas not fully covered by testing (I've got a student who will be the next Stephen King, but his creative writing is never so assessed). Some kids are at a disadvantage because they haven't had the same experiences or backgrounds (I'm required to give an elemenrtary assessment that includes canoes--which if a kid doesn't know that word, they have a problem).
Kids--just like adults--also have bad days. Imagine if all jobs were dependent on how your production was on a particular day--nevermind that you just had some problem with your family, or the neighbor's party kept you up all night, or you have a touch of the stomach flu. Your performance on this particular day is the one that counts, And then imagine your boss got paid or judged on your performance for that day alone. If the state government had that requirement, in light of the nine looming Senate recalls, Walker wouldn't be drawing a salary.
Some years, some groups of kids learn better than others. If I was judged on the smart, enthusiastic kids I have this year, I'd be rich, I guess. If I was judged on the performances of an unmotivated, not-as-academically-bright class from a few years ago--a class with which I had to work even harder--I'd now be unemployed. And that same group, sadly, has had difficulties throughout their school careers, despite the best efforts of some very good and dedicated teachers.
And just for argument's sake, how do you judge a class on a standardized test? Do you give the blame to the current teacher, or the previous teacher? The one before that? The "inadequate" experience they had in Kindergarten? And how about the fact that not even all grades have standardized testing? Which, by the way, some non-public schools won't even be required to do the state standardized test ever.
And how does this affect students?
If the impetus behind this is eliminating bad teaching and removing bad teachers, this process will do exactly the opposite. In lieu of creative thinking and problem solving, students may very well spend their time getting ready for this paper and pencil test. Bad teachers will look good. Bad teaching will look good. Test scores will look good. But the kids will be much worse off.
Instead, reform the teacher evaluation processes, provide resources for schools, don't tie the hands of public schools by paying students to go elsewhere. Give a better chance for students--and teachers--to be successful.
And make those changes in an inclusive way--don't just have corporate interests, or those fearful of getting axed by the Walker administration, on such a panel. This isn't a slam against college drop-outs, but I don't want one in charge of running our educational system--just as I wouldn't want the guy who didn't finish med school doing my heart surgery.
Whew. Thanks for letting me get that all off my chest.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Newt's Wednesday Wisconsin visit could be fun
Bigtime Walker-backer Newt Gingrich, one week removed from officially announcing his Presidential candidacy, is coming to newly hostile territory in Holmen this Wednesday at 6:30 PM. The La Crosse Tribune reports the former House Speaker will be visiting Drugan's Castle Mound Country Club in Holmen, about 20 minutes north of La Crosse, near the hometown of Gingrich's third and current wife, Callista. And I can't imagine the visit will go unnoticed--by the media, or by anti-Walkerites near Holmen.
Gingrich called for Americans to "help" Walker in February, describing the Madison protests as "a campaign of intimidation and cowardice, (in which) the government employee union bosses and the Democratic Party that is beholden to them, are trying to thwart the will of the people."
We'll see what the "will of the people" really is.
La Crosse is ground zero for the recall effort. Current district Republican Senator Dan Kapanke is very vulnerable (he won his 2008 by a scant 2%). The area's 94th District Assembly seat was recently won by Democrat Steve Doyle, an upset considering it had been held by Walker crony Mike Huebsch from 1995 until earlier this year when Walker appointed him to be his Secretary of Administration, the right-hand-man post in which Huebsch was the chief author of the anti-collective bargaining bill.
Clearly, the will of the people has changed, Newt. I can only imagine that if people stood outside Walker's Wauwatosa home in February, greeted Paul Ryan with jeers at town meetings, and even came out to join Walker when he went fishing, for goodness sakes, it's likely you're going to get a front-row seat to that change come Wednesday evening.
Have a nice visit.
Gingrich called for Americans to "help" Walker in February, describing the Madison protests as "a campaign of intimidation and cowardice, (in which) the government employee union bosses and the Democratic Party that is beholden to them, are trying to thwart the will of the people."
We'll see what the "will of the people" really is.
La Crosse is ground zero for the recall effort. Current district Republican Senator Dan Kapanke is very vulnerable (he won his 2008 by a scant 2%). The area's 94th District Assembly seat was recently won by Democrat Steve Doyle, an upset considering it had been held by Walker crony Mike Huebsch from 1995 until earlier this year when Walker appointed him to be his Secretary of Administration, the right-hand-man post in which Huebsch was the chief author of the anti-collective bargaining bill.
Clearly, the will of the people has changed, Newt. I can only imagine that if people stood outside Walker's Wauwatosa home in February, greeted Paul Ryan with jeers at town meetings, and even came out to join Walker when he went fishing, for goodness sakes, it's likely you're going to get a front-row seat to that change come Wednesday evening.
Have a nice visit.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Voter ID: Republicans 1, Democracy 0
Couched in the guise of preventing "rampant" voter fraud, Wisconsin's Republican Assembly approved the voter ID bill late Wednesday night, making it just an inevitable skip through the Senate and on to Walker to bring this further attempt at Republican-fueled, apparent world-domination into law.
It's not necessary and it's not a good idea for the voters of the state. Republicans know this. This is a calculated move to make a variety of voters--college students, the elderly, minorities, heck, anyone most likely to vote Democrat--less likely to vote. According to research presented to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board earlier this year, "ethnic and racial minorities, high school and college students, senior citizens and disabled, women, and those with low incomes" are more likely not to possess state-issued, photo identification.
A UWM study from 2005 found about 23% of those Wisconsin residents age 65 and older, don't have a state photo ID (177,399 people). Nor do approximately 100,000 Wisconsinites from age 34-65. That's a lot of people left out in the cold.
College students could use a college ID, if it had their current address on it, which no UW system school presently provides.
When you bring minorities into the equation, voter ID seems downright racist. According to the same UWM study, Milwaukee County had only 47% of African American adults and 43% of Hispanic adults with valid drivers' licenses. The rest of the state came in at 85%.
Even in Indiana, where folks claim voter ID is working, those without ID are more likely to be Democrats that Republicans due to accessibility, familiarity and comfort with bureaucratic red tape, fewer resources, and less knowledge of political processes.
And the fraud won't even be prevented. It's thought that such a measure would prevent people from voting as someone else, but not one of the 20 voter fraud cases from Milwaukee County in 2008 were even of that variety.
Oh, yeah, and it'll cost in the vicinity of five million dollars, likely with additional costs per year.
So what does it sound like: a really necessary idea advanced for the good of the people, or more of the same self-serving legislation advanced for the good of the Republicans?
As echoed through the Assembly chamber to protest this bill on Wednesday afternoon, "Shame, shame, shame!"
For a visual take on this deplorable issue check out this Phil Hands cartoon of the Wisconsin State Journal.
It's not necessary and it's not a good idea for the voters of the state. Republicans know this. This is a calculated move to make a variety of voters--college students, the elderly, minorities, heck, anyone most likely to vote Democrat--less likely to vote. According to research presented to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board earlier this year, "ethnic and racial minorities, high school and college students, senior citizens and disabled, women, and those with low incomes" are more likely not to possess state-issued, photo identification.
A UWM study from 2005 found about 23% of those Wisconsin residents age 65 and older, don't have a state photo ID (177,399 people). Nor do approximately 100,000 Wisconsinites from age 34-65. That's a lot of people left out in the cold.
College students could use a college ID, if it had their current address on it, which no UW system school presently provides.
When you bring minorities into the equation, voter ID seems downright racist. According to the same UWM study, Milwaukee County had only 47% of African American adults and 43% of Hispanic adults with valid drivers' licenses. The rest of the state came in at 85%.
Even in Indiana, where folks claim voter ID is working, those without ID are more likely to be Democrats that Republicans due to accessibility, familiarity and comfort with bureaucratic red tape, fewer resources, and less knowledge of political processes.
And the fraud won't even be prevented. It's thought that such a measure would prevent people from voting as someone else, but not one of the 20 voter fraud cases from Milwaukee County in 2008 were even of that variety.
Oh, yeah, and it'll cost in the vicinity of five million dollars, likely with additional costs per year.
So what does it sound like: a really necessary idea advanced for the good of the people, or more of the same self-serving legislation advanced for the good of the Republicans?
As echoed through the Assembly chamber to protest this bill on Wednesday afternoon, "Shame, shame, shame!"
For a visual take on this deplorable issue check out this Phil Hands cartoon of the Wisconsin State Journal.
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