This Just In... - All Comments

re: The video you didn't see at the GOP Convention

J. Strupp — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:47:14 GMT

Can these short films get any cheesier. "Mother, Moosehunter, Maverick". Good God man.

Someone at SNL....PLEASE pick up on all of these films the GOP and DNC threw at us the last 2 weeks.

re: The vote is NO in Milwaukee County on November 4

Patricia Jursik — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:16:35 GMT

You leave so many important issues out I needed to clarify: Our transit system is in crisis (Public Policy Research forum, an independent organization) our parks are in crisis (over $300 M of deferred maintenance, even basics such as bathrooms don't work); the paramedic program in Milw. Co. is paid by the county so cities can share this service(consolidation)is in jeopardy of being cancelled (should cities put this in their tax levy?). The referendum asks if the voters wants to restructure our current system of paying for these services by taking these three areas off the property tax levy and instead pay for them through a 1% sales tax. Milwaukee is the ONLY city that still pays for transit with property tax levy while all other cities pay through a sales tax; Wisconsin has one of the highest property tax rates and yet one of the lowest sales taxes in the country. What do we get by shifting this burden to sales tax? First participation of users from out-of-county who use our transit and parks (think Harley Fest). Secondly, real property tax relief: the owner of a $150,000. home saves $165 in tax levy, and more importantly it reduces the tax base in Milwaukee County so that the 2% limit on tax levy will actually reduce taxes. Since 1/3 of our sales taxes are collected by visitors who are out-of-county residents, amenities like the zoo which has visitors oof ver 60% from out of county while our tax payers continue to pay the burden of these services. I haven't said much about transit, but the county has not replaced buses (instead using federal funds earmarked for replacement) for operating costs for about 5 years. In 2010 we are looking at a 10 to 12 million deficit in transit. Are we willing to be a county without mass transit? Or do we put all of this cost on the property levy, if so, we can forgo this referendum. Don't forget the cost of unemployment will have its own ramifications (nearly 50% of bus users travel for employment purposes). I have studied this referendum carefully and think any Milw. county voter who also does so will vote YES.

re: The sexist left

Karen123 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:09:14 GMT

The so-called feminist movement (NOW, etc.) has been exposed once again as a pathetic joke and they have brought on their own demise. In fact, I think we may be witnessing the birth of a new feminism, the kind that all working moms across the country always knew existed, but perhaps no one in Washington ever noticed.

After the nomination of Sarah Palin to the Republican candidate for Vice President...America is new today.

re: Please take the time to read about John McCain's character

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:49:43 GMT

I loved this part of Thompson's speech:

"We hear a lot of talk about hope.

John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had to survive on. For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home.

John McCain refused.

He refused to leave ahead of men who'd been there longer.

He refused to abandon his conscience and his honor, even for his freedom.

He refused, even though his captors warned him, "It will be very bad for you."

They were right.

It was.

The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at the gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew his shoulders back.

Over four days, every two to three hours, the beatings resumed. During one especially fierce beating, he fell, again breaking his arm.

John was beaten for communicating with other prisoners.

He was beaten for NOT communicating with so-called "peace delegations."

He was beaten for not giving information during interrogations.

When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in his squadron, John gave them the names of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers."

re: There are no heroes in Franklin development mess

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:13:16 GMT

There is no question this situtaion could have and should have been handled differently.

Hindsight is 20-20, but the concerned parties should have gotten together a long time ago and worked toward a mutual agreement.

Alderman Sohns' letter to the Mayor made this issue become very, very public and very, very ugly. I contend Sohns wanted this to become public so he could make the Mayor look bad. In the process, the Foxes have now been unfairly put right smack dab in the middle, suffering physically and emotionally, all because a developer won't own up to his inabilities to build his project. He's always got other excuses.

I repeat, I want the project to succeed, but I've run out of patience. How long do we have to wait? And if the Foxes stay put, which I'm sure they will, is that going to be this developer's never-ending scapegoat?

re: Please take the time to read about John McCain's character

michelekal — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:50:39 GMT

I was worried as I watched the Democratic Convention that the Republican Convention wouldn't be as exciting or flashy as the DNC. Obama, his wife and the excitement people had when Bill and Hillary spoke worried me that we couldn't compete. Any concerns were put to rest last night. I cried as Thompson spoke so eloquently about McCain and what he went through as a POW. I had never heard an exact account of the torture he had to endure. Being tortured doesn't give him a free pass to be President, but the grace and courage he showed while it was happening and the way he stood by his men and stood up for his country during all of it... never once showing fear or weakness makes him the only choice for President in this election.

re: There are no heroes in Franklin development mess

michelekal — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:26:19 GMT

fyi... this is michelek. I couldnt sign on for some reason.

Thank you Kevin for breaking this down for us. I am not from Franklin and I wasn't exactly sure of the story with this land.

Can you imagine if it were the evil developer Carstensen doing this? His detractors would have a field day discussing how cruel he was. It amazes me that you can have a developer like Hintzman come in and suddenly everything this couple has worked to build is coming under attack. Certainly things could have been done differently with everyone involved, but it seems to me that Hintzman is looking for a scapegoat for his failings as a developer and he has found it in this couple. Shame on him.

re: Was CC robbed?

Kevin Fischer — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:30:28 GMT

The game would have been played totally different had the "hit" been scored an error.

re: Was CC robbed?

Headless — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:12:50 GMT

"... that would have taken more than an ordinary effort. The runner was well down the line."

Not really. I've seen CC make that play on bunts in previous games. He makes it look routine.

An extraordinary play would be to bare-hand a line drive and toss it to Prince for a double-play. A play that Sabathia made look easy the previous inning.

Nonetheless, I agree with your next post. The 9th inning tension was not there. It was just the end of a 7 run blow-out. The Pirates were not putting out extraordinary effort to avoid a no-hitter.

re: Quiz time: The weather

dad29 — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:40:53 GMT

Unrelated: the blog now accomodates the Windows "squeeze" again.

re: Franklin, the number is 3.1%

Kevin Fischer — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:44:00 GMT

No way I take that bet.

I fully expect the Franklin school tax levy increase to be anywhere from 6-10%. If that's the case, board members will be targeted in the next election.

re: Franklin, the number is 3.1%

steveegg — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:56:13 GMT

Good luck getting the Franklin School Board to accept a 3.1% levy increase. Odds are they're just like Oak Creek-Franklin, which decided to jack spending up the full 5.6% permitted ("mandated", they said) by the state and the levy up 9% ("permitted" because the state is subsidizing high-tax districts more than the overall 2/3rds claim suggests).

I noticed the city of Oak Creek is permitted a 2.4% levy increase. Any bets on whether they do anything less?

re: Did Obama give a speech the other night?

dad29 — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:58:35 GMT

Not that long ago, HRC was "the most intelligent person on the planet." She go through dumb-i-fication, or what?

re: Why the focus on the motorcycle helmet?

dad29 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:41:45 GMT

Unrelated: for some reason, your site's hard-code no longer 'squeezes' to fit the open Explorer window. For a long time it did--and early this week it stopped doing so.

Probably some Lefty coder at Franklin NOW....

re: Sarah Palin is pro-life

Advocating Mom — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:41:56 GMT

.....and she has 5 children, one leaving for Iraq, another is only 4 month old with special needs; she's a Governor poised to become Vice-president of the United States and she looks great.

Remember the line in the movie When Harry Met Sally......"I'll have what she's having"!

In one day Sarah Pallin has made every single 40 year old soccer mom in America feel like a complete slacker. I'm afraid we are all going to hate her before we get to know her!

re: True or false: Kevin Fischer doesn't hate anybody

Mighty Mike — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:57:34 GMT

Plus the "expertise" of cub fans leave so much to be desired its a wonder they have any championships at all..

re: We've created a monster

jgravelle — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:29:47 GMT

You're very kind, sir.

But sincerely, without your help, I could have never become:

the Guy Who Filled in for the Guy Who Fills in for the Guy Who Fills in for Rush Limbaugh.

And anybody who thinks I'm NOT putting that on my next set of business cards don't know me too well...

-jjg

DailyScoff.com

re: Law enforcement ignores illegal aliens

J. Strupp — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:12:40 GMT

Sounds like a great use of taxpayer dollars. They should have arrested them both and spent thousands getting them deported.

Nevermind that they both probably live under a false social security number but pay social security, state and federal taxes anyway. Now THAT would the bust of a lifetime. Especially if they could get their American born kids sent back too. Or better yet, maybe they could get them turned over to social services once their parents are deported.

How's it go again Kevin?

The "compassionate" right folks!

re: Remember, there is no voter fraud

dad29 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:08:10 GMT

Here's the best part of the article (P.2):

According to news accounts, Women's Voices' voter registration drives have been the subject of complaints by elections officials in numerous states. In May, the North Carolina NAACP accused the organization of a "pattern of massive robo-calls and massive mailings" it said appeared designed to suppress the African American vote

re: Annual Meeting of Franklin School Board this Wednesday

steveegg — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:32:39 GMT

Good luck in just keeping it at 3.77%. Oak Creek-Franklin just passed a 9% levy increase, using the tired excuse that if they don't spend every penny authorized now, they won't be able to continue to spend the additional dollars later.