Uppitywis Blogs

Spending the Weekend Watching Game Film by Senator Kathleen Vinehout   When the game is over the coaches go into the film room to see where the breakdown was in play execution. The best game plan in the world is not any good if the team does not execute it.   The “game film” for the State of Wisconsin was recently released. This is a good place to start for anyone evaluating the state’s performance.   Every year the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) conducts a review of state agencies. Known as the Single Audit, auditors examine Wisconsin’s financial accounting of federal dollars.   State

It's that time again. Time to go out and vote. Time to go out and put yourself behind the candidates of your choice. Despite the legislature in Wisconsin doing everything it can to make voting difficult, it's still your greatest chance to make a difference to how your country, state, and local governments will be run.

This is a particularly important election. Everyone is caught up in the presidential election, and that's mighty serious, but keep in mind that the elections that affect us all most directly are the down-ballot votes. We have an opportunity to direct fundamental change, so don't

Or -- Feel the BRRRRRRRRN!

Nope, this isn't going to be a story about trying to pretend a dead guy is alive -- it's a story about going to see Bernie Sanders.

This morning I set off to Eau Claire from Uppitywis Central to go to the Bernie Sanders Town Meeting. I thought that those of you who have not had the experience might like to see what it's like. It was a day of frustration and exhileration. The drive over was terrifying. I've made the trip from Downsville to Eau Claire a disturbing number of times, but this was the worst trip I've ever taken. The very light snowfall overnight mixed with

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I was thinking of starting an informal survey. Hey - who knows maybe some paper or university polling apparatus will stumble upon this post and do one. I'd like to ask registered Democrats who professes to be of an elite coalition  in Congress that calls themselves "The New Democrats". My bets in the high 80% of respondents people would say Bernie Sanders. Well they are wrong. As a matter of fact they couldn't be wronger.

Ron Kind is the self proclaimed New Democrat and here's what he has to say on his own website concerning this subject. "The New Democrat Coalition believes in ideas over

With a few choice words about the Koch brothers and Governor Walker. You might want to skip ahead to about 27 minutes in.

Originally published on ProPublica

Wisconsin's Voter ID Law Requires an Education Campaign, Which the State Hasn't Funded

by Sarah Smith ProPublica, March 24, 2016, 9:53 a.m.

On April 5, when voters cast ballots in Wisconsin's Republican and Democratic primaries, the state's controversial voter ID bill will face its biggest test since Governor Scott Walker signed it into law in 2011. For the first time in a major election, citizens will be required to show approved forms of identification in order to vote. The law mandates that the state run a public-service campaign "in conjunction with the

Although we've all understood the management changes at the DNR have changed the attitude of the state toward the environment, it's interesting to see Cathy Stepp explain her disdain for her employees, for the environment, and what the previous attitude of the DNR was. Earth Day --- apparently those old geezers are hippies. Here we see Secretary Stepp explaining that her employees are curmudgeons, discussing once again how she is trying to make the DNR more like the private sector, and that the DNR is now becoming reponsive to everything but the environment. 

Hat tip to James Rowen for pointing

In last week's post I discussed some of the trials and tribulations of Myron Buchholz trying to mount a campaign for the 3rd Congressional District of Wisconsin as a progressive Demorcat against a long establishment incumbent. In that post titled "MyRon and Not My Ron" I mentioned our struggle in getting changes to the bylaws of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW) to allow access to candidates like Myron to the Voter Activation Network (VAN) service that the Democratic Party across the nation subscribes to.

Prior to that, in my post titled, "In Good Standing..." I told how Martha Lanning

March 23, 2016   The Next Well that Goes Bad May be Yours by Senator Kathleen Vinehout   “I feel like the state failed to protect the people,” Stacy told me. “Nobody really cares because it’s not affecting them.”   Stacy is one of several Lincoln Township residents in Trempealeau County who lived through two years of well problems. An industrial sand mine and processing plant set up shop in the neighborhood.   Mine owners wanted to avoid county zoning rules. The owners negotiated with the cities of Whitehall and Independence – some say pitting one city against the other – to annex the mine into

It has been an exciting week for the Buchholz for Congress Campaign. In full discloser, I am the Treasurer for the 3rd Congressional campaign of the Buchholz for Congress gang. Myron and I go way back. Over 15 years, almost as far back as Ron Kind has been the 3rd Congressional District Representative. 

Myron and I first talked of this run for the 3rd in August of 2015. When he told me of his intentions I didn't hesitate to give him my 100% support. At first I thought it would be some financial, some door knocking, phone calling and normal election stuff I've been accustomed to. But it seems

I'm here at UW Eau Claire at the Open Government Traveling Show, just about to watch the presentation from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and others. As I was sitting here I looked at my calendar and realized that it is the 10th anniversary of this blog today. Though that makes me feel a little ancient (almost as much as looking at the mirror) - it also is somewhat of an accomplishment to have managed to do this for so long. Join me in celebrating 10 years of progressive talk.

Locals Raise Questions about Railroad Police by Senator Kathleen Vinehout   It was no wonder the Legislative committee chairperson did not want to hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 734, a bill that would return railroad trespassing law to pre-2006, which allowed crossing.   Madison lobbyists lined up against the bill to allow people to cross railroad tracks. The lobbyists represented seven different law enforcement groups, three labor groups, six different railroad groups, the oil industry and the state’s largest business lobby – Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.   The Railroad Association

A term that I've become a little confused about in the last few weeks is "In good standing". On February 21, just a couple of weeks ago, Myron Buchholz announced his candidacy for the 3rd Congressional Seat in Wisconsin as a Democrat. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, Myron met with Martha Lanning, chair of the DPW and Myron was told that he would not be given access to the Voter Access Network (VAN) because he was opposing a Democrat "In Good Standing" in the primary, Ron Kind. Mind you Myron was willing to pay for access but no access will be allowed. 

So the Wisconsin Democrats have an

It's been a while since I have taken to the interwebs to add to the discourse. As a matter of fact, it was about this time in the last presidential race when I put up my last post: "Why I voted for Santorum". I qualified my logic for voting for Santorum. My logic deduced that Santorum was the best choice back in 2012 if you were a progressive and you wanted to use your vote in the presidential primary. 

But this time around we are offered a choice and that is one of the primary (pun intended) reasons why I've decided that early March of 2016 is the time for me to come back out of my blogging

Speed and Secrecy versus Deliberative Democracy By Senator Kathleen Vinehout   “All your work has made a real difference,” Linda, my staffer, told Mrs. Gifford. She and her husband traveled to Madison to personally deliver letters to every Senator.   “Well, aren’t you nice,” Mrs. Gifford responded. “You just made my day!”   Twenty-eight minutes before the vote on a bill that would make significant changes in high capacity well rules, the Senate Agriculture, Small Business and Tourism committee clerk came to my office and said that bill was removed from the list to be voted out of committee.   As he left

Apologize as she may, the articles Rebecca Bradley wrote while she was a student reflect the way she looked at life when she was young, and it is not clear her viewpoint has changed since, other than becoming more sophisticated about what she says in public. The Journal-Sentinel reports today that incumbent Bradley wrote "How sad that the lives of degenerate drug addicts and queers are valued more than the innocent victims of more prevalent ailments," in reference to people who were dying of AIDS. Although Justice Bradley states

"To those offended by comments I made as a young college student

  Budget Cuts to Education Cost All of Us by Senator Kathleen Vinehout   “We hired a great inorganic chemistry professor last year,” Mike, a UW-River Falls chemistry professor, told me. “Unfortunately she’s leaving in May for St. Olaf.” I visited St. Olaf in Northfield, Minnesota. They have a great chemistry department.   Mike told me his department used to have 15 professors. They now have 11 – soon to be 10. They plan to replace the person leaving but it’s getting harder to recruit and retain faculty.   The consequences of deep budget cuts to education are disparate but all around us.   Deep budget

So it's bad enough to be in a state where representatives walk out of meetings if they don't like the questions, and where the Governor skulks around the state in secret and will only speak to those folks who are of a like mind. It's also deplorable to have the state government change our laws to become less responsive to citizens, and to change the civil service laws to allow more cronyism. But I'm genuinely shocked to find out that we have a state agency with a blacklist of citizens who are not to be responded to, apparently because they either were not nice enough or they asked too many

Okay, it's not Wisconsin news but --- 

If I hear One More Republican say that the current president should not be allowed to nominate a Supreme Court Justice I'm going to bust a blood vessel. 

LIke this gem

When asked if they would start the process after the new president took office or if they would consider doing it in the lame duck session, Cornyn replied "No, after the next president is selected. That way the American people have a voice in the process."

I need to point out that the American People had a voice in the process.  It was called the 2012 presidential election. What Cornyn is

While at Monday's Breakfast with our Legislators meeting, Rep. Kathy Bernier was angered by board members who are frustrated with the current funding formula and budget for state schools. She walked out of the meeting after the suggestion was made that Minnesota is doing a better job of this than Wisconsin.

“We’re here to sit around and talk about challenges and suggestions, and I’ve yet to come away with a viable suggestion from those meetings (with Altoona, Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire),” Bernier said.

This is typical of the current legislature. They hold listening sessions where they listen