I would encourage you to go to the Oshkosh Community Media website and watch the debate in Tuesday night's Common Council meeting over reducing the fine for possession of marijuana. It will provide you some interesting insight into the growing drug culture not just here in Oshkosh but throughout the United States. That is, once you get past the persecution complex of the speakers who feel that they have been wronged by an unjust law and justice system.
It was comments from Councilmember Caroline Panske that really got me thinking: "We aren't just a bunch of stoners sitting around on the couch eating Doritos. We are elected officials, we are doctors, we are teachers, we are parents, we are students, we are all types of people"
Obviously, she is referring to herself when she talks about "elected officials". However, Panske tried to play the victim card claiming to have taken a "free joint from someone else" before her arrest for driving with pot in her car in Waushara County over the summer. But think about a doctor that is smoking weed. I'm guessing she's referring to a D.O.--who prefers "holistic" and "non-Western medicine" techniques honed from a time when humans lived to an average age of 36. Do you want the person responsible for properly diagnosing a life-threatening illness--or performing surgery on delicate body parts to be toking up to "take the edge off"?
As marijuana use gains more social acceptance, it will force those of us who expect professionalism and expertise in some fields to eventually have to ask, "Are you a pot smoker?" Can you honestly say that you are okay with a surgeon that may have been "getting baked" the night before you go to the OR? Will you feel no nervousness knowing the pilot on your next flight has a dime bag in his carry-on up in the cockpit? Are you okay knowing that guy fixing the brakes on the crossover you drive the kids to school in everyday hits up the bong?
The common retort from the pro-pot folks to questions like that is "Well alcoholics hold all those jobs too". Too which I would say, I don't want drunks fixing my aorta, or flying my plane or making sure that my wheels aren't going to fall off my Jeep at highway speed either. And that is why employers should be testing their employees on a regular basis and firing (or not hiring) those that fail those tests.
So continue your fight for your right to light up Councillor Panske, just don't expect the rest of us to support you or any of your so-called "professional" pot smokers.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Gaming the System
I have to admit, I failed to understand the real motive behind the Legislature's decision this fall to eliminate the minimum age for a "mentored" deer hunting license in Wisconsin. I never bought the argument that "if a child isn't exposed to an activity by the time he or she is eight or nine years old they will never be interested in it". I was 12 the first time I touched a real golf club--and I didn't take the sport seriously until my late teens--but now it is my passion. I did try imagine an eight or nine year old that would be physically and mentally mature enough to safely handle the type of firearm powerful enough to kill a deer--and that his or her parent would be responsible enough to make sure they are handling that weapon safely at all times.
But yesterday's release of data on mentored hunt licenses sold for last week's gun-deer season revealed that the main reason for the change is not to "get more kids interested in hunting"--it's actually to "allow guys to shoot more deer".
How else to explain the sale of ten licenses to infants. Children less than a year old were issued deer hunting licenses this year. Another 50-kids under the age of five were sold licenses. I had to laugh at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story on those numbers as the reporter posited that some of those licenses "may have been purchased as keepsakes for the children". I highly doubt that, because somewhere in Wisconsin a four year old bagged a deer last week. Now I want you to think about that for a minute. A four-year old fired a .10 guage shotgun or a 30.06 rifle accurately enough to down a deer. Most four-year olds I've met couldn't sit quietly long enough for a deer to get within a quarter mile of them. I'd like to see if our toddler sharpshooter's father also happened to bag a buck earlier in the season.
What makes this charade easier to pull off is that in-person registration is no longer required. Nobody has to take a "successful" four year old hunter to a DNR registration station to present the deer and the tag. All the "real hunter" has to do now is call the hotline or log on to the DNR website and enter the license information and nobody has any idea if the "mentee hunter" even set foot in the woods.
I'm not saying the hunters that got licenses for children too young to walk or talk did anything illegal. Group hunting is common in Wisconsin and filling someone else's tag has been allowed for decades. But lawmakers can spare us the public hearings and the floor debate about "preserving Wisconsin's sporting heritage" when it is now obvious that this is nothing more than an effort to get around the "one hunter-one deer" requirement. And while ten newborns were "hunters" this year, you can bet that numbers will increase next year as guys realize what a great scam it is. Or are you telling me that Oshkosh B'Gosh and Carters have to start making blaze orange onesies?
But yesterday's release of data on mentored hunt licenses sold for last week's gun-deer season revealed that the main reason for the change is not to "get more kids interested in hunting"--it's actually to "allow guys to shoot more deer".
How else to explain the sale of ten licenses to infants. Children less than a year old were issued deer hunting licenses this year. Another 50-kids under the age of five were sold licenses. I had to laugh at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story on those numbers as the reporter posited that some of those licenses "may have been purchased as keepsakes for the children". I highly doubt that, because somewhere in Wisconsin a four year old bagged a deer last week. Now I want you to think about that for a minute. A four-year old fired a .10 guage shotgun or a 30.06 rifle accurately enough to down a deer. Most four-year olds I've met couldn't sit quietly long enough for a deer to get within a quarter mile of them. I'd like to see if our toddler sharpshooter's father also happened to bag a buck earlier in the season.
What makes this charade easier to pull off is that in-person registration is no longer required. Nobody has to take a "successful" four year old hunter to a DNR registration station to present the deer and the tag. All the "real hunter" has to do now is call the hotline or log on to the DNR website and enter the license information and nobody has any idea if the "mentee hunter" even set foot in the woods.
I'm not saying the hunters that got licenses for children too young to walk or talk did anything illegal. Group hunting is common in Wisconsin and filling someone else's tag has been allowed for decades. But lawmakers can spare us the public hearings and the floor debate about "preserving Wisconsin's sporting heritage" when it is now obvious that this is nothing more than an effort to get around the "one hunter-one deer" requirement. And while ten newborns were "hunters" this year, you can bet that numbers will increase next year as guys realize what a great scam it is. Or are you telling me that Oshkosh B'Gosh and Carters have to start making blaze orange onesies?
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Old School vs New School
You know who has had a pretty good last couple of days? The "old school", "fake news", "mainstream media". You know, the type of reporting that has come under constant attack for the last few years--and who is always going to be "replaced" by the "new media".
Consider the story that broke yesterday that a group of political operatives tried to plant a fake news story about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in the Washington Post. A woman claiming that she was impregnated by Moore years ago contacted the Post and "wanted to tell her story". She met with a reporter, in an encounter secretly filmed by the woman--and recorded by the reporter. When the Post did the usual follow-up reporting--contacting others that could corroborate her claims and verifying her whereabouts to match the timeline of her story--the tall tale fell apart.
Further investigation conducted by Post reporters found that not only was the woman's story fake--but that she was working for the political group Project Veritas--and the goal of the operation was to put a false story into publication in the same newspaper that first reported on allegations of sexual improprieties by Moore--thereby "discrediting" all of their previous reporting, and the claims of the original victims.
If Project Veritas sounds familiar, it's the same group that sent a young operative with a hidden video camera on him into a bar to record then-State Senate Majority Leader Mike Ellis of Neenah making disparaging comments about Green Bay Preble High School. The subsequent release of the video effectively ended Ellis's long career in Madison. Project Veritas targeted Ellis because he was not voting in lock-step with Governor Scott Walker's agenda.
The credibility of so-called "social media reporters" also took a big hit this week with the unbelievable mess that has been created in the University of Tennessee's search for a new head football coach. The school announced on Sunday that it had offered the job to Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Unhappy with that selection was self-described "college sports insider and blogger" Clay Travis--who posted a story with a link to a Washington Post report about the Penn State child molestation scandal where Schiano is mentioned off-handedly by a witness in the case as having told someone else that he saw Jerry Sandusky in the shower with a boy once.
Never mind that the deposition cited by Travis is hearsay evidence and would never be admissible in a court of law--or that Schiano is not mentioned anywhere else in the 800-page investigation into the Penn State scandal--or that Schiano was never accused, charged or convicted of taking part in the university's cover up of the child molestation at Penn State. Clay's thousands of social media followers (many of whom are under the delusional belief that another internet rumor--John Gruden is leaving Monday Night Football to coach the Vols--is true) re-posted the story, which was reposted by their friends which eventually led to accusations that Schiano was complicit in the coverup and could not possibly be hired by Tennessee.
When a couple of Tennessee state lawmakers added their voices to the internet mob, UT Athletic officials rescinded their job offer to Schiano--making it look like the "stain of Penn State" really was on him and that he was no longer fit for the job. Now, the Vols will have no choice but to hire someone with previous ties to the school--as no qualified "outsider" is going to ever want to be part of a program where the uninformed masses drive the decision making process.
So the next time you hear someone talking about "fake news" or how "social media makes everyone a reporter" remember the past few days.
Consider the story that broke yesterday that a group of political operatives tried to plant a fake news story about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in the Washington Post. A woman claiming that she was impregnated by Moore years ago contacted the Post and "wanted to tell her story". She met with a reporter, in an encounter secretly filmed by the woman--and recorded by the reporter. When the Post did the usual follow-up reporting--contacting others that could corroborate her claims and verifying her whereabouts to match the timeline of her story--the tall tale fell apart.
Further investigation conducted by Post reporters found that not only was the woman's story fake--but that she was working for the political group Project Veritas--and the goal of the operation was to put a false story into publication in the same newspaper that first reported on allegations of sexual improprieties by Moore--thereby "discrediting" all of their previous reporting, and the claims of the original victims.
If Project Veritas sounds familiar, it's the same group that sent a young operative with a hidden video camera on him into a bar to record then-State Senate Majority Leader Mike Ellis of Neenah making disparaging comments about Green Bay Preble High School. The subsequent release of the video effectively ended Ellis's long career in Madison. Project Veritas targeted Ellis because he was not voting in lock-step with Governor Scott Walker's agenda.
The credibility of so-called "social media reporters" also took a big hit this week with the unbelievable mess that has been created in the University of Tennessee's search for a new head football coach. The school announced on Sunday that it had offered the job to Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Unhappy with that selection was self-described "college sports insider and blogger" Clay Travis--who posted a story with a link to a Washington Post report about the Penn State child molestation scandal where Schiano is mentioned off-handedly by a witness in the case as having told someone else that he saw Jerry Sandusky in the shower with a boy once.
Never mind that the deposition cited by Travis is hearsay evidence and would never be admissible in a court of law--or that Schiano is not mentioned anywhere else in the 800-page investigation into the Penn State scandal--or that Schiano was never accused, charged or convicted of taking part in the university's cover up of the child molestation at Penn State. Clay's thousands of social media followers (many of whom are under the delusional belief that another internet rumor--John Gruden is leaving Monday Night Football to coach the Vols--is true) re-posted the story, which was reposted by their friends which eventually led to accusations that Schiano was complicit in the coverup and could not possibly be hired by Tennessee.
When a couple of Tennessee state lawmakers added their voices to the internet mob, UT Athletic officials rescinded their job offer to Schiano--making it look like the "stain of Penn State" really was on him and that he was no longer fit for the job. Now, the Vols will have no choice but to hire someone with previous ties to the school--as no qualified "outsider" is going to ever want to be part of a program where the uninformed masses drive the decision making process.
So the next time you hear someone talking about "fake news" or how "social media makes everyone a reporter" remember the past few days.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Moving Forward
The news we all expected came down late Wednesday afternoon (in what we call a classic "news dump"--major news late on a day before a holiday or a weekend that allows it to be nearly forgotten by the time everyone gets back into their normal consumption patterns) that Oshkosh Corporation will buy a portion of Lakeshore Golf Course for construction of its new global headquarters. The announcement did not surprise those of us who golf at Lakeshore, as the powers that be were working behind closed doors even longer than we were initially told to make it happen.
So what do we do now? There are some that are pushing for redesigning what will remain of Lakeshore into a nine-hole public course. Personally, I doubt that it will be economically feasible. Plus, city officials have made it pretty clear they want out of the golf course business. That is why I and some other golfers have decided the best course of action is to move on and try to preserve the spirit of the game that was established over a century at Lakeshore.
We are looking at forming what I am calling the Oshkosh Golf Association. The three main goals would be to maintain the competitive traditions at Lakeshore--mainly the City Match Play Championship and the City Tournament--in some other form. We are also looking to continue youth programs started at Lakeshore and to increase outreach to under-represented communities through golf. And a final goal would be to establish charitable giving programs benefitting the high school golf programs in Oshkosh and perhaps provide scholarships for kids somewhere down the line.
I've already reached out to the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for advice establishing the Oshkosh Golf Association as a non-profit entity. Former Lakeshore pro Steve Ziblut and I will now be reaching out to potential leaders in this organization to staff volunteer committees overseeing finances, competition and outreach. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping to form and direct the OGA, feel free to contact me or Steve.
We may have lost our course, but those of us who enjoyed Lakeshore over the years won't lose our love for the great game of golf or give up on the tradition, competition and comradery the venue provided. If there is one thing that golf has taught all of us is that you don't just quit after a bad hole or a lost match. You bounce back, work a little harder and make yourself--or the game itself--better the next time.
So what do we do now? There are some that are pushing for redesigning what will remain of Lakeshore into a nine-hole public course. Personally, I doubt that it will be economically feasible. Plus, city officials have made it pretty clear they want out of the golf course business. That is why I and some other golfers have decided the best course of action is to move on and try to preserve the spirit of the game that was established over a century at Lakeshore.
We are looking at forming what I am calling the Oshkosh Golf Association. The three main goals would be to maintain the competitive traditions at Lakeshore--mainly the City Match Play Championship and the City Tournament--in some other form. We are also looking to continue youth programs started at Lakeshore and to increase outreach to under-represented communities through golf. And a final goal would be to establish charitable giving programs benefitting the high school golf programs in Oshkosh and perhaps provide scholarships for kids somewhere down the line.
I've already reached out to the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for advice establishing the Oshkosh Golf Association as a non-profit entity. Former Lakeshore pro Steve Ziblut and I will now be reaching out to potential leaders in this organization to staff volunteer committees overseeing finances, competition and outreach. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping to form and direct the OGA, feel free to contact me or Steve.
We may have lost our course, but those of us who enjoyed Lakeshore over the years won't lose our love for the great game of golf or give up on the tradition, competition and comradery the venue provided. If there is one thing that golf has taught all of us is that you don't just quit after a bad hole or a lost match. You bounce back, work a little harder and make yourself--or the game itself--better the next time.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Fake Motivation
If you watch the Wisconsin-Minnesota football game on Saturday afternoon (as Wisconsin looks to stretch its winning streak against the Golden Gophers to 14 CONSECUTIVE GAMES) you may notice an unusual phrase printed inside the center stripe on the Gophers' helmets. That phrase is "ROW THE BOAT". That might not make a lot of sense. Gophers don't row boats. Boating has very little to do with playing football. And most people that use the Boundary Waters area in northern Minnesota paddle their canoes--they don't row. But that is the "motivational phrase" that Minnesota Head Coach PJ Fleck believes can raise his players' effort to a higher level.
Personally, I think it's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Fleck developed ROW THE BOAT during his previous job at Western Michigan. You may recall hearing about it endlessly during last January's Cotton Bowl broadcast as Wisconsin manhandled the previously undefeated Broncos back on January 2nd. As with Fleck's Broncos, Gopher players now run out of the tunnel pre-game holding an oar to signify their plan to ROW THE BOAT all day against their opponents.
Now I thought ROW THE BOAT was a metaphor for the entire team working together trying to head toward a common goal. You know, if everyone doesn't row together, the boat just goes in circles. But according to Fleck the oar represents "the energy your bring to life", the boat is "the sacrifice you are willing to make" and a compass (which I didn't realize was part of this equation) doesn't represent the direction you want to go--but rather "the people with whom you surround yourself".
Now does that psycho-drivel get you motivated to work harder toward your goals? Would it convince you to get into the weight room at 5:00 in the morning to work out? Or to put in a few extra minutes of film study on your opponent? Does seeing ROW THE BOAT on the other team's helmets intimidate opponents? "Wow man, those guys are bringing energy to the sacrifice they are willing to make while surrounded by good people!" Given that the Golden Gophers have been boat-raced by their last three Big Ten opponents, social media pundits have taken to renaming the phrase WOE THE BOAT.
Obviously, some college kids buy into the ROW THE BOAT mantra--and the myriad of other meaningless phrases that coaches like PJ Fleck throw at them. But what is the catchphrase of the most successful college football team over the past decade, Alabama? Why doesn't Ohio State have a motivational phrase on their helmets? And what incredible spiritual saying does the "boring" Paul Chryst provide to his offensive linemen before they bulldoze their opponents? Let's face it, some coaches can coach--and some can only "motivate".
Oh, and Minnesota can plan on taking their oar back to it's hallowed location in the locker room--because the Badgers will be taking Paul Bunyan's Axe back to its nearly-permanent location in the Camp Randall trophy case for an unprecedented 14TH CONSECUTIVE TIME!!!
Personally, I think it's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Fleck developed ROW THE BOAT during his previous job at Western Michigan. You may recall hearing about it endlessly during last January's Cotton Bowl broadcast as Wisconsin manhandled the previously undefeated Broncos back on January 2nd. As with Fleck's Broncos, Gopher players now run out of the tunnel pre-game holding an oar to signify their plan to ROW THE BOAT all day against their opponents.
Now I thought ROW THE BOAT was a metaphor for the entire team working together trying to head toward a common goal. You know, if everyone doesn't row together, the boat just goes in circles. But according to Fleck the oar represents "the energy your bring to life", the boat is "the sacrifice you are willing to make" and a compass (which I didn't realize was part of this equation) doesn't represent the direction you want to go--but rather "the people with whom you surround yourself".
Now does that psycho-drivel get you motivated to work harder toward your goals? Would it convince you to get into the weight room at 5:00 in the morning to work out? Or to put in a few extra minutes of film study on your opponent? Does seeing ROW THE BOAT on the other team's helmets intimidate opponents? "Wow man, those guys are bringing energy to the sacrifice they are willing to make while surrounded by good people!" Given that the Golden Gophers have been boat-raced by their last three Big Ten opponents, social media pundits have taken to renaming the phrase WOE THE BOAT.
Obviously, some college kids buy into the ROW THE BOAT mantra--and the myriad of other meaningless phrases that coaches like PJ Fleck throw at them. But what is the catchphrase of the most successful college football team over the past decade, Alabama? Why doesn't Ohio State have a motivational phrase on their helmets? And what incredible spiritual saying does the "boring" Paul Chryst provide to his offensive linemen before they bulldoze their opponents? Let's face it, some coaches can coach--and some can only "motivate".
Oh, and Minnesota can plan on taking their oar back to it's hallowed location in the locker room--because the Badgers will be taking Paul Bunyan's Axe back to its nearly-permanent location in the Camp Randall trophy case for an unprecedented 14TH CONSECUTIVE TIME!!!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Last Man Standing
There is blood in the water, and the sharks are circling. I can guarantee that every news outlet, website and opposing party operative is looking for women (and in some cases, men) to accuse politicians, media members and celebrities of sexual assault or harassment. Every awkward first date, crude attempt at humor and even yearbook inscription is being scrutinized for any shred of inappropriateness--dating back decades if necessary. Many of the men in Congress are likely lying awake hoping that any questionable incident from their past will not be uncovered in the days, weeks and months before the rest of the media tires of this story and moves on to the next "crisis".
But one man that likely is having no problem sleeping right now is Vice President Mike Pence. You see, Pence has a policy that he will not dine alone with a woman that is not his wife, and he will not attend any function where alcohol is being served without her by his side. It's a version of the Reverend Billy Graham's rule that he had for himself and his pastors--never be alone in a closed room with a woman that is not your wife.
Pence--who is an Evangelical--has always given a Puritanical reason for his "never alone" policy--it eliminates the temptation and opportunity for the type of behavior that every high-profile male is now at risk for accusation. When this practice came to light, Pence was roundly criticized by feminists and liberals. They accused the Vice President of being sexist and misogynistic. They believe the policy denies women equal access to Pence--and treats all women as potential seductresses or false accusers.
But in the current environment, Pence's "never alone" practice looks like the greatest security policy in modern political history. No one has to worry about a "He said/She Said" situation--because it will be a "He said/She said/The other person in the room saw" scenario. Undoubtedly, there are people out there beating the bushes looking for any woman that may have slipped past this security measure (and if she is ever found, Gloria Allred will be there to "represent her"--practically sitting on her lap to make sure she gets in all of the TV shots at the press conference)--but the odds are they aren't going to find one.
Now, am I going to call for a ban on men and women being alone together because that is the only way to prevent accusations of sexual harassment or assault? No. We should be working our way to a society where every encounter between the genders is not sexually-charged. But in the current climate of hysteria, it might not be a bad insurance policy.
But one man that likely is having no problem sleeping right now is Vice President Mike Pence. You see, Pence has a policy that he will not dine alone with a woman that is not his wife, and he will not attend any function where alcohol is being served without her by his side. It's a version of the Reverend Billy Graham's rule that he had for himself and his pastors--never be alone in a closed room with a woman that is not your wife.
Pence--who is an Evangelical--has always given a Puritanical reason for his "never alone" policy--it eliminates the temptation and opportunity for the type of behavior that every high-profile male is now at risk for accusation. When this practice came to light, Pence was roundly criticized by feminists and liberals. They accused the Vice President of being sexist and misogynistic. They believe the policy denies women equal access to Pence--and treats all women as potential seductresses or false accusers.
But in the current environment, Pence's "never alone" practice looks like the greatest security policy in modern political history. No one has to worry about a "He said/She Said" situation--because it will be a "He said/She said/The other person in the room saw" scenario. Undoubtedly, there are people out there beating the bushes looking for any woman that may have slipped past this security measure (and if she is ever found, Gloria Allred will be there to "represent her"--practically sitting on her lap to make sure she gets in all of the TV shots at the press conference)--but the odds are they aren't going to find one.
Now, am I going to call for a ban on men and women being alone together because that is the only way to prevent accusations of sexual harassment or assault? No. We should be working our way to a society where every encounter between the genders is not sexually-charged. But in the current climate of hysteria, it might not be a bad insurance policy.
Monday, November 20, 2017
A Glimpse Into the Future
So how are Packers fans enjoying their glimpse into the future? I'm not saying the Brett Hundley is the future of Green Bay football. In fact his play while Aaron Rodgers recovers from a broken collarbone is proving that his days in TitleTown are likely numbered after Number 12 returns. But Aaron Rodgers is 33-years old, and only Tom Brady has shown the ability to actually get better as he gets older.
So Packers fans had better get used to not having a premier quarterback to make up for the shortcomings of the team's defense, receiving corps, running backs and play calling. This is what Chicago has been dealing with for 30-years. Cleveland, Jacksonville, New York Jets, and Buffalo fans have been wondering for decades which quarterback is going to show up this week--the one that throws five interceptions in the first half--or the one that completes 60% of his passes and they still lose?
It is pretty clear that when Mike McCarthy said in his press conference after Rodgers first got hurt "I'm a highly successful NFL Head Coach" that what he really meant was "Numbers 4 and 12 have really carried my butt for the past eleven years". In fact, I see McCarthy deciding to hang up the play calling sheet the minute that Aaron Rodgers decides he is going to retire--or demands a trade to a different team like his predecessor. It's hard to look like an offensive genius when you don't have someone chucking the ball around every play with pinpoint accuracy and world-class decision-making skills.
It's also possible that the next generation Green Bay Packers won't need to be a one-man team. Maybe, they will have a future General Manager that sees actual value in early round picks. That can scout linebacking talent that can actually apply pressure to quarterbacks and cover receivers in space. Maybe that GM will allocate resources to field playmakers at several different positions instead of just at quarterback--so that QB doesn't have to do it all by himself.
Or should Packers fans hope their future is drastically changed by finding another NFL team to fleece in a trade for its third-string quarterback that turns out to be a hall of famer? Maybe another 23-teams will pass on another hall of fame QB because of his "attitude issues" so he can fall into Green Bay's lap. Aaron Rodgers will return to the field late this year--or at the start of next year and push these concerns out of fans' minds. But remember, this is where your future lies, Packer Backers.
So Packers fans had better get used to not having a premier quarterback to make up for the shortcomings of the team's defense, receiving corps, running backs and play calling. This is what Chicago has been dealing with for 30-years. Cleveland, Jacksonville, New York Jets, and Buffalo fans have been wondering for decades which quarterback is going to show up this week--the one that throws five interceptions in the first half--or the one that completes 60% of his passes and they still lose?
It is pretty clear that when Mike McCarthy said in his press conference after Rodgers first got hurt "I'm a highly successful NFL Head Coach" that what he really meant was "Numbers 4 and 12 have really carried my butt for the past eleven years". In fact, I see McCarthy deciding to hang up the play calling sheet the minute that Aaron Rodgers decides he is going to retire--or demands a trade to a different team like his predecessor. It's hard to look like an offensive genius when you don't have someone chucking the ball around every play with pinpoint accuracy and world-class decision-making skills.
It's also possible that the next generation Green Bay Packers won't need to be a one-man team. Maybe, they will have a future General Manager that sees actual value in early round picks. That can scout linebacking talent that can actually apply pressure to quarterbacks and cover receivers in space. Maybe that GM will allocate resources to field playmakers at several different positions instead of just at quarterback--so that QB doesn't have to do it all by himself.
Or should Packers fans hope their future is drastically changed by finding another NFL team to fleece in a trade for its third-string quarterback that turns out to be a hall of famer? Maybe another 23-teams will pass on another hall of fame QB because of his "attitude issues" so he can fall into Green Bay's lap. Aaron Rodgers will return to the field late this year--or at the start of next year and push these concerns out of fans' minds. But remember, this is where your future lies, Packer Backers.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Play For What Actually Counts
With their win over Iowa last week, the Wisconsin Badgers Football team clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis in three weeks. If they were an NFL team, and the Badgers had clinched their playoff position already, they would be free to rest their key players the last couple of weeks so they could come into the conference title tilt at full strength.
But because of the cockamamie playoff structure in college football, Head Coach Paul Chryst is instead pressured to put guys who are already hobbled or worn down out there for two more weeks in order to appease a "selection committee" that randomly selects the four teams that get to compete for a national title.
If the College Football Playoff were legitimate--and not a huge money grab conducted not by the NCAA but rather by ESPN and its sponsors--the champion of the Big Ten Conference--regardless of their record--would be in it. The same would go for the winners of all the major football conferences. Why else are we playing these conference title games if not to determine who is the best team in each of them this year?
You need not look any further than last year's "playoff" to see that it's nothing more than a beauty pageant. Penn State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee then chose Ohio State for its final four instead of the Nittany Lions. What was the point of having a conference champion if a team that didn't even win its own division moves on to the "playoffs"?
As far as I'm concerned, Wisconsin should play only for the Big Ten Championship--and pay no attention to the ESPN Television Ratings Exhibition Games in January. Let Jonathan Taylor sit in the second half of tomorrow's game against Michigan. Allow some of the second-string offensive linemen and defensive players to get meaningful playing time against Minnesota next week so the units that are most responsible for any potential success against Ohio State in the conference title game are ready to go. And make a statement to the rest of the sport that at Wisconsin, we only play for what actually counts.
But because of the cockamamie playoff structure in college football, Head Coach Paul Chryst is instead pressured to put guys who are already hobbled or worn down out there for two more weeks in order to appease a "selection committee" that randomly selects the four teams that get to compete for a national title.
If the College Football Playoff were legitimate--and not a huge money grab conducted not by the NCAA but rather by ESPN and its sponsors--the champion of the Big Ten Conference--regardless of their record--would be in it. The same would go for the winners of all the major football conferences. Why else are we playing these conference title games if not to determine who is the best team in each of them this year?
You need not look any further than last year's "playoff" to see that it's nothing more than a beauty pageant. Penn State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee then chose Ohio State for its final four instead of the Nittany Lions. What was the point of having a conference champion if a team that didn't even win its own division moves on to the "playoffs"?
As far as I'm concerned, Wisconsin should play only for the Big Ten Championship--and pay no attention to the ESPN Television Ratings Exhibition Games in January. Let Jonathan Taylor sit in the second half of tomorrow's game against Michigan. Allow some of the second-string offensive linemen and defensive players to get meaningful playing time against Minnesota next week so the units that are most responsible for any potential success against Ohio State in the conference title game are ready to go. And make a statement to the rest of the sport that at Wisconsin, we only play for what actually counts.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Timing Is Everything
If we have learned anything in the past year or so it is that alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment need to be encouraged to come forward with their accusations sooner. Women should feel that they will be believed if they accuse someone of illegal or inappropriate contact before it's just a couple of weeks prior to an election. There is no reason why these victims should feel like they have to wait until after the primaries are done and a party is stuck with its nominee before they come forward.
In fact, we should be encouraging these women to make their allegations as soon as a candidate announces for a political office. Given that those announcements come more than a year before any elections are held, the accusations could be fully investigated and litigated before anyone heads to the polls. Really, the victims of alleged sexual assault and harassment should expect Gloria Allred (who is apparently licensed to represent people as an attorney in all 50-states where there are television cameras) to be by their side as they level accusations against candidates for smaller races like Judge or District Attorney--decades before they become national news fodder.
And we here in the media should not feel like we have to wait in any way to report information available to us. Rumors of inappropriate conduct should be investigated long before anyone even thinks about running for public office. Court records, divorce filings and bankruptcy cases should all be scrutinized on the way back from covering a campaign kickoff announcement.
Even national news sources like Access Hollywood shouldn't feel like they need to keep audio tapes of lewd conversations hidden away for eleven years because they hold no news value until two months before an election. The people have a right to know this stuff as soon as possible--especially before committing a party to that alleged offender as their only candidate.
So let us learn our lesson from recent times and create a culture where alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment can in no way be seen as just political pawns.
In fact, we should be encouraging these women to make their allegations as soon as a candidate announces for a political office. Given that those announcements come more than a year before any elections are held, the accusations could be fully investigated and litigated before anyone heads to the polls. Really, the victims of alleged sexual assault and harassment should expect Gloria Allred (who is apparently licensed to represent people as an attorney in all 50-states where there are television cameras) to be by their side as they level accusations against candidates for smaller races like Judge or District Attorney--decades before they become national news fodder.
And we here in the media should not feel like we have to wait in any way to report information available to us. Rumors of inappropriate conduct should be investigated long before anyone even thinks about running for public office. Court records, divorce filings and bankruptcy cases should all be scrutinized on the way back from covering a campaign kickoff announcement.
Even national news sources like Access Hollywood shouldn't feel like they need to keep audio tapes of lewd conversations hidden away for eleven years because they hold no news value until two months before an election. The people have a right to know this stuff as soon as possible--especially before committing a party to that alleged offender as their only candidate.
So let us learn our lesson from recent times and create a culture where alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment can in no way be seen as just political pawns.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Why, You're Still a Child!
It's amazing the wide range of legal definitions of an "adult" today. Here in Wisconsin, the minute you are born you are considered old enough to hunt with an adult--and carry your own gun. When you are 10 you can start driving ATV's on public trails. At the age of 12, you can start working at a job--with a permit--and you can be waived into adult court to face felony charges for heinous crimes--like the girls involved in the "Slenderman Stabbing Case". Twelve year olds can also operate their own snowmobiles.
Turning 16 is of course a big one, as you are allowed to get a drivers license. Automobile accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teenagers. You are also allowed to pump gas and you can get married in Wisconsin--with your parents' permission. At 17 you are allowed to become a pilot--and you can be charged in adult court with felony crimes without have to be waived out of juvenile court first.
At 18 so much of the world opens up to you. You can now vote, buy a gun, join the military and kill people--or give up your life for your country. You are allowed to purchase tobacco products. You can rent an apartment, take out loans and get credit cards all on your own. You can take part in jury duty, sign up for utility service, get an abortion without your parents' permission, get married, book airline flights on your own and work up to 40-hours a week. No one will give you a hard time about going into an "R" rated movie. You can buy--or make--porn. You could even drop out of school and not be considered truant. And you are allowed to legally sell and serve alcohol to another person.
Finally at 21, you can actually drink alcohol legally. Somehow, we have deemed this activity so dangerous and requiring so much "maturity" that up until now, it was not safe to do so--despite everything else you have been allowed to do so far. Handling guns, flying planes by yourself, going off to war--all okay for younger folks--but having a couple of beers is just "too risky", you aren't ready for that kind of responsibility.
Of course, there are a couple of things that we think 21-year olds aren't responsible enough to handle--like renting a car--gotta be at least 25 to do that. And we couldn't possibly expect someone to be responsible for buying their own health insurance until they are 26--so let's keep them on Mom and Dad's policy until then.
Maybe it's time we review all of the "adult things" we've attached ages to, and make them more consistent all along the line.
Turning 16 is of course a big one, as you are allowed to get a drivers license. Automobile accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teenagers. You are also allowed to pump gas and you can get married in Wisconsin--with your parents' permission. At 17 you are allowed to become a pilot--and you can be charged in adult court with felony crimes without have to be waived out of juvenile court first.
At 18 so much of the world opens up to you. You can now vote, buy a gun, join the military and kill people--or give up your life for your country. You are allowed to purchase tobacco products. You can rent an apartment, take out loans and get credit cards all on your own. You can take part in jury duty, sign up for utility service, get an abortion without your parents' permission, get married, book airline flights on your own and work up to 40-hours a week. No one will give you a hard time about going into an "R" rated movie. You can buy--or make--porn. You could even drop out of school and not be considered truant. And you are allowed to legally sell and serve alcohol to another person.
Finally at 21, you can actually drink alcohol legally. Somehow, we have deemed this activity so dangerous and requiring so much "maturity" that up until now, it was not safe to do so--despite everything else you have been allowed to do so far. Handling guns, flying planes by yourself, going off to war--all okay for younger folks--but having a couple of beers is just "too risky", you aren't ready for that kind of responsibility.
Of course, there are a couple of things that we think 21-year olds aren't responsible enough to handle--like renting a car--gotta be at least 25 to do that. And we couldn't possibly expect someone to be responsible for buying their own health insurance until they are 26--so let's keep them on Mom and Dad's policy until then.
Maybe it's time we review all of the "adult things" we've attached ages to, and make them more consistent all along the line.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Steve Bannon's America
While former President George W Bush's advisor Karl Rove can be blamed for the hyper-partisan political climate of the 2000's, President Donald Trump's advisor Steve Bannon for the absolutely absurd political climate we have to deal with now.
Rove carried Bush to a pair of national election victories by not appeal to the political "middle" but rather by playing strictly to the Republican party base--defining the opposition as "extremely liberal"--and forcing those in the middle to choose between two polar opposites. The era of political compromise was dead--as working with someone on the other side of the aisle would be seen as "weakness" and "capitulating to the enemy". It was a political strategy good at winning elections in battleground states--but left much to be desired when it came to actual governance.
The new political climate created by Steve Bannon is taking voters--especially those on the Republican side--to places they never could have imagined they would have to go. As little as five years ago would you have seriously considered if neo-Nazis had "some good points" about their stances on social issues? Just two years ago, would you have willingly argued in favor of thirty-year old men having sexual contact with 14-year old girls as justification for voting for a candidate? If you are old enough to remember, would you have applauded Ronald Reagan if he was seeking help from Soviet spies to win his 1980 presidential election?
What was considered absurd for the past 100-years is suddenly becoming the political norm thanks to candidates backed by Bannon. How often have you ever rooted for a member of your own party to lose an election just so the power behind him is finally thwarted? I'm not calling for Roy Moore to drop out of the race. So-called "Republicans" voted him as their nominee in Alabama, and they should be made to now sink with him on the ticket next month. No "do-overs". No "well I didn't know" as an excuse. The second those voters saw Steve Bannon or one of his political action committees back Roy Moore, they should have immediately backed his primary opponent.
GOP voters need to take the stance of "guilt by association" when selecting their own candidates--because the rest of the country certainly is going to do in the general elections. Unless your willing to die on the mountains of racism, treason and pedophila.
Rove carried Bush to a pair of national election victories by not appeal to the political "middle" but rather by playing strictly to the Republican party base--defining the opposition as "extremely liberal"--and forcing those in the middle to choose between two polar opposites. The era of political compromise was dead--as working with someone on the other side of the aisle would be seen as "weakness" and "capitulating to the enemy". It was a political strategy good at winning elections in battleground states--but left much to be desired when it came to actual governance.
The new political climate created by Steve Bannon is taking voters--especially those on the Republican side--to places they never could have imagined they would have to go. As little as five years ago would you have seriously considered if neo-Nazis had "some good points" about their stances on social issues? Just two years ago, would you have willingly argued in favor of thirty-year old men having sexual contact with 14-year old girls as justification for voting for a candidate? If you are old enough to remember, would you have applauded Ronald Reagan if he was seeking help from Soviet spies to win his 1980 presidential election?
What was considered absurd for the past 100-years is suddenly becoming the political norm thanks to candidates backed by Bannon. How often have you ever rooted for a member of your own party to lose an election just so the power behind him is finally thwarted? I'm not calling for Roy Moore to drop out of the race. So-called "Republicans" voted him as their nominee in Alabama, and they should be made to now sink with him on the ticket next month. No "do-overs". No "well I didn't know" as an excuse. The second those voters saw Steve Bannon or one of his political action committees back Roy Moore, they should have immediately backed his primary opponent.
GOP voters need to take the stance of "guilt by association" when selecting their own candidates--because the rest of the country certainly is going to do in the general elections. Unless your willing to die on the mountains of racism, treason and pedophila.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Oh, There's a Game Going On Too?
I attended a Milwaukee Bucks game for the first time in a number of years on Saturday night. I found out that the NBA no longer stands for just the National Basketball Association anymore. In fact, it is more like Noise Blasting Always.
The game is now a near constant sonic assault from the moment you walk into the arena. It starts with fireworks during pre-game play introductions. That's followed by high-volume dance music to "GET PUMPED FOR THE JUMP". Then you have music or drum machines or other artificial noise playing--while the game is going on. I found out that like baseball players and their 'walk up songs", NBA players now have "made basket songs". Giannis Antentakoumpo has some R&B song I don't recognize. In fact, the only song that I recognized was the AC/DC tune that plays after Matthew Delavadova--who is Australian, just like the band--scores. Of course, to be heard over the "made basket music" the PA announcer has to yell every player's name--or nickname like "THE GREEK FREAK!!!!" or "THREE FOR T!!!"
Now, PA Guy has nothing on the "Hype Man" that takes over during timeouts (and there are a lot of them in NBA games). As soon as the referee signals the TO, more high-energy dance music starts blasting and the "Hype Man" is encouraging us with "MILWAUKEE LET ME HEAR YOU!!" or "GET UP FOR YOUR ENERGEE DANCERS!!" or "WHO WANTS SOME T-SHIRTS?!?!?!?!" (The Bucks must lead the league is T-shirt giveaways, because there were at least ten of them Saturday night.)
Meanwhile, the floor is full of dancers, "Gameday Experience Staff" throwing out t-shirts, the guys that do the trampoline dunks, Bango Buck shooting half-court shots backwards so all of us fans can win free tacos, and Bango riding around the floor on a Harley--constantly revving the engine. The reason I'm a little hoarse this morning is not because I was cheering crazily at the game, it was because I was trying to talk to my friend right next to me over all of the noise. You would think that the NBA coaches would appreciate a little less noise and distraction while trying to communicate with the players in the middle of the on-court circus.
Obviously, the NBA doesn't create its "game day experience" for people like me--guys who like basketball. My friend's teenage son loved it--so much in fact I hardly ever saw him on his cellphone. But with the near constant "entertainment" going on, it was easy to lose what is supposed to be most important thing going on that night in the arena: the game itself.
The game is now a near constant sonic assault from the moment you walk into the arena. It starts with fireworks during pre-game play introductions. That's followed by high-volume dance music to "GET PUMPED FOR THE JUMP". Then you have music or drum machines or other artificial noise playing--while the game is going on. I found out that like baseball players and their 'walk up songs", NBA players now have "made basket songs". Giannis Antentakoumpo has some R&B song I don't recognize. In fact, the only song that I recognized was the AC/DC tune that plays after Matthew Delavadova--who is Australian, just like the band--scores. Of course, to be heard over the "made basket music" the PA announcer has to yell every player's name--or nickname like "THE GREEK FREAK!!!!" or "THREE FOR T!!!"
Now, PA Guy has nothing on the "Hype Man" that takes over during timeouts (and there are a lot of them in NBA games). As soon as the referee signals the TO, more high-energy dance music starts blasting and the "Hype Man" is encouraging us with "MILWAUKEE LET ME HEAR YOU!!" or "GET UP FOR YOUR ENERGEE DANCERS!!" or "WHO WANTS SOME T-SHIRTS?!?!?!?!" (The Bucks must lead the league is T-shirt giveaways, because there were at least ten of them Saturday night.)
Meanwhile, the floor is full of dancers, "Gameday Experience Staff" throwing out t-shirts, the guys that do the trampoline dunks, Bango Buck shooting half-court shots backwards so all of us fans can win free tacos, and Bango riding around the floor on a Harley--constantly revving the engine. The reason I'm a little hoarse this morning is not because I was cheering crazily at the game, it was because I was trying to talk to my friend right next to me over all of the noise. You would think that the NBA coaches would appreciate a little less noise and distraction while trying to communicate with the players in the middle of the on-court circus.
Obviously, the NBA doesn't create its "game day experience" for people like me--guys who like basketball. My friend's teenage son loved it--so much in fact I hardly ever saw him on his cellphone. But with the near constant "entertainment" going on, it was easy to lose what is supposed to be most important thing going on that night in the arena: the game itself.
Friday, November 10, 2017
The Unpersons
When I was a kid, George Orwell's novel 1984 was a work of fiction about a dystopian future. Little did I know that during my lifetime it would morph into more of a non-fiction blueprint for modern society. We have a form of Big Brother--as security cameras, facial recognition software, internal body scanners and electronic devices that monitor our every word are everywhere. The Thought Police are ever-present on social media and college campuses, waiting to attack anyone with an opinion or political stance that differs from theirs. And now we have "Unpersons" being blotted out of the public record.
I was reminded of "Unperson" last night when I heard that a Hollywood studio was reshooting movie scenes involving Kevin Spacey--even though the film is supposed to be released to theaters in just six weeks. All of the other actors are being brought back to film scenes with Christopher Plummer--who as of this morning had not been publicly accused of molesting any children or walking around nude in front of any actresses--but again, it is still early in the day. Then it was announced that Louis CK was being removed from some HBO comedy special, since he is part of the Hollywood "purge" now as well.
Actually, trying to eliminate any proof of existence of a person was a common practice before Orwell wrote about it in 1949. Stalin was the best at it. He had public documents, birth certificates, and even marriage records deleted after sending his enemies to the gulags or had them executed. He had filmmakers re-shoot newsreel footage to have random people or items block out those that he had killed. He was like the first Photoshop user--having his enemies airbrushed out of pictures to the point that some photos that had once been full of people standing around Stalin were reduced to Stalin just by himself standing behind some random table.
I'll have to check the list of Harvey Weinstein productions to see which movies I like that will never be aired on TV again. Erasing Kevin Spacey from our collective memories will eliminate two of my absolute favorites: Glengary Glenross and American Beauty. Just the other day I was laughing at an on-line clip of Louis CK playing "Black Jeopardy" on Saturday Night Live. I guess I'll just have to pretend I never actually saw that. Meanwhile, I'll get used to movies that only star women from now on.
I was reminded of "Unperson" last night when I heard that a Hollywood studio was reshooting movie scenes involving Kevin Spacey--even though the film is supposed to be released to theaters in just six weeks. All of the other actors are being brought back to film scenes with Christopher Plummer--who as of this morning had not been publicly accused of molesting any children or walking around nude in front of any actresses--but again, it is still early in the day. Then it was announced that Louis CK was being removed from some HBO comedy special, since he is part of the Hollywood "purge" now as well.
Actually, trying to eliminate any proof of existence of a person was a common practice before Orwell wrote about it in 1949. Stalin was the best at it. He had public documents, birth certificates, and even marriage records deleted after sending his enemies to the gulags or had them executed. He had filmmakers re-shoot newsreel footage to have random people or items block out those that he had killed. He was like the first Photoshop user--having his enemies airbrushed out of pictures to the point that some photos that had once been full of people standing around Stalin were reduced to Stalin just by himself standing behind some random table.
I'll have to check the list of Harvey Weinstein productions to see which movies I like that will never be aired on TV again. Erasing Kevin Spacey from our collective memories will eliminate two of my absolute favorites: Glengary Glenross and American Beauty. Just the other day I was laughing at an on-line clip of Louis CK playing "Black Jeopardy" on Saturday Night Live. I guess I'll just have to pretend I never actually saw that. Meanwhile, I'll get used to movies that only star women from now on.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
A Threat to the Constitution
It didn't receive a lot of hype this week, but the Wisconsin Legislature has approved the most-dangerous bill ever. I'm not talking about the measure that would allow a child of any age to carry a gun while hunting with an adult. Instead I refer to the call for a Constitutional Convention.
Wisconsin became the 28th state to approve a resolution calling for the convention--meaning just six more states need to join in and delegates will be assigned to come to Washington DC. Article V of the Constitution allows for this process--as the Founding Fathers wanted to make sure that states could continue to be the driving force behind Constitutional amendments--and not just Congress.
A group called the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force is the one pushing this effort--saying that the country is going bankrupt due to deficit spending in Washington. They want the 28th Amendment to require the Federal Government to pass a balanced budget every year--and then be required to stick to it.
That may sound great on the surface, but the amendment idea is fraught with risk. For starters, it severely hampers the Federal Government's ability to deal with unforeseen events--like natural disasters and wars. If approved, it would likely put an immediate end to the Global War on Terror--as that expense is currently being put on the credit card. For those not familiar with our Federal budget, we borrow an average of 600-billion dollars a year to fund the Government. About 600-billion dollars is what we spend on defense.
If you want to continue to fund military operations, then you are going to have to drastically cut Social Security and Medicare. Those programs run an annual deficit of about 400-billion dollars--and that doesn't include Disability, Food Assistance or Unemployment insurance. If you want to do across the board cuts, every department of the Federal Government--except debt repayment, which is 229-billion--would have to take about an 18-percent cut in funding.
But the biggest danger in a Constitutional Convention is that delegates will not be limited to just a balanced budget amendment. Even State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald admitted after this week's vote he wasn't sure if the Convention could go in and make changes to existing amendments. What would stop the delegates from repealing the Second Amendment? Remember, we all want to "do something about gun violence". They could also change the First Amendment to limit free speech to as not to "offend" or to "make someone feel bad". And what is to stop them from making "free healthcare" or "free college education" from becoming Constitutional rights?
There is a reason the drafters of the Constitution made is so difficult to amend--so it would not be changed constantly on a whim or to fit trends in society. Look at how successful that was during Prohibition. Calling a Constitutional Convention on the auspices of limiting government spending is opening a Pandora's Box that the country could end up regretting for the next 225 years.
Wisconsin became the 28th state to approve a resolution calling for the convention--meaning just six more states need to join in and delegates will be assigned to come to Washington DC. Article V of the Constitution allows for this process--as the Founding Fathers wanted to make sure that states could continue to be the driving force behind Constitutional amendments--and not just Congress.
A group called the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force is the one pushing this effort--saying that the country is going bankrupt due to deficit spending in Washington. They want the 28th Amendment to require the Federal Government to pass a balanced budget every year--and then be required to stick to it.
That may sound great on the surface, but the amendment idea is fraught with risk. For starters, it severely hampers the Federal Government's ability to deal with unforeseen events--like natural disasters and wars. If approved, it would likely put an immediate end to the Global War on Terror--as that expense is currently being put on the credit card. For those not familiar with our Federal budget, we borrow an average of 600-billion dollars a year to fund the Government. About 600-billion dollars is what we spend on defense.
If you want to continue to fund military operations, then you are going to have to drastically cut Social Security and Medicare. Those programs run an annual deficit of about 400-billion dollars--and that doesn't include Disability, Food Assistance or Unemployment insurance. If you want to do across the board cuts, every department of the Federal Government--except debt repayment, which is 229-billion--would have to take about an 18-percent cut in funding.
But the biggest danger in a Constitutional Convention is that delegates will not be limited to just a balanced budget amendment. Even State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald admitted after this week's vote he wasn't sure if the Convention could go in and make changes to existing amendments. What would stop the delegates from repealing the Second Amendment? Remember, we all want to "do something about gun violence". They could also change the First Amendment to limit free speech to as not to "offend" or to "make someone feel bad". And what is to stop them from making "free healthcare" or "free college education" from becoming Constitutional rights?
There is a reason the drafters of the Constitution made is so difficult to amend--so it would not be changed constantly on a whim or to fit trends in society. Look at how successful that was during Prohibition. Calling a Constitutional Convention on the auspices of limiting government spending is opening a Pandora's Box that the country could end up regretting for the next 225 years.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Just Be Consistent
I've already made peace with the fact that the Oshkosh Common Council will vote tonight to formally offer to sell Lakeshore Golf Course to the Oshkosh Corporation for their new world headquarters. But what I want to see tonight is some consistency from Councillors in their messages as they explain their votes. Councilmember Jake Krause works for Oshkosh Corp, so he is recusing himself from tonight's vote--but here is what everyone else should say:
Mayor Steve Cummings should use his favorite phrase "The City is being held hostage" by its largest employer, as it only will consider some of the limited parkland in Oshkosh for its new location. He should also complain that Oshkosh Corp will likely come back someday with the "dark store loophole" argument that it's new headquarters should be assessed at the same rate as its vacant old headquarters to get out of paying as much in property taxes.
Councillor Tom Pech, Jr needs to bemoan the fact that the State Legislature is phasing out the Personal Property Tax--meaning the city won't be able to levy taxes on all of the furnishings, computers and fixtures in the new headquarters building in the future.
Councilmember Deb Allison-Aasby should cheer the precedent that the City is setting for incentive packages that will be provided to future development--especially for the company for which she works.
I predict Councillor Lori Palmeri will be the star of tonight's debate. She will come armed with arguments against "Corporate Welfare", like Oshkosh's 94-million dollars in net income for the 4th quarter of the fiscal year alone--and profits of 286-million for the entire year--and wonder why Oshkosh taxpayers have to provide any assistance at all when they can clearly afford to build without it?
Councilmember Caroline Panske needs to remind us of the environmental impact. A tear should be shed for the beautiful old oak trees that will have to be cut down--no longer providing homes for cute squirrels and chipmunks. And let's not forget about the ponds that will no longer be home to fuzzy ducklings and goslings every spring. Plus, her favorite--grass--will be covered up by more ugly concrete and blacktop. But then, she also has to explain the inner turmoil, as golf is a sport played only by rich, white men--so why should she vote to keep their "personal playground"?
And finally, Councillor Steve Herman should provide the lone perspective on what Oshkosh will be giving up in this deal by recalling the great memories of beautiful sunny days on the fairways with friends, the great competitions held on those grounds for more than a century and the chances for kids to take part in a game based on respect for your opponent--in a safe environment that provides real life lessons.
So the Council can go ahead and approve the Lakeshore offer tonight because you know you have to--but just don't pretend it's something you actually support.
Mayor Steve Cummings should use his favorite phrase "The City is being held hostage" by its largest employer, as it only will consider some of the limited parkland in Oshkosh for its new location. He should also complain that Oshkosh Corp will likely come back someday with the "dark store loophole" argument that it's new headquarters should be assessed at the same rate as its vacant old headquarters to get out of paying as much in property taxes.
Councillor Tom Pech, Jr needs to bemoan the fact that the State Legislature is phasing out the Personal Property Tax--meaning the city won't be able to levy taxes on all of the furnishings, computers and fixtures in the new headquarters building in the future.
Councilmember Deb Allison-Aasby should cheer the precedent that the City is setting for incentive packages that will be provided to future development--especially for the company for which she works.
I predict Councillor Lori Palmeri will be the star of tonight's debate. She will come armed with arguments against "Corporate Welfare", like Oshkosh's 94-million dollars in net income for the 4th quarter of the fiscal year alone--and profits of 286-million for the entire year--and wonder why Oshkosh taxpayers have to provide any assistance at all when they can clearly afford to build without it?
Councilmember Caroline Panske needs to remind us of the environmental impact. A tear should be shed for the beautiful old oak trees that will have to be cut down--no longer providing homes for cute squirrels and chipmunks. And let's not forget about the ponds that will no longer be home to fuzzy ducklings and goslings every spring. Plus, her favorite--grass--will be covered up by more ugly concrete and blacktop. But then, she also has to explain the inner turmoil, as golf is a sport played only by rich, white men--so why should she vote to keep their "personal playground"?
And finally, Councillor Steve Herman should provide the lone perspective on what Oshkosh will be giving up in this deal by recalling the great memories of beautiful sunny days on the fairways with friends, the great competitions held on those grounds for more than a century and the chances for kids to take part in a game based on respect for your opponent--in a safe environment that provides real life lessons.
So the Council can go ahead and approve the Lakeshore offer tonight because you know you have to--but just don't pretend it's something you actually support.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Just One Year to Go!
It will be nice to head to the polls today and put another campaign season behind us. I was growing tired of the ads telling us how much Senator Tammy Baldwin has raised our taxes alternating with those telling us about how she is fighting to preserve our healthcare, mixed in with ads for the former Democrat who is now a Republican and thinks that makes him like Ronald Reagan.
Governor Walker is making one final campaign swing through the Fox Valley today to trump up (pun intended) last minute support before voters head to the polls. Fortunately, I won't have to cover another rally for a while and he can focus on running state government again. Yep, after today we can finally take a break from all of the campaign noise.
Wait a minute....I'm being told that this is not election day for the campaigns that I just mentioned. Actually, all of these people saturating the airwaves and criss-crossing the state don't come up for election for ANOTHER YEAR YET!!
Obviously, I was having a little fun with you there. But what is not fun in the near-constant campaign cycle that we voters have to endure in the modern political process. I'm not sure which strategy candidates are employing now: get people to make up their minds early--because they are not likely to change after that, or bombard the folks as early as possible so they eventually tune out everything and probably don't even want to vote anymore.
In the past, starting a campaign more than a year before the election was seen as a sign of desperation--especially for an incumbent. Better to save your powder for after Labor Day when people were actually paying attention to elections. But then campaign finance laws came into effect and the need to get more people to give you smaller amounts of money became more important. And to get more people to give requires more time--and thus the never-ending election cycle was born.
We may get to enjoy a brief reprieve the next couple of months, as Christmas advertising pushes political ads to the side. Let's just hope retailers don't follow the lead of politicians and start their Holiday ads for 2018 on December 26th of 2017.
Governor Walker is making one final campaign swing through the Fox Valley today to trump up (pun intended) last minute support before voters head to the polls. Fortunately, I won't have to cover another rally for a while and he can focus on running state government again. Yep, after today we can finally take a break from all of the campaign noise.
Wait a minute....I'm being told that this is not election day for the campaigns that I just mentioned. Actually, all of these people saturating the airwaves and criss-crossing the state don't come up for election for ANOTHER YEAR YET!!
Obviously, I was having a little fun with you there. But what is not fun in the near-constant campaign cycle that we voters have to endure in the modern political process. I'm not sure which strategy candidates are employing now: get people to make up their minds early--because they are not likely to change after that, or bombard the folks as early as possible so they eventually tune out everything and probably don't even want to vote anymore.
In the past, starting a campaign more than a year before the election was seen as a sign of desperation--especially for an incumbent. Better to save your powder for after Labor Day when people were actually paying attention to elections. But then campaign finance laws came into effect and the need to get more people to give you smaller amounts of money became more important. And to get more people to give requires more time--and thus the never-ending election cycle was born.
We may get to enjoy a brief reprieve the next couple of months, as Christmas advertising pushes political ads to the side. Let's just hope retailers don't follow the lead of politicians and start their Holiday ads for 2018 on December 26th of 2017.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Our Own Little Foxconn
The Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation and the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce might want to order more of those "We Support the Oshkosh Corporation" yard signs--because if the company does accept the City's offer to sell the Lakeshore Golf Course as proposed, all of us will literally be supporting the Oshkosh Corporation.
The first six million dollars Oshkosh Corp pays in property taxes on the new HQ will be returned to them as part of a "Pay as you go" tax incremental financing district. That's about 20-years worth of returns. In addition, the City will have to borrow 7.2-million to build the streets leading to the new headquarters--along with the water and sewer lines. That is another twenty year payback.
I'm not saying that Oshkosh Corporation is ripping off taxpayers or that the City is giving away the farm (which I still believe will happen when Oshkosh counter-offers to pay far less than the 3.5-million dollar asking price the City has put on the Lakeshore property itself). This is the way business relocation is conducted now: What city is going to give us the most for the least amount of cost to us?
One of the huge disadvantages the City of Oshkosh has in this process is that everything has to be done in the open. Because this is public land being offered by a government entity, the "Lakeshore offer" is public record. The rumored "Grand Chute offer" is for land that is privately held--and therefore no Town Board approval is needed yet (although those folks will be getting multiple calls about that today). The same goes for the offers from the Chicago area and suburban Washington DC. Who is to say those developers won't be checking out the on-line news sources this morning and "sweetening their deal" to beat Lakeshore?
And one thing that I do not want to hear is anyone in local or state government that supports the Oshkosh Corporation deal voicing any opposition or concern about the Foxconn deal. If the State is engaged in "corporate welfare", then the City is engaging in "corporate welfare" too. About the only difference is we know that the Oshkosh Corporation actually will build what it promises to build--and that we don't need to change a bunch of legal processes to make it happen.
In both cases, we the taxpayers just have to hope those companies stick around long enough to make these big investments worthwhile.
The first six million dollars Oshkosh Corp pays in property taxes on the new HQ will be returned to them as part of a "Pay as you go" tax incremental financing district. That's about 20-years worth of returns. In addition, the City will have to borrow 7.2-million to build the streets leading to the new headquarters--along with the water and sewer lines. That is another twenty year payback.
I'm not saying that Oshkosh Corporation is ripping off taxpayers or that the City is giving away the farm (which I still believe will happen when Oshkosh counter-offers to pay far less than the 3.5-million dollar asking price the City has put on the Lakeshore property itself). This is the way business relocation is conducted now: What city is going to give us the most for the least amount of cost to us?
One of the huge disadvantages the City of Oshkosh has in this process is that everything has to be done in the open. Because this is public land being offered by a government entity, the "Lakeshore offer" is public record. The rumored "Grand Chute offer" is for land that is privately held--and therefore no Town Board approval is needed yet (although those folks will be getting multiple calls about that today). The same goes for the offers from the Chicago area and suburban Washington DC. Who is to say those developers won't be checking out the on-line news sources this morning and "sweetening their deal" to beat Lakeshore?
And one thing that I do not want to hear is anyone in local or state government that supports the Oshkosh Corporation deal voicing any opposition or concern about the Foxconn deal. If the State is engaged in "corporate welfare", then the City is engaging in "corporate welfare" too. About the only difference is we know that the Oshkosh Corporation actually will build what it promises to build--and that we don't need to change a bunch of legal processes to make it happen.
In both cases, we the taxpayers just have to hope those companies stick around long enough to make these big investments worthwhile.
Friday, November 3, 2017
It's Not Just For the Rich
Now that the Republican Tax Reform Plan is out there for everyone to see, the attacks are coming from every direction. The main talking point is that "the middle class is not going to see any relief". Well I am here to tell you that I will be one of the middle class that will be seeing my taxes lowered.
Being debt-free, childless and healthy, my wife and I don't have nearly enough deductions to itemize on our 1040 every year. That means we get just the standard deduction and the write off for local taxes and that is about it. My wife often asks why some people get these huge tax refunds every year (bragging about them on social media) while we usually have to pay in a small amount--even though we both claim no deductions from our paychecks. I always tell her kids are a huge tax write off--as is mortgage and student loan interest for those that borrowed way to much for their homes or their educations and medical bills for those that don't take care of themselves. I affectionately refer to it as the "responsibility tax" that we get to pay.
But with the Republican plan to double the standard deduction--and to get rid of all those other write offs I just mentioned--that is tangible savings for my middle class household. What's more, those living in tax hellholes like California, New York and Minnesota no longer get a big write off with their state and local taxes--meaning they finally feel the full brunt of their over-spending state and local governments and might question why they put up with Democratic leadership.
With parents creeping up in age, phasing out the estate tax (although I doubt we had much to worry about there) could also come in handy for this middle class family. I've seen a number of on-line commentaries claiming that unfettered inheritance is just another form of "white privilege" as it keeps family wealth from being chipped away by government for "re-distribution".
As an added bonus, the 401(k) tax-free status was retained--following my complaint about that a couple of weeks ago. So further responsible planning for retirement and less reliance on Social Security and Medicare will not be punished either. Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease.
So while all of the focus will be on the top ten percent of wage-earners in this country--who won't be paying 53% of the taxes anymore--remember there are plenty of us in the middle who will end up winner as well--after decades of paying more than we should have.
Being debt-free, childless and healthy, my wife and I don't have nearly enough deductions to itemize on our 1040 every year. That means we get just the standard deduction and the write off for local taxes and that is about it. My wife often asks why some people get these huge tax refunds every year (bragging about them on social media) while we usually have to pay in a small amount--even though we both claim no deductions from our paychecks. I always tell her kids are a huge tax write off--as is mortgage and student loan interest for those that borrowed way to much for their homes or their educations and medical bills for those that don't take care of themselves. I affectionately refer to it as the "responsibility tax" that we get to pay.
But with the Republican plan to double the standard deduction--and to get rid of all those other write offs I just mentioned--that is tangible savings for my middle class household. What's more, those living in tax hellholes like California, New York and Minnesota no longer get a big write off with their state and local taxes--meaning they finally feel the full brunt of their over-spending state and local governments and might question why they put up with Democratic leadership.
With parents creeping up in age, phasing out the estate tax (although I doubt we had much to worry about there) could also come in handy for this middle class family. I've seen a number of on-line commentaries claiming that unfettered inheritance is just another form of "white privilege" as it keeps family wealth from being chipped away by government for "re-distribution".
As an added bonus, the 401(k) tax-free status was retained--following my complaint about that a couple of weeks ago. So further responsible planning for retirement and less reliance on Social Security and Medicare will not be punished either. Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease.
So while all of the focus will be on the top ten percent of wage-earners in this country--who won't be paying 53% of the taxes anymore--remember there are plenty of us in the middle who will end up winner as well--after decades of paying more than we should have.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
We Are Becoming the Prisoners
Ben Franklin once wrote: Those that would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Those words come to mind every time we have a terror attack of some sort and "TV experts" start listing all of the security measures we should take to prevent the same thing from happening again.
After this week's truck attack in New York City, the recommendations have been to build giant barricades to protect biking trails and sidewalks all across the country. Some have even suggested checking the federal terror watch list before renting vehicles to people. Try to imagine the car rental counters in the Orlando airport as every middle-aged American man goes through the same security process as TSA before they are allowed to get on the shuttle to pick up their Ford Taurus for the week (because we wouldn't want to put just "certain people" under such extra scrutiny--that would be "unfair").
It's no coincidence that the security measures we continue to adopt in society have their roots in the realm of corrections. Walk-thru metal detectors were first used in prisons to prevent inmates from sneaking weapons back to their cells. Passcard door systems were first used in jails to eliminate the need for guards to all carry keyrings--and to allow for certain doors to remain locked--even with a card--in an emergency situation. "Perimeter security" has been a hallmark of prison construction since we started locking up the bad guys--as much to keep people in as it was to keep people out.
So how much temporary security are we going to purchase? Already, if you walk down the street in a major American city, cameras are identifying you and providing police information on your location. You are already treated as a potential terrorism suspect every time you try to board an airplane. We are spending billions--perhaps trillions of dollars to "secure" any building, event or landmark that we think might be a "target".
The more barricades, fences, concrete posts, security posts, metal detectors and surveillance cameras we put up in the mistaken belief that it is making us more "secure", the more "Liberty" we surrender. And who is ultimately the winner in that scenario?
After this week's truck attack in New York City, the recommendations have been to build giant barricades to protect biking trails and sidewalks all across the country. Some have even suggested checking the federal terror watch list before renting vehicles to people. Try to imagine the car rental counters in the Orlando airport as every middle-aged American man goes through the same security process as TSA before they are allowed to get on the shuttle to pick up their Ford Taurus for the week (because we wouldn't want to put just "certain people" under such extra scrutiny--that would be "unfair").
It's no coincidence that the security measures we continue to adopt in society have their roots in the realm of corrections. Walk-thru metal detectors were first used in prisons to prevent inmates from sneaking weapons back to their cells. Passcard door systems were first used in jails to eliminate the need for guards to all carry keyrings--and to allow for certain doors to remain locked--even with a card--in an emergency situation. "Perimeter security" has been a hallmark of prison construction since we started locking up the bad guys--as much to keep people in as it was to keep people out.
So how much temporary security are we going to purchase? Already, if you walk down the street in a major American city, cameras are identifying you and providing police information on your location. You are already treated as a potential terrorism suspect every time you try to board an airplane. We are spending billions--perhaps trillions of dollars to "secure" any building, event or landmark that we think might be a "target".
The more barricades, fences, concrete posts, security posts, metal detectors and surveillance cameras we put up in the mistaken belief that it is making us more "secure", the more "Liberty" we surrender. And who is ultimately the winner in that scenario?
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Not A Whole Lotta Planning Going On
I have to give credit to the Oshkosh Common Council for knowing how to build drama, they made us sit through two full days of lengthy budget review before getting to the issue of Lakeshore Golf Course. Lakeshore was literally the last budget item discussed on Tuesday afternoon--and it was actually kind of a sad exercise. The course superintendent talked about some replacement equipment they will need next year. Pro Trace Gardner expressed confidence that he could double the size of our Tuesday night match play league next season. And when it was done, nobody on the Council asked a single question--because they realized it was just a dog and pony show.
Of course, once the golf course and parks folks were gone, then the questions were raised--particularly what do you do with a million dollar budget item that gets eliminated after the budget is adopted? One thing that municipal budgets do not feature is a lot of flexibility. Shifting money around and spending designated funds on items that were never included in the original package tends to make auditors and analysts nervous.
Which is why the budget's total lack of any provisions for the sale of Lakeshore in 2018--and subsequent large-scale infrastructure construction costs--also did not go unnoticed. Three million dollars in revenue and eight million in expenditures are a big deal--but not even a "provisional budget item" was included in either the parks, public works, capital improvement projects, or TIF district budgets.
Of course, $3-million is what we think the city should get for the Lakeshore property--but Tuesday's investors' conference call for the Oshkosh Corporation casts some doubt on that. Kudos to the guy from the investment firm that asked about the new Oshkosh headquarters while I was live on the air and unable to join the call in person. Chief Financial Officer Dave Sagehorn said that the company has not budgeted any money for construction in 2018. CEO Wilson Jones also assured investors that the new HQ project is going to be "cost neutral"--meaning the expenses for the project will likely equal what they are currently paying to rent out office space all around Oshkosh--and to maintain their old building.
So here's my takeaway from the snippets of information that we were provided this week: Oshkosh Corp doesn't expect to pay a lot for their gleaming new home on the banks of the Fox River--and the City doesn't want us to know yet that they are going to give away that site for a mere pittance. And maybe Trace will be right about 80-guys playing in that Tuesday night league for one more season.
Of course, once the golf course and parks folks were gone, then the questions were raised--particularly what do you do with a million dollar budget item that gets eliminated after the budget is adopted? One thing that municipal budgets do not feature is a lot of flexibility. Shifting money around and spending designated funds on items that were never included in the original package tends to make auditors and analysts nervous.
Which is why the budget's total lack of any provisions for the sale of Lakeshore in 2018--and subsequent large-scale infrastructure construction costs--also did not go unnoticed. Three million dollars in revenue and eight million in expenditures are a big deal--but not even a "provisional budget item" was included in either the parks, public works, capital improvement projects, or TIF district budgets.
Of course, $3-million is what we think the city should get for the Lakeshore property--but Tuesday's investors' conference call for the Oshkosh Corporation casts some doubt on that. Kudos to the guy from the investment firm that asked about the new Oshkosh headquarters while I was live on the air and unable to join the call in person. Chief Financial Officer Dave Sagehorn said that the company has not budgeted any money for construction in 2018. CEO Wilson Jones also assured investors that the new HQ project is going to be "cost neutral"--meaning the expenses for the project will likely equal what they are currently paying to rent out office space all around Oshkosh--and to maintain their old building.
So here's my takeaway from the snippets of information that we were provided this week: Oshkosh Corp doesn't expect to pay a lot for their gleaming new home on the banks of the Fox River--and the City doesn't want us to know yet that they are going to give away that site for a mere pittance. And maybe Trace will be right about 80-guys playing in that Tuesday night league for one more season.
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