I was all set to review my predictions for 2017 that I would have sworn I had made at the start of the year--but darned if I didn't actually make any. I went through the My Two Cents archives all the way back to late December of 2016 and found no bold pronouncements on the year ahead. I did notice that I accurately predicted the Badgers would lose only one game--but I had them in the National Championship Semi-Finals as Big Ten champs--and that didn't happen. My Packers picks were totally wrong--as I failed to foresee Aaron Rodgers getting hurt and the team needing to call upon Brett Hundley to try and stay afloat. Although I do usually say those Packers predictions should be thrown out the window if number 12 misses any games.
There were some things this year that I probably would have had in my predictions for 2017: More mass shootings and calls for gun control measures that are already on the books but are never enforced. Although I certainly would not have predicted the scale of the Las Vegas shooting. I would have been pretty sure that we would still be talking about Russia and the Trump campaign. Accusations of sexual harassment and assault against the President would have been no surprise--but the liberal elite of Hollywood and politics turning upon themselves would not have been predicted.
I probably would have expected more civil unrest this year. Everyone on the Left seemed so fired up after last year's election and then the President's inauguration that you would have thought that millions were going to take to the streets every other day showing us "what Democracy looks like". I guess everyone realized that no matter what happens in Washington, it really doesn't affect your day-to-day life that much. I also would have thought that former President Obama and Hillary Clinton would have their own daily shows on MSNBC to keep everyone fired up.
Locally, the announcement of the Wisconsin Herd playing in Oshkosh would have been easy to make--as would construction on the arena not getting done on time due to the way-too-short timeline. I certainly would not have foreseen the sale of Lakeshore Golf Course to the Oshkosh Corporation for their new global headquarters. As I mentioned earlier this week, you've got to hand it to the folks at GO-EDC for keeping that a secret for as long as they did. But other than that, there really weren't many shockers in Oshkosh this year.
I'm off tomorrow, so I'll spend the extended holiday weekend looking into my crystal ball at home and come up with some prescient predictions for 2018.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Person of the Year
Yesterday I announced our Newsmaker of the Year here in Oshkosh. Now I'm going to hand out our Person of the Year honoree. The difference between the two is that the Newsmaker was the busiest--but the Person of the Year had the most-positive effect on the city. And this year, that person was UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt.
I cannot overstate the courage and ethics that it took for Leavitt to expose the financial scheme that he inherited involving the school and the UWO Foundation. It would have been very easy to look the other way after finding the improper letters of guarantee signed by his predecessor Chancellor Richard Wells. He probably could have continued to finagle the numbers in his budget to keep making secretive transfers to the Foundation to keep paying debt on the Alumni Welcome and Conference Center and those two useless bio-digesters. Those responsible for the scheme could have been kept on the payroll--or allowed to quietly move on to other jobs without ever being held accountable.
But Chancellor Leavitt did what you would hope everyone in his position would do--but so many fail to do so. He stood up and said "This is not right--and I am not going to be a part of it." And the aftermath has not been pleasant. Two of those responsible for the scheme are facing a civil lawsuit filed by the UW System to try and recoup some of the money that was inappropriately transferred from the school coffers. State lawmakers took the school to task for lack of oversight and refused to apply taxpayer money to the Foundation debts. The Foundation filed for bankruptcy--then sued the school. The banks owed money by the Foundation considered seizing their assets. The State audited all of the UW System foundations to see if similar malfeasance was occurring. The football team almost had to forfeit a playoff game because it wouldn't be able to pay for travel expenses. There were even complaints among the faculty that the Chancellor should have kept his mouth shut and "handled things internally".
But Chancellor Leavitt is providing a valuable lesson not just to his students and faculty but to everyone here in Oshkosh--and it's a lesson so few of us have to deal with anymore: When you do something wrong you need to be held accountable. It will likely be years before the Foundation scandal and the mess it created will be straightened out, but UWO and Oshkosh itself will be in a much better place because the Chancellor was willing to do what was right.
I cannot overstate the courage and ethics that it took for Leavitt to expose the financial scheme that he inherited involving the school and the UWO Foundation. It would have been very easy to look the other way after finding the improper letters of guarantee signed by his predecessor Chancellor Richard Wells. He probably could have continued to finagle the numbers in his budget to keep making secretive transfers to the Foundation to keep paying debt on the Alumni Welcome and Conference Center and those two useless bio-digesters. Those responsible for the scheme could have been kept on the payroll--or allowed to quietly move on to other jobs without ever being held accountable.
But Chancellor Leavitt did what you would hope everyone in his position would do--but so many fail to do so. He stood up and said "This is not right--and I am not going to be a part of it." And the aftermath has not been pleasant. Two of those responsible for the scheme are facing a civil lawsuit filed by the UW System to try and recoup some of the money that was inappropriately transferred from the school coffers. State lawmakers took the school to task for lack of oversight and refused to apply taxpayer money to the Foundation debts. The Foundation filed for bankruptcy--then sued the school. The banks owed money by the Foundation considered seizing their assets. The State audited all of the UW System foundations to see if similar malfeasance was occurring. The football team almost had to forfeit a playoff game because it wouldn't be able to pay for travel expenses. There were even complaints among the faculty that the Chancellor should have kept his mouth shut and "handled things internally".
But Chancellor Leavitt is providing a valuable lesson not just to his students and faculty but to everyone here in Oshkosh--and it's a lesson so few of us have to deal with anymore: When you do something wrong you need to be held accountable. It will likely be years before the Foundation scandal and the mess it created will be straightened out, but UWO and Oshkosh itself will be in a much better place because the Chancellor was willing to do what was right.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Newsmaker of the Year
It's time to hand out end-of-year awards and I may as well do our Newsmaker of the Year right here.
Congratulations go out to Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jason White for nabbing this year's honor. It was a huge year for White as GO-EDC spearheaded two of the biggest developments in the city's history.
First, White was able to convince the developers of the new Menoninee Nation Arena to eschew locating on a site along the Interstate 41 corridor--with easy access for people coming from out of town and plenty of space for parking--not to mention various hotels and dining options located nearby--and instead build on the blighted sight of the former Buckstaff property downtown. The next challenge will be for the city to improve the infrastructure in the surrounding area, put up proper signage to get out-of-towners to the arena in the most efficient way possible and to replace all of the other aged buildings in the surrounding area into new developments that will compliment the arena.
White's second major victory of the year was to keep his negotiations with the Oshkosh Corporation about buying Lakeshore Golf Course for a new world headquarters quiet until it was too late for any type of public opposition to be organized. If I hadn't played out at Lakeshore so much last summer, we likely would never have known about survey crews out working at 7:30 in the evening or DNR wetlands delineation studies on the site. The next challenge there is to improve the infrastructure around the Oshkosh Corp site and to do away with older buildings and businesses that today's "bright new talent" don't want around where they work.
Newsmaker of the Year Jason White will likely have to tackle his biggest challenge in 2018: convincing aviation businesses to locate to an Aviation Business Park that has no direct access to an airport. In having to work with the Winnebago County Board to secure a taxiway through the fence, he will face a body not nearly as desperate as the Oshkosh Common Council for new development--especially the half of the board that sees Wittman Regional Airport as an "Oshkosh facility" and not something that benefits any other portion of the county. If he can negotiate his way out of that situation, Jason may have a shot at Newsmaker of the Year next year as well.
Congratulations go out to Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jason White for nabbing this year's honor. It was a huge year for White as GO-EDC spearheaded two of the biggest developments in the city's history.
First, White was able to convince the developers of the new Menoninee Nation Arena to eschew locating on a site along the Interstate 41 corridor--with easy access for people coming from out of town and plenty of space for parking--not to mention various hotels and dining options located nearby--and instead build on the blighted sight of the former Buckstaff property downtown. The next challenge will be for the city to improve the infrastructure in the surrounding area, put up proper signage to get out-of-towners to the arena in the most efficient way possible and to replace all of the other aged buildings in the surrounding area into new developments that will compliment the arena.
White's second major victory of the year was to keep his negotiations with the Oshkosh Corporation about buying Lakeshore Golf Course for a new world headquarters quiet until it was too late for any type of public opposition to be organized. If I hadn't played out at Lakeshore so much last summer, we likely would never have known about survey crews out working at 7:30 in the evening or DNR wetlands delineation studies on the site. The next challenge there is to improve the infrastructure around the Oshkosh Corp site and to do away with older buildings and businesses that today's "bright new talent" don't want around where they work.
Newsmaker of the Year Jason White will likely have to tackle his biggest challenge in 2018: convincing aviation businesses to locate to an Aviation Business Park that has no direct access to an airport. In having to work with the Winnebago County Board to secure a taxiway through the fence, he will face a body not nearly as desperate as the Oshkosh Common Council for new development--especially the half of the board that sees Wittman Regional Airport as an "Oshkosh facility" and not something that benefits any other portion of the county. If he can negotiate his way out of that situation, Jason may have a shot at Newsmaker of the Year next year as well.
Friday, December 22, 2017
A New Tradition
My wife and I will be starting a new Christmas tradition this year. We don't have anywhere to be on Christmas day anymore--my parents winter in Florida so they aren't around. My sister and brother-in-law moved to Ohio this year, so we won't go to see them and their kids anymore. So rather than just sit around and watch NBA basketball all day, we have decided to make Christmas a day of volunteering instead.
This year, we will be helping out at Father Carr's Place 2 Be and their Christmas meal service. I'm hoping that we are assigned meal delivery (even though we will have single digit temps and below zero wind chills Monday morning) since I hate ham and having to help cook or pack up hundreds of ham dinners puts me off my appetite.
I'm not going to try and lay a guilt trip on you since until this year I didn't give of my time on Christmas day either--but maybe more of us should consider that the "real meaning of the season" instead of seeing who can "win the holidays" or deciding which gift needs to be opened last as the "grand finale" of seasonal over-indulgence.
It's one thing to put a couple of bucks in the Red Kettle a couple of times a year--or to drop off a toy or a coat in a box. But it's a totally different experience to see the people you are helping face-to-face--to hear their gratitude and to see that they absolutely needed that assistance. It might give us all a new definition of "gift".
This year, we will be helping out at Father Carr's Place 2 Be and their Christmas meal service. I'm hoping that we are assigned meal delivery (even though we will have single digit temps and below zero wind chills Monday morning) since I hate ham and having to help cook or pack up hundreds of ham dinners puts me off my appetite.
I'm not going to try and lay a guilt trip on you since until this year I didn't give of my time on Christmas day either--but maybe more of us should consider that the "real meaning of the season" instead of seeing who can "win the holidays" or deciding which gift needs to be opened last as the "grand finale" of seasonal over-indulgence.
It's one thing to put a couple of bucks in the Red Kettle a couple of times a year--or to drop off a toy or a coat in a box. But it's a totally different experience to see the people you are helping face-to-face--to hear their gratitude and to see that they absolutely needed that assistance. It might give us all a new definition of "gift".
Thursday, December 21, 2017
A Tale of Two Cities
One concept I've always had to explain to new reporters here at WOSH is the difference between the "Fox Cities" and the "Fox Valley". For our purposes, the Fox Cities "start" at Neenah and head north along the Interstate 41 and Highway 441 corridors--ending in Kaukauna. The Fox Valley is a much larger geographical area--that includes Winnebago, Outagamie and Brown counties--and places like Oshkosh, Hortonville and Wrightstown--along with the aforementioned Fox Cities. But our definition of Fox Cities may have to change in the near future.
In a conversation with Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna this week, he mentioned that after the 2020 US Census, Appleton and Oshkosh will be considered part of the same Metropolitan Statistical Area. That means in the eyes of the Federal Government, Oshkosh and Appleton will be lumped together as a population.
While I doubt Appletonians will pay that much attention to the new designation, Oshkoshians are likely to not take that very well. "We're not a suburb of Appleton!" they will say. There will also be complaints when those of us in the media refer to things like unemployment in the "Appleton-Oshkosh area last month". "Why does Appleton always have to be first?" they will ask.
Nobody ever likes to have their "sense of place" called into question. For generations there was a clear delineation between Oshkosh and the Fox Cities. Some people are probably old enough to remember when you could tell that you had left Appleton and entered Menasha. Or when Grand Chute was just open fields west of Appleton. But as development along Interstate 41 has grown, those lines have become blurred--or almost non-existent. There is a true "urban feel" from the southside of Neenah to the northside of Kaukauna--whereas in the past you still had farm fields dividing all of those municipalities. And you can be assured that the remaining "countryside" between Neenah and Oshkosh will see the same kind of development in the next couple of decades until you can't tell where one begins and the other ends.
What remains to be seen is what the new "metropolis" will be known as to the rest of the world. Most people heading south on Interstate 41 likely consider themselves to be "in Milwaukee" as soon as they reach the strip malls of Germantown and as they pass through Menominee Falls, Wauwatosa, West Allis and Greendale. We will refer to the new Ikea as being "in Milwaukee"--when its actually in Oak Creek. Could future travelers heading north on I-41 someday start saying they are "in Appleton" as soon as they pass the EAA Museum?
In a conversation with Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna this week, he mentioned that after the 2020 US Census, Appleton and Oshkosh will be considered part of the same Metropolitan Statistical Area. That means in the eyes of the Federal Government, Oshkosh and Appleton will be lumped together as a population.
While I doubt Appletonians will pay that much attention to the new designation, Oshkoshians are likely to not take that very well. "We're not a suburb of Appleton!" they will say. There will also be complaints when those of us in the media refer to things like unemployment in the "Appleton-Oshkosh area last month". "Why does Appleton always have to be first?" they will ask.
Nobody ever likes to have their "sense of place" called into question. For generations there was a clear delineation between Oshkosh and the Fox Cities. Some people are probably old enough to remember when you could tell that you had left Appleton and entered Menasha. Or when Grand Chute was just open fields west of Appleton. But as development along Interstate 41 has grown, those lines have become blurred--or almost non-existent. There is a true "urban feel" from the southside of Neenah to the northside of Kaukauna--whereas in the past you still had farm fields dividing all of those municipalities. And you can be assured that the remaining "countryside" between Neenah and Oshkosh will see the same kind of development in the next couple of decades until you can't tell where one begins and the other ends.
What remains to be seen is what the new "metropolis" will be known as to the rest of the world. Most people heading south on Interstate 41 likely consider themselves to be "in Milwaukee" as soon as they reach the strip malls of Germantown and as they pass through Menominee Falls, Wauwatosa, West Allis and Greendale. We will refer to the new Ikea as being "in Milwaukee"--when its actually in Oak Creek. Could future travelers heading north on I-41 someday start saying they are "in Appleton" as soon as they pass the EAA Museum?
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
A Cold-Fashioned Christmas
It looks like Christmas this year will be just like the ones I used to know--bitterly cold with a ton of snow. The Storm Team Five forecast for the holiday weekend calls for accumulation of a couple of inches the next few days, followed by below zero temps Christmas Eve and a high Christmas Day of just five.
For those of us in our forties and fifties, that was the holiday forecast almost every year when we were kids. My family was Christmas Eve mass attendees. So that meant bundling up and venturing out into the below zero temps in the dark to park far away from the church and trundle in through the piles of snow because we already had two feet of it by the end of December. And then to sit in the back so that every time someone came in the door, the frigid wind would blow on you again. Then when you'd finally would warm up--mass was over and it was time to trudge back through the snow to a freezing cold car for the ride home.
Christmas morning, even if you got a cool winter toy to play with, you couldn't head right outside and put it to use, because the wind chill was so low that you could only be in the elements for a few minutes without risking frostbite. Keep in mind this was before Under Armor Cold Gear and Goretex that came in kids sizes. Then it was into the freezing car again to drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch. Then back to the freezing cold car to head to the other grandparent's house for dinner--before surviving the freezing cold ride home again.
When I was a kid I was almost always sick right before Christmas. I used to think that it was due to anxiety that because I had misbehaved so much during the year that I was not going to get any gifts. But now I realize that is was more likely due to the brutal cold that came early and just lingered.
The winters of the 1970's and early 80's were brutal. Long stretches of below zero temps. Lake Michigan almost completely froze over one year. Some of the largest blizzards to ever hit the area all roared through in the late 1970's. It was so ugly that Time magazine had a cover story about scientist's concerns about the start of the next ice age. And who could blame them? Because when you looked at the short term data from the ugly winters of the 1960's to the early 80's there was definitely a trend heading in the wrong direction.
And that's why whenever I hear a climate change alarmist calling for us to "reverse the effects of global warming" I look at them like they are insane. I have to remind myself that they are too young to remember the Christmases of my youth--and just how miserable they were--and how we wished that going "over the river and through the woods" didn't involve taking your life in your own hands.
For those of us in our forties and fifties, that was the holiday forecast almost every year when we were kids. My family was Christmas Eve mass attendees. So that meant bundling up and venturing out into the below zero temps in the dark to park far away from the church and trundle in through the piles of snow because we already had two feet of it by the end of December. And then to sit in the back so that every time someone came in the door, the frigid wind would blow on you again. Then when you'd finally would warm up--mass was over and it was time to trudge back through the snow to a freezing cold car for the ride home.
Christmas morning, even if you got a cool winter toy to play with, you couldn't head right outside and put it to use, because the wind chill was so low that you could only be in the elements for a few minutes without risking frostbite. Keep in mind this was before Under Armor Cold Gear and Goretex that came in kids sizes. Then it was into the freezing car again to drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch. Then back to the freezing cold car to head to the other grandparent's house for dinner--before surviving the freezing cold ride home again.
When I was a kid I was almost always sick right before Christmas. I used to think that it was due to anxiety that because I had misbehaved so much during the year that I was not going to get any gifts. But now I realize that is was more likely due to the brutal cold that came early and just lingered.
The winters of the 1970's and early 80's were brutal. Long stretches of below zero temps. Lake Michigan almost completely froze over one year. Some of the largest blizzards to ever hit the area all roared through in the late 1970's. It was so ugly that Time magazine had a cover story about scientist's concerns about the start of the next ice age. And who could blame them? Because when you looked at the short term data from the ugly winters of the 1960's to the early 80's there was definitely a trend heading in the wrong direction.
And that's why whenever I hear a climate change alarmist calling for us to "reverse the effects of global warming" I look at them like they are insane. I have to remind myself that they are too young to remember the Christmases of my youth--and just how miserable they were--and how we wished that going "over the river and through the woods" didn't involve taking your life in your own hands.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
They Don't Want Your Help
I didn't have to hide any shock yesterday when Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff told me that very few people are allowing inspectors inside their units for mandatory rental inspections this year. That's because it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Of the 300 or so inspection conducted since they started in September, just 35 have seen the city worker actually go inside the unit. The rest have been conducted from outside the building. For those mathematically challenged, that is a real inspection rate of just 12-percent.
Initially, City Manager Rohloff blamed landlords for this low inspection rate--saying they were "spreading lies" about the process and scaring their tenants into refusing entry to inspectors. But the reality may be sinking in that those renters don't want the City's "help"--especially in the area where officials have targeted for the first round of inspections: the Central City and University neighborhoods.
For many renters in that area, their unit is a "residence of last resort" if you will. They can't afford or can't get approved to rent an apartment in a "better part of town"--so they congregate in areas with older, more run-down housing. But if the city requires landlords to spruce up the appearance of the buildings and fix the myriad of issues with the units, they suddenly become more valuable--and the tenant runs the risk of being priced out of the one home they could barely afford. This is part of what "social justice warriors" call "gentrification"--where minority neighborhoods are "fixed up" and suddenly become a haven for higher-earning young whites looking for trendy, new places to live--and then they take over the available housing stock--driving out the original minority residents.
And while city officials insist that anything they see that might be illicit or illegal they are not going to report to police, a lot of these folks just plain aren't going to believe that. When you have illegal drugs, stolen goods, weapons, unauthorized pets, tenants that aren't on the lease, garbage you are too lazy to throw out, hoarded items and damage that you yourself caused that you know you should be charged for, you want as few people as possible knowing about it. The same goes for those who are wanted on arrest warrants--or who have outstanding debts or child support payments. In fact, an "absentee landlord" is what you want. I was only half-joking when I suggested to the City Manager that we cross-reference the list of people that signed the petitions to lower the fine for marijuana possession with the list of tenants that have rejected an internal inspection.
Oshkosh leaders have fallen into the same trap that the supporters of the Affordable Care Act fell into when they insisted that requiring health insurance would mean everyone would rush out to get health insurance that had never been able to get it before: there are large numbers of people who do not want--nor can they afford--the Government's "help".
Initially, City Manager Rohloff blamed landlords for this low inspection rate--saying they were "spreading lies" about the process and scaring their tenants into refusing entry to inspectors. But the reality may be sinking in that those renters don't want the City's "help"--especially in the area where officials have targeted for the first round of inspections: the Central City and University neighborhoods.
For many renters in that area, their unit is a "residence of last resort" if you will. They can't afford or can't get approved to rent an apartment in a "better part of town"--so they congregate in areas with older, more run-down housing. But if the city requires landlords to spruce up the appearance of the buildings and fix the myriad of issues with the units, they suddenly become more valuable--and the tenant runs the risk of being priced out of the one home they could barely afford. This is part of what "social justice warriors" call "gentrification"--where minority neighborhoods are "fixed up" and suddenly become a haven for higher-earning young whites looking for trendy, new places to live--and then they take over the available housing stock--driving out the original minority residents.
And while city officials insist that anything they see that might be illicit or illegal they are not going to report to police, a lot of these folks just plain aren't going to believe that. When you have illegal drugs, stolen goods, weapons, unauthorized pets, tenants that aren't on the lease, garbage you are too lazy to throw out, hoarded items and damage that you yourself caused that you know you should be charged for, you want as few people as possible knowing about it. The same goes for those who are wanted on arrest warrants--or who have outstanding debts or child support payments. In fact, an "absentee landlord" is what you want. I was only half-joking when I suggested to the City Manager that we cross-reference the list of people that signed the petitions to lower the fine for marijuana possession with the list of tenants that have rejected an internal inspection.
Oshkosh leaders have fallen into the same trap that the supporters of the Affordable Care Act fell into when they insisted that requiring health insurance would mean everyone would rush out to get health insurance that had never been able to get it before: there are large numbers of people who do not want--nor can they afford--the Government's "help".
Monday, December 18, 2017
Why Do They Have to Ruin Everything?
One of the greatest appeals of the movie A Christmas Story is that it perfectly captures the childhood experiences of so many people. Who didn't have a toy that they thought would completely change their lives once they got it? What boy didn't fudge things up when they tried to help their Dad the first time--or get punished for dropping their first dirty word in front of their parents? Who didn't have to deal with bullies, have to get overly-bundled-up by an over-protective mother, send away for some food-product toy that turned out to be a piece of junk or get one of their friends in trouble on a dare--and refuse to admit who put him up to it?
Jean Shepard's original story harkens back to a much simpler time when Christmas was a big deal--but not an all-consuming three-month marathon of avarice and commercialism. It's a snapshot of an America that we likely will never get back.
But in the hundreds of times that I've watched the movie I have never once thought "You know what would make this a lot better? A bunch of singing and dancing!" And yet, when FOX Television decided to put on a live version of A Christmas Story last night, they did add singing--and dancing. Fortunately, I knew this was a musical--so I did not watch a single second of that atrocity--and I will never go to see the traveling stage production either.
I don't understand the thought process in a producer's mind that says "I think we need to stop the action here and sing an original song with people coming out of nowhere to dance behind Ralphie to bring the storyline to a screeching halt". When you were a kid, did you sing songs (with orchestral backing) about your favorite toy? Did your classmates join in? Did you ever see your Dad sing a showtune, ever?
Because I'm a history buff, people assume that I would like to see Hamilton--the Broadway musical featuring the Founding Fathers. And they are surprised when I tell them that I would never pay a lot of good money to see a horribly-inaccurate portrayal of American history that attempts to revise the the architects of our democracy into something they never were and never believed. If I wanted that, I'd watch Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. I'd much rather see actors come on stage and read the Federalist Papers word-for-word so everyone leaves the theater much more informed on what it means to be American.
If you would like to enjoy the "unspoiled" version of A Christmas Story, tune into WOSH starting at 6:00 Sunday night for our annual 24-hours of A Christmas Story marathon. I promise, no singing--and no dancing.
Jean Shepard's original story harkens back to a much simpler time when Christmas was a big deal--but not an all-consuming three-month marathon of avarice and commercialism. It's a snapshot of an America that we likely will never get back.
But in the hundreds of times that I've watched the movie I have never once thought "You know what would make this a lot better? A bunch of singing and dancing!" And yet, when FOX Television decided to put on a live version of A Christmas Story last night, they did add singing--and dancing. Fortunately, I knew this was a musical--so I did not watch a single second of that atrocity--and I will never go to see the traveling stage production either.
I don't understand the thought process in a producer's mind that says "I think we need to stop the action here and sing an original song with people coming out of nowhere to dance behind Ralphie to bring the storyline to a screeching halt". When you were a kid, did you sing songs (with orchestral backing) about your favorite toy? Did your classmates join in? Did you ever see your Dad sing a showtune, ever?
Because I'm a history buff, people assume that I would like to see Hamilton--the Broadway musical featuring the Founding Fathers. And they are surprised when I tell them that I would never pay a lot of good money to see a horribly-inaccurate portrayal of American history that attempts to revise the the architects of our democracy into something they never were and never believed. If I wanted that, I'd watch Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer. I'd much rather see actors come on stage and read the Federalist Papers word-for-word so everyone leaves the theater much more informed on what it means to be American.
If you would like to enjoy the "unspoiled" version of A Christmas Story, tune into WOSH starting at 6:00 Sunday night for our annual 24-hours of A Christmas Story marathon. I promise, no singing--and no dancing.
Friday, December 15, 2017
The Best Gifts
Will today's kids remember Christmas the way so many of us older folks do? I'm often accused of being a Scrooge at this time of year because I do not get into the "holiday spirit" in any way. I'm disgusted by some of our stations going to Christmas music right after Halloween. I don't put up decorations in the News Room. I don't do "ugly sweater day" or "secret Santa" or "Christmas cookie exchange". I like my "holiday season" to last about two weeks--and then we can start looking forward to something I enjoy: warmer weather and being outside without having to bundle up like I'm going on a polar expedition.
But back to Christmas gifts. No doubt, you have a special gift or two that to this day your remember receiving as a child. Not because it was the coolest toy that year or that it was super expensive or that getting a gift was pretty much the only expression of love in your family. I'm talking about a gift that produced special memories or experiences for you. For me, that gift was a basketball hoop when I was 8 or 9 years old.
In a lesson of delayed gratification, the hoop didn't go up until the spring, when my dad could dig a hole for the post and the driveway wasn't covered in snow. But once it went up, it allowed me to play ball with my dad and my friends and even my younger sister. And I still play basketball today--with many of the friends that I have made since coming here to Oshkosh more than 17-years ago.
I can also tell you my all-time favorite birthday gift: tickets to the Milwaukee Brewers-Cleveland Indians game at County Stadium on July 31st, 1982. We went with my grandparents. My sister got a foul ball--something the entire family reminds me of every time I talk about going to a Brewers game. It was the NBC Saturday Afternoon Game of the Week. Mike Caldwell started. Rollie Fingers got the save. And with the win, the Brewers moved into first place in the American League East--on their way to the AL pennant and the World Series. Not a bad expierence for a ten-year old kid.
And that is why I wonder if kids today are going to have those kinds of memories when they think back on Christmas decades from now. Will they talk about how many zombies they killed Christmas Day of 2017 when they got the hot new X-Box game? Will they even remember the smart-phone case, the pair of fashion sneakers or the Spiderman action figures that will just join the ever-growing pile of toys in their rooms? Maybe I'll get more into the "spirit of Christmas" if we would get back to giving gifts that mean something--and not just "stuff" somebody wanted for a week or two.
But back to Christmas gifts. No doubt, you have a special gift or two that to this day your remember receiving as a child. Not because it was the coolest toy that year or that it was super expensive or that getting a gift was pretty much the only expression of love in your family. I'm talking about a gift that produced special memories or experiences for you. For me, that gift was a basketball hoop when I was 8 or 9 years old.
In a lesson of delayed gratification, the hoop didn't go up until the spring, when my dad could dig a hole for the post and the driveway wasn't covered in snow. But once it went up, it allowed me to play ball with my dad and my friends and even my younger sister. And I still play basketball today--with many of the friends that I have made since coming here to Oshkosh more than 17-years ago.
I can also tell you my all-time favorite birthday gift: tickets to the Milwaukee Brewers-Cleveland Indians game at County Stadium on July 31st, 1982. We went with my grandparents. My sister got a foul ball--something the entire family reminds me of every time I talk about going to a Brewers game. It was the NBC Saturday Afternoon Game of the Week. Mike Caldwell started. Rollie Fingers got the save. And with the win, the Brewers moved into first place in the American League East--on their way to the AL pennant and the World Series. Not a bad expierence for a ten-year old kid.
And that is why I wonder if kids today are going to have those kinds of memories when they think back on Christmas decades from now. Will they talk about how many zombies they killed Christmas Day of 2017 when they got the hot new X-Box game? Will they even remember the smart-phone case, the pair of fashion sneakers or the Spiderman action figures that will just join the ever-growing pile of toys in their rooms? Maybe I'll get more into the "spirit of Christmas" if we would get back to giving gifts that mean something--and not just "stuff" somebody wanted for a week or two.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Who Will Be Fred Fisher?
For all of you history buffs, why is Fred Fisher a significant figure in American history? For all intents and purposes, Fisher was the last person Senator Joe McCarthy accused of being a communist. During the infamous McCarthy-Army hearings in June of 1954, the Wisconsin Senator got into an argument with Army counsel Joseph Welch. In an effort to discredit Welch, McCarthy claimed that he had communists in his own law firm--naming Fred Fisher by name. That led to this famous response from Welch:
The McCarthy Hearings were among the first live government proceedings broadcast on national television--and for several weeks they got huge ratings. But slowly, people came to doubt all of the accusations that McCarthy and his legal counsel Roy Cohn were throwing around. The man whose mere mention of your name as a suspected commie could get you fired or blacklisted was exposed as merely being an opportunist, with little evidence to back up his accusations. Following his dressing down by Welch in defense of Fred Fisher, nearly all public support for McCarthy withered away--and he was left a broken man. He was censured by the Senate and died--likely from the side-effects of alcoholism--a couple of years later.
I have to wonder, who is going to be the Fred Fisher of the current sexual misconduct craze gripping the nation? Who will be the person accused that makes America say "Ok, that's enough. We don't want to hear anymore accusations. We don't want more people's lives ruined"?
Ninety-three year old former President George Bush wasn't that person. I thought for sure Senator Al Franken was going to be that person. He didn't quite go full Joseph Welch, but his resignation speech on the floor of the Senate certainly contained plenty of defiance. New Yorker Magazine reporter Ryan Lizza was even more aggressive in his denial of allegations against him--but he was fired anyway.
McCarthyism lasted about four years. But that was in a time before the 24-7 news media cycle that inundates us with information--and commentary--on what is happening constantly. I expect our current effort to "root out the menace" won't last nearly that long.
The McCarthy Hearings were among the first live government proceedings broadcast on national television--and for several weeks they got huge ratings. But slowly, people came to doubt all of the accusations that McCarthy and his legal counsel Roy Cohn were throwing around. The man whose mere mention of your name as a suspected commie could get you fired or blacklisted was exposed as merely being an opportunist, with little evidence to back up his accusations. Following his dressing down by Welch in defense of Fred Fisher, nearly all public support for McCarthy withered away--and he was left a broken man. He was censured by the Senate and died--likely from the side-effects of alcoholism--a couple of years later.
I have to wonder, who is going to be the Fred Fisher of the current sexual misconduct craze gripping the nation? Who will be the person accused that makes America say "Ok, that's enough. We don't want to hear anymore accusations. We don't want more people's lives ruined"?
Ninety-three year old former President George Bush wasn't that person. I thought for sure Senator Al Franken was going to be that person. He didn't quite go full Joseph Welch, but his resignation speech on the floor of the Senate certainly contained plenty of defiance. New Yorker Magazine reporter Ryan Lizza was even more aggressive in his denial of allegations against him--but he was fired anyway.
McCarthyism lasted about four years. But that was in a time before the 24-7 news media cycle that inundates us with information--and commentary--on what is happening constantly. I expect our current effort to "root out the menace" won't last nearly that long.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
A New Hope
A big congratulations to members of the real Republican Party as they celebrate the loss of the hijacked Republican Party candidate in yesterday's special Senate election in Alabama. The contemptible Roy Moore loses a seat that had been held by the GOP for 25-years.
When faced with a decision between two bad options on the ballot, many real GOP members either stayed home--or wrote in a name of a candidate that would actually stand for their beliefs. (Or knowing Alabama--they likely just put in Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban on their ballot). The national political experts likely won't do any "deep diving" on the results of Tuesdays election--because a Democrat won--but if they did, they will likely find that Doug Jones' support was marginally higher than the average Democrat in Alabama. Roy Moore lost because many Republicans simply didn't vote.
The real reason for celebration for those in the real GOP is that voters have rejected a candidate backed by the repugnant Steve Bannon. The so-called "political strategist" turned an election that Republicans with Jeff Sessions on the ballot won with a 92-percent majority just a couple of years ago into a 1.5% loss last night--even with the backing of his other puppet candidate: President Donald Trump. Coming into this special election, Bannon had been talking big about challenging the "Republican Establishment" with primary opponents in races across the country next year. That would have pitted real Republicans against crazy, fringe candidates that would waste resources and force the party to continually confront the dark elements that we thought had been banished to irrelevancy centuries ago.
I'm sure Bannon and Trump will rail against "the media" for destroying the character of Roy Moore (if that was even possible) but deep down they have to know that their victory in 2016 was a fluke--the perfect combination of over-the-top free media exposure early in a crowded GOP primary field, the worst possible Democratic candidate on the other side of the ticket and a general populace disgusted by the two choices they were presented--and that the tide within the Republican Party is turning against them in a big way.
It's fitting that the new Star Wars movie comes out the same week that Bannon, Trump and Moore go down to defeat--as there is now a New Hope for a return to normalcy in the real Republican Party.
When faced with a decision between two bad options on the ballot, many real GOP members either stayed home--or wrote in a name of a candidate that would actually stand for their beliefs. (Or knowing Alabama--they likely just put in Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban on their ballot). The national political experts likely won't do any "deep diving" on the results of Tuesdays election--because a Democrat won--but if they did, they will likely find that Doug Jones' support was marginally higher than the average Democrat in Alabama. Roy Moore lost because many Republicans simply didn't vote.
The real reason for celebration for those in the real GOP is that voters have rejected a candidate backed by the repugnant Steve Bannon. The so-called "political strategist" turned an election that Republicans with Jeff Sessions on the ballot won with a 92-percent majority just a couple of years ago into a 1.5% loss last night--even with the backing of his other puppet candidate: President Donald Trump. Coming into this special election, Bannon had been talking big about challenging the "Republican Establishment" with primary opponents in races across the country next year. That would have pitted real Republicans against crazy, fringe candidates that would waste resources and force the party to continually confront the dark elements that we thought had been banished to irrelevancy centuries ago.
I'm sure Bannon and Trump will rail against "the media" for destroying the character of Roy Moore (if that was even possible) but deep down they have to know that their victory in 2016 was a fluke--the perfect combination of over-the-top free media exposure early in a crowded GOP primary field, the worst possible Democratic candidate on the other side of the ticket and a general populace disgusted by the two choices they were presented--and that the tide within the Republican Party is turning against them in a big way.
It's fitting that the new Star Wars movie comes out the same week that Bannon, Trump and Moore go down to defeat--as there is now a New Hope for a return to normalcy in the real Republican Party.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The Savior Is Coming!
It is apropros that Aaron Rodgers may return as starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers during this holiday season--as many fans believe their savior is about to arrive. There is this general idea that Rodgers is going to come back from an eight-week layoff and immediately resume playing at a Hall of Fame level. Despite not working with the receiving corps for two months, timing routes will somehow still be perfect and throws into tight coverage will be pinpoint accurate. No one seems to have any doubt that an offensive line that has heard a completely different cadence since October will not jump when Aaron uses his "319...319...HUTHUT!!" that usually draws the defense offsides anytime the Packers face a 3rd and less than five situation or that he will immediately recognize the defense is trying to get a substitute on and he will go hurry-up and snap the ball when the guy coming out is just a step from the sidelines. Or that the deep balls thrown into perfect coverage will be called pass interference again.
Many point to Rodgers' return from his last broken collarbone injury in 2013 when he beat the Bears in Week 17 to win the NFC North and get the Packers into the playoffs--where they lost in the Wild Card Round against San Francisco AT LAMBEAU the next week. But in that case, Aaron was returning from an injury to his NON-throwing shoulder and, well, the Bears are the Bears. This year's playoff rally will require winning three games--two of those on the road--against teams already ahead of them in the playoff chase.
Adding to the false hope for Packers fans is the sudden change that took place in the NFC Playoff picture over the weekend. With Philadelphia losing their quarterback--Carson Wentz--to a season-ending knee injury, the conference now appears to be wide open. The LA Rams are young and haven't been in the playoffs for years. New Orleans defense is still suspect, Atlanta is still on the Super Bowl Hangover, Seattle's offensive line is awful and Minnesota and Detroit are going to choke because that is what they do in the playoffs. So to a person, Packers fans are all like "If we can just get in, we can win this!!"
I would argue that Brett Hundley doing "just enough" (in other words--barely beating three last-place teams) to keep the Packers playoff hopes alive was a dis-service to Aaron Rodgers. If he somehow comes back at a high enough level to beat three good teams with an offense that was completely inept without him, it will make everyone--including those in the front office--think "Oh man, if Aaron just didn't get hurt, this would have been a Super Bowl team for sure"--and much-needed off-season moves--both in terms of personnel, coaching staff and in the front office--will not be made. Not to mention the better they might do in the playoffs this year, the worse their draft position will be next spring--reducing the chances of getting an impact player in the first round for a change.
So continue to light the candles on your "Aaron Rodgers comeback Advent wreath" for this is the season of miracles--and false hope too.
Many point to Rodgers' return from his last broken collarbone injury in 2013 when he beat the Bears in Week 17 to win the NFC North and get the Packers into the playoffs--where they lost in the Wild Card Round against San Francisco AT LAMBEAU the next week. But in that case, Aaron was returning from an injury to his NON-throwing shoulder and, well, the Bears are the Bears. This year's playoff rally will require winning three games--two of those on the road--against teams already ahead of them in the playoff chase.
Adding to the false hope for Packers fans is the sudden change that took place in the NFC Playoff picture over the weekend. With Philadelphia losing their quarterback--Carson Wentz--to a season-ending knee injury, the conference now appears to be wide open. The LA Rams are young and haven't been in the playoffs for years. New Orleans defense is still suspect, Atlanta is still on the Super Bowl Hangover, Seattle's offensive line is awful and Minnesota and Detroit are going to choke because that is what they do in the playoffs. So to a person, Packers fans are all like "If we can just get in, we can win this!!"
I would argue that Brett Hundley doing "just enough" (in other words--barely beating three last-place teams) to keep the Packers playoff hopes alive was a dis-service to Aaron Rodgers. If he somehow comes back at a high enough level to beat three good teams with an offense that was completely inept without him, it will make everyone--including those in the front office--think "Oh man, if Aaron just didn't get hurt, this would have been a Super Bowl team for sure"--and much-needed off-season moves--both in terms of personnel, coaching staff and in the front office--will not be made. Not to mention the better they might do in the playoffs this year, the worse their draft position will be next spring--reducing the chances of getting an impact player in the first round for a change.
So continue to light the candles on your "Aaron Rodgers comeback Advent wreath" for this is the season of miracles--and false hope too.
Monday, December 11, 2017
When You Can't Afford Any Mistakes
About a week ago I lauded the national news outlets that had done great work in uncovering the actions of the real "fake media" and efforts to undermine the credibility of traditional journalism. Then last week, many of those same outlets turned around and had very bad weeks--publishing a number of inaccurate stories about the Trump administration providing ample ammunition for the President and his acolytes to turn the people against those trying to report the truth.
First, Brian Ross of ABC News reported incorrectly that Michael Flynn's plea deal with Federal prosecutors contained an admission that he was ordered by Trump to contact the Russians before the election--when in fact that order came after the President won the election. Then CNN, MSNBC and CBS all aired stories that the Trump campaign was sent links to the Wikileaks information about hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee before they were published. Somehow, the "sources" for all three of those networks "misread the date" on that email--which was sent the day after Wikileaks posted the emails--and the links were to materials that had already been published for public consumption. That was followed by Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeting a photo of a nearly empty arena and claiming that was turnout for President Trump's speech in Florida on Saturday night--when in fact the picture had been taken hours before the President arrived.
Obviously, news outlets are going to make mistakes--because they are staffed by human beings. But the stakes at this point in time are so high that there is absolutely no margin for error--and reporters and editors need to be not just 100-percent sure on their stories--but 1000%--because for a growing number of Americans, one item wrong out of a thousand is looking more like a 100% error rate.
I think too many reporters covering the White House right now are looking for the "grand slam story" that somehow takes down the entire administration--when smaller, completely verified and accurate stories--"opposite field singles" if you will--are more in order. Let's not forget, it wasn't the Watergate break-in stories from Woodward and Bernstein that exposed corruption in the Nixon administration, they just set the table for the Congressional hearings that revealed the actual Oval Office coverup.
And speaking of Woodward and Bernstein, they made some pretty serious reporting mistakes as well. In October of 1973, they erroneously identified three men as having received information obtained by wiretapping the Democratic National Committee offices at Watergate. And just a couple of weeks later, they misattributed information that tied White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldemann to the slush fund that paid the Watergate burglars. Mind you, their information was correct--Haldemann authorized the payments--but because they wrote that Hugh Sloan told that to the grand jury, rather than he knew about it but was never asked about it in court--they provided the White House with a way to discredit all of their reporting up to that point.
These are dangerous times for reporters in Washington. The truth is out there--and they will likely find it eventually. But will anyone be willing to believe it when they do?
First, Brian Ross of ABC News reported incorrectly that Michael Flynn's plea deal with Federal prosecutors contained an admission that he was ordered by Trump to contact the Russians before the election--when in fact that order came after the President won the election. Then CNN, MSNBC and CBS all aired stories that the Trump campaign was sent links to the Wikileaks information about hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee before they were published. Somehow, the "sources" for all three of those networks "misread the date" on that email--which was sent the day after Wikileaks posted the emails--and the links were to materials that had already been published for public consumption. That was followed by Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeting a photo of a nearly empty arena and claiming that was turnout for President Trump's speech in Florida on Saturday night--when in fact the picture had been taken hours before the President arrived.
Obviously, news outlets are going to make mistakes--because they are staffed by human beings. But the stakes at this point in time are so high that there is absolutely no margin for error--and reporters and editors need to be not just 100-percent sure on their stories--but 1000%--because for a growing number of Americans, one item wrong out of a thousand is looking more like a 100% error rate.
I think too many reporters covering the White House right now are looking for the "grand slam story" that somehow takes down the entire administration--when smaller, completely verified and accurate stories--"opposite field singles" if you will--are more in order. Let's not forget, it wasn't the Watergate break-in stories from Woodward and Bernstein that exposed corruption in the Nixon administration, they just set the table for the Congressional hearings that revealed the actual Oval Office coverup.
And speaking of Woodward and Bernstein, they made some pretty serious reporting mistakes as well. In October of 1973, they erroneously identified three men as having received information obtained by wiretapping the Democratic National Committee offices at Watergate. And just a couple of weeks later, they misattributed information that tied White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldemann to the slush fund that paid the Watergate burglars. Mind you, their information was correct--Haldemann authorized the payments--but because they wrote that Hugh Sloan told that to the grand jury, rather than he knew about it but was never asked about it in court--they provided the White House with a way to discredit all of their reporting up to that point.
These are dangerous times for reporters in Washington. The truth is out there--and they will likely find it eventually. But will anyone be willing to believe it when they do?
Friday, December 8, 2017
Pay Your Bills First
It's too late, but I would still like to nominate University of Mount Union Football Coach Vince Kehres for 2017 Sportsman of the Year. Kehres likely saved UW-Oshkosh from some major embarrassment by signing off on tomorrow's Division III Football National Semi-Final game being played at Titan Stadium instead of in Ohio.
When it was announced that UWO was hosting the game, reporters that follow D-III football more closely than me were surprised--as Mount Union had a better record and a higher national ranking than the Titans. But a Federal Bankruptcy Court hearing this week revealed that UWO getting the home game had more to do with economics than strength of schedule. You see, there was a very real possibility that UWO wouldn't be able to pay for a road trip.
The Athletic Department doesn't budget for post-season travel (which when you are one of the top programs in D-III football seems very short-sited)--relying instead on funding from the Foundation to cover that cost. But when the Foundation went into bankruptcy earlier this year, that required the judge overseeing their case to approve that expense--and there was no guarantee that was going to happen. UWO likely told the NCAA that having to hit the road before the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl may result in a forfeit--which would be incredibly embarrassing. That's when Mount Union likely agreed to hit the road instead of hosting the semi-final game.
But should have UWO been made to face that embarrassment? Let's not forget that the Foundation is in bankruptcy due to irresponsible actions of not only its former directors, but former Chancellor Richard Wells in racking up debt that it could not possibly hope to repay. And when inappropriate transfers from the school itself to the Foundation dried up after Wells split town, the gig was up. So why should the creditors who are legitimately owed millions of dollars be made to wait longer for payment so a football team can play a game?
I don't fault Bank First National for trying to block this spending in the bankruptcy court. This is no different than the family that is in foreclosure on their house taking the kids to Disney World for a week. We always like to say that playing sports in school is about "learning important life lessons"--and "pay your bills first" is certainly an important lesson to know. Who knows, today's backup offensive lineman may be a future Foundation Director--and he will know first-hand the effects living beyond your means can have.
It may not be "patriotic" but I shall be rooting for Mount Union to win on Saturday and move on to the Stagg Bowl so that the UW-Oshkosh Foundation can do what is actually right and pay that $100-thousand dollars to the people it is owed.
When it was announced that UWO was hosting the game, reporters that follow D-III football more closely than me were surprised--as Mount Union had a better record and a higher national ranking than the Titans. But a Federal Bankruptcy Court hearing this week revealed that UWO getting the home game had more to do with economics than strength of schedule. You see, there was a very real possibility that UWO wouldn't be able to pay for a road trip.
The Athletic Department doesn't budget for post-season travel (which when you are one of the top programs in D-III football seems very short-sited)--relying instead on funding from the Foundation to cover that cost. But when the Foundation went into bankruptcy earlier this year, that required the judge overseeing their case to approve that expense--and there was no guarantee that was going to happen. UWO likely told the NCAA that having to hit the road before the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl may result in a forfeit--which would be incredibly embarrassing. That's when Mount Union likely agreed to hit the road instead of hosting the semi-final game.
But should have UWO been made to face that embarrassment? Let's not forget that the Foundation is in bankruptcy due to irresponsible actions of not only its former directors, but former Chancellor Richard Wells in racking up debt that it could not possibly hope to repay. And when inappropriate transfers from the school itself to the Foundation dried up after Wells split town, the gig was up. So why should the creditors who are legitimately owed millions of dollars be made to wait longer for payment so a football team can play a game?
I don't fault Bank First National for trying to block this spending in the bankruptcy court. This is no different than the family that is in foreclosure on their house taking the kids to Disney World for a week. We always like to say that playing sports in school is about "learning important life lessons"--and "pay your bills first" is certainly an important lesson to know. Who knows, today's backup offensive lineman may be a future Foundation Director--and he will know first-hand the effects living beyond your means can have.
It may not be "patriotic" but I shall be rooting for Mount Union to win on Saturday and move on to the Stagg Bowl so that the UW-Oshkosh Foundation can do what is actually right and pay that $100-thousand dollars to the people it is owed.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
The Sacrificial Lamb
I must admit, I actually feel sorry for Senator Al Franken today. The Minnesota Democrat is expected to resign in the wake of accusations that he had physical contact with women that they didn't appreciate before he was elected to the Senate. Yesterday, every Demoratic female Senator turned against Franken--demanding that he quit--even though he is not charged with any crimes, never paid off anyone to remain quiet and isn't even facing any civil lawsuits.
Al Franken is an unfortunate pawn that is being sacrificed by the Democratic Party for future strategic advantage. By forcing out Franken right now, Dems can claim the "moral high ground" should Roy Moore--with his accusations of pedophilia coming along as baggage--win the Alabama Senate special election next week. Liberals at every level will be able to point to Franken's resignation and say "See, a Democrat facing the flimsiest of unsubstantiated claims stepped down without any due process and Republicans should demand that Roy Moore do the same!" And should Moore lose next week, Democrats can hang on to the Franken chip to use when the next GOP Senator or Congressman is inevitably accused of harassment--no matter how old or dubious the claim.
You can bet that the "forced retirement" of Michigan Congressman John Conyers has a lot to do with the pressure being applied to Senator Franken. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus could not have been happy that one their own was getting pushed out--while a white colleague may have been allowed to skate. Nevermind that the alleged incidents involving Conyers took place while he was in office (literally in his Congressional office) and that taxpayer money was used to pay off the alleged victims. Perhaps Senator Franken can take some solace in knowing that his ouster will be seen as a victory for social justice.
One final thing to consider is that Democrats have to feel pretty confident that they can win a special election to fill Franken's seat. His term runs through 2020, so obviously it won't be allowed to sit empty for two years--although I doubt he will try to hand-pick his successor like Congressman Conyers is by endorsing his son to take his place. The Democratic Farm Labor party is probably already lining up safe, female candidates to square off for Franken's seat in order to ensure that this doesn't happen again while everyone cares about this issue.
While they call for his resignation publicly, members of Al Franken's party are likely thanking him in private for "taking one for the team".
Al Franken is an unfortunate pawn that is being sacrificed by the Democratic Party for future strategic advantage. By forcing out Franken right now, Dems can claim the "moral high ground" should Roy Moore--with his accusations of pedophilia coming along as baggage--win the Alabama Senate special election next week. Liberals at every level will be able to point to Franken's resignation and say "See, a Democrat facing the flimsiest of unsubstantiated claims stepped down without any due process and Republicans should demand that Roy Moore do the same!" And should Moore lose next week, Democrats can hang on to the Franken chip to use when the next GOP Senator or Congressman is inevitably accused of harassment--no matter how old or dubious the claim.
You can bet that the "forced retirement" of Michigan Congressman John Conyers has a lot to do with the pressure being applied to Senator Franken. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus could not have been happy that one their own was getting pushed out--while a white colleague may have been allowed to skate. Nevermind that the alleged incidents involving Conyers took place while he was in office (literally in his Congressional office) and that taxpayer money was used to pay off the alleged victims. Perhaps Senator Franken can take some solace in knowing that his ouster will be seen as a victory for social justice.
One final thing to consider is that Democrats have to feel pretty confident that they can win a special election to fill Franken's seat. His term runs through 2020, so obviously it won't be allowed to sit empty for two years--although I doubt he will try to hand-pick his successor like Congressman Conyers is by endorsing his son to take his place. The Democratic Farm Labor party is probably already lining up safe, female candidates to square off for Franken's seat in order to ensure that this doesn't happen again while everyone cares about this issue.
While they call for his resignation publicly, members of Al Franken's party are likely thanking him in private for "taking one for the team".
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Safety Starts With You
The next time someone from the NFL Players Association claims they are "concerned about the health and safety of their members", I hope Mike McCarthy appears out of nowhere to throw the red "CHALLENGE" flag. We can then go to the replays from just a couple of games this past weekend to show that NFL players have little to no regard for their own safety or that of their fellow competitors.
In Buffalo, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski--frustrated by being held on a play that resulted in an interception--jumped on and drove his forearm into the back of the neck of a Bills player that was lying face-down on the field long after the play had been blown dead. Meanwhile, everyone agrees that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday night was the "most violent" that anyone can remember.
Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier--using poor tackling form--suffered a serious spinal injury when he went in head-down and collided with a receiver while trying to break up a pass. Shazier laid on the field for several minutes unable to move his legs. That was followed by not one but two head shots by Bengals defensive backs on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown--one on a play when the pass was clearly uncatchable and the other following a touchdown reception. Steelers receiver JuJu Schuster-Smith was also called for an illegal "crack-back" block on Bengals linebacker Vontez Burfict--himself a multiple-time offender of the league's policies on illegal hits--that knocked out Burfict and required him to be carried off the field (although, I will contend that was a completely legal play, as Schuster-Smith led with the shoulder and did not strike Burfict in the head). Schuster-Smith then stood over the motionless Burfict and taunted him.
I know that football is a high-speed, physical game with players having to make split-second reactions and decisions that affect the outcome of every play. But the incidents listed above--save for the Shazier injury play--were all pre-meditated acts that fell outside the realm of regular play and took place strictly because one player was intentionally trying to inflict damage on another player. And Shazier hurt himself by using poor tackling technique--which is also avoidable. While us long-time NFL fans bemoan the league's efforts to "wussify" the game in the name of "player safety" by penalizing plays like those involving JuJu Schuster-Smith that for 80-years were good, hard-nosed blocks--the players themselves have to take it upon themselves to actually treat each other with respect on the field.
When the NFLPA tries to sue the League (provided it is still the cash-cow, tackle football operation that it currently is) on behalf of this generation of players claiming they weren't "properly informed of the risks of playing football to their long-term health" I hope that the NFL's lawyers can secure last week's "highlights" from ESPN (if that still exists 25-years from now as a network that actually shows sports programming) to prove that the players themselves didn't give a rat's behind about their own safety.
In Buffalo, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski--frustrated by being held on a play that resulted in an interception--jumped on and drove his forearm into the back of the neck of a Bills player that was lying face-down on the field long after the play had been blown dead. Meanwhile, everyone agrees that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday night was the "most violent" that anyone can remember.
Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier--using poor tackling form--suffered a serious spinal injury when he went in head-down and collided with a receiver while trying to break up a pass. Shazier laid on the field for several minutes unable to move his legs. That was followed by not one but two head shots by Bengals defensive backs on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown--one on a play when the pass was clearly uncatchable and the other following a touchdown reception. Steelers receiver JuJu Schuster-Smith was also called for an illegal "crack-back" block on Bengals linebacker Vontez Burfict--himself a multiple-time offender of the league's policies on illegal hits--that knocked out Burfict and required him to be carried off the field (although, I will contend that was a completely legal play, as Schuster-Smith led with the shoulder and did not strike Burfict in the head). Schuster-Smith then stood over the motionless Burfict and taunted him.
I know that football is a high-speed, physical game with players having to make split-second reactions and decisions that affect the outcome of every play. But the incidents listed above--save for the Shazier injury play--were all pre-meditated acts that fell outside the realm of regular play and took place strictly because one player was intentionally trying to inflict damage on another player. And Shazier hurt himself by using poor tackling technique--which is also avoidable. While us long-time NFL fans bemoan the league's efforts to "wussify" the game in the name of "player safety" by penalizing plays like those involving JuJu Schuster-Smith that for 80-years were good, hard-nosed blocks--the players themselves have to take it upon themselves to actually treat each other with respect on the field.
When the NFLPA tries to sue the League (provided it is still the cash-cow, tackle football operation that it currently is) on behalf of this generation of players claiming they weren't "properly informed of the risks of playing football to their long-term health" I hope that the NFL's lawyers can secure last week's "highlights" from ESPN (if that still exists 25-years from now as a network that actually shows sports programming) to prove that the players themselves didn't give a rat's behind about their own safety.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Wanna Bet?
Imagine being a state lawmaker and ten of thousands of your constituents called you up demanding to be allowed to pay a new tax. And amazingly, the people who are opposed to this new tax are the ones that would never end up paying it anyway. Plus, this new tax would allow the government access to anywhere between 80 and 400-BILLION dollars worth of commerce.
Well that is an opportunity that may be coming to state lawmakers not only here in Wisconsin--but across the US--as the Supreme Court decides if a federal ban on sports betting is constitutional. New Jersey is leading the legal fight against the ban so it's struggling Atlantic City casinos could cash in on gambling on games--but every other state could allow it as well then, and tap into this new source of revenue.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is in favor of granting states the right to have sports betting. He is the one that estimates the illegal gambling activity to be 400-billion--but since it is currently unregulated, it puts his sport in jeopardy. Remember, the NBA had to deal with the Tim Donaghy scandal, as a now-former referee admitted to influencing games he worked to help his own betting and that of others. Silver believes that if casinos and state regulators can monitor gambling activity on games, patterns indicating a fix that were later found in Donaghy's case would be spotted much earlier.
Sports gambling is part of the culture in many other countries. You can go to a British Premier League soccer game and bet right at the stadium. While betting parlors are not on site at Wimbledon and British Open golf courses, they are just steps away from the gates--and a great many fans put down a quid or two before heading in. We likely wouldn't see anything like that here in the US--but on-line betting would almost certainly be huge here.
If presented with the opportunity to legalize sports betting in Wisconsin, you can expect many legislators will pontificate about the "message it sends to kids", how "gambling ruins families" and their unfounded fears that somehow Packers players making millions of dollars are going to throw games on behalf of gamblers that can't offer them a tenth of that. But while they may fret publicly about allowing yet another vice into our society, they can't help but picture the millions of dollars exchanging hands at the betting window that they would be able to tap into.
It's no different than the states that have allowed recreational use of marijuana--and its legal sale to the public. Many called it "social justice" (because fewer African-American dealers would get locked up) or "medically necessary" (because people should be allowed to self-medicate based on the amazing claims that pot cures all ills with no side-effects). But at the root of it all was the desire to bring in more tax dollars. Especially when the dopes are already begging to pay it.
Well that is an opportunity that may be coming to state lawmakers not only here in Wisconsin--but across the US--as the Supreme Court decides if a federal ban on sports betting is constitutional. New Jersey is leading the legal fight against the ban so it's struggling Atlantic City casinos could cash in on gambling on games--but every other state could allow it as well then, and tap into this new source of revenue.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is in favor of granting states the right to have sports betting. He is the one that estimates the illegal gambling activity to be 400-billion--but since it is currently unregulated, it puts his sport in jeopardy. Remember, the NBA had to deal with the Tim Donaghy scandal, as a now-former referee admitted to influencing games he worked to help his own betting and that of others. Silver believes that if casinos and state regulators can monitor gambling activity on games, patterns indicating a fix that were later found in Donaghy's case would be spotted much earlier.
Sports gambling is part of the culture in many other countries. You can go to a British Premier League soccer game and bet right at the stadium. While betting parlors are not on site at Wimbledon and British Open golf courses, they are just steps away from the gates--and a great many fans put down a quid or two before heading in. We likely wouldn't see anything like that here in the US--but on-line betting would almost certainly be huge here.
If presented with the opportunity to legalize sports betting in Wisconsin, you can expect many legislators will pontificate about the "message it sends to kids", how "gambling ruins families" and their unfounded fears that somehow Packers players making millions of dollars are going to throw games on behalf of gamblers that can't offer them a tenth of that. But while they may fret publicly about allowing yet another vice into our society, they can't help but picture the millions of dollars exchanging hands at the betting window that they would be able to tap into.
It's no different than the states that have allowed recreational use of marijuana--and its legal sale to the public. Many called it "social justice" (because fewer African-American dealers would get locked up) or "medically necessary" (because people should be allowed to self-medicate based on the amazing claims that pot cures all ills with no side-effects). But at the root of it all was the desire to bring in more tax dollars. Especially when the dopes are already begging to pay it.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Those Tricky Millenials
So the state is going to spend seven million dollars in a marketing effort to attract more millenials to Wisconsin bolster the workforce. With our older population, we just don't have enough "youngins" running around here to take over positions at companies. Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation officials think flashy multimedia presentations and cleverly placed pop up advertising will "speak" to those twenty- and thirty-somethings and convince them to "Say Yes to Wisconsin!" (a very old state marketing statement some of you may recall on green bumper stickers.
The marketing campaign is going to focus on things WEDC thinks millenials care about: affordable housing, lower taxes and short commute times. But what they fail to take into consideration is that those are things those of us who have been independent adults for decades care about--but the generations that have followed us have all but abandoned.
Take "affordable housing" for instance. While those with kids and a job they expect to keep for decades like having their own home and a yard and the freedoms associated with that, younger adults have no interest in "being tied down" with a house. They prefer densely-packed housing developments where all of the maintenance work is done for you. Shovel snow? Rake Leaves? Cut the grass? All wastes of time for them. Plus, that next job could be a couple of mouse clicks away--in a city 2000-miles away--so who wants to get "bogged down" by a mortgage and real estate that you need to sell before you can go anywhere?
"Lower taxes" doesn't hit home with millenials either--because they haven't been paying that much anyway. When you don't own a home, what do you care about property taxes? Sales tax is just a line that sometimes gets added to an on-line purchase--depending on the retailer. Nobody on ebay or Craigslist is charging you sales tax. And when student loan deductions, health insurance premium subsidies and lower tax brackets mean a fat refund check from Uncle Sam every April, it seems to young workers that they really aren't paying that much income tax anyway.
Short commute times is another lost concept. Millenials expect their residence and their employer to be on public transit lines. They don't understand the freedom granted by having your own mode of transportation that you can take anywhere, anytime you want. They don't have cars in the same percentage of ownership as previous generations--preferring instead to just book an Uber or a Lyft if they need to get somewhere. They don't need conveniently located shopping either--because they can order anything they want without ever leaving the house on the internet.
Democrats criticizing the Governor's marketing plan may be right in saying that policy is more important that place when it comes to attracting the next generation. Millenials probably do want de-criminalized marijuana possession, no enforcement of immigration laws, free contraceptives, and much higher government spending--and not so much a house, kids, two-car garages, low crime and cheap beer at a Friday night fish fry. You just have to ask how much of that do those of us already here want to give up to make it "better" for them?
The marketing campaign is going to focus on things WEDC thinks millenials care about: affordable housing, lower taxes and short commute times. But what they fail to take into consideration is that those are things those of us who have been independent adults for decades care about--but the generations that have followed us have all but abandoned.
Take "affordable housing" for instance. While those with kids and a job they expect to keep for decades like having their own home and a yard and the freedoms associated with that, younger adults have no interest in "being tied down" with a house. They prefer densely-packed housing developments where all of the maintenance work is done for you. Shovel snow? Rake Leaves? Cut the grass? All wastes of time for them. Plus, that next job could be a couple of mouse clicks away--in a city 2000-miles away--so who wants to get "bogged down" by a mortgage and real estate that you need to sell before you can go anywhere?
"Lower taxes" doesn't hit home with millenials either--because they haven't been paying that much anyway. When you don't own a home, what do you care about property taxes? Sales tax is just a line that sometimes gets added to an on-line purchase--depending on the retailer. Nobody on ebay or Craigslist is charging you sales tax. And when student loan deductions, health insurance premium subsidies and lower tax brackets mean a fat refund check from Uncle Sam every April, it seems to young workers that they really aren't paying that much income tax anyway.
Short commute times is another lost concept. Millenials expect their residence and their employer to be on public transit lines. They don't understand the freedom granted by having your own mode of transportation that you can take anywhere, anytime you want. They don't have cars in the same percentage of ownership as previous generations--preferring instead to just book an Uber or a Lyft if they need to get somewhere. They don't need conveniently located shopping either--because they can order anything they want without ever leaving the house on the internet.
Democrats criticizing the Governor's marketing plan may be right in saying that policy is more important that place when it comes to attracting the next generation. Millenials probably do want de-criminalized marijuana possession, no enforcement of immigration laws, free contraceptives, and much higher government spending--and not so much a house, kids, two-car garages, low crime and cheap beer at a Friday night fish fry. You just have to ask how much of that do those of us already here want to give up to make it "better" for them?
Friday, December 1, 2017
Important, But Not the Most Important
I've heard a lot of sports hosts calling tomorrow's Big Ten Championship Game the "MOST IMPORTANT GAME IN WISCONSIN BADGERS FOOTBALL HISTORY!!" I'll grant you that the Badgers would likely clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win over Ohio State and as former Vice President Joe Biden so succinctly said: That's a Big (Expletive) Deal. And I subscribe to the attitude held by Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichik that the next game is always the "most important game ever". But when you take a step back--and not treat what is happening right now as the only thing that has ever mattered in the history of mankind--you would see that the "Most Important Game In Wisconsin Badgers Football History" was played on December 4th of 1993--in of all places, Japan.
In that game, the Badgers took on Michigan State. With a win, they would capture a share of the Big Ten title--and their first berth in the Rose Bowl in 31-years. To this day, Athletic Director (and then Head Coach) Barry Alvarez says it was his biggest regret agreeing to move that game from what would have been an early November home date at Camp Randall Stadium to a 5000-mile road trip with so much more on the line. Fortunately, the Badgers played like a team with everything to gain that night--and Michigan State looked like they didn't want to be anywhere near a football field. Wisconsin won 41-20 and punched their ticket to Pasadena. And the rest as they say, is history.
But consider what would have happened if Wisconsin had laid an egg in that game. A loss would have ruined what had been up until that point a Cinderella season--with a dramatic home win again Big Ten powerhouse Michigan and an equally dramatic tie the next week against Ohio State that cleared the way for a potential conference title. But blow that game against Michigan State--and it would have been the Buckeyes representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl--while Bucky would have gone to some second-rate bowl game in late December.
Without that win Barry Alvarez likely becomes the second coming of Don McClain--a solid coach that never really was able to build a consistent winner. Maybe Wisconsin goes to a few more bowls before Alverez heads off to Miami or Notre Dame. A loss in Tokyo probably means no pipeline of future NFL offensive linemen coming to Madison. No Ron Dayne. No Heisman Trophy season. No back-to-back Rose Bowl wins. No Miracle at the Metrodome. No highly-successful preferred walk-on program that produces All-Americans and future pros. No smooth transition to Bret Bielema. No three consecutive Big Ten titles. No JJ Watt. No Russell Wilson. And no record setting days for Melvin Gordon. Paul Chryst may still have been hired--but he would have inherited a program with little history of success and far less talent.
Yes, there is a lot on the line in tomorrow's Big Ten Championship Game. And maybe it ushers in an even better era of Wisconsin Football. But let's keep things in perspective and remember how we got to this point.
In that game, the Badgers took on Michigan State. With a win, they would capture a share of the Big Ten title--and their first berth in the Rose Bowl in 31-years. To this day, Athletic Director (and then Head Coach) Barry Alvarez says it was his biggest regret agreeing to move that game from what would have been an early November home date at Camp Randall Stadium to a 5000-mile road trip with so much more on the line. Fortunately, the Badgers played like a team with everything to gain that night--and Michigan State looked like they didn't want to be anywhere near a football field. Wisconsin won 41-20 and punched their ticket to Pasadena. And the rest as they say, is history.
But consider what would have happened if Wisconsin had laid an egg in that game. A loss would have ruined what had been up until that point a Cinderella season--with a dramatic home win again Big Ten powerhouse Michigan and an equally dramatic tie the next week against Ohio State that cleared the way for a potential conference title. But blow that game against Michigan State--and it would have been the Buckeyes representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl--while Bucky would have gone to some second-rate bowl game in late December.
Without that win Barry Alvarez likely becomes the second coming of Don McClain--a solid coach that never really was able to build a consistent winner. Maybe Wisconsin goes to a few more bowls before Alverez heads off to Miami or Notre Dame. A loss in Tokyo probably means no pipeline of future NFL offensive linemen coming to Madison. No Ron Dayne. No Heisman Trophy season. No back-to-back Rose Bowl wins. No Miracle at the Metrodome. No highly-successful preferred walk-on program that produces All-Americans and future pros. No smooth transition to Bret Bielema. No three consecutive Big Ten titles. No JJ Watt. No Russell Wilson. And no record setting days for Melvin Gordon. Paul Chryst may still have been hired--but he would have inherited a program with little history of success and far less talent.
Yes, there is a lot on the line in tomorrow's Big Ten Championship Game. And maybe it ushers in an even better era of Wisconsin Football. But let's keep things in perspective and remember how we got to this point.
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