Success - The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will. Vincent T. Lombardi
Soon 2010 will be a part of history and the rest of our day is planned with neighbors here in the Nicolet Forest. We are truly Blessed with our lives, our friends, yes my special few readers, GREAT blog friends, my children and everything else God has Blessed us with.
I know since 48 won the championship I fell out of touch with NASCAR.com but when did this happen?
"Hendrick Motorsports stable
Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Hendrick Motorsports' three drivers behind five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, are united under the same magnifying glass in 2011 after owner Rick Hendrick aligned his three veteran pilots with new crew chief/race team combinations after last season. How well Gordon does with Alan Gustafson, Earnhardt with Steve Letarteand most importantly, considering 2011 might be his last full-time Sprint Cup season, Martin with Lance McGrew will be riveting viewing." Top 5: Drivers to watch in 2011 - Dec 31, 2010 - NASCAR.COM
Put your money on Gorden in 2011. Put Martin in 35th in 2011. This SUCKS!!!!!!! God, I hope I'm wrong!
A follow up on my last post about a new village hall in Pulaski Wis..
"Under the current plan, the village would borrow money to finance the project but would pay interest out of the village's reserve funds for the first five years.
Taxes would increase, Chambers said, but in increments over the first five years on a 20-year payment plan.
Just this year each Pulaski home owner received a $60,00 increase in their taxes for water and sewer. They want more from tax payers?
The tax payers of Pulaski need to rise up and find someone with common sense. With the election last November and all the out of control spending , the Pulaski Village board has lost their mind!
Chambers sure tells it like it is, and I quote, "Taxes would increase!" He sure likes spending other peoples money.
I doubt there will be three people against this at the January meeting.
Seems Pulaski Wisconsin thinks like the Pulaski Community School District. It's someone else's money so let's spend more.
"Pulaski OKs first step for new Village Hall Press-Gazette • December 31, 2010
PULASKI — The Village Board has given preliminary approval to part of a contract to construct a new Village Hall."
Board President Keith Chambers said the village has been presented a contract by architecture firm Martenson and Eisele for the full construction of the new hall, but the board on Tuesday agreed to go forward with only the preliminary design and planning portion of the contract.
Question 1) Why does it cost $13,927 for a design?
Question 2) With all the empty buildings in and around Pulaski, why build a new one?
Answer, It's not their money!
How about buying the Karcz Ford building, . move the city hall, police dept and Fire dept . into one building , sell some of the land . around it and maybe get a new village hall . for for a lower cost to the . taxpayers of Pulaski?
Can't do that, they want a brand new building they can call their own or Chambers wants to name the new village Hall after himself!
Looks like we finally have someone to straighten out and clean up the WDNR.From Wisconsin Outdoor Fun .com via the GBP.
"The other highest profile appointee is new Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp, a former Republican state senator from Sturtevant. Stepp served on the DNR's board from 1998 until 2001, and co-chaired the Senate's natural resources committee.
She has a deep business background as well. She and her husband have run a construction company and they currently operate a trucking equipment firm.
With all the BS in the DNR, it will not be an easy job. Kathy Step will get a lot of crap and a lot of people ignoring her direction. Good for them, Stepp and Walker will tell them,
Seems the dems who were in charge of Michigan this past year have a hard time chewing gum and walking at the same time.
"Mistake takes teeth out of new drug ban December 30, 2010 - AP Save | Bookmark and Share LANSING (AP) — Possessing drugs such as synthetic marijuana and an Ecstasy-like substance called BZP won’t result in jail time or fines, at least temporarily, because of a recent mistake in Michigan law.
How could they screw this up? How does this happen?
Answer, only dems know how to change a law and screw it up, talk about incompetence! Then the republicans have to come in and clean this up. Same in Wisconsin.
"Pondering environmental impacts of potential mine Part 3 of a three-part series By DANIELLE KAEDING Staff Writer Published: Thursday, December 30, 2010 11:40 PM CST A potential iron mine in northwestern Wisconsin has given rise to concerns regarding the impacts such a project may pose to the environment, wildlife and surrounding water bodies.
"12/30/2010 8:07:00 PM Railroad cars sit on track in Ontonagon in late September. After Smurfit Stone Container closed its paper mill in Ontonagon, the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad abandoned its tracks between Ontonagon and Sidnaw. Ontonagon residents tried in vain to have the track preserved for future use by a new mill owner. (Jan Tucker/Daily Globe) Smurfit closure dominates Ontonagon year ONTONAGON -- Nearly every major story in Ontonagon County in 2010 was an offshoot of the Dec. 31, 2009, announcement of the closing of Smurfit Stone Container.
More than 200 union and non-union employees, loggers and other related workers were without jobs as of Jan. 1.
Partly as a result of the mill closing, the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad sought and received permission to abandon its tracks between Ontonagon and Sidnaw." Smurfit closure dominates Ontonagon year
"12/30/2010 8:08:00 PM Copperwood project tops year in review IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP -- It appears that the Copperwood mining project in Ironwood Township will be good for investors and job production without harming the environment.
If everything goes well, copper production at the site could begin by the end of 2013.
Orvana Minerals, based in Toronto, first leased mineral rights for 1,759 acres on the border of Ironwood and Wakefield townships from Keweenaw Land Association of Ironwood and Sage Minerals Inc., of Delaware.
The company more recently leased the mineral rights on an additional 566 acres adjacent to and near the Copperwood site. The company has an option to ease mineral rights in areas covering 3,852 acres near Copperwood, according to Orvana president Bill Williams.
Copperwood contains a total copper inventory of 900 million pounds and the surrounding areas contain 2.1 billion pounds, Williams said." Copperwood project tops year in review
Seems those Sasquatch commercials for Jack Links jerky hits home. The Sasquatch a;ways wins in the end.
"Posted: Dec 30, 2010 12:11 PM CST
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The South Dakota Supreme Court says a subsidiary of one of the world's largest beef jerky companies must pay a son of the company's founder $16.5 million for his shares of the South Dakota subsidiary.
The dispute involves the family that owns Link Snacks Inc., which is based in Wisconsin.
Jay Link, a son of Link Snacks founder Jack Link, contends he was unfairly cut out of the business by his father and brother Troy Link. A Wisconsin case set the amount that Jay Link will get for his share of the main company.
JSOnline reports Gov Walkers Cabinet. Look out state employee's.
"Walker names full cabinet By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 30, 2010 12:24 p.m.
Madison — Governor-elect Scott Walker named Rep. Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) as his top aide Thursday and gave the public its first look at his full cabinet.
"This diverse group will join me in public service to help reshape government so that our state can efficiently provide the basic level of core government services taxpayers expect and deserve," Walker said in a statement.
"Last Updated: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 9:39 AM CST Favre sparks jailhouse fight
By River News Staff
Divided football loyalties led to fisticuffs at the Oneida County jail last week.
According to a complaint filed Dec. 22, a pair of inmates got into a disagreement during the Dec. 20 Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings game that devolved into a physical fight."
The complaint states Donald Lucas-Jones, 24, a Chicago Bears fan, and Juan Anthony Servantez, 38, a Brett Favre fan, were “joking and horsing around” while watching the pregame show before the Dec. 20 Vikings-Bears game when the banter allegedly became less than good-natured.
The Pesgtigo Times reports on a meeting held for the Marinette County Unit of Wisconsin Towns Association.
"Nygren Says Nothing Safe In State Budget “I wouldn’t say at this point that there’s anything that’s safe,” State Rep. John Nygren of Marinette told local officials at the quarterly meeting of the Marinette County Unit of Wisconsin Towns Association Thursday, Dec. 16 at Wausaukee Town Hall. They were discussing pending budget woes in view of a $3.5 billion state deficit, and possible effects on town finances. Nygren, who has been named to the Joint Finance and Budget Writing Committees, was referring to all categories of state aids, including school aids, shared revenues, highway transportation aids, and more." Peshtigo Times Wisconsin Community Newspaper
Since Diamond Jim and democrats in the past few years blew the wad on state government, it's the towns and cities that will feel the pinch from the bloated state budget. I thought this was telling.
Nygren was the only state official at the meeting. King assured the group he had specifically invited Senator Dave Hansen as requested by Peshtigo Town Chair Herman Pottratz. “He (Sen. Hansen) has never been to one of our meetings and he gets a card for every one,”
Where is Dave Hansen? What is Hansen afraid of? I guess Mr Hansen is now the poster boy on the 2011 milk cartons for missing politicians.
The Florence Mining News is reporting pretty good trails in Florence County.
" Norb Sojka, the Blue Ox Trail Riders trail coordinator for the Florence area, said all trails are open. “Right now they’re open and they’re good,” he said. He did not rate them “very good” or “excellent.” Trails in the Spread Eagle Barrens area are lacking snow in places because the wind left too little on the ground in some areas, according to Sojka. Nevertheless, all the trails can be ridden.
The Blue Ox Trail System, which was established in the late 1960s by Tony DeMuri, Paul McCraw, Elmer Washburn and Chucky Kinnear, features 140 miles of funded trails and 180 total miles, according to the Blue Ox Trail Riders. Over the years, it has played host to thousands of local and out-of-county riders who make a significant impact on the local economy." FlorenceMiningNews.com
"NEW YORK (CBS New York/AP) — On the day after the day after, New Yorkers were left wondering what happened. There are still many streets that haven’t seen a plow yet.
“I’m curious as to why none of this has been plowed yet,” one person told CBS 2′s Lou Young. “All the streets around here, very few have been plowed. One was half-plowed.”
Charlie Sykes received an e mail from the next governor of Wisconsin. A real guy that will forever change Wisconsin.
"2002-2010 By Charlie Sykes Story Created: Dec 28, 2010 Story Updated: Dec 28, 2010
Email from Governor-elect Scott Walker....
Charlie,
Hard to believe that it has been nearly nine years since I called up your show and said I'd run against Tom Ament. It was just after he said he'd file a lawsuit against the citizens who collected the recall signatures.
From James Wigderson, special guest perspective for the MacIver Institute.
"Doyle said, “Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution except one. We should not, we must not, and I will not raise taxes.”
Shortly after that speech, Doyle proposed to raise the nursing home bed tax from $32 per month per licensed bed to $116 per month per licensed bed to generate $13.8 million for the state’s general fund. More importantly, he vetoed the legislature’s attempt to freeze local property taxes, despite estimates taxes would go up 5.9%.
Since that inauspicious start, Doyle has increased taxes just about everywhere and on everything. From taxes on iPod downloads to the taxes on garbage, it would be difficult to find a tax that Doyle did not want to increase." Debating Doyle’s Legacy | MacIver Institute
To read all the lies Diamond Jim gave us, please read, just a GREAT read.
Marketplace has another fine write up on the future of Wisconsin in six days. Translation Scott Walker, the budget and unions.
Isthmus’ David Blaska — that rarest of things, a Dane County conservative — makes a statewide prediction using a Madison example:
Scott Walker is the new CEO of the largest employer in this company town. With the support of a like-minded board of directors, the new governor will have direct control of 30,000 workers in Dane County — and major influence over another 28,000 local government employees.
Those employees will decrease in number and earn significantly less money through cuts in wages and increased contributions to their pensions and health insurance plans. That much is certain.
Not just state workers. County and city government workers are in the same sinking boat. Much of the $4 billion shared revenues collected by the state and distributed to counties and municipalities will be swallowed up by a $3.3 billion deficit. The $12 billion in school aids will take a hit. (Figures are biennial.) The federal bailout of state governments (AKA “the stimulus”), is done and over. Madison, meet Detroit!
"Isthmus writer Marc Eisen explains why the us-vs.-them union mentality is blowing back at unions:
“Public employee unions are suffering from self-inflicted wounds,” says Steve Baas, the government affairs director for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce. “They’ve resisted the sort of wage and benefit cuts that have become commonplace in the recession-battered private sector.”
And the steep price for this, Baas argues, is political isolation. Taxpayers who’ve endured punishing cuts in their own wages and benefits are beginning to see public employees as “the collective them” and not “the collective us,” he says.
The public’s anger has been fueled by well-publicized excesses: the Madison bus driver earning almost $160,000 in 2009; the state corrections workers milking overtime to double their pay; and the more than 3,000 Milwaukee County employees collecting lucrative lump-sum pension “backdrops,” rising to $1 million apiece for a lucky few.
Nationally, the number of federal employees earning $150,000 or more a year has increased tenfold in the last five years, according to USA Today.
Donald Downs, a UW–Madison political scientist, notes that taxpayers are being asked to support public employees like himself with better benefits, richer retirement plans and sometimes higher salaries than they have.
“The public sector has to be more consonant with what’s going on in the country,” he says. “We’re beginning to look more and more like a privileged caste.”
Mordecai Lee, a UW–Milwaukee political scientist and a former Democratic lawmaker, argues that public employees unions manipulate elected officials through political endorsements and financial contributions. He describes their recent contract concessions as “minor givebacks that are nothing like what the private sector has experienced.”
Government officials are in “a position of total weakness,” says Lee. “I don’t see what leverage management has over public labor unions.”" Marketplace of Ideas Blog
County to city workers, teachers and even school union workers, beware, your in with the rest of em
Steve over at Marketplace talks about a local lib who also owns businesses in Door County.
"Former state Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler apparently will not get a confirmation vote to become a U.S. district judge.
Which offends the sense of fairness of the Door County Daily News’ Roger Utnehmer, who believes Butler should run for the state Supreme Court again:" Marketplace of Ideas Blog
You need to read the whole article. One would hope Mr Utnehmer does not have alzheimer's concerning how voters in Wisconsin voted twice in not wanting Butler.
Second, I would hope Mr Utnehmer would learn how to run a business. I went to his web site and found the home page but was unable to go to any other links. I keep getting, "Unable to connect".Was it all the traffic Marketplace was giving him or does he not know how to run a business like his choice for Wisconsin Supreme court?
Hunting, Who's Really At Fault Here. The Mining Journal has a good read out of Madison.
"Hunting traditions fadeLand, desire disappear around country December 27, 2010 - By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Classroom desks and office cubicles stand empty. Hunters in blaze orange stand out like drops of bright paint against brown fields. Pub parking lots are crowded with pickup trucks draped with deer carcasses.
This is Wisconsin's gun deer season, a tradition as ingrained in this rugged state's identity as beer, brats and cheese. But as the years slide by, fewer people seem to care.
Hunting's popularity has waned across much of the country as housing tracts replace forests, aging hunters hang up their guns and kids plop down in front of Facebook rather than venture outside.
I call them the Wisconsin paper of records because the Shawano Leader and Lakeland Times are the only two papers in Wisconsin to report real news. They ask the hard questions to politicians and cover news the way it should and not report liberal bias like all the others in the state.
The holiday season is a time of hope and renewal, so it seems appropriate that we make this announcement as we all prepare for a new year.
Beginning next week, you will see changes in The Shawano Leader that are being made to get the news to you as you want to see it. First, we will begin publishing three weekday editions (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and our popular Wolf River Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Each edition will focus more on local news and less on stories provided by The Associated Press. We will be announcing new features and columns over the next few weeks.
To ensure that you continue to receive local news coverage every day, we are launching a new page — Leader Express — in Tuesday’s Shawano Shopper, and we are beginning an overhaul of our website, shawanoleader.com, where you will see dramatic changes over the next few months.
We’re making these changes, as are other newspapers across the nation, to better align our products with the changing needs of advertisers and readers. We are confident that with the changes we are making, the 129-year-old Shawano Leader will be positioned to bring you the local news you need for many more years to come.
As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions and story ideas.
"Kingsford man successful RV accessory inventor December 27, 2010 - By NIKKI YOUNK, Staff Writer Save | Bookmark and Share
KINGSFORD - If it doesn't work, fix it.
That's the philosophy of Kingsford resident Ralph Pelletier, a recreational vehicle (RV) enthusiast and RV accessory inventor. Although he has ceased RVing due to age, Pelletier continues to tinker with RV accessories in hopes of improving them.
Pelletier got his start as an inventor during his days traveling the country in his RV. He and his wife spent the summers in Hardwood, but would drive to Florida or Arizona for the winters.
"12/28/2010 1:32:00 AM Pallin meets and greets supporters
HURLEY -- A number of neighbors, friends, relatives and snowmobile enthusiasts gathered at Northwoods Rental for a meet and greet with Kyle Pallin on Monday afternoon.
The 19-year-old Pallin is an up-and-coming snocross racer from Ironwood who recently qualified for the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., on Jan. 27-30.
With ESPN and ABC televising the X Games each year, its popularity has grown by leaps and bounds and has become a favorite event for winter sports fans." Pallin meets and greets supporters
Let's not get any liberals upset and they shoot out their T V's again! His name is PALLIN
"12/28/2010 1:31:00 AM O'Reilly's held up at gun point
IRONWOOD -- A suspect in an armed robbery at O'Reilly Auto Parts store remained at large Monday evening, according to a joint press release from the Ironwood Public Safety Department and the Gogebic County Sheriff's Department.
Issued around 8 p.m. Monday, the release said that officers responded around 5:30 p.m. to an alarm and 911 call from the store on Cloverland Drive in Ironwood." O'Reilly's held up at gun point
"Trail Condition Update Submitted: 12/27/2010 NORTHWOODS - After the busy holiday weekend, local counties say their snowmobile trails are still in good condition, but they do have a warning for you.
Both Vilas and Oneida Counties are warning drivers to be careful of low-lying, wet trail areas where the snow is slushy.
In Vilas County, most lake trails are not even open due to safety concerns.
The farther north you get, the better the conditions are.
In Forest County and Oneida County, trails are in good condition.
In Vilas County, trails are in good to very good condition.
"A 28-year-old Madison man is facing drug charges in Lincoln County after he requested a deputy assist him in retrieving his keys from his locked vehicle.
According to a news release, a deputy went to South Gate Drive in Tomahawk around 1:00 a.m. early Friday morning to assist the man.
As the deputy was working to open the vehicle he noticed marijuana sitting on the man's passenger seat.
Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 Today is the 361st day of 2010. There are four days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 27, 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific.
On this date: 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. 1904, James Barrie's play "Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" opened at the Duke of York's Theater in London. 1927, the musical play "Show Boat," with music by Jerome Kern and libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York. 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City. 1945, 28 nations signed an agreement creating the World Bank. 1949, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands signed an act recognizing Indonesia's sovereignty after more than three centuries of Dutch rule. 1970, "Hello, Dolly!" closed on Broadway after a run of 2,844 performances. 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin (hah-FEE'-zoo-lah ah-MEEN'), who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal." Today in History, Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
"A recently granted patent reveals that Apple, the company behind the iPod and iPhone, has been working on a new type of display screen that produces three dimensional and even holographic images without the need for glasses.
Why do we have to put up with left leaning democrats from Madison or from Madison in general?
You mean the peasants wouldn't have to knee-walk their way to Madison? By Patrick McIlheran of the Journal Sentinel Dec. 26, 2010 11:00 a.m.
"Which is why the reaction from state Rep. Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) was priceless. As the Journal Sentinel paraphrased it, “Allowing people to sue in any county could rack up costs because lawyers for the state will have to increasingly travel to defend the rules, Hebl said.”
Golly, how inconvenient. There is expense, to be sure, but perhaps if the state wouldn’t pass regulations requiring such defending from the peasants, we wouldn’t be in this fix. And the opposite applies now -- only it’s the powerless, who are seeking shelter from the regulatory state, who must incur the cost of travel.
One other thing: State Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona, which like Sun Prairie is also suburban Madison and don’t you think that’s a funny coincidence?) says the home-county court idea simply lets “special interests . . . scour the state to find a sympathetic venue.” As opposed to the regulators finding a sympathetic venue? " Right On - JSOnline
Why do we put up with the CRAP in Madison? Why do we have to do what Madison dictates?
Why not Scott Walker move Wisconsin state gov out of Madison? With all the bureaucratic stench we call liberal left leaning, the Kremlin of the west Madison Wisconsin, why not move his office back home to Wauwatosa, West Bend or even Portage Wisconsin, just get away from the problems that created the mess this state is in?
Dad comments on big state gov in Wisconsin . He comments from Patrick McIheran. at JSOnline.
"That's the nut of it. The involvement of the (generic) State has grown so much that it is possible for the State to grind down or simply halt almost anything. Don't believe it? Think for a moment of how many ways you can be stopped on the road for an offense--right down to 'failure to use headlights in a rainstorm.'
And P-Mac also understands that the administrative-rules game is played, very well indeed, by the "special interests." Makes no difference if they are 'union' or 'management' special interests--ask any honest MPS teacher about how many rules and regs they have to comport with, and how they change from year to year.
Indeed, the Revolution is at hand. Long live the Governor! " Dad29
Beloit - If anyone thought Diane Hendricks would fade into the shadows of a widow's sorrow, they thought wrong.
Of course she grieves for her late husband, Ken.
"I can count on my hand the number of nights I wasn't with him in those 40 years," she said recently as she sat at the small oval conference table in her office.
"But she's also a businesswoman - the richest in Wisconsin, the employer of thousands and, by her account, "probably one of the most responsible people you'll ever meet."
So when a competitor circled in on her company, ABC Supply, with a buyout proposal that Hendricks believes was driven partly by an assumption that Ken's death would soften her as a target, she turned the tables.
"We the people' to open next Congress House to read Constitution By Stephen Dinan The Washington Times 8:23 p.m., Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Constitution frequently gets lip service in Congress, but House Republicans next year will make sure it gets a lot more than that - the new rules the incoming majority party proposed this week call for a full reading of the country's founding document on the floor of the House on Jan. 6.
The goal, backers said, is to underscore the limited-government rules the Founders imposed on Congress - and to try to bring some of those principles back into everyday legislating. 'We the people' to open next Congress - Washington Times
So what's wrong with reading it before every session? Maybe for the next two years?
"Gospel - Luke 2:1-14 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirini-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with Child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!"" Christmas Readings for Mass
Dan Bice has a story about three missing students, where's DHS? Then he has this little tidbit about one of the candidates of the Wis 8th who didn't win.
Pretty good stuff if I say so my self. Bice has a You Tube link for you to listen.
"Sore loser
The public usually doesn't get to watch or hear a political candidate melt down after a resounding defeat.
Posted: Thursday, December 23, 2010 12:00 pm | Updated: 10:11 am, Tue Dec 21, 2010.
WI: Minnesota senator says deal struck to delist wolves By Tim Spielman Associate Editor Outdoor News, Inc
Minneapolis - Three times in the past half decade the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed federal protection of wolves in the Great Lakes region, only to see lawsuits reverse so-called delisting.
Now, at least in part prompted by a U.S. senator, the USFWS plans to again propose delisting, at least in the Midwestern states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, recently announced a deal had been struck to "expedite removing the Great Lakes wolf from the Endangered Species Act list."
More than 20 hunting dogs - mostly bear hounds - have been killed by Wisconsin wolves this year. The count, as of Dec. 8, came in at 23 dogs killed, 11 dogs attacked and injured, and at least two injured dogs that are believed to be wolf attacks, but were not verified as such. Of the 44 verified fatalities or injuries, 13 of the dogs were not trailing hounds.
The boys are home from UWM and we are all watching Miracle on 34th St.
"When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing. " Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - IMDb
. . . Remember Judge Henry X. Harper. He says he is an honest judge. Fred Murtz, AKA William Frawley tells judge Harper he'll get only two votes in his reelection.. Himself and the District Attorney.
Judge Harper turns his head for a no and says the DA is a republican.
Like I said, he's the last honest democrat ever!!!!!
Steve over at Marketplace has a good follow up about a post he did about the Kremlin of the west, Madison Wisconsin. Here he pulls a quote from a fan of radio host Vicki McKenna.
NEW YORK (AP) -- General Motors Co. is recalling almost 100,000 vehicles to fix two problems that could cause the rear axle to lock and the passenger-side airbag not to work.
GM says in postings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the airbag recall affects almost 96,000 2005 to 2007 model year versions of the Cadillac CTS.
"On December 23, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Owen-Glass Act, creating the Federal Reserve System, an independent agency of the U.S. Government. Before the Federal Reserve began its operations in November 1914, America's banks functioned in widely divergent ways. These varied banking practices resulted in four major financial crises in less than forty years." Today in History: December 23
Now if they would only do what they are supposed to do and not all this funny business like Q/E Q/E2 and print money we don't have.
Richard Parins from Fox Politics talks about reality and the direction of Wisconsin.
"Did SC Johnson create more than 12,000 jobs in 72 countries by demanding them into existence? Did John Menard create the nation’s third largest home improvement empire by standing outside offices badgering government to build him a store?
NO! They wracked their brains, wrung their hands over business and finance plans, vetted products and manufacturers, sweated over supply networks, pitched proposals to banks and investors and prayed for loans. They stretched their necks over the chopping block to realize their dreams. " FoxPolitics.net - Appleton, WI News - What's really going on in the Fox Cities
Gov. Walker will reset reality on capitalism, restoring the badger as a symbol of industry and feisty self-reliance. He will re-establish Wisconsin as a place and a people with the determination to help restore normality to the global fiscal climate. Our very livelihoods rely on this dream becoming more a reality. This is no longer a dream; it is a necessity. The question remains, will our newly elected conservative dream team come to play?
"Rejected pets face homeless Christmas Animals feel effects of economy, stress
By Steve Wideman • Post-Crescent staff writer • December 23, 2010
GREENVILLE — The wagging tail of the Labrador/golden retriever mix gave a hint of the unconditional love the middle-aged dog had for its female owner of eight years.
DECEMBER 22--A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday for using a permanent marker while in class at his Oklahoma City middle school, a violation of an obscure city ordinance.
According to an Oklahoma City Police Department report, the boy was spotted “in possession of a permanent marker” by Roosevelt Middle School teacher DeLynn Woodside. The 50-year-old educator told cop Miguel Campos that the student was “writing on a piece of paper, which caused it to bleed over onto the desk.”
Could you see a NASCAR race held in Oklahoma City and 10,000 fans get arrested? Most every NASCAR fan carries a Sharpie in case they get an autograph.
Is this lady a nut? I didn't think they had that many liberal left leaning wacko teachers in Oklahoma anymore.
I think this could be a Sharpie poster boy. Poor kid.
I have made some fun of Mitch and the boys but deep down, he and the gang were a part of my life. From Wiki.And he was a 4th of July baby. Go figure.
"Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010)[1][2] was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive. Miller was one of the most influential figures in American popular music during the 1950s and early 1960s, both as the head of Artists and Repertoire at Columbia Records and as a best-selling recording artist with an NBC television series, Sing Along with Mitch. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in the early 1930s, Miller began his musical career as an accomplished player of the oboe and English horn, and recorded several highly regarded classical albums featuring his instrumental work, but he is best remembered as a conductor, choral director, television performer and recording executive." Mitch Miller - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I had no idea he passed away this past July. I thought he left us back in the 70's or 80's.Thanks for the memories Mitch and Merry Christmas to you.
Rust Belt states losing people, political clout Declining population means fewer House seats, less political clout for struggling Rust Belt "John Flesher, Associated Press, On Wednesday December 22, 2010, 6:33 pm
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- After years of losing residents to more prosperous states, the nation's Rust Belt now confronts another blow to its economic prospects: losing some of its votes in Congress.
The latest census figures show that states in much of the Midwest and Northeast have been overtaken in population growth by the South and West. So starting in 2013, they will have to make do with smaller delegations in Washington, which means less political clout to attract government money and jobs.
"These states in the industrial heartland and to some extent in the Northeast have seen their impact eroded," said Norman Ornstein, a political scientist with the American Enterprise Institute. "It's not totally devastating. . But numbers do matter."" Rust Belt states losing people, political clout - Yahoo! Finance
I can see Michigan coming back because of the November election but we can write off and let the northeast go!
Jeremy Shown has an interesting view on redistricting over at FoxPolitics.
Shown: Why Redistricting Really Could Matter This Time
"I'll admit it right up front – I'm something of a redistricting skeptic.
After the census every ten years, most state legislatures face the task of redrawing their state's legislative district boundaries. This process allows the party who happens to be in control right after the census to draw districts in the way that is most advantageous to them, increasing political polarization. At least that's how the story goes, but like I said, I'm skeptical. " FoxPolitics.net - Appleton, WI News - What's really going on in the Fox Cities
So I also was skeptical about redistricting and found the schedule for the Wisconsin upcoming changes. Here's the link
Wisconsin Redistricting Timetable January 2012 2011-2012 session: legislative and congressional districts established
I then remember an article over at the Appleton Post Crescent about theFox Valley populationincrease.
Census: Appleton, Fox Valley see strong population gains this decade Fox Valley sees strong population gains this decade By Michael Louis Vinson • Post-Crescent staff writer • December 22, 2010
APPLETON — Healthy population gains in municipalities across the Fox Cities helped lift Wisconsin's population 6 percent to 5.7 million residents, up from 5.4 million in 2000.
Some of the state's strongest growth occurred in the border communities that have sprawled along the outskirts of Appleton during the last 10 years, according to 2010 census estimates released Tuesday.
To the city's east, the village of Sherwood ballooned 64 percent this decade. The Town of Harrison, which borders Sherwood, grew by nearly 55 percent, the village of Combined Locks jumped almost 29 percent and the Town of Buchanan rose by 15 percent.
So Sherwood grew in population? Come on! So Sherwood will be gerrymandered? Any bets Sherwood will now go to the 8th congressional district from the 6th?
Seems how things work out. Well then maybe Reid Ribble can move back into his house in Sherwood? I don't know, maybe he already has!
I have to say Jeremy is right on, "Redistricting Really Could Matter This Time", I guess that's politics.
BREAKING NEWS: At least one dead in house fire in Gillett
At least one person is dead following a house fire on Pine Street in the city of Gillett late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, according to sheriff’s deputies on scene.
According to Oconto County sheriff’s department officials, the fire department was notified of the blaze shortly after 11 p.m.
At 2:30 a.m., crews were still on the scene fighting the fire in the falling snow.
One was the sight of Favre lying facedown on the University of Minnesota football field after suffering a concussion, his career likely over.
The other was the image that was revealed after the game, that Favre flew to Oconomowoc on Friday with his wife, Deanna, to answer a 5-year-old cancer victim's Christmas wish.
Anderson Butzine suffers from brain cancer. His holiday wish was a chance to meet Favre.
Don't care what some say, he still one of my hero's
"LANSING -- According to Senator Jason Allen, the bill for a moose hunting season in the U.P. has passed the State Senate and will be heading to Governor Jennifer Granholm for signature.
A scientific survey will be done around the spring of next year to determine the viability of the season. The earliest the season could begin is fall 2011.
The rules of the season would parallel elk hunting season.
There are an estimated 800 to 1,200 moose between Sault Ste. Marie and Baraga.
The question is, will the mine open? Will tree huggers stop it? If done right, there could be jobs in northern Wisconsin and still keep the environment pristine. Time and attitudes of state residents will tell.
Amazing Amish Christmas LightsI know it's not the season, but these are amazing!
Scroll down to see the Amish Christmas lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You know very well that the Amish don't use electricity. Screwing with old people is so easy!
"Until the late 1960s, with the exception of a few big states, most legislatures met for only a few months a year - some met only every other year - and there were few professional politicians among their members. People viewed public service as a necessity rather than as a career, and so duty was done quickly so they could return to their farms and shops to work just like everybody else." Legislative necessity: A constitutional certification for all bills
Richard Moore at the Lakeland Times writes about what needs to be done in state and federal government.
Admirable though it was in many ways, the citizen Legislature had resulted in what many thought was a severely distorted balance of power. Because legislators were rarely in the capital, state agencies ran the show, along with party bosses and a few good-'ol-boy legislative kingpins.
Professionalism was welcomed, then, in the beginning. The thinking was, a professional, full-time Legislature would re-establish its authority, with the proper reforms, and power would flow back to the elected body.
Well, the times, they have a-changed, and things didn't turn out quite as expected. In fact, exactly the opposite has happened.
You need to read it to see what he proposes and hope politicians have the back bone to follow through with what they promised in November.
"The whole purpose of these Advent pages has been to help us find intimacy with God in the midst of our everyday lives. So we have focused on using the background times of our days to create an interior atmosphere that allows us to wait, to hope, to come into contact with our longing and our desire.
This year the Fourth Week of Advent is six days long. Friday evening is Christmas Eve and Saturday, Christmas.
Perhaps we can use these days to try to heighten our awareness of whatever is going on in our lives these days, and how that can bring us to Christmas. Some examples might help.
So many of us experience the ironic reality that Christmas can be the most lonely time of our lives. Some of these "mixed feelings" or "sad feelings" are difficult to recognize or name.
For some of us, the Christmas we will celebrate this year pales in comparison to wonderful Christmases of our past - perhaps because we were younger or more "innocent" then, perhaps because some of our loved ones who were central to our Christmas are no longer living or not where I am, perhaps because the burdens and struggles of my life or the changes in our world and the war have robbed this Christmas of something that was there before.
For some of us, Christmas will be just another day. Unable to get out to go to church to be with a faith community, and without family or friends to be with, Christmas will be a day we are tempted to ignore." Fourth Week of Advent 2010
It was a lame duck democratic held Wisconsin legislature that passed a bill to finger print children at day cares. Is this what blacks in Milwaukee get for their vote when they elect democrats to office. Being a conservative, even for me, this goes too far. The issue here is fraud, not fingerprinting children.
Let me ask the question again, voting democrat get's you fingerprinting children?
Parts from Eugene Kane at JSOnline.
"A caller on black radio in Milwaukee last week put it just as bluntly: "It's like putting black children 'on paper' before they even become criminals!" he said, alluding to the term used when someone is caught up in the criminal justice system.
Other readers suggested a racial dynamic and flatly declared the policy would never have been considered if most of the child care fraud involved white children.
That sentiment brings pressure on African-American legislators in Madison like Rep. Tamara Grigsby, a Milwaukee Democrat and member of the Joint Finance Committee that approved the fingerprinting policy.
Grigsby told me the policy came only after negotiations intended to come up with solutions for dealing with the previous abuse of the system.
You call this middle ground? How long will these finger prints be kept and will the state turn them over to law enforcement for future use?
If and when Scott Walker and republicans change and fix this, will the African American people give them credit or will liberal black politicians stand up and take credit for something they didn't do?
For liberal democrats to pass this is criminal offense in it self. I hope those who are outraged call and thank their government leaders for fingerprinting their own children.
"Walleye n Tater Cakes A talented smoking friend named Phesant (who happens to be an excellent angler too) sent a nice batch of walleye filets he had caught in the cool waters of his home state, Wisconsin! Also included in the package was a home made pepper blend! Woohoo!!" Cowgirl's Country Life: Walleye n Tater Cakes
"Goodyear, drivers impressed by Daytona tire test By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM December 17, 2010 9:27 AM, EST Save Article Email Article Print Article RSS type size: + -
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Goodyear appears to have executed the equivalent of a grand slam with two outs in the seventh game of the World Series with the tire combination it's tested during the past two days at Daytona International Speedway.
Mark Martin, who only tested Wednesday, went so far as to tell Sirius NASCAR Radio that he felt the tires would "last 500 miles." Stucker only chuckled at that estimation.
Seems like a lot if you enjoy the outdoors in Wisconsin.
It's an extension of the Gannett news service so a lot of information should come from their local papers. One nice thing they are asking for input from local clubs and the public.
"Last Updated: Thursday, December 16, 2010 12:57 PM CST Despite deficit, state agencies seek to keep growing, spending By Richard Moore of The Lakeland Times
What budget deficit?
In a new report released by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau late last week, Wisconsin’s state agencies are seeking to undertake an array of new spending initiatives over the next two years – not only to cover the increased cost of basic services such as Medicaid but to support new nonessential spending for trails, parks, campgrounds and other projects." The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region
I am shocked, Doyle and the dems, say it ain't so!
All totaled, the agencies submitted budget requests that would boost state spending by nearly $4 billion over the next two years and increase the state work force by 507 people.
According to the report, the state workforce would increase by .7 percent to 71,616 employees. The growth in agency budgets would total $3.94 billion over the biennium, for a total of $67.4 billion, an increase of 6.2 percent.
The tax payers want to know from democrats in Wisconsin: How do we pay for the 3-billion-dollar budget deficit for next year you gave us?
Will you whining, crying, sore losing democrats just leave the state! Why not move to Iowa or Illinois! If you decide to stay, shut your mouth and let us fix your mistakes!
