James Rowen's blog

No Righty Blog Posts About Thuggish Attacks Against Indian Workers In Milwaukee

James Rowen — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:32:55 +0000

Last week the righty side of the blogosphere was in full wounded mode, stung by accusations they were too quick to throw the "thug" word at Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Holloway.

I said race had a lot to do with that, and the righty bloggers said that was thuggish, because they use the word in plenty of situations where race isn't a factor.

I was expecting that they'd have jumped on the outrageous story in these parts a few days ago, when a pair of area men admitted targeting 20 Indian-owned businesses, like gas stations, robbing them and throwing hot coffee in some of the employee and owners' faces.

I thought for sure I'd see righty bloggers happy to call these arrested perpetrators "thuggish," in sort of a nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah way, proving the bloggers were truly equal-oppportunity thug labelers - - since they can spot a thug when they see it - - and I was oh-so-wrong.

So far, I see no posts on the righteously offended righty bloggers' sites about behavior that really looks thuggish, aina?

A whole lot worse than the instances where Holloway acted badly, but not criminally.

Some details about the anti-Indian/immigrant crimes, here

WMC Dividend At Wisconsin Supreme Court Will Raise Our Taxes

James Rowen — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:24:28 +0000

The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spent heavily to get State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler elected, then helped finance a major tax in which Ziegler wrote the Court's pro-WMC, 4-3 ruling.

The case blows a $265 million hole in the state budget: who do you think will make up the shortfall?

Drive Drunk Twice, Become A Felon, Lose Your Vehicle

James Rowen — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:10:53 +0000

Wisconsin needs to more assertively use its drunk driving laws to protect the innocent rather than enabling repeat offenders.

It has to treat repeat OWI offenders the same way it deals with people who discharge firearms in public without regard for other people's safety: Lock 'em up and don't give their gun back.

It's a three-step reform of OWI laws, tougher than what is proposed by some legislators:

1. Criminalize a first offense, making it a misdemeanor, and no longer a ticket. Treat that first offense seriously. And make it clear that when it comes to OWI, two strikes and you're out.

2. Turn a second offense into a felony and make vehicle confiscation mandatory. That's how you help a repeat offender see sobriety as desirable and also how you profoundly help deter others from a first or second offense.

3. Turn one or two vehicle confiscations every month or so into very public salvage yard crushings, then auction off the other seized vehicles and turn the proceeds over to law enforcement to help finance equipment purchases, or operating expenses of check points and other anti-OWN actions.

It's the least that the state can do to honor the memory of the three recent fatalities in Oconomowoc, allegedly by a thrice-convicted OWI offender who had been given undeserved several weeks of freedom by a Waukesha County Circuit Judge - - and no vehicle confiscation - - before the sentence for that third OWN was to begin.

A posted argument elsewhere is here.

Far Right Blocking Great Lakes Protections

James Rowen — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:22:13 +0000

Even this winter's heavy snows did not bring the Great Lakes back to their historic average depths, as a warming climate increases evaporation.

Lower lake levels mean navigation troubles and lighter, less-profitable loads for shippers, heightening the need for coordinated efforts to maintain the waters' quality and quantity.

And despite the growing awareness across the region, and certainly worldwide, that all water is absolutely precious, radical Republicans carrying political water for business interests in Waukesha County, with allies in the conservative fringes in the Ohio legislature, are blocking an eight-state water conservation agreement for Great Lakes management.

What they want are Great Lakes diversions with few standards and controls, even though four of the eight Great Lakes staes have approved the agreement - - known as the Great Lakes Compact - - and further delay could easily kill it.

Details here.

Dane County Leader Raises Alcohol Abuse Awareness

James Rowen — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:19:37 +0000

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk talked sense to Madison's Downtown Rotary on the subject of alcohol abuse.

Details here.

Perhaps Waukesha County Should Secede From Wisconsin

James Rowen — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:57:42 +0000

Waukesha County GOP legislative leaders act out, and act badly, when a bi-partisan water conservation measure doesn't go their way in the State Senate.

Since one of their major complaints is that the measure jeopardizes their sense of sovereignty, perhaps they should consider seceding from Wisconsin, and setting up the 51st state, Exceptionalonia, just for special people.

Wisconsin Assembly Republicans Sandbag The Great Lakes Compact

James Rowen — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:11:18 +0000

Two states have fully-approved The Great Lakes compact, two more states' legislatures have passed it and bills are on their Governors' desks, so with four states left to finish off this seven-year process, what is happening in Wisconsin?

On Thursday, the day a bill finally was produced for legislators at the State Capitol for an informational hearing, Assembly Republican leaders announced they wanted the whole package sent back to the eight Great Lakes states for more negotiating.

In other words, death by tabling.

Now there's regional cooperation and bi-partisanship for you, and also some dangerous messing around with the Great Lakes for narrow and partisan purposes.

Details here.

Georgia and Waukesha: More Than A Sister State-County Relationship

James Rowen — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:57:16 +0000

When you don't like an agreement, see if you can change the wording after all parties signed on, and also agreed to making no major changes.

That's what Waukesha wants to do with the eight-state Great Lakes Compact - - toss out its major decision-making standard.

That's so Waukesha can get more water, or so it thinks.

Similar thing happening in Georgia.

Legislators there want to change the boundary with Tennessee, so Tennessee water becomes Georgia water.

If these jurisdictions were talking conservation and sustainable planning and development, none of these tricks would even be open for discussion.

Details here.

80% Of Wisconsinites Polled Want The Great Lakes Compact

James Rowen — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:32:05 +0000

Poll Indicates 80% Support For Great Lakes Compact

A poll commissioned by Wisconsin conservation groups, conducted by the UW Survey Center and released Monday, indicates 80% support statewide for adoption of the Great Lakes Compact.

That's good news for advocates of the Compact, and for backers of strong water conservation policy in Wisconsin and across the Great Lakes.

Details provided by the environmental group Clean Wisconsin to the Superior Daily Telegram indicate widespread bi-partisan support for a strong version of the Compact, with pro-Compact sentiment also measured both near the Great Lakes, and in communities far from the Great Lakes basin in Wisconsin, too.

Among the poll findings, as reported by the Daily Telegram:

"• 86 percent say it is important to provide further oversight and regulation before bottling and selling Great Lakes water.

"• 86 percent say it is important to prevent local communities from changing boundaries to qualify to take water from the Great Lakes.

"• 94 percent say it is important to require local communities to use water conservation programs before increasing use of Great Lakes water.

"The vast majority of those surveyed indicated they favor programs in their communities to help conserve water, and think dropping water levels in Wisconsin’s lakes, streams and groundwater is a serious problem."

The Journal Sentinel's coverage is here.

Legislation to approve the Compact has been stalled in Wisconsin since the eight-state agreement was approved by the Great Lakes states' governors in December, 2005.

A Wisconsin bill is expected to be introduced within ten days, but its specific language is apparently still being tweaked at the State Capitol, as proponents of various versions of the legislation with differing water conservation and diversion management measures are being pushed by Compact supporters or opponents.

The poll should inform legislators that Wisconsinites want a strong bill, not one shot through with loopholes and exemptions that weaken, not strengthen, the Compact's water preservation goals.

It took more than four years to negotiate the draft Compact: exceptions for the bottled water industry and diversion standards for communities outside of the Great Lakes basin remain key points of contention among Compact supporters and foes.

Wisconsin is the only state without a bill under review. Illinois and Minnesota have approved the Compact, and other states have versions under debate, or through one legislative house.

Become a Citizen Lobbyist For The Environment On January 30th

James Rowen — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:46:39 +0000

Lobby Legislators For A Strong Great Lakes Compact Jan. 30

The annual Conservation Lobby Day - - when citizen-lobbyists swarm the State Capitol on behalf of progressive energy, environmental and conservation issues - - takes place this year on Wednesday, January 30th.

Here is a link to the best approach to take with legislators on the Great Lakes Compact, along with other information about the day and how to participate.

And another link from the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, with additional registration information, is here.