third eye, so between the personal email and the post here, yes I'm paying attention to you. Insults are unproductive though, so I'll refrain from implications that you're "slow" for having an opinion that differs from mine. On topic, Tim is proposing to change the partisanship of redistricting 10 years from now, when who the heck knows which party will be the majority. Which is why I disagree with your argument that because his party lost the last election that he's trying to 'move the goal posts'. I'd be more inclined to buy it if he were proposing these changes take effect today. Politics are much more divisive and dirty today (on both sides) so I think Tim is quite smart to propose removing the partisanship from the equation to ensure the CONSTITUENTS are fairly represented without manipulation by Politicians. Can we civily agree to disagree on the topic? I think I'll move on with life now...:)

Allow me to go slower justathot.
Senator Cullen is on the side that LOST the election.
When confronted with a situation in which the Democrats were losing on an issue Senator Cullen moved the goal posts by running to Illinois.
The Democrats are now in the minority and from this position Senator Cullen calls for changes in the rules.
On the other hand the Republicans WON and they are entitled to change the rules. The Democrats had their chance, and oftentimes took advantage of that chance, to change the rules when they were in charge.
These are obvious political realities. All the hand wringing and link posting will not change that FACT.

third eye, it's not my opinion...it's simply factual. "Under current law, the Legislature can't draw its maps until local governments have drawn ones for county boards and common councils. Republicans plan to change that law this week so they can create their maps first". http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepoliti.... Before you excuse the facts by saying "that newspaper is liberal" I welcome you to contact your republican representative and ask them about the process that was manipulated to get this done ahead of the recalls. Opinion would come in to play when one believes (or not) that this is gerrymandering at it's lowest, but I regress. Going back to the facts..which are out there for the world to 'read up on'. You see, the Fitzgeralds did in fact change the process (at the time/ expense of tax payers...another hypocrisy...don't get me started) to suit their agenda, which is what your original post accused Mr. Cullen of doing.

Evidently Tim is concerned the new map doesn't include Rockford.

no, are you insinuating that the republicans were willing to compromise with democrats on the budget repair bill? After the dems came back - they offered 100 amendents to the bill. All were rejected.

no, it's very difficult, if not absolutely IMPOSSIBLE, to compromise with one person in charge who is not willing to discuss. My Mom always told me it's better to run away from a gun fight. Walker "brought guns to the fistfight". To that, I say....RUN, and don't look back till the guns have been holstered. :)

justathot Jul 18, 2011 at 12:30 p.m.
This is YOUR opinion, there is nothing to look up.

billnewbie, may I suggest that you direct your concern for plagiarism toward the plagiarisms, distortions, lies, fabrications, and forgeries contained in your folderolian handbook.

*It is sad and dangerous that some are so partisan...making it impossible for them to agree with "the other side".*

Yeah, they disagree so badly they run off to another state rather than compromise.

bill,
how come you are OK with politicans "appointing" re-districting lines but not OK with the Supreme Court Justices being "appointed"?
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Seems you would want it all in control of "We, the People" or the politicans. Your stance seems hypocritical because of your inability to be NON-PARTISAN!

how about having several redistricting option voted on by the people in a referendum type deal?? puts it right into the hands of the people it affects.

thirdeye, a bit hypocritical on this issue to use the 'liberal playbook' 'change the rules' comment considering the majority party changed the 'playbook' to avoid having to follow the rules on this issue. read up on it.

a little excercise in imagining it is 2021. Mr Cullen is somehow still in office and his party controlls all facets of govt. Once again it is time for redistricting...does anyone think that Tim will be pushing the idea that a non partisan group should plan out the redistricting?

lovemycountry...in reference to your 'campaigned on jobs' comment, read up on the legislation regarding the renewal of the Beloit Development Opportunity Zone that Cullen co-sponsored with Loudenbeck (bi-partisanship which he also campaigned on!) to help attract new business to the Beloit area. New business attracts new jobs.

Senator Cullen seems to have some odd ideas about our type of government, lately. He wants Supreme Court justices appointed instead of elected by we, the people. Now he wants the job of redistricting removed from our elected officials and placed with a "non-partisan" (as if such a thing exists) entity of some kind or another, rather than being accountable to the electorate, as they are now. Mr Cullen, we elected you to represent us, not to turn over the responsibilities of your office to unelected and therefore unaccountable committees or to relieve us of our ability to hold our government officials responsible for the things they do, such as draw district boundary lines.

Senator Cullen is just following the liberal playbook. If you are losing ground, move the goalposts. If you lose the game, change the rules.

This is what I hoping to see from Cullen when I voted for him. It won't make a difference this time, but would make for more realistic boundaries in the future.

Cullen must be hoping we won't notice the entire GAB Board is appointed by a partisan governor. Right now, all 6 on the board were appointed by Doyle. And, if a GOP governor is in office for 8 years, all 6 would end up being appointed by him or her. The GAB ends up being partisan in nature, either way. Didn't Cullen campaign on jobs ? Maybe he can work on that for a while.

Unclesmoothie, you say "100 years ago there were no federal income taxes. It wasn't until 1913 that the 16th amendment was passed. I could live with that."

Hmm, 100 years ago, there also was no 19th Amendment. Women's suffrage? Nahhhh. Also, 100 years ago segregation was still happening across the country. Equal rights? Nahhhh.

To smallBIZowner: it's not just dems/Obama that are seeking 'change.' Wouldn't you say that the WI Republican legislature is also seeking change by passing concealed-carry and voter-id legislation? That sounds like 'change' to me.

uh...actually grandys618, Tim Cullen won his election. Contstructive comment though. I'll never understand those who can't recognize reasonable legistlation simply because it comes from a party you're not a member of. Just proves people like that aren't critical thinkers and simply contribute to the divisive, unconstructive conversations of today. Tim Cullen is different though, agree or not with the mans politics, he is trying to make a logical change that benefits the constituents by removing the possibility of a politicians agenda. That point can't be argued. As he says, who knows who will be the majority party 10 years from now, so do the right thing today. He's to be credited for making strides toward changing a clearly tainted process when it comes to redistricting. As for todays problem, if redistricting isn't about the current majority party's desperation to choose their own voters, then why the need to rush it through prior to the recall elections?

RAF,
I have millions of different beliefs today as compared to 1981.
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Don't you?
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Wouldn't you agree that it doesn't matter why....this new idea makes sense?

Sarah since he never put forth legislation to correct it then, why do you think he might have felt the same way at that time (while he was the majority leader of the senate)?

100 years ago there were no federal income taxes. It wasn't until 1913 that the 16th amendment was passed. I could live with that.

I wonder why this senator, who at the time of redistricting in 1981 was the majority leader of the senate, never felt the same way.

While what he says makes sense and most of us can agree with him, Cullen is known to say things such as this then doing something quite different. (running to Illinois, for one). Never trust a politician, of either party to do anything for the people they are supposed to represent. With them it is all about them and their "party" and keeping them and their party in power.

It is sad and dangerous that some are so partisan...making it impossible for them to agree with "the other side".
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It happened with the "fake 8" and now with the partisan re-districting.
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Have people like Rush, Hannity, Schultz and Rhodes divided as to the point that we cannot think for ourselves.
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Why would anyone agree with the process of re-distrcting being done by politicans? How can anyone honestly disagree with non-partisan judges or a computer being a better alternative?
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I certainly admit to my own biases but common sense doesn't override those biases.
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Of course, this is EXACTLY what the politicans and pundits want. It makes for better ratings and MORE $$$ for everyone but the average middle-class American. It also makes it easier for the parties to avoid compromise.

smallBIZowner, learn the difference between the words implied and inferred. The speaker can not infer to the listener what he is speaking about -- only the listener can infer.
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And what's your problem with change? Think what this world would be like without any change over the last, say, 100 years.

It's always gotta be about 'change' with the Democrats. Obama summed it up when he inferred we have the greatest nation on earth - and he's gonna change things. I guess he changed them didn't he.

I have to agree with Mr. Cullen on this one. It sure seems funny the legislature is in such a hurry to get this done before the recall elections. I think we all know why this is happening.

Least he was honest when he said that the Dems would do the exact same thing if it was them.

Calling a spade a spade is hardly crying the blues.

Timmie crying the blues. Boo hoo.

It's about time. Just have a computer do this based on population.

But saying the democrats and these republicans are the same is crazy Mr Cullen.

Democrats did not redistrict 2 members out of their districts. In addition they are not spending $400K running fake candidates or $6 million on voter ID that is not necessary.