On Minn. lawmakers compromise on sand mining rules
Posted on May 23 at 6:15 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow. Local governments with some say in the matter. What's it like out there in America? Here in Wisconsin, local control is considered a threat to the very fabric of space and time.
On Unemployment improves in nearly all Wis. counties
Posted on May 23 at 6:11 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
sheila1215, they DO NOT COUNT UNEMPLOYMENT RATES from the UI applications. Not everyone who becomes unemployed is eligible, not everyone who is unemployed applies, and in some cases you can be eligible for UI but not actually counted in the standard rate.
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Drug dealers and others who are not seeking employment are not considered part of the labor force for statistical purposes.
On Dean doctors approve merger with SSM
Posted on May 23 at 6:09 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I would shrug, except that SSM has taken an extreme, ideological position on access to birth control, and the legislature (again cooking up massive changes to the state in the dark) plans new restrictions as well. Dark days ahead if you are unable to switch insurers and your provider decides to make the decision about birth control for you.
On Board committee advances benefit for domestic partners
Posted on May 22 at 7:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Gee, I guess there's no reason to try to retain staff by giving them competitive benefits. It's not like they're teaching the next generation or anything important like that.
On Wisconsin candidates got $758,000 from sand, gas industry
Posted on May 22 at 6:21 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
If supporters of fracking gave to Vinehout, it surely wasn't to expand fracking/mining. It is possible to work for a company and support someone politically for other reasons. I don't think Walker minded it when members of union households voted to retain him in office.
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And is there any more lame excuse than "both sides do it"? What are they trying to get done? Is there any moral dimension here aside from people being on different teams? Sand fracking is a very valuable resource, but so is our natural environment, and we are selling one out for the other -- and the benefit to Wisconsin in jobs is not all that large. We don't even charge a resource extraction tax -- an entire railcar of frack sand means not one penny of revenue for the state outside of normal business taxes. Talk about your sell-outs.
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The moral dimension here is that they want something from Wisconsin, they are willing to pay legislators handsomely to get it, and when they are done they will leave a ravaged countryside behind with nary a second thought. That's the entire history of mining in this country.
On Panel passes Wis. food stamp work requirement
Posted on May 22 at 2:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The states that have implemented drug testing have found very few applicants test positive, whereas the cost of the 99% of applicants who test negative outweights the cost of the benefits the state saved. It's really just another Republican way to play off their constituents punishment fetish.
Posted on May 21 at 5:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Lots of people don't have the pride to maintain their property, it's true. Others don't have the time or money -- you can pay more for chemical weed control, or spend more time maintaining the lawn without. Most landlords don't really care, of course. I'd rather use corn gluten, myself, but I have too many rental properties around where the dandelions seem to be the primary crop, so I have to weed and feed twice a year.
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If I could somehow manage it so there's about one dandelion per square yard or so, permanently, I wouldn't mind it, but they never stop there.
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Wisconsin Master Gardener Melinda Myers has lawn care tips just for our state (download the 5 easy steps):
http://www.melindamyers.com/Gardening-Ti...
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Her book "Wisconsin Lawn Guide" seems to be out of print but you can get it on Amazon.
On Menards mini-storage units are a no-go
Posted on May 21 at 5:21 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Forward Janesville is not known as being a Red front, patriotsal, and they didn't think this was good for Janesville, either. Say, you do realize that "government control" up to and including eminent domain is not some wild invention of the radical left, but has its roots in English common law and monarchy? Nah, of course you didn't.
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916WI, I receive neither benefit, so your fumbled attempt at insult misses me by a mile. John Menard clearly gives F.A. about Janesville as evidenced by this very proposal, so we have no particular reason to bend over for him. And of course, Mr. Menard is such a generous and thoughtful citizen that he has been taken to Federal Tax Court for evading payment -- while George W. Bush was President, mind you. If the Republicans take you to court for evading taxes, I think there's a pretty good case to be made that you evaded taxes.
On DNR to waive fishing, trail fees for weekend
Posted on May 21 at 5:12 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If you want everything rolled into your tax bill, then you have to occasionally relent, stop whining like a stuck pig, and let taxes go up, as jocose astutely points out. I'm happy with the current system as long as the user fees remain affordable, and as long as they money does go toward improvements such as trail maintenance and extension.
On Milwaukee gains population
Posted on May 23 at 3:18 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
There are a lot of city lists in which Milwaukee now rates rather highly:
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/fea...
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A number of things that Milwaukee is good at, like walkable neighborhoods, loads of historic residential architecture, and a vibrant downtown with ongoing investment, all tend to be things that attract people to stay or even move there. Milwaukee has also been making great strides in creating bike infrastructure throughout the urban area, which is popular with young people who prefer bikes and transit to owning a car.
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None of this denies that Milwaukee has its problems, but it is interesting that the population decline has ended, at least for now.