4/30/11 -"Thunda Around the Rotunda" to Rumble into Madison Saturday

Next weekend 4/30 Sat ... more than just boom boxes!  From Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch ... click the title! From the source -

On Saturday, April 30, the fight for collective bargaining will bring a different type of activist to Madison’s Capitol Square. As many as 10,000 motorcyclists from around Wisconsin and across the Midwest will ride in support of Wisconsin workers at the “Thunda Around the Rotunda” event.

Eric J. Hartz, a Madison Public School Teacher, organized the “Thunda Around the Rotunda” with a motorcyclist friend. “This is a grassroots event,” he said. “There is nobody funding this.”

According to Hartz, it started with motorcyclists talking and getting together on social networking sites, and soon, “groups of 100 here and groups of 100 there” were signing up to attend from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.

The #Walker Problem 4/30/11 -"Thunda Around the Rotunda" to Rumble into #Madison Saturday #WI 1848 Forward

Obama's recovery working 4 u - Walker rides coattails

Click on Title to see another perspective ... but we have to make it local to get you to read ... I guess!  Glad that we are picking up jobs ... but!

From Mike Ivey's article -

If you think Gov. Scott Walker is the devil incarnate, read no further.

But Wisconsin is on pace to reach the governor's goal of 250,000 more jobs in the state over the next four years -- not that Walker is doing some magic tricks. The gains are most likely the result of the economic recovery that began in 2010.

Or look at this link -

250,000: When an employment promise is NOT a promise!

Last night Governor Walker again repeated his promise to create 250,000 jobs during his Budget Introduction to the Legislature!  How can I say it briefly ... it will happen but not because of his policies.  How many jobs is he going to destroy first? ... after his budget introduction - 3/2 original letter 12/22/2010

4/24/11 Teachers Retiring ... gather a statewide perspective

More Casualties of Walker's War on Education!

Will try to keep collecting and expand the perspective as times goes by!

 4/24 WSJ Teachers retiring at high rate, many because of collective bargaining changes
From Source -

As of the April 15 deadline, 138 Madison teachers have decided to retire, Superintendent Dan Nerad said. That's a 62 percent increase over the average number of retirements over the previous five years.

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4/18

Fox11 WLUK TV 3/3/2011 ... Green Bay Area?
Some advertising and some things you might like to hear and some things you might not like to hear ... but there is more to the story if you think critically ... community impacts and "real" fiscal analysis is missing!

140 teacher retirement requests approved: fox11online.com

Some other coverage -

High teacher retirement numbers La Crosse WKBT 4/15

Teacher retirement on rise Green Bay WFRV and other communities 3/2

From above link ... the screen shot is telliing!

WI 1848 Forward: 4/24/11 #Teachers Retiring ... gather a statewide perspective #GreenBay too! 

WI - Open Meetings lawsuit, Prosser in a bind???

Click here to see Court rulings in PDF

March 24, 2011- Wisconsin Court of Appeals declines to rule on "Open Meetings" lawsuit - go to State Supreme Court

So when and which way will Prosser vote on "Open Meetings" - even sitting on his hands he probably loses - will the real justice stand up!!!

It  is  appropriate  to  certify  to  the  Supreme  Court  appeals  raising issues  which  that  court  might  otherwise  ultimately  consider  on  a  petition  for review, in order to reduce the burden and expense of the appellate process on both the parties and  the  judicial  system.   See Wisconsin Public Serv. Corp. v. Public Service Comm’n of Wis., 176 Wis. 2d 955, 958 n.1, 501 N.W.2d 36, 37 n.1 (1993) (Abrahamson, J., concurring).  Because this appeal presents significant issues, we believe that the Supreme Court is the proper forum for it.

In the blog: WI - Dane County latest filings on Open Meetings violations - Budget Repair from 3/22

WI - Dane County judge halts collective bargaining law 3/18/2011

Dane County judge halts collective bargaining law

Will it stand ? Journal Sentinel - All Politics Blog  

Assume some other aspects on hold as well!? 

 Update:

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_6bd569a8-5188-11e0-bea6-001cc4c03286.html

http://budget.wispolitics.com/2011/03/sumi-says-legislature-could-pass-bill.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter 

WI - Walker under the covers ... more Political Appointees ... lest we forget

Click on Title for article:
Walker gives himself more power to fill high state jobs 
 Walker gives himself more power to fill high state jobs
Move extends trend; critics argue it politicizes posts By Jason Stein and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
March 17, 2011 @js_politics

Do you want impartial government or appointees on a political leash? 

3/21: A rumor: does anyone have the resources to "refudiate" -  The Walker Administration is using the 37 appointee positions secured by his Budget Repair to replace "public information officers" with appointees with the intent to be able to better control the message (across several/all state agencies)???  

@js_politics ... DOJ trys to stop Open Meetings Court Proceeding 

Wisconsin Governor Walker Press Conference 3/10 ... part on MSNBC

Our Governor only seems to have two messages ... I'll create a lot of jobs and we cannot solve any problems except by cutting jobs!  He certainly stays on message!  I guess we keep watching these press conferences because we think he might say something new ... or maybe someone might actually be able to ask him a question.  He has been managing print and television like a one-way street.

250,000 Jobs NOT thanks to Walker

Our Mayor Dave C. at the Capitol last night - 3/9.

WI 1848 Forward: Wisconsin Governor #Walker Press Conference 3/10/11 ... part on #MSNBC

Why Vote - Redux! Let Unions elect the way Walker was!

Governor Walker proposed that unions would need to be re-certified every year by 51% of the membership. Sounds like a good idea! Until 51% of the VAP (Voting Age Population) votes in an election we can do without a Governor. Since Governor Walker only got 26% of the VAP he should resign!

Wisconsin Voter Turnout 11/2010      49.56%    2,160,832    VAP   4,330,695 (Source: Wi GAB)
Wisconsin Voter Turnout 11/2008      69.20%    2,996,869    VAP  ~4,370,000 (Source: Wi GAB)

Approximate Difference in     ~20%          836,000  
Turnout
(Subtract Falloff ~ matches population growth)

Assume 2008 as Actual Voter Base for Major Parties
(allows imputation of voting falloff by party from 2008 to 2010)

        Total Falloff                  -806360

        Walker Votes 2010            1,128,941
        McCain Votes 2008            1,262,393    (Wikipedia)
        Falloff               11%         -133,452

        Barrett Votes 2010            1,004,303    (Wikipedia)
        Obama Votes 2008            1,677,211
        Falloff               40%         -672,908


Walker's 2010 Win - Voter Margin              124,638  

In summary, Governor Walker was elected by a very, very slim margin of 124,638 votes, less than 5.8% of the votes cast. Governor Walker was elected by only  ~26% of the Voting age population of Wisconsin.

This assumes that voter preference was not wildly different from 2010 than it was in 2008.  If Barrett had a Falloff of just 11% he easily would have been Governor by a margin of ~363,177 votes

Terms:
VAP - Voting Age Population
GAB - Governmental Accountabily Board
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WI 1848 Forward:Why #Vote - Redux! Let #Unions elect the way #Walker was! : #wiUnion #wiVote #47% #99% vs #1% #elites