January 4, 2011

"What is failing us is not our people or our places. What is failing us is the expanse of government."

"But we can do something about it right here, right now, today."

The biggest applause line in Scott Walker's inaugural address.
[Wisconsin's new Governor has called a] special legislative session and told lawmakers he wanted them to approve a string of bills by the end of February....

The bills would: give tax breaks to business owners and income tax credits for contributions to health savings accounts; reduce business regulations; provide protections from lawsuits; give the governor more say in state rule making; turn the state Department of Commerce into a partly private entity to focus on job creation; and require a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature to approve any increases to the state sales, income and franchise taxes....

"My top three priorities are simple: jobs, jobs and more jobs," Walker said.

He also promised to improve education, protect natural resources, honor the role of family and "right-size state government by ensuring government is providing only the essential services our citizens need and our taxpayers can afford."
I'm sorry I didn't walk down the street to witness the inaugural ceremony, which included "a choral rendition of 'Aquarius' and 'Let the Sunshine In' from the musical 'Hair.'" Caught in the same 1960's time warp: "Outside, dozens of protesters walked around the Capitol waving placards and shouting, 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Scott Walker has got to go.'" Damn. I missed some photo ops!

And, by the way, Milwaukee State Journal, it's not "Let the Sunshine In." Straighten out your "Hair." Here's my favorite version of "Let the Sun Shine In." Are you familiar with this album, "Streetnoise"? (Not "Street Noise.") Julie Driscoll. This is good too. That one has a version of "Season of the Witch," which has nothing to do with Scott Walker. He is not a witch.

43 comments:

Scott M said...

Any vroom vroom choo choo references?

ricpic said...

But but but...what about compassion for the poooor?

former law student said...

Is cranking out more lawyers at taxpayer expense an "essential service [Wisconsin's]citizens need and [their] taxpayers can afford"?

Maybe they won't be looking too hard to fill the dean's job. Reducing headcount through attrition is better than through layoffs.

Fred4Pres said...

He is right.

former law student said...

require a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature to approve any increases to the state sales, income and franchise taxes....

Hey, just like we have in California! What could possibly go wrong?

garage mahal said...

Yea let's see what a 43 yr old college dropout can do for the state.

Anonymous said...

FWIW, "Season of The Witch" was done better by Stephen Stills and Al Kooper on the album "Super Sessions".
Just saying......

Original Mike said...

"Yea let's see what a 43 yr old college dropout can do for the state."

I wouldn't have taken you for an elitist, garage. (what am I saying?)

Paddy O said...

What could possibly go wrong?

Yes, because California's problems are all due to our taxes being just too dang low. If only the legislature to drain more money from its residents, the state would be going great and housing prices would boom!

Titus said...

I would like to see his cock.

former law student said...

Paddy - making your own state's laws more like California's: Recipe for success?

DADvocate said...

Oh, God. I loved the Sixties but hate the time warp. 'Aquarius' and 'Let the Sunshine In' are two songs I hated even back then.

Titus said...

He's going to be very transparent.

Therefore, show the cock.

His wife's a fatty.

Scott M said...

making your own state's laws more like California's: Recipe for success

It's quite possible that such measures would work in CA without the presence of other CA-centric crap bogging the whole thing down. You're being glib.

Original Mike said...

What is the Democrat/Republican ratio in the CA legislature?

James said...

Mark Belling had an hilarious rant yesterday about the school choir from Green Bay that sang Aquarius. He pointed out that the themes of the song is directly opposite to what Scott Walker represents.

TosaGuy said...

Doesn't take any rent-a-minimob seriously that still uses "Hey hey ho ho".

former law student said...

What is the Democrat/Republican ratio in the CA legislature?

Good point. That ratio never changes.

Think it can't happen? Recall 1976, when California gave its then 45 electoral votes to Jerry Ford.

Democratic Presidential candidates that have carried California since 1948:

1948: Truman
1964: Johnson
1992: Clinton
1996: Clinton
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: Obama

knox said...

His wife's a fatty.

Uh-oh, get ready to face the Wrath Of Trooper York, Friend To All Fatties.

Big Mike said...

Is Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson a Democrat? She doesn't look very happy to be there.

Ann Althouse said...

"Is Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson a Democrat? She doesn't look very happy to be there."

Yeah and yeah I know.

Unknown said...

Well, he sounds like he gets it. As for the drop-out thing, remember that most of the people who got us in this mess are not only college grads, but most also attended law school or some other kind of grad school.

As for the wife, she isn't fat. A little big in the hips, maybe, and tall, but a lot of guys find a woman with curves attractive.

Clyde said...

It was interesting to read the part about the representative from Oconomowoc (Yay! Home of my fantasy baseball team, the Oconomowoc Mocs, with the little green snake logo you see to the right), about the voter registration change proposals. I find it ludicrous that (a) people can register to vote on election day and (b) people don't have to show photo ID at the polls to prove who they are. Here in Florida, voter registration cuts off a couple of weeks before the election, if I remember right. They have a printout at your assigned precinct, which you have to sign on the line with your name, and you have to show valid identification to vote. For all of the fun-making at Florida's expense during the 2000 election debacle, we do at least require advance registration and photo ID to help prevent election fraud.

Scott M said...

@Clyde

I've never understood the logic that it requires more personal action, info, and ID to get a credit card or have a utility hooked up at your house, than it does to vote. Unless, of course, those calling for no voter registration rules have an ulterior motive, but that couldn't be the case...could it?

Known Unknown said...

As for the wife, she isn't fat. A little big in the hips, maybe, and tall, but a lot of guys find a woman with curves attractive.

Nah, she's a fatty.

sunsong said...

Congrats on your change of leadership! I hope he and your state succeed wonderfully in creating jobs and bringing greater and greater prosperity, financial sanity and improved quality of life to your fellow citizens.

former law student said...

I've never understood the logic that it requires more personal action, info, and ID to get a credit card or have a utility hooked up at your house, than it does to vote.

To receive credit you have to establish you're trustworthy. (Credit means "trust.") What does trustworthy mean in the voting context -- that only those who will vote "the right way" should be eligible to vote?

Further, I've never had to provide any info to have a utility hooked up at my house other than my name -- they already know where I live. When I was a rookie I had to give them a deposit, which was refunded after six months of prompt payment, because I had established I could be trusted to pay for what I use.

KCFleming said...

So explain the ID for beer, cash in hand.

Scott M said...

To receive credit you have to establish you're trustworthy. (Credit means "trust.") What does trustworthy mean in the voting context -- that only those who will vote "the right way" should be eligible to vote?

So...voter fraud fits into trustworthiness how? There's not a compelling interest to make sure the person voting is who they say they are and that they are only voting once?

Further, I've never had to provide any info to have a utility hooked up at my house other than my name -- they already know where I live. When I was a rookie I had to give them a deposit, which was refunded after six months of prompt payment, because I had established I could be trusted to pay for what I use.

I've had to provide proof of residence a number of times in the past. Thankfully, those days are behind me, but that's because I'm a homeowner with a long enough history at the same primary address. The phone/power/water company aren't going to allow you to make changes to the services of the address you're trying to affect without you're having proved who you are. Otherwise it would be possible to have your least favorite neighbor's water turned off at a whim.

No reason to make sure the people casting votes are who they say they are, FLS?

former law student said...

So explain the ID for beer, cash in hand.

Don't trust anyone under 30.

Calypso Facto said...

I'm (surprisingly?) still saddened that the Milwaukee Are Labor Council would bus in protesters for the inauguration.

I don't recall that being done by anyone in the past, and couldn't find any previous mention of it online. A new Wisconsin low in political demagoguery.

Give the guy a chance to do the job a majority of voters elected him to do, fer cripesakes.

Calypso Facto said...

*Milwaukee Area Labor Council

former law student said...

There's not a compelling interest to make sure the person voting is who they say they are and that they are only voting once?

You have heard of people obtaining fake IDs, I presume? That's assuming these measures addressed real issues, and were not just more useless bureaucracy.

From my personal experience such a requirement is unnecessary. Last November I was pleased to see a former co-worker working the polls -- we chatted a bit as I waited for a station to open up. Knowing who I was, she had no reason to ask for any ID. And although it was late in the day when I went to sign my name in the precinct book, it was obvious that no one had voted in my name that day. So how often does this happen? Ever?

If matching me to my name is important, I wouldn't mind if the poll worker had a stack of facsimile voter registration cards to compare my signature to. That takes the burden off me.

Unregistered voters should have to establish their identity.

Original Mike said...

"From my personal experience such a requirement is unnecessary."

God. Not this crap again.

KCFleming said...

Yeah, not my experience.

A busload of Somali women who cannot speak English are "vouched for" by one man, who then "helps them" to vote.

Fraud and bullshit and dangerous.

Unknown said...

E.M. Davis said...

As for the wife, she isn't fat. A little big in the hips, maybe, and tall, but a lot of guys find a woman with curves attractive.

Nah, she's a fatty.


No old lady arms, no chins, nice waist.

She ain't fat.

former law student said...

A busload of Somali women who cannot speak English are "vouched for" by one man, who then "helps them" to vote.

Are you talking about the primary election in Kansas City last year? Because all those Somali people showed proper ID before they were allowed to vote, per the Circuit Court's decision. I guess not even proper ID is sufficient, when the voters can't be trusted to vote the way you want:

19. Mr. Elmer Wyatt testified that he was an election judge for the August 3, 2010,
primary election, and that he worked at the Garfield Elementary School location as a supervising
election judge. He did observe two Somali gentlemen come in and vote. He did see one of those
Somali men assisting two groups of voters. Mr. Wyatt did observe the Somali man acting as an
interpreter for some voters, and he was able to see that each voter did check in and show proper
identification to verify that they were registered voters. Mr. Wyatt clearly observed that the
Somali man who was acting as an "interpreter" did not check in for any of the voters.


http://watchdogmedia.org/missouri
/judiciary/district-court/
kansas-city/royster-v-rizzo/
2010-09-15-amended-judgment
-w-stephen-nixon.pdf

Hazy Dave said...

"Milwaukee State Journal"? Heh.

The 5th Dimension's hit single medley was titled "Aquarius / Let The Sunshine (sic) In", and, obviously Julie Driscoll's version is titled "Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine (sic) In", so I wouldn't fault the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel very much...

froggyprager said...

I walked through this on my way to lunch and saw Tommy Thompson walking in and then heard a bit of the speech, there were a few boos. Regarding the protest outside, that is fine with me but the main message was not very clear, pre made signs said We Need Good Jobs Now. He pledged to create millions of jobs and will of course not be able lto to that and Barrett would not have been able to either. These folks want jobs for poor in Milwaukee (which is not clear from sings) but what is the point, like a Jewish kid asking Santa for a puppy. Althouse, I hope you contiune to cover the brilliant young governor enacts in our fine state.

Anonymous said...

And although it was late in the day when I went to sign my name in the precinct book, it was obvious that no one had voted in my name that day. So how often does this happen? Ever?

Our friend fls probably has never been murdered, either. That proves it! The lousy Rethuglikkkans are just hyping up the supposed danger of violent crime.

Disband the Homicide Squad!

wv: bustess -- Viva Christina Hendricks!

former law student said...

Dang. I thought I had posted a link to the only "Somali busload" voting case from last year.

Anyways, all of the women had been previously registered and all had proper ID, according to the testimony of the relevant poll worker.

And yet pogo still isn't satisfied.

former law student said...

The lousy Rethuglikkkans are just hyping up the supposed danger of violent crime.

The FBI tabulates violent crime statistics. Where are the voter impersonation statistics?

http://www.fbi.gov/
about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Health savings account deserve credit for coming up with yet another innovative idea in health care economics, until you realize how screwed up they are.

It's laudable to try to make insured aware of how their risks and preventive health care are tied to increasing or decreasing overall cost, but the incentives are completely warped. Preventive care is both less costly to provide and makes more costly catastrophic coverage less likely to strike. Yet, the HSAs charge for this in the form a medical account that is often unfunded anyway, while covering everything above the deductible (catastrophic coverage).

If HSAs had 100% coverage of routine medical (maintenance) costs, and kicked in co-pays once you required catastrophic coverage, then the incentives would make economic sense. But at the moment, they're all ass-backward.