Conservatively Speaking

keep fighting for us.  You and the assembly are doing the right thing.  Taxes and fees are too high in wisconsin.  If we have to live with last years budget for another year we will be better off than the huge tax increases in this one.  Why can't the governor be reasonable in his proposals and make this budget process alot easier.  I have not recieved a raise from my job this year to cover the increases the democrats are wanting.

Elguapov:

Your comments are superficial and borderline ridiculous.  Taxes are high in Wisconsin (fees are actually not that high - do your homework before asserting things) for a reason.  The reason is that people in Wisconsin want a high quality of life and lots of services.  We want excellent schools, lots of parks, new and large libraries, high levels of service from fire and police, and on and on.  If you were to live in many other places throughout the US, you would find mediocre schools, few parks, small or nonexistent libraries, and other services either missing or substantially lower in quality/quantity.  You can't have it both ways - wanting these services and wanting low taxes.  The Republicans continually try to fool voters with their rhetoric about how Democrats just want to tax, tax, tax (not really accurate, by the way...I'll get to that).  Where do you think these taxes go, my friend?  Do we have multi-millionaire government workers sitting in government buildings counting their money?  Be serious.  Republicans don't focus their energy on addressing the needs of poor and middle-class people.  They think people should fend for themselves in this capitalist country, and that any help provided to people should come from non-profits or volunteers.  Do you want an example?  How about health care.  Do you think any Republicans at the local, state or national level worry about providing health care to all Americans?  Heck no - leave it to market forces and things will sort themselves out, right?  How about the environment?  First, the Republicans made fun of the 'wacky' Democrats who believed in this farce called Global Warming.  Now, the Republicans are finally starting to get interested.  But, again, they want market forces to create more fuel-efficiency and would never consider any sort of government involvement.  Heavens no, we wouldn't want that evil force called the Government to stick its nose into global warming matters.  OK, a third example, you say?  How about education - the Republicans favor competition and letting students attend school wherever they want.  It may sound somewhat good on the surface, but it's not workable.  So, you may ask, why don't Republicans support things like environmental issues and universal health care?  Because their support comes from big business and the wealthy - both entities that are not 'winners' in a situation where the government starts mandating things.  Without that support (read: MONEY), Republicans can't get elected.  They don't support diversity, they don't support gays (gee, aren't there millions of them in America?  Oh, that's right, they don't count), they are intolerant, they don't support the minimum wage, they don't support the environment, etc... But, this country apparently has the money to stick it's nose into another country's business (ever heard of Iraq?) and spend billions a month trying to prevent a full-scale civil war from breaking out - is that in our national interest?  I'd like to see that money spent on research for a cure to cancers, to fund our schools, to fund health insurance, to fund low-cost housing, not to fight a meaningless war across the globe!  How about you, Elguapov?  Are you sure you still support the Republicans?  Are you really sure?

By the way, Elguapov, I also wanted to mention that the 'taxes' you hear Republicans complain about are actually not taxes on you.  They are taxes on large oil companies and on hospitals.  Politicians call this 'Spin', where they make their arguments without sharing all of the relevant information, in order to pursuade uninformed voters of their position.  All of the focus on the state level is on partisan politics, and there is plenty blame to go around with both political parties.  What we need are legislators that are working towards the common good, who don't wear labels of Republican or Democrat, who don't accept money from political action committees and big business, who are ethical and moral, who don't mind not being re-elected if it means doing the right thing..... There are precious few of these people in Madison, and Mary Lazich certainly isn't one of them.

Hmmm . . . "FRED."  Taking a dig, possibly at Keller . . . New today.  A bit too "not messed up" for an HTC replacement, but still, I don't know, could be.  Also, has the ramblings and rants of Unfettered.  It may be just be one of the two of you.  We will just have to see.  There is no way you'll be able to disguise yourselves for too long if it is one of you.  You're too far out there.  Good luck.  I'm sure you'll reply.   That will bring out more of your true colors.  What do you think, Josh?

You are definately on the right track, J-RDR.

I'm not for high taxes, but I am for the collection of enough tax to  pay for programs deemed important by the citizenry so the program is of good quality. I'm also for close monitoring of tax expenditures because I don't like to see government waste , just like most other citizens. Since Mary virtually never supports any tax increase and is clearly supportive of the "starve the beast" philosophy embraced by the extreme right wing, I feel Mary would not support any budget if it contained any tax increases even if they were necessary to sustain good programs. Mary doesn't even support  property tax increases that simply keep the tax revenue from that source in line with inflation. I would like to see her replaced with someone more in the center when the time comes.

J-RDR......I would like to respond to your comment but since it isn't on topic I won't. (You too Fred Keller)

Fred-

You must be smoking some good stuff to believe that taxing the oil companies is a good thing and it will not be passed on to the consumer.  Supply and Demand process will put more gas in other states and a shortfall in wisconsin; which equals higher prices.  If you haven't noticed we already rank in the top ten for gas taxes.  Your comment"The Republicans continually try to fool voters with their rhetoric about how Democrats just want to tax, tax, tax (not really accurate, by the way...I'll get to that" is a great line needs more explanation from you.  What do you have to say about Doyle's proposed budget that has the largest tax increases in the history of the United States?  I too think legislators need to work more closely with each other, but from your comment I dont see that happening any time soon.  Any reader can feel your intense hatered for republicans from your ramblings.  And what is sad is that there are way too many of you out there.  I don't hate democrats, it does not even come close.  Some of their ideas are great and help create a good society.  This is how it is suppose to work, ideas from all sides being shared and coming up with sound solutions.    

J-RDR, Josh, Fred Keller:

I have no idea who Unfettered is, what an HTC replacement is - are you all using some secret code?  

To Elguapov: I don't 'hate' Republicans, but I'm not too keen on being represented by one in Waukesha and Ms. Lazich certainly does not espouse anything close to the ideals that I hold.  As stated in my 2nd post, there is plenty of blame with both parties for continually playing partisan games and focusing on nonsense while tremendously important issues go unaddressed.  In that sense, I'm nonpartisan.  If forced to choose, I typically (but not always) vote for Democrats - I'm more interested in the individual running for office, their background, education, stances on issues, and so on than whether they happen to be  Republican or Democrat.  What I do hate are the Rush Limbaugh's, Sean Hannity's, and their ilk of the world who have managed to co-opt millions of Americans into believing things that aren't necessarily true and accurate.  Some of the things I read in Ms. Lazich's blog come across in the same way.  If she is going to represent us, and if she is going to write a blog about her service to constituents, I would far rather see her describe how she is working to build bridges with others in Madison, finding solutions to issues, rising about petty politics and taking her own stand on topics.  Instead, she seems content to largely fill her blog with denigrating comments towards Democrats in general, and the Governor specifically.  Guess what?  Those Democrats represent millions of people in this state.  Guess what else?  The Governor represents all of us!  I think politicians sometimes forget these very basic notions - which ultimately creates nothing but divisiveness.

I don't like taxes any more than you do.  You complain about no raise this year - I work for the public sector and haven't had a raise in over two years!!!  So, you can stop the sob story.  With that said, I do enjoy and appreciate many of the services in our state and am willing to pay for them.  As "Hadtocomment" mentioned, many Republicans don't want to keep those services up in the name of 'no tax increases'.  I have no idea if you have children or not, but I do have a couple boys and one is in elementary school at a Waukesha public school.  Do you realize the effect of improper funding is having at our local level with regard to public schools?  There are no longer any Librarians in the elementary schools, no Counselors, no computer specialists, barely any teaching aides, much higher class sizes, no gifted and talented program or staff in the entire district, NO money for any type of upkeep or repair of facilities in the entire school district, etc...  There is a strong chance that, starting in the next year or two, Waukesha schools will not have any sports teams or other extracurricular activities.  The only reason many of the activities go on, and the quality is staying relatively high, are the constant fundraising efforts that parents, teachers and administrators are spending their time on, along with the volunteer hours of parents (for free, mind you) in classrooms across the city.  Does this bother you at all?  I hope so, because it's getting worse, and quickly.  At least Democrats care enough about public education to make it a high priority and allocate enough dollars to try and sustain it - Republicans wanted to cut the standard inflationary increase this year in half.  So, think about what you are really supporting when you vote for Republicans and praise Mary Lazich.  You have her and Mike Huebsch (take a look at his website - all it talks about is cutting taxes) to thank for carving the life out of our schools and other important services in Waukesha.  If the taxes are too high for you, perhaps you need to think about moving elsewhere or downsizing your life - just a thought.

Fred_

Your last sentence in your recent response sums up everything republicans are fighting for. "If the taxes are too high for you, perhaps you need to think about moving elsewhere or downsizing your life - just a thought."  Why should anyone have move out of this state to avoid high taxes?  If everyone that thought taxes were too high picked up and left this state, what kind of condition do you think wisconsin would be in?  You would lose so much money in property and sales tax that the state would seize up.  Why should I have to downsize a thing in my life?  I worked hard for everything I got, not one thing handed to me.  And the last thing I want is my money spent irresponsibly.  Maybe you should pick up and go somewhere where schools offer more services-just a thought.  That would free up some space in our classrooms.  You Never did mention a respond to the "big oil" tax being passed on to consumers.  

Fred-2 (I'll call you Fred-2 because we already have a Fred Keller) -

My mistake.  Your comments made you appear to be someone else.  

That said, Dole may be representing you, but he's not representing me.  And the main reason he was elected and re-elected ws because the he had WEAC wrapped around his little finger.  Once you make promises to the teacher's union you are in like Flint.

Perhaps you should hold some of the administration accountable in Waukesha for their spending habits.  I recall some luxery schools being built over the years in Waukesha.  Did the taxpayers vote for those?

Whoops - need to slow down - meant DOYLE of course.

Ok, Elguapov.  The response to the tax on oil companies is an easy one, and if you were following the proposal at all you wouldn't have to ask the question.  The Governor has proposed this tax with the stipulation that oil companies CANNOT pass it on to consumers in the form of higher costs.  Don't believe me?  Do you own research and you can find this out for yourself - there's a little tool called Google that might prove of service.

In terms of leaving Waukesha to find a community with more services, that's actually a bit ironic.  One of the main reasons I moved there 2 years ago was because of the outstanding schools and the proximity of a school to our home.  It has been shocking, as I've become informed on the intimacies of school financing in this state and how it affects districts like Waukesha, for me to see how much the schools are now having to rely on Parent Teacher Organizations, fundraisers, volunteers, gifts and donations from local businesses, to keep the schools running. Rather than leave, as you suggest, I'm actually busting my ass to help our local school and the district with this crisis...and it is a crisis.  I volunteer my time in the classroom, with fundraisers, serving on advisory committees, working with local non-profits that support schools in Wisconsin, helping secure grants for our school from local businesses, attending each and every PTO meeting, and more.  All just to help our schools - what are you doing in your community for public education?  If the end result of my efforts fails, and I'll be assessing that yearly, I may in fact decide to leave the district...that's a very real possibility.  If Waukesha cuts all sports, music and other extracurriculars (which could very well happen, within 1-2 years), I would take my family elsewhere or enroll them in a private school that did provide those opportunities.  What I'm suggesting to you is that the taxes you pay were not designed and implemented during the Doyle administration and only by Democrats - they have built up over a long period of time.  Voters have ultimately made the decision on what they wanted, and most voters in this state want services that demand the taxes we pay.  As I said before, if you are not one of those voters - meaning you don't like the taxes and you don't think the services provided by our state merit those taxes, then why don't you move somewhere else and quit the complaining?  It's that simple.

To J-RDR: To say that Doyle won an election based on support from the state teacher's union alone is quite the oversimplification - you aren't really that dense, are you?  Oh, one minor point - the phrase you mentioned: "in like Flint" refers to the city of Flint, Michigan and is not how the common saying goes.  It's "in like Flynn."  Just thought you might want to stop embarrassing yourself with the Flint reference.

Further, you might find it interesting and enlightening, but I'm on an e-mail list from the Wisconsin Manufacturer's and Commerce (WMC) organization and they were kind enough to send a mass email yesterday in which they supported almost every budget proposal being promulgated by our Governor.  If you are not familiar with the WMC, it's an organization that supports the causes of businesses and abhors any taxes or fees that would affect small or large business in our state.  Yet, they have stated for years that this Governor is a Democrat they can work with, because he is generally pretty moderate and supports business growth.  So, my friend, you are out of step with the WMC with your protestations of this Governor and his latest budget proposals.  

Excuse me, FRED(2), but I guess you may just be a bit older than me, that's all.  Your in Like Flynn refers to Errol Flynn and his rape escapades and, granted, it is the origin of the phrase you are speaking of, but my regerence to "In like Flint" refers to James Coburn in "In Like Flint, the movie.

And no, I am not that dense, I guess you don't realize the power the teacher's union has in Wisconsin.  And Doyle is one of the biggest butt kisser's that union has.  Maybe you would like to get on WEAC's email list also.  I can set you up with that if you would like.

Oh, oh - time for you go go sell some pizzas or candy at school.  If I were you I would go to the school board meetings instead and find out what is going on over there.