14 December 2010

22 November 2010

Glenn Grothman, finally figuring out the dangers of unregulated capitalism?

I'm a bit shocked, but happy to note that Glenn got the Payday Loan industry exactly right. Now, why can't he see that the only difference between these guys and WMC is the price of their shoes?

Oh well, one thing at a time.

Payday ploy - JSOnline

"This industry does not exist in a state like Minnesota, and I don't see any downside in keeping these usurious vipers out of our state," said Grothman, a state senator from West Bend. "There are so many legitimate businesses in this state that need regulatory help. I sure hope that these guys are not on the list."

06 November 2010

Okay, I take back everything I've ever posted.

Feeling of discontent sparks sweeping change in Wisconsin's leaders | stevenspointjournal.com | Stevens Point Journal

State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, a member of the Senate's Republican leadership team, said the Legislature shouldn't focus solely on economic or business legislation. Grothman specifically mentioned legislation to require voters to show photo IDs at the polls as a necessary change.

"Voters make decisions for many different reasons," Grothman said. "You can't ignore people who have concerns other than the business climate."


Thank you Glenn, but they will.


hiho
Mp

26 September 2010

$100,000 incomes common at MATC - JSOnline

Glenn finally wakes up, or something.

After hacking away at the UW System, reducing the state's contribution from 75% to 25% and shifting the costs of college on to the backs of the middle class, Glenn finally turns his attention to the tech colleges -- because people who don't go to college need to pay more for a education after high school too.

$100,000 incomes common at MATC - JSOnline

Call for change

State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) said Saturday he wants to change that.

Grothman said he would draft legislation to allow individual technical college districts to set pay for each discipline separately

"If MATC has to pay top dollar for teachers of dental hygienists, nurses or computerized numerical fabricators, that may be fine," Grothman said. "But the idea they are paying $136,000 to teach someone to pass the GED is scandalous, and shows contempt for taxpayers and students paying tuition."

Grothman said the current system "allows people to make $90,000 a year when we could find applicants who would be grateful to do the job for $40,000 a year."

The senator's statement angered MATC faculty union President Michael Rosen, who teaches economics.

"Grothman is trying to destroy unions and the middle class," Rosen said Saturday. "Someone who is not an educator and has not spent time evaluating the college shouldn't be trying to micromanage the college when it functions well. . . . The state isn't funding technical colleges at the level that was promised" when the technical college system was started, he said.


While I am sympathetic with Mr. Rosen, Mr. Grothman's entire career has been spent in an effort to micromanage education. Welcome to the fight, MATC.

hiho

14 August 2010

Law schools undermining civil liberties?

Oy.

WisPolitics.com: Sen. Grothman: Thanks Tea Party groups, Wisconsin Right to Life and others for defending First Amendment

In which Glenn says,


"The average citizen in my district seems much more familiar with original intent of the First Amendment than the judges on the GAB board. For too many years, law schools have been promoting the idea that the Constitution is an outdated document that should be weaseled around rather than the greatest blueprint for government in the history of man,” said Grothman.


Almost as crazy as his complaint that his Native American constituents don't mind the use of Native American mascots for sporting events.

Right, so Brother Grothman: Please name a single law school in which the Constitution is presented as an "outdated document."

If you can't, then you're a big fat liar.

If you can, then I'll help to run the place out of business.

11 July 2010

Glenn Grothman: scores an "F" On Police Association Scorecard


From our friends over at The Political Environment



Glenn's economic paradigm is already at work eroding public education. Maybe he's finally getting around to removing police, fire, and water from the state budget too?

hiho

08 July 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for criticizing a civil rebuke to Arizona

Oh goodness.


County Board apologizes to Arizona for MATC boycott

A divided Ozaukee County Board issued a formal apology to the State of Arizona for a decision by the Milwaukee Area Technical College District Board to boycott the state because of its controversial immigration law.
[...]
Walerstein said he proposed the resolution at the suggestion of State Sen. Glenn Grothman, who last week told Ozaukee Press he considered the boycott to be an embarrassment to Wisconsin.

...in pretty much the same way it was embarrassing for the US Government to ask BP to clean up it's mess.


hiho
Mp

27 June 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on race. Again.

Because the Milwaukee School board is racist, but the Arizona immigration law isn't.


WisPolitics.com: Sen. Grothman: Grothman to MPS: Leave Arizona alone and focus on solving the problems in your own school district


He's just like the Fighting Glenn LaGrothman of the ultra-rights, right?

Uh, no.

19 June 2010

Glenn Grothman: right on marijuana??

I hate it when I get hopeful like this. Will Glenn begin to adhere more to old fashioned conservatism?

I doubt it, but in the meantime there's this break in lock step of ideological purity.

Madison NORML: Madison NORML Examiner: Medical Marijuana Supporters at Leah Vukmir campaign event outnumber Vukmir fans



hiho
Mp

16 June 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on tyranny. Again.

As usual, the government is not the threat here. The threat are those for whom Glenn's economic policies are an endless nectar of wealth.


In the meantime, for the sheeple, some photo-ops:

Glenn Grothman picture of the day - Isthmus | The Daily Page


They did leave out "Ignorance is Strength" of course... too many letter.

11 June 2010

Glenn Grothman: boycotting Arizona tactic of totalitarianism?

Hi everyone,

Glenn doesn't like MATC's decision to boycott Arizona businesses and conference sites.

Sen. Grothman: Grothman to MATC Board: Time to rescind Arizona boycott resolution

Okay, perhaps free speech in Glenn's mind only applies to corporations and not public institutions, now that corporations are persons, but here's what caught my eye: a new meme.

“I move in very conservative circles and have never heard anybody suggest not doing business with companies in states and cities with so-called sanctuary-city laws, same-sex marriage statutes, euthanasia laws, etc. – this tactic is purely a tool of the totalitarian left,” said Grothman.



Note the uptick in rhetoric here. No longer simply the crazy left or the socialist left or the communist left... 'totalitarian left.'

An ironic sentiment coming from a politician who has worked harder than anyone else in the state to take power away from the people and the ballot box, and transfer it to the marketing budgets of corporations.

04 June 2010

Glenn Grothman: having it both ways on education.

Here's Glenn having it both ways. He blames lousy teaching for the problems in MPS rather than the structural deficit which has relentlessly whittled away the funding for schools.


State Sen. Glenn Grothman is a critic of MPS.

"When the Milwaukee Public Schools fail as many children as the Milwaukee Public Schools are failing now, that is a disaster for the entire state and they must improve," Grothman says.

Grothman says putting more money into the budget for certain positions, such as librarians, is not the answer to boosting low test scores in reading and math.

"Milwaukee is in the top 10 percent of spending schools in the state. Their total spending is about 17 or 18 percent higher than the state average. Clearly, money is not the problem with MPS," Grothman says.

The problem, according to Grothman, is that too much money is spent on teacher salaries, not student outcomes.



When you point to teacher quality and isolate the real problem in the state's structural funding deficit he can say districts can raise all the money they like if they hold referenda. If a district then decides to hold a referendum, he can claim that raising taxes isn't a cure and throw blame at the teachers.

This way he dodges the blame for a spending formula that is now, remorselessly, pushing poorer districts over a cliff. Part of Glenn's culture war against the poor?

hiho
M

26 May 2010

If our kids do yoga, then the terrorists win.

From Mary Weigand's blog. Her husband Dave ran as a fiscal creationist and now sits on the district school board. Together they've been busily trying to erase evolution and hate speech against LGBT kids from the schools.

I think they need to try harder. Somehow, along with evolution and a safer/happier school environment for LGBT kids, yoga has snuck in like a venomous horned demon on little cat feet.

Or something. Over to Ms. Weigand:

What's New in West Bend Schools: YOGA IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL

I just wonder why a public school would incorporate Yoga
into an activity held at school. Yoga is deeply rooted in
Hinduism-isn't that a religion? Who authorized this?
What does this have to do with public education?
What were the parents told about the Yoga (and drumming?)?
This was many of the girls' FIRST YOGA EXPERIENCE!
The schools have engaged in proselytizing, using our kids as
the prize.

Yoga is a gateway exercise to even healthier options. Stop it now!



Shout out to Dan Backhaus for spotting this.


hiho
Mp

25 May 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong about native american mascots.

Shockingly, it turns out that native Americans find racial stereotyping of their culture in team names to be derogatory and painful. And now they don't have to put up with that anymore.

Gov. Jim Doyle signs school mascot bill | Indian Country Today | Great Lakes

But not so our own Glenn Grothman who, on behalf of his constituent felt he had to add:

Grothman stated that many of his Native American constituents supported mascots and shouldn’t be told what to do by a white liberal extremist or one malcontent.


"Many of this Native American constituents"??? He's high.

Native Americans constitute about .3% of our population.

So listen up white boy, I'm calling you out. Not only do I not believe you have ever knowingly spoken to one of your native American constituents, but I'd be astonished to discover that they think you have a handle on this whole mascot thing. Name two and I'll buy you lunch at Janulis.

hiho
Mp

23 May 2010

Glenn Grothman: opposed to Pasteurization?

WisPolitics.com: Sen. Grothman: Oh no! Say it’s not true – Doyle vetoes raw milk bill

"My heart goes out to the hundreds of people who have been advised by doctors, chiropractors, and nutritionists to drink raw milk for their problems who now will have to suffer,” said Grothman.


Although I can't disagree with Glenn in principle, in practice it's more important to protect the integrity of the industry. All this conservative idealism about the market place protecting us from dying. It's so Romantic.

But can anyone point me to a single physician in the state of Wisconsin who has advised patients to drink raw milk "for their problems"? If you can, I'll write a column on this plus I'll buy you a milkshake.

Thanks!


Mp

06 May 2010

Glenn Grothman: Psychopompos no. Psychopompous, yes.

Glenn is having quite a week embarrassing Washington County.


From the Shephard Express.


Jerk of the Week: State Sen. Glenn Grothman

Shameless. With reasoning straight out of the Dark Ages, West Bend Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman attacked the new and very necessary mental health parity law, which requires group health insurance policies to cover mental illnesses and addiction treatment at the same level as other illnesses. Grothman sent out a press release with the absurd claims that psychology is a “very subjective field,” mental illness is “more of a cultural phenomenon than a medical phenomenon” and that a “down-to-earth state like Idaho” has fewer mental health professionals than “a very left-wing state like Vermont.” Here’s the reality: Mental illnesses are biologically based. Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and a host of other mental illnesses are not the result of moral failing, political views or lack of willpower. Instead of defending immoral, profit-driven insurance companies, Grothman should help people get treatment, live full lives and make positive contributions to their families and communities.


Glenn Grothman: rolling back civil rights.

From OneWisconsinNow:


The Right is White
WI Republicans propose constitutional amendment to ban affirmative actionLyndon Johnson, issuer of Executive Order #11246, had this to say in 1965:

You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, ‘you are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.

Thirty-five years later, Wisconsin Sen. Glenn Grothman (R) and Rep. Gary Tachen (R) announced they were introducing a constitutional amendment to ban affirmative action in Wisconsin. They were incited to protect white advantages because Assembly Democrats “tried to resurrect the Minority Business Grants and Loans Program on a straight party-line vote.” Grothman said the Democratic-backed bills “tear at the very fabric of our culture.” [Sen. Glenn Grothman]

03 May 2010

Glenn Grothman: attacks the bill he may need most.


Cognitive Dissidence picks up (and dissects) Glenn's opposition to the mental health bill.


hiho!

30 April 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on mental illness

Glenn thinks mental illness is socially constructed? The universe is now officially ending.

What about economics then?

Gack.

see Glenn Grothman takes on Wisconsin psychiatrists

and from Glenn:
“Most people feel that mental health is an area fraught with abuse. It may be very easy for psychiatrists, psychologists,
and social workers to justify spending additional hours with patients in this very subjective field. In many
respects, this may be more of a cultural phenomenon than a medical phenomenon,” said Grothman.

26 April 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for lying to provoke conservatives.

As Uncle Jed used to say, "hooooooo doggie."

This is nothing but lying with no purpose but to rile up conservative fear -- a trick getting lots of mileage these days.

From Glenn's April 16th press release entitled:

Time to Educate the Public, Congress on Our Constitution
A Civilian National Security Force Not Needed Against Americans
“While I have signed on to resolutions dealing with the recent healthcare power grab, I have decided to bring the Legislature’s attention to President Obama’s bizarre campaign promise to establish ‘… a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, and just as well funded” as our military,” said Grothman. “The speech was given at the University of Colorado on July 2, 2008, and the context of the speech makes it clear this is not an expansion of AmeriCorps or similar other civilian make-work program. There is no way any American that is the least bit concerned about our nation’s future should not be horrified at what is going on in that man’s mind.”

Right.

No.

From Factcheck.org
This false claim is a badly distorted version of Obama's call for doubling the Peace Corps, creating volunteer networks and increasing the size of the Foreign Service.
This question stems from an interview that Republican Rep. Broun of Georgia gave to The Associated Press Nov. 10. The story carried a headline, "Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship." It said that Broun "fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

This makes me think of those cartoons where the editor asks readers to send in punchlines.


hiho
Mp



hiho
Mp

25 April 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on race and gender preferences--and on Africa being a country.

All of this is already well established under federal law -- more smoke and political pot stirring from Glenn.


Wouldn't it be more useful to try to fix the funding scheme that has shortchanged West Bend schools for the past 20 years? Apparently saying No to federal court rulings he can't affect is more important.


http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_ac663ade-4e0e-11df-8fb9-001cc4c002e0.html

Quoth Glenn:

"These bills tear at the very fabric of our culture. For a short-term electoral advantage, the Democrats will turn America into a country like Iraq, India, or Africa where elections are contests between ethnic groups. The pandering to radical women’s groups is even worse,” said Grothman. “Even women are getting mad that their husbands and sons are being discriminated against because of a few angry feminists.”

If aren't careful, next thing they'll want to be able to vote and.. shudder... drive cars.


hiho

18 April 2010

Glenn Grothman: increasingly "non-germane".

Senate passes education bill


Sen. Glenn Grothman's substitute amendment to the state superintendent bill has been ruled non-germane, and the Senate passed SB 437 by an 18-15 vote.

As usual.


11 April 2010

Glenn Grothman proposes cut in clean energy mandate « Blogging Blue

While I was grading Blogging Blue stepped up to keep an eye on Glenn. Grazie Senor Arndt!


Glenn Grothman proposes cut in clean energy mandate « Blogging Blue

Glenn Grothman proposes cut in clean energy mandate

State Senator Glenn Grothman, always entertaining, proposes an amendment to the Clean Energy Jobs Act cutting the required percentage of renewable energy use in Wisconsin by 2015, from 10% to 8%. Grothman claims, “the state currently has far more energy supply than energy demand” and the mandate for renewable energy will result in the unnecessary construction of renewable energy generation sources, driving up the cost of power for consumers.

Ignoring the need to end our dependence on foreign and environmentally harmful sources of energy, Grothman uses the recent “Climatgate” scandal to question the need for alternative energy at all;

“The idea of global warming has so thoroughly been questioned a lot of people feel it was a total waste to have the Clean Energy Committee to meet at all.”

“You have scientists who were found to have been manipulating worldwide temperature data to advance the global warming agenda.”

Unfortunately for Glenn an investigation has cleared the scientists of wrongdoing, and climate change is still a threat.

As a state and as a nation we need alternative sources of energy. I share Grothman’s concern that they be economically feasible sources but infrastructure investments of this scale often require government assistance to get off the ground. Setting the renewable energy bar lower is a step in the wrong direction for Wisconsin.

————————————————————–

02 April 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for wanting to help employers violate the right to free speech of their employees.

It's official: Freedom is Slavery.


From Blaska's Blog.

Free speech enemies

State Senator Glenn Grothman makes a point that visitors to Stately Blaska Manor know all too well: Our liberal/progressive friends love free speech as long as they agree with it.

Sen. Grothman brings my attention to Senate Bill 523, introduced by leftists Sen. Spencer Coggs of Milwaukee and Madison’s own Mark Pocan. Sen.Grothman says:

“It appears on its face that not only (university) chancellors and deans but department heads, members of committees that determine tenure or other employees would be barred from being critical of a union. This bill would go far beyond the National Labor Relations Act by using the word ‘discourage’ instead of ‘coerce’ or ‘intimidate.’”

Glenn says “Hatred for the free exchange of ideas has always been a priority of the hard Left. Be it the McCain-Feingold prohibitions against political free speech, Tammy Baldwin and Gwen Moore’s vote for the “Fairness Doctrine” to shut down talk radio, or the “hate speech” codes which proliferated at American universities in the 1980s and 1990s, the Left is always afraid of people hearing both sides of the story.”

Uh, right.


Here's the actual bill:

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, state employees covered under the State Employment Labor Relations Act and the faculty and academic staff of the University of Wisconsin System have similar collective bargaining rights. Current law also specifies unfair labor practices for these employers, including interfering with employees in the exercise of their rights to bargain collectively, creating or interfering with any labor organization, refusing to bargain collectively, and encouraging or discouraging membership in a labor organization by employment discrimination. This bill makes it an unfair labor practice for these employers to use any moneys received to discourage employees from exercising their rights to bargain collectively.
Because protecting the rights of employees by definition violates the rights of employers -- the group Glenn has been programmed to protect.

Glenn Grothman: collecting his per diem.

From Political Capital:

"West Bend Republican state senator Glenn Grothman is the perfect poster boy for a part-time legislature.

Although not much of anything happening this week under the marble big top, Glenn was making his usual per-diem rounds in the state Capitol, with a yellow legal pad, in a concerted effort to stamp out the Democratic leadership agenda."

Although, if you ask me, typing it this way is a nice example of the fallacy of accent. Now, for bonus points, can anyone identify the implicit fallacy committed by Glenn when he flashes a yellow legal pad?

Glenn Grothman: wrong for calling inner city voters lazy and uninformed.

Oh dear.

Democurmudgeon: Wisconsin Republicans Shocking Unabashed Racism Opposing Election Reform Goes Unchallenged. Still Believe "That's not what we mean" excuse?

and this from Sly

We speak to West Bend Representative Glenn Grothman regarding his comments about proposed election laws that make it easier to register to vote. Grothman said the Democrats are helping "lazy and uninformed voters" with this bill. Milwaukee talk radio host Mark Belling went further by saying that Democrats are the only ones who cheat and that this bill will "help black people cheat". Funny how the only voters that get challenged and intimidated at the polls are in low-income, prominently African-American wards. Bellings comments aren't only racist, they are dead wrong.

Nice to know that Belling isn't just devoting his time to making friends with the Hispanic community.

13 March 2010

Glenn Grothman: now wearing blue jeans and Birkenstocks?

Glenn speaks up in favor of the naturopathic advantages of raw milk.

Wow. Next thing you know, Glenn will be walking to work at the co-op.

02 March 2010

Glenn Grothman: loves the closet

Some Glenncritique from the Isthmus.

Emily's Post: Campaign turkeys, Glenn Grothman loves the closet and animal research debate

Apparently the bit about not discriminating against gay students is what really got Grothman’s goat:

Back when he went to high school in Mequon, he recalled, the issue never, ever came up. "Did people even know what homosexuality was in high school in 1975? I don't remember any discussion about that at the time. There were a few guys who would make fun of a few effeminate boys," he said, "but that's a different thing than homosexuality."

"Homosexuality," Grothman remembered, "was not on anybody's radar. And that's a good thing."

That's also how it should be today, he said. Grothman has long insisted that sexual orientation is a choice, not a matter of genetics. "Why sit down with 7th graders and say to some you will be heterosexual, some homosexual? Part of that agenda which is left unsaid is that some of those who throw it out as an option would like it if more kids became homosexuals," he said.

Putting aside the breathtaking ignorance inherent in his claim that no one knew what homosexuality was back in ’75 (um…disco anyone?), there is so much wrong with this guy’s attitude and ideas that I hardly know where to start.

25 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on sex ed -- continued.

Washington County: Gov. Doyle signs Sex Ed Bill into law TODAY - Grothman blasts DOYLE

“Sadly, Governor Doyle today signed a bill requiring Wisconsin’s school districts to teach sex education without showing any bias toward sexually active pupils,” said Grothman.
The biggest irony, as always, is that good sex education -- uncomfortably thorough for Glenn, no doubt -- not only lowers the rate of teenage pregnancy, but even the rate of teenage sexual activity.

--which Glenn would have known had he bothered to do any research on this topic, beyond checking in with his conscience... and Ginny's conscience.

Interestingly enough, Google found this statement only on the local Eagle Forum page (linked here). For more Google fun, note Glenn's frequent use of the phrase "Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) blasted" in his own press releases.

hiho
Mp

22 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: Honorable mention in the Shepherd-Express

Shepherd-Express - Issue of the Week: "Jerk of the Week
State Sen. Glenn Grothman

While the Obama administration is attempting to overturn the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on homosexual servicemen and servicewomen—a plan endorsed by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that “allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do”—state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) bemoaned a new law that would prohibit Wisconsin schools from promoting “bias against pupils of any race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic or cultural background or against sexually active pupils or pupils with disabilities.” He prefers a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gay students and their educators.

In an interview with a reporter from The Cap Times, Grothman fondly recalled the good old days at his Mequon high school in the 1970s, when “homosexuality was not on anybody’s radar. And that’s a good thing.” (He did admit that there were “a few guys who would make fun of a few effeminate boys” back then, but that doesn’t count, apparently.) As for today’s more enlightened sex educators, Grothman claims that some of them “would like it if more kids became homosexuals.”"

17 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on high school.

The mind reels, but here's some more Glenn roundup on his "keep them in the closet" comments from around the web.

From Emily's Post: Campaign turkeys, Glenn Grothman loves the closet and animal research debate

Folks like Grothman, who apparently see no harm in bullying “a few effeminate boys” and actively encouraging, if not outright forcing, gay youths to stay in the closet, only serve to perpetuate an extremely unhealthy environment for all of us. Gay teen suicide rates aren’t so high because being gay makes you suicidal; they’re high because being gay in a society that is so nasty toward you for it can really suck.
I guess that would keep 'em from getting uppity.


hiho
Mp

16 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: "there were no gays when I was young." Uh, right.

Some more fallout from around the web on Glenn's recent pronouncements:


GSA for Safe Schools Responds to Senator Grothman


and on the Don't Ask legislation.



The presumption must be that all of this nonsense will shore up Glenn's voter base in some way: what does this tell us about his base that doesn't include the words xenophobic, homophobic, and puritanical?


hiho
Mp

15 February 2010

10 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong on sex ed AND algebra.

More fretting from Glenn about the new sex ed law that finally puts facts ahead of fears.

Will school districts drop sex ed rather than comply with state law?

One of the bill’s most vocal opponents, Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, is especially scornful of the bill’s requirement that there be no “bias” based on a student’s sexual orientation, a protection he attempted to remove from the bill with an amendment that failed to get enough votes to pass. Grothman explains that he believes the topic should not be discussed at all in schools. “Would you want your daughter’s teacher in 7th grade talking with her about homosexuality?” he asks. “They should be talking about Algebra.”

Good sex ed is still good sex ed... but he's damned right about teaching 7th graders algebra. But if he believes this he should get on the stick and fix the budgeting problem that has, for decades now, penalized West Bend schools by keeping out state funding low -- assuming anyone in the legislature, besides Leah Vukmir, will even talk to him anymore.

Maybe we need a state Senator who can play well with others.

Glenn, please run against Feingold.


hiho
Mp

05 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for thinking Wisconsin is not that hot. Part II

It's nice of Glenn to provide fodder here.

Senator Grothman reiterated his call to disband the Clean Energy Committee as Wisconsin has had its second year in a row of temperatures below average, calling the whole rationale of the original task force in question. At the first committee meeting Senator Miller adjourned the committee while Senator Grothman tried to get his attention to discuss this fact.


I suppose he doesn't mind subsidizing the coal and gas industries, but wind? Bad bad bad.

04 February 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for thinking Wisconsin is not that hot.

Glenn doesn't believe in global warming because it's colder in West Bend this year.


Wis. senator calls for disbanding state's Clean Energy Committee

Wisconsin state Senator Glenn Grothman says he's not convinced climate change is happening in our state. Representing West Bend, he serves on the state's Clean Energy Committee. He says the committee should disband and stop pursuing alternative energy options for the state.

"The whole reason we're spending this additional money is because we're supposed to be fighting global warming," says Sen. Grothman during a phone interview. "Well, if we have two years where temperatures in Wisconsin are below average, why are we doing it?"

31 January 2010

Glenn Grothman: absolutely right to run for Senate.

Let me be among the first:

Senator Grothman: please, please, please, run against Senator Feingold.

Please.



From the local paper:

Speculation on a possible challenger for U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold has conservatives casting an eye toward state Sen. Glenn Grothman, a West Bend Republican.

Elections will be held on Nov. 2 for 36 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate.

“Lots of people have asked me about whether I’d run for his seat,” Grothman said.

29 January 2010

Glenn Grothman: wrong for dissembling on Global Warming.

Apparently Glenn was back on the caffeine this week.

At 'public' hearing on energy, the public is relegated to sit in the back of the bus

Never happened. And as the hours dragged on -- and on -- and on -- without a single member of a citizen group or individual citizen called to testify, it sometimes became theater of the absurd, as State Sen. Glenn Grothman and State Rep. Jim Ott put on a show to challenge whether global warming was really happening. If you could keep a sense of humor, what John LaForge of Nukewatch called a Flat Earth Society meeting was kind of amusing -- for awhile.

"The reason to fight global warming is to make it colder," Ott, a former TV weatherman said. "How much colder would you like it to be?" It was, indeed, cold outside, not that it had any relevance.

Grothman, meanwhile, declaring that the last two years had been colder in Wisconsin, asked witnesses how many years in a row it would have to get cooler before they gave up this silly global warming idea.

A representative of the Union of Concerned Scientists said the last decade was the warmest on record, and explained that climate change is measured in periods of 20 to 30 years, while weather -- which is measured by TV weathermen --- is measured pretty much all the time.

And Glenn isn't embarrassed to say this stuff out loud. How is it 80% of the Republican Party in Washington County thought Glenn would be an improvement over Mary Panzer?

Glenn Grothman: wrong for promoting sexual ignorance and bias against homosexuals.

Oh good grief.

Senate Education Comm. Republicans promote ignorance in Healthy Youth Act amendments

The Healthy Youth Act is on track for passage by the state Senate, thankfully without amendments offered by Sen. Glenn Grothman and his Republican cronies. Grothman has so many bad ideas an entire blog is devoted to following them.

The most offensive of Grothman’s amendments would allow a school to use instructional methods and materials that promote bias against pupils based on sexual orientation. If being a gay teenager was not difficult enough, Grothman wants to institutionalize discrimination in the classroom. Not only against gay students, but sexually active students as well. The benefits of abstinence are required teaching under the Healthy Youth Act but Grothman appears to prefer sexually active students branded with a modern-day scarlet letter.

11 January 2010

10 January 2010

Glenn Grothman: helping to disrupt a Senator's listening sessions?

Are Jim Ott and Glenn Grothman helping to disrupt listening sessions?

More typical and effective teabagging, sounds like

If people are allowed to listen, democracy actually works.
When people aren't allowed to listen, you get something else.

Russ Feingold’s January 2010 Listening Session


Thanks Clyde.