Glenn Grothman: cutting taxes for the rich is an attack on the middle class.

Hi everyone,


Yeah, Glenn put out another press release last week about the way the university poses a threat to the middle class which is odd, considering he's one of the people at fault for the need for increased tuition at Madison.

Sam Clegg's reflections in the Badger Herald.

Herald Blogs: Muckrakers - Thoughts on Martin’s Initiative?

Simply put, financially rich does not - nor has it ever - implied intellectually superior. But how does one articulate to concerned students that differential tuition does not signal a Marxist war on wealth? Certainly, the opposition will always have its class acts, such as State Senator Glenn Grothman, who argued in a press release that the tuition hike was largely “an assault on two-parent families with traditional values.” Against such lamentable cases of deliberate absurdity, little effort can or should be invested.

I used to think the absurdities were deliberate. Now I think they're simply innate -- plus that's what the evidence suggests.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: Freedom requires more gun ownership.

Hi folks,

Glenn doesn't want to allow micro-stamping of ammo in order to identify the product later. He believes it's as useless as serial numbers on guns.... but that we need more guns -- apparently.


First shots fired over handgun microstamping in Wisconsin

"The real motive of this proposal is clear - to prevent people from owning guns," Grothman said. "But because that would not be politically viable at this time, the hard left will try to start by keeping guns out of the hands of the poor and the most vulnerable citizens. Founding father George Mason said the best way to enslave people is to disarm them, and that is the way our country is going."

I guess it would be responsible for me to note that a much easier way to enslave people is to make them stupider by continually attempting to cut funding for education. This makes Mr. Grothman infinitely more dangerous that the weapons dealers for whom he's now shilling.

I am a little weirded out by his assertion here that our most vulnerable citizens are the poorest ones -- if that's the case, then why does he insist on policies that create so many of 'em? Unless maybe that's the real idea.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: Dazed and Confused, Nothing New.

Hi everyone,

The more often Glenn speaks, the easier it is to see him.

Paul Soglin: Waxing America:
Grothman Beaned In Spring Training: Dazed and Confused, Nothing New.


What continues to astonish me is that Glenn votes, repeatedly, against the interests of his own constituents here in Washington County -- home to one of the UW Campuses (actually operating in the black) that offers the lowest tuition of any of our sister institutions.

The university is the pathway, these days especially, to more secure employment opportunities -- but Glenn keeps slicing away at us, and then blames the university for "punishing" the middle class. Nice technique.

Glenn forgets that he hasn't been "middle class" in any meaningful sense since he passed the bar exam.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: wrong for opposing law enforcement improvements.

Hi everyone,

Since his budget vote is a piece of cake this year (no to everything), Glenn is finding time to comment on everything else.

The Badger Herald: News: Proposed gun bill stirs controversy

Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, and Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, ... [argue that] the bill will increase the cost of guns by $200 and infringe on individuals’ constitutional rights.

I can't afford to buy time on television or talk radio either but, according to Glenn, that's NOT an infringement of my constitutional rights.

Wow, if this kept up, only rich people would have guns. Maybe then they'd start robbing banks the old fashioned way, instead of using their Republican operatives in Congress.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: money first, safety second.

Hi everyone,

On the 10th anniversary of a crash of a van outside Janesville that killed seven people, Glenn is gearing up for his fight over the budget by going to bat against the safety of young people.

State Senate passes new rules for traveling sales crews

The sales crew bill would require anyone who employs door-to-door teams of two or more who travel together and who stay overnight away from their homes to register with the state Department of Workforce Development, pay a fee and comply with new rules. Those who hire door-to-door crews must also clear criminal background checks.

It cleared the Senate on a 27-6 vote and passed the Assembly 68-30.

Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee) had pushed the bill for years but found it blocked by Republican leaders in the past. Democrats now control both houses of the Legislature.

"There are crews who prey on our kids - especially troubled kids," who end up forced into "cult-like situations," Erpenbach said.

But Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman of West Bend said the Legislature was "overreacting to a horrible tragedy." He said some college students have earned up to $15,000 in a summer working long hours on door-to-door sales crews.

Phil Ellenbecker, 60, of Verona was on hand for the votes. His 18-year-old daughter, Malinda Turvey, had worked on a magazine sales crew for two days when she was killed in the March 25, 1999, van crash on I-90. The accident occurred as Milton police tried to stop the vehicle.

"I'm overjoyed with this," Ellenbecker said.

It's a good thing university was so much cheaper when Senator Grothman went to school.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: recognized for his contribution to global warming.

Hi everyone,

This one slipped by the Google alerts for a while, so I missed it, but it turns out that Glenn, too, has been acknowledged for his belief in the Flat Earth theory.

From: Americans for Prosperity Applauds Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman

Americans for Prosperity Applauds Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman

Thursday, March 12th 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 12, 2009:
Contact: Mark Block (414) 475-2975 or Phil Kerpen (202) 349-5880

Americans for Prosperity Applauds Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman

-Signs No Climate Tax Pledge-

MILWAUKEE-The Wisconsin chapter of the free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-WI) today applauded Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman (20th Senate District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” By doing so, Grothman pledges to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in state or local government revenue.”

“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP-WI State Director Mark Block. “We encourage all of Wisconsin’s elected officials and candidates for elected office to sign the pledge.”

State Sen. Grothman joins other Wisconsin officials State Reps. Leah Vukmir (14th), Jim Ott (23rd), Bill Kramer (97th), and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker as signers of the pledge.

Grass roots? Yeah, like JP Morgan's croquet set used grass roots for his tea parties. That's how they've been using us.

What's staggering to me is that after nearly 30 years of free market ideologues like Glenn and this wrecking crew of pirates pillaging our national and state treasuries by privatizing public services, and trying to stay afloat in the Krakatoa tsunami their greed has created, these crack-addict socialism-for-corporations-capitalism-for-everyone-else grifters are still selling the con.

Does this mean that Glenn too is asleep? Or simply that he's good at rocking our cradle?

First garter snakes, now global warming.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: please sign on to return independence to the DNR.

Wow, this is where this blog really took off: Glenn and the DNR.

Herpetologists from all over the US started emailing me to ask who this lunatic was.

However, it looks like Governor Doyle is balking at returning the appointment of the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources to the Natural Resources Board.

Why he would hesitate, I cannot imagine. He shouldn't.

It was a bad move when Gov. Thompson took control of that appointment -- although it got hurrahs from the Republicans who were tired of DNR interference in their patrons profit margins. None of them liked being told that preserving Wisconsin's ecosystem had to be taken into account when there was money to be made.

Anyway, the President of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation asked Glenn to sign on to the task of taking the politics out of appointing the DNR secretary.

Community Conversations: Let citizens' board name DNR head


For what it's worth, Lil Piping is right on the money here.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: violating the open meetings law?

Glenn is quiet for a while, and then a flurry of news, like late spring snow squalls.

My Google alerts found this in the Lakeland Times: Slamming shut the doors of government

According to Richard Mial of the La Crosse Tribune, several years ago Republican Sens. Glenn Grothman of West Bend and Alberta Darling of River Hills held invitation-only public hearings on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit spending by school districts and local governments.

That's right, invitation-only public hearings.

The abuse of manipulation of the public hearings process, both by state agencies and lawmakers, is well known by Madison insiders; in fact, for more controversial items, or bills lawmakers want to fly under the radar, public notice is often made at the last minute, and sometimes held at odd times - like a Friday afternoon - to minimize public participation.

If we have a meeting on campus to discuss styrofoam cup purchases, we follow the open meeting guidelines to the letter. What's going on in Madison?

Here's the earlier piece:

Wisconsin State Journal
Thursday, April 6, 2006
RICHARD MIAL

Wisconsin's open meetings law is based on the idea that "a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate."

But don't tell that to two prominent Republican state senators. They seem to think that it's better when the public isn't involved.

Republican Sens. Glenn Grothman of West Bend and Alberta Darling of River Hills held two invitation-only public hearings on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit spending by school districts and local governments.

Normally, such meetings are designed to get input from all citizens, but Grothman and Darling limited a March 29 meeting at the Germantown Village Hall to local government leaders only. An earlier session March 13 in Brown Deer was limited to only school officials. And Darling met privately last Friday with members of a parent-teacher group and the Milwaukee Jewish Council. Both meetings were held in the Milwaukee area.

While Darling said that it was not the organizers' intent to exclude anyone, the fact that members of the public were not informed about the earlier hearings shows there was, in fact, an attempt to exclude ordinary people.

Grothman even said the March 29 hearing was better than one to which the public would have been invited.

"To be honest," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "we learned a lot more from the invitation-only meeting."

Constituents are such a nuisance.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: was better at constituent outreach when still an Assemblyman.

Hi everyone,

Oh, just have a look.

The Agony and the Ecstasy: Last of those letters he sends out.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: is not a racist, honest.

Hi everyone,

Yeah, doubling up from Motley Cow, but this week's column was Glenn specific. Glenn wrote a letter to the Regents this past week describing how much he disapproves of the UW's Diversity plan.

What's most interesting about his letter, apart from obliquely urging the protection of Caucasian access to higher education, is how disingenuous it was. The UW diversity plan follows the Supreme Court rulings to the letter.

To. The. Letter.

If they didn't, they'd get whacked with lawsuits so fast that even the UW Madison Marching Band would feel dizzy. And, since Glenn can't raise constitutional issues, all he can do is make insinuations about how diversity keeps nice white kids from getting into UW Madison. What I didn't include in the column was the fairly common observation that "Um, Glenn hates the Univesrity -- he's done everything he can to gut it -- why would he be interested in making access "fair"??

Yeah, I can't figure it out either... I've stopped trying to make sense of the Senator's votes or public statements. My best guess is that this blather simply masks some long term resentment or, more simply, a kind of innocent, nascient racism. I'm guessing, of course.


This week's column.

Diversity, UW system and American casserole


First of all, I am not now, nor have I ever been, authorized to speak on behalf of the University of Wisconsin System. They don’t even like it when I ask questions at meetings. My comments reflect only my own views. Having said that:

Last week the UW Regents discussed the current plan for diversity in UW System. As he has in the past, Sen. Glenn Grothman protested what he called the university’s “obsession” with diversity and dared the Regents to answer a few questions. Sen. Grothman doesn’t like diversity, but his letter raises more questions than it asks.

Most of his questions are built around his first one, which asks “even if diversity is good for its own sake ... doesn’t this imply a climate promoting excessive focus on one’s ancestry as opposed to one’s individual accomplishments?”

First of all, nobody said diversity is good for its own sake. There are great reasons to want a big buffet of different cultures and students or faculty with different experiences on a university campus. Diversity for diversity’s sake is not one of them.

The senator forgets that America is already a diverse country – shoot, we invented diversity. Remember, E Pluribus Unum? Moreover, being diverse has never created a climate that promotes excessive focus on ancestry as opposed to individual accomplishment.

Good grief, my ancestry is Norwegian and German Lutherans: imagine if America forced me to focus on lutefisk and herring rather than on my individual accomplishments. Or, more frightening for you non-Norwegians out there, imagine if America forced the rest of you to eat lutefisk and herring. I love ‘em but, c’mon – I can’t reasonably expect anyone else to.

The American casserole (hot dish, paella, hot pot, jambalaya) – doesn't excessively focus on carrots, peas, or (if you’re a Norwegian Lutheran) the cream of mushroom soup. In fact, the main reason any university promotes diversity is that no education is complete until a student becomes familiar with other parts of the American – and now, global – casserole.

So why would the senator worry about the university giving students a taste of the whole world? I suspect his real worry is that some of the carrots are being admitted simply because they’re carrots – something a lawyer should know is explicitly prohibited by a number of Supreme Court decisions.

OKy, I'm being metaphorical. The Supreme Court decisions don’t mention carrots, but they do mention race.

The court has ruled specifically on how universities may use admissions procedures to insure an adequate amount of cultural and ethnic diversity, most famously in the Bakke case. Justice Powell’s opinion was crystal clear: preferring members of any one group for no reason other than race was itself racial discrimination. But there is a constitutionally approved justification universities can use to make sure the Pluribus gets to participate in the Unum. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor echoed it when she wrote the majority opinion in a case called Grutter v. Bollinger, the current model for constitutionally acceptable practice in university admissions.

She wrote: “Today we endorse Justice Powell's view that student body diversity is a compelling state interest that can justify the use of race in university admissions.”

A compelling state interest – so long as racial quotas are not used, so long as there is a common admission standard used to evaluate all students and so long as race or ethnicity is only considered one factor among many, there’s no problem. At least, not for the Supreme Court.

The UW System’s diversity plan, and the Regent’s resolution (No. 8970) that approved it, follow these requirements to the letter.

So why is Sen. Grothman writing letters asking the Regents whether the university is “obsessed” with diversity, hates white men or if diversity programs at the UW might keep “minority” kids becoming “normal?”

If he thought the plan violated somebody’s rights then, surely, as a UW-Madison trained lawyer, he would have cited case law and said so. But he didn’t. Or perhaps he objects to the Supreme Court ruling itself ? If so, is he suggesting the university should daringly ignore the Supreme Court? Would a politician, in office as long as Sen. Grothman, advise the state to violate a Supreme Court ruling? Hard to imagine.

It’s much easier to imagine he simply doesn’t like casseroles.

Frankly, it seems more likely that Glenn doesn't like carrots in his casseroles.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: ties infant mortality to being born out of wedlock.

Hi everyone,

Yet another example of "even Steven King on acid couldn't have imagined this".

A correspondent from UW Madison found some Glenn related news I'd missed.

Erica writes:

Here's something from Grothman that's irritating me today: infant mortality is due to babies being born out of wedlock. Race and healthcare access, pshhh--it's marriage, stupid!

http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/02/17/death_rate_high_for_.php

Erica A
University of Wisconsin

Thanks Erica!

Under the frightening headline

Wisconsin leads nation in baby mortality; UW program intends to address problem,

here is Glenn's thoughtful response:

Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, attributed infant mortality for all races and ethnicities to pregnancies out of wedlock.

“I never like it when they talk about race being a factor,” Grothman said. “I know it’s old-fashioned, but we’ve got to do a better job of sending the message that you should get married before you get pregnant.”

-- because if you don't get married, apparently, your babies will die.

And, as they say, so on.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: cuts off own feet by taking pay increase.

Hi everyone,

The WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL reports that only 10 of our lawmakers said no to the recent pay increase for Madison legislators.


From the State Journal:

Let's give credit to the 10 lawmakers who showed leadership by returning their pay raise:

* Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills
* Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee
* Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield
* Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse
* Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan
* Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center
* Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville
* Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown
* Rep. Margaret Krusick, D-Milwaukee
* Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi

The self-sacrifice of these 10 public servants will save the state money and, more significantly, reassure the public that we're all in this together.

Behavior like this irritates the rest of us who work for state taxpayers -- and who have not had anything like a cost of living adjustment in 20 years. A significant portion of Glenn's political blather depends entirely on criticizing the pay and benefits of other state employees. Take away his "government spends too much on ...." meme and he'll have to talk about abortion 24/7.

Maybe it'll be harder for the pot to call the kettle black from now on. Anyway, we'll all remind him.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: ranked among the merely "Almost worst" legislators.

Hi everyone,

Good news for Glenn for a change.

In Dubious Battle - Features - Milwaukee Magazine


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: most Americans an "angry fringe element"?

Hi everyone,

Glenn's press release from Wispolitics.

Sen. Grothman: Thanks pro-lifers for large turnout Saturday
2/3/2009

Contact: Senator Glenn Grothman
1-800-662-1227 - Capitol
262-689-8421 – Cell

Citizens Across the State Urge UW Hospital and Clinics to Stop Plans for Late-Term Abortions

MADISON: Today, State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) thanked members of the Pro-Life community for their peaceful dignified demonstration Saturday on the Library Mall.

“I’m usually not one to exaggerate things, but it appeared we had 1,200–1,600 people there on Saturday standing for life in the heart of the UW-Madison Campus,” said Grothman. “We know Planned Parenthood and their ilk were emailing people and trying to get supporters to turn out in support for the UW’s proposed late-term abortion clinic, but they only had 50-60 people. It appears the pro-abortion community had to rely on odd angry permanently protesting sorts like the International Socialist Organization to defend their extreme agenda.”

If you told someone that in Madison, Wisconsin, a pro-life demonstration would be 20 times the size of the pro-abortion demonstration, they likely wouldn’t believe it, but when you are dealing with these late-term abortions where the humanity of the babies is so obvious even the campus becomes overwhelmingly pro-life. Many of those who generally support abortion agree there is nothing mainstream about killing a viable child.

“Walking around campus Saturday morning before and after the demonstration, I found UW students shocked and appalled their university would be involved in something like this,” said Grothman.

“It was unfortunate that so many campus churches had their student retreats over the weekend, otherwise we would have had hundreds more join in this life-affirming rally,” observed Grothman. “I would hope the UW Hospital and Clinics Board would do the right thing and side with the vast majority of the citizens in the state instead of the angry fringe element like the ISO and NARAL.”

First, in nearly 30 years working in the field of reproductive ethics, I've never been able to find anyone who is actually pro-abortion. This is the bogeyman the anti-choice side needs to keep the fires stoked and provide a reason not to sit down over coffee and figure out how to prevent unwanted pregnancies. They're hemmed in by a religious proscription that potential humans are the same as actual humans. That's why they believe any interruption in reproduction is a sin. You can't interrupt the pregnancy, but you also can't interrupt the process of becoming pregnant either. In both cases you interfere with the potential life of a human being.

Second, a majority of Americans are in favor of abortions in the first trimester, fewer find the second trimester abortions appropriate -- except where the life of the mother is at stake -- and nobody finds third trimester abortions reasonable -- except in the most dire cases where the life of the mother is at stake. It might shock the Senator to discover that this is precisely what the law says as well. So, in what universe can you refer to the morality of a majority of Americans as "fringe"?

So why all the noise? Maybe Glenn isn't familiar with the laws surrounding abortion? Or maybe he isn't familiar with the polls indicating overwhelming support for some abortions? Or maybe he isn't aware that even the current Supreme Court, the most conservative in history, is not going to overturn Roe v. Wade?

Doesn't seem likely, does it. But then why does it sound like they're all protesting something that's illegal when it isn't?

Maybe this isn't about yet to be born children but about a yet to be born campaign for Sensenbrenner's seat when he retires? Glenn got the signatures to run against Sen. Kohl last time -- and then bailed out when the reality of his situation got through to him.

As always, I'm probably wrong.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: believes raising the minimum wage is bad for workers?

Hi folks,

I swear, some days when Glenn speaks, it's like trying to catch a Heffalump.

Wisconsin Radio Network: Panel approves minimum wage hike

Friday, January 30, 2009, 12:30 AM

By Andrew Beckett

A proposal to increase Wisconsin's minimum wage has cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The Senate committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs approved the bill Thursday on a 3-2 vote. The measure would increase Wisconsin's minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.60 an hour, and tie future increases to inflation.

The proposal is from Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Schofield), who says the hike is needed to help struggling workers. Decker says he can't see how anyone can get by supporting a family if they're trying to live on the minimum wage.

During a hearing at the Capitol Thursday, State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) questioned whether the measure could actually hurt workers. Grothman says it could force struggling businesses to scale back their workforce, resulting in more lost jobs.

Grothman says many businesses are already hurting, and the Legislature should not be adding to their burden.

Decker says arguments against increasing the minimum wage come up each time as if an increase will cause the "sky to fall," but the economy just moves right along after an increase goes through.

The measure now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

[My italics.]

Back in 1976, working minimum wage as a desk clerk for Ramada Inn, I earned $2.10 an hour. Adjusting for inflation over the past 32 years, using the Consumer Price Index calculator, that works out to $7.84 in 2008 dollars. ... which means that the real value of the minimum wage has fallen in the past 32 years.

And yet, to hear Glenn tell it we're all supposed to be better off? Maybe he is.

hiho

Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong for betraying President Bush?

Hi everyone,

It's good to be able to have your cake and eat it too.

Local leaders share thoughts on what’s next for Obama

"George Bush was an economic failure because he encouraged private debt and spent too much publicly," he said. "For Obama to be a success, he’s got to use his popularity to explain to people the government cannot be all things to all people. And if he continues down the Bush path of excessive spending and new government regulation, he will make our economy worse.

"We desperately need politicians in this country who are willing to tell people more government spending is not the answer to our problems," he said

"Thoughts" is kind of stretching it,

Someone check my vision: is Glenn actually warning President Obama not to continue down the path of the man he ran against? Uh? -- especially that last line about personal responsibility which, as far as I could tell, was the whole point of the inaugural address.

It is good to see him distance himself from from the failed economics of the current crop of neoconservatives. Now if only he'd distance himself from their failed morality and embrace a more New Testament version instead well, Washington County could really go places.

hiho

Glenn Grothman: wrong for using press releases instead of the telephone.

Hi everyone,

Glenn loves these press releases. Here's the latest:

Grothman Asks UW Researchers Hard Questions About Harvesting Body Parts from Aborted Babies

-- except, of course, he didn't.

The "press release" is another bait-and-switch. The scary headline is the bait.

Here's the switch: Glenn doesn't seem to have asked any "UW Researchers" anything at all. His "press release" merely says that the UW should distance itself from any involvement with second trimester abortions -- even though there are laws preventing public money from being spent on abortions (aren't there?).

But wait a sec, what was that about "organ harvesting" from aborted fetuses??? Glenn continues by citing a press release from The Alliance Defense Fund, one of those deep pocket Christian fundamentalist fronts, claiming that "UW researchers may be using body parts from these babies for research."

I'm sorry, "may"?

A lot of late term abortions are performed for medical rather than contraceptive reasons. When that happens it would be irresponsible not to examine tissue from the fetus to see what caused the trouble. A few slides of tissue to help understand the illness, and prevent abortions in the future, is not the same as 'harvesting organs.'

Unless, of course, you need the headline.

So, let's review: Glen's headline misleads about the content of the press release, then cites another press release that may or may not be true, that includes the claim his headline claims he's making.

Right.

What's particularly weird about this is that Glenn, back when he was in the Assembly, before the TABOR-hero makeover, was always terrifically good about phoning people to ask questions. He even used to call me.

It would be helpful to know if he'd actually spoken to someone at UW about this or if he'd bothered to ask an aid to check the exhaustive UW System ethics procedures that speak to these kinds of questions.

So, looks like any hope for post-partisan change from Senator Grothman is going to be a bridge to nowhere.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on... well, here's the local blog roundup.

Hi everyone,

Glenn isn't popular only with me, apparently. Here are some posts from around SE Wisconsin this past week:


The Political Environment, always a thoughtful stop, starts us off:

Glenn Grothman Demogogues At City Of Milwaukee's Expense

Nothing better to do during the holiday season in West Bend?

Nope, he looks out for us holiday season or not.

Two from our friends over at Cognitive Dissonance:

And They're Off - In More Ways Than One

About Glenn not wanting us to get any Federal aid and:

Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Lining Up, Or Bring In The Clowns

which is self-explanatory.

From Grumps over at The Happy Circumstance:

He Doesn't Get It

No Grumps, he completely doesn't.

From Run to the Hills:

Aren’t Republicans FOR AIDS Relief?

And from Eye on Wisconsin, my favorite of the week:

Bad Cop, Worse Cop and Crazy Cop [Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, and Grothman]

Tip of the hat folks!

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: assigned to cut eduational opportunities for taxpayers.

Hi everyone,

The Republican committee assignments have been made and Senator Grothman has been assigned to Education.

“The Senate Republican team is ready to get to work and hold the Majority Party accountable for their plans to address Wisconsin’s budget deficit,” Fitzgerald said. “We will spend the next two years providing a clear alternative and making our case that economic recovery can only begin by making Wisconsin more affordable for families, employers and entrepreneurs through lower taxes and less regulation.”

Senator Grothman, whose record on education is to cut educational opportunities for the taxpayer every chance he gets, is now the minority party's representative on educational spending?

How do you make education more affordable for Wisconsin taxpayers by shifting the tax burden to our less wealthy citizens?

Yeah, I don't know either.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on campaign reform.

Hi everyone,

Not a lot of news of Glenn lately after his big win. Here's something from Sheyboygan:

An excerpt from Editorial: Pass much-needed reform bills

"Pay-for-play" has also come up recently involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who stands accused of a host of sins, including a brazen attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The case against Blagojevich is far from over, but just hearing about another politician accused of corruption in one form or another is disturbing.

Like the recent scandals that rocked Madison, the accusations against congressmen in the last few years and now the Illinois governor, should be a clarion call for ethics and campaign reform.

Unfortunately, many reform proposals introduced in the Legislature in the last session failed to even get to the floor for a vote.

These reforms, including a simple one to ban campaign fundraising while the state budget is being debated, would help to restore public confidence in lawmakers and remove the influence of special interests.

Sadly, four of our local lawmakers were among the many who didn't support reform attempts. Reps. Steve Kestell and Dan LeMahieu and Sen. Glenn Grothman were listed as "public enemies" by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign for voting for only one of seven reforms. Sen. Joe Leibham was listed as a "bystander" for supporting two. [my italics]

Glenn typically doesn't like reforms that keep big money from advertising their candidates into office since it violates big money's their freedom of speech. I'm not unsympathetic with that view, but frankly, being the good neo-con that he is, I'm only surprised that Glenn hasn't suggested we go the whole way: privatize government and let the market take care of elections, the way the Illinois governor has.



hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on cutting off kindergarteners, again.

Hi everyone,

Something from last week... sorry, had a cold and had to catch up on my grading before resuming gadfly mode.

Oh dear, here he goes again.

Wisconsin Radio Network: GOP lawmaker eyes school cuts

Grothman also remains critical of expansions in four-year-old kindergarten programs around the state. He thinks they're a poor investment, claming there's little evidence they actually help children learn.

Grothman says public schools should face cuts, just like every other state program.

Maybe Sen. Grothman saves up this assault on kindergarteners when he runs out of other stuff... it's come up before in this little blog.

Anyway, here's something I put up nearly a year ago:

I just Googled up a swamp full of data and longitudinal studies by universities and the Federal Government Accounting Office.

The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University has been keeping track of 5 states worth of pre-K education. They've noted good results.

The state of Tennessee thinks it's a great idea and the GAO's data from Oklahoma and Georgia suggest we might think about ramping up as well.

And so on.

hiho

Mp

Glenn Grothman: smoking restrictions an assault on diversity??

Hi everyone,


The latest treat: Glenn Grothman argues that a ban on smoking in public places demonstrates an increasing lack of respect for diversity.

Uttering the word "diversity" -- by itself -- must have chipped a couple of Glenn's front teeth on its way out of his mouth.

Lawmakers anticipate success for smoking ban

Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, agreed, saying, “I believe if you own a restaurant, you have the right to set the rules as in your own house. But over time, our society has developed less respect for diversity, and people want everyone to think and act like they do.”

I was a long time smoker myself. I still miss it and refuse to be one of those "I quit why haven't you?" people who made my life such a misery while I was trying to quit. -- but I was a long time smoker precisely because nicotine is so damned addictive.

The reason why government should discourage cigarette use has everything to do with public health and nothing to do with 'diversity', a concept which, to Glenn, seems to mean a marginal toleration of ELCA Lutherans.

Finally, since finance seems to override morality in Glenn's mind, consider that, typically, in cities where smoking was banned, restaurant profits generally increase. That's because there are more non-smokers than smokers nowadays and non-smokers don't spend their money at bars that allow smoking.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: sometimes hell does freeze over. Is MPS wasting money?

Hi everyone,

Glenn and I agree about, essentially, nothing but tavern licensing... and wasting money. Typically Glenn believes all tax money is wasted. I believe it's only wasted when it doesn't do what it's supposed to do.

Could we find ourselves on common ground? That's probably a scarier thought for Sen. Grothman than it is for me. Anyway, I'd sure like to know.

Is MPS spending too much on students:

“We’ve all heard for years rumors of rampant waste, excessive bureaucracy, and lack of concern for taxpayers’ money,” said Grothman. “Fortunately, Channel 4 News and CRG-Network has chosen to highlight some of the most outrageous excesses. It turns out Milwaukee Public Schools are spending more on consultants than on school books. In a district that always claims to be short of money, the excessive advertising budget and catering expenses are also an insult.”

The link to WTMJ is bad. Apparently news moves on.

But before rushing in to judgment, it'd be useful to know a few things:

1) why does MPS have to advertise?
2) why do they need consultants?
and
3) are Sen. Grothman's numbers right?

After the Garter Snake business, the prudent move would be to believe MPS first.

Let's find out. Anyone know?

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: new assistant leader for the (permanent) minority .

Hi everyone,

Yep, catching up on Glenn now that we've managed to get Mr. Obama elected (and increasing the Progressive/Democratic presence in Washington County to over a third of our registered voters).

Glenn gets a lot of coverage in The Badger Herald.

The state Senate also elected its new leadership this week. The Senate Republicans selected Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, as the minority leader, Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, as the assistant minority leader, and Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, as the caucus chair.

With Republicans like these, Glenn's job is going to be a assistant leader of a permanent minority.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on more tax cuts.

Hi everyone,

Fresh from his huge victory, Glenn wants more supply side economics. Why not for Wisconsin? It's working so well on Wall Street.

From The Badger Herald

Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, said any increase in spending or taxation would be disastrous.

“I think the important thing to do is decrease taxes for business regulation to assist business,” said Grothman. “Anything that results in more debt or more government spending will dampen the business climate.”

He is right about trying not to sustain any more debt, of course, but the real question is HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT?

I say, let's do it in a way that's fair to all Wisconsinites rather than unfairly.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: still wrong on early intervention for autism.

Hi everyone,

Glenn originally said early intervention was too expensive, despite easily Google-able sources from all over America suggesting that early intervention actually saves the taxpayer money in the long run.

Maybe Glenn's problem was simply that the wrong taxpayers were being serviced?

Long Fight Over Autism Care Could End

Republican State Senator Glenn Grothman of West Bend says he believes Democrats have the votes to pass a bill, if one is proposed. He says he hopes their plan covers only the most effective treatments and isn't unnecessarily expensive.

I suppose it could be that Glenn's values, based on money rather than human beings, are simply the wrong ones.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: DUI enforcement not an intrusion of government?

Hi everyone,

DUI enforcement is not an intrusion of government into our economy?

The Badger Herald - DUI penalties could increase: "Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, thinks the probable results of the legislation will include an increased use of breathalyzers and an increase in mandatory jail or prison time for repeat offenders."

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong for causing families to strain for a better life in WisconsinIn.

Hi everyone,

For every vote Glenn gets because he cuts taxes, someone in Wisconsin doesn't get to go to college.

In Downturn, Families Strain to Pay Tuition - NYTimes.com


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong for inciting a culture war.

Hi everyone,

WISSUP advertised Glenn's talk last week... I was, unfortunately, working or I'd've been there.

The details:

Senator Glenn Grothman will be speaking at St. Andrew's Church on MondayOctober 6th at 7pm.

His topic is "It's Time to Get Off the Bench and into the Cultural Battle".

All are invited to come and hear Senator Grothman's urgent plea for help in the fight to save our liberties and Christian values.

I'm still working through the theological propriety of waging a culture war... I don't think you get to do that if you're a Christian -- and if you do, what distinguishes you from Iranian mullahs?


hiho
Mp

JS Online: Challenge emerges in state Senate race

It did take the Journal a while to notice... no one is accustomed to being challenged.

JS Online: Challenge emerges in state Senate race

Voters will have something new to ponder in this season’s race for the 20th District state Senate race — a choice of candidates.

Independent Clyde Winter of the Town of Cedarburg is challenging Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend).

A little independence from ideology will be nice for a change.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: declares war on the middle class.

Hi everyone,

Glenn still thinks he's acting on behalf of middle class values. I've tried and tried to imagine why he thinks this, and then it occurred to me that I'm making this waaaaay too complicated.

Anyway, here's a little gem from the Daily News:

Monday, Oct. 6 Town of Farmington What: STATE SEN. GLENN GROTHMAN,

“IT’S TIME TO GET OFF THE BENCH AND INTO THE CULTURAL BATTLE!”

Info: Information on the fight for liberties and Christian values.
Sponsor: St. Andrew Church.

I'm not sure when the churches got into the battle against the changing culture of America, but it can't be a good idea. Is there anything here that distinguishes these folks from Iranian Mullahs?

Let me translate this.

What Glenn means is "throw anyone not like me out of the country."

...I'm just trying to imagine what America will look like with only Glenn in it.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: collecting his taxpayer per diem for watching the paint.

Hi everyone,

Political Capital reports:

$88 a Day

Mary Hubler and Glenn Grothman collected per diem this week in the sleepy statehouse.

Per diem is a right.

BadgerCare is a privilege.

Good to know Glenn is keeping his eye on the taxpayers' money -- by spending it on coffee and donuts.

hiho
Mp

Sarah Palin and Elitism

Hi everyone,

A provocative insight from Sam Harris.


Sam Harris on Sarah Palin and Elitism | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com

Let me confess that I was genuinely unnerved by Sarah Palin's performance at the Republican convention. Given her audience and the needs of the moment, I believe Governor Palin's speech was the most effective political communication I have ever witnessed. Here, finally, was a performer who—being maternal, wounded, righteous and sexy—could stride past the frontal cortex of every American and plant a three-inch heel directly on that limbic circuit that ceaselessly intones "God and country." If anyone could make Christian theocracy smell like apple pie, Sarah Palin could.

Uh, yep.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on infanticide and atheism.

Hi everybody,

In the Sticks and Stones department:

This past weekend, Glenn felt compelled to call me names in a letter to the Daily News.

It is a kind of justice for him -- he's clearly been aching for the chance to try to hit me in public after the last few years of being exposed in this little blog.

Fair is fair.

Now that I'm writing a column he'll have the chance to write lots of letters calling me a baby-killer or a moral relativist or an intellectual elitist or -- oh, there was this one thing:

He'll have to stop suggesting that I'm an atheist.

It's not true and, more importantly, it hurt my mother's feelings.

Glenn probably doesn't know I studied for the ministry. Of course, I was raised ALC (now ELCA) Lutheran. Maybe, in Glenn's universe, being an ELCA Lutheran isn't much different from being an atheist. It's possible we don't pass his Christian purity test.

Anyway, here's the link to Owen Robinson's little ramble. He's a pretty good Glenn-avatar and, as you'll see, he never answers my questions either.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: wrong at home, weird in Northern Wisconsin.

Hi everyone,

I just post 'em when I find 'em.

From: Marketplace of Ideas: Gas prices and Madison

"Similarly, Doyle has said publicly that he would sign a bill ending the minimum markup law if it reached his desk. No such bill has reached his desk, in part due to strange votes of people like Sen. Glenn Grothman (R–West Bend), who in 2005 voted in committee against ending the law over concerns that gas stations wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of credit card transactions. It’s not clear what part of the state Constitution stipulates that legislators’ duties include monitoring gas station credit card transaction fees."

And yet Glenn believes government interferes too much in everything -- except, apparently, gas station credit card transaction fees.

hiho
Mp

This November, end this blog. Vote for Clyde Winter.

Hi everyone,

The easiest way to stop me in my tracks, is to vote for Clyde Winter this November. Once Clyde wins, we can all stop worrying over the latest nonsense from Glenn since, well, there won't be any more nonsense and, well, I can delete this blog.

And while you're at it, Clyde has listed the other contested elections in our area this year and your way to take back Wisconsin from the party of Grand Old Tax-anorexia.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: now a corked bat.

Hi everyone,

Charlie Sykes is now using Glenn as a corked bat.

Enjoy the article over at Democurmudgeon.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on liberal bias at UW-Madison.

Hi everyone,

Glenn can't even be right the right way.

From our colleague over at FearlessSifting:

UW-Madison becoming more conservative?

Of course, without the bogeyman of bizzaro-world liberalism under everyone's bed to attack, Glenn doesn't really have a coherent position. Strange thing about bogeymen: when you turn the lights on, they disappear.

You know, I'd never thought of Glenn as Don Quixote, until just now... except that Don Quixote was a romantic figure recalling us to an authentic spiritual life, and Glenn thinks every windmill is a liberal plot to force him into the 21st century.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: gets nod from the-government-should-intervene-to-secure-fetal-but-not-childhood-health lobby.

Hi everyone,

As expected Glenn gets the nod, not only from Wisconsin Right to Life but also by Pro-Life Wisconsin's Victory Fund.

From their blurb:

“We are called to stand behind these candidates who are willing to stand behind 100% of the babies,” said Matuska.

Ms. Matuska commits the standard "pro-birth" misanthropy here. Technically, Pro-Life Wisconsin does not stand behind babies who have already been born, but only behind the one's who haven't been born yet.

Once those babies are out of the womb, they're left to the gentle graces of Social Darwinism and the Free Market economy.

I always think of Ogden Nash's poem about cats when this issue comes up.

The trouble with a kitten is that,
it eventually becomes a CAT.

Kittens are cute and always find a spot by the fire. Cats require responsibility and are put out to fend for themselves.

I'm trying to see the difference between this and Glenn's view of children. While inside the womb, they should be the government's responsibility to protect but once outside of the womb, no?

That seems like a contradiction to me.

And so on.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: illegal immigrants can work for illegal wages, but not drive!

Hi everybody,

Whew. Now we'll be safe.

Glenn once again protecting us from illegal immigrants:

Applicants for professional licenses must give immigration status

State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) said the state should verify immigration status by using the federal database.

“Once the system is up and running, the costs should be minimal,” Grothman said.

Will Wisconsin employers who depend upon inexpensive illegal immigrants for labor be happy about this?

hiho

Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong, even about water.

Hi everybody,

Wasn't this the same Great Lake Compact Glenn said no one would pass?

Yes, it is.

US House committee approves Great Lakes compact.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: wrong on abortion and conservatism at the same time.

Hi everybody,

Glenn, somehow, was included in a Journal-Sentinel Blog on the Senate race between Alberta Darling and Dr. Sheldon Wasserman. Dr. Wasserman, an Ob/Gyn, is a great believer in individual rights. Alberta Darling, once a member of Planned Parenthood, apparently used to be -- but no more. Here's a clip:

Pro-life nod goes to ex-Planned Parenthood official - Dogged: A Watchdog Team Blog: "Barbara Lyons, head of Right to Life, said her group has not previously backed Darling, a River Hills Republican, during her 18 years in office. Lyons noted that Darling had voted with the organization 77% of the time in the past four years, whereas Wasserman, a Milwaukee Democrat, had a 0% rating.

Asked to describe Darling’s abortion stance, Lyons said, “She’s more pro-life than not.”

So what changed?

Darling didn’t return a call. Her campaign Web site doesn’t mention the endorsement.

But Sen. Glenn Grothman, the go-to guy for abortion rights foes, had a theory.

“As we get older, we get more conservative,” the West Bend Republican said. “I think that’s happened to Alberta.”"

A few observations;

1) Wisconsin Pro-Life isn't really pro-life -- they're only pro-birth.

2) "What changed" was that Wisconsin Pro-Life is more afraid of a physician than they are of Alberta Darling -- and Ms. Darling has an urgent need to be elected as a Republican.

3) Glenn, as usual, has it backwards. He's clearly missed the 'continued personal growth' aspect of "getting older". You only become 'more conservative' while getting older when you begin to turn into a fossil. Fossilization of human beings happens when once-living material is replaced by the stony deposits of dogma and empty ritual. If you continue to 'grow' while aging, you become more inclined toward helping others, taking the risk of being liberal with your own good fortune, and leaving people to live as they think best instead of imposing your own morality. Imposing your own morality is a sure sign of fossilization, not growth. What we do know is that Glenn became a fossil while still living on the taxpayer's dime at University... as a young man. That's when it usually happens to people too, not later in life. Not if they're still living flesh. I know Glenn probably didn't see the movie Happy Feet, but it might help him learn to dance and shake off some of the mineral build-up that's induced him to vote for his own dogmatic certainty instead of for people. QED.

Oh, and 4) it's not a theory, it's merely some kind of gastric distress.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: finally running against an opponent.

Hi everybody,

You may not have seen it by now, considering the lousy job the Journal did on important local, state elections, but Glenn will [finally] have to run against an opponent this year for his seat in government.

Independent Clyde Winter from Cedarburg is finally offering Senate District 20 voters a choice for a change.

Clyde is a wizard on the issues, thorough, and thoughtful. He's the kind of person who's avoided the party labels so that he can talk about the actual issues -- because he's interested in the issues and not in the labels.

Refreshing, no?

He was able to get the required signatures in record time and in the heart of Glenn's district. People were clearly ready for a change.

His latest article "Races for Wisconsin Legislature in Ozaukee-Washington counties confound the MSM" did have one bit of info I hadn't seen.

"And G. Grothman, on July 2 had applied for a grant for taxpayer provided matching funds, in apparent anticipation of a challenge"

Apparently that taxpayers money is just fine with Glenn, when he gets to spend it on himself. -- well, it was also okay when the taxpayer paid for 75% of his university tuition.


hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: Fails to pass muster on government reform, again.

Hi everybody,

It's probably not a surprise but Glenn has, again, landed at the bottom of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's annual scorecard for responsible government.

He scored at the bottom with Sens. Kanavas, Kedzie, Lazich and was beaten only by Scott Fitzgerald.

As always, by their works shall ye know them. Glenn and his buddies regularly "stood with the special interests and worked to defeat reforms that would restore power to the general public."

Way to go Glenn.

Alas, Pat Strachota also made it to the bottom by voting against reform legislation in lock step with her party's hard liners.

The good news is that we'll have a choice for a change this November: another Republican, a Mr. Wiesolek from Cedarburg and an Independent, Clyde Winter are both running against Glenn for the Senate 2oth, and another Independent, Mr. Dombro will be running against Ms. Strachota in the Assembly's 28th.

Maybe they'll be able to vote for more responsible government.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: still demanding today's college students pay more than he did.

Hi everyone,

Our friends over at Fearlesslysifting unpack more of Glenn's hypocrisy-stream.

Glenn Grothman on the selection of Biddy Martin

I'm amazed Glenn is still harping about graduates leaving the state:

A second criticism of the University is that not enough graduates are filling jobs for Wisconsin businesses. We need more engineers, nurses, and graduates from the hard sciences – not degrees in psychology and sociology.

Or law, Glenn. Do we need more lawyers like you?

The truth is the UW is producing plenty of engineers and hard scientists -- it's just that they can't get jobs in Wisconsin that will pay for the student loans they've had to take out to cover their education. And whose fault is that? The guy who had the state pay for 75% of his education and, as soon as he got into government, passed laws to guarantee that the state would only pay for 25% of the current crop's education. The hypocrisy still sets my teeth on edge.

How much more of this can we tolerate?

We'll find out I guess.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: cutting taxes good for flooding.

Just catching up a bit.

Astonishingly, it turns out that when Glenn cuts the taxes our state uses to help us with disasters, the disasters are worse.

But wait -- since, for Glenn, tax cutting is always good, maybe flooding is therefore good, too?

Yep, that must be it.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: agent of the Chinese Communists.

Hi everyone,

I'm only half kidding about Glenn being an agent for the Chinese.

I'm just back from another excursion to the People's Republic of China where they happily spend the money to insure their kids learn English and Calculus by the time they leave high school and where, using this educational infrastructure, they're looking forward to a future in which the US will become the new France -- or maybe Belgium.

In the meantime, Glenn keeps frantically slashing away at our educational system as if this were a good thing.

What do you call a business that stops investing in R&D?

Easy pickin's.

Maybe Glenn hopes to turn over the US for a profit. I wonder if we'll be able to buy stock options before the sale...

Anyway, in the meantime, I note he's conducting mock interviews with himself again pretending to be outraged on behalf of the "tax payers" -- the very people whose economic throat he's slitting.

Maybe irony will be enough to sustain us, even after China gets the rest of our jobs. With Glenn's help, they won't even have to try. We're doing it for them.

More on this as the jetlag settles.

hiho
Mp

Neo-conservatism as a racket.

Hi everyone,

And speaking of Glenn, here's an interesting look into the basement of the neo-con cultus.

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket,” said Eric Hoffer, via Pat Buchanan.

The Fall of Conservatism: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker


This does explain why, as time went by, even Barry Goldwater started to sound like a progressive.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: tallying up his votes against Wisconsin families

Hi everyone,

Clyde Winter has once again rolled up his sleeves to provide with a running tally of Glenn's mischief.

Appalling Votes of Glenn Grothman


hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: standing in the way of kids from working families.

Hi everyone,

Maybe it's just that Glenn doesn't like little kids.

That would make sense.

This doesn't:

From the Wisconsin Radio Network, May 12th.

Wisconsin now has the seventh highest level of enrollment in the nation for those programs. However, State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) says that's no cause for celebration. Grothman is a long-time critic of four-year-old kindergarten, claiming it costs the state millions of dollars for no real benefit to the education of young children. He says those kids would be better off at home with their parents.

If Glenn wants to disagree with all of the major studies about the benefits of four-year-old kindergarten, and with the well understood economic advantages for kids who start education early, and with the idea that kindergarten makes it possible for hard working parents to work a few more hours a week and thus provide for their families... um.... well, then he's nuts.

-- and since no one has said it lately, this is the sort of thinking that makes him a threat to the economic well-being of Wisconsin.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: blaming moms for kindergarden?

Three little items from Glenn's Senate homepage.


Item 1:

Secretary Burmaster repeats the same old line that “communities want and need financial support to improve services for 4 year olds”.

Item 2:

The number of children in this program has more than doubled in the last seven years. This year will be the largest increase of all. It should also be pointed out that during the last thirteen years virtually every school district in the state has gone from half-day kindergarten to full-day kindergarten.

and finally, Item 3:

"It’s sometime said that mothers today all work and this is the reason 4 year-old kindergarten is necessary. Studies I have seen indicate half of young mothers stay at home, work part-time or leave children with extended family. Many of these mothers like taking care of their own children and to put these children in the care of the government should be questioned. Sadly, on a national level some politicians are pushing for more federal involvement in this area as well."

As usual, Glenn is letting his slogans do the work his brain should be doing.

1. Of course everyone wants financial help from the state to improve their kindergartens. All the major recent studies indicate kindergarten improves children's performance in school (see my previous posts on this). It's the sort of thing that serves everyone's interests and makes Wisconsin a better place to live -- plus, it's way cheaper than prisons.



2. The program expanded because taxpayers wanted it. They're voting with their feet -- and their kids' feet. If they didn't want it, the program wouldn't have expanded.



3. I barely need mention the usual whining neo-con sentiments about women who refuse to stay at home to bake cookies. It's clear that Glenn believes women who have to work for a living are bad mothers and a burden to the tax payer.
   

Earth to Glenn, poor women have always had to work. If they don't, their kids go hungry. Maybe your mother was one of those happy middle class Betty Crocker feminists who complained that she couldn't get a job -- maybe that's why you don't like working women now.

Oh, and apparently middle class women are bad mothers too, if they want to work and start their kids off on the only sure path to economic success: a decent education.

How that could be bad for any citizen of Wisconsin is beyond me.

Frankly, I'm done trying to understand any of your positions anymore. Since TABOR crashed, you've been shooting from the hip... and blanks at that.


hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: why stop at cutting taxes?

Hi everyone,

Recently:

From The Badger Herald - Certain jobs hard to fill, report says

In Wisconsin, Senate Democrats tried to pass a measure that would add $5 million to expand a program last session that helps residents acquire skills from technical schools.

[...]

Opponents of the bill, such as Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, said Wisconsin does need more people with technical skills but disagrees with increasing taxes on businesses.

“They call it the ‘Las Vegas loophole,’ but you would be chasing jobs out of Wisconsin,” Grothman said. “I don’t think raising taxes on business is good way to help businesses in Wisconsin.”

Glenn is not one to let the facts ruin a perfectly good economically elitist ideology... but:

The reality is that Wisconsin ranks around 39th in the US with regard to corporate taxes. [See my earlier posts on this.] We're not even in the top 10.

Another reason for a dearth of engineers is that Wisconsin ranks just ahead of Mississippi in the production of BA's. [Should I repeat that? Our university system is about as productive as Mississippi's.]

One reason for this sad state of affairs is that, throughout his career, Glenn has slashed away at education in Wisconsin. I guess we'll have to attract those new engineers from Illinois or Michigan or Iowa since, if we keep this up, the UW won't be able to afford those programs anymore.

But here's an idea: why stop at cutting taxes? Why not introduce a bill to cut wages as well?

That would attract a lot of new business to Wisconsin. With government controls to keep costs down, we could become the China of the Midwest.

I'm just thinking out loud, of course.

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: blogospheric round up for April 20th.

Hi everyone,

While I wait to hear back from Glenn (about Moraine Park Technical College hiring people with bachelor's degrees to teach courses that transfer into the UW System -- yes, really), a few items that popped up on my Google Alerts.

Playground Politics notes:

Seriously, is there anyone who has been a bigger GOP disappointment in the last decade than Glenn Grothman?

Seriously, isn't he the best example of a GOP politician we have?

Hmm.

Political Capital asks the $88 dollar a day question: were our state representatives hanging out in Madison on April 16th simply to collect their per diem?

And finally, The Milwaukee Blog quotes Glenn on immigration:

State Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, said that he does not think that anything is being done either on a local or national level.

"It seems to me that the Bush administration has, for whatever reason, encouraged illegal immigration with their inactivity for the last seven years," Grothman said.

Once again, Glenn has this wrong. Massive political donations from agri-business, which wouldn't last a week in this country without illegal immigration, paid for both that inactivity and the representatives in Washington who've voted for a fence which, the AP reports, won't do the job.

Unless Glenn is willing to pay the higher price for lettuce picked by American citizens at American wages, I don't see why he's worried about illegal immigration.


hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman: another Zero on conservation.

Hi everyone,

Clyde Winter has thoughtfully put together another list of voting patterns, this time on conservation.

Glenn, once again, gets the goose egg.

Why do we elect people who call themselves conservatives but who don't believe in conservation?


How Wisconsin Legislators Voted on Conservation Issues


hiho
Mpeterson

Keeping tabs on Glenn's voting record.

Great thanks to Clyde Winter over at Hearts and Minds for another set of eyes on Senator Grothman's voting record.


Thanks Clyde!

hiho
Mp

Glenn Grothman attacks Wisconsin values.

Hi everyone,

Glenn Grothman finally shows his hand. I wrote him last week but, so far, no explanation. I think he must be embarrassed.


Last week in his "From the Hill" editorial in the West Bend Express News Glenn said two things that floored me.

He said the university was the enemy of middle class values and, then


he claimed that the UW Board of Regents is raising tuition in order to squeeze out middle class Wisconsinites.

The technical term for the style of argument in Glenn's claim is called "Three Card Monty" or, more popularly, the Shell Game [btw, if you click on the Shell Game link there's a picture of Glenn with his hair done up in corn rows taking money away from some kid.]

Okay, by the numbers:

1. Is the university an enemy of middle-class values? Uh, no.

For most people, (me and Glenn included!) the university is how Americans get into the middle class in the first place. If the university were opposed to middle class values, it wouldn't produce middle class people.

From Glenn's point of view, then, I must be an enemy of middle class values -- but if that were true, then how come I spend every day helping people acquire the skills they need to move into salaried, professional, and traditionally middle class positions? (These people are mostly from farm and blue collar families -- and refugees from once good jobs now sent overseas by the same economic system to which Glenn pledges his allegiance.)

Glenn even ignores the hard facts -- the dollars involved. Economically speaking, the university is a major engine for development in the state of Wisconsin and thus, one of the major contributors to the economics that make our middle class lives possible. The UW trains the people who run our economy. Remove the university and everyone in Wisconsin would end up working for people from other states -- or, these days, other countries.

Want to know what makes this worse? Glenn knows all of this.


Which leads us to the heart stopper --


2. Do the UW Regents keep raising tuition because they too hate middle class values?


No. Senator Grothman himself is the reason the Regents are forced to raise tuition.

The vaporous sloganeering in Glenn's article is hypocritical in ways I can barely describe.


Here's how it works. Keep your eye on the ball.

The Regents raise tuition because the Legislature cuts the UW budget and the money has to come from some place. It isn't going to our salaries (we're among the lowest paid faculty in the country) and it isn't going into slick new offices (the computer in my office is 5 years old, and it works just fine). There isn't enough waste in the system to make up the difference (the UW administration is famously -- and I hate saying anything nice about administrations -- one of the most efficient and least wasteful university administrations in the entire US).

So the money has to come from increases in tuition.

And again, Glenn knows all of this, too.

Oh, but wait... there's more.

The hypocrisy goes even deeper (I've dealt with this before): when Glenn was in college the taxpayers subsidized nearly 75% of his tuition. This was a good deal for the students, but also for the state's economic profile. But Glenn has undone this economic dynamo. After the last 10 years of budget cuts, compliments of Mr. Grothman, the taxpayer now subsidizes only 25% of our students' tuition and now Wisconsin produces fewer Bachelor's degrees than Mississippi.

I guess Glenn didn't mind having the taxpayer subsidize his education, but the kids in school today?... or the adults who have had to go back to college in order to compete in the new, globalized, economy?

Nope. Glenn's votes say "screw 'em."

Glenn's votes demonstrate he doesn't believe todays taxpayers should have the same level of access to the university he did.

Were you able to follow the ball on that one?

Let's review: 1) Glenn claimed the major route to a middle class life (the university) is opposed to the middle class.

[the theme from Dragnet plays]

Dumb da dumb dumb.

And 2) he blames the university for raising tuition when it's really his fault, and the fault of his fellow travelers in the legislature who continually vote to limit access to the university system and, thus, to the middle class life every American deserves.

Dumb da dumb dumb dummmmmmb.

Glenn himself, through his voting record, has limited the ability of hard working, economically threatened Wisconsinites to attend the University of Wisconsin. First he votes to cut the UW budget, which tightens access to moving into the middle class and then, in order to duck the blame himself, he blames the university.


This isn't rocket science: the real enemy of the middle class in Wisconsin is a state senator who votes, every single time, to keep Wisconsin residents out of the middle class.

Did Glenn think his tax cuts would be free? Didn't his dad tell him TANSTAAFL !

Glenn is taking away more than a free lunch, however. He's taking away the economic future of this state. He's taking away your children's future.

...in Wisconsin, at any rate. They can always move to Chicago or Minneapolis.


hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman's greatest gaffs... vol. 1.

Hi everyone,

Our neighbor Clyde Winter put together his collection of Glenn's greatest gaffs.

Thanks Clyde.

The list gets longer every week.

I wonder, often, whether the voters in our district are simply held hostage to single issues -- like choice or taxation -- and are thus blinded to the rest of the package.

I cannot believe that a preponderance of my neighbors are in favor of denying rape victims emergency contraception or letting their property tax rates soar without anyone asking 'why?' (Glenn has turned a blind eye to them for the past 9 years now).

Property taxes have gone up because local municipalities need to plow and salt and provide safe drinking water -- oh yeah, and education and trained workers. All these years Glenn has been loudly trumpeting the self-serving "tax cuts" that, in effect, do nothing more cut the revenue sharing local governments need to avoid turning Wisconsin into Mississippi.... a state that now produces more baccalaureate degrees than we do -- no, I'm not making that up.

You make the call folks.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: Wrong on the Great Lakes Compact.

Hi everyone,

Well, holy smokes. Good to know that as far away as Staten Island New York, Glenn is giving people everywhere an impression of who we are.

Senate approves Great Lakes Compact - NewsFlash - SiLive.com

3/6/2008, 8:15 p.m. EST By TODD RICHMOND The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate passed an interstate treaty Thursday designed to keep arid states from pulling water out of the Great Lakes. But it appears doomed anyway in the Wisconsin Legislature.

The 26-6 vote in the Democratic-controlled chamber sent the Great Lakes Compact to the state Assembly, where Republican leaders have raised objections to part of it.

The Republicans run the Assembly, and they aren't happy with a provision that would let one Great Lakes state block a city's request to use lake water. The legislative session is set to end next week, too, leaving little time for revisions or compromises that could pass both houses.

"This is one of those bills everybody knows is not going to pass next week," Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, told his colleagues before they voted Thursday.

I have to say I admire this kind of advocacy, but all the other Americans on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario have said this was a good idea. The Canadians too. Glad to know that Glenn will say "no" no matter how much this isolates us from the rest of the... well, world.

On the other hand, stubbornness for stubbornness sake is not a sign of intelligent commitment, but a kind of psychopathology.

I mention it in passing, and because it's interesting to know that people in other parts of the county now have a pretty interesting idea of who we are. First the Garter Snake crusade, now this.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: autistic on autism?

Hi everyone,

Glenn apparently isn't done saving us money by forcing families in financial straits to care for their own damaged children.

Autism Bill Approved by State Senate
By LaToya Dennis
February 27, 2008 | WUWM | Milwaukee, WI

WUWM: News - Autism Bill Approved by State Senate: "While just about everyone agrees that something has to be done to financially help families with autistic children, Republican Senator Glenn Grothman says the mandate is too expensive.

“The people back home should realize that under the current fiscal environment, this body, the people collectively in this building are in no position to pass the most extreme mandate in the country on this topic,” Grothman says.

The "current fiscal environment" those of us back home live in -- one in which jobs are shipped overseas, in which the tax-burden is shifted from wealthy to working Wisconsinites, and in which the most effective tax-payer funded services (for health care, education, and infrastructure) are continually slashed, is the product of Senator Grothman's voting record. So, Glenn clearly knows what he's talking about.

This must be an example of that new, non-compassionate conservatism introduced over the past few years.

The only thing extreme I see is Senator Grothman.

hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: treating autistic children too expensive.

Hi everyone,

Turns out if you provide early treatment to people with autism, they can lead productive lives. Of course, Glenn thinks it'll cost too much.

TUESDAY, Feb. 26, 2008, 3:32 p.m.
By Steven Walters

Senate passes autism insurance bill

Madison - The state Senate today voted to require Wisconsin health insurers to cover the treatment of children with autism - a priority of Gov. Jim Doyle.

The bill passed 25-8 and was sent to the Assembly, where its future was uncertain. The Legislature plans to adjourn by mid-March, and legislative leaders said there are no attempts to negotiate a compromise on the issue that can pass both houses of the Legislature by then.

Sen. Judy Robson (D-Beloit), a nurse and the bill's chief sponsor, said 16 other states require health insurers to cover some type of autism treatments. She said one out of every 192 children in Wisconsin has been diagnosed with autism, and that the number is growing.

Robson said autism can be effectively treated if children get treatment early, allowing autistic children to hold jobs and live independently as adults. Many children are now on waiting lists for help.

"This bill will help them get the treatment that they need," she added.

Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) said the bill would mandate some of the most costly treatments of autistic children in the nation, which will raise the cost of health care overall. "One of the big complaints we hear around here is the high cost of health insurance," he added.

The irony here is that he's wrong. Wisconsin ranks in the top 2 or 3 states in the nation for cost effective health insurance.

Huh.

Weirder still, Glenn seems to believe autistic kids should remain a burden their parents and, later, the tax payers (through expensive social programs) than to treat autism early, when it's less expensive and more effective.

... wait, what?


hiho
Mpeterson

Glenn Grothman: privatizing discrimination for the benefit of all.

Hi everyone,

Yeah, affirmative action again. Tricky.

Personally, I'm a ruthless believer in meritocracy but, then, my own circumstances make it easy for me to believe ruthlessly in the value of meritocracy.

Yet, as a ruthless believer in meritocracy I also believe society should help each person achieve their greatest potential, because I believe that helping each person achieve their greatest potential is good for me.

Social road blocks that keep people from reaching their greatest potential are, therefore, bad for me. Personally.

Example: if racial or sexual bias keeps people from becoming great doctors or engineers, then I won't reap the benefits of having great doctors or engineers.

Again, this is about me.

And you.

Glenn introduced a bill this week that attacks a pornographic caricature of affirmative action. It is designed to appeal to our worst, rather than to our best, instincts. Pornography is best defined as something that arouses desire to no worthwhile effect. The proof that this bill is pornographic is the raw-meat-mixed-with-meta-amphetamine effect it has in satisfying the sense of victimization that characterizes its market audience.

The bill raises the difficult but important questions about whether it's appropriate to hand out government contracts and ear marks solely on the basis of race and gender (instead of on the basis of big campaign contributions, say -- the province of generally rich, mediocre, white boys).

Sadly, it also whitewashes the even more awful truth that, for generations, race and gender were precisely the basis for elbowing all sorts of people away from the American buffet: specifically,the 13% of our population with African heritage and that tiny 50% or our population who are missing an X chromosome.

All right. It's tricky. How do you justify discriminating on the basis of race and gender in order to undo the social tendency to discriminate on the basis of race and gender?

The only justification would be to help society break a bad, self-destructive habit -- maybe it would be best to think of affirmative action as a kind of nicotine patch.

Is anyone under the delusion that our society has shaken off this bad habit? Uh, no. Plenty of us still reach for that pack of unfiltered Camels.

Predictably, Glenn once again reaches under his mattress for a fix in the faux-free-market oxycontin of privatization as the solution to all social ills. His faith is sweetly naive. He hopes that removing government from the regulatory business will allow the private sector will handle discrimination more effectively -- you know, in the same way it has handled tainted meat, seat belts, Pinto gas tank explosions, and lead-soaked toy tea cups from China.

I see that our friend and neighbor Owen Robinson is serving up Glenn's gruel with the usual dollop of religious commitment. Good to know that Owen's childhood left him without any social disadvantages. Other than being an Aggie, of course.

The question is, what do we do to get our society over our tendencies to racism and sexism? Glenn's bill asks us to deny our own bad habits.

Maybe all this denial is a good sign. Denial is the first stage of grief.


And so it goes.
Mp

Glenn Grothman: at his best when it comes to beer?

Hi everyone,

How is it that Glenn and I only seem to agree when it comes to selling beer?

JS Online: Regional News Briefs: "Saukville eatery closer to getting liquor license

The state Senate's Transportation and Tourism Committee on Wednesday unanimously endorsed a bill that would allow the Saukville Village Board to issue one Class B liquor license in addition to the nine Class B licenses allowed under the village's quota.

State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) has said he introduced the bill to help one business, Messina Two Inc., 151 Progress Drive, Saukville, get a license to serve liquor in addition to the wine and beer the restaurant serves.

The bill is designed to help just one business because political reality is such that the Tavern League of Wisconsin would not allow a broader-based bill to get passed, Grothman has said."

I'd love to hear the Tavern League's argument for limiting the number of licenses within any given area -- probably to make sure that the established businesses are able to stay in business.

It's odd, then, for Glenn to be opposed to that kind of quota since, typically, neo-conservatives vote to maintain the economic advantage of the moneyed elites and to shut out -- or squeeze out -- small business people.

hiho
Mp