Curtis Dahlgren
WALKER, TAXES RANGER, new marshall in Madison [a classic "best of"]
By Curtis Dahlgren
"Whose idea was it to recall Walker? Name me the name!" — Mayor Tom Barrett
HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY SAY THAT, BUT HE WAS THINKING IT (shortly before getting slapped upside the head by one of his fans). You know it's going to be a bad night when you can't even win in LaCrosse. Many journalists had signed the recall petitions too; I think they were secretly trying to destroy the Wisconsin Democrat party (with a one-hundred million dollar recall that shot itself in the foot, as heard around the world).
Well, many things have been said, and many more could be said, but this week I'd prefer to "turn back the clock" to the first column that I wrote about Governor Scott Walker:
www.RenewAmerica.com/columns/Dahlgren/110301
"YOU'RE FLIPPING DEAD."- Wisconsin legislator (D, Oshkosh) to fellow legislator (R, Oshkosh) upon Assembly passage of the Budget Repair bill [paraphrased, of course]
THAT'S NO WAY TO TALK TO A LADY (IS IT?). Not all "civility" is created equal these days. "Equal protection" under the law isn't what it used to be. Dump a glass of beer on a Republican and you get sentenced to "cost of dry cleaning."
The Chicago Way is "Heads we win; tails you lose." I think some of the Democrat state senators who are AWOL even went to the "Big City" for advice. Just keep saying "We won!" (as Oboma did in 2009 and Nancy Pelosi even did after Novermber 2010). If you keep saying "We won" often enough and loud enough, the "news" media will parrot it for you. Some people will even believe it. But in the long run it's a kamikazi mission for the Left. The Lilliputians are getting both smaller and fewer in number.
Walker got 52 percent of the vote to about 46 for his opponent. In Democrat Milwaukee County, his popularity only grew stronger when he stood firm, and 70 percent of Wisconsinites already prefer his position to the union "line." PLUS — nearly two-thirds of the American people believe that education quality has fallen in the last ten years; only 22 percent believe quality has improved (in spite of "more money")!
Take Charlie Sheen, please! He's probably a public school product. He was being interviewed last week and the interviewer said, "I know you're not a Thomas Jefferson, but . . . "
Sheen interrupted him and said, "You're right about that! Jefferson was an S.O.B."
That may be a paraphrase, but it perfectly illustrates the kind of thinking that our public school social engineers want to produce (they call that "critical thinking" because it is critical of our roots and — especially — the Founding Families). And for this they want more and more money, and more and more power? What is wrong with this picture???
It is a conflict of interest for public employees to threaten work stoppages while "bargaining" with (and paying off) the representatives of the public -which pays the bills (I'm sort of paraphrasing Franklin D. Roosevelt).
FDR knew that sweetheart deals between politicians and public employees would eventually turn the voters against the Democrat party. BINGO! It has already happened. Our current President is treading lightlty on the Wisconsin situation. For one thing, it has been brought to our attention — just in the last week or so — that federal employees do not have any of the "collective bargaining rights" Governor Walker proposes to leave in place for Wisconsin teachers, etc.
He appeared on the Sunday shows this week and exposed union lies to the whole nation (this isn't playing well for the Left). Even their pranks have backfired on them (especially the camel-on-the-square). Scott Walker recognizes a circus when he sees one because he was originally from Delavan, the winter home of the Ringling Bros. circus. The capitol rotunda is no place for a freak show.
Speaking of that, I can tell you when the 14 AWOL state senators will return to work. It will happen when they see their disapproval percentages rise above 75 percent. Unless, that is, they want to be political martyrs in the coming recalls (as all those Congressmen walked the plank willingly for the Chicago machine on ObomaCare last year). By the way, do you know what the word "badger" means?
"badger, v.t.; to follow hotly, as dogs do the badger; to tease by persistent questioning"
We are seeing a lot of out-of-state dogs "meddling" in Wisconsin's business, while special interests continue to try to suck off the government udder (someone said).
"[G]overnment, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." — Thomas Paine
Yes, as they say, we get the government we deserve. Especially when we pander to mindless robots (the protesters in Madison are the perfect squelch for WEAC's claim that we have "great schools"). BTW, their commercials never use the word "excellence" or academic "rigor"; I guess they figure their own students wouldn't be able to understand. So "great schools" are all in the eye of the beholder.
"We're doing as well as we can," they claim. They blame bad parenting for most public school problems. But here's a dumb question for you: "Didn't they teach those parents TOO?" Or did they all go to St. Rita's or other private schools? I don't think so.
P.S. Is teaching a "profession" or just a Union shop? You can't have it both ways!
Here's an excerpt from an article by Chris Stirewalt, 2/18/11 ("Democrats and Unions Badger GOP in Wisconsin"):
"Members of the Service Employees International Union . . [are] helping man an around-the-clock occupation of the central halls of the state capital . . .
"Nine protesters have been arrested so far for disorderly conduct . . . So far the hideout [by senators] seems to be backfiring. Moderate Republicans who had been on the fence over the legislation are denouncing the shutdown as undemocratic . . [and]
"Teachers in most districts currently pay less than 5 percent of their insurance costs. The national average for [all] workers is 27 percent."
Stirewalt writes for FoxNews.com. No wonder a Fox journalist got punched by a peaceful demonstrator the other day. By the way, part of the budget problem is that most health insurance is purchased through the union's own health insurance company (essentially without bids). Changing that could save almost 70 million dollars a year (even that would be a drop in the bucket compared to a projected $3.6 BILLION for the next biennium).
The story on Wisconsin teacher pensions is even worse. They can retire at 55 years of age and move to a less "taxing" state. If they live long enough, they may — theoretically — receive more for not working than some of them made while working! Only the bucket has a hole in it. While the White House tried for two years to find $100 million in spending cuts, or 33 cents per person (how hard were they looking?) — the federal government has projected liabilities of $130 TRILLION in future unfunded "entitlements."
The enviro-mentals talk about "sustainable development" all the time, while ignoring unsustainable spending! They major in the minors — by tackling obesity or smoking, etc., in total denial about foreign affairs and national security. Never mind that gasoline is heading for $4 a gallon, if not a lot more (though Big Oil would prefer STABLE prices to high prices, for planning purposes).
Dr. Walter Williams says he would give up his Social Security for life in exchange for 100 acres of land in Alaska [and never mind the mule]. Amen (and Alaska could be the world's 8th largest oil producer if the enviro-mental-wackos would just get out of the way of "the NEW New Frontier").
PPS: When I say "so much to say, so little time," I certainly mean that. I honestly don't know how long that freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and freedom of speech will survive the daily assault by political correctness (and turmoil abroad). Someone asked me if I thought the world would end in 2012 and I said "no," BUT it could be the beginning of the end.
We could very well be entering the time the Bible calls "the time of the Great Hatred." Perilous times!
More to come next week, but if you can't pray for your enemy — or your country — pray for yourself. AND:
"Thank the Lord for small favors!"
© Curtis Dahlgren
June 10, 2012
"Whose idea was it to recall Walker? Name me the name!" — Mayor Tom Barrett
HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY SAY THAT, BUT HE WAS THINKING IT (shortly before getting slapped upside the head by one of his fans). You know it's going to be a bad night when you can't even win in LaCrosse. Many journalists had signed the recall petitions too; I think they were secretly trying to destroy the Wisconsin Democrat party (with a one-hundred million dollar recall that shot itself in the foot, as heard around the world).
Well, many things have been said, and many more could be said, but this week I'd prefer to "turn back the clock" to the first column that I wrote about Governor Scott Walker:
www.RenewAmerica.com/columns/Dahlgren/110301
"YOU'RE FLIPPING DEAD."- Wisconsin legislator (D, Oshkosh) to fellow legislator (R, Oshkosh) upon Assembly passage of the Budget Repair bill [paraphrased, of course]
THAT'S NO WAY TO TALK TO A LADY (IS IT?). Not all "civility" is created equal these days. "Equal protection" under the law isn't what it used to be. Dump a glass of beer on a Republican and you get sentenced to "cost of dry cleaning."
The Chicago Way is "Heads we win; tails you lose." I think some of the Democrat state senators who are AWOL even went to the "Big City" for advice. Just keep saying "We won!" (as Oboma did in 2009 and Nancy Pelosi even did after Novermber 2010). If you keep saying "We won" often enough and loud enough, the "news" media will parrot it for you. Some people will even believe it. But in the long run it's a kamikazi mission for the Left. The Lilliputians are getting both smaller and fewer in number.
Walker got 52 percent of the vote to about 46 for his opponent. In Democrat Milwaukee County, his popularity only grew stronger when he stood firm, and 70 percent of Wisconsinites already prefer his position to the union "line." PLUS — nearly two-thirds of the American people believe that education quality has fallen in the last ten years; only 22 percent believe quality has improved (in spite of "more money")!
Take Charlie Sheen, please! He's probably a public school product. He was being interviewed last week and the interviewer said, "I know you're not a Thomas Jefferson, but . . . "
Sheen interrupted him and said, "You're right about that! Jefferson was an S.O.B."
That may be a paraphrase, but it perfectly illustrates the kind of thinking that our public school social engineers want to produce (they call that "critical thinking" because it is critical of our roots and — especially — the Founding Families). And for this they want more and more money, and more and more power? What is wrong with this picture???
It is a conflict of interest for public employees to threaten work stoppages while "bargaining" with (and paying off) the representatives of the public -which pays the bills (I'm sort of paraphrasing Franklin D. Roosevelt).
FDR knew that sweetheart deals between politicians and public employees would eventually turn the voters against the Democrat party. BINGO! It has already happened. Our current President is treading lightlty on the Wisconsin situation. For one thing, it has been brought to our attention — just in the last week or so — that federal employees do not have any of the "collective bargaining rights" Governor Walker proposes to leave in place for Wisconsin teachers, etc.
He appeared on the Sunday shows this week and exposed union lies to the whole nation (this isn't playing well for the Left). Even their pranks have backfired on them (especially the camel-on-the-square). Scott Walker recognizes a circus when he sees one because he was originally from Delavan, the winter home of the Ringling Bros. circus. The capitol rotunda is no place for a freak show.
Speaking of that, I can tell you when the 14 AWOL state senators will return to work. It will happen when they see their disapproval percentages rise above 75 percent. Unless, that is, they want to be political martyrs in the coming recalls (as all those Congressmen walked the plank willingly for the Chicago machine on ObomaCare last year). By the way, do you know what the word "badger" means?
"badger, v.t.; to follow hotly, as dogs do the badger; to tease by persistent questioning"
We are seeing a lot of out-of-state dogs "meddling" in Wisconsin's business, while special interests continue to try to suck off the government udder (someone said).
"[G]overnment, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." — Thomas Paine
Yes, as they say, we get the government we deserve. Especially when we pander to mindless robots (the protesters in Madison are the perfect squelch for WEAC's claim that we have "great schools"). BTW, their commercials never use the word "excellence" or academic "rigor"; I guess they figure their own students wouldn't be able to understand. So "great schools" are all in the eye of the beholder.
"We're doing as well as we can," they claim. They blame bad parenting for most public school problems. But here's a dumb question for you: "Didn't they teach those parents TOO?" Or did they all go to St. Rita's or other private schools? I don't think so.
P.S. Is teaching a "profession" or just a Union shop? You can't have it both ways!
Here's an excerpt from an article by Chris Stirewalt, 2/18/11 ("Democrats and Unions Badger GOP in Wisconsin"):
"Members of the Service Employees International Union . . [are] helping man an around-the-clock occupation of the central halls of the state capital . . .
"Nine protesters have been arrested so far for disorderly conduct . . . So far the hideout [by senators] seems to be backfiring. Moderate Republicans who had been on the fence over the legislation are denouncing the shutdown as undemocratic . . [and]
"Teachers in most districts currently pay less than 5 percent of their insurance costs. The national average for [all] workers is 27 percent."
Stirewalt writes for FoxNews.com. No wonder a Fox journalist got punched by a peaceful demonstrator the other day. By the way, part of the budget problem is that most health insurance is purchased through the union's own health insurance company (essentially without bids). Changing that could save almost 70 million dollars a year (even that would be a drop in the bucket compared to a projected $3.6 BILLION for the next biennium).
The story on Wisconsin teacher pensions is even worse. They can retire at 55 years of age and move to a less "taxing" state. If they live long enough, they may — theoretically — receive more for not working than some of them made while working! Only the bucket has a hole in it. While the White House tried for two years to find $100 million in spending cuts, or 33 cents per person (how hard were they looking?) — the federal government has projected liabilities of $130 TRILLION in future unfunded "entitlements."
The enviro-mentals talk about "sustainable development" all the time, while ignoring unsustainable spending! They major in the minors — by tackling obesity or smoking, etc., in total denial about foreign affairs and national security. Never mind that gasoline is heading for $4 a gallon, if not a lot more (though Big Oil would prefer STABLE prices to high prices, for planning purposes).
Dr. Walter Williams says he would give up his Social Security for life in exchange for 100 acres of land in Alaska [and never mind the mule]. Amen (and Alaska could be the world's 8th largest oil producer if the enviro-mental-wackos would just get out of the way of "the NEW New Frontier").
PPS: When I say "so much to say, so little time," I certainly mean that. I honestly don't know how long that freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and freedom of speech will survive the daily assault by political correctness (and turmoil abroad). Someone asked me if I thought the world would end in 2012 and I said "no," BUT it could be the beginning of the end.
We could very well be entering the time the Bible calls "the time of the Great Hatred." Perilous times!
More to come next week, but if you can't pray for your enemy — or your country — pray for yourself. AND:
"Thank the Lord for small favors!"
© Curtis Dahlgren
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(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
