Thursday, May 16, 2013
The "openly black" congresswoman talked politics and pretended to ride motorcycles with the comedic talk show host Wednesday night.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore is the latest politician to take a political risk and appear on The Colbert Report with comedian Stephen Colbert. If you're not familiar with the show, Colbert takes on the role of an exaggerated right-wing talk show host. In his "Better Know a District" segment, he has poked fun at about 80 U.S. representatives, with the ambitious goal of reaching all 435 congressional districts. Moore represents Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District, which recently expanded to include Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale and Bayside. On last night's show, Colbert asked Moore to expand on her thoughts about Rep. Paul Ryan's budget, which she has said favors the rich. Moore said America should be more akin to a family, in …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Village Board approved a demolition contract that calls for the Bridge Lane Ravine footbridge to be removed no later than Oct. 15.
The removal of the Bridge Lane Ravine Footbrdige will cost $228,200, according to Fox Point Now. The Fox Point Village Board on Tuesday night entered into a $187,700 contract – about $150,000 less than anticipated – for the demolition and removal of the footbridge. Trustees signed a separate $40,500 contract with Ayres Associates to inspect the demolition process and prepare contract documents. Trustees Beverly Bell, F.R. Dengel and Christine Symchych voted against the contract with Ayres, according to NOW, because two contractors seemed unnecessary. Public Works Director Scott Brandmeier said Ayres is hired to make sure the work is done appropriately and to address any issues that may come up. The contractor, C.W. Purpero, plans to …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Some Wisconsin legislators are hoping to prevent any government restrictions on the size of your soda. What about your own restrictions? If any?
If the state Joint Finance Committee gets its way, the Big Gulp will have the freedom to remain, well, … Big. WISN 12 News reports the panel, which includes local representatives Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), placed a provision in the budget bill that would prevent any city or county from limiting the size of a food or drink being sold. The infamous New York City ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces is being challenged in court, but if successful it would dramatically slash the 7-11 Big Gulp (128 ounces) and the McDonald’s Supersize (40 ounces) among others, according to Mother Jones. Setting aside the notion for a moment of how much control government should exert over such a matter, how…
Friday, May 10, 2013
President Barack Obama chose Nicolet High School grad Col. Andrew Armacoast to be the dean of faculty.
President Barack Obama tapped Nicolet High School graduate and Glendale native Col. Andrew Armacost to serve as the dean of faculty for the U.S. Air Force Acadamy, according to stories in the Gazette and the Journal Senitnel. Armacost currently serves as the head of the Deaprtment of Management at the Air Force Academy. If his nomination is approved, he'll serve as the 10th dean of faculty. His duties include commanding "the 700-member Dean of Faculty mission partner and oversee the annual design and instruction of more than 500 undergraduate courses for 4,000 cadets in 31 academic disciplines. He will also direct the operation of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $350 million," according to a story …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Controversies over the $648 million reserve fund and the $600,000 Palermo's Pizza deal are bedeviling University of Wisconsin leaders.
It’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for Rebecca Blank, incoming chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sure, the acting U.S. commerce secretary, set to start in July, will make $500,000 a year — plus benefits and perks, including a university residence and car, money for travel and entertainment, and an unpaid academic appointment for her husband. But she’ll be stepping into a host of controversies, drawing flak from all directions. As one UW-Madison student quipped, “Blank is not starting off with a blank slate.” There’ll be ongoing fallout from some legislators’ volcanic eruptions over revelations that the UW System has a $648 million reserve fund. Though this is in line with other state systems, Wisconsin politicians are “…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Attention online shoppers: You might have to pony up more cash for those online shopping sprees, if federal sales tax legislation becomes law.
Online shoppers, who enjoyed avoiding paying sales tax for their out-of-state purchases, probably won't be happy if a bill pending in Congress becomes law. The Marketplace Fairness Act, which passed 69-27 in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, allows states the authority, and option, of collecting taxes on Internet and catalog sales. The act does not create a new tax. But it does allow states the option of collecting the taxes, which they are already owed. However, the legislation does exempt small businesses that make less than $1 million from collecting the tax. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted for the bill, but Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) did not. “Today, I joined a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate in support of the Marketplace Fairness …
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wisconsin's drunk driving-related incidents are the highest in the United States and state Legislators have crafted six bills to confront the issue, but they carries a hefty price tag.
Some state Republican Legislators want to toughen the laws for habitual drunk drivers and first-time drunk drivers if they cause an injury or killed someone, but the price tag for those laws could cost taxpayers up to $236 million, according to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal. Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) have introduced six bills to the Senate and House. The bills would: Because of the jail time provisions, the state expects to have to build 17 facilities that would each house 300 people. "A fiscal estimate from the state Department of Corrections put the cost of the bill regarding third and subsequent offenses at between $169 million and $204 million annually. Other agencies also weighed in, …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
But border security should be the priority, the Republican senator and Tea Party favorite said during an interview with Patch, adding immigration reform should be tackled in bite-sized pieces, not on a comprehensive basis.
U.S. Ron Johnson says he is open to the idea of a pathway to citizenship, or some sort of legal status system, so the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country "can come out of the shadows." However, the Tea Party-backed Republican said Thursday that Congress should tackle immigration reform on a piecemeal basis — instead of passing a comprehensive plan. The debate over immigration reform has heated up in recent days, with protests staged Wednesday in cities across the country, including Milwaukee, as part of May Day celebrations. The demonstrations served as a message aimed at Congress, showing there's support for a path to citizenship, according to the New York Times. In an interview with Patch on Thursday in Bayside, Johnson …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Janet Hinz, an adjunct college instructor, will run against Dan Sebring in a Republican primary battle to challenge Democratic incumbent Gwen Moore, who now represents Fox Point and Bayside.
(This story was updated at 3:07 p.m. May 2 to include Dan Sebring's candidacy for the 4th District Congressional seat.) Whitefish Bay's Janet Hinz will face off against fellow Republican candidate Dan Sebring in a primary battle to challenge five-term incumbent Democrat Gwen Moore in the November 2014 election. Hinz, 42, is an adjunct instructor in the Business and English Department at Cardinal Stritch University. She and her husband Jason have lived in Whitefish Bay for 12 years with their three children, Molly, Clark and Clara. Hinz characterizes herself as a moderate Republican, and said she is fed up with extreme points of views dividing the nation. “America needs critical thinkers, and the people of Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, former running mate of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, says that with the election behind him, he's happy to "get back to work" and fight for what he believes in.
Despite taking his lumps in the November election, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan said Tuesday that he has a "moral obligation" to continue fighting for what he believes in. "What do you do when you get knocked down?" he asked "You get back up. You pick yourself up, and go back and fight for what you think is right, what you believe in." Speaking at a town hall meeting in Oak Creek, the former Republican vice presidential candidate joked about the outcome of the race. "Let's just say the election didn't go the way I wanted it to go," he told the crowd of about 180. Still, Ryan said, he will continue to push for immigration reform, a revamp of the tax system, energy legislation and more. In an interview with Patch after the 90-minute listening session…
The Donny Show
9:54 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
Friends who work at the House say Moore is one of a few House Members that are laughed at. She is BEYOND incompetent and has not clue what she is doing most of time. I think it is HILARIOUS that the people of Shorewood allow her to represent them. Is there not ANY other flaming libtard that could take her place (not that I am endorsing someone who might actually DO something; I am fine with her … more ›