Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

To hear Republicans tell it, voting drop boxes will destroy American democracy. Democrats swear they’ll save it. Neither is true. There’s no evidence that drop boxes increase voter participation. We got along without them for 250 years or so and democracy survived all that time. But, on the other hand, there’s no evidence that dropContinue reading “Boxing Match”

In the first academic year since the Supreme Court struck down racial preferences in college admissions, the results are murky, though they point to some reduction in students of color. That’s unfortunate, but it also means that the ruling was necessary. Let me explain. According to an investigative piece in the Wall Street Journal, theContinue reading “A Radical Idea: Ignore Race”

One of the many things I don’t like about Democrats’ attempts (too many successful) to pay off student loans is that those attempts do nothing to address the underlying issue. Which is: why is the cost of college going up so fast? A big part of that answer comes in a new Wisconsin Legislative FiscalContinue reading “UW: Too Damned Many Bureaucrats”

I’m never quite sure if Donald Trump is a mad genius or just mad. During his debate with Kamala Harris I was watching it with a Republican friend who, when Trump brought up Haitians eating pets, put his head in his hands. I guess he didn’t want to see the smile on my face. ButContinue reading “Immigration Dogs the Dems”

The Madison school district expects voters to approve two referendums in November, adding $1,600 to the average property tax bill. They keep providing more reasons for voters to send them back to the drawing board. Last week when Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes suggested that the district revisit its 2021 decision to pull cops outContinue reading “More Bad Management From Madison Schools”

Kamala Harris didn’t get a bump out of her debate last week, where it was widely believed, even among Republicans, that she bested Donald Trump. But other indicators look good for the Democrat. First, about that lack of impact from the debate. We expected as much. People are just so locked in that it’s hardContinue reading “Harris Reverses Excitement Gap”

Why do we elect county sheriffs? The question comes to mind now because Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt has once again done what elected sheriffs seem prone to do: misunderstand their job. Here’s the main thing they don’t get: they were not elected to the Supreme Court. For some reason conservative sheriffs have decided thatContinue reading “Stop Electing Sheriffs”

For the first half hour of last night’s presidential debate I thought Donald Trump was remarkably disciplined and on message. He even got off some complete sentences. Then Kamala Harris brought up his rallies. “People get bored and walk away.” It was a line calculated to get under Trump’s skin. And, boy, did it. TrumpContinue reading “Harris Rallies”

I do not think that the entire election will turn on tonight’s debate. Even after Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in June, polling numbers only nudged down slightly for him. The reason is that voters are so polarized, so locked-in and so split down the middle. No matter what happens there just isn’t much room forContinue reading “Our Take on Tonight’s Debate”

After I lost my last election for mayor in spring of 2011 I was at loose ends. I went from having one of the most intense jobs in the city to having nothing to do.  One morning, about a month after I left office, I was wandering (and also wondering about what I might doContinue reading “The Apostles Don’t Need to be a National Park”