Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Tony Earl believed that “good policy is good politics,” a proposition for which there is scant evidence. When Earl became Governor of Wisconsin in January, 1983 the state faced a budget deficit north of a billion dollars, a big number even today and huge in the context of that time. And that was just theContinue reading “The Man Who Believed In Us”

Every so often the coastal elites who shape the Democratic Party decide they need to better understand people in the center of the country, you know, that big area west of the Hudson River and east of Sacramento? So the party commissioned a study of what they call “Factory Towns” (nothing one-dimensional about that) inContinue reading “National Dems Don’t Get Us”

Yesterday’s primary election had no big surprises, but there were a few small ones. Let’s review. Protasiewicz coasts. On Paczki Day, Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz got 46% of the vote in a four-way race. She was expected to come out on top but her 38 point margin over fellow liberal Judge Everett MitchellContinue reading “Election Lessons”

If you haven’t done so already, go vote today and then reward yourself with a nice donut. It’s Paczki Day, people! Let’s talk about the election first and get that out of the way. There may be other things on the ballot where you live, but here on Monroe Street in Madison there are justContinue reading “It’s Not Just Election Day”

Even if the Milwaukee Brewers were coming off a World Series championship I’d still be against giving them $290 million in taxpayer money to fix up their stadium. But this is a team that has no intention of spending its own money to get anywhere near the World Series. If they won’t invest in theirContinue reading “Brewers Don’t Deserve Our $290 Million”

This is the weekend of Aaron Rodgers’ sensory deprivation exercise. I did my own similar exercise last night. I stayed in a darkened, quiet room for eight hours. Well, except for the dozen or so times I got up to visit another room. But when I came out this morning everything was so clear. TheContinue reading “Trade Rodgers”

I don’t know who I’ll vote for for mayor of Madison come April. But in the February primary I’ll vote for Gloria Reyes. I’m not so much voting for Reyes or against incumbent Satya Rhodes-Conway as I’m voting for a longer, better conversation.  Here’s the key point. If Rhodes-Conway does as well in the primaryContinue reading “Reyes For Mayor, For Now”

Last night Gov. Tony Evers gave a speech that set the right tone. He talked about compromise and bipartisanship. But the actual budget document he released later contained a host of things that the Republican Legislature has rejected twice before. While I agree with virtually all of those things (paid family leave, legalized marijuana, MedicaidContinue reading “Lots of Compromise Possible”

Gov. Tony Evers delivered his third budget address on Wednesday evening. Here are some overall impressions. The meat was mostly pink, not red. Evers led with basic stuff that should have been bipartisan. Expanded internet, building roads, workforce housing, tax relief, more money for schools, aids to local governments to hire cops and firefighters. UntilContinue reading “The Quick Take on Evers’ Budget Address”

I wish I had the answers on what to do about guns. Actually, there are lots of answers. The problem is political. There are several things we could do to at least stem some of the insanity. According to a recent poll, stricter background checks are supported by 82% of Americans. Red flag laws areContinue reading “On Guns, Keep Trying”