Category Archives: Uncategorized

This one won’t be as awful as the last two, but it’s still pretty bad. I refer to the latest contest for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Because the previous contests in 2024 and 2025 were battles for ideological control of the Court, they attracted national attention and truckloads of money from outsideContinue reading “More Reason to Appoint Justices”

Wisconsin taxpayers have spent $70 million in the last couple of years to subsidize the construction and operation of data centers. That’s because a provision in the 2023-2025 state budget created a sales and use tax exemption for these things. The exemption is broad, covering everything from computer hardware and software to office furniture. AndContinue reading “Why Are We Subsidizing Data Centers?”

This week Analilia Mejia won an upset victory in the Democratic primary to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. She defeated former moderate Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski and nine other candidates. She ran well to the left of the field, gaining the endorsements of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren andContinue reading “Warning Signs From Jersey”

Republicans want to change the subject. So, the other day they passed a series of bills in the Wisconsin Legislature aimed at reviving transgender issues where they hold mostly popular positions. The bills would ban the participation of transgender females in girl’s and women’s sports, prevent minors from getting gender-affirming treatments and require parents toContinue reading “Social Issues Can’t Save the GOP This Time”

It’s possible that taxpayers will be on the line for most of a $20 million loan given to the UW Athletic Department in 2020. As a rule, UW athletics pays for itself. Football and men’s basketball produce enough revenue to pay for themselves and everything else. But when the pandemic shut everything down the campusContinue reading “Taxpayers Shouldn’t Bail Out UW Athletics”

Madison takes enough incoming from the hard-right. We don’t need the left to pile on. I’m referring to the liberal law firm Law Forward’s civil suit against the city and its former clerks over the mishandling of 193 ballots in the November, 2024 election. These were absentee ballots that were misplaced and not counted. TheyContinue reading “Law Forward Could Take Us Backward”

In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling disallowing the use of race in admissions something surprising (although it should have been predictable) is happening. While admissions of Black students to Ivy League schools is down, admissions to state schools is up. The New York Times reported this week that Black admissions to the nation’sContinue reading “A New Kind of Diversity”

Let’s start with the photo below. These are, of course, ICE agents training their loaded weapons on a driver in the Twin Cities. But why? Have they tracked down a dangerous criminal? Is this a drug dealer? Has the person brandished a weapon or tried to impede their work? No. None of the above. TheContinue reading “Trump in Retreat”

Last June UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin received $150,000 just for hanging around. She was scheduled to get another $250,000 had she stayed into June of this year, but instead she’s leaving for Columbia University. Her last day at the UW will be sometime around commencement in May. By most accounts Mnookin did a good job.Continue reading “Link Pay to Performance”

After a couple of false starts, Senate Democrats seem to have figured out how to work a potential government shutdown. House Dems should go along. Last fall Democrats forced a 43-day partial shutdown. They did so over the price of health care. While they didn’t get the extension of Obamacare tax subsidies that they wanted,Continue reading “Senate Dems Know How to De-ICE”