A Good Obit is Worth 400 Words

Most people reach a point in their lives when they start reading obituaries. This happens because we all want to cull our Christmas card lists. As we age and we find ourselves on fixed incomes just as the cost of postage continues to spiral out of control, it’s important to keep those lists current. I’veContinue reading “A Good Obit is Worth 400 Words”

I Want the Dems to Win… Why Again?

As Wisconsin’s two-year legislative session raced to a close this month the Democrats had some leverage. They didn’t use it well. The Republicans still control both houses, but by much narrower margins since fair maps went into effect for the last election. The GOP runs the Senate, but by a thin 18-15 margin. That meansContinue reading “I Want the Dems to Win… Why Again?”

The Quote & Quiz for 3/28/26

This week’s quote comes to us from none other than the Wall Street Journal editorial page. In opining against the massive taxpayer handouts being bandied about as the Chicago Bears play Illinois off against Indiana for their new stadium, the paper quoted a study on the value of these subsidies: “Nearly all empirical studies findContinue reading “The Quote & Quiz for 3/28/26”

The Dems’ Self-Loathing

Here’s a paradox. Democrats are likely to win the April Wisconsin Supreme Court race easily and then take the majority in the state Senate, retain the governor’s office and pick up the Third Congressional District seat in the fall. And yet, with all that potential winning, the party is less popular than Luke Fickell. ThisContinue reading “The Dems’ Self-Loathing”

Taylor’s a Lock, Hong is For Real

It’s Christmas morning for Wisconsin bloggers. That’s right. There’s a new Marquette poll out. Let’s unwrap our gift from Uncle Charles and see what we’ve got. Taylor is a lock. Yeah, I know. Democratic operatives will hit the panic button to motivate voters, but Chris Taylor will win the Supreme Court race by a comfortableContinue reading “Taylor’s a Lock, Hong is For Real”

Public Broadcasting Survives

Last summer on my favorite public radio station, Rhinelander’s WXPR, I kept hearing how the impending elimination of federal funding was going to be “devastating” and how “life saving” alerts were at risk. And here we are several months since the money went away and yet good ol’ XPR is still going strong. As farContinue reading “Public Broadcasting Survives”

Four Problems With the Environmental Movement

Wisconsin enviromentalists wouldn’t compromise, so the state’s premiere conservation program, the Stewardship Fund, will die this summer. It’s an old, sad story and it’s one reason that green policies, once widely popular and bipartisan, are now on the ropes. Refusal to compromise is just one of four problems plaguing a movement I was once veryContinue reading “Four Problems With the Environmental Movement”

The Quote & Quiz for 3/21/26

This week’s quote comes to us from none other than the Wall Street Journal. Here’s the lede paragraph from a story about progressive Democratic senators plotting to unseat their minority leader, Chuck Schumer: Sen. Chris Murphy was dining with progressive activists at a French restaurant in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood when the conversation about how to advance theirContinue reading “The Quote & Quiz for 3/21/26”

Police Monitor Circus Goes On and On

A few years ago the circus came to town. And it just won’t go away. In 2020, and for no apparent reason, the Madison City Council created the Madison Police Civilian Oversight Board and the Office of the Independent Police Monitor at an annual cost to taxpayers of around $500,000. They did so even thoughContinue reading “Police Monitor Circus Goes On and On”