Category Archives: Uncategorized

As state Democratic leaders start to pull together their governing agenda one item that has been conspicuous in its absence is redistricting reform. For over a decade that was a central cause for minority Democrats. They complained, with ample evidence, that they were stuck in the minority thanks to the most egregiously gerrymandered district mapsContinue reading “Make Fair Maps Permanent”

Donald Trump surprised me just a little bit with his initial comments following his rout last week. He didn’t claim the results were all a hoax and he even said he could work with the Democrats. Of course that didn’t last. This week he and his party did several things that indicate they’ve learned nothingContinue reading “So Much For Bipartisanship”

There is finally some hope for the return of a sensible center in Dane County politics. This week ten county supervisors voted against a budget amendment that would take money from the Sheriff’s budget and allocate it to human services spending, including $233,000 to an organization called Urban Triage. Sup. Michael Engelberger questioned, appropriately, UrbanContinue reading “Some Hope in Dane County”

Last week I had lunch with my friend Chris Berge. Chris and his brothers are some of Madison’s best, most creative and daring restauranteurs. They started with Blue Marlin some thirty years ago and then Chris moved on to Magnus, Nattspil and the Weary Traveler before decamping for Blue Mounds where he opened his soloContinue reading “Betrayal”

It has long been the case that there are three groups the Madison public school system’s board and administration don’t care about: well-behaved kids who just want to learn, teachers who just want classrooms they can control and taxpayers who just want their money to provide kids with a good education in an orderly andContinue reading “Misplaced Priorities”

Let’s do a little tidying up around the YSDA office before we get out of here for the weekend. Here are some observations about this week’s events that didn’t merit (or I just didn’t feel like) writing a whole blog about. Money can’t buy you votes. Okay. Okay. Maybe in Cook County it still can,Continue reading “YSDA Refuses to Lawyer Up”

According to an analysis in the New York Times, “The path to Democrats’ sweeping victory this week, when they seized control of both chambers of Congress, was paved overwhelmingly by moderates who had spent months persuading voters in Republican-leaning states and competitive congressional districts that they could be trusted to govern and would deliver dissatisfiedContinue reading “A Mandate For Moderation”

Last night’s destruction of Donald Trump’s Republican Party raises some fundamental questions for both parties. First for the Republicans: who are you guys? Are you going to continue to be the Party of Trump or will you return to being the Party of Reagan or will you reinvent yourself as something else entirely? Because youContinue reading “The Mandate Is To Get Real”

It’s election day. The day on which all right thinking people walk a few blocks through crisp autumn air, kicking through the maple leaves, to join their neighbors in person to participate in a sacred rite (and also right) of democracy. Okay, so most of us don’t vote at a neighborhood polling place any more.Continue reading “What I’ll Be Watching Tonight”

Before I get to today’s topic, let me just say, BREWERS WIN! BREWERS WIN! BREWERS WIN! The latest Marquette Law School poll, and the last one before the election, is out and, as per usual, it’s packed with interesting stuff. For example: Crowley’s lead grows. David Crowley increased his lead over Tom Tiffany from 3%Continue reading “Gems from the MU Poll”