Category Archives: Uncategorized

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”

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”

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”

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”

I emailed my State Senator, Kelda Roys, this morning to thank her for her vote the other day against Assembly Bill 1034, the Bucky bailout bill. I got a reply a little while later and, while it was a form reply, I thought it was excellent, so I’m going to share it with you here.Continue reading “Roys Right on Bucky Bailout”

People are flawed and history is relentless. Yesterday’s heroes are today’s oppressors. And activists are unforgiving. Taking a person’s full contributions into account and balancing those against his mistakes and even outright misdeeds is not something that’s in fashion in today’s hyper-polarized society. I wrote about that a few years ago when Madison’s James MadisonContinue reading “Don’t Name Schools After People”

Bipartisanship isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Take Assembly Bill 1034, the legislation that would hand over almost $15 million in taxpayer money every year to the UW Athletic Department. The bill passed yesterday on a “bipartisan” vote, but there’s nothing good about this cross aisle cooperation. Here’s what happened. The bill was aContinue reading “The Fix Was In on the Badger Bailout”

Do you want your tax dollars to help pay Luke Fickell’s salary? That’s essentially the question before the state Senate this week. A couple weeks ago I wrote about an awful bill in the Legislature which would hand over $14.6 million in our tax dollars to fix a hole in the UW Athletic Department’s budgetContinue reading “Fight the NIL Give Away”

Mandela Barnes has hit on a good issue, even if he did so in a clumsy sort of way. Last week, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said that he would only appoint Public Service Commission members who would pledge never to increase utility rates. That specific proposal is a bad idea because sometimes rate increases areContinue reading “Barnes’ PSC Idea Should Spark Debate”

I’m grateful to have any choice at all. Usually, members of the Madison school board run for reelection unopposed. But this cycle both incumbents who are up for reelection have opponents. That’s the good news. There is some additional good news in that each of the challengers seems smart, capable and committed. But while I’mContinue reading “Little Choice for Madison School Board”