Walker halts safety and energy saving building code standards in quest for smaller government.

More is at stake in November than you might have imagined. Homes and commercial business construction being built now using outdated standards could cost residents lots of money in the future and be dangerous.

Thank you Scott Walker. According to the Wisconsin Centerfor Investigative Journalism’s Bill Lueders:  

Under Scott Walker, Wisconsin slows updates of building and safety codes: Critics say anti-regulatory bent is driving state’s failure to address potential hazards and adopt money-saving advances.

Regulatory lag: Construction of commercial and multi-family buildings in Wisconsin is subject to 2009 national model code standards, adopted by the state in 2011. The next three-year model standards, for 2012, were never adopted in Wisconsin and likely will not be, given that the 2015 standards have already been released. 

Small government and deregulation can be very costly and hazardous to life and health:

In November 2011, industry consultant Robert DuPont, a lobbyist representing the Alliance for Regulatory Coordination, warned that failure to do so “can negatively impact both public safety and the economy in Wisconsin.” Three-quarters of the state’s code councils dealing with buildings and safety have not met in years.

In two instances, Wisconsin appears to be violating state laws … Critics say this failure also means lost savings for homeowners and taxpayers, reduced accessibility for people with disabilities and increased dangers for building occupants. “The codes address hazards and problems that we’ve learned about through tragedies,” said Madison Fire Marshal Ed Ruckriegel … 24 of the state’s 32 code councils had not met since 2011.  

But don't take Lueders or my word for it:

Joe Jameson, electrical and building inspector for the city of Middleton said he does not know whether DSPS lacks staff or resources, or just doesn’t care: “They have a job to do and they’re not doing it.” 

Jean MacCubbin, DSPS’s former administrative rules coordinator, said chalks it up to anti-regulatory bias and, in her view, general incompetence. “Their idea is to get rid of people who write codes, because that’s regulation,” 

Joe Hertel, formerly the state’s chief electrical inspector, left the agency in mid-2012 after it called for eliminating requirements to add safety devices including arc and ground fault circuit interrupters in new homes. This decision, made at the urging of the Wisconsin Builders Association, an industry trade group, was rescinded amid intense opposition. “When you have to do things that go against your better judgment, your morals and your ethics, it’s time to do something else,” Hertel said. 

Need a frightening example? Lueders found this:

And Jeffrey M. Hugo, manager of codes for the National Fire Sprinkler Association, noted that the 2012 code, which 21 states have adopted but Wisconsin has not, mandated that automatic sprinklers be installed on building floors that contain ambulatory health care facilities like surgery centers and dentist offices as well as on all lower floors. “If the construction boom in this area ends before (Wisconsin adopts) the 2012 code,” Hugo said, “we’ll have a whole bunch of these health care facilities that do not have sprinklers throughout the building.”

Walker’s Big Government takeover replaces local building codes with one-size-fits-all regulations, puts council of contractors and industry in charge.

Sure this is the very definition of fascism; “the veneration of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and allying with industrial businesses and attacking workers and peasants in the name of preserving order and internal peace,” but Republicans just roll their eyes at the mere mention of the word.

This shocking ideological purification of government leaves little doubt about the existence of the rightwing authoritarian movement. 

This bill, mentioned in previous posts, is only the beginning of what will be a great unwinding of regulation and safety standards. The question is; why do we need to change anything?

Daily Reporter: An Assembly committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill that would adopt a uniform commercial building code for Wisconsin. The legislation, put forward by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin and similar groups, would take away local governments’ ability to set commercial-building standards that are stricter than the state’s. The one exception to the uniform code would be for fire-safety ordinances that cities, villages and towns adopted before May 1, 2013.

AB 782 would also place the responsibility of making revisions to the commercial code in the hands of a building code council made up of building inspectors, contractors, architects and those belonging to similar trades and professions. The council members would be appointed by the governor and would serve three-year terms. 

Big Government Republicans propose statewide building code, ending targeted and stricter local controls.

Busy Republican hands are happy hands. With nothing else to do after remaking government to their own Republican specifications, lawmakers continue their big government assault on local municipalities by proposing a one size fits all regulation that give absolute power to our permanent conservative majority.

Chippewa Herald: A bill authored by state Republican Sen. Terry Moulton and supported by state Republcian Rep. Kathy Bernier to set a statewide uniform building code for commercial buildings is drawing concern from the fire inspector in Chippewa Falls.

John A. Bowe is concerned the bill would wipe out restrictions by local municipalities that are stronger than the state code. In Chippewa Falls, than would affect a sprinkler code passed in 2004. Moulton and Bernier said the intent of the bill to provide uniformity for builders. Both legislators said they are open to suggestions by firefighters in shaping the bill.

 If it isn’t broken, why fix it? One party rule, that’s why. 

Shocker!!! Scott Walker bends to Builders, proposes removing Electrical Regulations that stops fires and saves lives.

And you thought the Walker Authority couldn't make things much worse? You wanted him back.

I thought to myself before I read the following story, Scott Walker isn’t going to…isn’t….

Yes, he is removing electrical safety requirements from our building codes. Wisconsin State Journal reporter George Hesselberg has the heads up:

Mandatory requirements designed to detect fire-causing conditions, stop electric shocks and keep children from sticking foreign objects into electrical outlets have been targeted for removal from the state code, according to a governor-approved plan to rewrite the rules to administer the code.

Some electrical inspectors have already lined up against the proposal, which Gov. Scott Walker approved on June 29. The approval authorizes the state's Department of Safety and Professional Services to study the proposed changes, hold hearings and write new administrative rules.

Industry professionals are stunned:

Joe Jameson, electrical inspector for the city of Middleton and president of the South Western Wisconsin Electrical Inspectors Association, said his colleagues are baffled by the proposal, which would remove proven life- and property-saving requirements. "This proposal from the governor's office was not discussed by any of the state's safety councils or building code councils," said Jameson.

Get ready for it:

The new plan would make installation of those devices optional.

You can thank the homebuilder lobby for this brilliant idea: 

The Wisconsin Homebuilders Association was one source for the code-changing plan, confirmed Jerry Deschane, association vice president. "We have talked to the department  … mostly because of reliability problems with all three of those devices," said Deschane.

But Jameson called the proposal "bizarre," saying the safety requirements add about $200 to a typical $200,000 home, and even the proposal notes the "economic impact is minimal."

AFCI, which has been required in Wisconsin since 2010 but is a national electrical code requirement, detects electrical arcs from cracked, broken or damaged electrical insulation and shuts off power to the circuit before the arcing leads to a fire, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. GFCI, common in construction for decades, protects people from shock, electrocution and thermal burns.

This normally would be a no brainer, yet business interests come before public safety, even death. Another words, there shouldn’t even be a discussion:

The Department of Safety and Professional Services said the proposal "came to our attention from builders from across the state. As we want to be responsive to concerns from our stakeholders, we are continuing to conduct research." The proposal estimates it will take 600 hours of staff time to develop the rules.

Scott Walker did say he was getting government out of the way, but like this?:

The governor's office said: "Governor Walker campaigned on getting government out of the way by ensuring that regulations are science-based and predictable. The change to this rule simply reflects concerns that were raised to DSPS by individuals who construct homes. Instead of mandating the use of these products, this rule change would make it optional."

Madison city electrical inspector supervisor George Hank said he was "somewhat surprised, as these are life-safety devices. These are small prices to pay for additional safety."

According to the National Electric Manufacturers Association, AFCIs are required in all states except Indiana. "Our groups are trying to contact anyone who will listen about this because we think this is ridiculous and a step backward," said Jameson.

Reliability problems?  Deschane was critical of the AFCI, GFCI and tamper-proof outlets because "some electricians have been talking to us about reliability problems." A home security system or a sump pump, for example, can trip an interrupter … And the tamper-resistant outlets, which use small plastic covers over the prong openings that are moved aside cause problems for "some people who have trouble putting plugs in those sockets." He knew of no tests or statistics or reports that support those claims, but "the concerns we have raised come from complaints from people who have been installing (the devices) in Wisconsin."

Ed Ruckriegel. Madison Fire Department's fire marshal, said he saw no reason for removing the standards, which he said reduce injuries, save lives and prevent fires. "If this goes before committees for hearings, I am sure you will see many folks in fire department uniforms testifying against it," he said.

Small Government Republicans MY ASS!!! Walker administration attempting public and COMMERCIAL building code takeover.

The new Kingdom of Wisconsin’s administration has found another way to expand what is already breathtaking power:

LaCrosseTribune: Proposed legislation that would limit municipalities to state building codes for public and commercial construction could seriously weaken local control and safety, La Crosse officials warned Tuesday …(in) a resolution opposing the bill. 

Senate Bill 32, by Republican state Sens. Terry Moulton, Dale Schultz, Glenn Grothman and Robert Cowles, would prohibit local governments from exceeding the international building code for construction, repair and maintenance of these buildings, unless they receive state approval. 

A call to Moulton’s office Tuesday on the reasons behind the bill was not returned.

In La Crosse, 

...metal framing rather than wood — to better prevent fire from spreading among the more densely packed buildings. It’s also a matter of local control, “whether you or any community wants Madison to decide what they’re going to do,” Fire Chief Gregg Cleveland said.

Remember when Republicans complained, hell Walker is still making the argument, that Madison shouldn't be calling the shots when it comes to maintaining local control.

Except when the Capitol turns conservative.

Madison wants to Fine and Penalize Victims of accidental fires.

There is nothing worse than accidently causing a fire to your home or apartment. The damage big and small, the horror, the insurance deductible, the temporary living arrangements, the injury or death of a person or pet, and the anger over screwing up so badly. No one takes it lightly. Yet, Madison thinks you need to be penalized. We need government to educate us, to tell us how wrong we were, and fine us to boot.  Here are the stunning details:

Cap Times: A proposed new ordinance would prohibit what it calls "negligent cooking" in Madison, making it punishable by a fine of up to $5,000. We're talking about the kind of negligence that makes cooking mishaps the leading cause of fires in Madison and nationally -- the sort of things that happen when somebody in the kitchen does something really, really stupid.

Alarmed? I was too when I saw the proposal on the agenda for the Tuesday meeting of (take a deep breath) the Building Code, Fire Code, Conveyance Code and Licensing Appeals Board.

But the measure's backers say that the aim is not to be punitive, but to educate … the rules make it clear that lapses in the kitchen that lead to a fire should add up to egregious neglect or recklessness to be cited. "We aren't going to punish somebody just because they made a mistake," says Ald. Paul Skidmore, a co-sponsor. "This is not Draconian. We are just trying to make Madison more safe."

Skidmore's jaw dropping reasoning is mind numbing. Many years ago I made up my own phrase to describe liberals in this city as suffering from "Madisensitivity." This goes way over the top.

Cooking mishaps cause more fires in Madison than anything else including heating or electrical system problems or smoking, Madison fire department officials say. Nationally, fire departments respond to an average of 155,400 home fires involving cooking equipment every year. They cause an average of $771 million in property damage, 4,800 injuries, and 390 deaths each year, according to the NFPA.

The hope is that the new ordinance, which Fire Marshall Ed Ruckriegel thinks could be a first in the state and even the country, will act as a deterrent. "You can't legislate against stupidity. But you can legislate against negligence," says Ruckriegel, who compares the proposed crackdown to laws against drunk driving.

And to justify the insane insult to the victims of accidental fires...well, you won't believe it:

And if you think this is too strict, he adds, there are some places in Asia where villagers who start cooking fires are kicked out of town. Having them around is considered too much of a risk.

"We knew this would be controversial," Ruckriegel says. "It's a tough concept for people because so many people have had close calls when it comes to cooking. But this is about raising awareness and starting a community conversation." Supporters don't have a lot of patience for the argument that people shouldn't be penalized for an accident. "You could say that same sort of thing about many other things, that you didn't mean to speed or blow past the stop sign, or that you're really sorry you hit the pedestrian in the crosswalk," says Ruckriegel.

 (Tuesday's committee meeting will be held at 12:15 in Room LL100 of the City County building at 215 Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd.)

Goodbye Wisconsin...Landlords Unchained. Tenants must Bow Down to their Whims say Republicans.

Republicans continue to tear down decade’s worth of consumer protection laws just because they can. This isn't governing, this is chaos.

Being a landlord myself, even I can’t believe what Republicans want to let landlords get away with. It's even a one-size-fits-all change that does away with all the uniquely justified local regulations that elected officials passed at the request of constituents. 

If you’re thinking about moving to Wisconsin and renting, “RENTER BEWARE,” your safety and health are at risk. 

Another insane law pushed by the lobbyists at the Wisconsin Realtor's Associations. You know, all those confusing local regulations. Think that's bad, have you seen the listing, offer and buyer's agent contracts lately?

WKOW: Tenant-rights advocates are upset over a fast-tracked State Assembly bill that would loosen a number of regulations on landlords. Opponents say AB 183 strips tenants of crucial rights, but its supporters say it contains needed reforms.  

Allows landlords to hold tenants liable for pest or insect infestations if it can be proved they caused them. 

And landlords could also evict a person if a crime is committed in their rental unit, even if they had no ability to stop it.

The following two provisions blow my mind:

1. One provision says landlords no longer have to disclose building code violations unless a local housing authority has filed a written notice on them. "Even though the landlord does know, they don't have to tell the tenant.  They're allowed to keep it secret," said David Sparer, a Madison-based tenant attorney.

2. Another major provision of the bill says a property owner can have illegally parked vehicles towed away without consulting the owner of the vehicle or police. Right now, a property owner must first call police, who have to write a citation before authorizing a tow.

Several tenant advocates believe landlords were the only ones consulted on the bill prior to its introduction, because legislators knew it would cause outrage among renters. "I first heard about this bill on Monday.  On Tuesday it was added to the agenda for this committee.  Today is Thursday.  That is not very much time," complained Colin Gillis of the Wisconsin Alliance For Tenant Rights. You can read AB 183 in its entirety by clicking here.

Republicans Push One-Size-Fits-All Party Dominance.

Republicans hate one-size-fits-all laws that take local control away, right?

Nope! Remember when Republican Sen. Tom Tiffany tried to take away local control from communities effected by sand mining? It follows a pattern; they did that with billboards, cell towers, water quality in Dane County, and paid sick leave. So why not mines? Despite being tabled, it'll come back and become law, count on it.

Like our rental laws and lowered statewide building code standards, shoreline development is next on the list of one-size-fits-all laws trashing local control.

jsonline: The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee wants to weaken provisions in state law that have allowed counties to adopt stricter regulations to protect lakes, rivers and streams ... county officials also say the restrictions would limit counties' ability to tailor zoning laws to fit local situations. Instead of county-by-county limits, the committee changes adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Supporters say limits on the counties would give uniformity to what they see as a hodgepodge of rules governing shoreland development.

Surprise, look who's in the middle of destroying Wisconsin's environment...again and again and again...:

Sen. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) emphasized ... balance competing goals of environmental protection and property rights. "We are returning property rights to people."

...at the expense of the public. This is also an example of the GOP's growing disdain for science and research:

In 2009, the Natural Resources Board rewrote shoreland zoning regulations for the first time in 40 years ... after seven years of study ... a compromise between environmentalists and builders and the real estate industry ... updated in 2013. "Everyone was ambushed by these major changes without public input," said Helen Sarakinos of the River Alliance of Wisconsin. "Everything has been working well. People are used to it and we are keeping our water clean," said Dawn Schmidt, zoning administrator in Vilas County, which has more than 1,300 lakes — one of the largest concentrations of lakes in the world.

Even Republican stronghold Waukesha County, who all but destroyed their own water table with over-development, is having a problem with this:

Waukesha County is planning to write new zoning regulations later this year. "I'm a little nervous that the action might have taken away some of our options," Dale Shaver, director of parks and land use said.

The Republican agenda ignores the cost savings of the large statewide pool of taxpayer money funding our public services and environmental protections. Minus group buying power, the GOP model simply puts a higher financial burden on individual users, like we'll see soon at our public universities and state parks.

Republicans have made a conscious effort to make sure their kind of government is free to serve the individual. I think the next comment says it all:

But Rep. Adam Jarchow, a first-term lawmaker, said the focus should be on those who live next to water. "There are a lot of property owners who really get the shaft, frankly, from counties," he said.

Check out the list of destructive environmental actions taken by Walker and the Republicans. It will boggle your mind. And Democrats, bookmark the page and repeal everything in the list when these cockroaches are finally removed from the Capitol. Visit the Political Environment.

The Slippery Slope to the Privatization of Public Schools; Defunding!!

As more and more choice, charter, and private schools take over, the Republican plan to completely defund public schools is just around the corner, starting with maintenance costs.

Traditional public schools in Florida will get no money from the state this year for additions or needed repairs to thousands of aging buildings, but charter schools will score big.

All of the state cash budgeted for school construction and maintenance is going to the independent, tax-financed charters favored by the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott.

This is that slippery slope conservative fear more than anything when it comes to government regulation, except when it comes to their sacred cows and tearing apart the state’s public schools.  

The state's 350 charter schools will share $55 million, while the approximately 3,000 traditional schools will go without. Sen. David Simmons, a Maitland Republican, said the reason the traditional schools aren't getting any PECO cash: They don't need it. But Seminole Superintendent Bill Vogel counters that Seminole and other districts still need cash for roofing and air conditioner repairs, painting, plumbing work, carpeting and other maintenance projects.

As irresponsible as Sen. Simmons reason is to ignore standard maintenance at public schools, the case for private school favoritism gets even more outrageous with this amazing double standard:

While the new Choices building would become the property of the Seminole school district should Choices ever close, Deputy Superintendent George Kosmac said he is not sure the district would want it. The state encourages charters to abandon old rules and be "innovative," and one of the innovations is to build facilities to general code rather than the stricter, and more expensive, state codes required for regular public schools. Kosmac and other school district officials around the state are troubled at both the double standard and the Legislature's praise of charters for building cheaper schools.

The ultimate plan? Maintenance funding would have to come from raising property taxes, angering homeowners, who would then argue for the cheaper charter choice. That would result in the end of a great pubic education for the growing number of have not's, who won't be able to afford the rising cost of private schools.

Dumb Ron Johnson Trashes Senate Ethics Code by Trashing Opponents on his Official Government Website.

It looks like Dumb Ron Johnson is not an ethical guy. Of course we always knew that, and that he wasn't very smart either, so showcasing his conspiratorial rants on his official Senate website only confirms all that. 

Now Johnson might be...nope, scratch that, should be in trouble:

Blog posts on Sen. Ron Johnson's official Senate website, including one that a watchdog group complains violated ethics rules, have mysteriously been taken down. Johnson violated the Senate Ethics Manual’s Internet policy, which says senators and staff members cannot use Senate Internet “for personal, promotional, commercial, or partisan political purposes.”

And that's what he did, as the Huffington Post article pointed out below:

One of three blog posts that have disappeared recently was Johnson’s response to a Huffington Post story about him arguing that “The Lego Movie” is part of an “insidious” anti-capitalism propaganda campaign. Johnson's post calls out HuffPost’s Ryan Grim, or “some liberal writer at The Huffington Post,” saying he “can’t seem to figure out why I or anyone else would say this about ‘The Lego Movie,’ and he insinuates some kind of conspiracy. The strange thing isn’t that a kids’ movie was anti-business, it is that someone claiming to be a journalist never encountered the idea before.”

Funny thing, my 16 year old son quickly pointed out how Lego is the ultimate capitalist; stores everywhere, movies, TV shows, overpriced products, and early indoctrination in their robot building Lego League competitions. You get the idea.

But Dummy wasn't done breaking the Senates ethics code yet:

A different blog post ... arguing that “Senator Johnson blatantly used his Senate website to attack a political opponent” when his staff responded to a fact-check article by PolitiFact Wisconsin. Former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold (D) (said) that Johnson is “opposed to all government-assisted student loans.” The organization rated Feingold’s statement as “mostly true,” citing numerous interviews and news reports in which Johnson takes a firm stance....

The complaint alleges that much of Johnson's blog post responding to the article was directly aimed at Feingold ... Johnson’s Democratic opponent in 2016 ... “Had Senator Feingold said that Senator Johnson has consistently pointed out that Washington policy on college assistance has serious negative unintended consequences, then he would have been right,” reads the deleted post.

I wish PolitiFact had been more precise, because as we all know, Republican defunding at the state level raised tuition, not access to student loans. 

But the vilification and marginalization of Democratic liberal thinking by our right wing authoritarian dictators knows no bounds:

PolitiFact ... “seems to have a hard time being honest about what words mean.” It tries to tie PolitiFact to Feingold, concluding that it "apparently sees the world in exactly the way a left-wing Democrat who spent 18 years in Washington would.”

Remember, you don't want to question authority in our one party system of government.

The third post that has been removed also took aim at a PolitiFact report, this one on Johnson claiming that Feingold was “the deciding vote” when the Senate approved the Affordable Care Act in 2010. PolitiFact deemed Johnson's assertion “mostly false.” Johnson’s post mocked PolitiFact’s fact-checking and rating system by giving his own “ruling” on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which runs PolitiFact Wisconsin.

An archived version of Johnson’s blog shows that the posts were removed sometime within the last month.

New RNC Promises to Reach Out with Overt Racism. Does Away with Code Words.

While Barack Obama wants to reach across the isle, the Republicans are building walls and moving further right, backing deeper into their little corner. AP tells the rest of the story:

The chairman of the Republican National Committee said Saturday he was "shocked and appalled" that one of his potential successors had sent committee members a CD this Christmas featuring a 2007 parody song called "Barack the Magic Negro.""The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party," Duncan said in a statement. "I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."

In spite of RNC Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan's sharply negative reaction, former Tennessee GOP leader Chip Saltsman said that party leaders should stand up to criticism over distributing a CD with the song. He earlier defended the tune as one of several "lighthearted political parodies" that have aired on Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Saltsman, who managed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign, is seeking the RNC chairmanship.

In a statement that followed Duncan's, Saltsman said: "Liberal Democrats and their allies in the media didn't utter a word about David Ehrenstein's irresponsible
column in the Los Angeles Times last March. But now, of course, they're shocked and appalled by its parody on the 'Rush Limbaugh Show.'

(Actually, Ehrenstein argued that voting for Obama helped white voters alleviate guilt over racial wrongs in the past.)

But I know that our party leaders should stand up against the media's double standards and refuse to pander to their desire for scandal," he said.

Keep thinking like that, and we won’t even know there is a Republican Party, except in the weird and bizarre news stories section.

Union under threat in radically conservative Brookfield.

Freedom and liberty apparently don't extend to those who want to organize and belong to a union. After all, unions participate in elections, forcing corporate interests to spend more money than they would normally have too. Take out the unions and the corporate buyout of our elections is complete. 

Which brings me to the current wave of threats.

Walker supporters have found new and illegal ways to corrupt democracy, all the while "saving it" (you know, like Medicare). Harassment and threats are all part of a standard campaign operating procedure developed by Walkerites, in the same city that decided the election of conservative activist Justice David Prosser:

Brookfield Patch: United Education Profession in Brookfield called police several times last week to report employees had receiving harassing, threatening phone calls. The same week that an effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker was launched, employees of United Education Profession called police three times about threats and suspicious vehicles in its Burleigh Road parking lot.

We Are Milwaukee spokesman Ted Kraig is an employee with Council 10 of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state teachers union.

According to police reports: At 7:11 a.m. Wednesday, a United Education Profession staff assistant called Brookfield police to say a man had phoned the business three times that morning telling her how "(expletive) up" the teachers and their unions are. The caller's identity was blocked ... called again the next afternoon, saying it was continuing to receive threats ... Kraig, who works in the same building, (said) he was getting harassing calls to his home, cell and work phones, including calls at 2 a.m. Thursday ... the phone listed to a number with a 612 area code.

State Republicans want Campus Carry, weeks after the Oregon Community College Shooting.

Is this really Wisconsin anymore, or just a backwater state of thugs? Will travelers be afraid to even drive through America’s Dairyland paradise? Correction, make that “Carryland” paradise.

I swear, if “Stand with Walker” voters don’t react to this, it’s all over. WSJ:

Campus Carry: GOP lawmakers want to allow concealed weapons in public college buildings: Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill exempts any college or university in the University of Wisconsin System and any technical college from the law that allows a university or college to prohibit a person from carrying a firearm in any building on its grounds if the person holds a license to carry a concealed weapon.

You won’t even believe this mind numbing and irresponsible inclusion:

This bill also repeals the provision in the administrative code in which the University of Wisconsin System generally prohibits persons from carrying, possessing, or using any dangerous weapon on university lands or in university buildings or facilities.

Seriously? It's a WTF right wing moment of shear hostility.

The bill … comes less than two weeks after a gunman killed nine people at an Oregon community college.

This same GOP action is taking place in Texas, and students are holding a "Cocks not Glocks" protest, carrying dildos to class. (I'm posting this soon.)

Blame the same guy trying to vilify and keep transgender kids out of restrooms in our schools; State Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum. Along for the ride, state Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg.

Elections have consequences, agreed, but I don't believe anyone expected this:

Kremer (said) that allowing students and others to carry weapons would be a "deterrent" to crime on and around campuses.

Summing it up....

Several UW-Madison professors weighed in against the proposal on Twitter Monday. Professor Don Moynihan said, "(It's) hard to think of a policy that would make me feel less safe at work."

The worst way to respond to this outlandish idea? God this is so disappointing and so typical of the Democratic Party:

State Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, whose district includes the Truax Campus of Madison Area Technical College: “I don’t see how this adds to the safety on campus,” she said. “Having folks walk around with concealed carry doesn’t make me feel safer.” 

Walker's got us where he wants us, begging for more.

Scott Walker continues to treat us like a cheap date. 

Let's  begin by saying...wow, I’m so not impressed by my tax cut, especially after Wisconsin had dumped public investments previous taxpayers spent billions of dollars building. We gave up state parks, DNR environment and wildlife protections, funding for the University of Wisconsin, investments in our kids K-12 education, local control of just about everything, and for what...?

...an average tax filer making about $50,000 saw an average cut of about $160.

Just $160 to vote again for Scott Walker. Of course I didn't see any of that money because Walker didn't keep down health insurance costs in the marketplace, by rejecting 20-50 increases in premiums. Oh and don't forget how many school districts voted for higher taxes to keep their schools open. But hey, Walker and his band of legislative plundering pirates weren't the ones who increased taxes, blame your local officials.

The fact that lower income families got the biggest percentage of the 2013-14 tax cut is no big deal folks, even though the media will play that up. That's just $55.

If you made under $30,000 you got a whole $55. Under $55,000? A rooten-tooten $117. On a good week at the department stores, I can save twice that. You can save $500 with one purchase at Costco.

This is the price of "freedom and liberty" under Scott Walker. A fire sale of public investments for a measly 55 to 117 bucks. 

The chart above should have been paired with corporate tax savings, and the devastating depletion of our general revenues because of them. But its not over yet, because as we all know, Walker needs to provide a tax cut in every budget, even if it's just an insulting $1 a year. It's ad campaign gold.

And in rare instance of honesty, Rep. Dale Kooyenga said he never intend to help the poor:

Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, one of the chief architects of the tax cut package, said the tax code is now more progressive than when Democrats were last in control of state government, something he said Republicans weren’t initially intending to do.

“We set out to cut taxes in proportion to the taxes being paid. What happened is it was compromised in the process. We ended up cutting taxes more for people who pay less in taxes (in percentage terms).”

Wisconsin wage earners and state coffers saw a $423.6 million reduction in income taxes as a result of rate cuts enacted in 2013 and 2014, according to new data from the state Department of Revenue. That’s about $30 million more than the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated in July 2014. 

Republican Coronation day Coming!!!

Opulence personified. As the NY Times article sets it up:

The nation’s 26 new governors have had to wrestle with a symbolically rich decision that could set the tone for their time in office: how big a party to give for themselves … Penny-pinching can convey pessimism and impotence. Lavish celebrations may telegraph triumphalism and insensitivity in these budget-crunched times.

And how did that wrestling match go between triumphalism and penny pinching with Republican governor elects?

To warm up the Florida crowds for his inauguration as governor, Rick Scott has been flying around the state this week on a seven-city “appreciation” tour. For the main event on Tuesday, he will lead a parade featuring 26 marching bands, followed by a black-tie dinner for 2,100 people, with oysters Rockefeller and fried calamari served in mini-martini glasses. “Real classy,” said Christy Noftz, who is overseeing the catering.

Or…

In Nevada, Brian Sandoval, a Republican, will host back-to-back $1,000-a-head V.I.P. receptions, one of them at the Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

In Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, also a Republican, has organized two “preinaugural balls,” not to be confused with the inaugural ball itself, which will be held later at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Now let’s see how the liberal elite plan to celebrate their inaugurations:

In New York, Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, is having a small preinauguration dinner for close friends at the governor’s mansion, and has parceled out so few invitations to his no-frills swearing-in ceremony that even some top aides have not made the cut.

Jerry Brown of California has issued guidelines: no paid entertainment (a school choir will sing) and a rent-free evening reception (in a state-owned building). To highlight his thrift, Mr. Brown, a Democrat, plans to stop at a cookout after he takes the oath to snack on hot dogs and chips.

Mark Dayton, the Democratic governor-elect in Minnesota, said he considered canceling his party, which is scheduled for Jan. 8. Instead, he has authorized a “Blue Jeans to Black Tie” ball with a loose dress code and a flexible ticket price. He plans to show up in jeans and an old hockey jersey.

Borrrringggg! But let’s get back to Scott:

Then there is Mr. Scott in Florida, whose multiday, multicity inauguration has become known wryly in political circles here as the “coronation.”

Eyebrows rose anew when Mr. Scott, relying on the donated use of private planes, took his inauguration on the road … treated a largely Cuban-American crowd to giant platters of roasted pig, brown rice and boiled yucca … procession of local politicians introduced and reintroduced Mr. Scott, extolling his financial acumen and management skills … On Tuesday, for his official inauguration, Scott will hold a two-hour prayer breakfast with no fewer than 10 speakers; an afternoon concert featuring the country singers Lee Greenwood and Rockie Lynne; and a parade befitting Disney World’s home state … aides published the packed schedule on what amounted to almost 10 single-spaced pages on his Web site … a rendering of the stage being built for Mr. Scott’s inaugural ball.

This part of the Times article pretty much summed up the rage I feel right now:

Mr. Scott, after all, campaigned on a platform of fiscal restraint and small government. Businessmen like himself, he declared shortly after the election, “accept austerity as the price for dramatic turnarounds.”

Pressed about the scale of the festivities, Mr. Scott said: “It absolutely is fitting for these times. We need to celebrate how we are going to change this state.”