Won't play the Republican National Anthem game...

 

DeSantis DeConstructs DeNation.

I don't usually devote much blogging time to out-of-state Republican lunacy, but Florida's Gov. Ron (dead-eyes) DeSantis, gearing up for a presidential run, and his Republican majority are just cranking out fantastical rights and restrictions no where seen in the Constitution. It's also a sign of fascism, but more on that later.

Let's start with the little known "spirit" right, that insinuates a meaning in sloppily written executive orders. Also, I don't think it's in the Constitution. 

1. Cruise Ship's supposed Vaccine Passport Illegal: A DeSantis executive order stops the private cruise ship industry from "discrimination against families with children who enjoy vacations." Can't. Make. This. Stuff. Up:

YahooNews: Several Republican-run states have enacted laws forbidding private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. The reductio ad absurdum of this stance comes via Florida governor Ron DeSantis who said Thursday that Celebrity Cruise's requirement that 95 percent of all passengers over 16 be fully vaccinated "violates the spirit" of an executive order he issued barring "vaccine passports," as well as a state law that goes into effect July 1st (that) will "subject a fine of $5,000" for each customer asked to show vaccination status.

The CDC authority trumps DeSantis and requires that 95 percent of cruise ship passengers and 98 percent of crew members be fully vaccinated. DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw argued it's "discriminatory, unethical, and harmful for society" to require that cruise ship passengers be vaccinated.

Harmful for society? Because 59,202 COVID deaths nationwide isn't harmful?  

Running counter to the goal of a Republican utopia of open businesses and a thriving economy... 

Dr. Jay Wolfson, a public health and law professor at the University of South Florida, told WTSP 10 Tampa Bay. "They're not a Florida company. It really protects the economic viability of the cruise ship industry."

2. Stopping Social Media from banning Politicians, who are Victims of their own Dumb actions: In rapid succession, DeSantis also took the action below...Note: There seems to be some confusion over an available private business product and a consumers freedom and liberty to use or not use that product. 

First, you have to believe "Silicon Valley elites" were seeking to censor conservative political views.

"What we've been seeing across the U.S. is an effort to silence, intimidate and wipe out dissenting voices by the leftist media and big corporations," DeSantis said in a statement.

The laws justification is fabricated victimhood because...:

Research on social media has frequently shown the opposite: that conservative politicians and websites can be so effective on social media that they often dominate measures such as Facebook's ranking of top links. Facebook has also relaxed its rules so that conservative pages are not penalized for violations.

This is lawmaking based on paranoid fantasies of Republican legislators, and they're passing this on a nationwide scale. The real stuff? Well, that's just liberals playing  politics: 

Oddly, no word yet on challenging this monstrosity in the courts, but soon I hope. Note: Remember when Republicans opposed California's strict regulations on car emissions because it forced those same standards on other states simply by default. What about this? 

Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel at NetChoice, a tech industry trade group, said the law may force platforms to carry posts that include violence or other harmful content.

"By forcing websites to host speech, this bill takes us closer to a state-run internet where the government can cherry-pick winners and losers," he said in a statement. The First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling or controlling speech on private websites, he added.

Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, another trade group, said the law is "unconstitutional."

Fascism? It sure is. Wikipedia: 

Fascism is distinguished by an absence of coherent economic ideology and an absence of serious economic thinking. The decisions taken by fascist leaders cannot be explained within a logical economic framework, other than a general desire that the economy should help build a strong nation. As such, scholars argue that fascists had no economic ideology, but they did follow popular opinion, the interests of their donors . In general, fascist governments exercised control over private property, but they did not nationalize it. 

Just an experiment, I'm going to insert highlighted current events and pictures in the continuing definition below:

Fascist regimes generally came into existence in times of crisis (like the pandemic, BLM protests, insurrection), when economic elites, landowners and business owners feared that a revolution or uprising was imminent (the destruction of property during protests). Fascists allied themselves with the economic elites, promising to protect their social status (CEO compensation jumped 16 percent in pandemic) and to suppress any potential working class revolution. 

In exchange, the elites were asked to subordinate their interests... 

...to a broader nationalist project, thus fascist economic policies generally protect inequality and privilege while also featuring an important role for state intervention in the economy. 

Scary, I know. 

Vos-Republican Grievance Governing, Rewards for those doing "the Right Thing."

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed two major social problems, shortfalls in health care and broadband availability, Wisconsin Republicans saw from their alternative world bubble a whole different set of problems. It's true they suddenly and uncharacteristically backed rural broadband so Gov. Evers wouldn't get credit for it, but they also just backed away from that with a number of ridiculous excuses.  

This is how Republicans are moving Wisconsin forward?

1. Ban Transgender Athletes by portraying Women as "Victims:" The right-wing message emphasizes how women are inferior to men, but then works in a little victimhood to justify discriminating against another group.

WSJ: The state Legislature waded into the culture wars hearing public testimony on controversial Republican-authored bills that would ban transgender athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports at the K-12 and college levels.

The fact that every legitimate organization having to do with girls and women's sports opposed this divisive legislation says a lot. Yes, we heard a lot of those completely manufactured what-if scenarios of victimhood, like having...

"...their titles and prizes awarded to transgender women."

Huh?

But the science and regulation governing transgender participation have already addressed any and all fears voiced by resentful conservative victims. Be on the lookout for a dark money funded organization or think tank specifically targeting transgender athletes.  This is rightwing job creation in action. 

As usual, Gov. Evers had to stir the political pot with this incendiary tweet during the hearing. Brutal...: 

“(They) deserve our love and support just like any other kid.”

Just to show you how phony the outrage is over this issue, political writer Jud Loundsbury reminded us that Trump promised to kill Title IX... 

It's pretty hilarious that allllll these Republicans are interested in preserving the sanctity of girls playing sports when just a few months ago Dan Gable (wrestler and college coach) endorsed Trump b/c he promised him that he'd work to get rid of Title IX! (It's literally Gable's only issue.)

2. Republicans plan to increase funding for schools...that had in-person classes only: Punish, punish, punish, and write it into law! This follows a new wave of GOP legislation that specifically targets Democrats, and is written to be temporary until a Republicans fills their seat. 

Voldemort lookalike Republican Sen. Dewy Stroebel thinks "doing the right thing" is gathering kids into schools during the heart of the pandemic, which really was all made up anyway by tyrannical Democrats:

The Republican plan would also provide a $39 per pupil increase to school districts that
held in-person classes for more than 50% of the 2020-21 school year. Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville said...

“We want to make sure districts doing the right thing are rewarded.”

 Get that parents. What, you were too afraid to do "the right thing?"

Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) pointed out that the decision to switch to virtual learning, “was not a political decision” but was made with the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff in mind.

Again, these are Republicans legislative priorities post COVID

3. Vos hires retired Police Officers to Investigate Stolen Trump Election: Again, the Republican trend nationally is to specifically target Democrats and their voters, despite possible fraud in Trump won areas of the state. JSonline. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is hiring retired police officers to investigate aspects of the
November election, giving the investigators a broad mandate to spend about three months reviewing all tips and following up on the most credible ones. They will have subpoena power. Anyone they subpoena will be immune from criminal prosecution, he said. 

"A sizable chunk of people believe the election was illegitimate. And democracy cannot flourish if both sides don’t believe in the end both sides had a fair shot."

Vos "ought to tell his constituents, you're WRONG." Republicans use anecdotes, "they believe," "A friend said he heard..." as a way to govern. I recently posted this comment from former Republican Jeff Flake that calls out the destruction of representative government. 

"We're changing what it means to be an elected official in a representative government...many of my colleagues will say they are simply - in going along with these conspiracy theories or buying into the big lie, that they are just representing their constituents when that really runs against what representative government is supposed to be. And that's just been a cop-out for people in my party. They ought to tell their constituents, you're wrong. And that's a big problem when you have too many party people willing to indulge their constituents if their constituents truly believe that, when in truth, they simply reinforce these beliefs.

4. Republicans attack UW Medical College over Physician Training at Planned Parenthood: The thing is, taxpayer money isn't going to abortions. Planned Parenthood is paying UW doctors to train at their facilities. Wacky fake Pro-Life Wisconsin is the only supporter. Are they for life saving gun control? Are they for life saving health care for everyone? Nope, pro-life my ass:

Seven groups have registered in opposition, including the Wisconsin Medical Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Pro-Life Wisconsin is the only group that has registered in support,

A bill that would end an arrangement that allows UW doctors to train on abortion procedures at a Planned Parenthood clinic. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education could pull the medical school’s accreditation if it can’t provide abortion training in its curriculum. That will lead to would-be gynecologists enrolling elsewhere, exacerbating a shortage in Wisconsin.

A second bill will purposely give anti-abortion zealots new targets to threaten: Imagine what rightwing media can do with this:

Senate Bill 261 would require providers to report to the state for each abortion they performed, the sex of the fetus, and whether it had a fetal anomaly. 

5. Republicans zeal to cut spending again for Schools would accidently lose $1.5 billion in relief funding. They ain't too smart folks, and bad at governing:

Republicans are trying to use incoming federal COVID relief money to justify cutting education spending. But doing so could cause the state to receive $1.5 billion less from the American Rescue Plan.

Last minute...

The Republicans’ amendments to the budget bill would provide less than 10% of what Gov. Tony Evers had proposed, and would represent a less-than 1% increase in K-12 spending from the current budget. 

However, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau informed legislators that the federal funds come with a requirement that the state maintain its K-12 spending at 35% (and higher education at 9%) of the total state budget. To shortchange education could mean the loss of $1.5 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

Blame Governor Evers...for the simple act of making states fund their schools like good responsible legislators should, and NOT use COVID relief to money instead. By the way, Republicans were elected on the promise of funding public schools. Guess they forgot:

Joint Finance Co-chair Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) told WisPolitics that he and his colleagues had only recently learned about the requirement (although the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported they’ve known for at least a month) and he blamed Evers for “accepting funds that lock the legislative branch into funding criteria without any consultation before accepting the money.”

Check out Jake's Wisconsin Funhouse for every detail of this fiasco.

Vos Republicans could google the Truth about Medicaid Expansion, and stop lying?

Thanks to the legacy of Scott Walker's pretzel logic bashing Medicaid Expansion, gerrymandered Republicans still think his every lie and nightmarish fantasy will find new suckers today, to defend what is indefensible; Refuse Medicaid Expansion.  

Below, I'm hoping to clearly lay out why Medicaid Expansion is so simple (based on research), and then show you how the manufactured Republican excuses twist reality inside out (based purely on business special interests and right-wing think tank opinions).

Republicans convened and adjourned the governor’s special session within seconds Tuesday rejecting outright the governor’s call to expand BadgerCare. 

Keep in mind, Republicans are purposely exploiting and conflating Medicaid expansion with the difficulties of hesitant workers returning to work after the year long pandemic. Republicans really thought this was a plot by liberals to destroy Trump's economy by closing businesses.  

____________________________________________________________________________________

Excuses to Turn Down Medicaid Expansion...

Excuse A: "Incentivize" Workers = Punishment, keep more people from getting Health Care:  That's what Sen. Chris Kapenga means by "incentivizing" people to work: 

Kapenga said GOP lawmakers should work to get more people off the state’s BadgerCare rolls by incentivizing them to work rather than expanding eligibility for the program.

Excuse B: Some people don't NEED health care? Impossible to imagine, isn't it? Note, many low wage workers aren't offered insurance from their employer so they enroll in Medicaid. But taxpayer paid health insurance recipient Chris Kapenga isn't concerned:

“There are currently a lot of people on Medicaid who don’t need it. Let’s get people working, let’s get people into the job market. We’ve got employers who are screaming for people right now.”

You get the idea that employer health insurance is both the carrot and the stick to get people to work at jobs they don't like? Now we know.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

  
The Medicaid Expansion Myth Creators: Republicans think tanks and business lobby studies coincidentally "prove" the evils of Medicaid Expansion. Both the Cato Institute and The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) advocated against Medicaid expansion:

Michael Tanner, a fellow at the Cato Institute, states that (MYTH) Medicaid expansion is costly for states and does not provide better access to healthcare for low income individuals. Tanner also argues that states will see greater costs.

The Common Wealth Fund study says that's not true. The odds greatly favor Wisconsin saving money with Expansion:

First, expanding eligibility allows states to cut spending in other parts of their Medicaid programs. Second, it allows states to cut spending outside of Medicaid — particularly on state-funded health services for the uninsured. Finally, expansion may increase state revenues due to taxes related to Medicaid expansion or taxes on the increased economic activity it triggers.

Myth: Medicaid Patients wait longer/Receive Worse Care? Really? Consider the source of the research; CROWE (The Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy) is one of three Bradley-funded centers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison promoting the "free market." Health Care Finance:

Tanner also states that (MYTH) "Other studies show that, in some cases, Medicaid patients actually wait longer and receive worse care than the uninsured." (because doctors supposedly don't care about the patient because of lower fees, even though they are unaware of the patients insurance status)

Here's what those horrible wait times actually look like:

A Medicaid patient was 4.6 minutes past their scheduled appointment time, compared to 4.1 minutes  past for the privately insured. Plus, Medicaid patients compared to privately insured patients had wait times of 18 percent to 16.3 percent respectively. 

Myth: Fed will Reduce Reimbursement Rates: Nope. Another Walker myth. Where did he get that one? The gaslighting Right wing business special interests of course:

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) "Our small business members have looked at this issue from every perspective and believe expanding an underfunded, cumbersome, and poorly administered program like Medicaid would be irresponsible. The bottom line is this: Does anyone really believe that Washington will continue to pick up 90 percent of new costs after 2020?

Kapenga said Republicans fear the federal government will reduce the amount of Medicaid reimbursement funds over time.

“There’s going to be a reckoning with all this spending. It has to be paid back. It’s really a ploy to try to get states to get to pull into the system, they want to suck them into the system, and then over time, it’s a win for the federal government because they reduce their reimbursement rates and they start saving money.”

Walker purposely lied (or amazingly never understood) there is a yearly adjustable Medicaid formula that makes reimbursement rates rise and fall. The irony? Republicans want to keep that Medicaid plan (state pays around 42 percent) a bit higher than paying just 10 percent:  

Myth: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said it would make private plans more expensive.

Not really, since health care providers would have fewer uncompensated bills piling up. Yet Republicans here wanted to go back to "high-risk pools," which really did raise everyone else's premiums. 

By reducing the number of people without insurance, Medicaid expansion significantly reduces the amount of uncompensated care. Therefore, some states have chosen to reduce payments to health care providers for uncompensated care.

I'm not sure any of this is still happening, but spending more money has never stopped Republicans from saying they're saving money:

Walker is also doling out $30 million from the general fund so hospitals won't lose money caring for the uninsured (the fed is giving $30 million as well). 

Never ones to solve a growing social problem, especially after the pandemic exposed US's horrific health care shortfalls. Republicans will take a pass on this one... 

The health insurance trade association America's Health Insurance Plans, spoke in support of Medicaid expansion in September 2016, saying "Medicaid is going to become the bigger issue [from the] affordability perspective. Medicaid expansion would pressure the country to address rising health costs.

Scott Walker's "Malignant Projection" off the charts!

It's already a troubling reality that Democrats are nearly incapable of framing a message around highly popular legislative changes to improve life for the American people. 

But now Democrats have to combat "malignant projection," a term I thought I made up all by myself, until I found it at psychcentral; 

"It is a malignant projection of the narcissist's own contempt, lack of merit, and darkness which they choose to dump on their victims."

The best way to describe this: Projection is the adult version of I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I. 

Scott Walker Warns of Power Grab by Ending the Filibuster: Ironic right? This from the guy who, before he left office, signed lame duck legislation stealing much of the incoming Democratic Governor's power away. You'll notice his focus in NOT on policy, but POWER; that only conservative originalist Justices know how to interpret the Constitution; or that liberals "on the left" focus on power 24/7 by trying to stop voter suppression and to stop Republicans from stealing a presidential election. 

Example - Power Grab, Republican style: Speaking of who wants power in the hands of the few...

Even after attempting to overturn an election via an insurrection at the nations Capitol, endless voter recounts in only Democratic districts, and a red state movement of voter suppression laws, "Who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?"

Walker: "What they (Dems) really want to do, is consolidate power in Washington in the hands of the few." 

There you go, malignant projection!

Liberals Focus on Power, not Work and Family, like "the Right?" Walker says the "right," made up of real hard working, national anthem standing Americans...

"...want to run their business, you want to pursue your career, and most importantly you want to spend time with your family, friends and your faith. And we don't think about it (power) all the time."

Walker's Malignant Projection: See if this doesn't just describe Walker, but Trump and every other Republican troll:

They are masters of projection, spewing their issues onto others in order to avoid the truth about themselves. Many have been on the receiving end of this destructive envy as well as malignant projections. This is part of the emotional torment they subject their victims to.

1. It is always “opposite day.” 

2. Narcissists call intelligent and successful people lazy and moronic, claim loving, compassionate and empathic people are monsters. 

3. They will often try to convince you that you are the opposite of what you really are. A narcissists malignant projections have nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. 

4. It is a malignant projection of the narcissist’s own contempt, lack of merit, and darkness which they choose to dump on their victims. 

5. This is psychological violence – when the narcissist attempts to rewrite reality and present a perversion of what is true to instill a sense of worthlessness in their targets. When faced with a projection like this, remember that the insults the narcissist uses to attack you better describes them.

North of the Cheddar Curtain...

 

QAnon Summer Madness heating up: Communists - Trump Revenge Tour - Insurrection Tourists - Biden Gas shortage - Voter "grassroots bottom up kind a vibe" Suppression!

This is just one week: 

1. COMMUNIST: My QAnon terrorist in Milwaukee is obsessed with the word "COMMUNIST." Here's a string of recent comments from someone I've know since I was a teenager:

"...you're not proud of the flag you're not proud to be an American you can make any s*** you want up that's what morons Communists."    "Spoken like a true communist."    "That's how Communists think."     "Very communist  non-American."     "...that's really very communistic you're a communist John you belong in a party that hates."

So I made up some nonsensical stories, to see if he could tell the difference. He didn't question one:

2. TRUMP REVENGE TOUR: I found the following Rumor Lux parody promotion at Patreon. My Trump cult friend sent me this, thinking it was real: "This is absolutely BS. It's all crap this is Fantasyland."  Note: "Fantasyland" is another popular QAnon word: 

Why not...?: 

3. Trump seeking Women's Clothing: Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger's Trump/Titanic analogy is so on the mark: 

4. Four months later, Insurrection is "Fantasyland?" from Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde: 

5. Tucker Carlson whines about Gas Shortages...thanks Joe Biden, and Dumb Ron Johnson's vaccine brain freeze! Yet economy is roaring ahead. Guess right-wingers never heard of the pipeline ransomware attack in their media: 

6. Right-wing Heritage Action for America's one-size-fits-all nationwide Voter Suppression laws Exposed: "So it has that grassroots, you know, bottom-up kind a vibe:"

7. Republican Born: WI Black Historical Society funding dismissed, surprise, their voters never asked for it. NOBODY ASKED FOR IT...EXCEPT the Governor in his budget. But he's a "nobody," right?: 

On Capitol City Sunday, Born lied and denied referring Sen. LaTonya Johnson to a small display in the Capitol as an example of Black history being honored by the state:

Born: "I don't think that's what I said..."

8. Dumb Ron Johnson now stands for choice? Yea, the choice not to get vaccinated this time:

9. US Generals say Biden illegitimate, the Election a Fraud: The first warm week, and all this happens:

More than 124 retired US generals and admirals have published an open letter suggesting that Joe Biden was not legitimately elected as President and questioning his fitness for office. Calling themselves ‘Flag Officers 4 America’, they said that America is “in deep peril,” having “taken a hard-Left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government”.

The letter from US retired military leaders said: “Without fair and honest elections that accurately reflect the ‘will of the people’ our Constitutional Republic is lost,” and claimed that the FBI and Supreme Court “ignored” irregularities in 2020. The group also questioned the “physical and mental condition of the Commander in Chief” and claimed that questions had been raised about who is really in charge.

10. WI Trump Republicans Mandating National Anthem? It's just a game to them...

11. An avalanche of Trumpism continues:

Wait, one more recent twist on restoring the integrity and confidence in elections:

53% say the party needs to focus on message and ideas to win over more voters, but 47% say the GOP already has enough voters and should focus on pushing for changes to voting rules instead.

The now ridiculous "I heard from constituents...voiced concerns...possibility that..." pushes Republican agenda. What, afraid to tell the Truth?

How many times have we heard this unquestioned "scheme" from Republicans who's only public feedback is from like-minded activists?

We "heard from constituents...voiced concerns...the possibility that..." 

Sure, in some alternate Bizarro World timeline, such a possibility does exist.

For example, the story below makes it clear we don't need to test for Covid at the UW anymore, because someone "voiced concerns." I highlighted the key thought:

Sen. Rob Stafsholt, R, (has) a bill that would prohibit the state's universities and technical colleges from requiring regular coronavirus testing or vaccination in order to attend classes or access campus buildings. Stafsholt heard from "constituents and students" expressing concerns....

"It raises concern as to the possibility that this UW-System policy invades these students' medical information privacy,"

The "Concerns" are Wrong!!! Say it:  On NPR's Morning Edition I heard former Republican politician Jeff Flake say something that rang true. Here's audio of Jeff Flake explaining why this overused and fake reason to act irresponsibly and recklessly to make bad policy: 

"We're changing what it means to be an elected official in a representative government...many of my colleagues will say they are simply - in going along with these conspiracy theories or buying into the big lie, that they are just representing their constituents and that that's somehow noble of them when that really runs against what representative government is supposed to be. And that's just been a cop-out for people in my party. Too many will say they're representing their constituents when they ought to tell their constituents, you're wrong. And that's a big problem when you have too many party people willing to indulge their constituents if their constituents truly believe that, when in truth, they simply reinforce these beliefs.

A lot of people wholeheartedly believe...

But instead, we must live by Bizarro World Code: 

 

Imagine they have a brain to begin with...

 

Curbside shopping...

 

Podcast Philosophers Series: Liberal Fascism Bargain!

While many of us are try desperately to tolerate friends and family consumed by Trump cult indoctrination and QAnon theories that act like a fortress wall, I've been on a quest to understand where all this is taking us. And isn't that Trumpian and purposeful misuse of terminology nuts and the most frustrating part of their projection?

Anyway, my 22 yr old son and UW senior has opened my world up to a number of online podcast philosophers I thought would be interesting to post here from time to time. There's a lot to learn here, even if you agree or disagree with the their point.

I'll start with NonCompete. This guy was the first talker my son played for me, and one of many different points of view he now follows. I'm not saying I agree with everything, but it is interesting. The topic, the Liberal Fascism Bargain. The video starts at the 7 minute mark, but you can also watch the whole thing, but warning, there's a lot of profanity:

A look at Neoliberalism:

Steil and Gallagher, defending Corporate Tax Cut by spreading fear of "Communist China," and opposed to spending taxpayer money on taxpayers!

My QAnon friend is now obsessed with capitalism, texting me about it all the time. It's a simple way for him to always call me a "communist." It's the hot word on the right, which they over use as a substitute for real thinking. But capitalism hasn't worked out so well for the American people or their living standard. Thom Hartmann put it this way:

It's when giant corporations are able to control government and thus stop things like a national healthcare system, rational gun control laws, free college, or even the tiniest tax on carbon. When they're able to push through "criminal justice reform" that makes it nearly impossible to prosecute corporate CEOs when their companies kill workers, consumers, or even poison entire communities.

It's when they don't do it through presenting strong and defendable ideas in the public realm and before Congress, but by pouring cash into the pockets of individual politicians and their parties. It's when corporations and the very rich have seized control of the political process through the use of their considerable economic power.  When government gives corporations this core power to write laws, and, in exchange, corporations facilitate government power to suppress dissent and marginalize non-fascist political parties, a country finds itself on the edge of classical fascism.

Late Stage Capitalist Republican Millennials (1981-1996): Boy do they love the fantasy 1900's they've created. But they never noticed that we're 21 years into 21st century; cell phones, computers, the internet?  

Voodoo Economic Republican's Bryan Steil and Michael Gallagher: How intellectually stunted are these backward thinking 1900's holdouts? Check out their monied supporters...you know, who they hang with: 

"A Milwaukee event held at the offices of The Bradley Foundation, and co-hosted by the right-wing Institute for Reforming Government..."

Steil's Nonsensical Word Salad: Funny how spending taxpayer money on actual taxpayers is a waste of money  and considered "welfare." Watch Rep. Bryan Steil falsely claim Biden's "tuition free" college plan is a federal "one-size-fits-all" debacle; or that it takes away "our well tailored workforce needs" in Wisconsin; or that we need to "make sure we keep our education system locally controlled"? Wrong. It's just 2 years of paid tuition at community colleges!!! Sorry, this was a simple one. Capitol City Sunday:

Biden Plan-Tax the Rich Now, Tax everybody else Next? According to Steil, the government is coming for you next, that's the threat he'd like you to believe it. It's best to keep the wealthy's tax cuts folks, or your next:

Steil: "Today it's high earner income, tomorrow it's everyone in Wisconsin...It would only be a quick bait-and-switch to realize that today he's going after the top 1 percent, tomorrow he'll be coming across for all Wisconsinites to pay for this reckless spending." 

Steil Supply Sider; More tax cuts for business, same old 1900's thinking: 

Steil: " COMMUNIST CHINA has a 25 percent corporate tax...you're going to see jobs leaving our state and going to places like COMMUNIST CHINA.  What I think is really missing is leveraging the American private sector...to be able to take us to the next level, bring jobs here to the state of Wisconsin, allow people to get a high paying job in the state."

Even after Trump tax cuts increased the US debt by $2 trillion, spending money now on people and investing in America is just too costly, even though consumers make up 70 percent of the economy. Now deficits matter:

Steil: “I hold real concerns that we are going to enter an inflationary period sooner than the Fed is projecting. And that is more pressure as to why we have to address the level of spending we are seeing in D.C.”

Borg-like Rep. Michael Gallagher on same page: The bottom line is, don't spend forward or invest, but cut taxes and leverage the power of business welfare.

Force labor back to work. That's the Republican message, and because they never believed in the pandemic in the first place, it's as simple as flicking a switch. No growing pains, no reluctance to safely return, no thought of consumer uncertainty, and don't wait for them to get their 2 vaccines...just get back to work. 

Gallagher and Steil are eerily the same; " leveraging/incentivize the American private sector." Here and Now:

Gallagher: "If we have an uncompetitive tax code, relative to our international competitors, like COMMUNIST CHINA...we're going to see a ton of Wisconsin jobs get outsourced overseas...we should be incentivizing American manufacturing..."

One more thing: If Biden hadn't prioritized returning tech jobs and semiconductor manufacturing back to the US, it would have never been on Gallagher's and Steil's radar. 

Gallagher: "I support an area of bipartisan agreement where we can invest in the technology of the future..."

Yet a week ago state Republicans trashed VP Kamala Harris' Wisconsin visit promoting technology, centered around the University of Wisconsin and so many other local tech businesses. This is governing confusion, Republican style: 

Harris said the U.S. has fallen behind in recent years and that it must be able to compete — with universities playing a big role — to pursue innovation that will improve the lives of American families.

Two Wisconsin Republican legislative leaders sent Harris a letter criticizing her for not visiting southern border states. “We appreciate the visit to Wisconsin; but, respectfully, you have much bigger problems to deal with right now,” Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson called Biden’s plan a “boondoggle” and said he was interested to see how Harris justifies the spending. “Instead of creating more opportunities, it will kill people’s jobs, increase their taxes, and further implement radical leftists’ agenda. Happy to have her visit Milwaukee, but she really ought to inspect the crisis President Biden created at the border.”

WI Republicans ignore VP Harris' local Business and Jobs plan for our Tech Industry, telling her to go to Texas first!

Oh my god, can we really run a state like this?

Isn't it a good thing to see VP Kamala Harris visiting Wisconsin's university and business leaders/teachers touting an infrastructure plan that targets funding for research and development of new technologies. Jobs right? Nope.

Harris said the U.S. has fallen behind in recent years and that it must be able to compete — with universities playing a big role — to pursue innovation that will improve the lives of American families.

Yet safely gerrymandered Republicans didn't see a business and jobs opportunity for our state, but instead, wanted Harris to visit Texas first and solve immigration. Question; do you think Republicans constantly telling the world that the borders are open, and people are pouring in, would purposely be inviting a rush to the border? I think so. 

Dumb Ron Johnson said Biden's job creation will...kill jobs? It's that not so "radical leftist agenda." Oh, and a northern state like Wisconsin is instead focused like laser on the Texas southern border? In fact, that's the talking point theme:

Jim Steineke

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson called Biden’s plan a “boondoggle” and said he was interested to see how Harris justifies the spending. “Instead of creating more opportunities, it will kill people’s jobs, increase their taxes, and further implement radical leftists’ agenda. Happy to have her visit Milwaukee, but she really ought to inspect the crisis President Biden created at the border.”

Two Wisconsin Republican legislative leaders sent Harris a letter criticizing her for not visiting southern border states. “We appreciate the visit to Wisconsin; but, respectfully, you have much bigger problems to deal with right now,” Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, and Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, wrote. “As the person who is supposed to be the most qualified to address this issue, we implore you to start taking action now to help our southern border.” They called on Evers to do more to help secure the border, including sending aid.

Yea, why do anything about Wisconsin's economy when we could distract ourselves with Texas immigration, like under Trump: 

They said it would affect Wisconsin and the entire country because people trying to enter there spread out nationwide.

Labor Shortage, Low Birthrate Problem? That's right, Republicans are limiting immigration as our population declines, negatively affecting our future workforce in 16 to 30 years from now. 

The U.S. population grew 7.4% from 2010. Those may sound like big numbers, but it’s actually the second slowest rate of population growth the census has ever recorded, just behind the 7.3% growth in the 1930s. Birth and fertility rates in the United States dropped to record lows again last year, according to a new report. The number of U.S. births in 2020 fell 4% from 2019, the lowest level since 1979. The figure marks the sixth consecutive year that the number of births have dropped. Last year's total fertility rate "was again below replacement -- the level at which a given generation can exactly replace itself," 

But there's a current Shortage of Small Businesses too: Employees may not have a place to work anymore: 

Missing employers: We’ve seen around 15% of all companies with less than 100 employees have gone away entirely during this pandemic. And adding companies that can hire new employees will take time.

Economist David Berson at Nationwide Insurance said that in regard to the current employment market, “we’re about 8 million below when the COVID recession hit, and it’s going to take some time to fully employ those 8 million workers.” And many Republicans have largely turned against the idea of immigration, legal or illegal, a new political barrier to the country adding more population quickly.

Labor Shortage Slowly Coming Back: Marketplace: 

1. Employers and trade groups are complaining they can’t find workers to hire. Some workers are still scared of returning. Or they have schooling. Maybe they’re not vaccinated or have kids stuck at home. Baby boomers have left the workforce altogether.”

2. The return of workers is going to be gradual, so there’s a mismatch between what employers want and the speed with which people are going to come back to the labor market.

There’s another mismatch, said Heidi Shierholz at the Economic Policy Institute, “If an employer posts a job and then they can’t find the workers that they need, that just means there’s a labor shortage of people who will work at that wage.” 

Outrage Machine keeps cranking 'em out...

 

Even after Act 10, Vos Still Blaming the Teachers Union? Who's buying it?

Old talking points never die.

After Scott Walker's union busting Act 10 legislation passed, you'd think Republicans would have just deep-sixed their old argument that teachers were nothing but union thugs marching in lockstep. Nope.

Unions were no longer relevant thanks to Act 10: 

The law weakened unions by implementing mandatory annual recertification elections and prohibiting paycheck deductions for union dues collection. It also eliminated teachers' and other public employees' rights to bargain about pay, hours and other conditions of employment.

So where's the problem? 

Bashing Teachers and Unions still a Voter Favorite? Just listen to WI's cosplay governor Robin Vos. It's an incoherent rant of disconnected thoughts focusing on the vilification of any citizen or group willing to fund a candidate Republicans don't like. Vos even laments how the First Amendment victimized their candidate. It was a 200,000 vote blowout: 

Underly received 586,286 votes, or 57.66% of the total, while Kerr received 386,392 votes, or 42.34% of the total, as reported by the Associated Press.

Despite the blowout, Vos is still blaming the teachers union because it's a fan favorite? Note: Vos also drags out Trump blowback, special interest donors out of state, lies and misconceptions about what's happening in WI, kind-a like Vos doesn't see the consequences of his party's actions. From Upfront:

Vos: "At the end of the day, we know that Jill Underling and HER ALLIES are BEHOLDEN TO THE TEACHERS UNION, they're not going to worry about what the parents think or the voters, they're going to worry about their taxpayers that fund their campaign through the teachers union. That's the ones they're worried about. So I think that's a sad commentary, but then again, I believe in the First Amendment, people have a right to do it, but they don't get to take credit for the policies that are enacted, all they get to do is take credit for the success of raising huge amounts of resources from special interests to spread lies about Republicans." 

For Vos, it's crazy to think Underly's vision, described as her "agenda," was more popular than Kerr's transphobic vision made up of private and religious indoctrination centers. :

Vos: "It's because of the "AGENDA" that is "SEEMS" DPI is fostering, it's not about trying to find the best results for schools...putting more money into DPI seems like the same old same old, with now real successes to point to...not a Madison bureaucracy beholden to the teachers union."  

Uh, Act 10 Robin? Never mind...

Don't pay any attention to the GOP's weak opponent Deb Kerr, who after major missteps, simply lacked voter support. It's never about their unpopular agenda:

Kerr’s campaign was marked by a series of missteps, most notably when Kerr, who is white, tweeted that she had been called a racial slur for Black people when she was 16 because “my lips were bigger than most and that was the reference given to me.” Her campaign manager and attorney quit.

Underly accused Kerr of being transphobic over her support for bills that would prohibit transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams … Kerr had a 10-year-old financial scandal at her former district. Kerr said Underly was in the pocket of the teachers union.

Kerr’s campaign won the backing of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker.