Wisconsin Republicans want to eliminate all of Wisconsin’s state air pollution regulations! They really do!!!

Seriously, I nearly spit out my coffee this morning when I heard the WPR headline below...

Under the proposal, the state Department of Natural Resources would have the option to reintroduce those regulations.

Optional? What's the big deal? One of the Senates most backward and clueless Republican legislators ever, Sen. Duey Stroebel, said this in the most nonchalant way...

"All we're asking is that our scientists at the DNR just take a look at all the things that they regulate above and beyond the EPA, and make sure that it still makes sense," said Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, one of the bill’s sponsors. "If it does, we'll regulate it. If it doesn't, based upon what the scientists say, we won't." Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute support the bill.

So what's not to like? Yup, it'll be just that easy to reinstate a regulation if our anti-science Republican legislature and depleted DNR staff think we've made a balanced decision weighing the unfair cost to business against the remotely possible environmental benefits. What's the beef?

At least we'll always have the EPA standards as a backup...?

Republicans Roll Back Environmental Protections in Wisconsin at the same time EPA Rolling Back Everything Else: Just by coincidence, this coal industry story hit the fan:

EPA's Rick Perry and Murray Hug!

The Trump administration is rolling back regulations on coal-fired power plants.

A memo written by Robert E. Murray, a longtime Trump supporter who donated $300,000 to the president’s inauguration (and) the head of Murray Energy, presented Mr. Trump with a wish list of environmental rollbacks just weeks after the inauguration ... the White House has completed or are on track to fulfill most of the 14 detailed requests:

1. Ending regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and ozone and mine safety

2. Cutting the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency “at least in half.” 

3. Overhauling the Labor Department’s office of mine safety.

Here's a look at Murray's list to Trump:

Republicans are in Charge, but not Control (of themselves): None of this is new, as you can see at this link where Paul Ryan has been passing this kind of environmental trash out of the House for years. 

Duey Stroebel's Humpty Dumptyisms on Local Control, Hybrid Tax, and White Privilege!

Wisconsin's 20th District voters are an embarrassment. First they voted for Glenn Grothman over and over and over again, and then replaced him with the mentally challenged Duey Stroebel. What in gods name were they thinking...maybe "thinking" is to strong a word here.

Duey's Humpty Dumptyisms: Defined as "The act of misusing or misinterpreting a word, phrase, or article of text to suit one's own meaning or purpose." And oh boy to we have a few Stroebel Dumptyisms today.

Duey says Local Control isn't Really ever Local Control:  Asked by a morning caller on WPR about Republicans taking away local control, Duey said he thought getting rid of a state moratorium on metallic mining (all the while not giving local communities a say over where a mine is located) was giving back local...wait, no it isn't. Also, Duey believes that if even a little state money is spent locally, Big Government Republicans can step in and call all the shots. 

Taxing Hybrids a better idea 15 years ago: Wow, kinda late on this one guys, by 10 to 15 years. Since hybrids were introduced, regular non-hybrid vehicles (41 in headline below) have improved their mileage substantially to 40 plus mpg, bringing near "equity" to all vehicles.

Here's a pretty big list of hybrid/electric cars many Wisconsinites will be force to pay...hey, they're mostly liberal anyway so who cares.

Stroebel makes the ridiculous claim hybrids don't pay a "road tax" like all other vehicles, a total fabrication. Cars and light trucks pay the same fees...hybrids are not exempt from anything.

NOTE: Walker and his band of plundering Republican pirates are perfectly fine penalizing loyal Wisconsinites with a higher fee, making us fix the roads for out of state cars and trucks driving through. This is fair? Democrats...anyone pointing this out?  

ALERT: Stroebel Shamelessly protects White Privilege. It's Political Correctness's Fault: Our Voldemort lookalike Senator thinks political correctness is unfairly picking on guys like him benefiting from white privilege. So what's wrong with Republican politicians telling the University of  Wisconsin what they can or cannot teach, especially when the truth makes them look bad?

Walker Republicans promise to Reshape Education in State to fill Foxconn Factory Jobs!!!

Foxconn drooling big government Republican's now want to meddle with public education, seeing little use in "certain fields that have little demand or relevance."

Todays jaw dropping Republican comment comes from the ever reliable stooge of the state Senate Duey Stroebel, who seems to think economic vitality starts and ends with Foxconn:

Stroebel: “The University of Wisconsin System needs to prioritize ‘needs and wants. UW needs to start investing current resources into increasing faculty and staff for engineering, supply chain and computer science degrees. Perhaps the System should look at decreasing capacity in certain fields that have little demand or relevance.”

Stroebel wasn't the only one suggesting a big government Republican takeover of public education and it's diverse curriculum, tossing aside egg-headed course developers efforts to improve student outcomes. 

Here's Rep. John Nygren promising to change education in the state so Foxconn can fill it's factories. Too bad for those who had other plans. Upfront with Mike Gousha:

Nygren: "We're actually going to have to reshape how we provide education, the type of education we provide so we can fill these jobs in our state." 

At the recent special session authorizing a Foxconn "electronics manufacturing zone," one Wisconsinite pretty much summed up the very noticeable rabid GOP response:



And the Packers comparison didn't end there either, with this idiotic "just  like the Packers" comparison:

"To me, much as Reggie White transformed the Green Bay Packers, we’ll see the same here," Walker told Green Bay-area conservative radio host Jerry Bader.

Goal to become Low Tax State, not Fund Public Schools, says Sen. Duey Stroebel. Will Penalize Parents for Raising their own Taxes.

It seems the longer Republicans stay in office, the more their ideology replaces real world problem solving.

Scott Walker and his band of plundering Republican pirates dramatically cut taxes and funding for public education, which in turn resulted in a statewide wave of approved school referendums from concerned parents.

Goal-Get Out of the Top Ten High Tax States, no matter what: Paying bills, maintaining infrastructure, funding education...forget all that. Wisconsin Republicans have one goal; change our reputation as a high tax state. 

4th Highest - Wisconsin: While most of the states with the highest tax burdens are in the Northeast or the West, Wisconsin and Illinois are the exceptions to that rule. The tax burden in Wisconsin is 11% and per capita taxes are more than $4,700 ... property taxes in Wisconsin tend to be high, though incomes tend not to be, which is part of why it is a high-tax burden state.

School Referendums Cancel Out Walker Tax Cuts, a no-no: The simpleminded Republican goal to cut taxes has found the simplest mind in Sen. Duey Stroebel, who won't let public school funding destroy his rabid ideological goal. WSJ-Molly Beck:

Sen. Duey "Voldemort" Stroebel: “I believe there is more harm being done to our tax climate via school referendum than anyone realizes. If everything passed, next year property taxes in Wisconsin would be $63 million higher just from operating (referendums) this election and voters would have approved a total of over $2 billion in school debt in the past thirteen months.”

The operative phrase here; "voters would have approved...!" Can't have that? Gerrymandering doesn't work here.

Stroebel wants to Punish Responsible Districts for Funding Public Schools, Reward Districts that Didn't: See if you can spot the "small government" part of Stroebels disciplinary actions against parents and their communities:

1. Stoebel would eliminate what are known as recurring referendums — ballot questions that raise property taxes permanently.

2. Cap any referendum for operating costs at five years. 

3. Reduce state aid for districts that exceed their revenue limits through a referendum. The reduction in aid would be equal to 20 percent of the amount the district raises property taxes above their revenue limits. 

4. That state aid would then be redistributed to the rest of the state’s school districts through the state funding formula. Stroebel said, “If you as a local community think you have a need and an ability to spend more on education, then we need to re-prioritize to other districts who haven’t done that.” 

5. When school boards could ask voters to approve spending and building projects would be limited to spring and fall general elections.

6. School boards also would be required to vote on seeking a referendum at their regular meetings, and boards could only vote on referendums that issue debt at their annual meetings.

Nope, our small government Madison legislator isn't done yet:

7. Districts also would be required to include the cost of debt and interest payments in the total referendum amount presented to voters, which is currently not required,

8. A bill would provide 50 percent matching state funds for school districts that set aside money they receive under their revenue limits in a fund for maintenance and construction projects. If the district seeks a referendum within 10 years of using the matching funds from the state, the money is reimbursed to the state through a reduction in the district’s state aid.

But we're still in the top ten of high tax states because voters are raising their own taxes, unbound by every Republican politicians "No Tax Pledge" to Grover Norquist, who came up with the idea when he was 12 years old. 

GOP politicians screw over Rural Conservative Communities...again. When will they learn?: 

Dan Rossmiller, lobbyist for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, said: 

“Now they’re changing the rules and saying, essentially, we don’t trust our local voters, perhaps, and we should step in here and take certain discretion away from local voters.”

Kim Kaukl, executive director of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance, said the proposals don’t serve rural schools. 

“There is not a single author from rural Wisconsin, where these bills will have the most serious impact. This is a case of how many of our legislators in the Fox Valley and southeastern Wisconsin are disconnected with the needs of the rest of the state. If they truly want to limit the number of referendums occurring, they need to take a look at the cuts that have occurred to public education since 2011 and provide adequate funding to meet present needs.” 

State Superintendent Tony Evers, who oversees the Department of Public Instruction, said the proposals fly in the face of consistent support from voters to increase taxes to fund schools. 

“Through tight budgets and changing political winds, Wisconsinites have consistently voted to raise their own taxes to support their local public schools. Instead of restricting local funding options for schools, our focus should be on how we can work together to increase state support to take some of the pressure off.” 

Rep. Duey Stroebel won't raise gas taxes, saying "Wisconsin Drivers are Taxpayers" forgetting about out-of-state drivers!

While Wisconsin drivers personally experience our crumbling roads, unsightly highway medians, and mothballed construction sites and detours, Rep. Duey Stroebel wants you to believe it’s just your imagination. Stroebel’s imagined savings from not increasing the gas tax is wiped out by repair bills:

“poor road conditions cost drivers $502 per year on average in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs, according to a report by national transportation research group TRIP.”

Stoebel’s transportation funding “logic” will test your patience, but it will also be a warning;

"Taxing advocates point to the perceived deficit in transportation funding. This projected deficit assumes, in part, continued large future spending on highway expansions."

Wrong. Maintenance is the biggest issue facing the state, and some expansion during fix up is smart and necessary, due to population shifts. Of course Scott Walker and Duey Stroebel’s pirates haven’t done anything about public transportation, so big surprise.

Republican denial is stunning: 

"They dismiss the idea that some expansion projects could be delayed even though traffic counts have remained largely flat statewide."   

You’ll love this total fabrication pushed by Walker:

"I strongly support the governor’s realigned priority of highway safety and maintenance over further expansions."

Love all that safety and maintenance we’re…wait, did I miss that?

"Additionally, conservatives in the Legislature will continue to promote the implementation of efficiencies to solve any DOT budget challenges the same way we have the past few years — bold, courageous reforms." 

The only thing bold and courageous about letting the roads crumble to dust is their steadfast refusal to do anything it.

Lumping Everything Together: Walker and Stroebel want us to look at all state taxes, instead of the actual decline of our gas tax. 

"Even though Wisconsin’s gas tax is among the highest in the nation, those advocating for a tax increase claim that Wisconsin drivers pay less to operate a vehicle than in other states. This statement is true only when ignoring that drivers living here pay other Wisconsin taxes far and above at least 40 other states. Wisconsinites’ tax burdens should be compared in their entirety." 

My favorite line....

"Wisconsin drivers are taxpayers."

But out-of-state drivers aren't taxpayers, and they use out roads too!!!

The biggest flaw in the Republican platform is this...

"We conservatives have always addressed challenges by fixing them, not raising taxes."

Republicans don't fix problems, they run from them, and then look like their doing something by cutting taxes again and again and again. Freeloaders all. It doesn't matter if taxes pay for services, old and new, that's something they want to leave to their kids.

You can't get health care, buy food, replace your central air, furnace, roof, or car by cutting your yearly income. Unless they've found a way to do that too.

Sen. Duey Stroebel's Takeover of Local School Referendum a defunding Con!

Meddling where no idiot ideologue should meddle, Sen. Duey Stroebel is forging ahead with his big government takeover of local referendums. Here's what he wants to see happen:

A Republican bill in the State Senate would require school boards to hold referendums during traditional fall and spring elections. It would also prevent school boards from going back to voters for two years following a referendum’s rejection. Senator Duey Stroebel says his proposal protects taxpayers and restores integrity in the referendum process.

But he's also play tricks on parents and school districts, who will fall victim to his little con...and there won't be a thing they can do about it. Urban Milwaukee:

Bill Forces 3-Year Wait for School Referendums: Fine print shows schools whose funding referendums fail must wait 3 years to relaunch ... significantly longer than the minimum two-year wait specified in the bill.

Currently, school districts have significant flexibility in when they ask voters to approve new resources. Some lawmakers are seeking to reduce that flexibility, by requiring districts to wait at least 730 days – two years – after an unsuccessful referendum to put another referendum before voters.

The combination ... could be forced to wait as long as three years after an unsuccessful referendum to attempt another. For example, a school district that held an unsuccessful referendum in 2015 would be required to wait until 2018 to hold another one if the restrictions had been in place. That’s because only 729 days pass between the April 2015 election and the April 2017 election – just shy of the 730 day requirement – and there is no fall election in 2017, pushing the next potential referendum election into 2018.

Walker's Act 10 "Tools" getting Cut!!!

The math looks like this (not Common Core):

    Act 10
 - School Referendums
  Big Trouble for Education.

Under a less than blistering barrage of softball questions, State Sen. Duey Stroebel painfully struggled to give even one good reason why adding more big government Republicans regulations would solve what he perceived to be unwarranted tax increases supported by local district voters for their schools.  

A Republican bill in the State Senate would require school boards to hold referendums during traditional fall and spring elections.  It would also prevent school boards from going back to voters for two years following a referendum’s rejection. Senator Duey Stroebel says his proposal protects taxpayers and restores integrity in the referendum process.

Bet you didn't know we had an integrity problem with the referendum process. Hey, wasn't that same excuse Republicans used when they gave us voter ID and replaced the GAB with a partisan elections supervisors (soon anyway)? Yes, and with bigger more complicated big government regulations from our "small government" conservatives.

As you can see by the video graphic below, Stroebel shepherded through a law that reduced voting hours, which had the likely effect of reducing the number of people going to the polls. That's ironic, because what is Duey worried about now; holding school referendums at times when voters are least likely to turn out at the polls.

Dumber still, Stroebel dreads 15 % turnouts in spring time elections, which is just about average (near 20%) for voting that time of year. Not the best argument to make, but then nothing he said to defend his bill on referendums made much sense....from WPR's Joy Cardin Show:



1. Why wait two years for another referendum?

Duey: "They need the time to do that correctly." 

2. So when desperate districts quickly revise their referendums and come back with another one, why is that bad?

Duey: "I don't thinks that's respecting the decision of the electorate in this democratic process."  

3. But it erodes local control, right?

Duey: "Again, we want these elections to be when people turnout, not when they don't turn out, that IS local control." 

It is?

From the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Dan Rossmiller gave a coherent response to Duey's simplistic lunacy: Referendums were one of the "tools" Walker gave local school districts to use. Duey would take that away.

A caller came up with this slogan, "This sounds like controlling locals, instead of allowing local control." Another caller threw the ball into the voters court, saying those who vote, vote. If it's important to them, they'll turn out:

Freeloading GOP to Wisconsinites: F**k Schools, F**k Local funding Control through Referendums.

Who knew freeloading asshole Republican homeowners in districts that approved school funding referendums we're pissed off that they would have to pay for other peoples kids getting an education? They got theirs, a public education on other peoples dime, so screw everybody else.

I'm writing this in a fit of almost uncontrolled anger, so bear with me. This freeloading GOP attitude, that they can live free and clear off previous generations investments in public services, should outrage conservative and liberal taxpayers alike. We can't fix our roads, we can't fix our parks, we can't pay for education, and now we can't let local school districts pay for keeping their school competitive or open. Apparently all you need in Wisconsin is a house on a cheap piece of land. If you want more, move.

Republicans who once said state school funding cuts could be made up via local referendums approved by taxpayers are now backtracking...WSJ:

Tweedledum & Tweedledee; Stroebel
and Rep. Michael Schraa

Republican state lawmakers are seeking to restrict when and how local school districts can raise money from their local taxpayers at a time when the state is offering few new dollars for public schools … the moves are designed to lower property taxes, keep voters from being worn down by multiple referendum campaigns and prevent special elections when turnout is low.

The ends; lower property taxes,  justify the means; stop paying for schools.

Our Republican tax cut saviors claimed taxpayers have had enough of living in a high tax state. What they didn't see coming? Referendum after referendum being passed by local taxpayers who were willing to pay for good schools and their kids education. Yes, by raising their property taxes.

Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance said, "There is one instance above all when locals will vote to tax themselves: a fear that they might lose their community’s or neighborhood’s school." With 76 percent of the referendums to exceed revenue limits passing (in 2014), never before have more Wisconsin voters welcomed property tax increases to pay to run their community schools.

An ideological no-no they're now going to fix with even more Big Government Republican regulations:

Require a period of two years before school boards can go back to voters after a failed referendum question ... the bill seeks to eliminate situations where voters are worn down. If voters reject a referendum question, for two years a school district would be prohibited from issuing bonds, taking out a loan or temporarily borrowing money in June, July and August to pay for immediate expenses associated with operating and maintaining schools from July 1 to the last working day of October, when state payments are sent to school districts.

Not seeing his own "negative ramifications" of putting ridiculous limitations on what the public decides it really wants...

“We continue to be a high-tax state in Wisconsin and that has negative ramifications,” said Sen. Duey Stroebel.

 So much for local government:

Wisconsin Associations of School Boards lobbyist Dan Rossmiller said, “So I guess what these legislators want is for school districts to just cut and cut regardless what that does to educational opportunities and programs.” ... DPI spokesman John Johnson said the agency is against both of the bills because they both are “eroding local control.”

Another proposal is just as destructive, proposed by Sen. Frank Lasee, an enemy of all clean efficient energy:

Another bill bans school boards from exceeding their state-imposed revenue limits in order to pay for energy-efficiency projects. Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, co-authored the bill said, “lawmakers cannot seriously reduce property taxes when school boards routinely exceed their revenue limits.”

These freeloader control freaks are just getting started...

Sen. Stroebel plays constituents for suckers, plans pointless investigation of Planned Parenthood for something they don't do. Rep. Duffy too.

Are Ozaukee County voters out of their minds electing Duey Stoebel as their State Senator?

While nothing wrong happened in the right wing video sting on Planned Parenthood, Republicans like Duey Stroebel and Rep. Sean Duffy have decided to spend their taxpayer time on "investigating" this drummed up controversy. Voters should be asking, why?

"(It is) illegal under federal law to sell human fetal tissue for anything of "valuable consideration." 

But the video shows a Planned Parent representative discussing what isn't illegal:

"(It) does not include reasonable payments associated with the transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control, or storage of human fetal tissue."

Republican voters should recall this phony for playing them for suckers, and pretending Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has anything to do with fetal parts. Welcome to our big government Republican police state:

"It's just further documentation that Planned Parenthood is definitely in the business of selling baby body parts," said Sen. Stroebel. "We need to get into their books. That's what we really need to see. We need to see where they're revenues come from."

Maybe Stroebel should ask a few questions before he "gets into their books." And Republicans were crying about late night raids in the John Doe investigation, get real. WKOW: 

Nicole Safar, public policy director for PPWI said, "We are not donating fetal tissue, so it's unclear to me what exactly they would want to investigate." PPWI simply doesn't have the infrastructure to facilitate human fetal tissue donation. "It seems like a lot of political sort of rallying that they're doing, but, I have yet to see a credible argument they could make for investigating us."

Stroebel won't let reality prevent him from agitating his conservative "low information" base for votes, while violating the privacy of peoples medical records, and PPW activities and contributions of a targeted GOP political enemy. Talk about witch hunts:

"If that's what they say, fine, but they're going to have to be able to verify that and that's what I'm looking for for the State of Wisconsin - their verification of their statements. We are going to make every effort possible to be able to get into those books, see where that taxpayer money is going and as a part of that organization, see where they are also generating all their revenues and if they are generating other revenues from the sale of body parts of babies," 

Don't count out Rep. Sean Duffy getting in the phony outrage act too. Could anything be more transparent? Maybe this is what Republicans were talking about when they say they want transparency.

Confused? Republicans argue Right-to-Work will Raise Wages and end up creating more Unions.

How do you know Republicans are lying about the benefits of right-to-work?

After listening to primary winner Republican Duey Stroebel on WPR this morning, I was struck by his reasoning.

He's telling us right-to-work will raise wages - which they oppose, and increase unionization - which they also oppose.

Think about it, businesses are telling Republicans they're ready and willing to move to Wisconsin once right-to-work is in place, because I can only assume, they can't wait to pay their employees more and become union shops.

They also expect us to believe that if unions do a really great job serving their members, conservative employees will gladly pay their union dues, instead of freeloading off everyone else on principle.

And finally, shouldn't conservative jobs seekers go elsewhere if they get an offer from a union shop? After all, isn't that what Republicans say we should do when we don't like the offered wages and benefits? No ones forcing us to work at a union shop. Just wondering.

Here's Republican Duey Stroebel, replacing Glenn Grothman, who makes all the above points:

Are Democrats kidding? Nothing on cuts to UW and State Parks? Really?

I've searched the Wheeler Report and WisPolitics and came up with ZERO press releases by Democrats outraged over the defunding of the UW and state parks today. NOT ONE.

Instead, they're backing a GOP idea to expand Medicaid and coming out against their own constituents for protesting Scott Walker's Wauwatosa home.

Democrats haven't promised to repeal any of Scott Walker's changes. They haven't promised to fund or take back the UW if its given autonomy. They haven't promised to do anything. They just react and disappear.

And like all despotic groups, the Republicans have filled the void left by our invisible and battered Democratic Party.

On a side note: Can we all agree the 20th Senate District has the dumbest low information voters in the entire state?

They went from favorite Glenn Grothman to Lord Voldemort Duey Stroebel (nearly 70% of voters), a guy so dim he never could figure out why big cities needed more time for voting than those sparsely populated small towns and villages.

Conservative Small Business Owners Next Big Threat in privatizing Government.

If you thought we had problems with big business buying influence and control, just wait till all of the not so sharp local business guys get involved. The next almost invisible wave of freaks clamoring to downsize and privatize government is coming from an avalanche of Republican small business owners. While billionaire CEO's fund campaigns and hire big time lobbyists, their smaller local versions are forcing their crude free market laws into the system bypassing voter concerns.

Rep. Duey "Lord Voldemort" Stroebel is another unhappy American, whining about "things," like the "encroachment upon our liberties," "things that just aren't good," "things aren't the American way," "I'm a citizen legislature," "I think we need more representation in Washington D.C. from people from the private sector," and "again, not the career politicians."

Stroebel bashed career politicians, like you know, 20 year career politician Scott Walker. Thank you Dewey.

ObamaCare Stupid: Stroebel also follows in the clueless footsteps of Dumb Ron Johnson, when he gets everything he's saying about ObamaCare wrong, like: "ObamaCare is a disaster," "its increasing their premiums," "and it's all costing the government a trillion dollars to accomplish this," "it's not the American way, it's not who we are," ALL WRONG. ObamaCare is paid for, and will save the government money. But Stroebel isn't the curious type. And since when is it the American way to have over 40 million people going without health care coverage? A fine tradition?

Secession: Stroebel is okay with the idea, saying "it's really a reaction to where the federal government is right now." Well then, it was silly to ask.

From Upfront with Mike Gousha:

Lord Voldemort Stroebel says Larger Cities should get as much time as Small Towns for Voting, because it's fair?

Despite the media's reluctance to call it what it is, voter suppression, Wisconsin voters are about to see their right to vote curtailed. Lord Duey Voldemort Stroebel is successfully ramming one of the dumbest bills yet through the Republican legislature, which doesn't say much about the brain trust there:

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would change when residents can vote. The bill, already approved in the Assembly, would restrict the number of hours clerks can be open for in-person absentee voting: local clerks could only be open for 52.5 hours a week for the two weeks before Election Day, 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  Authors of the bill said extra hours in cities like Madison and Milwaukee are disenfranchising rural voters whose clerk's offices aren't open as much.

That’s right, area’s with huge populations only get as much time as those sparsely populated rural communities to vote. That makes so much sense, right?

But leave it to a hard working bartender to "Hulk smash" the idea with this brilliant argument: 

"The reality is this is a restricting bill," said Mary Oglesby, a bartender from Milwaukee who spoke at a Senate hearing Tuesday. "To say that a smaller community would be disenfranchised by a larger community having extra hours is just a false assumption because if you take away the hours from everyone how does that change anything for the small community? They still don't have the hours." 

Why didn't our Democratic lawmakers come up with that? From WISC Channel3000-Jessica Arp:

Another Republican troubled by a Conflict of Interest? Not anymore. Rep. Stroebel tells a whopper...

Well, we have the most amazing excuse that finally obliterates “conflict of interest” issues. It’s absolute genius, and that’s saying a lot when you consider its coming from a Republican. It’s true these guys are the biggest victims on earth, and always find a way to blame someone else, but still this one comment destroys any appearance of conflict of interest with ease:

jsonline: “There is no conflict of interest in a legislator participating in and guiding legislation that may affect his or her private sector business … It is a good thing to have citizen legislators who have real world knowledge and experience on the issues … making policy decisions."

See?  Stroebel makes the case it's a good thing a politician is personally affected by their own favorable legislation. 

Lord Voldemort with a nose?

The lead sponsor of a sweeping landlord-tenant bill in the Legislature would himself benefit from a provision that would eliminate Milwaukee's landlord registration program. The legislator is Rep. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) … one provision would have an impact on a building he owns on Milwaukee's east side … effectively eliminate the landlord registration program, which requires all commercial property owners to record ownership information with the city … having that information allows police and firefighters, as well as Department of Neighborhood Services officials, a way to reach landlords faster.

And that would be bad? There’s more:

Stroebel's building is located just outside the boundaries of another program operated by the city. That pilot program is called the Residential Rental Inspection program and, under Stroebel's bill, also stands to be eliminated. In that program, rental property owners register their property with the city and submit to an initial inspection. Owners are then issued four-year certificates or one-year certificates noting the properties are in compliance with city codes and regulations.

Here it comes…conflict of interest is good:

Stroebel issued a statement saying his sponsorship of the bill did not amount to a conflict of interest.

"There is no conflict of interest in a legislator participating in and guiding legislation that may affect his or her private sector business when the policy is a statewide policy that affects everyone in the field equally. It is a good thing to have citizen legislators who have real world knowledge and experience on the issues, rather than career politicians relying on lobbyists for information, making policy decisions."

State Rep. Duey Voldemort's In-Person Absentee Voter Suppression Scheme Implodes.

It seems no matter what Republicans want to do in Wisconsin, it always costs taxpayer more money.

Follow me on this, because this whole in-person absentee ballot scheme is like the staircases in Hogwarts.

Citizen Action of Wis.

WSJ: A Republican lawmaker, Rep. Duey Stroebel, is proposing limits on the hours and days voters can cast in-person absentee ballots even as such voting increases in popularity in the state. The bill, introduced in the state Assembly late last week, would force municipalities to spend more on mail-in absentee ballots while making it harder for people to vote. Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said the bill also could drive up costs … the cost of each mailed absentee ballot is $4.79 compared to 55 cents for ballots cast in person.

He looks like Voldemort, right? Oops, will I be barred from Twitter now? More wasted taxpayer money…for what? Electoral mischief? One more thing before we all start feeling a little dizzy: The bizarre limits: 

Duey without nose prosthetic's

The measure proposed by Rep. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, would prohibit clerks from opening early, late or on weekends to accommodate voters wishing to cast their ballots before Election Day … the bill aims to give residents of smaller communities the same access to absentee voting as those in larger communities that can afford to hold extended balloting. "To have those disparities for in-person absentee balloting is not fair … focus is on equality in the system. That's the way he views it."

This is where the wheels start falling off: 

Assembly Bill 54 would confine such in-person absentee voting to 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the three weeks leading up to an election week. It also would prohibit a clerk from remaining open to receive in-person ballots more than 40 hours a week.

So Stroebel’s bill hurts more than helps small towns? 

The proposal could be even more vexing for clerks in small towns, who often work part-time and at the convenience of local residents, said Richard Stadelman, executive director of the Wisconsin Towns Association … it's not unusual for small-town clerks to open their offices on nights and weekends to accommodate in-person absentee voting. He said his group opposes the bill as written.

So Stroebel’s great equalized “7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.” hourly limit, won’t work for those he says he’s trying to “help.”

Don’t laugh: 

Stroebel plans to amend the bill to add flexibility for small communities.

But that negated the reason for the bill in the first place. So we’re either back at the beginning, or Stroebel won’t let his embarrassing idiocy deter his effort to suppress voting. Rural area's will be open after normal work hours, but cities won't be?

The Hogwart's staircases make more sense than this scheme.

But the above lunacy is just one of many reasons why this is one grand waste of time and money:

Diane Hermann-Brown, president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association, said her office in the city of Sun Prairie is open 42 1/2 hours a week normally, and, by statute, 43 1/2 hours the week before an election. She wondered about the practical effect of having her staff turn away absentee ballots while accepting dog licenses and handling other duties … (or) what would clerks do if absentee voters are still in line at 5 p.m. Sun Prairie had an hour and a half wait among absentee voters at 5 p.m. on the Friday before the November election, she said.

 … 18,752 people cast ballots at the counter she said. "The bigger the city, the longer the travel time to get to the city clerk's office."

Casting a ballot before Election Day … has become popular in Wisconsin, with more than 500,000 voters doing so in the November general election.