Walker's Cuts to Education Hurting Special Education Students Hard.

Guess it’s NOT working…again? Spending on public education was cut more than any other state in the country, and with those cuts, dire consequences.

Edweek: Disability advocates are upset that some Wisconsin school districts want to be able to cut special education spending without losing losing federal funds.

Disability Rights Wisconsin said they just recently learned of a May letter asking for changes to the portion of the federal law requiring districts to keep spending on students with disabilities level from year to year. The clause is intended to buffer special education from the budget cycle and political whims.

Generally, school districts can only cut special education spending if there's an actual decrease in expenses.

Wisconsin school districts, noting the challenging economic times, asked for penalties to be waived … "This change will not reduce the services being provided to children with disabilities … But Jeffrey Spitzer-Resnick, managing attorney for Disability Rights Wisconsin, said his organization has already heard from parents and others who say services for their children have been reduced. If a student worked with an aide last school year for example, his or her new education plan erases the need for an aide … He said he understands that school districts are cash-strapped, but that doesn't mean they don't have to continue upholding the law. "When political decisions are made like the state of Wisconsin did, it has consequences," Mr. Spitzer-Resnick said. "You're still stuck with IDEA and maintenance of effort."

A private sector school has created this horror story:

Edweek: A private boarding school connected with the Hershey chocolate company says it was trying to protect other students when it denied admission to a Philadelphia-area teenager because he is HIV-positive.

The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of the unidentified boy, claiming the Milton Hershey School for disadvantaged students violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2008 to reaffirm that HIV is a qualified disability. 

One more thing:

Attorney Ronda Goldfein says her client requires no special accommodations. He is an honor-roll student and athlete who controls his HIV with medication that does not affect his school schedule, she said. Goldfein said the HIV discrimination cases she has seen in recent years usually boil down to one person's word against another.

"The reality is, people don't usually admit it like this," she said Thursday.

The World According to Scott Walker.

Gov. Scott Walker lives in a completely different world than the one I'm familiar with. You may not recognize Walker's version of reality, to the one you might read about in the papers, blogs or see on local TV newscasts. Check out this highlight edition of his recent Newsmax Interview:

“The majority of the people of Wisconsin elected me to do exactly what I said I’d do … I’d still make sure that we protected seniors and needy families and children and ultimately do things like putting more money in the classroom.

Bitter revenge is just a breath away for Walker…

“We did all those things and so a handful of folks want to stand up and cry foul. It’s really because they want to continue to take money out of the pockets of workers without their permission. So in the end … it’s about us standing up to protect workers and the state of Wisconsin as well.”

Ever the victim, Walker imagines the recall started before he became governor…

Walker was elected governor by 124,000 votes last November … He says the recall effort started immediately, two months before he was even sworn in.

Ever the peacemaker...

“…we’ve got a plan to bring the people of our state together,” he added. “Not just among the party but in the larger context, public and private, local and state, coming together to help put our state back to work.”

Walker also forgets taxpayer money is actually converted to WAGES, earned by public employees. It’s their money, not the taxpayers…

Walker said … Some of the money that taxpayers contribute goes toward union dues which are then partly used for political activity which aids candidates who help the unions.

Walker imagines…

That the money goes to politicians “who promise, many times in secret, to add more employees, more benefits, more government spending.

Walker came into office promising to bring in policies that would create 250,000 jobs … that figure stands at only 29,000 as he approaches his first anniversary. Still, he called that “a tremendous shift” from what had happened in recent years.

This is where the idiotic GOP revisionist history erases the Great Bush Recession, and blames state Democrats for the loss of jobs during the global crash…

“In the last three years before I took office, 2007-10, under my predecessor and with Democrats in charge of the legislature, Wisconsin lost 150,000 jobs," he said. "In the first six months we gained almost 40,000. We’ve had our challenges in August and September and October but that’s in large part because of the national and global economy.

And in that dog-eat-dog free market world of risk, Walker wants government to interfere…

“If you’re a small business and you want to add five more employees, oftentimes you’re going to say ‘what other costs are coming up in the next year or two’ and if people aren’t confident that they can manage those costs, they’re not going to add jobs.”

Banks Boot Vets...get Caught.

So you want the free market in control, want the banks deregulated and support the troops? Suckers!!!!

IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff explains, with Rachel Maddow:

The Justice Party...?

I like the Justice Party. Check out Rocky Anderson's platform. Rachel Maddow just let's Rocky roll.....

Tax cuts for wealthy Good! Tax cuts for everyone else Bad!

Rachel Maddow lays it out so well that even a tea party voter will understand how hypocritical they've been...

Walker's Recall Due to "bold, courageous" Transformation of Government?

It’s frustrating to watch pundits debate the presidential race without any consideration of the unrest in states with pushy authoritarian Republican governors. You would think the enraged state voters might be leaning left after rebelling against the draconian solutions instituted by the GOP gov’s.

So I found this Scott Walker declaration bizarre, arrogant and clueless:

TampaBay: "Whether it's Rick Scott in Florida, Rick Snyder in Michigan, John Kasich in Ohio … there's just a ton of bold, courageous new governors who've come in, and we're ready to transform America," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told a Republican Governors Association gathering in Orlando this week.

Thanks to theillusorytenant for noticing this amusing disconnect from realty (love the adoring comments):

Newt "BJ" Gingrich?

I was a little surprised by this story about Newt Gingrich from Lawrence O'Donnell last night. Holy crap comes to mind:

Walker Wrecks Christmas; Mistakenly Schedules something else During Noon Tree lighting?

Was Gov. Scott Walker dumb enough to schedule something on the day and time the Capitol Christmas tree lighting would have been penciled in?  

AP: Even the annual lighting of Wisconsin's Christmas tree couldn't escape politics. Protesters turned their backs as Gov. Scott Walker lighted the tree on Friday and one Democratic state senator complained that about the timing of the ceremony. Sen. Bob Jauch of Poplar says Walker purposefully held the lighting in the morning because he was afraid protesters would disrupt the noontime event. A couple dozen protesters at the morning ceremony did not interrupt Walker or cause any disruptions.

But why in the morning?

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the lighting was done in the morning because the governor had other commitments and could not attend over the noon hour.

Commitments that couldn’t be put off until after the noon lighting? Merry friggin’ Christmas to you too.

About 200 people were at the lighting ceremony, but Jauch says there should be more than 1,000. He says Walker ruined a normally joyous occasion.

From Channel3000, this early coverage of the protest and tree lighting:

While Walker loses jobs, U.S. Unemployment Numbers Fall from 9.0 to 8.6%

The big headline that should send a panic through the Republican Party:

Signs of Hope in Jobs Report; Unemployment Drops to 8.6%

Republicans have done everything possible to kill the economy, assuming of course, that they would be able to reverse all the damage they've done over the last few years. But...

NY Times: The American unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to its lowest level in two and a half years in November, despite the many global crises batting against the economy.

There's no reason to celebrate just yet, but it is a good sign.

Walker thugs Shred Recall Petitions, Walker Administration Shreds Constitution to protect fragile Governorship.

Gov. Walker must think the founding fathers would approve of charging "the people" a little fee, not to mention getting approval from, the government they want to protest. This is one of the most amazing developments in our state yet, and another reason why another year (or three) of the Walker administration is such a bad idea. Again, where are the tea party pocket constitutionalists? They too will have to pay for any counter protests to defend their dictator. 

Here's just a short sample of the "new rules" just posted by the folks at blue cheddar: 

This DOA policy change is aimed at cracking down on freedoms in the Capitol building ... 22 page DOA policy … effect(ive) January 1st, 2012 after a “two week education period”. Starting with most WTF policy point first:

*No civil legal recourse is available for death, injury, damage or theft of property that a Wisconsin citizen may experience in a state facility. The state and its departments, employees, agents, are “held harmless” for all suits, damages, claims, or other liabilities related to death, injury, damage, or theft of property.

*Helium balloons are not allowed in the Capitol.

*Where a “public area” is can change at any time and the only areas deemed public are the ground and 1st floors of the Capitol.

*All “events” must have a permit but for “spontaneous” events and spontaneous events must occur in response to a “triggering” event which occurred in the previous week or is occurring. Events that are advertised by social media and other means 7 or more days before the event are not “spontaneous”.  

For those who are wondering if this will be challenged...

From the S.S.Along facebook page–and I assume this is Chris Reeder writing: “I have been in touch with the ACLU, and am working to obtain legal counsel.  

Here's an interview by Sly in the Morning with one of the Solidarity Singers:

AFSCME's Marty Beil calls recall restrictions unconstitutional, may go to court.

Is it my imagination or is the Walker administration throwing as much shit up against the wall as they can, to get labor and Democratic groups to spend all their cash pursuing the state down every rabbit hole.

We have the DOJ and GAB going after recall petitioners, the GOP is suing the state over a redistricting law they just passed, the Capitol has new "fee for protest" rules that should be unconstitutional, voter ID is being challenged, a John Doe investigation involving Walker continues to grind in the background, a collective bargaining challenge, and there's a push to redo the recall law. I'm sure I probably forgot a few things too.

Now AFSCME's Marty Beil is considering suing the state for possible free speech limits on gathering recall signatures on state property. Channel 3000:

The head of the largest union representing Wisconsin state workers said Gov. Scott Walker's administration is placing unconstitutional restrictions on where signatures to recall Walker can be collected.

Wisconsin State Employees Union Director Marty Beil sent a letter of complaint Wednesday to the secretary of Walker's Department of Administration. His letter said those restrictions are a violation of the workers' free speech rights and asked that the policies be rescinded.

"We find this to be extremely restrictive, to the point that we think it actually violates the rights of state workers. So if (Secretary Mike Huebsch) decides not to resolve these issues, we're prepared to move to court," Beil said. 

Free speech, Redressing your Grievances will now Cost You. Is this Constitutional?

Here comes another rabbit out of the Walker hat. If you thought such terms as “authoritarian” or “creeping fascism” were over the top, you might want to rethink that. 

Gov. Scott Walker has come up with a road block politicians in the turbulent 60’s didn’t even think up. Instead of freedom and liberty, we’re getting government red tape and firewalls erected between citizens and elected politicians.

If this is how Republicans view the Constitution and they’re service to “we the people,” we’ve got a real problem:

jsonline: Gov. Scott Walker's administration could hold demonstrators liable for costs for extra police presence or cleanup and repairs following protests at the Capitol, under a new policy unveiled Thursday. The policy, which also requires more permits for events at the statehouse and other state buildings, took effect Thursday.

Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said in a statement. "This policy ensures our ability to appropriately staff events for the safety of those participating."

Because the media gave a pass to the Walker administrations overreaction and over supply of security at the Capitol, Scott Walker can now claim “fees” attached to our First Amendment rights are only fair. But the details of one important element to the protests was not provided:

The policy does provide some leeway for spontaneous gatherings triggered by unforeseen events, according to the Department of Administration.

What leeway? Better plan ahead too...

Demonstrations in February and March … cost some $8 million. Smaller protests at the Capitol have continued throughout the year. Groups must obtain permits for all activity and displays in state buildings and apply for those permits at least 72 hours in advance.

If you want to get the attention of your elected representative, get out the wallet and don't be "noisy:" 

Groups holding demonstrations could be charged for the costs of having extra police on hand for the event. Costs associated with a counter-protest could be charged to that second group.

The costs would be $50 per hour per Capitol Police officer - costs for other police officers would depend on the costs billed to the state. The police could require an advance payment as a requirement for getting a permit. Any damage or cleanup after a demonstration could be charged to organizers.

Events can be terminated if they interfere with the business of the Capitol, including when noise from an event exceeds 90 decibels - about equal to a lawn mower or busy nearby roadway.

Hey tea party freedom fighters, where are you now...? Here's NBC 15's coverage from Zac Schultz:

Republicans save Badgercare by making it as costly as private insurance...it's only fair.

The idea that the Republican want to "save" Medicare and Medicaid by making it as costly as the private sectors unaffordable model, is insulting and just plain cruel. Check out this press release from Republican talking point card reader Rep. Dan Knodl: 

In recent weeks, Democrats have unleashed a vicious assault against Governor Scott Walker and Republicans in the State Legislature for implementing reforms that will bring fiscal solvency to the Medicaid program, ensuring its long-term survival.  Their attack smacks of politics, because Medicaid would have run a deficit so big that leaving the problem unattended would have plunged our state back into fiscal crisis and endangered the future of the program.

The program may survive in name only, but the people may not. Should we let people die so the program can live? The obvious answer would be a tax increase of some sort. It’s not like that option is out of the question, unless a person took a pledge to never raise taxes, even if it means saving a person’s life.

Since the Doyle expansion, enrollment in Medicaid has skyrocketed and state tax revenues have not been able to keep pace. 

Tax revenues haven’t kept up because medical premium increases are huge. Doh! Add to that the Great Recession and high unemployment; is it any surprise more people are on Badgercare? But here’s my favorite line:

Some have engaged in cynical scaremongering, accusing Republicans of slashing benefits to the poor, disabled and elderly.

It’s all true, especially after reading the following solutions. But what’s even worse is the Republican plan; just make Badgercare as costly as private insurance. This is what they did to Badgercare Basic, and killed the program because there weren't enough people who could afford it, and enrolled declined so much the program could not sustain itself. 

Higher-income recipients (above 150% of federal poverty level) contribute a larger premium for their coverage.  This would make their contribution closer to what their neighbors with private coverage might pay.

 Oh, it gets worse:

Benefit coverage and co-pays for most BadgerCare Plus members above 100% FPL be aligned with most widely available commercial health plan in the state

See? Oh, and it gets…worser?

Phase out “presumptive eligibility” as the state implements “real time” eligibility determination for BadgerCare Plus.  Currently, when someone applies for BadgerCare, it is assumed they are eligible and their coverage starts immediately – even though we may find out later that they are, in fact, ineligible.

Now families hit with a medical emergency can go bankrupt while they’re waiting for the slow wheels of the “government” to get around to approving eligibility.

The truth is that, under the proposed changes, individuals would lose coverage only if 1) they make the choice to not pay a fair share to the cost of their care;

But they’re not slashing benefits. They’re saving the program by making it the same as the unaffordable private sector coverage, paying their fair share. Brilliant.

Mayor Tom Barrett takes on Walker!!

Check out Mayor Barrett's energy in this Al Sharpton interview. He even brings up the "David Koch" phone call!!!

High Speed Rail Anniversary Protest outside Talgo.

One of the most irresponsible acts by the incoming Walker administration was to kill the high speed rail project. The low rung of the Republican Party loved it. Walker would later spend state taxpayers money, instead of federal money, on track maintenance and upgrading. What a waste, and what a deal. The public is not about to let Walker forget about the loss of jobs, and the higher jobless numbers:   

WISN: A new report due out next week may put Milwaukee's African-American unemployment rate at 55 percent. Area leaders and residents are urging Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to help create jobs in the city. And they're using the site of his first high-profile political showdown as the backdrop: Talgo America.

The controversial project of bringing light rail -- and the company to manufacture the trains -- to Wisconsin had barely begun when then governor-elect Walker vowed to shut the project down. On the one-year anniversary of that announcement, protesters gathered outside Talgo America to urge the governor to do more. "We're here today on the one year anniversary of the killing of a dream for thousands of residents in this community," Jennifer Epps-Addison said to a group in front of the company.

The story here makes it seem like Walker actually did something to create jobs, or that the special sessions had anything to do with job creation. Wrong!! But it's this uncritical news coverage that seems to be propping up this failed governor.

Two Unbelievably Outrageous, Dumb Republican Admissions.

This may be an older clip, but what the heck. I can't help but watch it in stunned amazement. Here you have a Republican Congressman, Marco Rubio,  whining that the Democrats are preventing his party from doing anything. Probably one of the dumbest lines of the year. Yet the media pretty much let this one go by:



Gov. John Kasich doesn't read newspapers, they aggravate him. Stunning stupidity.

Steve Keen on Upside Down Lunacy of Austere Economics.

Just how wrong are the Republicans on economics? It’s all here…from Steve Keen’s Debtwatch

Thom Hartmann is the most prominent of the very few progressive economic and political commentators in America. Thom interviewed me for his TV show The Big Picture yesterday, on the topic of whether we’re in a Depression now, if so how this one compares to the 1930s, and whether such events are a part of capitalism’s natural cyclicality.

Again, Charter Schools Failing....

Here's another in a long line of stories proving once and for all charter and voucher schools are failing, and that they are only promoted to destroy our public schools.

EdWeek: Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other city leaders have long heralded charter schools' innovative approach to education (and want to expand it still), but new research suggests many charters in Chicago are performing no better than traditional neighborhood schools and some are actually doing much worse.
7 percent of students met state standards … nine out of every 10 students missed the state benchmark … The dismal numbers are part of a new set of school report cards.

Remember, Scott Walker wanted to do away with private school testing and allow all income groups into the program. Once you introduce higher income students, who test higher, Republicans can then brag how well privatization is doing. 

The state has released data that will allow the public for the first time to see how individual charter schools are measuring up against traditional public schools … the trends show that despite their celebrated autonomy, discipline and longer school days, charter schools are struggling to overcome the poverty that so often hampers underperforming neighborhood schools.

It’s their “low-income,” stupid:

Charters with the highest numbers of students from low-income families or those with recognized learning disabilities almost universally scored the lowest last year on state exams, a trend common throughout CPS.

Supporting the idea that charter and private voucher schools are being used to destroy the nation’s public school systems and the teaching profession:

But the majority of charter schools in Chicago and around the U.S. rely on nonunion teachers, who are frequently paid lower wages and asked to work longer hours … teachers unions accuse charter networks of devaluing the profession by driving down salaries and of stripping public money from long-standing neighborhood schools.

"Charter schools, quite frankly, have shown no innovations in instruction," said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis. "The only innovation they have is in labor management where they can afford to pay a significantly lower amount to their teachers."

First Walker Ad Spokesperson Childishly Unapologetic over Breaking School District Policy!

Rules, policy, laws…who cares about all that stuff when you’re a Republican? The First Amendment means anything goes.

“It’s a constitutional right that we have freedom of speech,” Waukesha School Board Member Karin Rajnicek said, who also said (her fellow board member Ellen) Langill was putting her on the spot.

That’s the attitude of the unapologetic loon and victim, Karin Rajnicek, over her school district policy breaking comments in Scott Walker’s first deceptive ad promoting his “It’s working” smokescreen.  

Waukesha Patch: To clear up any confusion about her recent appearance in a political ad supporting Gov. Scott Walker, Waukesha School Board Member Karin Rajnicek was asked to publicly state that the viewpoint presented in the television ad was solely her opinion … school district policy 8300, which dictates school board members must say they are presenting their own personal view when speaking to the public or the press. Rajnicek said she hadn’t realized she hadn’t said “in my opinion” in the video until later.

“I did not realize … that I did not say, ‘In my opinion,’” she said. However, she said she checked with people at the Capitol and was told that she didn’t do anything wrong.

Make no mistake, the omission was intentional. Having produced a fair amount of political ads myself, agency types know these disclaimers must be a part of the campaign. And what a god awful and irresponsible reaction by the Walker administration. 

Karin Rajnicek’s only regret?

Rajnicek said that if she were to do it over, she would say the same thing again and that the only regret she has is the backlash school board members have received because of her political activities. “I stand by what I said. The only thing I am sorry for is that people have lashed out at you … and our other board members. That was never my intention.”

The only question now is how someone this childish, out of control and defiant could still be allowed to stay on the school board.  

Recall Districts need to change, via a conservative activist Waukesha Judge.

Let’s be clear, the Republican smear campaign against all things Democratic/liberal, will never rest until they wrestle total control of our government away from its current two party system.

One party rule via voter ID, redistricting, fluid rule changes to game current law, stacking the courts with activist conservative judges/Justices, overwhelming talk radio/newspaper editorial domination, an organized network of think tanks, fear mongering to a receptive voter base combined with a simplistic but austere solution to everything is working beyond their own expectations.

The following story details just how crooked and transparently activist the Republicans have made the judicial branch of our government. Remember when they hated the courts? 

TheRepublic: Republicans have filed a second lawsuit to require any recall elections for state legislators to be conducted in newly drawn districts, a move that would favor their party. Attorney Eric McLeod, who is representing the Republicans, said he filed the second action in Waukesha County to ensure proper procedures were followed.

Waukesha is stacked with highly partisan conservative judges. Dane County, Republicans claim, is filled with activist liberal judges. Better to blatantly judge shop, which is okay with conservative voters, who see themselves as a struggling minority victimized by socialist liberals. After stacking the courts with conservative activist judges:

A new law also passed by Republicans this year allowed for lawsuits challenging state laws to be heard outside of Dane County, where they typically are heard. McLeod said he filed the complaint in Waukesha County because it was more convenient. 

State conservatives know that’s a lie. But they want to win, and they’re willing to poison the judicial branch of government to take control.

The irony of course is that Att. McLeod wrote the law for the GOP that he now suing to change:

The law establishing the new political districts says the new boundaries will not take effect for purposes of elections until the fall of 2012. The lawsuit filed by the Republicans seeks to have the new lines take effect immediately. McLeod's law firm, Michael Best & Friedrich, was paid to help lawmakers draw the new maps. Now he is representing Republicans who want to change when the maps take effect.