Roger Roth to Run for WI-8

OK, with this post, I think I am up to date on the candidates. Of course, by the time I wake up tomorrow, two or three more people may have joined the race.

Wis Politics (H/T Lakeshore Laments):

State Rep. Roger Roth, a Republican from Appleton, has sent out a fundraising appeal announcing his intention to seek the GOP nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen in the 8th CD.

Under a header that reads "Roger Roth for Congress," the letter blasts Democrats for taking the United States down the wrong path. Roth will make an official announcement on Dec. 1 on whether or not he will enter the race.

Here is the link to Roth for Congress.

The most interesting part of this announcement for now at least is what Kevin has to say about who benefits by Roth's entry into the race:

On a short-term matter, this announcement probably helps Roofing Company Owner Reid Ribble the most. With Roth in, he takes away "The Establishment Candidate label" (if such a label exists in a seven-way primary) from Ribble and takes the pressure of the bulls-eye off him and onto Roth now since many people -- myself included -- likely view Roth as the first "real choice" to enter the race.

McCormick Seeks WI-8 Seat

A little late, I know, but I've been busy this week. I also realize that I am at least one other candidate behind at this point.

Post Crescent:

Former state Rep. Terri McCormick, R-Greenville, announced Tuesday she would join a host of Republican hopefuls in the 2010 8th Congressional District race....

"The mess we're in is generally because of a lack of leadership," McCormick said.Referring to the government's involvement in using bailouts for economic recovery as "perpetual meddling in the free market," McCormick said limiting government spending and encouraging private sector growth are key. Job recovery and growth are her No. 1 priority, she said.

Here's a link to Terri McCormick for Congress.

I don't personally wish to wade into the intraparty sniping that seems to surround McCormick, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that it existed. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about and want to get up to speed in two minutes, go read this post and the comments.

I'm not exactly a "let a thousand flowers bloom" type, but I think we have room for at least 8 or 10 flowers. In any case, this is going to be an exciting race.

Consider the Levy

Jo Egelhoff writing at Fox Politics reminds us that at budget time you should always remember the levy:

If there’s nothing else you remember about your property taxes, remember this: It’s the tax levy, friend, the tax levy. (“Stupid” is memorable, but perhaps a little too harsh and Clinton-esque.)

An individual’s tax payments, are ultimately determined by two things:

1. Total tax levy required by the community
2. A property’s value, relative to the rest of the property in your community.

Given even these couple of numbers, the very best way to judge a community’s budget is to look at the increase in the TOTAL TAX LEVY. (well, I suppose in the history of the world, a decrease has been registered - somewhere!)...

At budget time, look for information about the increase in new construction in your community. This is really important and often a hard number to find in print.

Because unlike increases in value from reassessment of existing properties, new construction is real growth in a community. And if the TAX LEVY rises by less than the increase in new construction, then on average, an individual property owner’s taxes really are going down.

So remember the levy compare it to new construction.  Got it.  So how does my city, De Pere, stack up?

De Pere Unified School District passed a levy increase of 3.36%.
The City of De Pere passed a levy increase of 2.49%.
Brown County passed a levy increase of 2.5%.

OK, so what about new construction?  The Wisconsin Department of Revenue provides Net New Constrution figures for 2008-2009.  The report dated 8/14/09 shows that net new construction added 1.133% in De Pere.  For Brown County the number was 1.469%.

Seen in light of those net new construction numbers, the levy increases passed by De Pere City and Unified School District and by Brown County are even more disheartening.  And by Jo's rule of thumb above, taxes are increasing even faster than the levy percentages seem to indicate.

De Pere Adopts 2010 Budget

Press Gazette:

Overall, the council unanimously adopted a $15.35 million general fund budget for 2010, up about 1.41 percent from $15.14 million for 2009.

Members approved a $10.56 million total tax levy to support the budget, up 2.49 percent from $10.30 million from last year. The increases mean the owner of a home valued at $150,000 will owe about $898.50 in city property taxes, compared to $885 a year ago.

They discussed worker furloughs, but didn't take action on this.  They also reduced brush pick up.

Death Panels (Yes, Again)

With the political blogosphere going practically all Sarah Palin all the time I think it is worthwhile to revisit the "death panel" debate. Particularly since I see it repeatedly mentioned as being ridiculous, beyond belief, and proof that somehow Palin is unfit for office. She may well be unfit for office, but her death panel claim isn't the reason why.

As I wrote back in August, are rumors of death panels greatly exaggerated? Here's an excerpt of an interview of President Obama (h/t Slate's Kausfiles):

THE PRESIDENT: So that's where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues. But that's also a huge driver of cost, right?

I mean, the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here.

LEONHARDT: So how do you - how do we deal with it?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think that there is going to have to be a conversation that is guided by doctors, scientists, ethicists. And then there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place. It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels. And that's part of why you have to have some independent group that can give you guidance. It's not determinative, but I think has to be able to give you some guidance. And that's part of what I suspect you'll see emerging out of the various health care conversations that are taking place on the Hill right now. [E.A]

The President is talking about a panel to make medical treatment decisions in order to reduce costs.

You may not want to believe the U.S. government would ever do such a thing, but listen to the words. Palin's fitness for high office has no relevance in this debate. She has in rather stark terms made clear what is at the heart of Obama's consideration of what he concedes are "difficult moral choices."

Labor Pains for Barrett, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has only recently announced his intention to run for governor, but already there are those arguing he can't both run for governor and push forward on a plan for mayoral control of the Milwaukee Public School system. This criticism though, isn't originating from Republicans, but rather from Barrett's fellow Democrats.

The Milwuakee Area Labor Council argues (H/T Fox Politics):

Members of his own party describe Tom Barrett’s decision Nov. 15 to run for governor while still struggling to rule the Milwaukee public schools as a calculated cynical gamble in opposition to the progressive forces he needs to turn out Democratic voters in Milwaukee.

While agreeing that Barrett is their best and best known chance in the race, they still blame the public divisiveness that will result on both the mayor and the governor who decided not to run, Jim Doyle.

I have argued previously that workers ought to have the right to organize and that union representation can play an important role in helping workers negotiate for market wages. A single worker faces difficulty in judging the market value of his labor and can be in a weak bargaining position relative to a potential employer.

I fear though that what we see these days from organized labor, especially in states like Wiscosin where it historically has been strong, is the last gasp of a decaying institution. Not an institution that changed so much as one that didn't realize times had changed. The exchange of our best working years for lifelong income and benefits has come and gone. As someone too young to have participated in that phase of our history there are times when I wish this were not so, but it is.

This example of labor opposition to a well-liked Democratic politician's plan to reform a troubled school district is just the latest example of labor moving beyond that vital role for which it was made and into protecting itself as an institution. It isn't the most egregious example, but a telling one nonetheless.

Regardless of who the next governor is, the labor movement in Wisconsin is going to have to decide if it wants to be forward-thinking and serve a leading role in transforming our economy to match the changing circumstances, or if it prefers to cling to what power it has left. The former could revitalize Milwaukee and Wisconsin, the latter will simply forestall the inevitable change and we will all suffer for it.

Civilian Trial for Terrorist is a Mistake

News that Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed would be tried in a civilian court in New York was met with no small amount of pushback, and for good reason.  It's a bad idea.

Some Obama supporters have claimed that a civilian trial is exactly what the country needs to prove to the world that our values can withstand the horrific act that took place on 9/11.  Such a trial could, in my opinion, do the exact opposite.

I believe that if you asked President Obama if there was any chance that Mohammed would be found not guilty at this trial and then released, the answer would be a definitive no.  In that case, what is the point of the trial?  This isn't a criticism based on a military solution being superior to a law enforcement approach when it comes to terrorism.  This is a criticism of a criminal trial whose outcome is known in advance - the exact opposite of what the American legal system purports to be.

If the Obama administration thinks they have the right guy, and all indications are they do, then let them put forth the evidence that they are ready to produce at a trial.  If it is in our national interests to incarcerate or execute Mohammed, the Obama administration should do so.  If they have the courage of their convictions there really is no need for a show trial at which the outcome is known ahead of time, but our enemies get one more chance to do us harm.

Do you still think home schooling isn't a great idea?

What no one wants to admit on either side of this debate is that it takes 15 to 20 years to find out if an educational idea works, be it mayoral control, outside charter schools or voucher schools.

This from the Milwaukee Area Labor Council an AFL-CIO organization.

What of the poor student who happens to spend all or most of his K-12 years during the 15-20 years that these ideas are being worked out?