Wisconsin Senate Democrats continue hiding out in neighboring Illinois. One wonders when they legally will become Illinois residents.  In most states it’s six months and a day. In the case of the Wisconsin senate truants that would mean on or around September 18th. That sounds to me like a back up plan for Governor Walker. Wait ’em […]

I never like when conservatives say things like “can you imagine if the Republicans did that?”  It always sounds a little whiny to me. But can you imagine if the Republicans did this? (Video here: Wisconsin Assembly Democrats) These are elected officials for godsake. Classy bunch, those Wisconsin Assembly Democrats. Fight on, Governor.

I have a new hero.  She is Audrey Silk of Brooklyn, NY. Audrey is featured in today’s New York Times for growing her own tobacco in her small Marine Park backyard, washing the leaves, hanging and drying them in her basement over a period of months, cutting them, chopping them, and then rolling the processed […]

I sat down tonight to write a short piece about the stark differences between public sector unions and private sector unions.  Before putting pen to paper, though — or finger to keypad — I happily stumbled across this piece by Jonah Goldberg, who makes every point I wanted to and several more ((better than I […]

Tammany Hall’s George Washington Plunkitt (1842-1924), an unapologetic advocate for “honest graft” in government, railed against newly enacted civil service laws of his day to anyone who would listen because the laws, he argued, cynically removed political patronage from government.  In his book, Plunkitt of Tammay Hall, the state senator and Democratic Party boss unabashedly […]

The President probably wants this one back. ..

Today marks the 556th birthday of the Gutenberg Bible, which served to introduce an extraordinary new technology on February 23, 1455*, movable type.  (I’ve got to admit; I never would have come up with it.) One has to wonder how many more years ink type will survive.  But regardless, it’s had a heck of a run.   *Generally […]

New York is no Wisconsin.  Regrettably. Our problems are just as bad — worse actually — but our solutions are far more limited. There will be no Albany legislators fleeing to Pennsylvania or Vermont or Canada to stop reforms from being voted on here. They don’t have to. With Shelly Silver as speaker in the […]

It’s a wonder we survived the day… ——– Four Americans on hijacked yacht dead off Somalia Cell Phones Increase Brain Activity, Stirs Cancer Fears… Home Prices Hit Post-Bust Lows in Major Cities WAL-MART sales woes deepen Michigan orders Detroit to close half of public schools Political Fight Over Unions Escalates WI Governor warns of layoffs… […]

Republicans in the Wisconsin senate are threatening to pass legislation that would require photo identification at polling places if the Democrats don’t return to vote on public employee union reforms. The photo ID bill, which apparently can be passed sans quorum, is anathema to Democrats, and the GOP is using it as bait to get […]