Kunstler's Eyesore of the Month

James Howard Kunstler, whom I interviewed recently on Radio Commentary, sees in Las Vegas a metaphor for what he claims Americans have become: "a nation of slobs, clowns, patsies, and cravens."

At least Vegas provided Elvis with a catchy tune.

Palmeri v. Petak

My "Week in Review" discussion with former State Senator George Petak can be found here. It was a mostly polite discussion, with some very intelligent calls. The only tense banter (and it was quite mild, really), was when Petak advocated more nuclear power as a solution to our energy needs and I asked him if he would be willing to have the nuclear waste put in his neighborhood. He argued that was not a good reason for rejecting nuke power, but on the other hand he never quite came out and said that nuclear waste in his back yard would be okay. On the other hand, at least he doesn't pronounce it as "nuke-you-ler". (I realize that the last "on the other hand" makes three hands in this paragraph--probably a subconscious reflection of my fear that an enhanced nuke powered Wisconsin could lead to the births of the three handed bloggers).

I spent the majority of the program trying to argue that there currently is not a clean government candidate in the governor's race, and that the public will support such a candidate should he or she get into the race.

I am still leaning heavily against running for governor, but I have to say that the business as usual triumvirate of Doyle, Green, and Walker is making it very difficult to rule out a run.

Ellis: no one is more to blame for the death of campaign finance reform in Wisconsin than Governor Jim Doyle

Feeling the heat from federal, Dane County, and attorney general investigations slowly but surely uncovering the sleazy nature of the guv's fundraising efforts, Jim the New Democrat Doyle today got behind campaign reform efforts he claimed to be “the most comprehensive ethics reform package to be introduced in Wisconsin in more than three decades." Senator Mike Ellis immediately debunked Doyle's campaign season smokescreen, saying accurately that “The only reason Governor Doyle is now coming out in support of even this tepid reform package is so that he can cover his butt now that he’s under the microscope for alleged ethical lapses. ”

Ellis went further:

"Suddenly, in an election year, when he is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the state Justice Department, the governor gets religion and starts to pose for holy pictures. Give me a break.”

Sounds like Mike Ellis might be ready to give Ed Thompson a call.

Listen to Friday WPR "Week in Review"

I'm going to be the "liberal" on tomorrow's Wisconsin Public Radio "Week in Review" from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The "conservative" will be George Petak, former Wisconsin State Senator most known for being the deciding vote in favor of the Miller Park corporate welfare scam and getting himself recalled as a result.

I think at least some of the discussion will be about corruption in Washington and Madison. If you have thoughts about those topics that you would like to share, please pass 'em on! --Tony

Don't Gotcha Journalism

Yesterday, Stew Rieckman told Michelle Monte that the Oshkosh Northwestern is not interested in "Gotcha" journalism (scroll down). Ron Heilmann, Jane Van De Hey, Joe Maehl, and LuAnn Bird will be happy to know that.

Today readers of the print version of the Oshkosh Northwestern saw a new kind of journalism on page one above the fold: DON'T GOTCHA JOURNALISM. The page featured pictures of 7 of the 9 candidates for Oshkosh Common Council. Missing were the two female candidates, Michelle Bodgen and Mary Meyst.

No doubt if Meyst or Bogden were to inquire why the absence of their faces from the page, they would be told that "we don't gotcha pictures on file."

Now I'm sure we all agree that it is a candidate's responsibility to provide the press with photos, and Bogden and Meyst should know that they are going to have to be twice as good just to be treated equally in this race by an old boy MSM establishment. But in this electronic age, when Meyst and Bogden could have emailed a jpeg file to the editors almost immediately, would it have been too much trouble for the paper to request photos from them? Or let them know, when they took out papers indicating an intention to run, that front page pictures would be running?

For all I know the paper requested pictures and the candidates refused to provide them, or the paper invited them to have their pictures taken at the Northwestern and they refused. But it sure looks like a case of Don't Gotcha journalism.

Nearly 250 Tax Deadbeats From Fox Valley

Nearly 250 tax deadbeats are from the Fox Valley, including two elected officials, according to the Post-Crescent.

Tax Deadbeats Online

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is now posting on its website the names of all delinquent taxpayers who owe more than $25,000. The full list is here.

Among the top 100 tax deadbeats, I only found one name from Oshkosh. He is Eugene Dadas, who owes $515, 435. (enough for a couple of floating docks). --Tony

Green Party Release on Tainted Guv Candidates

<>Contacts:

Ruth Weill, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 414-562-6097 or 414-350-2107, spokespersons@wisconsingreenparty.org

Bob Poeschl, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 920 312-0529, spokespersons@wisconsingreenparty.org

Jim Doyle, Scott Walker, Mark Green too Tainted to Lead to Clean Government, say Wisconsin Greens

Governor rejects special session on campaign finance reform

Jim Doyle, who has been charged with being influenced by contributions from Indian tribes, Adelman Travel executives, and those who urged the Public Service Commission's approval of the sale of the Kewaunee nuclear power plant, recently decided against calling a special legislative session on campaign finance reform.

“People want clean government,” said Ruth Weill, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. “Although our Wisconsin government is now known for its corruption, none of the current candidates, Jim Doyle, Scott Walker, nor Mark Green, will be able to lead the way to clean government. All three have received large donations from special interests, and all three have been charged with allowing those donations to influence their political decisions.”

The Wisconsin Green Party advocates for public financing of campaigns, and public airtime for candidates. Wisconsin Green Party candidates do not accept money from PAC’s.

“It is clear that money is corrupting our system. Therefore, we need to reform our election system to eliminate corrupting influences,” said Weill.

A recent nationwide Associated Press/IPSOS poll showed that 88% of those polled felt that political corruption is a very or somewhat serious problem. A poll conducted by the St. Norbert College Survey Center for Wisconsin Public Radio stated that political corruption is one of the most common answers people gave when asked to identify the most important problem facing the state of Wisconsin.

“It must be hard for someone like Mark Green, who rose up through the Wisconsin legislative ranks at the same time as the caucus scandals got their start, to show leadership in bringing clean government to our state,” said Bob Poeschl, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party.

Mark Green has taken money with connections to Tom DeLay, who was indicted for corruption. The three Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, Scott Walker, Mark Green, and Jim Doyle, have accepted nearly $23,000 since 2003 from Illinois contributors who have been convicted or indicted of extortion, fraud, bribery or other crimes, or who are connected to state and federal criminal investigations, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has found. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican candidate for governor, recently returned $325 in campaign contributions to executives of a company that won a $250,000 no-bid county contract.

“We need a candidate for the 2006 governor’s race that stands for clean government,” said Tony Palmeri, a Wisconsin Green who ran for Assembly in 2004. “So far, the field is empty.”

The Wisconsin Green Party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States, and stands on the four pillars of Social & Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, and Ecological Wisdom. For more information, visit http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org . The Green Party of the United States' website is http://www.gp.org .

How About An Ed Thompson-Mike Ellis "Co-Governorship?"

Looks like swashbuckling Republican Senator Mike Ellis, once an establishment type of guy who's garnered a reputation as a reformer largely on the basis of his campaign finance and elections/ethics board reform bills, believes that he could beat Jim The New Democrat Doyle in a general election, but won't have the necessary funds to get past Scooter Walker and Mark DeLay Green in a Republican Primary.

Libertarian Ed Thompson, Tommy's bro, earned 10% of the vote in 2002 and probably would have beat Scott McCallum in a Republican primary had he decided to go that route. Ed had an outstanding running mate in 2002, former Democratic state representative Marty Reynolds (probably the only real maverick in the state legislature in the late 1990s and early part of this decade). But few people outside of Ladysmith and Madison really knew Marty, and given that Lt. Governor candidates are typically ignored by the mainstream press, his impact on the ticket was negligible.


Mike Ellis is much more well-known than Marty Reynolds, and Ed Thompson is still somewhat of a celebrity around the state. What if the two of them ran as a team, on an independent ticket, with one of them formally taking the governor title but running on a kind of "co-governorship" platform? Thompson and Ellis together would have a great appeal to voters of all political persuasions, and especially the growing majority who think what's most needed are some mavericks to clean up the corruption.

Anyone old enough to remember the Republican presidential convention of 1980 will recall that there was some talk of Ronald Reagan selecting Gerald Ford as his running mate. Ford said he would do it but only if it was a kind of "co-presidency" deal. The idea died and ultimately Reagan won in a landslide with George H.W. Bush on the ticket.

I think Wisconsin voters are in the mood for something new to shake up the cronyism, inertia, and corruption represented by the establishment parties. A Thompson-Ellis co-candidacy would really shake up the election season.

How Many More?

Below is a list of the Wisconsinites killed in Iraq as of January 1, 2006.

On January 10 the Oshkosh Common Council will have the opportunity to let the citizens have a say as to whether it is time to bring the troops home. The city attorney, who earlier claimed that the referendum question was not a matter of direct legislation and only 4 council votes could place it on the ballot regardless of how many petitions were gathered, now claims that had the petitioners collected enough signatures the question would have automatically been placed on the ballot. (The petitioners collected almost 2,000 signatures, not enough for direct legislation but a huge amount regardless; additionally, Oshkosh citizen Doug Boone collected close to 3,000 signatures in opposition to the war over the summer before the beginning of the referendum drive).

Thus the city attorney has provided the Common Council with a narrow technicality on which to reject the referendum question. I think each member of the council should ask him or herself, before voting on January 10th, whether the best way to honor the fallen fifty is to resort to narrow technicalities.

• Amherst: Uhl III, Eugene A. Specialist 15-Nov-2003
• Beaver Dam: Straseskie, Kirk Allen Sergeant 19-May-2003
• Beaver Dam: Cantafio, Ryan J. Private 1st Class 25-Nov-2004
• Black Creek: Eacho, Donald W. Sergeant 1st Class 04-Mar-2005
• Brookfield: Schram, Matthew E. Major 26-May-2003
• Calendonia: Wyatt, Daniel R. Lance Corporal 12-Oct-2004
• Casco: Thiry, Jesse L. Corporal 05-Apr-2004
• Cleveland: Kiser, Charles A. Staff Sergeant 24-Jun-2004
• Clintonville: Hansen, Warren S. Sergeant 15-Nov-2003
• Columbus: Kurth, John F. "Hans" Captain 13-Mar-2004
• DeForest: O'Donnell, Shane K. Lance Corporal 08-Nov-2004
• Ellsworth: Hoyer, Bert Edward Private 1st Class 10-Mar-2004
• Fairchild: Kaufman, Charles A. Specialist 26-Jun-2005
• Fond du Lac: Tollefson, John O. Specialist 27-Jul-2005
• Fountain City: Bossert, Andrew L. Sergeant 07-Mar-2005
• Grant: Halverson, Andrew Private 1st Class 09-Oct-2004
• Green Bay: Edinger, Benjamin C. Sergeant 23-Nov-2004
• Hudson: Smith, Benjamin A. Specialist 02-Nov-2005
• Janesville: Schneider, Sean M. Private 1st Class 29-Mar-2004
• Lena: Frye, Nichole M. Private 1st Class 16-Feb-2004
• Loyal: Olson, Todd D. Staff Sergeant 27-Dec-2004
• Madison: Maida, Mark A. Sergeant 27-May-2005
• Madison: Kading, Matthew R. Sergeant 1st Class 31-Oct-2005
• Mayville: Wendling, Michael J. Specialist 26-Sep-2005
• Menomonie: Wolfe, Jeremy L. 2nd Lieutenant 15-Nov-2003
• Milwaukee: McGlothin, Michael A. Specialist 17-Apr-2004
• Milwaukee: Soltau, Adrian V. Corporal 13-Sep-2004
• Monona/Madison: Simon, Chad J. Staff Sergeant 04-Aug-2005
• New Berlin: Witmer, Michelle M. Specialist 09-Apr-2004
• Oneida: Jerabek, Ryan M. Private 1st Class 06-Apr-2004
• Oshkosh: Vroman, Brent T. Private 1st Class 13-Dec-2004
• Oshkosh: Jansky, Benjamin D. Captain 27-Jul-2005
• Oshkosh: Wallace, Andrew P. Sergeant 26-Sep-2005
• Platteville: Splinter, Christopher J. Major 24-Dec-2003
• Plum City: Diesing, Trevor J. Sergeant 1st Class 25-Aug-2005
• Racine: Poelman, Eric J. Specialist 05-Jun-2005
• Rice Lake: Sturino, Paul J. Specialist 22-Sep-2003
• Sheboygan: Prening, Brian P. Corporal 12-Nov-2004
• Sparta: Gaunky, Anthony Alexander "Alex" Private 1st Class 18-Nov-2005
• Spooner: Gabrielson, Dan H. Sergeant 1st Class 09-Jul-2003
• Stevens Point: Mattek Jr., John J. Lance Corporal 13-Jun-2005
• Suamico (Green Bay): Hunt, Isaiah R. Private 1st Class 15-Nov-2004
• Sun Prairie: Scott, Joshua Michael Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) 27-May-2005
• Tomah: Stevens, Andy A. Sergeant 01-Dec-2005
• Waukesha: Warner, Richard D. Lance Corporal 13-Dec-2004
• Waukesha: Warns II, Robert P. Corporal 08-Nov-2004
• Waupun: Bosveld, Rachel K. Private 1st Class 26-Oct-2003
• Wausau/Rhinelander: Martin, Stephen G. Staff Sergeant 02-Jul-2004
• West Bend: Cornell, Todd R. Staff Sergeant 09-Nov-2004
• West Bend: Wichlacz, Travis M. Lance Corporal 05-Feb-2005
  

New Year's Day

I'm not the biggest U2 fan in the world, but their song "New Year's Day"from the album War is always appropriate at this time of year. Click here for a live version of the song from a 2001 concert recorded in Zurich, Switzerland.

During that same concert, Bono makes his pitch for debt relief during the intro to the song One.

The entire concert is here.

Note To Doyle: We Need Reform and Jobs, Not Smoke And Mirrors

Oshkosh News announced today that Jim The New Democrat Doyle will be holding a Town Hall Meeting (i.e. carefully scripted schmooze-fest) in Oshkosh on January 5th. Doyle was here for the Democratic Party convention last June, when he blew the opportunity to deliver a speech I had written especially for him, "We are the lesser evil."

Jim Doyle came to office on promises of reforming the state's corrupt politics, putting some integrity back into the budget process, and reviving the state's economy. He's failed miserably at each one: the legislature and governor have resisted all attempts at meaningful reform of the influence peddling culture that exists in Madison, the budget is still mired in a structural deficit and accounting tricks, while Doyle's budget assaults on the UW system have made the state's economic prospects even bleaker. Continuing to blame all these problems on John Gard and the Republicans is a dog that just won't hunt anymore.

The guv has been hard at work raising money. an activity which he pursues with a vigor that would make even Tommy Thompson blush. The fund raising mania of the Doyle Administration helps to explain the guv's contempt for Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager. From the Wisconsin State Journal:

In October, [US Attorney Steve] Biskupic, a Republican appointee, said he and Lautenschlager, a Democrat, were launching a joint investigation into the $750,000, three-year state employee travel contract that was awarded to Adelman Travel Group of Milwaukee after an evaluation committee initially scored a competing company slightly higher.

Adelman's chief executive and a board member each gave Doyle's campaign a total of $10,000 - the maximum allowed - in the months before and after the contract was announced in March. The firm eventually beat out Omega World Travel of Fairfaix, Va., after the state challenged the two to submit a "best and final" offer.

You can bet that all serious questions raised at the schmooze fest will be met with the typical smoke and mirrors responses. Doyle, we have learned, is only a politician willing say what it takes to get through an election cycle. But the last thing Wisconsin generally and the city of Oshkosh specifically needs right now is smoke and mirrors. We need political reform and jobs, and won't get the latter without the former.

Censored in 2005, Part I

As promised, here is Part I of Censored in 2005

P.S. My Amtrak trip to NYC was fascinating. I may blog about it at some point. --Tony

On Vacation Until December 30th

I'm taking a fews days off for Christmas; taking a train to NYC in fact. There will be no updates to this blog or to TonyPalmeri.Com until the 30th. Some upcoming stuff:

• On the evening of December 30th, I will be co-hosting "Wild Eyed Radio" with Bob Knudsen on WRST 90.3 FM. We'll be doing a 2005 "Year in Review" kind of deal. Be sure to check out some of catchy Radio Comnentary interviews we've done in the last few months.

• My next Media Rant column will be Part I of the Top Ten Censored Stories in Northeast Wisconsin in 2005. Look for it in the January Valley Scene. I'll probably post it on TonyPalmeri.Com around New Year's Eve. Previous censored columns can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here. Just as a little teaser, I can say that one of the censored stories of 2003 actually resurfaces on the 2005 list, albeit it in a slightly different form.

• For those of you in Oshkosh who have cable television, be sure to check out the next two weeks worth of Eye on Oshkosh with Cheryl Hentz and I. Starting next Monday at 7 p.m. (and again on Thursday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m.), we have a very thorough interview with Common Councilors Bryan Bain and Meredith Scheuermann. Be sure to tell Bryan what you think about the Troop Withdrawal Referendum on the Bain Blog. Then beginning on the following Monday we interview Dan and Amy Doty from the Oshkosh based rock band Road Trip. We talk about life in the local music scene, the history of the band, and a bunch of other things including Amy's new children's CD called Murry Tracks.

• I've received quite a bit of email in the last few months from readers asking if I will be doing a "Ten Worst Northeast Wisconsin Corporations of the Year" for 2005. I would like to do one, and [sadly] there are more than enough corporations to choose from, but I will be teaching a class in early January and I simply may not have enough time this year to do it. I'd say there's a 50-50 shot at this point. If you'd like to nominate a bad corporation, email me or simply post it in this blog. Previous worst of columns can be found here, here, here, and here.
  

• Finally, be sure to check out the tonypalmeri.com holiday update.

Here's wishing a Joyful Holiday Season filled with Peace and Love for all! --Tony

Palmeri to facilitate discussion of "All The President's Men" at Oshkosh Grand Opera House

Mark Your Calendars:

UW Oshkosh Division of Continuing Education and Extension and the Grand Opera House are proud to present the following movies:

KISS ME KATE: Thursday, December 29th at 7:00pm

Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of "The Taming of the Shrew." A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN: Thursday, January 5th at 7:00pm

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford are perfectly matched as (respectively) Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, whose investigation into the Watergate scandal set the stage for President Richard Nixon's eventual resignation. Their bestselling exposé was brilliantly adapted by screenwriter William Goldman, and director Alan Pakula crafted the film into one of the most intelligent and involving of the 1970s paranoid thrillers. Featuring Jason Robards in his Oscar-winning role as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, All the President's Men is the film against which all other journalism movies must be measured. A special facilitated discussion will be held following the movie by Dr. Tony Palmeri, UW Oshkosh Communication Department.

Tickets are $4.00 each and are available in advance or at the door. In addition to the film showing, audience members are encouraged to remain after the movie for a brief "Afterglow" featuring snacks & beverages right on stage.

Scope of Doyle Fundraising Inquiry Expands

From the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign:

"It's been a tough last week for Governor Jim Doyle. First, one of the state longest-serving Democratic officials – retiring Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann – took the governor to task publicly for his overzealous fundraising and lack of commitment to campaign finance reform. Then the Wisconsin State Journal reported today that law enforcement officials looking into a questionable state travel contract also are examining the relationship between utility donations to Doyle and state approval of the sale of the Kewaunee nuclear power plant."

Think about the above and then consider the fact that Mark Green and Scott Walker have their own shady financing to answer for. And then consider that when a strong Green Party candidate gets in the race, he or she will be labeled a "spoiler." That's sick. --Tony

Update: Here's a Journal Sentinel piece on Doyle's utility-backed fundraiser.

Mike Domke Makes Second Run For Council

Statement received from Mike Domke:

I would like to announce my candidacy in the spring election for Oshkosh Common Council. As you may recall I was a candidate for the council in 2005 and it was a very positive experience to participate in the election. Since then I have had the opportunity to participate in the Citizens Academy, where I gained insight into both the structure and process of Oshkosh city government. I have also continued to follow the actions of the council and the various actions which affect all residents of Oshkosh.

For those who may be unfamiliar with me or my background, here is a quick biography: I am 35 years old and have been employed by the State of Wisconsin-Department of Corrections for 15 years. My current position is as the facility Work Release Coordinator at Winnebago Correctional Center. I have been an Oshkosh resident for the past eleven years. My family consists of my wife of 8 years Amy and our two children Brianna 4 years old and Kyle who is 11 months old.

My reason for running is I want the citizens to have someone who will look out for their best interests, yet still remain open-minded about changes from which Oshkosh and our residents may benefit. I feel that the council needs to have members who will be willing to make the tough choices associated with state mandated freezes. As a council member I will weigh the concerns of the citizens in my decision-making process and vote for what is best for Oshkosh as a whole. I feel the current council members too often come into meetings having their minds made up and not willing to consider options presented. I don't think Oshkosh residents are best served with that kind of governing style.

In closing, I would greatly appreciate your support of my campaign whether it’s in the form of your vote, signature on my nomination form, placement of a yard sign or any other support you can give. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. I can be reached by phone at 920-410-2919 or via email at mdomke1@new.rr.com.

Thank you,

Mike Domke

Time For Tony For Governor?

I've been running the Babblemur/ABV Army Times Instant Runoff Voting Poll on the site for quite a while now. Yeah, yeah, everyone knows online polls are bogus. But do you think I should enter the governor's race?

Why Talk To Tony?

Well, why not? Seriously, for a long time fans and other readers of tonypalmeri.com
have been bugging me to start a blog, if only so that it would be easier for people to post feedback about the site. Others have told me that since I get attacked quite often on other peoples' blogs and websites, I should allow a space for direct attacks. That makes sense, I think.

I teach a course in First Amendment law and am about as close to a free speech absolutist as you will find in northeast Wisconsin, but I'll have to delete posts that defame others.

I won't be blogging very much myself, except to direct readers to material appearing on Tonypalmeri.com.

Peace, -Tony