|
 |
11/22/2010
Bill Kraus is dreaming – or fantasizing or both
Miracles happen. Well I guess, if you create your own, you’re sure to find them. Bill Kraus, long an advocate of eliminating any possible sense of unfair play in judicial races, waxed philosophic yesterday about Wisconsin’s fantastic new campaign funding reforms - the “impartial justice” law will first take affect for Justice David Prosser’s race next spring.
With the distaste level about the way we conduct elections at a new high and the prospects of reforming or changing the system at a new low, it is good to be reminded that the next statewide election could be a welcome breath of fresh air.
…. The more subtle benefit to us browbeaten voters is that the public funding, while adequate to the task at hand is not rich enough to buy television commercials in fire hose quantities or to pay for expensive annoyances like robo-calls.
Boy, that’s for sure. Public dollars available for the statewide races are $100,000 for each candidate in a primary and an additional $300,000 for the two candidates making it to the general election.
Word of mouth, person-to-person presentations of candidates’ credentials and records may even lead to the demise of nasty, personal attacks as a campaign weapon. A resurrection of civility looms? It’s possible.
And best of all, beyond the relief from the excesses in spending and rancor of the 2010 campaigns, the 2011 spring election might be an example of what can, could, and should be done to reform and alter the election laws to make the 2012 elections less like those we just suffered through in 2010.
Dream on, Bill Kraus. Though only very briefly, at least Kraus does touch on what the real problem will be.
The fact that the impartial justice law does nothing to contain the gratuitous participation in the election by well funded and suspiciously motivated third parties may or may not be a problem.
Be assured. Third party advertising will be a huge problem. The race will easily be won on advertising funded by independent expenditures and PACs. Claims may or may not (your guess – which will it be most often?) be true. Comments and claims won’t be controlled by the candidates, won’t be controlled by whatever reasonableness or credibility a candidate seeks to maintain.
You reformers, you wanted a clean, honest judicial election, smacked full of “person-to-person presentations of candidates’ credentials and records”? Fuggetaboutit.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
The nerve of him, suggesting that taking judges off the payroll of corporations will give us a clean judicial electoral system!
Why don't we now extend that to the state legislators that spend our money?
And Jo, you are correct. Corporations will still spend money on behalf of corrupt judges, but we the voters can fix that by voting against those judges who receive the most outside benefit.
Jack Lohman (Mon Nov 22 08:32:44 2010)
Jack, not nearly as much as Unions and Soros's Move-on.org spend for candidates on the other side. They spent far more in the past election than Corporations could ever muster.
John Hyland (Mon Nov 22 09:19:13 2010)
Then, John, with disclosure we could fix that problems too. But the R's oppose disclosure!
Jack Lohman (Mon Nov 22 09:38:01 2010)
One thing can be said for absolute certain about the upcoming Supreme Court race: The State, under threat of arrest and incarceration, will be seizing my family's property and turning it over to political candidates for whom I have no support, to run their campaigns. That, in a word, is Jack Lohman's America.
Tom (Mon Nov 22 10:56:23 2010)
Tom, don't be so shallow in your thinking. Your politicians ALREADY ARE spending your family's assets, they are just doing it through the back door ... where you see and feel the results but blame it on something totally unrelated. And guess what? They are giving those assets to politicians you don't support!!!
So much for democracy.
I highly recommend that you read this link.
Jack Lohman (Mon Nov 22 11:11:24 2010)
The more money that we put into politics the better off that we are. That is what Robert Kennedy said one time. There is less money in the political campaigns than we spend on chewing gum.
Government financing of campaigns is silly.
Dohnal (Tue Nov 23 19:46:02 2010)
That's really brilliant. You are in good company, Bob.
Jack Lohman (Tue Nov 23 21:29:32 2010)
Jo, Prosser just got my $15.00. I can't fathom those who believe that gov't appointed judges will give us better judges than the voter. I have yet to find a true conservative who wants our Supreme Ct. Judges appointed. But I sure find a lot of Fred Kesslers among the progressive liberals that want to take the vote away from the people. They of course do this because corporations, those evil corporation, want to express their interests also in these races. Its all right for Soros and moveon.org or Wisconin Now to put their big bucks into these races but when its a conservative group or organization then this becomes evil and now we must have GOVT take the vote away from the dumb/ignorant little folk so THEY can protect them. What a farce!!
Edward Perkins (Mon Dec 06 13:10:09 2010)
|
|
Blog Archives
| 2010 |
  December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Solberg: Healing After an Abortion
• Basketball fans eyeing extension of Miller Park sales tax
• Nanny sex-ed bill goes to Doyle
• A first. Village limits pension contribution for employees
• Nanny State update: Toothbrushing mandated
• Obama pushes education inflation
• WI Investment Board votes to borrow to juice up returns
• So Republicans have brought nothing to the table?
• You have got to be kidding me
• Nygren: Governor Continues Terms of Failure in State of the State
• Sen. Fitzgerald: Governor down the wrong track at high speed
• Phosphorus is the new CO2. $Billions in Wisconsin
• More Obama giveaways
• A reprimand? Would you keep him on the job?
• Burri: Sarah Palin for Prez troubles me
• Quote of the Day – Obama after the pie-eating contest
• Populism, abused and trampled
• Fitzgerald: Senate Republicans Propose Real Job Creation Agenda
• Stripped down health insurance – it’s about time
• Ok GOP, scrap the Party of NO; time to lead
• No way Feingold is a Coakley. Is Wall a Brown?
• Burri: Conservatives off the chart for a RINO?
• Paltry quid pro quo?
• Doyle says ARRA has ‘created or retained’ 44,000 WI jobs
• Does most of the public fall for this stuff?
• When you get signatures, always get a couple extra
• Blame it on the outmoded computers
• Scott Brown victory does not scuttle health bill
• 8th Congressional Candidate Forum, Jan. 25
• Scott Walker Meet-and-greet, Monday, Jan. 18
• Aren’t consumers taxpayers too?
• MORE taxes on investment income - dreadful and wrong
• Join the blaze orange army and say ‘Enough is Enough’
• The future of government-run health care
• Tax on banks is a really bad idea
• Roth, Savard on the stump, grassroots style
• Savard speaking in Appleton, 8 PM, Wed., Jan. 13.
• Rahmlow: Savard, Bies frontrunners for State Senate
• Burri: Failing Political Correctness 101
• School contracts and Race to the Top
• Senator Feingold worrisome and big red flags
• Psephological?
• This is really important. Contact Rep. Kagen. Now. Please.
• This is exactly what we need from Governor Doyle
• This guy is my hero
• Why am I not surprised?
• Talk health reform with Feingold (Th), Petri (today)
• Give the Mayor power over MPS - if he can break contracts
• Burri: Yup, Dems really are going to bypass a conference
• The $2.7 billion Wisconsin deficit no one told you about
• Walker launches county accountability website
• Rahmlow: Why is Van Hollen dodging the Nebraska deal?
|
| 2009 |
December
|
November
|
October
• The Lawton-Bader files
• Yup, it’s the TAX LEVY, not the tax RATE
• Ellis: costly automobile insurance laws must be rolled back
• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
• A public option WON’T increase costs? That’s delusional!
• Appleton Schools budget meeting Monday
• Wisconsin should be screaming for accountability
• Burri: If anything, we need more obstructionism around here
• WI on the leading edge - in the wrong direction
• Rep. Montgomery: Utility Customers Join State’s Crime-Fighting Efforts
• Public Conservation and Recreation Lands Total 16.5% of State
• In the crow's nest of the Titanic, shouting 'Iceberg!'
• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
• Health care: The road ahead will be brutal
• Kagen's pandering again
• Birthers - good stuff for you
• How much do we bend over backward for seniors?
• The trouble with health care is paying for it
• Two-parent families: The Gold Standard
• Burri: Kids... the joys and blessings
• Very, very worried about health care
• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
• School district contracts push up tax levy
• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
• Appleton School District tax levy up way too much
• CBO report is out - and the bill isn't even written yet?
• So, how much do YOU budget for health care?
• Burri: Copenhagen trip was amateurish
• “Sotomayor, you have blood on your hands...”
• Cap and Trade. Always follow the money
• Rep. Kagen gets (almost) free health services
• I actually agree with Rep. Kagen
• Future Wisconsin Conference for Conservatives, October 10, Wauwatosa
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
|
| 2008 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
• Democrats are becoming supply siders??
• Further debunking Hillary myths
• WEAC has created an unsustainable monopoly
• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
• 'Operation Chaos' working?
• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
• Not just disingenuous - flat wrong
• Steve - you will be missed
• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
• 'The Gableman Ad' - is it racist?
• Roth thankful, Kagen shaking money tree
• Gov. Doyle's office not enamored with Freedom of Information
• Governor Doyle will never do it
• Leadership on smoking ban? Not Hanna
• Rep. Van Roy speaks out about smear ads
• You're threatening me about potholes?
• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
• He who sacrifices liberty.....
• Duh.
• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
• Guns, passion and "originality"
• How hard is it anyway, to shut down a government program?
• Voting is a PRIVILEGE. And so are property taxes....
• Guest Blog: Governor Doyle, cancel your Ireland trip
|
February
|
January
|
| 2007 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Lots of ideas. No money.
• The Cigarette Tax - "Poor Policy Instrument?"
• School budget Lite?
• Frankenstein - not in the library, but in the legislature
• A librarian, a legislator, a president
• $1.25/pack - NO, NO, NO, and NO
• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
• Menasha: behind the 8-ball, but not biting the dust
• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
• News follow-ups: Appleton West, Kagen at the White House
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
|
| 2006 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
| 2000 |
May
|
|
