Commentary Update for December 23, 2002: Micklos Repeat, Doyle Appoints Teamster, Seaver on Budget, Gard Defense, Tommy's Legacy, Lottsa Luck Trent, Barrington on All Maverick Ticket, Thumbs Down To The Pack, A Message From The Department of Homeland Insecurity

Dear Friends of Commentary:

This week we will repeat a June, 2000 interview with Chris Micklos, former press spokesman for Chuck Chvala and now with Visuality Media Services. At the time, Chris had just written a critical piece for the Isthmus in Madison on the Wisconsin media. We spend quite a bit of time on the show talking about the role of the press in sales tax rebate maneuvering of a few years ago.

After the New Year we will be repeating our interview with then candidate for governor Jim Doyle.

In other news:

*Speaking of Doyle: Today the gov-elect appointed Teamster Frank Busalacchi as Department of Transportation Secretary, an appointment not popular with environmental organizations as reported in the Cap Times. The Shepherd-Express in Milwaukee reported last week that the ACLU is threatening legal action related to road widening and environmental justice issues.

Oshkosh gadfly Harmon Seaver emailed Commentary some suggestions on how to fix the State's budget problems. Me thinks Teamster Busalacchi won't go for the fist suggestion, while "tough on crime" Doyle won't even consider the second:

Solution to the Budget crisis by Harmon Seaver:

Actually it's quite simple.

#1: Place a total moratorium on all DOT road projects until the budget is balanced. And permanently cut the DOT budget to the bone. We don't need any more new roads or road widenings anywhere in the state -- ever!

#2: Commute the sentences of all the non-violent drug offenders. End the War on Some Drugs in Wisconsin permanently. Get rid of mandatory sentencing. Many other states are already doing it, why isn't Wisconsin?

With all the fuss about the state budget crunch, why haven't I heard a single politician suggest these simple remedies that would overnight solve the problem?--Harmon Seaver

Reform Party candidate Alan Eisenberg spent the campaign arguing that the State Patrol should be eliminated. That idea is not getting a hearing, as reported in the Racine Journal Times last week.

*Gard Defends Himself: New Assembly Speaker John Gard, under criticism for appointing alleged felon Scott Jensen as chair of two important committees, defended himself today in the Green Bay Press Gazette. Not sure Gard's defense stands up very well against this Madison Cap Times editorial, especially the part in it that shows how Jensen's reelection was at least in part because of the rigging of the redistricting process by our ethical incumbents.

*Tommy's Legacy?: Back when Tommy Thompson "reformed" Wisconsin's welfare system in 1995, many of us were saying that the W2 program was going to be a bureaucratic mess, cost the state more than the program it was replacing, and place more dollars in administration than in directly benefiting program participants. A study summarized in last week's Journal Sentinel indicates that all of that has happened.

*Lottsa Luck, Trent: Well, Trent Lott of Pascagoula, Mississippi didn't last as majority leader, proving what I have been saying for years:

"The people of Pascagoula,

a politician might be able to fool-a

But say something stupid in the national press

expect 24 hour cable news cycle feeding frenzy duress"

Commentary contributor Ed Wilcox blames the liberals for Lott's demise. I personally think the country is better off without Lott in a leadership position, but I must say I did find Bill Clinton's comments on the Republicans' playing of the race card somewhat repugnant. I don't deny that the Republicans play the race card (of course they do), but few politicans played that card as effectively as Clinton, as I wrote about in January of 2001 when he did not pardon Leonard Peltier (Robby Robertson of the Band said that Peltier was not pardoned because he "wasn't Mark Rich enough").

*An All Maverick Ticket For 2004?: Ray Barrington of the Green Bay News Chronicle last week argued that John McCain and Russ Feingold should run together for Prez/VP in '04. Not sure they'd get much support in Pascagoula, thought the idea of them running together is cool-a. Here's the essay.

*Thumbs Down To The Pack: Our Wisconsin Hero Brett Favre is from Mississippi, not too far from Pascagoula I'm told, but that didn't stop the Appleton Post-Crescent from taking this appropriate slap at the Packers Management today: "THUMBS DOWN To the Green Bay Packers, one of Wisconsin’s icons, for insulting the other — our dairy industry. The Packers, for an undisclosed sum, have signed a licensing agreement that allows Cass-Clay Creamery, Fargo, N.D., to market ice cream flavors including 'Lambeau Leap' and 'Frozen Tundra Fudge.' When the Packers signed a similar deal with Jack’s Pizza in Little Chute, they pulled out the publicity stops. This one, for some reason, they kept quiet."

*Finally, a (satirical) message from the Department of Homeland Insecurity: Do Not Let The Terrorists Win. Shop Until You Drop This Holiday Season

Best,

-Tony