Commetnary Update for February 26, 2002: Same Old, Oshkosh Debt, Rogers on Budget, Thiel Documents, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign on Special Interest Contributions

Dear Friends of Commentary:

Common Council candidates Frank Tower and Steve Hintz are the guests on this week's Commentary.

So far two gubernatorial candidates have responded to Jim's invitation to be on our program: Ed Thompson (Libertarian) and Jim Young (Green) will be on April 1 and April 8. Democrat Gary George has already appeared on the show, while we are yet to get a response from Democrats Jim Doyle or Kathy Falk. Mr. Mather received an email from "Team Barrett" (Democrat Tom Barrett's campaign) saying they would check his schedule. Republican Scott McCallum has yet to respond.

Some web site features:

*People have told Mather and I that Commentary is not like most political talk shows. Perhaps what they mean is that Commentary is not like this (at least not all the time):
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/sameold.htm

*Oshkosh Debt: Many of you will recall that a few months ago I engaged in a mini-debate with Steve Hintz about the debt crisis in Oshkosh. A professor emeritus of economics from North Dakota has now entered the fray:
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/korbach.htm

*Joel Rogers has written some excellent columns recently for the Madison Capital Times about the budget mess and the rhetoric surrounding it:
http://captimes.com/opinion/column/guest/20156.php
http://www.captimes.com/opinion/column/guest/21132.php

*Update on the Thiel situation--Here's a letter from a State Ethics Board attorney regarding the Teresa Thiel's situation on the school board: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/tt.htm#letter

* Finally, our friends down at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign say that "The post-September 11 economy has produced layoffs, reduced charitable contributions and falling tax collections but it certainly has not stopped powerful special interests - many of which are pleading for tax breaks and stimulus plans - from investing heavily in candidates for governor." See the WDC's analysis here: http://www.wisdc.org/pressrel911.html

Best,

-Tony