Commentary Update for May 13, 2002: AT on Falk, Camera Crew, DA Turmoil, Caucus Scandal, Chuck and Scott Must Go,

Greetings,

Last week's show with Kathleen Falk was the last to be taped in the Titan-Studios for the spring semester. This Thursday we will move back to Doug Freshner's Dempsey Hall studio to record an interview with former Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education President LuAnn Bird. That interview will begin airing a week from today (Monday). This week I believe we will be showing a rerun of State Senator Mike Ellis' appearance from last August--on that program Ellis told us what a travesty the state budget process has become, and since August it's gotten worse than even he could have imagined.

In other news, the UW Oshkosh Advance-Titan did a story about Kathleen Falk's visit to Commentary. Other than making me sound more favorable toward Falk than I actually am (I'm not supporting any candidate at this point), I thought it was a decent piece: http://www.uwosh.edu/AT/05-08-02/News/story07.htm

Curious about who worked the cameras for Commentary this past semester? Here's a picture of Alaynna, Michelle, and Brad: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/cameracrew.htm

Looks like we've got what could be a major corruption scandal going on in Winnebago County involving the District Attorney. Here's an archive of the major stories on it so far:

*The initial report (May 10) from WBAY-TV that broke the story: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/paulusinv.htm
*WBAY's May 11 update: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/paulusinv2.htm
*The Appleton Post-Crescent from May 12: http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/local_3930334.shtml
*The Oshkosh Northwestern from May 12: http://www.wisinfo.com/northwestern/local/051202-1.html
*Here's a link to the Office of Lawyer Regulation: http://www.courts.state.wi.us/olr/

Speaking of corruption, the caucus scandal down in Madison is reaching a particularly ugly point with the release of the legal bills of state lawmakers implicated in the mess. See the Journal Sentinel coverage: http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/may02/42779.asp

Calls for the resignation of State Senate leader Chuck Chvala and Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen are starting to increase. I called for them to step down from their leadership positions way back in October of 2001 on the Commentary web site:
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/chuckandscottmustgo.htm

All the best,

-Tony