Commentary Update for June 2, 2003: Barry Weber, Spring Crew, The Mother of all Deregulation Schemes, Them Dems, We're #1, More Good News, Fanatical Flagwavers, Eye on Oshkosh Challenge, Darlin' Darling

Our interview with Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance president Todd Berry has been playing for two weeks now. Last week I traveled to New York for my grandmother's 100th birthday party and was not able to get a new show in. On Tuesday we'll begin showing a rerun of a 1999 interview we did with David Maher, a Neenah architect who single-handedly led an effort to try to stop a Wal-Mart Superstore from coming to that city. Wal-Mart has yet to build in Neenah, though not due to Maher's efforts. They apparently decided to wreck Oshkosh first (the Oshkosh superstore opened almost two months ago).

On June 19th Mr. Mather and I will begin taping some new episodes in the UW Oshkosh University Relations studio. We're going to start making our episodes 30 minutes so that they can be played on Oshkosh Cable Access Television.

In Other News:

*Come Hear Barry Weber: One of the most talented folk singers on the local circuit, Barry Weber, will be performing at the New Moon Cafe on Main St. in Oshkosh on Wednesday, June 4th at 7 p.m. You can find out more about Barry at http://www.barryweber.net/ Barry reminds me of the late Phil Ochs, except I think Barry is funnier. He just graduated from UW Oshkosh, and will be much missed by the Theater and Radio/TV/Film programs.

*Spring Crew: Jim and I want to thank all of our student helpers from the past year. Here is a photo of the spring 2003 crew with Chancellor Richard Wells.

*The Mother of all Deregulation Schemes: Today the Federal Communication Commission voted to overturn decades worth of media ownership rules, a move that was opposed even by people who might benefit such as Ted Turner. John Nichols and Josh Silver explain what the vote means. For me, the FCC move ought to be called the mother of all deregulation schemes. Herb Kohl woke up to say he was disappointed by the FCC vote. Russ Feingold expressed deep disappointment. Yanni told the Madison Capital Times he has been depressed. The FCC vote won't help.

*Oh Them Dems: Jeff Mayers of wispolitics.com interviews Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards on the wispolitics website. Edwards seems to have Bill Clinton's charm, George Bush's intelligence, and Billy Bob Thornton's voice coach. Hey, where can I sign up to volunteer? Meanwhile Dennis Kucinich, a liberal Democrat who can't get the support of the party hierarchy, was in Madison last Saturday.

*We're #1!!: In putting people in jail, that is. The Baltimore Sun reported on Sunday that with now over 2 million people behind bars, the US has surpassed Russia as the number one incarcerator in the world. Don't you feel proud and warm and fuzzy all over? Not to mention safe? Here's a chart to show the tremendous growth in lock up over the last 20 years.

*More Good News--From Scripps Howard News Service:

26: Number of missiles fired by the Iraqi military during Gulf War II, according to Air Force surveillance satellites.

40: Number of U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles fired at a compound suspected of housing Saddam and sons on first night of the war.

750: Total of $1 million Tomahawks fired during the war.

All of this stuff makes me feel so patriotic that I sometimes can't help but wave my flag. Totalobscurity.net has some wonderful items for fanatical flagwavers like me.

*Eye on Oshkosh Issues Challenge: Seems like the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors Aviation Committee has come dangerously close to violating the state's open meetings law, at least according to this item from Cheryl Hentz.

*How darlin', Darling: Remember in the last update we told you about State Senator Alberta Darling's fundraiser held while the legislature is in session? Turns out that Senator Darling in April participated in a forum on "Ethical Leadership: Still Possible?"

*Corporate Welfare and University Privatization: Robert Miranda has a solid article on the Fighting Bob website about university privatization. Larry Soley's Leasing the Ivory Tower is the best book I've ever seen on this topic.

All the best,

-Tony