David Michael Miller
Lane change
Paul Soglin started his third stint in office in 2011 by blasting his predecessor, Dave Cieslewicz, for recklessly racking up city debt. So it was a bit weird to see hizzoner back in office eagerly pushing the most expensive project in city history, Judge Doyle Square. The project — which calls for a luxury hotel to serve Monona Terrace — was always expected to come with a big price tag. But the cost to the city approached $80 million, including $44 million in subsidies for the hotel and the rights to some of the city's most valuable land. The Common Council balked at the price, and the city is rebidding the project. Nevertheless, the mayor remains a fan. Maybe he needs to go back and listen to those lectures he's given about the need to rein in city borrowing.
Eject hole
Throughout his three campaigns for governor, Scott Walker has been portrayed by liberals as a tool of the rich, generously sprinkling tax cuts to corporations and the well-to-do, while sticking it to the working folk and poor. Now Walker appears ready to double-down on the strategy. During his recent reelection campaign, Walker called for drug testing anyone who received unemployment or food stamps. Since being reelected, he repeated his desire for the measure. There's been no similar urgency to test any companies receiving tax subsidies or incentives, but no matter. His spokesperson says the governor is crafting a proposal aimed at "moving people from government dependence to independence." Shame can be a motivator -- for some people, but not our governor.
Drop target
If you're looking for historically bad years in UW Badgers football, look no further than the headache-inducing 2014 season. Where to begin? Losing a heartbreaking opener to LSU? Running back Melvin Gordon's chances at the Heisman Trophy ruined in a blowout at the hands of Ohio State on national television? Likely forgotten in this roller coaster of a season for Bucky football was the addition of the abominable Freedom Trophy, which taints the one banner win of the year by adding the most generic, tacked-on legacy trophy yet to a conference brimming with them.
What will never be forgotten is experiencing Bielema-vu when head coach Gary Andersen abruptly took a job at Oregon State right before a bowl game. Another year like this and people will be showing up at games just to hear the band again, or bolting for a way out of Camp Randall faster than a recent four-star recruit.
Spinner
Eric O'Keefe, head of the conservative group Wisconsin Club for Growth, knows a thing or two about rape. Just ask him. It's exactly like getting a subpoena to testify in the secret John Doe investigation into alleged illegal campaigning. "I have read some about rape and I have talked about rape and I am saying this deliberately," O'Keefe said in October. "The reactions that I got from the people I interviewed were similar to a rape victim." Prosecutors, he added, "imposed a traumatic, unconstitutional abuse on people and told them you can't talk to your colleagues, you can't talk to your friends." Who says Republicans have trouble connecting with women?
Kick-out hole
While U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan has walked back his mean-spirited rhetoric categorizing Americans as either "makers" or "takers," his policy aims remain the same. The anti-poverty program Ryan proposed in July featured a new twist, putting a federally sanctioned middleman, such as a church, in between said makers and takers. You see, the poor just don't know how not to be poor, and what they really need to lift them from the depths is paternalism and prayer, along with a checklist of action items, and punishment for noncompliance.
While Ryan's talking points include "innovation" and "expanding opportunity," the plan ignores the evidence-based benefit of simply giving those in need more money, by, say -- and we're just spitballing here -- raising the minimum wage or supplementing food budgets. Of course, food stamps were a casualty of congressional deficit hawks in February, and the deep cuts will take a toll in Wisconsin, where one in three children depend on the program to keep them from hunger.
Gate closed
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) thinks it's "grossly unfair" to allow student loan recipients to refinance existing debt at lower interest rates, so in June he voted against a bill that would have allowed just that. "It would add insult to injury to now ask hard-working Americans to foot the bill," Johnson said, the "insult" presumably being the proposed taxes on high-income earners that would have covered the cost, and the "injury" being government subsidy of any higher education in the first place, which Johnson views as the root cause of the student debt crisis. Plus, he just doesn't like "asking people who have never gone to college or never sent their kids to college to pick up the tab." The bill, cosponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), failed to reach the elusive 60-vote margin to avoid a fake filibuster, "losing" 56-38.
High scores
$2,368,600: Total compensation for UW-Madison football assistant coaching staff
$2,285,000: Former UW-Madison football coach Gary Andersen's salary
$149,141,405: Total revenue, UW Athletics, 2012-2013
$78 million: Approximate amount of debt owed by 2013 UW-Madison graduates, plus about $3.2 million in interest.
Tilt
In January, Pro-Life Wisconsin joined that wacky Pro-Life Waco group in asking its members to boycott Girl Scout cookies. The so-called Cookiecott was in response to Girl Scout USA's perceived promotion of "pro-abortion politicians" Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, as well as Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. In reality, the women were merely mentioned in tweets and posts as newsmakers of 2013 worthy of discussion. Turns out a boycott is a great way to sell product: the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin-Badgerland Council sold a record number of cookies this year.
Blocking gate
Concerns of State Street being overrun by bars, restaurants and large chains have existed for years, but perhaps nothing is as indicative of its changing landscape as the permanent "closed" sign hanging outside College Barber Shop. The 86-year-old shop closed in September when its lease was not renewed. The building, of which the barbershop was only a part, is being gutted by its owner, the Osborn family, and rent in nearby vacant storefronts was too high for shop owner Larry Cobb. Cobb was just the third proprietor in its history, and generations of Madisonians walked into the shop since 1928. Is there anyplace left where you can get a $15 haircut in this town?
Free play
The programming board that puts together the yearly "Distinguished Lecture Series" has brought some heavy hitters to campus over the years, but this year's pick of youthful fashion-blogger-turned-actress Tavi Gevinson seems to fudge the meaning of the word "distinguished." Yes, Gevinson, 18, started her own magazine for teen girls (Rookie) and appeared in films and on Broadway. And she's really very cool. Smart, energetic, original? Sure. But distinguished?
Spinner
The state of Wisconsin issued nearly 1,200 tickets since 2011 related to the protests at the state Capitol. About 400 of these were issued during the summer of 2013 to participants in the noontime Solidarity Sing Along; almost all of those ticketed during this round demanded jury trials.
The anticipated strain on the Dane County Court system was so great that judges who normally heard civil cases were pulled in to hear these forfeiture cases. The Department of Justice also put more attorneys on the job -- 13 to be exact, one for each judge handling the tickets. Many of the cases have since been dismissed by Dane County judges, but the DOJ has appealed some of those.
Still, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has refused to tally the costs to taxpayers for prosecuting these tickets — even when a Dane County judge asked the agency to evaluate the benefit of prosecution against "what the costs are in real terms." At least we're not the only ones being ignored on this question.
Escape ramp
Public officials should not feel guilty about taking the occasional work trip on the taxpayers' dime. Traveling is an invaluable part of the job, as officials can learn how other cities are grappling with issues and make valuable contacts. But in his most recent stint as mayor, Paul Soglin seems to have made traveling -- his traveling -- the number one priority for the city. Since being returned to office in 2011, Soglin has made numerous trips around the country, including to New York, Baltimore, New Orleans and Kansas City. He's even touched down in Germany and Italy. A review of the mayor's calendar from the first half of 2013 found Soglin absent from the city for a staggering 37 days -- more than one month -- of a sixth-month period. Geez, it's not that bad in Madison, is it, mayor? Hope it wasn't something we said.
Bumper
Founded in the mid-1970s, WORT-FM has been one of the institutions that make Madison Madison. The community radio station is devoted to the city, offering a platform to diverse and sometimes eccentric voices. For the past 17 years, it has held a block party outside its studio on West Doty Street to celebrate both the station and the city. Until this year, that is. The area is now transforming into a neighborhood of upscale apartments and condos. And these new neighbors protested against this year's festival, forcing WORT to move its block party. There goes the neighborhood.
Flipper
Soon after U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in early June, Gov. Walker suddenly had little to say on the topic. "It really doesn't matter," Walker responded when reporters asked his thoughts on the issue.
It was quite a change for Walker who, when campaigning for governor in 2005, urged voters to pass the constitutional amendment in November 2006. "We must change the Wisconsin State Constitution to say that marriage is to be between one man and one woman," he said. "My belief in this position is even stronger today."
Walker, who is eyeing a run for president in 2016, has said God guides him every step of the way, including in his choice of spouse and jobs. Has God had a change of heart on same-sex marriage too? Or maybe it's just that opinion polls now show a majority of residents in Wisconsin and across the country favor permitting same-sex marriage.
Skill shot
Madison Gas and Electric has always prided itself on being "your community energy company," quick to trumpet all of its green initiatives. But the company's good will apparently has limits, and they were reached this year. The company pushed through a radical rate restructuring that will nearly double customers' fixed monthly charges, while lowering the rates people pay for electricity -- a structure that will penalize those who use less energy (like the poor, the elderly and those who make an effort to conserve) and reward big energy users. It was a bold play in a city where so many people care about the environment and conserving energy. Perhaps MGE should change its slogan to "our shareholders' energy company."
Playfield spinner
The New York Times columnist David Brooks is often criticized for his relentless cheerleading of the rich and powerful. It turns out Madison has its own version of Brooks -- albeit a kinder, more liberal version. There's no doubt that Paul Fanlund, editor of The Capital Times, is a loyal liberal, reliably attacking Republicans and supporting Democrats. And yet he rarely fails to come to the defense of the city's elite power brokers or question their wisdom. So if you're a mayor struggling to push through a controversial luxury hotel using millions in city subsidies, Fanlund has your back. If you're the local sheriff who wants a new $135 million jail, Fanlund will help you sell it. If you're the local power company that wants to restructure rates in a way that will discourage conservation, Fanlund will sing your praises. At least he's consistent.
Blocking gate
Wisconsin Republican lawmakers and Gov. Walker continue to advance their goal to put Planned Parenthood out of business, with the closing of the fifth state family planning center, this time in Fond du Lac. Like the four other clinics that closed in 2013, the facility provided basic health services to low-income women but did not provide abortions. The clinics could not stay open due to cuts in Walker's 2011 budget. Walker's administration continues to target reproductive services for women in what Democrats are calling a politically motivated and selective audit of family planning centers, released by the Department of Health Services in November.
Rollovers
We had a bad feeling when, out of the gate, handlers for gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke turned down a request to meet with the handful of Isthmus editors and writers who would be covering the gubernatorial campaign, likening it to an "inquisition." As the campaign went on, it became clear Burke's advisers were not doing her any favors -- from their advice to avoid President Barack Obama on two trips to Milwaukee to their sloppy compilation of a jobs plan using verbatim material from other reports. And then there was her first ad, which earned a "Pants on Fire" from PolitiFact Wisconsin for claiming that unemployment numbers went up under Walker. Because really, there wasn't enough to criticize that could hold up to scrutiny.
Free play
During a federal trial over a state law that requires hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers, John Thorp Jr., a professor at the University of North Carolina, admitted under questioning that he had erred in a written report to the court about how safe abortion was. His report stated that complications occur in 2% to 10% of cases. He said a decimal was misplaced; the actual range was .2% to 10%. The Guttmacher Institute reports the complication rate from first-trimester abortions at less than 0.05% and calls it one of the safest medical procedures, with minimal risk.
Thorp, along with other expert witnesses for the defense -- including Dr. James C. Anderson of Virginia and Dr. James Linn of Milwaukee -- were all recruited by Vincent Rue, a consultant hired by the state's Department of Justice to assist in its defense of the law.
Rue is a pro-life activist and psychotherapist who coined the term "post-abortion syndrome," which claims a link exists between abortions and mental health issues. It is a condition not recognized by the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association. Rue was awarded $47,362.50 in taxpayer dollars for services that, according to court testimony, included helping Anderson with "wordsmithing" his report to the court.
Bonus points
Here's a scary fact: most of the world's information is stored on devices with a warranty of one year or less. With that in mind, it was a little weird when Madison School Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham proposed in January a $31 million technology plan that included giving every student in the district a computer -- with kids K-5 getting tablets and grades 6-12 getting notebooks. It's certainly important to prepare students for the "real world," but that world is changing very quickly. Today's state-of-the-art device will join tomorrow's trash heap. Hopefully the kids will have fond memories of the couple of years they got to spend with their tablets.
Eject hole
There is no doubt former and now disgraced state Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha) was all about the swagger. He acknowledged he was packing heat while presiding over the state Assembly, and apparently bragged about his package to women, perhaps after a drink or two. Although his inappropriate behavior was known to his colleagues, they nevertheless chose him in September 2013 as their majority leader.
But Kramer's caucus turned on him with a vengeance after allegations surfaced that he had harassed two women, a lobbyist and legislative aide, at a Washington fundraiser in February. Another woman then came forward, accusing him of groping her outside a Republican event at a Wisconsin bar in 2011.
Kramer is now serving a five-month jail sentence after pleading no contest to fourth-degree sexual assault.
Kickback
State Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc), was just representing his constituents -- well, one of them -- when he introduced a bill that would cap child support payments by wealthy parents. But then the media began to dig around and discovered that one divorced parent by the name of Michael Eisenga had helped draft the bill. Eisenga, a successful businessman and donor to both Joel Kleefisch and his wife, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, had tried unsuccessfully in court to reduce his support payments. That's when he turned to his state representative. Reporters soon discovered that Eisenga owns two Rolls-Royces but nevertheless attempted to enroll his kids in taxpayer-funded BadgerCare.
Kleefisch finally relented, yanking the bill. Gotta love those Republican family values.
Extra balls
When Brad Schimel was campaigning for state attorney general but was still Waukesha County district attorney, he was asked to launch a probe of a legislator who had introduced a bill that would have benefitted a wealthy contributor trying to shirk his child support payments. Schimel declined to do so, and responded that there was nothing wrong with what Rep. Joel Kleefisch had done.
"Why can't a legislator press for legislation that benefits a person who has contributed to their campaign? Isn't that the essence of representative government?"
Yes, it's called representative-of-one government.
Return lane
Perhaps it was a witch hunt by the MacIver Institute for Public Policy, but that isn't reason enough for a legislator to ignore the state's open records law. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) lost in court on appeal for refusing to turn over to the conservative group the names of workers who contacted him in 2011 about Act 10, Walker's signature legislation that effectively ended collective bargaining for public employees. The lawsuit is expected to cost taxpayers more than $200,000.
Bullseye target
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) has it in for Kevin Kennedy, the director of the Government Accountability Board. Vos has called him an "embarrassment" and says that he "must go." He also took aim at the agency itself, calling it "dysfunctional" and "undemocratic."
Never mind that the agency was a bipartisan creation, and that former state representatives, Mark Pocan, a liberal Democrat, and Mark Gundrum, a conservative Republican, toured the state together to shop the idea to state editorial boards in 2007. And never mind that all but one of the retired judges on the board was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker.
Does that mean that Walker makes poor appointments? Or that Vos (and Walker) are mad that the board voted to join a John Doe probe of possible violations of elections law between Walker's campaign and independent groups?
Full tilt
Ultraconservative Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino is having a tough time getting behind the leadership of Pope Francis, who, while in the midst of cleaning up a slew of Vatican-sanctioned crime and chicanery, is taking the WWJD approach, welcoming human differences with charity and spiritual guidance rather than condemnation and excommunication.
"The Argentinean people are different," Morlino says in a video interview. "There isn't any daily representation of Catholics who reject the teaching of the church" the way there is here in North America. Morlino believes American Catholics have succumbed to wild misinterpretations of Pope Francis' recent teachings, and Vatican II for that matter, and he's digging in his heels in opposition. Gay marriage, for instance, is just out of the question: "If the 'domino' of true marriage falls, then fall all subsequent 'dominos.' This is demonstrated, too often, in a culture that increasingly chooses death over life," Morlino said in a statement following the repeal of Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage.
In October, after the Vatican synod on the challenges of modern family life, one thing became clear: Reform is viewed favorably in many parts of the world. Perhaps just not in the Catholic Diocese of Madison.
