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WISSUP - WISCONSIN SPEAKS UP


Copyright (c) 2009 Ginny Maziarka. All rights reserved.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Great music website....free.....create your own list..

My teens introduced me to this website, and now I'm hooked!

www.pandora.com

You pick the genre by artist or song, then a collection of songs will play, one after the other, from the era you choose!

Create a profile and eliminate any songs you don't care for.. Pandora will remember and give you only what you like!

We were listening to the Archies tonight.......

James Dobson Steps Down as Chairman of FOF

Well done, Good and Faithful Servant...

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Focus on the Family's James C. Dobson, Ph.D., has stepped down as board chairman of the ministry he founded 32 years ago, it was announced today.

His wife, National Day of Prayer Chairman Shirley Dobson, has also left the Focus on the Family Board of Directors. They have been elected to the positions of Founder and Chairman Emeritus and Director Emerita, respectively, for the nonprofit ministry they started in 1977.

The Dobsons' decision represents the next step in a transition plan begun six years ago, when he stepped down as president in order to lessen his administrative burden. Executive leadership was handed to Don Hodel in 2003, and then to Jim Daly in 2005. Dr. Dobson had been board chairman until today.

The board of directors issued this statement: "One of Dr. Dobson's objectives during the last decade has been to help identify the next generation of leadership for the ministry, and to see it established securely before he stepped away from administrative oversight. That purpose has now been fulfilled, and we applaud Dr. Dobson for this concern for the future of the ministry."

Thursday, February 26, 2009

WVCY to discuss WB Library Issue on Gay books for kids...

Jim Schneider of WVCY (107.7 FM) and I will be discussing the WB Library issue with homosexual books for youth in his show
"Homefront"
at 3:15 TOMORROW,
Friday, 02/27.

"CHANGE" bumper sticker


West Bend Libary issue with GAY books for CHILDREN moves to Board

Next Tuesday at 7 p.m. the West Bend Libary Board will have open discussion for community members on their offering of homosexual books for 11-17 year olds in the YA Zone (young adult).

Met with Library Director, Michael Tyree, last night. Nice guy, amicable conversation, respectful. Despite his stance, he was easy to talk to and I wouldn't have a problem talking to him again.

Here is the gist of the meeting:

He says he understands (thought he said "agreed", but cannot verify this in my notes) with our moral values, but says librarians cannot censor books. We told him he WAS censoring books by not offering a "balance." We also told him that we are requesting a "ban" on the The Perks of a Wallflower book.

Would not address our position as parents as "pornography is in the eyes of the beholder." (His words.)

Could not give criteria for selecting books other than "valid and valuable resources." (His words.)

Stated "West Bend is not a homogeneous community; we are now becoming diverse." (Don't agree. This is clear indoctrination.)

He won't remove the books (says he can't), but he will work on finding a bunch of faith-based and ex-gay books to balance both youth AND adult sections. No promises. (We told him he might as well do the adult section, too, or we would be back in his office again and it will waste both of our's time).

We signed the form that said we did not come to a full agreement. They won't take down the web site. They would "balance" it, though, if they "could."

He plans to present his conclusions of our meeting at the Library Board meeting next Tuesday night.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WFC disses West Bend library

Transcript from radio broadcast of WFC's CEO, Julaine Appling:


Speaking the Truth in/on Love

Have you checked out your local library’s web site lately? Maybe you should. Earlier this month, a concerned West Bend citizen came across quite a surprising web page on the West Bend library website—a page with a list of suggested reading for 6 th to 12 th grade young adults.

Prominently displayed was a page devoted exclusively to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender fiction and non-fiction.

The list of fifty-eight books contains a theme now familiar to Americans who have been constantly battered by the campaign to normalize homosexuality—that theme being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is normal, exciting and fulfilling. Every single book on the list panders to that theme—with no exceptions.

There are no books on ex-gays, no books representing the Christian perspective on homosexuality, no books offering any other lifestyle or alternative message to young adults on homosexuality than the overt message to embrace, exploit, advocate and accept homosexuality.
The book descriptions are replete with suggestive wording, including teenage homosexual “affairs,” “teen sexuality,” “gay sexuality,” a high school drag queen, and “skinny dipping,” to just name a few. In fact, the “young adults” list even includes four books which the librarian labels as “adult.” Why in the world are books the librarian thinks are “adult” on a “young adults” booklist?

More here: http://www.wifamilycouncil.org/Media/Radio%20transcripts/2009/771_022309.htm

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wisconsin Family Council/Action launches ** new blog **


Check it out here!








West Bend Library Thumbs Nose at Taxpayers

Since filing a formal letter of complaint with our library and its board members, we (my husband and I) have been asked to follow the library's "three-step policy", which is to a.) meet with the YA Zone librarian, Kristin Pekoll, b.) meet with the library director, Michael Tyree, then, c.) if no agreement can be reached through either of these steps, meet with the library board. Note that before filing the formal complaint with our library, we did call the vice president of the library board, Tom Fink. This gentleman was not aware of any homosexual books or books with explicit sex acts in them. (He did not feel anyone else on the board had knowledge of this issue, either, though we did not validate this.)

We also met with the City Mayor, Kristine Deiss, who appoints the library board. She was unaware of the book issue and was not willing to intervene. Nice.

My husband and I had our first meeting with the young adult librarian, Kristin Pekoll, last night (February 23). The results of that meeting are as follows:

We began with the content of our complaint letter. Mrs. Pekoll told us it is not the library's position to make "value judgements." It was Mrs. Pekoll's intention to ignore the complaint letter and go down the list of books that we had sent and defend each choice. She had each book on a rack in our meeting room, along with stacks of ALA (American Library Association) review magazines and such with bookmarks in them. We explained that our complaint was a general complaint, not an individual book complaint. She did not want to discuss the general concept of homosexual books for youth, but we forged on regardless.

We read an excerpt from "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." This book has a heterosexual oral sex act in very graphic detail. Later on in the book there is a homosexual male-to-male sex act as well, all in detail. We asked Mrs. Pekoll if she felt this was appropriate reading material for an 11-year-old child. Her answer, again, was that she could not make "value judgements" and that this was simply "our opinion." We heard this over and over again.

The library's policy states that they will "represent the best available [materials] to meet the community's needs and interests". We asked Mrs. Pekoll what criteria she used to make the determination of West Bends "needs and interests." Her response was "I talk with the kids a lot. They tell me what they want to read." We confirmed with her that she, indeed, makes her book selections based on what children tell her, nothing more. We asked her how she knows that this is representative of our community. She could not answer. She stated, as well, that even if 95% of the community came forward (as my husband posed this question to her), she would still have to serve the other 5%. We then asked Mrs. Pekoll about her representation of the taxpayers, those who support our local library. Children do not pay taxes, so obviously their requests and desires do not trump the taxpayers. She stood firm on serving the "other 5%."

My husband compared movie ratings to book contents, explaining that our society already had standards in place regarding sexual, violent and language content. Mrs. Pekoll said that those were privately owned institutions, not comparable to the West Bend Library. We made several reasonable requests:

1. That the West Bend Public Library attain — at the very minimum — balance in the selections that the libraries carry on the homosexual issue in the YA Zone. There is no logical or common-sense reason why taxpayer-funded public libraries should make available every latest “gay”-affirming book — including those designed to open up young minds to the false and dangerous notion that homosexuality is normal — while NOT carrying faith-based and ex-”gay” books that oppose a pro-homosexual ideology. REQUEST DENIED.
2. We further asked for the removal of any book in the youth section of our library, i.e., children’s, young adult/YA Zone, that contains perverse and pornographic language.
We requested that any youth web pages referring to topics of a sexual nature, i.e., “Out of the Closet” be removed, or at the very least, password-protected, only accessible with parental authority, such as the practice in place for use of the library computers. REQUEST DENIED.

WE BELIEVE THAT:
1. Our YA Zone librarian is censoring books for our young adults according to her personal belief system, as there are no oppositional, i.e., ex-gay, faith-based materials in the YA Zone. We feel such propaganda and indoctrination of our local youth is inappropriate and unwanted.
2. Our rights as parents have been infringed upon by placing sexually explicit material in the youth section of our library, allowing any child of any age to explore the offensive contents and/or check out the books and take them home unknowingly.
3. Our library is violating their own policy by refusing to give the community what it desires, allowing children to choose, and ignoring the taxpayers who support the library and pay the salaries of the librarians.
4. We offered a list of oppositional books, complete with ISBN numbers (see attachment), yet Mrs. Pekoll rejected our list stating that all but one were acceptable choices as they did not have "professional reviews." (Even though these books were recommended by Americans for Truth About Homosexuality). She could not provide a policy that requires such criteria. Again, this is an unsubstantiated ruling and cannot be verified by this librarian.
5. There is absolutely nothing about Unwanted Same Sex Attraction (SSA) or how homosexuality originates. There is nothing about GID (Gender Identity Disorder) either. Links to informative and supportive web sites should be on your web site. These links need at a minimum to include:
www.pathinfo.org
www.homosexuality101.org
www.exodus-international.org

People leave homosexuality every day. The information is for those wanting it, seeking it, needing it. As the gay community says, it is all about choice and self-determination. The problem with choice is, in order to choose, there must be more than one thing to select from…correct? Our library needs to give everyone with UNWANTED SAME SEX ATTRACTION the resources needed in order to make an educated decision.

We expect our public library to protect children and empower parents to decide what their children can read.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Americans for Prosperity to hold Summit March 7

From AFP

We are grateful for your efforts, along with the more than 465,000 Americans that signed the NoStimulus.com petition. While the liberals in Washington passed the Stimulus package – taxpayers across America send resounding shockwaves through the halls of Congress!
Now we have to send the same message to Madison.

Last week you saw democracy at its worst.

The liberals in Madison passed a 1.2 billion dollar tax increase with little input from the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

The misnamed "stimulus bill", that greatly increases taxes, was signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday -- just three days after the bill was introduced. There were no hearings. So much for transparency.

Enough is enough!

The more than 16,000 members of the Wisconsin Chapter of Americans for Prosperity are making a difference - and we need your help.

Join us in sending a powerful message to the politicians, special interests, and the mainstream media by taking part in the 2nd Annual Defending the American Dream - Wisconsin Summit.
On Saturday, March 7th at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee you can join Wisconsin's foremost free-market voices, top experts on grassroots mobilization, and Wisconsin's largest gathering of grassroots leaders from across our great state in a massive show of force for our shared belief in lower taxes and more limited government.

We have a great program of speakers in the morning and workshops in the afternoon.
Join The Wall Street Journal’s Steve Moore, Joe the Plumber, Congressmen Paul Ryan and Jim Sensenbrenner, Scott Walker, Sheriff David Clarke, Supreme Court Candidate Randy Koschnick, State DPI candidate Rose Fernandez, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, Herman Cain, Vicki McKenna, Pat Snyder and others.

The afternoon workshops focus on critical issues, such as property rights, educational choice, tax and spending, the new media, grassroots training, global warming hysteria will give you the tools you need to communicate with our elected officials and tell them "Enough is enough".

Please register today - We need your voice to be heard in Madison - NOW!

40 Days for Life starts WEDNESDAY

This winter, from February 25th (Ash Wednesday) through April 5th (Palm Sunday) our community will be one of more than 170 cities in 45 states joining together for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history:

40 DAYS FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN

This is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
40 days of prayer and fasting
40 days of peaceful vigil
40 days of community outreach

We are praying that, with God's help, this roundbreaking effort will markt the beginning of the end of ABORTION in our city -- and throughout AMERICA.

TAKE A STAND FOR LIFE.

While all aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to END ABORTION, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil outside the local abortion (or Planned Parenthood) facility.

You can help make a life-saving impact by joining our local vigil at:
AFFILIATED MEDICAL SERVICES
1428 N. Farwell Avenue Milwaukee WI
(next to Shank Hall)

Visit the website for more information: http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm

MSNBC polling about "In God We Trust" on currency

Hmmmm....

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

Yes. It's a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.


No. The motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion.


Perhaps it should read:
No. The motto has historically spiritual significance and is a solid statement of our country's foundational Truth, which we hold dear and will never let go.

Feel free to vote: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

Sunday, February 22, 2009

George Washington's 101 Rules of Civility


We could learn a few things...




Here are a few:


Rule 12: Shake not the head, feet, or legs; roll not the eyes; lift not one eyebrow higher than the other; wry not thy mouth; and bedew no man's face with your spittle by approaching too near him when you speak.


Rule 23: When you see a crime punished, you may be inwardly pleased, but always show pity to the suffering offender.


Rule 42: Let thy ceremonies in courtesy be proper to the dignity of his place with who thou converses, for it is absurd to act the same with a clown and a prince.


Celebrating the birthday of our nation's forefather...

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Tweeting on Twitter - Feelin' green...

But hey, it certainly is interesting! I think I like it!

You can subscribe to my RSS Feed here.

Just click on the lower left-hand side of this blog.

WI Family Council/Americal Majority Fires up Candidates and Supporters


I attended a Candidate Training Event today in Fond du lac put on by Wisconsin Family Council/Action and American Majority. The purpose of this bipartisan seminar was to teach candidates and their supporters how to have a successful campaign. Ned Ryun, the president of the American Majority, spoke for half the time, tag-teaming with Chuck Faulkner. From school board member to county commissioner to state senate, the goal of these trainers was to help Wisconsin candidates face and overcome the challenges of running for office.

Topics touched on by the American Majority speakers were:



  • Communications (Paid and Earned Media)

  • The Campaign Plan

  • Political Fundraising

  • Online Engagement and New Media for Campaigns

  • Grassroots Organizing Online and Offline
This was a first-time event conducted in Wisconsin by American Majority, who is planning future sessions here in the state.

If you are interested in more info, contact me at mailto:wissupwisconsin@gmail.com


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program outlined in Doyle budget bill

The Governor's budget bill includes numerous provisions that impact the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). They include, but are not limited to:

� Requirements that schools abide by state open meeting and open records laws. Schools would be subject to same enforcement of these statutes as public agencies.
� Requirements that all MPCP schools administer state tests, including those required by No Child Left Behind and the state's third grade reading test.
� Provisions that school must make available to all applicants and to anyone who makes a request a wide range of information, including access to school records and detailed information about test scores and rates of promotion.
� A requirement that all private schools new to the MPCP gain accreditation prior to participation in the MPCP. Schools already in the program must attain accreditation by August 1, 2010.
� A requirement that all teachers and administrators must possess at least a B.A. from an accredited institution. The bill does not require licensing by the Department of Public Instruction.

NICE!
This is great because MPS wastes $ like it is going out of style; their truancy and dropouts rates are pathetic.

Choice saves taxpayers A LOT of $ in this state.

Parents in Milwaukee obviously like it as the program is still going after several years and they have almost maxed out their enrollment space!

Little girls in danger - ACS lobbying for HPV vaccine

Here is a disturbing link to the American Cancer Society lobbying report for 2009 discussing their involvement in the drafting of a controversial HPV Vaccine (Gardasil) bill which has not been introduced to the full State Legislature yet.

http://ethics.state.wi.us/scripts/CurrentSession/BandrLobbied.asp?PrinID=2573&start=&start2=

Now that the Democrats are in control of all three branches of our state government, don't be surprised if they try to enact a mandate on all Little Girls in 6th grade to have this questionable shot prior to their entry into public, private and homeschools.

Because the Republicans were in the majority in the State Assembly, we were able to kill this offensive bill during the 2007-08 Session. Between the $360 shot regimen as well as the 3 required office visits, such a statewide mandate would have a tremendous pricetag and serve to financially benefit such organizations as Planned Parenthood, the state's largest abortion provider, as well as the pharmaceutical industry.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Stimulus quote of the day - Take it seriously

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005

Where is everybody?

I have been thinking these same thoughts and was going to blog it this week. Call Me Mom got it down perfectly, so I'll just post her comments here. Specifically, I am wondering...WHERE ARE ALL THE MEN? I mean, the DADS, THE PASTORS, THE HUSBANDS, THE COLLLEGE YOUTH....THE GODLY CHRISTIAN MEN? This flows right in line with the previous posting from Charlie Sykes.

"Why do we have such problems finding good people to serve in positions of leadership in this country?

I've heard it said that "Character is what you do when no one is looking." The implication being that if your behavior in public is consistent with your behavior in private, then you have strength of character. In my opinion, character is only one half of the equation when we are considering to whom we should give our votes. Character may be what you do when nobody is looking, but leadership is what you do when they are. Character in private does nothing for those who would otherwise be strengthened by your actions. Leadership is crippled when it is not accompanied by good character.

That said, I ask again, why do we have such problems finding good people to serve in positions of leadership in this country?

I submit to you that it is because We the People have become lazy and lacking in discernment. We have before us, in these last months three wonderful examples of what happens when lack of character meets lack of discernment.
I shall start with Mr. Franken.

....

READ THE REST HERE: http://iratetirelessminority.blogspot.com/

Thanking AFP on this notorious Black Tuesday as the Stimulus is Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Hell's Kitchen - More than "hell" spoken on vulgar show


I must admit, I am fascinated with cooking shows. I enjoy just about any one of them, from the Iron Chef to Rachel Ray. But I have my limits. I watched "Hells Kitchen" when it first debuted. It was not enjoyable. If anything, it was vulgar and downright stressful. The subject material is innocent, but the language content is beyond measure for inappropriate profanity, not to mention the need for anger management for the Master Chef. Fear and intimidation is not fun. Oh sure, they "bleep" a lot on the show, but let's face it, we all know what is being said. That is enough for me. This show is banned from my house.

"On British television, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay uttered 243 profanities—including 187 f-words—in a two-hour (Jan. 30) installment of Gordon's Great British Nightmare. That's a record for the U.K. Ramsey, the star of several cooking shows worldwide, earned a sharp retort from British Minister of Parliament Don Foster, who called Ramsay's language "beyond a joke." Foster added, "When you hear about this much swearing in a single program, you're tempted to utter an expletive yourself. We have got to tone it down because bad language on TV is seeping into society." [news.com.au 2/2/09 stats, c&e] "



YA THINK?

HELL'S KITCHEN TRULY IS.

***************************************





Monday, February 16, 2009

Sykes - Will you fight?

Sykes posted a great cartoon that calls for action. I liked it...a lot.

http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/39668717.html

My Country 'tis of Thee


I'm reminded of what Abraham Lincoln said when he overheard a clergyman say he hoped "the Lord is on our side." Lincoln responded, "I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that this nation should be on the Lord's side."

Sunday, February 15, 2009

West Bend Library serves up GAY books to community YOUTH

Children as young as 11 years old have free access to propaganda-type reading material (I hesitate to call it literature, thanks) that glamorizes and encourages homosexual activity.

Go the on-line SHARE Library website and search for yourself. Look at how many are in the YOUNG ADULT section.

http://www.sharelibraries.info/uhtbin/cgisirsi/AiKmzx0LqA/WESTBEND/111880165/2/5

Here is an excerpt of one on the shelf:

Geography Club (sounds innocent, right? WRONG)
Hartinger, Brent.
Hartinger's debut novel is a fast-paced and funny portrait of contemporary teenagers who may not learn any actual geography in their latest club, but who learn plenty about the treacherous social terrain of a typical American high school.
Publisher:
HarperTempest,
Pub date:
2003.
Pages:
226 p. ;
ISBN:
0060012218
Item info:
1 copy available at West Bend Community Memorial Library.
DESCRIPTION: Russel Middlebrook is convinced he's the only gay kid at Goodkind High School. Then his online gay-chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school's baseball team. Soon Russel meets other gay students too. There's his best friend, Min, who reveals that she's bisexual, and her soccer-playing girlfriend, Terese. And there's Terese's politically active friend, Ike.
But how can kids this diverse get together without drawing attention to themselves?
"We just choose a club that's so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!"

EXCERPT, WARNING: SEXUALLY INAPPROPRIATE -

Chapter One

I was deep behind enemy lines, in the very heart of the opposing camp. My adversaries were all around me. For the time being, my disguise was holding, but still I felt exposed, naked, as if my secret was obvious to anyone who took the time to look. I knew that any wrong action, however slight, could expose my deception and reveal my true identity. The thought made my skin prickle. The enemy would not take kindly to my infiltration of their ranks, especially not here, in their inner sanctum.

Then Kevin Land leaned over the wooden bench behind my locker and said, "Yo, Middlebrook, let me use your shampoo!"

I was in the high school boys' locker room at the end of third period P.E. class. I'd just come from the showers, and part of the reason I felt naked was because I was naked. I'd slung my wet towel over the metal door of my locker and was standing there all goosebumpy, eager to get dressed and get the hell out of there. Why exactly did I feel like the boys' locker room after third period P.E. was enemy territory -- that the other guys in my class were rival soldiers in some warlike struggle for domination? Well, there's not really a short answer to that question.
"Use your own damn shampoo," I said to Kevin, crouching down in front of my locker, probing the darkness for clean underwear.

Kevin stepped right up next to me and started searching the upper reaches of my locker himself. I could feel the heat of his body, but it did nothing to lessen my goosebumps. "Come on," he said. "Where is it? I know you have some. You always have shampoo, just like you always have clean undies."

I had just found my Jockey shorts, and I was tempted to not give Kevin the satisfaction of seeing he'd been right about me, but I was cold and tired of being exposed. I sat down on the bench, maneuvering my legs through the elastic of my underwear, then pulled them up. I fumbled for the shampoo in my backpack and handed it to Kevin. "Here," I said. "Just bring it back when you're done." Kevin was lean and muscled and dark, with perfect sideburns and a five o'clock shadow by ten in the morning. More important, he was naked too, and suddenly it seemed like there was no place to look in the entire locker room that wasn't his crotch. I glanced away, but there were more visual land mines to avoid -- specifically, the bodies of Leon and Brad and Jarred and Ramone, other guys from our P.E. class, all looking like one of those Abercrombie & Fitch underwear ads come to life.
Okay, maybe there was a short answer to the question of why I felt out of place in the boys' locker room. I liked guys. Seeing them naked, I mean. But -- and this is worth emphasizing -- I liked seeing them naked on the Internet; I had absolutely no interest in seeing them naked, in person, in the boys' locker room after third period P.E. I'd never been naked with a guy -- I mean in a sexual way -- and I had no plans to do it anytime soon. But the fact that I even thought about getting naked with a guy in a sexual way was something that Kevin and Leon and Brad and Jarred and Ramone would never ever understand. I wasn't the most popular guy at Robert L. Goodkind High School, but I wasn't the least popular either. (Kevin Land at least spoke to me, even if it was only to ask for shampoo.) But one sure way to become the least popular guy was to have people think you might be gay. And not being gay wasn't just about not throwing a bone in the showers. It was a whole way of acting around other guys, a level of casualness, of comfort, that says, "I'm one of you. I fit in." I wasn't one of them, I didn't fit in, but they didn't need to know that.

Kevin snatched the shampoo, and I deliberately turned my back to him, stepping awkwardly into my jeans.

"Hey, Middlebrook!" Kevin said to me. "Nice ass!" Leon and Brad and Jarred and Ramone all laughed. Big joke, not exactly at my expense, but in my general vicinity. Some tiny part of me wondered, Do I have a nice ass? Hell, I didn't know. But a much bigger part of me tensed, because I knew this was a test, the kind enemy soldiers in movies give to the hero who they suspect isn't one of them. And from a guy I'd just lent my shampoo to, besides. So much for gratitude.
Everything now depended on my reaction. Would I pass this, Kevin Land's latest test of my manhood?

I glanced back at Kevin, who was still snickering. Halfway down his body, he jiggled, but of course I didn't look.

Instead, I bent over halfway, sticking my rear out in his direction. "You really think so?" I said, squirming back and forth.
_______________________________________________

It is bad enough that our own library has an "OUT OF THE CLOSET" web page loaded with HOMOSEXUAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS for GRADES 6 through 12. Look for yourself: http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/yaglbtq.htm

The libary feels it should indoctrinate the youth in our community with perverted, inappropriate, sex books that steer them into areas of breaking the law; i.e., underage sex, push towards homosexual lifestyle in a state that rejects same-sex marriage.

Let's take it a step further....

The YOUNG ADULT LIBRARIAN, Kristin Pekoll, has a public Facebook in which she professes she is a "FAN OF HOMOSEXUALS". Perhaps that lends some insight into the materials choices taking place here. http://www.facebook.com/people/Kristin-Lade-Pekoll/720977931

But wait, that's not all....

The head librarian, Michael Tyree, also has a public Facebook. His claim is that is not not just LIBERAL, but that he is VERY LIBERAL. YA THINK?

Here's the clincher, just to be fair!

I looked through each and every book in the Young Adult section containing homosexual/gay/lesbian/transsexual/transgender information for youth (yes, I really did) to see if ANY of them offered information about EX-GAYS, people who have left that lifestyle, and/or the TRUTH behind homosexuality and its origin. Guess what? If there WAS one, I COULD NOT FIND IT.

I smell LIBRARY CENSORSHIP.
Both librarians should be fired.
I have filed a formal complaint. YOU SHOULD, TOO.
Call your library and ask to speak to Michael Tyree: 262-335-5151
or
Call your library and ask them to mail you a formal complaint form: 262-335-5151
or
Go to the library and pick up a formal complaint form.
or
Email Michael Tyree: mtyree@west-bendlibrary.org
or
Write a letter to the editor of the West Bend News: dmuckelbauer@conleynet.com
TELL YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, PASTORS. SPREAD THE WORD.
AND HELP.

A sweet story with a beautiful ending - the choice of LIFE

What a great way to begin Sunday morning... This Mom chose LIFE.


This story begins in The Milwaukee Journal in 1988. An article by reporter Tim Norris introduced us to Vickie Garcia, who got pregnant at 15 and was struggling to raise her toddler, Nadia, with help from extended family.

"I am happy, but I'm not living happily ever after," Vickie is quoted as saying then. "I wonder how I'm going to get money for Pampers and other things like that."

"I just have to take it one day at a time," the south side girl said.

Vickie's mother, Margarita Garcia-Guerrero, called this newspaper the other day to update the story.

She said Nadia has graduated from college, a feat that readers in 1988 might not have predicted under the sketchy circumstances.

"I wanted to let you know this was a very good turnout," the proud grandmother said, "and that things can actually work out in real life and not only in the movies."

She mentions the movies because the original article was inspired by a film that was getting some buzz at the time. "For Keeps" starred Molly Ringwald as a pregnant teenager who rises to the challenge in a feel-good Hollywood way.

The article tells how the blood drained from Margarita's face when Vickie told her she was pregnant. "How could you do that?" scolded Margarita, who had not been a teen mom herself.

READ THE REST HERE: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/39594802.html

Saturday, February 14, 2009

President's Day - Abraham Lincoln on abortion

Abraham Lincoln's willingness to speak out against slavery in the 1860s was not a popular idea among those who wanted him to accommodate to the times and avoid the controversial issue. His profoundly moral position against slavery was not a cautious one. Boldly he spoke out repeatedly in defense of human life and dignity...

The word 'abortion' can easily be substituted for the word 'slavery' in the following quote from Lincoln, and the passage could be addressed to so many today.

What we want, and all we want, is to have with us the men who think slavery/abortion wrong. But those who say they hate slavery/abortion, and are opposed to it, but yet act with the … party -- where are they? Let us apply a few tests. You say that you think slavery/abortion is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else that you think wrong, that you are not willing to deal with as a wrong? Why are you so careful, so tender of this one wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong; there is no place where you will allow (slavery/abortion) to be even called wrong! We must not call it wrong in the Free States, because it is not there, and we must not call it wrong in the Slave States because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion; we must not bring it into the Tract Society or the other societies, because those are such unsuitable places, and there is no single place, according to you, where this wrong thing can properly be called wrong! - Abraham Lincoln
ABORTION IS WRONG
SAY SO

Two phone calls you can make - Pass it on...

So here's the plan:

We'll call it "Pass It On"....

Call the chairman of the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority Board:

David Walsh, 608.258.4269

Then call the Chancellor, UW-Madison:

Carolyn (Biddy) Martin, 608.262.9946

Tell both of them that you oppose the decision made by the UW Hospital and Clinic Authority Board to perform second trimester abortions.

Then..PASS IT ON...

KEEP THE PHONES RINGING AND RINGING AND RINGING.

CALL BACK AND DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. DO IT FOR THE BABIES.

Go ahead! Copy and paste. Send those emails. Get going!

Brain Candy - Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some obscure, little-known facts about Valentine's Day....

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. VERY WEIRD.

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women. :-)

About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas. I think Christmas cards have dropped to an all-time low...

About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets. And they most certainly will appreciate the gesture...GULP

Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day. I just love Hallmark.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. Ahhh, so THAT'S where it originated!

In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts. YA THINK?? On the other hand, just for the record, my hubby does not fit into that category! :-D

LOTS MORE HERE: http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/valtrivia.html

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Bradly Tech on Code Red Lockdown - 200 involved

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police say 200 students were involved in an "altercation" inside Bradley Tech High School.

Milwaukee police have responded to the scene.

No injuries have been reported.

The school is on Code Red, which means it is on lock down and will be until 3:45 p.m.

Lawsuit threatened against School Districts over use of Elmbrook Church

This is ridiculous.

A national organization that advocates separation of church and state is threatening to sue three Waukesha County school districts and a technical college if they do not stop using Elmbrook Church for their graduation ceremonies.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent letters to the Elmbrook, Mukwonago and New Berlin school district as well as Waukesha County Technical College, asking them to move graduation ceremonies to secular locations this year.

If the schools refuse, the organization said, it could go to court and ask for an injunction to stop them from holding their ceremonies at Elmbrook Church, said Alex Luchenitser, senior litigation counsel for the Washington D.C.-based group. The group argues that in holding graduation ceremonies in a church, public school officials violate the First Amendment's prohibition on state establishment of religion.

WMC/MMAC SELL OUT

Curtsy to Sheboygan Shenanigans

I listened to this segment on Mark Belling and considered posting. Mark calls for Bloggers to lend a hand, and I am. SS got to it before me and did a great job of it.... Be sure to click on the article and read it in its entirety.

If you care about our high taxes in WI, and if you care about business in WI, please check this out…

Democrats now support a hospital tax - and the hospitals aren’t objecting, because of the way Federal law works on Medicaid (coverage for poor - Medicare is coverage for the elderly). When hospitals have these assessments put on them - that’s what they’re calling this hospital tax - they are eligible for more Federal Medicaid reimbursement. So, whatever they have to pay they’ll get back in Federal reimbursements (our tax dollars) so they have no problem supporting the hospital tax.

In the end, these extra costs will get passed onto us consumers by way of even bigger health care bills. This will also mean bigger health care costs for businesses due to higher premiums for both smaller businesses and for major employers.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Stimulus encourages senior citizen death strategy

From Eagle Forum of New Jersey

One of the five youngest Presidents in the history of the United States has quietly
solved the nagging question how Generations X and Y will be able to
subsidize Social Security and Medicare for 78 Million about to retire
Baby Boomers. By new federal government standardized "cost effective"
measures and another gargantuan bureaucracy set up within the
Obama/Reid/Pelosi STIMULUS plan, if senior citizens become a might too
sick and old to make it cost effective to treat them, well, they'll just
have to suffer the pain and die! (See Bloomberg article/highlights
below.)
Not only do Generations X and Y save money not having to pay
Social Security and health costs for Boomers this way, the Boomers won't
be around long to compete for part time jobs that would have subsidized
their retirement income.


No more time left to be nice. Voice your strong opposition to your U.S. Senators, Representative, and Governor Again!

This Stimulus Plan will kill us!

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
http://people.smu.edu/rhalperi/governors.html

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Born Again American

Prepubescent abortions


Perhaps this is what we will be seeing out of Madison next. After all, they want to be on the "cutting edge" of killing..


UW Meriter sends email "Fact Sheet" for "Pregnancy Termination Services"

Well. I just had to rewrite the general undertone of the letter to clarify the "facts".... My rewrite is in red... This email was sent to anyone who sent an oppositional email to authorities at UW Meriter concerning the provision of 2nd trimester abortions.


Pregnancy termination services at Madison Surgery Center
Murder at a Price - Madison Killing Center
Fact Sheet
(Truth Sheet)


The decision to terminate a pregnancy is an intensely personal one, permitted by the laws of Wisconsin and the United States government.


The desire to kill a baby is an intensely heartless one, permitted by the laws of our tarnished state of Wisconsin and the morally corrupt U.S. government.

The debate over whether second-trimester terminations are right or wrong is a societal discussion.


The decision as to whether it is okay to rip a baby apart piece by piece from his or her mother's womb as right or wrong belongs to those who feel murder is an acceptable form of a solution. (What's next? Nursing homes?)


The joint partners in Madison Surgery Center believe it is their responsibility to provide a full continuum of care in all medical areas – including the full range of legal services associated with women’s health, family planning and reproductive health care.


The partners of heinous acts at Madison Killing Center believe it is their right to allow unprofessional, uncaring and unethical employees to jam instruments into baby's skulls, suction their brains out, crush their heads and yank them out of existence - including the full range of immoral, biased, liberal and heartless legal services associated with stripping a woman of her unborn child, keeping another human being from living his or her life to it's fullest, and raping the womb of life.

This is not a new service for the Madison area, nor are increases in the number of second trimester terminations anticipated. What has changed is the location. These procedures have been available in Madison for many years by Dr. Dennis Christensen, who retired in December. The decision to continue offering these procedures at Madison Surgery Center assures continuity of access to this service in a patient-oriented environment.

Naturally, we all know that Madison proudly proclaims to have been killing children for a long time; therefore, this it not new, just exposed. And just to be clear, they are switching locations so that more people can be murdered, more people can HELP murder, and more money can be MADE in the process. Dr. Dennis Christensen's retirement merely reinforces us to pray more fervently for a repentant heart, as this man we loosely call "doctor" has blood on his hands.

No state funding will be used to compensate physicians for performing second trimester terminations. Payment is solely through private, third-party coverage or self-pay. The malpractice insurance of those physicians is through private, third-party coverage only, not via public funding.

Baby killers may not be getting their fun money from the government, but they will definitely get it from your health insurance, or somebody else.

Second trimester terminations account for approximately 10 percent of all pregnancy terminations. Approximately 120-130 have been performed annually in Madison.


Madison is proud of their statistics. They have chopped up, suctioned out, ripped apart and burned 120 to 130 babies that were most likely old enough to survive on their own, if given the chance; a real gem for Madison to brag about. And that's just 10% of the deaths!

No physicians, residents, students or staff will be required to participate in any aspect of this procedure if it is against their personal beliefs. Participation is strictly voluntary.


Only those people who enjoy watching innocent babies murdered, and those who reap financial reward for taking the life of child, get to play; much like Holocaust victims on the edge of their burial ditches awaiting the firing squad.








There is no research of any sort associated with these procedures. Tissue from the procedures will be collected and disposed of in the same manner as tissues from other surgical procedures performed at Madison Surgery Center.


Of course, Madison claims they don't use any cord blood, stem cells or any other human body features for research. (Uh huh. Right. And how exactly do you throw away a baby, by the way?)

There is no financial incentive for the MSC to perform second trimester terminations. These procedures are offered to ensure that the Madison-area community has safe access to a legal medical procedure.


There is no financial incentive to kill these kids. The price is negotiated, and then they do the deed. Murder is performed in order to assure that Madison keeps the census down and the revenue up.


Any patient requesting second trimester pregnancy termination health services must offer full consent, agree to a 24-hour waiting period, and will receive counseling services that offer alternatives to the procedure.


Naturally, compassion is shown on the poor Moms who don't get it that the baby is not theirs to kill. They are asked to sign a full consent (as opposed to half a consent? What the heck?), agree to a 24-hour waiting period (because the abortion mill wants to be sure she has time to read all the revolting materials that were sent home with her, just in case she wasn't fully convinced to kill the baby when she came in), and...if that isn't enough, there are accomplices waiting in the wings to offer other methods to kill your baby.


Nice

Very convincing.

Thanks UW Meriter.


Stethoscope video - Great song choices! Great message!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

"Celebrate Families" This Sunday - Wash. Co. Fair Park

Celebrate Families
Sunday, Feb 8 11:00a to 4:00p
at
Washington County Fair Park, West Bend, WI

Celebrate Families-18th Anniversary Kick-Off Festivities (Brought to you by Organizations & Agencies of Washington County)

When: Sunday, February 8, 2009 11:00 am. - 4:00 pm. Admission is Free

For more information contact the UWEX office at 262-335-4478 or go to: http://washington.uwex.edu/flp/CelebrateFamilies. read more

Friday, February 6, 2009

UW/MERITER Board votes UNANIMOUSLY to kill babies

The final vote was taken today by the Surgical Clinic - it was UNANIMOUS. SICK.

UW/Meriter Surgical Clinic Given Final OK for Late-Term Abortions

The Madison Surgery Center board of directors today gave unanimous, final approval for a second-trimester abortion practice at their 1 South Park Street facility. Both healthy and disabled babies 19 through 22 weeks old will be “terminated” by dilation and extraction (D&E), the standard abortion method used after 13 weeks whereby the cervix is dilated and the unborn child is dismembered with plier-like forceps. Force is needed to pull the baby apart.

The Madison Surgery Center is a joint venture of UW Hospital and Clinics, the UW Medical Foundation, and Meriter Hospital.

Peggy Hamill, Pro-Life Wisconsin’s state director, said, “Killing babies does not solve problems. Killing a baby is not the answer when that baby is faced with a life-threatening or even fatal condition. Killing a baby is not the answer when a pregnant mother is faced with a serious health problem. Killing babies should not be the final solution we have to offer.

“When we kill babies, it is a failure of our health care system and a failure of our intellects. When we kill babies it is a sign that consciences are dead. When consciences are dead, there is no limit to what we will not do.

“Not only will the UW and Meriter be engaged in killing almost viable and viable pre-born babies, they will now be training medical students in this grisly practice and exporting them to cities and towns throughout the country. When medical schools teach students how to kill, it is a failure of academia.

“The body parts of babies killed at the Madison Surgery Center will likely be used for UW research projects. This practice was condemned after the Holocaust. Using the bodies of innocent human beings for experimentation is a failure of science.

“Shame on the UW and shame on Meriter Hospital for this barbaric vote. You have failed to protect children and you have failed to support women.”

Formal complaint filed against WB Library - Gay website for KIDS


A West Bend resident is challenging whether the West Bend Community Memorial Library Web site should include a link to a list of fiction and non-fiction book about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues intended for young adults in grades 6 through 12.





A complaint, filed by Ginny Maziarka, will be discussed at the Library Board’s monthly meeting in March.

When called at his home for comment, Library Board vice-president Tom Fitz said he had no knowledge of the Web site page. Maziarka tried to have the issue discussed at the Library Board’s February meeting, but her e-mail request to be placed on the agenda was submitted too late. “She was too late by state statutes, so I am going to ask the Library Board to please have it on the agenda in March,” West Bend Community Library Director Michael Tyree said.



Correction: Maziarka did not try to have this issue discussed at the Feb. meeting. No request was made other than asking for accountability and removal of the website.
MARK BELLING discusses this in his podcast from 2/4/2009 and has a link to the website on his home page: http://www.belling.com/

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Beaver Dam teacher on leave - posed with gun on Facebook

This was just plain stupid.

Beaver Dam - A Beaver Dam Middle School teacher is on administrative leave after school officials discovered a photo of her with a gun on Facebook.

In the photo, Betsy Ramsdale was training a rifle at the camera.

In an e-mail to WKOW-TV in Madison, Ramsdale said she removed the photo immediately and that she is not "interested in any controversy."


Well, it's too late, baby, now, it's too late...

Oak Creek, Greenfield, St. Francis pass paid-sick-day mandate

Three more suburbs have adopted ordinances in opposition to a paid-sick-days mandate that could soon take effect in Milwaukee.

The common councils in Oak Creek (4-1 vote), Greenfield (5-0) and St. Francis (6-0) each adopted ordinances this week. The measures prohibit the cities from imposing any mandates on private businesses regarding employee pay and benefits.

West Allis and South Milwaukee have also adopted such ordinances. Wauwatosa, Brown Deer, Cudahy, Glendale and Franklin are considering them.

MORE HERE: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/39148517.html

Brookfield Burlington Coat Factory on Fire

Hope it gets put out quickly and nobody gets hurt.

Burlington Coat Factory On Fire In Brookfield Strip Mall

Brookfield firefighters are at a fire in a shopping center near Capitol Drive and 123th Street.

Stil time.... Call your Pro-Life Senator and say NO to Ogden - Be Proactive

URGENT UPDATE: Your calls are still needed on the Ogden nomination!

We are hearing that many of the Senate phone lines are jammed due to overwhelming calls regarding the Stimulus bill. Please keep trying to get through.

If you have access to a fax machine, please fax your comments urging the Republican Senators on the Judiciary Committee to vote NO on Ogden.

* Call your Senators' state offices. If those offices are floodedwith calls, they will relay the information to their Capitol Hill staffers. Even if your Senators do not sit on the Judiciary Committee, call them anyway-they need to hear that their constituents want Republican opposition to this nominee!

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 or
Toll Free (800) 614-2803

Republican Conference Chairman Office (Sen. John Thune R-SD): (202)224-2321

Parental Rights Threatened

Disturbing.

A United Nations human rights treaty that could prohibit children from being spanked or homeschooled, ban youngsters from facing the death penalty and forbid parents from deciding their families' religion is on America's doorstep, a legal expert warns.

Michael Farris of Purcellville, Va., is president of ParentalRights.org, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and chancellor of Patrick Henry College.

He told WND that under the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, or CRC, every decision a parent makes can be reviewed by the government to determine whether it is in the child's best interest.

MORE HERE: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87929

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

APPROVAL GIVEN - UW/MERITER decides to PERFORM 2ND TRIMESTER ABORTIONS

The UW Meriter board voted to APPROVE 2nd trimester abortions.

The chairman spoke up stating that the board had heard much about boycotting the hospital and/or had been been questioned as to "how a hospital with a good reputation like Meriter could get involved with abortions." While chuckling, he stated "We've endured other things..... I now recommend we approve...."

After a very short deliberation, the board returned with a vote of 11-3 in favor of providing second-trimester abortions.

UW/Meriter finished with public hearing, now deliberating

After three hours of public testimony, the board is on a five-minute break and will return to take a vote on the provision of second-trimeter abortions at the UW Surgery Center. More platform time was given to pro-murder activists and by the end of the third hour, no more testimonies would be heard.

The final decision will be posted once it is known.

Contest for UW College Students

College students from across the state will be able to join their University of Wisconsin-Madison peers in a competition that gives them 100 hours to create something of value from salvaged materials.

The third annual 100-Hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge begins Feb. 18 and runs through Feb. 22. Students are given vouchers to use at UW-Madison's Surplus With a Purpose (SWAP) shop and, by the end of the contest, must post images of their creation on a public Web site.
Past creations have ranged from a space heater safety alarm, to a carved-wood light fixture and a hand-cranking portable power generator. Four winners receive cash awards ranging from $100 to $300.

This year, students from any two-year or four-year Wisconsin institution may enter the contest, which is run by the UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations and sponsored by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation.

For information, go to www.wiscontrepreneur.org/challenge or e-mail challenge@wiscontrepreneur.org.

View LIVE COVERAGE of the UW/Meriter Hospital Hearing HERE

http://qik.com/melchert

Public Hearing TODAY in Madison on UW Hospital 2nd trimester ABORTIONS

Attend and be heard.... Tell them NO.

Public Hearing - UW Hospital and Clinics Authority Board
TODAY
Wednesday, February 4th 2 p.m.
UW Medical Foundation Administrative Services Bldg.
7974 UW Health Court
Middleton

Monday, February 2, 2009

UW claims "no profit" from abortions


MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- University of Wisconsin medical officials say they do not plan to make a profit by performing late-term abortions even though an internal document lists increased revenue as one benefit.
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, its faculty doctors' group and Meriter Hospital are proposing a plan to offer second-trimester abortions at the Madison Surgery Center, which the hospitals jointly own.
Records obtained by The Associated Press describe the secret planning that went into the proposal as well as some opposition from employees that could make it difficult to implement.
The AP also obtained a detailed powerpoint presentation developed by two UW doctors promoting the plan. A slide that contains a UW logo and is titled "Benefits" puts "increased departmental revenue" at the top of the list.
UW Health spokeswoman Lisa Brunette said the slide does not refer to the Wisconsin proposal and has not been shown during the doctors' presentations. She said it was taken from an abortion rights center at University of California-San Francisco and refers to medical departments generally that provide abortions.
Brunette said the driving force behind the UW plan was to fill a gap left by the retirement of a Madison doctor who performed abortions on women up to 22 weeks pregnant. His clinic has been taken over by Planned Parenthood, which only offers abortions up to 19 weeks.
The UW plan calls for performing about 100 abortions per year on patients who Brunette said would often be young, poor and in desperate situations. Some, she said, will likely be victims of rape or incest. The abortions would be paid for by insurance or fees on patients.
"Although the business arrangements have not been fully worked out, from the information we have now we do not expect the second-trimester procedures to generate revenue above expenses," she said in a statement.

Barbara Lyons, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, said she was skeptical of the university's explanation about the internal document. She said she believed the university was considering money in making its proposal, and "I think that's absolutely horrendous."

Lyons is helping organize opposition to the plan. A coalition of groups delivered more than 21,000 petitions this week opposing it and some vowed to boycott UW Hospital if it is approved. They are planning a rally in Madison on Saturday. Meanwhile, groups supporting abortion rights have praised the proposal.

Abortion during the second-trimester, which lasts from week 13 to 27 of pregnancy, is particularly controversial because fetuses develop rapidly during that time.

The board of directors of the hospital is scheduled to discuss the proposal Wednesday. Final approval could come from the six-member board of the surgery center in February during a closed-door meeting.

MORE HERE: http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_ABORTION_PLAN_WIOL-?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-01-30-13-59-58

West Bend Library gay website for YOUTH grades 6 thru 12

Believe it.

http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/yaglbtq.htm

Video of Madison Anti-Abortion Rally UW / Meriter

Banks sought FOREIGN workers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Major U.S. banks sought government permission to bring thousands of foreign workers into the country for high-paying jobs even as the system was melting down last year and Americans were getting laid off, according to an Associated Press review of visa applications.

The dozen banks now receiving the biggest rescue packages, totaling more than $150 billion, requested visas for more than 21,800 foreign workers over the past six years for positions that included senior vice presidents, corporate lawyers, junior investment analysts and human resources specialists. The average annual salary for those jobs was $90,721, nearly twice the median income for all American households.

As the economic collapse worsened last year - with huge numbers of bank employees laid off - the numbers of visas sought by the dozen banks in AP's analysis increased by nearly one-third, from 3,258 in the 2007 budget year to 4,163 in fiscal 2008.

The AP reviewed visa applications the banks filed with the Labor Department under the H-1B visa program, which allows temporary employment of foreign workers in specialized-skill and advanced-degree positions. Such visas are most often associated with high-tech workers.
It is unclear how many foreign workers the banks actually hired; the government does not release those details. The actual number is likely a fraction of the 21,800 foreign workers the banks sought to hire because the government only grants 85,000 such visas each year among all U.S. employers.

During the last three months of 2008, the largest banks that received taxpayer loans announced more than 100,000 layoffs. The number of foreign workers included among those laid off is unknown.

Foreigners are attractive hires because companies have found ways to pay them less than American workers.