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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Parents blamed for emotional outcome of gay kids
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Young gay people whose parents or guardians responded negatively when they revealed their sexual orientation were more likely to attempt suicide, experience severe depression and use drugs than those whose families accepted the news, according to a new study. The way in which parents or guardians respond to a youth’s sexual orientation profoundly influences the child’s mental health as an adult, say researchers at San Francisco State University, whose findings appear in today’s journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
(Perhaps what is more pertinent is that the parents failed to teach these children what traditional family values are and the child is reaping the emotional, social and physical consequences of deviant behavior. Let's make sure we give a correct evaluation here.)
‘‘Parents love their children and want the best for them,’’ said lead researcher Caitlin Ryan, a social worker who directs the university’s Family Acceptance Project.
(Exactly why parents oppose sexual misbehavior and inappropriate relationships that put their children at risk. That would be called "a good thing".)
‘‘Now that we have measured all these behaviors, we can see that some of them put youth at extremely high risk and others are wellness-promoting.’’ Among other findings, the study showed that teens who experienced negative feedback were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly six times as vulnerable to severe depression and more than three times at risk of drug use.
If the youth were not involved in risky sexual choices, they would not be in this situation in the first place. Who is teaching? Who is promoting wellness? These kids are victims of poor upbringing, inappropriate choices and/or bad examples.
More significantly, Ryan said, ongoing work at San Francisco State suggests that parents who take even baby steps to respond with equanimity instead of rejection can dramatically improve a gay youth’s mental health outlook. One of the most startling findings was that being forbidden to associate with gay peers was as damaging as being physically beaten or verbally abused by their parents in terms of negative feedback, Ryan said.
This is a ridiculous statement. Of course, words are painful and hurtful. Of course, children should be approached with love in their situations. But the truth about their the potential consequences of their risky behavior needs to be spoken. Don't blame it on the parents. Blame it on our government who supports same-sex marriage, our public school systems who promote special protection for homosexuals, and media (the West Bend News included), who continually shove this garbage down the throats of our youth. Put credit where credit is due.
Grothman blasts City of Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Code appears to give preferences to people who have not finished high school, people who have no knowledge or skills necessary for employment and people who live outside of a traditional family structure. The above estimate does not include the additional cost to Milwaukee taxpayers to pay for staff to administer the unnecessary red tape required by the Enterprise Program.
“The breakdown of the traditional family is the cause of many of the City of Milwaukee’s ills. It seems bizarre that the City of Milwaukee is giving preference to people who ‘lack a traditional family structure,’” said Grothman. “Milwaukee should be encouraging people to finish high school but they are giving preference to people who fail to obtain a high school degree or its equivalent. It is also highly divisive to give preferences to people whose businesses are located in one part of the city and not other parts of the city. How can this type of mindset be helpful to the economy of our state’s largest city?”
“At a time when Wisconsin families are having to cut back their spending, the fact that the City of Milwaukee is spending 33-percent more on these uniforms than necessary shows the Milwaukee City Council has not gotten the message -- apparently, because financially-strapped taxpayers outstate keep bailing them out,” said Grothman.
As fiscal estimates show, Wisconsin’s taxpayers have been extremely generous in providing funding for SE Wisconsin, but they also want some common sense and accountability to accompany their dollars. The City of Milwaukee receives $407 per person in shared revenue compared to the statewide average of $106 per person not including Milwaukee.
Grothman also questioned the constitutionality of the Emerging Business Enterprise Program under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and asked Attorney General JB Van Hollen for a formal opinion. The court system already prohibits the classification of race as a protected class. “I do not see how the City of Milwaukee’s policy of discriminating against married people would stand constitutional muster,” said Grothman.
“As a sign of respect for Wisconsin’s hard-working families, I sincerely hope the Governor will include this legislation as part of his budget,” said Grothman.
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WELL SAID.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Government indoctrination in the public schools - Call to Dunkirk
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Over 75% of all Christian children attend public schools. They spend over 14,000 hours of indoctrination into the worldview. It is a very high expectation to believe your child can come out unscathed and untouched by the government marxist teachings. The Call to Dunkirk is a movement that suggests Christians begin a mass exodus from the public school system. While I don't believe this solution is for everyone, it is obvious there is an infiltration of godlessness that is taking over more and more as the generations come to pass. If we are loading up the public schools with our children and giving the government control over the moral, cultural and social areas of our children's lives on a whopping timescale, we can't expect high moral standards, God-fearing, faith-filled men and women to populate our nation.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Koschnick takes on Abrahamson - Supreme Court seat
We are at a tipping point---making this the most important election ever. Liberals currently hold 4 seats while conservative judges hold 3 seats on our state's highest court. We need to see the scale tipped in the "right" direction.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Joffe, Racine Unified School District push gay center on community
Bruce Joffe, a faculty member of both Carthage College and Cardinal Stritch University, plans to use the residence at 1456 Junction Ave to house his organization, The LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lgbtsewisc.org%2Fhome%29. According to the organization's website, and a Racine Journal Times article http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaltimes.com%2Farticles%2F2008%2F12%2F09%2Flocal_news%2Fdoc493dded815213142305884.txt%29%2C the Center will "offer programs and services for LGBT(Q)--that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning--people, youth, transgenders, people of color and those with HIV/AIDS, LGBT seniors, parents and family of LGBT youth, and children (no matter what age) with LGBT parents."
Bruce Joffe http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww.safehavenofracine.org%2Fstaff.htm%29 is a practicing homosexual, professor, resident of Racine and author of the book, A Hint of Homosexuality? 'Gay' and Homoerotic Imagery in American Print Advertising http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.xlibris.com%2Fbookstore%2Fbookdisplay.asp%3Fbookid%3D40500%29. He is the "founding father" of the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin. The board members http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lgbtsewisc.org%2Fabout_us%29 for the center include representatives from Gateway Technical College, the UW-Parkside Rainbow Alliance, Carthage College and the Racine Unified School District (RUSD), as well as three area pastors.The services listed http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://%28http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lgbtsewisc.org%2Fservices%29 by the center confirm the center's anti-family goals for influencing the people, and particularly the youth, of Racine and Kenosha. With an RUSD representative there can be no doubt that so-called "gay" or "questioning" youth from our schools will be sent to the center for blatantly biased counseling. The center will include an in-house (and presumably uncensored) library accessible to both adults and youth. The center plans both political involvement and proactive "outreach" in the community.The center poses a risk to our youth and raises questions of jurisdiction, particularly with an RUSD representative on the board. For example, to which counselor will RUSD students be referred, the counselor hired by the school, or the LGBT Center counselor? There can be no doubt that the purpose of the LGBT Center is to indoctrinate, pursuade and infiltrate our community with the unscientific and unsubstantiated claims of the homosexual agenda.
Guns in America - Nat'l Geographic disses gun owners
On Wednesday, December 17, 2008, National Geographic Channel ran a show entitled, "Guns In America." According to the program, there are millions of misguided gun owners across the nation. Why? Because your guns are supposedly more likely to harm you than to help you in an emergency."As a society, we're totally out of control with weapons," said one Philadelphia cop who was interviewed during the show. "You need to limit access that people have to these type of firearms."That was the basic thrust of the program. National Geographic recited the usual worn-out factoids that are peddled by the Brady Campaign. It only cited anti-gun cops. And for every person who was filmed stating he or she believed in a right to own firearms for self-defense, the program would cite "facts" to prove that such a hope was misplaced.
. . . .
The National Geographic Channel presents itself as an educational, unbiased alternative. But "Guns in America" was hardly unbiased, as can be seen by the following agenda items that were pushed during the program:
1. "Guns in America" would have you believe that the guns in your home are 22 times more likely to kill a family member than to protect you. This statistic can (surprise, surprise!) be found on the Brady Campaign website, but its source has been highly discredited. The factoid originates with Arthur Kellerman, who has generated multiple studies claiming that guns are a net liability. (1) But Kellerman has been found guilty of fudging his data, and even the National Academy of Sciences has stated that his "conclusions do not seem to follow"from his data. (2)The truth of the matter is actually quite encouraging for gun owners. Anti-gun researchers for the Clinton Justice Department found that guns are used 1.5 million times annually for self-defense, which means that each year, firearms are used more than 50 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives.(3)Isn't that strange? You would think anti-gunners wouldn't mind citing a study that was commissioned by the Clinton Justice Department! Apparently, the results of the study didn't fit theiragenda.
2. "Guns in America" overstates the number of children who die by unintentional gunfire. The program would have viewers believe that a child dies by accidental gunfire once every two days. But you can only reach that figure if you count violent-prone teens as "children." In fact, when you look at the statistics involving younger children (ages 0-14), you see that kids have a greater chance of dying from choking on things like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that you feed them.(4) Hmm, why doesn't National Geographic want to report on those killer peanuts?
3. "Guns in America" portrays twelve times as many negative uses of guns as positive uses -- even though in the real world, the truth is quite the opposite (as guns are used at least 50 times more often to save life than take life). The program does start with a dramatization of a legitimate self-defense story with an actual 911 call playing in the background. But after that, every dramatization is about drive-by-shootings or cops being shot or gang-related warfare.The lesson for the viewer is: Guns are bad.
4. "Guns in America" only quotes anti-gun "authorities," thus leaving the impression that all law-enforcement support gun control. Never mind the fact that when one looks at polls of the police community, they overwhelmingly hold pro-gun attitudes:* Should any law-abiding citizen be able to purchase a firearm for sport or self defense? -- 93% of law-enforcement said yes. (5)* Do you believe law-abiding citizens should be limited to the purchase of no more than one firearm per month? -- 70.1% of law-enforcement said no. (6)* Do you agree that a national concealed handgun permit would reduce rates of violent crime as recent studies in some states have already reflected? -- 68.2% of law-enforcement said yes. (7)It's bad enough that a liberal teacher's union controls the education of our kids in the public schools, and that many of them are being brainwashed with politically correct thinking. We don't need supposedly neutral programs like National Geographic peddling the Brady Campaign's favorite factoids to an unsuspecting public.
Hartford bans cell phones at Rec Dept
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HARTFORD — Officials have taken steps to protect the privacy of patrons at the city’s popular Recreation Center on Rural Street by limiting the use of cell phones and similar devices capable of taking pictures.
Under a resolution passed recently by the Common Council, the devices are banned from locker rooms at the facility, which also houses an aquatic center and pool. A parent or guardian will still be allowed to take a picture of his or her child as long as it is not for “commercial purposes.” In addition, law enforcement officials would still be allowed to utilize camera or surveillance equipment provided they get permission first from the city.
A summary to the council written by City Attorney Karen Christianson spells out that cameras, video recorders, cell phones and any other “device that may be used to record or transfer images” are subject to the ban.
“All persons who utilize this locker room may reasonably expect a high level of privacy, which includes being safe from being observed or having their image captured by a recording or surveillance device without his or her knowledge and consent,” Christianson wrote.
The resolution also establishes that taking such a picture and either distributing it or broadcasting the image would be a Class A misdemeanor. Simply taking such a picture without distribution would be a Class B misdemeanor.
“This just makes good common sense and it puts us in compliance with state statutes,” said Mike Hermann, director of parks and recreation. “We've been aware of this situation for quite some time with the emergence of new cellular phone technology. About two years ago, we put a sign up at the entrance to the locker room stating that cell phones couldn't be used. It's important that people who use the rec center feel their privacy is being protected.”
He added: “Now with the new ordinance, it gives some teeth to punishing violations. People know they have to turn off their phones and can't use them. It's that simple.”
Local businessman Pat Paulson of Rueben's County Market said he uses the recreation center for workouts, but doesn't use the locker room so the privacy issue hasn't come up in the past. However, Paulson said he believes the restriction is a good one and he has friends who do use the locker room who will most likely appreciate the fact the city is adopting the measure.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
14-year-old arrested - Mequon - sex offender?
So, last week in Ozaukee County Circuit Court, the boy's parents said no when Ozaukee County District Attorney Sandy Williams offered to reduce the charges to two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and, if he pleaded no contest, to expunge his conviction if he stayed out of trouble for a year.
The parents said their son was guilty of nothing more than disorderly conduct.
"We don't want to have anything to do with sexual assault," said the boy's father, who along with the boy's mother is not being identified to protect the identity of the juvenile boy. "He could be put on a sex offender registry list that would come back to haunt him."
Now the boy is scheduled to appear in court again Feb. 3 for an evidentiary hearing, which amounts to a trial, in which the girls are likely to be compelled to testify and experts will be called to give their opinion on whether a 12- or 13-year-old boy can be sexually aroused by grabbing a girl's buttocks.
The maximum penalty for each of the five misdemeanor charges is nine months' incarceration, according to a juvenile delinquency petition. According to state Department of Corrections spokesman Rachel Krueger, those convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault are not required to register as sex offenders, but a judge could order the boy to do so, especially since the alleged victims were children and because of the number of counts against him.
.......
State law says fourth-degree sexual assault occurs when someone intentionally touches another person to gratify himself sexually, or sexually degrades or humiliates that person.
In the opinion of Buntrock and Williams, that's what the boy did.
To the parents, however, their son is guilty of inappropriate behavior, disorderly conduct and "numskull friendliness," the mother said, quoting a therapist with whom her son has met.
"A 12-year-old boy does not do these things to sexually gratify himself," she said.
According to affidavits submitted in court Thursday in an attempt to block an order to testify in court, the girls and their parents said they did not feel degraded by the boy and that they did not want him criminally prosecuted, only disciplined by the school for the two events on June 6.
Their son and the girls remain friends, the boy's parents said.
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THIS IS a rather troubling occurrence. Since it has been problematic in the past, why does the behavior continue? This young man obviously needs therapy, guidance and consequences. It doesn't sound like any of that has ever been established. Perhaps that is why things have escalated to this point. Since he and the girls are "still friends", there is probably more to this story than what we are hearing. At any rate, I don't think this kid deserves to be labeled a sex offender. He needs help.
MORE HERE:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/35692184.html
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Kooky Cookie House - Capitol Court - Way back when...
http://www.kookycookyhouse.com/
The pictures that were posted here renewed the childlike excitement I experienced with my siblings (all four of them) as we would take that special car trip from home (39th and Nash) to wait in the long line to get our glimpse of this make-believe candyland. We would brave cold and wind, snow or sleet. Mom would bundle us up with scarves, mittens and hoods tied tight around our faces. I recall getting to the entryway of the little house and seeing all the lights, colorful candy decorations and the sound of a hearty voice ho-ho-hoing from deep within. Once inside, the activity was extreme eye candy.... A mechanical gingerbread boy stirred and stirred his wooden spoon in a bubbling pot. Other animated cookie figures performed their culinary duties as children were mesmerized by the sights and sounds filling the petite confectionary. Santa's lap was thrilling, which was the grand finale of the experience..... Though the coloring paper and, best of all, the big, crispy, delicious gingerbread man cookie on the way out still remains delectable on my mind.... A wonderful, warm fuzzy from my Milwaukee upbringing...
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thumbs down by community on Fitness Center
In today's WB News:
I think it’s awesome that someone is able to donate $250,000 to a fitness center at the high schools. To have that money available and do something good with it is what humanitarianism is about. I have some concerns though.
The district came to us last year asking us to approve a $119 million referendum. This referendum did include this fitness center. It also included numerous maintenance issues that had been too long postponed, various improvements, even building new schools. According to Superintendent Pat Herdrich, Badger has already been cited for being non-handicapped accessible and is one of the schools with the most maintenance/improvements on the board. This referendum failed.
I attended the listening session held at the library after the referendum failed. I also participated in the work sessions to try to come up with another plan. I have attended some School Board meetings where improvements and new referendums were discussed.
I have a problem with building a facility onto schools that, we have been told, require improvements and maintenance. I have a problem discussing this kind of money for something that, while nice to have, is not a necessity in any economy. I would think that $250,000 could go a long way in providing some improvements or taking care of some maintenance issues that, according to the district, are pressing needs. To me, it’s like your roof is leaking. You win the lottery and choose to take a vacation to Tahiti, leaving the roof to continue leaking. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Nancy Leach, West Bend
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Donated Fitness Center could cost WB Taxpayers up to $700,000
The West Bend High Schools fitness center could cost up to $700,000 if prevailing wages and a sprinkler system is required, a subcommittee was told Wednesday. Of that, up to $220,000 would be funded with pubic (yes, this typo really DID happen!) money and the rest through private donors. One donor has committed to $250,000 already, and East Athletic Director Jeff Rondorf said he has a few other donors in the works. Paying prevailing wages is estimated to add $180,000 to the center’s cost, the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC 2) was told. CFAC 2 hopes, though doubts, it may avoid paying prevailing wages since the completed facility will be owned for a short time by a private organization — the West Bend Public Schools Foundation — before it is given to the public school district.
MORE HERE:
http://activepaper.olivesoftware.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=V0JETi8yMDA4LzEyLzExI0FyMDAxMDM=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
Obama Paper Dolls - Really!
In the children's section, nonetheless, a large, punch-out paper doll booklet of YOURS TRULY!
Enter Mr. President-Elect Obama in his skivvies (Ok, they call 'em swim trunks, but my college-age daughter said EWWWWWW! so I am pretty sure they look like boxer briefs to the rest of the world).
Michelle Obama poses in her pretties.... tight capris and t-tank, while the daughters are waiting for warmer clothing upon purchase of this lovely gift and an adoring child who cannot wait to punch out their chic wardrobes. One of the girls looks oddly like she's flashing a gang sign. What is up with that? (Observed by someone else in the store...)
There's something really unnatural about this.
REALLY unnatural.
Sex + Texting = Sexting? New cell phone pornography...
Sending nude photos via cellphone now has a name. It's called "sexting" and it's the latest talking point for parents of teens.
In Seattle, sexting moved to the forefront in June when school officials at Bothell High School heard rumors of naked pictures of two cheerleaders circulating among football players. School officials received copies of the photos in August and suspended the two girls from the cheering squad, one for a month and the other for the entire school year, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Last month, the cheerleaders' parents sued the school district, alleging that the girls should not have been suspended.
The issue of sexting is arising elsewhere as well, with cases reported in at least a dozen states. In the past month, police have confiscated five cell phones of teens between ages 11 and 17 in Scranton, Penn., and in New York, police have charged a 16-year-old boy with allegedly enticing a 15-year-old girl to text him sexually explicit photos and a movie of herself that he then forwarded to friends.
According to a survey of 1,280 teens and young adults by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com, 22 percent of girls and 18 percent of boys say they have electronically sent or posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves. And about one-third of teen boys and one-quarter of teen girls say they have had nude or semi-nude images shared with them. Posting sexually suggestive messages is even more prevalent among the teens surveyed. Nearly 40 percent of them report posting such messages, and nearly half of them say they have received them. In video interviews with the National Campaign, a panel of teens tells tales of sexting in the Washington region. One girl, Mayron, shares the story of a girl from West Springfield High School who sent a photo of herself topless to her boyfriend. "By the end of the day, the whole county had it," Mayron says.
Short of banning camera phones, parents can find ways to get through to teens that sexting isn't such a good idea. For one, "make sure your kids fully understand that messages or pictures they send over the Internet or their cell phones are not truly private or anonymous," says the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "Also, make sure they know that others might forward their pictures or messages to people they do not know or want to see them, and that school administrators and employers often look at online profiles to make judgments about potential students/employees. It’s essential that your kids grasp the potential short-term and long-term consequences of their actions."
In addition, the National Campaign recommends having your teens leave their phones and laptops in a public place in the house at bedtime, keeping an eye on their electronic pages and postings, knowing their friends -- both in real life and cyberspace -- and clearly setting expectations of "appropriate" electronic behavior.
If you have teens, how do you keep up with the latest in teen technology? Do you watch their Tweets and track their Facebook page? Have you heard your teens talking about sexting? And if your child is a pre-teen, how are you setting the stage for when their technological knowledge surpasses your own?
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This article is an eye opener, but it is definitely not surprising. The warning is clear: Set limits. Know your children. Stay involved. Cell phones are not the safe communication devices we had hoped they would be. They have been tapped into as yet another source for perversion, no different than any other media device.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Day without a Gay proposed....
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One must truly laugh at this outrageous proposal! So if we choose to have sex with a certain person, we stay home and let the nation know that we are having sex with them, and how much people that have sex with certain people are needed? How absolutely ludicrous! (And immature.)
So Sean and Aaron are going to show the world that gays are important. I think blacks should do this, too. And I think that American Indians and Hispanics should give it a whirl.
Dang it.. Let's go all the way! I think the good ole US of A needs to be slapped into knowing just how much this country relies on all of us heterosexuals. In fact, since we are ALL needed at our jobs, let's just ALL take a day off! Unless of course, you are a virgin or celebate. In that case, you can go to work.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Fitness Center at WB HS will cost taxpayers...
"A private donation of $250,000 may put a public fitness center in reach for West Bend High Schools, if they can overcome some safety and financial hurdles.
A 5,000-square-foot fitness center next to the schools’ south gym was in an initial draft of the $119 million school referendum that voters shot down last year, said Jeff Rondorf, East High School athletic director at Thursday’s Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee meeting. Eight months ago, a private donor approached Rondorf and said they wanted to fund a fitness center that would be open to the public after school hours.
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“(The donor) is not going to make any announcements until the district is ready to say, ‘We have our heads around this,’” said Superintendent Patricia Herdrich.
Safety and funding are the two challenges the fitness center has to overcome. The committee’s initial plan is to put the fitness center on the east side of the gym, with an entrance opening to the adjacent parking lot. The entrance would have to meet “safe and secure” standards, which means that during school hours, someone would have to see a person who wanted to enter before granting them access, said Brian Dasher, Finance and Support Service administrator.
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The committee decided to seek legal counsel from the outset to see if they’re able to keep costs down with private funding. They will meet next Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Room D90 in the high schools’ athletics department to study the site firsthand and work out safety solutions.
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PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FROM AUGUST 4TH within the CFAC-2 committee indicated:
Pat Herdrich's statement "Removing the pool [Badger] would be a direct savings to the taxpayers." (See savings $$ below.)
and
Hearing that the City of West Bend won't take up a portion of the obligation for Badger Pool, though it is a service to the West Bend Community. (It costs the District $100,000/yr. to maintain the pool.)
This is all rather interesting. We hear Pat Herdrich indicate that removing the pool at Badger would save the taxpayers money because of costs to maintain the pool long-term. (I was at this meeting.) The committee indicated that because of the City's refusal to help with the upkeep, this was no longer a viable option for the school district and should be removed.
So, my question is this. Even if someone generously donates the money to build a fitness center onto the WB High Schools, we still have the same issue, don't we? Who will pay for the upkeep/maintenance? Housekeeping? Staffing? Security?
It's a nice thought, but we are looking at the same exact issue as before, only most likely with a heftier cost factor. Why would our district say "yes" to something they would have said "no" to on a different level?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Gonna find out who's Naughty or Nice....
Based on current advertising, below is a list of companies that avoid, ban, or use the term "Christmas" in their advertising.
(Info provided in case you want to give 'em your 2 cents...)
Companies against "Christmas"
updated 12-01-08
Barnes & Noble 1-800-843-2665 - Offers "Holiday Gift Guide." Christmas not found on website. Online feedback form (bottom of page)
Costco 1-800-774-2678 - Costco's "Holiday Catalog" is obvious in purposely avoiding the use of Christmas. Heavily references "holiday" in its Gift Guide Catalog. email Costco
CVS Pharmacy 1-800-746-7287 - CVS offers a "Holiday Center" on its website. The Nov. paper insert avoids using the term "Christmas." Phone: 1-888-607-4287 or email customercare@cvs.com
Gap Stores (Gap, Old Navy) 1-800-427-7895 - Gap stores avoid using Christmas at every opportunity, being a very secular company. custserv@gap.com
Kroger 1-866-221-4141 -Website uses "holiday" extensively. Weekly ad uses "holiday." email Kroger
Office Depot 1-800-463-3768 - Newspaper inserts reference "holiday" only. Website void of Christmas references. Online form
Olive Garden 1-800-331-2729 -
Radio Shack 1-800-843-7422 - Website search for "Christmas" results in "holiday" page. No mention of Christmas anywhere. Online feedback form
Staples 508-253-0879 - Staples' press release referred to "holiday" 13 times without a single mention of Christmas. Last year, Staples emailed a customer to say it refused to post "Christmas" signs in their store. Live chat with Staples online or email Staples.
SUPERVALU 952-828-4000 -Owns Albertsons and Jewel-Osco. Refers to Christmas decorations as "holiday" on website and weekly ads. email SUPERVALUE
NOW FOR THE "NICE" LIST:
Companies FOR "Christmas" updated 12-01-08
Bed Bath & Beyond
Belk
Best Buy
Big Lots
Dollar Tree
Family Dollar
Dollar General
Home Depot
Kmart
Kohl's
Lowe's
Macy's
Petsmart
Rite Aid
Sears
Target
Walgreens
Wal-Mart/Sam's Club -
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
McIlheran on Obama, Catholicism, Abortion and Evil
Hey, here’s a way to be relevant, if you’re a church: Volunteer to be, as commentator Jeffrey T. Kuhner in the Wash Times puts it, “the last line of defense against the new Dark Age.”
Which is to say, the triumph of abortion over any moderating influence in American law. This would be what President-elect Barack Obama has proposed, promising last summer that “The first thing I will do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act,” a measure that would wipe out any state or local laws on abortion, including laws that let medical providers opt out of committing abortions.
Among other things, this would mean, as Kuhner notes, war with Catholicism. “Many liberal Catholics insist abortion is a single issue, a strange obsession of traditionalist diehards,” he writes. “Besides, they argue there is so much more to Catholic social thought. There is poverty, social justice, the environment and Iraq.”
Perhaps, yet there’s something singular about abortion:
“Abortion is the seminal moral issue of our time. Nearly 50 million unborn babies have been murdered since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973. If one includes Europe, the number of dead fetuses is staggering. Abortion has claimed more victims than either of the two great totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, communism and Nazism.
MORE HERE:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/mcilheran.html
West Bend's Harassment Policy approved - leaves out students
Sexual orientation now included as a protected class
After 10 months of revision and five of public debate, including prayer sessions, picketing and petitions, the West Bend School District has an updated harassment policy. The School Board approved the policy at its third reading Monday night on a unanimous, 6-0 vote. Lightning rod items that fueled debate were including “sexual orientation” alongside religion, race, creed, ethnicity and others in the protected classes portion of the policy; the lack of a mention of parental involvement in harassment cases, and the claim the policy violated First Amendment rights.
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On Monday, Maziarka told the board the policy is good “but only for some,” in addressing the list of protected classes. It is not “all encompassing,” she said. “What will happen to the rest of the kids if they are harassed?” Maziarka asked the board to add more generalized statements from the district’s old sexual harassment policy.
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Parental notification of harassment cases happens “as soon as practical,” Zarling said. Some community members had told the board they don’t like the “practical” standard and want parents in the process sooner. Board member Kris Beaver said some instances of harassment can be handled in class with a teacher explaining to a student what was said was wrong. It’s not practical in those cases to stop class and notify a parent. Board member Mike Weston said while most of the opposition is against homosexuality and thus opposes listing the sexual orientation class, all harassment is not accepted. Board member Bruce Koenig addressed the notion that sexual orientation is a choice and not a trait. “If you’re going to pull (sexual orientation) out of there, then we need to pull religion and creed out of there as well,” he said. Koenig said the policy is not about the board members’ personal beliefs. “We as a board are doing what is legal and correct for this school district,” he said. Board member Todd Miller was absent and excused.
Well.
The Administrative Rule clearly confirms what we have been saying all along...that the harassment policy is ONLY for the protected classes of students. The school board has broken the trust of the taxpayers, parents and students in the West Bend district. Bruce Koenig's statement was the most disappointing of all. He commented that if we remove sexual orientation, then we will also remove creed and religion. Period. He is treading a fine line of morality with a statement like that. West Bend is a conservative community that has spoken. Our elected officials have chosen not to listen. We will all be reminded of this in January when Kris Beaver and Mike Weston come up for their incumbent seats.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Poinsettias from ECKE RANCH fund Planned Parenthood's abortions
According to the Corporate Funding Project assembled and released by Life Decisions International, the Paul Ecke Ranch business of Ecinitas, Calif., has been added to its Boycott List because of its support for Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortion advocacy organization in the world and the largest U.S. provider in the abortion industry.
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Officials at Paul Ecke Ranch declined to return multiple WND messages requesting comment. But on their website, they boast "approximately 70 percent of all the flowering poinsettias in the USA and more than 50 percent worldwide get their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California."
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However, the LDI list, developed with years of experience, and updated regularly, is recognized "by virtually all pro-life/pro-family organizations" as the source of information regarding support for Planned Parenthood.
"Many good pro-life people are unknowingly participating in abortion by their daily purchases," a supporter, Ruth Enero, wrote the company. "Luckily, LDI's research provides an effective vehicle for countering the massive corporate funding of the abortion industry. Because the widespread use of the LDI Boycott List can bring an end to abortion, I talk up this organization at every opportunity. …"
PRO-LIFE WISCONSIN SENDS THIS MESSAGE:
It has become tradition in the United States for most churches and many homes to use poinsettia plants to create a beautiful festive atmosphere.
Before you purchase your poinsettias this year, you should be aware that the largest distributor of these plants, Paul Ecke Ranch, is a major supporter of Planned Parenthood.
The Ecke family members have, for years, been honored by Planned Parenthood of San Diego as one of their biggest abortion supporters.
Those opposed to Planned Parenthood have been getting the word out about the Ecke–Planned Parenthood connection and it has impacted the Ecke Ranch to the point where it cut back on its production of poinsettias last year and is licensing its name to other growers.
We ask everyone who loves life to be sure to check the source of your poinsettia plants before you buy them. If they carry the name of Ecke Ranch, pass them up and look for another brand.
Harassment Policy to undergo FINAL READING TONIGHT
(Yep, this is it.)
The School Board will hear the third reading of the policy and could take action on it. A majority vote either implements the policy or sends it back to committee.
Opponents cite the policy’s inclusion of “sexual orientation” in a list of protected classes and say the policy violates First Amendment rights and doesn’t include parent notification early enough in harassment investigations. Those in support say the policy protects all students and meets legal standards. Religious leaders, parents, students and community members have spoken on both sides of the issue.
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Monday’s meeting starts an hour later than normal – at 8 p.m., after a board work session – in the Education Service Center, 735 S. Main St.
The district’s latest proposed policy on harassment is nearly the same as the Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 9, which establishes procedures on complying with the state statute on harassment (118.13). The proposed policy reads: “Pupil harassment” means behavior towards pupils based, in whole or in part, on sex, race, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability which substantially interferes with a pupil’s school performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive school environment.
Attend tonight's meeting. Speak up. LAST CHANCE.