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

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Unions Supporting Boycott of Wisconsin Companies

Just an FYI so you know where to consider doing business -


Don’t give any of them a dime or any business. Tell your friends.

Political Action Committees ($5000 or more in contributions)

* ABCPAC-WIS
* AT&T Wisconsin Employee PAC (formerly SBC)
* Building a Better WI/Wisconsin Builders Association
* Concerned Realtors Committee
* Deere & Company PAC - WI
* Eli Lilly and Company PAC
* FONEPAC Telecommunications & Computers
* Friends & Neighbors of Robin Vos
* Friends of Alberta Darling
* HNTB Holdings Ltd PAC
* KochPAC Natural Resources
* Managed Health Services/Centene PAC

* Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
* Operating Engineers 139 PAC
* People for Rebecca Kleefisch
* Realtors PAC
* Republican Party Milwaukee Co
* Republican Party of Wisconsin
* Tavern Industry PAC
* TDS Telecom
* Wal-Mart Stores/WAL-PAC
* WellPAC Wellpoint Inc
* WI Credit Union League Action Fund (WCULAF)
* WI Dental PAC (WIDPAC)
* WI Insurance Alliance PAC
* WI Pipe Trades PAC

Employers ($5000 or morein contributions)

* ABC Supply Co
* Agrecol Corp
* Allen Edmonds Shoes
* AMK Concepts & Services
* Anew Health Care Services Inc
* AO Smith Corp
* Apache Stainless Steel
* Artisan Partners
* Atlantic DQ
* Audio Implements/GKC
* Badger Meter
* Baraboo Growth
* Bevco Ergonomic Seating
* Blomquist Benefits Consulting
* Boerke Co Inc
* Bradley Foundation
Brian Retzlaff Trucking
* Briggs & Stratton
* Burke Properties
* Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
* Call Solutions
* Campbell Wrapper Corp
* Carpenter
* CD Smith Construction
* Chambers & Owen
* Charro Restaurante
* Charter Manufacturing
* Church Mutual Insurance
* Cobalt Partners LLC
* Commonwealth Development Corp.
* Continental Properties Co Inc
* County Concrete
* Couri Insurance Agency
* Custom Pak Products
* EBY-Brown Co
* Einhorn Associates
* Emergency Medicine Specialists
* Endeavors Group
* Fabco Equipment Inc
* Fashion Angels Enterprises
* Feather Larson & Synhorst.
* Fiduciary Management
* First American Funding
* Fisher Barton Inc
* Glenora Co
* GMR Marketing
* Gogebic Taconite LLC
* Gold Leaf Development
* Hal Leonard Publishing
* Hammes Co
* Harris Associates
* Hay Creek Pallett
* Heartland Advisors
* Hexagon Investments
* High Crossing Development Corp
* Holton Brothers Construction
* Horton Group
* Hovde Financial
* Hy Cite Corp
* I-Robot
* Iconica
* Inpro Corp
* Insight Industries

* Irgens Development Partners
* Johnson Controls
* Johnsonville Foods
* JSD Professional Services Inc
* Kapur & Associates
* KBS Construction
* Koss Corp
* Krier Foods
* Kwik Trip
* Lorman Education Services
* Lubar & Co
* M&I Bank
* Meissner, Tierney, et al
* Michels Corp
* Midwest Neurosurgical
* Milksource
* MillerCoors
* Minnesota Wild
* MJ Construction Inc
* Morrison Creek Cranberry
* Nicholas Company Inc
* Nova Surgical LLC
* Orthopaedic Associates of.
* PACUR
* Panduit Corp
* Paper Machinery Corp
* Payne & Dolan
* Pinstripe Inc
* Plastic Surgery Group
* Prent Corp
* Promotions Unlimited
* RCI FirstPathway Partners
* Reiman Publications
* Richardson Industries
* Rite Hite Corp
* Roehl Transport
* Salomon Smith Barney
* Sargento Inc
* SC Johnson & Sons
* Schneider National
* School choice
* Sendik’s Food Market
* Shannon Sales Inc
* SIG Financial Holdings
* Specialty Underwriters
* St John Properties Inc
* Standard Process Laboratories
* Stark Investments
* Super Steel Products
* Tamarack Petroleum Co
* Tankcraft Corp
* ThedaCare
* Tries & Rice
* Uihlein Wilson Architects
* US Counseling Service
* US Oil Co
* V Duane Rath Foundation
* Wausau Homes
* Wausau Paper
* West Allis Salvage
* West Bend Clinic
* Zenith Tech (read less

Justin Pluess

715 451-1208
Vice President
Wis. Rapids Firefighters Local 425
421 Witter Street
Wisconsin Rapids WI 54494
Cell (715) 451-1208
Station 1 (715) 421-6277

SCOTT WALKER SUPPORT/COUNTER-PROTEST - WEST BEND

Afterthoughts, 6:35 p.m.: Two women walking behind me stated that they were not from West Bend, but didn't want to go to Madison so West Bend was the next best thing. I imagine it was the same with others who were there. An older man on the corner introduced himself to union workers as a union organizer, thought his name was Steve Nelson, but not positive on that.

Other faces in the crowd include:
Former West Bend East VP, current WB District Teachers, former Silverbrook orchestra teacher

______________________________________________

I participated in the pro-Scott Walker rally today in West Bend. I'll blog on it shortly, but first will get the pics up. I've got video going up on youtube shortly, as well. C'mon back for an update in a little while....

UPDATE:
I decided that the best way to get to know how the "other side" really thinks is throw myself into the throngs. I joined the group of protesters who, ironically, called themselves "West Benders for Fairness" and walked, alone, with my Sen. Walker campaign sign. I think they were a bit taken aback at first, but hey, there was one sidewalk and the police asked everyone to keep walking. I was just obeying.

There was one large group with a megaphone on the corner sidewalk by Hobby Lobby (NW corner). The other three corners had decent-sized crowds all walking single file with mostly hand-made signs. The ones that leave me scratching my head are the signs that lend personal attack and disregard the bill or the items within the bill. For instance, there was a gentleman walking his dog in the protest line and he had hung a sign on the poor thing that stated something similar to "Where's Walker, I gotta pee." Seriously. I would consider that an embarrassment. As I walked with the protesters, I kept my ears open to the conversations. I did not initiate conversation or otherwise engage with any protesters. The majority of the protesters were respectful, but I am speaking only for the SW corner by Starbucks where I was walking. One man turned around and told me he gave me credit for being courageous enough to walk in their line. I really didn't see as I had any choice anyway. Like I said, there was only one sidewalk. It was nice of him, nonetheless. People were chanting "Kill the Bill", and "Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Scott Walker has got to go" for the majority of the demonstration, on all corners. One particularly offensive group was singing a Christian "Battle Hymn of the Republic," but had changed the words to something that glorified solidarity. Seriously, I would have never gone there.

Seen amongst the protesters were:
ALDERMAN NICK DOBBERSTEIN, Hartford teacher (whose seat is up for re-election in Spring) who was shouting "RECALL WALKER!"
MIKE WESTON, Firefighter and former West Bend school board member (chanting the "hey hey, ho ho" mantra)
STEEV BAKER, Kewaskum Public Librarian - Taking pics and assimilating the protesting crowd
KRISTIN PEKOLL, West Bend Young Adult Librarian (sign reading something like "Don't SHUSH the Librarian"
MARK PETERSON, local liberal UWWC Psychology Professor
WARING FINCKE, local liberal attorney
MICHAEL TYREE, former Library Director

And now I'll briefly vent - I absolutely hate when people take part in a protest and bring their little children, have them hold signs, and tell them things to yell. GEEZ, people. I can understand if someone has to bring their baby and they are walking while pushing a stroller. OK, that's understandable. If your kids is 12 or 13 (give or take) and understands the situation, makes a decision to take part, and wants your assistance, that's fine, too. Just don't exploit the young un's. Really.






Corner of Paradise and Main, West Bend -






Are any of these people YOUR teachers?





About 23 seconds into this video you will hear Dennis Uhlig, employee at Fireside Books, proudly state he called his Democratic Senators and asked them to stay out of Wisconsin. You will remember Dennis from his previous involvement in the library issue, where he stated he was supportive of all information for all people, including minor children. Same Dennis.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

WORD about the Budget Repair Bill.......

I have given a lot of time and consideration concerning Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Bill. I spent time reading the bill and doing my own research. I was going to sit down tonight to submit my commentary, but alas, CALL ME MOM of Irate Tireless Minority beat me to it. May I say, "You took the words right out of my...er...off of my...er.. well done, good and faithful servant."

Curtsy, "CALL ME MOM"

(You may read the post in its entirety HERE. It's worth the click. Really.)

P.S. While I'm at it, you may want to read her post on what the bill is REALLY about, per Sen. Joe Liebham. Click HERE for the full read.

Call Me Mom was attending the showing of the movie "The Cartel" at the Sheboygan Library. She lends her personal account of the event here....
___________________________________________

"The Cartel is a documentary by Bob Bowdon that takes a look at the role of unions in the school district of New Jersey. It basically details the huge amount of waste in school district's spending in New Jersey. Or at least it's assumed to be waste because, even though they spend the highest amount per student of any state in the nation, they have some of the worst results. Their eighth graders were 39% proficient in reading and 40% proficient in math. There is also a very high dropout rate.

The film compared the average cost of teachers salaries($50,000 plus benefits)to the average cost per classroom($300-400,000, and asked the question:"Where is the rest of the money going?" The conclusion was that the money was going to unions, unneeded facilities upgrades and unnecessary layers of administration and bureaucracy. There was a huge amount of corruption shown. The film also concluded that schools are big business for unions and others, because everybody wants their children to be well educated and not many people are paying attention to where the money is going.

When the movie presented an account of a teacher who was prevented by union rules from volunteering her time to do an extracurricular activity after school hours with the students, a parent in front of me leaned over to her daughter and whispered "That's not true". I don't know how she reached that conclusion. The account was almost certainly true and I have heard similar accounts from teachers in WI.

The bottom line of the film is that communities need to be aware of how their money is being spent and hold feet to the fire when funds are being misused. (Those feet can belong to the unions, the school's administrative bodies and/or legislators.)At least that's the message I got from it. Clearly, I was a minority in that conclusion as most of the teachers and union people present seemed to think the film was being shown as propaganda just to make them look bad.

This is one of the problems with holding onto an ideology without regard to the facts. I sincerely doubt that the teachers union would have shown up to protest this movie had it not been for the budget protests going on in Madison right now. That's why I labeled this post as I did. There seemed to be little regard on the part of the teachers for the facts presented in the film. I can understand disregarding statistics(the third kind of lie), but ignoring facts in favor of feeling hard done by because it makes the ideology or organization you claim as your own look bad, is denial.

One of the attendees remarked to those around her:"Why is it okay for corporations to have it[collective bargaining] and not us?" Because, as the film stated, the party paying the bills(the taxpayers)is often not being represented at the bargaining table in a public union situation.

When a private corporation sits down to bargain with their union, they all know a number of fixed facts. The cost of materials, the number of hours required for production, shipping costs, building maintenance, and etc, needed to produce whatever is produced. They know how much their sales are likely to be and how much they can and cannot raise prices to meet their costs. In other words, the money available to pay for all the necessary steps of production is a fixed amount and there must be a certain percentage of profit obtained or there's no reason to have a business.

When the unions are dealing with a government, those numbers are a lot more fluid. There seems to be an assumption that if the union demands more, the government can simply raise taxes and the money for those increases will fall out of the sky. That is the difference.

That may have appeared to be true in years past, but now it is crunch time. Taxes are as high as the people will bear and prices on goods and services are going up. This is the showdown that is occurring in WI and across the nation. This is not the taxpayer telling the public employees that they are bad people or that they don't deserve to be compensated with a specific amount, but rather that there is no more money available to pay more taxes. If that means that these public sector employees feel that they must seek employment that will pay them better, then so be it.

The taxpayers of WI are not trying to denigrate the public workers, we are simply saying this is how much we can pay right now. There isn't any more and no amount of protesting is going to make more appear. Do what is best for you. If you can't afford to work for us anymore, then best of luck to you in your new position, whatever it is and we will look for those who can afford to work for what we can offer."


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Put your WALKER CAMPAIGN SIGN out in your yard - NOW

According to Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Action, there is a movement across the state of Wisconsin to lend support to Governor Scott Walker by placing a campaign sign out in your yard.

Got a campaign sign?

DO IT NOW.

No need to waste time at the Capitol with bullies.

Do the WALKER WAVE!

What Democracy Does NOT Look Like

Excellent blog post.  Curtsy "From Where I Sit" - (Posted in its entirety)
"The students and public union members who have taken over Wisconsin’s state capital in an attempt to intimidate the duly elected majority have been chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”
This is not what democracy looks like. This is what mob rule looks like. It’s what self-interest looks like. It’s what a minority trying to thwart the will of the majority looks like. It is the exact opposite of democracy.
The reason America’s democracy has worked so long when so many other attempts at democracy have quickly failed is that Americans understand that the winners of elections get to govern.
I could not disagree more strenuously with President Obama’s agenda, but as he famously said, “elections have consequences.” For the time being, he gets to implement his policies. In 2012, I will do my best to see that he is defeated and that many of his policies are reversed. That’s how we do it in America.
If you don’t like the results of an election, you work harder to win next time, you don’t attempt to overturn the results through work stoppages or by shutting down the government and refusing to return until the majority bows to your will.
I’m not saying the people don’t have the right to protest or advocate for their position, of course they do. But what’s going on in Madison is way beyond writing your representative, it is an organized attempt to subvert the results of a democratic election. That’s certainly not what “democracy looks like.”
This week we will probably find out who really runs Wisconsin, the voters or the unions.
And, quite honestly, I doubt it will end up being the voters."

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

West Bend - Election Results

Good news in that David Prosser blew the other WI Supreme Court candidates OUT OF THE WATER.

Below are election results for West Bend via Fox6 News.

Cannot, for the life of me, understand how Todd Miller got ANY votes.  He never speaks and has voted for every tax levy.





West Bend School Board
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
>Todd Miller (I)1,83519%
>Mark Maley1,47415%
>Rick Parks1,47015%
>Bart Williams1,34714%
>Susan Kornemann Hansen1,32714%
>Douglas Rakowski1,20013%
 Vinney Pheng93210%





West Bend Alderman #4
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
>Nick Dobberstein (I)19842%
>Randy Koehler16735%
 Chris Jenkins11223%

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Deep Throat in the Public Library -

Curtsy: Dan Kleinman, Safelibraries


Deep Throat in the Public Library

Deep Throat in the public library?  Will Manley brings us the case of a book that quietly disappeared after a patron complained: "Dear Monday from the Unwinders Tavern – Any Advice for Deep Throat?," by Will ManleyWill Unwound, 6 February 2011, #355.

The issue is whether the facts as presented represent a case of "institutional censorship."  The question Will Manley asks his many readers is, "What should Deep Throat do?"

There is a bigger question.  Why is there a need for a library to feel the need to remove a book quietly in the first place?  Is the removal of the book a problem, or is the knee jerk reaction of the American Library Association [ALA] the problem that causes librarians to fear its reaction?

ALA mischaracterizes every single book challenge
in 2009.  Instead of "deciding for others," perhaps
460 patrons are properly seeking application of
existing book selection policies and practices.
Think about it.  Every single personin 2009 who challenged a book in a public library was vilified by the ALA.  All 460 of them.  No exceptions.  Zero.  All 460 were derided as "censors."  See my report on this here:  "The Parent Trap:  ALA Uses Banned Books Week to Ridicule Patrons Complying with ALA Materials Reconsideration Policies."

So that's how and why Banned Book Week is used by the ALA.  To ridicule patrons seeking to challenge books and cow them into silence.

Silence.  The opposite of free speech the ALA claims to promote.

MORE HERE

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Candidate Forum for West Bend Alderman/Mayor - Video

The video of last night's Eagle Forum Candidate Forum for West Bend's District 4 Alderman and City of West Bend Mayor is now available if you were not able to attend.


Click HERE

Thursday, February 3, 2011

EAGLE FORUM hosting candidate forum for City Mayor/Alderman

Eagle Forum of Wisconsin - Washington County will be hosting a candidate forum on Friday, February 4, at the West Bend City Council Chambers, 1115 S. Main Street.  The moderator will be Randy Melchert, political analyst, grassroots coordinator and new media specialist for conservative organizations. This forum is designed to be an opportunity for candidates to share their views with the West Bend community, and will provide a brief meet and greet time following the forum.

Agenda:
6:30 PM - District 4 Alderman candidates

7:15 PM - Mayoral candidates

According to Washington County Chapter president, Ginny Maziarka, Eagle Forum is offering this event as a community service to the greater Washington County area.  The forum will be aired multiple times on the West Bend Community Cable channel, reaching West Bend on Charter channel 99,  Washington County / Dodge County / Sheboygan on Charter channel 987, throughout Milwaukee on AT&T uVerse channel 99, as well as online for later viewing.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Wisconsin Leads the Way in Declaring ObamaCare DEAD

From NETRIGHTDAILY:


Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has taken a great step forward in stopping the implementation of ObamaCare. And quite correctly, Van Hollen said, "Judge Vinson declared the health care law void and stated in his decision that a declaratory judgment is the functional equivalent of an injunction. This means that, for Wisconsin, the federal health care law is dead-unless and until it is revived by an appellate court. Effectively, Wisconsin was relieved of any obligations or duties that were created under terms of the federal health care law."
Wisconsin has drawn a line in the sand. ObamaCare is not a law, because it was overturned by Judge Vinson. Because ObamaCare is not a law, no state is to follow it. To begin implementing ObamaCare would be in violation of the law of the land.

MORE HERE....

You can run, but you can't hide...

...if you're a flamingo in Wisconsin.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

West Bend School District CLOSED for the rest of today and TOMORROW

The West Bend School District had a 12:30 p.m. early release for high school students, and has a two-hour early release for all other schools today.

ALL WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, due to the weather conditions.

Planned Parenthood Aids Pimp With Sex Trafficking Advice/Services

Believe it.  This is DEEPLY DISTURBING.  By the way, IMMIGRANTS WELCOME.  Sick.


From LIVE ACTION:


NEW JERSEY – February 1, 2011– A Planned Parenthood manager in New Jersey coaches a man and a woman posing as sex traffickers how to secure secret abortions, STD testing, and contraception for their female underage sex slaves, and make their whole operation “look as legit as possible” in an undercover video released this morning.

Clinic manager Amy Woodruff, LPN, of Planned Parenthood Central New Jersey’s Perth Amboy center, warns the pimp and his prostitute to have their trafficked underage girls lie about their age to avoid mandatory reporting laws, promising, “even if they lie, just say, ‘Oh he's the same age as me, 15,’…it's just that mainly 14 and under we have to, doesn't matter if their partner's the same age, younger, whatever, 14 and under we have to report.” She says, “For the most part, we want as little information as possible.”

Woodruff also recommends how the pimp can get his prostitutes cheaper contraception by claiming they are “students”: “If they're minors, put down that they're students. Yeah, just kind of play along that they’re students--we want to make it look as legit as possible.”

If one of the young trafficked girls needs an abortion, Woodruff refers the pimp and prostitute to the Metropolitan Medical Association, where “their protocols aren’t as strict as ours and they don’t get audited the same way that we do.” The prostitute in the video asks how long after the abortion until the girls can have sex again, and when Woodruff says “minimum of 2 weeks,” she asks what sex acts the girls could still do to make money. Woodruff advises, “Waist up, or just be that extra action walking by” to advertise sex to potential clients.


Pro-Life Wisconsin Announces : Roundy's Apologizes for Gift to NARAL

Roundy's handled this well.

According to Pro-Life Wisconsin:


"Merely six days has passed since we posted the list of businesses sponsoring NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin‘s Roe v. Wade celebration, and five days has passed since we asked pro-lifers to contact Roundy’s/Copps regarding their sponsorship. Roundy’s is the corporate parent of Copps and is based in Milwaukee. We specifically targeted Roundy’s from NARAL’s list because it is a Wisconsin company, and a boycott of Roundy’s 155 stores would have the greatest impact.

We received official confirmation of Roundy’s official position regarding pro-life/pro-abortion donations:
Copps and Roundy’s Supermarkets have never made the decision to support either pro-choice or pro-life organizations, events or campaigns. We have left those decisions of support up to our individual customers and employees.

But we had to press further… what exactly transpired for Copps to be listed as a NARAL sponsor? What steps are being taken to ensure it didn’t happen again?

What we found out: Without authorization (since it is against corporate policy), a Copps store manager donated a $25 gift card to NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin for their event. Roundy’s acknowledged the donation should not have occurred. 

....


When Copps/Roundy’s admitted the donation was a single $25 gift card, we realized (yet again) how pathetic NARAL is. Their listing of corporate sponsors may look impressive, but $25 here and there certainly won’t prop up the abortion industry for long. Especially when pro-lifers make it known they will not shop somewhere that bankrolls abortion."