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A Tale of Two Headlines
June 26th, 2009The following two headlines appeared side-by-side in most Wisconsin papers recently:
Legislature and Governor Agree to Double Capital Gains Tax (Other Taxes and Fees up over $3 Billion)
And …
GM Will Not Re-open Janesville Auto Plant (Kenosha Engine Plant among other companies still on the bubble)
Most of us know that businesses, especially small businesses, rely on capital gains incentives to power their investments in their workers and the community. Small business owners also use these long-term tax rates to provide income in retirement that is inflation-protected. If the irony of these two headlines is lost on our State’s citizens and politicians, its time to re-visit the creation of the State of “Superior”, which would carve out the people of common sense, leaving the insatiable redistributionists behind (maybe a virtual State?).
Return to the Rule of Men (and Women)
June 15th, 2009In the 18th century, we the people of the fledgling United States were fodder for the voracious tax appetite of Parliament. We were also subject to the capricious will of a sovereign monarch who was not constrained either by precedent or the Rule of Law. Then we had a revolution, followed by almost 290 years of a democratically-elected representative republic anchored by a seemingly bullet-proof Constitution.
Trials with Wisconsin Lawyers
May 13th, 2009The following guest posting is a copy of a letter from Jonathan Barry to his state representatives. Jonathan is the owner of a small ski hill in Wisconsin, and he is commenting on the proposed “joint and several liability law” that many believe is payback to Governor Doyle for the trial lawyers’ support during the last election. The fact that this liability change was buried in the budget act, and would not be debated on its merits, would seem to support that view.
Department of Obfuscation
May 1st, 2009Wisconsin has regulations directing all aspects of our childrens’ education. In particular, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) tells local school districts what to pay their teachers, which types of students must be in their classes, and generally what type of learning resources should be available to these students. But amidst all this chaff, they do not insist that the students actually learn critical thinking skills that would help them evaluate the credibility of what they read, the veracity what they hear from our leaders, and the authenticity of what they see on TV.
A Dickens of a Tale
March 2nd, 2009Most of us remember the scene in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” where the ghost of Christmas future opens his robes to reveal a neglected boy and a malnourished girl who represent, respectively, “Ignorance and Want”. The ghost warns: “Beware them both, but most of all, beware this boy.” In Wisconsin education, this tableau has been played out countless times, but with the scenario turned on its head and the children’s roles redefined as “Knowledge Denied” and “Opportunities Lost”.
Dubuque - How Close to Wisconsin?
March 2nd, 2009Dubuque, Iowa shares its border with both Wisconsin and Illinois. Rather than high taxes and layers of mandates, Dubuque and Iowa encourage cooperation, consensus and joint projects among business owners and government agencies; such cross-fertilization has created a dynamic and growing economic environment that “floats all boats”. This, then is a real life Tale of Two Cities, one in Iowa, and several (take your pick) in Wisconsin.
A Technology Refresher
February 26th, 2009One of the problems Wisconsin has experienced in implementing advanced technology infrastructure is that even simple mathematical and scientific concepts were not in the curriculum of our leaders’ education (oh, so long ago). In particular, there is one very important mathematical relation which is necessary for all policymakers to grasp, namely, the relation between Money and Work:
Conversations at the Governor’s Club
February 26th, 2009The Governor’s Club restaurant in the Concourse Hotel is Wisconsin’s version of New York’s Algonquin Hotel circa 1940 to 1960. Journalists’ and lobbyists’ conversations spill from one table to the next, news is made and overheard, and strategies are evolved to tap and divert power, influence and public revenue streams.