Badger Blogger

The paper’s editorial board is now calling for an end to ethanol mandates… It’s nice of them to join in… I expect they will next print their admission that for the past decade or more, they have been wrong for supporting these mandates, right?

Judge Lee Dreyfus Jr. has decided that from now on, when he sentences a habitual OWI driver, he will send them directly to jail. Judge Dreyfus is the judge that released Mark Benson two days before he murdered three and injured two others.

Better late than never I guess, but I wish Judge Dreyfus and other judges in Wisconsin would do this before they destroy another family.

The Wisconsin Institute for Leadership is open for business. WIL is a place for conservatives to connect with other conservatives to discuss issues that concern us all. Surf on over and make sure you check out the Forums.

Visit The Wisconsin Institute for Leadership’s Forum

Good ‘ol Rep. Dr. Steve Kagen, the guy that ran saying he would “eliminate earmarks in the federal budget” gobbled up some $25 million in pork himself. His explanation… Oh, I meant last year, not this year… Besides, I don’t even know what an earmark is… except for all the earmarks Bush gets… even though he’s not in Congress… And don’t forget that I said, “I ran on the idea that I would stand by my pork.”

What a buffoon. I have my problems with John Gard, but Kagen is, and always has been a first class dork.

Kagen helped secure $25 million in earmarks for Wisconsin
WASHINGTON - In January 2007, freshman Rep. Steve Kagen said he and other Democrats would freeze federal spending and “eliminate earmarks in the federal budget.”

But the Wisconsin Democrat wound up securing about $25 million in earmarks in 2008 spending bills, according to a database by Taxpayers for Common Sense. The money he got on his own and with other lawmakers puts him in the top half of House members in securing dollars for pet projects.

Kagen says there’s no inconsistency because his 2007 remarks were about reforms in that year’s spending bill. He also resists the term “earmarks” when talking about money he obtained for this year.

“I’ve not seen an accurate definition of an earmark,” Kagen said in a telephone interview, “but the majority of earmarks I’ve seen in my short time in Congress come out of the (Bush) administration — where the administration will give a Department of Energy or Interior grant to someone that they know, or some other entity that hasn’t gone through Congress.”

House rules define “congressional earmark” as spending included primarily because a member requested it.

State Senator Lena Taylor, on her announcement yesterday, declaring her Superdelegate endorsement of Barack Obama:

“After a review of my recent County Executive race I am more aware then ever of the need to galvanize, motivate and inspire political participation by every member of society. Senator Obama has been a lightening rod in the effort to return citizens to the process. He’s awakened a sleeping giant – the people. He has reenergized those weary of politics as we have come to know it by demonstrating both character and personal strength. He has connected with a cross-section of Americans, with a desire to do things better then we have done before. He has an energy and commitment that is inclusive, thoughtful, contagious and deliberate.

Senator Obama has the essential skill set to foster positive changes desperately needed for our nation. His track record on policy, his diplomatic approach to conflict resolution and his keen awareness of the issues have positioned him to be the catalyst for change we need. Visionary, courageous and capable, Senator Obama is not only prepared to answer that 3am crisis phone call, he’s smart and experienced enough to avert it. I’m proud to endorse him today.”

His “track record” on policy? Tell us more about that one, Lena. Do elaborate.

I’d like to officially congratulate Mr. Obama on winning the “First Annual Lena Taylor Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.”

(h/t: The Simpsons)

Omar Haban-Megahed was found dead in his Monroe Street, Madison home in 1998. Madison police detectives ruled it an “overdose”, even though family and friends allegedly told police repeatedly that Omar, an attorney and avid cyclist, didn’t use drugs.

Blood tests eventually showed no recreational drugs in Omar’s system. To this day, 10 years later, Omar’s official cause of death, according to the Madison Police Department, is “undetermined“.

Omar’s mother, Enid, with the help of a former Madison PD detective - now private investigator - has, by her claims, been fighting a battle with the Madison PD over the past 10 years that parallels what families of recent victims of homicides in Madison have reportedly experienced.

Her story is riddled with tales of stonewalling, improperly stored evidence, disinterested detectives, unreturned phone calls, details ignored, refusal to release reports, and only getting answers from the Madison PD in the form of confirmation… after finding the information herself.

The little voice in the back of my head reminds me that this is a frustrated mother who has undoubtedly spent the last 10 years of her life trying to reconcile with the death of her son. But, according to the story, released in this week’s Madison Isthmus, this is clearly a woman who has done her homework. She believes that her son was murdered, possibly by a jealous roommate (Omar was dating the roommate’s ex-girlfriend), and that Madison police have shown no desire to connect the dots surrounding her son’s death.

Enid’s key comment to Isthmus is contained in one of the last paragraphs of the story:

“Q- Is it wise for families to share their frustrations with media?
A- I say, “Go to the press, sweetie. Go to others for help all you want.” That’s the only way I got anywhere, by going to the others. Nothing was ever forthcoming. Only after I asked others who could approach it from another angle did I get any information.”

Sound familiar? Families of Madison homicide victims shouldn’t have to fight their battles for answers in the media. They certainly shouldn’t have to fight the police for assistance. In Milwaukee, they at least give them a helpful pamphlet.

As the classic “Ace” song asks, “How long (has this been going on)?”

Wisconsin’s top elections official, Kevin Kennedy was testifying before congress in what was thought to be a routine hearing, when California Rep. Kevin McCarthy suddenly asked that the Milwaukee Police Department report that was released earlier this year, be entered into the record. This report documented case after case of Wisconsin’s “Same Day Registration” being used to commit voter fraud. McCarthy “questioned the wisdom of same-day registrations…” Welcome to the club Rep. McCarthy, we have been asking that for years. I hope Kennedy gave you a better answer than he gives the voters of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin elections chief questioned at congressional hearing about controversial police report

WISN Radio is collecting useful items to ship to the troops in Iraq. They are also collecting cash donations to help pay for shipping the packages to the troops. Swing over to Operation Summer Relief’s page for ideas of what the troops could use.

Operation Summer Relief

They will be collecting the donations at the War Memorial this Saturday (May 17th) On Armed Forces Day.

For the past week or so, I have been watching, and growing more annoyed by all of the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works employees that have been deployed to dig up all of the flower gardens on the cities boulevards. There are hundreds of highly paid, unionized city workers that are raking dirt, and over the next few weeks, they will start planting flowers on these plots. Sure, they look nice in the summer, but would our quality of life really drop if these people were doing things like filling the potholes that still mar our streets? I mean, how can you enjoy the flowers when your front end is being knocked out of alignment by a pothole so deep that you can see the re-bar?

The other day, I seen a city crew planting a tree outside of St. Josephs Hospital, they had three trucks, and four workers to plant one tree, and the only one working was the guy operating the equipment, with it, he dug the hole, picked the tree out of a second truck and placed it in the hole. Then the three other guys filled in the dirt around it. They needed four people and three trucks for that? Sure, it looks nice, but wouldn’t you rather they spend your tax dollars a little more wisely?

I have to wonder how much this city pays for flowers, the manpower, underground sprinkler system, equipment and upkeep each year? Is this really necessary spending? Would life be so bad if we just let the grass grow on the boulevards?

I put this question to you, what has more of an impact on your quality of life, hundreds of city employees planting tens of thousands of flowers along city streets, or a city government that spends your money wisely, so you can keep a little more of what you are paying in taxes?

In the past week, the petition that we started to encourage Wisconsin’s legislators to tighten the law on people that continue to drive after their license has been revoked, has received almost 20,000 signatures and has received the attention of several news outlets.

I have received a lot of email about this petition as well, and the vast majority has been very positive, but there have been a few that have hesitated to sign, and one guy actually chewed me out, called my a liar and refused to sign because of the ads generated on the site. I just want to take a moment to assure everyone that I have no control over these ads, in all honesty, I never pay attention to ads on a site, but with all the questions raised, I have been watching. PetitionOnline.com is a free service, but they are a business, they make their money though selling ad space. The ad service they use (Google Ads) searches the page for keywords and tries to match ads that fit the content of the page, unfortunately, since our petition deals with drunk driving laws, some of the ads in their rotation are for attorneys that defend drunk drivers.

Again, these ads are beyond my control, please don’t allow a goofy little ad placed on a page dissuade you from signing this petition that is actually doing some good. We are generating a lot of buzz around Wisconsin. We have a report that there has been at least one church that has had someone passing out the URL to the petition and Rep. Joel Kleefisch and others are working hard to draft this tough new legislation. If you would like to help further, contacting your state legislator will help speed this along. There will be people that fight the idea of taking the cars away from these dangerous habitual criminals. If you are unsure of who your legislators are, simply fill out this form and you will be directed to your state officials.
Who Are My Legislators?

One year ago today, a fun-loving 4-year-old little girl that was skipping rope in front of her house was gunned down on the streets of Milwaukee, as a group of thugs tried to murder a man. And thanks to the Stop Snitchin’ culture in Milwaukee’s inner-city neighborhoods, police are still trying to nail this killer, even though they believe they know who the shooter is. They have focused on one group of people, but witnesses will not help police remove this trash from their neighborhood.

I can understand the fear of gang retaliation in this neighborhood, but how could you live with your self knowing that the murderer of an innocent little girl is free on the streets while her family has suffered through of year of this pain? If you know who did this, and we all know that someone knows, do the right thing, call police, even anonymously and help them remove this trash that has had a year of freedom that he doesn’t deserve.

Past coverage of Jasmine Owens.

Anyone want to buy a dog? Cheap?

This is what happens when a 65lb. dog tries to jump into your eyeball at 3am.

Yes, it does hurt.

I have a few updates on what has been dubbed Zachary’s Law, in honor of the 12 year old Zachary Bella, who survived an accident that took the lives of his mother, her unborn daughter and 10 year old sister. We are fighting hard to make it harder for those that have had their drivers licenses revoked, to repeat their crimes.

Milwaukee’s Fox 6 did a story linking to the petition yesterday, and I have been in contact with a TMJ4 reporter today and they will be doing a story this evening, so make sure you tune in!

Next, I received the following press release from Rep. Joel Kleefisch:

Zachary’s Law Moving Forward

Zachary’s Law Legislation Moves Forward in Wake of Oconomowoc Crash

Madison…State Representative Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) announced today after a meeting with Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) that he is open to the possibility of scheduling an Extraordinary Session in order to bring two new bills before the State Assembly that have been drafted in the wake of the horrific crash that occurred April 25th in Oconomowoc that took the lives of three people.

“When a person is convicted of their third drunken driving offense they should go directly to jail and lose their car,” Kleefisch said. “Public and family outcry and a realization as a state that we need to get tougher on repeat drunk drivers, is driving this swift call to action.”

The new bills will require that upon conviction of a third drunken driving offense, an individual will go directly to jail and relinquish the vehicle being driven at the time, for impoundment and to be sold or destroyed at the offender’s expense.

The legislation comes after Jennifer Bukosky, her unborn daughter Sophie, and her 10-year-old daughter Courtney Bella were killed while stopped at a traffic light in Oconomowoc by a third time drunk driver who police say rear-ended the vehicle. Also injured was Deborah Gibbs, a friend of Courtney and Bukosky’s son Zachary for whom the legislation is named.

The alleged driver, Mark M. Benson, is a former physician who had his medical license revoked for substance abuse and his driver’s license revoked three times. He committed his third drunk driving offense in July 2007, but was not convicted until April 2008. Benson allegedly remained at large during that period and was scheduled to report to a Huber facility in May.

“With the grassroots support for this legislation, I am optimistic that these bills can become law,” said Kleefisch. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and from each house of the legislature who have voiced their support to accomplish this goal. I strongly encourage citizens throughout the state to contact their representatives.”

More to follow, including links to the TMJ4 report when it is on-line.

This afternoon, The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, The Wisconsin State Journal, WTMJ-TV of Milwaukee and WISC-TV of Madison announced that they have filed a lawsuit against Dane County and the City of Madison for withholding public records documents surrounding the 911 call which preceded Brittany Zimmermann being found murdered in her Madison home.

The suit seeks a judicial order, demanding the release of the 911 call audio and related documents, which Dane County and Madison police have refused to produce to the media, “as soon as practicable and without delay” according to a report at J/S Online.

Kathy Carpenter has a great way to get involved in the fight to pass a Voter ID Amendment for Wisconsin.

Sign the Voter ID petition today

Yep. Trademarked on May 13, 1958.

Think of all the ways in which those little hooks and loops have changed your life.

Coincidence? We’ll probably never know. In any event, James P. Bohanan, wanted by Madison police for the murder of a Waunakee man “in cold blood” at a house party in Madison last July, was arrested this afternoon “without incident” in Chicago. They were acting on a “tip” from the Madison Police Department.

A few days ago, we opined on Bohanan’s evasion of Madison police, who, on a surveillance assignment, last December… apparently saw someone “matching Bohanan’s description” twice in one night, but failed to make an arrest, according to reports.

Hats off to the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Chicago PD’s Fugitive Squad. Way to make an arrest! When you know whom you’re looking for, and aren’t afraid to bring them in, crimes get cleared.

Also, according to the online posting, two Madison detectives are “on their way to Chicago” at the time of this writing. We can only assume that their dispatch has something to do with Bohanan’s arrest, and nothing to do with that new sushi place that’s all the rave in Lincoln Park. We’ll stay on top of this one, folks.

In honor of Jennifer Bukosky, her pre-born daughter Sophie and daughter Courtney Bella, all who were killed in the horrific accident we have been following, the family is setting up foundations to honor their memory. The Jennifer Bukosky Fund will be used for substance abuse education at Oconomowoc High School, where Jennifer was a beloved teacher and associate principal.

There is also a fund being set up in honor of Courtney Bella, the “Imagine A Day Foundation.” This is still being set up, details will follow.

The family has also set up an Edvest college fund for Jennifer’s son Zachary Bella. This young man was also in this terrible accident that took the lives of his mother and two sisters. Please help secure the future for Zach. He has lost a lot, but he has family that love him enough to think of his future.

Please consider a donation, and don’t forget to sign the petition, as 12,000 concerned citizens have over the past few days.

The Jennifer Bukosky Fund
Oconomowoc Public Education Fund
PO Box 444
Oconomowoc WI 53066
(non-profit, funds to be used at Oconomowoc High School for substance use/abuse education programs)

Zachary Bella Wisconsin Edvest 529 Program
Account#2729-2501105965 (write account# in check memo)
Edvest c/o Wells Fargo
PO Box 55244
Boston, MA 02205-8348
$15 minimum donation

The Courtney Bella Memorial Fund
“Imagine A Day Foundation”
details forthcoming

No wonder over 9,500 people have signed the online petition demanding change in this state’s drunk driving laws.

This morning’s J/S Online Newswatch brings us word of a 4th time convicted OWI offender, arrested in Washington County last night for his 5th time OWI. After striking another vehicle, making a brief “detour”, and striking a parked truck, his truck left the roadway, and he ended his journey by crashing through the wall of an apartment building. An apartment building which, according to the report, contained at least one child. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured.

What was the brief “detour” he made between hitting two vehicles? Why, a stop at the tavern of course. Apparently, he just wasn’t drunk enough yet.

The Milwaukee Common Council is finally reviewing something that we have been talking about for almost a year. Jailed former alderman Michael McGee Jr. received a car allowance of $337 per month, even though his license had been revoked before his arrest, and he spent almost a year in jail awaiting trial on a slew of state and federal charges.

Car allowance scrutinized
Ald. Terry Witkowski’s ordinance would halt an alderman’s transportation allowance - currently $337 a month - if “the member is incapacitated for an entire month by illness, injury or otherwise fails to discharge the duties of the office.”

Sitting in jail would fit that definition, Witkowski said.