Larson Wins 2016 Milwaukee County Exec Primary Elec

Outspent 20:1, yet won by 708 votes.  Outstanding. On to April 5th!

Walking workers back after the one-day strike

Today, I walked a dozen fast food workers back to their jobs the day after they had participated in the one-day strike for a living wage and the right to organize without retaliation. And certainly, I was not alone. We made dozens of trips in large vans over the course of the day, accompanying workers

We can has KRM? Fer real?!

A LOL Cats-style headline seems quite appropriate, as my brain is still trying to wrap around some incredibly good news this morning. KRM, a county RTA, and the 1% sales tax have passed the Joint Finance Committee. If it goes through, we’ll have dedicated property tax relief and funding for the parks, transit, and EMS.

Vote, darnit, vote!

Today’s the spring election in Wisconsin. There are three four several races I’ve got something to say about: Zach Wisniewski for South Milwaukee School Board Zach is a great guy. Given how he talks about the South Milwaukee School Board meetings convening and taking literally minutes to unanimously vote without real discussion or debate, it

Sebelius nomination should go smoothly

Barring things that I don’t know about her, that is. But my family in Kansas likes her, and says she’s good. CNN story. I figured she’d be Obama’s pick for V.P. or Secretary of State if and only if Hillary Clinton did not go in one of the two posts. But I also figured a

Put Xoff on TMJ! Now!

As Kinky Friedman said, “Why the hell not?” h/t Whallah!

Paul Soglin: Waxing America: “Ugly Details Emerge at Masel Civil Rights Trial”

My friend Ben Masel was very brutally assaulted by police while gathering signatures at a hip-hop concert on the UW-Madison Memorial Union Terrace. Ben runs against Sen. Kohl in the Democratic primary, as is his right. Officer Michael Mansavage, who was one of the two officers that forced Ben to the ground and assaulted him

Tracking Scott Walker’s quavering stance on federal stimulus money

Courtesy of Bruce Murphy of Milwaukee Magazine: Consider this timeline: Jan. 6: County Executive Scott Walker says he won’t accept federal stimulus funding; Jan. 7: Walker gets roasted by various prominent local observers; Jan. 9: Walker backs off, says he would accept some of the aid; Jan. 11: Walker writes an op-ed for Journal Sentinel

What would it take to boot Bob Donovan from office?

Quick! A Milwaukee alderman is holding a press conference. Who could it be? Why is this man talking, and how much longer do we have to listen to him? Nine chances out of ten it’s from Milwaukee’s #1 noise-making alderman Bob Donovan. After we had the second or third snowiest December on record, Donovan’s latest

“Barack, The Magic Negro” — the voice of the “new” Republican Party?

Some things intended as jokes don’t work. This is a repulsive way to refer to the president-elect. And for a party supposedly trying to find itself, this is a clear call for a turn toward embracing the long-standing view of Republican ideology as being “WASPs über alles,” desiring a return to 1950s white superiority. That