With a little over a week remaining to review the signatures on petitions aiming to force a recall of Gov. Scott Walker and various others of the Republican party, the question of what exactly Wisconsin wants in a leader needs to be reconsidered.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin recently wrote a "love letter" to the governor, suggesting that the state and Walker "break up." In explaining this, the party gave the most famous line in the book, only in reverse:
"I wish I could say it was me, not you, but we both know that isn't true. It's you."
Ouch.
The letter speaks of betrayal and lies in regards to education, healthcare and jobs, that the party believes Walker to have made. It also speaks of distrust in who the governor associates with, specifically stating that he only seems to help out his rich friends.
So what does the Democratic side want?
The letter reads very simply. They want fairness, truth and for Walker to at least do the things he campaigned on.
Read the rest of the letter here.
Although members of the Republican side are currently most concerned with getting their leader re-elected, their initial hopes for Walker have not changed. In fact, they're similar to the Democrats' side. Fairness, truth and accomplishing what the governor campaigned on.
So maybe the two sides aren't as different as they think they are?
In Plato's "The Republic," the character of Socrates explores what an ideal society is, focusing on the idea of justice and the difference in political and personal justices. By the end of the novel, he concludes that justice is every individual doing his or her own job in an effort to create what is best for the society as a whole. It is this unity, Socrates suggests, that results in freedom. It is this unity, that Plato emphasizes as the key point to a perfectly well functioning society. And it is this unity that every individual in the United States is seeking--cooperation in decision-making and working toward a common goal ... the goal of a fair and just society.
And this idea specifically, is what this recall is all about. For both sides.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Recall petitions get quacky
The Disney character, Donald Duck is in favor of Gov. Scott Walker's recall. Yep. Donald Duck. Need evidence?
Look right here.
According to a report by the Republican Party of Wisconsin on wisgop.org, it has been rumored in recent weeks that an increasing number of signatures of fictitious names have been appearing on recall petitions.
In this most recent case, dear old Donald lives at a Starbucks coffee shop in Appleton, WI.
The website reported that these false names are discovered within the Government Accountability Board's hand-review of the signatures. Although the Republican side reports disappointment in the seriousness in which individuals are taking the petitions, it has been noted that such humor will not affect the recall process.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Communications Director Ben Sparks reinforced this idea in a press release.
"Despite shameful attempts by the Democrats to force this baseless recall on Wisconsin families at any cost, the Republican Party of Wisconsin remains committed to verifying all recall petitions and protecting the integrity of our Democratic process," he said in the press release.
Sparks also said that the "Donald Duck" incident merely showed that the Democratic side is not pushing a recall for the right reasons.
"This petition highlights the fact that the Democrats are not concerned with protecting the integrity of this process," he said in the press release. "Their only focus from day one has been to force this expensive recall on taxpayers, while seeking to obstruct all attempts to conduct a fair and open process."
Taking the process seriously or not, the Democratic side continues to force the recall effort; and with a little over a week left to review petitions, the political climate of the state is only beginning to heat up.
Look right here.
According to a report by the Republican Party of Wisconsin on wisgop.org, it has been rumored in recent weeks that an increasing number of signatures of fictitious names have been appearing on recall petitions.
In this most recent case, dear old Donald lives at a Starbucks coffee shop in Appleton, WI.
The website reported that these false names are discovered within the Government Accountability Board's hand-review of the signatures. Although the Republican side reports disappointment in the seriousness in which individuals are taking the petitions, it has been noted that such humor will not affect the recall process.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Communications Director Ben Sparks reinforced this idea in a press release.
"Despite shameful attempts by the Democrats to force this baseless recall on Wisconsin families at any cost, the Republican Party of Wisconsin remains committed to verifying all recall petitions and protecting the integrity of our Democratic process," he said in the press release.
Sparks also said that the "Donald Duck" incident merely showed that the Democratic side is not pushing a recall for the right reasons.
"This petition highlights the fact that the Democrats are not concerned with protecting the integrity of this process," he said in the press release. "Their only focus from day one has been to force this expensive recall on taxpayers, while seeking to obstruct all attempts to conduct a fair and open process."
Taking the process seriously or not, the Democratic side continues to force the recall effort; and with a little over a week left to review petitions, the political climate of the state is only beginning to heat up.
Monday, February 13, 2012
A Day in the Life ... of a Signature Verifier?
Unsure as to whether or not spending hours upon hours verifying signatures regarding the potential recall elections of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and various other GOP state senators would be a good use of time?
Look no further. For the past month, a live stream camera has allowed the average citizen to watch temporary workers shuffle through petitions of signatures at a disclosed location. Today, however, that secret location was revealed.
According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this location is the Central Services Building at 202 S. Thornton Ave.--about two miles from the capitol in Madison--and is a building that houses the state's printing services. The structure is made of white brick and enclosed by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire.
The Journal Sentinel also reported that this specific building was actually selected in part due to the barbed wire fence running around its perimeter--it was said to be a more secure and private location.
Why does reviewing signatures require such security, though?
Because as of Jan. 17--the final submission deadline--there were 1.9 million signatures provided in favor of the recalls. That is equivalent to 300,000 sheets of paper, the Huffington Post politics blog reported today.
Cue images of stressed individuals running through aisles of file cabinets as papers flutter through the air.
But, no. That image is not what the inside of the newfound location looks like. Actually, the video stream of the validation process is rather boring.
Take a look:
But, according to Politico.com, the webcam has drawn about 30,000 viewers in the past month, with 500 people watching at the same time during its highest visited moments.
Simply watching people sit at tables and scribble with red pens or not, there seems to be some entertainment appeal to these recalls.
Where some people are legitimately interested in the on-goings of the validation process, there are also some who have poked fun at the process.
Politico referenced a twitter handle @RecallCam, who has now gained almost 1,300 followers for his humorous and slightly snarky commentary about the temporary workers whom are being filmed on the webcam. Although he or she makes fun of the workers, assigning them nicknames and keeping tabs on their on-camera 'dating lives,' it all seems to be in good fun.
Here are some popular tweets of the past week:
"The artwork really livens the place up. It's like the Sistine Chapel in there now."
"Is Sideburns wearing a scarf, or did he just wrap his thick, flowing sideburns around his neck?"
"By the way, mad props to Bald Stockton for wearing a tie today. All class."
Funny tweets, a not-so-secret location and a whole lot of speculation aside, as the March 19 signature verification deadline approaches, the Wisconsin recalls continue to be a popular topic of discussion.
Look no further. For the past month, a live stream camera has allowed the average citizen to watch temporary workers shuffle through petitions of signatures at a disclosed location. Today, however, that secret location was revealed.
According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this location is the Central Services Building at 202 S. Thornton Ave.--about two miles from the capitol in Madison--and is a building that houses the state's printing services. The structure is made of white brick and enclosed by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire.
The Journal Sentinel also reported that this specific building was actually selected in part due to the barbed wire fence running around its perimeter--it was said to be a more secure and private location.
Why does reviewing signatures require such security, though?
Because as of Jan. 17--the final submission deadline--there were 1.9 million signatures provided in favor of the recalls. That is equivalent to 300,000 sheets of paper, the Huffington Post politics blog reported today.
Cue images of stressed individuals running through aisles of file cabinets as papers flutter through the air.
But, no. That image is not what the inside of the newfound location looks like. Actually, the video stream of the validation process is rather boring.
Take a look:
But, according to Politico.com, the webcam has drawn about 30,000 viewers in the past month, with 500 people watching at the same time during its highest visited moments.
Simply watching people sit at tables and scribble with red pens or not, there seems to be some entertainment appeal to these recalls.
Where some people are legitimately interested in the on-goings of the validation process, there are also some who have poked fun at the process.
Politico referenced a twitter handle @RecallCam, who has now gained almost 1,300 followers for his humorous and slightly snarky commentary about the temporary workers whom are being filmed on the webcam. Although he or she makes fun of the workers, assigning them nicknames and keeping tabs on their on-camera 'dating lives,' it all seems to be in good fun.
Here are some popular tweets of the past week:
"The artwork really livens the place up. It's like the Sistine Chapel in there now."
"Is Sideburns wearing a scarf, or did he just wrap his thick, flowing sideburns around his neck?"
"By the way, mad props to Bald Stockton for wearing a tie today. All class."
Funny tweets, a not-so-secret location and a whole lot of speculation aside, as the March 19 signature verification deadline approaches, the Wisconsin recalls continue to be a popular topic of discussion.
Welcome to the puzzle
For most people, the political sphere makes about as much sense as a 5,000 piece puzzle with an image of a forest at night--it's difficult to distinguish which colors belong where, let alone what the final product will look like. It's daunting, difficult and sometimes just downright depressing.
This blog, however, seeks to provide a bit more clarity on the issue of understanding politics; mainly within the current chaos that is the state of Wisconsin. Whether it's looking at the ongoing recall election against Governor Scott Walker, following upcoming 2012 spring election campaigns or simply deciphering political jargon and the issues, this blog will offer a one-stop spot for insight and information pertaining to Wisconsin's political realm.
It's no secret that politics are messy and constantly evolving, but with a little dedication, digging and the help of some tried and true news sources, the puzzle pieces should start to fall into place.
This blog, however, seeks to provide a bit more clarity on the issue of understanding politics; mainly within the current chaos that is the state of Wisconsin. Whether it's looking at the ongoing recall election against Governor Scott Walker, following upcoming 2012 spring election campaigns or simply deciphering political jargon and the issues, this blog will offer a one-stop spot for insight and information pertaining to Wisconsin's political realm.
It's no secret that politics are messy and constantly evolving, but with a little dedication, digging and the help of some tried and true news sources, the puzzle pieces should start to fall into place.
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