Today’s highly interesting read (07/13/20): Why You Should Be Optimistic About Trump Winning

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Kurt Schlichter is a wonderful columnist. He’s sharp. And he’s also quite witty. From his latest, and then a link to the entire column:

According to the polls, Hoover Biden’s Daddy is walking away with this election. He’s beating Trump by five points, ten points, fifteen points, all of the points! That’s dispiriting, and I kind of think it’s meant to be. Am I saying that I think the mainstream media is intentionally skewing poll numbers so it can report that Trump is getting crushed and thereby demoralize us? Yeah.

I don’t answer polls. I have a job – heck, jobs. So do you…is it so crazy to think some people might not reply to a total stranger, “Why yes, I do intend to vote for the guy a bunch of very prominent people insist is literally Hitler”?

Now, why am I optimistic?

Well, several reasons.

You can and should read what they are here.

His new book will be out soon.

kurt schlichter, 21 biggest lies about trump

 

Culinary no-no #660

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THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FOOD BLOGS, BUT ONLY ONE CULINARY NO-NO!

Like the rest of a fearful America, Milwaukee has caught mask fever.

https://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/static/pjimage-5750.jpgREAD THE ENTIRE LETTER HERE.

One of the businesses that signed onto the letter…

Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge is an old favorite. Let’s see. Our daughter is 11 so it’s been at least 12 years since Jennifer and I have paid a visit for one of these.

Bryant’s just reopened  and as you can imagine, there are all kinds of restrictions. Too much if you ask me.

The sizable faction that’s crusading to kill the virus by any means possible, even by trampling on the Constitution, has chosen their whipping boys: bars and restaurants.

Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a large article on Page One above the fold: Bars and coronavirus don’t mix. Will Wisconsin’s drinking culture ever be the same? Here’s an excerpt:

The three-month shutdown of restaurants and bars have left Wisconsinites eager to reconnect over drinks.

But the bar scene we’re used to is filled with coronavirus risk factors: crowds, loud talking and singing, long stretches of time spent indoors. Not to mention the fact that even the most well-intentioned people, if they get drunk, may forget or disregard safety precautions designed to stop the spread.

Bars were among the first Wisconsin businesses forced to close in March in an attempt to curb the pandemic. On May 13, the day the state Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order and allowed businesses re-open, people headed out to reclaim their favorite barstools.

National experts have warned that if cases continue to increase, states may have no choice but to impose another round of stay-at-home orders. 

In a state where the majority of people are drinkers, talk of shuttering taverns again has once again raised debates of health vs. economy. But it also raises questions about Wisconsin’s collective identity.

These days, some people are trying to reclaim that element of Wisconsin’s culture by returning to the taverns. But in almost every corner of the state, the masks, Plexiglas dividers and bottles of hand sanitizer have left bar owners and patrons to wonder: Will it ever be the same?

Meanwhile, the news media continues its constant fear mongering which has been successful in panicking the public.

“Anybody that thinks indoor dining is a solution needs to have their head examined.”

God help these business people and their workers who’ve endured a living Hell for several months.

CULINARY NO-NO BONUSES

Of course they want a boycott

NBA players (crybabies?) complaining about quarantine food

Dry skies ahead

ICYMI, Culinary no-no #659

Photos of the Week (07/12/20)

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https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20200710&t=2&i=1525336702&w=780&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=2020-07-10T194804Z_16153_MRPRC2QMH9SL5NP_RTRMADP_0_USA-JULYFOURTH

A pictorial week-in-review posted every Sunday.

1) Red, white and blue lights illuminate the White House during the “Salute to America” event held to celebrate Fourth of July Independence Day in Washington. Photo:  REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

2) Red and blue smoke is fired at the Ellipse of the White House during the “Salute to America” event held to celebrate Fourth of July Independence Day in Washington. Photo: REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

3) People wear face masks and undergo mandatory temperature checks before entering the pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on July 4. Photo: Getty Images

4) Beachgoers gather at Coney Island on July 4. Photo: Reuters

5) People fill the beach at Coney Island, New York City. Photo: AP

6) People participate in the Independence Day parade in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, on July 4. Photo: Getty Images

7) People select fireworks for purchase from a vendor in Orlando on July 4. Photo: Getty Images

8) U.S. President Donald Trump holds a joint declaration he signed with Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

9) Dr. Joseph Varon (center) notifies the family of a patient who died inside the coronavirus unit at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, July 6. Photo: AP

10) Drones fly over the Han river showing messages to support the country as measures to avoid the spread of the coronavirus continue, in Seoul, South Korea, July 4, 2020. Photo: Yonhap via REUTERS

11) Danish police officers take pictures of the base of the “Little Mermaid” statue in Copenhagen after it was vandalized. Photo: Getty Images

12) A private security member tries to detain a protester while putting zip ties on a barricade outside the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey during a protest against racial inequality in St Louis, Missouri, July 3, 2020. The McCloskeys had waved guns at protesters earlier in the week during a June 28 protest that called for police reforms. Photo: REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant

13) In the Gaza Strip, Samih Kaeden marks a calendar which shows the number of days left to meet his son who has been detained for 17 years in an Israeli prison. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

14) Two Palestinian girls — part of a team of people with amputations, some of whom lost limbs in an Israeli fire — attend a soccer training session arranged by the International Committee of the Red Cross for the first time after COVID-19 restrictions were eased in the central Gaza Strip, July 7. Photo: Reuters

15) A child is seen in a window at a public housing tower along Racecourse Road that was placed under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, July 6, 2020. AAP Image/James Ross/via REUTERS

16) A Reuters photographer holds a picture of a reveler sprinting in front of a bull during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, taken last summer, in front of an empty street, during the second day of the San Fermin Festival, which was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Pamplona, Spain, on July 7, 2020.  Photo: Jon Nazca / Reuters

17) Brides wearing their wedding dresses stage a protest against the postponement of their marriages due to the strict protocol for all religious ceremonies within the coronavirus pandemic, by the Trevi Fountain in Rome, on June 7, 2020. Their placards read “give us back the freedom to celebrate,” “church doors closed to wedding,” “a dream limited by restrictions,” and “unrestricted marriage.” Photo: Tiziana Fabi / AFP / Getty

18) Girls wearing face shields wait for their parents to enter the zoo on the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador, on July 8, 2020. The zoo is reopening but with strict new social distancing protocols for visitors, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Photo: Dolores Ochoa / AP

19) Beefeaters officially reopen the Tower of London after three months in lockdown, opening the gate and lowering the drawbridge. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

20) Visitors take pictures of the painting “Mona Lisa” (La Joconde) by Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre museum in Paris as the museum reopens its doors to the public after an almost four-month closure due to the coronavirus outbreak in France. Photo: REUTERS/Charles Platiau

21) Current world record holder Joey Chestnut and current women’s champion Miki Sudo pose for a picture during the official weigh-in ceremony for the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, in New York. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

22) Two lightning bolts frame the One World Trade Center as they hit the Hudson River in front of the skyline of lower Manhattan in New York City, during a thunderstorm on July 6, 2020, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.  Photo: Gary Hershorn / Getty

23) A species of unrivalled variety, sharks find themselves threatened around the world by overfishing, microplastics and habitat loss. Dwarf lantern sharks are 6 to 8 inches long, rarely seen and live in very deep waters, mostly around the Caribbean. They were only discovered in 1964. Photograph: Chip Clark/Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution

24) Osprey chicks that hatched at Loch Arkaig pine forest in the Highlands, Scotland about five weeks ago achieve fame on a live-stream nest camera during lockdown. The chicks, which are barely five weeks old, have been watched by over 250,000 viewers around the world. Photograph: Lewis Pate/WTML/PA

25) Jasper, an 8-month-old koala joey, is weighed on a scale at the Sydney Zoo, July 8. Photo: WireImage

26) Villagers use nets to catch offerings thrown by Tenggerese worshippers during the Yadnya Kasada Festival at the crater of Mount Bromo in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. As part of the festival, offerings of rice, fruit, vegetables and flowers are thrown into the volcano to appease the mountain gods. Photo: Getty Images

27) Guests pose inside teardrop-shaped tents hanging from trees, created by the Dutch artist, Dre Wapenaar, offering an unusual accommodation for tourists in the Belgian countryside, near Borgloon, Belgium, on July 7, 2020.  Photo: Francois Lenoir / Reuters

28) Visitors look at statues illustrating the fate of people who do bad deeds in a garden depicting a Buddhist version of Hell, at the Wat Saeng Suk temple in the Thai coastal province of Chonburi, on July 9, 2020.  Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty. Another look. Photo: AFP

AND…

Walt Disney World reopened Saturday after being closed for months. Here’s what it looked like when visitors returned to the park.

The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners

Evers sits on, refuses to send Miller Park tax surplus back to taxpayers

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Ballpark

YET ANOTHER REASON OUR GOVERNOR IS THE WORST EVER!

When it comes to taxes the conventional wisdom is that when a new tax is created it rarely goes away. It’s here to stay.

During the debate about construction of a new stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers I wore a few different hats while working at WTMJ.

Straight news reporter. I also wrote and voiced radio editorials. Filled in as an opinionated radio talk show host. And I was a panelist on Charlie Sykes’ Sunday INSIGHT TV program.

Despite my consistent aversion to tax increases I emphatically supported the one-tenth sales tax in five SE WI counties to support the new stadium because of the tremendous  benefit.

Many years ago the WI Legislature had an opportunity to make the tax go away, but failed to take action.

Finally earlier this year, the five-county sales tax used to back construction bonds for Miller Park officially came to a sunset on March 31, signaling the end of the 0.1 percent sales tax that went into effect in 1996, covering the counties of Milwaukee, Ouzaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha. The tax–which backed $290 million in construction bonds, plus interest–has proven controversial at times, as at various points receipts were below projected levels. However, favorable economic conditions helped the numbers trend upward in recent years, helping to bring the tax closer to retirement.

The state Department of Revenue told retailers that the tax was no longer to be collected after March 31.

“The fact of the matter is when a tax like this is implemented, no one ever thinks it’s going to stop,” said Don Smiley, chairman of the stadium district board. “It stopped here today. It’s an example of promise made, promise kept. We ended up with a great ballpark and a great facility.”

End of story, right?

Wrong. Very wrong.

You can’t make this junk up.

After the tax went away the Miller Park district received two payments for $4.3 million from the state Department of Revenue, which collected funds generated by the sales tax,  and overpaid the district by $4.3 million.

The Miller Park district was taken off guard. They had no idea the extra money was coming.

“The district doesn’t want the money,” said Mike Duckett, executive director of the Miller Park district.

Where’s the money now? As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it’s sitting in a contingency fund until the state instructs Duckett what to do with it.

Shouldn’t the answer about what to do with the surplus be obvious? Not according to the empty suit who now runs our state.

Duckett asked to return the money and the WI Department of Revenue, part of Tony Evers’ administration,  told him not to.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann exhibited major common sense when he  issued the following statement:

Last fall, the legislature finally ensured the baseball district would end this tax in 2020. Act 28 was intended to ensure the Department of Revenue could properly sunset the tax. Washington County taxpayers have waited too long for this tax to sunset and now Madison bureaucrats cannot figure out how to end the tax. Mike Duckett and the park district board are trying to do the right thing by returning the money (to) the taxpayers. If the Department of Revenue cannot figure out how to properly return the money, first thing next session, legislators should introduce a bill which would require the overpayment returned to the taxpayers of the five counties in the most efficient way possible.

Bingo!

But Gov. Evers doesn’t care one iota about hard-working WI taxpayers.

BREAKING Franklin News: Mayor Olson to vote NO on Milwaukee County-wide resolution to support mask mandate

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Franklin Mayor Steve Olson has informed me that when the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council of Milwaukee County meets on Monday (virtually) he intends to vote NO on an agenda item recommending a mask mandate throughout Milwaukee County.

(The Intergovernmental Cooperation Council (ICC) includes the mayor, village president or administrator from each of the 19 municipalities inside Milwaukee County. The ICC meets to share best practices in delivery of public services, to discuss ways in which to save tax money and enhance services through cooperative efforts, and to discuss and advocate for change in state and federal law that are of common interest to ICC members).

Monday’s meeting agenda includes this item:

Discussion on whether to make mask wearing mandatory in public places

Mayor Olson tells me he was inclined to vote YES on the resolution:

 “The Health Departments and Health Officers in Milwaukee County support the recommendation of wearing masks in public places and in areas where individuals cannot practice physical distancing.”

However, the agenda for Monday’s meeting has been changed. The resolution now reads in conformance with the proposal being considered by the city of Milwaukee:

“The Health Departments and Health Officers in Milwaukee County support the recommendation of wearing masks in public places and in areas where individuals cannot practice physical distancing. In addition, we would support the local elected officials pursuing a local ordinance that would require the wearing of masks.”

Given the change Mayor Olson informs he’s voting NO.

To be clear:

The ICC has NO authority.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has NO authority.

The County has NO authority.

Steve Olson has NO authority.

But Monday’s vote is far from meaningless as it sends a loud signal to the horrendous Milwaukee County Board and Milwaukee County suburbs how to move forward.

I thank Mayor Olson for this update and for his stance on Monday. I would encourage folks to contact Olson and give their thanks as well.

UPDATE @ 8:40 PM 07/11/20:

Dear Kevin

I will be voting NO on the proposed resolution that is on the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council agenda for Monday’s meeting.  Please understand that the item may change.  My reasons include:

  • The ICC is advisory only and has no authority to mandate mask usage
  • The ICC has not studied the science of the matter nor taken recommendations
  • The mayors and village presidents individually have no authority to put into place such mandates (nor does the county executive or the county board)
  • It is unknown at this point how the item has been placed on the agenda or by whom or for what purpose.
  • There is no proposed enforcement or penalty or model ordinance
  • Any action would be political only, advisory only and carry no legal weight

Enacting a restriction on personal liberty must be done carefully and with substantial public discussion and input and debate.  None of that has taken place by local elected leaders.  Any mandate of this type must be initiated by health professionals and supported by local elected officials legally.

Steve Olson
Mayor
City of Franklin

Again, I repeat my thanks to Mayor Olson.

A final note:

When it comes to feedback, Mayor Olson says that he gets a lot of e-mails that only have peoples’ names and no addresses.  Without knowing that they’re Franklin residents he is unable to give them much credence.  He kindly suggests you put your address on your e-mails to any elected officials.

Week-ends (07/11/20)

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A look back at the people and events that made news the past week. Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of  This Just In…

HEROES OF THE WEEK

This woman

The Wine Fairies

Brides Across America

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Gov. Evers

Marquette University

Virus fraudsters

The news media

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“I was asked probably 12 questions about the Confederate flag. This President is focused on action and I’m a little dismayed that I didn’t receive one question on the deaths that we got in this country this (last) weekend,” and wasn’t asked “about New York City shootings doubling for the third straight week, and over the last seven days shooting skyrocket [sic] by 142 percent.”
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany

“Opinion writers are avoiding mention of the fact that homicides and murders in New York, Chicago and numerous other cities have suddenly risen far above the numbers for 2019 and previous years. Most of the dead are black, but apparently, those black lives don’t really matter.”
Michael Barone is senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and resident fellow at American Enterprise Institute

“We don’t want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons. They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed. No way. We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everyone else to open the schools. Everybody wants it. The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It’s time to do it.”
President Trump at a White House event on reopening the nation’s schools

“We need to plan to keep our schools reopened. I think this is really the important message and that’s why we’re having these discussions to get people to understand we need to reopen schools. We can do this safely. We need to commit to it. We need to just get it done.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield

“Do you want to open the bars now or do you want to open the schools and the day care centers in a few short weeks? I vote for the latter.”
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that schools are essential to getting people back to work

“Face coverings should be worn by staff and students (particularly older students) as feasible, and are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult.”
From the CDC guidelines on reopening schools

“Masks by themselves do not prevent anything. The best practice is to make sure you’re washing your hands and staying physically distant from someone. Masks can certainly help. If you are asymptomatic and you might have the chance of impacting somebody else by being too close to them. Certainly they can help but this is not the only way this can spread and it’s not the only way to prevent spreading it.

“By and large there are far, far, far many things that people do that are a little bit riskier when they’re wearing masks because they forget about washing their hands or they get hot so they pull it down or pull it up, or they wear it around their ear or take it off with their hands and then lick their hand, all sorts of things that you’re not thinking about because you think the mask keeps me safe.”
Franklin’s Director of Health and Human Services Courtney Day at Tuesday’s meeting of the Franklin Common Council

“The Supreme Court ended not only ‘safer at home’ but really created a chaotic situation so we really don’t know if I have the authority to do that. It makes it unlikely, but it’s something we’re considering.”
Gov Tony Evers said it is “unlikely” he will institute a statewide order requiring face masks in Wisconsin

“The United States of America did not ask for this plague and every American has been affected from the closure of our economy to caring for the sick and mourning those tragically lost, but under the leadership of President Trump our Transition to Greatness has already begun, and the American people are showing tremendous courage to defeat the virus, responsibly open the economy, and restore law and order to our streets. The President’s message has been consistent: resilience, hope, and optimism.”
White House spokesman Judd Deere

“This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one – not even a president – is above the law.”
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he can see eight years of President Trump’s tax returns

“Americans are terrified of being audited by the IRS. When you think about the average American who is terrified of being audited by the IRS, if Congress has the ability to look at Trump’s tax returns and everything else. You’re talking about Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Maxine Waters auditing the president, I mean that’s a terrifying thing based on what we’ve seen them do over the last four years.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)

“Juneteenth cries out to be a federal holiday. The important consideration is a holiday each year that would perpetually serve as a means for Americans of every race to remember, learn about and celebrate the nation’s enduring, but unfinished, aspiration of liberty and justice for all.”
The USA TODAY editorial board

“If America has but one Black Lives Matter holiday to give as a companion to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let it honor the 13th Amendment to the Constitution instead. Only the controlling law of the land — the Constitution via its 13th Amendment — put an end to chattel slavery in America. Not Juneteenth, and not even the Emancipation Proclamation.

“The United States changed the course of its slave history forever on Dec. 6, 1865. The 155th anniversary of the event will arrive this year. Let’s give America the day off with pay then and every Dec. 6 thenceforth and forever.”
Robert Hill is a Pittsburgh-based communications consultant

“BREAKING: Just when you thought the news couldn’t more depressing…8.3 million guns have been sold in the United States since March, meaning 2020 is on course to be the biggest year for gun sales in American history.”
British journalist Piers Morgan on Twitter complaining about surging firearms sales 

“What exactly is depressing about more Americans buying guns? How is responsible, law-abiding gun ownership ‘excessive’? It’s wonderful to see more people—especially first-time buyers who are women, younger, and people of color—purchasing firearms en masse. The Second Amendment, after all, is for all law-abiding Americans.”
Gabriella Hoffman is a media strategist, conservative political columnist, and award-winning outdoor writer based in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

Statue of the First Lady set on fire

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

When Black Children Are Killed, Where’s the Outrage From the White and the Woke?

MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK

Virus getting worse, all because America reopened too quickly

MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK

Reopened Theme Parks Ban Screaming on Roller Coasters. Riders Are Howling

Thank God for COVID-19

 

 

Cardinal Dolan; deadly lockdowns; virus hysteria; reopening schools; blacks supporting police

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Here are this week’s highly interesting reads:

Today’s highly interesting read (07/10/20): Stats show the deadly cost of lockdowns

Today’s highly interesting read (07/09/20): America Needs To Stop Reacting To Coronavirus Like A Bunch Of Hysterics

Today’s highly interesting read (07/08/20): Trump Should Yank Federal Funds From Every School That Refuses To Open This Fall

UPDATE: Today’s highly interesting read (03/30/20): Trump Is Right: We Need to Get Our $20 Trillion Economy Back Up and Running

Today’s highly interesting read (07/06/20): Hearing What Black Voices Really Say About Police

Today’s highly interesting read (07/05/20): For God’s sake, stop demonizing the NYPD: Cardinal Dolan