Taxpayer Tea Parties, as American as Mom and Apple Pie

It's Independence Day! A day set aside to celebrate the birthday of our nation. The second paragraph of The Declaration of Independence states:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Many people today believe their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness is being threatened by an overreaching government. They are exercising their 1st Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech to protest high taxes by attending Taxpayer Tea Parties.

The Tea Party is of course inspired by the first Boston Tea Party where American colonists protested what they believed to be an unjust system of taxation. "No taxation without representation" was their cry. Today's Tea Party planners and attendees are just borrowing a page from history that predates the birthday of our nation by 3 years.

The first wave of contemporary Taxpayer Tea Parties peaked on April 15th of this year, but there are Tea Parties scheduled for July 4th as well. American Family Association has registered over 1,465 Tea Parties across our nation and state for this Independence Day.

Reason?

"2009 budget grows to a deficit of $1.8 trillion, more than four times higher than last year’s all time high and 50% of total budget." - American Family Association

Americans for Prosperity has registered Tea Parties too: Jay Weber is host to one on July 4th at the Sendik's Village Center in Germantown from 10AM-2PM. Contact: 262-253-1675.

So as you celebrate our nation's birthday this Independence Day by attending parades, fireworks, and picnics, know that some Americans are reaching further back into our nation's history and holding Tea Parties.

More reading: The Heritage Foundation: The Left's Assault on the Declaration of Independence

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Eagle Scout Project Blood Drive: June 30th, 2:30 - 7pm

This Tuesday, on June 30th, a young man in my neighborhood is organizing a Blood Drive as part of his Eagle Scout project for the Boy Scouts. It is being held from 2:30 to 7pm, at Elmbrook Church. (777 South Barker Road, Brookfield, 262-786-7051)

Giving blood is certainly a worthy cause and according to the flier he distributed in my area, "donating 1 pint can save 3 lives!"

You might feel that you have already donated if you have been in some mosquito infested areas of the city, but unlike that type of donating, this opportunity offers a sweet return: Blood donors will receive a coupon from the Culvers on Hwy 100 for a free custard cone!

During the summer, blood donations are often down. So rather than just giving to the mosquitoes, why not give at the blood drive and help save 3 lives?

To fulfill the Eagle Scout requirements, a good turnout is needed. In addition, a certain percentage of donors need to be first time donors. So if you have never given blood before, maybe knowing you will be helping your fellow man and a Boy Scout make Eagle Scout would serve as added incentives?

Child care is available for blood donors and I am told "there will be plenty free food" available too.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Popeye Pizza a.k.a. Quick Spinach Pizzas

These little pizzas were inspired by a spinach pizza, dubbed "Popeye Pizza" that Jacks Pizza used to make about 20 years ago. I gave Popeye a Greek flair by adding the Feta and Kalamata olives. The pizzas are so easy to make, they hardly qualify as needing a recipe--they're more like assembling than cooking. But they are tasty just the same. Add a nice tossed salad and you have dinner.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Gather ingredients

• Tortilla or pita bread: white, whole wheat or herb flavor - at least 1 per person
  

• Tomato spaghetti sauce, I use my own home made, but a favorite jar variety would be OK too

• Thawed frozen spinach, squeeze out excess liquid - a 9oz pkg is plenty for 3 - 6 pizzas
  

• Diced or crumbled feta cheese

• Grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Fontinella cheese

• Mozzarella cheese chunks, a few cut up cheese sticks will do, or pieces of Provolone cheese slices work too

• Grated Cheddar cheese

• Kalamata, Greek, or ripe black olives, halved and pits removed

Assembly

• Spray cookie sheet with PAM (or sheets depending on how many you make)

• Arrange the tortillas or pitas on the sheets. It is OK if they touch each other a little

• Spoon sauce on tortilla or pita and spread around until it is evenly distributed

• Sprinkle the spinach on, you kind of have to pull it apart so it is even

• Sprinkle on the Feta, Italian, and Cheddar cheese to taste

• Add the split olives

Bake 10 to 15 minutes and then enjoy!

These can be used for lunch, a quick supper, or even cut into little pizza wedges for an appetizer.

Any pizza topping could be added such as mushrooms, roasted red peppers, cooked Italian sausage slices, grilled onions, etc. I just use the above mentioned ingredients because they are readily available in my larder.

You too can be "Strong to the finich" 'cuz you eats your spinach!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Mm-Mm-Good-Marinade

If ever there was a reason to grill out, Sunday was it, for June 21st marked both the official 1st day of summer and Father's Day. It also marked my 1st full meal prepared outdoors.

In honor of Father's Day, I made grilled marinated hanger* steak, chicken, red and green peppers, Vidalia onions, plum tomatoes, and mushrooms. Along with that I served Asian cabbage salad and fried mixed brown and wild rice. I think we all thought it quite tasty.

I have made this marinade for years and used it in grilling beef, chicken and veggies. It is quite simple and is made from ingredients you probably have on hand. The original recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens Golden Treasury of Cooking.

MARINADE: Mix all ingredients in a pint size jar.
1/2 Cup oil. I use olive oil.
1/4 Cup lemon juice. You could use fresh, but bottled works fine too.
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, I use Lea & Perrins
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard. My favorite is Plochman's Premium Natural Stone Ground
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove of garlic, minced

Put the lid on the jar and shake until mixed. It is best to marinade the meat either the night before or the morning of your grill out. To cut down on grilling time, I prefer to pre-cook the chicken by simmering for around 1/2 hour, depending on the size of the pieces. The beef I marinate raw. I put the beef in a separate Zip-Lock bag from the chicken and poured about 1/3 of the marinade in each bag. Zip shut. Keep the meat bags refrigerated until grilling time and don't forget to rotate the bags several times during the marinading process to evenly distribute the flavors.

I also pre-bake the onion halves because I like the onions well cooked. I just peel, cut in half, and place in a baking pan with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 until they start to soften. After they are cooled, I skewer, put in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.

Keep the remaining marinade in the closed jar refrigerated until grill time.

The steak took about 8 minutes on each side. It was cut in 2 inch by 10 inch strips, and I grilled it just like that. You can use the remaining marinade juices to baste the meat when you first put it on the grill. Don't use any of the marinade containing raw meat juice after your first basting.

The jarred marinade may be used on the vegetables--don't forget to use a separate brush.

This was enough marinade to serve 4-6 people. I marinated about 2 1/2 pounds of steak and 1 pound of chicken and still had some to baste the veggies while grilling. (We had lots of left-overs, yum.)

I have used sirloin roast, which is often less expensive than sirloin steak, and chuck steak too. The lemon in the marinade tenderizes the meat, I believe.

*I purchased the hanger steak from Sendiks in Elm Grove. It came already marinaded in au jus juice, then I added my marinade. The hanger steak was very tender and at $4.99 / pound on sale, not a bad price considering there was no waste. The butcher told me it was from a cut next to the T-bone. It looks a lot like flank steak. (They also had it with a teriyaki marinade, but we thought it too sweet.)

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Gasp, was that the BIG 40?

Oh, my goodness. I just had the BIG 40! Not 40th birthday, that is long gone, I am talking about high school graduation. Things have changed since 1969.

Here are some photos that made me smile and a few observations.

Graduation in 1969: Held in a school where we could pray.
Graduation in 2009: Held in a church where they couldn't pray!

Notice the 3rd item on the graduation program was the INVOCATION.

Granted our Class President botched this majorly. Rumor had it, there was possibly a little too much celebratory tippling before the ceremony? Regardless of how it was executed, a call for God's blessing on the class was considered to be an important part of the event by the graduation planners.



Other things have changed since 1969. Notice how we looked on our Senior Class trip to Washington DC; we all looked like proper ladies and gentlemen. The girls were all in skirts or dresses and boys wore sport coats and ties on our trip.

I remember the trip as being very enjoyable. We visited the major sites in Washington DC (Arlington and Supreme Court pictured) and spent a few days in New York City--all for around $250, if memory serves correctly. (We flew on a charter prop-jet.)

But whether on a class trip or at school, girls did not try to emulate the clothing style of women of ill repute or the likes of Britney Spears, as they do today. Sure, some pushed the envelope of how short a hem length could be worn, but the harlot/hooker look was not embraced by the mainstream.

Pants of any kind were not allowed for girls in school ever--not even on sub-zero days. (This was in the pre-pantyhose era! Brrr.)

Shorts were never allowed at school for anyone, except on one day in the spring. Our Student Council was granted special permission to hold a fundraiser: Bermuda Shorts Day. Students could wear Bermuda shorts (nearly to the knee) to school for that one designated day--IF they purchased a ticket for 25-cents!

There was no HG&D curriculum as we know it today and with the exception of biology and one special assembly, nothing was presented in a co-ed context. There was a series of Civil Defense emergency first aid movies that ended with how to deliver a baby. (This was still the Cold War-we-could-be-nuked-at-any-moment era.) These were presented during segregated gym class time. In 9th grade co-ed Biology class, reproduction was presented but in a very clinical way--mainly dealing with the development of the embryo and not with the process leading up to conception.

Were there problems with underage drinking, illegal drugs, and premarital sex? Sure, but it was not as prevalent or overt as it is today. At the time, I was only vaguely aware some students did those things. Certainly no one would have ever thought about sending nude photos of themselves to anyone!

We did not spend years agonizing or studying for the ACT or SAT tests. As I recall, one Saturday, we just went over to UWM and took the ACT. That was it. Not all the pressure kids have today.

Forty years ago, quality family time was still a major component of daily life. Moms still cooked; families still ate dinner together without the kids surfing the net or texting on the cell phone at the table. Students did not go out much on school nights, nor were they so over scheduled that they did not have time to just be a kid.

The era of 1969 was also the era of apathy, and that has not changed. What did our class do for it's big 40? Nothing special that I know of.

We have made great progress in many ways. In other ways, such as the eroding of quality family time and over sexing of our young people, things were better 4 decades ago. What will the next 10 years bring?

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Ped o philes a protected group under Hate Crimes S.909? Call Senators!

Believe it or not, 30 sexual orientations, including ped o phelia (spacing done to avoid google search) will be protected under the new Hate Crime law, S. 909. The list is posted on American Family Associations web page. I don't care to go into describing these, as most are too disgusting, but 2nd on the list seems to be the dangerous practice actor David Carrnadine might have been involved with when he was found dead in the closet.

The list was taken from the "'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders', which is used by physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and psychiatrists throughout the U.S. It is considered the dictionary of mental disorders."

The disturbing thing is that all of these 30 perversions were deemed as needing special protection under the Hate Crimes laws by those crafting the bill in the Senate.

I believe all crime is a hate crime. A person doesn't murder someone or beat them up because they admire them. So why do we need special sentencing if the victim is one of these 30 sexual orientations? The United States already has laws in place to "punish violent crime."

The AFA cited this example, given by Rep. Gohmert, of how this legislation, if passed, could impact us. "If a mother hears that their child has been raped, and she slaps the assailant with her purse, she is now gone after as a hate criminal because this is a protected class," said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas."

The other result of this bill would be to halt any opposition to homosexuality. "If the legislation passes, pastors could be prosecuted under the federal inducement statute for preaching the biblical view of homosexuality. For example, a person could commit an act of violence against a homosexual individual and blame it on the pastor's sermon. Similar laws have been used to prosecute religious speech in the U.S. at the state level and abroad." I have heard this is already the case in Canada.

The US Senate is to vote on S. 909 any time. We need to contact our 2 Senators about voting against it. Need talking points? Herb Kohl 202 224-5653 and Russ Feingold 202 224-5323.

Read more about it: Next on Senate agenda? 'Ped o phile Protection Act' Hate crimes' law definitions would protect 547 sex 'phil ias'

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Only the religion of Global Warming, Humanism, Evolution is allowed on PBS

PBS just announced they will not allow any new religious programing on their airwaves. Reason? Separation of Church & Stations!

Actually, this ruling was a compromise. At first the PBS board recommended that stations currently running sectarian religious programs would have their PBS affiliation severed if they did not drop that programming.

"The Public Broadcasting Service's board is to vote next month on a committee's recommendation to strip the affiliation of any station that carries "sectarian" content. Losing its PBS relationship would mean that a station could no longer broadcast programs that the service distributes, from 'Sesame Street' to 'Frontline'."

The board decided instead to allow present programming to continue but will prohibit new programming. Result? PBS [will] Begin Phasing Out Religious Programming From Airwaves.

Sadly, there was no need to make this change. "Federal law does not bar showing the services on public television, but PBS worries that the broadcasts have the appearance of an official endorsement from the network."

"Allowing such programming to air 'would cause the public's trust in PBS to erode, along with the value of the brand,' argued its Stations Services Committee, according to a report in the Current."

This is a stretch, but since PBS receives taxpayer support, the director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State reasoned that "you have taxpayers directly or indirectly subsidizing evangelism."

Of course no one ever worries that taxpayers directly or indirectly subsidize or endorse the religion of Global Warming, Humanism, or Evolution based programs so prevalent on PBS. It is OK to promote anti-Christian programming at taxpayer expense but not pro-Judeo-Christian programming?

Programming about religious topics is still allowed, but often I have found the majority of these programs have an anti-Christian bias.

Jay Weber talked about the PBS ruling this morning on his radio show. He reasoned that since many of these shows are available on Cable TV, why continue taxpayer funding of PBS?

I used to enjoy watching PBS programming such as This Old House, The Woodwright's Shop, Victory Garden, American Experience, etc. We don't have Cable TV, but I am willing to give up those favorites to end taxpayer funding of programming I do not support. How about you?

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

ABC to promote Govt. Healthcare from the White House

Remember when we used to joke that CNN stood for the Clinton News Network?

Well, ABC is certainly following suit and dialing it up a few notches to boot. ABC news will be broadcasting from the White House with a primetime special, "Prescription for America." Do we dub ABC as the All Barack Channel? How about Adoring Barack Cheerleaders? You can probably come up with your own nicknames.

Anyway, here is ABC's newest joint venture with President Obama:

"On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!"

Unlike real prescription advertising, that must also include a long list of possible detrimental side effects, Charlie Gibson's Govt. Health Care "Prescription" promo will NOT include any opposing voices or side effects.

The Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay wrote a complaint letter to ABC. Here are some excerpts:

"As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC's astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.

...In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers...Respectfully, Ken McKay"

Now, keep in mind, the Democrats are the ones pushing for the "Fairness Doctrine" type media reforms to ensure equal time for both points of view on your radio and possibly the internet, yet for TV network news coverage, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

The Drudge Report posted this as a banner developing story, so that is all for right now. Stay tuned!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Will Jim Sullivan recall effort affect his vote on $62.2 billion state budget?

We have all heard about the Jim Doyle recall effort, but there is another Recall Jim effort afoot: The Recall of State Senator Jim Sullivan! I am wondering if this attempt to recall Jim will have any affect on Sullivan voting for the $62.2 billion dollar budget that just went to the Senate?

My impression of Senator Sullivan at his recent Town Hall meeting was that it will not. He did not seem open to any of our opinions against the RTA, Voter ID amendment, Abortion, State budget deficit, etc. at that Town Hall meeting. But if he hears from enough of his constituents, who knows? A 1.2% margin of victory was hardly a mandate. The Republican Party has targeted him

Because his margin of victory was slim against conservative Republican Tom Reynolds back in 2006, 658 votes or 1.2%, I do wonder how Mr. Sullivan would fare in a recall?

Since being elected in 2006, Sullivan voted against the Voter ID amendment and supported the smoking ban. He also supports the RTA under certain conditions and he recently voted to approve 2 pro late-term abortion board members for the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board. Has he disappointed more than 1.2% of those independent and Democrat voters who voted for him with his positions?

More to the point is who would run against him? Then the question becomes would you rather have someone like Rep. Leah Vukmir or even Tom Reynolds back than allow Sullivan to finish his 4 year term? (I would be happy with any conservative.)

In any event, contact Sen. Sullivan if he is your Senator. You might remind Sen. Jim Sullivan that people will be watching his vote on this budget and that some people are looking at recalling a Jim... Jim Sullivan!

Wisconsin 5th District Senator Jim Sullivan (D): (608) 266-2512, (866) 817-6061, Email: Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Rep. Leah Vukmir's Budget Update: Assembly passes budget

The Democrat controlled Assembly passed Wisconsin's budget, with a 50 - 48 vote (big sigh), at 5:20 AM on Saturday. Voting pretty much ran along party lines, with the exception of 2 Democrats joining all of the Republicans in voting NO.

My State Assembly Representative Leah Vukmir sent me her report on the budget session and vote. (Contact Rep. Vukmir if you wish to be added to her email alert list.) Republicans were able to make a few changes, but most of the bloated budget passed and is now heading to the State Senate. She urges, as do I, that you contact your State Senator and the Senate Majority Leader, Russ Decker, "and let them know how you feel." (Contact info at bottom of post.)

Here is the "Good News" according to Rep. Vukmir's report: (My emphasis throughout)

• They agreed to drop the Joint and Several liability provisions from the budget.
• The Milwaukee County sales tax proposal was dropped from the original 6.6% to 6.25%.
• Assembly Democrats, at the request of the U.W. System, removed a $28 million budget earmark for building a U.W. Madison School of Nursing.
• They also agreed to eliminate various other earmarks from the Joint Finance version of the budget.

Her "Bad News" list is much longer:

• They added their own earmarks for a new total of more than $37 million.
• They increased the car rental tax, which is currently $2 to $18 to fund the proposed KRM rail line. [KRM was not eliminated from the budget]
• They raided $338 million of segregated fees to fund general expenditures and to restore budget cuts.
• The Democrat Caucus also took an unusual and potentially unconstitutional step by eliminating a statutory provision that requires annual revenues to exceed annual expenditures.
• The Assembly Democrats added a provision that caps the Milwuakee County Open Enrollment program at last years level meaning that MPS students who had already enrolled in suburban schools for next year will have to return to MPS. This change will put significant pressure on suburban school districts that have already set their budgets for this fall.
• One of the worst provisions that the Democrats debated throughout the day on Friday was to roll back the enrollment cap that was part of a 2006 School Choice compromise. The cap, currently 22,500 students, will be reduced to 21,5000 for the next two school-years....

Assembly Budget Vote:

During a twelve-hour session, my colleagues and I offered more than 150 amendments to try to improve the budget. Among the amendments I offered were the elimination of the KRM rail authority, elimination of the Milwaukee RTA and the sales tax increase, removal of the high-speed rail study, restoration of the current cap on the Milwaukee school choice program and removal of the new cap on Open Enrollment. All of these amendments failed.

The only amendment we managed to get adopted was a bipartisan provision that set stricter limits on which prisoners qualify for early release under the Joint Finance budget provisions.

The Spin vs. Reality:

Some of the early budget spin coming out of the capitol in defense of the budget includes claims that this budget has real spending cuts. That's simply not true. The budget increases overall spending by 6.3%, which is $3.7 billion more than the previous budget. Reducing the amount of a spending increase is not the same as a spending cut!

They are also claiming they are cutting the state payroll by over 1,300 government positions. The fact is that these are vacant positions and they have agreed to leave them unfilled during the two-year budget cycle.

The Democrats are also critical of Republicans for not offering an alternative. We did offer suggestions and our members on the Joint Finance Committee were outspoken in their criticism of a budget they knew would take our state in the wrong direction.

Further, we pushed for building our state budget on a process called "zero-based budgeting." The process requires every agency to justify each expense, including employees, and how it relates to their statutory mission or to the effective delivery of a particular service. Instead, they chose to go with the existing "cost-to-continue" budgeting, which simply builds the new budget from the existing base.

In addition to all of the new taxes and fees, this budget also backfills spending for ongoing programs like education and Medicaid with one-time federal stimulus money. This decision will create an even bigger shortfall in the next budget.

In the end, this budget is well beyond repair. The State Senate should go back to the drawing board and start from scratch! That is the only responsible thing to do.

Budget Awaits Senate Action:

The budget now moves to the State Senate where they could make additional modifications, including adding back the Joint and Several liability provisions, or adding more spending provisions.

The vote could take place as early as Wednesday or Thursday, so if you are concerned, now is the time to contact your senator.

Voter feedback has had an impact in Madison. While it may not have eliminated all of the bad provisions in the budget, the calls and emails from constituents took a toll on legislators. It took Assembly Democratic leadership 60 hours last week to find the votes in their caucus.

Keep those calls, emails and letters coming!

So there you have it. Rep. Vukmir does not paint a rosy picture, does she? Unless the Senate votes this down, we are headed toward higher taxes, fees, and more spending. I know we are sick of contacting our legislators, but it is our only tool right now.

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D) (608) 266-2502, (715) 359-8739, Email: Sen.Decker@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Jim Sullivan (D) (608) 266-2512, (866) 817-6061, Email: Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Ted Kanavas (R) (608) 266-9174, (800) 863-8883, Email: Sen.Kanavas@legis.wisconsin.gov

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Competition with government health care will keep em honest?

Last week, President Obama sent a letter touting his government health care plan to 2 Senate Democrats stating, "This [his public health care option] will give (people) a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest."

Really?

Has government interference given Wisconsin residents more choices and made insurance carriers more competitive? In my opinion, no. Wisconsin mandates that certain benefits be included in all insurance policies sold in the state. Things like treatment for alcoholism and autism are mandated for all policies, I believe. But why should a tea-totaling person be required to purchase treatment for alcoholism? Why should a childless adult or parent of grown children be required to purchase insurance to cover Autism? Why can't we purchase health insurance policies from other states without these mandates?

I am not saying that those services shouldn't be offered as a choice. Just that if you want them, they should be an extra.

We don't purchase car insurance that way. If a driver has had an accident or violation, their rates usually go up. We have the choice to purchase collision insurance or not. Why can't we get more choices available for health insurance too?

Just thinking about other private businesses that compete with the government, is it the competition with the government that drives prices down or competition with each other?

Did DHL offer cheaper shipping prices than the post office because they were competing with the USPS or because they were competing with UPS and FedEx?

What about schools. As a rule, which is more expensive, public schools or private schools? Which one provides a better product? Does competition with public schools drive the cost down or "keep them honest" for the private? Does competition restrain the price for the public schools? Do you ever hear of a school board discussing that they need to keep costs down to remain competitive with say a school like, Heritage Christian School. (Their tuition is under $4,000 a year last time I checked.)

No, I believe private schools--parochial in particular--provide a cheaper, better alternative to government schools. Just ask the 1,000's of students cut from the School Choice program in our state, who enjoyed a superior education at a lower cost to taxpayers.

What happens when the national health care plan obtains subsidies and underwriting by the government that aren't available to the private sector? How is that type of competition fair and honest? Once the private sector insurers are out of business, do you really think the product offered will be superior to the private sector product? (If you are in doubt, just think of a private retirement annuity/investment plan vs. Social Security, where you pay a lot in but get little out.)

The President would like government-run health care to hit the Congress by August. What is the rush? Thankfully, Republican House Leader John Boehner is adamantly opposed.

President Obama was correct that competition keeps the cost down--it does in the private sector. However, that principle doesn't really work when the government provides the only choice.

Must reads: Heritage Foundation: Obama Rhetoric vs Health Care Reality

Wall Street Journal: How to Stop Socialized Health Care, Five arguments Republicans must make

Investor's Business Daily: Doctors Fight Back

New York Times: A.M.A Opposes Government-Sponsored Health Plan

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

UPDATE: $63 billion budget heads to State Assembly...Did you call your Rep?

UPDATE: Good news! The Assembly Democrats removed the Joint and Sevedral Liability Law reform from the state budget yesterday. I would wager that decision had something to do with negative constituent phone calls and emails? Don't relax just yet, as Boots and Sabers cautioned, "It’s not over yet, though. It could still be stuck back in by the Senate and end up in the final version. Keep vigilant!"(Thanks, Vicki McKenna.)

After hearing about Gov. Doyle's out of control budget for weeks now, it is finally out of the finance committee and heading to the State Assembly tomorrow, Wed., June 10th. It totals a whopping $ 63 billion--$3 billion of that is NEW taxes. (The State Senate will probably take up the budget early next week.) If you have not contacted your representative, please do. (Brookfield's Reps are listed at bottom of post.)

Brookfield's 2 State Representatives, Leah Vukmir and Rich Zipperer are both conservatives and against this budget's 7% increase in spending, among other things--especially during a recession!

They both have been sending out email alerts about the budget. Zipperer has his weekly Boondoggle Alert, that features a wasteful spending measure, and Vukmir just sent out a Budget Update that includes a budget survey. Do take the time to complete the survey; it will familiarize you with the budget issues.

I urge you to contact them. Even if you support their position, they still need to hear from you! An encouraging email is always welcome, especially since they are facing such an overwhelming amount of pork and waste.

From Rep. Zipperer: Make Your Voice Heard (My emphasis)

The Joint Committee on Finance has completed their amendments to the state budget, and it now moves to the full Assembly for consideration. According to news reports, Speaker Sheridan is expecting to bring it up for a floor debate and vote late next week [week of June 8-12]. In these final days, please make sure your friends, family members and colleagues from throughout Wisconsin are calling or emailing their representatives and senators to make their voice heard on the many misguided items within the budget!

If you have not been following the budget process, know that it currently proposes that the QEO be eliminated, W2 welfare reforms be scrapped, domestic partner insurance benefits be given for state workers, joint and several liability reform that could make someone who is only 1% responsible pay the entire settlement (what will that do to ski hill and water park owners?), phone taxes, RTA (trains, etc.) pork, oil tax, and on and on. Leah Vukmir has a great list posted that is divided into categories.

They are going into battle for you. The least you can do is send an encouraging word!

Contact Rep. Vukmir 14th Assembly District:

Phone: 608-266-9180 or 414-453-0024

EMail: Rep.Vukmir@legis.wi.gov

Contact Rep. Zipperer, 98th Assembly District:

Phone: 608) 266-5120
toll free: (888) 534-0098

EMail: rep.zipperer@legis.wisconsin.gov

Related posts: Senator Jim Sullivan's Town Hall...GRILLING! OUCH!

Still time to register your comments on Doyle's BIG budget & Tea Parties

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Rep. Leah Vukmir's Budget Update

I signed up to receive several of our state legislator's email alerts and reports. This one is from my State Representative Leah Vukmir. It also includes her budget survey. By taking the survey, you will get a better sense of how out of control the spending proposed by our Democrat governor and finance committee members is. (First few questions are just general in nature. As you continue, you will see where their 7% spending increase is going!)

Here is her budget report:

Budget Update

The Wisconsin Assembly is expected to take up the budget on Wednesday, June 10th. If you have been following the process, you know just how bad this spending package is.

Overall spending in the two-year spending plan will increase almost 7% funded by $3 billion in new taxes and fees and hundreds-of-million of dollars from one-time federal stimulus funds.

The budget also contains a variety of policy provisions that will have an impact on all of us and could result in a property tax increase of almost $1.5 billion.

While the economic downturn has made Wisconsin's budget challenges more difficult, the problems facing the governor and the legislature are the product of more than a decade of spending beyond our means.

In 2007, the legislature approved a budget that increased spending by nearly 10% despite strong indications that our economy was heading towards a recession and our revenue projections were excessively optimistic. As a result, Wisconsin ended 2007 with the largest per-capita structural deficits in the country.

Instead of working to trim government spending by making agencies seek efficiencies, the governor and the Democratically controlled Joint Finance Committee did all they could to insulate state employees and agencies from the impact of the recession.

This budget once again relies on one-time funding and unrealistic economic projections meaning that our budget troubles will only grow with the next budget.

Families and businesses in our state continue to struggle. They are trimming expenses and finding ways to do more with less. Throughout our state, the people are all asking the same question... "why can't government do the same?"

Even more troubling are the new taxes and fees on job creators. It doesn't matter if you work for a large company, a small business or are self-employed, this budget will put an additional burden on you.

During the past year, more than 150,000 workers have lost their jobs in Wisconsin, yet this budget will reduce any hope of an early economic recovery.

I have voted against Republican budgets that I believed were irresponsible, but this Democratic budget is the most reckless and harmful I have seen in our state.

My colleagues and I will do all that we can to amend this budget to remove as many of these items as possible, however I am not optimistic about our chances.

I encourage you to stay informed, follow the process and get involved. The Senate could take up the budget as early as June 15th please let your senator know how you feel about this budget.

For a detailed list of budget provisions, tax increases and earmarks, click here.

Contact Leah

For Legislative Issues and Official Business:

Phone: 608-266-9180 or 414-453-0024

EMail: Rep.Vukmir@legis.wi.gov

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Making room for Heirloom Tomatoes!

This will be my 3rd year planting heirloom tomatoes. If you have not tried any, make room for 1 or 2 this year. Their flavor is spectacular and their color and shape fun. I don't think you will be disappointed.


I tried several new ones last year and will be repeating some again this year. Repeats include: Mr. Stripey, Aunt Ruby's German Green, and Green Zebra. New varieties include: Box Car Willie (red), Caspian Pink, Black Krim, Old German (orange) and Orange Oxheart. I purchase all from Steins Gardens--they have a great selection.

Here is what some of these look like.

Mr. Stripey: Although the label shows red with yellow stripes, mine were yellow with red striping. Great flavor, pretty, and prolific!




Aunt Ruby's German Green: This one takes the cake!








The fruit was prolific and huge and had a wonderful flavor. It made an interesting addition to salads. I got 2 of these plants this year.




Green Zebra: A small green and yellow striped fruit. Good, tangy flavor.








Cherokee Purple: By far the most unusual tomato I have ever seen. It was rather mahogany in color. Can't say much about the flavor though. It did not produce many fruits, thus it did not make this year's roster.

Standard repeats are Burpees Lemon Boy and Sweet Cluster. Lemon Boy is a yellow tomato with wonderful fruity flavor, and Sweet Cluster is a small red salad tomato.

As I mentioned last year in Heirloom Tomatoes, Everything Old is New Again?, I cannot plant tomatoes in my veggie garden because of a virus in the soil. So I just cleared out more perennials from my flower garden to make room for my heirloom friends and also plan to try several in pots and planting directly in a bag of top soil. I will let you know how that works out. (I would love to try an upside-down tomato plant but have no place to hang it.)

Can you tell I love tomatoes? There is nothing like that earthy taste of a homegrown tomato. I can hardly wait for that first tomato/mayo sandwich!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Paper or plastic? Neither? But what do you do with garbage?

Yesterday, the Washington D.C. city council approved a 5-cent fee (tax) on all plastic and paper bags provided grocery and convenience stores. (It still needs final approval.) This was supposedly done to save the environment. I think it was just done to improve the D.C. tax coffers! (Retailers were allowed to keep 20% of the take too.) Other communities have made efforts to ban plastic bags; Seattle tried to impose a 20-cent fee last summer. (That measure is going to referendum.) How long until Governor Doyle goes for this one?

What is unusual about the Washington tax is that it is on paper bags as well as plastic. Paper is biodegradable and comes from a renewable resource: trees. Paper/building material companies plant trees just for the purpose of using them for... paper and building materials!

Now don't get me wrong, I am all in favor of cutting down the number of bags used. One of my pet peeves is grocery stores that bag your groceries in a zillion bags when maybe 2 would do*. (Pictured is my $19 purchase, and I asked for paper!)

But there is one thing I still have not figured out: If you always use your own bags, then WHAT DO YOU PUT YOUR GARBAGE IN????

Do you purchase garbage and trash bags from our friends at Union Carbide? How does using a Hefty bag for your trash help the environment? It is still in a plastic bag! What do you put your recyclable newspapers and office paper in if you no longer have paper bags?

I have been against the plastic grocery bag ever since the late 1970s when they first appeared on the scene. When I complained about the use of non-biodegradable, oil based plastic bags (this was during the oil embargo gas line days), the grocer told me that the plastic bags were better for the environment because they did not use trees! Since I was not born yesterday, I countered that plastic bags were cheaper than paper. I promptly made a few of my own cloth bags to use.

Often when shopping back then, the clerk would ask, do you want a bag? If it was a small purchase, I would say, no. This practice came to a halt, however, when too many items walked out the door without payment. Retailers soon insisted customers take a bag as proof that the item was paid for.

Lately, retailers are again asking if I want a bag for single item purchases. I usually decline if I am going straight to my car.

In our household, we never throw out empty bags--paper or plastic. They all get reused for trash, recycling, and garbage. I bring my own bags to ALDI and sometimes bring my own red Sendik's bag to Sendik's in Elm Grove and receive 5-cents off per bag used. (This tells me that bags are getting expensive for retailers.)

Some of this plethora of bags is caused by the grocery store baggers. They have a tendancy to pack just a few items in each bag. If I ask for paper, frequently I get plastic too--as pictured above. Maybe at one time, grocers instructed baggers to use a lot of bags so the customer would perceive that they got a lot for their money? Maybe over-bagging it is just because baggers tend not to be the Einsteins of the world. Whatever reason, they love to use a lot of bags.

If you have too many plastic bags, you can recycle them at some retailers. Kohls and Walmart used to take them. Small resale shops such as Almost Anything on 76th and Beloit take them too. They happily use clean, recycled bags.

The greatest boon go grocers is the purchase your own bag idea. This way, they get you, the consumer, to provide the bag for their merchandise, thus reducing their costs**. That is all fine and good, but it still does not answer my question: WHAT DO YOU PUT YOUR GARBAGE IN?

*My all time high in plastic over-bagging came at the Publix grocery store in Florida a few years back. We purchased about $100 of groceries and they bagged them in over 20 plastic grocery bags--and that was with me helping a little. The concept of putting more than 1 or 2 items in a bag or bagging your own was not one they embraced!

**Menards went one better on buy your own bag. Their last bag sale required that you purchase their 99-cent Menards bag in order to obtain their % off on all that fit into the bag!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Wow! 2 good decisions in one day: Elmbrook graduation & Sipemann home stays

This does not happen too often in my world: 2 decisions that I am happy with, both delivered on the same day!

The first is significant: Judge allows Elmbrook graduation ceremony in church. I am thankful that the judge ruled rightly in allowing the school district to conduct it's graduation in the church auditorium. I applaud U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert for applying the law instead of making it.. His decision pleasantly surprised me; Clevert is not a conservative but a Bill Clinton appointee.

Tuesday's second decision was what I call a step in the right direction: New plans will be designed to save farmnouse. Although not written in stone just yet, the Stonewood Village developer, Michael Schutte, "agreed to propose a new redevelopment plan that would preserve the building."

Seems there was some behind the scenes work done between the developer, Alderwoman Lisa Mellone and the Elmbrook Historical Society that brought about this change of direction.I think the idea of transforming the Siepmann house into a small cafe would be a good fit for the building and village complex. (Hope it is something unique like the Anaba Tea Room.)

The article mentioned that Mayor Speaker "said that aldermen may need to adopt variances to various city codes to allow the farmhouse to remain where it is in the center upgrade." Of course, I approve of that idea. It will be interesting to see what the new plans look like.

Now if we could just get the state taxing and spending under control and stop the rush toward socialism at the national level, I might think we entered an alternate universe!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Russia ought to know...America is the new "land of the RED"

While most of the American media ignores the dramatic shift toward Marxism in America under President Obama's administration, there is one news source that has the guts to report what has been going on since Jan. 20, 2009 straight up: Russia's PRAVDA!

No cheer leading here, just the unvarnished truth: America is the new "land of the Red": American capitalism gone with a whimper.

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

I think most people are feeling overwhelmed by the speed in which we are descending into the mires of tyranny and government intrusion. The idea that government should dictate what salaries will be, what kind of car to drive, what kind of energy to use, what kind of health care and health insurance you can have, etc. flies in the face of every freedom loving American.

How did this happen? The article lists the steps. Here are some:

1. Dumbing down the population "through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics." Amen to that. Schools do not study the Constitution or America's history much anymore, they do spend lots of time on twaddle though.
2. "Then their faith in God was destroyed." I may disagree with their assessment of this step, but I believe it to be true. Many large, liberal, churches, including the emerging church movement are more concerned with being popular than proclaiming what the Bible teaches.
3. The election of Barack Obama. "His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe."
4. "These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars."
5. BIG POINT: "These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters."
6. GM reorganization by yet another group of unelected despite Prime Minister Putin's warning that "the path to Marxism... only leads to disaster."

There was a parting slam to the Democratically controlled Congress and their efforts to "set 'fair' maximum salaries" and raises. Senator Barney Frank was singled out, who they who they called "a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort."

After citing these numerous areas where America has embraced Marxist ideals over the American dream, the article concludes that if Russians have money invested in American companies they should bail before there is no value left!

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Do read the entire article. Pravda sees what is going on here. I can only hope and pray the American "sheeple" wake up and see it too.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

How much to raze the Siepmann Home?

Original post date: May. 21, 2009

Siepmann Home & Stonewood Village, Brookfield Click photo to view all

A thought came to me yesterday (Wed. May 20th) about the Siepmann farm house. The developer offered the home to the Elmbrook Historical Society along with $10,000. But how much would it cost the developer to raze the building and dispose of it themselves? Anybody have an idea? I am thinking giving the building and $10,000 is a bargain for the developer?

Just for comparison, fourteen years ago, we remodeled. I think we saved about $3,000 in dumpster and some demo fees by hauling our debris ourselves--and that was just from part of a house. The farm house no doubt has lead paint on its walls. Does that mean another disposal fee?

I stopped at Stonewood Village Wednesday to see the home in question and took some pictures. (Get while the getting is good, I always say.) I have heard the home has been butchered over the years and its interior is no longer in pristine condition.

Stonewood Village was pretty empty when I visited in the afternoon --maybe 8 cars in the east parking lot including me? The west parking lot looked very empty too.

The developer is hoping to turn this around by transforming the Village into the Wedding Center. I hope he is successful. The home in question is on private property and the owner is the one in charge of such decisions as long as zoning does not need to be changed etc. The Common Council voted to table the issue until June 2nd.

I am always sad to see interesting older buildings go, but that is progress, I guess. It could be worse; the developer could be trying to put in high density apartments! I will have to take comfort in that.

But is there a way to keep the home AND add the connector road in front of the farmhouse? If there is, maybe this is where the Common Council could grant a variance? As I stated in the comment section on Brookfieldnow, it is ironic that the very structure that inspired Stonewood Village is now the one set for demolition.

Aldermen Contact Info Page

Talks continue over fate of historic farmhouse

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Stonewood Village's Siepmann farm on chopping block at Tuesday's Common Council meeting

Stonewood Village, a Brookfield shopping center consisting of historic and period reproduction homes and buildings, is in the process of undergoing major changes, with an emphasis on weddings. The problem is, the historic Siepmann building*, circa 1856, stands in the way of the newly proposed and approved of building plans:

The developer plans to raze a historic two-story barn to accommodate the changes, but representatives from Stonewood Village [said] they would be willing to work with the Elmbrook Historical Society to relocate the farm or reuse some of the materials elsewhere on the site.

The proposal for the first phase now goes to the Common Council for approval Tuesday, May 19. Subsequent phases of the project will need the approval of the Plan Commission and the Common Council.

This has been in the works for some time. On Jan. 12th, Brookfield's Plan Commission "heard a proposal from Losik Engineering and Design Group to add a building at the site, as well as making parking improvements and landscape changes." I did not realize their plans involved razing a building until last week.

The Stonewood Village Wedding Center seemed like a good fit for the collection of shops. I can see how brides to be would enjoy shopping and planning their special day in such a quaint setting. The idea of adding a reception/banquet hall is appealing too. If they haven't proposed this yet, I could see them adding some sort of chapel for the actual wedding service.

It saddens me, however, that this charming wedding wonderland would come at the expense of losing yet another historic building in Brookfield. Unfortunately, the building in question is brick; it cannot be moved easily. An acquaintance on the Elmbrook Historical Society informed me that the Siepmann family was just as prominent as the Ruby family in early Brookfield history.

I just returned from a trip to Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

Greenfield Village is a collection of historic homes and buildings from all over the country that Henry Ford began moving to Dearborn in the 1920s.

Ford had the foresight to preserve these structures so future generations could enjoy Thomas Edison's workshop, the Wright Brother's bike shop and family home, the Heinz home (pictured), Webster's home, etc.

Henry Ford also moved a church from Connecticut with its steeple bell cast by Paul Revere Jr. to Greenfield Village. The church is still used today for weddings and receptions are held at the Eagle Tavern, also on the grounds. (Photo is of Eagle Tavern.)

Granted, the Siepmann's are not as famous as The Wright Brothers, but can't we find some way to save the Siepmann farmstead and still do the wedding center?

Brookfield's aldermen will address this "New Business #5" question at Tuesday's meeting at City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Rd, 7:45pm. Aldermen Contact Info Page

*The article said the building was a 2 story barn; my EHS acquaintance referred to it as a home.

Additional reading from Brookfieldnow: Matrimonial mall provides a one-stop shopping experience, Jan 21, 2009

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Too good to be good for you OATMEAL MUFFINS

I have been making these oatmeal muffins ever since the oat bran craze came on the scene--maybe 15 years or more ago?

Originally, I adapted an oat bran muffin recipe and then kept changing it until I found something that I thought tasted good and was still relatively nutritious. It has evolved over the years and may undergo more changes as time goes on. [I did not like any of the oat bran recipes; to me they tasted like baked wallpaper paste with a little sawdust for texture! :) ]

I call my recipe, Too Good to be Good for You Muffins. They are fat free, egg free, and can be dairy free too, but you can add in some oil and use eggs if you like. You will need to reduce the liquid by 2 Tablespoons for each egg used. I use egg replacer powder by Ener-G. I purchase mine from Health Hut. Probably Outpost would have it too. Do not confuse this with egg beaters or similar egg based products. This does not contain ANY animal products. It works very well, and since it is a powder, I don't have to worry about needing eggs to bake with.

You can reduce the honey if you want a healthier version, but I use the 1 1/2 cups of honey to make my Honey happy.

Too Good to be Good for You Muffins: Yield, 4 dozen. No mixer needed, just a very large mixing bowl.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

The recipe:

7 Cups of oatmeal--I use freshly rolled oats but commercially rolled oats would work too

1 Cup of wheat bran. Lately, I have not used wheat bran but just add another cup of oatmeal.

1 1/2 Cups honey

2 Cups apple sauce

4 Cups water, milk, or juice

OPTIONAL: 1 1/3 Cups of the following: Chocolate chips, raisins, and/or chopped pecans, walnuts, or roasted unsalted sunflower seeds.

(I usually use choc. chips, nuts and raisins. I also like using chopped fresh or frozen cranberries and walnuts.)

Let this mixture soak about 5 to 10 minutes

I started adding about 1/4 Cup olive oil to the mix. ( I think I might try melted coconut oil next time.)

Mix the following together, then add to the wet ingredients and stir until well distributed:

3 Cups whole wheat flour or unbleached white wheat flour

2 Tablespoon egg replacer or 4 eggs (1/2T egg replacer powder + 2T water = 1 large egg. You must reduce the liquid if using real eggs.)

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking soda

Spoon into Pam sprayed muffin pans* and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool and gently remove from pans. Mini muffin pans work too, but baking time will be shorter. Store in Tupperware like containers. The muffins freeze well. I make these about every 3 weeks.

I hope you will give these a try. Most people like them. No, they are not chocolate cake, but I think they are good for breakfast or snacking. Let me know what you think.

*Aluminum pans bake the best. You can use muffin paper liners too, but I prefer PAM.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Thanks Mom

Originally posted: May 10, 2008

My mom was an amazing woman. Her priorities were God, Dad, us, others, then herself. She was kind, generous, and a whiz at managing money. Since the economy is in the news so much these days, I will focus on her money management talents.

To use an expression I once heard, she could pinch a nickel so hard the Indian was riding the buffalo! That is no longer politically correct, but thankfully, the nickels have changed now too. We can still use the expression. The updated version would be she pinched a nickel so hard Jefferson was riding the buffalo! I am sure if she had been sent to Washington, she could have balanced the budget.

I grew up in a blue collar household located in a gold coast suburb (Shorewood), yet my parents never argued about money. Mom elevated frugality to an art form. She used coupons and stuck to her budget. (She used an envelope system ala Dave Ramsey.)

Most mothers back then still cooked meals, and she was no different. We ate up leftovers and did not waste food as many do today. Sundays we splurged and had lunch out at a modest restaurant after church and munched on popcorn for dinner. She would joke that it was against her religion to cook on Sunday! (I follow that same practice.)

Her philosophy of money management was to skimp on things that don't matter so you could splurge once in a while on something that would greatly improve your quality of life. That is how we ended up with a dishwasher back in the 1950s and a color TV in the mid 1960s. You may snicker at those two items being a luxury, but trust me, they were not the norm--even in Shorewood.

One of the items we saved money on were clothes. Mom sewed her clothes and most of my sister's and mine. She taught me to sew and I made my first dress in 3rd grade.

Another other area of savings were vacations. I think we started camping in 1958. Even though mom was not really the camping type, she saw that it was a relatively inexpensive way to see the U.S.A. We would pack up our huge cabin tent and head out to Mt.Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, etc. Those are fond memories.

I had some girlfriends who were from much wealthier families than mine. There wasn't jealousy or envy about that fact; that was just how life was. One in particular has been my friend since the 1st grade. Her parents owned a popular resort up north that was frequented by Green Bay Packers and other local celebrities. She spent each summer up there.

Her mom took her to Chicago each year to purchase all new school clothes. Because I was always interested in fashion, that was a wondrous thing to me. They also had a housekeeper who did all of their cooking. My friend seemed to have the ideal life at the time.

Recently my 1st grade friend mentioned how she thought I was the privileged one when we were growing up. She wished her mom sewed her clothes, made oatmeal cookies, and above all, she wished she could have traveled like we did on our camping trips!

In looking back at my life, I have to agree. I was privileged. I still am. So much of who I am and what I value was influenced by my Godly mother. If she were here today, I would rise up and call her blessed. She left a pair of large shoes to fill.

If your mom is still here, be sure to tell her all that is in your heart this Mother's Day.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Senator Jim Sullivan's Town Hall....GRILLING! OUCH!

Curiosity won out last night, and so I went to Brookfield East's library for Sen. Jim Sullivan's Town Hall meeting. I didn't know what to expect; I have never been to one of his meetings. Would I be the lone conservative amongst liberals?

I had recently attended Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and State Rep. Leah Vukmir's Town Hall at the Wauwatosa Library. It attracted about 100 attendees--nearly all were supportive of their positions on the issues.

When I arrived at East at 5:30pm, Senator Sullivan was just walking into the school. Once in the library, I found a crowd of 1; my presence doubled the attendance. I was asked to fill out a form by his assistant, Leslie, and check off the issues important to me. I think I checked abortion, end of life issues, job creation, taxes, voter ID and a few more. (Topics of discussion will be in bold.)

In response to the lackluster attendance, Leslie jokingly said that when people are happy or the weather is nice, turnout is low. I said maybe people did not know about it? I only found out via a robo call the day before. I mentioned that since I had often emailed Sen. Sullivan, they could use that media to easily notify his constituents. She said they did use email. I said I had not received one. (I double checked once I got home--no email notice.)

Introduction: Sen. Sullivan began by giving an overview of what would likely happen in Madison this year. He used our info sheets to target issues that were important to us. Sullivan spoke in very vague terms as if he had nothing to do with any of it.

Smoking Ban: He talked about the smoking ban, something the other attendee was in favor of. (I hate smoking, but since it is legal, I think taverns should at least be able to designate themselves as a club and allow smoking. That way, the people who join, do so knowing that means it is a smoking facility.)

By this time, a few stragglers came in. I think at max. we had 7 attendees in all.

Voter ID: Sullivan talked about how he was the Co-sponsor of Voter ID legislation last year because he was opposed to amending the constitution for that purpose. Of course, his vote against putting the Voter ID constitutional amendment question on the ballot last year killed any chance of Wisconsin voters weighing in on the issue. (Voter ID is supported by a vast majority of Democrats and Republicans.) I did clarify that a constitutional amendment could not be vetoed by the governor, but legislation could. I think Jim was hoping to slip out of that one!

Health Care Transparency: Evidentially, Sullivan did introduce health care transparency legislation last session too, but was quick to point out that it did not move forward. He mentioned something about when a measure is perceived to be a Republican issue; it won't get support, even if it is a good idea. I took it that Republicans would not approve of a Democrat sponsorship of one of their issues? But it was fellow Dem. Erpenbach who foiled Sullivan's attempt to put this forward. It did not make it out of committee. Sullivan did say he would reintroduce it after the budget is settled.

Abortion: Then the abortion question came up. Sullivan said he did not think there would be any new legislation regarding abortion this year, again acting like he was a bystander. I suggested that he inform us of what HIS position was on these issues, not just that he did not think any abortion legislation would be passed this year.

I then brought up the fact that Sullivan cast one of the 2 deciding votes to confirm 2 pro 2nd trimester abortion board members, Roger Axtell and Michael Weiden, to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board last month. I added, I did not like my tax dollars going for abortion. Sullivan fired back that the clinic wasn't tax supplied. Another woman piped up that wasn't true; the board itself admitted they did receive tax money.

Sullivan tried to quiet her by saying she was interrupting me. I quickly said I yielded the floor to her!

Turns out, I think we were all pro-life and rather upset by his vote. After some back and forth, Sullivan finally admitted, "I am absolutely in favor of late term abortion" and "I would do [vote for] it again." No wiggling out of that one!

RTA: Next topic was the RTA. Sullivan said the joint finance committee vote was a mess--a political compromise to protect Lehman from casting a vote in favor of a sales tax. Sullivan said he would vote for a dedicated fund, the 1/2% sales tax on 3 counties, but not the measure for a Milwaukee 1% sales tax.

That is when a 30-something self described unemployed Christian conservative spoke up. He was adamantly against the RTA with its appointed board. He strongly objected to the whole concept of the RTA (as we all did) and even more to the idea of an appointed board. Appointed boards have NO accountability.

Sullivan tried to say that he is only for the Governor's original plan, but this group was well informed. They brought up that Doyle's plan had an appointed board too. Sullivan committed to a NO vote on the present Milw. 1% tax and YES for the RTA, if it had a 1/2% 3 county dedicated RTA tax.

The fact that the RTA was not self supporting didn't faze Sullivan at all. He fired back that no transportation is self supporting, citing roads as one example. Roads receive gas tax funds, he said.

I thought that a poor example since those that use the roads, pay the gas taxes to fund the roads. I brought up the fact that public transport, such as metro rail and busses, must run the trains at all times regardless of rider-ship. We just returned from St. Louis where their metro was very lightly used. Maybe 6 people on the whole train--some cars empty? That is expensive transportation. Whereas every auto on the road has at least 1 rider, the driver!

Sullivan was very defensive after a flurry of other negative comments on public transportation. "Not everyone drives cars" he said defensively. The RTA is busses, shuttles, and trains; this will save us money.

The very informed woman said, how much will it save? Have a referendum!

Sullivan said, they did. It was not a referendum stating how much this would cost, just a would you like a RTA? "That is a weak response," one man chided. (That type referendum is as valid as saying, Would you like a Thanksgiving Day parade? Without knowing the cost, it is pretty meaningless.)

Sullivan did admit that the vote was close. It was also only in Milwaukee--not in his Waukesha district area. We tried to discuss the RTA further, since it is such a good example of unnecessary spending and more bureaucracy, but he would not allow it.

$6.5 Billion deficit: An older gentleman brought up the staggering $6.5 billion debt. "Where are we going with this?"

Sullivan touted the 1% across the board cuts and the 209 State jobs eliminated. The informed lady asked, were those real job cuts or just attrition?

Sullivan then said since 2003, I believe, 4,500 positions have been cut from the total state roster. But out of how many jobs total? someone asked. Hmm, that information was not known. The group then muttered about how many private sector jobs have been lost.

The Senator was looking a bit red faced at times. He was definitely in the hot seat!

Joint Several Liability Rule Reform: The older gentleman urged, "Let's hold on to the spending." Then he brought up the 1% liability. The Joint Several Liability Rule Reform, which Sullivan supports. Some view this as just being a sop to trial lawyers. It would make someone with just 1% liability be responsible for the entire award to the injured party (thus the lawyer gets to collect his fee.) None of our surrounding states have it--they all changed it years ago--the gentleman stated.

Sullivan tried to chalk it up to just going back to what was in place before. The smart lady said something like how far back are we going? Why not cite a pre Civil War law!

Fund raiding to balance budget: The subject of raiding transportation and physicians' liability funding to balance the budget came up. Finally, some breathing room for Jim Sullivan, he said he was against that.

Stimulus spending: The Zoo I-94 interchange subject was addressed in relation to shovel ready stimulus projects. Unfortunately, it was lacking about $20 million in planning yet, so the $1 billion dollar project cannot be a stimulus project. Sullivan is trying to protect the $20 million for planning in the current budget.

Sullivan is pro UW center being built at the County Grounds and also pro Veteran's benefits. He will be voting on the whole budget with these issues in mind.

The Senator brought up the privatizing of infrastructure and services. Recently, the leasing of Milwaukee's water system came up. He saw getting the water off our tax bills as beneficial in the short term, but was wary of the long term ramifications.

Privatizing: The 30-something gentleman thought the water issue was a good example of what government should be involved in. That they should ask the question, "Are these [budget items] vital, are these necessary? Like the water question, is the RTA vital?" Based on the comments from the evening, Sullivan was the only one who thought so.

Litmus test for spending: Good litmus test though for spending, "Is it vital?" We all agreed we were making cuts in our personal spending and we expect our government to do the same.

The 30-something man chided, "You are in a bubble in Madison." Sullivan tried to deny that by saying he does not live there. I think that rational fell flat, at least on this group. My impression was that Jim Sullivan likes to pass himself off as a moderate and doesn't want to acknowledge any culpability in what is going on in Madison.

Senator Jim Sullivan was invited to join US Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner and State Rep. Leah Vukmir for their Town Halls, but he did not participate. Their Town Halls were held on several weekends when working people could attend. Jim Sullivan has 2 per year: spring and fall. This one was at 5:30 on a weekday, making it difficult for working people to attend.

As we walked out, I spoke with the well informed woman. She was from Wauwatosa, and she mentioned that Sullivan rarely returned her calls. (I usually email and then receive a vague response letter.)

The word arrogance came up more than once to describe his attitude. It isn't the first time I have heard someone describe his attitude toward a constituent's opinion that way. I have to agree. It is pretty difficult to deal with someone who won't even acknowledge his responsibility in promoting 2nd trimester abortion by appointing 2 very pro abortion board members to the UW Clinic board. Saying that a member's stance on abortion should not be a litmus test for board approval seems a strong disconnect. He maybe able to quell his Catholic conscience that way, but he is not convincing me he is blameless.

I am glad I attended. The meeting certainly confirmed my opinions of Senator Jim Sullivan. I sure hope there is a good, strong conservative Republican planning a run for Senate District #5 in 2012.

Since Waukesha County residents didn't have any type of referendum question on the RTA, perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the RTA as well as other issues with our Senator?

(D) Senator Jim Sullivan (608) 266-2512, (866) 817-6061, email: Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Sen. Jim Sullivan Town Hall Meeting, May 7th, 5:30pm, East High School

I just got a robo call from some young lady telling me of a State Senator Jim Sullivan Town Hall meeting tomorrow at Brookfield East High School's library at 5:30 PM.

Can't say if I will attend on such short notice, but I thought at least I would pass it on to you.

If I did go, I might want to ask him why he voted to confirm Roger Axtell and Michael Weiden to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board last month.

If you have not been following this issue, the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clincs will be performing 2nd trimester abortions at the Madison Surgery Center. That means Wisconsin taxpayer money is going to go for aborting viable children. The children are so developed, they must first be dismembered in the womb.

From ProLifeWisconsin: (My emphasis is underlined)

Outside the Senate chamber just prior to the vote, Pro-Life Wisconsin and other pro-life organizations and advocates spoke at a press conference called by Senators Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) and Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin). Members of the pro-life medical community, including Dr. Bill Evans of Madison and Dr. Christine Zainer of Milwaukee, and parents of developmentally disabled children came forward to challenge the Senate to recognize the inherent dignity of all human persons.

Pro-Life Wisconsin applauds Senator Grothman and his Republican colleagues for voting for life. We are especially proud of Senator Vinehout for voting her convictions with courage, in stark contrast to her Democrat colleagues who apparently could not bring themselves to oppose even late-term abortions. Pro-Life Wisconsin is especially disappointed in Senator Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) who in defiance of his professed Catholic faith voted to confirm Axtell and Weiden.

Or how about asking why Jim Sullivan does not want a Voter ID law in Wisconsin? Remember that ploy? He stated he was in favor of voter ID, but not by amending the state constitution, but by legislation. So he voted against the measure to put it on the ballot allowing voters to decide (Legislation can be vetoed by the governor, amendments cannot.)

I still remember former Mayor Kate Bloomberg's endorsement of Democrat Jim Sullivan over Republican Tom Reynolds.

But the Brookfieldnow posting cited that in Bloomberg and Urban’s opinion, the Democrat they are endorsing is running to serve and represent the people of the 5th district effectively, “whether they are conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between”. Think about that. How is that even possible? On every major issue, I disagree STRONGLY with that candidate’s position.

How is it I would be satisfied with his representing me? How could a pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, believer in lower taxes, (how could I forget pro voter photo ID, anti benefits to illegal aliens), fiscal conservative like me ever be represented by someone whose platform is pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, opposed to voter photo ID, opposed to requiring welfare recipients to prove their legal US status, and pro-taxation? Any Republican espousing those liberal values would be an "embarrassment" to the Republican Party. But then, I asked myself, how well did Mayor Kate reflect my values? Not very well. So, why would I give any credence to her endorsement now?

So far, Sen. Jim Sullivan has NOT represented me at all. If you cannot make the town hall, you might wish to contact him directly.

(D) Senator Jim Sullivan (608) 266-2512, (866) 817-6061, email: Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Ever roll your own? I do; I roll OATS!

Yes, I have been rolling my own for about 10 years now--oats, that is. I make my own oatmeal.

Why? It is healthier. You see, the whole grain seed or groat, as it is called, will stay fresh for years, but only if it is in its whole condition. Once a grain is ground or rolled, it starts to break down, deteriorate, and oxidize. The fats become rancid and molds begin to grow. That means the oatmeal and flour and whole grain baked goods you buy in the store have all started to spoil.

Rolling oats is easy to do. All you need is an oat roller. Mine is Italian made and resembles a pasta maker. The whole oat groats go in the top, I turn the crank, the goats are smashed between steel rollers, and out come the rolled oats into the hopper below. There are electrified models, but I figure I can use the upper arm exercise, and it is not hard to turn. I just roll the oats I need before I begin baking.

If you and your family enjoy hot, cooked oatmeal cereal, or you bake a lot, you might consider rolling your own too. I use oatmeal primarily for oatmeal muffins. I eat them for breakfast. (I never did master eating cooked oatmeal--it's a texture thing.)

When I used to bake cookies every few weeks, I would use oats for oatmeal cookies. Since middle age spread hit, we've had to substitute oatmeal muffins as our middle age treat.

I get my oat groats as well as other grains and baking supplies from Barbara, a homeschool acquaintance. Barb grew her interest in whole grain baking into a business. She organizes a bulk shipment, usually twice a year, for a spring order and fall order. Barb recently began holding baking classes at her home. You might ask her about the dates for her next session.

Spring orders are due May 13th with a pick up the following month at Waukesha Bible Church in Waukesha. She also has a Madison area pick up. Check out her new blog at Barbara's Breadspot. If you are interested in placing an order, email her at breadspot@sbcglobal.net and she will email you an order form. If whole grain and bean cooking interests you, you can think about it over the summer and place a fall order later on.

I am always fascinated with what people order. There are buckets of bulk honey, grain, bags of dried beans and other grains, maple syrup, baking supplies like yeast and dough enhancer, and even cook books! Barb runs a well oiled machine. Pick up is easy and efficient: You just drive in, they get your order sheet, they load you up, and away you go!

Guess I better dig out my oatmeal muffin recipes and share them with you. They are pretty tasty and guilt free. They just might get you rolling your own.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

National Day of Prayer: Meet at City Hall Plaza flags, Thursday, May 7, 12:20pm

This coming Thursday is the 58th annual National Day of Prayer in America. All across the country people of faith will be gathering around the flag poles at schools, city halls, and other public places to pray for our country and leaders. Some events are well organized; some are just a generic invitation to meet at your city hall flag pole from 12:20 to 12:40 pm.

From National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairman, Shirley Dobson:

[The] theme for this year's event is Prayer...America's Hope! It is based on Psalm 33:22, which says, "'May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

This is an extremely critical time in America's history. From economic pressures, to the ongoing threat of terrorism, to the unraveling of our culture's moral fabric, many people are dealing with a deep sense of uncertainty and apprehension.

I have attended 2 of these at Brookfield's City Hall Plaza* and found them to be an encouraging experience. Hope you will venture out and join me in praying for our country.

If you do not feel comfortable praying corporately, please do not let that stop you from participating. If you are a person of faith, I think you will be uplifted whether you pray aloud or silently for our nation and leaders. This is not a denominational event, just a meeting of people of faith who care about our country.

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This year, the National Day of Prayer is being threatened by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. (By the way, the Constitution does not guarantee the freedom FROM religion; they guarantee the freedom OF religion.)

The Alliance Defense Fund is fighting this suit. They have a petition drive on their webpage Save the National Day of Prayer where you can contact President Obama: Sign the petition for President Obama They just announced, "The Obama administration announced that the president will sign a proclamation for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday."

I hope I see you at City Hall Plaza.

*Note: Meeting at City Hall Plaza is NOT a City of Brookfield activity. It is just citizens exercising their right to free speech in a public place.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation