The World According to Nick - Comments

Comment by grumps on "If The Demand Is So High - Then Where Are The Options?"

suppressed@unknown.org (grumps) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:11:37 GMT

"As Patrick McIlheran points out, there is a very successful bus line that runs from Milwaukee to Madison right now. It's also very flexible, since it doesn't depend on massive infrastructure to support" Let's see 60 miles of Interstate highway at what? 3 million per mile? Add in the 30 acres of Par 'N' Rides at $30,000 per acre. Snowplowing. Mowing. Police patrols. Repaving and bridge maintainence. Methinks McIheran is less than intellectually rigorous in his argument.

Posted by: grumps

Comment by Pete on "If The Demand Is So High - Then Where Are The Options?"

suppressed@unknown.org (Pete) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:42:00 GMT

Coop, you're talking about essentially what's being done, except with track upgrades to allow for increased speeds. Nick, we're not spending billions, just 810 million. I don't think people from Milwaukee understand that Madisonians don't really care that much about getting to Milwaukee (or Milwaukeeans getting here). That's easy enough with the interstate and Milwaukee's not all that walkable once you get there. We want a route to Chicago that doesn't involve driving into Chicago. This is also the first step in catching up to the coasts, both of which, after California's portion of the rail stimulus is spent, will have actual high-speed (150 - 200 mph) rail connecting their cities. That would be a fantastic thing for the ~ 15 million people that live in the metro areas along the corridor between Chicago and the Twin Cities but we have to crawl before we can run. If you still think there's still nothing in it for you right now, tell me why I should care. Apart from the fact that Milwaukee already has a successful rail connection to Chicago, we'll be dumping about four billion dollars into Milwaukee's freeways over the next decade. You got yours. Stop whining.

Posted by: Pete

Comment by Coop on "If The Demand Is So High - Then Where Are The Options?"

suppressed@unknown.org (Coop) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:54:05 GMT

You know, I was just thinking today; our leg of this "high speed" rail is supposed to eventually connect Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul by way of Milwaukee and Madison. If that's the case, instead of building a new rail line, why don't we just upgrade the line that already exists? The Amtrak Empire Builder runs from Chicago to Seattle by way of Milwaukee (and, incidentally, the Dells, although that may not have helped you in this situation). Couldn't we just re-route it to pass through Madison before turning northwest to head on to the twin cities? Same result, a lot less money. Mind you, I'm not advocating for high speed rail. I'm of the opinion that this is going to go down as one of the biggest boondoggles in state history.

Posted by: Coop

Comment by TosaGuy on "Wauwatosa TIF District for UWM Engineering School on Hold"

suppressed@unknown.org (TosaGuy) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:48:26 GMT

Thanks for the update, Nick. I had gone to several of the meetings regarding the zoning. At the time of the zoning change request, there was not a peep by UWM or a question from any councilcritter on the need for a TIF. Had there been, the direction of the debate would have changed significantly. The city is already hurting with regard to the David Israel TIF for condos in the valley, which he promised as high end, but went scrounging for gov't grants to build senior housing. Not exactly a good use of TIFs. The TIF for GE Med comes off the books in 2013 and the city will get a nice payoff. But that was a TIF to get a sure thing that every other community would kill to have. I am torn on this issue, but want the city to favor prudence. This parcel currently pays zero prop tax dollars and the politics will never ever allow it to be fully used by a profit-oriented business. The mixed education and business use probably holds the best chance for this parcel to provide any property tax value to Wauwatosa. However, given the state budget, I don't see many dollars coming out of Madison to spiff up UWM. The rest of the state won't stand for it and the state budget needs a meat clever taken to it. I don't think that Tosa has the ability to take on an additional $12 million in bonds and maintain a tax levy sustainable with the existing tax base. It is now seeking to float $8 million to cover its pension contribution. $12 million for the fireman's new clubhouse. An increase annually to bonds taken out for infrastructure repair. That is a lot of debt to digest, even if it's on favorable terms at this time.

Posted by: TosaGuy

Comment by Dave Reid on "Show Me The Smokey Money!"

suppressed@unknown.org (Dave Reid) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:14:17 GMT

Just a little update, but the Common Council did pass a ban that is in fact stricter than the state ban.

Posted by: Dave Reid

Comment by jesusisjustalrightwithme on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (jesusisjustalrightwithme) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:22:42 GMT

Thanks for the yogurt-making lesson. But I cleary said Yoplait Original. Which is what most yogurt-eaters think of when they think of yogurt. I'm guessing Folkbum was talking about something similar. I don't think comparing Yoplait Original Yogurt to a Krispy Kreme is any more of a strech than any of folkbum's comparisons to which I was responding. I buy exclusively grass-fed beef. You're insane. I have no problems cooking it. I just mean Walmart meat and produce is better than McDonalds and shit like that, that folkbum was referring to. There have been studies indicatign Walmart groceries are better than Whole Foods.

Posted by: jesusisjustalrightwithme

Comment by John Foust on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (John Foust) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:54:04 GMT

Haysoos, if you start with milk and warm it with the right bacteria, that's yogurt. If you add a bunch of sugar to it, is it still yogurt? Comparing doughnuts to yogurt? By serving portion? That's not even apples to oranges. By weight? Have you actually purchased and eaten real grass-fed beef? I say this as a person with locavore tendencies and several local steaks in the freezer. It's not the same stuff as a corn-fed steak. It doesn't cook the same. You're in for an unpleasant dinner if you cook it like your last steak. Walmart meat? Kinda yucky, if you ask me. There's a lot of odd Mexico-raised beef in the stores these days. And by "the stores" I don't mean the actual Mexican groceries, who are smart and savvy enough to sell Midwest-raised beef, often butchered on the premises.

Posted by: John Foust

Comment by Nick Schweitzer on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (Nick Schweitzer) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:04:17 GMT

All excellent points jisawm... especially regarding Walmart. And yes, when it comes to food, people too often equate "natural/unprocessed" food with "low calorie" incorrectly. Though I believe there is a certain body of research that shows that HFCS is digested in your body differently, and creates a different insulin response, than other simpler sugars. Overall though, that has a smaller impact on weight gain than pure calorie counts.

Posted by: Nick Schweitzer

Comment by jesusisjustalrightwithme on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (jesusisjustalrightwithme) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:58:24 GMT

Jay, Soda is cheaper than Apple Juice? Maybe, but who cares? They're both full of sugar and will make you fat. Doritos cheaper than yogurt? Again, maybe, but who cares? They're both full of sugar and will make you fat. A Krispy Kreme donut has less sugar than a Yoplait original (10g to 17g) for Chrisake. "There are some of us (I'm not naming names) who are overweight because we can afford to make healthy choices and often don't. Others simply can't afford to." Indeed. And then there are those that are fat (I'm not naming any names either.... Jay) that are fat because they don't know how to eat healthy. Yogurt and apple juice are BAD for you. Especially in terms of weight gain. Carrot sticks are good. Apples are okayish in moderation. If you want to eat healthy try meat (grass-fed and free range etc.), vegetables, nuts, seeds, a little bit of fruit, a very little bit of starch, no sugar. Now what gets me is that a lot of the people that make the claim about healthy food being too expensive are the same people that oppose Walmart putting stores in poor neighborhoods. Is there a better source for cheap, relatively high quality meats and vegies than Walmart?

Posted by: jesusisjustalrightwithme

Comment by John Foust on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (John Foust) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:11:12 GMT

A Libertarian suggesting there's only a two-dimensional spectrum of choices! Somebody smack him with a laminated Nolan Chart. You've been drinking with too many Republicans. Clearly Jay and I are reading from the same talking points, but I will enjoy pointing out the irony in pointing out that he failed to add the element of education to the mix. Past poor choices can be driven by a lack of knowledge. Teaching about good nutrition can lead to better choices not only in diet, but can lead to improving life in general. Look back in Milwaukee's history: The Settlement Cookbook, today known as the first classic collection of American ethnic recipes. It was created as a fundraiser for a charity that helped immigrants with assimilation and education. The story brings tears to my Milwaukee-born foodie eyes. One of H.L. Mencken's "Smart Set" pieces comes to mind, too. It's always stuck with me. He talked about how the food he ate affected his writing and thinking ability.

Posted by: John Foust

Comment by Jay Bullock on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (Jay Bullock) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:13:37 GMT

You should not be surprised at the correlation between poverty and obesity In the US today, calorie-dense foods that are high in added sugars and fats are cheap. On a per-calorie basis, a soda is cheaper than apple juice, french fries are cheaper than carrot sticks, a bag of flamin-hot doritos is cheaper than an apple and a yogurt. There are some of us (I'm not naming names) who are overweight because we can afford to make healthy choices and often don't. Others simply can't afford to.

Posted by: Jay Bullock

Comment by Nick Schweitzer on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (Nick Schweitzer) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:30:03 GMT

Proud? No. But I'm trying to add some perspective here. If you compare the extremes of food issues... there is extreme lack of food (starvation) and extreme gluttony (obesity). If I had to choose, I'd rather have the latter than the former.

Posted by: Nick Schweitzer

Comment by John Foust on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (John Foust) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:38:51 GMT

The Journal's story on the study is here. In my experience, it's the narcissists at the gym who complain the most about other people's bodies, seconded only by guys with big beer guts commenting on women's bodies. Yes, calorie-laden food is cheap. Obesity can lead to a great number of health problems. You want to be proud of that?

Posted by: John Foust

Comment by anthony on "How BP Handles a Coffee Spill"

suppressed@unknown.org (anthony) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:24:59 GMT

Ha, that is pretty funny.

Posted by: anthony

Comment by jesusisjustalrightwithme on "What a Wonderful Problem To Have"

suppressed@unknown.org (jesusisjustalrightwithme) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:47:31 GMT

Whoa, it's not like he's calling for government action here. We should absolutely call out fat people. They're making bad decisions that make them take up too much space on planes and be generally gross. If being called out for it influences them to decide not to be fat, that's a good thing. It's still their choice, but there's nothing wrong with using your voice to try to make a chance. I don't really buy that being poor necessarily makes you fat, but being too fat is just as unhealthy as being too skinny. And that correlation does exist. It's not a wonderful problem to have.

Posted by: jesusisjustalrightwithme

Comment by TosaGuy on "Wait... That's a Reason to Object?"

suppressed@unknown.org (TosaGuy) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:12:31 GMT

I read those same minutes and there is an emerging wing that has a very difficult time with working with successful businesses to help them be more successful. These are the issues that get the public all agitated about city gov't, but the huge issue that will unfortunately remained ignored by the public is that all of the city union contracts are coming up and the path taken by the council will determine the path of the budget for years to come. Employees are over 80 percent of the budget and if that percentage goes higher, than the city will be strained to provide improvement to a 90-year old infrastructure or other priorities within the current tax levy.

Posted by: TosaGuy

Comment by TosaGuy on "Jay Bullock is a Damn... Exaggerator"

suppressed@unknown.org (TosaGuy) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:05:20 GMT

What I don't hear from the likes of Mr. Cody, who I commend for stepping up in Burkean Little Platoon fashion with the Park Peeps, is an argument for why those "hundreds" of full-time positions were needed. Many tasks can be completed by part-time, seasonal employees, or full-time employees can be shared seasonally within departments....or by volunteers from interested organizations like the very one to which he belongs. To simply state that eliminating full-time jobs is an issue without stating a supporting argument or understanding that at least some of those jobs were not needed in the first place is not a worthy argument on the issue and, instead, strikes me as embracing the status quo position of never exploring or implementing any sort of change. Government employee reform is an emerging and very powerful issue that will cut across traditional ideological lines--this issue is not specific to Mr. Walker, it is something that all responsible future political leaders will have to deal with. Undoubtedly many of Mr. Cody's very liberal friends who work in the private sector or own their own businesses will have a much different take on the issue than he will. Just like many of my conservative, gov't employee friends will have a different one than mine. The big animal in the room for local and state gov't is that employees are it's biggest cost and, therefore, all aspects of that cost have to be on the table if gov't is to operate within a sustainable manner with regard to its tax base. The gov't employee unions can make reasonable contributions and keep more of their numbers employed, or they can cut to the bone. It's their choice.

Posted by: TosaGuy

Comment by Steve Ries on "Wait... That's a Reason to Object?"

suppressed@unknown.org (Steve Ries) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:03:20 GMT

Hi Nick, I grew up on 89th & North and now live in Brookfield. I love Alterra and can't believe politicians want to limit their success. Did Alterra want to expand their patio to decrease business? The politicians should at least realize more sales means more taxes and more money that government gets to spend. I hope you find out the name of this person and can get it out to all the voters. Steve

Posted by: Steve Ries

Comment by Dan Cody on "Jay Bullock is a Damn... Exaggerator"

suppressed@unknown.org (Dan Cody) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:48:05 GMT

Nick, Regarding the parks jobs, they were very much not just union jobs replaced by non-union employees. In the past several years, literally hundreds of full time positions have been eliminated and not replaced within the Parks Dept.

Posted by: Dan Cody

Comment by Jay Bullock on "Jay Bullock is a Damn... Exaggerator"

suppressed@unknown.org (Jay Bullock) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:34:24 GMT

Did Scott Walker or did Scott Walker not use the privatizing of those positions (and make no bones about it, those were jobs that were cut, even if some other, different people--like the Wackenhut employees bused up from Illinois--now do much of that work) in his campaigns? That was the claim--that Walker would never "sacrifice" a "job" to "score political points." My point was not, simply, that Walker had cut jobs, though he has. But, rather, my point was that his anti-public employee crusade is part and parcel of his political identity, a significant part of his campaign strategy. THAT is what makes Walker a liar, and makes me wholly right about the matter.

Posted by: Jay Bullock

Comment by Fred on "Jay Bullock is a Damn... Exaggerator"

suppressed@unknown.org (Fred) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:59:20 GMT

You can say it Nick, it is ok. He is a liar.

Posted by: Fred

Comment by Dean on "Jay Bullock is a Damn... Exaggerator"

suppressed@unknown.org (Dean) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:52:50 GMT

"Union jobs were eliminated, and were replaced with non-union jobs from a private firm." Which is the real reason Jay and his friends on the left have their "panties in a twist."

Posted by: Dean

Comment by John Foust on "Rube Goldberg Politics"

suppressed@unknown.org (John Foust) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:12:28 GMT

Is your bogeyman here the faulty logic employed by many? Because I see these sorts of invented causal chains being used all the time... by the right and the left. Usually one end of the chain is the promise of "more jobs" or the fear of "less jobs". Many presume to know the next three links of the chain that will happen as a consequence of a particular policy.

Posted by: John Foust

Comment by John Washburn on "Know Your Rights - 10 Rules for Dealing with Police"

suppressed@unknown.org (John Washburn) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:38:04 GMT

I like their compare and contrast video pair: The right/wrong way to handle a police stop The RIGHT Way to Handle a Police Stop and The WRONG Way to Handle a Police Stop. The RIGHT even has the typical 10 minute icing by the officer in the hope you do something that can be caught on the video dash camera. The hard parts for the RIGHT way are the phrases "May I help you, Officer?", "Am I free to go now?", and the hardes of all <uncomforatble silence> We humans just want to fill those silences.

Posted by: John Washburn

Comment by Coop on "Know Your Rights - 10 Rules for Dealing with Police"

suppressed@unknown.org (Coop) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:31:46 GMT

Interesting, informative, and eye-opening. Thank you for posting this, I learned a lot.

Posted by: Coop