Assembly to Take Up Controversial Bill Today
2/22/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly is scheduled to begin its debate today on the budget repair bill that’s attracted thousands of protestors in Madison over the last week. Minority Democrats plan to offer more than 100 amendments. The Senate will also meet, even though 14 Democrats are still in Illinois to block a vote on the budget package in their house. G-O-P leader Scott Fitzgerald said he would not move the most controversial part of the package to another bill – the one that takes away bargaining rights for most state-and-local public unions. But Fitzgerald says the Senate can vote on other non-fiscal measures to try and lure the Democrats back – including one they strongly oppose which would make voters show photo I-D’s at the polls. That measure couldn’t come up any earlier than tomorrow, since it’s up for a committee vote today.
The budget package is meant to cover a deficit of 137-million-dollars in the current state budget that expires June 30th. Republican Governor Scott Walker says it’s needed to bring labor costs down – and to help state and local governments and schools deal with big drops in state aid in the next two years. But the unions say it’s a direct attack on them. National groups helped organize the protests, and have joined them. But Walker warned them yesterday that he’ll side with quote, “the hard-working taxpayers of Wisconsin” whom he says agree with him. Walker will further state his case directly to Wisconsinites tonight at six o’clock. It will be on the Wisconsin Eye cable channel. Among the amendments the Assembly will consider today would keep union rights for transit workers, after the U-S Labor Department said it might pull over 40-million-dollars in aid to local bus systems if they change their bargaining arrangements. But G-O-P finance chair Robin Vos calls that a “gray area.” And he’ll work to kill that change.
Bill Would Cost BDUSD Nearly $2.5M in State Aid
2/22/11 - The Beaver Dam School District would lose nearly $2.5-million in revenue if Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill were to pass as is. That’s according to Business Services Director Andrew Sarnow, who says the plan would mean a $500 reduction per student. He went on to say that some of the lost state aid would be partially offset by union members paying more into their health care and pension accounts. The district is running some scenarios right now to determine what that saving would be.
BD School Board Delays Vote on Retirements & Possible Punishment
2/22/11 - At the advice of district administrators, the Beaver Dam School Board delayed approving 16 submitted retirements by teachers and staff last night. Superintendent Steve Vessey says the number is much higher than in recent years and many submitted them shortly after Governor Walker’s budget repair bill was released. He says he wants to give those teachers a little more time so they can look at everything and make a well informed decision. The board also decided to wait on taking any action against the teachers who took unpaid leave last Thursday until they talk it over with their legal counsel. Both the retirements and any action against the teachers will be taken up during the board’s March meeting.
Group Looking into Doctors Giving Medical Excuses to Protestors
2/22/11 - The State Medical Society says it’s reviewing the doctors who gave out thousands of medical excuses to State Capitol protestors who skipped work. The conservative MacIver Institute broke the story after videotaping the doctors last Saturday from its offices across the street. The Medical Society said that if the reports are true, it does not condone the doctors’ actions under any circumstances. One of the doctors, Lou Sanner of U-W Health in Madison, said the protestors looked like they had a lot of stress – and excuses were not given on a “nod and a wink.” U-W Health said the doctors apparently acted on their own, and they’re investigating. The Madison School District says it’s getting the names of the doctors involved, and they’ll investigate all excuses presented by the teachers who called in sick for four days. Schools are re-opening in Madison today after being closed since last Wednesday. The Milwaukee Public Schools say their human resources department is checking each medical excuse carefully. Spokeswoman Rosanne Saint Aubin says there will be no “rubber stamp.” But Marquette law professor Paul Secunda says the teachers and others who received the notes should be on solid legal ground if they have doctors standing behind them.
LSD Encroachments To Be Addressed
2/22/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly is scheduled to begin its debate today on the budget repair bill that’s attracted thousands of protestors in Madison over the last week. Minority Democrats plan to offer more than 100 amendments. The Senate will also meet, even though 14 Democrats are still in Illinois to block a vote on the budget package in their house. G-O-P leader Scott Fitzgerald said he would not move the most controversial part of the package to another bill – the one that takes away bargaining rights for most state-and-local public unions. But Fitzgerald says the Senate can vote on other non-fiscal measures to try and lure the Democrats back – including one they strongly oppose which would make voters show photo I-D’s at the polls. That measure couldn’t come up any earlier than tomorrow, since it’s up for a committee vote today.
The budget package is meant to cover a deficit of 137-million-dollars in the current state budget that expires June 30th. Republican Governor Scott Walker says it’s needed to bring labor costs down – and to help state and local governments and schools deal with big drops in state aid in the next two years. But the unions say it’s a direct attack on them. National groups helped organize the protests, and have joined them. But Walker warned them yesterday that he’ll side with quote, “the hard-working taxpayers of Wisconsin” whom he says agree with him. Walker will further state his case directly to Wisconsinites tonight at six o’clock. It will be on the Wisconsin Eye cable channel. Among the amendments the Assembly will consider today would keep union rights for transit workers, after the U-S Labor Department said it might pull over 40-million-dollars in aid to local bus systems if they change their bargaining arrangements. But G-O-P finance chair Robin Vos calls that a “gray area.” And he’ll work to kill that change.
Bill Would Cost BDUSD Nearly $2.5M in State Aid
2/22/11 - The Beaver Dam School District would lose nearly $2.5-million in revenue if Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill were to pass as is. That’s according to Business Services Director Andrew Sarnow, who says the plan would mean a $500 reduction per student. He went on to say that some of the lost state aid would be partially offset by union members paying more into their health care and pension accounts. The district is running some scenarios right now to determine what that saving would be.
BD School Board Delays Vote on Retirements & Possible Punishment
2/22/11 - At the advice of district administrators, the Beaver Dam School Board delayed approving 16 submitted retirements by teachers and staff last night. Superintendent Steve Vessey says the number is much higher than in recent years and many submitted them shortly after Governor Walker’s budget repair bill was released. He says he wants to give those teachers a little more time so they can look at everything and make a well informed decision. The board also decided to wait on taking any action against the teachers who took unpaid leave last Thursday until they talk it over with their legal counsel. Both the retirements and any action against the teachers will be taken up during the board’s March meeting.
Group Looking into Doctors Giving Medical Excuses to Protestors
2/22/11 - The State Medical Society says it’s reviewing the doctors who gave out thousands of medical excuses to State Capitol protestors who skipped work. The conservative MacIver Institute broke the story after videotaping the doctors last Saturday from its offices across the street. The Medical Society said that if the reports are true, it does not condone the doctors’ actions under any circumstances. One of the doctors, Lou Sanner of U-W Health in Madison, said the protestors looked like they had a lot of stress – and excuses were not given on a “nod and a wink.” U-W Health said the doctors apparently acted on their own, and they’re investigating. The Madison School District says it’s getting the names of the doctors involved, and they’ll investigate all excuses presented by the teachers who called in sick for four days. Schools are re-opening in Madison today after being closed since last Wednesday. The Milwaukee Public Schools say their human resources department is checking each medical excuse carefully. Spokeswoman Rosanne Saint Aubin says there will be no “rubber stamp.” But Marquette law professor Paul Secunda says the teachers and others who received the notes should be on solid legal ground if they have doctors standing behind them.
LSD Encroachments To Be Addressed
2/22/11 - Beaver Dam residents living along Lake Shore Drive could see some of their trees or planters removed even though the city called-off plans to reconstruct the roadway this summer. The Operations Committee last night discussed the city’s role in addressing such encroachments. The City Engineering Coordinator reviews each encroachment as soon as it comes to his attention and if it is a traffic safety or visibility issue the property owner is given ten days to remove the obstruction. Alderman Robert Ballweg noted that the Lake Shore Drive controversy brought a number of encroachments to the attention of city officials. He says any safety hazards should be removed and any other encroachments should be noted so that current and future property owners are aware of them. Last month, the committee voted to move forward with completion of the street designs for Lake Shore, even though funding for the project was eliminated. The design plans were about 85% completed and the city would have only saved about $4000 of the $35,000 cost by scrapping the designs. Those designs will identify any trees, planters or retaining walls constructed in the city’s right-of-way.
Illinois Man Injured in Highway 151 Rollover
2/22/11 - An Illinois man was injured after rolling his vehicle on Highway 151 Monday morning. The driver lost control of his Pontiac minivan near Hemlock Road just before 10am. The vehicle rolled into the ditch, struck the cables in the median and came to rest on its wheels. The jaws-of-life were used to remove the driver. He was transported to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital with minor injuries.
Dolan Denies Moving Money
2/22/11 - Former Milwaukee Catholic Archbishop Tim Dolan says it’s “beyond ridiculous” that he moved 130-million-dollars off the church books, so it could not pay for settlements with victims of priest sexual abuse. An attorney for the victims, Jeff Anderson, raised the issue at a recent court hearing connected with the bankruptcy petition filed by the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Anderson questioned the transfers of 75-million-dollars from an investment account and 55-million from a cemetery account off the church’s books when Dolan was there. Dolan is now the Archbishop of New York, and one of his spokesmen would not comment when the matter was first raised. Dolan addressed the matter on the Milwaukee church website, calling the claim “groundless gossip.” Dolan also wrote about his record in support of priest abuse victims. He said he created a mediation process that involved settlements with 200 victims – and he called the process “virtuous and open.” Dolan said he has made mistakes, but hiding 130-million dollars is not among them. The Milwaukee Archdiocese serves Catholics in 10 southeastern Wisconsin counties, including Dodge County.
Existing Home Sales Up In January
2/22/11 - Sales of existing homes in Wisconsin went up by 16-percent in January, compared to the same month a year ago. But sellers got an average of four-point-one percent less. The Wisconsin Realtors Association said its members sold just over 25-hundred houses last month – about 250 more than the previous January. But the median sales price dropped from 135-thousand-dollars a year ago to 129-thousand-500 dollars in January. The head of the group’s board, John Hornung, said home sales rose for a second straight month – and unlike a year ago, it happened without the federal stimulus tax credits. The group said all regions of Wisconsin had higher home sales in January, and four of its six regions had increases of more than 10-percent.
BDAAA Annual Meeting Tonight
2/22/11 - The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association is holding their Annual Meeting tonight (Tues). The board will be outlining upcoming events, fundraisers, partnerships and exhibits. In addition, there will be a presentation featuring selections from last fall’s Short Film and Movie Course. The meeting, which is open to members, patrons and the general public, will be held at the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts on North Spring Street. The film course program begins at 7pm and the business portion of the meeting starts at 7:30pm.
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