Forward Lookout - Latest Comments

Re: City to Address Heightened Concern about Property Left Behind After Boston Bombing . . .

Margaret — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:30:52 -0000

One practical matter: whether the limit is set at $50 or $25, this actually could allow Metro Transit bus passes to simply be thrown away. I know that's not the intent, but that is how it is written. When selling replacement bus passes I've seen some students merely shrug at the replacement fee, and others burst into tears...

The reference to Boston seems gratuitous (or something), as the Marathon organizers and the city bent over backwards to get runners' stuff back to them after it was impounded during the investigation of the bombing. The backpacks with the bombs themselves were planted and detonated in a very short period of time.

There should be a process and it should be codified and uniform. Dealing with lost and found can be cumbersome, but as a community we need to recognize that value is extremely relative to means.

Re: More About School Choice!

Jeff Simpson — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:14:55 -0000

You act like they were done a huge disservice by losing their elections...it happens.

Do you have any idea what is being done on a daily basis to help the minority students in the Madison Schools? Not everyone can call a press conference everytime they do something.

Re: More About School Choice!

David Blaska — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:43:01 -0000

The question you posed above, Jeff! "How "tragically underserved" are the minority students in Madison?" Concentrate! As to your second question, the answer is no.

Re: More About School Choice!

Jeff Simpson — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:13:31 -0000

What exactly would you like me to ask "the minority community" AND is that your extent of knowledge of the Madison Minority Community?

Re: Bizarro E-mail?!

Teresa Doyle — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:19:09 -0000

This is a hotspot. It's a vulnerable hotspot for the people who call themselves "OCCUPY" not just the "acceptable" people; therefore the excuse of not having resources to ensure safety for "Occupy" or others is unacceptable. The writer of the e mail uses vague innuendo to spread fear on "Occupy" and if they had allocated help and support out there the e mail may have been less vague. One thing the city could do is offer support so that "Occupy" members are safe as well as the "acceptable" so this stereotyping stops fueling fear and pointless chatter.

Re: Bizarro E-mail?!

Mary Seitz — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:37:30 -0000

I see a warning that disruptive people who caused concern at another campsite may be headed your way, that everyone has to obey park rules, and help us figure out who they are. I of course don't know more than that, but maybe be prepared for the possibility of disruption. I know someone who moved to the country to have quiet country living and found out 1/4 of his neighbors were outlaws hiding out. You never know who will show up and have little protection in the tents. I'm not saying this will happen, just something to think about.

Re: More About School Choice!

David Blaska — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:50:02 -0000

Why don't you ask the minority community yourself, Jeff? Wayne Strong and Amanda Mirilli put up a good fight but you know what happened to them. Thank god for James Howard (also a charter supporter) but it's still 6-1 against.

Re: More About School Choice!

Jeff Simpson — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:35:59 -0000

How "tragically underserved" are the minority students in Madison? Do you have any idea what the schools are doing for them on a daily basis? Do you have any idea how to close the achievement gap?

You keep throwing names at me like Chuck Chvala(whoI was happy to see in prison) and Rahm Emanuel who is as far away from a progressives as Vicki Mckenna is from entertaining radio.

If you want "free choice" we have it ...its called open enrollment.

Re: Mayor and Council Say Madison Should have Local Control! Don’t ruin our communities!

Teresa Doyle — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:25:54 -0000

I love this mayor too ! even though I tell him what I think, and that's the point with Soglin you can tell him what you think ! I love him politically not romantically. He loves our town. He doesn't use it to self promote. And I love your blog and Forward Lookout.

Re: “Shocking” Levels of Contamination Found at Madison-Kipp Corporation in Recent Tests

Medical-ELearning — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:08:01 -0000

This has to be taken action immediately!

Re: More About School Choice!

David Blaska — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:27:02 -0000

How about an alternative to prison, Ms. Doyle? How about a charter school aimed at minority students, tragically under-served by the Madison public schools, as proposed by the Madison Urban League? ... Oops. Nevermind. Convicted felon Chuck Chvala's teachers union did not approve.

(BTW: You "sat thru" your logic class? You should have paid attention.)

Re: More About School Choice!

Teresa Doyle — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:08:42 -0000

Dear Mr. Blaska

You give Mr. Simpson Chuck Chvala as poster boy of a mistake for teacher's union, well I give you former Senator Jensen who got off easy on his felony charge and now he works for corporations who intend to save tax money on public schools for the mainstream. http://host.madison.com/news/l...

The fact that the shamed senator is for Vouchers shows that money grubbing greed is involved in its intent.

Your use of a form of ad hominem attacks are considered irrational in their roots, according to the great Marquette University logic 101 that I sat through.
So here's the deal: bring back the slave labors of the nuns ! Better yet, let all lesbians many used to be nuns do the teaching for free.
That's what we are dealing with. Your version of choice is a delusion; it is not choice at all. Rich parents have choice. The kids struggling get prison which are more expensive than real choice.

Re: More About School Choice!

David Blaska — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:55:02 -0000

How strange that Republicans support things that affect their own families! Good to know that Democrats oppose things that affect their own families.

Your readers should know that the University of Wisconsin’s John Witte, partnering with a U. of Arkansas researcher, has been studying school choice for five years. They found that students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program had a 10% higher graduation rate than comparable students in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Second, regarding test scores, the independent scholars found similar scores in math and an advantage in reading for students in the choice program.

Jeff Simpson apparently believes in judicial nullification, wherein a blogger can overturn a court decision. I know, Jeff, you think all Republicans should be tried before Dane County juries but there is a principal in American law of being tried by a jury of one's peers. But if you really want convicted felons, I give you Chuck Chvala, D-Madison. Apparently, the teachers union shill is still boodling big $$ for Democratic causes. Some say he still exercises out-size influence over his partisans in the legislature.

Finally, I hope you caught the pro-school choice piece 60 Minutes aired Sunday night.

Why, Jeff, are you so afraid of parents making their own free-choice decisions about the education of their children?

Re: More About School Choice!

Guest — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:48:50 -0000

How strange that Republican politicians support things that personally affect their own families! It's good to know that Democrats oppose things that personally affect their own families.

Your readers should be advised that for five years The University of Wisconsin’s John Witte partnered with a U of Arkansas researcher have been studying school choice. They find that students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program had a 10% higher graduation rate than comparable students in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Second, regarding test scores, the independent scholars found similar scores in math and an advantage in reading for students in the choice program.

You want to talk about convicted felons, let's talk about Chuck Chvala, that teachers union shill and big money boodler who apparently is still operating the Democrat(ic) minority in the legislature. HIS conviction (unlike Scott Jensen's) was never overturned.

Hope you saw the pro-school choice piece 60 Minutes did Sunday evening. Why, Mr. Simpson, do you so fear allowing parents to make their own free-choice decisions?

Re: Bizarro World: System FAIL! Part IV INSANITY!

Bob — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:48:29 -0000

If someone won't go to treatment because they had to spend a night at Detox, you're pissing in the wind. That person is not going to be successful at rehab. Excuses like that are a clear sign that person isn't ready to be helped. And I don't need a lecture about addiction because I know how it goes. We certainly need more compassionate and effective treatment available to addicts, but that will not help people who refuse treatment. Meanwhile, your friend who doesn't want treatment tied up police and medical resources from people who needed and wanted their help. When is the last time anyone died at Detox from poor medical care? It's the place where drunks go unless they might die of which was not the case with this person for whom it appears this is a fairly regular blood alcohol level.

And may god forgive me for agreeing ever so slightly with Dave Blaska.

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

Teresa Doyle — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:46:49 -0000

http://www.democracynow.org/20...

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

Teresa Doyle — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:45:04 -0000

Hahahahah takes one to know one, I mean you see a dude go after a petite woman like Konkel you have to think, what is he seeing in others that he sees in himself?
Come on Konkel. Do a documentary enter it into Sundance Independents or somewhere. Contrast it to the documentary REDEMPTION which is about Canners in Manhatten where there is no Brenda Konkel advocating for their basic human rights and they are ignored. Good job you are getting reaction ! These refugees of the economy are not ghosts becasue of your work. Keep it up. Please let that big beefy man have the intro to the documentary ! Divine !

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

Teresa Doyle — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:35:44 -0000

So are you the angry neighbor calmed down ??? hahahahah wow, I would think you need anger management issues. Not to be appauled by that man's reaction to her recording truth in the way in which he did it appauls me. It tells me there is selective acceptance. His behavior was out of control and then he saw that he was on tape though there were cameras every where and he went after a pint size woman. He's a bully. Who he is? I want his name? I want protect my family and friends from him. Does he do that to his wife? OR did she leave him long ago? Tell him he will probably be on a national documentary hey do truth a favor keep up the good work of exposing what you are really like.
Won't it be great when her documentary gets to use the phrase "Homeless gypsy clan" when in fact they are the economy's refugees.
Tell you and your friends to keep giving us more info, delightful how you expose yourself when in fact there are ways to bring this to a resoution:
1. state your fears without demeaning a people who have gone to war for you (most homeless are made up of vets)
2. Each side accept each others fears and find a way to get answers.
I never saw the clip until today and I put it on my blog to make sure more see it.
I predict Konkle will win at Sundance on the Independent Documentary with people like you showing how these refugees of the economy these so called unaborted babies of the womb that we do not serve with a consistent life ethic and aim to deprive them because by god we did it on our own, right ? You are frauds.
State your fears and aim to work out, otherwise do keep giving her more info for her documentary that she 's a fool not to make !

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

Teresa Doyle — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:28:21 -0000

hahahaha, you are a funny dude ! Crack me up ! There are solutions to this, your tone is all knowing it comes out. What constitutes a "law abiding up standing citizens" ? Someone who survived the fall out from George W. Bush and his credit card charged war that destroyed our economy.? Well if that is the answer that you think George and Dick Cheney who were 2 documented draft dodgers who sent low income kids to fight their wars (well don't you think it was about making sure the unemployment lines didn't get too long and well Haliburton and all) if those are your criteria just be honest about it because these people that she has befriended and invested in as human beings have a right to privacy. I wish I could entitle mine as concerned citizen incognito too ! Then there would be two of us, a pair, except you and I would have a different criteria of what a law abiding and stand up citizen would be.
Here's what I hope? I hope she takes the films she has, I hope she gets more footage and I hope she enters it into a documentary for she will win and then we can make these refugees of the economy into a national issue.
But cheers to you and may Dick and George move in soon and you all can paint by numbers. Incest, domestic abuse, alcoholism, child neglect happens on every socio economic level and those above the bottom hide it better out of a sense of shame.
You are not concered you are biased.
There is a solution here, you simply ask a neutral party to check out each person to see if they are safe for a neighborhood. and then the person's name does not have to be stigmatized for being a refugee of the economy.
It's that simple It's understandable to be worried about people moving in but who was that thug who went after Brenda Konkel?
I'd be concerned about him.

Re: The (Public Schools) Profit Motive

David Blaska — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:41:37 -0000

You have once again made a totally unsupported accusation, spiced with the usual brand of name-calling. (Once again, Jeff, Scott Jensen's felony conviction was vacated. But that hasn't stopped your slander so far so I don't expect it to in the future.) How does David Blaska "profit" from private schools? What "real money" is in "privatizing" education. And if private schools do show a profit, does that indicate that the families who willingly choose those schools are satisfied with the product they receive? How does David Blaska or anyone "profit" from poor schools that don't educate? What "devastating effects" have I or, for that matter, Scott Walker, implemented? But people like Kaleem Caire do see the devastating effect of schools who are not serving their constituencies. Or do you blame the 50% graduation rate of black students in Madison schools on Scott Walker, who just completed his second year in office? Who has been running the failing schools in our country -- in Detroit, in Milwaukee, and to some extent, in Madison. Not conservatives, Jeff. Even liberals like Davis Guggenheim, Joel Klein, Geoffrey Canada, Rahm Emmanuel, Howard Fuller, and the late Steve Jobs promote school choice. You, Mr. Simpson, are an unthinking demagogue.

Re: The (Public Schools) Profit Motive

Jeff Simpson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:02:45 -0000

I dont want thousands fo kids to remain in "failing schools" which is why we keep bringing the truth to the people. I want the people to understand that you guys care about profits and power and not the kids. Which Mr. B is the ulterior Motives....PROFIT.

I have no problem discussing my posts with you, but you all should actually read it first!

PS: DO the teachers see $$$ in the schools? Hell no! I know what they make. What the teachers see is the devastating effects of the policies that you and the people you blindly support put into place. They see what you have done to our communities with your petty revenge on political opponents and your incredibly silly and misguided attempts at austerity!

The real money, as we all know, but you wont admit, is in privatizing education. Convicted felon and all around slime ball, Scott Jensen makes more than our whole administrative team combined. The difference of course is our admin team cares about the kids, is well qualified, intelligent and ethical.

Re: The (Public Schools) Profit Motive

Kristi Lacroix — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:33:03 -0000

So...it is only ok for big labor to spend millions? Tell me, Jeff, why do you want thousands of students to remain in failing schools? Do you hate freedom of choice? Kids?

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

BrendaKonkel — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:30:46 -0000

Do you want every campers who uses the park, everyone who walks their dog there, everyone who goes to be the Lussier Heritage Center to be checked? Or just certain people . . . and how would you decide who should be checked and who shouldn't?

Re: Should Dane County Parks Screen Campers for Sex Offenses?

BrendaKonkel — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:28:50 -0000

I never put the camera in the guy's face. I was standing back video recording him because he was complaining that channel 27 wouldn't put his side of the story on the air and he started yelling at people, so I decided since he wanted to be on camera, I'd put him on camera. It's what he asked for. I told the cops I didn't want him ticketed, that may have been a mistake, but once he cooled down, he was ok. But he, and his lovely wiife/partner, were at the meeting yesterday and calling people all kinds of names and being real jack asses. They were the ones asking for everyone to be background checked for sex offenses. That is why I put the video up - same guy.

Re: The (Public Schools) Profit Motive

David Blaska — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:35:25 -0000

Vintage Simpson! And what about the teachers unions? How much are they spending? You don't think THEY see $$$ in our schools?

The National Education Association spent $200 million and the American Federation of Teachers $130 million in the last 5 years on lobbying and campaign contributions. Here in Wisconsin, WEAC spent $2.5 million in each of the two years 2009-10. In addtion to campaign contributions, the teachers union PAC has spent more than $4.5 million since 2008 on independent expenditures to support Democrats and attack Republican candidates. That's from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The PAC also funnels money to Democratic ideological groups like the Greater Wisconsin Committee to spend on election activities. Your figures are for 12 years; my three sets are for 5 years, 2 years and 4 years.

And what, pray tell, are these mysterious "ulterior motives" you keep talking about? If kids do worse in choice schools the choice schools will dry up and blow away. Public schools, by contrast, use the police powers of the state to compel tax payments.

And why do the nation's employers want an uneducated workforce? Answer: they don't! If public schools are failing, Jeff, you are one reason why.