This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Culinary no-no #176
OK, regular readers. What do I often write here on This Just in and also mention frequently when I’m filling in on Newstalk1130 WISN?
"OH MY GOD, ETHEL!!! COME QUICK!!! THAT FISH STICK IS MESSIN’ WITH PEOPLE AGAIN!”
“Oh, Harry. Are you on that blasted computer? You know I showed you that study that said spending too much time on the Internet could be dangerous!”
“I CAN’T HELP IT! I GOTTA KEEP UP ON WHAT THAT DAMNED RIGHT-WINGER IS UP TO. AND WHY DO YOU LIKE THAT CREEP SO MUCH?”
“Harry, he’s not a creep.”
“SEE, THERE YOU GO! JUST TELL ME, HE’S ASKIN’, WHAT DOES HE LIKE TO SAY ON HIS STUPID BLOG?”
“That we pay too much in taxes and government is too big?””
”NO, HE’S ALWAYS MOANIN’ AND WHININ’. REPUBLICANS……GOOD! DEMOCRATS……BAD!”
If you thought I was going to say Democrats are evil, you guessed wrong.
“DAMN! LET’S SEE. MAYBE IT’S….”
“Harry, why don’t you just step away for awhile.”
“ETHEL, GET AWAY FROM ME! I KNOW. I GOT IT! HE’S ALWAYS PREACHIN’ ABOUT ELECTIONS.”
Maybe you were thinking that I often say, ‘elections matter’. Well, that’s true, but it’s not what I was thinking of this time.
“SEE. I TOLD JA. I TOLD JA. HE’S MESSIN’ WITH ME, HE’S MESSIN’ WITH MEEEEEE!!!”
“Harry, I’m phoning my cousin, Edna.”
“YEH, YEH. WHATEVER. KNOCK YOURSELF OUT….”
I have often mentioned that because I work in the state Legislature, I know full well that state officials in the legislative and executive branches keep their eyes peeled for new policy initiatives in other states and then turn them into proposals here. The major problem is that not all of these copycat pieces of legislation are any good.
Case in point. A few years ago in a previous Culinary no-no, I wrote about the city of
Most ridiculous policies originate on the West Coast and slowly, slowly, slowly work their way to America’s Hickland where someone in some office picks up the paper, reads about Foolish California Idea #8 Million and robotically nods his head, guffaws and mumbles, “Hmmmmmm, what a great idea!”
Remember the premise and the open of this blog? Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry was quoted by USA TODAY:
"Other municipalities may want to emulate it (the moratoriumn) if it leads to the inclusion of new … restaurants or grocery stores."
A Wisconsin news item got lost this week with "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'," Shirley Sherrod being tossed under the bus by Obama, and Lindsay Lohan going to jail for about three minutes. It was right there in the Capital Times:
“Should local governments in
State public health officials think so.
The proposal is among a list of strategies state health officials say can help reduce obesity and other health disparities in Wisconsin
By golly, it’s as stupid as suggesting the new statewide smoking ban will make people quit.
Lame duck Governor Jim Doyle hasn’t done enough damage during his tenure that has him leaving office with the popularity of a flooded basement. So he’s decided to wreak as much havoc before he moves out of the mansion.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services put out one of those long range plans just loaded with positive spin and government-ese. Think about this. Over the next ten years, the people currently in charge of government that want to control each and every aspect of your life, including what and how much you eat, are going to, and I quote, “to assure conditions in which people can be healthy, and members of healthy, safe, and resilient families and communities.”
They call their brainstorm, “Healthiest Wisconsin 2020: Everyone Living Better, Longer.”
Of course they do! Who the hell would argue with plan like that??!!
These power-hungry socialists don’t stop at limiting the number of Golden Arches. There’s a ton of garbage in this dumpster of ideas. The MacIver Institute outlines the many disasters in a fine piece, reprinted here with permission:
Criticism Over Dem Health ‘Vision’ Mounts
MacIver News Service | July 22, 2010 [Madison, Wisc...] Controversy is brewing over an expansive health care agenda unveiled in
“This plan will not only reach deeper into the pocket books of
According to the Department of Health Services, the Healthiest Wisconsin 2020: Everyone Living Better, Longer sets out several major health improvement targets, including smoking prevention, lowering obesity rates, ensuring access to good nutrition and increasing exercise levels. The plan also emphasizes the need to improve systems that support health, such as research, health literacy, sustainable funding, partnerships and information systems.
But Vos and others note the plan covers far more topics than the popular positions outlined in the press release issued by DHS.
Vos said some of the most egregious parts of the plan include:
- Placing community health centers that may provide sexual and reproductive services in middle schools
- Creating universally-mandated early childhood education for children as young as 3 years of age
- Raising the alcohol tax
- Implementing dram shop laws to place liability on tavern owners and workers, rather than those who commit alcohol-related offenses
- Restricting alcohol consumption at public events like Summerfest or the State Fair
- Reducing the number of businesses that sell alcohol including, bars, liquor stores and grocery stores
“You can be sure that a plan that suggests reducing the temperature of tap water as a measure of injury prevention is only designed to make sure that government is involved in every facet of your life from the cradle to the grave,” said Vos.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker also assailed the wide-ranging plan.
“It’s a surprise no one that Jim Doyle’s last few months in office are riddled with tax increases and ballooning government,” said
Vos said the Democrat’s plan was a catch-all of liberal, nanny-state policies that
Vos said the Medicaid program currently has a $600 million deficit due to years of program and eligibility expansions implemented by Doyle. He noted that deficit grew further this week when the Supreme Court ruled that the state must replace $200 million in raided Patient Compensation Fund money.
“Public health would best be served if we could afford the programs we already have,” said Vos. “This administration should get back to work fixing the current deficit, instead of wasting time creating an even larger one under the auspices of public health.”
See our earlier coverage, here.
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