http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/wi-news/ en-us Mon, 6 Jul 2009 02:07:12 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286236/posts When it was deciding where to build its new compact car, General Motors Corp. made a point of saying it would push politics aside and use strictly commercial criteria. So Tennessee's three top officials were astonished last month, in a meeting with GM, when they were told the first two criteria were "community impact" and "carbon footprint" -- or how the choice would affect unemployment rates and carbon-dioxide emissions. "Those didn't strike us as business criteria at all," said Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, who was joined in the meeting by fellow Republican Sen. Bob Corker and the state's Democratic governor,... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286236/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 02:07:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286186/posts Hundreds rally against taxes and big government By AUTUMN GROOMS Organizers were impressed with attendance Saturday at the second La Crosse area Tea Party to draw attention to lower taxes, smaller government and individual liberty. About 400 people attended the event at Copeland Park. “We never would have seen these numbers (attending) in the past,” said Mark Block, regional director for Americans for Prosperity. “I think citizens don’t think elected officials are listening to what they are concerned about in Wisconsin,” Block said. The July 4 Tea Party was a continuation of the Tax Day Tea Party held April 15... Leader-Telegram, Etc. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286186/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:38:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285993/posts Washington - They're known as "monuments to me," airports, bridges and courthouses named after the lawmakers who secured the federal funds to build them. Dave Obey says he won't allow any more earmarks for such projects - even though his name is already etched on a building back home in Wausau.The David R. Obey Center for Health Sciences at Northcentral Technical College features a water wall, atrium and a state-of-the-art surgical suite. It was constructed thanks to a $20 million earmark the Wisconsin congressman tucked into a federal spending bill in 2001.Obey did not specify that the building be... Journal Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285993/posts#comment Sun, 5 Jul 2009 17:19:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285576/posts Fireworks called Run Hadji Run were pulled off the shelves of a Wisconsin store after Minnesota Muslims complained that they were racist. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) said that both the name and the packaging are demeaning. One side of the package has a drawing of Uncle Sam yanking the long beard of a man in traditional Muslim attire, while the other shows a Stealth bomber flying over a group of Arabs riding camels. In addition, "Hadji" is an honorific for those who have completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. Star-Tribune (Minnesota) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285576/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 19:37:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285212/posts You may be used to seeing fireworks with names like 'Seaside Garden,' 'Burst and Bloom,' or 'Red, White, and Boom.' But the product names of fireworks at one Wisconsin fireworks stand are nowhere near as benign. Some say they're more than inappropriate--they're racist. Some of the novelties sold at Fireworks City in Baldwin, Wis. are sparking controversy in the Arab and Muslim communities. On one side of the packaging for 'Run Hadji Run' fireworks, men of Middle Eastern decent are riding on camels with a bomber plane flying above them. On the other side is an angry-looking Uncle Same yanking... KSTP.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285212/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 01:39:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285111/posts State agency's new logo has an anarchist ring to it By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel Posted: July 2, 2009 Madison — As the state agency charged with running elections, the Government Accountability Board can't show favor for Republicans or Democrats. But is it biased toward anarchists? The board recently launched a new logo - an A inside a circle - that looks similar to the traditional symbol for anarchy. "It being an anarchy sign and the government - there's definitely irony there," said Madison's Ear Wax Record Shop owner Rob Cleveland, who is familiar with the anarchy symbol... Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285111/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 22:28:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284926/posts Pair Try to Force Naming of More Commissioners. BY DAN EGGEN Seven years after their landmark campaign finance legislation became law, Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold are reuniting under the banner of spending reform at a time when restrictions have come under fire both in the courts and at the embattled Federal Election Commission. McCain (R-Ariz.) and Feingold (D-Wis.) announced this week that they were blocking the appointment of Democratic union lawyer John Sullivan to the FEC until President Obama agrees to fill two other open panel seats. The two senators, who co-sponsored legislation in 2002 that banned "soft... The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2284926/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 16:47:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283275/posts The campaign finance dream team of Sens. Russ Feingold and John McCain is reuniting to block President Barack Obama’s first appointment to the Federal Election Commission and to push him to shake up the embattled agency. In a surprising move that invokes memories of a bitter skirmish during Obama’s annihilation of McCain in last year’s presidential election, Feingold (D-Wis.) and McCain (R-Ariz.) have placed a hold on the FEC nomination of Democratic labor lawyer John Sullivan, POLITICO confirmed Tuesday. Their hold could reverberate in Congress, the White House, the 2010 midterm elections and beyond. In a statement issued in response... Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283275/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 14:48:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283264/posts MADISON, Wis. - The number of abortions performed in Wisconsin dropped slightly last year to its lowest level since the state began keeping records three decades ago, according to a state report released Tuesday. The state Department of Health Services study found that 8,229 abortions were performed in Wisconsin last year, down from 8,267 in 2007. The number of Wisconsin abortions has now fallen for five straight years, since 10,557 abortions were reported in 2003. The 2008 number also was the lowest since Wisconsin started tracking abortions in 1974. Although the drop was small, it was hailed by anti-abortion advocates.... Minneapolis Star Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283264/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 14:41:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282893/posts Can't post due to copyright, but the story is here. MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282893/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:45:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2281340/posts If you are fed up with our Representatives in Congress ignoring our phone calls and emails, then it’s time to speak up in person. We are planning a Cap and Trade protest at both Congressmen Mark Kirk’s office and Melissa Beans office. Tell you friends, neighbors, and coworkers to be there and to also sign our online petition. http://lakecountyteaparty.com/2009/06/28/cap-and-trade-tea-party/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2281340/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:01:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280938/posts A Janesville, WI civic leader says he’s ready to give up on the possibility that his community will be a General Motors town again."It’s time to move on; that’s my view," John Beckord, president of Forward Janesville, said Friday after Janesville was passed over for production of a new GM car.Troy Clarke, president of General Motors North America, confirmed Friday that a next-generation subcompact car — as yet unnamed — will be built in Orion Township, Mich., assuming ongoing talks over economic incentives are successful. Janesville, whose GM factory saw the last of its vehicles roll off the assembly line... Wisconsin State Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280938/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:30:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280645/posts The Dupage County website made it sound like it was this Saturday as they never took it off their site. Please ignore my post earlier. Please forgive me for any in conviences I caused you. Thank You http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280645/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:25:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280463/posts Waukesha -- A woman accused of four drunken driving offenses in three weeks is a "poster child" for the need to reform Wisconsin's drunken driving laws. That's what Waukesha County Court Commission Martin Binn said Friday as the Milwaukee woman, 27-year-old Nicole M. Bailey, appeared before him Friday. Bailey had a new charge filed Friday in Waukesha County Circuit Court in connection with a June 13 traffic stop in Menomonee Falls by an officer who was investigating a hit-and-run accident, according to the criminal complaint. Bailey wasn’t driving the 1999 BMW at the time of the accident, but she was... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280463/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:33:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2275948/posts With two area murders in the past two weeks, two officers shot, and a popular candy store owner killed in Milwaukee -- all by gunfire -- it might seem to be an odd time to try to get more guns on the street. But gun advocates say this is the perfect time to build momentum for a movement that is already gaining traction. "That's just all the more reason why the good guys ought to be able to carry their guns," says Mark Stollenwerk, co-founder of OpenCarry.org, a Virginia-based pro-gun website that has targeted Wisconsin for a media and lobbying... The Capital Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2275948/posts#comment Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:34:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2275075/posts A Somerset man punched in the face by a 16-year-old girl who says he attacked her pleaded guilty to child enticement. Jason Alwin, 23, also faced charges of forceful abduction of a child and two counts of false imprisonment — all three of which were dismissed at his plea hearing June 11. The girl told police in April that a man approached her in the town of Star Prairie and grabbed her around the waist. She thought he was dragging her toward a wooded area, according to a report by the St. Croix County sheriff's office. Unable to pull away... Pioneer Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2275075/posts#comment Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:04:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274403/posts Virginia Tech. Columbine. A church in Kansas. A Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. A school in Weston. I think that is personal enough. Mrs. Dainty, I respect your right to free speech, however I still do not agree with your letter from last week’s Sauk Prairie Eagle, “Guns provide self-defense and aren’t allowed in bars.” When I think about the gun issue, I am thinking about the greater good of all people and not just the good of my family or myself. My family hasn’t had to deal with gun violence, thank God. Much of that is because I grew... Wisc.News.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274403/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:46:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274376/posts ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE IOWA ILLINOIS INDIANA MINNESOTA WISCONSIN ELSEWHERE...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND APPALACHIANS MOUNTAINS TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. A VERY ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REGIME WILL CONTINUE TODAY OVER AN EXTENSIVE REGION FROM THE PLAINS...ACROSS THE... Storm Prediction Center - Norman Oklahoma http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274376/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:00:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271072/posts With black bear populations rising, run-ins have become almost commonplace... Canadian bear researcher Hank Hristienko, who conducted the survey in January, found that 18 Eastern states were seeing more encounters with bears. In a 2006 attack, a 210-pound male bear killed a 6-year-old girl and mauled her 2-year-old brother as well as her mother who tried to fend off the animal. The attack occurred during a family outing in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest. near Prestonsburg, Ky., last year, a bear held tourists at bay inside a cabin until rangers arrived to chase it away. The U.S. bear population more than... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271072/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:04:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270580/posts GREEN BAY, WI (WXOW) - President Barack Obama visited Southwest High School in Green Bay to discuss health care in a town hall meeting. Here are his remarks. Remarks of President Barack Obama Health Care Town Hall Thursday, June 11, 2009 Green Bay, Wisconsin Thank you. It is wonderful to be back here in Green Bay. I want to thank Southwest High School for hosting us today, and I want to thank Laura for sharing her story. It takes courage to do that, and it takes even more to battle a disease like cancer with such grace and determination. Laura's... WXOW News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270580/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:55:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270332/posts GREEN BAY - Organizers said about 1,000 people lined the east side of Packerland Drive Thursday morning to protest President Obama's stop in Green Bay. Stretching four blocks long, the protest parked itself along the motorcade route between Austin Straubel Airport and Green Bay Southwest High School. Fox 11 News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270332/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:38:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270331/posts LINK ONLY http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20090612/SHE0101/906120401/1973/SHE0205 Sheboygan Press--Link Only http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270331/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:36:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270328/posts Many people opposed to President Obama's policies used the streets of Packerland Drive in Green Bay to send their message. WSAW-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270328/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:33:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270258/posts GREEN BAY - Organizers said about 1,000 people lined the east side of Packerland Drive Thursday morning to protest President Obama's stop in Green Bay. Stretching four blocks long, the protest parked itself along the motorcade route between Austin Straubel Airport and Green Bay Southwest High School. Most of the protestors were part of a grassroots movement that calls itself "The Party of Know." Jerry Bader, a conservative talk show host on WTAG 1360, helped organize the rally. Most protestors said their purpose Thursday was to let President Obama know just exactly how they feel about a government backed health... WLUK-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270258/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:14:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270245/posts The hope of 4-year-old kindergarten in Madison schools stayed alive Thursday as Assembly Democrats pushed through a $500,000 start-up grant for the district as part of the state budget bill, which they will continue to debate Friday. But even with that money, the challenges to offering the program remain great as the district could face an $8 million cut in its state aid, or 13 percent, under one new estimate of the effect of state budget cuts on Madison schools. And Republicans criticized the grant money to the district as an earmark that comes at a time when schools statewide... Wisconsin State Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270245/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:52:20 GMT