Here are, in my view, interesting, noteworthy columns and articles from the past week that I highly recommend:
State Budget Battles Herald the Return of the Grown-ups
“Even now that sober-minded voters have put a set of brakes on Obama’s little socialist dune buggy, our adolescent in chief has quickly abandoned his Clinton mask for the more tantalizing delights of spending other people’s money.
Enter Governor Scott Walker and his fellow adults.
No, 2012 will look nothing like 2008.
At this point, I could not care less which Republican runs against our adolescent president. As long as that person is a grown-up with a grown-up’s perspective on the presidency and has demonstrable experience to that effect, he or she will get my vote.
So, here’s my help-wanted ad for the next president of the United States of America.”
“Twitter, the social network that allows people to express themselves with 140 characters or less, is a wonderful invention. It’s a gigantic virtual bulletin board covered with Post-Its, a food fight conducted entirely with fortune cookies.
What Twitter does not provide is ‘context.’ If you can’t pack all of the context surrounding an idea into 140 characters or less, it’s probably best to leave that idea simmering in the back of your head.”
Time for wandering senators to return to Mad City
“The Wandering Democratic state senators from Wisconsin should go home. Not that I don’t appreciate them spending their ‘cheesy’ money in Rockford and other cities in northern Illinois. But their road show is losing box office appeal.”
Should Unions Have the Power to Tax?
“Only about 7% of the private workforce is unionized today, but their ability to ‘tax’ union members through union dues and make political contributions gives them top priority in the White House today. Public sector unions represent about a third of public sector workers.
Here, we are held hostage by threats to not pick up our garbage or teach our children. Politicians, not facing a bottom line performance measure like GM or the steel companies but worried about re-election, give in to demands to keep voters from being unhappy. But, over time, this has produced a generally over-paid and over-benefited public sector workforce (compared to market wages).”
What we need is a Packer game to unite us again
“Might I suggest the rest of the state take a page out of my playbook when things get tense and veins start to bulge as the inevitable comes up for discussion. When it looks as though f-bombs are about to be dropped and fists may be set to fly, bring up the Green and Gold as a deflection”
Public broadcasting should go private
“If these outfits can afford to pay lavish salaries to their heads, they don’t need taxpayer help.”
Have to respect BYU’s decision
“Most people can’t relate to the school’s lengthy honor code — which doesn’t allow for the consumption of coffee or alcohol, forbids swearing and also prohibits premarital sex. But n an era in which big-time college athletics has run amok, BYU has maintained its core values and refused to sell out.”
Cigars don’t kill people…
“I ordered drinks for my lovely Italian wife and myself and fired up my first cigar for that evening, a Rocky Patel Edge. While I was enjoying the Edge and its full-bodied, spicy aroma and super long finish afforded by its five-year-old blend in a Corojo wrapper, a lesbian sitting at the table next to us started fake coughing at my smoke and flailing her arms like Nell did when she tried to explain the trees.
How did I know it was a lesbian protesting my cigar, you ask? Well, the Justin Bieber haircut and the softball jersey was a hand tip. Plus, she was making out with another chick. Nothing gets past me.”
