Scott Walker’s little-known scandal: When he treated welfare recipients like dogs....

Posting here for wider audience:

Among the racist jokes and emails found in recently released documents connected to the criminal probe of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2010 campaign, one stood out: A “joke” about a woman trying to sign up her dogs for welfare, because “my Dogs are mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and have no frigging clue who the r Daddys are. They expect me to feed them, provide them with housing and medical care, and feel guilty.” The punchline: “My Dogs get their first checks Friday.”

Walker’s deputy chief of staff Kelly Rindfleisch replied: “That is hilarious. And so true.”

The joke is bad enough on its own, but it’s also worth noting: back when Walker was Milwaukee county executive, and Rindfleisch was a top aide, he managed the county’s welfare programs so abysmally that after lawsuits by local clients, the state was forced to take them over. “They didn’t just call people dogs, they treated them like dogs,” one Milwaukee elected official recalled angrily.

“Milwaukee County has demonstrated a sustained inability to successfully provide services to its (poor) customers,” state health services director director Karen Timberlake wrote in a February 2009 letter to Walker announcing the state takeover. Milwaukee became the only one of 72 Wisconsin counties to wind up with its programs for poor people under state control.

It’s a chapter in Walker’s career that shows why, to many in Milwaukee, his staff’s racist jokes aren’t funny.

At the height of the recession, in 2008 and 2009, requests for aid in Wisconsin, and throughout the country, soared. But in Milwaukee, where 41 percent of African Americans live below the poverty line, people had trouble getting help. Roughly 95 percent of calls to the county’s client-intake call center went unanswered in 2008, a state probe later found.

The social services department budget funded 25 positions at the intake center, but a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporter found only seven staffers working among empty cubicles when he visited. Advocates and the county workers’ union complained, but Walker stonewalled. Aided by the outcry, Walker began arguing for privatizing the social services intake unit. “He was managing it to fail,” charges AFSCME contract administrator Dave Eisner.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/03/when_scott_walker_treated_welfare_recipients_like_dogs/

OMGosh......she's got three eggs now.....

Mary Burke takes the plunge in La Crosse.......

the polar plunge that is.....cold, cold, cold weather was the star of the this years polar plunge, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke went all in to show her support and her "balls" (my word) to prove she's worthy. I thought she could have raised a tad more money then just 500.00.

http://www.wxow.com/story/24861374/2014/03/01/democratic-gubernatorial-candidate-takes-the-polar-plunge

Very close up on the Decorah Eagle.....

poppa is on the nest....I think. http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles A W E S O M E.

When the heck did saltines become round?

Went shopping and all the saltines boxes are ALl round!!!! When did that happen? I loved the square. Ha ha the box is still square, the contents are now round. Sorry, wording sounded strange.

Decorah eagles are very active....mom's sitting on nest right now.

Hey, now that St. Valentine's Day is over are we gonna be able to buy Shamrocks in March??

How cool would that be.....then in April, we could have early Spring flowers....in May, more flowers, June, more flowers, July, a flag, and etc. etc., etc., Anyone on in??

I guess that's it then, only got one heart....of which I'm so grateful....but look at that hog

ProSense.......really, how many hearts does one DU member need? I'm just jealous. Happy Valentine's Day. Going out for a couple cocktails and dinner now. Bye and hope today was everything you wanted it to be.

Darren Sharper Charged With Rape In California (played most of his career with the Packers)

Former NFL safety Darren Sharper has been charged in Los Angeles with drugging and raping two women, prosecutors said Friday.

Sharper appeared in court but a judge postponed his arraignment until Feb. 20 at the request of defense attorneys.

Sharper is facing two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

The complaint alleges the drugs involved were morphine and zolpidem, which is sold under the brand name Ambien.

Sharper was represented by prominent Los Angeles attorneys Blair Berk and Leonard Levine.

"We look forward to the true facts being revealed in this case," Berk said after the brief court appearance. "And we are hopeful Mr. Sharper will be fully exonerated before this case is concluded."

Sharper, 38, played in the NFL from 1997 to 2010, mostly with the Packers.

Prosecutors said he met two women at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30, invited them to a party and stopped at his hotel room.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/14/darren-sharper-rape-charges_n_4789445.html

Kevin Faulconer, Republican, Wins San Diego Election For Mayor

I kinda thought San Diego was a fairly progressive city.......

A moderate Republican city councilman has been elected mayor of San Diego in a special election to fill the unexpired term of Bob Filner, who resigned amid a torrent of sexual harassment allegations.

San Diego becomes the nation's largest city with a Republican mayor, and Kevin Faulconer will be the only Republican to lead a major city in California, where Democrats hold all statewide offices. Filner was San Diego's first Democratic leader in 20 years.

With all precincts reporting, the two-term councilman and former public relations executive led Democratic Councilman David Alvarez by 54.5 percent to 45.5 percent.

Alvarez, 33, congratulated Faulconer late Tuesday, tweeting, "It's clear that he will be the next Mayor of San Diego. I look forward to working with him."

Faulconer, 47, stopped just short of declaring victory when he addressed supporters as results trickled in Tuesday night. He promised to work across party lines in an increasingly Democratic city.

"It's never been about partisanship, it's been about leadership," he said. "It's not about Republicans, Democrats or independents. It's about us being San Diegans and moving this city together."

Faulconer portrayed Alvarez during the campaign as a tool of labor unions. Alvarez, who sought to become the city's first Latino mayor, attacked Faulconer as a shill for corporate interests. He sought to keep the office for Democ

Despite sharp ideological differences, few issues separated the candidates. Both promised more attention to neighborhood priorities like street repairs, library hours and emergency response times, putting less emphasis on ambitious civic projects like building a new City Hall and bringing a new stadium for the NFL's Chargers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/kevin-faulconer-san-diego-mayor_n_4772269.html