The Unseen Green
Mark Green’s Rhetoric vs. Reality
Green Can’t Hide from Extreme Record Far Outside Wisconsin Mainstream
MADISON – Mark Green sure is living in a dream world.
At the Republican State Convention in Appleton this past weekend, Mark Green did his best to try to hide from an extreme Washington record that is out of touch with Wisconsin families.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke said Mark Green’s campaign rhetoric just doesn’t match up with reality.
“On everything from education to health care to stem cell research, Green has staked out positions far outside the Wisconsin mainstream and has been a rubberstamp for the failed policies of President Bush and Republicans in Congress,” Wineke said. “It is nothing short of laughable for Mark Green to now claim to stand for Wisconsin values.”
Wineke said Wisconsin voters will see through Green’s rhetoric to the truth about his extreme, out-of-touch Washington record:
Stem Cell Research
GREEN’S RHETORIC: Mark Green claims he supports stem cell research.
REALITY CHECK: Mark Green has repeatedly tried to ban and even criminalize life-saving stem cell research pioneered right here in Wisconsin.
- Green opposes federal funding for stem cell research and has voted against it in Congress.
- Green has led the fight to ban, and even impose criminal penalties on, stem cell research.
- Green supports legislation vetoed by Governor Doyle that would threaten stem cell research and scientific advancement in the state.
Ethics
GREEN’S RHETORIC: Mark Green says he will restore integrity to state government.
REALITY CHECK: Not only is Mark Green caught up in the Republican culture of corruption in Washington, he was involved in the caucus scandal as a state legislator in Madison.
- Green has taken more than $30,000 in campaign cash from the indicted Tom DeLay – and still refuses to clean his campaign of the dirty money, even though DeLay resigned from Congress.
- Green’s staffer repeatedly took ticket freebies from convicted influence peddler Jack Abramoff – and then tried to cover it up.
- Trial testimony and documents show that Green and two of his top aides illegally did campaign work on state time while they worked in the state Legislature.
Fiscal Responsibility
GREEN’S RHETORIC: Mark Green says he will restore fiscal responsibility to state government.
REALITY CHECK: Mark Green has a long record of reckless spending and fiscal irresponsibility.
- Green has helped Republicans in Congress turn record surpluses into record deficits, voting for four consecutive Bush budgets that increased federal spending by 33 percent.
- Green has repeatedly voted to increase the national debt limit by trillions of dollars, voting just this month to raise the limit even higher to nearly $10 trillion.
- As a state legislator, Green joined Republicans in voting for a 38 percent hike in state spending and helped create the largest budget deficit in state history – a $3.2 billion mess that Governor Doyle had to clean up.
- Green supports a TABOR proposal that would spell disaster for Wisconsin by drastically cutting public schools, health care, and public safety.
Wisconsin Values
GREEN’S RHETORIC: Mark Green claims he will fight for the people of Wisconsin.
REALITY CHECK: Mark Green has a long Washington record of voting for the wealthy and the special interests and against Wisconsin families.
- Green voted this month to approve a Bush tax bill that gives millionaires a $42,000 tax break, while middle class families will only see a mere $20 tax cut.
- Green voted last week for a GOP House budget that slashes education and health care for middle class families, while giving billion-dollar tax breaks to the wealthy and adding trillions more to the federal deficit.
- Green cast the deciding vote for the disastrous Bush Medicare drug plan that gave away nearly $200 billion to the big drug and insurance companies at the expense of America’s seniors.
Education
GREEN’S RHETORIC: Mark Green claims that “education funding will always be a top priority,” and that he will “defend students” and “fight for their interests and their dreams.”
REALITY CHECK: Mark Green has a Washington record of voting against students and their families.
- Green voted for a House GOP budget last week that cuts funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $2.2 billion.
- Green cast the deciding vote in February to slash federal student aid by nearly $12 billion – the largest cut in the program’s history.
- Green has repeatedly voted to freeze Pell Grant scholarships for college students.
- As a state legislator, Green repeatedly voted for tuition increases in the state budget.
- While Green voted for No Child Left Behind, he has repeatedly voted since then to underfund the mandated federal program.
17 comments:
The trouble with you guys over on this blog is that they only kind of education funding you approve of is that earmarked strictly for government schools. Anything that has the potential to stear cash away from the pockets of unionized government school teachers and government beaurcrats makes you squeal like a pig. You talk open-minded but show a closed mind attitude to a major porblem that needs changing.
Stem cell research. What do any of you know about it. The a liberal hot-button issues. Ethics? Like Jim Doyle is the patron saint of clean government. We should probably nuke Madison and move the center of Wisconsin government to Park Falls.
Luke,
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
If you'd attended a school as good as Hudson's perhaps you'd be able to express yourself correctly using the English language.
The problem that needs changing is the small group of radical public education critics that waste taxpayer time and money by distracting the school board and district from improving education with their constant barrage of petty criticism.
I don't see your recent defeat in the courts concerning your frivolous
complaint about open meeting law violation being posted on the OTBL anti-education blog. I wonder why?
Hopefully, Tuesday will be but one more rejection by the public of your anti-education message added to a growing string of defeats of what ever it is you're trying to sell. People don't and won't buy it.
Put the Duct tape back on the cakehole and keep it there. Please just GO AWAY!!!
Luke;
What knowledge do you have of state, and federal educational mandates? That I am aware of, there is no one criticizing private education on this BLOG, we all recognize that it is an option for those that choose to do so, and have the financial means, are free to opt for. Now if you happened to be a parent of a child with physical, emotional, or other disabilities you may think entirely differently than your ludicrous statements indicate.
The point of public education, is to insure an equal educational opportunity for all. This also is an assurance of a means for separation of church, and state. I am a Christian, and strongly hold my beliefs within the context of Christ's teachings (Red Letter).
Those teachings support ethics, and tolerance (love) for all, and not to focus ones self.
I am as financially conscious and any other citizen, on school or public finances. But, I am also aware that due to mandated regulations, many costs are beyond local control. So before being to critical of school costs, look at the cause. That is what is so hypocritical in the Republican tax containment action/mandate. Any proposed changes that I have seen, are band-aid changes, that won't last, and won't fix your perceived problem.
Norserman,
Your comments show a reasoned approach to public education. Maybe you're not aware of the fact that what Luke and his crowd want is to Privitize all education. They want absolutely NO government involvement in any educational institution. At the same time they want to receive vouchers to pay them to send kids to private schools. When they say they are not against public education, they are lying. What they will do is redefine what Public means and claim to be in support of Public education by their definition. To them that means no government involvement. They have a radical agenda. There is no school building proposal that they will support no matter how necessary or fiscally sound.
Snooseboy:
It's interesting how you boys toss in the religion card when you perceive it to be in your benefit. What about the separation of church and state? If that doesn't work, you play the spelling card. This is a blog, if I spell something worng big deal. I'm too lazy to dig out a dictionary to do battle with you idiots.
You want the rubber stamp school board that lets everything pushed by the sdminstration float right throw. Maybe "accountability" isn't a word in you dictionary, but it is in mine. I can't remember which drunken liberal, oh yea Tipsy O'Neil, said "All politics is local." I don't get anymore local than the school board. If you can't stand the fire, then you better stay home and watched Lost. That is what will eventually happen to your pathetic group of teacher-union suckups.
Also, don't you think those skunk pictures are a little too juvenile for a sophisticated group of clowns like yourselves?
Dear, I'm not Luke but I play him at School Board Meetings and on OTBL.
You're right, this is a blog and off the cuff spelling errors are likely.
The point is you are demanding higher standards that you can't even meet.
Half the sentances you posted today don't even make sense because of your omission of words or poor English.
I don't recall anybody voting you in as accountability supervisor. On the contrary, your representatives have been consistently defeated at the polls. It's my sincere prayer that tommorrow will continue the trend of defeat of your radical ideas.
As for the pictures! If the skunk hat fits WEAR IT!
Remember, this is a virtual Mensa meeting with fart jokes.
Now that's interesting. No public education, yet public funding for private education? So, as I understand, they wish to receive money from my taxes, yet my having no controle over what they do with my money. Where then does separation of church and state come into this formula? If I am funding a private educational system (regardless of faith or non faith base) shouldn't the public then have some control over the operations of that particular school, since it then, in essence, will be taxpayer funded? Wouldn't we then be back into the issue of separation of church and state?? If a particular school is funded through taxes, it also would be potentially restricted in what it can and can't teach about faith?
Remember that I have faith, but am a member of a free society.
Still, what happens to children of poor families, in this environment? It seems to me that the Lukes out there don't care, they just care about what they can get from taxpayers. Now, I've seen these people say that there would be a voucher system for the poor, but what ultimately would we have, but a system that supports the privileged, and throws away the poor. But then I still recall how proudly I saw the other blog's displaying the confederate flag, which would make any bigot proud.
How then does that emotion fit with the teachings of Christ?
Norseman,
I think you're right on all counts. You did leave out one inevitable consequence of the OTBL Greed Market Education model. The school owners would be collecting the cash and the teachers would be competing for even smaller wages than they get now.
Remember, if you're a OTBL koolaide drinker, teachers are living high on the hog at $30 some K/year and it's all on the backs of OTBL taxpayers.
Take a look at the closest thing to free market education, Sylvan learning centers. $45/hr. to for tutoring. You think the tutors make any where near that amount. Not only that, they are required as a term of employment to sign a statement that they will not independently tutor anyone. More Freedom from the Greed Marketeers.I saw a coupon for $75 Off their special ACT training. If they can discount it by $75 what do you think the retail price is?
The aim of all this is to create a homegrown pool of cheap unskilled labor to replace the current flood of illegal immigrants. File it under "competitiveness".
You also bring up an excellent point about religious schools being told what to teach about their faith by the government. Now that's freedom for you.
There you go. Sylvan learning centers get $45/hr. From a business perspective, that roughly translates into approximately $22.50 for an hourly wage to the teacher. If you breakdown the $30,000 estimate into the takehome facts you get:
$30,000 for nine months work
nine months = 36 weeks
$30,000/36 weeks = $833/week
$833/40 hours a week = $20.83/hour
So Sylvan pays $22.50 and your public school teacher gets $20.83/hour. Give or take a little, they seem to be very close.
Concerning creating a pool of cheap unskilled labor, if that's what the market needs than why not provide it?
You liberals seem to be pretty much brain dead when it comes to common sense business concepts.
"You liberals seem to be pretty much brain dead when it comes to common sense business concepts."
Yeah, it takes a true conservative business guru to peddle Currier & Ives Three-Way Pretzel Tins on the internet.
Dear,
i'm not Luke but I play one him OTBL:
You're an idiot. If you're a parent
paying $45/hr (that's for one kid )
That's $1575/week.
or $56,700 a year for your 36 week year. Hell you could go to Harvard for less than that.
I met a Sylvan tutor once. They don't get $22.50/hr. It's closer to $12.00.
I'll have to double check that but there's no way in hell they get $22.50. Add to that a typical Sylvan learning Center may hold 30 student at a time tops, if that. Are you going to put on on every street corner or pack them all in trailers behind Wal-Mart. And when they go bankrupt where do you send your kid.
Check your scandal history of Charter schools in the Twin Cities.
You're a idiot.
Proof once again that if I don't see things your way, I must be an idiot. Interesting how it works on this blog. No one called you an idiot.
Obviously you not only have a dog in this fight, but your pecker is stuck tight in that dog and you can only see things the union way.
Hasn't it been proven that private schools proivde a better education. See John Kerry for proof.
So "i'm not luke"
By your lack of response to the Christen question, that does not apply to you. As for the Confederate Flag, it apparently does apply.
There you have it. The (I'm not )Luke argument all wrapped up in one neat package. Brilliant, truely brilliant.
Luke my "friend" you've successfully misidentified me once again. If I were the husband of a teacher, I'd be proud to be so. BUT I'M NOT!!!!!!!!!
I just despise your message.
Thanks for your kind words.
Hey, I was wondering when the north hudson flash was going to show his true colors (as in pink, for his headband)
That is right folks, many in our community have been called a "piece of sh!t" by this fine citizen. He is notorious for using that phrase when he is no longer capable of a smartass remark. the viens in his forhead pop, he sticks out his chin, puffs up his chest and there you have it. Perfect reason why he is has alienated himself from his mentor (he who has "uncommon insight") and is now only accepted by the duct tape bandit and the guy who lets him ghost write letters in the HSO. What an amazing joke he is. Even the jacobson's woods crier and even steven (voucher pusher/puller)have left his side.
By the way Mr. Peanut, you are not for choice when the only choice you accept is from your deceased John Birch society loving ex-neighbor.
Actually "i'm not luke"; we are all teachers in what we say, and how we conduct ourselves (and I'm not a teacher or a husband of a teacher).
The question then is, regardless of political persuasion, do you set a standard for youth and adults alike to emulate? Is that how you would like to be treated, or your children to treat others.
Many of these issues have been based on a reaction to a repulsive conduct that originally had been initiated by you, and your associates. Perhaps some of that reaction has been more than necessary, but then your conduct has been soooooo over the line that it has become a catalyst for an unreasonable response.
The day I become concerned is the day the borderlosers stop calling the teachers and their spouses pieces of sh*t. Then I'll know we aren't getting through to them any more.
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