Unfortunately the Wisconsin version is very real

Owen at Boots and Sabers links to a report on the chupacabra, a "goat sucker", a mythological creature that sucks the lifeblood out of farm animals.

Owen may not be aware of it, but here in Wisconsin we have our own version of the beast. It's called the "chupataxra" and it sucks the lifeblood out of Wisconsin taxpayers. Unfortunately, the Wisconsin version is very real and is known for going into a frenzy every April 15th. The "chupataxra" tends to be difficult to see around election day but is frequently seen during budget season.

Sadly it preys on homeowners the hardest, especially seniors. In Wisconsin, the "chupataxra" has very few natural enemies.

Update! Phel asks for a picture.Notice the sharp eyes, looking for prey. The shifty nature, making it often too quick for any potential predator. The chameleon-like coloring is able to change with the political seasons. Such a creature can suck the the lifeblood out of the sick, the elderly, even the relatively mobile with it's extremely long reach. Despite the annoying tonal qualities of it's song, it is quite capable of beguiling it's victims into believing it is perfectly harmless before it strikes.

This Ain't Going Away Anytime Soon...

Nor should it in a way, but it looks like Wisconsin Democrats are going to try to get as much bang for their buck as they can with it.

Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is calling on Congress to look into the prosecution of former state worker Georgia Thompson, whose conviction for rigging a bid was overturned by a federal appeals court last week.

In a statement, the Democrat from Madison says that the court's decision raises questions about the integrity and motivation of the prosecutor.

Thompson was accused of favoring a company with ties to Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. Her conviction became an issue last year when Doyle's opponents used it in ads against him in his run for re-election.

An aide to U-S Attorney Steven Biskupic says the office would welcome a review. The aide says Biskupic was not pressured by the Bush administration or the Republican Party to bring the case.

Anyone get a hold of Marc Marotta these days? He's got to have something to say, doesn't he?

CCAP Tax

Ok, admit it, everyone here has CCAP'd their boss at some point or another.

Free and open access to circuit court access records is one thing this state does right.

Not any more.

Check this out from the Guv's proposed budget... This bill authorizes the Director of State Courts to establish and collect fees for use of the circuit court automated information systems.

Yep, a dreaded user fee just to search the public data base.

Is there anything this man will not tax?

Another cogg in the Troha machine?

And this cogg tied to the Doyle administration?

Nah, couldn't be....

RE: How to tell if you're liberal or conservative

Lance's post inspired a little déjà vu on my part.

I had just finished reading this book for my history course, which in a description of the rise and fall of progressivism in the 1910s-1920s, included this phrase:

"Before the war, progressivism had secured its greatest triumphs in an era of prosperity, but in the boom years of the Coolidge era, it got nowhere. When utilities announced high profits, people responded not with indignation but with a rush to buy utility stocks."

Doyle is selling what progressives began to try to spin almost a century ago. Hopefully, we'll see through it today as we did back then.

Hospital tax cheerleader

You'd think with something as extensive and costly as a hospital tax, Democrats wouldn't be too quick to rally around Doyle.

I thought so, and I was wrong.

The Senate co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee is gung-ho to jack up the costs of health care.

Senator Russ Decker (D-Weston) applauded Governor Doyle for considering an assessment on hospitals to help fund the cost of Medical Assistance programs in Wisconsin. He noted that the latest report on hospital profits makes the contribution of hospitals all the more necessary.

“Hospitals are always asking for higher reimbursement rates for Medical Assistance programs. This idea has the potential to generate hundreds of millions of additional federal dollars for our state and the hospitals are criticizing it before they’ve even seen a plan,” said Decker.

“The only way we are going to be able to make sure we can get adequate health care coverage is if everyone shares the responsibility to make it work. Consumers are already shouldering their share of the burden by paying nearly $4,000 a day to stay in the hospital. After raking in over $1 billion in profits, the least nonprofits hospitals can do is pay their fair share for the medical assistance program,” said Decker.

Except, of course, they won't, and those poor consumers Decker pretends to be so concerned about will shoulder even more costs. He knows that, though. He knows full well who will pay for the tax. He just doesn't care.