As I noted earlier today, it seems County Supervisor candidate Chris Kujawa is no fan of voter referendums, despite his public comments that “Public service needs to be about serving the best interests of the public.” It seems County Executive Scott Walker is no fan of voter referendums either, which really isn’t much of a surprise. However, as I was trolling through the Cheddarsphere, I came across a really interesting entry by Brew City Brawler, who astutely points out that just five short years ago, County Executive candidate Scott Walker said:

“…I will take this vision for the future directly to the people. Instead of working deals in a backroom in the executive’s office, I will take our agenda on the road to senior citizen clubs, civic organizations, church groups, and anywhere else people are willing to listen. Positive change must come through the support of the public and this will force the board to act on our reforms.”

What I find really interesting about conservatives is the level of their hypocrisy. Many conservatives I’ve either interacted with or heard speak have struck similar tones about wanting to “give power back to the people” and about “letting people decide for themselves,” yet every time they’re given an opportunity to put their words into action, they refuse and blame some liberal bogeyman. If Scott Walker really supports voter referendums, then I challenge him to put his money where his mouth is and allow the sales tax referendum to make it to the ballot.

During my scan of the interwebs, I happened to come across one article and one news brief related to autism that I felt were worth sharing here.

The first is a news brief from Greater Milwaukee Online discussing Governor Jim Doyle’s plan to be part of a rally Tuesday in Milwaukee with 200 autistic children, their families, teachers, health care providers and others who work with those with autism. The rally is in support of a measure currently under consideration in the State Senate that would mandate health insurance companies provide coverage for autism treatment. Currently, autism is classified as an emotional disorder by insurance companies, as opposed to being classified as a neurological medical condition. This provides health insurance companies with a convenient excuse to avoid having to pay for autism treatment, which in most cases can total tens of thousands of dollars a year.

The refusal by insurance companies to provide coverage for autism treatment means that even folks who have health insurance are forced to rely on Medicaid to provide autism treatment. Having to rely on Medicaid means having to deal with the unimaginably long waiting lists to get such treatment, and I fail to understand why I should have to wait over 11 months to get my son the help he needs simply because my insurance company wants to save a few bucks. I know I’m being selfish because my son’s affected by autism, but I fail to understand why I pay health insurance premiums only to have my health insurance provider tell me, “No Thanks” when it comes to helping get my son the help he so desperately needs. I think it’s an absolute travesty that someone with health insurance should have to rely on public assistance to get help for their child, and this situation is a perfect example of why we need comprehensive health care reform here in America.

The second article I came across today happened to be on Time.com. The article outlines a new study due to be released soon that contends that autism may be caused by watching too much television at a tender age. Now I don’t know how much stock to put in the results of the study, simply because the study itself didn’t actually measure the amount of television being watched by children; it merely looked for a connection between autistic children, weather patterns, and a cable television hookup in the home. I’m certainly no expert on autism, but I tend to believe there’s no one easy answer as to what causes autism, or why there’s been such an explosion of diagnosed autism cases.

According to an article submitted by Patty Kujawa, County Supervisor candidate Chris Kujawa has rejected the County Board’s plan to push a referendum that would raise the area’s sales tax by a penny, if approved. Kujawa’s position on this issue is interesting, given the fact that according to his own campaign website, he believes, “Public service needs to be about serving the best interests of the public.” Apparently, Mr. Kujawa believes serving the best interests of the public involves him deciding what’s best for his constituents, instead of allowing those constituents to decide for themselves. Mr. Kujawa’s disdain for letting the taxpayers of Milwaukee decide the issue for themselves in a referendum is exactly the kind of attitude we don’t need on the County Board, because the citizens of the 8th District deserve a Supervisor who trusts citizens enough to give them the opportunity to decide these kinds of issues for themselves. If Chris Kujawa can’t be bothered to trust the good people of the 8th District to make decisions for themselves, then how can the citizens of the 8th District trust him to provide us with the quality representation we deserve?

Chris Kujawa has made it clear he wants to be a County Supervisor so he can serve as nothing more than a rubber stamp for County Executive Scott Walker, a fact that should come as no surprise given their close relationship. Kujawa’s company has done over two hundred thousand dollars worth of work for the County, a fact that apparently escaped Mr. Kujawa’s memory during a recent interview, saying that fact “slipped his mind.” The citizens of the 8th District deserve more from their Supervisor than someone who’s perfectly content to vote in lockstep with the wishes of the County Executive, never mind the wishes of the citizens he hopes to be elected to serve.

The citizens of Milwaukee County’s 8th District deserve more than a “rubber stamp” from their Supervisor; they deserve real leadership that isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and think outside the box when necessary, and quite frankly, Chris Kujawa just can’t offer that kind of leadership.

I came across an interesting editorial in the Capital Times about Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton. Before I go any further, I have to admit I hadn’t really done a lot of reading on Lt. Governor Lawton, so I didn’t realize just what an asset she’s been as a part of Governor Doyle’s administration. I suppose that’s in large part due to the fact that I had gotten so used to useless Lieutenant Governors - folks like Scott McCallum and Maragaret Farrow - who didn’t really do anything except occupy office space during their tenures as our state’s second in command.

Lt. Governor Lawton has been a leading advocate nationally on the issue of global warming, authoring and introducing a resolution to establish the commitment of state officials from across the country to combat global warming and invest in renewable energy. Lawton’s lobbying on behalf of her resolution secured support from Democratic and Republican lieutenant governors - a commitment that required Republicans to break with their president and many party leaders who continue to deny the science of global warming and refuse to respond with the urgency that is required. Even more impressive than her leading role nationally on global warming issues is the fact that Lawton was recently unanimously elected to serve as vice chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, putting her in line to become the chair of that organization next year.

It’s nice to see a woman take a leading role in Wisconsin and nationally, and I personally look forward to seeing how far Lieutenant Governor Lawton’s star rises.

I’d just like to say kudos to Bob McGinn of the MJS, for being recognized by Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Here’s what King wrote about McGinn:

I think few fan bases are better served by a beat writer than those in Packerdom by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The other day, he told his readers how first-round pick Justin Harrell, the defensive tackle from Tennessee, was struggling mightily with his conditioning; how kicker David Rayner was 28 of 29 in kickoffs with competitor Mason Crosby so far in camp; how well players have adapted to camp, with no camp fights in the first nine practices; how free-agent defensive lineman Larry Birdline was embarrassingly fatigued in practice, so much so that McGinn wrote: “After that embarrassing episode, his career in Green Bay won’t last too long.” McGinn is an underrated giant in our business. I love reading him.

I’d have to agree with Peter King’s assessment of Bob McGinn. He’s one heck of a journalist, and I’ve always enjoyed reading his columns. It’s good to see one of our own from here in Milwaukee get recognized on the national level.

So according to an article on All Politics Watch, County Supervisor candidate Chris Kujawa, a personal favorite of mine (yeah right), said in an interview this week that KEI, his family’s landscaping and exterior design company, doesn’t do business with the county. Kujawa went on to say he resents suggestions he might have a business conflict of interest if he wins a vacant south suburban Milwaukee seat on the County Board. What’s really interesting about Chris Kujawa’s statements is the fact that records show his company’s been paid over $200,000 by Milwaukee County for products and services his landscape firm has provided the county since 2000. Of course, when asked to explain the discrepancy between his own statements and county records, Kujawa chalked it up to the fact that $200,000 worth of work his company did for the county “slipped his mind.”

This is yet another example of why Chris Kujawa simply isn’t fit to serve as a member of the County Board of Supervisors, and I personally hope Pat Jursik hands him his hind end on Tuesday.

This is a very personal entry, so please bear with me.

I know I’ve done my fair share of complaining lately about my frustration with how long it’s taken for my son Nick to get approved for Medicaid so he can finally get the therapy he needs, but it looks like my complaining days are over - at least for now. All it took was a check of today’s mail for all the prayers of my wife and I to be answered, because we finally got the letter from the County that we’ve been waiting for. To summarize the letter, Nick’s been moved to the top of the list for autism treatment, pending verification of some minor details on our part. We’ve already provided all the details that were necessary, and the return letter is sitting on the kitchen table waiting for me to mail it tomorrow.

Words really can’t adequately describe how I’m feeling right now - they really can’t. This day has been a long time coming, and while I know there’s probably a little more waiting yet to be done, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We finally have hope that Nick’s going to get the help he needs, and that’s a great thing. I love my son, and I’m so happy for him right now.

That’s right folks…the 156th annual Wisconsin State Fair is finally here. Now I’m not a huge fairgoer myself, mainly because I don’t do well in situations with lots of animals, especially horses and goats. I am hoping to go to the Fair this year, because I always enjoy walking the grounds, eating all that great food, and spending time in the exhibition halls looking at all the gadgets and products that you can usually only get on TV. I have to admit I’m a bit of sucker for those gadgets and products, and I always end up wanting to buy something I see. After all, who couldn’t use a Magic Bullet or a set of Dryer Balls? And let’s not forget just about everyone’s favorite Fair food - Cream Puffs!

I may not be a huge fan of the Fair, but I still can’t wait to go.

This is a little bit random, but the story caught my eye and made me chuckle, so I thought I’d repost. A Madison man, Jim Gleeson, won San Jose State University’s 2007 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, beating out thousands of other entrants. Gleeson submitted 20 entries, and this was the winner:

“Gerald began - but was interrupted by a piercing whistle which cost him ten percent of his hearing permanently, as it did everyone else in a ten-mile radius of the eruption, not that it mattered much because for them ‘permanently’ meant the next ten minutes or so until buried by searing lava or suffocated by choking ash - to pee.”

Now that right there is some God-awful writing. What’s really disturbing to me is that as bad as Gleeson’s entry was, I’ve seen some pretty comparable writing from folks who weren’t trying to write poorly; they just have no skill at all.

The MJS reported earlier today only a few tickets remained for tonight’s game against the Mets. If the Brewers sell out tonight’s game, that would be the 21st sellout of the season, setting a new club record - a record that’s sure to be broken as the season progresses.

And since I’m on the subject of the Brew Crew, I just want to say how proud I am of how the team has done this year. It’s been a heck of a long time since Brewers fans had anything to cheer about, and I’m glad to see our team doing so well. Even if the Brewers don’t end up winning the NL Central, I still consider this a successful year, because I think the team has far and away exceeded expectations.