http://www.thedailypage.com/daily Daily content from ISTHMUS | The Daily Page webmaster@isthmus.com (Webmaster) Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:58:59 CDT Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:03:25 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23127 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23127 Given that this regal home is planted in Ald. Konkel's district, it would make the perfect location for something the good leftist has long sought: a 'quot;wet'quot; shelter for homeless vagrants. Call it 'quot;Brenda's House.'quot; It's the ultimate in inclusionary zoning. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:46:04 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23087 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23087 With inclusionary zoning due to be buried with few mourners next January, the South Central Realtors Association is rushing to fill the void with a purely market-based approach. The proposal supports affordable housing using existing programs and marketplace solutions. In other words, the stuff that actually works. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:17:05 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23075 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23075 The 9-1-1 center is a victim of -- and the ankle bracelet scheme is the spawn of -- a single-minded county executive whose mania is for buying marshland at the expense of prudent, and cost-effective, law enforcement. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:40:23 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23068 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23068 The right to bear arms -- few issues more clearly delineate that fault line between the collectivism of the liberal faith, on the one side, and the trust in individuals shared by my conservative brethren (and sistern). Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:27:35 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23019 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23019 Ald. Brenda Konkel reviews the proposed changes in the Inclusionary Zoning ordinance, all intended to finally make this Rube Goldberg-like program actually do something positive. Displayed below is a synopsis of her synopsis. Now tell me that the whole mess isn't an example of so-called 'quot;progressive'quot; tinkering with the economy run completely amok? Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:51:51 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22951 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22951 I have just finished one 12-hour stint on Thursday and a 10-hour tour of duty Sunday, Father's Day, at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) bunker on Wright Street monitoring this terrible flood that has engulfed so many our neighbors. And I'm due for the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. slot on Tuesday. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:06:15 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22893 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22893 I mourn the apparent defeat of Hillary Clinton and her apparent concession to Barack Obama. Not because I believed in her message, but because of the cannon fodder it was making of the Democrat(ic) party. Also, because now my Hillary nutcracker action figure will not appreciate as much in value. ('quot;Place nut between thighs. Squeeze.'quot;) Hillary took flak from her own party for staying in the race until the bitter end, all while scratching the paint on the new model, Barack Obama. Didn't she know it was hopeless? Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:04:55 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22826 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22826 'quot;Let the bloodbath begin'quot; is the very first line of Patrick Buchanan's autobiography, 'lt;i'gt;Right From the Beginning'lt;/i'gt;. (The title is a triple 'lt;i'gt;entendre'lt;/i'gt;.) The author himself autographed it for me when I attended a rally for his short-lived presidential campaign in April 1992. Fri, 30 May 2008 09:17:39 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22812 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22812 The late, great John Patrick Hunter -- a no-nonsense combination of Jason Robards Jr. (think 'lt;i'gt;All the President's Men'lt;/i'gt;) and Will Geer (Grandpa Walton) did a queer thing, if I may use the Q word in its original sense. On his driver's license, where 'quot;Race'quot; was indicated -- as it was back in the day -- he instructed the Department of Transportation to insert an 'quot;N'quot; for Negro. Wed, 28 May 2008 10:40:44 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22768 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22768 Does anyone know what a 'quot;yard'quot; of mulch is? As a unit of measurement, my Random House unabridged dictionary defines it as 'quot;a large quantity.'quot; Well, I've got eight of them large quantities of bark mulch sitting in my driveway. Turns out eight yards is a dump truck full. I am actively seeking things to mulch. To a mulcher, everything needs groundcover. Tue, 27 May 2008 16:58:15 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22767 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22767 I am still chortling over Phil Hands' editorial cartoon in Sunday's 'lt;i'gt;Wisconsin State Journal'lt;/i'gt;. It's the one depicting an absolute ogre shaking the cup at a citizen who marvels that the panhandler makes $15 while Brenda Konkel calls for health insurance. Mon, 19 May 2008 22:17:48 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22695 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22695 The consultant studying the Dane County emergency 9-1-1 call center delivered his report on March 29, 2004. It recommended adding eight new dispatchers. County Executive Kathleen Falk responded by demanding that three communicators be cut loose in order to save the $138,000 in salary and benefits they represented. Sat, 17 May 2008 09:23:27 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22683 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22683 The issue is larger than the 9-1-1 center. The issue is our commitment level to law enforcement itself. If we don't build up our policing agencies, if we don't build the infrastructure to keep the bad guys off the streets, we can all be tapping 9-1-1 madly on every cell phone and landline in creation. Tue, 13 May 2008 21:30:16 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22634 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22634 I want to walk you through the most incredible example of seeing the exact same thing but coming to completely different conclusions. It illustrates what happens when you let the important hunk of brain tissue, the 'lt;i'gt;corpus callosum'lt;/i'gt;, wither away. Mon, 12 May 2008 08:00:27 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22620 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22620 Against a backdrop of the degradation of our public spaces by chronic vagrancy, the murders of Joel Marino and Brittany Zimmermann -- in their homes! -- have taken the issue simultaneously to the ground zero of leftist downtown Madison and to the wider county government. People are getting a crash course in why Dane County government matters. They are also learning why the world's greatest park system and all the beautiful lakes and rain gardens are for naught if people don't feel safe. Fri, 09 May 2008 08:31:38 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22607 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22607 I don't blame the 'lt;i'gt;Wisconsin State Journal'lt;/i'gt; for suspending coverage of the largest unit of local government until this spring, when I got it to write about releasing jail inmates on ankle bracelets. County government did not take itself very seriously. Mon, 05 May 2008 09:16:23 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22535 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22535 County Executive Kathleen Falk is now playing the blame game, suggesting that if only she had more taxes on cell and landline telephone users this might never have happened. But she always seems to have money to purchase more conservation acreage. Sat, 03 May 2008 09:39:50 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22528 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22528 This is a most amazing thing! You absolutely must, gotta, have to see this. It is Brenda Konkel pushed to the limit. It is what Progressive Dane looks like when it is cornered and squeezed. Thu, 01 May 2008 10:29:36 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22493 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22493 These house rules are observed scrupulously here at Stately Blaska Manor: I endeavor to be a fair and accurate purveyor of information but I am not an impartial, objective journalist. I have a fairly well developed belief system, issues that I care about, causes that excite me. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:48:46 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22471 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22471 I got to think Barack Obama is checking out a few books, books like 'lt;i'gt;Murder in the Cathedral'lt;/i'gt;, and 'lt;i'gt;Death Comes for the Archbishop'lt;/i'gt;. Perhaps he is repeating Henry II's lament, 'quot;Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'quot; Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:30:57 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22464 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22464 Barkeep Rufus Terrill had enough of drug use, panhandling, and other anti-social behavior in his Atlanta neighborhood. So he put together what is basically a meat smoker mounted onto a three-wheeled scooter. Voila: the Bumbot! The gizmo allows Terrill to keep his neighborhood tidy via remote control with such armaments as a spotlight, a water hose and a loudspeaker. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:36:20 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22455 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22455 Had the most wonderful time 'lt;i'gt;chez'lt;/i'gt; Dave Callender and his lovely bride, Eloi, Saturday night, on the beautiful far-southwest side of Madison. The beer was kept cold on the deck overlooking the southlands on an abnormally cool night and it poured sweet and clear. It was a very good night. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:21:11 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22443 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22443 The Mayor now seems to be charting a new course: no more chasing trouble makers from one part of town to the next.'lt;br'gt; Previously in this series: 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22418'quot;'gt;It's a (hobo) jungle out there'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22380'quot;'gt;MacArthur Park, Madison'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22341'quot;'gt;An interview with Lt. Joe Balles'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324'quot;'gt;Not all homeless'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311'quot;'gt;God Bless the Salvation Army'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:37:00 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22418 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22418 The homeless/vagrancy issue has another dimension. Add to the single mothers fleeing an abusive situation, add to the chronically mentally ill just trying to survive another day, add to the footloose predators in the Bassett Street area yet another subset: Hobos.'lt;br'gt; Previously in this series: 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22380'quot;'gt;MacArthur Park, Madison'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22341'quot;'gt;An interview with Lt. Joe Balles'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324'quot;'gt;Not all homeless'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311'quot;'gt;God Bless the Salvation Army'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:30:35 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22380 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22380 My crusade is waged against those who celebrate the Brittingham Park squatters and Bassett Street neighborhood shakedown artists as 'quot;victims'quot; and shame the rest of us for being insensitive, capitalist, racist, or what have you.'lt;br'gt; Previously in this series: 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22341'quot;'gt;An interview with Lt. Joe Balles'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324'quot;'gt;Not all homeless'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311'quot;'gt;God Bless the Salvation Army'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:29:42 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22341 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22341 'quot;One of the things we learned from looking further into the Brittingham Park situation is that we are seeing an increasing number of homeless men who do not want services, they don't want shelter, and they just want to survive anyway they can.'quot; Previously in this series: 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324'quot;'gt;Not all homeless'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311'quot;'gt;God Bless the Salvation Army'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:46:43 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22324 I have tried to be precise in my language but perhaps have not always succeeded. There are many, probably the majority, of male 'quot;homeless'quot; who are just trying to get by, to survive as best they can, without degrading the surrounding community. Previously in this series: 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311'quot;'gt;God Bless the Salvation Army'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:18:25 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22311 No wonder Ald. Konkel crosses swords with the Salvation Army regularly, to use a military analogy. This religious organization displays a compassionate, no-nonsense approach to the homeless issue. Previously in this series:'lt;br'gt; 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306'quot;'gt;Do I sense a note of hostility?'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:45:38 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22306 The debate over the homeless has taken a hostile turn. I learn that from the Progressive Dane newspaper. It's right there in a headline on the Metro page of Friday's collector's item: 'quot;Debate here over homeless takes hostile turn.'quot;'lt;br'gt; Previously in this series:'lt;br'gt; 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297'quot;'gt;Work!?#*!'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:44:19 -0500 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297 http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22297 Oh no. Now I have gone and done it. I have offended some of Madison's most fragile sensibilities. The 'quot;homeless advocates'quot; are in a snit. Someone has challenged their hegemony on this issue.'lt;br'gt; Previously in this series:'lt;br'gt; 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22244'quot;'gt;Retaking the Downtown'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22220'quot;'gt;The Amazing Mr. Mohs'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt; | 'lt;b'gt;'lt;a href='quot;http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=22196'quot;'gt;Fred Mohs is right about vagrancy'lt;/a'gt;'lt;/b'gt;'lt;br'gt;