joeklein

Nobody likes it when I say voter ID can be done in such a way as to not discourage voting. If the real goal is to insure the legitimacy of the voter, then we could simply take a digital snapshot at the time of registration and put the snapshot, with the registration information into a data base. This can be done with web based software and a laptop. When you go vote the poll worker would then look you up on the database. If you need to register on site, the poll worker would use a laptop with a cheap USB camera to put your address and image into the database. No fuss, no hassle, no waiting at the DMV. The fact that this method is not under consideration speaks volumes about the intent to use voter ID for vote suppression.

Now is the time for Wisconsin to implement bold transportation alternatives. A recent Science Applications International Corporation study publish in November 2007 and entitled Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction said: “One of the most significant actions that household members can take to reduce their carbon footprint is to use public transportation. Today, 78% of commuters drive to work alone (ranging from 56% in New York State to 85% in Michigan). The annual use of an automobile driving an average of 12,000 miles per year and with an average 22.9 MPG consumption emits 4.6 metric tomes of CO2 per year. Households that have an SUV or light duty truck drive an average of 14,500 miles per year and have an MPG of 16.2 emit 7.9 metric tons per year. The average two wage earner and two vehicle owner household in the U.S. travels almost 24,000 miles per year. Households could reduce their carbon footprint by 25-30% by foregoing a second vehicle and using p...

Washington, D.C. – The Communications Workers of America, its newspaper and broadcast sectors, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists expressed disappointment over the Federal Communications Commission’s revisions to the newspaper-broadcast ownership rule. The changes will allow a single corporation to own both a broadcast and newspaper operation in the 20 largest media markets. CWA and affiliates -- The Newspaper Guild-CWA and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA -- along with AFTRA, expressed strong concern that the FCC did not require that any merged newspaper-broadcast operation maintain separate newsroom and editorial staff, an addition that would have helped to ensure an independent editorial voice in communities. They also stressed that ensuring a diverse media is more critical than ever in today’s environment and raised concerns about the impact of consolidation on competition, diversity of opinion and quality jobs. TNG-CWA Pr...

Recent revelations defeat the argument that we needed to wiretap as a reaction to 9/11. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/almost-soviet/

The issue of School Choice has often created emotional political divides in our community. It held out for many people of limited income an opportunity to help their children escape from, what they perceived as, a broken public school system. In specifics it works some times, for some people. In the aggregate it has proven to be an expensive experiment with neutral results. My conclusion is underscored by the recent article in the Journal Sentinel " Choice may not improve schools, study says. " It has been my contention for some time that School Choice, while a rightly intentioned movement by some progressive thinking members of our society, has failed to resolve the problems plaguing public education. Here is why, in my humble opinion, School Choice has failed. 1. It is a distraction from having a meaningful discussion on how to alter public education so as to make it relevant to a post industrial, post agricultural society. 2. By putting pots of money out in the public for ...

Dear Jim Doyle, I want to let you know I am against any increase in H-1B visas. The fact that you, as my governor, signed on to a letter to increase H-1B visas is a slap in the face to all IT workers seeking jobs. To claim there is a critical shortage of highly skilled professionals in math and science is a lie. This myth has long ago been debunked by a Duke University study at http://www.issues.org/23.3/wadhwa.html I hope you will listen to voters who have to live with the consequences of jobs being given to H-1B visa workers rather than the corporations who want to give our jobs away. Sincerely, Joe Klein