1. 20:41 5th Jun 2012

    Notes: 332

    Reblogged from davebloom

    Tags: politicsnewswisconsinwiunionwirecalltwitterwtf

    davebloom: motherjones: THIS IS AN ACTUAL TWEET BY SCOTT WALKER. Wait, we can all mangle entirely irrelevant event mentions into pseudo-inspirational bullshit!  Bobby Kennedy was shot on June 5, 1968. Let’s tax the wealthy and support worthy social programs! Pancho Villa was born on June 5, 1878. Revolución Wisconsin style! Dee Dee Ramone died on June 5, 2002. Let’s beat on the brat*! I could not vote hard enough this morning. * For locals, feel free to pronounce and interpret “brat” however you choose.

    davebloom:

    motherjones:

    THIS IS AN ACTUAL TWEET BY SCOTT WALKER.

    Wait, we can all mangle entirely irrelevant event mentions into pseudo-inspirational bullshit! 

    • Bobby Kennedy was shot on June 5, 1968. Let’s tax the wealthy and support worthy social programs!
    • Pancho Villa was born on June 5, 1878. Revolución Wisconsin style!
    • Dee Dee Ramone died on June 5, 2002. Let’s beat on the brat*!

    I could not vote hard enough this morning.

    * For locals, feel free to pronounce and interpret “brat” however you choose.

     

  2. 21:04 1st Jun 2012

    Notes: 26

    Tags: wipoliticswirecall

    Clinton fires up Democratic faithful - JSOnline

    The former president said that for 100 years, people in America had looked to Wisconsin as a place where people had vigorous debates on the issues, but worked out solutions.

    “Now they look at Wisconsin and they see America’s battleground,” Clinton said. “Between people who want to work together to solve problems and people who want to divide and conquer. People who know that creative cooperation is working in America and people who want constant conflict.”

    Speaking under a gazebo on the banks of the Milwaukee River, Clinton said “creative cooperation” was the best way to reach consensus on issues such as economic development and balancing budgets.

    “Everywhere I go in America, everywhere I go in the world, the only thing that is working is when you get everybody who has a stake in the game in there, treat them with respect, and people go forward,” Clinton said.

    “This divide and conquer, no compromise crowd, if they had been in control, there never would have been a U.S. Constitution,” Clinton said.

    Clinton said that, ordinarily, he was opposed to recall elections.

    “But sometimes it is the only way to avoid a disastrous course,” Clinton said of Wisconsin’s historic election.

     

  3. 20:09 12th Jan 2012

    Tags: WIRecallWisconsin

    Concerns with Wisconsin’s Planned Database of Recall Petition Signers

    I’m troubled by Wisconsin’s plan to create a database of all signers of the recall petitions. I know the political parties have access to the petitions in order to challenge signatures, but I’m unsure (and I’ll need to find out) if all signatures are generally a part of the public record.

    Did you sign? Did you think that fact might be publicly discoverable?

    You might or might not be concerned with that disclosure, but placing these names into a database changes things. A database makes it much easier to search for particular names and addresses, easier to identify and harass, easier to discriminate, etc. It also makes systemic error or bias much more possible, and potentially harmful.

    So, to start the process of addressing these concerns, I’ve submitted an open records request to the state Government Accountability Board. Here’s the meat of the request:

    Specifically, I am interesting in obtaining answers and related information to the following questions:

    1) What software platform will be used for creation and maintenance of this database.

    2) What software platform will be purchased (as reported in the media) to aid with character recognition of the handwriting on the petitions.

    3) Exactly which information fields from the petitions will be included in the database?

    4) Who has access to this database, and what security/authentication measures will be used to ensure only authorized access?

    5) How long will this database remain? Is there a planned destruction date? Conversely, are there plans to archive it?

    6) Will the database itself be subject to open records requests?

    I’ll provide updates if I receive any response or answers.