As I See It

The city of La Crosse has tried a variety of ways to reduce the homeless population. However, none of those solutions have worked. So it seems the city is trying a different approach. Rather than coddling the unsheltered with free hotel rooms, or letting them live in a city park while providing them with water […]

These are tough times for colleges. Many are seeing declining enrollment, while some campuses are closing altogether. In Wisconsin, the University System President Jay Rothman is sounding warning alarms about declining enrollment and increased debts at many campuses in the system. Meanwhile, the UW System says its tuition rates will rise starting with the new […]

It isn’t that Wisconsin lawmakers aren’t getting any work done. It is just that it is an exercise in futility. Despite their short legislative session our representatives in Madison have kept busy writing a record number of bills. I suppose that is evidence they are getting something done in Madison, but a large majority of […]

Did you get your taxes filed yet? Good, because yesterday was the deadline, unless you were granted an extension. April 15 is a day that many Americans hate when they have to satisfy their tax debt to the federal government. I don’t mind paying taxes. I just wish we could see the results of what […]

Somehow, in recent years, nursing homes have become flashpoints for conspiracies claiming they are subject to voting fraud. In Wisconsin’s 2020 election, there were allegations that nursing homes saw 100% voter turnout. Investigations proved nothing. No charges were filed. But that didn’t stop some from saying more needs to be done to crack down on […]

When we head to the polls in November, we’ll see the same two choices on the ballot as we saw four years ago. So much for another option. A centrist, bipartisan group has been working for years to present another option to voters. The group “No Labels” was hoping to field a candidate to offer […]

Some progress on PFAS. The federal government, for the first time, has set acceptable levels of the so-called forever chemicals in drinking water. That should help improve the health of people across the country. But in Wisconsin, help is not on the way for those who have contaminated water. The Legislature approved $125 million in […]

For decades, college athletes were not paid. Their compensation was in the form of a scholarship that provided them a free education. How things have changed. The adoption of Name, Image and Likeness rules gives college athletes the opportunity to earn big money. Likewise, the adoption of the transfer portal, allowing student athletes to enroll […]

Four years after the pandemic began, Wisconsin still has a labor problem. There simply aren’t enough workers to fill all the open positions. So Republicans in Madison came up with a plan they say would help fill the labor gap. They passed a bill that would have done away with work permit requirements for our […]

Why can’t they be more like us? Wouldn’t that be better? Instead, the politicians we elect to office to represent us are nothing like you and me. At least when it comes to their backgrounds. The people we elect are not exactly working people. We knew that. But the statistics are alarming. About 50% of […]

Few issues have been as hotly contested in Wisconsin in recent years as PFAS chemicals and what to do about them. PFAS are known as forever chemicals because of their inability to break down, leading to numerous health problems. It has been an issue for three years on French Island, where people have not been […]

There was little drama heading into Wisconsin’s elections on Tuesday, and even less drama when the ballots were counted.  Both President Biden and former President Donald Trump easily won their party’s nominations. But a little deeper dig into the numbers may provide some clues about what to expect in November. Biden easily carried Wisconsin, capturing […]

Enough about politics already. We just finished an election yesterday, and it is going to be a long road to November, so let’s take a break from talking politics today, and talk about some things I don’t understand. Like why all the pin pads at grocery store checkout lanes aren’t universal.  Can’t they all be […]

Today is election day in Wisconsin. As we discussed yesterday, it isn’t a crowded ballot, with the presidential nominations already decided. As a result turnout for today’s spring primary is expected to be, well, pathetic. Only about 20% of registered voters are expected to head to the polls today. There are many reasons people won’t […]

Don’t look now, but tomorrow is election day in Wisconsin. This one may have snuck up on us, given there hasn’t been much buildup to the election. In fact, one article even referred to Wisconsin’s spring primary as “irrelevant.” That seems an overstatement. Yes, there isn’t much drama to the presidential contest, and there are […]

Wisconsin’s Governor and Legislature rarely agree on much. So it is good to see they were able to come together to help keep Wisconsin schools safe. Governor Evers has now signed legislation to keep the Office of School Safety going into next year. One key component of this office, housed in the Department of Justice, […]

Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down. Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher of Green Bay will be leaving his seat soon. He had already announced plans not to seek re-election to a fifth term. Now he has announced plans to step down before his current term ends, and that is angering some of his fellow […]

It’s time to stop the charade. Ever since Joe Biden took office, Republicans in Washington have been trying to tie the President to some sort of corruption that reportedly involved Ukraine, and Biden’s son Hunter. They said they could prove that the Biden family is corrupt and that as a result, President Biden should be […]