Entertainment
Putting Trump on Mt. Rushmore: The worthwhile and worthless bills politicians propose with UW-La Crosse political scientist Chergosky
UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk PM discussing the worthwhile and worthless bill lawmakers propose, like banning cellphones in Wisconsin schools and putting Donald Trump on Mt. Rushmore.
La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.
We went down a rabbit hole on that latter idea, while I came up with a better proposal — putting Trump on the $1 million bill. That, in a way, actually, already happened, but it did lead to a deep dive on the idea.
After that, we got into a more substantive discussion on Wisconsin legislators proposing a school cellphone ban and how this is an example of big government doing something good versus leaving it to small governments, like school boards, to be the arbiter of such things.
After that, other proposals by Republicans in the Legislature, including requiring schools to display “in god we trust,” what flags get to be flown, no tax on tips, return to work requirements and curbing the governor’s veto powers.
Began the show, though talking about the Super Bowl halftime show with Kendrick Lamar and how that’s triggered 17 Louisiana Republicans worried something might happen.
Gary Schmidt
January 31, 2025 at 11:22 pm
Question
You mentioned that some place you save 3 percent if you use cash.
I understand the establishment has a charge to use credit cards.
Is that fee they pay a business expenses and could it be dedicated from their taxes.
nick
February 1, 2025 at 6:55 am
I like the idea of Trump on a $1,000,000 bill as a fundraiser. But for Trump and his massive, lying ego, I have something a lot better and am not sure why he has not thought about it: TRUMPLAND. Tithe world tallest Ferris wheel, the world’s fastest roller coaster etc. I used to call Biden liar in chief but Trump has to have that honor now. Who else would take a tragedy and turn in it into a political diatribe with no facts.
walden
February 2, 2025 at 12:18 am
Nick, I agree Trump should have kept his mouth shut…at least until the bodies were recovered. It now turns out the DC air disaster had air traffic control at half staffing. Apparently this staffing issue exists across the country due to difficulty hiring the Biden requisite shades of skin color and gender. This situation is already subject of ongoing litigation.
As distasteful as this matter is, to not raise it would be many times worse than the timing that Trump chose. It has to be talked about to get fixed so your anger is misdirected. Would you prefer Trump wait until the FAA completes its investigation…two years from now?
Remember four years ago at this time we found new Transportation Secretary Butigeig (the guy responsible for air travel) having his photo taken in a hospital bed man-boob fake nursing a newborn he had just adopted, followed by 6 weeks paid “maternity” leave. There was nowhere to go except up from there. FJB.
LG
February 3, 2025 at 9:45 am
Trump should have kept his mouth shut at least for a few days. His pattern of spouting off before the facts are known was a problem before, and it will continue to be a problem during his second administration. When he does that, it simply gives fodder to the opposition to criticize him and to make up their own facts. In the meantime, as the facts become known, the story is no longer a story as it gets relegated to the back pages so to speak. William Garcia for example use the opportunity to criticize Trump stating DEI had nothing to do with it. In short, he stated this last week, once again, before the facts are known. In that sense, he did the same thing as Trump only took the opposite view.
So, with all that said, there is a significant shortage in air traffic controllers. This is largely due to DEI policies, stated DEI policies from the previous administration, and turning away qualified controllers in favor of people who check the DEI boxes. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough controllers to check the DEI boxes and so control towers at airports across the country are shorthanded. My next point may or may not have anything to do with DEI. It has been reported that there was only one controller in the tower handling, both airlines and helicopters. Normal staffing requires 2 controllers. The suggest the workforce in the tower that night was reduced by 50%. That’s an accident waiting to happen and unfortunately for all those on board, it did. It has been reported that a supervisor allowed one of the controllers to leave early that night, Leaving one controller, responsible for it all. As a private pilot myself, I believe I speak with some knowledge on this matter. to be clear, all the facts are not yet known. Talking Heads like William Garcia and President Trump need to learn to keep their mouth shut sometimes. I hope these are bipartisan thoughts.
Bart
February 4, 2025 at 7:03 am
LG great to hear from you . It would be good if WIZM could get the morning program back to normal.
Could the Vaxx mandate have something to do with the shortage of controllers nation wide?
Kevin
February 4, 2025 at 7:42 am
Walden & LG, normally we are in lockstep. In this case I don’t agree that Trump should have kept his mouth shut. I don’t know what he knew about the conditions for hiring within the FAA, I am believing he knew more than I, and more than the press. Talking about the hiring conditions 1wk, 1mth, 1yr after the accident is much like whacking the dog on the nose with a rolled-up paper for shitting on the floor, 12hrs after the fact. Does no good. Trump speaking about it so soon after the accident, at least plants the seed of an answer. Then we find out they are short staffed. The next logical question is why are you short staffed? Then the DEI policy crap starts to make more sense.
Nick – I do like your commentary, but I have yet to identify the ‘great lies’ that Trump has perpetrated on the general electorate. I can identify plenty of hyperbole & name calling, which I would agree should be toned down, but outright lies? I tell everyone I have the best daughter in the world, some folks push back and ask how I would know that? I tell them because she is ‘my’ daughter. Not a lie, a figure of speech. My father no doubt would call it a lie, because he is a black and white person and tolerates zero figures of speech.
The border is/was a sieve, the economic state of the country is pathetic, people did celebrate after the twin towers were destroyed (hell they celebrated and are still celebrating the Oct. 7th massacre), we pay too much to protect Europe and they don’t pay enough, women in Hollywood want to be famous so badly they will let the ‘correct’ people do anything to them, the income tax ought to be abolished or greatly reduced, Canada ought to pay us tariffs to enforce our shared border if they don’t want too, intellectual property is being stolen from us, blah blah blah….the covid vaccine was helpful, though i would argue it did and is doing more damage than help, our education system is pathetic, DEI is racist at it’s core, the judicial system of new york is FUBAR, blah blah blah
The reading & math levels in our schools are getting worse, ever year, regardless of how much we spend on teachers and their benefits. I would absolutely vote for a no phones in school ban.
Personally, though it makes me cringe at times, I enjoy Trump calling a spade a spare…. tired of the greased line of feel-good nonsense that most politicians spew as a matter of breeding and false intellect.
I mean, who elects a person that believes the moon is a planet and made from gas, who elects a person that believes our borders are secure, who elects a person that believes government paying for everything is sustainable without ill effects on the population, who believes Trump is going to put the LGBTQ…folks into internment camps and prevent them from getting jobs, who believes this line of reasoning. Want to talk lies, there is boat load of lying going on and it ‘aint’ coming from Trump.
Bart
February 4, 2025 at 8:24 am
Well done Kevin, thank you