Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Westlake: Ron Johnson Evades Questions - "That's Just Plain Dangerous For Wisconsin"

Last week's shot at Fortunate Son-In-Law Ron Johnson by Republican ex-candidate T. Wall was pretty harsh:

...I realize that Johnson says he'd spend every penny of his fortune to win, but what that really means is the voters have a candidate who wants it too bad. That's someone who wants desperately to be Senator rather than doing it for the right reasons. Is this the kind of Senator we want?

Now Dave Westlake, still in the GOP primary, has gotten frustrated with Johnson's evasion of any debate or questioning and kicks it up a notch:

In any hiring situation, an applicant who submits a resume but refuses outright to show up to a job interview is immediately disqualified. Yet that’s the kind of disdain for voters we’re seeing here. My opponent has an established pattern of avoiding venues in which he might have to deviate from set talking point. He’s repeatedly refused to debate, and he’s canceled numerous sessions with groups who want to ask him hard, substantive questions.

...You can’t have it both ways. You can’t credibly tell voters that you’re submitting to an interview process while repeatedly refusing to show up to the interview. From day one of this campaign, I’ve actively engaged in the interview process with Wisconsinites. I’ve listened to concerns and answered tough questions from one end of this state to the other. I’ve been thoroughly vetted in numerous settings, and I’ve offered to debate. My opponent simply cannot make the same claim. He’s demonstrating a regrettable willingness to shortchange voters—and that’s just plain dangerous for Wisconsin.

The latest: after the story about Johnson's company benefiting from a federal grant to build a rail spur to the plant broke last week, the company's website just revised its corporate history to better mesh with the claims and denials from the campaign, but some parts of the history still aren't consistent.

Considering sunspots, Great Lakes oil drilling, "self-made," "entrepreneur who built a company," and "never lobbied for a government payment," consistency with the facts just isn't Johnson's strong suit. Maybe a few thousand more repetitions of his slick TV and radio ads will do the trick.

- Barry Orton

Best. Horserace Call. Ever.

This call of a Monmouth race is hilarious, as a horse named "My Wife Knows Everything" beats out one named "The Wife Doesn't Know."  Posted here so Soglin can't claim to be the only Waxing America horse racing source:

-Barry Orton

Tammy Baldwin To Receive Jane Lawton Award From NATOA

I'm really pleased about this: next month Rep. Tammy Baldwin will receive the Jane E Lawton Commemorative Award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). NATOA presents the award annually to an elected official to recognize extraordinary service on behalf of local governments and communities throughout the United States.  It was created in memory of the Honorable Jane E. Lawton, who served as Mayor of Chevy Chase, MD; Delegate to the Maryland State House; and President of NATOA. 

NATOA selected Baldwin for her continued support for local government in communications, most notably the introduction of the Community Access Preservation Act (H.R. 3745). 

- Barry Orton

Surprise! "Fortunate Son-In-Law" Ron Johnson Took Government Help To Expand Business Set Up By Father-In-Law and Also Failed To Graduate From High School

"Tea party" favorite Ron Johnson, who is trying to leverage his marriage to the "shrink-wrap princess" to unseat Senator Russ Feingold, had better be kept away from microphones for the rest of the campaign. WKOW-TV yesterday broke the story that, despite Johnson's insistence that ""I have never lobbied for some special treatment or for a government payment," his company (Pacur, Inc., named for Pat Curley, Johnson's brother-in-law and the real founder of Johnson's business) took a $2.5 million loan at a highly favorable interest rate in the form of an industrial revenue bond from the City of Oshkosh in 1985.  D'oh!

The whole WKOW interview is here. No real surprise that Johnson is saying one thing and actually did another; that's normal for this candidate. Here's the curious part:

He attended Edina High School but he did not graduate, saying he was told by officials there that he could go straight to college. According to school records he did graduate with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1977 with an accounting degree.

Since when did the University of Minnesota eliminate the requirement that its students graduate from high school? Did Edina education officials really say "Don't bother completing your high school requirements; go straight to college" to young Johnson?  Or is this another example of Ron Johnson's version of "American Exceptionalism" where exceptions are made for those with connections?

UPDATE: There was also a federal grant that helped build a rail line to the Pacur plant. WKOW had this today:

A railroad line to Senate candidate Ron Johnson's plastics factory was built with the assistance of a federal grant.

According to documents from the Oshkosh city clerk's office, an Urban Development Action Grant in the amount of $75,000 was used to build a rail spur to Pacur, a plastics manufacturing company owned by Johnson.

The city resolution approving the grant was passed on March 15, 1979, the year the Oshkosh factory was built.

The money for the line went to Wisconsin Industrial Shipping Supplies, owned by Johnson's brother-in-law, Pat Curler. Months later, WISS changed its name to Pacur and the plant opened.

A federal grant this time, not a local government bond or loan. The Fortunate Son-In-Law took a terrible "government payment."

So some federal money to build a rail line is good, as long as it helps the private sector and doesn't carry those inconvenient people.

- Barry Orton

T. Wall on Ron Johnson: "Is This the Kind of Senator We Want?"

T. Wall still can't get enough off his chest about his failed race for the Republican nomination to challenge Russ Feingold. While almost nothing he posted here will endear him to the GOP, he saves his best shot for "Tea Party" and Republican Party of Wisconsin favorite son-in-law Ron Johnson, who Wall implies is not an "honest candidate."

...I realize that Johnson says he'd spend every penny of his fortune to win, but what that really means is the voters have a candidate who wants it too bad. That's someone who wants desperately to be Senator rather than doing it for the right reasons. Is this the kind of Senator we want?

Ouch.

- Barry Orton

The Wisconsin 77th AD: Crowd of Candidates Work the Westside Community Market

The Westside Community Market at Segoe and Sheboygan continues to be the nexus of the 77th AD primary election, as each Saturday morning sees multiple candidates for the open Assembly seat long held by Spencer Black. 

Last Saturday, five candidates were there simultaneously, a record for this season.  Doug Zwank made his first appearance, and jockeyed for position with Dianne Hesselbein, Ben Manski, Fred Wade, and Brett Hulsey, all trying to avoid getting between the hungry Market regulars and their artisan foods of choice. Manski has also had a table the last two weeks down between the Sassy Cow ice cream and the Moldy Jam musicians. John Imes has also been at the Westside Community Market multiple times, but still no sign of Dave Redick, who calls himself a "Ron Paul Style" Republican who wants us back on the gold standard. Redick has no chance in the 77th, even if the Green Party's Manski siphons off some Democratic votes in the general election.

- Barry Orton

Why the Comcast-NBCU Merger Matters

Susan Crawford's blog has the reasons:

AT&T/TCI, 1999, SBC/Ameritech, 1999, Bell Atlantic/GTE, 1999, AT&T/MediaOne, 2000, AT&T/Comcast, 2002, Sprint/Nextel, 2005, SBC/AT&T, 2005, Adelphia, 2006, AT&T/BellSouth, 2007

And now, Comcast/NBCU.

Three thoughts prompted by that list.  First, there’s been enormous consolidation in the market for high-speed Internet access services.  All those mergers.  The most recent figures from the FCC, released in February of this year, show that when it comes to local access at or above 3 Mbps most Americans have a choice of at most two providers - a duopoly.

What’s really interesting, though, is the second thing the list should make you think about.  When it comes to access at higher than 6 Mbps speeds, cable is clearly in charge.  Over 96% of that market is cable’s - and the big players don’t compete with one another.  Those are the speeds you need to watch video.

And that’s why the relative size of the merger isn’t all that relevant.  What’s relevant is the market power that Comcast has in particular regions to provide what is rapidly becoming a single fast pipe to the home.  Over that pipe, the cable industry’s view is that Internet access can take up a few channels but that the rest of the pipe belongs to them.  And they have every interest in ensuring that alternative video marketplaces online don’t take off.

...No one has ever seen a lobbying campaign to equal this one.  That’s the third thought prompted by the picture:  those other guys were pikers compared to Comcast.

It looks like Comcast-NBCU is a done deal. Too bad.

- Barry Orton

Shorter T. Wall: "I Ran My Failed Campaign Like A Business and the GOP Screwed Me Anyway (and I'm Still Richer Than Feingold)"

Terrence Wall is still venting his frustrations with the failure of his campaign to unseat Senator Russ Feingold. Here are the latest highlights:

• "The one big disappointment is the lack of real help from any of the existing elected Republican office holders."
• "I survived those (Democratic Party allies) attacks, only to end up with arrows in my back from my own side!"
• "...he (Johnson) is mostly running TV and radio commercials, not getting out there and shaking tens of thousands of hands like I did."
• "(Note to Mr. Feingold: My businesses and I personally pay more in taxes each year then you'll pay in a lifetime!)"

There's also this curious claim:

My biggest battle was simply to get people to take me seriously as someone who could beat Feingold. It wasn't until May, when polling showed me actually beating Feingold, that the professional political class finally started to take the race seriously.

And once they did, what happened?  The GOP professionals dumped T. Wall (and Dick Leinenkugel as well) in favor of Ron Johnson, the "Tea Party" favorite who didn't have the negative baggage of a political or tax-avoidance past.

Wall's take on the last three tries to beat Russ Feingold:

The Republicans ran multi-millionaires in all three races with emphasis on TV and radio, but without an equally strong grassroots effort, and in each case that approach lost. So now here we go again, the Republicans are running the same play from the same playbook that cost them three prior elections, except they're expecting different results!

Indeed.

- Barry Orton

Madison's Arteries Need An Asprin, Not Surgery

There is clutter and trash masquerading as signage in Madison. You see it on Odana Road and East Washington, Park Street and Sherman Avenue.

The Wisconsin State Journal to informs us that City's arteries need surgery, leaders say.

The thrust of the story is that we must spend millions of public dollars to improve the main entrance ways to Madison:

Public expenditures and plans for new development are in the works to put the areas in a good position to prosper when the current recession lifts, said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

For now though, despite some improvements, hundreds of thousands of motorists coming into Madison each day see patchworks of shabby older buildings and typical highway fare — fast-food stores, billboards and auto service stations.

The article focuses on the need for millions of dollars of public investment in the main corridor entrances to Madison, South Park Street, University Avenue, and East Washington.

Lauded as the finest entrance way to Madison is John Nolen Drive.  The John Nolen Drive entranceway was mostly the work of one city employee, planner John Urich. Urich worked tirelessly on the design and the ordinances to protect this spectacular approach to our city.

John's legacy is broad and deep.

Another significant contribution of Mr. Urich was the Madison sign ordinance. John is rolling over in his grave.

This city is a disgrace. The violations are overwhelming in volume and substance. It is debatable as to which venue, starting with State Street is the most offensive. The callous signage is on both public and private property. The situation, of course, was made worse, when the city allowed these portable advertisements on the sidewalks and terraces in an effort to offend pedestrians, those confined to wheel chairs, and anyone who would not like the community to look like a honkytonk.

Ironically, the strongest statement in the Wisconsin State Journal article on the issue is the caption below this photograph that reads, in part, "Billboards, fast food, gas stations and car part stores all part of the visual clutter of South Park Street."

Sorry, State Journal, and city officials.  Billboards, fast food, gas stations, and car part stores are all a very small part of the visual clutter. As I said, just go see the segments of Odana Road where there are offices and retailers who are not fast food or car parts stores, and you will see the real visual clutter.

The problem with visual clutter is that it also has economic consequences. Occupants of offices and retailers who do not want to be part of the clownish atmosphere, abandon such areas.Then rents and property values decline, and they are subsequently replaces with more garish uses.

Funny thing is there is a solution to this which does not cost millions of dollars. In fact it would cost less than one half of a full time salary.

Enforce the sign ordinance.

I am not saying that capital improvements are not needed in some areas. But I would not spend a penny on any capital improvements or even conduct a study of "recommended new features" until I knew what these areas looked like with enforcement of the sign ordinance.

Put it another way: How could you justify spending millions of public money or expect the private sector to spend tens of millions of their dollars if the street or avenue was to be plastered with illegal signs?

For those who want to know, we already have the well documented answer as to the reason the sign ordinance is not enforced:  "There is not enough money."

Ron Johnson's Real Accomplishment: Marrying the Shrink-Wrap Princess

So it turns out that Senate wannabe Ron Johnson isn't really a self-made man who built a business; but you can't say he wasn't entrepreneurial - he married one of the daughters of a man who did.

When Johnson married Jane Curler, his University of Minnesota sweetheart, he became the son-in-law of Howard Curler, a member of the Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame for innovations in plastic packaging. Curler and a partner, Robert Woods, started a company, Curwood, that soon "revolutionized cheese packaging" with their shrink-wrap and made Curler and his family very very rich.

In addition to cheese and meat, Curwood and its Group Companies produce packaging films for coffee, candy, sweet and salted snacks, liquid products, personal care and medical products and the list continues to grow. Manufacturing plants and sales offices are now located across the United States and Canada and in Europe and South America.

In 1977, Howard Curler set up his son Patrick in a business, named PACUR (for PAtrick CURler), with Curwood as his only customer for many years. Ron Johnson joined the company in 1979 and worked for Patrick. Jud Lounsbury details how Johnson succeeded:

The reality is that Ron Johnson lucked-out by marrying Howard Curler's daughter, but that doesn't make him an entrepreneur and a business-dynamo, that makes him lucky.

And in Wisconsin you need more than luck to replace Russ Feingold.

- Barry Orton