I just can't seem to concoct an interesting post about how the ice in the driveway keeps freezing and melting, freezing and melting so I'll have to turn to the topic of my state recently being sold to the Koch Brothers.
We're all a little freaked out, angry, confused, divided and unsure about the future. Not exactly fertile ground for a feel-good blog that generally tries to make thoughtful but lighthearted observations about life in Sconnie Nation. Here I sit.
I got my first hostile comment from a crabby anonymous after my last post, so that was a very exciting new twist after four years of blogging. I started to consider my response to the comment and then contemplated briefly that while my blog is not a plutocracy like Wisconsin, it is a monarchy and I'm the queen... so I just deleted it.
My kids have returned to school with a renewed energy after boredom had set in with their time off protesting and sleeping at the Capitol and watching reruns of Jersey Shore. Teachers and kids in catch-up mode is a good thing in the winter doldrums of February and early March. There's energy in the air and it's unsettling but at least it's something to feel. Usually, we're deep in our frozen cups by now just hunkering in hopes for spring.
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| Cookies for the Oscar party sent by beloved NYC uncles to offset the drama in our own lives |
Governor Walker is not honorable. He's got an agenda set by some very rich and connected guys who don't even live in Wisconsin to dismantle the Democratic base by vilifying those in public service, while the bankers and the hedge funders and the wall street guys all roam free. It's entirely laughable each night as we are greeted by new pieces of mail from non-profits, quality of life programs and public service anythings as they sound their death knells by postcard and letter. Bike Federation, PBS, Planned Parenthood, farmers markets, kitties, bunnies...basically anything a hippie might like. Many teachers are on facebook hourly with updates about Walker's dishonorable tactics and I think it helps to keep morale up. But I wish more of these teachers would spell Capitol correctly and/or refer to the capital of our state. Bad grammar, even ironically, does not help the cause.
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| It really shouldn't be a surprise that I immediately tucked into Colin Firth |
Work is weird. Represented and non-represented workers sitting side by side in team rooms, carefully moving their chairs around the elephant in the room. I was a union member in the school district who paid my dues but didn't pay much attention and that characterizes probably too many people in unions. I feel like maybe there's been some overreaching over the past decade, holding out for raises in pay and benefits even during difficult economic choices. I hear mumblings even from those sympathetic to unions that it's time for them to stop being so grabby. But the misplaced vitriol on twitter and in the editorial sections of the paper aimed at teachers, of all people, is crazy. Public sector unions didn't get us into this global financial mess--that's just smoke covering the real fire. I want to say to these private sector cry babies in the editorial pages, who have had opportunities and will again to make bonuses and set their own hours and move up the corporate ladder or fire at will, you are free and encouraged to go back to school and become a teacher or a nurse or a cop if the private sector isn't treating you right. And earn a whopping 65K after twenty years on the job and drive a Ford Fiesta.
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| In homage to my friend Karen, we played Oscar bingo and of course she was with me so I won |
Tonight the Capitol is empty for the first time in almost three weeks. But the protesters are outside camping for the night and intend to return to the rotunda in the morning. The fight continues and we are all weary and worried about poor ol' 83 year old Fred Risser.
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