Um, About Those Taxes

What! Sykes And Walker would lie to people? Color me shocked!

That last item is an important point to make, as the Charles Sykes and Scott Walkers of the world conveniently leave out that higher-income people are much more likely to itemize their taxes on their federal return, which allows them to get back some of their state and local taxes. I've never had any reason to itemize, and have taken the standard deduction in my previous tax years because it was the bigger deduction, and I bet many of you do the same. But you can bet Charlie and Scotty don't, the WMC types that back them don't, and they're counting that the dopes who listen to them don't know that. It's a lot like how national angry-man radio hosts leave out that the "overtaxed" rich pay a much lower % of their income on Social Security and Medicare taxes due to the income cap (by comparison, we pay the full 7.65%)

The state reoport also shows that from a pure % of income standpoint, it's doubly stupid for the WMC crowd to be against higher sales taxes to pay for transit and parks, as opposed to either increased property taxes or cuts that hinder people's ability to take advantage of these needed public goods. Unless you have NPD and think government exists solely for you and your needs, of course.

From Jake's Economic TA Funhouse. Read the rest.

Where's Sykes' Morality Now?

Charlie Sykes, who, despite his own checkered past, likes to fashion himself as Mr. Morality, and isn't afraid to call out a liberal for sexism, even when it isn't there.

So why hasn't Mr. Morality called out his buddy, James T. for this post?

And where was Mr. Morality when the "brilliant" Tom McMahon posted this or this?

Can you say hypocrisy?

Works For Sykes' Books, Too

You Can Add MJS To That As Well

I know the GOP owns WTMJ and WISN, but people do get their sources from people who aren't getting paid to lie. They do know that, don't they? It must suck to live your life in a bubble like that.

The Bubble Boys of Talk Radio...it's got a ring to it.

Source: Jake's Economic TA Funhouse

Because He Makes Such Nice Hats With It

Finally, A Squawker Speaks The Truth

Unfortunately, I don't think we should expect truth telling to become a habit for Old Kevin. You know he doesn't like things that are foreign to him.

There Are Taxes, Then There Are Taxes

PaddyMac got a memo from Steve Smith that he needed to support Scott Walker from those that correctly point out that Walker isn't really the tax hawk he likes to pretend that he is. So he tried to do so.

Apparently Paddy no longer thinks that fees equate to taxes, since he doesn't mention Walker's desire to raise taxes on toddlers last summer, even though he didn't even have the authority to do so. Nor does he mention Walker's desire to have parking meters at the lakefront, which would end up double-taxing UWM students, even the ones there to learn journalistic ethics from Jessica Bucher McBride.

But the biggest thing that Paddy misses in his snide sniping at Mayor Barrett. At least Barrett was able to balance his budgets. We are still waiting for Walker to be able to balance his first one.

Equal treatment for lovebirds

Whether Jess and Eddie are still carrying on or not (and who cares, except Paul Bucher and Susan Flynn?), it's good to see that both are being treated fairly by their employers.

Ed Flynn is Milwaukee's chief of police, and his bosses, the mayor and the Fire and Police Commission, say they're sticking with him, affair or no affair, because he has been reducing crime in Milwaukee. Fair enough.

Meanwhile, Jessica McBride is a lecturer on journalism ethics and other matters at UW-Milwaukee's journalism department, whose executive committee recently voted 3-2 to give her what amounts to permanent status there. Presumably, that's because she has been reducing journalism ethics in Milwaukee. Fair's fair.

An Embarrassment To The Bradley Foundation

I must admit, I am a bit perplexed.

While reviewing the previous post, I was reading the JSOnline blog post about the subject and found this comment:

On top of everything else, Flynn has really embarrassed the Bradley Foundation.

Bad strategy.

I'm just wondering if the commenter meant Flynn, or if they really meant Charlie Sykes.

Deja Vu, All Over Again

He said, he said, and she's not saying.

Earlier: The Cookie Crumbled (although it appears that Flynn might not be the upright citizen I believed him to be then.)

Methinks that when this is said and done, they will all be covered in mud, instead of just two of them.

More Painkillers, I Presume.

Now those scamps at RDW are praying for the Pres. Of course they're doing it in their own inimitable style.

If you look up Fred's reference you get to this uplifting verse.

8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.

10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven [d] from their ruined homes.

11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.

13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.

It's not really one of the "feel-good" psalms.

Charlie Sykes Thinks I'm Number One!

Charlie Sykes just named me as the winner of his "Deep Tunnel" award for the week.

I give it as much credit as he gives the Shepherd Express when they name him Jerk of the Week. He is probably just upset because I called him out on being such a puppet.

But Charlie thinks I should apologize. So I will.

Charlie, I am so very sorry that you are a liar, a hypocrite and have poor reading comprehension skills.

Now I hope you feel better.

Charlie Sykes: Scott Walker's Attack Dog

Well, well, well. The day that I've been expecting for five months has finally arrived.

Charlie Sykes decided to launch a full attack on me. He's already sniped at me by using libel and untruths (which reminds me, gotta follow up with the lawyer tomorrow).

His attack was based on this post that I wrote over the weekend. Of course, he misconstrued by intent, but that is the norm for him as mentioned by a former WTMJ staffer, Dan Shelley, who had worked a lot with him, and knows of which he speaks.

But it got me wondering why Sykes waited a full 72 hours to attack me on that post. After all, it was not the first time I wrote something critical about Sarah Palin. So why this now? And Sykes isn't the master of chivalry himself.

UPDATE: Apparently, while Sykes has an issue with my Palin post, he has no problem if someone mocks the Palin family be saying they are incestuous. Can you say hypocrisy?

When I had a chance to listen to his podcast* this evening, it all became clear in five minutes.

Sykes started out his show building up the audience into a fervor. In doing so, he repeatedly emphasized that I am the Chair of Milwaukee County First, as well as that I hold a position with my union's local.

But then Sykes overplayed his hand. He also included snipes at my friend and fellow MCF board member, Keith Schmitz, and his involvement of MCF and Open Book, trying to allege some impropriety when there is none.

It was then that I realized that this had nothing to do with the Palin post I wrote. He was merely trying to discredit me and Keith in order to discredit MCF.

But why would he do that now? Simple. Yesterday, I spent the entire day and night at the courthouse, watching the County Board trying to fix Scott Walker's faulty budget. As other union members, I was wearing my "No More Cuts" shirt, but for some unknown reason, the media chose to focus on me, including an interview with Channel 12 and shots from the other stations' news shows. I was also featured, rather prominently, in this morning's edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

All of a sudden, my name was all over the place, and I was getting attention. (Although this wasn't the first time I was on TV. WTMJ - TV interviewed me on Labor Day while I was manning the MCF table at Laborfest.)

Apparently, this was seen by a threat by Team Walker.

As I pointed out last summer, some of Team Walker's key players include Michael Grebe and Steve Smith. Grebe is the chair of Walker's campaign, as well as CEO of Bradley Foundation. As the Foundation's CEO, he is the boss of Janet Riordan aka Liz Woodhouse aka Mrs. Sykes III.

On top of that, Smith is Sykes' boss. Between pressures from both his boss and his wife's boss, as well as just being the unofficial mouthpiece for Walker, it is only logical that Sykes would be Walker's attack dog, trying to discredit us.

I guess I shouldn't complain though. At least he didn't try to waterboard me.

But it does raise a couple of interesting questions. Why does Team Walker and Sykes see a small grassroots group that advocates for Milwaukee County, and has criticized various County Supervisors and Governor Doyle, as a threat? Is this there subconscious way of admitting Walker is not good for Milwaukee County?

*The podcast is fun to listen to. Two of his earlier callers actually point out that I was correct, even if I might have chosen my words more carefully. Of course, he trashed them too, as his norm, per Dan Shelley.

Cross posted at Cognitive Dissidence.

Imagine

Charlie Sykes put a post saying how rough he's got it being a talk show host.

Just imagine how rough it would be for him if he had to be honest and tell the truth while he was doing it.

Before You Complain, Paddy

Make sure the mud you're whining about isn't coming from your own hands.