Tony Evers for governor

[timby]

For this reason, I'd prefer Mayor Soglin because I think he can make the real case for progressives and stand on economic issues.

Yeah, Soglin, the great progressive who's so great at fostering a spirit of unity and working together that like 75 percent of the Common Council, at least, can't stand him. (And he's already posturing in the media about making a stink about the budget again come October because his pet projects aren't getting all the money he wants.)

[PaleoLiberal]

I wasn't around these parts during the first two incarnations of Paul Soglin, but some people I knew who were spoke highly of him.

By the time I moved to Madison, Paul Soglin struck me as being a bit of a crank who had quit being mayor twice because it bored him. He took a job as an elderly spokesman for a company (Epic) that blatantly practices age discrimination, and which had left Madison for better tax advantages.

Then it seemed to me he was bored of not being mayor, so decided he should be mayor again, figuring he was the only person who actually knew what he was doing.

I don't know what he was like in the old days, but during the time I've been in Madison, he struck me as being the iconic Cranky Old Man.

Yeah, I can guess how well Soglin and his massive ego would do in rural Wisconsin.

[Donald]

Yeah, I can guess how well Soglin and his massive ego would do in rural Wisconsin.

I guess we should ask Trump how his massive ego hurt him in rural Wisconsin.

[PaleoLiberal]

Yeah, I can guess how well Soglin and his massive ego would do in rural Wisconsin.

I guess we should ask Trump how his massive ego hurt him in rural Wisconsin.

Well played.

[timby]

Then it seemed to me he was bored of not being mayor, so decided he should be mayor again, figuring he was the only person who actually knew what he was doing.

The thing is, he's a hypocrite. He wants the city to solve the homeless problem, but he'd rather throw money at an unnecessary public market instead of add more funding to the Beacon center. He was madder than hell about the proposed TIF money for the Edgewater, then after being elected he turned around and said the sky would fall if the city didn't cough up money to fund a hotel at Judge Doyle Square. He pisses and moans that retail is dying on State Street, then howls at the sky when businesses put sandwich boards out to try and drum up foot traffic. And when he doesn't get his way with the Common Council, he whines through the media about the "uncooperative atmosphere" or whatever, when he is the undisputed king of passive-aggressive politics.

I mean, yesterday he stopped just short of accusing the council of financial malfeasance because of the decision to build the Midtown police station, yet he goes out in front of the cameras every other day to talk about how he's doing everything possible to address crime.

[PaleoLiberal]

True, but he did strike a firm blow against dead Confederate POWs.

[fflambeau]

"The thing is, he's a hypocrite. He wants the city to solve the homeless problem, but he'd rather throw money at an unnecessary public market...."

And you are a fool. Why is a public market unnecessary? It's worked in countless cities (including Milwaukee) and provides jobs, money and produce.

Soglin, unlike you, has run for office and been elected many times. Maybe you should run and get your one vote.

[timby]

"
And you are a fool. Why is a public market unnecessary? It's worked in countless cities (including Milwaukee) vote.

Because Madison isn't Milwaukee, and I don't think it's possible to make a convincing argument that a market at the intersection of East Wash and First would serve a food desert (because it isn't one).

On top of that, Madison already has its own "public markets" several days a week.

But all of that is beside the point, which is that Paul Soglin is a holier-than-thou hypocrite.

[PaleoLiberal]

"
And you are a fool. Why is a public market unnecessary? It's worked in countless cities (including Milwaukee) vote.

Because Madison isn't Milwaukee, and I don't think it's possible to make a convincing argument that a market at the intersection of East Wash and First would serve a food desert (because it isn't one).

On top of that, Madison already has its own "public markets" several days a week.

But all of that is beside the point, which is that Paul Soglin is a holier-than-thou hypocrite.

If you argue with a fool, at some point nobody can tell who the fool is.

Soooo much easier to say than to do, though, as I have learned the hard way so many, many times.

[Comrade]

Evers just disqualified himself for the job with his video announcing his candidacy.

He claimed the solution to building our economy was education??!??

Hasn't he ever heard of what is known here as the "brain drain"?

The people of Wisconsin have invested billions in education for children in Wisconsin only to have them leave the state permanently after graduating the UW.

Seriously--we have alumni who are spread all over the world doing all kinds of things.

That's good, BUT it didn't help build the economy here and the good people who pay for it don't benefit when the grads get great jobs in Seattle, LA, or New York.

If that's all he has, then he has nothing....

[fflambeau]

I think that Evers' campaign strategy is that he can win by being Wisconsin nice: that didn't work for Feingold and it won't work for him.

He's got to come out with lots of progressive pocketbook issues.

[PaleoLiberal]

Evers just disqualified himself for the job with his video announcing his candidacy.

He claimed the solution to building our economy was education??!??

Hasn't he ever heard of what is known here as the "brain drain"?

The people of Wisconsin have invested billions in education for children in Wisconsin only to have them leave the state permanently after graduating the UW.

Seriously--we have alumni who are spread all over the world doing all kinds of things.

That's good, BUT it didn't help build the economy here and the good people who pay for it don't benefit when the grads get great jobs in Seattle, LA, or New York.

If that's all he has, then he has nothing....

This is one of the most misguided posts I have ever seen on this forum. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the economic realities of education.

Such as, the greatest benefits to the state of Wisconsin, from the very beginning, has been due to education.

Do I really need to explain the Wisconsin Idea, and how every dollar spent on the UW system has led to many dollars in economic benefit? How from the beginning the UW concentrated its research on the dairy industry, leading to Wisconsin becoming America's Dairyland? Or how in 2017 by far the biggest growth in jobs is in high tech
and biotech jobs in the Madison area, which are all directly or indirectly dependent on the presence of UW? Or how many college educated people move TO Wisconsin for jobs, and that the education system is one of the biggest selling points? Or how almost every PhD I know in Wisconsin was educated out of state, often in foreign lands? Or how many people I know who at some point stayed in Wisconsin just because of the school system for their kids, up to and including the UW?

Or how the high tech and biotech jobs everywhere in the US are in cities with great universities? Around the time I interviewed for a job in Madison, I also had interviews in New Haven, CT and Princeton, NJ. Nope. No good universities around there. I work remotely for a company in the SF Bay Area. That area has UC Berkeley, UCSF (mostly medical sciences), Stanford, etc.

Sorry, but that post was just plain ignorant. The idea that we shouldn't spend money to educate our kids because they might leave the state is pathetic. Do we really want our state to be a cold version of Mississippi?

[Comrade]

You completely misunderstood my post. Go back and read it again.

I wasn't anti education at all.

Education without opportunity leads to people leaving for where there is opportunity.

Therefore--education alone is NOT the answer.

This has been going on for decades..

[fflambeau]

Good post, Paleo.

Evers also pointed out (and the prior poster ignored) Scott Walker's cuts to education at all levels.

But my point is this: Evers cannot be a "one trick pony" and win the Governorship. He's good on education but he has too become more Progressive and come out strongly on pocket book issues. He's already missed the boat on raising the minimum wage.

[gargantua]

You completely misunderstood my post. Go back and read it again.

I wasn't anti education at all.

Education without opportunity leads to people leaving for where there is opportunity.

Therefore--education alone is NOT the answer.

This has been going on for decades..

I read it again, and I can understand why Paleo interpreted it that way. Your explanatory post was necessary. And it's a fair point. Our current Governor and Legislature spend far too much time, money, and effort chasing manufacturing and mining jobs that are never coming back here. Evers and the other Democrats should vow to play to our strengths.