Racine Unified School Board Elections.

The best candidate in the running by far is Eric Marcus, outside of him I will marking my ballot for Don Nielsen and Joyce Gregg.

If you want the same old same old, vote Petrakis, Warner & Baumgardt.

Tony Baumgardt is a big disappointment. He is a businessman, not an educator, but in the end is nothing more than an apologist and a big spender. To him five years of Hicks with no real results is not nearly enough time.

Marcus on the other hand is openly calling for the removal of Supernintendo Hicks.

He is our guy.

Voces is at it again.

Apparently a few people around the area lost their jobs for skipping work to attend the Voces de la Frontera sponsored protests over the last couple of weeks.

Voces is all upset and organizing protests against the companies that fired protestors.

While Voces de la Frontera is making all kinds of noise that they want illegals to have the law applied equally regardless of status they seem to be selective in how they want the law applied.

Taking time off to protest is not necessarily an excused absence. Wisconsin is an at-will state and employers have the right to fire employees when they see fit.

Like it or not, that is the law. By picking and choosing the laws they want applied for people who broke the law in the first place to come into this country, Voces de la Frontera is showing themselves to the hypocrites they are.

In addition, all these people seem to do is organize protests and lobby law makers any more. Am I the only one who has issue with their abuse of 501 (c)(3) status? Apparently so.

What's in a name?

I finally figured out what Kurt's stripper/porn star name is:

Your Porn Star Name Is...

Larry Loverod

What's Your Porn Star Name?

Our first Vlach defender.

There is a new member on the Racine Democrats website, Barb.

She is a real piece of work, we are going to break down some of her first post.

People! Links to Right wing hate Blogs? Union take over? Want Mayor Becker out? It is not the "Unions" that are coming out of the closets in this city and getting involved. It's the people that have been voting Dem for years! It's the people who are being hurt the most by the right wing policies!

Right wing hate blogs? Get a grip Barb, I have been defending Democrats here. You might just want to go back and think about who you are defending when throwing around hate allegations. Kurt Vlach conspired to steal an election, not win one honestly. Yes Barb Local 67 was used to vault Vlach to Power, like it or not. That whole right wing policy thing is just too long to get into, but you might want to look at unemployment under 5% and a booming economy Barb. If you have lost your job, go find another one.

I helped to change the local Dem board here in Racine. I encouraged people to sign up to vote because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am not, nor are the people that signed up and voted, in a union! We are low income. We are losing our jobs and our rights. We are struggling! Divided we are powerless! We have to work together.

Funny Barb, but I would not be bragging about brining the "Unity Slate" to power. I'd like you to come here and tell me just one right that has been taken away from you Barb, certainly not your freedom of expression.

And what should people who disagree with your leadership and have issues with their ethics do Barb, just turn their heads and look away when they have no respect for that leadership? I guess power is more important to you than ethics.

You appear to thrive on hate Kay. Why is that? Your villainous attacks on Kurt do harm to his wife, children, and his livley hood, not to mention the party. Your attacks on union members (people) is republican. You waist time and energy creating hate and doing harm to Dem ideals, and there by you do real harm to the causes (people) you claim to be commited to. When you were named Dem of the (last) year there was NOT a vote for you by the general membership. You were appointed. Pretty much by the "old" Dem party. Was it all 8? If you truley are committed to Dem ideals then try doing somthing positive. And if you can't then at least do no harm.

Let me tell you a little something about Kay Collins-Shulz Barb, she has more integrity in her little finger than Kurt Vlach does in his entire body. She is a good, honest hard working Democrat who believes in her party and her community. Her opinions on Kurt Vlach are not villainous, every criticism Kurt Vlach has coming to him he earned himself. You would have people ignore his behavior for the good of the party.

Do you know why no one has come forward and asked me to take down anything I have written here Barb? Do you? I'll clue you in on something, it is all true.

I have published here a personal attack by Kurt Vlach towards Kay Collins-Shulz, should she ignore those and not be angered for the good of the party?

Also if you had paid attention you might of learned the Dem of the year is voted on by the three prior years winners, if you want to change the rules, do so but do not bring that down on Kay, she does not deserve it.

You know what would be the best thing for your party Barb?

Kurt Vlach, and the rest of his unity ticket, to resign.

Oh and if money is so tight, you might want to give up the chain smoking.

Just Wondering....

Has anyone ever seen Jill Carroll & Janeane Garofalo at the same time in the same place?

Kudos to the Journal Times. (and a note from Colt)

A few weeks ago I beat up the Racine Journal Times for running a rather scathing piece aginst President Bush and his poll numbers.

I did not have any issue with the Bush story, it was and is news.

My issue, why no piece on Governor Doyle's poll numbers? Well late today they ran an AP story highlighting Doyle's issues in facing re-election.

In my opinion they should of run this story some time ago and done their own story instead of relying on AP copy, but I credit them for finally running this story.

One interesting comment there from Colt:

Green will beat Doyle
In Racine
Mac will Win
Voss will win
Green will beat Doyle
Thanks Kurt!
I hope the GOP is paying you well!

Colt is a Democrat folks, one who is not so proud of his leadership.

Read the whole thread here.

New GOP Video

A new video from the GOP is asking some relevant questions.

Watch it.

A Vlach Update: Movies and Stripper Names?

I've been exceedingly busy over this week but thought it was time to release a little more information on our continuing coverage of Kurt Vlach and his ethical proclivities.

In one of the emails Kurt traded with one of his lady friends, he mentioned that he has movies of himself. I do not have copies of any of those movies so we will have to take his word for it.

This is a direct selection from one of the emails I am in possession of to one of his lady friends.

How fast is your connection at home? I have a few little movies if interested.
Not too big if you have a broadband connection.
And I was given a stage name in case I ever make it on stage.... ; )

The nature of the discussion was strip clubs and doing strip shows.

I am just dying to know Kurt's stripper name.

Again, not illegal; but in exceedingly bad taste for someone aspiring to political power.

FISA JUDGE SAYS WIRETAPS LEGAL

Peter has an excelent story up you will most likely not see ANYWHERE in the main stream media. I can almost assure you it will not be in Journal Times.

Another Jill Carroll Thought

I posted my immediate thoughts on this earlier, but while out and about today I had another thought.

Was she not awfully rosy and cheery considering she witnessed the brutal murder of her translator by the people who held her captive?

I'm telling you folks, something is rotten here.

Welcome to the Kringlesphere

There is a new blogger in Racine. They started, well, yesterday.

A big RDW welcome to One Man's Opinion! An intro and two pieces up so far, but I like his style.

Add him to your blogrolls!

Jill Carroll back from vacation.

How many hostages have been found beaten, beheaded and generally treated without any trace of human dignity being shown to them by their captors.

We are over-joyed that Jill Caroll is safe. However, this episode is not passing my smell test.

She went out of her way this morning to make sure people knew how well she was treated by her captors. Would you be so rosy after being kidnapped and detained for three months? I wouldn't.

I wrote a short piece some time ago linking to some of her writings, take this one as an example.

Attacks on U.S. forces have dropped 22 percent since the Jan. 30 election, to about 40 a day, about the rate they were a year ago. In March, 36 U.S. troops were killed, the lowest figure in a year, according to icasualties.org, which tracks casualties announced by the government.
But this week, four soldiers and a marine were killed -- and Saturday's well-organized attack on Abu Ghraib prison, in which 40 U.S. troops and 12 prisoners were injured, suggests that fighters may be shifting to fewer but better executed operations, including ones that directly engage U.S. forces.

What she will not tell you in that writing is that the "well-organized attack" was nothing more than a suicide charge attempt, and there were no US casualties. The attack she was so impressed with was by terrorist standards a complete failure. If that is a well-organized attack, bring it on.

Go ahead and read some of her writings, link1, link2, link 3.

Jill Carroll's writings are sympathetic to the terrorists, (the word is actually not in her lexicon, in Jill speak they are insurgents) and frankly, I expect to see a book deal making her a very rich woman in the very near future. Watch where the money comes from on this one folks. And when it does come in, watch where it goes back to.

Walter Ferell used to always say "follow the money", good advice Walter.

Patrick says.

Patrick at Badger Blogger said the following:

Visit Fred’s as he destroys the Democratic party single handed.

That is heaping way too much on my shoulders Patrick.

Kurt Vlach is single handedly destroying the Democratic Party in Racine County.

I am just talking about it; you give me way too much credit.

Carnival of the Badger ID10T Edition.

Really a superb effort, check it out.

What Racine Democrats are saying about their leader

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE UNITY THONG.

Marketing, it happens so fast. View the latest fashion trend in Racine, the Unity Thong. This little fashion plate is the creative genius of George of the Racine Democrats Website. I like your style George. Making a point with humor is so effective.

Not everyone on the Racine Dems site has such a good sense of humor.

The following are direct quotes of what other Democrats are saying of their leader. (I would say elected leader but that does not really apply in Kurt's case)

** This is a big black eye to the Democratic party. And it is nobody's fault but Kurt Vlach's. How embarrassed the local 67 boys must be now.

** The State needs to remove him NOW. It isn't fair that good, solid Dem candidates here will suffer because of this idiot.It makes the Unity Slate an abscess in the arse of the State Party and Joe needs to take action NOW, not tomorrow, not next week, he needs to step up to the plate NOW...

** Speechless, many thoughts come to mind. I guess the flashback to Jay Leno hosting the Tonight Show with Hugh Grant making an appearance after being busted with a rather unattractive hooker. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" I am now more convinced than ever that the elections have to be declared null and void and the former board has to step up and regain some dignity.

** ....for someone somewhere in the state organization to step up and pull the plug on Kurtsie? He might do it himself if he could have pictures of himself in the act.....

** This is a disgusting situation and keeps on getting worse.

** This is helping the GOP in many ways. Hope Kurt is happy about what he has done.

** To get better we must overcome the foe be it Bush or our own "leadership" if we can not take back our party AND if the State will not help what does that say to what matters most? How can we say Vote Dem if the local leadership is full of power hungry fools?

** Kurt Vlach needs to resign. If he doesn't the board needs to demand it. We cant have this hanging over the party. There are too many important races this year to have everything botched because of someone's poor judgement. Let Rosa take the chair.

** How can we ask for the everyday troops that stuff the letters walk the lit drops give the small donations to do that as long as he is in office?

** Perhas we should start calling Turner and the the rest and say if Kurt is not pulled we will not VOTE and see if that has an effect. How can I talk to my wife and kids about how inporten voting is to stand up for what you belive with this going on?

Vlach Update.

In the last couple of days I have interviewed with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Racine Journal Times in regard to the Kurt Vlach story we broke here last week. For now I will keep those interviews confidential.

I am not sure if stories will actually run in either paper but I have some thoughts on the matter.

This is not really about Kurt sending nekkid and not quite nekkid pictures of himself around. This goes to the character of the man who thrust himself into control of the Democratic Party in Racine County.

One person asked me hey, nothing he really did was illegal, it might of been against company policies but it was legal. True, but that completely misses the point.

Illegal? No.

Unethical? Yep

Immoral? In my opinion, yes.

Stupid. Absofriginlutely.

When you decide to run for office, you announce. You tell the voters what your platform is and why you would be well suited to the office.

Unless of course you are Kurt Vlach, then you skulk around in the shadows while telling those you are running against how much you like them and respect what they do, while at the same time arranging a quiet behind the scenes takeover essentially rigging the election.

Then you worry that the way you came to power might be contested, so you conspire behind the scenes with the State Chair (who somehow continues to escape scruitiny) about bylaws and such and make a ridiculous demand that the sitting office holders quit now because you have so much work to do. All the while your real belief being if you take charge they could no longer contest the election. (imagine asking a sitting President to resign the day after losing an election and not to wait till the inaugural)

Oh, and remember to give advice on how to take pictures of yourself in the mirror a week prior to said election. (I should post that one maybe, nice black thong Kurt)

Then when you take power, demand that the hard work of people running the web home of your party be taken down and tossed aside like a cheap rug. Just because you don't like the people who have been running it.

And for grins just go ahead and elevate the third vice chair over the first vice chair (because you like him more).

I fully well know that most people do not care about the insider political stuff, they just want me to post more pictures (I might if you ask real nice), but this insider political stuff goes to the core of just what kind of individual is in charge of the Democratic Party here in Racine. Frankly as an admitted rightie I would rather keep him around, with him in charge we can't be beat.

Did Kurt do anything illegal? Nope.

Stupid? Oh Yeah. Scheming? You Bet! Unethical? Without doubt!

So if that is what the Racine County Democratic Party wants for it's leadership, congratulations, that is what you have.

Honestly next year I think the Democrat of the Year should be......

Me.

PCP: Political Personal Ads

PCP is up at Leaning Blue.

Thanks for hosting this week Belle.

Perception Vs Reality Revealed

Around Thanksgiving time the Journal Times ran a multi-day puff piece about Racine Unified Schools titled perception vs. Reality. The concept, gee things are not really that bad and we are getting better, the public really just does not understand our struggles, our outdated facilities, yadda yadda yadda.

Well yesterday the Journal Times reports this, Unified referendum suggestions expected soon.

Hence the problem in the public. The story, given by Unified Cheer Meister Brent Killackey, says simply they are coming down to making a few recommendations to the board on a special election referendum. That's it more or less.

Here is the problem Brent, and you might want to pay attention to this.

We just had an election. We are about to have an election. We are electing school board candidates. Unified does not want this question on a ballot with other issues.

If RUSD really wanted public input they would put this on a ballot with other issues instead of having their own special election. Additionally, they would of put forth something that could of been an issue for school board candidates to debate. This is typical of RUSD and lacking any common sense.

They know their best chance of passing this is to put it out there on some obscure Tuesday and hope like crazy people miss it while they bring out their base. That is not community input, that is political posturing with the taxpayers.

It is bone-head moves like these that make the perception the reality that it is.


Related: Peter has posted a school board candidate Q&A.

Andy Card Resigns

While the spin machine and the most liberal of the MSM jumps into full out the sky is falling mode on this story I would like to issue the following reminder.

Bill Clinton had four people who held that post.

Vlach shows Unity.

I mentioned Kay Collins-Shulz was named Raince County Democratic Party Democrat of the Year.

What I did not mention was the "Unity" pary did not really applaud and stand for her as is customary and at the very least polite for someone getting such an award.

That's unity folks.

24

24 is simply the best show on TV.

I am going to start a regular thread after each issue of 24.

So what was the best thing about 24 tonight?

President Logan nowhere in sight gets my vote!

Thought of the week.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

Point Counter Point

Point Counter Point should be up later tonight at Leaning Blue. This week's topic.....

Political Personals.

This should be a fun one.

Vlach Summary by Kay.

No Kay did not submit here, she wrote this at the thread mentioned in the previous story.

I thought she did such a nice job of summarizing things it was worthy of a repost. And this is the Democrat of the Year folks.

Dear Editors,
I'm really confused on what you consider personal attacks without convictions. Writing about the truth - regardless of a 'conviction' or not shouldn't be considered a 'personal attack'.

Fact: there is considerable conflict within the Racine county Dem party.No one denies this. This paper covered it.

Fact: It began with Kurt Vlach and others orchestrating a take-over of the party using tactics that would be illegal in a public election, e.g. handing out filled out ballots right at the election location. No one denies this.

Fact: Just last week private e-mails among Kurt Vlach and others who were involved in this recent election were made public at http://realdebatewisconsin.blogspot.com/ . No one has denied this. RealDebate was not contacted and informed that he had wrong information or that he had to remove any content from his site.

Fact: among those e-mails were also e-mails that included sexually explict conversations and photos of Vlach that he was electronically sending via his employer's computer system. No one has denied this.

Fact: I was at last night's Dem party banquet and spoke to members of the new Ex Bd and they ackowleged this e-mails and found them to not be offensive to his position. I was there, this is first person.

Fact: In some of those political e-mails certain people were singled for being used or being disregarded. I am one of those people. Also, not denied.

Fact: this subject is also being discussed at Democrats of Racine county website. We have not been contacted to remove any content and we have not been contacted by anyone, including Mr Vlach, denying any of this.

Now, if I say that Kurt is less than an admirable person would that be a "personal attack"? If we point out specific lies he told people would that be a personal attack? If we talk about how much of "clean" personal life you need to have when you chose to represent people would that be a personal attack?

Mr Vlach chose to put himself in the public spotlight and now has to pay the consequinces of that by exposing your personal life. Just like all politicians, movie actors and rock stars. Hey, he wanted to be a star, he chose this he should have known better than to do things of this nature and not expect to be held responsible for his own actions.

What Racine wants to talk about.

The Racine Journal Times still has not covered or asked any questions of me about the Kurt Vlach story.

Upon occasion they put an open thread on their web forums, they did that today. Write whatever you like.... was the forum instruction.

The people spoke, the people overwhelmingly said, why is the Journal Times refusing to report on the Information on Kurt Vlach at RealDebateWisconsin?

I had a poster over the weekend who claimed they were banned from the JT site for linking to my report on Kurt Vlach. I tried to substantiate that claim today, but got no response to the Journal Times Web Editor.

Oh and the editors were watching closely, they quickly gave the following warning:

Be careful with the Vlatch thing. We allow no personal attacks on this site. Violators will be banned. If you've got a personal attack to post on this site, you'd better have a criminal conviction to back it up. If people notice personal attacks, please let us know by clicking on the "suggest comment for removal" box. - Editors

Gotta love the folks, they did not let that one stand.

KT wrote:
Wait a minute - I don't know what the whole scandal is about but Editors, are you saying you do not report anything until there's a conviction - in all cases???

Hypocrisy Detector wrote:
Editors:Better not have another bad thing to say about Scooter Libby. "If you've got a personal attack to post on this site, you'd better have a criminal CONVICTION to back it up" (YOUR WORDS)

matt wrote:
they sure have a lot of bad headlines for adrial white he is not convicted yet...................this is what i mean about the jt it is like they hire the handicapped or at least the hypocritical ones and they wonder why they have such a low subscribtion rate

Trust but Verify wrote:
Credit for the Vlach scandal goes to Fred. You can get more info at his blog.JT Editors-I didn't know you had to have a conviction to do a story on a public figure. Back to Journalism 101 for you!If it wasn't for talk radio and bloggers, all this crap about democrats would be totally swept under the rug by you, the Old Media, wouldn't it?

Whaaaa..... wrote:
If you don't play my way then I'm taking my ball home!!!

matt wrote:
what came about the shooting on flett ave. story or did those kids who survived hurricane adrial ever get charged?? there is 2 story's for th jt editors to work on

See the whole thread here.

Congratulations Kay

We offer congratulations to Kay Collins-Shulz for being named Democrat of the Year, Racine County Edition, last night.

Well deserved.

Kay is a long time party activist who served the party with honor and dignity. So much so that she is one of the people Kurt Vlach saw fit to remove from her post.

A class act wronged by a classless one.

Kurt Vlach, the spin.

This question was asked in comments on the Vlach Photos post:

So what happens now with the dem party, if he showed up at the banquet, was he there as chair?? How can the dems let this continue?

An excellent question. The short answer is yes, yes, and I have no idea.

The spin coming from the Board seems to be that I am just a nut and the pictures that were published were old. Reports that I have been able to garner from the dinner say Kurt was strutting around the dinner like he owned the place.

Who cares how old the pictures are, the question is when did Kurt Vlach email them. That particular set was emailed Mon Aug. 23, 2004.

However, I posted those not because of the date, but because those are the mildest of the ones I have. The latest date I have of Kurt emailing pictures is 11-07-05. (One week before his orchestrated takeover of the party)

When the photos were taken is not of any issue. Either the board is brainwashed or just stupid. There is a significant reason why they are putting this lame spin on this story. It is the best they can do. No one is denying anything I have written here, no one. In fact this spin, in my opinion anyway, helps to prove my claims.

Oh and one more thing, it reassures me that the entire current board should resign if they are accepting that load of hooey. It is time for the Democratic Party of Racine to stop whispering and start talking out loud.

Vlach Photos.

I have been going back and forth as to the decision on if I should post photos to back up my reporting this week of Kurt Vlach and his proclivity of emailing photos of himself to various women.

This story is pretty much all that is being talked about in the inner circles of Racine County politics, but people are whispering to each other, no one taking the courage to speak out loud (other than a few brave souls at RacineDemocrats.com) .

I am dumbfounded that 5 days into this story no newspapers, radio talkers, or TV stations have covered this yet. That being said, I got some good advice from a fellow blogger who reminded me we are a visual society and if this story is going to take off you will have to release some pictures. I have sought legal counsel on this and feel I am in good standing to defend myself should it come to that. Rest assured I can back up every word written here with multiple documents and photos.

I will not release the wildest of the photos in my possession as they are simply too over the top. I have chosen to publish 5 pictures. One shows the whole "unity" slate. I put that up for those of you who do not know what Kurt Vlach looks like. Frankly given their close ties to him and what has been revealed about the way this takeover of power has come to pass, I think they all should resign their posts.

I have set up a yahoo photo page to view these five pictures. If you want to see them click this link. If not, take my word for it they are disturbing. This was not an easy decision and I do not relish releasing these. While I have heard that some are questioning the validity of my claims, most believe them, but quite honestly I want no doubt in the public about the accuracy of this story.