Subject to Change

Happy first birthday, smoking ban.

I still don’t agree with you, but we’ve learned to like each other.

I’ve changed my mind. I now wholeheartedly believe that Wisconsin needs commuter rail, and lots of it.

When the state starts to feel the impact of all the taxes, fees, and regulation the democrats are putting into the budget there’s going to be a revolt.

We’re going to need a rail to ride our politicians out of town on. It would be so delicious if that same rail was the one they demanded we build.

The only reason I keep Pundit Nation in my feed reader anymore is to remind myself what left of sane looks like. The other liberal blogs I can handle, but Mathias is just so far out there on everything (and more). I rarely read beyond the tag line of most of his posts because I’m fairly certain I’m not going to connect with anything. That being said, he’s got something amusing posted today. It’s another lame rant opposing voter ID (blah, blah, blah).

I wanted to point it out because I’m of the opposite mind as Michael and his friend. I find it surreal that I’m not asked for my ID at the polls, when everywhere else in my life I practically need to drop my drawers and show my birthmarks before anyone will talk to me. I flash my ID at the polls even though I’m not required to do so!

It’s illegal for the poll workers to refuse someone for not showing ID. I think it’s still OK for them to ask and give you the right to refuse. Maybe you don’t believe that fraud is widespread, but it would take a fool to believe that it’s not happening at all or that it’s not possible. Asking for the ID, even though its pointless to do so, might be just enough of a challenge to make a few would-be frauds change their mind. An informed voter (or fraud) still has the right to refuse (or lie and stall), so I don’t see the harm in asking.

It bothers me that all someone needs to do is walk into a polling place and say that they are a particular registered voter. I know people who are capable of doing that. The only reason they don’t is that there’s nothing in it for them, so why bother. They don’t vote, period. Campaigns are becoming more and more “us against them,” and this has got to be encouraging some people to be more proactive in crossing ethical lines. With no enforcement up front and weak response afterward, why wouldn’t someone try to cast a phony vote in this state if they were passionate about their candidate? There are plenty of single minded fools out there. I’m sure you’ve met them.

It’s all but impossible to function in today’s society without identification. My son got his first state ID at ten months, so we could fly without fear of being rejected at the airport. All it took was some dedication to stand in line at the DMV, and thirty dollars. That’s hardly out of anyone’s reach. With groups out there willing to help people get to the DMV and pay for the ID, there’s almost no excuse. Besides, you can’t bitch about the once-in-a while cost of renewing a state ID and not bitch about Jim Doyle jacking up car registrations by twenty dollars per year. It makes you look silly.

Anyone who is making a serious effort to cast a serious vote can seriously get a serious ID, unless they seriously don’t belong in a serious polling place in the first place.

The family spent part of this past weekend in The Dells. We may have been among the last people to see Lake Delton.

…The lake, which is where the popular amphibious Ducks travel, has been pretty much all drained.

…

Novotny also represents the Original Wisconsin Ducks and Dells Boat Tours. She said as of noon today, all tours were cancelled on the Lower Dells due to the water conditions. They are still operating on the Upper Dells, she said.

I believe that a lot of businesses in The Dells operate on a very thin margin. It will be interesting to see how this disaster transforms the area. I suspect it will recover, and hopefully shed itself of a few of the eyesores.

Some highly creative writing by Jib.

Nice work, Jib. I loved it!