Primary Day

It's election day and as I go out to vote I am reminded of what is really important. Staying away from the television and reading all the informtion on the voting records and any other information about the candidates, especially statistics. It's hard to lie about statistics or put a spin on them although I do believe that Freakonomics does quite an interesting job of making stats much more interesting than they usually are.

I'm thinking about a race in my area between a Democrat contender, Jeff Plale and the Republican candidate, Dimity Grabowski. Jeff Plale is an interesting mix of liberal conservatism, or what Republicans would call, a hipocrate. Albeit they leave little room to speak.

It’s widely accepted that State Senator Jeff Plale is in a Democratic stronghold. He represents the liberal east side, the socially moderate area of Bay View and the socially conservative areas of Cudahy and South Milwaukee. Plale is a social conservative and his positions on issues such as abortion have more than miffed the liberal east side.

What’s more, Bay View is becoming increasingly affluent and many are calling it “the other east side” as educated white collar workers stake their claim to this blue collar neighborhood. While Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood has long been a Democratic stronghold, it has had a strong catholic base and with that base it has been socially conservative. That is changing.

Plale showed strength and courage last year when he stood against TABOR and voted to sustain Governor Jim Doyle’s veto of the GOP led legislature. Although Plale has a predisposition to wanting to please fringe groups like CRG and to occasionally agree with right-wing talk show hosts, many Democrats now know that when it comes down to pushing and shoving, Plale will be with them on some key issues.

Plale has earned admirers for more that just casting a vote to sustain Doyle’s veto — he won admirers for standing up to CRG under intense heat. When it came down to two votes that the GOP needed to override the TABOR vote, Carpenter caved in and sided with the Republicans putting even more pressure on Plale.

Plale stood firm. The override came down to one vote. If Plale caved, local governments in Wisconsin could have faced the crippling financial crisis which gripped TABOR constricted Oklahoma which has consequently suffered from failing schools and crumbling public infrastructure. (taken from Watchdog Milwaukee, December 2005)

Dimity Grabowski has absolutely no credentials for politics. Her Republican asiprations are probably a result from the mega-lottery win her family incurred some years back. Not from the pull yourself up by the bootstraps and take care of your own business stance that most Republicans like to make claim to. Speaking of hipocrates.

So let's take a look at her bio....

SPIN: Dimity Grabowski was born, raised and educated in Sydney, Australia. (OK, not really spin but you get the point.)
REALITY: Not American born but thinks she should be in American politics, who does she think she is, Arnold Schwarzenegger?

SPIN: After her husband Darin received an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army, the couple , in 1992 moved to Oak Creek, WI.
REALITY: She wants to play up the veteran thing but it's hard to do since she's not actually a veteran herself so she will hang on to her husband's only decent attribute. In fact, ask her what her husband does for a living.

SPIN: As alderwoman, she has been very active and successful in her promotion of storm water management controls, homeowners' property rights, and balanced budgets, and has strongly supported residential and business growth. Additionally, Dimity's work on behalf of the 27th Street Corridor has been very important to her. A known consensus builder, Dimity has earned substantial support from the business community and her constituents.
REALITY: I bet she has support from the business community, residents didn't want a Target, Ace Hardware, or any of the other new strip malls in their neighborhood but they got them anyway, thanks Dimity. And have you been down 27th Street? The Franklin side is bustling no thanks to Dimity, the Oak Creek alderwoman. The Oak Creek side is as barren as the Iraqi desert.

SPIN: As Alderwoman she formed the Citizens for Happy Holidays Committee.
REALITY: I live in Oak Creek and I've never heard of this. What does it mean?

SPIN: Dimity is a business college graduate and is currently pursuing a certificate in Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
REALITY: What business college? One is Sydney? If she has a degree then say Bachelor's of whatever so I'm guessing she really doesn't have a degree. And pursuing a certificate? Those programs have no tests or grades, you show up to a seminar-like forum and if you stay all day you get your certificate. Big whoop-de-doo.

Anybody know any Marquette University graduates with Bachelor's degrees in something like say....public relations who have some real insight and experience in American politics? Jeff Plale.

SPIN: This information is not the responsibility of Jeff Plale and he has no prior knowledge of it.
REALITY: This is my blog and I can say whatever I want. This is America and I have a right to my opinion and the freedom to say what I want to say so there.