The Inevitable Presidential Endorsement Post

Four years ago I started Slapinions as a political blog t in the wake of the 2004 election. The blog was never supposed to feature my children, movie reviews, humor, or rants about AOL.

Well, the last time I checked 'politics' has consumed only around forty posts out of a thousand, proving once again that in politics even the best of intentions often fall to the wayside.

Still, in honor of the site's origin I'm going to give my two cents about this election. Sorry - by this late date I bet you thought you were out of the woods.

It's no surprise to readers that I'm voting for McCain. Lisa would say it was inevitable, that I believe the party is bigger than the individual and automatically mark an 'X' by anyone with an (R) next to their name. Eh, that's a wee bit strong - I'm not a Stalinist for Pete's sake - but she's got a point. But I don't think that's the case here.

Personally, I see no value in listing the reasons why I think Obama is a poor choice for President, at least in any depth. Minds are made up, his backers are frighteningly zealous, and frankly going negative wins no fans.You'll have to take my word that it is more than mere distaste, and trust that I'm intelligent enough to think it over, whether you disagree or not.

Let's leave it at this, in 200 words or less: I think 'Hope/Change/Hope/Change' is not a policy, and that for all his impressive eloquence he is woefully inexperienced and unprepared for the office. I believe that while he is a loyal American he is one of many who believe our faults outweigh our positives. I think his economic policy does not add up - literally - and that his foreign policy will either be a wilting failure or, on the other extreme, a harsh, unduly aggressive approach to negate his critics. I don't look forward to either path.

[One snide observation: when the housing bubble burst and the (idiotic) economic bailout went through he was quick to say that it would hinder his proposed programs. That's true to an extent, but it's also convenient, and to me it reeked of a man who bemoans the fact that his car broke down before a trip to the in-laws, while secretly thanking the Heavens it took him off the hook.]

On the other hand, I am not a huge fan of McCain. I brought up Eight is Enough in a post yesterday. That show was based on the life of Crossfire's Tom Braden, who was often miscast on the panel as a liberal. Timothy Leary famously said that era of Crossfire was like watching 'the left wing of the CIA debating the right wing of the CIA'.

Well, watching this election is like watching the left wing of the DNC debate the right wing of the DNC.

I think, for lack of a better term, McCain is a Democrat at heart, or what the more extreme of the party would call a RINO - a Republican in name only. He's strong on defense, sure, but prior to '68 there was nary a Democrat who wasn't, and I don't see that as exclusive to one party.

That doesn't make him a bad person, but I didn't like him (as a candidate) in 2000, and I'm not in love with him now. It's curious, really, how quickly Dems have turned on him, given that three years ago they'd have sung his praises. I assume most of it is election year b.s., because anyone with common sense can see his move to the right is for show, just as Obama caters to his own base.

Of the two I still bow to McCain's experience, his strength on defense, and the fact that no single party should control both houses of Congress and the White House. It didn't work recently, it didn't work in the past, it won't work in the future.

Additionally, McCain has a true talent for bipartisanship. Oh, Obama preaches unity but he's essentially running the same campaign Bush did in '00; the last eight years were bad, we need a distinct change, I'm really different than the last guy, vote for me. He's earning the love of his fans and the deep animosity of his opponents, and that's just a recipe for more of the same.

Not the strongest of endorsements, I admit, but by far McCain is the lesser of two evils.

It might shock you, but I still think the best candidate isn't on the ballot. Hilary, for all her faults, was an intelligent, forceful, and experienced choice for the office. It was that second bit that killed her, as it's sad that even today a woman can't exhibit strength without meeting the wrath of the masses, many of whom turned on her and called her 'arrogant' or worse. (Dan, you're a Republican? What about her lefty-loosy ideas? 1. She's pragmatic and 2. There's just enough of that sexism to deny her a free reign with Congress)

So, I'll go to the polls and vote for McCain. I hope he can squeak out a victory, but if not . . . well, I'm not going to stock up on rifles and move to the hills. I'll suck it up, honor the office, hope for the best (especially on foreign policy) and get on with my life. I'll be quick to point out his mistakes, which will be numerous, but I'll acknowledge his successes.

Hey, it's more respect than the left ever offered Bush, before, during, and no doubt after his administration.

Get out there and vote, and God Bless America.


graphic hat tip to And Rightly So!

YaYa's 7th Birthday Party - Sun Oct 26th

For the longest time YaYa wanted a kitten themed birthday party. Then, maybe a month or two ago she decided she wanted a party at the local roller skating rink. It seemed like a rash decision, but sure enough she stuck by it and in the end it was certainly the right call - she had a blast!

She wanted to choose the neon themed room, but Lisa talked her out of it, preserving that more 'grown-up' room for later parties. Instead, YaYa picked the 'Dream Den', a princess themed area.









Most of the party, obviously, was spent on the skating floor, but as the party girl YaYa did get to spend some time in the 'cash machine'.









Unfortunately, we'd trained her to stuff the cash in her shirt and pockets, only to find out that was not allowed!

The party was mainly family and the friends of family - my oldest three, my niece S, Chris' kids, the neighbor, and two kids from her school. As space was limited, we could not invite more of her class to attend. The Lump was at a babysitter - the very first time a child of mine had been watched by someone other than family (or Chris)since early 2002, when we had YaYa in a daycare for all of half an hour at the Mall of America.

We'd been unsure of whether or not Smiley should go, as he couldn't skate, but in the end we gave the go ahead. We were expecting him to be a drag, truthfully, asking for our help and consuming our time on the floor, much as the girls did as they learned. Not so. While he happily skated with us, much of the time he set out on his own, albeit at a snails pace. Your courage and determination are duly noted little man, duly noted!







On to the skating pics!





















Soon enough it was time for pizza and presents.





Amongt the gifts were a Suite Life bed set, a Jonas Brothers CD that is in solid rotation here, and a bunch of Hannah Montana items, ranging from a sheet set to folders.

[Her best friend continuously critiqued the gifts as they were opened, telling people YaYa 'doesn't like Hannah Montana'. Thankfully YaYa's been trained well and was exhuberant and thankful as she opened each of them.]





Did I skate? You betcha. I looked scrubby as heck, but I did my damage on the floor.









We all got excited when the DJ played two New Kids songs - Single and Summertime! YaYa raced to the floor and the rest of us were right behind her. "When's the last time you skated to the New Kids?" I asked Lisa. "1989," she answered.





Of note: my mother in law tried on skates briefly but didn't hit the floor; my parents were unable to attend (my Dad worked, my Mom was ill), and it snowed on the way home!(although it melted on the windshield).

A great party. Again, happy birthday YaYa!

Family Guy, Dick Van Patten, and Undecided Voters

The election is a mere 24 hours away, and by now I hope you've made up your mind, one way or another. This thing has dragged on longer than Oprah's version of Beloved ,and we've all had plenty of time to draw our own take on both the issues and the character of the candidates involved.

That said, barring the chaos that is life, I intend to post an appeal to voters here later today.

Meanwhile, I thought you'd enjoy the following Family Guy assault on the IQ of undecided voters (which, naturally, I do not endorse ;). As much as I love it Family Guy is your typical product of the Hollywood Left, and so the intended target would seem to be the GOP. It's funny even so, but now that I think about it the phenomenon in the clip seems strangely . . . Obama like, no?

Hat tip to And Rightly So!



And on a non-political, and certainly non-politically correct, subject, here's their take on the TV show Eight is Enough. I didn't see where it was going until after the fact, and it-is-sooooooo-wrong. Don't watch it more than once. I promise you, on the second go-round you'll just feel dirty.

Vote 'No' - for now - on the Park System Tax November 4th

When it comes to taxes I don't make anyone happy. I'm a Republican and I philosophically oppose most efforts to increase the size and complexity of the Machine. That makes my more liberal-minded friends - like Socialist - furious. So be it; better that than the near-empty wallet his politics would dictate.

But I'm also not ignorant of the fact that this isn't 1776, and the government has more responsibilities - right or wrong - than the version run by guys in powdered wigs. Some taxes are necessary, and yes, there are situations where raising a tax may be the only viable option.

This year residents will be voting on the Milwaukee County Sales Tax referendum, known around here as the Park vote. Arguments for the tax pin the very future of our park and transit system on the outcome. If I agreed with that assessment, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But I remain unconvinced.

For that reason, I'd urge you to vote 'no' on November 4th.

I've always been justifiably proud of Milwaukee's Park and Recreation system, which covers 15,000 acres and puts green space within walking distance of every resident. That's more than 4 times as much park land, per capita, as our neighbors in Chicago enjoy.



In addition to open land there are public pools, playgrounds, wading pools, and festival grounds scattered throughout the county. It is, without question, a shining jewel and something we can be proud of calling our own.

But in recent years the park's have fallen by the wayside. I've written about it here, in this blog, as the changes became visible: restrooms are locked to the public, parking lots go unplowed, ball fields are left to grow wild, flower beds are left unplanted and the driveways go unrepaired. Public pools (including the one I frequented in my youth and my daughter is using at this very minute) are being slated to close, and the wading pools all my children enjoy are becoming few and far between.

The estimated cost, according to a member of the Park Advisory Commission, of bringing the system physically back up to par - not improving it - is close to $300 million.

Why? The parks are run by the County. In the last twenty-two years the system's share of the tax levy fell 21%, down to a mere 8% in 2008. The reason for the decline? In large part, the increased cost of a (much) busier justice system. Then, a few years ago a major pension scandal shook up the county and brought the rare Republican into office. The operation of the system has improved, with even proponents of the tax calling the Park director's 'masters of doing more with less' but the damage is done. By necessity we continue to fund outrageous pension and post-retirement benefits.

The parks need money. No question. I concur that a tax specific to the upkeep of the parks is in order. But adding a 1% increase to our sales tax, without permanently earmarking where those proceeds would go, is just asking for trouble, especially with a governmental body with a track record of corruption. Even if the current Board would guarantee the money would be funneled exclusively to the park and transit system, it has no legal power to force that agreement on future members.

So the 1% increase that pays for the parks next year could be cut in half the next, with proceeds funding increased union contracts or silly pork barrel projects. That's not good enough.

What worries me too is that the idea of funding our park system, which in and of itself is a worthy cause, is apparently not a convincing enough argument for the tax proponents. They feel it necessary to cloud the vote with popular, tried and true add-ons. What are future uproar are they proactively trying to smother?

You can spare me the ridiculous argument that even with the increase our sales tax would be less than Chicago, Minneapolis, or Boston. Well . . good. Would you prefer it otherwise? Nor is the always popular 'it'll reduce property taxes' argument worth discussing; even if you could convince me it would happen, I'm sure the city would discover some 'need' to more than make up the difference.

[You'll note that I tossed the word 'transit' in a few times. The original tax increase was to be .5%, but it was quickly ramped up to pay for new buses and maintenance on our transit system. There are a thousand arguments for and against our current bus system, but maybe if people weren't assaulted on a daily basis on the bus, ridership wouldn't be on a decline and you could afford the buses you crave. Just a thought.]

Provide Milwaukee County with an independent body, accountable to the taxpayers, whose sole purpose is the maintenance of the park system and I will be more than happy to sign on the dotted line. Our parks are something that's worth saving for future generations - but not at the expense of commonsense, and not by handicapping the resources of those very generations.

For now, vote 'no' to a park system tax increase.

Trick or Treat - October 25th 2008

Trick or treat in my neighborhood fell on my 12th Wedding anniversary this year, which I admit annoyed me at first. Those emotions quickly retreated once we hit the annual trick-or-treat trail.










Along for the ride: my four, Lisa, our friend Chris and her three kids, along with their father, and my sister C and my niece.









Nighttime trick or treat is *not* the norm in Milwaukee, but it is allowed in my neighborhood. It's still new enough to me that the novelty hasn't worn off. It's a whole different atmosphere than daytime trick-or-treat, although it has its drawbacks too - grumpy little kids out past their bedtime, increased danger from passing cars, and, of course, Ghouls



Here's some pics of the walk:





Smiley loved his outfit btw, choosing it over an assortment of options. It was hard to find in his size, so I'm glad his affection for it didn't wear off.

















Note: this isn't me in this pic. It's another bearded overweight guy in a green pullover. Seriously.



















Along the way we ran into a school friend of LuLu's



The temperature dropped at the same time the sun did, but we made do:







This past Friday their school held their annual Halloween Social, which we'd intended to become an anual tradition. Unfortunately Lu was sticken with a fever and couldn't go, so Lisa, YaYa, and my niece KayKay went by themselves:





Happy (belated) Halloween!