Time to Confront Crackpots by Charles J
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WI APRIL 2013 WISCONSIN INTEREST Time to Confront Crackpots BY CHARLES J. SYKES The Left’s Last Hurrah BY RICHARD ESENBERG Mining Success BY MIKE NICHOLS Latino Conundrum BY AARON RODRIGUEZ Editor > CHARLES J. SYKES Smart can win WI WISCONSIN INTEREST In the wake of November’s election, conservatives face to win over Hispanic national Republicans conducted an voters. Rick Esenberg looks back on Publisher: autopsylike review of their failures. As April’s victory for conservative Supreme Wisconsin Policy Research Wisconsin’s own Reince Priebus noted, Court Justice Patience Roggensack, while Institute, Inc. there was “no one reason we lost. Our Christian Schneider, in explaining why Editor: Charles J. Sykes message was weak; our ground game the judiciary matters so much here in Managing Editor: was insufficient; we weren’t inclusive; Wisconsin, examines how activist Dane Marc Eisen we were behind in both data and digital; County judges have upended the rules of Art Direction: our primary and debate process needed lawmaking. Stephan & Brady, Inc. improvement.” We also include a timely account Contributors: Richard Esenberg Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was by Mike Nichols of how Wisconsin’s Mike Nichols the play? booming frac sand industry is lighting up Aaron Rodriguez Christian Schneider Our cover story suggests one place the economy and may even help reduce Sunny Schubert Charles J. Sykes that conservatives might start: by global warming. As Nichols notes: “The Board of Directors: acknowledging and confronting the emergence of an entire frac sand industry CHAIRMAN: problem of crackpots. As I write: “Smart has been both astonishingly rapid and a James Klauser can win. Weird almost always loses.” testament to local decision-making.” David Baumgarten Ave Bie This edition also includes a detailed And in spring, hope is always a good Catherine C. Dellin look by Aaron Rodriguez at the challenge thing. Jon Hammes Thomas J. Howatt Michael T. Jones David J. Lubar Job Announcement Maureen Oster Timothy Sheehy WPRI President Gerald Whitburn Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) seeks a seasoned executive to lead this independent, Edward Zore non-partisan research institute. The president must be skilled in board relations, fundraising and George Lightbourn (President) knowledgeable of Wisconsin public policy. The successful candidate will oversee the Institute’s research from thesis development to publication and will oversee the production of Wisconsin Contact Information: Interest magazine. In addition, the president is expected to have the necessary skills to manage ADDRESS: the budget and operation of the Institute. Given its focus, the president must possess a solid understanding of Wisconsin politics and policy. Finally, the president must have the written and P.O. Box 382 speaking skills to effectively communicate with the general public, endowment and foundation Hartland, WI boards, the press and elected leaders. 53029 PHONE: A successful candidate must be an innovative, creative thinker. 262.367.9940 Compensation is competitive. Position reports to the Board Chairman EMAIL: Please submit a confidential letter of interest, a resume and two writing samples to WPRI Search [email protected] Committee chair, Maureen J. Oster at [email protected] or mail to: WEBSITE: WPRI www.wpri.org P.O. Box 382 Hartland, WI 53029 © 2013 Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Inc. Wisconsin Interest WI CONTENTS > departments Pg. 28 Filmmaker Editor’s Note Dan Hayes The GOP autopsy. BY CHARLES J. SyKES ����������Inside Cover Dispatches Scott Walker’s springtime roll. BY CHARLES J. SyKES ���������������������� 2 The Dane County Veto An activist judge upends the rules of lawmaking. BY CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4 Frontline Report A young filmmaker memorializes the Greatest Generation in “Honor Flight.” BY SUNNY SCHUBERT ��������������������28 The Closer Walker vs. Ryan: the early line on 2016. BY CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40 Mexican Fiesta at the Summerfest grounds CONTENTS > features Cover illustration by Nathan Gold The Left’s Last Hurrah Latino Conundrum The election means conservatives Why can’t the GOP attract this seemingly still dominate the state Supreme natural constituency? Court. BY AARON RODRIGUEZ ��������������������������20 BY RICHARD ESENBERG ������������10 Time To Confront Mining Success Crackpots Wisconsin’s booming frac Smart sometimes wins. Weird always sand industry is lighting up the loses. economy. BY CHARLES J. SyKES �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 32 by MIKE NICHOLS ����������������������12 Dispatches > CHARLES J. SYKES Walker’s spring roll Conservative hopes brighten with the new season “You can cut all the fl owers,” observed Pablo Neruda, “but Fear the nuggets you cannot keep spring from coming.” Spring brings us many The great Sequester Freak Out failed to freak out the gifts this year, including a relatively lengthy hiatus from our public, but Rep. Gwen Moore certainly did her part to stir endless round of elections. April’s election was by our standards up fear over the modest budget cuts. In February, Moore a tepid affair, with the left more or less going through the motions warned that “when you’re a mom putting chicken nuggets in its attempts to fl ip control of the state Supreme Court. It on the table you wouldn’t be able to be sure they were lost. Again. But liberals were able salvage some solace from the inspected by FDA agents.” re-election of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony It would be nitpicking to point out that the Food and Evers, yet another cautionary tale of the price of running fl aky Drug Administration does not inspect nuggets, but we candidates on the right. were still puzzled why the good congresswoman was willing to embrace a food that is undoubtedly under the Breaking their hearts interdict of our nanny-in-chief, the fi rst lady. The year is yet young, but Gov. Scott Walker appears to be on something of a roll. The endless John Doe Yeah, it’s still the law investigation ended with a whimper, breaking liberal hearts Let’s see if we can provide a bit of clarifi cation here. across our fair state. Even though a Dane County judge has ruled that Act 10 “It’s hard for most people to imagine just how much is unconstitutional, the collective bargaining law is still in the left in this state had invested in this John Doe force for the rest of the state. After an appeals court denied investigation,” wrote columnist James Wigderson. “To a motion to stay that ruling, Atty. Gen. J.B. Van Hollen said Wisconsin left-wingers, this was Watergate and the Dreyfus that “it also was very clear that Judge Colas’ order does affair all rolled into one. They counted on the investigation not have statewide application and does not apply to any to defeat Walker in two elections, and they were hoping nonparties.” that the investigation would make a third election unnecessary. Now all they have left is praying to St. Russ to wisconsin’s choice come and rescue them in 2014.” Walker has a major fi ght on his hands over his proposal Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski was so to expand school choice. The idea is opposed by the usual distraught that he tweeted comparisons of Walker to mass suspects, of course. But Walker also faces opposition from murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, which turned out to be a smear some fellow Republicans. too far. Although he remained on the payroll, Zielinski was The Wall Street Journal noted that state Sen. Mike Ellis stripped of his role as spokesperson and banned from social has promised to block the expansion of choice: media. “‘This is phase one of a wide-open school voucher Meanwhile, Walker announced that he’s writing a book, program for the state,’ Mr. Ellis moans. Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge, “But what would be wrong with that? According to which served to further juice up the presidential buzz. the School Choice Demonstration Project, 94 percent Given the profi le of his recall campaign, there is probably of students who have received vouchers in Milwaukee no big-dollar GOP donor in the country who is not familiar graduate from high school, compared to 75 percent from with and/or a supporter of Walker’s campaign. But, of the Milwaukee public schools. They’re also more likely to course, he has to win re-election next year fi rst. go to college.” 2 Wisconsin Interest Dispatches Meanwhile, a Marquette University Law School Poll Walker’s plan will add 82,000 to Medicaid who don’t found that a majority of Wisconsinites favor a major qualify now? expansion of choice. Since his plan limits Medicaid to people who are below the poverty line, this suggests that there were A majority of 82,000 poor people who were denied Medicaid… by whom? Wisconsinites favor As it turns out, Jim Doyle. The former governor a major expansion of tried to expand the state’s medical assistance programs. school choice. But Doyle imposed enrollment caps on the Badger Care Core Plan because he didn’t have enough money Moocher update to meet faster-than-expected enrollment. Walker’s plan eliminates those caps, allowing We heard a lot about “makers vs. takers” last year. So how’s thousands of poor individuals who had been blocked that working out for us? by the Doyle caps to receive health coverage under Over the last five years, the number of nonworkers in the Medicaid. U.S. economy has risen by 14.3 million, while the number Our Google search engine is apparently not powerful of duly employed workers has fallen by 5.3 million. This enough to find any prominent liberals suggesting that means that about 142 million workers somehow have to Doyle’s artificial cap would result in any deaths. But support about 102 million nonworkers. This doesn’t imply we’ll keep looking.