Responsibility and Consequences

With freedom, a cherished American value, comes a commensurate amount of responsibility. Here in Wisconsin, we have free access to our capital building. We can take our children and guests and simply wander around, looking at the beautiful walls, ceilings, floors and artwork. We can pay homage to the fallen at various memorials or simply wonder at the attention to detail and craftsmanship in every aspect of this wonderful building.

With that freedom comes the responsibility to behave in a way that respects those memorials, the work of the craftsmen/women and the investment of the taxpayers of Wisconsin in this building. The capital building is the public face of the government of the state of Wisconsin. Just as we would treat the homes of people we visit with respect, so we are obligated to treat the people's house with respect.

If I were to visit a friend, it would not be appropriate to tape signs on the walls of that friend's house or to cause any sort of damage. If I were to cause damage accidentally, I would have an obligation to pay for it. (Or at the very least to offer to pay for any damages.)That is a minimal requirement of civilized behavior.

Now we have an estimate of the damages done by the protesters during this 3 week long and holding protest. And the damages are.....Approximately 7.5 million dollars from those "peaceful" and "clean" protesters.

According to several news reports, while some signs were put up with painter's tape to minimize any impact, many were not. The damage that tape is causing/has caused to the marble inside the capital building is going to cost around 6 million dollars to repair. The other 1.5 million? That would be for restoring the capital grounds outside the building.

I call on those who taped signs anywhere in the capital to come forward and offer to pay for these damages. If you were sent there by an organization of any sort, kindly provide the state's attorney general with the name and contact information for that group and the approximate number of signs put up by your group so that we may send a bill for your/your group's portion of this expense.

Speech is free. Vandalism, even unintentional vandalism, is not.

So, perhaps while union leaders are colluding with their favorite democratic legislators to circumvent the budget repair bill by quickly re-negotiating contracts before those AWOL senators return, they should take some time to behave in a civilized manner and offer to pay for the damages their people have caused.

Because, just in case you haven't heard, the taxpayers of Wisconsin are still broke.

"And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." ~ 2Chron 19:6-7

Saying it Doesn't Make it So

This morning, one of my first emails contained a link to this appalling video.



Notice a few things here.
1.) The crowd was rabid until a Democratic Rep., Brett Hulsey, stepped between them and Sen. Grothman. What would have happened if he had not been there?
2.) This crowd can chant "peaceful" as many times as they like-it doesn't change their behavior.
3.) One man shouts out "I want my democracy back". One more time. We don't have a democracy, we have never had a democracy, we have a REPUBLIC.
4.)Mr. Obama asked that we not "vilify" public employees. The only people vilifying these workers are themselves-by their outrageous behavior.

My prayers for Senator Grothman and the other legislators who have had to endure this kind of treatment over the past days. Stand strong. You are doing the right thing.

"Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;"~ 2Cor 11:25

An open letter to Senate Democrats from one WI Mom

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen,

You were elected to vote.

• Not to run out on your responsibilities like teenagers pulling a prank.
• Not to run up expensive resort bills on the taxpayer's dime while you do so.
• Not to make our lovely state the laughingstock of the nation.
• And certainly not to leave our beautiful Capital building at the mercy of out-of-state hooligans brought in to act as Union Enforcers against the people of Wisconsin.
  
  You may not like it that your vote will not change the outcome. That does not change your duty. You were elected to vote. I suggest, that you put your behinds back on that bus, get yourselves back to the floor of the legislature in Madison and do your jobs.
  
  May I further suggest that you take up a collection amongst yourselves to pay the bills for the resort and the bus, so as to avoid further burdening the hardworking taxpayers of WI and shaming your electorates any further.
  
  Your behavior is outrageous.
  
  "The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
  
  Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. "~ Micah 3:11-12