Blogging Blue

I found in my emailbox today and I thought it was worth a mention…

Hi Zachary,

My name is Kyle Johnson, and I’m the founder of the make-your-own-bumper-sticker-website Bumperactive.com. I’m writing to give you and Blogging Blue a heads-up about our latest project, “50 Ways To Vote Obama” — in which we’re designing a unique Barack Obama bumper sticker for each state.

We have created 18 stickers so far, including one for Wisconsin. Our aim is to really pull out all the stops with the design of the stickers to reflect the enthusiasm Obama inspires, as well as graphically demonstrate the diversity of voices uniting behind his campaign. You may view the entire collection at:

http://www.bumperactive.com/barack_obama_bumper_stickers.jsp

22 percent of the proceeds from each sale benefits the Obama Campaign, and we’re offering both full-size “bumper-stickers” and six-packs of mini “laptop stickers.” And please do let us know what you think of our design for your state.

Also, we’re more than willing to do multiple designs for a particular state, so if you’ve got a better idea for a Wisconsin Obama sticker –or a sticker for one of the states we haven’t gotten to yet — please let us know, and we’ll add it to the project!

Thanks much for your time and any assistance you’re able to provide,

Best,

Kyle Johnson

Now sure, I’m shamelessly shilling for the folks from Bumperactive, but we liberals gotta stick together! Here’s a link to Bumperactive’s web site.

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You’re the first sitting Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice to be disciplined by your peers for violating the state’s judicial ethics code. The decision stems from Ziegler’s decision to preside over 11 cases involving West Bend Savings Bank, where her husband, J.J. Ziegler, is a director. In their decision the court called Ziegler’s action in those cases “a serious failing.” In a settlement reached with the State Ethics Board six weeks after her election as a Justice, Ziegler admitted she violated a provision of the state ethics code that says officials cannot act on matters in which they have a financial interest, and she agreed to pay a cash forfeiture and attorney fees for the state.

So congratulations Justice Ziegler…you’ve left your indelible mark on Wisconsin’s Judiciary.

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Just two weeks ago, the federal government released results of a study it completed regarding the frequency of drunk driving in Wisconsin. According to the study, more than 25% of adults in Wisconsin drive under the influence of alcohol, putting Wisconsin at number one in the nation when it comes to people who admit to driving drunk.

Fresh off the heels of that report being released came the terrible tragedy of Jennifer Bukosky, who along with two of her children was killed by Mark Benson. At the time of the accident that killed Bukosky, Benson was driving without a license and while under the influence of at least three different prescribed medications, and only two days before the crash, Benson had been in court pleading guilty to a 2007 drunken driving conviction, his third, in Brookfield. He was ordered April 23 to not drive and was sentenced to 75 days in the county’s work release jail, but was given until May 9 to report there.

The fact that Benson was still driving despite having just been convicted of his third OWI is simply outrageous, but thankfully lawmakers are already starting to take notice that Wisconsin is at a crossroads when it comes to how we handle repeat drunk drivers. Today Governor Jim Doyle announced that he believes a third conviction for intoxicated use of a vehicle should be made a felony. Lawmakers have already started to take action, with some calling for revocation of driving privileges and confiscation of vehicles for people convicted of a third offense of driving under the influence.

I’ve always felt Wisconsin needed to do a much better job of being tough on drunk drivers, especially repeat offenders, because a car isn’t much different than a loaded gun in the hands of a drunk driver. People can be - and have been - seriously injured or killed at the hands of folks driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and it’s time lawmakers took a tough stand. I’ve never been a strong advocate of depriving folks of property as the result of their criminal activities, but in this case I think someone who’s been convicted multiple times for drunk driving should face the possibility of losing their vehicle forever. It’s a steep price to pay, but perhaps it’ll serve as a deterrent.

Patrick over at Badger Blogger has more on this issue, as does Cindy over at Fairly Conservative

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Happy Birthday to John Muir, who was born 170 years ago today. Born in Scotland, Muir’s family eventually settled near Portage, and he attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Muir helped found the Sierra Club and his influence helped spur the creation of the National Parks System, and during his time on this earth he was a tireless advocate of the preservation of our natural wonders.

Happy Birthday, John Muir.

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Well, in Oneida County, a life’s only worth three years in prison. That’s the sentence Jeffrey Habenicht received for a boat crash that killed Melissa Mann, an occupant of the boat Habenicht crashed into. Habenicht, who was driving a boat drunk at the time of the crash, had originally faced multiple felonies and a possible prison sentence of more than 100 years, but a plea agreement with Oneida County prosecutors whittled the case down to just a single felony, along with an agreement that prosecutors would recommend no more than a year in county jail. Now sure, Circuit Judge Mark Mangerson went above the agreed-upon recommendation of the District Attorney in sentencing Habenicht to three years in prison, but the maximum penalty for Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle is 25 years in prison and 15 years of extended supervision, for a total 40 years. Now perhaps if this were Jeffrey Habenicht’s first brush with the law, I could see a lighter sentence, but Habenicht was no stranger to the court system, with at least two prior convictions. As a condition of probation for one of those convictions, Habenicht was court ordered not to consume any alcohol.

What happened in Oneida County is a travesty, plain and simple, and Judge Mark Mangerson and the District Attorney’s office ought to be ashamed of themselves for letting Jeffrey Habenicht off easy.

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