Author: folkbum

Hello, America. Bullock here with my annual-ish post to BB (Happy Birthday!) because the news cycle, for once, happens to align with something actually in my wheelhouse. In this case, busing and school desegregation. I teach high school in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Milwaukee has the distinction–no, not that, shame–of…

In its most recent column, PolitiFact Wisconsin checked the claim by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers that Scott Walker took a billion dollars from public schools. Here’s how they came down on it: In Walker’s first year as governor, he cut school aid by $426.5 million from the previous year,…

I ain’t been round these parts in a while, but I hope you don’t mind my swinging by to invite y’all out to my last free concert of the year. If you’re near Milwaukee on Saturday, find your way to 6th and Howard, in the shadow of the water tower…

Note: I sent this to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but they seem to have declined to run it. I’m not one of those THEY ARE TOO SCARED TO PRINT MY GENIUS WORK people–this was probably just too long and the recent OSPP news no doubt changed the calculus about what…

This is my old friend, singer-songwriter Jon Svetkey, singing with his wife Heather Quay. In the latter part of the last millennium, Jon used to tour pretty often, but now he mostly just hangs around the Boston area playing duo shows with Heather or shows with his band The Loomers…

This is a good night. It may not feel that great for you now. I know. I was there once. In 2004, I penned what has to be, in retrospect, one of my worst rambles ever, and epically embarrassing 3000 or so words on what it felt like to be…

It’s Wear Orange Day. I personally own no orange, but I’ll do my part here by posting Mark Erelli‘s “By Degrees.” It’s a free download from him if you would like your own copy. My own anti-gun violence song is also a free download today. If you pay anything–a cent…

Or, an open letter to Rep. Bob Gannon Dear Jerkface, In an eerie bit of coincidence, I was at a mall here in the Milwaukee area last Saturday at the same time when, at East Towne Mall in Madison, there was a shooting. In the same way, I was teaching…

Hello, America. Your humble folkbum here with a modest proposal. Every year, we honor those who gave their lives in service to the United States and her Constitution with Memorial Day, a day to pause and reflect what it means to be able to live your life in freedom today…

It’s out there now, the Republican plan (pdf) to start peeling off Milwaukee Public Schools and handing them over to private operators. And it’s awful. Sponsored by suburban Republicans Rep. Dale Kooyega and Sen. Alberta Darling, it is full of bad ideas and presents a possible future for MPS that is…