Passion = Truth? How Jeffrey James Francis Ircink Sees The World? I love when people are passionate about something. That surging of emotion is the one honest measure of what truth is. It's a truthful display of how a person really feels about something or someone at that particular moment. That passion IS truth.



About me...

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Greendale, Wisconsin, United States
Ex-producer of THE REALLY FUNNY HORNY GOAT INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, playwright, actor, singer, outdoorsman, blogger, amateur photog, observer & bitcher, Beach Boys groupie, Brett Favre fanatic, lover of everything Celtic and forever a member in the Tribe of HAIR. Spent most of my life in the Village of Waterford, a small town just outside of the Milwaukee suburbs. After 12 years in North Hollywood, Bel Air and Culver City, Cali, I moved back to Wisconsin in September 2009. No regrets - of moving to LA OR moving back to WI. Have traveled to Belfast, Ireland, Dayton (OH), Manhattan, Seattle, Cedar Rapids, New York, Miami and Sydney, Australia with my plays. Moved back into the Village of Greendale where I was born. Life is good.

Celtic!

Showing posts with label Scott Walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Walker. Show all posts

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Have another beer, Joe Zepecki!

Joe Zepecki. As of October 29, 2012, Zepecki was the Obama Campaign Wisconsin Communications Director. Not sure if he's still working in that capacity. Apparently he's working for the Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign of Mary Burke (D) who is running against incumbent Governor Scott Walker (R). Numerous quotes from Zepecki have him attributed as "Burke spokesperson", so he's working for Burke's campaign in some capacity.

I've been a supporter of Scott Walker going back to his years serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly. But forget that for a moment. Make believe I have no idea who Scott Walker is.

In a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article ("Poll shows little shift in race for governor", 3/27/2014), Zapecki stated,

"Not only are Walker and his allies' unprecedented amount of early, false, negative attacks on Mary Burke not working, voters know, by an overwhelming margin, that Walker's economic plans aren't working either."


Let's say, for argument's sake, that Zapecki's statement is 100% truthful - that some of Walker's attacks (and political advertising) have been false. Assume that's true. Now look at Mary Burke's first television advertising campaign, unveiled on March 5, 2014. The narrator in the commercial states, "under Walker, unemployment’s up," while the graphic on the screen changes from 4.8% to 6.2%. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal government’s official jobs counter, is footnoted as the source.

With me so far? So I went to the BLS and checked the stats myself. Walker assumed the governorship in January 2011 when the unemployment rate was 7.7% and it now stands at 6.1% (January 2014). So one would look at these numbers and deduce that "under Walker, unemployment rates have gone down from 7.7% to 6.1%." Correct? (The 6.2% was the last recorded stat before the January 2014 numbers were released.)

So where did Burke get the 4.8% number from? This is a gut-buster (to me anway) - that figure was an unemployment rate when Burke worked for then-Governor Jim Doyle (D) from 2005-07).

So pray tell, Joe Zepecki - how is Scott Walker responsible for fluctuations in the Wisconsin unemployment rate during the Doyle administration?


Back to what I mentioned earlier - let's say Zepecki's statement about the Walker administration above is true. If Mary Burke feels Walker isn't doing his job and that she can more effectively manage Wisconsin's affairs, don't you think her first priority would be to NOT do what her campaign is saying Walker's campaign is doing? Do the opposite? Wouldn't she want to set a good example and not skew, embellish or blatantly lie about statistics as important as unemployment rates? You would think her spokesperson, Joe Zepecki, would know this. I mean....he did accuse Walker's administration of spreading false attacks.

Fucking hypocrisy at its zenith. The stats don't lie.


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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Op-ed piece on ACT 10 devoid of point.


The collective bargaining reform law that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed into law in 2011 has come under harsh criticism since it was first introduced into the Wisconsin legislature. It was the underlying cause for Walker's recall election - which he won - and has been debated ad nauseum. A federal appeals court recently upheld the law and, barring any other setbacks (the Wisconsin Supreme Court is set to hear one more case regarding a Dane County judge's decision on Act 10), further debate will finally be put to bed.

In today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, retired teacher Rose Locander wrote an opinion piece on why Act 10, in the long run, will be detrimental to the Wisconsin education system.

However, Locander never gets around to giving reasons how Act 10 will actually hurt schools. She simply says that "it will" and makes various analogies regarding having your house burn down or health care but NEVER says how Act 10 will effect schools.

That's it. I have no other point...because Ms. Locander doesn't have a point. Read her opinion piece here. Tell me what I'm missing. Better yet - tell Ms. Locander what she's missing. Her email is listed at the end of the article.

For more information on Act 10, read here.


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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

When the Gov'na calls....


That's me, Wisconson Governor Scott Walker and Kelly Severson Miller at the Governor's Executive Mansion in Madison last Saturday for a private reception for Badger Boys & Girls State alumni and counselors, sponsored by the BBS Alumni Association. Wonderful, bipartisan (but not political) reception. Gave the gov'na some Ircink homemade maple syrup & honey. Which he, of course, loved!


(Left to right): Scott Adrian, Gary Saunders, Governor Scott Walker, Joel Ninneman and myself. The five of us worked together as Carpenter County counselors at Badger Boys State, held every June at Ripon College. Lifelong friends and memories and truly a highlight (the BBS experience) in my life.


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Monday, June 11, 2012

Walker wins!


Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker won the recall election last Tuesday - the first recall election ever won by a governor in the history of the U.S - by defeating Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

I won't gush - so I'll simply say that I'm proud of Scott for standing his ground and never flinching since his collective bargaining measures of last winter drew harsh criticism from Democrats, liberals, teachers & other union members and the unions themselves. It was the collective bargaining issue that set the recall election into motion, but you'd never know that after listening to Barrett or the Left.

Here's more on the recall election. And if you need to remove your "Barrett for Governor" or "Recall Walker" bumper sticker, The Wisconsin State Journal has some pertinent reading.


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Monday, December 12, 2011

Reward Walker!


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Monday, October 3, 2011

Hey! Tim Hensiek! I hear the Feds knocking on your door!!!

The Facebook page, WI State Workers against Scott Walker, for all it's worth, is a rant against the actions of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Obviously, this "felon" is not representative of most of the people on this site. They do make points (doesn't matter that I disagree with them the majority of the time) and that is their right.

This man, Tim Hensiek, should be arrested for threatening a government official. And the nerve of commenters on WI State Workers against Scott Walker to say I spread hatred with my trolling on their FB page?


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Saturday, June 18, 2011

me & the gov'na!

"Hey Scott, was that you or George Mauer who helped me put the minnows in Jack Saunders' toilet?"

Got a chance to "catch up" with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Thursday evening at Badger Boys State in Ripon. Scott and I...Governor Walker, that is...are both former BBS'ers and former counselors together for 3 or 4 years in Carpenter County. It's been at least 20 years since we'd seen each other...but you woulda thought it was yesterday. Some awful good memories. Awful good.

Sure he's governor, which made the moment all the more surreal. But it wouldn't have mattered what he was doing in life. It was just good to see him. To me, he still looks like he did back in the mid-80's. I guess he always will. We whispered a few things privately to each other while the photogs snapped their pictures. Short - but sweet. I told him we've gotta get together privately - and reminisce. I hope we do. Being governor makes it tough. We'll figure it out.

I'm proud of you, Scott. Very proud. Boys Staters through and through.

(Photo by Louis Bock or Tom Knox, one of the two - both BBS photographers)


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Monday, March 14, 2011

Discendo, Jesse. Discendo!

Remember when the Reverend Jesse Jackson made an off-the-cuff remark aimed at President Obama? OK - just wanted to know if you remembered that.

Jesse Jackson appeared several times in Madison, WI in the last few weeks to support the demonstrators marching against Governor Scott Walker's proposed budget - which seriously shrinks collective bargaining. According to Jackson:

This is the week we went across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for the right to vote. We have gone from Wallace trying to deny us the right to vote to Walker trying to deny workers the right to bargain.
Wallace. Walker. Same sentence? Huh. Well, if Reverend Jackson was insinuating that Walker's a racist, then he'd better refer to former Wisconsin union organizer Arnold Zander as a racist too.

George Meany, the first president of the AFL-CIO said in a New York Times Magazine article (1955) that it was "impossible to bargain collectively with the government."

I wonder if Meany was a racist too?


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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Greetings from Illinois! Senator Mark Miller's(D) to-do list.

(My notes to Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald(R) on Democrats' demands RE: Governor Walkers' budget bill and collective bargaining.)

1) Tell Fitzy to keep collective bargaining as is with no changes,
2) Tell Fitzy to take our counter-offer, which would keep collective bargaining as is with no changes,
3) ...or both sides stop talking altogether.
4) Note to self - Miller, don’t forget that the Senate Republicans have the option to split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights and a quorum wouldn’t be needed to pass Walker's collective bargaining mandate. DON’T FORGET!


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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Beast's Ian Murphy hates American troops.

This is the blogger who pranked Governor Walker. Touche. But before you place Ian Murphy on your "how cool is he?" list, keep in mind - he hates our American soldiers.


excerpt from "Fuck the Troops" -

So, 4000 rubes are dead. Cry me the Tigris. Another 30,000 have been seriously wounded. Boo fucking hoo. They got what they asked for—and cool robotic limbs, too.

Likely, just reading the above paragraph made you uncomfortable. But why?

The benevolence of America’s “troops” is sacrosanct. Questioning their rectitude simply isn’t done. It’s the forbidden zone. We may rail against this tragic war, but our soldiers are lauded by all as saints. Why? They volunteered to partake in this savage idiocy, and for this they deserve our utmost respect? I think not.

The nearly two-thirds of us who know this war is bullshit need to stop sucking off the troops. They get enough action raping female soldiers and sodomizing Iraqi detainees...


Here's the full post. While I don't agree with everything our country does in the name of democracy and I'm fully aware there are always a few bad apples in the bunch, I do not lend credence to sweeping generalizations when it concerns our American troops. Murphy obviously doesn't care about anyone or anything other than the shock value of his writing.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore (from "We Were Soldiers" fame) said to Dan Rather, "Hate war, but love the American soldier".

And hate people like Ian Murphy instead.


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Friday, March 4, 2011

Anti-Walker group doesn't care about being taken seriously.

Since World War III broke out in Madison over Governor Walker's budget plan - specifically, paring down various unions' collective bargaining rights, I've had the luxury of hearing both sides of the spectrum. That's because I'm a moderate - we try and see issues from all angles.

I've visited a number of anti-Walker sites that have popped up on Facebook - Wisconsin Against Rebecca Kleefisch, 540,000 To See Scott Walker Out of Wisconsin January 12, 2012, etc. One genius, Trevor Teeters, referred to the "Republicunts" and called me an "asshole". I've posted about the various signage people carried...not once - but twice.

So I'm on the "recall Kleefisch" page and the administrator refers to the governor as "Scotty". I suggested "Governor Walker". You know, a bit o' decorum, I thought, would lend credibility to their cause. But no one seemed interested in that. I was told to "get off my high horse" and then I was give a "time-out" (this was all before they discovered I wasn't really on their side and got booted).


Now that comment comes from the ADMINISTRATOR of that page. Interesting. "Not concerned about being taken seriously."

Call it "trolling" if you'd like. However, I've said this before and I'll say it again. How is having a one-sided discussion beneficial to your cause? 40,000 members of a FB page sitting around and echoing every other commenter while patting each other on the back accomplishes what? Not that they'll agree with me but perhaps my comments (and others) might force people to look through their blinders and see the other side of the issue - and not act like an asshole.

But be fleet of foot. You'll get booted real quick.


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Shepherd Express...there's more news than what's going on in Madison.

I picked up the March 3-9 issue of the Shepherd Express today, Milwaukee's indie newspaper. Always a big fan. However, as I paged through this week's issue, I was astonished at the number of articles devoted to Governor Walker's budget reform plan - and the goings-ons in Madison.

I understand it's a volatile topic. I know the world's eyes (at least the U.S. blinkers) are focused on Madison. I'm aware that being an indie publication, the Shepherd Express slants liberal. Fine. But 13 articles???

Sort of - let me break it down: Front page, one 2-page article , 2 ads, 1 half-page article, 7 opinion pieces and one article in the arts section. And it was on the front page last week.

I'm quite certain there's other news that's pertinent to the City of Milwaukee, but you won't find it in this issue.

(I'm confused. Is it The Shepherd Express or Shepherd Express? There's also Express Milwaukee, which is the online publication. Someone should write an article and clear this up for me.)


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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

How dense can a politician be?

This is how completely unrealistic some politicians and some constituents can be. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, reacting to Governor Walker's two-year budget proposal on Tuesday, stated:

"...the proposed budget makes it difficult to maintain current city services across the board..."
"Maintain current services"? That's the fucking point. This state - this country's economy is for shit. Unpopular, uncomfortable cuts are needed to tackle our deficit. One can't "maintain" when you're strapped for cash and owe monies. Why is it that individuals, families and businesses are compelled to make "tough decisions" in order to rein in their expenses but the U.S. government gives $10 million to this cause or $10 million to this country when we're operating under a deficit?

Doesn't a "deficit" mean you don't have the monies? That you logically must cut back to shrink the deficit? So why is Mayor Barrett upset about the state of Wisconsin not being able to "maintain" certain services?

Delusional. And anyone who agrees with Barrett is as delusional.


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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Atta boy, Gov'na Walker! Freebies at college no more.

During an address from Madison outlining his two-year budget for Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker's proposal for cutting college tuition for illegal aliens in our state met with a rousing "HUZZAH"! from proponents who believe the United States government has become a lame pussy when it comes illegals in our country.

from Campus Connection:

The governor recommends eliminating nonresident tuition and fee exemptions for undocumented persons at all public higher education institutions across Wisconsin. The report states that "resident tuition, which is subsidized by Wisconsin taxpayers, should be available to Wisconsin residents who are in the United States legally."
Now, to get it passed. I'm smiling. Can you see me smiling? I am. WHOOO!


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Thursday, February 24, 2011

What's wrong with these protest signs? Part Deux.

I hate to follow up one post with a "Part Deux" so quickly, but when this was brought to my attention by my brother, I surfed the web and, lo and behold, he was right. Now, I have five more posters to show you, so...bear with me. The best one's are the last two.

I suppose the left isn't concerned with "turn the other cheek" but more with "do onto others". That's all well and good. But then they shouldn't bitch about the right or the Tea Party members when they protest. Right? No? Ok - here we go.

I'm just gonna shut my mouth and say it's all about the beauty within. It is.

I hate repeating myself. I mentioned this in a previous blog post. According to Urban Dictionary (and pretty much a huge percentage of our society), "teabagging" refers to "the insertion of one man's sack into another person's mouth. Used a practical joke or prank, when performed on someone who is asleep, or as a sexual act". So - a "teabagger" would logically be a person who participates in this action. Yes. See - these protesters think they're being funny. If you want to refer to a member of the Tea Party, refer to them as "Tea Partiers" or "Tea Party Members". Your local open mike down the street probably has available slots for you to sharpen your wit. Making this point at a protest is not making your point. Lemming.

Now this is sad. This guy could be a grandpa. Or someone's husband. To stoop this low...how embarrassing. And to bring Walker's mother into it? If I held up a sign at an anti- illegal alien rally saying, "All Illegals Out! *Not incl. Obama's Auntie", wouldn't that be inappropriate? I think it would. And "swallowing"? This is in bad taste - even for me - in a public forum. The next two posters are the biggies -


Either the Tea Party or anti-Obama protesters were chastised by the left for portraying our president in association with Nazi swastikas and Hitler moustaches. But it's OK to put the same 'stache on Walker? OK.

A few months ago, the left were all over Sarah Palin (who I can't stand, by the way) for inciting violence/attempted murder with a graphic that placed "cross hairs" over some congressional districts? Then there was that shooting in Arizona.....but it's acceptable to put this cross hair over Governor Walker's face (not the Madison capital or a WI district) ?

The left accuses the right of this. The right accuses the left of that. One side says the other side is skewing the facts. The other side says, no - they're skewing the facts. The bitch in Bel Air thought she was so fucking high and mighty that if it were a sunny California day and she deemed it to be cloudy, it was cloudy. Didn't matter. So, does anyone really know what the fuck is going on? This stat, that stat, this source and that source, Fox says this, MSNBC says that, screw Rachel Maddow and screw Glen Beck....

We don't know shit. Now I've said many times that I don't trust politicians. I don't. The only difference with Governor Walker is that I know Scott personally...since the early to mid-80's. Haven't talked to him in a while (I've been outta the state, he's been entrenched in politics) but if we happened upon each other at some public event (or in the bathroom at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Brewers' game...wherever), we would hug and talk like it was 1985 and we wouldn't miss a beat. He's a good man. And I have to trust that what he's doing - no matter how shitty it comes across - is what's best for the state of Wisconsin. The STATE of WISCONSIN.

What else can I tell you? I got nothin'. Who knows who's really right and who's wrong. But I do know Governor Scott Walker...


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What's wrong with these protest signs?

Just a few protest signs in Madison as various union folk gather to voice their disgust with Wisconsin Governor Walker's budget initiatives, which include severely limiting collective bargaining rights. The first two signs, I'm assuming, are being held by teachers.

On the surface, what kid wouldn't want to be taught by this lady? She exudes warmth, caring, kindness. But who cares what your working conditions are, ma'am...you're not in class teaching the children so your sign is a mute point. Go back to school.

No one's son is in your class. You're not teaching him. You're not protecting him. And you're not inspiring him...because you're not in class today. (Unless you're trying to inspire children to be irresponsible - well, then fine. You are inspiring children.)

Then you've got this dude. I hope he's not a teacher. I won't even comment.


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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Governor Walker protesters can be a nasty sort.

Unless you live under a rock, you're aware of the protests in Madison, Wisconsin regarding newly elected Governor Scott Walkers' budget plan to shore up our state's fiscal status by widdling down public employees' collective bargaining rights.

"Nasty sort". Course, the anti-Walker contingent can say the same about the pro-Walker contingent - Republicans, the right, conservatives, pro big business, etc - that we're nasty. The point is Trevor Teeters (above) is proof in the pudding that no one is an angel.

I got on the FB page, 540,000 To See Scott Walker out of WI, to monitor the anti-Walker buzz. I posted a link to a Politifact article, a fact checking resource, that stated Rachel Maddow's take on Wisconsin's budget was false. Trevor thinks my link was bullshit and that Politifact has a Republican slant. And he told me so by using words like "cunt", "asshole" and "poop".
I might add that I found another Politifact article that stated a Wisconsin Republican senators' statement on a related issue was false. I wondered if Trevor still thought Politifact was biased toward conservatives. Trevor disappeared off Facebook.

And...I'm no longer allowed to post on 540,000 To See Scott Walker out of WI.


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Congratulations, Scott! You've just become Gov'na!

I mean...Wisconsin Governor-elect Walker.

I've known Scott since 1983, or thereabouts. We counseled together at Badger Boys State for a few years. It's been a while, but I'm quite confident that when we see each other next, it'll be like yesterday. It's like that with Boys State people, you know. It was no secret among our group back then that Scott would immerse himself in politics. Now, I've never been big on politicians...or career politicians. But I know Scott. How many politicians do you know? He's a good man. And I'd trust him with my life - even after all these years.

And don't even try and ask me for favor...

PS. I have several pics of Scott and I. They're in storage. Once I move (to Greendale), I'll find them, scan them and post them.


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