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Poll finds small business support for health care reform

July 14, 2009 By

Polling shows small business support for healthcare reform. Robert Kraig with Citizen Action says the new polling data, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Small Business Majority, shows the majority of Wisconsin small business owners believe healthcare reform is necessary.

"Skyrocketing health care costs are a drag on the economy," says Kraig. "We need to reduce them in order to get the economy back on track. It also discourages entrepreneurship, which means fewer small businesses are created, which means fewer jobs here in Wisconsin."

Two hundred randomly selected small business owners in Wisconsin, one of 14 states polled in the last six months. "It's not surprising that they find health care costs a major issue," says Kraig. "But, what's very encouraging is that they strongly believe there should be shared responsibility, and that they're willing to be part of the solution, along with other stakeholders."

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government

Shooter in Point murder-for-hire strikes plea

July 14, 2009 By

The woman charged with shooting a man in a Stevens Point murder-for-hire last year has reached a plea deal. Portage County district attorney Tom Eagon confirmed the deal involving Linda Dietze but would not get into specifics until she enters the plea Friday afternoon.

Eagon also would not say whether Dietze's two co-defendants had struck a deal. Dietze is accused of shooting James Glodowski in Zenoff Park last November so his wife could continue an extramarital affair. He survived five gunshot wounds. She's charged with being party to attempted first-degree intentional homicide, a crime that carries a maximum 60-year prison sentence.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Kohl: Don't focus on Sotomayor's speeches

July 14, 2009 By

During Senate Confirmation hearings Tuesday for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor , Senator Herb Kohl acknowledged criticisms against her including remarks she made at a 2001 speech at Berkeley Law School. Her comment was a “Latina woman” would make better judicial decisions than a white man, a remark she has since called a bad choice of words.

Kohl says it's Sotomayor's judicial record that counts. Kohl noted in the 230 majority opinions she issued in 11 years as a federal appellate judge, only two percent have been reversed by the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor emphasized although issuing legal opinions on those hundreds of federal appeals cases, she has been involved in thousands of cases total in her career that have not been reversed.

“I believe what my record shows is that I follow the law,” she said.

The Wisconsin Senator also asked also Sotomayor about her stance on Kelo v. New London in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of private developers who seized a woman's land for public use. 

The nominee replied as an appellate judge she was bound by the decision of the higher court. However, Kohl who was troubled by the Kelo ruling, further probed her about her opinion if she were nominated to the Supreme Court.

“I don't prejudge issues. I come to every case with an open mind,” said the high court nominee.

Critics of the 2005 eminent domain ruling say it was a violation of property rights.

Kohl also asked her stances on  cameras in the courts , affirmative action, antitrust, Roe v. Wade and Bush v. Gore.

AUDIO: Kohl on Planned Parenthood v Casey (MP3 :51)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Sports, Top Story

Fatal combine crash

July 14, 2009 By

The fifth fatality on Waupaca County roadways this year involved a combine. The sheriff's department reports an eastbound vehicle on County Highway EE collided with a combine that was pulling out of a private driveway Monday morning. 

62-year-old Cynthia Kempf, the vehicle's passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle's driver, 64-year-old James Kempf, was flown to a Neenah hospital. There is no word on his condition. The combine operator 66-year-old David Hartfiel of Weyauwega was not hurt.

The crash is still under investigation.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Oshkosh Corp. job fair draws crowds

July 14, 2009 By

A job fair for the Oshkosh Corporation drew crowds to the Oshkosh Convention Center over the last two days. Company spokesman John Daggett says they had roughly 1,400 to 1,500 people apply for positions on each day.

The Oshkosh Corporation is hiring, after receiving a $1 billion military contract to build mine-resistant all-terrain vehicles. Daggett says it's probably the largest turnout they've had for a job fair.

Daggett says people from most of the Fox Valley region turned out for the job fair.
The military contract calls for $2,200 of the all-terrain vehicles, which are designed specifically for the rough terrain that soldiers encounter in Afganistan.

Filed Under: Business
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