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Packers vs. Vikings! Let the hype begin

October 28, 2009 By

Everywhere I turn, somebody seems to have an opinion as to how Packers fans should respond when Brett Favre steps onto Lambeau Field for the first time as a member of the visiting team.  Internet polls asking whether Favre should be cheered or booed.  I hope this silly argument isn’t going to last all week.

For the record, I think fans should do to Favre what they do to any other opposing quarterback.  If you boo Jay Cutler, then you should boo Brett Favre.  There’s plenty of time to celebrate Favre’s many great years in Green Bay, and his lengthy career. 

Favre is now playing for the enemy.  He’s trying to do one thing and that’s beat the Green Bay Packers.  If you are a Packers fan, you can’t possibly think cheering Favre does any good.  The Packers are trying to beat the Vikings and win the NFC North.  They need every ounce of support you can muster.  Be loud, yell at the opponent, make it impossible for Favre to communicate verbally with his teammates while at the line of scrimmage. 

And if you are really torn between not wanting to cheer or boo, then do nothing.  Don’t cheer or boo.  Be silent.  You can show your disapproval without booing the quarterback you grew up cheering for.

For those of you entrenched so deep in the Favre camp, just remember this.  Ultimately, your job as a fan is to do whatever is necessary and within the legal limit, to help your team win.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that your real job is to be the 12th man.  You could be the difference between a win and a loss on Sunday.

Filed Under: Sports, Titletown Report Tagged With: ,

Rolling back auto insurance rate hike

October 28, 2009 By
A Neenah lawmaker wants to repeal recent changes to the state’s auto insurance laws. Senator Mike Ellis says provisions in the state budget required minimum amounts of coverage for all drivers in Wisconsin and they’re driving up insurance rates. The Republican lawmaker says for some people, insurance costs are climbing by as much as 40 percent.

 

AUDIO: Mike Ellis (MP3 :20)

Ellis says his office is receiving more phone calls and letters on the car insurance changes right now than any other issue. He claims majority Democrats have taken Wisconsin from one of the least expensive states for auto insurance, to one of the most expensive.

Assembly Democratic Majority Leader Tom Nelson made waves earlier this month when he told an angry constituent it’s not the Legislature’s fault that premiums are rising. He later blamed the insurers’ desire for profits.

Andy Franken of the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance says Nelson is flat out wrong and it’s simple economics that when a person has to buy more of something, it will cost more.

Ellis says anyone who claims that the auto insurance companies are driving the increase are either misleading the public or, “they’re so dumb they don’t belong in the legislature.”

When Governor Doyle proposed the higher insurance levels in February, he said legal disputes involved more money than they should in car injuries and deaths. That’s because the current minimum insurance levels had not been changed in almost three decades.

Mike Kemmeter-WHBY contributed to this report

Filed Under: Legislature, Transportation

Obama to visit Madison

October 28, 2009 By

On the anniversary of his historic election November 4, President Obama will visit the Madison area. The White House says Wednesday’s visit will be about education. There’s speculation the event meant to drum up support for a potential gubernatorial run by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Rumors have circulated that the Obama team is secretly encouraging Barrett to run for the seat

The event also coincides with a bill supported by Governor Doyle and Barrett to have the Milwaukee mayor’s office take control of city schools. Barrett argues such education reforms are looked favorably upon by the US Education Department and would put Wisconsin in better standing for federal stimulus funds.

The scheduled stop will be Obama’s first to the Madison area since November of 2008 while campaigning prior to the Democratic primary.

Correction: Obama’s last visit to the Madison area was February of 2008.

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Committee will consider Wood’s fate

October 28, 2009 By

The Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly has named a six member panel, which will consider the fate of an embattled colleague.

Rice Lake Democrat, Representative Mary Hubler, will chair an Assembly Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct, named to consider an expulsion motion filed against Bloomer Independent Jeff Wood, who has been the subject of three highly publicized arrests for driving while intoxicated over the past year.

Also named to the committee by Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan are Democrats Tony Staskunas of Milwaukee and Gary Hebl of Sun Prairie, and three Republicans, Rep. Mark Gundrum of New Berlin, Rep. Rich Zipperer of Pewaukee, and, Rep. Joan Balweg of Markesan.

Sheridan said Monday that he intends to move quickly on the expulsion of Wood, who was arrested last week in Tomah for a third OWI.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Unclaimed property backlog cleared up

October 28, 2009 By

The state Treasurer’s office says a backlog of unclaimed property cases has been taken care of.

State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass says they had been months behind on property claims, but not anymore. She says her staff worked hard to get them taken care of as quickly as possible.

Sass says the backlog was largely the result of a staff shortage in her office, followed by an increase in claims this year. She says they’ve had nearly 4,300 more claims filed in 2009 than the year before. Sass says that was difficult to handle with four staff positions vacant at the time.

However, she says staffing shouldn’t be a problem anymore with three of those positions now filled and the other recently approved.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 :55)

Filed Under: Politics & Government
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