|
MSNBC Political Analyst Pat Buchanan and CNN Political Analyst Paul Begala will speak at the Opening Session on Monday, March 3, 2008 to discuss their views and opinions on the 2008 Presidential Election. Read more about Buchanan and Begala here. |
 |
Percentage of contributions to all of this year's presidential candidates that have come from residents of the New York City metropolitan area, which accounts for roughly 6 percent of the nation's population: 20 percent.
Source: New York Times, 2/3/08
|
|
|
|
|
In the first ever presidential straw poll taken during last week's WCA Legislative Exchange, John McCain easily won on the Republican side and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were in a tight race, with Senator Obama winning by just one percentage point.
With 127 county officials voting, the partisan primary results are as follows:
Democrats
Barack Obama: 46 percent
Hillary Clinton: 45 percent
John Edwards: 4.6 percent
Bill Richardson: 1.5 percent
Dennis Kucinich: 1.5 percent
Republicans
John McCain: 60 percent
Mitt Romney: 24 percent
Mike Huckabee: 10 percent
Ron Paul: 5 percent
Fred Thompson: 1 percent |
|
|
|
 A new report from the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance (WISTAX), a nonprofit, nonpartisan public-policy research organization, has issued a new report entitled, "Wisconsin Total Taxes: 2007."
The report shows Wisconsin residents paid more in federal, state, and local taxes for the fourth consecutive year in 2007, with payments rising 8.1 percent, to $66.4 billion. Growing federal taxes (up 10.8 percent) were primarily responsible for the increase. State tax collections grew less (3.9 percent), hampered by stagnant sales tax revenues and falling cigarette tax revenues. Local taxes (3.0 percent) increased the least. However, taxes as a percentage of personal income went down from 12.4 percent to 12.2 percent.
See the full WISTAX report here. |
|
Foreclosures continued to soar across the state during the first month of 2008, reaching record highs, according to new figures released this week. A record 2,443 homes were forced into foreclosure in Wisconsin in January, up 45 percent over the same period a year ago. That translates into 116 new foreclosures every business day last month. Over the past three years, Wisconsin foreclosures are up 70 percent, according to figures from ForeclosuresWI.com.
To read the full Capital Times article, click here.
|
|
Due to severe weather conditions, many people had to leave last week's WCA Legislative Exchange early. One presenter unable to attend was La Crosse County Human Services Director Jerry Huber, who was to speak at the Family Care session. You can read his handouts here. |
|
 With Dane County reaching record snowfalls this year, it wasn't all that shocking that the WCA Legislative Exchange was impacted by a major blizzard of close to 14 inches of snow. Always hearty, county officials still gathered at the Madison Concourse Hotel for two days of education and enrichment.
Unfortunately, the drive home was harrowing for some and smooth sailing for others. Have a story to share about your trip home? Were you stuck on the interstate for hours, find your way into a ditch that only a tow truck could drag you out of or discover your heater wasn't working? We'd like to gather your stories and share them with our readers. After all, misery loves company and it is this miserable weather that truly defines our state and our people.
Contact Michelle Thompson with details and watch future issues of WCA eNews....and remember, think spring! |
|
"In the modern, knowledge-based economy, UW-Madison 's leadership in research, innovation and education is a valuable state asset. To maintain and enhance that asset, the state needs to put top-quality leaders in charge. To attract that kind of leadership in a competitive market, the university should pay what is needed, within reason.
The pay increase approved last week for the next UW-Madison chancellor is clearly within reason, when compared to the pay of leaders at similar universities.
That 's why state lawmakers should back off their initial criticism of the pay raise endorsed Friday by the Board of Regents. Instead of complaining, lawmakers should realize the value of investing in leadership."
Read the full Wisconsin State Journal editorial here. |
|
The Dane County Board on Feb 8, 2008 pulled back from holding a countywide advisory referendum this spring to create a regional transit authority (RTA), instead opting to not consider a referendum until after the Legislature gives approval for counties to set up RTAs.
Read a Capital Times article on this issue here.
|
|
Wisconsin effectively loses another daily newspaper, as the Madison Capital Times announced last week it will cease publishing a hard-copy issue daily. The Capital Times will live on as an online news presence and as a hard-copy supplement weekly. The revamped CapTimes will be given away in paper racks and will also be an insert item in each Wednesday edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison's remaining daily paper.
The two papers are owned jointly and have been under a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) since 1948s. Terms of the JOA make it impossible for the parent company to entirely terminate the Capital Times, which has seen circulation drop to 17,000 in recent years and hasn't published a Sunday edition in decades.
See the story online here.
|
|
To learn more about Robert W. Baird, click here and for more information on Discover Mediaworks, click here.
If your business or organization is interested in becoming part of the new WCA Associate Member Program, contact WCA Executive Director Mark D. O'Connell or WCA Director of Programs and Services J. Michael Blaska at 866.404.2700. |
|
|
|
