Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

McCain: "Deregulate the health care system like we did with banking." Oops ....

From Suburban Guerrilla:

John McCain on the benefits of a deregulated, market-based health care system:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

He wrote that for this month’s issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries. I wonder, what was the probability that perhaps the most damaging quote of the entire campaign season would appear in the publication of the American Academy of Actuaries?

Now Franklin has a CVS Pharmacy on the way. Yawn.

A new rendering for the CVS Pharmacy planned for the Sendik's development at 51st and Rawson was approved on Sept. 11.

When something is being built in Franklin and surrounding environs, guess "bank" or "pharmacy" and you'll usually be correct. Now the quasi-semi-Fountains of Franklin has both.

Another building surrounded by asphalt and unconnected to anything nearby (just where is that woman in the picture walking from? The Quarry?).

Can you feel the excitement? First a Golden Corral, now this - - - BOOM TOWN!

Some things you just can't explain, Part 3: "Oil answer appears clumsy to some."

Understatement of the year.

Some things you just can't explain, Part 2

See also:

Author of an extremely positive book on John McCain called "Citizen McCain" (one reader review: Although I'm sure Senator McCain is a wonderful man, this love-letter style book to him is a disaster. Ms. Drew's bias is so overwhelming; an otherwise fascinating story is ruined...) is now, like me, deeply disappointed in him:

How John McCain Lost Me

McCain’s recent conduct of his campaign – his willingness to lie repeatedly (including in his acceptance speech) and to play Russian roulette with the vice-presidency, in order to fulfill his long-held ambition – has reinforced my earlier, and growing, sense that John McCain is not a principled man.
In fact, it’s not clear who he is.

Republican Sen. Hagel Doubts Palin is Ready

Wake up!

Some things you just can't explain

Photo: David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images

(Via Doobybrain.com.)

WAKE UP! The McCain Method: Just say stuff

Just say stuff. (Thanks to James Rowen at The Political Environment for the catchphrase).

"Some Republicans are uneasy" with the lies and half-truths being spouted by the McCain campaign.

When Karl Rove(!) says you're going too far, it's time for some self-examination. (Lest you forget: Remember what Rove did to McCain in 2000? A proud moment for all involved, I'm sure.)

Of course, the Republican faithful can always say the "liberal media" is at work here. But even FOX NEWS(!!) has had to notice (how does this Tucker Bounds guy sleep at night?):

This is not normally an overtly political blog, but I've never seen such a transformation of character - - for the worse - - as I've seen in John McCain over the past seven-or-so years. This is a man I once respected greatly; now he allows an ugly, ugly campaign of outright lies and condescension, willing to say or do anything to win.

What is Sarah Palin? Utter condescension. A pat on the head for the "ladies" out there. No experience necessary.

What a sad statement on the country's attention span. It's time to WAKE UP.

See also:
- The New York Times: McCain Barbs Stirring Outcry as Distortions
- Former McCain fan Richard Cohen(!) at The Washington Post: The Ugly New McCain ("He has become the sort of politician he once despised.")

Recommended reading for those still on the fence:

True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society

John McCain is hopelessly out of touch with economic reality - Editorial - NYTimes.com

“I believe in American workers, and someone who disagrees with that — it’s fine,” says John McCain in defense of his view that the economy is sound.

And if we all chant "U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A" loud enough, everything will be fine. He's not had to worry about personal finances for most of his adult life; I think Mr. McCain needs to get out more. Or read the news occasionally.

From The New York Times:

John McCain spent Monday claiming as he had countless times before — that the economy was fundamentally sound. Had he missed the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the sale of Merrill Lynch, which were announced the day before? Did he not notice the agonies of the American International Group? Was he unaware of the impending layoffs of tens of thousands of Wall Street employees on top of the growing numbers of unemployed workers throughout the United States?

On Tuesday, he clarified his remarks. The clarification was far more worrisome than his initial comments.

Kaboob Kountdown

2008 April 17: Golden Corral's new menu, originally uploaded by jennie Z.

Sorry - couldn't resist.

UPDATE: Alderman Kristen Wilhelm reminds me that the site plan for Franklin's Golden Corral is partially dictated by the fact that there is a jet fuel pipeline buried beneath it. Think about that when you flick your cigarette out the window in the parking lot...The big KABOOM is coming?

Socks for Christmas: Golden Corral is coming

Catching up after a busy couple of weeks ...

As reported at FranklinNOW, a Golden Corral restaurant has been ok'ed for 27th Street. The good news: After four presentations, the building was sufficiently de-uglied to the point of mere adequacy. The bad news: A Golden Corral restaurant has been ok'ed for 27th Street.

The site plan, as per usual, remains horrendous. Disconnected buildings on islands of asphalt are all we can come up with, I guess.

Like socks for Christmas. I have enough socks.

UPDATE: Let's just go ahead and dub this area of 27th Street the Crap To Go District.

UPDATE 2: Alderman Kristen Wilhelm reminds me that the site plan for GC is partially dictated by the fact that there is a jet fuel pipeline buried beneath it. Think about that when you flick your cigarette out the window in the parking lot...

JS Online: Franklin mayor accused of using city employee to work on re-election on city time

On the scandal meter, I'd put this pretty low. Sounds like a misappropriation of already-scarce city resources at best - - and certainly worth public note and rebuke if true - - but nothing Nixonian (or even Bushian, for that matter).

The information that Mayor Taylor requested was available to anyone who asks for it and/or knows where to look; problem is, city finance director Calvin Patterson works on our dime and cannot be delegated to partisan efforts in a campaign for city office.

However, it's interesting that Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership once again gets unflattering ink. Had the internet and citizen-authored blogs been as pervasive then as they are now, that group would not have survived with a shred of credibility beyond their first Xerox'ed flier. Try to find a former FCRL member willing to readily admit their involvement in that mess.

You can see the full complaint here: Download taylorcomplainta.pdf

See also Janet Evans's FranklinNow blog, and a rather breathless report at Franklin Today.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Prosecutors on Monday filed a civil forfeiture action against Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor, claiming he improperly had the city’s finance director do research work for Taylor’s re-election campaign on city time.

The State of Wisconsin is listed as the plaintiff on the $2,000 claim filed by Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf. Taylor’s campaign committee is also listed as a defendant.

According to the claim, Taylor asked finance director Calvin Patterson “to provide information that would be useful in responding to” a flier by his opponent in this past April’s election, former Franklin Ald. Basil Ryan. The flier stated that during the “Taylor Years” — 2005 to 2008 — city property tax levies and expenditures “rose significantly.”

The claim further alleges that Patterson provided Taylor with information on city tax levies and expenditures during Ryan’s term on the City Council.

It also noted that Patterson provided Taylor a copy of council minutes that indicated Ryan was absent for the vote on the 2004 city budget.

Taylor used the information on his campaign Web site to respond to Ryan’s flier, according to the claim.

Reached at home Monday evening, Taylor said he asked Patterson to determine if the information on Ryan’s flier was correct.

He said he did not ask Patterson to check whether Ryan was present for the vote on the 2004 budget but admitted using the information provided by Patterson on his campaign Web site.

Taylor’s attorney Dan Kelly said he did not believe Taylor’s actions violated the law.

Reached by telephone Monday evening, Patterson declined to comment.

Landgraf said his office looked into Taylor’s actions at the request of Ryan’s attorney, Paul Bucher.

Ryan was ousted in a 2003 recall election initiated by Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership, an early offshoot of Citizens for Responsible Government.

Taylor, who served as a Franklin alderman from 1999 to 2002, had been a member of the Franklin citizens group.