I am glad that the GOP has now requested the "redistricting maps" the dems were working on up until January of 2011 when the republicans took control.

The dems paid law firm of O'Neill, Cannon, Hollman, and DeJong over $300 Thousand Dollars since 2007.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-...

This is how crazy the map is I live in Janesville. My kids go to school in Milton. My state Rep is in Whitewater and doesn't represent any of my interests.
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The system needs to be changed for all Wisconsinites!

Elections have consequences. This is no different then Obama appointing 2 Supreme Court Justices. If McCain would have won the Court would have looked very different. This comes with winning the majority.

916, I want a system that is fair to everyone regardless of party. It shouldn't be a system that favors one party that is in power at any given time. What I am saying is that the system should be changed so it doesn't happen.

concerned......so basically you're upset that the Republicans used their overwhelming popularity within every political branch of our state's government to their advantage while working within the confines of the established system? Boo hoo--cry me a river:) The democrats controlled the state legislature for years--at any time they could have introduced and passed a bill that would have changed how this process was handled......They didn't and now they have only themselves to blame.......

wislady said, "As of June 12th, the cost of all the recalls because of wanting a "redo", was in the range of $125-130 Million."

And that statement is still FACT. Break it down anyway you want, to try to take the blame off the dems, but they own it!

So, can someone please explain to me why it takes 400K of lawyer time to do this redistricting? Hiring a professor of geography as a consultant I could buy into. That much involvement by lawyers just can't be good for the overall good of the voters.

Thanks poobah for bringing up the fact that most of those figures were what was spent on campaigning.

Donna, http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Re...

Look at the timeline of the history, because the senate, assembly and governor have been split since 1950, no agreement was ever finalized since 1951. The courts have had to appoint groups to redraw the maps. This past year was the first time that all three were controlled by one party and the redrawn was done because of lawsuits not a failure to finalize.

concerned.....in the past redistricting the court had to intervene to redraw how many boundaries for fairness? Wasn't it just one out of how many districts? IMO that was pretty small.

wislady said, "As of June 12th, the cost of all the recalls because of wanting a "redo", was in the range of $125-130 Million."

Of course, $11 million of your $125-$130 million figure were costs to taxpayers. Some of those costs necessitated by Republicans running fake Democrats in Senate recalls and forcing primary elections. The other $114-$119 million were campaign expenditures funded by voluntary contributions.

Some people prefer to have their legislator pick them as a voter. I find that notion frightening.

Donna, where did I say that they do it to the advantage of the other party? Because this was the first time in nearly 50 years that all three branches were held by one party they were able to pass the maps. The courts have had to intervene and draw the maps since then. I am saying that a non partisan group should be in charge of it so that it's equal, neither party should ever have an advantage.

But they both do it in every state and it's the perk of winning during a census year for sure.

concerned....if you believe either party when doing the redistributing does it to the advantage of the other party, I've got some swampland to sell you. They both do it, or at least try to do it.

concernedwi
I actually agree with you. It should go by population.

Kay, when was the last time that the courts didn't decide the redistricting maps in Wisconsin? If I'm not wrong, it was in the 1950's. So both sides haven't done in it the past, which shouldn't be an acceptable answer anyways. The districts should be drawn by a non-partisan group to ensure that they represent the population not one side or the other.

The Democrats schlacking in 2010 was not only huge in Wisconsin but in many other states that happened to fall on a census year. Both parties have been doing this for years and years and the liberals should take their medicine this time and try not be so economically destructive with their policies.

carlit....maybe you should take your meds. I tried that link and it said, "sorry, that page does'nt exist."

Donnaw Do not need medication to block my head as you and a few others do, If you had a clear head you would not deny the facts. would not deny the facts. http://host.madison.com/article_26cf1284...... Please read the whole story Donnaw and 916WI and then take your meds.... As the truth to this article will again shock you....

Oldtimer, would you support Hitler if he were elected ? In WWII you fought for what you believed in, what you thought was right.It would be nice if we all could get along, but right is right,and wrong is wrong.Fight for what you believe in, not just to get along.P.S. I get sick of it too. It is a sad state of affairs.

hi yada....I'm fairly certain that a correlation could be made between stupid people and those that take political commentary made by comedians as truth. Are you one of those people? I'm guessing yes.......:)

Please, we have let the national news medium, both sides, the national radio talk jerks, both sides and yes even congress has split us, both sides, they have poisoned our minds. I beg you to help put our country back together. Use common sense, let it start right here in rock county. And it will spread. Let's help each other. I promise that who ever the people elect I will support them,

carlitosway is off her meds again!

Misogynist Maher (who gave 1 million to the Obama "super Pac", Priority USA), said his donation was one his "wisest investments he ever made". So much for his intelligence!

All of a sudden, the dems would have us believe they are concerned about cost.
As of June 12th, the cost of all the recalls because of wanting a "redo", was in the range of $125-130 Million.
We have 67 municipalities who have yet to report (as required, by July 5) the cost of June 5 recalls to their municipalities. When they comply, we will know how much the dems have cost the Wisconsin taxpayers over the past year.
The dems can spend the next 3 months pouring over the district lines....it's all they have to do and they want to use their new offices before they get thrown out again.

Hey 916... are you one of them...Hope not.

http://planetsave.com/2012/02/27/bill-ma...

THEONE - Your comment was excellent and could not have been said better on WISLADY. I would also encourage all readers to take the time and read the comment & article that CARLIOTOSWAY(aug. 1, at 1:55)posted. Thank you for the excellent information to read - yes...liars they are. The State Journal did a fine job and this is important info for all.

carlitos...Your ignorance with regard to your little rant labeling the Republicans basically "anti-everyone" made me laugh:) Keep up the good work!

baecugb.......Lawsuits involving what??

carlitosway you are way off. It's not the sand where her head is stuck!

wislady get real!!! Your head is so far in the sand there is NO HOPE. Any woman/person that can support a group of people that are ANTI WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND ELDERLY and public workers, that protect, serve and educate our children,that want our state sold to the one with the most money and want to destroy the very meaning of demacracy is not much in my opinion.

d for yourself the full article and what the GOP in this state were up to. Liars all of them. http://host.madison.com/article_26cf1284...

To bad the gazette did not give the full article on this so the truth could be seen.

So we should always just move forward. Never look at the past and reflect on it? This should be public record from the beginning. If our Senate spends $500,000 on anything, I would like to know the reason(s) why.

The redistricting is done. Have the file all you want. Nothing will come of it.

oldtimer, it's too bad there aren't many more who think like you. We seem to have lost that commonality. I don't know if we'll ever get it back, but it's not looking good. I'm with you.

916WI: no problems with the party in power doing so. Major problems when they lie about it. Why didn't Fitzgerald just say so? Well, maybe there'd be lawsuits. And now there will be. But I agree with the ruling party doing the redistricting, but disagree with the expense and the lies. And the law firm shows up in too many stories involving corruption and the GOP.

"Now we know why Democrats wanted to win the recalls. To investigate why 500,000 was spent by the GOP for this nonsense."
I would have thought that the democrats wanted to win the recall elections, not to find out why the $500K was spent on redistricting, but rather to take control of our state's government and to reverse the direction that Walker was taking the state......silly me........:)

Cant we all be civil? I feel so bad that our country has gotten to this point. I was born in 1925 and have gone through a lot in my lifetime, we always had respect for each other. We were so together during WW II please let's all try and make our country great again. please?

baegucb........Huh? Did you honestly think that the Republicans would use their influence in the redistricting process to give the democrats every advantage possible?? Seriously?

I just love it how wislady tries to change the subject when she cannot justify the actions of the right and is afraid they will be exposed again for what they really are.

And it's even more humorous knowing she vilifies the left for doing the same.

Shoe on other foot?
Pot meet kettle?

Thanks for the laughs wis....

Now we know why Democrats wanted to win the recalls. To investigate why 500,000 was spent by the GOP for this nonsense.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/g...
reveals it was all about giving the GOP any advantage possible. Surprise!

Get ready for the Gazette PARTY as WISLADY gets closer to COMMENT NUMBER 4000. Read, laugh & enjoy...

http://www.gazettextra.com/users/wislady...

I guess I missed the part of this story that addressed the 67 municipalities and their recall costs.

Why haven't 67 of municipalities reported the recall costs as required?

There are many things to be concerned about, and going backwards to something that has even gone to litigation solves nothing. Of course, they will only be in the majority for a few months, so if this gives them a "feel good" moment, so be it.

http://www.wisconsinreporter.com/delinqu...

Shouldn't this be made public? I would be concerned about anyone wanting to keep this information from the public. And I would be concerned about why they had to "sign to secrecy". Transparency should be applicable to all parties, unless you are one who thinks only a select few should govern and in secrecy.

I guess the Republicans will take care of that.

I guess they aren't interesting in moving Forward, and working to create jobs.