Wisconsin chickens are coming home to roost

MoonHowler

From the  Huffington Post:

Democratic State Sen. Dave Hansen Wins First Wisconsin Recall Election!

Sen. Hansen’s victory is a validation of the lengths he and the rest of the ‘Wisconsin 14’ went to in their efforts to stall the Wisconsin GOP’s extreme right-wing, anti-working family agenda,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Michael Sargeant. “His constituents understand that he fights for them, not for extreme ideologues.”

There are the nuts and bolts.  Scott Walker and crew did their best to recall Sen. Hanson’s last election  victory,  to no avail.   This victory will probably be the first of many for Democrats who stood their ground for public employees.  Wisconsin is a union state and things like what happened in Madison last winter just do not sit well. 

Three Democratic state senators  are being targeted for recall and  each have at least $140,000 in the bank, according to spending reports filed Monday with state election officials.

Insulting public employees is just not the way to  impress voters.  Walker and his gang need to find another way to balance their state budget, rather than doing it on the backs of the public employees.

 

Ty Cowherd, PWC Employee and High School Friend, Killed in Motorcycle Accident

Elena

You know when you “grow up” and have kids of your own, you sometimes forget that previous life you may have lived as a young person? 

I found out yesterday, a high school friend was killed in a motorcycle accident in Fairfax this past Saturday.  We were a trio, Ty, my best friend Debbi who was his girlfriend, and me.   I called her last night and we spent over an hour on the phone, remembering Ty, and all the hilarious and crazy stuff we did together.  Ty had the sweetest smile and was always laid back.   He didn’t care that I was the third wheel, I was Debbi’s best friend and I never felt like an interloper. 

I asked Debbi last night, “did you guys get sick of me? “And she said vehemently “No, you were my bud!”.   T hey dated most of their high school “career” and we shared some great memories.  My face hurt from laughing so much.

My sympathy goes out to all his loved ones. 

Life is tenuous, each day really is a gift,  we may think we control our lives, but in the end, our journey is on a path, set in motion, by a random set of choices we make each day.  Each choice containing a different outcome.  Rest in Peace Ty.

http://manassas.patch.com/articles/county-employee-killed-in-motorcycle-crash-manassas-area-man-also-injured

Two 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycles, operated by a 50-year-old Manassas-area man and Cowherd, were each traveling eastbound on Braddock Road in the left travel lane when the Lexus turned left in front of the motorcycles.

Both men applied their brakes but could not stop in time, police said, striking the passenger side of the sedan.

The two men and the female passenger, identified as a 44-year-old woman of Annandale, were all wearing helmets and transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to police.

Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash. This investigation is ongoing.

Cowherd was employed by the county’s Neighborhood Services Division, a division of the Department of Public Works. According to its website, he was chief property code inspector for the department.

Sean Hoare, whistleblower, found dead

MoonHowler

From the Washington Post:

The Guardian reports that Sean Hoare, the former News of the World reporter who first claimed that Andy Coulson knew of phone hacking by his staff, has been found dead at his home. The police told the Guardian that they do not know how Hoare died, but do not believe the cause of death to be suspicious.

Hoare gave an interview to the New York Times in 2010 that bolstered allegations the phone hacking was a widespread and accepted practice at the tabloid. He also said that Coulson encouraged the practice. Hoare was let go from the News of the World for problems related to drinking and drugs.

Hoare had been in contact with the Guardian and the New York Times only last week, stating that the News of the World staff used police technology to track phones.

Here is the 2010 BBC interview with Hoare speaking about the phone hacking.

So why do people just die but nothing is suspicious?  The guy doesn’t look old enough for it to have been from natural causes.  In fact, he looks downright chipper.  The more that is turned up, the more suspicious all of this story is beginning to sound. 

It can’t all be about phone hacking.  As nasty of a habit as that might be, it isn’t worth the head of Scotland Yard resigning and the Prime Minister (or 2 or 3) ducking and heading for cover.  Was Sean murdered to protect some big muckety muck in England?  Will the Murdoch scandal cross the Big Pond?  Will Steve Doocy continue to make up excuses and exclaim that the media is ‘piling on’ poor Rupert Murdoch?  Are the friends at Faux News getting a little nervous over their jobs?  If Murdoch crumbles, can their godfather be far behind?

Inquiring minds want to know.