Wisconsin Right Now

No response to the regrettable MPS debacle will be adequate if it does not include expanded educational choice for all families. Every child deserves an exit pass. Educational choice is the single policy with demonstrable results in the decades of MPS “reform” efforts. Scores of choice students have gone up while those of MPS students have declined. More than half of the city’s parents now use options enacted in the 1990s under Governor Tommy Thompson. The latest data available show that in the 2022-23 school year: • 5,766 Milwaukee students used the Open Enrollment program to enroll in a different public district than MPS; • 17,862 used public charter schools that operate outside the tentacles of the MPS bureaucracy; and • 28,916 used the pioneering Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) to attend a private school. Data below helps explain the popularity of the private school option. Figures 1 and 2 compare the percentage of students in MPS and private choice schools t

Seven members of Congress have debunked the misleading media claim that former President Donald Trump supposedly called Milwaukee a "horrible city" during a closed-door meeting with members of the U.S. House. We round up their comments below. “I was in the meeting. President Trump never disparaged Milwaukee. Just another Democrat hoax, "U.S. Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana wrote. https://twitter.com/Jim_Banks/status/1801287890141429907 The claim first originated from a reporter for a Washington D.C. area site called Punchbowl News and ricocheted throughout the media, sending Democrats rushing to their keyboards to post their sputtering outrage on social media. The Punchbowl News reporter claimed Trump said, "Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city." The only problem is that the claim is misleading at best, completely lacking context. Members of Congress who were actually in the closed-door media, which was not open to the press, sa

My father, John E. Wall, age 91, passed away on Monday, October 30th, 2017. He was one hell of a guy; I ought to know, I knew him all my life. I know, I know, everyone says that about their own father, and I get that, but consider this. My father, the oldest of five children, raised 11 children and in spite of one child being deaf, another requiring heart surgery, another with psoriasis, another falling from a cliff and dying far too young, in spite of job changes, city changes and more, in spite of it all, he persevered. John came of age during World War II and rather than be forced into the infantry, he graduated high school early and joined the Navy at an age when today's high school kids’ biggest concern is their iPhones. He became a rear gunner on a Navy Hell-diver; his job was to keep the enemy away from the plane while his pilot dive-bombed the two of them straight down on targeted ships. He was given orders to ship out for the invasion of the Japanese home islands when

Vice President Kamala Harris has a fight on her hands if she wants to inherit the Democratic presidential mantle after President Joe Biden’s time is over, according to a new poll. The Politico/Morning Consult poll shows that voters have serious doubts about Harris’ electability. The poll found only 14% of voters said it was “very likely” Harris would win a general election for president if she became the Democratic nominee. Another 20% said it was “somewhat likely.” The poll is especially noteworthy given Biden's age. The incumbent president is 81 years old and appears increasingly in decline. A moment of confusion for Biden at a June 6 D-Day ceremony went viral last week, the latest in a string of similar incidents. At the same time, Biden remains competitive with former President Donald Trump, though several polls suggest Trump has a lead over the president. Biden's incidents have led some to speculate that Democrats could or should try to replace Biden at the De

The dust has now settled after a period of time, when a former president was found “guilty” in a Kangaroo Court. Many patriotic Americans, myself included, had to take a deep breath or two to realize we have to go forward. This ruling means nothing. Yet, what did we, as Americans, learn? That our justice system has been corrupted and weaponized? You bet. Trump had an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with a porn star. Stormy Daniels. Not “hush money.” And he paid her. And she took the money. That had absolutely nothing to do with any election interference or a threat to Democracy. The federal prosecutors who originally looked into this could find nothing wrong and did not charge Trump with any crime. Years later, enter a prosecutor from New York. A really, really blue state with said prosecutor who ran for office on “getting Trump.” The charges against Trump had to be created. They had to be convoluted and made viable to make an actual case since such had been dismissed a long t

By Steve Ewing Time to throw the challenge flag on the MPS referendum. Recently, voters in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties passed a referendum to increase the tax levy by $252 million to fund the work of the Milwaukee Public Schools. The measure passed by a razor-thin margin, a little over 1,700 votes. The district said they needed the money to expand social and emotional learning to support academic growth as well as improve culture and climate. Referendum funding has been used to enhance recruitment and hiring efforts for school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. That’s what they told us. What they didn’t tell us was the district was in serious problems in a number of areas. These issues were known by the superintendent, the COO, and others.   Questions remain about what the board knew. If these problems had been brought to light before the election, the public might well have voted differently, and the referendum might well have failed. Then, there is th

Candidates Barry Braatz and Mandy Schepper have each announced major law enforcement endorsements as the two prosecutors compete to become Washington County DA. Braatz announced the endorsement of Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis. Schepper announced that she was endorsed by The Fraternal Order of Police Kettle Moraine Lodge #10. Both are running as Republicans in the August primary. “My involvement in this race came with much consideration and numerous conversations with law enforcement officials throughout our community and surrounding communities, after which my decision became clear - Barry Braatz is the proven prosecutor Washington County deserves leading the District Attorney's Office,” said Schulteis. “The safety and protection of all Washington County families has been, and continues to be, my number one priority. I know that Barry shares that same priority and he will be a strong partner with law enforcement in holding criminals accountable and keeping our