Campaigns and Elections,Fraley

Bannon Super PAC Endorses Nicholson for Senate

19 Oct , 2017  

Ousted White House Strategist Steve Bannon’s super PAC announced it’s supporting Kevin Nicholson, a Delafield businessman and former Democrat over Republican State Senator Leah Vukmir.  The Wisconsin State Journal called me looking for analysis of what this means to the US Senate race in Wisconsin.

Fraley, who has opposed Trump, said he’s skeptical Bannon and his allies will have much sway in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race. Attacks like those published by Breitbart “are more about raising money from national donors than about impacting what happens on the ground in Wisconsin,” Fraley said.

“These nationally driven narratives just don’t play at the grassroots level,” Fraley said.

Read the rest of the article on The Wisconsin State Journal website here.

Fraley

LOWER THE COSTS OF ROAD PROJECTS BY REDUCING RESTRICTIONS ON QUARRIES

15 Sep , 2017  

It is no secret I think the legislature continues to let the public down with their refusal to find a responsible and sustainable transportation budget that will stop needless construction delays and improve our second-worst-in-the-nation roads.

While that fight will have to continue to be waged, the legislature did pass several reforms aimed at making road construction more efficient and more affordable and making sure the public is more aware of what is being spent where​.

Yet some are balking at one of these cost saving reforms.

For years the costs of building roads have been higher than necessary because the aggregate used has to be hauled farther distances because of Wisconsin’s patchwork regulations on quarries.

Local ordinances have discouraged the opening and operation of quarries by imposing restrictions on their opporations and forcing new and increasing compliance costs. These costs impact the state budget​. Big time.

For road construction projects​,​ ​massive ​amounts of aggregate are needed – often several hundred thousand tons. Adding just a little bit to the cost of hauling this aggregate gets compounded quickly​. Each trip of each dump truck, multiplied by each job site – the math is staggering​. Th​is month the legislature included a provision in the budget that would increase the likelihood that ​road construction aggregate is quarried from places closer to each project. This is important because the further a supplier is from a project, the more expensive it is to haul.

Think gas costs a lot for you? Consider how much more diesel fuel is burned to haul a full truck of rock an additional 10 miles. Now multiply that by hundreds or thousands of trips…for each project.

In talking to folks in the industry, even I was amazed at how much savings can be realized. The quarry permitting reforms in the budget can save taxpayers millions of dollars.​

Here is just one example.The Highway 73 Interchange in Deerfield, where Highways 12/18 intersect with Highway 73, required a whopping 250,000 tons of aggregate. This took more than 12,000 truckloads to transport from a quarry to the job site. A quarry in Deerfield was chosen because it was only 2 minutes away. Had the state DOT had to rely upon the next-closest quarry, the project would have run $610,000 more just because the second-closest quarry would have been an additional 15 minutes away.

The good news is the closer quarry was able to be used. But what if that’s not always the case?

Let’s examine the I-39/90 project as an example. That bid called for approximately 400,000 tons of aggregate, requiring around 19,500 truckloads. (These big projects are bigger than I think most of us outside of the industry can really comprehend…think about that, 19,500 truckloads!). Anyway, that same Deerfield quarry mentioned above was the closest site, but it was prohibited from making the bid due to blasting ordinances imposed by the town (imagine having to follow the regulatory framework of 400 mini DNRs!). So the quarry that was chosen to supply the aggregate for this project was seven minutes father from the first. Those seven minutes, multiplied by the 19,500 truckloads, jacked the price of this project by more than $450,000!

So while I wished the legislature would have done the right thing ​with​ transportation funding, ​the ​quarrying provision in the budget at least will help keep costs down. These savings are passed down to you and I.

Yet, some are calling for this provision to be vetoed, a move that doesn’t make much sense to me.

Some think it poses a threat to the environment. Yet, the DNR will still be regulating these quarries.

Others say it’s unfair to single out aggregate, and they want all quarries to be included. Well, that’s like arguing to veto a tax cut because it’s not large enough. Embrace the pro-taxpayer position when you can, for crying out loud.

According to press accounts I’ve read, the Counties and Town associations say they are ok with this compromise, and this provision will save tax dollars.

If we refuse to improve the condition of the transportation fund in this state, we should at least do what we can to keep the costs down.

​Right?​

Fraley

The 9er Episode 3

16 Aug , 2017  

Is there still a need for Courtroom Sketch Artists?  Should there be a test before you can qualify to be one?  Why are we still having this conversation in 2017?

Also:

You name one other podcast that can tie today’s political tribulations to the hit(ish) early 80’s TV show Benson.

Dan, Lisa, and Brian take a crack at these topics and more on today’s 9er Podcast.

 

Solar Eclipse Madness

Kid Rock can’t get on ballot?

Fleas with the plague

Do we REALLY still need Courtroom Sketch Artists?

Mooch the sitcom star?

#RallyCat

Rich SF Residents Shocked that a couple bought their street.

Why Generation X Might Be Our Last, Best Hope

Confessions: Brian’s Fight

Check out this episode!

Fraley,Podcast,Wheelercast

The Wheelercast: 8/07/2017

7 Aug , 2017  

Not. So. Fast. On this week’s episode of The Wheelercast, we look at some scheduling conflicts that could delay votes on both the State Budget and the Foxconn package. Plus we review last week’s marathon Assembly committee hearing on the massive economic development deal.

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Fraley

Scaramucci Takes Paternity Leave

31 Jul , 2017  

I joined Steve Scaffidi and Eric Bilstad on WTMJ AM620 in Milwaukee for an impromptu segment mere moments after White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci was fired this afternoon.

Political Staffing 101: If as a staffer you become the story, you are failing your boss.

Click on the audio file below to hear it.

Fraley,Podcast

The Wheelercast 7/31/2017

31 Jul , 2017  

The largest economic development deal in Wisconsin state government history has been negotiated, and Gwyn has details regarding the substance of and timeline for legislative action on the Foxconn deal. Things are moving quickly. How quickly, and how could this impact the State Budget impasse? This news and more on the latest episode of The Wheelercast.

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Dailytakes On Air,Fraley

Perspective on Reince Out as White House Chief of Staff

31 Jul , 2017  

John Mercure of 620-WTMJ radio reached out to me to get my thoughts on President Trump letting Reince Priebus go as Chief of Staff, replacing him with retired General (and Homeland Security Secretary) John Kelly.

Listen to the segment starting at 12:00.

 

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Fraley,Podcast

The Wheelercast 7/24/2017

24 Jul , 2017  

After a week filled with developments in the state budget negotiations, Gwyn brings us up to speed and anticipates what could happen in the week ahead. Then, we crack open the archives of the Wheeler Report to examine the history behind a recent key court ruling. All this, plus a tribute to an outgoing member of the Walker Administration, on this week’s episode of The Wheelercast.

 

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Fraley

The Wheelercast 7/17/2017

17 Jul , 2017  

Tuesday could see a huge development in the State Budget drama. Wisconsin lawmakers are also working on an incentive package to try to lure Foxconn’s proposed new plant. State Representative Samantha Kerkman took to social media to help her constituents during and in the aftermath of the flood. All this and more in this jam-packed episode of The Wheelercast.

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