Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Why we should not elect Scott Walker
As the Wisconsin State Gubernatorial race looms near I would like to reiterate the facts of why we should not re-elect Scott Walker.
2 days after he was elected in 2010 on a promise of jobs, he renegged on Talgo Industries, who had a signed contract for a high speed rail system between Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago and Talgo had gone ahead starting the implementation of this facility. This deal would have provided almost 5,000 jobs, 40 of which had already been hired, and would have been a big boost to our local economy. Instead, the state of Wisconsin is being sued to the tune of almost $70 million and guess who'll pay for this mistake?? Not Scott Walker! The high speed rail funding has been shifted to other states that have the good sense to accept it.
Act 10 came down on the state like an ax, grinding away at incomes, benefits and health and educational programs. Walker made scapegoats of state employees, insinuating they were not the “real taxpayers”. And as much as he insisted the state was broke, he still found room for more tax cuts! Some of the results of Act 10 are as follows:
State employees took a 5.8% pay cut and now pay twice as much for their health benefits. I know several employees who took early retirement because of Act 10 and there were many more who I didn't know that decided they'd rather leave than work for the state. This caused a shortfall of tax revenues due to the decrease in employment which directly affected Walker's budget. He took $25.6 million out of $31.6 million in federal funding to plug his budget holes. This was federal funding from the nation's largest mortgage lenders that was earmarked for victims of the illegal mortgage practices!
Grants for research were slashed forcing researchers to bail from the UW for lack of funding. This threatens the UW's standing as a premiere research facility in this country.
Almost $900 million cut from education, the deepest cut in the state's history. 74% of school districts have had to lay off teachers, resulting in larger class sizes and compromises in quality of education. Many valuable school programs have been cut, such as music, reading, physical education, special education and drop-out prevention programs. I have spoken to students who were thinking about majoring in Education but changed their minds after Act 10.
$250 million in cuts to the UW system, 30% less funding for community colleges and technical colleges.
Walker tried to reduce state employee retirement packages from pensions to 401(k)'s, but fortunately it was recommended to him to leave them as they are one of the best funded pensions in the country. That, however, doesn't mean he won't try to come after them again if he is re-elected. Another group of employees he has an ax to grind with is county employees. If re-elected, he could go after them.
The final insult from Act 10 is that the Unions agreed to his demands regarding benefit concessions if he would repeal his demands to cut collective bargaining rights. He refused.
Women in Wisconsin should be aware that he repealed a 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act. Women make $.75 to every $1.00 men make in Wisconsin and directly affects what benefits they are eligible for. Walker also signed legislation mandating invasive ultrasounds, lectures and other regulations governing women's health. Abortion is a hot-button issue, but this bill also killed free breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings for women and mandated that insurance companies no longer need to cover birth control. Some of those same insurance companies, however, cover Viagra!
Walker refused to implement the Affordable Care Act on the federal level, leaving the state to implement it, which has caused higher premiums for those that need it. Using the ACA as an excuse, he cut Badger Care and refused to expand Medicaid. He refused federal funding that would have covered 84,700 residents; 33,000 of those were children. This led to a $119 million cut to his state budget.
Walker signed a bill authorizing the Department of Administration to sell state heating, cooling and power plants without the requirement to solicit bids. The Koch Brothers surely benefited from that bill.
Scott Walker raises 60-70% of his campaign funds out of state for a state election. That tells me that a lot of state's money goes elsewhere.
Walker's tab for the John Doe investigation has reached over $600,000. Guess who will be paying that tab? Not Scott Walker! Walker's top Aide was charged and sentenced for taking more than $20,000 intended for Operation Freedom. Another 2 of his officials were charged and convicted of stealing more than $60,000 from Veterans funds. The president and CEO of Wisconsin and Southern Railroad pled guilty to 2 felony charges relating to the campaign finance violations.
As Milwaukee County Executive, Walker fought against receiving $750,000 to build a residential center for homeless veterans. Fortunately he lost that one.
This is not the kind of leadership that helps Wisconsin residents. Please vote for Mary Burke!!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Things just keep getting funner
The other day I went to my usual neurological check and something new came up. I have something that is referred to as Pseudobulbar affect, also known as emotional incontinence. It is in short the in ability to control emotions. Laughing and or crying at inappropriate times. It makes it also very difficult to show true emotions, appearing mad when not. You here about this with Alzhiemers but not so much with Parkinson's, but Dr says it is common with pretty much all neurological disorders.
The next day I went to a speech therapist because my voice is getting softer and weaker. Also I had a swallow test. That didn't go to well I have to go in for a video swallow test. It is an x-ray of me swallowing barium. Seems the only part of the test I passed was sipping orange juice. Apple sauce was a bit tougher when it came to a soda cracker that was it. First bite was hard to get down, the second did me in. I chocked and coughed for about 10 minute's ending the test and requiring the video test. Seems I use many more muscles to swallow than is normal. We are going to worry about voice later, this is getting old fast.
As I had said in the beginning of this blog it is a way of sharing how this Parkinson's progresses and things to watch out for. When things don't just seem right you need to find out what is going on. Sometimes I feel like ignoring things that are going on but it is just putting off the inevitable.
The next day I went to a speech therapist because my voice is getting softer and weaker. Also I had a swallow test. That didn't go to well I have to go in for a video swallow test. It is an x-ray of me swallowing barium. Seems the only part of the test I passed was sipping orange juice. Apple sauce was a bit tougher when it came to a soda cracker that was it. First bite was hard to get down, the second did me in. I chocked and coughed for about 10 minute's ending the test and requiring the video test. Seems I use many more muscles to swallow than is normal. We are going to worry about voice later, this is getting old fast.
As I had said in the beginning of this blog it is a way of sharing how this Parkinson's progresses and things to watch out for. When things don't just seem right you need to find out what is going on. Sometimes I feel like ignoring things that are going on but it is just putting off the inevitable.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
I know, more pd and driving
This has taken a while for me to write because it really isn't about Parkinson's per se but it has a great deal to do with living with pd. We had a neighbor named Bob whose wife was trying g to get him to stop driving for several years. Bob had very bad arthritis in his neck, could barely turn his head. It's hard to explain exactly what he did but over the course o about 5 years as a neighbor he had gone of the road into snow on either side of the driveway having to be pulled out. He has driven through our yard several time because he could not see or with the snow could not make out our little driveway/road.
He had a very frightening habit of when he needed to make a left turn out of our drive onto the 2 lane highway in front of the house. He would pull to the road turn right on the shoulder look in his rear view mirrors then turn hard left and do a u-turn to go up the road. A truck driver across the road and myself a former truck driver knew he would someday really hurt or kill someone. June 13 it happened.
My wife had just turned into the drive a Bob pulled out. I was inside waiting for her to get home. I heard the crash , ran to the window and at first just saw my wifes car. I was terrified then looked and saw another car in the front yard. He had been t-boned right in the drivers door. I didn't see the other car till I got out side found my wife was ok. The car in the yard was Bob's. My wife called 911 and we all headed over to Bob. He was still concious but hurting very bad. He had to be cut out of his car. We were all out there directing traffic and doing what we could till help arrived. The other driver was hurt pretty bad, didn't have his seat belt on and his head hit the windshield and was nearly scalped. Bob has caused 4 or 5 other accidents doing this same thing.
Bob was taken to the local hospital then med flighted to the university of Wisconsin Madison. He had broken his neck in 2 places. They did 11 and a half hours of surgery but he was paralyzed from his chest down. There was nothing more they could do. He died 2 days later.
I know this wasn't pd related by it was mobility related, just like the stiffness we all feel. My point with this story is that his wife had tried for years to get him to stop driving. I know how hard it is to stop, I still drive some but when my wife says stop I let her take over. I drive short distances alone but anything else only when she is with me. When she sees I'm stiff can't move or just not good to drive I don't. When our loved ones tell us to stop we need to listen. If we wonder if we should stop we should have already.
So many times here someone will ask about driving when you ask please think about Bob and stop. Don't put your life or others at risk. If someone you Love says stop PLEASE STOP. Don't be Bob or a possible victim.
He had a very frightening habit of when he needed to make a left turn out of our drive onto the 2 lane highway in front of the house. He would pull to the road turn right on the shoulder look in his rear view mirrors then turn hard left and do a u-turn to go up the road. A truck driver across the road and myself a former truck driver knew he would someday really hurt or kill someone. June 13 it happened.
My wife had just turned into the drive a Bob pulled out. I was inside waiting for her to get home. I heard the crash , ran to the window and at first just saw my wifes car. I was terrified then looked and saw another car in the front yard. He had been t-boned right in the drivers door. I didn't see the other car till I got out side found my wife was ok. The car in the yard was Bob's. My wife called 911 and we all headed over to Bob. He was still concious but hurting very bad. He had to be cut out of his car. We were all out there directing traffic and doing what we could till help arrived. The other driver was hurt pretty bad, didn't have his seat belt on and his head hit the windshield and was nearly scalped. Bob has caused 4 or 5 other accidents doing this same thing.
Bob was taken to the local hospital then med flighted to the university of Wisconsin Madison. He had broken his neck in 2 places. They did 11 and a half hours of surgery but he was paralyzed from his chest down. There was nothing more they could do. He died 2 days later.
I know this wasn't pd related by it was mobility related, just like the stiffness we all feel. My point with this story is that his wife had tried for years to get him to stop driving. I know how hard it is to stop, I still drive some but when my wife says stop I let her take over. I drive short distances alone but anything else only when she is with me. When she sees I'm stiff can't move or just not good to drive I don't. When our loved ones tell us to stop we need to listen. If we wonder if we should stop we should have already.
So many times here someone will ask about driving when you ask please think about Bob and stop. Don't put your life or others at risk. If someone you Love says stop PLEASE STOP. Don't be Bob or a possible victim.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
PD Vacation
This past month my wife and I did a vacation in our motor home, we did 3200 miles in 27 days. For anyone with parkinson's you know how hard and tiring travel is. For the first week and a half it wasn't to bad, in fact I did something I haven't done in years. I flew an open cockpit biplane. Not alone of course but with the owner. My wife had her very first ride in one. Meeting up with old friends again was great. As the days and the miles added up so did the fatigue, by the last few days for every day of being ok I had 2 days where all I could do was sleep. In addition I was a few days short of the meds I needed. This only added to the fatigue and feeling sick. Every once in a while I get the feeling that there is nothing wrong with me but boy if I miss some of my meds I realize that yes I do have pd.
I will spend some time getting pictures and a couple of video's to post here and more about a trip like this.
I will spend some time getting pictures and a couple of video's to post here and more about a trip like this.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Next part
Dealing with the name calling was hard other things were much harderwalking down the hall and haveing guys in a group calling names then have one run and jump andkick/push to see how far I'd fall and slide was the worst, and it was always groups never alone. Typical coward and bully behavior. Going to the principal was useless so I just lived with it.
Home was not much better, my dad had always had a mean streak especially when he drank, and he did drink. when I was 6 or 7 he dtarted making me go with him. I would sit and have a pop and fritos while he sat and drank and talked with his buddies. By the time I was 9 I was driving him home.
So after my folks picked me up it was a long ride home. My dad said very little, in fact he was pretty quiet all week end. Then all hell broke loose. I expected punishment but this was almost surreal. It was a nice day sunny warmand just sfter lunch he exploded. It was just him, my mother , an me at home . It started slow like a volcano. He started say stuff and then how I ruined his life. I guess his drinking pals started saying things, to the point he had to change bars. He started pushing and punching and throwing me around the house. The he pulled out a butcher knife and trowing it at me yelling I ruined his life he wanted me to KILL HIM. This lasted for what seems like hours. My mother just screaming and crying. She couldn't stop him and neither could I. By the time it wss over I wanted to fill his wish.
The only reason I added all this to the story is I have had so many who knew the basic story comment how proud I should be of it. How amazing it was. An amazing adventure and so on. I am not criticizing any one, I think that what the result was for me was a wonderful career. I went on to fulfill my dream of flying. I will say that my dad did become very proud of what I had accomplished. Even took him with me on a few freight flights.
This is pretty well the whole story of my taking the airplane on April 30 1965. As I said this is part of what is just one chapter of my life. I'm not sure I have ever told the whole story to anyone. It has taken a long time to open up on this. I know I have told some.
Like I said this was a very big event in my life and had a large effect on who I am. The story continued for several years, this was the worst part. The legal result was I was put on probation until I was 18. The only condition was that I could not go to the airport with out an adult. At 14 I joined the Civil Air Patrol and was at the airport for the next 40 years.
Home was not much better, my dad had always had a mean streak especially when he drank, and he did drink. when I was 6 or 7 he dtarted making me go with him. I would sit and have a pop and fritos while he sat and drank and talked with his buddies. By the time I was 9 I was driving him home.
So after my folks picked me up it was a long ride home. My dad said very little, in fact he was pretty quiet all week end. Then all hell broke loose. I expected punishment but this was almost surreal. It was a nice day sunny warmand just sfter lunch he exploded. It was just him, my mother , an me at home . It started slow like a volcano. He started say stuff and then how I ruined his life. I guess his drinking pals started saying things, to the point he had to change bars. He started pushing and punching and throwing me around the house. The he pulled out a butcher knife and trowing it at me yelling I ruined his life he wanted me to KILL HIM. This lasted for what seems like hours. My mother just screaming and crying. She couldn't stop him and neither could I. By the time it wss over I wanted to fill his wish.
The only reason I added all this to the story is I have had so many who knew the basic story comment how proud I should be of it. How amazing it was. An amazing adventure and so on. I am not criticizing any one, I think that what the result was for me was a wonderful career. I went on to fulfill my dream of flying. I will say that my dad did become very proud of what I had accomplished. Even took him with me on a few freight flights.
This is pretty well the whole story of my taking the airplane on April 30 1965. As I said this is part of what is just one chapter of my life. I'm not sure I have ever told the whole story to anyone. It has taken a long time to open up on this. I know I have told some.
Like I said this was a very big event in my life and had a large effect on who I am. The story continued for several years, this was the worst part. The legal result was I was put on probation until I was 18. The only condition was that I could not go to the airport with out an adult. At 14 I joined the Civil Air Patrol and was at the airport for the next 40 years.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
49 years ago today
As I started writing about myself, my life the events of 49 years ago today are a major driving part of my life.
I think after next year 50 years maybe I will be able to let it go, we'll see. I did so many things to my life from then on it's hard to quantify but in the spirit of writing about my life for my kids and grand kids I am going to talk honestly and fully about what I did, why I did it, and the effect it had.
The day was just picture perfect spring day, I got up got ready for school left as usual but on the way to the bus stop something changed. For some reason for the first time in my life I just didn't go to school. Instead I did as I had done 100'ds of times I went to the airport. I walked through a small woods, left a math textbook there. Then I just went bumming around the airport.
After a couple of hours sticking my nose in airplanes, walking through the hangers I came across a cessna 150 with the key in it. I'm not sure why but I took it and continued walking around.
At the time another airport nearby was flooded and all the airplanes and a temporary control tower wer at this airport so there was much more than usual to look at. At some point I got in another cessna 150, the one pictured above, pulled out the key and started it!!! It started to move and I didn't know where the brakes were. All the reading I had done never really mentioned them. Now moving and afraid I taxied to the runway. I could remember most of what i had read and kept on going. As I approached the end of the runway the tower gave me a green light meaning I was cleared fot takeoff. I did.
The take off was less than professional looking and they guessed right away that this was not right. It was however too late, I was flying and had no intention of coming back. What followed was about 15 minutes that passed between terror and wonder. I was flying not well by any standard but I was flying. I knew I had to land sooner or later so I picked a corn field to land in. Very poor choice as I was later able to tell many of the people I taught to fly without giving them the details. Anyway there are a couple of points I want to stress, first I picked a place to land and landed there. Second is that the airplane had been on all three wheels after I landed, but going across the rows the nose gear snapped and I flipped over hitting my head on the instrument panel and causing a pretty good cut in my forehead. Hanging upside down I released the seat belt and got the hell out of there.
Bloody and dirty running like crazy and not realizing that I had been followed on radar from the moment I left the ground it was not long before police, fire, and ambulance arrived on scene. Not to mention a local St. Paul tv station and a reporter named Quinten Neufeld. At the time they had no trouble showing a minor on tv and by dinner time all of my friends and their parents knew about it. This is where my world went to hell.
Bleeding like I was the first place I went was a hospital in Hastings Mn for stitches to my fore head and to wait for my parents. That as you can imagine did not go well. By dinner time I had heard from all of my friendsn, they were no longer allowed to be around me. This was a Friday when I went to school on Monday it was all over. The name calling pushing and what ever bullying you can imagine began that Monday. It lasted until the day I graduated. I had a few friends over the remaining 5 years and to everyone of them I am eternally greatful.
The bullying even extended to teachers. Remember I said I left a math book in the woods, well someone found it and turned it in. My math teacher at the time was Mr. Woods funny huh. Well he decided to all by himself teach me a lesson about "leaving a book out there" and proceeded to join in with most of my classmates and started beating me up inthe hallway. Very tough guy taking on a 13 year old kid. For thebiggest part of the rest of my time at that school I avoided it and everyone. I honestly believe if I would have had access to guns the way they are out there now. I bring this part up because it profoundly changed the way I looked at and remember my school years, and also thst bullying isn't something new but it is something you can survive and even thrive. I went on followed my dream and became an airline pilot. The fellow who owned the plane taught me how to fly, hired me as a flight instructor and helped me on my way to a career as an airline pilot.
The reporter Quint Neufeld on my 16th birthday came out and filmed my legal first solo flight and years later was news director at that same tv station who called to have me fly reporters and camera men to stories. The airplane I soloed in is the same one that is in the picture above.
The next part of the story is much harder to tell but equally important because it had a big influence on who I am. But its late and that is for next time.
The day was just picture perfect spring day, I got up got ready for school left as usual but on the way to the bus stop something changed. For some reason for the first time in my life I just didn't go to school. Instead I did as I had done 100'ds of times I went to the airport. I walked through a small woods, left a math textbook there. Then I just went bumming around the airport.
After a couple of hours sticking my nose in airplanes, walking through the hangers I came across a cessna 150 with the key in it. I'm not sure why but I took it and continued walking around.
At the time another airport nearby was flooded and all the airplanes and a temporary control tower wer at this airport so there was much more than usual to look at. At some point I got in another cessna 150, the one pictured above, pulled out the key and started it!!! It started to move and I didn't know where the brakes were. All the reading I had done never really mentioned them. Now moving and afraid I taxied to the runway. I could remember most of what i had read and kept on going. As I approached the end of the runway the tower gave me a green light meaning I was cleared fot takeoff. I did.
The take off was less than professional looking and they guessed right away that this was not right. It was however too late, I was flying and had no intention of coming back. What followed was about 15 minutes that passed between terror and wonder. I was flying not well by any standard but I was flying. I knew I had to land sooner or later so I picked a corn field to land in. Very poor choice as I was later able to tell many of the people I taught to fly without giving them the details. Anyway there are a couple of points I want to stress, first I picked a place to land and landed there. Second is that the airplane had been on all three wheels after I landed, but going across the rows the nose gear snapped and I flipped over hitting my head on the instrument panel and causing a pretty good cut in my forehead. Hanging upside down I released the seat belt and got the hell out of there.
Bloody and dirty running like crazy and not realizing that I had been followed on radar from the moment I left the ground it was not long before police, fire, and ambulance arrived on scene. Not to mention a local St. Paul tv station and a reporter named Quinten Neufeld. At the time they had no trouble showing a minor on tv and by dinner time all of my friends and their parents knew about it. This is where my world went to hell.
Bleeding like I was the first place I went was a hospital in Hastings Mn for stitches to my fore head and to wait for my parents. That as you can imagine did not go well. By dinner time I had heard from all of my friendsn, they were no longer allowed to be around me. This was a Friday when I went to school on Monday it was all over. The name calling pushing and what ever bullying you can imagine began that Monday. It lasted until the day I graduated. I had a few friends over the remaining 5 years and to everyone of them I am eternally greatful.
The bullying even extended to teachers. Remember I said I left a math book in the woods, well someone found it and turned it in. My math teacher at the time was Mr. Woods funny huh. Well he decided to all by himself teach me a lesson about "leaving a book out there" and proceeded to join in with most of my classmates and started beating me up inthe hallway. Very tough guy taking on a 13 year old kid. For thebiggest part of the rest of my time at that school I avoided it and everyone. I honestly believe if I would have had access to guns the way they are out there now. I bring this part up because it profoundly changed the way I looked at and remember my school years, and also thst bullying isn't something new but it is something you can survive and even thrive. I went on followed my dream and became an airline pilot. The fellow who owned the plane taught me how to fly, hired me as a flight instructor and helped me on my way to a career as an airline pilot.
The reporter Quint Neufeld on my 16th birthday came out and filmed my legal first solo flight and years later was news director at that same tv station who called to have me fly reporters and camera men to stories. The airplane I soloed in is the same one that is in the picture above.
The next part of the story is much harder to tell but equally important because it had a big influence on who I am. But its late and that is for next time.
Living in chronic pain
Something that is very hard to explain to someone is what living with chronic pain is like. Everyone has pain now and then, sometimes it's even frequent. Maybe an asprin or two will take care of it. But true chronic pain is ALWAYS THERE, IT NEVER GOES AWAY. it is there in the morning and it is there when you go to bed. Pills can ease the pain, put it a little in the background but it is always there. I bring this up because one, I am very familiar myself with this but I know several people who suffer this day in and day out.
Unfortunately for most of us it is so hard to quantify, it is hard to get Dr's to believe and hard to make family and friends understand. No one I know who lives this way wants sympathy just understanding. Whether it is like my leg cramping and feeling like my feet are trying to fold. To CRPS which is Complex Radiating Pain Syndrome, which continues to get worse and is debilitating. Sometimes drugs help, sometimes not but most of us do not want to go through life under the influence of drugs. Most try to just push through the pain as much as possible taking pills only when it gets to bad. I does however prevent people from doingmany of the things we would normally do.
It like many other things are unseen medical problem. No different than say depression. It is so easy to judge and not believe, I was guilty of that myself but lucky me I get to learn about it myself. Karma I guess. Thing is I know of no one who lives with this or makes claim of this to "game" the system. Believe me most would give almost anything to be back to normal. Disability insurance does not come near to a normal jobs pay or the loss of a lifelong career that was a dream.
Constant pain.
Loss of sleep.
Loss of income.
It is not a choice anyone would make. So please be a bit more understanding and a little less judgmental.
Unfortunately for most of us it is so hard to quantify, it is hard to get Dr's to believe and hard to make family and friends understand. No one I know who lives this way wants sympathy just understanding. Whether it is like my leg cramping and feeling like my feet are trying to fold. To CRPS which is Complex Radiating Pain Syndrome, which continues to get worse and is debilitating. Sometimes drugs help, sometimes not but most of us do not want to go through life under the influence of drugs. Most try to just push through the pain as much as possible taking pills only when it gets to bad. I does however prevent people from doingmany of the things we would normally do.
It like many other things are unseen medical problem. No different than say depression. It is so easy to judge and not believe, I was guilty of that myself but lucky me I get to learn about it myself. Karma I guess. Thing is I know of no one who lives with this or makes claim of this to "game" the system. Believe me most would give almost anything to be back to normal. Disability insurance does not come near to a normal jobs pay or the loss of a lifelong career that was a dream.
Constant pain.
Loss of sleep.
Loss of income.
It is not a choice anyone would make. So please be a bit more understanding and a little less judgmental.
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