Cautiously Optimistic

It seems that unions are getting a lot of heat in Madison lately. I wouldn’t say it’s a new feeling among the populace here but the volume has certainly been turned up. My guess is the economy has people hating on state workers and their pay/benefits/retirement and the unions, who of course negotiated the packages.

I am ambivalent in regards to unions. I hate paying the dues every two weeks and I really don’t think the union has my back. I’ve had issues with “management” (if you want to call the bitch a manager) and the union was, well, less than receptive. I won’t go into details here but suffice to say I hate the fucking bitch and hope she dies in a fire.

Ahem. Anyway…

The one thing I do like about the union (and being a classified state worker in general) s that I know my job is mostly safe. Of course, I am a lazy state worker who does nothing more than punch in and sleep for a good five hours before I leave early, get free checkups from my dentist and my physician (with no co-pay even!), and buy airline tickets to Vegas through Expedia using my state p-card. Hell, I have two p-cards – let’s take the whole fucking gang!

Reading commentaries from the ill-informed masses who troll the WSJ website you’d think that was me. Of course, the truth is much less glamorous. I often work over 40 hours a week, both at campus and at home. I make 33% less than my private sector pals make. I don’t get year-end bonuses.

I do, however, get a great retirement package and other benefits so I can hardly complain. And I’m not. I love my job. I am, however, afraid that Scott Walker and his million-dollar private sector cronies will swoop in under the privatization plan Walker keeps touting at every campaign stop he makes.

Fuck Walker. That’s one feeling I’ll gladly share with the union.

Marquette University, home of traditional Jesuit morals and teachings, offered, then rescinded, a dean position to Jodi O’Brien based on the fact that she’s gay.

That’s not an entirely comprehensive way of looking at the situation, but that is how the supporters (myself included) will obviously spin it. Father Wild, the President of Marquette University, tried desperately to wheel himself back into a position of anti- anti-gay bashing, stating that Ms. O’Brien’s hiring then unhiring was not based on her sexual predilections.

Here’s what he has to say:

I want to say strongly, clearly and directly what this decision is not about. It is not about sexual identity. That’s important to say.

If we were approaching matters in that way, it is not only illegal, it’s against our Catholic faith.

We have a variety of men and women here who are homosexual who work in all sorts of venues at this university, holding a variety of positions. They do great work. They make a variety of contributions to this university. It is certainly not about sending a negative message to these men and women.

I also would say that we can, will and must learn from this. My colleagues and I who are responsible for conducting academic searches will, of course, learn something further on how we can improve our protocol and due diligence. But I think much more importantly, I have learned something about the work we need to do to get us to an even greater level of inclusion and support as a community so that decisions like this one, as difficult as they are, do not so quickly polarize us.

I can tell you that I will begin to make this journey of inclusion and diversity that we already have been on – a journey that this university has been on, all of us together, for a long time, certainly during these 14 years – one of my priorities in my remaining time in office.

The “official” story from Marquette states that, after the offer was made (but before it was announced) several large donors contacted Marquette and threatened to tighten the purse strings unless Ms. O’Brien was removed from consideration from the dean position.

Just goes to show you that, despite all of their words, teachings, and values, religion still values money over morals.

Stay classy Marquette.

-Jay out

Doyle announced today that the new high-speed rail station connecting Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago would be located at the Monona Terrace.

Many short-sighted people are arguing that this is a horrible place due to parking, lack of rail access, and the cost ($66 round-trip to Milwaukee). Some even argue that the train isn’t high-speed enough to justify a trip.

Let’s sort some of this shit out, shall we?

Infrastructure (Lack of parking/Poor rail access arguments)

Madison’s isthmus is nothing if not fairly narrow and congested. I’m not going to disagree on those points. HOWEVER, their is one thing that the isthmus here does have plenty of and that is rail access. Rail runs all along John Nolan Drive, East Wash, University, along hwy 14, etc. There’s plenty of rail. The problem is, the rail doesn’t support high-speed trains. BUT, this is why we received an $810 million payment from the federal government to, among other things, improve the rail lines. Madison to Milwaukee is already being planned out and replacing the rail will employ a ton of people.

The parking structure at Government East is being revamped to provide a total of 1200 parking spaces. Also, there is TONS of parking in and around the city center. The problem is, none of the fat-ass republicans hating on rail will acknowledge that others (those without cars who might take trains, for instance) will walk a few measly blocks and/or rely on bus access to the station. I think the republican fat cats are worried about where their monstrous Mercedes SUVs are going to be parked IF they had to lower themselves far enough to ride the train.

So those arguments are moot.

Ticket price

I’ll bend on this one. $66 is a bit expensive to be a daily trip sort of thing. HOWEVER, what people aren’t realizing is the overall cost of a ticket from Madison to Chicago or Minneapolis to Madison, two routes that are long, boring, tedious drives. I think a Madison connection would be more useful for one of those aforementioned trips, with the occasional Brewers game or Summerfest visit when driving just isn’t looking too appealing at the moment.

So, is it high-speed or what?

Yes and no is the real answer. Yes, it will eventually be a high-speed rail line connecting the four cities. Will it be high-speed at the very onset? No, or probably not, would be the way to answer that one. Rome wasn’t built in a day and, in this case, rail isn’t laid in under 2 years for high-speed capability. It will be, in time. Have faith and patience and ye shall see.

While I think an airport station might have been better overall (much, much more room out there, easier access, and hey, that rail-to-flight thing would be nice) I think a station at Monona Terrace is a great second choice. First Street wouldn’t work due to volume issues (ever drive East Washington at rush hour?) and the crime rates around there. It’ll work. Soon the rail station will be built, trains will be running, and the repubs will go on another bender, this time perhaps to outlaw condoms in any store that sells candy.

-Jay out