@Bren -

If you're attending, I'll be sure to save you a seat right next to Hoffa ;-)

Did your employer pop for the ticket?

Nice to see the conserve are getting all Frothy.

@Keith -

Thanks for the well wishes - that's very kind of you!

Seeing as how I'm a self-employed independent contractor, yes, Hoffa most certainly did "pop for the ticket." What, did you think that the Teamsters were going to purchase it for me?

Three Patchers are going to cover the event and I am one of them. Would be great to meet you Hoffa. I'm also wondering for those of you who won't be going, what questions do you have for the candidates?

@Denise -

Sounds good - I hope to see you there!

I'll do my best to seek you out. Heather A should be able to provide you with a picture of me from my FB page if you don't already know what I look like, which isn't anything at all like JRH or Jack Nicholson ;-)

Yeah, Imagine the horror - people who want to run a successful business and provide valuable services and make a $$$ - WHO AREN'T ON THE TAXPAYERS DIME.

Patch - THE Voice of Arianna Huffington and the NY SWPL/JAP Left-Wing Establishment.

"What role will Arianna Huffington now play in the Patch properties?

Recall that Huffington talked up Patch when AOL bought her site last spring and that she later told Vogue that “going local” was one of two things that made up her “Zeitgeist” (who says things like that?).

Huffington has also taken a hands-on role by promoting a “Local Voices” opinion feature and by launching 33 new Patch sites in states at the center of the Republican primaries."

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-where-does-arianna-fit-into-aols-new-patch-plans/

LOCAL VOICES? Not here. It's a cadre of professional posters, light on the intellect and facts who are pushing a radical agenda.

HERE is what successful, intellectual people THINK of The Patch and it's crew of professional posters:

"The question that must be driving Armstrong and Patch boss Warren Webster nuts is: Why is Patch's traffic so low? (Besides the Moonbats who shout you down!)

Critics attack Patch's content as "piffle," too boosterish, irrelevant, or amateurish. All of that may be true, but it's not the real problem."

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-01-26/tech/30047463_1_patch-aol-ceo-run-aol#ixzz1pkfnlaBE

Lyle - let me beat you to it!

"Critics attack Patch's content as "piffle," too boosterish, irrelevant, or amateurish. All of that may be true, but it's not the real problem."

Intellectual and factual people find it very boorish and abrasive to have a dedicated troll attacking their every post and offering nothing of substance. THAT IS YOU! The only tactic you have is to shut people down with your poor manners - which, I must admit, is very effective - especially on me - no doubt.

Patch can best be regarded as a Junior High level of playground debate - led by a cadre of professional posters with a radical left-wing agenda. light on facts and intellect.

OK - now blast away.

My tact to counter your ignorance will be to post, then leave the issue. Responding to multiple baseless attacks is pointless anyway.

You made me laugh out loud Tim... thanks for that chuckle.

@Denise -

Yeah, unfortunately, even my side has its conspiracy theorists.

Per the article cited by Tim Scott: "The real problem with Patch is that no one needs it."

I disagree. I find Patch to be helpful to the local community, posting stories regarding local issues typically not found in other media publications. The local editors remain both involved with the local community and informed of local issues (thanks Denise Lockwood – you’re appreciated!).

As far as comments to the blogs, I find that Patch's comments to generally be more civil and thoughtful than those posted at other online publications. Furthermore, you will find regular "trolls" commenting at any publication, Patch or otherwise.

I generally don’t view any commenter to be “professional” or paid-for. Instead, I believe that many who comment regularly do so merely a hobby to engage in online debate regarding underlying issues, or as a vehicle for promoting an underlying viewpoint. Some are more eloquent, tactful or better informed than others, but such is life. If any commenters are indeed “professional” in terms of promoting an agenda, then certainly their presence is not unique to Patch.

What IS unique to Patch is the ability of any reader to become part of the publication by submitting their own “blog” or story. Such access is not typically available at other publications outside of “letters to the editor.” And while I may disagree with the underlying perspective presented by the authors of such blogs or stories, I nonetheless value these stories or blogs for allowing me to observe how others think and to understand what issues are important to them.

Patchreader, I absolutely agree with your views about Patch.

We have vigorous political discussions in a forum that allows us to link information sources, challenge perceptions and even step back and reflect. I believe we all do learn from our discourses, I know I have. I'd go as far as to suggest we are becoming a community.

Keith, someone has apparently hijacked my username for the second time in two days. The Patch editor has advised me to uplink an image to differentiate us, so I have uplinked an original artwork I own.

Bren for Real -- I doubt if the numbskull even lives in Shorewood.

@John T. Pokrandt -

It's actually taking place on the public sidewalks / thoroughfare around the mall fronting Bluemound Ave (north side of the mall frontage).

Check out the event's Facebook page for more information - http://www.facebook.com/events/307338025994069/

Hope to see you there!

NOBODY is attacking me!!!!! Where's that rhetoric coming from? Male politicians.

Denise:

Do you honestly think that any question involving the phrase 'their attack on women' is a 'good question'? I sincerely hope that you are more fair and balanced than to ask slanted questions like that.

Denise, I would be interested to hear Rick Santorum explain how embracing ideologically-based legislation is not supporting the move toward an unconstitutional theocracy.

I would also appreciate hearing from Paul Ryan how medical expenses for seniors would be paid after their Medicare voucher and savings have been exhausted under his new plan. I have not had time to conduct the follow-up research but heard on TV that Ryan's plan passes $6,000 per annum in additional costs to seniors. Given that many people are currently unemployed or have received salary cuts and are continuing to incur debts, and the recession took a huge toll on many individuals' retirement accounts, the next generation of retirees may be savings poor, or less prepared for retirement than current Medicare recipients.

Thank you, Denise!

@Bren -- Out of our princely Social Security checks, of course. Who needs to eat? At 77, you've eaten enough.

Randy1949, for some reason the euthanasia centers in the film "Soylent Green" come to mind every time I read about Paul Ryan's plans for Medicare.

Denise, here's another question, again for Paul Ryan--does his Medicare 2.0 plan now include automatic cost-of-living adjustments? He had claimed that his earlier Medicare plan provided the same benefits that he enjoys as a U.S. Congressman; however, as a Congressman he receives automatic salary increases/adjustments to compensate for insurance rate hikes. Many thanks!

Bren:

Please post a link that backs your statement about the automatic pay raises to compensate for insurance rate hikes. You have made the claim several times, and in my research, it seems that congress has voted to not accept pay raises several times in the past few years, and I haven't found anything about pay raises to compensate for insurance rate hikes.

@Eric -- It has been determined that preventive care should be covered by insurance plans without co-pays or being subject to the yearly deductible. it makes sense, because a stitch in time saves nine when it comes to health. Preventive care can be anything from vaccinations to, yes, contraceptive drugs and devices. Why demonize one particular facet of preventive care? I could just as easily tell you to pay for your own kids' vaccinations, because you're the one who decided to have those kids.

Eric, women would pay for this coverage through their health insurance policy.

Alfred Kell, I believe most women would appreciate having hormonal birth control covered under their normal prescription plan.

@Bren -

That's fine, but they should pay the extra premium for it - we shouldn't mandate it by law and the taxpayers shouldn't be paying for it! It's that simple and no one is currently denying the option, nor has any candidate expressed a desire to do so. So where exactly are you coming from on this?

Perhaps Alfred, but undoubtedly not with you.

Mr. Hoffa, my insurance company isn't shy about raising rates. If they aren't making enough profit off the sick they will raise rates and do.

Perhaps I'm underinformed--why would taxpayers be paying for something that's covered under someone's insurance? People I know with prescriptions pay their portion of their health insurance premium and whatever co-pay is required.

@JRH -- Would there really be an extra premium for it? That's the whole point of preventive coverage -- it prevents more expensive outcomes. In this case pregnancy, delivery, and at least 18 years of vaccinations and pediatrician visits.

What's unfair is for women and families to pay the same premiums/employee contributions for lesser coverage than other workers whose insurance includes this service.

Bren:

"If they aren't making enough profit off the sick they will raise rates and do."

How exactly would an insurance company make profits from the sick? Don't they make their profits when people stay healthy (and don't make insurance claims)?

@Cow, the HR person at my husband's employer told him he is unhealthy because he doesn't go to the doctor or participate in the health screening program to receive a $200 bonus. They feel the overweight smoker who participates is the healthy one, even though they never lose weight or quit smoking. They get the $200 for participating. Go figure.

@Mau -- your husband really doesn't know if he's anemic, has unsuspected high blood sugar, or has a cancer starting unless he gets checked out every so often. It's sensible to catch problems early.

@Mau -- because I have better things to do with $30 than get tossed out for asking the swort of question they don't want to hear.

@mau -

Isn't it obvious - they all dropped their nesteggs on drums, plastic horns, signs depicting Walker as Hitler, and overly generous contributions to JoAnn Kloppenburg's campaign!

@James, when I have a question or concern I go to my reps page and send an email. I typically get a response within 1-2 weeks. Paul Ryan follows up with a letter via USPS. We have gotten phone calls from Robin Vos, even on weekends (one of the major disadvantages of the districts being redrawn is we are losing him). If I am really want a quick response I make a phone call. To be honest I have only gotten the run-around from Herb Kohl. Everybody else, democrat and republican, have always responded. I don't have a need to pound on drums and put on a public display to voice my opinion.