8/02/2011

DAY 23 JULY 29 MADISON WISCONSIN AND ON TO DUBUQUE as in IOWA



We bid farewell to our pals MK and Jack.  Thank you for such a great visit and family hospitality.  You two are the best!
xxxxx

So down the road we head to Dubuque but a stop off is in order....

MADISON,  WISCONSIN
Home of the Badgers and other socialists.  Having heard about the Univ. of Wisconsin Madison and it's liberal leanings I convinced Bubs to stop by for an up close peek.  And you can imagine he was thrilled to get off the highway for these folks....yes Madison is also the Capitol of the state.   Bubba was here in the 70's with Jimmy Carter for a commencement speech and that was enough for him.  No fond walk down memory lane.

 How did this midwestern university get so liberal?  Our friend Jack reminded us of the recent demonstrations...

Remember the violent and disgusting demonstrations over Wisconsin Gov.
Scott Walker doing away with the collective bargaining for teacher's
unions? The results are in. Some school districts went from a $400,000
deficit to a $1,500,000 surplus as a result. Why?

It seems that the insurance company that provided all the "so-called"
benefits to the teachers, was an insurance company owned and operated by
the teacher's union. Since they were guaranteed to get the insurance
business from the teachers and the State had to pay for it, and not the
teachers, they were increasing the annual costs every single year to
become the most expensive insurance company in the state. Then the
insurance company was donating millions and millions of dollars to their
favorite democrat politicians, who when they got elected, guaranteed to
keep funding the unions outrageous costs. In other words, the insurance
company was a "pass through" for Wisconsin taxpayer money directly to
the democrat politicians.

Nice racket, and this is the racket that is going on in every single
State that allows collective bargaining. No wonder the States are
taking it away. Now that the State of Wisconsin is free to put the
insurance contract out for bid, and lo and behold, they have saved so
much money it has turned deficits into surplus amounts. As a result,
none of the teachers had to be laid off, everyone got a raise, etc.,
etc., and the taxpayers of Wisconsin don't have to pay more taxes to
fund the union's political ambitions.

After a little digging I found the "answer"....how did this farmland University get so lib???eral??
The crest of the University of Wisconsin

HISTORY OF THE WISCONSIN IDEA

LEARN MORE

One of the longest and deepest traditions surrounding the University of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Idea signifies a general principle: that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Synonymous with Wisconsin for more than a century, this “Idea” has become the guiding philosophy of university outreach efforts in Wisconsin and throughout the world.
Charles Van Hise
Charles Van Hise
The genesis of the Wisconsin Idea is often attributed to former UW President Charles Van Hise, who in a 1904 speech declared, “I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every home in the state.” As president from 1903 to 1918, Van Hise saw that vision carried out by creating the university’s extension division, which oversaw summer courses and other programs that brought university knowledge directly to state citizens. He also took advantage of his friendship with Governor Robert M. La Follette, a former classmate at the university, to help forge closer ties between the university and state government; during the early part of the 20th century, faculty experts consulted with legislators to help draft many influential and groundbreaking laws, including the nation’s first workers’ compensation legislation, tax reforms and the public regulation of utilities.
These activities would not formally be described as “The Wisconsin Idea” until 1912, when Charles McCarthy described the philosophy in a book by that name. By that time, Wisconsin had developed a national reputation for legislative innovation, and McCarthy, the state’s legislative librarian, was overwhelmed by requests for background on the state’s progressive reforms. As President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in the introduction to McCarthy’s book, “In Wisconsin there has been a successful effort to redeem the promises by performances, and to reduce theories into practice.”
In those days, most people understood the Wisconsin Idea as narrowly defining this unique experiment in popular government, in which Wisconsin’s public university played a significant role in helping shape its legislation. Faculty served widely on advisory boards and applied their knowledge to help guide the state’s administration. Over time, however, the Idea has come to signify more broadly the university’s commitment to public service — a mission that substantially predates the progressive political era.
Stephen Babcock milking a cow.
Stephen Babcock milking a cow.
As early as the 1870s, UW president John Bascom implored his students — La Follette and Van Hise among them — that they had a moral duty to share their expertise broadly. And as early as the 1880s, the university began summer Farmers’ Institutes to introduce state farmers to new techniques and technology. These classes, along with research breakthroughs such as Stephen Babcock’s butterfat milk test, helped a poor, struggling state move beyond its single-grain farming and establish itself as a national leader in dairy and other agricultural industries. During the latter part of the 19th century, the university began similar programs for teachers and engineers, all with the goal of leveraging university knowledge to improve the quality of life in Wisconsin.
Although Van Hise is most often credited for articulating the philosophy underlying the Wisconsin Idea, its definition has evolved through the university’s history and still means many things in different circles. (Perhaps because of this, Van Hise expressed in a 1917 letter to Felix Frankfurter his “repugnance to the use of the phrase.”) A more modern definition of the Idea began to emerge in the 1930s, when a university publication described it as the notion that “the boundaries of campus are the boundaries of the state.” Although it isn’t clear who first used these words, they remain true today. In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, the university continues to seek ways to extend its influence beyond the boundaries of campus. 



DUBUQUE
My dear friend from from high school, Kathy Marqua Andersen has lived here since  the 80's.  So after many years of invitations to visit we said you betcha.   Kath is a true artisan and expert framer.  She is standing in front of some of her work on sale at the oh so fabulous Wine Bar  located on the mighty Mississip.    Over the years she has done some terrific framing for us.  Her frames are truly the window to your artwork.  Come on Kath, where's your web site?  Coming soon Boca.



Dubuque in 1865, steamboat Iowa on the right, the Shot Tower on the far right edge.
The City of Dubuque is among the oldest European settlements west of the Mississippi River. 

Saint Mary's, one of 11 Catholic churches in Dubuque.
The current City of Dubuque, named after Julien Dubuque, was settled at the southern end of a large, flat plain adjacent to the Mississippi River. The city was officially chartered in 1833, located in then-unorganized territory. The region was designated as the Iowa Territory in 1838, and was included in the newly-created State of Iowa in 1846. After the lead resources were exhausted, the city became home to numerous industries. Because of its proximity to forests in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Dubuque became a center for the timber industry, and was later dominated by various millworking businesses. Between 1860 and 1880, Dubuque was one of the 100 largest urban areas in the United States.  Also important were boat building, brewing, and later, the railroad industry. Iowa’s first church was built by Methodists in 1834. Since then, Iowans have followed a variety of religious traditions.  Throughout the 19th century, and into the early 20th century, thousands of poor German and Irish Catholic immigrants came to work in the manufacturing centers. The city's Roman Catholic presence became so predominant that it was designated as the seat of the newly-established Archdiocese of Dubuque, and numerous convents, abbeys, and other religious instititutions were built. Much of the population remains Catholic to this day.
Early in the 20th Century, Dubuque was one of several places which saw a brass era automobile company, in this case Adams-Farwell; like most others, it folded. Subsequently, although Dubuque grew significantly, industrial activity remained the mainstay of the economy until the 1980s. During that time, a series of changes in manufacturing, and the onset of the "Farm Crisis" led to a large decline in the sector, and the city's economy as a whole. However, the economy diversified rapidly in the 1990s, shifting away from heavy industry. Today, tourism, high technology, and publishing are among the largest and fastest-growing businesses. Dubuque attracts well over 1,500,000 tourists annually, and this number continues to increase. Some of the more important changes include the ongoing construction of the America's River Project's tourist attractions in the Port of Dubuque, the expansion of the city's colleges, and the continued growth of shopping centers, like Asbury Plaza.

TIMMERMANS SUPER CLUB

So over to a Super Club for dinner...last time they redecorated was 1970.  A lovely view of the Mississippi...lots of sand in the streets and a mess due to recent flooding.  Pound cake appetizer.  Yup, this is true.  A first for Boca.

One of Kathy's friends, Connie joined us for a early birthday dinner for Kathy.  Over the years of Scouting (Kath's son Donnie is an Eagle Scout!) Kathy has had the opportunity to develop friendships with the Scouting community.  It was a pleasure to meet one of the gang.   And a good time was had by all.  Kathy's signature birthday drink- a WHITE RUSSIAN.  Who knew from Dr. Zhivago?
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