Belling.com

By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

Participating in a riot at a private residence and lying to police about a shooting is apparently a credential to get you an invitation to address students at Kettle Moraine High School.

The school invited Milwaukee State Assemblyman David Bowen to address students this afternoon during a Black History Month program at the high school in southern Waukesha County. Bowen was caught on video buying supplies that were used in the vandalism of a Wauwatosa resident’s house and later lied to police, claiming former Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah fired a gunshot into the home during the ensuing riot. The man charged with the shooting has admitted firing the shot and has further stated Bowen urged others to lie about what happened.

Kettle Moraine Principal Beth Kaminski, in a written statement, said students invited Bowen to be one of several speakers at the event. Bowen ended up skipping the event, citing a conflict. Kaminski says the event was a success.

Mensah, who is African American, is now a deputy in the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department. Kettle Moraine didn’t invite him but did invite the elected official who lied and accused Mensah of firing a gunshot into an occupied home during a riot. (the homeowner is a Milwaukee police officer and Mensah’s girlfriend. She sustained multiple bruises after being roughed up by the mob which was part of the group The People’s Revolution. Its leader, Khalil Coleman, was arrested over the weekend in Kentucky accused of trying to rob a drug house.

Kettle Moraine Superintendent Pat Deklotz is retiring at the end of the school year. The district’s curriculum and programs have become increasingly radicalized during her tenure.

The KM school board president, Gary Vose, did not respond to my inquiry.

Mark Belling
February 23

Statement On Appleton Radio Host’s Suspension For Rush Limbaugh Comments
By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

It’s admittedly nice for liberals to feel some of the pain of the obnoxious cancel culture they have created. And a dopey DJ at WAPL in Appleton is feeling it now. Len Nelson, like many other bitter lefties, took to social media to dance on Rush’s grave by tossing out the usual buzzwords like “misogyny” and “racist.” The goof then went on to say the world is a better place without Rush.

WAPL has suspended him.

Obnoxious as Nelson’s comments are, he should not have been suspended and he should certainly not be fired. If his audience sees him for the doofus he is, fine. But this pandemic of firing people for saying things others don’t like is un-American. And it’s childish.

Nelson’s comments are not, to use a word the left loves, hurtful. Rush has been very important to my life and my career and I’m not hurt by Nelson’s comments one bit. I am able to consider the source and move on.

Liberals spent Rush’s entire career trying to get him fired for daring to express his opinions. Rush survived because millions of us loved his show and agreed with him. His legacy should not be to use the very tactics against his no-talent critics that were used on him.

Our world is better off with all speech, even obnoxious speech. Perhaps if liberals understand that the cancel culture they invented can be turned against them, they’ll start to back off. But that still isn’t justification for putting muzzles on all of us because of the misguided notion that we can’t handle speech we find nauseating.

Free Len Nelson.

Mark Belling
February 19

The table below shows data for each high school at each grade level in WSD, and also includes a YoY grade point comparison as well.

Note the following:

• Every single grade, at every single high school in WSD, has seen declines in their GPA, with a District wide decline of 10%.
• North and South fare the worst with 12% declines at the school level, and some grades seeing drops as high 18%
• East HS, which as I understand it, enrolls students who are most at risk of not graduating, shows declines in GPA of 24% among its Junior and 45% among its Seniors (Quarter Grade Data is not tracked at East HS).

Finally, here is a chart from another parent, also from the ORR data obtained yesterday, shows dramatic drops in student attendance, particularly at the middle school level (Grades 6-8)

EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Robin Vos Tells Wisconsinites To Stay Home “If They Can;” Guess Where He Was This Week?

By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

In the latest case of a politician ignoring their own Covid instructions, Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has recorded a “bipartisan” Covid radio and TV ad with Democrat Congressman Mark Pocan in which Vos urges Wisconsinites to “stay home if they can.”

The ad is running the very same week Vos went to Washington for the annual White House Christmas Party, hosted by President Trump, an event Vos crowed about on his Facebook page:

We’re Number One And Nobody Is Close! Radio Trade Publication Raves About WISN’s Dominance Of Milwaukee Radio

The following is from Talkers.com, a trade publication that covers the radio industry.

MILWAUKEE

• This is the third straight month at #1 for iHeartMedia Milwaukee’s WISN “News/Talk 1130,” which is an eyepopping +5.9 in four consecutive spikes (6.8 – 8.6 – 10.2 – 11.2 – 12.7, 6+), with 12.7 its highest 6+-stat in the PPM-era.
• In three gains in a row (5.5 – 6.7 – 7.2 – 8.0, 6+), Good Karma Brands’ crosstown WTMJ (Brewers, Bucks, Green Bay Packers) was a cumulative +2.5, but “Wisconsin’s Radio Station” erodes by -.9 to 7.1 (second to third, 6+).

• In Milwaukee, Good Karma Brands’ WKTI “94.5 ESPN” picks up three-tenths via four successive up or flat moves (.4 – .6 – .6 – .6 – .7, #18 to #16, 6+).
• After posting five straight reports without a loss for a net gain of two-tenths (.6 – .6 -.6 – .6 – .7 – .8, 6+), iHeartMedia-owned WRNW “97.3 The Game – Milwaukee’s Sports Talk That Rocks” forfeits one-tenth to .7 (unchanged at #16, 6+).
• Cluster-mate WOKY “The Big 920” triples (+.4) its 6+ AQH share in four consecutive sweeps without a loss (.2 – .4 – .4 – .4 – .6, #19 to #18, 6+).
• Also in Milwaukee’s top twenty is Entercom’s WSSP “Sports Radio 105.7 The Fan,” which is down a total of one-tenth in three straight negative or neutral trends (.5 – .4 – .4 – .4, #19 to #20, 6+).

• Unchanged at #8 in Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-owned WUWM improves by four-tenths in October/November (4 – 3.7 – 3.8, 6+).
• Elsewhere in Milwaukee, the (repetitive) August 2020 through November 2020 topline for Wisconsin Public Radio’s WHAD is: 1.3 – 1.4 – 1.3 – 1.4 (#13 to #11, 6+).

By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

Aaron Perry, who last Tuesday lost a bid for the state assembly in a district centered in the City of Waukesha, has been charged with felony domestic violence in connection with an incident that occurred this past Monday involving his ex-wife.

Perry is a former Republican who ran as a Democrat this year against incumbent Assemblyman Scott Allen.  Perry is a member of the Waukesha Common Council.  He faced misdemeanor chasrges several years ago after an incident, also with his now ex-wife.

The circumstances of Perry’s felony arrest this week are reported extensively in the Waukesha Freeman today.  Here’s a link.

EXCLUSIVE: Milwaukee County Bans Trump Rally: Cancels Event At Mitchell—That’s Why It’s Being Held In Waukesha
By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

The rally featuring President Trump Saturday evening near the Waukesha Airport was actually scheduled for a site at Mitchell International in Milwaukee but was cancelled on orders of the Milwaukee airport director. The airport director answers to Milwaukee County officials, led by County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat.

I have obtained a copy of a letter sent Tuesday to Chip Zens, the CEO of Freight Runner Express, a private air service with its own large hangar and grounds on the airport grounds. Airport Director Matthew Hofman stated in his letter that the likely attendance of protesters was unacceptable and ordered Zens to notify the Trump team to cancel the event. Hoffman’s letter states that neither the Trump team nor Zens obtained prior approval.

So, President Trump now can’t even hold a rally in Milwaukee. This is the same Milwaukee County that planned to openly welcome the Democratic National Convention this summer, despite the certainty of protests at it. The rescheduled event is being held at 7 pm tomorrow night at a facility on the grounds of the Waukesha airport. That airport and the adjacent county fairgrounds and expo center have been the sites of numerous Republican rallies over the years. This time around, the Republicans wanted to come to Milwaukee but the Democrats are banning them.

Mark Belling
October 23

By Mark Belling, WISN-AM

The Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court barred Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel from conducting in-person court proceedings for week and the order was not rescinded until last week. The order was a result of a complaint that Schimel was not following a Supreme Court order that all individuals in Wisconsin courts wear masks.

Chief Justice Pat Roggensack directed the chief judge for Waukesha County, Jennifer Dorow, to order Schimel to hold all of his court sessions via remote video. Schimel filed a formal appeal of the ruling, citing a medical condition that makes it difficult for him to wear a mask and pointing out that he had rigged his courtroom with plexiglass and enforced social distancing. Roggensack didn’t budge. Schimel agreed to wear a mask and the order was lifted last week.

The behind the scenes machinations here are fascinating. Roggensack is the leader of the Supreme Court’s conservative wing. Schimel was for eight years the Republican Attorney General of Wisconsin. Dorow, the chief judge caught in the middle of Roggensack’s snit over Schimel’s non-mask wearing, is a possible candidate for the Supreme Court in a future election.

Schimel has attempted to find out who complained to Roggensack but has not been given an answer. However, numerous court sources tell me this all occurred after the head of the State Office of Public Defender, Kelli Thompson, complained to Roggensack that Schimel wasn’t wearing a mask. These sources tell me Thompson was responding to complaints by public defenders in Waukesha County that Schimel was not wearing a mask.

Kelli Thompson is the daughter of UW System President and former Governor Tommy Thompson. In other words, this giant commotion over Schimel and his mask wearing has involved some of the biggest names in Wisconsin Republican and conservative politics.

The Supreme Court issued an order in March that everybody in Wisconsin courtrooms has to wear a mask. The order is unrelated to the separate state mask mandate issued by Governor Tony Evers. That mandate is being challenged in court and is headed to the Supreme Court but given Roggensack’s apparent obsession with mask wearing, one wonders if the challenge has a chance.

As for Schimel, he indicated his willingness to wear a face shield and put up plexiglass barriers throughout his court. None of that was good enough for Roggensack. Schimel has agreed to wear a mask and on October 5 Roggensack directed Judge Dorow to allow Schimel to resume in-person court sessions.

No word on whether Roggensack will be changing her name to Karen.

Mark Belling
October 9