Scott Walker and the Republicans were ever so proud of being able to claim a budget surplus of a few million dollars which was really more of a matter of lowered expectations than a true surplus. But even with their highly exaggerated numbers, they still pale in comparison to those awful liberals in Minnesota:

The state of Minnesota’s budget office on Thursday morning reported a $1.871 billion budget surplus. State law requires that $594 million of the surplus go into a reserve fund, and another $71 million into the environmental fund. That means, lawmakers will have an extra $1.2 billion to either spend or give back when they open the legislative session in March.

Government spending is down and state revenues are up -- mostly driven by higher collections of sales taxes and corporate franchise taxes.

Keep in mind that Minnesota increased their minimum wage - even for food servers - so that people have more money in their pockets and, golly gee, they spent it and improved their economy. Scott Walker said he doesn't think that the minimum wage serves a purpose.

From Governor Walker's facebook page today:


Governor Scott Walker

From 2010-2014, median household income has actually gone up 7.4 percent.





Same Day from the US Census Bureau:

MADISON (AP) -- New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the median household income fell in two-thirds of Wisconsin counties between 2009 and 2014.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the census bureau released data Thursday that shows incomes fell by at least 10 percent in 10 counties. Vilas County saw the steepest decline at 13.3 percent.

Milwaukee County saw a 10.3 percent drop to $43.385. Dane County saw a 5.2 percent drop to $62,303. Incomes rose in two counties, Adams and Florence, and held relatively steady in 23 counties.

Editor's Update: Kalle Lasn, editor of the anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters is in the midst of planning a global Billion People March, or D19, to take place on December 19 after the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP21, which ends December 11. After the attacks on November 13, Paris is on lockdown, and two other planned marches were cancelled for Paris and other cities in France. But anticipating that COP21 won't deliver all that's needed on climate action, Lasn still expects the #billionpeoplemarch to be the first “global big bang moment” in a series of protests aimed at drawing attention to how the global financial system drives climate change.

Q: There is a perception that Occupy burned out without accomplishing much. Does the Occupy movement still exist, and did it accomplish its goals?

Kalle Lasn: It was inevitable that the first phase was going to fade out. But people who say that don’t get it, quite frankly. They expected the Occupy movement to make demands to the government and accomplish specific policy goals. That’s not what happened. Occupy politicized millions of young people around the world. It sent a message that if we’re smart and come up with smart strategies like occupying the iconic heart of capitalism, and if we use social media to organize, then we can create global big bang moments that change things. The Billion People March that we’re working on now—and a whole bunch of other initiatives that are happening around the world—is because the spirit of Occupy is alive.

Q: The stated goal of the Occupy movement was to stop the moneyed corruption at the heart of American democracy. But that corruption exists more than ever.

Lasn: This is the core idea behind the Billion People March, that to solve this existential crisis we need to change the guts of the financial system. You’re not going to solve climate change by imposing a carbon tax. You have to deal with the fact that corporations still have all the power. We have to figure out what are the systemic changes that need to happen to pave the way for solving climate change.

...

Q: What specific changes are you seeking?

Lasn: Job one is to change the global financial system. The way to start is to have a 1 percent tax on stock market transactions. If December 19 is successful, then on April 1 we will march to take power back from corporations. One idea is a “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” law, where if a corporation breaks the law three times we would remove its corporate charter and put it out of business. After that, on September 17, the five-year anniversary of Occupy, we’re planning a march against political secrecy. We want huge penalties for politicians and corporations who keep vital information from the people. After that there will be other marches against war and the sale of weapons. There’s half a dozen systemic changes we’re trying to bring about through a globalization of activism.

Conan O'Brien

Donald Trump is still under fire for mocking a reporter with physical disabilities. Trump told his supporters, "Don’t worry, I’ll soon do something worse and all this will be forgotten."

Forecasters say El Niño should bring much-needed rain to California. Meanwhile, Donald Trump said if elected president he won’t let El Niño into the country.

In Beijing, because pollution has reached 35 times the safety level, children have been ordered to stay home. This could mean a delay for anyone who ordered a new iPhone.


James Corden

Paul Ryan, the new speaker of the House, showed up to congress with a brand new beard. Now incidentally, Paul Ryan is also the first politician in 100 years to have a beard that isn't his wife.