Do The Right Thing - Observations from Mark Block

Congressman Paul Ryan has introduced his Roadmap for America’s Future.

Many people say it has no chance of becoming law and being implemented.

In 1977 I was a legislative aide to the late Congressman Bill Steiger. He introduced legislation that rolled back the capital gains tax rate from 39.9% to 28%.

Everyone - including then President Jimmy Carter siad it had no chance to becoming law. However the country was demanding change. The country was in trouble. It passed.

Bill Steiger, then a young 37 year old Congressman from Wisconsin made history by doing the right thing and beating all odds.

Can history repeat itself with a 36 year old Congressman from Wisconsin 31 years later? Will Paul Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future become law?

America is in trouble. If the American public demands change - history can repeat itself.

In 1976, when Gerald Ford was President, Governor Pat Lucey appointed Shirley Abrahamson to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Justice Abrahamson has served the state a long - long time. Perhaps too long.

This week she gave a speech heavy on the need for the judical branch to be non-partisan and above all else non-political.

When approached after her elequent remarks by an admirer that congratulated her on the remarks she said:

“IT WAS JUST A SPEECH”.

Perhaps the voters of the great state of Wisconsin will Do The Right Thing and retire Justice Shirley Abrahamson in Spring of 2009.