Damn removal proposal, and what to do if the dams are decommissioned. 

Damn removal proposal, and what to do if the dams are decommissioned.

WIZM's LaCrosse Talk. News and talk about the issues of the day for Western Wisconsin.

WIZM's LaCrosse Talk. News and talk about the issues of the day for Western Wisconsin.

WIZM - La Crosse  Talk Interviews

The talk of the town is La Crosse Talk with Mike Hayes. Catch all the best interviews from La Crosse Talk and Scott Robert Shaw's As I See It editorial.

The talk of the town is La Crosse Talk with Mike Hayes. Catch all the best interviews from La Crosse Talk and Scott Robert Shaw's As I See It editorial.

WIZM - La Crosse

Nancy Wedwick Cook Creek Comunity Water Shed Council

WI legislature finally working

Do you have a favorite Kwik Trip?

WI Republican unemployment requirements

Does GOP have 'small gov" ideology anymore?

Being polite to AI costs millions

Will AI send Terminators

Using AI to craft WI budget

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking whether we have favorite Kwik Trips, our politeness costing A.I. companies millions but will it ward off The Terminator in the future, plus Wisconsin politicians are finally getting to work — five months after election.

We began the show there, with why the Wisconsin Legislature sat around for the first five months of the year — it also will take the last nine months of next year off.

Then we got into a very Wisconsin, a very La Crosse debate: Do you have a favorite Kwik Trip? 

After that, we talk about the politics behind WI Republican legislation to make it harder to receive unemployment benefits.   

Lastly, the A.I. conversation, which starts off with how we're more polite to our chatbots, our smart speakers, than we are to each other, and how that's costing companies tens of millions of dollars — but also has giant environmental implications.

Plus, the dilemma that if we're not polite to A.I., will they send the Terminators after us once they take over the world.

But then we get back to WI politics and how both Republicans and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are about to have an A.I.-off in crafting the state budget. Republicans need utilize A.I. to create a veto-proof budget, while Evers will use it to find ways to manipulate the budget.

But that brought up another question: Should politicians be allowed to use A.I. to write laws or shape budgets?

All this stems from Evers using the veto pen to create a 400-year school funding plan that enraged Republicans during the last budget. Now, both sides may look to weaponize A.I. in some weird budget-veto duel.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking whether we have favorite Kwik Trips, our politeness costing A.I. companies millions but will it ward off The Terminator in the future, plus Wisconsin politicians are finally getting to work &mdash; five months after election.
We began the show there, with why the Wisconsin Legislature sat around for the first five months of the year &mdash; it also will take the last nine months of next year off.
Then we got into a very Wisconsin, a very La Crosse debate: Do you have a favorite Kwik Trip?&nbsp;
After that, we talk about the politics behind WI Republican legislation to make it harder to receive unemployment benefits. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Lastly, the A.I. conversation, which starts off with how we're more polite to our chatbots, our smart speakers, than we are to each other, and how that's costing companies tens of millions of dollars &mdash; but also has giant environmental implications.
Plus, the dilemma that if we're not polite to A.I., will they send the Terminators after us once they take over the world.
But then we get back to WI politics and how both Republicans and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are about to have an A.I.-off in crafting the state budget. Republicans need utilize A.I. to create a veto-proof budget, while Evers will use it to find ways to manipulate the budget.
But that brought up another question: Should politicians be allowed to use A.I. to write laws or shape budgets?
All this stems from Evers using the veto pen to create a 400-year school funding plan that enraged Republicans during the last budget. Now, both sides may look to weaponize A.I. in some weird budget-veto duel.

Do you have a favorite Kwik Trip, thanking A.I. costs millions and Wisconsin government starts work — 5 months later with UW-L's Chergosky

A fun conversation with Eva Marie Restel, executive director of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, about their Conductor Wannabe competition, how those winners will be crashing a PBS Wisconsin special for their concert finale and we pitch her an idea for next year.

The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra has been around since 1898 and the wannabe competition has been happening the past 26 years. The fundraising effort is made up of five nonprofits in La Crosse trying to raise the most money with the top two teams getting to conduct. 

Now, we joke that as PBS Wisconsin films this special on the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, having these Conductor Wannabes on the podium might turn this into a comedy. 

We also talked about how the orchestra handles having amateurs conduct, plus what kind of training they go through. And, we propose a solid idea to show just how important a conductor is to an orchestra — and, perhaps how bad these wannabes might be — that Restel said she might have to look into for next year.

Voting for the Conductor Wannabe competition goes through April 28 (vote here). The orchestra's finale, where the winners will conduct, is May 3.

A fun conversation with Eva Marie Restel, executive director of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, about their Conductor Wannabe competition, how those winners will be crashing a PBS Wisconsin special for their concert finale and we pitch her an idea for next year.
The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra has been around since 1898 and the wannabe competition has been happening the past 26 years. The fundraising effort is made up of five nonprofits in La Crosse trying to raise the most money with the top two teams getting to conduct.&nbsp;
Now, we joke that as PBS Wisconsin films this special on the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, having these Conductor Wannabes on the podium might turn this into a comedy.&nbsp;
We also talked about how the orchestra handles having amateurs conduct, plus what kind of training they go through. And, we propose a solid idea to show just how important a conductor is to an orchestra &mdash; and, perhaps how bad these wannabes might be &mdash; that Restel said she might have to look into for next year.
Voting for the Conductor Wannabe competition goes through April 28 (<a href="https://www.lacrossesymphony.org/contribute/conductor-wannabes/">vote here</a>). The orchestra's finale, where the winners will conduct, is May 3.

Eva Marie Restel on Conductor Wannabes crashing PBS Wisconsin's La Crosse Symphony Orchestra special

Legalizing marijuana in WI

La Crosse Schools budget situation

More on legalizing weed

Legalizing sports betting in WI

More on "sin" taxes

The NFL draft in Green Bay

Economist Adam Hoffer stopped in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk to help break down the economics of the NFL draft coming to Green Bay. We also dived into the hundreds of millions of dollars Wisconsin is losing out on by not legalizing weed, and we hit on the La Crosse School District's budget situation. 

Hoffer works in excise tax — otherwise known as sin tax, like weed, alcohol, cigarettes — for the Tax Foundation and he used to teach sports economics at UW-La Crosse. Plus, he ran for school board, so he's got all those numbers fresh in his head.

We  began there, as Hoffer breaks down the budget situation for La Crosse Schools, after voters passed a $53.5 million referendum to build a new elementary school and close three others.

After that, we spent some time on what Wisconsin is missing out on by not legalizing marijuana. In 2022, Illinois raked in $36 million in tax revenue from Wisconsin residents buying weed there.

Finally, we ended the show talking about Green Bay hosting the NFL draft, and beginning with some numbers from the state agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) saying the state will get $90 million in economic impact — $20 million of that in Green Bay — from the draft. And, we simply asked Hoffer, is that propaganda? The conclusion he gets me to though is interesting. 

Economist Adam Hoffer stopped in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk to help break down the economics of the NFL draft coming to Green Bay. We also dived into the hundreds of millions of dollars Wisconsin is losing out on by not legalizing weed, and we hit on the La Crosse School District's budget situation.&nbsp;
Hoffer works in excise tax &mdash; otherwise known as sin tax, like weed, alcohol, cigarettes &mdash; for the Tax Foundation and he used to teach sports economics at UW-La Crosse. Plus, he ran for school board, so he's got all those numbers fresh in his head.
We&nbsp; began there, as Hoffer breaks down the budget situation for La Crosse Schools, after voters passed a $53.5 million referendum to build a new elementary school and close three others.
After that, we spent some time on what Wisconsin is missing out on by not legalizing marijuana. In 2022, Illinois raked in $36 million in tax revenue from Wisconsin residents buying weed there.
Finally, we ended the show talking about Green Bay hosting the NFL draft, and beginning with some numbers from the state agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) <a href="https://wedc.org/all-eyes-on-wisconsin-this-week/">saying </a>the state will get $90 million in economic impact &mdash; $20 million of that in Green Bay &mdash; from the draft. And, we simply asked Hoffer, is that propaganda? The conclusion he gets me to though is interesting.&nbsp;

Nancy Wedwick Cook Creek Comunity Water Shed Council

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