Meat Mayhem: The Patrick Cudahy meat plant held a disaster drill this week, simulating an ammonia spill. The meat maker has its own fire department on site and also works with City of Cudahy emergency teams. It comes a year after the plant had a highly publicized fire. Earlier this year another accident swept under the rug. An explosion in the plant this summer was quietly handled by company personnel. The weekend accident could have killed workers had it happened when full shifts were working.

Also this year, SCS of Wisconsin, a Menomonee Falls demolition company was fined $58,735 for shortcuts it took in removing asbestos from the plant.

Recalling the Recalls: They've been pretty quiet around these parts these days, which is probably why the recall maniacs of the Citizens for Responsible Government took their show on the road to Milwaukee.

Calling it a "recall boot camp," local CRG leader Chris Kleismet claims credit for organizing recall efforts against 10 Michigan lawmakers after its legislature passed a state budget calling for big tax increases. The CRG Web site, which is pretty much all Kleismet all the time, lists no activity for the group in the past year, and its commentaries are essentially out of date, still talking about the group's effort to recall former County Executive Tom Ament, some five years ago. CRG threatens to bring the boot camp to Wisconsin if taxes are increased.

Staying on the Bus: County Board Chair Lee Holloway promises bus routes will not be cut next year.

"The County Executive made a political decision to cut certain segments of routes. While his decision was not based on usage, I actually looked at the numbers," states Holloway. "My decision to restore these routes was based on ridership, not politics. Helping county residents get to work, school, church, the doctor and shopping should be one of our top priorities."

Holloway's plan would retain service on several routes, including:
• Route 12 north of Florist Avenue.
• Route 23 north and west of 91st and Mill Road.
• Route 31, west of 76th Street.
• Route 67, south of Connell on 84th and 92nd Streets.
• Routes 19/20, south of Layton.
• Route 15 .

The Cut on Cuts: It shows that too much obsession with budget cutting can cost even more money -- and pain for the less fortunate. Milwaukee County stands to lose some $700,000 in federal aid because it can't process requests for low-income housing assistance. An under-funded and under-staffed office is backlogged with 6,000 requests for help that it can't process fast enough. The county will lose the money at the end of the year if it can't address the requests.

Slowing the Secretary: One strange twist to a bill changing the way the state chooses its secretary of the Department of Natural Resources is that the change wouldn't be made until 2011, which happens to be the year Gov. Jim Doyle ends his second term.

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson liked to consolidate power when heading the state house and got he Republican-controlled state Legislature to change how the DNR chief is selected and give him the power. Before that the secretary was selected by the non-partisan Natural Resources Board, which protected the post from partisan politics, usually a smart thing to do when it comes to the environment.

State Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) wonders why the delay. It likely has to do with the Democratic-controlled Senate. His amendment, though, was rejected by a Senate committee.

"If supporters believe this change is necessary and critical, then it should be done immediately rather than in 2011," the senator says.