A pro-gay marriage group called Fair Wisconsin is running a TV ad saying "Voting no means no gay marriage and no change." In other words, they’re trying to confuse people who oppose gay marriage into voting no on a ban on gay marriage. By running ads saying the ban on gay marriage doesn’t ban gay marriage, they are hoping the people who want to ban gay marriage vote no on the ban on gay marriage because voting no means you’re voting against gay marriage. Confused? That’s exactly their intent.

Fair Wisconsin is the group that supports gay marriage. But it realizes most Wisconsinites oppose gay marriage so they are trying to trick them, rather than persuade them. Since there isn’t much of an organized effort in favor of the ban, the "vote no" ads may be the only ones on the air.

The referendum opponents (the ones who support gay marriage) are also attacking the referendum’s ban on "civil unions." This is another act of disingenuousness. They want to keep "civil unions," a concept that doesn’t exist in Wisconsin law and has no meaning precisely so they can create civil unions. Those civil unions will be exactly the same as marriage but without the name. The referendum supporters realize this and are trying to stop gay marriage from coming in through the back door with the "euphemism" civil unions.

My prediction: The referendum will pass despite all the misinformation. If not, look for a Madison-based judge to declare gay marriage, civil unions and everything related to be a fundamental "constitutional right."

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While the gay marriage ban is a binding constitutional amendment, the other statewide referendum next month is only advisory. But it also has a well-financed group opposing it. The referendum asks if the death penalty should be legalized in Wisconsin for particularly heinous crimes. Every poll ever taken in this state shows overwhelming public support for capital punishment. The margin is always in the range of at least 2-to-1.

An organization of religious leaders is lobbying against it. Many of these "leaders" have been as silent as church mice about the murder epidemic in Milwaukee, and some haven’t even opposed abortion. That they would use their clerical leverage to stand up for the murderous thugs in our society is at worst terribly hypocritical and at best a serious lack of prioritization.

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A liberal alderman from New Berlin is upset he’s been accused of racism for saying his city doesn’t need more police because most crime is committed by minorities and New Berlin is predominantly white. It’s always hilarious when a lefty gets caught up in the political correctness witch hunt they are responsible for creating.

Paul Gallagher has semi-apologized for his remarks but is blasting everybody who has blasted him. But it’s Gallagher and his ilk who are the first to jump down the throats of conservatives who imply a connection between race and crime or race and any other problem. Besides, Gallagher’s comment wasn’t misinterpreted. He did say New Berlin doesn’t need a lot of cops because most residents of New Berlin aren’t minorities.

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I wrote a couple of weeks ago in this column about how local governments run by appointed bureaucrats were likelier to impose higher tax increases than those run by elected officials. The budget proposed by Waukesha’s city administrator proves my point. It calls for an increase of more than 5 percent in the property tax levy, or more than double the increase in nearby Milwaukee.

The budgets prepared by Waukesha’s Jim Payne were larded with fat when Carol Lombardi was mayor and are just as bloated with Larry Nelson in office. Nelson, a Democrat, has insisted he will not run Waukesha as a liberal. We’ll get a chance to find out if he’s sincere.

What Waukesha ought to do is abolish the position of city administrator. Budgets should be prepared by mayors directly accountable to the people. The fact that the budgets proposed in Ozaukee, Washington and Walworth counties all call for larger property tax increases than those in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Racine counties isn’t a coincidence. Milwaukee, Waukesha and Racine counties all have elected county executives. The other counties have full-time administrators.

Since Waukesha has a mayor, it doesn’t need an administrator, particularly one so inept that he can’t figure out how to pay the bills without enormous tax hikes.

(Mark Belling is the host of a daily WISN radio talk show and a Sunday television show. His column runs Wednesdays in The Freeman.)