In an effort to turn up the heat to get universal health care coverage for Wisconsin, Lori Nitzel has launched a Web site to allow the uninsured, under-insured and the insured to tell their "horror" stories.

Nitzel is uninsured.

"Since one in 10 people in Wisconsin are uninsured, and a large number of others are under insured, there are many, many stories out there waiting to be told," says Nitzel, the site's founder.

"I started this website out of the sheer frustration of feeling that, as an uninsured individual for over eight years, I had no way of making a difference. I hope that this Web site will allow people like me to give voice to how an unethical and dysfunctional health care system treats them."

She hopes lawmakers will be moved by the stories that are posted at www.uninsuredinwisconsin.com.

Looking out for the 'hood: When it comes time to dole out shrinking federal block grant money, Milwaukee aldermen generally look after their own districts, and rightly so.

The community organizations that receive the largess are key factors in getting re-elected. So it should be no surprise that Ald. Robert Bauman stepped up to the plate for the Merrill Park Neighborhood Association. The group, headed by Bob Greene, who ran against Bauman for alderman four years ago, saw its block grant funding cut to zero.

At the Common Council committee meeting deciding the fate of block grants, Bauman asked for $25,000 for the Merrill Park group, the same amount as last year. The committee, however, stuck with the advice from the mayor's office, leaving the Association in a major budget crunch for next year.

State budget update: This column has tried to avoid hand-wringing over the lack of a state budget, since too many trees have already been used sending out press releases assigning blame.

Finally, there's an exception of note.

State Rep. Tom Nelson (D-Kaukauna) promises to stage a sit-in at his Assembly desk 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until a budget is passed by the Legislature. It should be compelling viewing for watchers of Wisconsin Eye.

Smoked out: A Milwaukee County Board committee gave its approval to ban smoking within 30 feet of county buildings, which includes the airport, the Courthouse, the jail, the House of Correction and even the little-known public works building at 27th and Wells Streets. It's too early to tell, however, if the Sheriff's Department will ticket pedestrians who smoke on the public sidewalks as they pass in front of county structures.