83 results for author: Joyce Luedke
Mom’s Story
Mom’s Story April 21, 2024
My Mom was born in 1914. From what I understand, she was born in a two-room
log cabin that was part of a lumber camp in northern Wisconsin.
Her parent’s borrowed some money to buy 20 acres of cut-over land to begin a
small family farm in northern Wisconsin.
She would tell me that they never went hungry; although, she wanted her mother
to buy a box of cornflakes which they couldn’t afford. She worked hand in hand
with her parents on the farm, along with three of her uncles who lived with them
as the farm eventually grew to 160 acres.
Mom had two younger brothers who also worked on the farm.
As we know from ...
Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Senator Tammy Baldwin joined the Democrats in the U.S. Senate and worked to
pass the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Nineteen
Republicans also voted in favor of the Law. Unfortunately, Senator Ron Johnson
of Wisconsin voted “No.”
President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
November 15, 2021.
Two years after the passing of this historic legislation, Wisconsin has received
over $5.1 billion to kickstart over 300 new infrastructure projects. Some of these
projects include repairs to Wisconsin’s major airports, lead pipe replacements,
power grid enhancements, improvements to our ...
Do You Know Where Your Ancestors Came From?
The United States is a country of immigrants and they came for many reasons.
Donald Trump’s grandfather, Frederick, was born in 1869 in Kallstadt, which was in the Kingdom of Bavaria. He immigrated to the US in 1885 to escape three years of compulsory military service in Germany. Frederick’s wife, Elisabeth Christ, also lived in Kallstadt and immigrated to the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Trump
Donald Trump’s father, Fred, married a woman, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born in Scotland.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2018/01/15/the-president-in-1885-didnt-stop-immigrant-friedrich-trump-from-coming-to-americ...
February 26-March 1st is Public School Week in Wisconsin
My mother, Elvie, grew up during the Depression on a family dairy farm in Maple, Wisconsin. She graduated from a small elementary school that educated children from first through eighth grade. Because she was the oldest of three children, she was needed on the farm and was unable to attend a high school in Superior.
Thankfully, that was not the case for me when I graduated from 8th grade in the Northwestern School District. I was able to graduate from Northwestern High School which is located in Maple.
How did this come to pass? The Miracle of Maple, written by Taisto Hayrinen, describes the process of funding and building Northwestern High ...
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN CONCERNS IN 2024
Recently, I asked family members and friends: What are your main concerns in 2024?
The responses centered around: climate change and the environment; unions; supporting public schools with additional funds to counter the taxpayer money going to unaccountable private schools; gerrymandering and redistricting; the slaughter of children by high-powered rifles; Social Security and Medicare; raising the minimum wage; increase the number of charging stations for vehicles; use money from the military budget for people programs—education, healthcare, childcare; as our local newspapers fail, so does our knowledge of what the government is doing; disinfo...
Writer challenges legislator Robin Vos on stand against DEI programs at UW System
Here are two questions for the readers:
Do you contact Wisconsin legislators?
Do the legislators respond?
Recently, I sent an email to Assembly Speaker (Robin) Vos regarding statements Vos has made during and after the 2023-2025 budget session. Here are some of the statements I addressed in the email.
Speaker Vos said he is embarrassed to be an alumni of UW-Whitewater. He stated he and his fellow Republicans will withhold the $32 million allocated to the UW-System in the 2023-2025 budget.
What is his reason? He disagrees with the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs that are happening throughout the UW-System.
I sent ...
The time for Fair Maps is now
After the 2010 census, the Republican party that controlled the governorship, the state Senate and the Assembly hired a private law firm, Michael Best and Friedrich, to redraw with precision and in secret the legislative and congressional district maps to favor the party in control at that time. Keith Gaddie, a political science professor at Oklahoma University, was hired to engineer the district maps. Wisconsin taxpayers paid the law firm $431,000 to gerrymander the districts.
A poll done by the Marquette University Law School (NPR, January 16-20, 2019) found: 72% of voters say they prefer redistricting of legislative and congressional districts ...
ATTACKS ON THE WISCONSIN VOTING SYSTEM
President Trump is criticizing Wisconsin’s voting laws which were put in place by the GOP.
“The state’s voting laws and procedures were overhauled repeatedly during eight years of GOP control of state government.” These changes began in 2011 after the Walker Administration and the Republicans gained total control of the state.
The Republicans repeatedly declared the changes were made to “improve voting integrity and ensure the public had confidence in it.”
“Republicans dissolved the body that oversees elections and replaced it with one equally divided by Republicans and Democrats:” ...
DONATIONS FOR THE WARMING CENTER ARE NEEDED
Donations for the Warming Center can be dropped off at the former Warming
Center location: 540 South 3 rd Avenue in Wausau.
The location for the Warming Center for this year is the First United Methodist
Church in Wausau. It will provide space for up to 25 men and women to assure
more space for social distancing during this winter season. Do not drop off
donations at the Methodist Church.
Warm Items (They cannot accept items for warm weather or bedding.)
Gently used winter coats—Both Men’s and Women’s
Winter boots for men—Sizes 9-14
Winter boots for women—Sizes 6-10
Winter ...