80 results for author: Joyce Luedke

OUR MORAL COMPASS IN WISCONSIN

Our moral compass is “an inner sense which distinguishes what is right from what is wrong, functioning as a guide for morally appropriate behavior.” A recent comment from state Republican Representative, Bob Gannon, should raise concerns regarding our moral compass and how it guides us as citizens of Wisconsin. In response to an altercation involving a shooting at a mall in Madison, Gannon says citizens should arm themselves to “clean our society of these scum bags.” He says armed citizens should shoot to kill aiming for vital organs in the “center mass” of a person. Here are five questions to ask ourselves. One. Who will ...

FARMS NOT FACTORIES

FARMS NOT FACTORIES By Joyce Luedke (This letter was written to Mr. Bill Clark, Environmental Review Supervisor, DNR Service Center, 810 W. Maple Street, Spooner, WI 54801) Re: Proposed Badgerwood LLC Swine CAFO in Bayfield County—Comments on EIS Scoping Dear Mr. Clark: “We offer these comments on the scope of the Badgerwood swine CAFO Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ensure that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) independently, thoroughly credibly evaluates the Badgerwood proposal.  As you know, we had requested the DNR to undertake an EIS. We greatly appreciate that it will do so.  We ask that you adopt our ...

MRS. JUNTTI

Mrs. Juntti was my first and second grade teacher in a small Finnish community in northern Wisconsin.  My mother was too busy working on our farm to read to me.  I still remember, after 66 years, the sheer delight of listening to stories read to us by Mrs. Juntti. One of my favorite stories was Horton Hatches an Egg by Dr. Seuss.  The lesson in the story (an elephant sitting on an egg abandoned by the mother bird) reminds me to be faithful and persevere despite the challenging conditions surrounding me.  The faithfulness of Horton and his perseverance have been guiding forces throughout my life. Mrs. Juntti gave me the gift of literacy. She ...

TELL LAWMAKERS TO KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF GAB.

TELL LAWMAKERS TO KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF GAB. By Joyce Luedke An August 25, 2015, editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel states: “As we suspected, a state audit released last week found no major problems with Wisconsin’s nonpartisan Government Accountability Board, which handles ethics complaints and supervises state elections. Of course, you wouldn’t know that from the rhetoric coming from Republicans in the Legislature, some of whom want to gut this government watchdog.  Citizens of this state need to send them a strong message: NO. When even the MJS writes an editorial asking citizens to speak up to support the GAB and what it is ...

WISCONSIN’S RANKING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

WISCONSIN’S RANKING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES By Joyce Luedke DO YOU KNOW? June of 2015 in the latest Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation survey. ***The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship , respected around the world, focuses on education and small business start-ups.  See page 10 for rankings and page 67 for Wisconsin’s profile. *** Wisconsin’s job creation ranking in the nation fell from 31st in December, 2014, to 38th in March*** Wisconsin’s ranking for small business start-ups dropped from 45th in 2014 to 50th in, 2015. *** Wisconsin lags the nation: 2.3% job creation in the US versus 1.16% for Wisconsin in 2014.  Wisconsin trails ...

The Looming Retirement Crisis

The Looming Retirement Crisis By Joyce Luedke Currently half of all Americans 65 and older live on $18,000 a year or less. 75% of those nearing retirement age have less than $30,000 saved for retirement. In Wisconsin 101,000 people 65 and older claim the Homestead Tax Credit. In Wisconsin more than 48,000 households with people 60 or older received food stamps in 2010. The number of people 65 and older is projected to nearly double over the next 30 years. The number of people 85 and older will skyrocket 142% to 287,000. The number of people 65 and older is projected to nearly double over the next 30 years. The ...

SAVING FOR RETIREMENT

SAVING FOR RETIREMENT By Joyce Luedke The numbers are stark.  Few Americans have saved for retirement. Those with access to 401(k)’s have not saved enough.  " Sixty five percent of respondents to an August 2012 AARP survey said they worry they won't have enough to retire and 72% believe they will have to delay retirement." Social Security benefits represent about 38% of income for the elderly . Twenty-two percent of married couples and about 47% of unmarried people rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.  In 2014, 101,000 people 65 and older in Wisconsin claimed the Homestead Tax Credit.  (Dave Hansen's radio ...

CAN YOU IMAGINE CLOSING ALL NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

CAN YOU IMAGINE CLOSING ALL NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS? By Joyce Luedke Can you imagine closing all neighborhood public schools in a city and replacing them with 40 different privately managed charter schools, a Recovery School District, funded by taxpayers? Can you imagine no centralized oversight of these 40 different entities to guarantee that the needs of all students are met? Can you imagine firing 7,000 school personnel and replacing 4500 teachers with unlicensed personnel holding alternative certificates who have no training in child development, teaching children with special needs, or other crucial courses required to be a ...

PROTECTING WISCONSIN’S WATER

An editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel April 7, 2015 states: "Once again, Gov. Scott Walker's budget is taking Wisconsin in the wrong direction.  Instead of spending more to curb runoff pollution, the 2015-'17 budget actually cuts programs that address the problem. That not only weakens protections for the state's waterways, it undercuts administration officials who say they're committed to reducing runoff pollution." The governor's budget cuts $5.7 million from programs needed to address runoff problems.  The cuts would reduce funding and staff at the county and state levels, diminish the university's outreach, and cut funding to ...

RETURNING THE BRIBE

Recently, I sent checks to five public schools in Wisconsin along with a letter explaining my actions.  I can't in good conscience accept the "bribe" of a so-called tax refund when it impacts the welfare of my grandchildren and over 800,000 students attending public schools. I believe in investing in our great public schools and the children who attend them.  The generations who came before me invested in my public education.  I am forever grateful to them.  The previous generations wanted a better life for us and knew that a public education was the key to that better life. They knew an educated populace is crucial for our representative ...