135 results for author: Phil Anderson

ACTION ALERT

I believe Trump’s declaration is a serious threat to democratic rule of law. It must be defeated and citizens must immediately take action.We cannot wait for the law suits or the Democrats in the House to dither and compromise. The declaration is the real emergency and requires a no-compromise, all-hands-on-deck, public response.“IF YOU ARE NOT OUTRAGED YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION” Action Alert.Trump's declaration of emergency is a blatant attempt to bypass congressional control over federal spending. Having failed to get the money he wanted to build the wall, both from the prior Republican controlled House and the latest budget ...

Questions on the “Markets”

The stock market had a crazy year in 2018. Several times there were huge swings in the market indexes. Any good investment adviser will tell you to ignore the daily ups and downs of the markets. But people are worried. Somehow Wall Street speculation has the power to crash the real economy. When the bubble bursts, like in 2008, severe problems result. Main street businesses go under, people are laid off, and retirement “nest eggs” disappear overnight. The economy can take years to recover.Why does this happen? How can speculation crash the whole economy? Why do we let it happen?Despite years of reading about business, investing, and economics, ...

Singing for Justice

“Have you sung a song for freedom? Or marched that picket line? Have you been to jail for justice? Then you're a friend of mine”excerpt from “Have You Been Jailed for Justice” by Anne FeeneyIn Madison, Wisconsin people have been singing for freedom and justice at the state capitol every business day since March 2011! For over 2000 days people have come to the Solidarity Sing Along. As Governor Scott Walker, the object of this extraordinary protest, exits the political stage I think it is appropriate to honor these singers.This tour de force began in March of 2011 as a part of the massive protests in response to Walker's Act 10 budget cuts ...

Ruminations on a happy new year

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” Tom Bodett, author, and NPR personality. “Happy New Year” is one of the meaningless Hallmark platitudes of the season. You hear the greeting from friends and strangers. It is in the shopping mall Christmas music tape loop. The cards you get from the power company or your dentist wish you happiness. For a few weeks everyone is full of good will and peace on earth. At least until January 2nd. All humans seem to seek happiness. We are social animals with a propensity to smile, laugh, sing, create art, feast, ...

A New Day in Wisconsin?

“What’s best for our kids, is what’s best for our state and our democracy.” Governor elect Tony Evers, 2018"Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill. The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer." Governor Scott Walker talking to billionaire campaign contributor Diane Hendricks about getting rid of unions and making Wisconsin a “completely red state,” January 18, 2011 (emphasis added)“It is a new day in Wisconsin.” Tony Evers after being elected governorThe contrast in priorities between Governor-elect Tony ...

Hate in America

Driving around the Northland you can see the confederate flag displayed on vehicles. Do you ever wonder what motivates a person to display this symbol of racism and hate? This isn't the Deep South. Wisconsin and Minnesota men fought proudly for the Union, and we have a very small minority community. Why would anyone want, or feel the need, to publicly display this hateful southern symbol?The confederate battle flag IS a symbol of hate. It is not merely an expression of pride in their “southern heritage,” as the apologists claim. Magnolia blossoms, mint juleps, and fried chicken don't come to mind when you see this symbol. This flag reminds us of ...

Don’t Celebrate – Organize

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Frederick Douglass“Don't mourn – organize.” Joe Hill, labor activistWe, thankfully, don't have to mourn the last election. But the job is not done. Now is not the time to kick back and wait for the next election. This would be tempting and we all need a rest from politics. But, progressives must continue to oppose the destructive policies of Republicans and to push Democrats to do what is needed for people. Don't celebrate – organize.Democrats made some gains in the last election. Wisconsin elected a number of champions for the people including Tony Earl as Governor, and Mandela ...

Leadership to Move Forward

The struggle is not over. The blue wave was successful in many places across the country. But it was not a tsunami. It did not wash away all the obstacles to building a better, more just America.The good news is we no longer have complete Republican control in Wisconsin and nationally. The downside is that we have a divided government, and legislative gridlock will be the likely result. But this does not mean we can't move forward with a progressive agenda. There is a positive path forward that can build on the success of this election. We can continue the process of building grassroots support for a progressive agenda in preparation for 2020....

Wisconsin’s Other Choices

Electing a governor or president gets a lot of press attention. Voters have plenty of opportunity to learn about these candidates. But in a federal system of government, like ours, other state and local offices are also important. Too often these “down ballot” candidates don't get the attention they deserve. Often people going to the polls don't even know who is running for these offices. They don't know the qualifications, political philosophy, or agenda of these candidates. They don't know what difference one candidate or the other might make. In short, they can't vote knowledgeably.This article is for voters in northwest Wisconsin. It looks ...