301 results for author: Phil Anderson

Ruminations on Roadside Trash

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans. Jacques Yves Cousteau This time of year is garbage season. The snow has finally melted along our road revealing a winter's accumulation of trash. In the time between snow melt and new spring growth it is easily visible (and easy to pick up). We usually get several five gallon buckets just along the mile or so of county road that we pick up. It is amazing what you can find along the road side. The variety is astonishing. You expect the usual food and beverage containers. But there seems to be no limit on what gets pitched out of a car window or ...

What Can One Person Do? A New Tactic for Change

We do not have a functioning democracy. Too often the will of the majority is ignored. The politicians and their big money donors do what they want. Money rules. Corporate lobbying trumps public opinion. Voters are apathetic. Crazy reactionaries succeed and common sense reforms go nowhere. Too often we organize, march, write letters, contact our legislators, sign petitions, seemingly to no avail. It is time progressives try new methods. We need a new protest tool that will demand attention. I believe we need to use our economic power as consumers to demand sensible change. In a consumer based economy, people do have real power. What we buy, or ...

Corporations Are People?

“This is a crucial time in the fight for corporate civil rights. Just look at the hateful signs at Occupy Wall Street: 'Corporations Are Not People!' Wow, I thought we were past the point in this country where some people aren't people just because they have different color skin or different religion or were born in a lawyer's office, only exist on paper, have no soul and can never die.” Stephen Colbert, comedian “I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one”. Robert Reich, economist. We are moving into another election season. We all know the whole election process is broken. It has been for years. This is not because ...

Fixing the National Debt with Better Alternatives

Government, like individuals, borrows money and has debt. Debt can be a problem if you have too much and can't make the payments. It can be a problem if you are using debt for the wrong reasons. Partying on the credit card is not good. Using debt to invest in your future (buying a house, starting a business, going to college) can be a wise choice. Unfortunately much of our federal spending is not spent wisely to build the public good or invest in our people's future. There are three major causes of federal debt: excessive military spending, excessive health care costs, and tax breaks. Historically the Pentagon has consumed about half the ...

People Are More Important Than Guns

Children at “March For Our Lives” events carried signs saying, “I am more important than your gun.” This message should be applied to our nation and its spending priorities. People are more important than guns. People are more important than war. People are more important than our obsession with national “security.” The same politicians who don't understand that guns don't make our schools, or our communities, safe also don't understand that guns do not make the world safe. Our huge, excessive spending on war, and preparation for war, does not keep us safe. It does not keep us free. It does not prevent terrorism. It just kills people, ...

SCHOOL REFERENDUM CONUNDRUM

“Clearly, voters continue to value a public education, even if our elected officials do not.” Scott Robert Shaw, “News Talk” WIZM (radio station in La Crosse) Bok's Law: If you think education is expensive—try ignorance. Derek Bok, president of Harvard University. Many school districts in Wisconsin are in financial trouble. To deal with the problem many are seeking property tax increases which require local voter approval. The number of these referendum votes are increasing across the state and many are passing. Voters apparently want their local schools to be adequately funded and are willing to pay more to make it happen. What ...

Supremely Important Election April 3rd

The April 3rd election in Wisconsin is very important. A Supreme Court justice will be elected. Spring elections often involve minor local issues and offices and these elections have very poor voter turnout. Many voters are not even aware this election is happening! As a result major decisions get decided by a very small number of citizens. The two candidates in this race are Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock. The two candidates vary widely in experience, qualifications, and stature in the profession. Supreme Court justices serve 10 year terms and the court often makes decisions ...

Lessons from a false alarm

On Saturday, January 13, 2018, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued an alert warning of an imminent missile attack. It was a false alarm, but many residents, and the media, received the text message. Given the saber rattling regarding North Korean missile tests, the alert seemed credible. Certainly the fear it generated was real. There are lessons to be learned (and hopefully acted upon) from this incident. Ralph Hutchinson, an advocate for abolishing nuclear weapons, discusses this incident in the context of our national nuclear weapons policy. His lessons and insights are excellent and I share them here. FALSE ALARM? HAWAII AND THE ...

Hunters in Training

Truth is stranger than fiction. With the Republican wrecking crew in charge nationally and in Wisconsin, truth is becoming increasingly stranger. A random walk through the news demonstrates what I mean. There are many seemingly small issues that speak volumes about where we are heading as a nation. One can only wonder what is wrong with these clowns? What are they thinking? No age limit to hunt in Wisconsin On November 13th, Walker signed a Republican bill doing away with the minimum age to participate in a “mentored” hunt. Children under 11 years old must hunt with a “mentor.” The mentor must be within “arms length” but both may ...

Doing Your Part

I have written in the past about not losing hope in these troubled political times. Good change can come if good people get active. In the past there were many people who did organize and advocate for change. All that is good about our current society is the result of these people's activism. Some of these people were the great men and women we read about in the history books. But many were unsung, unknown people who did the small things needed to build progress. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Democracy must have citizens that do their part. They don't have to be political junkies, but they do need to pay attention and be willing to particip...