87 results for author: Virginia Kirsch


STOP HOG FACTORY FARM NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR

STOP HOG FACTORY FARM NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR By Virginia Kirsch Badgerwood LLC wants to build and operate a 26,000 hog factory-farm in Eileen Township of Bayfield County. Badgerwood LLC is from the Reicks View Farms in Iowa. Why choose such an ecologically delicate area close to Lake Superior? Perhaps the plan includes exporting animals from the Great Lakes by rail to British Columbia and then by ship to China. This long journey sounds like cruel treatment! The proposed hog factory farm is 8 miles from Lake Superior. The proposed factory farm is in the Fish Creek Watershed, which contains outstanding resource waters. Lake Superior holds 10 percent ...

ON THE BOOKSHELF – THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM

ON THE BOOKSHELF By Virginia Kirsch THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM (How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education) by Diane Ravitch This book is a must-read for all of you concerned with public education. In Ravitch’s recent blog, she reiterated that the aim of legislators across the nation is to privatize public education. To prepare for the fight to protect our public schools, you will want to read this book. Ravitch is the Research Professor of Education at New York University. From 1991 to 1993 she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander under Presid...

VOTE WITH YOUR MONEY….BUY LOCAL PRODUCTS

VOTE WITH YOUR MONEY….BUY LOCAL PRODUCTS. By Virginia Kirsch As you shop this week, look for products made in Wisconsin. Here are reasons to buy local…. Biggest job creators. Local businesses are the largest employers nationally. Circulates more money in our own community and grows the tax base. Helps local non-profits as local business owners donate more to local charities than non-local owners. Encourages local “character” and culture. Reduces environmental impact. Gives better customer service. Local owners re-invest locally. Public benefits outweigh the public costs as relatively little ...

HELP SAVE IRIS, Wisconsin’s Long-term Care System

HELP SAVE IRIS, Wisconsin’s Long-term Care System By Virginia Kirsch I.R.I.S. is the acronym for INCLUDE, RESPECT, I and SELF-DIRECT. It is operated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services DHSIRIS@wisconsin.gov . It is a Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service for self-directed long-term support. INCLUDE refers to the people served by this program who are elderly, or adults with physical and/or intellectual disabilities with long-term needs. RESPECT means that the participants choose their living setting, their relationships and their participation in their community. I SELF-DIRECT means that the participant manages a plan ...

ON THE BOOKSHELF…..THOMAS PAINE AND THE PROMISE OF AMERICA

Thomas Paine and the Promise of America was written by author Harvey J. Kaye. Kaye is the Ben and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Social Change and Development at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay. He is an award-winning author and editor. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” I say this often in our hectic and uncharted times. However, Thomas Paine first said those words to the colonial soldiers fighting for independence from England. Thomas Paine (1737-1809) is a symbol of patriotism. For the past 240 years, Americans have claimed Paine as the figure of struggle for freedom, equality and democracy. This fascinating book ...

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY ON APRIL 22…..

There was a time when man took no more Than he needed. That time is gone…. There was a time when he gave something back. That time is gone…. There was a time when he worshipped the creator And honored creation. That time too is gone… Now the waters are polluted. Our natural resources are all but gone And creation is dying… It is time… To find our way back to the earth. --Kevin Thunderhorse Wright   It is easy on warm sunny days to find my way back to the earth. Spring flowers are blooming. Lettuce planted last November has sprouted. Rhubarb plants are pushing through the soil. I grew up in Wisconsin and took our natural ...

QUESTIONS ON OUR APRIL 7 BALLOT….

You will be asked to vote on these questions. They are printed here for your convenience. QUESTION 1: “ELECTION OF CHIEF JUSTICE Shall section 4 (2) of article VII of the constitution be amended to direct that a chief justice of the supreme court shall be elected for a two-year term by majority of the justices then serving on the court?” QUESTION 2: ADVISORY REFERENDUM: “Shall the City of Wausau establish the position of city administrator, reduce the Mayor’s position to part-time, and transfer administrative and operational responsibilities from the Mayor to the city administrator?” The City of Wausau will retain the Mayor-...

FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF “SELMA-MONTGOMERY MARCH”

Rev. Janet Wolfe, a retired Presbyterian pastor in Marshfield, Wisconsin, commemorated the 50th anniversary of her participation in the Civil Rights movement. Fifty years ago, Rev. Wolfe was a student at U of Colorado in Boulder. She boarded a bus with 32 others and headed for Alabama. She attended the last day of the Selma-Montgomery March on March 25, 1965. Fortunately, she recorded her experiences and here is an excerpt: “After wading in a mixture of mud, rain, and old orange peels for 5 ½ hours, we began marching through the Negro section. The spectators were jubilant. There were many old people and mothers with small children. One ...

WHAT IS BEST FOR CHILDREN IN RURAL WISCONSIN?

The times, they are a-changin’. Rural Wisconsin is seeing big changes. Rural Wisconsin is home to almost 44 percent of the state’s 860,000 public school students. One big change is the decrease in school enrollment. Rural school districts have a 7% decline while non-rural districts have 3%. With a decline in student population comes a drop in funding. Every district works hard to make the most of each dollar. But at the same time, rural school districts are increasing in poverty. More than half the students are eligible for free-and-reduced lunch. Along with poverty comes the state government taking public school funds and giving them ...

SAVE THE U.S. POST OFFICE

As a child, growing up in rural Wisconsin, I remember the excitement of watching for the mailman. We loved the surprises waiting for us in our mailbox. Today, many people still depend on the U.S. Postal Service. It delivers everywhere. Many small businesses depend on it for their business. Independent newspapers need it to deliver their papers and to keep independent journalism alive. Recently our mail delivery has slowed down. Why? On January 5, 2015, many distribution centers were closed in an effort to cut costs. This slowed down the processing of mail. Why does the USPS need to cut costs? It has always been a cash cow. During the 2008 money ...