Economics
So Enbridge Sued Us
SO ENBRIDGE SUED US
By James Botsford
(Editor’s Note: James and Krista Botsford of Wausau, Wisconsin are being sued by Enbridge, a multi-national oil pipeline corporation based in Canada, over land in North Dakota that the Botsfords own.)
One day around dinner time the phone rang and it was someone from a multi-national oil pipeline corporation telling me they wanted to run a 24-inch pipeline across our farmland capable of transporting 300,000 barrels of oil a day in order to get it to a seaport so it could be sold on the world market.
I told them my wife and I ...
Shrink the Pentagon’s Massive Contribution to Climate Change
Shrink the Pentagon's Massive Contribution to Climate Change
by Lenore Hitchler
(This article was first published in The Capital Times)
Roads melting from a heatwave in India. Droughts. Floods in Bangladesh. Many scientists believe the dramatic increase in extreme weather is a result of global climate change. Pope Francis is particularly concerned about the ethics of not stopping global warming, as he discusses in his encyclical.
A lot of talk about the causes of climate change emphasizes the contributions of individuals to the problem. The solutions to climate ...
STOP Shopping Til THEY Drop! Family Values Weekend: A new tool for change.
STOP Shopping Til THEY Drop!
Family Values Weekend: A new tool for change.
By Philip Anderson
Progressives are often frustrated by the overwhelming odds against building a better society. Money rules elections. Corporate lobbying trumps public opinion. Voters are apathetic and vote against their own interests. Crazy reactionaries succeed and common sense reforms go nowhere. We organize, march, write letters, contact our legislators, sign petitions, and advocate for the common good seemingly to no avail.
Perhaps we need a new tool. A new protest that will demand ...
Statement on the Proposed State Budget
Statement on the Proposed State Budget
By Pete Flesch
Crawford County Board Chair
Despite the promised removal of language gutting Wisconsin's open records law, this proposed budget is still a disaster that deserves to be rejected. Here are some of the reasons why:
Transportation Funding: A path to nowhere
This budget does nothing to address sustainability of the transportation fund, where revenues continue to decline. Instead it puts half a billion dollars on the state's credit card and delays needed maintenance and repair. How far do you suppose that $5 of ...
GOVERNOR’S VETOES REMOVE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT
GOVERNOR’S VETOES REMOVE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT
by Wisconsin State Senator Kathleen Vinehout
“I object to the infringement on gubernatorial power and duties,” wrote Governor Walker in his veto message. By his budget vetoes he made it clear he did not want legislative oversight.
The governor removed at least 15 portions of state law passed by the legislature that provided legislative authority or provided oversight of the executive branch.
Remember your 4th grade civics class lessons about the delicate balance of powers between the three branches of government ...
CELEBRATE FREEDOM ON JULY4TH WEEKEND…
CELEBRATE FREEDOM ON JULY4TH WEEKEND…
By Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff
On this July4th weekend, celebrate freedom. There are different versions of “freedom” in our society, but here is our version:
“If you get cancer or break a leg and do not have health insurance, you are not free.
If you can’t get a decent education, you are not free.
If you are a woman and do not control your body, you are not free.
If you cannot marry someone you love, you are not free.
If your work largely benefits only the wealthiest of the wealthy and not you, you ...
Government is Good
Government is good and has many successful programs to show! On the other hand, the conservative mantra is that government is too big and needs to be cut. Government is the problem and not the answer. We are better off with the smallest government possible.
They have been so successful at this agenda that many “liberal” politicians are afraid to defend successful government programs and the necessary taxes to support vital public infrastructure and services.
There is a great website (and book) which addresses this subject in wonderful detail. Government is Good, ...
KEEP THE INTERNET OPEN AND FREE
KEEP THE INTERNET OPEN AND FREE
By Jeanne Larsen
On February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) followed Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan to base Net Neutrality rules on Title II of the Communications Act, giving internet users the strongest protections possible by making broadband networks open, accessible, reliable and affordable for everyone.
Big corporations like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon are spending huge amounts of money on public relations media blitzes, lobbyists and political campaign donations to convince the public and legislators that ...
A Citizen Remembers
A Citizen Remembers….by Randy Radtke
I remember a few things growing up.
I remember my dad being able to raise our family on one income. Most people could raise their family on one income. Some of their spouses chose to work but it wasn't necessary.
When people did not agree totally with the government, they still knew government was needed for our country to function properly.
We respected all teachers, both public and private.
There was respect for each other no matter what occupation or point of view.
We seemed more united. People seemed to know we ...
Kicking Controls Out the Window
Kicking Controls Out the Window
By State Senator Kathleen Vinehout
No UW Oversight by LAB a Recipe for Corruption
"Suspend current law…requiring the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct an annual financial audit of the UW System. Instead, require the UW System to contract with an independent accounting firm,” read the motion introduced by Senator Harsdorf and Representative Schraa.Recent action by a majority of the state’s budget writing committee not only kicked the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) out of the UW System but also approved a process ...