Economics
Rep. Melissa Sargent: Government for the People is a Moral Responsibility
Rep. Melissa Sargent: Government for the people is a moral responsibility
by MELISSA SARGENT | Democratic member of Assembly from Madison
Last week, I stayed up late listening to the proceedings in the Joint Finance Committee as the Republicans once again pushed more money into taxpayer-subsidized, private voucher schools to the detriment of public education.
As I watched my 5-year-old sleeping next to me, tears streamed down my face. I was devastated at the thought of how different his educational experience will be from my own and even my oldest son’s. Public ...
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track
By John Spiegelhoff
Have you ever gone to your local American car dealership and inquired where your car was made? You should probably pay attention as you will find that an American made car is not always made in America.
Do you remember back in the 1990’s when the United States entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? And the subsequent Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)? These trade agreements have not worked out well for American workers. American jobs went to Mexico. American workers ...
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 ...
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 ...
TREATMENT……NOT IMPRISONMENT
TREATMENT……NOT IMPRISONMENT
By Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff
“The simple message: “Do NOT pass a budget that includes funds to expand the prison system.”
• There are proven, safe ways to reduce the prison population. The Administration can take measures to fix the broken parole system that is keeping hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people in prison longer that the sentencing judge ever envisioned. The Administration can also increase efforts to provide alternatives to revocation for people on supervision who have not committed a new ...
MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS
(Memorial Day began as Decoration Day after the American Civil War to honor those fallen soldiers of the North. Later Memorial Day was expanded to include all military personnel who died in the service of their country. Memorial Day has expanded to include all dear ones who have died. On April 25, 2015 Memorial Day for Workers remembered people who died while in the workplace. Here is the speech given by Randy Radke.)
MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS
By Randy Radke
I would like to thank everyone who was able to join us today to remember our fallen sisters and brothers. ...
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 ...
Why We Need Labor Unions in Our Community
By John Spiegelhoff and Dale Moerke
What exactly is a Labor Union and why should I care about them? If you would ask a random person on the street you would get probably some interesting answers.
Here is one textbook definition of a Labor Union: An association, combination, or organization of employees who band together to secure favorable wages, improved working conditions, and better work hours.
But a Labor Union is much more than a textbook definition. Union members are your family members and your neighbors. They live in the same community as you. Union ...
A Business Owes Nothing in Taxes & Gets a State Check?
A Business Owes Nothing in Taxes & Gets a State Check?
"Why doesn’t the press cover what’s happening with refundable tax credits?” I asked the journalist. We were chatting about what I found in the state budget. “Because the press doesn’t understand them,” she told me.“Doesn’t understand them?” I thought. “There has to be an easy way to describe what’s happening...”Imagine if you had no state tax taken out of your paycheck. You filed your tax return but you owed nothing. Now imagine the state sent you a refund check. Wow!
This is like ...
WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY – APRIL 28TH
Unless you are a labor historian, you probably wouldn’t know who Mary “Mother” Jones was. But her legacy in the labor movement is immense.
Mary Mother Jones was born Mary Harris in 1837 in Cork, Ireland. She moved to Toronto, Canada at ten years old due to the potato famine in Ireland. In her early adulthood she moved to the United States, married and had four children. In 1867 yellow fever struck her entire family leaving her a widow. She moved to Chicago where her small dressmaking shop eventually burned in the 1871 Chicago fire.
In her later years, Mary ...
