Family & Community
Move To Amend Comes To Wausau
Volunteers are knocking on doors this month in Wausau, asking people if they wish to sign a petition to bring a nonbinding resolution to the November 4 ballot. This resolution will call for a constitutional amendment stating that money is not speech.
Move to Amend seeks a 28th Amendment saying that corporations are not people and that money is not speech. In 2010 the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United which allows corporations to give unlimited amounts of money to politicians. This has made our democracy available to the highest bidder.
People across ...
Pale Blue Dot
The following quote is from the book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan. The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth taken in 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles, 40 AU) from Earth. The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which had completed its primary mission and was leaving the Solar System, was commanded by NASA to turn its camera around and to take a photograph of Earth across a great expanse of space, at the request of Carl Sagan.
“Look again at that dot. That's ...
The Dangers Of Tar Sands Oil – In Wisconsin
Tar Sands Oil is coming to Wisconsin. Last Thursday the state DNR approved an air permit to triple the capacity of the pipeline between Superior and the Illinois state line.
Construction could start as soon as Friday on three new storage tanks near Superior.
Environmentalists are not happy with this decision. The DNR received 200 written comments and 3400 e-mails asking for a complete environmental review of the project. However, the DNR decided not to do the complete review.
This pipeline has been used since 2009 and now carries 400,000 barrels of oil a day. By ...
The Struggle between Freedom and Safety
The recent tragedy near Santa Barbara, California, where a lone gunman killed six innocent individuals, has ignited yet another firestorm of commentary regarding the growing divide between those who value our unalienable rights and those who place a value on public safety. This constant struggle between both sides can often times leave more questions than answers. Whose viewpoints are right? Which takes precedence over the other?
The answer to that question lies at the very bedrock of who we are as a society, and ultimately, who we want to be. A middle-gro...
Evolving Crisis for Wisconsin Elderly and Disabled: Audit Committee Investigation
Through our democratic processes, we Wisconsinites provided oversight to protect our most vulnerable citizens when they needed to be protected the most. But, the current administration is removing that oversight, and we are seeing the consequences.
By outsourcing more and more services to private companies, the state is causing a plethora of problems, while select private companies make big profits.
For example, by outsourcing the transportation of low-income elderly, veterans, and disabled citizens to their Medicaid appointments, the state has literally left many ...
ON THE BOOKSHELVES… “Wisconsin Bucket List: 100 Ways to Have a Real Wisconsin Experience”
“In my opinion, it is entirely possible that America’s Dairyland was once a shooting star
that traveled from the Milky Way and landed in the heartland of our great nation.”
— Kelly Jo Stull, author of The Wisconsin Bucket List
Looking for a home-grown GRADUATION, RETIREMENT, or FATHER'S DAY GIFT to kick off the summer travel season?
Wisconsin Bucket List: 100 Ways to Have a Real Wisconsin Experience is a compendium of 100 iconic Wisconsin attractions that will warm your heart as you laugh and nod in recognition of your own childhood memories and musings...
World War I Centennial
Thousands of soldiers with bayoneted rifles going “over the top” of a barb-wired, rat infested trench. Ever onward, soldiers fall to the left, to the right, in front and back mowed down by enemy gunfire while crossing ever more trenches into “No man’s land.”
Hundreds of dead soldiers lying face down amidst the trees in a forest.
Row after row of hospital beds filled with wounded soldiers tended by Red Cross nurses.
Blackened corpses lying in a hastily dug grave. Soldiers in gas masks. The ghastly scenes of gas warfare.
Millions of ...
Moral Monday: Enough is Enough
“Enough is enough. She’s innocent. She didn’t bother nobody” as yet another innocent girl’s life hangs in the balance after being shot in the crossfire of gunmen while on the playground at Clarke Street Elementary School in Milwaukee on May 21st.
The father, Onjaun Guyton, says, “Enough is enough” and holds the sobbing mother of 10 year old, Sierra Guyton.
“Think about that: A 10-year old shot on her school playground. What kind of world allows that to happen?”
Another father, Richard Martinezs, pleads on national television to please ...
The Global Fast Food Workers Strike
As many are aware, the global fast food workers strike took place this past May 15th. There were participants all over America. Citizens of all ages and backgrounds took part, and these were some of the comments from the courageous individuals who marched in Wausau:
“What 15 & a union means to me: Protection from wage theft and income inequality.
As a worker, I’ve seen wage theft happen first hand. Whether it’s not getting paid during training, taking out the trash on breaks, or even counting registers off of the clock, these are all forms of wage theft ...
Honor the Fallen by Working for Peace
On Memorial Day we remember our military dead and honor their sacrifice. But we do not honor veterans by lying to ourselves about why they died.
Many Americans believe we are “free” because of the military and the sacrifice of our troops. “Got freedom? Thank a Vet!” This is a nice sound bite, but it is not true.
This slogan only blinds us to the real causes of war. It promotes the next war. It justifies the war industry and maintains recruiting. It is misleading because it assumes that only veterans have protected our freedoms. And it assumes our numerous ...
