Fiscal Budget
Joint Finance Committee designates funds to in-person schools
Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) announced that they will use $68.6 million (10%) of federal funds designated for K-12 schools to reward schools offering in-person instruction. This money will be awarded to school districts based on the number of hours of in-person instruction provided during the 2020-2021 school year. This does not affect the $617.5 million of federal funding earmarked for schools based on the Title I formula.
America the Beautiful
The same short-sighted, profit-centered thinking that opposed creating the National Parks hinders creating the “good change” we need today.
A People’s Budget For Wisconsin
Governor Tony Evers says his proposed budget “is the people's budget.” It is intended to “put people first.” The details of his budget proposal show this is more than campaign rhetoric. There are a number of changes in policy and spending priorities that will positively impact most people in Wisconsin.
Evers' budget increases funding for schools, infrastructure, public health, and health care. These were important items either cut, or ignored, under the prior administration. The people of Wisconsin elected Evers largely because of his promise to restore school ...
THE BUDGET MOSAIC
Connecting dots can be very satisfying -- when it all clicks together our eyes get big, our jaws drop and we become stunned with our newfound knowledge.
The bigger the conclusion, the more satisfying the result. For legislators, much is the same for comprehending the state budget. Pouring over the details and reading the documents line-by-line can be dull, very dull. But when things start to click and make sense, it’s all worth it.
Governor Tony Evers listened to the experiences and values from many different people and put together a budget that represents a large ...
BACK TO ALEC, BACK TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS
BACK TO ALEC, BACK TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS
By Rep Chris Taylor (D-Madison)
On the heels of a newly passed state budget that again leaves our K-12 public schools behind without ample and consistent funding, I recently headed back to where the school privatization push all began — the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.
ALEC and its members, including the American Federation for Children, have become more powerful than our citizens’ voices at the state Capitol.
Despite massive public urging from Wisconsin school superintendents, principals, teachers, ...
RIGHT-SIZING THE PENTAGON (how to reduce military spending and maintain security)
RIGHT-SIZING THE PENTAGON
(how to reduce military spending and maintain security)
By Philip Anderson
I believe we can reduce military spending without hurting national security. Reducing the huge cost of our military requires many reforms large and small. It requires reducing waste. We need to take the profit out of war. We need to demilitarize our foreign policy. And we need to “right size” the military.
Reduce the waste.
Waste is endemic in the military and is the obvious place to begin reducing costs. Waste happens everywhere at every level from ...
NO VOUCHERS COALITION
NO VOUCHERS COALITION
From their Facebook page
The grassroots group was founded by Pam Kobielus in July 2014 in response to the attacks on our quality public schools in Northern Wisconsin communities. In less than a year, the membership has grown, by word-of-mouth only, to more than 500 non-partisan public school parents and supporters.
The group has grown so rapidly because members strongly oppose money taken off the top of local public school budgets. This costs $64 million annually.
No Vouchers Coalition opposes the siphoning of public taxpayer money to subsid...
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 ...