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 ...

Rep. Melissa Sargent: GOP leaves no room for bipartisan cooperation

Rep. Melissa Sargent: GOP leaves no room for bipartisan cooperation June 23, 2015 4:30 am REP. MELISSA SARGENT | Democratic member, Wisconsin Assembly Two weeks ago I happened to read an opinion column written by Rep. Scott Allen that was published in the Cap Times. While I don’t usually make a habit of responding to columns like his, I couldn’t help but note the irony of him accusing Democrats of “partisan posturing” and creating “an environment of extreme rhetoric,” only to paradoxically stress the importance of bipartisanship and cooperation mere ...

Honk For Public Education

HONK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION By Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff Motorists are honking their horn for public education for all, thanks to rallies by concerned people all over Wisconsin. Throughout Wisconsin, many people are organizing and advocating for public education. Local groups are standing on sidewalks and holding signs to let people know what is going on in the state budget and the local schools. They are helping to educate the public on the needs of our public schools. In Wauwatosa SOS (Save Our Schools) has requested open records of their elected officials to ...

Residents and Parents in River Falls Should Know… State Budget proposals impact our schools

School District of River Falls ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 852 East Division Street, River Falls WI 54022 715-425-1800 phone / 715-425-1804 fax www.rfsd.k12.wi.us June 5, 2015 Residents and Parents in River Falls Should Know… State Budget proposals impact our schools The current state budget and related legislative proposals would have significant and lasting negative implications for the School District of River Falls and all public schools in the state of Wisconsin. As part of our school district responsibility to the community, it is important ...

Taxes are Good

This is a second article promoting website and book “Government is Good, An Unapologetic Defense of a Vital Institution.” Taxes are perhaps the most effective “wedge” issue used by conservatives to keep people voting against their own best interests. On his website Douglas J. Amy, Professor of Politics, Mount Holyoke College does a terrific job countering the conservative obsession with taxes and tax cuts with hard facts and good reasoning. “Most conservative criticisms about the ill-effects of taxes are exaggerated or untrue. Taxes are in fact good – they ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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Fiscal Budget