Government
The Prophetic Words of Plutarch
“The abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important part in determining elections. Later on, this process of corruption spread to the law courts. And then to the army, and finally the Republic was subjected to the rule of emperors.” “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” - - Plutarch
When first reading this quote, I thought - “This person must be an American describing the current state of our nation!” But Plutarch was not an American. He was a Greek philosopher/historian ...
Politics Matter
It is easy to complain about politics. It is easy to take the apathetic road and believe the politicians are all bought, your vote doesn't count, money talks, and there is nothing you can do to change the world.
You may think politics is dirty and you don't want to get involved. But politics is the way we organize and run our society. Whether you like it or not, politics will happen to you whether you are involved or not. There is a saying, “If you are not at the table you may be on the menu.” So we all need to to participate in some way – voting, learning about ...
Social Security
Established in 1935 under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), social security has kept millions of retired and disabled Americans out of abject poverty. But we hear a repeating refrain from politicians – currently Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson – that the program is “going broke” and needs “reform.” History says otherwise.
Luther Gulick was an aid to FDR and an expert in public administration working for the Treasury Department. The following conversation from the Social Security historical archives took place between Gulick and FDR in 1941:
“In ...
Ron Johnson’s Stance on Social Security is Wrong
I worked for 45 years to earn a living for myself and my family. For decades, I paid into Social
Security, setting money aside so that when I retired, I could keep a roof over my head and food
on the table. Like so many people across our state, I knew that Social Security and Medicare
would support me in the next phase of my life.
This past weekend marked the 87th anniversary of Social Security. Over the last 87 years, this
program and Medicare have become overwhelmingly popular programs that millions of working
people rely on. Yet, while this anniversary should ...
Fear Mongering
The Republican Party wants us to fear Mandela Barnes, but what frightens me is the prospect of another
6 years of Ron Johnson in the US Senate. Despite looming global catastrophe, Johnson remains a climate
change denier of the first order, calling it “ bullsh*t ,” doubling down on fossil fuel production, confirming
judges who gut the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases, and consistently voting against climate
action legislation, most recently the transformational Inflation Reduction Act.
In Mandela Barnes, I see a talented leader who, as chairman of the ...
Right Wing Think Tanks Are Who Is Really Behind Bias Reporting On College Campuses
Free speech on college campuses is being stifled, however the push to limit free speech was not started by some woke left wing mob. Oh no. It was started by a right wing organization that calls itself Students For Academic Freedom, which is a bit of a misnomer because their key goal is to strip academic freedom from faculty they disagree with. This stifling of free speech did not start all that recently; it can be traced back to the early aughts.
I was attending graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2005 when I first became aware of this ...
MARATHON COUNTY COMMITTEES’ MINING MEETING
I attended the joint meeting of Marathon County’s Environmental Resources and Metallic Mining Committees’ meeting at the Marathon County Courthouse, as a landowner and taxpayer in Marathon County. I was there to witness citizen’s concerns regarding the Canadian company, GreenLight Metals, Inc. and the mining company’s presentation who has applied for a permit for a metallic mining exploration at the Easton Reef Deposit.
It was shocking to witness the lack of respect and treatment of our fellow citizens as they spoke to the committee of their concerns. Only 2 ...
Look Up and Act Collectively
“...humanity needs stories that highlight the many absurdities that arise from collectively knowing what’s coming while collectively failing to act...We also need stories that show humanity responding rationally to the crisis...” Peter Kalmus, climate scientist and author
Mr. Kalmus was writing in the Guardian magazine about the movie “Don't Look Up.” He says the movie (about a comet strike) is really a story about climate change and our ignoring the warnings and danger to humanity. The same could be said for many critical problems we face. ...
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson
On the afternoon of July 20, 2022, a celebration of the legacy of Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson was held in the gardens of the Marathon County Historical Society.
After two years, the work has been completed. The Reading Room of the Wisconsin Historical Society has been dedicated to her with a portrait of her on display. A traveling exhibit is now on display as well after a month in Madison. In September it will move to UWM and City Hall in Milwaukee and then onto other cities throughout Wisconsin.
Justice Ann Walsh Bradley spoke and a scholarship in Justice ...
BULL FALLS RADIO
Hi Folks,
Today is an exciting day because I am finally able to announce the Minocqua Brewing Company’s partnership with two new progressive talk radio stations opening up in Central Wisconsin, and potentially even more around Northern Wisconsin very soon.
On August 1st, WXCO 1230 AM/98.9 FM, which will be called “Bull Falls Radio,” will be launched in Wausau. Also, the Stevens Point/Wisconsin Rapids station, WFRH 1320 AM/97.5 FM, otherwise known as “Locally Grown Radio,” will also be under the same new ownership. These stations are an ...