Government


Mother’s Day for Peace

War kills. Mostly it kills innocent people – women, children, the elderly and other non-combatants. War destroys. War destroys nations, economies, and the environment. War does not resolve conflicts. It exacerbates social and political problems. War is a choice and it is always a bad choice, War is failure. Wars result from the failure of national leaders to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. The war in Ukraine is a senseless tragedy. This war could have been prevented.  If the politicians had been willing to compromise, the diplomats more aggressive in ...

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True Patriots

My DNA tracks through generations of true PATRIOTS that have proven the test of time. It is their “rally call” that is deeply felt within my being that I write about the current state of our democratic government and the immediate need to save our democracy for all. Since I was “knee high to a grasshopper” I recall my elders’ wisdom that was shared at family reunions, special achievement events and religious gatherings.  Frequently saying to me that I should remember where I came from and why we were here.  One of their reminders was, “Always ...

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Oaths Of Office & The Common Good

Ben Franklin once said, “The good we do together surpasses the good we can do alone.” The meaning of that statement has stayed with me throughout all my endeavors to work for the common good, especially throughout my teaching career.  It should be internalized by all those who seek an office in our government, at every level, in our democracy.  So, it is astounding to me how many elected officials don’t know or care what their oaths of office to The People and the Constitution really mean.  A conversation that I had with the Lt. Governor a few years ago offered ...

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CON-FUSION

There is an ongoing fusion of Neoliberalism, Fascism, Religion, Big Tech, Racism, Climate Collapse and diseases into an immense “confusion.” This obliterates clarity and understanding of today’s issues.  There is a confidence trick causing this confusion. It is by design.   First is Neoliberalism.  The earliest notion of this came from the Mont Pelerin Society, founded in 1947, named after its first meeting location in Switzerland.  (https://www.desmog.com/mont-pelerin-society/)  The concept of neoliberalism is, in brief, big business and little ...

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Women for Women

Women for Women Wausau Thursday, May 5 at 6 PM The Impact of Dark Money on Our Elections Millions of dollars are being spent in our elections since Citizens United came about. That is there is no longer the requirement to publicly disclose donors. We believe corporations are not people and money does not make free speech. Yet all too often we see the corruptive influence of money in our elections. Dave Svetlik, former editor and publisher of Middle Wisconsin will speak on the lasting effects of dark money in our elections. Nancy Stencil will contribute on the buying ...

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Victories for Justice

We have two victories in the struggle for justice and social progress to celebrate. I am referring to the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and the enactment of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. Martin Luther King claimed the “arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” But too often it has been hard to find much evidence for his optimism. Reading the news is more likely to bend one toward drink, cynicism and misanthropy than hope for the future. As a society, we have a long way to go to achieve liberty and ...

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Women for Women Wausau: The Impact of Dark Money

Women for Women Wausau Thursday, May 5 at 6 PM The Impact of Dark Money on Our Elections Millions of dollars are being spent in our elections since Citizens United came about. That is there is no longer the requirement to publicly disclose donors. We believe corporations are not people and money does not make free speech. Yet all too often we see the corruptive influence of money in our elections. Dave Svetlik, who is also one of the great contributors to Middle Wisconsin, will be presenting the lasting effects of dark money on our elections. The buying of elections ...

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Red Springs Votes to Amend the U.S. Constitution

For immediate release: Red Springs Votes to Amend the U.S. Constitution Madison, WI (April 6, 2022) – In the Spring election, Wisconsin residents in the Town of Red Springs voted to amend the U.S. Constitution to clarify that only human beings should have inalienable human rights and money is not the same thing as free speech. The referendum passed with an 89% majority in Red Springs, which is in Shawano County. That brings the total to 167 Wisconsin communities that have called for an amendment. In total, almost 3.3 million people (58% of Wisconsinites) ...

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Local Elections Matter

I am sending you a little last-minute reminder if you have not already voted early or voted by mail, Tuesday, April 5, is your day to get out there and vote. Local elections are so important. Often our local elections are won by a small margin. Local elections can affect us more so than a larger race, such as a presidential election. Something equally important I want to share with you is trusting in our elections. Anyone who has worked the polls before knows that people of all political persuasions participate as election workers. Each of Wisconsin’s 1,850 municipa...

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Help Us Sue Ron Johnson, Tom Tiffany, and Scott Fitzgerald for Aiding the Insurrection

by Kirk Bangstad March 13, 2022, used with permission This story today is gonna be a doozy, so if you don’t have 5-10 minutes to read it, here’s the super short version:   The Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC is trying to remove U.S. Senator Ron Johnson and U.S. Reps Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald from the 2022 ballot with a lawsuit claiming they aided and abetted the January 6th insurrection. We think we have a strong case and we’re going to need some help funding the lawsuit.   Take a moment to read that paragraph again because this is pretty huge ...

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