Politics
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 ...
Rethinking Militarism
We have a culture in this country of violence and militarism. Many of our national myths are based on violence. The six-gun toting cowboy, the tough cop, the military hero, and mafia godfather are typical Hollywood themes. Even our national anthem is all about war and “bombs bursting in air.”
Around patriotic holidays, like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, this culture is promoted with speeches honoring the “sacrifice” of our troops. They died to “defend freedom” and protect our way of life. Implied in these stories is that our many wars were necessary ...
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track
By John Spiegelhoff
Have you ever gone to your local American car dealership and inquired where your car was made? You should probably pay attention as you will find that an American made car is not always made in America.
Do you remember back in the 1990’s when the United States entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? And the subsequent Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)? These trade agreements have not worked out well for American workers. American jobs went to Mexico. American workers ...
The Looming Retirement Crisis
The Looming Retirement Crisis
By Joyce Luedke
Currently half of all Americans 65 and older live on $18,000 a year or less.
75% of those nearing retirement age have less than $30,000 saved for retirement.
In Wisconsin 101,000 people 65 and older claim the Homestead Tax Credit.
In Wisconsin more than 48,000 households with people 60 or older received food stamps in 2010.
The number of people 65 and older is projected to nearly double over the next 30 years.
The number of people 85 and older will skyrocket 142% to 287,000.
The number of ...
TREATMENT……NOT IMPRISONMENT
TREATMENT……NOT IMPRISONMENT
By Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff
“The simple message: “Do NOT pass a budget that includes funds to expand the prison system.”
• There are proven, safe ways to reduce the prison population. The Administration can take measures to fix the broken parole system that is keeping hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people in prison longer that the sentencing judge ever envisioned. The Administration can also increase efforts to provide alternatives to revocation for people on supervision who have not committed a new ...
MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS
(Memorial Day began as Decoration Day after the American Civil War to honor those fallen soldiers of the North. Later Memorial Day was expanded to include all military personnel who died in the service of their country. Memorial Day has expanded to include all dear ones who have died. On April 25, 2015 Memorial Day for Workers remembered people who died while in the workplace. Here is the speech given by Randy Radke.)
MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS
By Randy Radke
I would like to thank everyone who was able to join us today to remember our fallen sisters and brothers. ...
STOP THE TAKEOVER OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
STOP THE TAKEOVER OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WDPI (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction) has named 55 Milwaukee Public Schools that fail to meet expectations. Senator Kooyenga and Senator Darling have proposed a bill for the future of these 55 schools. It is called OSPP (Opportunity Schools & Partnership Programs).
1) The basic “solution” proposed by Darling and Kooyenga is that their “new governance structure in MPS [is] to free students from nonperforming schools.” The assertion that there is a need to provide “new opportunities” to parents ...
Letter to Citizens of the State of Wisconsin
Dear Citizens of the State of Wisconsin:
The right to a high quality, free, public education is fundamental, and education at all levels is critical to our future.
Public schools give all students the opportunity for success. They are at the heart of our communities.
Today, Wisconsin is ground-zero in the fight to regain and maintain the standards of excellence and effectiveness which made Wisconsin a benchmark for others to follow.
That fight requires a steady, compelling voice in the media, yet none currently exists.
To answer the call, PEIS*, with the ...
CALL TO ACTION TO SAVE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CALL TO ACTION TO SAVE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
I signed a petition on Action Network telling Members of the Wisconsin State Legislature to STOP the Takeover of Milwaukee Public Schools.
Republicans Senator Alberta Darling and Rep. Dale Kooyenga have proposed legislation to take over many Milwaukee Public Schools that educate mainly African American and Latino children in high-poverty neighborhoods. Our communities reject this takeover of our schools.
We want vibrant, public community schools that welcome and serve all children, offer special education services and ...
