By Kathleen Marsh of POWRS The 2017-2019 Wisconsin state budget planning is well underway. Facing a huge financial hole due to ill-advised tax policy, Governor Walker is looking for ways to balance the budget, as is required by state law. One program he is targeting is the State Health Insurance Program which covers over 260,000 public employees. Walker’s idea?  Self-insurance. Critics wonder if blowing up the current system for a roll-of-the-dice on self-insurance makes sense. Let’s look at the facts: The Governor has talked about moving to self-insurance for ...

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NOVEMBER EVENTS… TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1….DRINKING LIBERALLY Malarkey’s Pub 408 Third Street, Wausau 5:30 – 7 p.m. See you at Malarkey's Tuesday November 1st for some last minute frights and/or flights before Election Day. The pre-election and post Halloween Drinking Liberally is this Tuesday, November 1st from 5:30 - 7 pm. I know we are all a little tired of the election, but let's have one more drink to the candidates before all is decided on Election Day on Nov. 8th...or was that Nov. 28th? See you Tuesday! THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3…MARY HOEFT AND ...

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Monday, October 3…CUBA AND CHANGE: POSSIBILITIES AND DANGERS Marathon County Public Library Wausau 300 N. First Ave., Wausau 6:30 p.m. Free; donations appreciated No registration required 715-842-5750 A look at Cuba of the past and present, with Cuba-born Dr. Fernando Riveron and world traveler Rick Lohr Tuesday, October 4—FAMILY LEAVE LEGISLATION Citizen Action of Wisconsin has joined with Wisconsin 9 to 5 to draw attention to the need for family leave legislation. This is a round table discussion of the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave ...

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Free and Open to the Public…. You are invited to these events coming in this next week. Monday, September 19: Town hall with Mary Hoeft, candidate for the 7th Congressional District. She’ll be at the UWMC Terrace Room from 12:00-1:00. Sponsored by AAUW (American Association of University Women). Sean Duffy has been invited for a town hall also, but that town hall has not been scheduled at this date. For more information, phone: 715-518-4147   Tuesday, September 20: Retired educator Mary Jarvis will be addressing the tax payer voucher issue....

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  By Virginia Kirsch Today I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Borchardt and his wife Gwen Stone from Marshfield. Mark told me about his experiences with Enbridge, the Canadian corporation that builds pipelines to move oil. When he and his wife bought their house 24 years ago, they realized there was one pipeline under their driveway, but they were not bothered by that. In 2007 -2008 Enbridge added Line 61 which daily moves 1.2 million barrels of crude oil from Superior down to Janesville. In 2014 Enbridge surveyed the entire swath of pipeline land 300 ...

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September 2016 Events September 1-- Thursday “Early Brain Development in Children 0 – 5 years of Age” 6:00-7:30 PM at the Democratic Party Office 833 South Third Ave, Wausau Featuring Julie Burmesch, co-chair of Marathon County Early Childhood Coalition. September 4, Sunday Fund-Raiser for Botsfords Defense Basil Restaurant 2106 Schofield Ave., Weston 1:30 – 3 p.m. Learn about Enbridge and its attempt to take the Botsford land. Learn about Eminent Domain, the law used by corporations to claim private land. September 5— ...

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July 5…South African Choir Concert 6:30 p.m. St. Andrew Church, 3200 North Mountain Road, Wausau Phone 715-470-4555 Open to the public ….with free-will offering =================================================== July 5….Drinking Liberally Malarkey’s…..408 Third Street, Wausau, WI 5:30 – 7 p.m. For more information wausau@drinkingliberally.org DL is an informal inclusive progressive social group where you can hang out and relax. D.L gives you a place to talk politics. This is not a book club. ==============================...

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I am looking at the photo in the Huffington Post of the tears being wiped away by Erica Smegielski, daughter of slain principal Dawn Hocksprung of Sandy Hook Elementary School, after hearing that once again the U.S. Senate chooses to do absolutely nothing about sensible gun legislation while 80% (different polls vary) of Americans support several forms of gun safety legislation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reaction-senate-gun-control_us_5768524ce4b0853f8bf1d738?section= And yet, spineless Ron Johnson couldn’t stand up to the NRA and vote for gun safety ...

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