Voting/Elections
Tiffany Song and Dance
“I hope you are enjoying the summer heat.” Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI).
This is the opening line in Tiffany's August 11 email newsletter. Wisconsin is suffering from unprecedented heat. Almost all of Wisconsin is experiencing drought. Parts or the state – including Tiffany's northwestern district – are in “extreme” drought with the south shore of Lake Superior having “exceptional” drought (the National Weather Service's highest category). Where I live in Douglas County is 6-9 inches below normal rainfall. Given these facts, Tiffany's statement is particularly ...
BOOK BANNING AND OTHER CENSORSHIP
No one should be dictating what you can and cannot read. It appears this is becoming a trend in our nation. We need you to help stop it in its tracks. We do not need a rating system either. If you are old enough to go to the library yourself, you’re old enough to pick out books. In the world we live in, the library is the one safe place where children can get solid factual materials. Take a moment to watch the video at the bottom of this article by Donna Jo Napoli, “What Children (and Everyone else) Need to Read.” Please come to the Wausau library on Monday, August ...
Abandonment and the Gerrymandering of Resentment
Anyone who’s paid attention knows that Wisconsin is a tightly gerrymandered state. The geopolitical scrabble of electoral districts enables the Republican Party to hold large majorities in both the Assembly and the Senate. Those majorities come from districts far more rural than urban. They’re also rather working class in cultural disposition.
There is a racial element in these gerrymandered districts—black and urban versus white and rural—but the racial thing is less endemic racist than it is a polarized absence of cultural interaction. The race thing is real, ...
THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LIES
History matters.
In 2018 the Washington Post and New York Times were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on the alleged interference by Russia in the 2016 Clinton/Trump presidential election. On February 20, 2022 the Editorial Board of the New York Post published an article titled: “The Absurd ‘Russiagate’ Pulitzer of the NY Times and Washington Post.” Opening lines from that article:
“For deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest,” the citation from the Pulitzer Prize board begins, “that dramatically furthered the ...
Ruminations on the Wisconsin Election
The April 4th Wisconsin election was a huge victory for progressives. Judge Janet Protasiewicz soundly trounced the conservative candidate by an 11% margin. This overwhelming victory will have a major positive impact on Wisconsin.
The court is now controlled by judges whose rulings will be guided by seeking justice within the law. The highly partisan rulings of the past 15 years will end. The ridiculous notion that judicial rulings on social issues must adhere to the “original intent” of earlier racists and misogynists will no longer limit progress. It will now be ...
Voting Is Easy
Voting is easy. Here is some great advice from our friends at Fair Maps.
You can vote Tuesday,
April 4 from
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Make a plan NOW!
Check your polling location here and bring a photo ID with you.
Here’s the voting information you need:
First,check to see if you’re registered to vote here. If you’re not registered, you can register in-person when you vote. Just make sure you have a proof of residence document for your registration (this can be a letter from a tribal government if it has your name and address on it) and a ...
Ballot Initiatives: Wisconsin April 4 Election
The Wisconsin election coming up on April 4th is important for the Supreme Court race. Literally what kind of society Wisconsin will be is at stake. Will we return our progressive roots or continue undemocratic and uncivil the politics of the lat 14 years?
But there are also three other items on the ballot that voters need to know about. The first and second are proposed constitutional amendments regarding cash bail. The third is an advisory referendum asking the public's opinion on work requirements for public assistance programs.
Why are these topics on the ballot? ...
Shameless
A peculiar thing about gerrymandering is its shamelessness. Its shamelessness is underrecognized and underappreciated in the sense of refusing to see itself for what it is, how proud it is of its morality. Its very morality exudes shamelessness.
But how did shamelessness get to be so moral?
Gerrymandering is inherently undemocratic. It stacks the electoral deck. Wisconsin is so thoroughly stacked as to be a scientific experiment in political engineering.
What can possibly justify a deliberately imposed constriction of a more inclusive and participatory democracy...
ISSUES PLUS RIGHTS EQUAL FREEDOMS
Day in and day out, our lives are impacted by decisions made by our state Supreme Court. Now, we get a say in making that court work for us. The only way to ensure that the Wisconsin Supreme Court does its job and represents our communities is to make our voices heard in the upcoming judicial election on April 4.
You might be seeing ads or reading stories about the political balance of our state Supreme Court. But this election is about more than just politics – it’s about the problems my family and yours face every day.
Our state Supreme Court may have the final ...
Freedom Is On The Ballot
“Whoever wins this election will determine whether our freedoms expand in Wisconsin, or whether our freedoms shrink in Wisconsin.” Matthew Rothschild, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court spent its 2021–22 term systematically weakening our democracy...[with rulings] that had dramatic implications for how our vote counts and how our government works.” Law Forward, in a November 2022 report.
Who wins the the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4 will determine the ideological direction of the court for years to come. Whether the ...