MAKING THE WORLD WORK FOR EVERYONE – A PALE BLUE DOT PART III
Planet Earth from a distance of 4 billion miles. Photo by Voyager I. Source: NASA/JPL Feb. 1990 (Just below middle of page in orange/brown color band on right)
Matthew 6:28-33
“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little ...
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS – PART I
Senator Chris Larson and Representative Mandela Barnes both from Milwaukee unveiled the Community Schools Act on April, 15, 2015.
“The aim of the legislation is to provide start-up funding for community schools, which are defined by their focus on improving student learning, strengthening families, and developing healthier communities. To accomplish these goals, the community school model synthesizes academic, health, and social services with community partner collaboration to provide additional services to the greater surrounding communities.”
Senator Chris ...
WHAT DOES FUTURE HOLD FOR POPULAR FISH IN WISCONSIN?
Temperatures in Wisconsin lakes have been rising steadily over the past several years. This presents serious consequences for the fish population.
Frank Pratt, retired DNR fisheries biologist, and the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, hosted by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, will hold a series of presentations throughout central Wisconsin to discuss the phenomenon. Events will be held on the following dates and locations:
February 26, 7 p.m., UW Center for Civic Engagement, Wausau
February 27, 6:30 pm, Mead Wildlife Center, Milladore
February ...
OUR CHERISHED FISH
Despite the fact that scientists from around the world warn us, almost daily now, that we are witnessing the unraveling of the climate we depend on, their message hasn't turned our heads in sharp alarm. If you're thirty or less you might have an excuse because it's been that long since we've had a year with normal temperatures.
The earth is heating up. But for the rest of us, well, we just ought to know better. We sure didn't grow up in Wisconsin with regular winter rains, or growing seasons that went past Labor Day weekend. Now we're eating fresh tomatoes from our ...
Questions on the “Markets”
The stock market had a crazy year in 2018. Several times there were huge swings in the market indexes. Any good investment adviser will tell you to ignore the daily ups and downs of the markets. But people are worried. Somehow Wall Street speculation has the power to crash the real economy. When the bubble bursts, like in 2008, severe problems result. Main street businesses go under, people are laid off, and retirement “nest eggs” disappear overnight. The economy can take years to recover.
Why does this happen? How can speculation crash the whole economy? Why do we ...
MAKING THE WORLD WORK FOR EVERYONE – A PALE BLUE DOT – PART II
Planet Earth from a distance of 4 billion miles. Photo by Voyager I. Source: NASA/JPL Feb. 1990 (Just below middle of page in orange/brown color band on right)
“Whether you will or not, you are a king, Tristram, for you are one of the time-sifted few that leave the world, when they are gone, not the same place it was. Mark what you leave.” - - Edwin Arlington Robinson writing of the legendary knight Sir Tristram
One could easily imagine Robinson was speaking to all of us when he wrote the lines above. Because, whether we will or not, each and every one ...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM
I have just checked WREA.net (Wisconsin Retired Educators Association) website and learned some interesting things about the history of our Wisconsin Retirement System.
Did you know?
In 1950 there were more than 85 public pension funds in Wisconsin and most of them were poorly funded?
In the early 1950s, the average monthly annuity for a retired teacher was $35?
In 1966, Wisconsin and Tennessee had the two worst public pension funds in the nation?
Wisconsin now has one of the best retirement systems in the country?
The Wisconsin Retirement System is ...
Looking at ACA
Remember the high-gloss campaign mailings? The non-stop TV and radio campaign ads from last year about protecting people with pre-existing conditions? I bet you heard more than you ever wanted about pre-existing conditions, right? Well, the number one issue from last fall’s election is coming home to roost here in the Legislature.
When I left office as State Representative in 2010, bipartisanship was at an all-time low. The biggest political football at the time was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Democrats knew it would be a political liabil...