WISCONSIN’S RANKING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Storefront with sign in window
WISCONSIN’S RANKING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES By Joyce Luedke DO YOU KNOW? June of 2015 in the latest Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation survey. ***The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship , respected around the world, focuses on education and small business start-ups.  See page 10 for rankings and page 67 for Wisconsin’s profile. *** Wisconsin’s job creation ranking in the nation fell from 31st in December, 2014, to 38th in March*** Wisconsin’s ranking for small business start-ups dropped from 45th in 2014 to 50th in, 2015. *** Wisconsin lags the nation: ...

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POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Pope Francis waving
POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 By Virginia Kirsch Pope Francis called for a World Day of Prayer for Care of the Earth on September 1. Care of the Earth is top priority for Pope Francis. He wishes all of us could realize our responsibility in caring for the earth and protecting it for the next generations. Pope Francis said that on September 1, people can “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care.” Stewardship of the earth crosses ...

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50 YEARS OF THE VRA…VOTING RIGHTS ACTS

"Vote Here" yard sign
50 YEARS OF THE VRA…VOTING RIGHTS ACTS From League of Women Voters August 6 was the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). This landmark civil rights legislation has protected voters from discrimination for nearly half a century. But today, the VRA does not offer the same protections it did in 1965.  The U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 gutted key provisions of the VRA in its Shelby County v. Holder decision. Congress currently has before it various proposals, but there’s been no legislation passed to repair the damage. Meanwhile, new restric...

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BOBFEST 2015

Bob Fest 2015 Image
BOBFEST 2015 By MW Editorial Staff Mark your calendar: Saturday, September 19 is Fighting Bobfest 2015 at Breese Stevens Field, Madison. Time is 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. It is back by populist demand and is sponsored by The Progressive magazine and The Cap Times. Speakers include: Russ Feingold, Lizz Winstead, John Nichols, Mark Dimondstein, Scot Ross, Ed Schultz, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Kevin Alexander Gray, Jesse Hagopian, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Jim Hightower, John Fugelsang, Rep. Mark Pocan, Young Gifted & Black Coalition and Ruth Conniff, editor of The Progress...

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CHOOSE “WE” INSTEAD OF “ME”

CHOOSE “WE” INSTEAD OF “ME” By John Spiegelhoff Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. I had a coach during high school that always said, “There is no I in TEAM.” He was a wise teacher. He knew that the only way to succeed was to play ...

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A Wisconsin Tragedy in Three Acts

Theater Stage with Stool
A Wisconsin Tragedy in Three Acts By Nancy Kaplan, Kath Michel and Pat Slutske (of Grassroots North Shore) The word 'free' is heavily used by the Right, even in contexts where it is not appropriate.  They use it wantonly in order to control perception and influence people. Because everything 'free' must be good (like motherhood or apple pie), the word has a halo effect on other words in a phrase or sentence, magically making them inherently good too. But beware!  Right wingers use it to mask their true intentions: to strip us of the liberty and freedom democracy ...

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ELEVEN STEPS TO A MORE OPEN AND HONEST GOVERNMENT

ELEVEN STEPS TO A MORE OPEN AND HONEST GOVERNMENT By Mike McCabe Those who call the shots in Wisconsin’s Capitol show themselves to be most comfortable working in the dark . They tried to butcher the state’s open meetings law, and only backed down when their action whipped up a public firestorm. They want to do away with the highly respected state audit office. They’re itching to turn a nationally acclaimed, politically independent elections and ethics watchdog agency into a lapdog . They must have a lot to hide With open government laws under assault, ...

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Medicare and Medicaid Turn 50: Born from Compromise ~ Continuing in Controversy

Picture of Senator Vinehout
Medicare and Medicaid Turn 50: Born from Compromise ~ Continuing in ControversyBy Senator Kathleen Vinehout“Whatever you do,” the elderly woman in Gilmanton told me a few years ago, “Keep your government-run hands off my Medicare.”Medicare and Medicaid turned 50 years old on July 30, 2015. After decades of political leaders grappling on the issue of health care, it was in 1965, that then President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.Today we take for granted what was a seminal political accomplishment. Medicare, a federally run program, provides ...

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YOU NEED A PHOTO VOTER ID TO VOTE

I voted sticker
YOU NEED A PHOTO VOTER ID TO VOTE by Virginia Kirsch You need a photo ID to vote in Wisconsin elections. The Government Accountability Board of Wisconsin has a very handy, user-friendly website to help you with this process as well as many other details concerning elections. At myvote.wi.gov you can register to vote, check your voter registration status, find your polling place, see what's on your ballot, request an absentee ballot (military and permanent overseas voters only), and check provisional ballot status. The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the photo ID ...

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HMONG SOLDIERS HONORED AT HONOR THE EARTH

Hmong Soldiers Saluting
HMONG SOLDIERS HONORED AT HONOR THE EARTH BY PAUL DEMAIN A delegation of Lao Veterans of America and United States Special Guerilla Unit members from Wisconsin and Minnesota were honored during the Veterans’ Recognition Ceremony at this year's Honor The Earth Pow Wow on Saturday morning, July 18th. Flanked by Lt. Colonel Tou Fue Vang, standing to the right of Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Vice Chairman Rusty Barber, and on the left by Captain Nao Shoua Xiong, the Lt. Colonel outlined their history of service to the United States and made a presentation of the book ...

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