MAKING THE WORLD WORK FOR EVERYONE – A PALE BLUE DOT PART IV

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) “We stand today upon the fulcrum of history, a crossroads at midnight with a blood moon rising. Down one road lies fire, flood, famine, failure and the final triumph of greed. What awaits down the other road is unknown, terra incognita, a mystery to be solved one gentle step at a time. As a species, we tend to recoil from what we do not know, often choosing the awful alternative simply because it is ...

Water is Prosperity – Part II

Last week I wrote about how water is life. This week I hope to show how important water is for all of us to not only survive, but also to thrive. In my Capitol office hangs an old re-election poster for former Governor Gaylord Nelson. The founder of Earth Day, Governor Nelson was one of Wisconsin’s fiercest advocates for our environment. He was also a pragmatist – he understood not only how important clean water was, but he also acknowledged its importance for our economy. Milk, cheese, beer, and paper -- these are quintessential Wisconsin products. Each of these ...

‘IF YOU ARE NOT OUTRAGED YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION” Action Alert

Trump's declaration of emergency is a blatant attempt to bypass congressional control over federal spending. Having failed to get the money he wanted to build the wall, both from the prior Republican controlled House and the latest budget compromise, he is illegally trying to bypass Congress. This is illegal because no actual emergency exists on the border. This is dangerous because a declaration of emergency gives Trump essentially dictatorial powers that can be used to do much more than build a border wall. Given Trump's known impulsive, racist, authoritarian behavi...

There is Hope

What are the legal limits to using corporate money to finance presidential campaigns? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows the broken campaign finance laws. Watch the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h810bO-4LIs#action=share

A HISTORY OF THE WALL

The first wall between Mexico and United States was not built to keep out people. It was built to keep out cattle. The first federally funded border fence between Mexico and United States went up in 1911. It was mean to keep out the ticks that came with the cattle from Mexico. Mexican cattle wandered over the southern border with “Texas fever” caused by ticks. This destroyed many cattle on both sides of the border. This increased the price of beef. A barbed-wire fence was put up but did not help very much. There have been repeated outbreaks of Texas fever, ...

GREEN NEW DEAL RESOLUTION

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex and Senator Ed Markey released a non-binding resolution that would “recognize the duty of the federal government to create a Green New Deal.” The phrase “Green New Deal” quickly trended on social media, and the resolution garnered support from dozens of Democratic members of Congress, including Democratic presidential candidates. Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is encouraged that Green New Deal supporters have raised the urgency of climate change in the media and within the halls of Congress. “The Green New Deal has clearly ...

ACTION ALERT

I believe Trump’s declaration is a serious threat to democratic rule of law. It must be defeated and citizens must immediately take action. We cannot wait for the law suits or the Democrats in the House to dither and compromise. The declaration is the real emergency and requires a no-compromise, all-hands-on-deck, public response. “IF YOU ARE NOT OUTRAGED YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION” Action Alert. Trump's declaration of emergency is a blatant attempt to bypass congressional control over federal spending. Having failed to get the money he wanted to build ...

THE UNIVERSAL ECONOMY UNIT XIX: MONEY IS A CONCEPT – NOT A THING

Money is a concept – not a thing. We have the physical resources – the matter, the energy, the man power, the machine power, the knowledge – to rebuild our infrastructure, to repair our crumbling roads. We have the physical resources – the matter, the energy, the man power, the machine power, the knowledge – to provide healthcare for all. We have the physical resources, the knowledge, to put an end to the use of global warming fossil fuels and switch to safe alternative energies. We have the physical resources, the knowledge, to provide food for everyone on the ...

WATER IS LIFE – Part 1

We take a lot of things for granted in life. Our car will always start, our dogs will always love us and the water we drink will always be clean. Like all these assumptions, nothing is guaranteed. Much like the adoration of our pets or the dependability of our vehicles, the quality of our water critically depends on the care we take for protecting the things we love and depend on the most. When we turn on the faucet to fill a glass of water or sip from a drinking fountain, we have a reasonable expectation the water is safe. This blind trust is mostly due to the protec...