ENBRIDGE ENERGY’S PIPELINES COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Panelists will focus on education, public safety, environmental, and property owner concerns.

WHY THE STRUGGLING COMMUNITIES?

Oh, how our communities are struggling! I ask myself: how has our society failed so badly? What can you and I do in these tough economic times to make our communities safe again? What will it take to break this cycle? I look at the recent mother and daughter drug arrest of April Pirillo and Ashley Baumgartner. This one hits home, personally, for me. It was April Pirillo’s now ex-husband, Larry, who sold methadone to my nephew, which led to his death by overdose. I recall my brother’s voice over the phone that dreadful day he told me this horrifying news. I see ...

CITIZEN ACTION OF WISCONSIN MEETING

Hello Friends, You are invited to an upcoming meeting that local Citizen Action of Wisconsin members and I are holding next week Wednesday April 20 6:00 PM at the Rib Mountain Goodwill Store. We need your input, can you join us? We want to discuss a new topic in Wisconsin politics, the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Organizing Cooperative. But first, the back story. Early in 2015 a number of leaders in Milwaukee decided that it was time to try something new to make Wisconsin a better place to live and work. We knew that we needed to launch a new way to organize ...

Wausau’s Child Poverty Crisis

Clips and statistics from the latest Wausau mayoral debate related to the increasing child poverty rates in Wausau. Statistics are cited as American Community Survey Estimates from http://factfinder.census.gov. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS5ICbdM5DE

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1 TRILLION?

If you could set the priorities, how would you spend the money? Look at current Federal budget priorities and vote for how you would prioritize funds.

DEMOCRACY AWAKENING AND DEMOCRACY SPRING

The Wisconsin Grassroots Network (WGN) has endorsed the upcoming events of Democracy Awakening & Democracy Spring taking place in Wash DC in April 2016. We wanted to pass on this information so that you are aware of this should you want to become involved or even just follow what is happening. Some members have signed up and will be joining the movement next month in DC. Democracy Spring will take place prior to and in concert with Democracy Awakening. Here's a link for more info: http://www.democracyspring.org/ Over 200 groups are sponsoring Democracy ...

POVERTY IN WISCONSIN IS HIGHEST IN 30 YEARS

Poverty in Wisconsin hit its highest level in 30 years between 2010 and 2014. 738,000 people were living in poverty--a 20% increase from the previous five year period. Inequality is worse now than in 1984. Poverty increased more dramatically in Wisconsin than many other states and is increasing at a faster rate. 239,000 (or one in five) children are living in poverty. This is 18.5% of Wisconsin’s children—a dramatic increase of 50,000 more children from the period of 2005-2009. Research shows that brain development in children is affected by poverty due to ...

GROW AND APPRECIATE DIFFERENCES

Why must we treat all immigrants as though they are criminals? Is there joy to be had making someone else’s life difficult? Recently we saw this in AB 450 and AB 533. Certainly I would never minimize someone’s death, such as Kathryn Steinle’s. Steinle was the victim of a tragic hand gun death at the hands of a homeless man who was, supposedly, deported several times. Tragic as it is, this is an isolated incident that happened in San Francisco. That example is being used here in Wisconsin to foster fear mongering. Why can’t we appreciate the differences that lie ...

WHAT HAPPENED TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN WISCONSIN?

Dr. Robert Kraig (Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin), spoke in Wausau on rising poverty rates in Wisconsin. Since 2001 the middle class of Wisconsin has shrunk the most of any state, according to a recent Pew Research Center report. Clearly this is a bi-partisan problem. The job growth since 2008 has been in service jobs with poverty wages. According to DIP (Department of Public Instruction) Chart for Free Lunches, many Wisconsin children are in poverty. In Wausau the rate of children eligible for free lunch at school is 50%. To change the thinking ...