middle wisconsin news - may 2013

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1/13

Information Technology SolutionsMiddle WisconsinNews

A VOICE FORTHE MIDDLE OF THE STATE

M a y 2 0 1 3

Growing Grassroots..................1

Funding Community..................2

7th Congressional District.........

3

Pentagon Cuts ..........................4

Working Wisconsin ...................5

Taxes Too High?.......................6

Public Schools...........................7

Got Freedom?...........................8

Economic Patriotism .................9

Women in Politics....................

10

Challenging the Myth ..............11

Upcoming Events....................13

2013 Midd le Wiscons in

IN THIS ISSUE:

www.M id d le Wisco n s in . co m

,

Middle Wisconsin News

welcomes leers, arcles, and

essays on relevant topics. We

ask that you limit submissions

to 600 words and provide

sources when appropriate.

Submissions may be edited for

length, clarity, and taste.

Emailed submissions should be

sent in plain text or Microso

Word aachments to:

[email protected]

How is your grass-roots group growing? Here is some advice

from Joseph Segal, of Northridge, CA:

I am going to suggest something radical.If the programming you are watching is noteven trying to focus on soluons for the people to make things beer, stop watchingWe are many of us erring from a paralysis of analysis just when we need to beacve most.

Endlessly discussing opinions about the problems from varying angles

keeps us all transxed on the problems, instead of FIXINGthe problems.

There are many great organizaons working to: register voters stop sand fracing | help

others nd work help people who are being foreclosed on | bring healthy foods to our

neighborhoods build web & mobile apps for polical acvism feed people | organize

restaurant & other low-wage workers organize students on & o campus | help people

start their own businesses | help women run for oce | educate our children & work

force | ...and more.

The media doesnt focus on these organizaons and people.We must be a loud voice, so were heard for women, immigrants, unions, unemployed

workers, city workers, the LGBT community, and many others. We must unite as one.

We need to ORGANIZE!

We need a Vong Registraon & Reform Commiee.

We need a Leers to the Editor Wring Commiee.

We need a Legal Services Commiee, to protect the rights of protestors, voters, &

homeowners.

We need a Social Media Commiee, to coordinate protests & other eorts.

We need a Fundraising Commiee to raise money for candidates, strike funds,

educaonal outreach materials, & protest marches.

We need a Creave Civil Disobedience Acon Commiee.

We need a Speakers Bureau of charismac speakers who can get on TV and radio

to speak to economic and social jusce issues for the 99% of us!

WE THE PEOPLE must come together NOW.

For more ideas of how YOU can get involved in being boldly progressive

visit: hp://liberalscreangprogress.com

Growing Grassroots

By Virginia Kirsch Wausau

DARING TO BE

BOLDLY PROGRESSIVE!
http://liberalscreatingprogress.com/http://liberalscreatingprogress.com/http://liberalscreatingprogress.com/


2/13

Taxes have an image problem in this country. . .

To most people, taxes are like colonoscopies We may recognize their need, but we like

avoid them as much as possible. Moreover, were always happier when theyre happening

someone else.

Taxes have long suered from poor markeng.

While most of us appreciate the impact of our

tax dollars, weve convinced ourselves that were

entled to these benets at no cost. We expect

the government to foot the bill, as if the govern-

ment has pockets other than our own, and thuswe miss the opportunity to take pride in what we

accomplish through our contribuons.

In a society often defined by independence,

taxes are a rare form of collective good.

With taxes, we each pay our share in order to

accomplish great works we could never pull off as individuals or even as non-governmental

organizations. Taxes are a membership fee that grants us the opportunity to participate in

these rare communities. With taxes, we educate millions of students, we provide food and

healthcare for the downtrodden, we enhance the quality of life for our elders, we bring fresh

water and medicine to impoverished nations, and we build roads and other infrastructure thatgrows commerce and community. Recently, weve seen our tax dollars continue to plow our

roadways through a winter that just wont end. They also funded an impressive force that

quickly investigated, tracked, and stopped an unexpected threat to our almost-always-secure

lifestyle.

Granted, we all can name those costs, funded by tax dollars, that irritate us. I have support

ed more wars, grown more corn, and subsidized more oil companies than I wanted to, but

that isnt the fault of my taxes. Rather, our representave democracy and the specic repre

sentaves we elect deserve the credit for those scal decisions, and I have the cyclical op-

portunity to declare my priories with my vote. In reality, beyond determining how to divvy

up our fair-share contribuons, taxes should be a polical aerthought. If we vote to put a

program in place and we connue to vote for the ocials creang those programs, it shoul

be a given that we are vong to pay for that program as well.

Moreover, in most instances, we should be proud of ourselves for doing so. We should loo

at taxes as a self-imposed means of holding ourselves to a higher standard and building int

our lives a certain degree of scal charity. We like our strong military, we have come to rely

on business subsidies, we want our teachers and social workers paid well, we like smooth

streets and public transportaon, we prefer ready access to police and re protecon, we

cant wait for Social Security and Medicare to kick in, and we love taking our dates and our

families to public parks. If we so readily enjoy the communies we have created by eecv

ly employing public services, why shouldnt we take similar pride in the contribuon system

that makes it all possible?

Middle Wisconsin News M a y 2 0Pa g e

We, the People,

recognize that we have

responsibilities as well

as rights; that our

destinies are bound

together; that a

freedom which only

asks what's in it for me,a freedom without a

commitment to others,

a freedom without love

or charity or duty or

patriotism, is unworthy

of our founding ideals,

and those who died

in their defense.

Barack Obama


Funding CommunityA Positive Look at Taxes

By Greg Wright Stevens Point


3/13

Middle Wisconsin NewsM a y 2 0

Pa g e

A Progressive agenda highlighted the 7th

Congressional Dis-

trict Convenon in Minoqua, Saturday, April 13, 2013.

Congressman David Obey recommended the book Who

Stole the American Dream?, by Hedrick Smith, as a must-

read. He posed this queson: What is our naons gravest

problem? Answer: Income inequality. Congressman Obeys

historical overview of the growing income disparity be-

tween the very wealthy top 1% to 2% and the 99% is well

known to most of us. The book explains in detail how corpo-

rate CEOs, their shareholders, and elected ocials havedecimated the middle class. Its up to Progressives to nd a

way forward.

Senator Tammy Baldwin also spoke of the challenges facing

our naon. Among them: The erosion of the middle class.

Work hard, play by the rules, and get ahead isnt working

for the great majority of Americans. Senator Baldwin arms

the Progressive values of Fighng Bob LaFollee and says

the system that favors the top one or two percent must

be unrigged. Senator Baldwin, along with other members

of the Senate Budget Commiee, introduced a budget with

a balanced plan of decit reducon and revenues .

State Representative Mandy Wright (85th

Assembly District)

presented a list of talking points that Progressives should

use to begin conversations with fellow Wisconsinites.

1. Redistricng. The Iowa Model of redistricng is the

framework for an Assembly bill co-authored by Repre-

sentave Wright. Redistricng would be done by a

to-be created Redistricng Advisory Commiee instead

of state legislators. The Iowa Model costs about $1,000

every 10 years. Wisconsin has spent $1.9 million since

2011 in the redistricng process.

2. Rural Transportaon. The governors budget has a 0%

increase for rural and local roads. Half a billion dollars

will go to the southern part of the state mostly the

Milwaukee area.

3. Health Care. The impact of the governors returning

federal funding for health care will fall on Wisconsin

taxpayers, who will end up paying over $100 million for

programs. Approximately 10,000 new jobs would have

been created. Over 80,000 peoples lives will be disrupt-

ed by a loss

of coverage,

forcing them

to seek insur-

ance through

health ex-

changes.

4. BadgerCare.

Two groups

that benetfrom Badger-

Care are farmers and small businesses. BadgerCare

needs to be strengthened.

5. Educaon. Representave Wright is on the Educaon

Commiee. The governors budget freezes spending

indenitely for public schools and the 872,000 public

school students. The voucher/private-taxpayer funded

schools would see an increase of $73,000,000 for

25,000 to 29,000 students over the next two years. The

budget would expand the taxpayer-private/religious

schools to nine other cies. Special needs children re-

ceiving private school vouchers would give up many of

their rights that are protected by mandates in the public

schools.

6. Divisiveness in Wisconsin. We can help bridge the divi-

sions in Wisconsin created by this governor through his

divisive strategies. A great many Wisconsinites agree

with these Progressive values. Its up to us to promote

them.

Representave Janet Bewley (74th

Assembly District) also

spoke about the budget and the need to expand ruralbroadband and cell phone coverage in rural areas. Road

construcon and maintenance is also a huge issue in North-

ern Wisconsin. (I can personally aest to that!) Many of the

county and municipal roads need major repairs or recon-

strucon.

Clearly, there is much for us Progressives to do.

And we have good leaders

to help us!

7th Congressional District Meets

By Joyce Luedke Hayward


4/13


Pa g e

It is the me of year for whining about taxes. Taxes are too high, the system is unfair, and too many dont pay their share.

But do we pay too much? Are our taxes too high? Or do we just pay for the wrong things? What do we get back for our tax

dollars, and is it what we really needfor a secure, prosperous future?

The Pentagon and all the related naonal defense spending is the number-one expenditure of the federal government

This is why we have decits and budget problems. This is where the serious waste and fraud can be found. If you consider

just a few facts about the bloated Pentagon, it is hard not to be outraged at what is happening in Washington with the

budget debates and polical game playing.

Total defense-

related spending for the 2013 budget is $851 billion.Thats 57% of the discreonary budget 26 cents out of every dollar of income tax .

Defense Costs since 9/11

$7.6 trillion for total naonal security spending

$5.6 trillion spent by the Pentagon (43% increase)

$230.3 billion for nuclear weapons (21% increase)

$472.1 billion for Homeland Security (301% increase)

Costs compared to other naons

The U.S. military budget is 40% of global arms spending It is greater than the next 20 military spenders combined

The 2012 Pentagons budget is 67 mes larger than the

$106 billion military budget of China

What does it buy?

$1.4 trillion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

Total nal cost of these wars (including future veterans medical care and benets) is esmated to be $56 trillion.

The U.S. ocially has 662 overseas bases in 38 foreign countries. Other esmates put the total at 900 locaons and

140 countries.

The F-35 new ghter plane alone will cost $1.4 trillion dollars! $610 million per plane, and it has operaonal problems

$500 million is the annual total DOD spending on military bands

The Pentagon runs 234 golf courses around the world at an unknown cost.

Is this level of defense necessary? Much of the weapons procurement spending is for outdated cold war relics like nuclea

weapons and the new F-35 ghter plane. Could we get by with less? When you think about the legendary waste, fraud,

cost overruns, cost-plus contracts, and loose accounng of the military, the answer is prey clear. Yes, we can!

Contact your elected ocialstoday, and demand cuts to Pentagon spending.

High Taxes? Demand Pentagon Cuts

By Phillip Anderson Maple
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=pentagon&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5fec8QoOT6E9qM&tbnid=tsmAGuNZ5gwyhM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FThe_Pentagon&ei=1wmBUePDBcnN2wXJ_4GYBQ&bvm=bv.45921128,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNFHnZC3rSmhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspx


5/13

April 28th

, 2013 has come and gone, but do you

know why April 28th

is an important day in the lives

of working people? If not, then open your calen-

dars and write in Workers Memorial Day.

Workers Memorial Day was started by the Cana-

dian Union of Public Employees in 1984 to bring

attention to the preventable nature of most work-place accidents and to promote campaigns to im-

prove workplace safety.In 1989, trade unions in

North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa organized

worldwide events in solidarity with their Canadian

brothers and sisters.

We, as a society, have set aside specific annual

dates when we honor events in our nations

history, such as Memorial Day where we remem-

ber those who died in service to our country.On

September 11thwe honor those who died in the

attacks on the World Trade Center. These are high-profile events where we collec-

tively remember and also mourn. We feel united with a common purpose in our

national observation of these events.

I am not surprised that Workers Memorial Day does not garner the recognition that

it deserves.We tend to undervalue the sweat of our brow and the perilous nature of

making a living. During the turn of the century, the working conditions were ex-

tremely hard, with back-breaking labor. The majority of our forefathers worked with

machinery that was often dangerous. Better working conditions came as a result of

workers collectively demanding better (through unions).

To be sure, there are still jobs such as highway/city street workers and paper millworkers who have dangerous working conditions. But many of us work in occupa-

tions where we are not exposed to overtly hazardous conditions. Maybe weve be-

come immune and desensitized and believe tragic events would not occur at our

workplace.

Its only when we remember our history, view ourselves (workers) as having a com-

mon bond, and demand better working conditions that tragedy will be averted.

Observing Workers Memorial Day is the first step. . .


A working

class

hero

is something

to be.

--

John Lennon


By John Spiegelhoff Merrill

Workers Memorial Day

Working Wisconsin Labor News & Views

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=john+lennon&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=uvZmmGKNOp-FfM&tbnid=z4AtYin0SaGDtM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wfuv.org%2Fmusic%2Flennon&ei=z296UZeoOoin2AXzhYGQDQ&bvm=bv.45645796,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNFHwRJeonsvhTXCN


6/13

As I traveled on Highway 13 in Phillips in northern

Wisconsin in early April, I saw a sign by a church that read

IRS HYMN ALL TO THEE? Did you see it? Did you

chuckle when you saw it? And did your amusement shi

to disgruntlement as you suddenly thought to yourself,

You bet. My taxes are too high!?

On TV and radio shows, you hear the message Our taxes

are too high! repeated incessantly by hosts who insist

that lower taxes for everyone will speed economicgrowth, lower unemployment, and x our economic woes.

Cizens for Tax Jusce (CTJ)provides facts, reports, and charts with easy-to-understand

explanaons about taxes. In Six Things You Need to Know on Tax Day, CTJ sets the recor

straight on several common misconcepons:

1. Virtually all Americans, including the poorest, pay taxes. When someone says almost

half of Americans are not paying taxes, that refers to just one tax federal personal

income tax. State and local taxes take a larger share of income from a poor family tha

they take from a higher-income family.

2.

America is not overtaxed. Of the worlds developed countries, only two Chile andMexico collect less tax revenue as a share of their economy than does the U.S.

3. Wealthy Americans are not overtaxed. When you add up all the federal, state, andlocal taxes that Americans pay, our overall tax system is just barely progressive. The

richest 1% of Americans pays 24% of the total taxes in America, but they also take in

21.9% of the total income in America.

4. U.S. corporaons are undertaxed. CTJs study of 280 protable Fortune 500 corpora-ons found that they paid on average about half the ocial corporate tax rate of 35%

during 20082010. Many large, protable companies including Facebook, Pepco, a

Southwest Airlines paid NO corporate income taxes in 2012.

5. Tax cuts for the rich do not help our economy. Using data from the past 65 years, theCongressional Research Service found no correlaon between top tax rates and eco-

nomic growth. Research shows lowering or eliminang state income taxes has lile if

any impact on state economies.

6. Your tax bracket is not your eecve tax rate. If your income grows and you nd youself in a higher tax bracket, your tax rate only goes up on the poron of your income

above the threshold.

Check out Cizens for Tax Jusce (ctj.org)for fact-based perspecves on taxaon that you

dont oen hear on mainstream corporate media.


Taxes

are

what

we

pay

for

civilized

society.

Oliver Wendell

HolmesU.S. Supreme Court Jusce


By Jeanne Larson Phillips

Are Our Taxes Too High?
http://www.ctj.org/http://www.ctj.org/http://www.ctj.org/http://www.ctj.org/http://www.ctj.org/http://www.ctj.org/


7/13

By Tom Ivey Wausau


Pa g e

Public SchoolsThe Power Behind

Our Wisconsin Way of Life

Free, public schools are guaranteed by Wisconsins Constuon. Funding public

schools isone of the responsibilieswe share as cizens. Just as we tax ourselves to

support police, reghters, highways, military, and such, we pay taxes for public

schools to make our communies, state, and country a stronger, safer, and beer

place for us to live. Public Schools consistently outperform private voucher and char-

ter schools, and do so for less.

Our public schools have a unique mission. Public Schools:

guarantee every child access to a free educaon

assure equal opportunies for all our children

prepare students to be responsible community members

unify our diverse populaon

Private voucher, charter, and parochial schools have their own missions. These private businesses want our tax dollars

to further their own agendas whether those be nancial or religious. Private schools are not responsible for the

strength and connuaon of our Wisconsin Way of Life. They do not have to:

admit all children,

follow the same curriculum or rigid standards required of public schools,

provide children the same constuonal and legal rights as public schools,

hire highly qualied teachers or do background safety checks on those that work with or around children, or

open their business records so taxpayers can get a clear picture of how our tax dollars are being used.

You may have heard School Choice promoters say, I pay taxes. I should be free to choose where your children go to

school. But Choice is not the queson. Wisconsin parents can choose where their children go to school public

school, public charter school, or private (voucher, charter, and parochial) schools. Families have made these choices for

years. The real queson is, Why should we take tax dollars away from our childrens public schools to fund an individ

uals decision to send their child to private schools? The answer is simple: We shouldnt.

Rememberthe old adage Follow the money? There is a naonal School Choice campaign seeking to divert our tax

dollars from public schools to private voucher and parochial schools. This campaign is well funded by large, out-of-state,

corporate interests. In the last few years, Wisconsin policians received over $10 million in campaign contribuons from

these sources. Corporate interests see $10 million as merely an investment on their ancipated return. Educaon is aproduct from which they can make money Each voucher student is a protable commodity.

Its a mistake to believe that Wisconsin parents dont value and support our public schools. They are the economic and

social heart of our communies. When public schools close, communies suer. Funding our public schools is the best

investment we can make to guarantee connuaon of our Wisconsin way of life.

Contact your legislatorsand the legislators on the Joint Finance Commiee and ask them to:

Focus on funding our public schools; remove privazaon proposals from consideraon.

Increase support for public school students and classrooms; dont take from one child to benet another.

Support our constuonal commitment to provide all our children with a free, quality, public educaon.
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=public+schools&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=OSm-Oy97KcGAqM&tbnid=9YKy1YxBCbDDpM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pps.k12.or.us%2Fschools%2Fgray%2F515.htm&ei=cr1_UfKvO-O32wXRhID4AQ&bvm=bv.45645796,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNH3cEEhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspx


8/13

On Memorial Day, when we arent shopping,barbequing, or drinking beer, we perpetuate one of

our great American myths the myth that we are free

because of our military. We certainly must thank our

veterans for their service and sacrice. But they arent the only ones we should thank.

Got freedom? Thank a Vet. Freedom isnt free!

These bumper scker sound bites are pure mythology. Along with the support the troops

ribbons, they are propaganda tools intended to keep us from thinking crically about the

costs and results of our aggressive, militarist, policies and wars. They are how we keep the

money owing to the defense industries and the new recruits enlisng.

The purpose of this arcle is to challenge the widely held, erroneous, belief that the mili

tary is responsible for our freedom. It is not to denigrate the sacrice of our military vete

ans. I, myself, am a veteran with 20 years of acve duty and reserve service.

There are two problems with the simplisc belief that the military is responsible for our fre

dom: (1) it assumes that onlyveterans have contributed to protecng our freedoms, and

it assumes the numerous wars and other military acons have been fought in the defense

freedom and have been necessaryto defeat forces trying to take away our freedoms. Both

these beliefs are not true.

Many people struggled throughout our history to gain, expand, and protect the democraideals established in the Constuon and the Bill of Rights. These struggles were fought by

peoplein the legislatures, courts, workplaces, and the streets. Many suered, sacriced, a

died in these struggles. The abolionists, suragees, womens rights acvists, the civil

rights workers, vong rights acvists, and labor union organizers were the real defender

of freedom. These struggles were notfought by, or even supported by, the military.

Where was the military during these struggles? They were breaking up the peaceful demo

straons, killing bystanders, and keeping order to maintain the status quo. Somemes t

were even used againstveterans.

The United States has been involved in many military actions. Most have been about protectcommercial interests or expanding our territory. Most have established or supported repress

dictatorships. We have never had a significant threat to our personal liberties from a foreign

power. A review of the Mexican American War (1848), Spanish American War (1898), WWI,

numerous interventions in Latin America, the Korean War (1950), and Vietnam (19551975)

will demonstrate this point. Our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are about access to oil,

revenge for 9/11, and regional hegemony not (despite the rhetoric) defense of freedom.

Historically, we have rarely used our military power to promote freedom ordemocracy.

Our personal and polical freedoms rest on the Constuon, and the rule of law as estab-

lished and maintained by social and polical acvists not the military.

Got freedom? Thank an acvist!


/


Got Freedom? Thank an Activist*

By Phillip Anderson Maple

*Editors Note:

This article by PhillipAnderson, a 20-year

military veteran, is the

irst in a series of two

articles on the U.S.

military. The second

article will be pub-

lished in the June issueofMiddle Wisconsin

News.

You may think

your actions are

meaninglessand that they

won't help, but

that is no excuse.

You must still act.

Gandhi


9/13

If youve been watching TV lately, youve probably seen those

New York State commercials attempting to draw businesses to

the Empire State by offering tax-free zones. It isnt a unique

idea. States across the U.S. are competing for the attention of

corporations by playing with tax codes. The idea has its merits.

At a time when jobs are hard to come by and communities are

struggling to survive, a new business brings spending and in-

come taxes, even if the business itself is sheltered from contri-

butions. But this corporation courting raises bigger questions

about gratitude and entitlement.

The U.S. currently boasts 132 of the worlds Fortune 500 companies. China, with four

mes the populaon, comes in second, with half as many. No other country makes the tri

ple digits, and only nine countries break into the double digits. Canada has 11. Britain has

26. While the worlds markets may be increasingly globalized, the United States is sll the

ideal breeding ground for successful companies. Through our investments in educaon,

infrastructure, and research and development, we have fostered an unparalleled econom

environment for growth that connues to aract the worlds brightest, hoping for access t

the degrees and jobs provided by American instuons.

Certainly the genius and hard work of individuals and teams deserve much of the credit

for corporations successes, but it isnt hard to imagine those same traits failing to pro-

duce equivalent wealth if they were located outside the U.S. There is probably a geneticcounterpart to Steve Jobs in Botswana right now or a Marco Zuckerberg attending the

Harvard of Italy. While those individuals may achieve greatness within their communi-

ties, they arent likely to achieve Americanized success without access to the benefits o

American society.

It seems a reasonable queson, then, to ask why American execuves arent seeking out

opportunies to display their gratude. Instead, we have seen the most-fortunate benefa

tors of the American launching pad seek out exempons from giving back once they have

achieved success. Last year, Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin renounced his cizensh

to decrease his taxes on $3.84 billion from going public, and Apple has refused to bring $6

billion in prots back the U.S. to avoid taxes. A recent study commissioned by the Tax Jus-ce Network found that the super rich are hiding between $21 and $31 trillion in oshore

accounts. (For scale, the U.S. GDP in 2011 was $14.99 trillion.)

There is something inherently backward in this accepted economic system that requires

local, state, and federal governments to make sacrices of appreciaon while wealthy

corporaons throw o any obligaons they feel to the very communies that fostered

their success. We are asking too much if we seek livable wages, health care, and reasonab

tax rates while they pocket record prots they could not have realized anywhere else.

Its me to call for a movement of economic patriosm that quesons the value of

corporaons that will maximize their own prots regardless of the costs to our way of life


And when your coun-

try is in a costly war,

with our soldiers sac-

riicing abroad and

our nation facing a

debt crisis at home,

being asked to pay

your fair share isn't

class warfare

it's patriotism.

Cory Booker

Mayor of Newark, NJ

* * *

Patriotism is easy to

understand in

America. It means

looking out for

yourself by looking

out for your country.

Calvin Coolidge

30th

U.S. President


Economic Patriotism

By Greg Wright Stevens Point

Blog: WrightAndLeft
http://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/http://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=cory+booker&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=FsQ5xbEuX2PATM&tbnid=hPErG8dCqjrDkM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ci.newark.nj.us%2Fgovernment%2Fmayor_booker%2F&ei=AWGCUdH7L8iyqQGYmYGABg&bvm=bv.45921128,d.aWM&psig=http://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/


10/13

U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat repre-

senng Illinoiss 9th

District, is encouraging voters to elect

more women. Referring to a Rutgers Center for American

Women and Policsnding in her Elect More Women

arcle in the Nov/Dec 2012 edion ofThe American Pro-

spect, she states that:

W omen work more openly, more collaboravely,than men. Theyre more inclined to work together thanclaim authorship whether thats due to socializaon

or genecs or whatever.

Schakowsky also encourages us to educate people on the

role of organized labor. She feels that The labor

movement needs to be seen as consistent with 21st

century realities, with rebuilding a decent economy.

Schakowsky speaks to the failing middle class, the loss of defined pensions, and the

attack on Social Security and Medicare. She sees all of these issues as connected.

These ghts come together more for women, said Schakowsky. Women are concerned

about eorts to shred the safety nets. They see that as evidence that were not taking car

of one another. Schakowsky suggests that the way to deal with our polical problems is

to elect more women.

Congresswoman Schakowsky is from Illinois, but Wisconsin is also leading the way in

bringing more women into polics. Emerge Wisconsinwas designed to break the barriers

of women entering polics. Emerge Wisconsin is a seven-month training session meeng

one weekend a month in Madison. It is designed to encourage more women to work for

the Common Good as elected ocials at all levels of government.

Recent elecons have seen some bright spots in Progressive women winning elecons.

Wisconsin State Representaves Janet Bewley and Mandy Wright, and U.S. Senator

Tammy Baldwin come to mind.

Perhaps what is especially encouraging and hopeful is seeing younger women and men,

in general, becoming acvists.

As Progressives, we must assure that all of these young people and candidates have the

best training and support we can give them!

Middle Wisconsin News M a y 2 0Page

Politics is not a spec-tator sport. You must

get involved in order tohelp make the change

you want to see.

Tammy Baldwin

U.S. Senator

Emerge Wisconsin Advisor

* * *

"We're at a unique place

in history where we've

blown open the glass

ceiling but not yet swept

away all the treacherous

shards. Though we can

ind data to support

many explanations about

why we aren't at parity

in elected ofice and

boardrooms, we simply

no longer have compel-

ling justiications not to

be taking responsibility

to get ourselves there."

Gloria FeldtAuthor / Activist


By Joyce Luedke Hayward

More Women in Politics

Representave Jan Schakowsky

Democrat - Illinois
http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/http://prospect.org/article/elect-more-womenhttp://prospect.org/article/elect-more-womenhttp://www.emergewi.org/http://www.emergewi.org/http://gloriafeldt.com/http://gloriafeldt.com/http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=jan+schakowsky&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=kzOqYIhHeFzISM&tbnid=NSHrj9xrB40ESM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwilmette.patch.com%2Farticles%2Fyour-choices-for-congress-jan-schakowsky-9th-district-24dc6327&ei=Syuhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=tammy+baldwin&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=yFKtxBq0Hi1gDM&tbnid=ecONYl63swkYHM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fnews%2Fstories%2F0912%2F80866.html&ei=V3l6UZnNFufx2wXqnYH4DQ&bvm=bv.45645796,d.b2I&http://gloriafeldt.com/http://www.emergewi.org/http://prospect.org/article/elect-more-womenhttp://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/


11/13

By Dave Svetlik Mosinee


Pa g e

And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed

if all records told the same tale

then the lie passed into history and became the truth

George Orw

1984 (published in 194

CHALLENGING

THE MYTH...

The Myth of the Honest Budget Survey

In late April, Wisconsin State Representave John Spiros (86th

Congressional District, of which I am a resident) sent a

Budget Survey to his constuents containing the 9 quesons listed below. All quesons could only be answered with a

simple Yes or No. The survey is a case study in misrepresentaon and decepon, and its use should have been be-

neath the integrity of any Wisconsin legislator. I invite you to take a look at the quesons:

Queson #1 is misleading at best. If, in fact, there is a $400 million surplus, it was taken out of our communies and

public schools and we have lost vital services because of it. Dividing it equally among Wisconsins 5.73 million

cizens would amount to only $69 each. Of more importance, however, is the relaonship of Queson #1 toQueson #7. Queson #7 tells us that in spite of having a surplus, we can no longer aord to pay for our roads.

We now have to consider paying tolls (but no new taxes) and opening the door to privazaon of our highways.

Queson #2 -Do you believe parents should be given freedom to decide which school is best?- is simply decepon.

Parents have always had the freedom to choose the school where they wished to send their children. My own

parents chose to send their six children to a Catholic grade school in the 50s and 60s. They would never have

asked the taxpayers of Wisconsin to pay for their decision to send their children to a private religious school, and

would certainly have opposed using tax dollars to pay for private corporate schools. Quong Tom Ivey, The real

queson is, Why should we take tax dollars away from our childrens public schools to fund an individuals

decision to send their child to private schools? The answer is simple: We shouldnt.

1. Wisconsin currently has over a $400 million surplus; do you support the proposal that

this money be given back to Wisconsin taxpayers by an income tax cut?

2. Do you believe that parents should be given the freedom [to] decide what school is

best for their child?

3. Do you support measures to end fraud in programs such as food stamps and

WisconsinSHARES?

4. Do you believe frac sand mining can be accomplished without violang Wisconsins

environmental protecons?

5. Do you support Governor Walkers decision to keep Wisconsins neediest children, disabled, and elderly on

Medicaid, while allowing those individuals above 100% of the federal poverty line to be covered by the

Aordable Care Acts health care exchange?

6. Do you approve of the Legislatures passage of legislaon to protect segregated funds from raids?

7. Would you support the development of tollways to address the transportaon funding shorall?

8. If rarely-used tax credits are eliminated from Wisconsins tax code, how should they be used?

a) To raise revenues b) To cut individual income taxes c) I dont support eliminang tax credits

9. Do you support an income tax credit for parents whose children aend private schools?

Connued on p.


12/13


Pa g e

The Myth of the Honest Budget Survey Continued

Queson #3 regarding measures to end food stamp fraud is shameful. There is no doubt some fraud in food stamp

and WisconsinShares programs. But America and Wisconsin have been plundered by the fraud of Wall Street and

major banks. Food stamp abuse is pocket change in comparison. Queson #3 blames our economic woes on the

poorest members of society, pits us against one another, and diverts our aenon from the wealthy predators who

caused the nancial collapse in the rst place. Frankly, given their record, a more legimate queson would be:

Do you support measures to end fraud in Governor Walkers Wisconsin Economic Development Corporaon?Queson #4 regarding sand mining is inappropriate. Few Wisconsinites know anything about how badly our sand

counes may be damaged by this process. No legislator should ask this queson before making an honest aempt

at biparsan educaon of constuents, or before giving extensive audience to the cizens of aected counes.

Queson #5 is a trap. It leads o by asking if one supports Governor Walkers decision to care for needy children, the

disabled, and elderly. If you oppose his decision, it implies you dont care about these people. But the second part ofthis queson hides the truth. Governor Walkers decision not to expand BadgerCare prevents more than 170,000

Wisconsinites from accessing healthcare, eliminates over $12 billion in federal funding for our state, and kills the

creaon of over 10,000 well-paid healthcare jobs. It harms needy children, the disabled, and elderly.

Queson #6 on segregated fund protecon requires biparsan constuent educaon on its full ramicaons.

Queson #7. Please see Queson #1 regarding opening the door to the corporate takeover of our roads.

Queson #8 regarding tax credits is, like #4, inappropriate. Few cizens would understand what it means. A legislator

should go to great extents to provide biparsan educaon of his constuents before ever bringing this up. Given the

nature of this survey, what comes to mind is: Why were Quesons #4, #6, and #8 asked in the rst place?

Queson #9 suggests giving tax credits to those sending their children to private schools. Tax-funded private voucher

schools have made the news, but by creang tax credits, legislators can claim that they are not using tax dollars to

support private schools. Tax credits mean nothing to lower income parents who will be forced to send their children

to the cheapest, least eecve private schools available. But wealthy people, who can aord to send their children

to the most expensive and nest schools, will be able to write the enre cost o as a tax deducon. This is regres-

sive tax policy. It preys on the poorest of our communies, and it robs our public schools and our state of tax dollars

It is disheartening that Congressman Spiros was willing to use this survey on his constuents. It surely does not

represent the decency and integrity of the people of central Wisconsin, and it certainly does not represent their best

interests or those of their children.

Contact State Representave John Spiros TODAY

to let him know of your disappointment in his survey.

Phone: 608-266-1182

Toll-Free: 888-534-0086

Email: [email protected]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=rep+john+spiros&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=EUinnEA9sgZF7M&tbnid=JCNsc54LS9-chM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Flegis.wisconsin.gov%2Fpages%2Fleg-info.aspx%3Fd%3D86%26h%3DA&ei=Xb-DUZw50KOrAc_LgdgK&bvm=bv.45960087


13/13


Pa g e

middle wisconsin news - may 2013

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