tagged w/ walker
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With less than two weeks to go until the recall election of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, national Democrats may finally be taking seriously the race that has become the biggest national flashpoint ahead of the November general elections.
Despite the election’s high visibility, national Democrats had not invested heavily in the race, reportedly upsetting some local Democrats and labor activists who felt hung out to dry after building a movement to gather nearly a million signatures to oust Walker. And while Republicans have poured money and star power into the state, national Dems have gotten a slower start, thanks in part to a Democratic primary that divided labor and party support between two candidates.
But now, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) just dropped another $1 million in the race — bringing their total investment to $3 million, more than they’ve ever spent in a Wisconsin general — and the DNC is getting directly involved, after sitting on the sidelines.
Last night, DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) sent a fundraising email to millions of activists nationally, urging them to support Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walker’s Democratic challenger, and calling the election “one of the most important” in the nation. Money raised from the email will go directly to Wisconsin Democrats, and not the national party.
The DNC has already directed $1.4 million to Wisconsin so far this election cycle and Wasserman Schultz will host a fundraiser for Barrett in coming days. DNC Spokeswoman Melanie Roussell said the national committee is “fully committed to helping Mayor Barrett win next month’s recall election,” adding that the party will deploy its network of activists and volunteers, and make available its online resources to help Barrett’s ground game. The party plans to be a “key player,” she added.With less than two weeks to go until the recall election of Wisconsin Gov. Scott... more
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Its not about making this country better for everybody, its about sticking it to people. Walker is one of the worst in that regard. He couldn't care less what the condition his state is left in, just long as he can say he stuck it to "those" people. Insert your choice of words for "those".Its not about making this country better for everybody, its about sticking it to... more
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Although his favorablity ratings have dropped from 51 to 47 percent, the polls are stuck at about 50/50. So it seems the battle lines are drawn, lets go badgers, and turn'em out. Remind them that if Walker stays in office, they might NOT be able to vote at all.Although his favorablity ratings have dropped from 51 to 47 percent, the polls are... more
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Organized labor’s plans to spend heavily to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has sparked angst on the left that the effort will come at the expense of Democrats in other states.
The funding disparity between groups allied with either Republicans or Democrats is one of the biggest concerns for New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the Senate Democrats’ chief political strategist.
Unions have made ousting Walker a top priority and are poised to spend heavily in Wisconsin. But Democratic strategists and some senior political experts within the labor movement believe the initiative should have been launched before the November presidential election.
Labor officials are also looking at investing resources in Indiana, a red-leaning state, to battle controversial right-to-work legislation backed by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R).
But the Wisconsin fight will consume far more resources. This is a stomach-churning prospect for Democrats and their allies because the labor expenditures could come just months before the general election, when money will be needed for more important battlegrounds such as Ohio and Florida.
“Some were asking us whether we could wait until after the election, but we can’t. This is too big a deal,” said one labor official.
The labor official told The Hil that Democrats have questioned the timing of a massive spending campaign in Wisconsin.
While Schumer views the funding imbalance between liberal and conservative third-party groups as a major concern, his spokesman said, "Sen. Schumer has never expressed any reservations whatsoever about the recall effort in Wisconsin. In face, he supports it."
A decision by labor unions to spend millions on a state-level political battle means Democrats will have that much less outside money helping President Obama and congressional candidates this fall.
The Wisconsin endeavor could help Democrats retain retiring Sen. Herb Kohl’s (D-Wis.) seat, but there are only two House races — Reps. Sean Duffy (R) and Reid Ribble (R) — in the state that are competitive, according to The Cook Political Report.
Labor leaders believe the Walker race has important national implications, even if it does not appear to have a direct impact on Obama’s reelection. They believe it will send a strong message to other Republican governors to think twice about pushing the anti-labor reforms that Walker aggressively championed.
And labor leaders have not been thrilled with Obama’s support for their agenda, even if he has taken a more populist tone in recent weeks.
They were disappointed by the decision to hire William Daley, a former executive at JPMorgan Chase, as White House chief of staff and by the passage of the South Korea, Colombia and Panama trade agreements.
The International Association of Firefighters, the nation’s biggest union of firefighters, froze contributions to federal candidates last spring because of frustrations that Democrats were not doing more to fight for its priorities. The union slowly resumed its giving in December.
Democratic strategists expect third-party conservative groups to heavily outspend their left-leaning counterparts.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/205965-dems-fear-union-cash-drain-in-wisconsinOrganized labor’s plans to spend heavily to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker... more
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's polarizing governor is fighting attempts to recall him with money from out-of-state donors, who helped him bring in more than $12 million since last year.
An Associated Press analysis of campaign finance reports Republican Gov. Scott Walker filed Monday showed 61 percent of the $4.1 million he raised during the five-week reporting period came from out of state.
Many of the contributions came from big donors, including $250,000 from conservative Texas financier Bob Perry and a total of $750,000 from three people in Missouri. More than half of Walker's money came from people who donated $20,000 or more, such as Michael Bidwill, president of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, who gave $25,000.
Walker's furious fundraising comes as Wisconsin election officials continue to review an estimated 1.9 million signatures collected to recall the governor, lieutenant governor and four Republican state senators.
The recall effort was spurred by anger over Walker's first year in office, in particular a law he pushed through that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers.
The $12.1 million Walker has raised since January 2011 breaks the previous record for fundraising by a candidate for state office in Wisconsin. Walker set the earlier record when he raised $10 million on his way to victory in 2010.
Walker's latest efforts take advantage of a state law that allows targets of a recall to ignore the usual $10,000 per-donor cap and raise unlimited amounts until an election is set. Walker has been traversing the country raising money and speaking at gatherings of conservatives from Texas to New York and Tennessee.
"We haven't seen anything like this before," Mike McCabe, director of the government watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said Tuesday. His group's analysis of Walker's latest fundraising totals, which covered Dec. 11 through Jan. 17, showed that 33 donors gave between $20,000 and $250,000 for a total of $2.3 million.
Walker's campaign spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said the level of donations shows Walker's message is resonating with voters.
"These donations will allow us to fight back against this baseless recall and ensure Gov. Walker can continue to lay the foundation for a more successful Wisconsin and keep government working on the side of taxpayers," she said.
Recall organizers raised just a fraction of what Walker did.
The Democratic Party and United Wisconsin, which worked together on the petition drive, reported raising $480,000 collectively since Dec. 11. Walker raised $4.5 million over the same five-week period, while Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch raised $102,000.
Two Democrats, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and state Sen. Tim Cullen of Janesville, have announced they will seek their party's nomination to take on Walker. A number of others are considering running.
Unlike Walker's donors, most of those funding Democrats — 67 percent — live in Wisconsin.
Democrats, who are bound by the state's campaign donation limits, have said they don't expect to keep up with Walker's fundraising.
"We will be outspent three or four to one," state Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said.
McCabe, with the Democracy Campaign, said Walker will have a "commanding" financial advantage over any challenger. Walker has repeatedly said he is going after out-of-state money because he anticipates national organized labor groups will spend heavily in support of the candidate Democrats eventually chose.
McCabe predicted that outside groups will come in on both sides, but Walker will maintain his financial advantage.
"There's no question," he said. "I don't think any Democratic candidate can possibly catch up."
Walker has spent $9.8 million over the past 54 weeks, with much of it going toward television advertising that started the night before those gathering signatures on recall petitions hit the streets. He reported having $2.6 million in cash left.
Some of Walker's biggest backers are well-known conservatives.
Bidwill is a frequent donor to Republican candidates across the country. Perry, a Texas home builder, helped pay for the Swift Boat Veterans ads that attacked Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign. Perry has a total of $500,000 to Walker's campaign.
The three others who gave Walker $250,000 each during one week this month were Missouri residents David C. Humphreys and his sister Sarah Atkins, both of Tamko Building Products, and Stanley M. Herzog of Herzog Contracting.
Members of the Humphreys family are some of the largest Republican donors in Missouri.
David Humphreys, who contributed $125,000 last year to the expected gubernatorial campaign of Missouri's Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, made news last fall by asking for his money back after Kinder admitted he frequented an Illinois strip club while he was a state senator in the 1990s. Kinder did not return the money but ultimately decided against running for governor.
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Associated Press writers Troy Thibodeaux in New Orleans and David Lieb in Jefferson City, Mo., contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/wis-governor-fights-recall-state-cash-203752994.htmlMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's polarizing governor is fighting attempts... more
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This is absolutely bizarre. Wisconsin, of all places, making it hard for small breweries to seel beer. This is the nail in the coffin for Walker.This is absolutely bizarre. Wisconsin, of all places, making it hard for small... more
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Members of Stand Up Chicago voice their dissatisfaction with Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker who is nothing but a puppet to the Koch bros.Members of Stand Up Chicago voice their dissatisfaction with Wisconsin Gov Scott... more
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From the beginning of the Wisconsin labor protests on through the recall elections that happened on Tuesday, we've seen some pretty good signs. Those blue fists are very Democratic and intimidating.
This car ranks highly among homemade anti-Walker graphics. It goes to show that auto decoration isn't just for homecoming weekend.
On Tuesday, Democrats failed to take the state Senate majority in the latest round of legislative recalls, going two for six against recalled Republican state senators. Abe Sauer reports that momentum behind the push to recall Walker may be fading.
But with two sitting Democrats facing recall elections next Tuesday, we'll probably see some more creative anti-Walker signage next week.
And for the record, all late-90s and early-2000s Pontiacs look fat from this angle. It's the curves.
Image credit: Naomi SeligmanFrom the beginning of the Wisconsin labor protests on through the recall elections... more
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(videos won't post so go to my blog to watch sorry ,i dunno vimeo players will not upload)
An inspirational protest video about the policies of the current Wisconsin government. This video is a snapshot of the protests in Madison during the winter and spring of 2011.
If you like this video, please share it with the world! And if you agree with the message, please keep working for the movement!
Bonobo Secret Handshake would like to thank Gretta Wing Miller and Aarick Beher of Downtown Dailies for their fine post-production work on this video. Thanks also to David Montesinos of Aztec Studios for audio recording and production.
Images are courtesy of Lisa Hempstead, Aaron Granat, Matt Wisniewski, Christine Hambuch-Boyle, Code Pink, Brazen Video Productions, and Mike Martens
My Favorite instrumental band Bonobo and friends , make a great video and possible chant of the movement, enjoy... and thank you Wisconsin for taking a stand and showing us all what Democracy really looks like..Figg
http://vimeo.com/27163437
Feel free to share this I have permission....here's the embed code for sites (wink)
Scott Walker Blues from Bonobo Secret Handshake on Vimeo.(videos won't post so go to my blog to watch sorry ,i dunno vimeo players will... more
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Fire Destroys We Are Wisconsin PAC Offices in La Crosse; Recall Efforts Subdued
We Are Wisconsin's La Crosse headquarters a 'total loss' after Saturday morning blaze.
By Mark Maley
July 30, 2011
Fire officials in La Crosse are continuing to investigate a Saturday blaze that destroyed the regional offices of We Are Wisconsin, a union political action committee (PAC) that has pumped millions of dollars into supporting Democratic candidates in the upcoming recall elections.
The La Crosse Tribune reports that the cause of the fire, which started at about 9:30 a.m., remains unknown. Firefighters thought they had the blaze under control in the afternoon, however, that wasn't the case and it continued into the evening, the newspaper reported.
We Are Wisconsin used the building at 432 Jay St. to oversee its efforts in the 32nd Senate District recall election, which will be held Aug. 9. Incumbent Republican state Sen. Dan Kapanke is being challenged by Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Shilling in that district.
A spokesman for the group told the La Crosse Tribune that the group's office was a total loss.
We Are Wisconsin is a political action committee made up by a coalition of unions that has spent more than $2 million supporting Democratic recall candidates around Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
In the 32nd District, the group has spent about $400,000 to get Shilling elected, the La Crosse Tribune reported.
The group is also active in the 8th Senate District recall race between incumbent Republican Alberta Darling and Democratic challenger Sandy Pasch. In that Milwaukee-area race, We Are Wisconsin has spent at least $570,000 on pro-Pasch ads.
Throughout the day Saturday, those active in the recall effort were taking to Twitter and calling the fire "suspicious" since it occurred just 10 days before the recall. However, fire officials haven't yet determined the cause of the blaze, according to local media reports.Fire Destroys We Are Wisconsin PAC Offices in La Crosse; Recall Efforts Subdued
We... more
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Rick Ungar
Rick Ungar
The Policy Page
Fake Democrats Lose In Wisconsin Primaries While Exposing Fake Financial Concerns Of Scott Walker
Jul. 15 2011 - 2:08 pm | 3,140 views | 1 recommendation | 26 comments
In an effort to try and torpedo the electoral process leading up to next month’s recall races in Wisconsin, the state’s Republican Party fielded a number of ‘fake’ Democrats(they were actually all Republicans) to force primaries to choose the Democratic candidates who will challenge in the coming recall elections.
Each of these fake candidates has gone down to defeat, clearing the way for the real election to get started.
But there was much more to this story than a simple effort to confuse voters.
By putting up artificial candidates in the primary, the Wisconsin Republican Party succeeded in delaying the actual recall elections for an additional month – thus permitting more time for their incumbent candidates to make their case while putting a little more distance between the votes that put the GOP in the hot seat and election day.
The Republican hope is that some extra time will permit tempers to cool, returning independent voters to the fold.
The maneuver also granted the Republican controlled legislature an extra month to push through their agenda. Should they lose in the recalls, majority control in the State Senate would flip to the Democrats, ending the GOP monopoly over state government and ending the legislative rubber stamp that has furthered the Walker agenda.
Politically speaking, this was an interesting – if cynical- maneuver.
But like most political stunts, it came at a cost as Wisconsin taxpayers were left to pay a $400,000 plus tab for the contrived primaries.
In the big picture, that may not seem like an awful lot of money.
But in a state where Governor Scott Walker – the leader of the state’s GOP – has undertaken some of the most controversial political efforts of our time under the guise of simply doing what was necessary to deal with the allegedly pressing state budget problems, spending any money in such a bogus way should have been unthinkable.
This detail has not escaped Wisconsin’s Democratic Party who is calling for Walker to reimburse the taxpayers for this wasted expenditure.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said “I think it is time to officially ask for Scott Walker and the Republican Party of Wisconsin to reimburse taxpayers for the costs they were forced to bear for these fake primaries”. Tate then added, “They have no credibility to speak on shepherding tax dollars moving forward.”
It’s hard to argue Tate’s point and – to date – Governor Walker hasn’t tried.
While Walker is choosing to remain silent on this waste of taxpayer money, one cannot help but recall the Governor’s arguments in support of his taking on the public employee unions, including his suggestion that the collective bargaining agreements were placing an unbearable burden on local governments.
These would be the same local governments who were forced to pay for the fake primaries ginned up by the Governor’s political party.
We can also recall Walker statements like “I don’t have anything to negotiate. We are broke in this state. We have been broke for years.” and ” We’re broke. We don’t have any more money.”
Apparently, he did have a spare $400,000 laying around after all and chose to spend it on a purely political gambit that stood only to benefit his own party.
I can’t think of a better reason for Wisconsin voters to question the true purpose of the Walker agenda in the coming recall elections.
While there has long been a dispute over whether or not the Wisconsin budget crisis was anywhere near as dire as the Governor has suggested, Walker’s willingness to blow taxpayer money in so cynical a fashion– money sent to the Wisconsin treasury by Wisconsinites of all political stripes and beliefs – speaks far more to Mr. Walker’s true character and convictions than this writer could ever hope to reveal.
contact Rick at thepolicypage@gmail.com
Twitter @rickungarRick Ungar
Rick Ungar
The Policy Page
Fake Democrats Lose In Wisconsin Primaries... more
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FlexSF
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"It's a huge victory that we succeeded in getting six recall elections against Republicans, but now we need ALL MoveOn members around the country to help us actually win the races and unseat Walker's majority," says MoveOn member Steve Hughes of Madison. We need to raise $185,000 immediately to get started.
put your money where your mouth is if you can...
Breaking news—we've now got a chance to beat six Wisconsin Republicans facing recall elections after helping force through infamous legislation taking away bargaining rights from teachers and other public workers. If we win, that would end Gov. Scott Walker's right-wing crusade.
This election is a huge opportunity to turn the tide against tea party Republicans and their attacks on the middle class. But in a last-minute election like this, whoever can mobilize the most voters will win—so we've got to get to work.
We've got an ambitious plan to get thousands more voters to the polls in Wisconsin, taking the technology and organizing tools that we used to help elect Barack Obama and applying them for the first time ever to a state-level election.
MoveOn members contributed $1 million to the huge effort to force these recall elections, and worked tirelessly on the ground.
But with just six weeks to go, we've got to raise $185,000 to get moving on this plan immediately.
Can you chip in $5 to help us mobilize voters to the polls in Wisconsin and stop the tea party Republicans in their tracks?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/win_in_WI.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=27666-17663758-98H1Pnx&t=2
If we win, we may even be able to reverse the anti-collective-bargaining law: A judge blocked the law last week, but Gov. Walker may try to pass it again. If progressives win three seats in the state senate, we can stop it. Furthermore, Republican governors and state legislators across the country are watching what happens in Wisconsin very closely, as are party leaders in Washington, D.C.
Since special elections like these always have very low turnout, whichever side can get people to the polls will have the upper hand. So we've put together an aggressive plan to get thousands more Democrats to the polls in each of these districts. Here's just some of what we'll do:
(Sorry, thats for my eye's only Rethuglicans !!!!!
censored for your protection
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....But believe me it will work with your help i will not be giving them our playbook this time (wink)-figg
The state election oversight board announced yesterday that all the recall elections filed against Republicans will proceed, while all the retaliatory recalls Republicans filed against Democrats are mired in allegations of signature fraud.
These recall elections of right-wing Republicans could send shock waves through the nation, and a clear message: Voters won't stand for the extreme Republican attempts to trample on workers' rights.
But to send that message, we need to win these elections. Can you contribute now to help get out the vote in Wisconsin?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/win_in_WI.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=27666-17663758-98H1Pnx&t=3
Thanks for all you do.
–Adam R., Laura, Kat, Stephen, Milan,Figgdimension, and the rest of the team"It's a huge victory that we succeeded in getting six recall elections... more
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One of the most important ideological commitments of the modern conservative movement is an opposition to tax increases. It is with this ideology that then-Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker signed Americans For Tax Reforms’ “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” a vow not to raise taxes on the people of his state.
Posted 7:23 PM
Yet in his newly proposed budget, now-governor Walker appears to have already broken this pledge. While the budget would lower taxes overall — it includes $83.3 million in tax cuts “primarily for businesses and investors” — it would make up for lost revenue by eliminating tax credits and exemptions that primarily benefit the poor and even some in the middle class.
Wisconsin’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau — the state’s equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office — finds that this would amount to a $49.9 million tax increase on people who receive these credits over the next two years:
Low and middle income people would lose tax credits worth about $49.4 million over two years, the new Legislative Fiscal Bureau report said.
Those affected most by Walker’s proposal would include low-income families who qualify for the earned income tax credit program, and low-income homeowners who receive tax rebates under the homestead tax credit.
In addition to eliminating these tax credits, Walker also has proposed a spate of new fee increases. The “bulk of the fee increases are for tuition at University of Wisconsin campuses, totaling more than $105 million over two years.”
It appears that Walker is less committed to keeping taxes down on everyone than he is to cutting taxes for some of society’s most fortunate members, while raising them on some of its most vulnerable. He joins many other conservative state legislators across the country who are cutting taxes
on the richest while slashing services and raising taxes for Main Street America.
I Would like to thank you all for your comments on my thread, your words gets my attention. Also your words stimulate further thinking on the subject. Many of you share my vision, or maybe I share yours. I enjoy all of your comments, you guys are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic I thank you all highly.One of the most important ideological commitments of the modern conservative movement... more
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http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110414/GPG0101/104140697/Wisconsin...
A Colorado man with a felony record is accused of swiping a backpack from Lambeau Field while collecting signatures to recall Democratic Sen. Dave Hansen of Green Bay.
The man was working for the Republican Party on March 17 when he took a backpack and coat containing keys and cell phones belonging to a couple who had been taking pictures at Lambeau Field, according to a Green Bay Police Department report.
Using security camera footage taken the day of the theft, authorities recognized the man when he was back at Lambeau Field a few days later. The man admitted to the crime and returned most of the property. He was cited with theft and police consider the case closed.
According to Colorado records, the man has been charged with a number of crimes in his home state, including driving under the influence, domestic violence and felony assault and was found guilty of drugging a victim in 2008.
The man told police he was staying at the Road Star Inn in Ashwaubenon with several other out-of-town canvassers.
"When it was brought to our attention last month that a circulator had been cited for an incident in the Green Bay area, we immediately insisted that individual have no further role in the effort, and it is our understanding that he has had no involvement since," Mark Jefferson, Republican Party of Wisconsin executive director, said in a statement released this week to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
"Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated in this important citizen mobilization effort."
Chad Fradette, a Republican who ran against Hansen in 2008, has been working with both recall groups to unseat the Green Bay Democrat. Fradette said he was disappointed the Republican Party did not properly vet people helping collect petition signatures.
"It's fine that the Republican Party is involved. It is a partisan race," said Fradette, who is listed as the treasurer for the Committee to Recall Dave Hansen. "I know there are people that (canvass) for a living. He may be one of those folks. But if he has a rap sheet from another state, avoid them. There's a lot of good people that have worked for this effort locally. This is not what we needed."
Two groups working to recall Hansen have collected about 15,000 signatures, which they plan to submit together, Fradette said Tuesday. That's more than the 13,852 needed to recall the veteran lawmaker. The committees are checking for duplicate names and gathering extra signatures for insurance.http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110414/GPG0101/104140697/Wisconsin...... more
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Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) reacted Wednesday afternoon to the super-close state Supreme Court race -- in which liberal-backed challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg now leads incumbent conservative Justice David Prosser, thanks to popular reaction against Walker's anti-public employee union legislation. Walker's response: Blame it on Madison -- which he said is in a "very different world" from the majority of the state.
http://bit.ly/gChlp0Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) reacted Wednesday afternoon to the super-close state Supreme... more
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The following is an except from an article I wrote on Examiner.com:
"From now until the 2012 elections, I am going to write a series of articles with the express purpose of trying to get the average reader to "think outside of the box" At the same time, I hope I am up to the task of keeping the subject matter entertaining. Before the next election occurs, it is my hope to get WE THE PEOPLE aka the Common person aka the General Public to experience a paradigm shift in their thinking with regard to poltics and voiting.
Ultimately, I want to change your perception of reality to one that reflects your own true thought processes. This as opposed to the your current perception of reality induced by the propaganda, censorship and duplicity of America's Major Media, Entertainment Industry, Big Business and our own alleged political leaders. All this with the goal of having you vote your own mind, rather than vote in the manner your Government and major media have manipulated you to.
That having been said....
I was first introduced to Chaos theory in college. It was one of those hazy late night philosophical discussions we often had in college.
FREE WILL vs CHAOS THEORY
In America, during our youthful years of public education we are indoctrinated with a belief that everything we choose to do is a matter of free will. If I choose to turn left, kick a can, drink water, blow off class, cast a vote or any act you can think of, we are taught to believe we had the ability aka free will, to choose to do something else. Turn Right, not drink, not skip class, not vote. We are taught that every action we take is fully within our personal control and we make our choices of our own free will.
Chaos Theory (Determinism) states that no matter what we do, we have no choice... we have no free will. According to Chaos Theory, so many external factors have acted upon you that you have no choice but to do what ever action you have done. Your choice has been predetermined by a multitude of previously occurring, external influences.
Being much younger then, of course I knew it all and immediately dismissed this proposed Chaos Theory as psycho-babble. Yet, almost half a life time later, I am willing to consider chaos theory as a viable explanation of certain political events and attitudes.
WISCONSIN PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
My personality is that of an analytical driver. I gather facts and make decisions. It has been my life’s presumption that the vast majority of people also act out of reason and logic.
It escapes me by what logic Rank and File Wisconsin Public Employees do not recognize..."
Continue reading for free on Examiner.com: Chaos Theory,Rank & File Wisconsin Public Employees & True Grassroots TEA Party - Minneapolis Independent | Examiner.comhttp://www.examiner.com/independent-in-minneapolis/chaos-theory-wisconsin-public-employees-and-justice-minnesota#ixzz1GJLiEqpL
Those were my thoughts.
Don Mashak
The Cynical Patriot
http://twitter.com/dmashakThe following is an except from an article I wrote on Examiner.com:
"From now... more
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By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
As the Great Blizzard of 2010 blanketed New York City, most residents were blissfully unaware that their city’s 911 system was on the brink of collapse. The system fielded 50,000 calls in a single day, and at one point the backlog swelled to 1,300 calls. The mayor was called to account for the slow service and promised that it wouldn’t happen again.
But David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick report in AlterNet that New York’s close call is an example of a much broader and deeper problem. Cash-strapped state and local governments are raiding funds set aside for 911 service, and the system is hurting badly:
Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.
States siphoned nearly $400 million earmarked for 911 between 2001 and 2004. The law demands that the money, raised by a tax on every phone line, has to be set aside for 911-related services. Some states fudge the definition of “911-related” to fund things that had nothing to do with emergency services, like raises for courthouse staffers. Others just brazenly redirected the money into their general funds. New York collected $82.1 million in 911 taxes on phone lines in 2007, but only 19 cents out of the $1.20 monthly fee was spent on 911.
At least New York can account for its misdirected funds. South Dakota simply has no idea where its 911 money went, Rosen and Kushnick report.
Walker: Hurry up and die
Seemingly determined to cast himself as a Dickensian villain, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker presented a budget last week that would slash millions in funding for health care for the poor and the elderly. However, as I reported in Working in These Times, Walker recommended an increase in funding for a program that buries Wisconsinites who die destitute.
Medicaid roulette
Some governors are clamoring for more control over Medicaid, the joint state/federal health insurance program for the poor, Suzy Khimm reports for Mother Jones. Currently, Medicaid funding is allocated primarily by a matching system, with the federal government kicking in a certain number of dollars for every dollar the state spends. The states must abide by federal rules in order to qualify. Now, some Republican governors want to see Medicaid funding doled out in block grants. The states would get a fixed amount of money, which they could spend as they saw fit.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House, is a leading proponent of this new scheme. She claims it would increase “flexibility” for states. In this case, flexibility is a euphemism for “massive cuts.” Washington’s Democratic governor, Christine Gregoire, has already convinced the Obama administration to exempt her state from certain Medicaid rules. McMorris Rodgers applauds the move.
Crisis Propaganda Centers
New York City City passed a landmark “truth in advertising” bill last Wednesday that would force so-called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to disclose that they are not health care facilities. CPCs are anti-choice ministries posing as reproductive health clinics. Among other things, the law will require city CPCs to inform potential clients that they do not refer for abortions or emergency contraception, Noelle Williams reports for the Ms. Magazine blog.
The logic of our sex laws
The cover story of this month’s Washington Monthly is a provocative analysis of Dan Savage, America’s most influential sex advice columnist, as an ethicist of contemporary sexual mores. The author, Benjamin J. Dueholm, is a Lutheran pastor and a longtime fan of Savage’s syndicated column “Savage Love.” Dueholm does a good job of summarizing some of the core principles of Savage’s ethos: disclosure, autonomy, mutual pleasure, and personal commitment to achieving sexual competence. His central critique is that Savage’s attitude is too consumerist and businesslike.
I would argue that there’s nothing inherently capitalist about Savage’s ethics. Yes, Savage’s ideal sexual world is based on consensual, mutually beneficial exchanges, like an idealized free market–but that doesn’t mean that realizing one’s sexual identity, or finding true love, is on par with picking a brand of laundry detergent. In consumerism, the customer is always right. Savage is constantly urging his readers to be active participants in a mutually satisfying sex life, not passive consumers who expect their partners to cater to them without giving anything in return.
USDA hearts Michael Pollan
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues guidelines for healthy eating. Parke Wilde of Grist explains why this year’s edition is, in many ways, a radical and surprising document:
The new edition has a fascinating chapter on eating patterns, focusing on real foods and not just nutrients. This chapter on eating patterns provides a nice counterpoint to the reductionism — what Michael Pollan calls “nutritionism” — of scientific discussion of diet and health. The guidelines’ healthy eating patterns may or may not include meat. For example, the USDA Food Patterns and the DASH diet each include moderate amounts of meat and plenty of low-fat dairy. At the same time, the guidelines explain clearly that meat is not essential, and near-vegetarian and vegetarian diets are adequate and even “have been associated with improved health outcomes.”
This is a big departure for an agency that has historically been criticized for acting as a propaganda outlet for the livestock and dairy industries. But Wilde notes that, despite its enlightened discussion of the perils of “nutritionism,” the USDA hasn’t broken the habit of referring to nutrients rather than foods. The guidelines still recommend that Americans eat less saturated fat, without dwelling at length on which foods actually contribute most of the saturated fat to the American diet.
As nutritionist Marion Nestle explains in her seminal book, Food Politics, this mealy-mouthed advice is measured to avoid offending any lobby group that might take offense at the suggestion that Americans eat less of their product. There is no saturated fat lobby, but there are plenty of lobby groups representing the interests of industries tied to the major sources of saturated fat in the American diet, which include cheese, pizza, bakery products, ice cream, chicken, and burgers.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about health care by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Pulse for a complete list of articles on health care reform, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, environment, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Mulch, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
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