Today, State Representative Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls) announced he will not be running for reelection in 2008. One of the main reasons he cited for this decision is the persecution he received by members of his own party when he decided to defy his party’s leadership and support the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims […]
For some reason WTMJ radio insists on poisoning Milwaukee airwaves with the constant venom flowing from right wing talker Michael Savage. Apparently, for him and WTMJ, nothing is sacred. Savage is the same guy that wished aids and death on a caller that identified himself as being gay. His list of poisonous and offensive comments […]
We already know that John McCain has a small army of lobbyists that either work or raise money on his behalf. Although some have started to resign he still has over one hundred at last count. He also has some 70 registered lobbyists that have bundled money on his behalf. Even more, the Center for […]
Conservatives sing the praises of ‘the market’ when it comes to many issues. More recently they have applied their theories to health care. Unfortunately their calls for a ‘market driven’ solution consist of little more than promoting health savings accounts. Frankly, the verdict of ‘the market’ has already come in and it has determined that […]
John McCain has had trouble living up to his squeaky clean image recently. He has talked about reform in Washington and more specifically about lobbying reform. Unfortunately his actions don’t reflect his pronouncements about the need for change. First it was discovered that he had at least 118 current and former lobbyists working for him. […]
What do we do in Milwaukee when the temperature finally hits 70 degrees? Go to the lakefront? Grill brats in the back yard? Skinny dip? Take off our longjohns? If it’s the Third Friday — Iraq Moratorium day — we meet in the heart of downtown for an hour, fill all four corners of the […]
Madison activist Joy First tells of her experience at Hilldale Mall on Iraq Moratorium #9 last Friday. Read it here.
The Institute for Wisconsin’s Future (IWF) released a new report on Wisconsin non-profit hospitals and their billions of dollars worth of tax-exempt property. The report finds that those properties could be generating at least $117 million in property taxes yearly to help ease the property tax burden on individual taxpayers and small businesses. The report […]
OWN is hosting a Stamporee event outside the Wisconsin Republican Convention in Stevens Point on Friday, May 16 to demonstrate how when it comes to the failing policies of George W. Bush, Senator John McCain is actually McSame—a literal rubber stamp in his votes in the U.S. Senate. During the event, an actor portraying Senator […]
On Thursday the House of Representatives approved an expansive new veterans education benefit that would be paid for by a tax on wealthy Americans. It would provide the equivalent of a free four-year college education at a public university. Some Republicans joined Democrats in passing the aid that would benefit veterans who enlisted after the […]
Just when I think that the Bush Administration could not go any further in abusing the men and women in our military, they prove me wrong. Not only did the President send them into a preemptive unnecessary war, but he also did not send them with the proper equipment or a plan to get out. […]
The House has surprisingly defeated the Iraq appropriations bill, thanks to a large bloc of Republicans, upset with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who voted “present” to show their displeasure. The result was that the $162.5-billion appropriation failed 141-149. Republicans Jim Sensenbrenner and Tom Petri and Democrat Ron Kind (!)voted for the appropriation, while Republican Paul Ryan […]
via mal contends – Bears repeating from headline: Tom Petri (R-Fond du Lac) is the lone Republican Wisconsin House member to vote for the new GI Bill. Good for Tom Petri; bad for the House Republicans. Republicans talk a good game about supporting our troops; they do not walk the walk. I mean is the […]
Iraq Moratorium #9, a day for individual or group action to end the war and occupation, will be observed on Friday, May 16, in Milwaukee and across the country. A vigil from 5 to 6 p.m., at Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee, is sponsored by the Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace […]
Uppity Wisconsin will be the credentialed Wisconsin member of the State Blogger Corps at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.Today life is a whirlwind of activity at Uppity Wisconsin as we make preparations to go to Denver in August. We will be the only state credentialed organization from Wisconsin, and will bring you innovative live […]
The State Senate took the lead today to end the loophole that lets Wal-Mart and other big corporations evade $15 million annually by exploiting the state tax law (and the taxpayers). Under the tax evasion scheme, tells the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, Wal-Mart would have one part of its business pay another part of the […]
Senator John McCain and the media have manufactured a squeaky clean image for the Arizona Republican. They pretend that he is above reproach while, at the same time, his actions belie much of the rhetoric. Although there are other examples in his long legislative past, several recent developments also go to the heart of the […]
Although Wisconsinites passed the ‘marriage amendment’ in 2006, polls at the time showed that they were supportive of domestic partnerships and civil unions. Advocates warned that the amendment would endanger both. Supporters of the amendment disingenuously claimed that it was only an effort to legally define marriage and not one to kill domestic partnership benefits […]
Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota’s first openly-mulletted governor, is making the trip to Wisconsin later this week to visit his pals during the state GOP convo in Stevens Point. And if he speechifies as good as he interviews, it should be a raucous affair. Consider this gem from a Saturday radio show: “I have a wife who […]
This week Senator John McCain is focusing on the environment and climate change. Although he has been vocal about the issue on the stump, his actual voting record is both inconsistent and severely lacking. In reaction to McCain’s speech Monday, League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski commented that ‘he has not substantively improved his […]
Who: Iraq Veterans Against the War & The Congressional Progressive Caucus What: Winter Soldier on the Hill – An Open Forum When: 15 May 2008 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Where: 2261 Rayburn House Office Building Winter Soldier on the Hill Congress has heard from politicians, pundits, and generals, but not, up to this point, […]
Wispolitics is reporting that a deal has been reached on a budget repair bill. They report that the deal would use $209 million from tobacco securitization payments and would delay $125 million in school aid payments into the next biennium. The compromise would also close a corporate tax loophole being used most notably by the […]
Why join the Iraq Moratorium effort on the Third Friday of every month? Two organizers in Hayward, which has let the country in per capita participation in Moratorium actions, make a strong case for unity. Read it at the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice website.
WMC’s ground attack on the ability of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to regulate mercury is built on a “mountain of falsehoods” as far as environmentalists are concerned. It all started back in 2006, when Governor Doyle called on the DNR to develop a rule that would reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent. […]
On Wednesday afternoon the House of Representatives voted 412 to 0 to pass a resolution, ‘Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day.’ Just after that unanimous vote, Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) jumped up in protest asking that the vote be reconsidered. Rep. Kathy Castor […]
Digging a little deeper on Sen. John McCain’s environmental record yields some scary remains indeed. Turns out he’s pretty much buried any previous attempts to work on environmental concerns, and any comments he makes on global warming, energy and the environmental are little more than double talk. According to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), McCain’s lifetime […]
Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, wants to know what it’s like to be a working woman in America. Today, they are launching their 6th Ask a Working Woman survey online at www.askaworkingwoman.com. They want feedback on things like equal pay, sick day benefits, health care coverage, pensions and flex time. What are the most […]
Update: Dane County Board spins wheels on Zimmermann 911 call controversy via MAL ContendsMadison, WI – “The County Board’s mood didn’t mirror the public outrage,” in questioning “embattled” 911 Center Director Joe Norwick yesterday, reads the Capital Times. That’s likely because the public is of the mind that 911 operators reached ought to err on […]
During the month of May Labor 2008 will kick off its biggest mobilization effort. Union activists all around this country will be talking to union households about Sen. McCain’s anti-worker record. In Wisconsin people will be busy recruiting for member-to-member walks and phone banks. The walks begin Saturday May 10th in Milwaukee and May 17th […]
Is the U.S. Treasury, which can’t print money fast enough to pay for the trillion-dollar tragedy in Iraq, about to give an economic stimulus to peace organizations working to stop the war? It seems highly unlikely, but if it doesn’t happen it won’t be because the antiwar folks haven’t tried. The Wisconsin Network for Peace […]
A new Badger Poll released Tuesday examined Wisconsinites’ opinions on health care reform. Once again it served as another reminder that conservatives are completely out of touch with the average person. Conservatives are perpetually complaining about government programs but 76 percent of respondents favored expanding the eligibility of programs such as BaderCare and Medicaid. Although […]
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that Indiana’s voter ID law is constitutional, about 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place because they didn’t have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. Another person who attempted to vote with a federal ID card was turned away because the card […]
Marquette Professor John McAdams might be too busy silencing speech to comment, but two more studies have determined that Wisconsin leads the nation in yet another dubious category. The studies found that African Americans in Wisconsin are 42 times more likely than whites to receive prison terms for drug convictions. The stat is the highest […]
The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals released the results of a survey Monday. It was about the working conditions faced by nurses in the Metro-Milwaukee area. The survey was taken from over 1,500 nurses and reveals that working conditions are leading to worsening quality of care issues. A key to the problem are […]
Senator John McCain has talked about the need for transparency in government but his own actions have not lived up to his rhetoric. When McCain finally released his tax documents he only included two years. He also failed to release his wife’s tax information even though she holds most of the family’s wealth. As evasive […]
On Friday, the Wisconsin State Journal fawned over Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in an editorial. It was about a recent opinion that he issued regarding open records on traffic accidents and crime in local communities. While the paper praised Van Hollen for sending a ‘strong signal’ it would have been nice if they also […]
The resident’s of the A.O. Smith/Tower Automotive neighborhood and everyone who feels personally connected to the site have decided it is time they build a united front for change in their neighborhood. They are researching Community Advisory Board models around the country with the hopes of creating their own board here in Milwaukee. The board […]
WNPJ member group Voces de la Frontera was featured in a May 2 New York Times report on immigrant-rights marches around the country: Milwaukee had one of the more robust turnouts, with thousands of people gathering, as they did last year. Protesters called on the presidential candidates, each of whom has supported Congressional efforts to […]
Sgt. 1st Class Shane Sanderson devoted 22 years of his life to the U.S. Army, including service in Iraq. He is now retired but is still very committed to his brothers and sisters in combat and all of the issues that have an impact on them. In an opinion piece appearing in today’s Wisconsin State […]
Five years ago today President Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended in what has become known as his “Mission Accomplished” speech. It looks like Senator John McCain also made similar statements.
Guess who is involved in yet another lawsuit against the State of Wisconsin? Why it is Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce of course! They have filed a lawsuit, along with other business interests, against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Apparently they want the DNR to suspend rulemaking on new pollution limits for power plants. They […]
If we don’t end this war and punish those responsible, it will destroy everything wonderful about this country the generations before us sacrificed to keep alive.
Have you noticed that unhealthy air days have been in the news more frequently this year in Milwaukee County? The real issue for Milwaukee County is how will we meet the Clean Air Act regulations on soot (particulates)? If Wisconsin is going to not test car emissions for older models built before 1996, then what […]
This morning groups representing veterans, military families and state progressives joined at the State Capitol to criticize the endless war in Iraq. The event was timed to coincide with tomorrow’s five year anniversary of President Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech. All of Wisconsin’s 90 fatalilties happened after Bush’s infamous speech. Nationally, 97 percent of the more […]
Former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson knew that if the environment was to be a priority on the national agenda, it would be the people, not the politicians, who put it there. So, in 1970, Senator Nelson announced a nationwide grassroots demonstration on the environment; he called it Earth Day. Thirty-eight years ago, the first Earth […]
Justice for immigrants is the primary focus of two May Day events on Thursday, in Madison and Milwaukee. For more information, and what the best-dressed marchers will wear, see this post on Uppity Wisconsin.
America Votes Statement on Indiana Supreme Court Ruling The voice of every American citizen needs to be heard at the voting booth. It should be easier— not more difficult— for Americans to cast their ballots. This is why the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding Indiana’s law requiring voters to present government identification is so deeply disturbing. […]
Thursday May 1 will mark the five year anniversary of President Bush declaring an end to ‘major combat operations in Iraq.’ All of Wisconsin’s fatalities in the war occurred after Bush’s infamous speech. Nationally, 97 percent of the more than 4,050 Americans killed in Iraq also came after ‘Mission Accomplished.’ A coalition of concerned Wisconsinites […]
The UW-Milwaukee Chapter of Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. SHAC and University Housing are hosting a river and litter clean up this Saturday in River West. The events will take place at Sandburg and RiverView dorms at 10:30am. Afterward, join other community organizations and newly elected Alderman Nik Kovac for an Eco-Jam (live music) at the […]
On Monday the Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s strict voter ID law. The most direct and accurate analysis of this decision was by Representative Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee). She said that the decision was ‘an unconstitutional solution in search of a problem.’ This is such a good statement because it is accurate and gets directly to the […]