GOP Seat-filler Kevin Petersen is cheesed. He’s more than cheesed. He’s a whole lotta angry. He says veterans are getting shortchanged in the proposed state. The Waupaca state legie never had a thing to say about the endless shortfunding at the federal level under George Bush and the GOP-controlled Congress, but now he’s in a […]
One Wisconsin Now released the following statement from Executive Director Scot Ross regarding the finally-has-some-numbers House Republican Budget plan that cuts tax rates for the wealthiest Americans (like Paul Ryan) by another 30% and the fact that Ryan’s budget has utterly no chance to pass given his current status in the minority. “Whew.”
“Young Gun” Paul Ryan (cue shootin’ sound effect) wants to answer critics who say the numbers don’t add up when it comes to the GOP’s fiscal policy of helping working families by making them pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest billionaires and millionaires. He’s offered a budget plan that includes no numbers. This is […]
GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, our state’s most reliable Bush lap dog and in whose failed policies are the foundation, walls and roof of our global economic collapse, continues to complain about President Obama’s budget. This is an alarming 2009 trend. President Obama announces steps to clean up the Bush-GOP economic disaster and Ryan dashes to […]
It just never ends, does it? Now, rich corporate CEO’s are all a-flutter over *gasp* paying workers a fair wage. In Gov. Doyle’s budget, a new provision requires companies that receive help from the state to pay their workers the prevailing wage. J. Michael Mooney, chairman of the MLG group, an investment and real estate […]
There’s a huge rift in conservatism these days. On the one hand, you have a faction that looks back in dismay at three losing election cycles and is trying to retool their message in hope for a better outcome in the future. On the other hand, you have a faction too stubborn to abandon their […]
Sudden media economic darling Paul Ryan was on CNBC this morning. Before going forward, if you haven’t watched last night’s Daily Show analysis of the utter and complete failure of CNBC to do anything other than give bad financial tips and suck up to corporate CEOs, go to www.ComedyCentral.com and watch it. It starts with […]
Another headshaker from the Assembly Republican braintrust — this time bringing the same budget shackles to Wisconsin which helped drive California into its near economic collapse and nearly killed a bipartisan solution to their woes. Leah Vukmir and Rich Zipperer, who apparently have created their own Assembly Bad Ideas Caucus, are now pushing for a […]
Among the many head-shaking claims made by conservatives is that of the “liberal” media bias. As we know, the vast majority of American media: radio, TV, music, books, magazines, newspapers — is owned by six corporations. That number was 50 in 1983. Basic common sense says the biggest corporations in the world use their media […]
A story in the Wisconsin State Journal today inexplicably gives a forum to some blow-hard from Dallas named Barry Asmus who spent the better part of his speaking engagement at the WMC annual Business Day in Madison railing against making the super-rich and gigantic corporations actually pay their fair share for the services they so […]
Scott Walker says the solution to 1,100 lost jobs at Harley Davidson is a payroll tax cut. How in the hell is a payroll tax cut going to help someone without a job? And how do we pay for the lost revenue? Will you cancel your annual taxpayer-financed motorcycle trip to campaign for governor promote […]
For the second time in a week, Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald has made it clear to Speaker Sheridan and the rest of the state that he really doesn’t much care to work on much of anything, especially not the budget crisis. Since he was elected the newly leader of the Assembly, Speaker Sheridan has made […]
WisPolitics, the online political news service, in its report to subscribers: — .. [Gov. Jim] Doyle said it’s “total nonsense” for people to suggest the state shouldn’t accept federal stimulus money… Some have criticized the use of federal stimulus to fund state services, saying the one-time fed infusion will cause larger budget problems down the […]
In the Thursday morning report, WisPolitics ran a piece on a study from the California-based Reason Foundation that called the benefits of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line as ‘not credible.’ One might ask, what is this Reason Foundation? Who’s behind the curtain, pulling the strings? And why exactly do WE care? We live here after […]
Finally, the UW just might have an actual advocate in the State Assembly. Rep. Kim Hixon, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater professor was appointed Tuesday to lead the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee. Who’s spot is Hixon taking? Former chair and enemy of intellectuals everywhere, the venerable Steve Nass. Nass was on a permanent crusade […]
Former State Rep. Debi Towns continues to receive the backing from All Children Matter, an organization that remains under a legal cloud in Wisconsin after the State Elections Board determined in November 2006 that they violated rules about express advocacy. Top donors to the lawbreaking pro-private vouchers group have given Towns over $8,000. They have […]
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker may have inherited a less than perfect situation but he has managed to make it so much worse. Rather than make sound budgetary decisions he has opted to manage by political calculation and blind ideology. Walker ‘s latest budget is certainly no exception as he is now proposing to cut over 300 […]
Early in the third 2008 Presidential debate, John McCain introduced Joe, an Ohio plumber who wanted to buy the business in which he had worked for many years. He was supposed to become the poster child for all that was wrong about Obama’s policies. But on health care reform, Joe became a poster child for […]
I had the opportunity to join hundreds of people at the ‘No More Cuts’ rally at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) led the event but were joined by several other unions, and by many other supportive residents that oppose Scott Walker’s drastic cuts. While looking over […]
While America’s attention was riveted on hunting trophies and beautified pigs, Wall Street decided it was time to distract us with some melodrama of its own. The recent financial meltdown was not the work of foreign enemies, though it may give them great comfort to learn how adept we have become at producing self-inflicted wounds. […]
Last week One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s big business lobby. The complaint was filed as a result of WMC’s lead lobbyist saying that they ‘actively lobbied for final passage of the UW budget’ even though that activity was never reported to the Government Accountability Board as required […]
One Wisconsin Now has filed a complaint with the state’s Government Accountability Board (GAB) against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and its seven-member special interest army for failure to report lobbying activities. In an August 20, 2008 memo authored by WMC’s chief lobbyist Jim Buchen claims ‘WMC actively lobbied for final passage of the UW budget,’ […]
Only a couple weeks ago the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and many others across the nation celebrated the 73rd birthday of the single most successful program in the history of our country, Social Security. Even though it has kept many millions out of poverty as they have grown older, just last month John McCain […]
Tuesday was a Happy Day in Milwaukee as most of the original cast of the popular show came to town for the unveiling of the Bronze Fonz. There was a full schedule with a dedication/unveiling, a parade through downtown and a ceremony at Miller Park just before a Brewer game. During the television coverage of […]
Once again, elected officials have pounced on a report by the Tax Foundation to mislead taxpayers into thinking that Wisconsin can’t afford to adequately fund its public institutions. The latest cases are Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) and Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), who separately cited a new study by the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, claiming […]
My pal Bill Kraus at Common Cause in Wisconsin decided to take a poke at OWN yesterday on the FightingBob.com blog for our efforts advancing progressive values, ideas and policies to ensure a Wisconsin with equal economic opportunity for all. Bill has a long and admirable career of doing what he thinks is best to make […]
In a 4-3 decision the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against the State of Wisconsin in the Department of Revenue v. Menasha Corporation case. Of all people, ethically challenged Justice Annette Ziegler wrote the majority opinion. Last year hundreds of Wisconsinites called for her to recuse herself from the case because it was a major priority […]
The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the prospect of $200 a barrel price for oil by the end of the year. The price has shot up over the last 7 years but that increase has been much more rapid in the last six months. During that time we have seen it go up from […]
Although the media is trying its best to paint him as something different, Congressman Paul Ryan continues to prove that he is from the same polluted conservative mold as the most unpopular president in history. While the rhetoric around Ryan may suggest otherwise, reality and his actual record have proven him to be nothing more […]
Over the last few days Republican Congressman Paul Ryan has been getting more underserved love from the media. They called him everything from a ‘rising star‘ in the Wisconsin State Journal to a ‘medicine man‘ in a Washington Post column by the infamous right winger Robert Novak. In both stories there seems to be an […]
The federal government will expand its sanction of Milwaukee schools this year, according to a report published in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 38 schools currently receiving federal government aid for low income students will be hit with cuts to that aid. The Department of Education calls these schools “identified for improvement” and refers to the […]
George Lightbourn is the former budget advisor for Governor Scott McCallum. Now he is a glorified shill for corporate interests at the right wing Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Thursday corporate interests attacked the $2-billion-saving ‘Healthy Wisconsin‘ plan through their chosen outlet. Before taking WPRI’s rantings too seriously, perhaps one should first consider the source, because […]
One Wisconsin Now has launched a petition to Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation demanding that they stand against Senator John McCain’s plan to giveaway $4 billion in new tax breaks to his friends in Big Oil. In 2006 Bush and McCain supported budget giveaways of $5 billion in tax cuts. This at a time when working people […]
George Lightbourn, former head budget guru for Gov. Scott McCallum and current pro-corporate shill at the right wing Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, is attacking the $2-billion-saving “Healthy Wisconsin” plan to provide access to affordable and quality health care for all. George Lightbourn’s central thesis that Medicare and Medicaid were bad ideas is as bankrupt as his […]
U.S. Senator John McCain has proposed a gas tax ‘holiday.’ This is a concept that has been universally panned by economists. The average consumer would see almost no savings. It seems clear that it is little more than a pander to people that are struggling with record gas prices. While John McCain offers only smoke […]
Some of you may have been reading the military newspapers, and seen that the Army is in a really bad fix. We’ve had to borrow money from the Navy and Air Force just to get paid for June 15. Even that borrowed money will only keep the payrolls running until the end of July. Currently, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Just last week John McCain announced his economic plan which largely consisted of continuing the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy and going even further by providing massive tax giveaways to some of the largest corporations in the world. McCain even came to Milwaukee to have a closed door meeting with big business elites. Neither […]
Contact Speaker Michael Huebsch and his co-hort Representative Stephen Nass, and let them know that you object to their destroying Wisconsin’s world-class educational institution. Wisconsin used to take pride in its university system supported by a bipartisan consensus to create a world-class educational facility. Now, under the leadership of the GOP-led state Assembly, the University of […]
You’ve paid your Wisconsin income tax. Wouldn’t it be nice if Corporate Wisconsin did, too? Take a look at this list of corporate giants. Chances are you paid more in state income tax than did any one of them:MicrosoftMcDonald’sMerckPepsiCoGeneral ElectricSears.Budget Rent a CarKimberly-ClarkAppleBoston MarketDeereFrito-LayKmartStokeley-Van CampVictoria’s Secret In fact, chances are you paid more in state […]
While he’s out on the road glad-handing lobbyists and raising millions of dollars from corporate donors, John McCain seems to be forgetting one thing – his duty to his constituents. According to the Washington Post, McCain missed 304 votes in the 110th Congress—that’s 56.8% of the total votes by the Senate for the session. In […]
State Senator Mark Miller today announced a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Finance, which he chairs. The public hearing will take place in Milwaukee at 10 am on Wednesday, March 19 on the University of Wisconsin ‘ Milwaukee campus. The goal is to get input from the public on the governor’s budget adjustment […]
George Lightbourn and his minions at the right wing WPRI have been lecturing Governor Doyle and the legislature on sound budgeting. Lightbourn hardly seems to be the person to give advice on difficult budgets since he has helped cause his fair share of them. George Lightbourn was the Secretary of Administration under two Republican governors. […]
Responding to mounting press questions about how he merited selection as Burnett County circuit judge, Mike Gableman shifted to a totally new argument at a Friday public appearance. Trying to explain to reporters how he was able to jump over two finalists for the Burnett County slot, Gableman said, “The governor indicated because of his […]
During the budget crisis Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) was one of the loudest and most extreme cheerleaders for obstruction. Given that history, it should be no surprise to find Nass at the center of another effort to obstruct. This time he is trying to single handedly prevent some 17,000 working Wisconsinites from getting the chance […]
Well before the end of the year we warned that the estate tax would be ended, costing our state some $300 million. As Wisconsin’s budgetary problems gained more news coverage, conservatives planned to bridge the gap by drastically cutting many good programs for the most needy. In response, we launched an online petition asking legislators […]
With the state facing a $650 million budget deficit, it is clear the state needs to end the $300 million estate tax loophole for the rich which just went into effect in January. One Wisconsin Now launched a petition drive calling on the state legislature to stop this giveaway to the heirs and heiress of […]
Today the Capital Times ran a story, in its business section, highlighting OWN’s efforts on the estate tax. Legislators allowed the estate tax to expire at the end of last year costing Wisconsin some $300 million over three years. At the same time, conservatives are looking to bridge a $300 million gap in the budget […]
The following unfortunately went unpublished as a letter to the editor in response to Sam Clegg’s column that ran in the Herald this week concerning the death tax. In addition to accusing OWN of framing the estate tax debate as a class warfare issue to propose an unreasonable solution to the state budget shortfall, he […]