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 […]
True Majority and Citizen Action of Wisconsin are having a Tax Day rally to tell Congress to stop spending endlessly on the Iraq War. Rather, they are demanding that our elected officials should be investing in America’s future. The details for the rally are as follows: What: Milwaukee Tax Day! Invest in America When: April […]
While people are rushing to file their income taxes all across the state, it seems appropriate to focus on the tax that we are paying for the war in Iraq. The Bush administration and its facilitators in Congress bemoan taxes but continue to spend those dollars in Iraq. Senator John McCain is essentially promising more […]
The non-profit Wisconsin Books to Prisoners (WBTP), in conjunction with Rainbow Bookstore (Madison), sends books, free of charge, to prisoners in Wisconsin and other states who request them. They need your help. Many prisons have antiquated, non-accessible, and, in some cases, non-existent library facilities. As a result, prisoners have little or no reading or educational […]
Of all the people in the world to NOT advocate for veterans, in a million years, would anyone had guessed it would be those fine folks at the Veterans Administration? Well yeah, but not a decade ago. This is just another prime example of how this administration has their oppressive thumb on every facet of […]
Is J.B. Van Hollen running out of work or something? Yesterday it was reported that the Wisconsin Attorney General sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, asking them to block a proposed merger of Sirius and XM satellite radio. Is this really an issue that should get such prominent treatment from the Wisconsin AG? […]
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 […]
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Laurel Walker reported this week that between 65 and 100 people in Oconomowoc voted at the wrong place last week. Actually it seems that this has been going on for several years. The voters in question live in two 24-unit condo buildings and have been voting in one district while actually […]
Gen. David Petraeus told Congress this week that he is recommending that President Bush ‘pause’ the draw down of troops in Iraq this July. Bush has accepted that recommendation ‘leaving open the possibility that about 140,000 U.S. servicemen and women will still be in the war zone when the next president takes office.’ Not only […]
The Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families released an analysis showing that the gap between the rich and poor is growing in Wisconsin. While Wisconsin still fares much better than the national average and most other states, it has been moving in the wrong direction over the last number […]
Military Families Speak Out is challenging U.S. Senators —starting with two named Obama and Clinton — to filibuster and stop President Bush’s request for more money for the Iraq war and occupation, another $102-billion. The Senate Democrats’ excuse for inaction has been that it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster, so they have held […]
Twenty-one years to the day after he attended the second meeting to put pressure on federal regulators which became known as the Keating Five scandal, John McCain is showing how out of touch he is by continuing to cozy up to lobbyists. A new report from Public Campaign Action, shows a real mixed record on […]
In 2005 Great Lakes Governors signed off on an agreement to protect our region’s most important asset, the Great Lakes. To be implemented the compact had to be approved by all of the Great Lakes state legislatures. Earlier this year the Wisconsin State Senate finally approved the compact by an overwhelming 26-6 vote. Unfortunately the Assembly […]
On Monday we drew attention to All Children Matter, the pro-private school vouchers group founded by a Michigan Republican billionaire. Specifically we pointed to a recent unanimous ruling by the Ohio Elections Commission that the right wing group illegally funneled $870,000 into the state. The body also fined All Children Matter $5.2 million for their […]
Yesterday a coalition of groups, including the One Wisconsin Institute, formally launched an effort to restore voting rights to felons that have served their time in prison. Under current law, convicted felons can’t vote until after they are off probation. In some cases this disenfranchises people for decades even after they have already served their […]
All Children Matter, a pro-private school vouchers group founded by a Michigan Republican billionaire was fined $5.2 million for illegally funneling money into Ohio campaigns. This is the same group that is under investigation in Wisconsin after the State Elections Board determined in 2006 that it violated election rules here. In a 5-0 decision, the […]
The Bush-McCain economic blueprint of tax cuts for the rich and corporate bailouts continues to cost American jobs with the latest news that over 80,000 were lost last month alone. That’s on top of 152,000 more since the beginning of the year. And McCain wants to stay the course. “So my friends, we can fix this economy. […]
Wisconsin AFL-CIO President David Newby has it spot-on regarding John McCain’s unwillingness to join a roundtable to talk with working people about the incredible challenges facing families under the current economic disaster of George Bush and his cheerleader John McCain. Read what Newby had to say, after the jump. “On Tuesday, workers in Annapolis Maryland held a workers roundtable to […]
John McCain is going to Memphis tomorrow to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. Nice change of pace for a man who in 1989 voted against the establishment of the birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national holiday. Thankfully, McCain failed and the holiday honoring Dr. King was eventually […]
The Kentucky House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to automatically restore the voting rights of certain felons. (See http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=8105451&nav=menu203_2) Rep. Parisi of Madison is currently sponsoring legislation in the Wisconsin Assembly to the same effect. “Felon voting” was a huge issue in the 2004 Milwaukee elections fiasco. Legislation like this would allow felons […]
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) successfully bought a corporate majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week. They accomplished their goal in the most dishonest and deceptive of ways, churning out a nonstop flow of deceptive ads. They were successful at kicking out one of the most brilliant minds and first ever African American on […]
Even Charlie Sykes, who has no shame, is embarrassed — not by the kind of campaign that WMC and Mike Gableman ran, but by the candidate. He posts this comment from someone he calls a “savvy listener”: Shame on conservatives from letting 2006 hangover result in putting up such a completely lame slate of candidates. […]
Over the years I have heard hundreds of heart-wrenching stories about individuals and families who suffer as a result of health insurers failing to provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments. One Wisconsin woman shared with me an especially poignant story that illustrates the imbalance of the current system. […]
“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Said more than 50 years ago by Joseph Welch in the famed Army-McCarthy hearing, the phrase should be directed this Wednesday morning to Charlie Sykes, the WTMJ radio talk nut. Justice Louis Butler was unseated by a narrow margin from the State Supreme Court in voting yesterday and […]
Paul Singer has come to Wisconsin in the form of $40,000 in late contributions to Judge Mike Gableman from himself, an executive at his company and couple of people with Singer’s same last name. Singer is the slug who’s made his money by operating so-called ‘vulture’ funds, where he purchased government bonds from poor counties […]
Exactly one year ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thundered with rage at Linda Clifford. The Supreme Court candidate had the temerity to use the name of the might Journal Communications newspaper’s name in an autocall going to potential supporters that referenced, well, the Journal Sentinel’s endorsement of her. In virtually the last seconds of the […]
Over the weekend the Associated Press ran a story pointing out the striking similarities of the current fight for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court and a new John Grisham novel, The Appeal. I have not read the book but just hearing some of the details, it seems like someone at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) got an […]
Direct democracy is a necessity in this country. Being able to vote in open, free elections is important and everyone should have a voice to decide who works in their government. However sometimes appointments should be left to the governor and not to the voice of the Wisconsin voter.Such is the case in the current […]
You can tell a lot about a political candidate by the enemies he or she makes. In Pedro Coln’s (D-Milwaukee) run for the Milwaukee City Attorney’s race, Coln has gained the enmity of the usual suspects on rightwing radio. Both Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling ripped into Coln Monday though not offering any argument against […]
Honestly, is this some kind of a sick joke? The guy that has been running around the state claiming to be tough on crime sat on a murder case for two years or more? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dan Bice has revealed the details of a homicide case while Michael Gableman was Ashland County District […]
Mike Gableman’s largest donors come from Colorado it turns out. John & Carolyn Saeman of Denver wrote $20,000 in checks to Wisconsin’s Gableman a couple of weeks ago. The Saeman’s, who run an investment company in the Rocky Mountain State, are also big fans of George “Macaca” Allen and Rick “Man on Dog/Savage Love Noun” […]
It was just last week that the state media did blanket coverage on issues of open records and open government. It is part of a tradition that they call Sunshine Week. Apparently after only a week they are already burnt out from open records issues. Yesterday the Burnett County District Attorney began looking for a […]
What can bring together the Milwaukee mayor, the DA, and virtually the entire City legislative caucus in a divisive election season? Pedro Cola³n running for City Attorney. Reads the Shepard-Express endorsement: (Mu)ltiple conversations with Colon, and really listening to his plans for the office, have won us over. We enthusiastically support state Rep. Pedro Colon […]
Hey Scott, Thanks so much for explaining to me what’s wrong with Milwaukee County in your latest mailer. You know the one I’m talking about, with the little blond girl on the front, in a police uniform with a badge that reads ‘City of Toyland.’ Now, it all makes sense to me’you’re not playing around’the […]
Citing this week’s comprehensive FamiliesUSA report showing five uninsured adults between ages 25 and 64 die each week due to no health care insurance, The Monroe Times editorialized on the importance the state legislature act on real health care reform. The Times, the home town newspaper of Rep. Brett Davis an opponent of the $2 billion health care cost […]
Two terrible milestones in March: The five-year anniversary of the Bush attack on Iraq, making our adventure there longer than any in the U. S. history of wars; The 4,000th death of a U. S. soldier, sailor or Marine during the occupation.Two Milestones Too Many Two terrible milestones in March: The five-year anniversary of the […]
Several newspapers have noted Michael Gableman’s inability to let go of his constantly repeated talking points. Even when a conservative paper tried to ask him about a case that he has used to criticize his opponent, he remained evasive. We can now see with less than a week to go, that Gableman simply refuses to […]
There is less than a week before Milwaukee County chooses a County Executive and the incumbent has been all over the place with his campaign talking points. He has been shoving his way to nearly every camera and open mic that he can find, to ‘put lipstick on the pig‘ that is his administration. Although […]
Earlier this week John McCain finally decided to address the housing crisis that has been devastating for so many people and to the entire economy. Unfortunately his speech offered no actual solutions for the many families feeling the full weight of the crisis. The great plan offered by the man that ‘doesn’t really understand economics?’ […]
Heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune have given at least $6,000 to Mike Gableman’s campaign for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Who knows how many countless dollars they may have given to the right wing front groups like WMC to churn out sleazy ads? So why would out of state fat cats from the world’s largest corporation […]
Wisconsin, the People’s community Re: lobbyist’s and special interest’s contrary to Wisconsin Interests We people of Wisconsin have the responsibility and the authority to make the rules and decisions of our Wisconsin Community. Our Government is the infrastructure which is to carry out our demands. The Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce represent only business and business […]
For Release On: March 25, 2008 For more information contact: Jennifer Epps 414-443-0682 Fed up with Injustice, Milwaukee Residents “Rise Up” More than 1,000 city residents unite to solve Milwaukee’s economic crisis Milwaukee is facing harsh economic times. In response, residents are “Rising Up.” At 5 pm on Saturday, March 29th, just 3 days before […]
Supreme Court candidate Michael Gableman has traveled around the state complaining about specific cases in which incumbent Justice Louis Butler rendered a decision. Although Gableman repeatedly fails to offer a legal argument that Butler applied the law incorrectly, he and his allies continue to use these selected cases as a basis for removing Butler from […]
You won’t find it in the newspaper, but Scott Walker’s campaign for Milwaukee County executive was just caught lying to the Journal Sentinel about the use of actors in a new television commercial. Only political junkies who read the “All Politics” blog on the paper’s website will get the story, and even then it will […]
It’s happened. The American death toll in Iraq has reached 4,000. Across the country, antiwar activists will mark that grim milestone with vigils, marches, and other actions. In Milwaukee, Peace Action Wisconsin and Veterans for Peace will hold a vigil and procession of caskets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at the VA […]
There seems to be a theme developing in the media regarding Michael Gableman. It is not one that would surprise those that have been paying close attention. Apparently they are just beginning to get a clue that this guy is little more than a walking breathing list of talking points. A couple weeks ago I […]
Roundly criticized for his Willie Horton-style race-baiting TV spot, Burnett County Judge Mike Gableman got more bad news yesterday. Dodge County District Attorney Stephen Bauer officially yanked his support for Gableman, citing the ad and calling the ad “revolting.” According to Bauer: “This is not a factual ad. …This crossed the line. It was revolting, […]
Yesterday One Wisconsin Now was forced to file an open records complaint because Michael Gableman has refused to turn over emails from his state account. He claims that eight of those emails are personal even though they fit our search criteria of mostly political names and words. Yesterday the Associated Press reported on our struggle […]
*UPDATE BELOW*Way back in September, One Wisconsin Now made an open records request of Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman. In it we asked for copies of emails from his state email account that fit a very specific set of keywords and phrases. Most of them were political which included both names of individuals and organizations […]
Don’t mind me, I’m just practicing my hand at writing a Gableman/WMC style attack ad. You see, the United States Supreme Court threw out the murder conviction of a man yesterday because they found that the prosecution improperly kept African Americans off of the jury during the African American defendant’s trial. I can already see […]