March 7, 2012
Almost too much good news!
I could get used to good news. It has been a while. First, Judge David Flanagan issued an injunction to stop implementation of the unconstitutional voter ID law. Huzzah! This ruling cold make a tremendous difference in this year's elections. And it puts our progressive house in order. I'm sure you will read the decision so I will just give you a couple of the best parts of the ruling: "The law hit disproportionately hard on the elderly, indigent and minorities." This law is a solution in search of a problem.
The ruling sets the stage for the Tin Cup Movement that will be discussed on March 25 starting at 11:00 in the morning at the Alliant Energy Center. The goal is to persuade candidates to refuse PAC money no matter if the PAC is a labor PAC or corporate PAC. Refuse all corporate money given directly or indirectly. Only individual contributions should be accepted.
Imagine the joy if we can turn this battle ship around! We will have come full circle. Recall a governor and chase the PACS out of the temple. Imagine elections run by the people instead of the corporations.
More good news: a bus load of folks from Milwaukee, along with several in cars, headed for Madison to protect the loopy Glenn Grothman/Steve Nass plan to privatize MATC, and permit a corporate board to replace diverse board. But SNass canceled the hearing and the buses returned to Milwaukee! didn't have the votes. Huzzah! Again.
Mining: Nate Feinsinger used to say, "Pray for peace but keep your powder dry!" Good advice. Gogebic threatened to leave Wisconsin. Great! But I don't believe it is over yet. So keep your powder dry. It ain't over 'til it's over, despite the threat that Robin Vos will hold his breath until he dies and then we will feel bad! (He didn't really say that but it sums up he is pouting.)
Keep those messages coming. And, hate to beg, but we need some money to pull off the coup. Please send what you can.
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Thanks for those who are standing up to some of the nonsense. Searching to understand details of Grothmans' (sp?) bill regarding children and single parents. Does he advocate that kids should live with which parent?
Also, what are details regarding the bill just submitted by House and Senate restricting protests across US?
-hmj | Madison | March 7, 2012
I have to laugh at all the right-wingers who say that because the judge signed a recall petition, he shouldn't rule on the voter ID issue. Then, by inference, any judge who didn't sign it, must be in support of Walker, so they shouldn't be involved, either.
-Happy Liberal | Monona, WI | March 7, 2012
Good mews Ed? Not for those of us that would have built that minning equipment. It is good news for conservitives though. Democrates just killed private employee union jobs. They just destroyed thier looking out for the middle class BS. Its nice this morning seeing the union guys flgure out that the democrates have sold them out. Walker in a land slide.
-SW | Waukesha WI | March 7, 2012
Another piece of legislation that is in a holding pattern is "The Special Needs Scholarship Act" (Vouchers on Steroids). This legislation has the potential of harming students with special needs who use the vouchers as well as those who don't. The redirection of state and local tax dollars could do real damage to local schools. The only winners would be private schools, especially those who would be unethical enough to use some of the less measured aspects of the bill.
This legislative session cannot end soon enough. The Republicans are acting like two-year olds, "Do it quick, before they stop me."
-Linda | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | March 7, 2012
To SW. Rank and file union folks left the Dems during the Nixon years so your gloating and whining is old news. They have been selling their sad little butts down the creek for years but now, over a very bad mine idea, you want to raise some hell? What a joke.
I remember the boys at Bay Ship in Sturgeon Bay. They hated Carter because he caved in the Iran hostage issue and looked weak. They all went for tough guy Reagan. Not long after he got elected Reagan signed a bill that American flagged ocean vessels did not have to be built in the USA. Bay Ship had just completed such a ship and was hoping for another contract but South Korea got the job. Good bye union jobs thanks to the tough guy schmuck the rank and file voted for.
So, don't bitch or gloat too much. Rank and file workers have been their own biggest enemy for quite a while now.
-Griebnotz Doerkpfester | (Glad) I Escaped, WI. | March 7, 2012
Reading response letters from writers like SW, it seems we so often sense anger in the tone of the writings and also, a need to feel it necessary to belittle others through various labels. It does make one wonder if a response will be of any value or not when we see such bias and rigidity as to thoughts - but let me try.
When one considers "mining" through the lens of "it's all about jobs, period" it is obvious that the individual lives in an urban setting far removed from the area where the mine will be dug. And dug is a key word - they don't do it with a rented trencher from the local hardware store.
I was born in Duluth, and my wife in Chisholm - and were involved with the mining industry with family members working jobs dependent upon the iron mining. Simplistic thoughts do not do justice as to all that one needs to consider when changing state laws through legislation that is written by and for the one industry involved so that they can gain profits as a payback for their campaign investments.
Infrastructure costs, environmental issues, Native American rights, pollution and health issues, housing, fire and police needs, impact upon recreation and tourism business, and so many more long and short term issues to list. All should require reasoned and intellectual and respectful discussions with all the stakeholders - especially more so than those who may never come within 300 miles of the activity.
Understanding that when the ore is gone, so is the company! It was not year around work - my family worked on the D M & I R (railroad) during part of the year and then when the lake no longer allowed shipping of the ore - worked inside those ships welding steel plates under far less than desirable conditions.
There is so much to tell - but to SW - do some research please. Look up the history of Silver Bay, Minnesota - a small town that prospered for a while with taconite. Then came the realization that beautiful Lake Superior was being used as a dump for tailings. Yes, it isn't all simply fill up a dump truck with pure ore and off it goes - nice and neat.
Taconite ran out and was no longer profitable and homes were sold for a tenth of their value - and hundreds of displaced workers had no choice but to lose everything. Drive up and look at what a "pit" looks like - you will be amazed. And then drive around Chisholm and you will have the feeling you are in a time warp.
The end will come up north as well - then what?
History will tell you stories that will help educate you as to just what mining is. Then, after taking off your blinders - look at facts that are presented - then ask yourself if "quick fix jobs" for political gain are really in the best interests of Wisconsin citizens.
-Steve Anderson | Eau Claire, WI | March 7, 2012
Ed, I'd say that I'm a bit confused as to why you always insist on emphasizing that PAC money comes from both unions and corporations, as if they're on a level playing field. Such a framing of the issue implies that the two sources of campaign money are comparable, when clearly nothing else can even begin to compete with corporations or the rich tycoons who run them.
It is a truism to say that PAC money is bad for democracy. But to make it seem as if us on the left are able to keep up at all--which is in fact one of the justifications provided by those in favor of the current campaign finance setup--is doing a disservice to our cause.
-John Ertl | Hartford, CT | March 7, 2012
Is it true that Senator Bob Jauch is trying to replace the miner on the state flag with a Lorax? If so, don't you think that we could get into some sort of copyright trouble? He should instead push for some sort of generic hippie to occupy the right side of the state flag.
-Nemo | Crandon, WI | March 8, 2012
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