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Community rallies around striking workers in Ashland, WI

May 29, 2012
By: 
Sara Nemec
Striking workers receive support at rally
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For striking Ashland Industries welder James Pupp, of Ashland, the show of support Saturday afternoon from friends and neighbors at a rally held for the 43 workers was touching.

“It feels good to see all these people here to help our cause to get back to work again,” said Pupp, who has been employed at the firm for 10 years. “All we want is our security and our family health plan.”

Held in the H. Pearson Plaza, the rally featured live music, food and speakers, such as State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, and Rep. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland.

NEWSWEEK: Serious doubts remain about the 2000 Florida recount's legitimacy

May 13, 2012
By: 
Michael Isikoff
The Final Word?
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(originally published on November 18th, 2001)

After spending nearly $1 million, a consortium of big news organizations last week rendered what it once thought would be final word on last year's bitterly contested Florida recount.

The decision: a split verdict.

FAIR: Media Get Bored With Occupy—and Inequality

May 3, 2012
By: 
John Knefel
Media Get Bored With Occupy—and Inequality
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Occupy Wall Street is rightly credited with helping to shift the economic debate in America from a fixation on deficits to issues of income inequality, corporate greed and the centralization of wealth among the richest 1 percent. The movement has chalked up other victories as well, from altering New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tax plan (New York Times, 12/5/11) to re-energizing activists and unions, but bringing some discussion of class into the mainstream dialogue has been one of its crowning achievements.

THE GUARDIAN: Quebec student protests mark 'Maple spring' in Canada

May 2, 2012
By: 
Martin Lukacs
Quebec student protests mark 'Maple spring' in Canada
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The social unrest roiling Quebec is colour-coded red. One cannot miss the hundreds of thousands of people with cloth of the colour pinned to their coats and satchels; the stickers pasted on street poles and storefront mannequins; and the sheets fluttering from balconies and windows. The red squares – punning visually on a French expression to be squarely in the red, or in debt – are a gesture of solidarity with university and college students on a massive general strike against government tuition fee hikes.

CAP TIMES: DNR enforcement down under Walker administration

April 30, 2012
By: 
Ron Seely
Shift in philosophy: DNR writing fewer tickets
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Environmental enforcement activity by the state Department of Natural Resources has dropped dramatically in the past two years, according to data from the agency, with the number of permit violation notices hitting a 12-year low in 2011.

DNR officials say the decrease is partly caused by an enforcement staff that's been hit hard by budget cuts. But they also point to a philosophical shift that emphasizes cooperating with businesses by helping them navigate complex state and federal regulations and steering them into compliance when they violate their permits.

NATION OF CHANGE: Five Tax Fallacies Invented by the 1%

April 30, 2012
By: 
Paul Buchheit
Five Tax Fallacies Invented by the 1%
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We hear these claims often, even though they're entirely false. An analysis of the facts should make that clear.

(1) The Rich Pay Almost All the Taxes

That's simply not true. The percentage of total taxes paid by the very rich (the top 1%) is approximately the same as the percentage paid by middle class Americans (the 4th quintile, average income $68,700). Here are the details:

TRUTHOUT: Occupy vs. 99% Spring Movement?

April 30, 2012
By: 
Arun Gupta
How to Rebrand Occupy
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"The 99% Movement" has something for everyone, even the left, but is it Occupy?

By all measures the Occupy movement is a powerful brand. It has thousands of spin-offs such as Occupy Our Homes, Occupy Money, Occupy the Hood, Occupy Gender Equality and Occupy the Food System. It has powerful name recognition, snagging "word of the year" honors in 2011. And now, ardent supporters are manning the ramparts to defend its integrity.

May 1st 2012: No Work, No School, No Banking!

April 30, 2012
By: 
The Nation
Occupy Prepares for May Day: No Work, No School, No Banking
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Occupy Wall Street hopes to capture headlines once again next week with the May 1 “General Strike”, long advertised by the group as an event that will prove to the public and media that OWS is currently experiencing a resurgence. Whether workers, students or banking customers, OWS is calling on all Americans to stop offering their labor and money to corporations for one day and join their local Occupy chapter for a day of resistance.

The plan initially drew the ire of some labor leaders who quickly declared their members would not participate in the so-called strike.

ALTER NET: May Day's Radical History: What Occupy Is Fighting for This May 1st

April 27, 2012
By: 
Jacob Remes
May Day's Radical History: What Occupy Is Fighting for This May 1st
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American general strikes—or rather, American calls for general strikes, like the one Occupy Los Angeles issued last December that has been endorsed by over 150 general assemblies—are tinged with nostalgia.

HIGHTOWER: The Truth About the U.S. Postal Service

March 28, 2012
By: 
Jim Hightower
The Truth About the U.S. Postal Service
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What does 50 cents buy these days? Not a cuppa joe, a pack of gum or a newspaper. But you can get a steal of deal for a 50-cent piece: a first-class stamp. Plus a nickel in change.

Each day, six days a week, letter carriers traverse 4 million miles toting an average of 563 million pieces of mail, reaching the very doorsteps of our individual homes and workplaces in every single community in America. From the gated enclaves and penthouses of the uber-wealthy to the inner-city ghettos and rural colonias of America's poorest families, the U.S. Postal Service literally delivers. All for 45 cents. The USPS is an unmatched bargain, a civic treasure, a genuine public good that links all people and communities into one nation.

So, naturally, it must be destroyed.

COMMON DREAMS: Local Businesses Hit by 'Cash Mobs'

March 23, 2012
By: 
Common Dreams staff
Buy Local Blitz: Local Businesses Hit by 'Cash Mobs'
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Move over, flash mobs. "Cash mobs" are coming.

Longfellow Books co-owner Stuart Gersen enjoying his store being "cash mobbed." The idea behind cash mobs is to get a group of people to flood a local business and spend a suggested set amount in order to give the local business an economic boost.

The first cash mobs were organized back in 2011 in Buffalo, NY and Cleveland, but now they seem to be spreading nationally and internationally, with tomorrow set for International Cash Mob Day.

Gerrymandering at its Worst

February 29, 2012
By: 
Erin Schikowski
The Nation

The 0.000063% Election -- How the Politics of the Super Rich Became American Politics

February 22, 2012
By: 
Ari Berman
TomDispatch.com

At a time when it’s become a cliché to say that Occupy Wall Street has changed the nation’s political conversation -- drawing long overdue attention to the struggles of the 99% -- electoral politics and the 2012 presidential election have become almost exclusively defined by the 1%. Or, to be more precise, the .000063%.

Just How Much Money Does It Take To Become President?

February 22, 2012
By: 
Dave Gilson
Mother Jones

 

Barack Obama spent $730 million getting to the White House in 2008—twice as much as George W. Bush spent 4 years earlier and more than 260 times what Abraham Lincoln spent in his first election (as measured in 2011 dollars). Looking at the total costs of presidential elections over the past 150 years, it would seem that the White House is the ultimate recession-proof commodity:

First Evidence of Foreign Money in the 2012 Presidential Race -- Santorum Takes $50K From London-based Securities Firm, Later Forced to Return It

February 21, 2012
By: 
Stephen Braun
Huffington Post
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WASHINGTON -- A super political action committee supporting Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has refunded a $50,000 donation from a London-based securities firm because the contribution could have violated a U.S. law that guards against foreign money in American political campaigns, a spokesman for the group said Tuesday.

JOHN NICHOLS: David Koch Admits Big Spending to Help Scott Walker Bust 'Union Power'

February 20, 2012
By: 
John Nichols
The Nation

 

Billionaire campaign donor David Koch, heir to a fortune and a political legacy created by one of the driving forces behind the John Birch Society, makes no secret of his enthusiasm for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Hostile Takeover: Turning MI Cities Over to "Managers" Who Can Sell Off City Hall, Break Union Contracts, Privatize Services—and Even Fire Elected Officials

February 15, 2012
By: 
Paul Abowd
Mother Jones

 

When the city of Pontiac, Michigan, shut down its fire department last Christmas Eve, city councilman Kermit Williams learned about it in the morning paper. "Nobody reports to me anymore," Williams says. "It just gets reported in the press." This was just the latest in a series of radical changes in the city, where elected officials such as Williams have been replaced by a single person with unprecedented control over the city's operation and budget.

Few Wisconsinites Contributing to SuperPAC's

February 13, 2012
By: 
Kate Golden
WisconsinWatch.org

 

Eighteen people with Wisconsin ties are among the donors to so-called “super PACs,” a new breed of campaign fundraising machine. But compared to Texas, New York and California, where super PACs raised upwards of $10 million, those Wisconsin donors contributed a whole lot less.

Itemized super PAC contributions with Wisconsin addresses totaled $428,301 in 2011, according to Federal Election Commission filings released last week.

The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism has posted a searchable database of nearly $93 million in super PAC contributions below.

Just three donors with Wisconsin addresses contributed major sums.

Republicans Extend Open Enrollment To Unleash Market Forces On School Districts

February 13, 2012
By: 
Matt DeFour
Wisconsin State Journal

 

Wisconsin's public school open enrollment period begins Monday, and for the first time, families will have three months to decide whether and where to enroll their students outside of their home school district.

For the Madison School District, the extra time could mean more families choosing to leave for other districts or virtual schools, though Superintendent Dan Nerad said it's too early to know what the affect will be.

"By the nature that there's an open window, that's likely to happen for us as well as other districts around the state," Nerad said.

THE ISTHMUS: Wisconsin Wave leads "Wisconsin Day!" protest to kick-off anniversary week of action

February 11, 2012
By: 
Nayantara Mukherji
One year later: Protesters gather on Capitol Square for 'Wisconsin Day' anniversary rally

One year to the day after announcing a bill to eliminate collective bargaining for most public employees in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker continues to draw vociferous opposition. Hundreds of protesters returned to the Capitol Square on Saturday afternoon to kick off a week commemorating the anniversary of the announcement and weeks of demonstrations that followed.

More Info: 

View complete footage of the event from SSWIDTMS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=m_iXucBn0_Y#!

Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor

February 9, 2012
By: 
Sabrina Tavernise
The New York Times

 

WASHINGTON — Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests that the achievement gap between rich and poor children is widening, a development that threatens to dilute education’s leveling effects.

David Koch's Non-Profit Flouts Law And Spends $700,000 Against Wisconsin Recall

February 9, 2012
By: 
Brendan Fischer
AlterNet
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The non-profit founded by the oil billionaire injects $700,000 to retain the embattled Wisconsin governor, possibly violating various laws on political activities.

Walker Heads to Florida Fundraiser, Finds More Protesters Than Supporters

February 8, 2012
By: 
Kristine Gill
Naples Daily News

 

NAPLES — Although he was more than 1,500 miles from home, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker encountered a familiar sight upon arriving in Naples - protestors.

"I'm used to protestors coming from other states to protest me," Walker told 150 attendees during a speech at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Wednesday afternoon. At least that many people gathered outside to demonstrate against one of the country's most polemical political figures.

Koch Brothers Convene Super-Secret Billionaires' Meeting for 2012 Elections

February 8, 2012
By: 
Lee Fang
AlterNet
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At a retreat last weekend, dozens of wealthy donors convened in a large golf resort in Indian Wells, Calif. for a four day conference to raise money and plot out election year strategy, the Republic Report has confirmed. We traveled to the conference, and spoke to a few of the attendees.

Scott Walker and the Secret "John Doe" Investigation Explained

February 7, 2012
By: 
Andy Kroll
Mother Jones

 

A dark cloud hangs over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

A "John Doe" investigation launched in May 2010 has embroiled former Walker staffers and appointees from his time as Milwaukee County executive, his job before winning the governorship in November 2010. The investigation, led by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, has led to home raids targeting former staffers with close ties to Walker and numerous felony charges for election law violations,embezzlement, and misconduct in office. 

Indiana's New 'Right to Work' Law: More Jobs or Lower Wages For All Workers?

February 7, 2012
By: 
Mark Guarino
The Christian Science Monitor

 

After a protracted battle, Indiana in early February elected to make union dues optional for workers in union jobs. It's the first state in more than 10 years to adopt a so-called right-to-work law and the first state ever in the industrial Midwest to go that route.

GOP Redistricting Designed to Force Out a Top Progressive Congressmember

February 7, 2012
By: 
Sarah Jaffe
AlterNet

Two progressive champions are facing off for one seat in Congress. What's a voter to do?

GOP Lawmakers, Pledged to Secrecy, Told to Ignore Public Comments on Redistricting

February 6, 2012
By: 
Patrick Marley, Daniel Bice and Jason Stein
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

As legislative leaders secretly developed new election maps last year to strengthen their majority, Republican lawmakers were told to ignore public comments and instead focus on what was said in private strategy sessions, according to a GOP memo that became public Monday.

Other newly released documents also show almost all Republican lawmakers signed legal agreements promising not to discuss the new maps while they were being developed.

GOP lawmakers fought releasing these new documents and testifying about the maps in a pending court case but relented after a panel of three federal judges based in Milwaukee last month found they had filed frivolous motions in trying to shield the information from the public.

JOHN NICHOLS: Chrysler Super Bowl ad features Wisconsin union rally, but edits out union signs

February 6, 2012
By: 
John Nichols
Chrysler Super Bowl ad features Wisconsin union rally, but edits out union signs

The one truly stunning ad on Super Bowl night was a moving two-minute Chrysler commercial featuring actor Clint Eastwood. Aired at halftime, the ad hailed the renewal of the American automobile industry and featured images of union firefighters and factory workers.

At the 50-second point in the ad, images from last year's mass pro-union protests in Madison were featured.

But something was missing: union signs.

The images from Madison were taken from a historic video by Matt Wisniewski, a Madison photographer whose chronicling of the protests drew international attention and praise. Wisniewski's work went viral, and was even featured in a video by rocker Tom Morello.

JOHN NICHOLS: How Scott Walker and ALEC plotted the attack on Arizona's Unions

February 3, 2012
By: 
John Nichols
How Scott Walker and ALEC plotted the attack on Arizona's Unions

Two days after Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected Governor John Kasich’s anti-labor agenda by a sixty-one to thirty-nine margin in a statewide referendum, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker jetted to Arizona to launch the next front in the national campaign to attack union rights.

After meeting with former Vice President Dan Quayle, Walker was whisked over to the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, where he briefed a thousand Arizona conservatives on how they could attack “the big-government union bosses.”

The Tea Party Plan to Save Scott Walker

January 31, 2012
By: 
Andy Kroll
Mother Jones

 

As soon as April, millions of Wisconsinites will vote on whether to oust Gov. Scott Walker—a rising Republican star and arguably the most polarizing governor in politics today—just two years into his first term in office. Walker's recall election is a referendum on his hardline conservative agenda, including curbing collective bargaining rights for state workers and slashing education funding. For Walker himself it's a pivotal moment in his young political career.  

US House Passes Bill To End Public Funding Of Campaigns

January 26, 2012
By: 
Catalina Camia
USA Today

 

The U.S. House passed a bill today to end public financing of presidential campaigns, but the bid to kill a system considered outdated by some Republicans could end there.

The vote was 239-160. Ten Democrats supported the measure and one Republican voted no.

The Obama administration is "strongly opposed" to the bill and wants to see public financing for presidential campaigns "fixed rather than dismantled."