tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85198342963807389412024-03-18T21:03:20.813-07:00The News From Eau ClaireJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-68042287954113529232013-06-17T08:39:00.002-07:002013-06-17T08:47:51.289-07:00Being a Dad<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Build me a cabin in Utah<br />
Marry me a wife, catch rainbow trout<br />
Have a bunch of kids who call me “Pa”<br />
That must be what it’s all about<br />
That must be what it’s all about<br />
-Bob Dylan, "Sign on a Window," <i>New Morning </i></blockquote>
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As of May 10th, I'm a dad. Yesterday was Fathers' Day, and I suppose I'm behind deadline if I'm going to write a Dad piece. But I've been meaning to jot down some thoughts. I started this blog as a way to catalog life in Wisconsin, starting with the protests in the capital. Those seem as if they happened nearly a generation ago now.<br />
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They say that life completely changes when you have a kid. I'm not exactly sure about that, but I can tell you that my focus has certainly changed over the course of the last two years. I started a metamorphosis back in December of 2011, when my wife became pregnant for the first time. Even in the first weeks of her pregnancy, I underwent an indescribable internal change. My friends remember how excited I was. Unfortunately that all fell down, and it fell hard. Sara lost the baby in week six of her pregnancy. I'll go out on a limb and call December 19, 2011 our worst Christmas present ever.<br />
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The politics of healthcare quickly became personal. We were on a high deductible health plan, and because of the nature of the plan, all of our charges fell on both sides of the calendar year. It cost us nearly $7,000 to go through the most painful experience of our adult lives. I still get a gut-level feeling of anger when I hear a politician talking about how those plans help us make "educated decisions" as healthcare consumers, thinking back to my fearful drive to the emergency department. In that moment of crisis, there was not really any sort of impulse to shop around. Save my baby and save my wife - that's it.<br />
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Sara lost her mother when she was only four years old. Motherhood was an elusive dream, one that she only remembers from her side in bits and pieces, as her mother struggled with a fight against cancer. Her father raised her and her sister against uphill battles of the Eau Claire Uniroyal plant closing and a body that left him incapable of finding work after, with no one else to pull in the bread and no one to lean on for his own troubles. At times it seemed like there was no way to get ahead, and our first loss was another painful reminder.<br />
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Within that crisis, though, we found each other. Sitting in the emergency room together, fearing the worst, and having only ourselves, we found a bond that I didn't know existed. After seven years of marriage, I realized what it means to love someone. In the months that followed, we went through the additional trauma of bill after bill arriving in the mail, and the complete surrender to no one in particular. With services already incurred and no one at the hospital side to fight, we again sat together, alone as a couple in despair as our savings evaporated before our eyes. Sara would eventually succumb to the sadness and spend a summer night in the hospital for treatment of an exhausted depression.<br />
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On the morning of May 10th, after 16 long hours of hard labor, a lot of lost blood, and emergency surgery for Sara on the delivery table, we were finally able to sit together. Looking at our daughter, we wept. Words do no justice to our happiness. We can't (and don't) talk about it, beyond a few stammered sentences of cliches that point to the deep feelings we hold together -now as a family, and not a couple anymore.<br />
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I am a dad now, and it's simple. As simple as being a husband has been. Love her, keep your head, and everything else follows. I love you Sara, and I love you Melissa. I'm so happy to be the dad in this family.<br />
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<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-66947108801982383932013-04-01T12:43:00.001-07:002013-04-01T12:43:06.572-07:00Endorsing Christine Hambuch-Boyle for School BoardSo far I've used this page to express my support for two members of our community that I know personally. I'd like to make a final post endorsing a third school board candidate, after watching the community forum, hearing great reports from friends, and seeing <a href="http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01614&video=148219" target="_blank">this interview </a>with Christine Hambuch-Boyle. I also know members of our community who highly respect Christine for her ambition, her passion, and her knowledge of our district. <br />
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When I listened to Christine's responses at this year's school board forum, I was impressed with her candor, her willingness to look deeply into the issues, and her experience as an educator. She is also great at connecting with community members via facebook. For example: I'm deeply opposed to privatizing education in Wisconsin, and, via her facebook page, I've been happy to see that Christine casts a skeptical eye at voucher programs.It's nice to know where someone stands on an issue, but Christine makes it easy using social media.<br />
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Please take the time to watch this interview with Christine <a href="http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01614&video=148219" target="_blank">here</a> on Chippewa Valley community television. She's thoughtful, she's careful, and she's acutely aware of the role our school system has in our community. I'm impressed with her desire for community involvement in school board decisions. <br />
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Please, remember to vote tomorrow. These local elections can be extremely important, and I hope to see high turnout and a great new cast of school board members when I wake up on Wednesday! <br />
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<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-84829484476319645102013-03-25T21:23:00.002-07:002013-03-25T21:58:24.386-07:00Endorsing Rich Spindler for School BoardMy second endorsement for school board - and these are in no particular order! - is my good friend Rich Spindler.<br />
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I've known Rich for many years, from out and around Eau Claire's vibrant social scene. He's one of those people that you know through friends of friends - you're not exactly sure how you met, but you recognize each other everywhere. The movies, the farmers' market, concerts in the park, holiday parades - Rich has been here pretty much since I started paying attention. Over the course of years, you start talking to each other. You talk about the weather, or the game, or the presidential race.<br />
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Rich and I share several interests, including snowshoeing, camping in the Boundary Waters, and quite a bit on the political side. I have a lot of friends who are interested in politics - if you and I hang out together it's going to go into politics at some point. But my sense is that Rich is not simply interested in politics for politics' sake. <br />
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I have friends in several camps. There are friends who are angry, and when they see injustice, they rant. They can go all night. And hey, I love to rant. Don't get me wrong - I love reading, writing, and listening to a good rant. Give me your best melt. That's just what happens when those friends and I get together.<br />
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I don't always agree with my ranting friends either. Two ranters with opposing viewpoints can get into some great arguments. But you never really get anywhere. If you do, it's on some trivial point, and you're tired of disagreeing. You eventually let bygones be bygones and change the subject. <br />
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Rich is not a ranter, at all. There's a basic pragmatism to his approach. Rich will agree (or disagree) with a position, but unlike the ranter, he comes at it with a healthy hesitation. It's not a hesitation of doubt. Rich has conviction, in spades. It's a hesitation borne in Midwestern practicality. He knows what to needs to be done, but he also looks for consensus. If he's going to weigh the impact of a decision, he knows he has a responsibility to maintain empathy with every party being affected.<br />
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Rich reminds me of my uncle. If the truck is stuck, and we need to improvise, my uncle will say, "I s'pose a guy could..." and then insert a practical and expedient solution. He says it with a hesitation, because this is a time where healthy debate matters. If you try something that's going to take a lot of hard work, it's a good idea to talk it through so you're all relatively sure about it. Because a guy can be wrong sometimes. He might not think it all out by himself. He wants to get the truck out of the ditch, just like you. He's not pretending he's always got the answer, but this time he thinks he knows. To be safe, he checks things out first, before acting.<br />
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Rich Spindler embodies this. I trust Rich's drive. It's not politics on a national scale, although I would guess he has opinions. This is going to be grunt work, on the local scale. What can he do, in his position, to help the school district? Rich is really into the details on policy side. Watching the<a href="http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01614&video=146484" target="_blank"> school board forum </a>was pretty amazing. He's a geek about this, like I'm a geek about the '91 Twins team. I'm not going to fight someone as pragmatic as Rich, with this level of drive, if he wants to get going. He's willing to get after it, for the betterment of the school district. I trust his stewardship, his integrity, his practicality, and his commitment. That's why I'm voting for Rich Spindler on April 2nd: so we can get a guy after it.<br />
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<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-33111589310953361162013-03-21T12:02:00.000-07:002013-03-21T12:32:33.225-07:00Endorsing Chue Xiong for School Board<br />
I've had the pleasure of getting to know several excellent candidates for Eau Claire's local races. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be writing about a few of those that really stick out to me. I'm endorsing Chue Xiong for Eau Claire's School Board race. <br />
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Last week, Chue Xiong and I chatted across a kitchen table over a beer, Wisconsin-style, in a long and winding conversation. We drifted everywhere, it seems....from his early childhood experience in a Thai refugee camp, to his time in high school, to the time he served in Iraq as a Marine.<br />
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Chue moved to America at age 9 from a Thai refugee camp, not knowing a word of English. He was born into poverty, and has a clear identification with the poor in our community. Chue joined the Marines out of high school to serve his country, and volunteered for combat on his second assignment. At age 22 he was leading 72 Marines in a combat theatre, making difficult decisions in times of high stress. He now serves professionally as a cultural liaison between the Hmong community and area schools and businesses. <br />
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Chue embodies everything we hope America can be for everyone. Over the course of our conversation, he demonstrated broad empathy, patience, humility, and a youthful exuberance for bringing people together to solve problems. There are no cookie-cutter solutions available for every community - if there were, we wouldn't need to elect anyone to school board at all. We need people who can bring an open mind, a commitment to the community, and a willingness to learn from past mistakes. Chue brings all of these things. I'll be voting for Chue Xiong on April 2nd to help ensure a well-rounded education for all of our students, for the benefit of our entire community. Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-7022200101779920852013-03-14T08:03:00.002-07:002013-03-14T08:07:16.118-07:00Endorsements Coming for Local RacesIt's been a long time!<br />
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An update, and why I didn't post much in the past year:<br />
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A year ago this morning I sat in a meeting that resulted in the loss of my job. While it wasn't a surprise, it was the end of ten years of employment at the same place. I still treasure my time there, the people, and the things we accomplished. I landed on my feet - I had an interview a week later, and a job offer in three weeks - but the interim period was a scary, emotional time. Thankfully, the friends I've made in this community lifted me up at the very time I needed help. It's impossible to repay everyone, but the beauty of my friends in that moment was their genuine generosity. Those that helped me the most honestly did it out of love, with no expectation of an equivalent return. My commitment to them is a commitment to live a life of equivalent generosity and love for my community of friends.<br />
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In the intervening period between jobs, I booked gigs all summer with my band in order to make ends meet. I was blessed with a busy summer, great experiences in local watering holes, and a renewed appreciation for the working class in rural Wisconsin. Yes, most people still love to hear Mustang Sally on a Friday, and no, I really don't mind playing it either. My musicianship probably improved somewhere in there, but like all things, I realized just how much is controlled from within you - how well I played on a given night, how we interacted with the patrons, and how much I enjoyed myself were all up to me and my friends in the band. <br />
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Also, if I'm being honest, the results of the recall disappointed me. I met a lot of friends, and yes, we worked hard, but I think I became insular. It's fine to stick with your political group when you've got the numbers on your side. When you don't, you've got to change strategies, or you're going to lose. I really didn't think we'd lose. The good thing is, in November, I actually felt a sense of familiarity on the national level with the Karl Roves. He didn't think he'd lose either, and there he was. Because, like me, he only spoke with people who agreed with him, with no clue about how the other half of the electorate felt, or what they wanted.<br />
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Finally, the best news of all: My wife is due with a baby girl in May. We're really excited. We've even been doing the nesting thing, complete with a new house. We moved to the place we looked at for eight years, right across the street. Right now it's paradise, and both of us are overjoyed thinking about the new addition to the family. We're deciding what songs to sing to her and where the playhouse is going to be in the back yard. Our weekends are full with baby showers, the final gigs with the band before the big change, and the preparation of a new bathroom downstairs.<br />
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Anyway...enough about me! <br />
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In the coming weeks I'll be using this blog to endorse some candidates for local races. This isn't as official as a newspaper endorsement. These are friends of mine I've met over the years, or friends of friends, or community members that I know. It's really what I love most about local politics - beyond views on the national level, you want people who can think with a level head, who will make tough decisions based on the information available to them. I want people I can trust with my kids' education, or the tax levies, or the new projects in Eau Claire. I meet with one candidate tonight, and I've already met with several others. Expect to see base-level stories about trust, character, and shared philosophy.<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
Joe<br />
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-46048920157542583422012-12-11T17:36:00.000-08:002012-12-11T17:53:46.945-08:00Michigan and Blaming The VictimMy heart goes out to Michigan workers tonight. But really my heart goes out to each and every person I know. I say this because I think without some serious organization, we're not leaving the world a better place for our kids.<br />
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Too many times, we blame the wrong people for our problems. We blame unions when jobs get shipped overseas. If only those workers hadn't asked for more money! We blame the unemployed when they can't get jobs. Usually we cite new TVs or household appliances as proof. If only those jerks would sell all their possessions before asking for help! I lost my job earlier this year, applied for unemployment, but sadly never considered selling the Playstation3 I purchased 5 years prior to losing my job. Was I supposed to do that? Apparently, yes. If you are on government assistance, you need to live like a hermit until a job lands in your lap. My guess is we'd criticize an unemployed person for owning an interview suit if we knew he had one.<br />
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This infighting is insane. How many times, holding a recall petition for the governor, was I screamed at by a guy who obviously works for a living and is probably getting screwed on his health insurance (if he even has insurance to begin with)? How many times have I seen a facebook post decrying bank bailouts and poor black people in the same breath? <br />
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News flash: we're <i>all </i>getting screwed. Wages for the lower and middle class continue to decline. Wages for upper income brackets continue to rise. The stock market is going gangbusters since the crash. Has your life gotten better as a result? Over here, we're considering ourselves lucky to have jobs at all. <br />
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And yet here again in Michigan, I see repeated demonization of the very people who have sustained its principle industry. It's the most terrible thing in the world to have the members of the United Autoworkers union - the guys who actually build your car - have something resembling minor control over the money their company makes. The workers actually get to bargain for a percentage of GM and Ford profits. Why is this such a problem again?<br />
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In reality we know why it's a problem. It's a problem because somewhere, a CEO or a group of stockholders fear that the people they employ will actually ask for a reasonable percentage of the money they are making for the company. They might ask for the opportunity to live a life without fear of a healthcare related bankruptcy. They might ask to share in the profits when the company does well. They certainly get to experience the pain when the company fails. Why not experience the bliss when your group succeeds? Or at least a temporary respite from the economic stranglehold?<br />
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I spent the better part of two years working with my friends to take Wisconsin back from a party representing an out-of-control business sector, and collectively, we failed. We failed to convince enough voters that their economic livelihood may be at stake. We failed, and honestly it's still a tough pill to swallow. <br />
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Scott Walker promised us jobs if we acquiesced to the captains of industry and agreed to their terms. Unfortunately, this strategy has failed us. The only thing he's done so far is waste and/or bilk money out of taxpayer coffers, giving more of it to the haves, and less of it to the have-nots. The solution to all of our economic woes as a working class is apparently just to roll over and agree to work longer hours for less money, at the risk of losing everything the first time we get sick.<br />
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When will this stop? I don't know. But quite frankly, tonight, I'm tired of being optimistic. That ship has sailed.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-36363699661265976052012-10-24T10:05:00.002-07:002012-10-24T10:05:56.239-07:00On Mitt RomneyI might have some more posts in the next couple of weeks if my news feed keeps up like this. <br />
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This is from a facebook friend I have - directly from his status today. I'll leave him nameless for now - the point stands for itself. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<span class="userContent">If you plan to vote for Mitt Romney, you are
putting a nail into my civil rights coffin, and I'd rather not have
friends who think I deserve anything less than equal treatment under the
law. Romney supports DOMA (which directly and negatively impacts me,
restricting my future husband Mike, the children we plan to have, and my
federal protections and tax benefits under the law), and Romney has
note</span>d his support for an anti-marriage
equality amendment as well. </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While you may see your vote for him as one
about the economy (and we can debate who'd be better for that until the
cows come home), what you INTEND by your vote really doesn't matter.
Your vote means that you are supporting someone who not only thinks I'm
not equal to you, but who works vigorously to ensure my "less-than"
legal status. Your vote for him means that you are totally fine with me
being treated with disrespect.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Now, you may see this as an
indication that I am being too "single-minded," and I'll admit that when
you're denied even the simplest of human considerations, it makes it
difficult to look beyond that. But this is about much more than my
treatment under the law. Who I am and what I believe passionately in are
also things which Romney discounts. I believe in full and fair
treatment of ALL people, but Romney believes that women should not
receive equal pay for equal work, something my Mom has battled against
her entire career. <br />
<br />
I believe we need to take care of our
earth, even if it means tightening our belts, but Romney favors further
deregulation over environmental concerns. I think it is our duty to
support things like art and culture (I view them as essential), but
Romney disparages the role these play in enriching our lives; he sees
them as extraneous and will cut public funding. I believe, just as
education is a right, health care is as well, but Romney wants to
abolish the Affordable Care Act. I care about those less fortunate and
the elderly, and think it is our collective responsibility to ensure
their well-being, but in Romney's eyes, these people are victims and
moochers. In short, who I am isn't just who I love, it is the things I
feel passionately about. And Romney stands against almost all of them.<br />
<br />
This is not a debate forum, so please don't see this as an invitation
to chime in with your disagreement. If you believe I am your equal and
deserve equal rights, if you believe my Mother deserves equal pay and
not $.77 on the dollar, if you believe that whatever we do to the least
of these we do as unto God, if you believe in women's reproductive
rights, if you believe in art and culture and music, if you believe in a
clean environment for your grandchildren, then vote for President
Obama. If you don't believe in any of these things, I honestly don't
want to hear about it. If an honest plea from someone who will be
adversely affected by the very things Romney supports, that would be me,
if my heartfelt plea doesn't change your mind and give you pause to
just think differently for a moment. Well, then I really don't want to
know. <br />
<br />
But you will.</div>
</blockquote>
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-44473996898286533372012-06-13T12:20:00.005-07:002012-06-13T12:34:23.970-07:00A Response to a Popular Facebook gif<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/540478_10151034494698627_1628521819_n.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 303px;" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/540478_10151034494698627_1628521819_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Some friends of mine on facebook were discussing this picture today. Rather than get into a long comment discussion, I figured, hey, I have a blog! So here we go.<br /><br />This is a good example of the free-market healthcare plan. In a nutshell, it's really a two step solution. Step 1: Live Responsibly. Step 2: Don't ever have any unexpected medical issues. No cancer, no car accidents, no miscarriages, no slips or falls, etc.<br /><br />I think in a functioning society everyone needs to step up and do their part. But this only goes so far. We also need to step in and take care of each other once in awhile. You see good-hearted people doing this all the time in neighborhoods and churches around the country.<br /><br /><span jsid="text" class="commentBody">I don't know how you go about making it fair. Seems like now the punishment for unhealthy people is a slow death and an uncomfortable life, with the occasional free emergency room visit.<br /><br />I don't know how we could have a more mark<span class="text_exposed_show">et-oriented coercive system...in theory everyone should be healthier because no one wants to live poor, die young and get fat. And yet here we are. Meanwhile, comparable world examples with socialized medicine tend to have healthier people at a lower cost, with an equal amount of basic freedom and economic mobility. I'm thinking of the UK or Germany. Both have two vastly different forms of universal coverage and I highly doubt that anyone in either country feels any less "free" than we do in the US.</span></span><br /><br />I'd prefer to shift to a system where prices are more predictable. The math there generally works out to either a) a single-payer, government sponsored solution, or b) a highly-regulated, highly-accountable privately run system. Right now we have a half-cocked private system with not nearly enough regulation on price controls. Providers and insurance companies can essentially charge us whatever they want to charge us. The consumer and the producer don't have equal amounts of control on the supply/demand curve.<br /><br />The extent to which we as consumers can actually affect our costs will have to involve massive amounts of people simply leaving the system and following the attached .gif (or just dying).<br /><br />Whatever the solution really is, it's to the benefit of those with the economic power to have us consumers separated, squabbling down here about causes, when we could very likely get to a solution if we did the research, found the best fix, and stuck to our guns until it was in place.<br /><br />Blaming the chronically ill for our rising healthcare costs and then just throwing your hands up when the bill comes....something about this approach hasn't worked for us for the past 50 years.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-12680969153890771022012-06-06T07:45:00.004-07:002012-06-06T10:43:35.603-07:00Love Will Keep Us Together<blockquote>In the dime stores and bus stations<br />People talk of situations<br />Read books, repeat quotations<br />Draw conclusions on the wall<br />Some speak of the future<br />My love she speaks softly<br />She knows there’s no success like failure<br />And that failure’s no success at all<br /><br />-Bod Dylan, Love Minus Zero/No Limit</blockquote>I've spent the morning reading accounts of yesterday's election, listening to friends break the situation down amongst themselves. But this beautiful Dylan song continues to run through my head today.<br /><br />There's a lot to be considered this morning. In the mountains of data at our disposal, there are assumptions to be made and conclusions to be drawn. There are small victories to be cheered, like the turning over of the senate. We have more victories ahead of us in local elections, and a strong base of friends and volunteers.<br /><br />As working men and women, we've weathered much worse. While I see the economic stability of the middle class slipping away, I think we've got plenty of battles we can win to provide protection. Saul Alinsky always tried, when he was working with a new group, to win small battles first. We did the opposite - we picked a huge fight, against enormous power and gobs of cash. It's not really amazing that we lost. What's amazing is that we even had a chance.<br /><br />We're so much more powerful today than we were 16 months ago, if only for the simple fact that we know each other. 45% of this state last night committed to a new future for Wisconsin. It's our job to use this muscle everywhere we can. Yes, we need to look at our failure and ask, "how." But we also need to look at the victories here.<br /><br />We also need to find out how to broaden our appeal. Our key message is economic justice for the working men and women of Wisconsin. We've got a strong coalition of the Farmers Union, teachers, public sector unions, the tribes, and progressives across the state. We can make significant gains for large amounts of people if we work together.<br /><br />Our job, over the summer, should be to honestly convince one uncommitted person apiece. We need to make the case that getting involved is important, that we're better off standing together against big corporate power, and that we need strength in the movement. We're not there yet, but we're close. We may not win every battle, or every election, but we can maintain our voice as a united group.<br /><br />I feel such a heartfelt sense of solidarity with all those who put themselves out there on the front lines. The candidates themselves, the callers, and all those who worked so hard to do the bare-knuckle organizing and canvassing for our cause. We all know how important it is to stay engaged. Let's keep moving forward - we've taken a lump today, but we can dust ourselves off and, after a bit of a breather, come out stronger than ever. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-21688735173264359492012-06-05T12:16:00.002-07:002012-06-05T13:18:55.880-07:00Needles and Pins<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/phCkh0w9TQ8" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />God Bless The Ramones, and God Bless America.<br /><br />I sit here this afternoon on needles and pins, awaiting the results of today's momentous election. I hope our efforts pay off in victory tonight! It's going to be close. There's a party in Eau Claire tonight with the folks that have fought so hard to reclaim our state. Email me if you want the details, you're more than welcome to join us.<br /><br />We've canvassed, called, stood on corners gathering signatures, and some of us even slept in the capitol. Today is the day we have wished for since last February. I will be doing my personal best to enjoy it - all of it. This includes the butterflies, the hope, the fear, the skepticism, and every other raw emotion that comes through today.<br /><br />I hope we as progressives are able to maintain the long view. We're on the right side of history here, and we can be proud of our accomplishments. We're galvanized in a way that is almost unexplainable. Think of the folks you've met through this process. In this pool are future school board, city council, and state government representatives. You've got a group of great friends who know how to work together. You know each others' strengths and weaknesses. You just happened to pick the toughest battle first. Believe me, after this, a whole lot of local political efforts are going to seem pretty simple by comparison.<br /><br />We know our state government and our local communities inside and out. There's nothing we can't accomplish if we stick together. So don't fear today. Celebrate it. We made this happen. This fight is a blip on our radar. In a few years, it's going to be a small bullet point on the beginning of our progressive resumes. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-61126203382188998962012-06-04T06:48:00.003-07:002012-06-04T07:57:24.934-07:00Crunch TimeI sit here this morning amazed. Over the past 15 months or so, we have been participants in something completely beyond and outside our experience. Never in our lifetime has there been a progressive movement like this. We're <span style="font-style: italic;">this </span>close to toppling a sitting governor.<br /><br />I feel like we've come so far. For over a year, the progressives in this state have been running in what now seems like a marathon. With almost no money, against very big money, we've taken the fight to some extremely powerful national interests. We've had to face down an angry, reactionary section of the populace who blame teachers and welfare moms for our country's problems. We've stood together in the elements, the rain, the snow, the frozen Wisconsin winters, and hot summertime parades.<br /><br />We saw the Occupy movement spring up in New York, months after we occupied our capitol building for weeks on end. Many of their signs matched ours. In my visit to New York last winter, at a bar in Hell's Kitchen, I spoke for hours with Occupy progressives, relating how we did it, who we were, trading stories and advice, sharing our work ethic and our motives. Our progressives have become famous across the country, not because we're amazing, but because we're ordinary.<br /><br />We're ordinary men and women standing up to power, using every resource in our control to make our state better, expressing the very best in democratic values. We're holding our elected officials accountable as our founding fathers truly had intended. We're moms and dads, college kids, snowplow drivers, teachers, cops, firefighters, business owners, nurses, software geeks. I've heard from so many great progressive people from so many different walks of life.<br /><br />It's not always pretty. In fact I think some of this has at times gotten very ugly. We've all made mistakes somewhere in the mix. Our state is divided, and in the heat of things, there's no doubt that we've separated ourselves here or there on party lines. I know I have friendships where we just don't talk politics anymore. Somehow we need to pull together again, with love and with understanding, even in the face of anger and disappointment.<br /><br />I personally believe we can win tomorrow - polls show that turnout is key. I've got butterflies in my stomach today thinking about it. In one sense, everything comes down to tomorrow. In another sense, I think it's important for us to realize that we will be waking up to a whole new state on the morning of June 6th.<br /><br />My sincere hope for us, as progressives, is that, win or lose tomorrow, we continue to fight, and that we continue to bring our strong work ethic and devotion to bettering Wisconsin. Political involvement has now become the norm for so many of us. I hope that we can remain active for decades to come.<br /><br />Throughout history, the working class has witnessed defeat at the hands of the powerful. We've also made gains that have been rolled back. But if you ever really stop to take notice, our victories are never fully taken away. When we take three steps forward, they may take one or two back from us here or there. But in the end we will have created an infrastructure that knows how to fight, knows what it means to win, and understands that the health of our state depends on the economic well being of the men and women who go to work every day.<br /><br />I think of our history as progressives, going back generations. Yes, they made progress, but in the thick of things, while cops were beating them with clubs, while they were on the picket lines, stopping the gears of industrialism, risking their entire livelihoods...was it ever clear that they would win? In spite of this, they pressed on, year after year. And even though our grandparents lost a few battles, they kept on fighting, so that we could have better lives. It's our job to carry their banner for the next generation. No victory is final, and no defeat is the end.<br /><br />Tomorrow is the end of this race, though, and we need to finish strong. I'll be working tonight, and I hope you will, too. But as you do this with your brothers and sisters, remember that, no matter what happens, we took it to them and we gave them a hell of a fight. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-4933900547163445502012-05-21T22:09:00.000-07:002012-05-21T22:09:07.919-07:00An Explanation of the GapIt's been a long time since I last posted! <br />
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Since January, last I checked.<br />
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An update, for the curious: <br />
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I've switched jobs, from sales back to a technical project management position. It's a welcome shift for me, back to the role of a technical tradesman of sorts. If this were the 30's I'd be a mechanic, and if it were the early 1800s I'd probably be a blacksmith or something. At any rate, I'm pleased with the new job, the new surroundings, and the satisfaction of a job with certain, obvious answers. Working in sales was a great ride, but I needed a rest from the pressures that the job put upon me.<br />
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My wife and I also went through a medical ordeal that pretty much sucked the energy out of me for a few months. It's not that I didn't care about politics, but between that and the employment transition, my free time was spent in the space that I've often found the most solace: music. <br />
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I've been writing songs for years with various bands, as well as material that just hasn't found its home in a band yet. After the death of a good musical friend last fall, it seemed to be a duty of sorts to produce what I could, when I could. My friend Troy Jackson was nearly old enough to be my grandfather, but he played harmonica with the enthusiasm and spirit of a 20 year old kid, until he could no longer breathe a long enough breath to hold a note. Through his example, Troy taught all of us: if we have opportunities to play and to share,we should take them. Our days are short. Music is one of those things that keeps us alive in the dark times, and keeps us smiling in the good times.<br />
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With this in mind, I got together with my good friend Matthew Probst this spring, and we recorded a handful of tunes in his upstairs apartment in St. Paul. I've begun work on a socialist gospel project, and I also had some lingering tunes from the years gone by that needed a home. Slowly, as the songs come around, a solo set is emerging. <br />
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One of the songs that has been sitting in my care for awhile is the tune attached <a href="http://soundcloud.com/joe-thielen/1-121" target="_blank">here</a>. I wrote this song for a friend of mine who was called up to serve in "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Upset by the propaganda, he was feeling forced into a war that we had no business starting. His mother was a devout patriot who believed in the war with a fervor. <br />
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My friend was (and remains) a punk rock kid who learned early to be skeptical of authority. Despite this, he was a man of his word, and honored his commitment to the military. The conflict he felt was far closer to home than most of us feel; of course I watched in horror as the news media repeated lie after lie. But here in our presence was a 20-something year old boy that had to face a living adherent to the propaganda. This song is a mirror of his frustration, and probably mine as well. <br />
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So far we've got four songs recorded, enough for an EP. This was enough to garner me a set at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire this summer at their Sounds of Summer Concert Series on June 28th. <br />
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I'm looking forward to playing more events, progressive and otherwise. If you, O Reader, find an event that needs a Woody Guthrie substitute, I'd love to hear about it. I will continue to blog here. I'll also be sharing more music as it becomes available.<br />
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On a final note, PLEASE continue to fight, canvass, make calls, make donations, and TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS about the recall election on June 5th. We're almost done! Now is the time, in the marathon, for that final sprint across the finish line! Wisconsin will be ours!<br />
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-63576894362375355302012-01-29T16:39:00.000-08:002012-01-29T18:11:46.296-08:00Roe v Wade - 39th Anniversary<blockquote><p>Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal legations.</p><p>-right wing email forward, allegedly from an editorial in a Waco, TX newspaper</p></blockquote><br /><br />A friend of mine forwarded a right-wing screed today containing a bunch of punishments for people receiving state poverty assistance. There are several other ideas on how we can further punish the poor, but this one stuck out today. I'm glad I have friends with differing opinions. It's good for us all, I think.<br /><br />It's the 39th anniversary of Roe v Wade today. My wife works at Planned Parenthood, so we're pretty well versed in the subject of reproductive health, and the surrounding controversy. There is an assumption on the part of many that all Roe v Wade did was legalize abortion.<br /><br />I am reminded today that the case actually opened doors for women all over the spectrum. In some instances, women were forced into abortions without their consent. In many states, birth control was not available. Back-alley abortions were common, and often deadly.<br /><br />The main issue in the case was the entitlement of privacy. These decisions are to be made by the woman involved, in consultation with her doctor. Her reproductive health is hers and hers alone to manage. This extends to abortion, contraception, tubal ligation, and every other reproductive right under the sun.<br /><br />This author from Waco, and my friend, in tacit agreement, are arguing for either forced sterilization, or the administration of a drug (norplant) that was discontinued in 2002 due to terrible side effects.<br /><br />So, to sum it up: if you lose your job, and need government assistance, please step into this line to receive your sterilization, or step into this line to receive your irregular menstrual bleeding, headaches, nausea and depression.<br /><br />On this 39th anniversary of Roe v Wade, I'm happy to live in a country where this pipe-dream of forced sterilization and/or intrusion into the bodies of half of our working poor is in fact just a dream.<br /><br />The irony is, my friend votes for politicians who would deny cheap contraception to women. This is where Planned Parenthood comes in. Planned Parenthood's main business is not in fact abortion, but pregnancy prevention. My wife works every day to provide safe, low-cost options to women looking to pro-actively manage their reproductive health. Her office in Eau Claire doesn't even perform abortions. And yet Planned Parenthood is under attack from Republicans across the country, at local, state, and federal levels.<br /><br />On the one hand, they demand that women control their bodies. On the other, they deny them the ability to do so responsibly.<br /><br />I can't use a word to define this type of thinking - the words themselves are degraded. Hypocrisy doesn't cover it - too easy. Irony doesn't hit it - it's not a Woody Allen film. Sad doesn't really begin to describe how I feel - I mean, Jesus, does my friend believe this stuff? I'm not exactly sure words really get to the immediate reaction I had.<br /><br />But as I think about this, it's not all bad. In fact, this reaction is in part due to the successes women have seen in their fight. After millenia of struggle, women continue to break out into the world and take on roles that were all too often unreasonably limited to men. I'm happy to think that my eventual daughters will grow up in a world better than the one their grandmothers braved. It's a reminder that the fight continues.<br /><br />Yes, there will be reactionaries, like my friend. But we'll be there too, hand in hand to stand up for the rights of all citizens. I look forward to all of these struggles with you, my new friends in Wisconsin. There is no sweeter victory than a victory on behalf of the people. And I mean all the people, not just the privileged, the affluent, or the powerful. Wisconsin will be safe if we stick together. Wisconsin will be OURS!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-70564351018826356012012-01-18T11:59:00.000-08:002012-01-18T14:20:02.615-08:00What One Million SaysIn a sixty day period, one million people signed a recall petition to get Scott Walker out of office. <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71587.html">Here's what our governor had to say yesterday</a>:<br /><blockquote>“The real bottom line is, the national unions want their hands on the money,” Walker said in an interview with Fox News. “It’s all about the union money, it’s not about the workers’ money — they want those automatic dues, and they’ll spend just about anything to get that back.”<br /></blockquote>Let's address this point first: When a person can set up an automatic paycheck deduction to go to the United Way or to the Red Cross, but they can't set up an automated deduction to the organization that represents their interests in the workplace, I think we've got a flawed system. It starts to appear like you're singling someone out, Governor Walker.<br /><br />But let me tell you this: If all Governor Walker had done was remove automated union dues collection, I wouldn't have signed a petition. I probably would have never started this blog. I might have never taken a single trip to Madison last spring. I certainly wouldn't have worked to force recall elections for Sheila Harsdorf or Terry Moulton.<br /><br />I've watched all year as Governor Walker*:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/leesheppard/2011/02/15/wisconsins-cheesy-tax-cuts/">Gave away millions in corporate tax breaks</a> while <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_e25ede58-b707-5876-9735-ecf0aa178e6d.html">raising taxes on the middle class</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/critics-say-proposal-would-destroy-wetland-habitats/article_a148d1ee-3b0f-11e1-8c79-001871e3ce6c.html">Reduced environmental protections</a></li><li><a href="http://wclo.com/news/2011/jun/16/wisconsin-senate-debating-walkers-budget-bill/">Cut education funding by a billion dollars</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/116633848.html">Offered to sell power plants with no bid contracts</a></li><li><a href="http://www.wisn.com/r/28327190/detail.html">Passed legislation that hurts small breweries and tilts the scales toward massive corporate brewers who brew terrible beer<br /></a></li><li><a href="http://www.superiortelegram.com/event/article/id/59913/">Threatened to cut 65,000 families off of Badgercare</a></li><li><a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/capitol-report/capitol-report-despite-walker-s-efforts-funding-woes-for-rape/article_572d77fc-2cc0-11e1-a238-001871e3ce6c.html">Devastated counseling programs for sexual assault victims (though apparently someone talked at least a little sense into him after his initial plans were roundly criticized)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-QLdXTJOo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL92947D8FC7FD869B">Famously took a call from "David Koch" when no one else could get through to him.</a></li><li><a href="http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/01/scott-walker-recall-new-york-fundraiser">Spent yesterday at a fundraiser held by the founder of AIG</a><br /></li></ul><p><span style="font-style: italic;">*by no means is this an exhaustive list</span></p><p>When I watch these things unfold it's not a matter of union rights. We have a governor and a Republican party who is dead-set on governing on behalf of the haves, have-nots be damned. I'm not going to wait around to see what's next. I've heard a lot of people argue that we should wait until his full term is done. They say it's sour grapes.<br /></p><p>I see it this way: I watched in 2002 as a corrupt president took us to war on lies. I saw millions of people demonstrating around the world against a war that was deemed inevitable by an administration hellbent on madness. I saw the government bamboozle its people into a conflict in which hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians and thousands of American troops would die. Several of my friends had to go over and fight a war that was needless and did nothing to protect America or fight terrorism. If I could have recalled George W. Bush in 2002 I most certainly would have.</p><p>The same government decided that business could regulate itself better than people like the SEC, the EPA, and members of the judiciary. They shifted government away from performing its duties as watchdogs of our democracy, to the great benefit of the powerful. We ended up with a mortgage crisis that nearly threw us into depression. In the end, banks got a bailout, while a comparatively tiny stimulus plan meant to help average Americans was derided as socialism. If I could have recalled George W. Bush in 2002 I most certainly would have.</p><p>People in Wisconsin aren't fools. We're not going to wait around. We've seen this movie before. "Good government" is called "big government" and it's systematically destroyed to favor the powerful. Scott Walker is doing this right now, right under our noses. Say what you want about the Occupy movement, if there was ever a governor looking out for the 1%, it would be Scott Walker.</p><p>One million people is not a small, fringe group of fanatics. 25,000 people don't volunteer in the rain and snow because AFSCME wants some union dues automatically deducted from a few paychecks. I didn't start a blog to get brownie points with my old teachers (though if you are reading, THANKS!).<br /></p><p>This is about our future as a state, it's about education, it's about environment, and it's about the balance of power in our society. One million people knew this. Scott Walker can buy the right spin this week. History is on our side if we keep working together. Wisconsin will be ours!<br /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-79299366679243537812012-01-17T11:49:00.001-08:002012-01-17T12:28:35.860-08:00One Million StrongI received an email from United Wisconsin today:<br /><br /><p><span style="color:#0f243e;"> <strong><span style="color:#0f243e;"></span></strong></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="color:#0f243e;"><strong><span style="color:#0f243e;">Today, volunteers from every corner of the state are turning in over 1,000,000 petition signatures to recall Scott Walker. </span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="color:#0f243e;">Incredible.<br /> </span></p> <p><span style="color:#0f243e;">Together, we have made history. Congratulations, you did it and deserve to celebrate today. You have sent Scott Walker a crystal clear message – our values will not be steamrolled, and our state will not be held hostage any longer. It is time for Walker to go. </span></p> <span style="color:#0f243e;"> This million-strong grassroots movement is an unprecedented achievement, and a resounding victory beyond any legal challenge. Through the cold, snow and rain over 30,000 circulators and volunteers took to the streets to insist that their government work for them.<br /> </span> <p><span style="color:#0f243e;">Today, January 17, we celebrate, and tomorrow we go back to work. You have demanded a recall election and now we must work through the coming months to remove Walker from office. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color:#0f243e;"></span></p>I'm flabbergasted. From the beginning of this fight nearly a year ago, to the announcement today, I'm completely overwhelmed. I've met so many neighbors who rightly looked at this situation and decided to act. We've knocked on doors, written our representatives, submitted letters to the editor, voted, and volunteered all over the state. This moment is truly historic.<br /><br />In 60 short days we found a million people looking to change directions in our government. We've taken the state back and exercised our fundamental right as citizens of this country.<br /><br />Historically, the right tends to lay claim to patriotism. They love to say that this country is the greatest place on earth. They say this as they vote for politicians that tear down the fabric that made us great. They turn their backs as their water is polluted, their air is smogged, their land is sold, their money is taken from them, and their government is made less accountable.<br /><br />While I witness our methodical destruction of this right wing fanatical leadership, one point is clear to me: This really feels like the greatest country on earth this afternoon. We live in a state full of good people willing to stand up to power in spite of an angry and violent opposition. No one who spits in the face of a recall volunteer deserves to be labeled a patriot. No one who threatens violence on an old lady with a sign truly loves freedom. Those working in opposition to this violent mob deserve medals - all 25,000 of our unpaid volunteers.<br /><br />There's still more work to do. We have elections to win. Several senators and a lieutenant governor were also recalled. I'll be working hard against you, Senator Terry Moulton. You may be a nice guy and a church-going, family man, but I will fight your political ideas until my last breath is gone.<br /><br />Good work folks! Celebrate tonight - pat yourself on the back! You've done something amazing here. Let's keep our foot on the gas pedal and keep moving forward. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-25500047035552595332011-12-05T06:09:00.000-08:002011-12-05T08:15:20.541-08:00Advocacy for Victims In PerilI awoke this morning to this news on my facebook feed:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111204/GPG0101/111204021/Wisconsin-Sexual-Assault-Victim-Services-grants-cut-by-almost-half">Justice Department officials informed service providers around the state this month it plans to cut grants from its Sexual Assault Victim Services program by 42.5 percent this year.</a><br /><br />My wife has spent time as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). A SANE's job is to collect evidence in cases of sexual assault. You've seen the end product on CSI episodes - the rape kit. She's there to begin the official record for use in a court of law. Victims have a choice as to how far they want to proceed in this examination. They can choose to skip the exam, or they can choose to have the SANE collect as much evidence as possible. They can choose to prosecute, or simply seek therapy. How does a victim make an informed, rational decision in the hours after an assault, sitting in a hospital room?<br /><br />On hand in each case is an advocate. The advocate is a trained volunteer who works with the victim to begin the healing process. Sometimes the advocate spends time teaching the victim about her rights in court. Sometimes she helps the victim navigate the bureaucracy in seeking further psychological help. Other times she just listens.<br /><br />These advocates are not paid, but the organization that runs the advocacy program does have a paid coordinator and a skeleton crew of staff. They run as lean as they can, and the volunteers are to be commended for their community service. If you ask me, there ought to be more dollars committed to this type of advocacy. Nothing can change the fact that a terrible crime has been committed, but a loving community can go a long way toward recovery. Sometimes all it takes is one positive face. Advocates know this - that's why they volunteer.<br /><br />WCASA is the organization in Wisconsin that works with social services, law enforcement, and the medical community to aid victims of sexual assault. The article quotes their interim director:<br /><blockquote>"These are disastrous cuts," Pennie Meyers, interim executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said in a statement. "(The cuts) will serious imperil our members' ability to meet the needs of sexual assault survivors."</blockquote>Thankfully the cuts have not passed all the way through committee.<br /><blockquote><br />The cuts aren't final yet. The Department of Administration must approve them. Then it must submit them to the Legislature's finance committee, which would automatically approve them unless a committee member objects. That would prompt a hearing.</blockquote><br />Lena Taylor and Robert Jauch, both members of the fab 14, are on the committee. This means there will be at least one public hearing. I'll be keeping close tabs on this issue as it moves its way through the process. I hope you will, too.<br /><br />An engaged citizenry can provide bad legislation a quick death. This is about more than just a specific issue, though. I'd like to think I could send someone to Madison that would have the common sense to at least leave this program alone. In a perfect world, we would increase funding for victim advocacy. I'm looking forward to turning over the senate. I'm really looking forward to taking the governor's office back. As bad as things like this seem, they also serve as fuel for us as we brave the cold. Each signature adds forcefulness to our voice. Keep volunteering! Keep fighting! Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-3014918066608885832011-12-01T19:48:00.000-08:002011-12-01T20:53:17.941-08:00They're Running ScaredIt's been a wild ride this first two weeks. I have to say, I always knew we would do well, but the announcement of 300,000 signatures on Monday just about knocked my socks off. I'm so proud of each and every person I've met in this process. The effort displayed, even for something as simple as finding a place to sign, is beyond moving. To see this happen organically like it has is simply amazing.<br /><br />Right now they think there are 10,000 Ohioans in Wisconsin collecting your signatures - even though so far I know for a fact that the vast majority of signatures have been collected at stationary locations. You have to find a place to sign right now, in the spare ten minutes of your day between the bajillion other things you have to do in your busy life. And you know the people you're working with. If you're like me, you're meeting neighbors and making friendships that will last a lifetime.<br /><br />There's something brewing, though. There appears to be a direct correlation between our success and their anger. The better we do, the more frightened they get. We see reports every day of harassment, attempted destruction of petitions, physical altercations, and <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/30/1041200/-Walkers-Wisconsin:-Driver-Who-Attempts-to-Hit-Recallers-Might-Be-a-GOP-Official%21-?via=siderec">this</a>, which is beyond scary.<br /><br />It's been great to see the courage in the faces of our volunteers, and the overwhelming willingness to sign petitions. Tonight I spoke with 4 young women who were vehemently opposed to Walker's radical agenda against reproductive rights in Wisconsin. In about two seconds, an ordinary dinner conversation turned into a frank discussion on the state of money in politics. There's a false morality Walker and his allies seem to carry with them every step of the way, even as they come in and essentially <span style="font-style: italic;">give </span>publicly owned resources to the private sector.<br /><br /><span>I sometimes wonder if that hunger for the moral high ground is rooted in a need to over-compensate for the severely immoral social and economic policies this group routinely carries out. I mean, sure, you're making life harder for poor people, but you're making it easier for them to live Godly lives. You can rest easy knowing that, while you took their money, at least you saved their souls!</span><br /><br />The biggest reactionary piece of news I saw this evening was the following article from the<a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/walker-administration-alters-protest-permit-requirements-6839brh-134845183.html"> Journal-Sentinal regarding new protest rules for the state capitol:</a><br /><br />The policy says: <blockquote><p> Groups of four or more people must obtain permits for all activity and displays in state buildings and apply for those permits at least 72 hours in advance. The policy requires permits for 100 or more people outside the Capitol. The policy does provide some leeway for spontaneous gatherings triggered by unforeseen events. </p> <p> Groups holding demonstrations could be charged for the costs of having extra police on hand for the event. Costs associated with a counterprotest could be charged to that second group. </p> <p>The costs would be $50 per hour per Capitol Police officer - costs for police officers from outside agencies would depend on the costs billed to the state. The police could require an advance payment as a requirement for getting a permit and could also require liability insurance or a bond. </p></blockquote><p></p>That's right - your family vacation to the capitol building in Madison <span style="font-style: italic;">just</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">became a protest, </span>and you need a permit, buddy! So, for the sake of argument, let's say you're a great planner, and you call in advance to get the permit. If you have a group of four or more and they decide you're planning on protesting, you could be charged 50 bucks a cop <span style="font-style: italic;">prior</span> to coming to visit your lawmaker.<br /><br />I've been to rallies where I supported my lawmakers, and I've also been to rallies opposing them. I've also come to a couple just to see what was going on and I'm sure my head would be counted in an official number. What this really means is, if you're coming to pay any attention to your lawmaker, positive or negative, you're demonstrating. The only reason a family of four will be able come to the capitol building from now on will be to admire the architecture. Come to think of it, maybe that will be my next reason for showing up!<br /><br />On nights like this, I look forward to getting this administration out of power. Any show of anger from the opposition makes me fight harder. Any ridiculous-all-caps-misspelled facebook comment calling me a UNION THUG compels me one step further. You can call me what you want - if being concerned about 65,000 people getting dumped off of Badgercare makes me a union thug, then slap a union label on my forehead and call me Jimmy Hoffa. If I have to choose between an organization that stands up for working people and an organization that beats them down, it's not really a contest. Keep up the fight, folks! We're going to right this ship, one signature at a time. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-58711141238083083292011-11-28T14:54:00.000-08:002011-11-28T15:22:07.174-08:00Who is "They" and Why Don't "They" Do Something?A friend of mine "finally" signed the petition. This is awesome, especially because he's one of the rare independent-minded friends I have. Not that I'm ripping on any of my other friends, but I'll put it bluntly: I'm blessed with a lot of like-minded friends this fall, and I tend to gravitate towards people of the same political bent. I think most of us do that.<br /><br />ANYWAY, he made a tongue-in-cheek comment about the need for door-to-door canvassing during the recall. His comment was, "Maybe they should do door-to-door canvassing, I had to seek out a petition." My comment back was, "Maybe you should volunteer!" Believe me, we're nearly there. We've been doing well without it thus far in Eau Claire, posting people on busy corners and awaiting drive-thrus. Partially because of this, we've yet to hit the neighborhoods door-to-door.<br /><br />Both of us are joking - a little. He is right - it's time for us to start with the door-to-door work. We're doing well so far without it, but that work is likely to be coming soon. Not everyone drives past us and has time to stop just then. And I know he's a busy guy - two little kids and a job with weird hours. I can't fault him that much for not volunteering.<br /><br />On the other hand, I've been blessed to meet so many folks that chip in any spare time they have to this effort. It's overwhelming. It makes me wonder, if we had a little more time and a few more people, just what we could accomplish. We could move mountains in Wisconsin. <br /><br />We don't always have the energy all the time to get out and hit the pavement. I know I don't - I need time to rest, to relax, play music, and spend time with my family. I'm probably not the leading volunteer out of Eau Claire. But that's the best thing about it - you don't need to be either. One hour, one Saturday, two hours on a Thursday afternoon, just a little bit here or there - you can make the difference. You can be one more person that stood up to power in Wisconsin.<br /><br />They rely on you staying home, not paying attention, and accepting the status quo. You challenge it with every comment, every signature you get, every happy honk you hear, and believe it or not, every negative comment you choose to ignore. <br /><br />There is not a prize for the best volunteer. If there is, I don't think I'll win it. I've seen too many great people out there giving more than I could even imagine. But there is no greater reward worth striving for than a better government.<br /><br />So, to my friend who has not volunteered yet - it's awesome that you posted your political preference on your facebook page in the first place. It's awesome that you signed. To my other friends working hard out there in the trenches, THANK YOU! Our victory is there in every moment that our hearts are in it. Keep moving ahead! Signature after signature, vote after vote, conversation after conversation - we will win this fight simply because it's being fought. As long as apathy remains dead, our cause lives a very healthy life. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-27957458404933445712011-11-25T15:42:00.000-08:002011-11-25T16:12:27.131-08:00Screaming and Hollering<blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half."</span> - Jay Gould, 19th Century Industrialist<br /><br /><i>"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."</i> - John Steinbeck<br /></blockquote>Today I stood on a busy corner with a group of 3 ladies as we collected signatures for the recall of Governor Scott Walker. It's Black Friday, meaning hoards of people are out getting the deals for Christmas shopping. Apparently, it's also open season for screaming at recall volunteers.<br /><br />The good news first: We collected loads of signatures in this prime location. We had a steady stream of folks coming up to sign. I even helped a blind guy sign the petition. That's right: legally, he just needs to make his mark. He was able to write his name on the dotted line like everyone else. That's democracy for you!<br /><br />The kind of off-putting news was the level of anger directed at our group of people. We tried to have fun with it, keeping score of the number of drive-by screamers by the color of car they drove. I was maroon. That meant that every time a person in a maroon car screamed violently at us, I got a point in my favor. I ended my 2 hour session with 3 points. Losing to white was sort of obvious, as white is a more popular color. I think white had 4 points, and blue had 3 points.<br /><br />But I have to say, the level of violence directed at us is a bit frightening. Last night volunteers went out essentially all hours of the night, gathering signatures from people in line for Target and Best Buy. Apparently people nearly called the cops on a gentleman who was physically threatening people. <br /><br />It's obvious: we aren't just fighting billionaires far away. We're up against a paranoid group of people right here in our own communities. The idea of self-governance is so far removed from some folks that they seem to see our very democracy as a thing to be stamped out. And not lightly - violently!<br /><br />I'd like to think that we'll bridge this gap, and let cooler heads prevail. But I don't exactly know how that happens, if all of our dialogue takes place with me on a street corner and you driving through a stop light with your foot on the gas.<br /><br />I became fast friends with the ladies on the corner today. We are going through something uniquely ours, taking grief for it, dusting ourselves off, and smiling when the next kind citizen walks up to sign our petitions. Maybe the angry yelling man or woman will always exist in the political landscape, but we can make them footnotes in history. Someday they will be embarrassed to admit that they behaved so ridiculously. <br /><br />We, on the other hand, have a moment in time that we will always be proud to remember. The <span style="font-style: italic;">entire</span> reason I began this blog was in order to have a written record of my thoughts and experiences through this fight. One day, decades later, I want to look back and be proud of what we accomplished. My kids, my grandkids, my great-grandkids - they will all know what we did in Wisconsin in 2011. We stood up to power, we fought past Mister and Mrs. Angrypants, and we stemmed the tide of right-wing power, both in our state and in our country. Keep working, keep volunteering, and keep fighting. Don't stop. Our state motto is <span style="font-style: italic;">Forward.</span> Let's keeping moving, kids! Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-23095478040021643422011-11-15T05:49:00.000-08:002011-11-15T07:15:27.196-08:00Why I'm Signing the Petition To Recall Scott WalkerToday Wisconsin embarks on a historic journey into unprecedented territory for our state. In a few hours, I'll be signing the petition to recall Scott Walker.<br /><br />I'm done listening to the billionaires who ruined our economy tell us we need to sacrifice more. I'm tired of seeing laws passed that funnel money into the pockets of few at the expense of many. I'm sick of hearing that very practice referred to as "shrinking government."<br /><br />I want to grow old in a state that values its neighbors and its communities. Scott Walker's dream of Wisconsin is a modern feudalistic nightmare, leaving our fate in the hands of 21st century lords of industry as we patiently wait for their scraps.<br /><br />The laws he passes to "spur competition" instead stifle it. He professes to protect human life and then guts social programs for the poor, the elderly, and the unemployed. He takes that money and dangles it in front of waiting entrepreneurs - folks whose only interest in our state is our willingness to labor cheaply on their behalf. And we're supposed to thank him, and them, for the favor.<br /><br />This fall, I'm signing the petition because I want to deliver a message to the oligarchs of America: their factories, businesses, schools, and hospitals exist because of the people. We work every single day to keep their outfits operating. Without our labor, they have nothing. When an economic downturn happens, they gladly fire half of us and tell us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Then they ride off into the sunset with cash overflowing from their pockets.<br /><br />In Wisconsin, they're taking everything they can, for a variety of reasons that don't even stand up to basic levels of scrutiny. From unemployment compensation, to BadgerCare, to reproductive health rights, to water quality, to a good education - all of these things that make sense to provide as a society are being leveled. They've even made it harder to get a decent beer at the end of the day. <br /><br />They slap the label of progress on these cuts as the money rolls into their coffers. We're told to thank them for their "strong leadership."<br /><br />Enough is enough.<br /><br />I still think back to this past February, when the halls of the capital building echoed with chants, songs, drums, and yes, <span style="font-style: italic;">bagpipes</span>. Wisconsin came alive, in the dead of winter, and began the slow pendulum swing toward justice again. All over the country, people awoke from their slumber and started fighting back.<br /><br />We have nothing to lose - the worst-case scenario is that we maintain this terrible status-quo for a little while longer. But every legislative session Scott Walker calls, Wisconsin loses that much more. It's time to make a stand.<br /><br />In many ways over the months we've already shown our power. Here again, we've got a chance at defining the debate. This fall we decide whether Wisconsin will belong to the oligarchs, or to the people. So pick up a clipboard, canvass, volunteer at a recall office, bring in handwarmers, cook a crockpot full of food, SIGN A PETITION! - any way you can pitch in helps add to the overall effort. This is a groundswell that will not stop until we've reached election day with a new governor. Let's make history! Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-23320590035096883442011-10-05T08:11:00.000-07:002011-10-05T08:39:08.379-07:00Toll Roads Coming?This morning on my way to work, I listened to a discussion about the possibility of toll roads coming to Wisconsin. I'm not a fan of toll roads in general, in part due to their monetary inconvenience, and in part because the whole reason I'm on an expressway is to avoid unnecessary stops. My wife and I have had the pleasure of driving through nearly every state in the lower 48. I can tell you from experience that toll roads are no better (and are sometimes worse) than a plain-old interstate highway system.<br /><br />The frustrating thing about this morning's conversation? Both guests were of the general opinion that we need toll roads now. It was upsetting that no one was there to argue the case for an option that has long been the status quo for many states all over the country. The only difference was that the right-wing guest didn't want elected officials setting the toll prices. That's right - no "Government Politician"ought to be controlling your tolls! In other words, let's make our roads private from now on, and let the "free market" decide how much you get to use the interstate.<br /><br />It's been a long-running joke that Tea Party advocates complain about socialism while driving on socialized highways and protesting in public parks. Apparently this is the new solution - take even more property away from the public, and put it in private hands. I wonder how much money I would need in order to buy an interstate highway in Wisconsin and charge a toll for it. It sounds like it's going to be pretty cheap for someone in the near future. <br /><br />In return, users of the road will get a longer commute, an extra chunk removed from their wallets on a per-use basis, the same old tax bill they always had at tax time, and, just my hunch, probably a poorly managed road with more potholes than we started with. Why fix a pothole if you're only accountable to the random poor shlubs driving to work every day? At least now, in theory, the taxpayers have a say, and there are engineers working on behalf of the state DOT to resolve issues. What the right appeared to espouse this morning was a completely private, unaccountable highway system.<br /><br />Thankfully(?) the right wing commentator spent most of his time arguing against teacher pensions anyway. I'm not sure he got a lot of points across. But at this point, I'm not sure it matters all that much. UNLESS...<br /><br />....Unless we can recall Scott Walker. That's right! Rumblings are all over the place inside the meeting rooms and on conference calls between recall groups. The recall is coming, folks. Right now we're just talking about timing, funding, and coordination. We did it this spring and we're going to do it again! I'm excited to see what happens. It's going to be a great 60 days. We're going to see our friends organized like they've never been before. Hundreds of thousands of signatures will not be an easy task. We're going to do it, ladies and gents. Scott Walker will be on the bread lines next to the rest of us in a few short months. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-55854382799124506222011-08-17T06:11:00.000-07:002011-08-17T06:37:03.012-07:005 for 9 - Not Too Shabby!The people in districts 12 and 22 came through for Wisconsin last night. Good work, folks! We're well on our way.
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<br />If it's one thing we've learned so far, it's that sticking together matters. It not only matters on a personal level, but it works wonders in the political process. We can beat back this destruction together. We've walked in the cold gathering signatures, marched in summer parades, canvassed in strange neighborhoods, and spoken with friends and family about these issues. We changed the makeup of the Senate this summer. We've altered Wisconsin politics forever.
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<br />We've also learned a lot about the electoral makeup of this state. We know where the pockets of conservatism are. We know the tough candidates out there. We know the lay of the land. We've visited corners of conservative Wisconsin that no liberal has explored for years. Sure, some of it was hostile territory, but we've learned that, for the most part, our neighbors are willing to have a conversation, even if we end up disagreeing with each other at the end of the day.
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<br />If you'll pardon my gender-centric tone for a second, we've also grown a pair. Gone are the days that progressives sit back and take heat from our angry conservative friends. We've learned, politically, to take the fight to the enemy. We didn't win every battle this summer, but taking five out of nine is a pretty good start. Recalls are difficult. We know that especially well now. I would argue that the hardships of this process are still going to be a deterrent to all but the utmost adamant parts of the electorate going forward.
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<br />Unfortunately for Scott Walker, I think a lot of us are still pretty angry at the way things are headed. I'm not really a fan of selling off my water quality, mortgaging our kids' education, privatizing our prisons, eliminating credit bureaus, and destroying our precious microbreweries. I'm not happy with the way working people have been treated - the repeal of the Earned Income Credit tax deduction will be a punch to the guy for a lot of people who thought Scott Walker didn't raise taxes. And of course, what started it all - the desire to kill organized labor on behalf of organized capital - is reprehensible. This is a fight I'll be engaged in the rest of my life (or until I own a few dozen factories).
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<br />While there may be some folks who are tired of recalls, my guess is those folks were already sleeping anyway. Maybe a knock on their door woke them up once and they're still upset about it. Those of us who have been awake and alive through this nonsense will be out on the streets as soon as it's politically feasible. I hope to see you all at the local recall office. I can't wait to hit my neighborhood with a clipboard and a pen. My guess is we'll be in hats and mittens when we do it. So here's my promise: hot cocoa at my house after we're done - everyone's invited! Wisconsin will be ours!
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-46694821852850103662011-08-10T05:46:00.000-07:002011-08-10T06:35:59.984-07:00Keep Fighting, Wisconsin!It's been a great ride since this spring. I can't believe that a mere 8 months ago, most of us were sitting around, watching football, and not even thinking about political activism. Yes, many of us were interested in politics. Maybe we read the news every day, and we cared about our local communities. But we weren't on the streets, and we weren't talking about progressive causes, or seeking out candidates for election.
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<br />This year, all that has changed.
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<br />While we didn't get three Senate seats, we got a lot more than most people will recognize. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Here's what I see today, as a result of our efforts:
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<br /><ul><li>An energized, fun group of political change agents, connected all over the state.</li><li>Great future candidates for school boards, city councils, assembly seats, and national offices</li><li>Two seats in a Senate that actually has one Republican willing to compromise (we might actually get some balance now)</li><li>Competitive races in previously unopposed Republican districts</li></ul>I've had a great deal of fun, and gained a great deal of confidence in our ability to move the dial to the left this year. The elected officials in our state with Ds behind their names are not wishy-washy, Blue Dogs. They're serious about fighting for us - we've seen it time and time again as they hold all night sessions, escape to filibuster, and completely alter their lives to hit the trail and talk to us.
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<br />At the same time it's become clearer to me now that progressive values don't start and stop at the ballot box. We make our communities what we want them to be. Eau Claire is a perfect example of a community that has built itself up as a model for happy, small-town life. We've got artists, lawyers, doctors, farmers, and business owners all coming together to make this place better. The council and county board here change as we change - they follow, and we lead. Our city isn't perfect, but it's definitely a sign of hope.
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<br />I've met so many people that are simply committed to making this place better, and I've only grown more optimistic this summer. We've got some great future leaders on our hands.
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<br />I'll be looking forward to seeing you all again as we ramp up the recall efforts on Governor Walker. My hope is that we bring even more people into the fold along the way. We need to recognize that we're not alone.
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<br />Everyone who requires a paycheck to live is in the same predicament today. Tea Partiers have to suffer along with the rest of us when politicians cut Badgercare, slash school budgets, and raise our taxes in order to pay for corporate tax breaks. They are only our enemy because they have declared it. They are swimming in the same shark-infested waters that we inhabit. Together we can pull out of this mess. Sure, we're not going to convince everyone that carries around a don't-tread-on-me flag. But we can continue to push the state forward if we stick together like this.
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<br />We've got two more recall elections to win next week. Let's keep our foot on the gas and win those elections. Holperin and Wirch both need your help. Take the drive to their district and pitch in if you can! Or head down to your local Democratic office and offer to canvass.
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<br />Last night was a far cry from perfect. I feel a little like I did after Bush won the election in 2004 - it's unbelievable to me that anyone would vote for a candidate that had done so much damage to our state in so little time. But I'm happy today for a united left in Wisconsin, powerful and noteworthy. If we can keep up this unity, we're going to go very far, my friends. Wisconsin will be ours!
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-76006136838559435982011-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:002011-07-13T09:17:18.490-07:00Good News and Shameless Self Promotion<span style="font-weight: bold;">Good News:</span><br /><br />All six of the democrats won quite handily last night. This is a cause for celebration. Seriously. As Republicans want to say these candidates were fake, they've been trying. Hard. They seriously wanted to defeat the Democrats on the ballot. The candidates that we put up all defeated them quite easily. There is absolutely NO reason for us to believe that we can't do the same thing in August. Today we can celebrate. Tomorrow we need to get back on the train and start working toward an August 9th victory. We can do it! Wisconsin will be ours!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shameless Self Promotion:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>My band Yam Cannon is having our CD release party on August 13th, at the Mousetrap in Eau Claire.<br /><br />We play all original music, and this is our second album. We're irreverent, non-nonsensical*, and fun. Our new album, titled "The Beards of the Sun," features work written over the course of the past three years we've spent playing bars, festivals, barnyards, and backyards all over the upper midwest. Come on the 13th, and let us be your soundtrack for the evening. The party starts at 9, and the music starts at 10.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">*I sort of like this typo :)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519834296380738941.post-20726989123251087272011-06-28T08:03:00.000-07:002011-06-28T09:06:07.353-07:00..And Then They Came for our BeerFrom New Glarus Brewing Company's Facebook page this morning:<br /><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}"><blockquote>Gov. Walker may be too busy to sit down and discuss the ramifications of Bill 414 on Wisconsin's small brewers, but this cost our state jobs and was not necessary to help South African Breweries known here as SAB Miller/Coors. Nor is Miller under any threat from AB/Inbev. This was passed to hamper the growth of Craft brewers.</blockquote></span></h6>I love New Glarus Brewing Company. They make the venerated Spotted Cow, a great wheat beer that has just the right touch of sweetness and goes down easy. They also make a great stout, several good ales, and a wonderful IPA. I would suggest a brewery tour to anyone. New Glarus is a perfect example of Wisconsin's fine tradition of craft brewery, going all the way back to our founding days in the lumber camps.<br /><br />Governor Walker and the Republicans in this state just signed a budget perfectly designed to invite big, out-of-state money to come in and plunder us. No one is exempt. Our schools, our drinking water, our workers, our forests, and now our beer - all of Wisconsin is under threat of conglomeration, outsourcing, and increased privatization.<br /><br />The Wisconsin Brewers' Guild wrote an <a href="http://www.wibrewersguild.com/news/pdf/Letter_to_Governor_Walker_6-20-11.pdf">open letter</a> to Governor Walker last week:<br /><blockquote><br />Nearly 600,000 guests visit our packaging brewery members’ facilities a year which represents 2.8 people for every barrel brewed. An additional 1.3 million people are entertained by our brewpub members. Since the beer sold by WI craft breweries is still only about 5% of the beer purchased in Wisconsin, it is easy to see how many visitors we could bring in if our collective market share would climb to our goal of 30+%.<br /><br />Today there are over 50 small breweries and brewpubs operating in Wisconsin, employing more than 1000 state citizens. This doesn’t include the auxiliary industries that support these small breweries such as maltsters, glass manufacturers, paper manufacturers, chemical manufacturers, and brewing equipment manufacturers.<br /><br />Once again, if we reach our goals, we will be employing over 6000 people directly by our members, and hundreds more would need to be added by our suppliers. Collectively, these businesses have been steadily adding jobs to our state for the last 25 years, including through most recent economic downturn. Craft brewing is one of the fastest growing industries nationwide.<br /><br />Small brewers are also responsible for starting a renaissance in brewery related agriculture in Wisconsin, with barley, wheat, and hops now being grown to supply the state’s craft brewing industry.<br /><br />....<br /><br />Besides stifling future growth these changes also de-value existing businesses by removing valuable, portable, assets from their portfolios.<br /><br />Interestingly, the principals promoting these radical modifications to the business models have been steadily reducing Wisconsin jobs. The Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association is a shrinking organization. In 1994, there were 92 wholesalers in the state. In 2007, there were 67. Today there are 42. Each of these closures or mergers results in loss of jobs. Miller-Coors has been steadily reducing workforce in the state for years, including the recent move of their corporate headquarters to Illinois.<br /><br />Much of this reduction is due to a nationwide push for “distributor consolidation” driven by mergers of the world’s largest brewers. It is well publicized that Miller-Coors is seeking to have all of their brands with the same distributor. In Wisconsin, the consolidation has been completed in Milwaukee, Madison, and the southwestern quadrant of the state. The northern half of the state still has independent Miller and Coors wholesalers. The only portion of this legislation that is fiscal in nature creates a new state bureaucracy funded by new “wholesaler permits” with a cap fee of $2500. When the Miller-Coors consolidation process is complete in the north, there will be insufficient funding for this new position. This seems to run counter to your policies.<br /><br />We believe that changes can be made to our distribution laws in a way that NO Wisconsin businesses are losers. The process should include input from all affected parties.<br /><br />Please veto all of motion 414 in its entirety.<br /><br /></blockquote>In spite of this plea from local businesses, the budget was passed, and the governor signed it without so much as an acknowledgment of the existence of the Wisconsin Brewers' Guild.<br /><br />When the governor says Wisconsin is open for business, apparently this means creating a climate where:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/state-supreme-court-allows-wisconsin-union-law-to-take-effect-2011-6">Workers' rights are set aside<br /></a></li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/06/20/248741/wisconson-governor-scott-walker-to-cut-medicaid-without-public-hearings/">Medicaid can be drastically altered without public hearings</a></li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/06/20/248741/wisconson-governor-scott-walker-to-cut-medicaid-without-public-hearings/">F</a><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/27/new-wisconsin-budget-cuts-funding-from-planned-parenthood/">amily planning services are cut</a></li><li><a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110621/GPG03/110621057/Wisconsin-doesn-t-act-renew-jobless-benefits">Unemployment is harder to obtain</a></li><li><a href="http://lacrossetribune.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_2cd26a84-8c9e-11e0-9ddc-001cc4c03286.html">Taxes on the working poor are raised</a><br /></li></ul>Taken together, these changes speak loudly. What does business prefer? <span>A desperate labor force ready to take any job they can find: </span>Workers with little money and less access to basic healthcare services. Reduced power at the bargaining table. Fewer options for upward mobility. <span>No competition from local upstarts or small businesses: </span>Craft breweries are but one example of this new "pro-business climate" we're creating in Wisconsin. <span>Of course CEOs love us more today. </span>They don't have to pay us, they don't have to deal with our pesky "rights," and they don't have to worry about local competition.<br /><br />Recall primary dates approach fast. It's July 12th in some districts, and July 19th in others. Keep fighting. Don't let the bastards get you down. We will take this state back. Stick to your guns. Quit drinking that piss that Miller puts out - buy yourself a sixer of Spotted Cow and be proud of your state. We will take the Senate back this summer, and we will take the governor's office back this fall. Wisconsin will be ours!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12691651918613906326noreply@blogger.com