Let's Make History Today

The last sixteen months have been frustrating and angering. The overlords of Fitzwalkerstan have ignored our voice. They behaved as though we did not matter. Today is the day those of us who live and work in Wisconsin get our say. Voters like you and me, speaking together through the ballot box will defeat the big money. We will turn back the lies. We will make history. There were 60,000 plus more votes cast in Dane County in 2008 than in 2010. That is more than enough additional votes today to defeat Scott Walker, just here in Dane County. When you cast your vote today, know that tens of thousands of volunteers have been actively working the past two weeks, knocking doors and making phone calls. This community is mobilized like never before. Polls open at 7:00 am and stay open until 8:00 pm tonight, but why wait. Vote early and savor your revenge that much sooner. If you took advantage of early voting, congratulations and thank you. Log onto the Wisconsion Government Accountability website to find your polling place. Wisconsin same day registration is still in effect. So, even if you have never voted before in Wisconsin, just bring along a current utility bill or something that shows you have lived in the neighborhood for 28 days and you can register on the spot. It’s easy. Here are a few other things you can do to help even more. Every one of these will make a difference in the outcome. 1) Remind three co-workers to vote. 2) Call your relatives in Rhinelander and Appleton and remind them to vote. 3) Check with the folks who live around you to see whether they have made it to the polls. Offer to give them a ride. 4) Pull out your cell phone or address book and dial friends, acquaintances; folks you haven’t talked with for a while and ask them to vote for Tom Barrett. 5) Head down to the Labor Temple at 1609 S. Park St and volunteer to make phone calls or knock doors. Shifts will run all day until the polls close. Vote for Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell today. Make your voice heard in the mighty chorus that is saying, “Your pink slip has arrived.”

Take Control of Your Life - Step 1

Working families that raise at least some of their own food reap some pretty impressive benefits. First and most obvious, food you grow yourself is fresher. Many foods taste really different when prepared immediately or eaten fresh from the garden. Sweet corn comes to mind, but then again, truly fresh herbs are completely different than their dried bottled cousins.

Second, you know how it was grown. No wondering exactly what the USDA Certified Organic label means. You know exactly how it was grown, because you did it. Because the food is healthier, so are you.

Third, you get exercise and have the satisfaction of eating what you raised. I really enjoy gardening – even weeding. Community gardens allow apartment dwellers, condo owners and even those who cannot afford any permanent housing to have a garden. If you choose to rent a community garden space, you get the added advantage of making friends with fellow gardens.

Fourth, you save money. The biggest reason poor and working families in Wisconsin consume so much junk food is because it is relative cheap calories. Fresh and nutritious food costs money.

The big bonus to you and your family is that instead of forking over money at the grocery store, you have a little left to help pay those rising health insurance premiums, or the higher utility bills you get to pay for subsidizing the 5% utility bill discount Walker gave to big corporations last year. Yes, the 1% has unbounded greed and they could care less what you eat. Raising at least some of your own food returns to you a measure of control over this very important aspect of your life.

Resources

Community Action Coalition - Community Gardens

City of Madison - Community Gardens

Eagle Heights Community Gardens

Community GroundWorks (Troy Gardens)

Video Provides Smoking Gun

By now, most of you have seen the “divide and conquer” video clip. This is the smoking gun that provides definitive proof about the motives of Walker and the evil republicans in Wisconsin’s GOP. In case you missed some of the dialog between Scott Walker and billionaire Diane Hendricks, was a transcript made by JSOnline.

This video shows first that Walker lied when he said that destroying public sector collective bargaining was about balancing the budget. It is clear that it was about destroying unions themselves. Second, public sector employees are not the end game. The stated purpose of the overlords of Fitzwalkerstan is to destroy ALL unions, public and private sector.

Why is this such a big deal? All of the common benefits most of us take for granted; weekends, sick time, vacations, health insurance, workers compensation, health and safety regulation; were won by unions. Corporate profits were up in the past two years. In 2010, a whopping 97% of all wage increase dollars went to the top 1% of American workers. Union workers fared better than non-union workers. Clearly, there is money to pay workers more. It is the unbounded greed of billionaires, like the one featured in this video, which drives their desire to crush the only voice for working folks.

The code word “right-to-work” is their means of destroying the voice of working people. When unions win collective bargaining rights, they typically demand that contracts include a “union shop” clause. Once an employee, who is covered by the contract, is hired, he or she must join the union and pay dues. This is fair for three reasons: 1) a majority of coworkers have voted to say they want to be part of the union; 2) all employees get the same wages, benefits and working conditions which are better than non-union workers at other employers; and 3) federal law requires that a certified union represent all of those in the bargaining unit, regardless of whether they are members of not.

So-called “right-to-work” language says that employees are not required to join the union. However, because federal law says that the union is still required to represent them. Likewise, they are entitled to the same wages, benefits and working conditions as their dues paying union brothers and sisters. This means that employees are allowed to freeload on their union coworkers.

Many states in the south have “right-to-work” laws that prohibit union shop language and thus permit freeloading. The result of this open shop language is that membership in begins to fall. As the number of union members at a company declines, so does their ability to negotiate wage increases and strong benefits. The ultimate aim of the employer is to erode union membership to the point where they can instigate a decertification election and get rid of the union completely. Barring they, the company can weaken the union to the point where it no longer has any effective power. Wages in “right-to-work” states are lower and benefits are weaker than in union shop states. Just as important, workers in union shops have an effective advocate when the boss disregards the contract. The boss cannot hand out overtime to his buddies, deny vacation requests to those he doesn’t like or insult workers in front of their co-workers. These dignity and justice issues are just as important as wages and benefits, and they unions are the only way workers can have a voice.

The “divide and conquer” video was shot several weeks before Walker dropped the bomb in February, 2011. The timing of his remarks make it clear that Walker and the Fitzgerald brothers calculated their actions to attack all working families, regardless of whether they work in the public or private sector. Okay, it is clear why the likes of Diane Hendricks wants to kill unions; greed. What is in it for evil republicans? The answer there is the other word; power. Unions are major contributors to Democratic candidates. Since business outspends unions $12 to $1, however, contributions cannot be to reason. The real value that unions bring to the political arena is volunteers. Union members volunteer their time in huge numbers; making phone calls, knocking on doors, putting up yard signs, and helping folks get to the polls on Election Day. Let’s be clear, other than a handful of paid coordinators, union campaign workers are rank and file members who freely give of their time to help with campaigns. Those big unions bosses that the media holds up as evil demons cannot compel their members to give up their free time, workers do it because they want to elect politicians who will stand up for them.

Private sector workers found out in November just how what Diane Hendricks and the Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce (WMC) overlords have in store for them. CEO of Manitowoc Crane, and former Chair of WMC, demanded his union machinists accept "right-to-work" language in their contract. International Association of Machinist (IAM) members and Manitowoc crane voted 180-2 against that contract and went out on strike. After two months, Manitowoc Crane brought in scab strike breakers and force IAM workers to accept open shop language.

Encouraged by Manitowoc Crane, management at Ashland Industries made the same demands of their workers. There too, IAM members voted 40-0 against open shop language and went out on strike. Ashland Industries bosses then brought in strike breakers of their own. The pattern is set and clear as a bell for all who have eyes to see. This is the final push by the 1% to kill unions and the voice of workers forever.

On June 5th, Wisconsin voters will decide which vision of our state will prevail. Electing Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell will restore balance to state government and say “yes, ‘elections have consequences;’ so do lies and deception.”

Failing Grade

Failure! There is no other word for it. Walker's record of job creation, using his own standard of 250,000 is just 2%. No curve in the world will give Walker a passing grade.

He runs around America, put up as the masiah of the right, dysing public school teachers and public education. Mr. Walker, if my kid came home with grades like yours, there would be no video games or television for the rest of the school year. You have not been doing your homework!

Mayor Dave Sells his Soul

I am a dues paying union member. I draw a paycheck from the taxpayers, who compensate me for keeping their Capitol in good repair. I do not get paid by any UNION BOSSES. I speak my own mind and unlike Madison's former mayor, my resume is not sitting in any candidate's desk drawer.
Mayor Dave went out of his way to polarized the Democratic primary campaign for Governor with his recent Isthmus editorial. Cieslewicz knows that three candidates for Governor stuck their necks out to do what they could to stop Act 10. Doug Lafollette stalled its implementation as long as he legally could; giving Kathleen Falk enough time to get into court and file suit against the destruction of collective bargaining. Kathleen Vinehout lived in a motel room for two months and had to fend off her own recall effort last summer. Tom Barrett issued a press release.
Thousands of us braved the cold, wind and snow in December to gather recall petition signatures. We found out Christmas week that when a reporter asked Tom Barrett when he signed the recall petition, he said he still had not decided whether or not to sign. 600,000 Wisconsinites made the commitment, but Tom Barrett lacked the courage to take even that basic step. According to the evil republican Verify the Recall database, Barrett never did sign the Walker recall petition. If that is true ... Mayor Dave, did you bother to ask him before the two of you climbed into bed together?
Barrett has been very effective in the past week getting endorsements and planting that he is the only candidate with sufficient name recognition to beat Walker. Polling shows otherwise. According to the real numbers, only Lafollette is out of competition. Falk, Vinehout and Barrett are all virtually tied across the state. The voters are saying they would rather vote for that lousy brown paper lunch bag, than they would Walker.
By manipulating the message, driving a wedge between public sector trade unionists and others in the 99%, Barrett hopes to split working families. Tom Barrett knew hid last spring. He is the only Democrat who failed to show up at the rallies. He used the “tools” that Walker gave him to screw Milwaukee city employees. He failed to even show up for the AFSCME endorsement interviews. Teachers remember that Tom Barrett tried to take control of the Milwaukee School District and blamed them for its poor performance; ignoring its massive underfunding.
AFSCME went through an incredibly fair endorsement process. It was open and thorough. A wide net was cast and every candidate had an equal chance. Barrett, because of his previous actions, placed himself at a disadvantage. But that is not the fault of AFSCME. Barrett screwed city workers and now wants to make them the bad guys. He made the decision not to even participate.
The now infamous AFSCME video was over the top. They have admitted their mistake. Frankly, there are plenty of excellent reasons to support Kathleen Falk and Barrett has provided ample reasons for concern. It is equally important; however, for Barrett supporters to admit that they have exploited this misstep way out of proportion. The Barrett campaign is attempting to “Swift-Boat” AFSCME and the Falk campaign over a relatively minor distortion – never intended for public distribution.
Mayor Dave, I supported you over the cranky old Soglin last spring. My bad! There is a reason why “the big public unions (WEAC and AFSCME) are not all that popular with voters.” You bash us whenever it suits your purpose. You have shown yourself a true whore.
When the primary is over, public employees will work their butts off to elect the candidate selected by the voters. We will defeat Walker on June 5th. We will not be silenced and we remember those who sell themselves for a handful of silver.

MacIver Issues Grades by Dealing Off the Bottom of the Deck

The McIvery Institute publishes bogus grades on schools to explain away their racist educational reform policies.
Below is a direct quote from their press release explaining the criteria used to rank schools.
“The goal behind these rankings was to create a basic, but wide-ranging, program to gauge the performance of Wisconsin’s public school districts. The hope is that by creating a level playing field in district-to-district comparisons across the state, parents and policymakers will be able to use these rankings to demand more of their school districts. Several metrics were used to create an aggregate rating system. This includes:
• Global Report Card performance (math and reading)
• WSAS (WKCE) performance – 4th grade reading
• WSAS (WKCE) performance – 8th grade mathematics
• ACT scores and participation
• AP scores and participation
• Four-year graduation rate
• District attendance
• Concentration of students from economically disadvantaged families
• Concentration of students with limited English proficiency (LEP)”
The first criteria appear to have some face validity. However, note the last two measures used to rate schools. Your school district gets rated down just for having higher percentages of poor and Latino students.
Of course Milwaukee and Racine are at the bottom of the pack when McIver stacks the deck. What we have here is a classic case of dealing from a rigged deck. The top rated school, gets that rating in part because it is so racist and exclusionary. Most Wisconsinites will remember that Brookfield was sued for using its planning commission to stop low income housing from being built in their city. Talk about blaming the victims! Oh heck, who wants to go to school with poor folk anyhow? Why don’t we just call ‘em all lazy while we’re at it?
What would happen if all dem little black childs decides to take their vouchers and go to school in Brookfield. Oh, day can’t do dat? Hows come? Oh, because day is po and the right kind to bring out to Waukesha County. Awe, shucks! Well, at least we can send them to schools where they won’t be bothered to have to take all those pesky standardized tests. Best of all, we can defund the heathen Milwaukee Public Schools with all their liberal unionized teachers. Guess that’s the real reason anyway.

Fight So-Called "At Will" for Public Employees

Large employers have been quietly forcing their employees to accept a change in their employment status from permanent full-time staff covered by "just cause" protections to "at will" employees. Workers who have been with the same company for twenty years are being told they are now essentially day laborers. The practice has been pushed by business schools and organizations like Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce to prevent employees from suing for wrongful dismissal.
Now the uberlords of Fitzwalkerstan want to make public workers "at will" as well. You will of course remember how Walker lied to the people of Wisconsin when he swore that the end of collective bargaining would fair for workers because state employees would still have their Civil Service rights. "At Will" employment would remove those protections and allow evil republicans to turn the entire state into their own Tammany Hall style political machine.
Find out more about this proposal and scream like hell! This is just the type of legislation that the Governor could still try to push through in another of those so-called JOB CREATION special sessions.