middle wisconsin news - august 2013

7/27/2019 Middle Wisconsin News - August 2013

1/12

Information Technology SolutionsMiddle WisconsinNEWS

A VOICE FORTHE MIDDLE OF THE STATE

Au g us t 2

Tradition.....................................1

Stereotypes...............................2

Sounding Off.............................3

Comics and Truth......................4

Liberals Defend Freedom .........5

Big Pharma ...............................6

The Penokees and the Lorax ...7

Working Wisconsin ...................9

Voucher Schools......10

Challenging the Myth ..............11

Thoughts on Pro-life .............12

2013 Midd le Wiscons in

IN THIS ISSUE:

www.M id d le Wisco n s in . co m

,

Middle Wisconsin News

welcomes leers, arcles, and

essays on relevant topics. We

ask that you limit submissions

to 600 words and provide

sources when appropriate.

Submissions may be edited for

length, clarity, and taste.

Emailed submissions should be

sent in plain text or Microso

Word aachments to:

[email protected]

DARING TO BE

BOLDLY PROGRESSIVE

Progressives ARE Conservatives

The newsleer this month is, as usual, an eclecc mixture. Topics cover:

Divide & conquer Broadcasng our message

Economic slavery The liberal defense of freedom

Big Pharma Conservaon

Worker rights Aboron

A wide range of topics, indeed, but theres a common thread that connects these arcle

together: All, in their own unique ways, defend the tradional American values o

fairness, respect, and the good of the community.

This bears repeang It is Progressives who are defending tradional,American, an

(in truth) conservave values. It is Progressives who are ghng for fair treatment of a

Americans, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status resulng from birth . . . I

is Progressives who are defending worker rights and an ethical contract between em

ployers and employees . . . It is Progressives who are defending Americans against the

unfair abuses of Big Pharma and Big Money . . . It is Progressives who are defending

our tradional, American public schools . . . It is Progressives who are defending our tra

dional, American communies and tradional, American public resources agains

privazaon and the predaons of an immoral and truly parasic nancial industry . .It is Progressives who are ghng for a return to the tradional American Dream,

where the wealth of producvity is fairly shared for the benet of allof our cizens.

Remarkably, Progressives ARE Conservaves.

And Conservaves ARE Progressives.

We all share the same traditional, American values and we are allbeing victimized by th

ruthless tactics of divide and conquer being used by moneyed interests to drive us down.

There is great power in the human spirit. There is great power in community in knowin

we are together in believing in the common good. When we, as a people, as united con

servative Progressives, internalize this and make it part of our being as true Americans, wecan return our nation to the home that we all once cherished. Its not such a far-off dream.

By Dave Svetlik Mosinee
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=progressive+values&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=ch9HRp9KLESHVM&tbnid=1r7n9FAhDsNuqM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffunnytshirtshack.com%2Findex.php%3Fmain_page%3Dproducts_new%26disp_order%3D6%26page%3D6&ei=zw__Ua


2/12

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all

men are created equal, that they are endowed

by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pur-

suit of Happiness.

Preamble to the Constuon of the United States of America

in a unanimous declaraon by Congress of the 13 United States of America

July 4, 1776

Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers envisioned a country where all cizens would

treated with respect and equality. This far-reaching vision laid the foundaon and guidan

for how our country would treat its cizens. Although some of the signers of the Declara

of Independence were slave owners, our country evolved and has made strides for equalit

most notably for minories and women. Certainly, there is more progress to be made.

a country, we do subscribe to the Preamble to the Constuon, but the human condion

far dierent maer.

Lately, the issue of race and gender equality is forefront in the public consciousness.

One cannot blindly ignore the conversaon occurring over the Trayvon Marncase or the

Supreme Court decisions overturning DOMA(Defense of Marriage Act) or Proposion 8in

California. These cases are about equality and test the very foundaons of our country. Arwe all created equal as envisioned in the Preamble to the United States Constuon?

Equally important is the naonal conversaon related to the widening gap between the

wealthy and the working class. This issue came to prominence during the Occupy Move-

ment, which highlighted the inequies in this country between the 1% and the 99%. How

corporaons and nancial instuons have lted the playing eld toward the wealthy. Ho

Cizens Unitedimmediately corrupted the polical process when the U.S. Supreme Court

declared that corporaons are people and can contribute UNLIMITED amounts of mone

to inuence elecons.

In Wisconsin, we have a Governor who holds no bones about dividing and conquering work

ers within the State of Wisconsin. In January 2011, Governor Walker told a billionaire donorthat he planned to employ a divide and conquer strategy to take away working peoples

rights a move that ultimately sparked historic protests and led to a historic recall election.

What do all these issues have in common? The answer is simple: stereotyping of certain

classesof people by race, gender, or socioeconomic status, which pits us against each ot

When we ght with each other, we get distracted from the real root of our problems and

digress from the Founding Fathers vision for our country. Our community es begin to

deteriorate from intolerance. We become closed minded. We isolate ourselves. We suer

Embrace the noon that all men [and women] are created equal. Embrace the noon that

we have more in common than we have dierences. When this occurs, we will have retur

to our roots, found in our Constuon.

Middle Wisconsin NEWS Au gu s t 20Pa g e

I dont dwell

on hatred

anymore. Its too

much of a burden.

Itll destroy you. Marn Luther King, Jr.


The Perpetuation of Stereotypes & Its

Harmful Effects on Our Communities

By John Spiegelhoff Merrill
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/trayvon-martin-fla-teen-k_n_1332440.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/trayvon-martin-fla-teen-k_n_1332440.htmlhttp://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/26/news/la-pn-doma-supreme-court-ruling-20130626http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/26/news/la-pn-doma-supreme-court-ruling-20130626http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/politics/scotus-prop-8http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/politics/scotus-prop-8http://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/citizens_united.phphttp://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/citizens_united.phphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/scott-walker-divide-and-conquer-unions-collective-bargaining_n_1509284.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/scott-walker-divide-and-conquer-unions-collective-bargaining_n_1509284.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/scott-walker-divide-and-conquer-unions-collective-bargaining_n_1509284.htmlhttp://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/citizens_united.phphttp://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/politics/scotus-prop-8http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/26/news/la-pn-doma-supreme-court-ruling-20130626http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/trayvon-martin-fla-teen-k_n_1332440.html


3/12

Lets sound o about progressive values. We have much

to be proud of and tell others about: equal opportunity forall workers, equal vong rights, universal health care, pro-

tecon and care of our Earth, quality educaon for all,

maintenance of our infrastructure, womb-to-tomb learning,

maintenance of our community and democracy, and more.

LETTER WRITING works in rural areas. Its been proven! The opinio

page is read as oen as the front page and sports pages. There are

circles of leer writers throughout Wisconsin. Al Kruger has design

the RURAL CAUCUS DEMOCRATIC WRITING PROJECT.

This is how you can get started: Pick an area to work and inform

Al Kruger via email: [email protected] phone: 715.483.9522.

Pick any paper in your area.

Ask for copies of all leers to the editor in the previous year.

Read each leer to determine progressive writers.

List each writers name, and research phone numbers.

Call them and invite them over for conversaon about issues.

Plana night of Food & Fun or Pie & Polics.

SIGNAGE is another effective tool for getting out the progressive message.

There are various groups throughout Wisconsin that have created sig

for issues and for candidates. Placing these signs along busy highways

are an easy and eecve way to reach many people. Once again, the

key is organizing people who can make signs, nd locaons, and place

the signs. Progressives need to work with the Democrac Party, as we

as with unions and other kindred souls, to accomplish this task. For more informaon, con

tact Nate Timm of Mazomanie,WI, at 608.220.0139 [email protected] .Working on

signage project is a great way to expand the grassroots networks.

LOCAL COMMUNITY RADIO is another way to reach people. Today its possible to get you

own radio staon! You can thank a freelance group of young acvists known as the Prome

theus Radio Project. This nonprot group has worked for the past 15 years with Low Powe

FM (LPFM). Local progressives set up unlicensed staons that operate on only 100 was o

power (a light bulbs worth). The signals of these broadcasters

have a range of up to 10 miles in diameter enough to cover atown or an urban neighborhood. Its a very localized, demo-

crac, and inexpensive way for communies to put their own

voices, issues, music, and stories on the radio for all to hear.

But that isnt the whole story. . . Corporate chains shut down the

ny units. Prometheus connued to bale the giants with a

grassroots campaign to legalize and license LPFM nonprot sta-

ons. It took 10 years of hard work, but it brought great results:

In 2011, President Obama signed the Local Community Radio

Act. With rules and sta now in place, thousands of low-power

noncommercial FM licenses will be available this October.


All tyranny needsto gain a foothold

is for people ofgood conscienceto remain silent.

Nobody made agreater mistake than

he who did nothingbecause he could do

only a little. Edmund Burke

Irish Statesman


Sounding Offby Virginia Kirsch Wausau
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=edmund+burke&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=l5kKu6dYn8qksM&tbnid=O6MWeh5G5ZvXBM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefamouspeople.com%2Fprofiles%2Fedmund-burke-190.php&ei=MY__UYiTH6SH2gWbroDQCg&bvm=bv.50165853,d.bhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


4/12

In a recent Dilbert cartoon, the pointy-haired boss tells

Dilbert, The best I can give you is a 2% raise. Dilbert

replies, No problem. Ill just lower the quality of my work

unl my pay feels fair.

Sco Adamss cartoon characters oer a stark reminder

that the relaonship between employers and employees is

interdependent and not that of master and slave. Businesses need employees to produce

and market their products. Their success depends upon their employees. In exchange, em-

ployees trade their skills and eort for wages and benets. Theorecally, theres a balance

between the skills and eort of the employee and the value of such to the employer, butthis balance depends on both employees and employers being equal counterparts.

Our economy is strongest when there is an appropriate balance between the needs of

employers and those of employees. Unfortunately, that balance is under aack from

wealthy corporaons coordinang legislave aacks on employees through front organiza-

ons such as the American Legislave Exchange Council(ALEC).

ALEC writes legislave bills that are submied in mulple states under local legislators

names. Each bill is intended to p the balance and make workers more dependent on the

whims of their employers. Legislave aacks on unions, minimum wage, healthcare, food-

stamps, and voter rights are all examples of moneyed power attempting to reduce the power

of working people. These aacks are all pieces of the ALEC Legislave Puzzle to move work-

ing Americans toward economic slavery.

Economic slavery is not a new concept. Less than 10 years aer the Civil War and the abol-

ishment of slavery, former slave states passed laws eecvely making minority Americans

second-class economic cizens. State Legislators took away their right to vote, limited edu-

caonal opportunies, and le many without the ability to earn enough money to own

property. It took over a 100 years to reinstate their right to vote and to aend public schoo

alongside White children. Today, the rights of minories and less auent Americans are

being aacked again. ALEC legislaon is aimed at privazing public educaon (economic seg

regaon of schools), moving family-supporng jobs out of the country, aacking minimum

wage laws, restricting voting, denying healthcare to those who cannot afford our increasinglyexpensive private system of healthcare, and more.

We can stop these aacks, but we have to learn what to look for. Ask yourself these two

quesons:

1. Does the proposal have a disproporonately negave eect on women, minori-

es, and those who have lower incomes?

2. Does this legislation financially benefit corporations and those of wealth by privatiz-

ing essential government responsibilities that support our communitys well-being?

If the answer is yes to one or both, contact your representavesand let them know you do

not support the legislaon. And, please, make sure you vote every chance you get.


Just How LowCan Your Salary Go?

At least 117 billsintroduced in 2013

fuel a race to the bottomin wages, beneits, and

worker rightsand resemble model

bills from ALEC.

Log on to theCenter for Media and

DemocracysPR Watch website

www.prwatch.orgfor detailed

information aboutALECs Legislative

Agenda on topics like:

Jobs

The economy

Women & children Education Healthcare Privatization of

public services The environment


By Tom Ivey Wausau

Sometimes the Comics Arent Funny

They Simply Capture the Truth
http://www.alec.org/http://www.alec.org/http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/http://www.prwatch.org/http://www.prwatch.org/http://www.prwatch.org/http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/http://www.alec.org/


5/12

In prior articles, Ive stated that our freedoms were created and defended by social justice activ

ists, not by our numerous military actions and wars. This article provides further documenta-

tion, from some of my recent reading, that liberal activists are the real defenders of freedom.

Twelve True Patriots for July 4,an arcle by Bill Quigley, makes this point. Mr. Quigley

reminds us that the signers of the Declaraon of Independence were engaged in civil dis

obedience. He then talks about contemporary acvists including Edward Snowden,

Bradley Manning, Transform Now Plowsharesnuclear weapons protesters, and the Occup

Movement who are examples of the thousands who are courageously resisng illegal

and unjust government acons and are the true patriots. Read the whole arcle pub-

lished by Common Dreamsby clicking here.

The Untold History of the United States, a book by Oliver

Stone and Peter Kuznick, is a great read for understandin

the American Century. It covers the rise of the American

Empire and the wars, diplomacy, military, and covert ac-

ons that sustained it through the 20th

century. By discuss

ing the lile known people, facts, and stories that include

the darker side of U.S. history, the authors challenge

the basic narrave of U.S. history that most Americans

have been taught. They believe our country has betrayed

its ideals of freedom, equality, and rule of law. To balance

our lack of historical knowledge, the authors highlight

some of the forces and individuals who have endeavored,

somemes heroically, to put the country back on the right

track. This is the story of the military misadventures and

crimes I have discussed in prior arcles. It is the story of

the social acvists who created, defended, and expanded

our civil liberes.

John Nichols, in his book The S Word: A Short History of An Ameri-

can Tradion . . . Socialism, discusses how socialists and communists

not only worked for advancing liberal pluralisc democracy and social

reforms but were successful in having some of these ideas eventually

adopted by mainstream policians. Socialism and social democracyhave been a part of our polical life since Thomas Paine. The openly

socialist majors of Milwaukee (19101960) were examples of clean,

ecient government that advanced the common good. Rather than

being a threat to our American way of life, socialism has been one

of the posive forces that created what we now enjoy.

These authors are not an-American. They are concerned about the erosion of our civil

liberes and the negave consequences of a century of militarism. They believe we must

honestly face our history if we are to learn from it and create a more prosperous, secure,

and just future. Will we ever learn this lesson?


Who are the truepatriots of today?

Not the flag-wrapped

politicians who sendother peoples children

off to be killed ordisabled in wars to

make the world safefor big businesses.

Not the flag-waving

profiteers who viewtheir successes as

their due.Not the crowds who

chant USA, USA, USA,upon learning of the

death of Osamabin Laden.

Bill Quigley

Author

Twelve True Patriots

for July 4


Liberals Defend Freedom

By Philip Anderson Maple
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/http://www.commondreams.org/http://www.commondreams.org/http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5http://www.amazon.com/The-Untold-History-United-States/dp/1480507024http://www.amazon.com/The-Untold-History-United-States/dp/1480507024http://www.amazon.com/The-Untold-History-United-States/dp/1480507024http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5http://www.commondreams.org/http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/01-5


6/12

When the Medicare Modernizaon Actwas

passed in 2003, lobbyists for the pharmaceucal

industry pulled o an incredible stunt In that

legislaon, Big Pharma saw to it that taxpayers

no longer paid the lowest government-

negoated prices for dual-eligible beneciaries

those eligible for both Medicare and Medi-

caid. Starng in 2006, when the law took eect,

the government no longer received discounts

on drugs for low-income seniors and disabled

folks, but instead paid higher prices under the

Part D program.

The Medicare Drug Savings Act Senate Bill

S740 and House Bill HR1588 introduced by

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Rep. Henry

Waxman (D-CA) proposes to reduce Medicare

Part D drug costs for taxpayers by simply re-

verng to previous laws which required drug

companies to pay rebates for all low-income

Medicare beneciaries. It is esmated that the

Medicare Drug Savings Act will save taxpayers

$141.2 billion over the next 10 years.

This legislaon takes one small step toward controlling price gouging by the drug industry

and it will strengthen Medicare by producing budget savings without harming beneciarie

According to Steven Brill, Studies show that drug prices in the U.S. are, on average, 50%

higher than in other developed naons.

Please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators Baldwin and Johnson (see contact

information below) to urge them to stand strong for their constituents and against the powe

pharmaceutical industry special interests by co-sponsoring the Medicare Drug Savings Act. It

only takes a minute of your time to make a difference. Please call or email them today!

U.S. Representave Sean Duy

Washington, DC | 855-585-4251 (toll free) or 202-225-3365

Wausau | 715-298-9344

Email available through website | duy.house.gov

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

Washington, DC | 202-224-5653

Email available through website | baldwin.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson

Washington, DC | 202-224-5323

Email available through website | ronjohnson.senate.gov


Total health spendingin the Wisconsin Budget

increased by $2 billion.

Better decisions wouldlower medical costs

to the state

and increase

the number of people

who receive services.

State Senator

Kathleen Vinehout

31st

District


Big Pharma GougesBy Jeanne Larson Phillips
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/piadocuments/FY07/Medicare%20Modernization%20Act%20%28MMA%29%20FY07.htmhttp://www.ssa.gov/foia/piadocuments/FY07/Medicare%20Modernization%20Act%20%28MMA%29%20FY07.htmhttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.uta.edu/faculty/story/2311/Misc/2013,2,26,MedicalCostsDemandAndGreed.pdfhttp://www.uta.edu/faculty/story/2311/Misc/2013,2,26,MedicalCostsDemandAndGreed.pdfhttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=big+pharma&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Jiv9bMjg6G36yM&tbnid=2bhdm5dmd5Vl0M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitnessential.co%2Fblog%2Falternative-cancer-treatment%2F&ei=bfT-Ua77KIXk2wXWg4DwCg&bvm=bv.50165853,dhttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.uta.edu/faculty/story/2311/Misc/2013,2,26,MedicalCostsDemandAndGreed.pdfhttp://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/On-Medicare-s-Birthday-Let-s-Pass-the-Commonsense-Medicare-Drug-Savings-Acthttp://www.ssa.gov/foia/piadocuments/FY07/Medicare%20Modernization%20Act%20%28MMA%29%20FY07.htm


7/12

Middle Wisconsin NEWSAug u s t 2 0

Pa g e

Have you ever read (or seen the movie of) Dr. Seusss book

The Lorax a story of greed, destrucon, and hope?Its

one of my favorite books.As I look over the torn and worn

pages, I remember the many mes I read it to my son and

daughter and now to my grandchildren . . .

The Once-ler, the narrator of the story, describes this

wondrous place to a young boy:

Way back in the days when the grass was sll green

and the pond was sll wet

and the clouds were sll clean,

and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space,

one morning I came to this glorious place.

And I rst saw the trees!

The Truula Trees!

The bright-colored tus of the Truula Trees!

Mile aer mile in the fresh morning breeze.

And, under the trees, I saw the Brown Bar-ba-loots

frisking about in their Bar-ba-loot suits

as they played in the shade and ate Truula Fruits.

From the rippulous pond

came the comfortable sound

of the Humming-Fish humming

while splashing around.

To this day, I love the way the words roll o the tongue and

the wonderful, happy pictures that those words describe.

The Once-ler saw this glorious scene with greed in his

heart.As quickly as he could, he started chopping down the

trees to make Thneeds that everyone needs. {Yes, thats

spelled correctly: thneeds.}

As he chopped down the trees, the Lorax popped out of thestump and said, I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees and

connues throughout the story to point out the destrucon

of this glorious place at the hand of the Once-ler: The trees

are whacked to the ground; the air is lled with smogulous

smoke; the Brown Bar-ba-loots are all geng the

crummies; the poor Swomee-Swans cant sing with

smog in their throat; the Gluppity-Glupp and the Shloppity

-Sclopp are glumping the pond where the Humming-Fish

hummed. Eventually, all that was good about this prisne

place is destroyed. And everyone leaves except the Once-ler.

At the end of the story, a remorseful Once-ler says to the boy

Now that youre here,

the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.

UNLESS someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get beer,

Its not.

SO

Catch! calls the Once-ler.

He lets something fall.

Its a Truula Seed.

Its the last one of all!

Youre in charge of the last of the Truula Seeds.

And Truula Trees are what everyone needs.

Plant a new Truula.Treat it with care.

Give it clean water.And feed it fresh air.

Grow a forest.Protect it from axes that hack.

Then the Lorax and all of his friends may come back.

My sorrow spills over to the truth of the story when I

think of the prisne, indescribable beauty of the Peno-

kee Hills being destroyed by mining.I envision the tops

of those tree-covered hills being blown to bits; the bird

deer, bear, andGods creatures taking ight to escape;

the trout streams, lakes, and clear waters being choked

to death with rock and ll;the rice beds that have been

a staple of the Ojibwe for hundreds of years disappear

ing forever; the noise of thousands of blasts filling the air

with millions of particles that everyone in the vicinity will

inhale into their lungs.

The Penokee Hills & The LoraxBy Joyce Luedke Hayward

Connued on p.


8/12

Middle Wisconsin NEWSAug u s t 2 0

Pa g e

And later, the people in the area will be le with the de-

strucon from Gogebic Taconites (GTACs) mining: babiesborn with toxic levels of mercury in their blood and birth

defects, mesothelioma, brain cancers,hearing loss, polluted

streams, ground water unt to drink, huge uninhabitable

areas, and a chasm in the ground possibly 20 miles long,

four and a half miles wide, and 1,000 feet deep complete-

ly surrounded by the guts of the hole. Lake Superior,

Gitche Gumee the gem of the earth, will also bear witness to

the destrucon.And as GTAC says good-bye with their

pocketbooks full, the people will once again be le.

We are like that young boy who has the Truula Seeddropped into his hand. Care, preserve, and love the earth for

the next seven generaons and beyond. Visit, with awe, the

beauful places of Wisconsin. As we know the greedy and

the powerful like those in the story of the Lorax will do eve-

rything in their power to destroy the Penokee Hills.

How will the real-life Penokee Hills

version ofThe Loraxend?

Several groups are taking on the Once-lers challenge to treat

the Penokee Hills with care. The mission of the Lac CourteOreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, through the

LCO Harvest and Educational Camp (LCOHEC) is to have a pres-

ence in and do research in the region. The inhabitants of the

Camp want to become part of it: to breathe the air; experi-

ence the open wilderness and natural beauty; to host tribal

members and other guests doing an inventory of resources,

trail blazing, archaeology studies, and harvesting.

The LCOHEC Camp is on county landwithin the Chippewa

ceded territory.The Chippewa have treaty rights in this re-

gion to hunt; sh; harvest foods, berries, herbs, medicinal

plants, maple syrup, ginseng, ironwood, and birch bark; and

use blown-down trees to build shelters and other items that

connue the tradions of the Chippewa. The land is open to

the public because it is in the State Forest Management Tax

Credit program.

Research and archaeology involve mapping 200 land allot-

ments that were stolen or decepvely removed from the

ancestors of present-day tribal members during the rst

sha iron-ore mining done in the late 1800s.

The Penokee Hills Educaon Project(PHEP) is educang thepublic about the risks to the Bad River watershed and the

Penokee Hills from the devastaon that will take place by

GTAC through the mining process.

The following groups are requesng monetary donaon

to support their work:

LCO Harvest and Educaonal Camp

hps://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eWrS7

Penokee Hills Educaon Projecthp://www.miningimpactcoalion.org/donate.html

Bad River Defense Fund

hp://www.badriver-nsn.gov

Online sources for more info:

hp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp -plumer-

updates-lco.html

hp://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps -of-the-

waters-

that-

nee/

Direcons to LCOHEC

hp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco -to-establish-

harvest-camp-at.html

Contact: Frank Koehn

Phone: 218-341-8822

Email: [email protected]

The Penokee Hills & The Loraxcontd
http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eWrS7https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eWrS7http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/donate.htmlhttp://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/donate.htmlhttp://www.badriver-nsn.gov/http://www.badriver-nsn.gov/http://www.badriver-nsn.gov/http://www.badriver-nsn.gov/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlmailto:Email%[email protected]:Email%[email protected]:Email%[email protected]://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.lconews.com/2013/04/lco-to-establish-harvest-camp-at.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/maps-of-the-waters-that-nee/http://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.savethewatersedge.com/camp-plummer-updates-lco.htmlhttp://www.badriver-nsn.gov/http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/donate.htmlhttps://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eWrS7http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/


9/12

Middle Wisconsin NEWSAu gu s t 2 0

Pa g e

Have you ever contemplated why we get up each morning and go to work? If you would ask an ordinary cizen in your

community why they work, you would probably get a response like: Well I have to pay the bills and feed my family.

Theres something deeper that drives us to get up, don our work clothes, leave our family, and depart to our place of

employment and that is illustrave in the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892.

In 1892, negoaons between the Amalgamated Associaon of Iron and Steel Workers (AA) and Pisburgh Bessemer

Steel Works-Homestead plant broke down. Industrialist Andrew Carnegie and his plant manager Henry Clay Frick vowed

to break the Union. Employees belonging to AA went on strike and, as a result, shut down the Homestead plant. During

the next few months, violence erupted and 10 people were killed seven of them strikers.

But the most amazing thing about the Homestead Strike was that workers barricaded themselves inside the steel plant

and surrounding grounds. They believed that because of the all the blood, sweat, and tears they shed in their workplace,

they owned the steel mill. They built the plant and made the steel. Without them, the plant would not operate. The plant

wasnt just a place of work; it was more than that. Their fellow employees were like family, and they were proud of what

they did. They had ownership in their place of employment. This is evident in the AA strike declaraon:

The employees in the mill of Messrs. Carnegie, Phipps & Co., at Homestead, Pa., have built there a town withits homes, its schools and its churches; have for many years been faithful co-workers with the company in thebusiness of the mill; have invested thousands of dollars of their savings in said mill in the expectation ofspending their lives in Homestead and of working in the mill during the period of their efficiency. . . .Therefore, the commiee desires to express to the public as its rm belief that both the public and the employeesaforesaid have equitable rights and interests in the said mill which cannot be modied or diverted without due

process of law; that the employees have the right to connuous employment in the said mill during eciency and

good behavior without regard to religious, polical or economic opinions or associaons; that it is against public

policy and subversive of the fundamental principles of American liberty that a whole community of workers

should be denied employment or suer any other social detriment on account of membership in a church, a po-lical party or a trade union; that it is our duty as American cizens to resist by every legal and ordinary means

the unconstuonal, anarchic and revoluonary policy of the Carnegie Company, which seems to evince a con-

tempt [for] public and private interests and a disdain [for] the public conscience.

We work not only to feed our families. We also have pride in the work that we do.

Ive heard some employers declare to workers, Just be lucky to have a job. My hands clench when I hear this. You should

reply, Youre lucky to have me as an employee. Never accept the premise that reductions in wages, benefits, and working

conditions is the new norm and youre helpless to do anything about it. The brave Homestead strikers of 1892 certainly didnt.

Why We Work

By John Spiegelhoff, MerrillAmerican Federation of

State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Working Wisconsin
http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/


10/12


We spent monthstouring the stateholding listening

sessions.

Not once did anyoneask me to expand thevoucher system

statewide.Every conversationwas about how to

stop thedecimation

of public schools. Sondy Pope

State Representave of the

80th

District and ranking

Democrat of Assembly

Educaon Commiee

2013 Middle Wisconsin

DID YOU KNOW...?

1. Wisconsin parents, regardless of income, who

send their children to a private/religious school

are now entled to a tuion tax deducon.

2. This tax deducon will be applied to nearly 100,000 students who aend a private/

religious school. The great majority of these private/religious schools are also funded

with taxpayer money.

3. Parents will receive a tax deducon of $10,000 for each high school student and a $4,0

tax deducon for K8 students aending a private/religious school.

4. These tax deducons are expected to reduce Wisconsins revenue by $30 million in 20

15. In the next biennium, the reducon will at least be doubled.

5. This tax break is in addion to the expansion of the states voucher/choice program in

which the state and state taxpayers pay part or all of the private school tuion for the

100,000 students.

6. Voucher/choice schools are private/religious schools that receive taxpayer funding to

for the students tuion. These voucher schools will receive $7,210 per K8 student an$7,856 per high school student for the next two years. These amounts are guaranteed

7. When voucher limits are lied, it will cost over $700 million annually to fund the educa

on of students alreadyaending private/religious schools.

8. Milwaukee was forced to levy more than $50 million in taxes in 2011 to subsidize scho

in the voucher program over which MPS has no authority or control. This voucher tax

will be more evident across the state as public school districts deal with cuts to pay for

these private schools.

9. Students in the private/religious, taxpayer funded schools do not perform any beer a

usually worse than public school students when tested using the WKCE test.

10. Voucher schools are now exempt from releasing students test scores under the budge

signed by Governor Walker. There is no statewide accountability system that would ho

private, taxpayer-funded schools to the same standards as public schools. At this me

we have no means to compare voucher students performance to public school stude

performance.

11. Voucher schools are exempt from opening their business records and do not have to

comply with open-meeng laws. Consequently, taxpayers have no clear picture of how

our tax dollars are being used.

It is our duty as cizens and taxpayers to be aware of the impact

these changes will have on our public schools.

By Joyce Luedke Hayward

The Real Cost of

Voucher Schools


11/12

By Dave Svetlik Mosinee


Pa g e

And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed

if all records told the same tale

then the lie passed into history and became the truth

George Orw

1984 (published in 194

CHALLENGING

THE MYTH...

The Myth that Pro-Life Legislation

Is Intended to Reduce Abortions

The irreconcilable aboron debate is once again in the news. At a personal level, it represents the hearelt moral quan-

dary of caring people on both sides of the issue. All are to be respected for their genuine concern. Unfortunately, the op-

erave word in this debate is irreconcilable. For decades, this has enabled an agenda that has lile to do with reducing

aborons. By falsely framing the debate as conservave vs. liberal, the word irreconcilable is exploited to keep us

permanently divided as a people.There will never be an agreement between pro-life and pro-choice advocates. What is UNARGUABLE is the obvious:

Aborons result from unwanted pregnancies. Reframing in this context represents our only realisc hope of actually

reducing aborons.

Many factors lead to unintended pregnancies, but three stand out:

Educaonal aainment Women with the fewest years of educaon have the highest unintended

pregnancy rate.

Income level The unintended pregnancy rate for women at or below the poverty line ($19,530 for a family

of three) is four mes the rate for women 200% above the poverty line.

Contraception When women have access to long-acting, reversible contraception, unintended pregnancy and

abortion rates drop substantially. This is a function of income level and the availability of medical insurance.

It is no coincidence that the model legislaon passed in Wisconsin, Texas, Mississippi, and other states over the past

few years is virtually identical. Nearly all of it is the work of the corporately funded American Legislative Exchange Council

(ALEC) or its cousin organization Americans United for Life (AUL). All of it deliberately avoids addressing the root causes of

aboron, and most of this legislaon is likely to exacerbate the problem.

We must all ask ourselves

Do we wish to moralize and condemn, or do we wish to actually reduce aborons?

Because the two are not the same.

If we truly wish to reduce abortion, we must address the gross inequity in wealth and income that is driving ever more Amer-

icans and our states and communities into poverty. If we truly wish to reduce abortion, we must take the moral stance thataccess to healthcare is a human right and establish universal healthcare as exists in virtually every other capitalist, industrial-

ized nation. If we truly wish to reduce abortion, we must strengthenpublic education at every income level.

Not surprisingly, all of these acons are opposed by the self-serving wealthy interests prong from the status quo.

These individuals and corporaons use aboron as a tool to divide us, and every me that we allow the discussion to de-

volve into a conservave/liberal bale, we play right into their hand. We also minimize our ability to actually reduce

aborons.

Each of us is blessed with an intellect. We can solve the aboron issue. But it is not going to be accom-

plished through baseless ideology or frightened emoonal reacon to manipulave messaging. It is going to

be accomplished by intelligently, ethically, and fearlessly seeking soluons to the social and economic issues

we confront.


12/12


Pa g e

Heather Busby | Aorney & Execuve Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, Ausn, TX

Next me, rather than wasng me and money on a bill that is so unlikely to survive a court

challenge, Texas lawmakers should focus on provisions that would actually reduce the num-

ber of aborons: increased access to contracepon, sex educaon in our schools and expand-

ing quality, and aordable health care for the nearly 2 million Texas women who lack health

insurance.

And they should focus on legislaon that benets women and their families, like the Fair Pay

Act that Perry recently vetoed, expanding Medicaid and fully funding educaon.

We can and should reduce the number of aborons and unwanted pregnancies in Texas, but

that will only happen if Texas conservaves choose science and law over polics.

hp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/arcle/Busby -Laws-that-benet-women

David Frum | Author-Journalist, Washington DC

If you're serious about reducing aboron, the most important issue is not which aborons

to ban. The most important issue is how will you support women to have the babies they

want.

As a general rule, sociees that do the most to support mothers and childbearing have the

fewest aborons. Sociees that do the least to support mothers and childbearing have moreaborons.

So maybe at the next candidates debate, a journalist will deect the discussion away from

what if and instead ask this: Rather than tell us what you'd like to ban, tell us please what

you think government should do to support more happy and healthy childbearing, to reduce

unwanted pregnancies, and to alleviate the economic anxiees of mothers-to-be?

Those are the questions that make the difference. Its amazing how little we talk about them.

hp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum -aboron-reality

Dr. Jen Gunter | Obstetrician Gynecologist (OB/GYN), San Francisco, CA

...the whole thing smacks of hypocrisy. Because, in Texas and Ohio, and all these states, if

they really wanted to prevent aborons, they would make long-acng, reversible contracep-

on free. Study aer study aer study shows that when women have access to long-acng

contracepon like IUDs, and when they dont have nancial or access barriers,their risk of

aboron just plummets. The irony is that this is all just posturing. Because the answer is right

there. If you actually wanted to make aboron very rare, the answer is there. Its long-acng,

reversible contracepon.

hp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a -gynaecologist-on-how-aboro.html

Thoughts on Pro-life Legislation

From Around the Country
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.phphttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dr.+jen+gunter&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=fUvti9kT2l-SjM&tbnid=YKIyzYdm4gM2CM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fboingboing.net%2F2013%2F07%2F15%2Fa-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.html&ei=3wn_UczkAoKs2QXD-IGACQ&bvm=bhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=6eSbY0BdSml5sM&tbnid=VbQ5VYgQ3ms7mM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.centraltxdemocraticforum.com%2F2013%2F01%2F2013-legislative-session-texas-dystopia-tea-party-style%2F&ei=9wj_UaWqMMbIhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=david+frum&source=images&cd=&docid=YZXxnmjsVl6vuM&tbnid=7xBW9mU1LHHxoM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Ddavid%2Bfrum%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26cad%3Drja%26docid%3DYZXxnmjsVl6vuM%26tbnid%3D7xBW9mU1http://boingboing.net/2013/07/15/a-gynaecologist-on-how-abortio.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/opinion/frum-abortion-realityhttp://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Busby-Laws-that-benefit-women-would-help-to-4675377.php

middle wisconsin news - august 2013

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