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Also since as you put it all I can count on corporations to do is protect their bottom line, and try and make the maximum amount of profit without a moral compass at all, then why should we let corporations to spend unlimited money for their "freedom of speech". Since a corporation is unable to make a moral judgement so they should be shut completely out of politics in my opinion.
By this logic then corporations shouldn't be able to donate to charity either?? Since how could they make a moral judgement that they should help a person or not
You seem to paint corporations as evil However they donate billions each year to charity..In addition the ability to incorporate is a huge advantage for middle class people. This allows them to move forward and take risk without losing all their personal savings
If a corporation isn't allowed free speech what about other organizations. Such as unions? church groups? trade groups? Are you suggesting people can't assemble and push forward an agenda they believe in
They donate to charity and take a write off on their taxes which is why we have charity write offs in the tax code. What I am saying is that when they use lobbying congress and campaign underwriting so that they can get candidates elected who will be beholden to them is the problem. As a disclaimer here I own a corporation, however I do not use it to funnel money into the political process.
One sentence from the article highlights the important point: "Wisconsin led the nation in job losses last month." (In this case, October, the most recent month for which data is available.)
This isn't even percentage-wise; Wisconsin leads in the raw overall number of jobs lost nationwide. Thirty-nine of the other forty-nine states gained jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics adds that "Wisconsin was the only state with a 'statistically significant decline' in employment." For all the griping about Illinois raising taxes I hear from Scott Walker supporters, that state added three times as many jobs as Scott Walker's Wisconsin lost.
So, Chicagorooer and anyone else here in support of Walker, I have a few questions for you: Why should we trust a governor who fails to deliver on the number one priority of voters? How is Scott Walker going to deliver on his promise to create 250,000 new jobs in the state at this rate? Why should we trust a governor to deliver on any lesser point when he cannot deliver on the most important concern of his constituents?
If you can't give me satisfactory answers, I kindly request that you STFU & GTFO. Your ideology is hurting my state and its citizens.
Over the course of the past week, I have become romantically involved with one of the local volunteers. As if I didn't already have enough on my plate these days... These things never seem to find you when you're looking for them, though, and this is no exception.
She is a single mother in her mid-30s (I'm 31) living in this town's largest Section 8 housing project. The first few weeks of the recall, she had access to a borrowed vehicle which has since broken down. If she wanted to turn in new petitions, or needed new ones, one of us team leaders had to go to her. The first few visits were strictly about petitions that second week. A petition visit Thursday, expected to last ten minutes maximum, turned into a four hour visit. Tonight is going to be my third consecutive sleepover.
We are on many of the same wavelengths, and it's not just politics. She attended high school in Seattle around the time grunge broke. We had our raver phases and made similar mistakes around the same times. We're both straight-talkers who don't suffer BS lightly. And so on...
Her son... I don't know. I've never been in this situation before. He is on the verge of turning six years old, was born premature, struggles with some things in school, she thinks he has ADHD issues (I can attest to the Hyperactive part, for sure.) His father has been entirely out of the picture (and from what I've heard, with good reason) since before he was born, with the only contact he's had with my newfound romantic interest being through court hearings. I am told that last year, he only wanted four things for Christmas: a train set, a mountain, a baby sibling and a dad.
I don't know whether I'm up to it, probably not now and who knows if ever. Facing police in riot gear just feet away and singing & dancing seems so easy in comparison. I worry how this affects the little guy, if my involvement with his mother negatively impacts him. I worry whether my involvement negatively impacts my effectiveness as a local team leader on the recall. There's no way to know the alternatives to those courses of action, because I think it's too late to turn back now.
I do know this about myself, or maybe just learned it in the past year... I know I don't do things just because they are easy any more. I know I don't avoid doing things because they intimidate me any more.
As my boy DGP & I would say around the office this summer... Nuts on the table.
One sentence from the article highlights the important point: "Wisconsin led the nation in job losses last month." (In this case, October, the most recent month for which data is available.)
This isn't even percentage-wise; Wisconsin leads in the raw overall number of jobs lost nationwide. Thirty-nine of the other forty-nine states gained jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics adds that "Wisconsin was the only state with a 'statistically significant decline' in employment." For all the griping about Illinois raising taxes I hear from Scott Walker supporters, that state added three times as many jobs as Scott Walker's Wisconsin lost.
So, Chicagorooer and anyone else here in support of Walker, I have a few questions for you: Why should we trust a governor who fails to deliver on the number one priority of voters? How is Scott Walker going to deliver on his promise to create 250,000 new jobs in the state at this rate? Why should we trust a governor to deliver on any lesser point when he cannot deliver on the most important concern of his constituents?
If you can't give me satisfactory answers, I kindly request that you STFU & GTFO. Your ideology is hurting my state and its citizens.
First off it is uncalled for to tell anybody to STFU or GTFO. Just like telling people you are going to piss on them is also uncalled for. I will rise above such petty attacks
If you don't like Walker feel free to vote him out of office. Wasting lot's of money and people's time with the recall effort. I think perhaps you may be afraid of what may happen in a full blown general election. As of right now the recall walker movement is spending a poop ton of money and capital. Walker is spending little. So on a full blown general election Walker will hammer back and this is why they push so hard for the recall and won't wait for general anywho
The reason Wisconsin is in sad shape has little to do with Walker. Jobs have been leaving Wisconsin for decades. Manufacturing dried up ect. many of these manufacturing jobs went to the south or over sea's. In both cases they left the strangle hold of the unions.. In Wisconsin and illinois the union thugs have lot's of power. It makes it very difficult for business to operate in that environment.
For example Walmart for years couldn't open a store in chicago. WHY? b/c they are a non-union shop. Unreal in a free america? A free enterprise blocked from opening up in one of the biggest city in the USA is blocked for a decade b/c they are non-union
Pointing to Illinois as a stable of great business is foolish. we are about to loose Sears and the CME group. In addition we had to buy off "cat" or they were gone as well.
if you take a step back and look at the landscape you will see business has fled the region to the south or over sea's.
Don't ignore why they did it!! Union thugs is why they left. A business needs to stay competitive and Wisconsin doesn't look very attractive.
Don't blame walker he simply is trying to get business back in the state. Won't happen over night
I try not to directly respond to you, because it's about the equivalent of teaching astrophysics to an infant. An old friend of mine, his daughter was just born 10-12 hours ago... and probably would be more comprehensive and communicative than you are. Whatever I or anyone else here says will just bounce off you.
?
However, the fact you are so consumed in your union hatred... it's not healthy. How the hell did you even get to that? Surely you can't be hating unions that much from just watching unhealthy amounts of GOP-TV, I mean Fox News.
Oh...
Unions declined drastically in the last 30 years. The economy has gone to shit in the last 30 years? Might it have something to do with the free trade agreements, and the top 1% becoming wealthier and wealthier beyond imagination? Now, the majority of unions are representing government workers - not those who work in the private sector. Unions are at its weakest now since the 1930s... you make it sound like they're rampant.
You seem to be all to eager to defend your fellow working man than to blame who is directly responsible for the economic mess America is in now.
Sears is leaving Illinois because they merged with Kmart, a Michigan company. If they aren't consolidating to the Michigan headquarters - some place was stupid enough to give them a tax break to move. Who benefits from the tax break? Not the average worker.
Oh, and there's tons of lost jobs in mergers and consolidations - real great thing to have in an economy like this. Keep costs down, those in charge pocket the difference.
Walmart is evil, plain and simple. The city of Chicago didn't reject a Walmart solely because they don't allow unions - even I know that. Walmart refuses to pay its employees a living wage, tells its employees to go on public assistance for health insurance... just one gigantic burden on the system while they rake in billions in profits yearly. The Walton family is one of the richest in the world, combined worth somewhere in the 12 figures. And gets corporate welfare from you and me to help sustain their greed.
Corruption and thug behavior isn't acceptable, but to totally destroy unions because of those issues - that's like cutting off your hand because of dry skin.
CR, you have been asked nicely, time and time again to start particiapting in some music discussion, you know, the reason this forum exists???
You have consistenly shown that you here soley for the purpose of trolling the political threads. You have no intrest in discussing music or Bonnaroo, and for that, and that alone, I am banning you from this forum.
Inforoo is not a political site, the political discussions exist as an OFF TOPIC discussion. You are the only person that comes on here to soley talk politics. You are not a welcome member of this community and you are hereby banned.....Buh-bye...
CR, you have been asked nicely, time and time again to start particiapting in some music discussion, you know, the reason this forum exists???
You have consistenly shown that you here soley for the purpose of trolling the political threads. You have no intrest in discussing music or Bonnaroo, and for that, and that alone, I am banning you from this forum.
Inforoo is not a political site, the political discussions exist as an OFF TOPIC discussion. You are the only person that comes on here to soley talk politics. You are not a welcome member of this community and you are hereby banned.....Buh-bye...
Wow, a lot happened while I've been absent. I haven't logged in since my last post about the new lady in my life Tanya and I haven't slept at home since a week ago Sunday. That's all of an update I'm going to give on that front for now...
There are plenty of other things worth updating, so I'll get to it.
Updates John Doe Investigation The FBI's investigation which originated into Scott Walker's activities as county executive continues. The investigation has its first arrest as of yesterday. A man who contributed $850 to Walker's gubernatorial campaign was arrested for refusing to comply with the ongoing investigation. That's a small donation for someone to be getting arrested for in my opinion.
ACLU Lawsuit The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against, among others, Gov. Scott Walker over the state's voter identification bill. They will claim that Walker's administration is in violation of the Voting Rights Act, in that they have essentially imposed a poll tax by requiring for voting documents and IDs that place a financial burden on citizens who wish to vote. There are approximately fifteen named plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Most notable among them is 84 year old Ruthelle Frank in northern Wisconsin, who has voted in nearly every election since 1948 and serves on her town board. Born at home in the 1920s, paralyzed on one side, her birth date was recorded in a family Bible. She has no formal birth certificate and her first official documentation misspelled her maiden name. She would have to get an official birth certificate and go to court to address the misspelling of her name before she would even be eligible to get a state-issued identification card to vote. Other plaintiffs include a homeless veteran and a college student who does not wish to relinquish a driver's license from another state, as mandated by the law.
Solidarity SingAlong Showdown The Solidarity SingAlong has been taking place daily, usually in the capitol rotunda at noon on weekdays, since March. It is believed that many of the new Department of Administration rules, which go into effect on Friday, were created specifically to target this group. One rule in particular is defining a "rally" as a group of four or more people who appear to be together. Personally, this reminds me of a tactic tried by King George III before we revolted - it was such a rule that caused many of our founders to meet in Samuel Adam's tavern in Boston. The Solidarity SingAlong leader has contacted the ACLU for representation in this matter, and they have sent the Department of Administration a letter which basically says "Don't do these things, or we'll sue your asses." I will be attending Friday's edition of the Solidarity SingAlong... with Tanya and another of our town's volunteers, so as not to constitute a rally ourselves.
Northern Mining A company which seeks to build an iron ore mine near Lake Superior to the north, without the pesky Big Government requirements of a permit process, citizen input, or Department of Natural Resources oversight, is trying to proceed with their plans thanks to Walker administration legislation. The legislature tried to have the relevant hearings on this solely in Milwaukee, closer to where the mining company is based, without a session up north nearer to the citizens who would actually be impacted by the decision. One state senator, Bob Jauch (of the Democratic WI 14) from the northern part of the state, has been in opposition to these efforts and has been trying to assist the area's citizens, which includes a Native American tribe, in having their fair say in the process. In return, a conservative political group from Milwaukee (300+ miles away) has created an exploratory committee to look into filing to recall Sen. Jauch. The intended filer of the petition, a man from the district, has connections to the mining company which wishes to build the mine.
In addition to leading the nation in job losses, an estimate was released claiming that Wisconsin has given up a potential $1.3B in federal funds.
Moving on to Phase Two of the signature collection operation.
Can't talk any more now, something came up and I must go.
Tomorrow. Noon Central. Big announcement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin & United Wisconsin effort. It will be streaming online here if anyone is interested in viewing. United Wisconsin is expected to release updated numbers in advance of this announcement. One of my county coordinators, and I don't know whether she knows for certain, says she wouldn't be surprised to learn we were up to 600K signatures. Again, that magic number is 540,208 signatures. It's possible we're already at our goal... we'll know tomorrow.
Our county office had a fundraiser this past Saturday. This picture is our local team leaders with Rep. Andy Jorgensen & WI 14 Sen. Jon Erpenbach: L-R: Charlotte, Rep. Andy Jorgensen, Deane, Mandy, myself, Barb, Katie, Sen. Jon Erpenbach.
I would love to talk about them in greater detail, but there's not enough time now. In a little under two hours, Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, the "Fitz" in "FitzWalkerstan," is having an office hours session. I gotta give him a piece of my mind.
Updated Total[/u][/b] From the halfway point announcement which was made on Thursday. Current Total: 507,000+ Recall Trigger; 540,208 Updated Goal: 720,000+ We're 90+% of the way to the minimum in 50% of the time, but it feels more like halftime than two-minute warning. Walker & Lt. Gov Kleefisch are definitely facing recall at this point. If I remember correctly, one of the three official state senate recalls (Fitzgerald being independently filed) has already reached the threshhold for a recall election.
I don't know whether I've yet properly explained why my part of the state is unique in this recall. United Wisconsin & the Democratic Party are organizing recall efforts against Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and Republican state senators Van Wanggaard, Pam Galloway, and Terry Moulton. In areas of the state where state senators are being recalled by this effort, which is 3 of 33 districts, petitions are only being passed around for Walker and the state senator. Not Kleefisch. There is a fourth recall, that of Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. That was filed independently from the official efforts; all the support our office allows Recall Fitzgerald (or really can allow) is an inbox & outbox and the volunteers' choice of whether to make that petition a bottom-priority ask only after having asked for Walker & Kleefisch. With all that, I have the unique distinction of being in the sole senate district out of the 33 to be circulating three petitions. I refer to it as "the little recall that could."
Once we hit the new goal on Walker & Kleefisch, we can pour a lot more resources into Recall Fitz on my front. There's a lot of petition circulators in the largest cities in the state 50 to both east and west who are already talking about coming out at that point. The minimum threshhold on this particular recall is 16,800. It's up to about 9500 at the halfway mark, but we're shooting around twice that if we want to have a buffer for the signature challenge phase of things.
I didn't give Fitzgerald a piece of my mind Wednesday. His session went twice as long as scheduled to begin with; twenty-plus speakers, only 3-4 of them on his side - and two of them asking the same "how do we stop recalls in the future?" question. Rather than speak myself, I tweeted the bejesus out of it and had a sore thumb through the next day. It was worth it. I did want to tell him that the basic duties of his job are representing his constituents, legislating, and performing constituent services and that he refuses to properly execute these duties on all three fronts. He has another office hours Monday at noon. I'm tempted to get it on video this time. I noticed he is particularly defensive and quick to change the subject when it comes to ALEC, out of state money, and corporations in general. He's the state ALEC chair, and only 14% of his campaign funds come from within the district - although he gets 15% from out of state donors.
That's about as far as it goes for an update from my prior post.
I went to the Solidarity SingAlong with Tanya on Friday. It was at noon, meant to test the Department of Administration's new policies regarding citizen assembly on state grounds. There were over a hundred people there, there were ACLU observers there, but there wasn't an officer in sight. They are trying again on Monday at noon, this time inside the rotunda, to test the "four person rally" rule. I know the ACLU has already written the DOA a letter about this. From what I've read reported on the letter, it basically tells the DOA why they are going to sue them if they go through with what the policy says. I get a feeling that warning might be ignored. If it does, the ACLU will be suing the Walker administration in a second lawsuit.
The Solidarity Showdown will conflict with my planned attendance of the final Fitzgerald office hours. I'm still on the fence where to go then.
The Walker administration & state Republican Party sued the Government Accountability Board on Thursday, filing in Waukesha County, questioning the constitutionality of some of the very recall laws they had no problems with this summer.
Business as usual on a lot of fronts. Standing outside on public property with clipboards and signs, being the middleman on petitions which need corrections, delivering/cataloging completed petitions...
Supporters will give us honks, thumbs up and sometimes bring you coffee while you're standing out there. This is good because there are more of them, at least the ones that are more vocal about it.
The most common signs of Walker support or recall disdain I see: The middle finger. Thumbs down. (My two most common responses, in order.) On the "drive by and heckle" front, I hear: "Get a job!" I don't think these people have noticed that Walker's Wisconsin has led the nation in job losses for five straight months now. "Sore losers!" Sorry, no. I am exercising my constitutional rights. If I were really acting on what I am sorest about, I would be recalling Sen. Ron Johnson to avenge the defeat of Russ Feingold. "Go home!" I'm usually within a mile or two of home when I am out there, unless I'm 10mi from home for the mall along the interstate. That one comes with the variation of "Go back to Illinois!" "Walker for President!" Please, put him on the ticket. We've seen how well he's received outside Wisconsin.
Things like that, but a lot of people who mistakenly think you are breaking the rules and waste police resources on paying a visit only to decide the accuser was mistaken.
It's my new normal.
Speaking of which... I've probably wasted enough time ranting while Tanya's here asleep on the couch behind me.
Signature deadline is Friday, January 13th. Since the Government Accounability Board closes before the end of the day, petitions will be submitted on the following business day... Tuesday, January 17th. We've got an assist from Dr. King there ;D
We have changed gears from the "signing station" phase to the "door to door" phase. It's the final stretch.
Lately, I have had to deal with fun stuff in the wake of the 507K signatures announcement. Stuff like as trying to nab the older man who's been stealing signs around town, sometimes in broad daylight, or the woman in her 70s/80s who calls the police every time we were out in public with signs trying to bust us on a violation. Her case got so bad, we had to get the city attorney to send her a letter telling her to knock it off because we weren't violating any laws and she was wasting police time.
Walker's out in California for the Rose Bowl. There will definitely be Recall Walker banners in the stands, but unsure whether there will be a Recall Walker banner flying from a plane above the crowd.
Wish I had more time to report now, but that isn't the case.
In the holiday spirit...
Pedestrian footbridge on the main thoroughfare (East Washington Avenue) in Madison tonight.
Busy, busy, busy... busiest days of my life, but that's a good thing. I only have a break now because Tanya has my car before a strategy meeting tonight, and I'm watching her kindergartener son for an hour or so. He's beside me on the couch playing Wii as I write this; it's my first time alone with the little guy.
Without further adieu...
Updates The deadline for signature collection is Friday, January 13th. Signatures will be delivered to the Government Accountability Board on Tuesday, January 17th. After that, I'm either sleeping an entire day or going on a bender to put my Super Bowl bender to shame.
There is no doubt in my mind that we have the requisite signatures to force an recall election against Scott Walker. The last announcement was 507K signatures in the first half of the campaign. The official effort will no longer give any official numbers, but claims to be on track to reach the new goal of about 725K signatures for both Walker & Lt. Gov. Kleefisch. One state senate recall (of the four) has definitely reached the tipping point. The other three are close. The one in my area, against Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, is going to be close whichever side of the line it's one when the dust settles. Though the official Democratic Party/United Wisconsin effort cannot provide such support, the We Are Wisconsin PAC has hired a coordinator for the final push. Once Tanya gets home, we are heading straight to a strategy meeting with him at the county headquarters. If we're fortunate, the Fitz Blitz will be a success.
Walker's Wisconsin has lost jobs for each of the past six months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Wisconsin led the nation in payroll positions lost in both October & November, with December numbers still to be announced.
Walkergate: Three arrests & charges announced today in the ongoing John Doe investigation. Three former Walker aides were arrested. Two for embezzling, one of them for fraud as well. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker took control of a zoo benefit for disabled veterans, put his people in charge of it, and upwards of $60K was embezzled between the two of them. One of those arrested worked with the woman who sparked the investigation by making political postings on county time on the project. Some of the embezzled funds went to vacations. Some of the embezzled funds were used to send the embezzler to Atlanta to strategize about the beginning stages of Herman Cain's presidential campaign. (Seen his ad with his campaign head having a cigarette, Mark Block? He hails from Wisconsin & had to testify in this investigation.) Some of the embezzled funds went to paying for several domain names supporting Walker's gubernatorial campaign. The third man arrested was the domestic partner of one of the above men... his arrest was for child enticement involving a 17 year-old boy he met via Craigslist. Computers were seized containing "specific images" of underage boys - some of them sent to an email account with the handle "Walker04." Classy...
Walker & the Wisconsin GOP filed a lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board. They won a ruling today regarding how the GAB considers validity of signatures. For as long as we have had recall statutes, the presumption was that a signature was valid unless and until proven otherwise. This ruling changed that, stating that the GAB has to prove validity. It's worth noting that the state GOP was fine with these rules for decades until Walker was the highest-ranking Wisconsin official to face a recall election. They were fine with these rules filing for the recall of Democratic senators this summer, in the most recent case. This suit was filed in the Republican stronghold of Waukesha County, where Kathy Nickolaus "found" 14K votes two days after the Supreme Court election this spring, and was heard by a judge who is a former Republican legislator. It is worth noting that this filing in another county was not made possible until actions of the current legislature during Walker's tenure. Walker's side had representation; the Democratic Party/United Wisconsin effort did not. The attorney representing Dems/UnitedWI was late to the hearing due to a traffic jam because of documented road conditions and delays that day. He left the judge a voicemail, which at the hearing the judge claimed not to have heard - until after the hearing in which he denied them representation in the process. The GAB has to reorganize and rearrange their process as a result. They have requested additional funds from the legislature to adhere to the new procedures. I somehow suspect this isn't going to happen. There's definitely some shenanigans afoot here as far as I'm concerned.
On a side note... yeah, they are throwing everything in our paths that they can. They somehow think they can obstruct the process every step of the way without consequences. They somehow think that we'll let them interfere with the integrity of a legitimate popular uprising and get away with it. As if the ensuing backlash against such shenanigans won't make the capitol occupation look like a walk in the park. They're wrong.
Keep up the fight, Kdogg! Forward Wisconsin! I wish my ma and her family in Wisconsin shared even a shred of support fer this, but from the sound of it they don't.
Post by arlenefavreau1 on Jan 7, 2012 9:41:06 GMT -5
Notice to all of YOU who want jobs in your state. N.Y. is considering leaglization of casino's. Thats right we have decided to cut into the native american glory hole of grandmas pulling on the one arm bandit. Bringing back those ever so popular guys (bookies) and there gorilla type associates (collection unit) . Now all we need to do is figure out how to others to send there grandmas because my grandmas bakes pies and snicker doodles . She most definately is not a member in good standing at gamblers anonymos.
Notice to all of YOU who want jobs in your state. N.Y. is considering leaglization of casino's. Thats right we have decided to cut into the native american glory hole of grandmas pulling on the one arm bandit. Bringing back those ever so popular guys (bookies) and there gorilla type associates (collection unit) . Now all we need to do is figure out how to others to send there grandmas because my grandmas bakes pies and snicker doodles . She most definately is not a member in good standing at gamblers anonymos.
^^^ Can someone translate that into English please?
Post by arlenefavreau1 on Jan 7, 2012 10:06:25 GMT -5
What is it you are not understanding? Is it the fact that N.Y state is considering leaglization of casinos or the fact that I'm poking fun at a couple of the things that come with leaglized gambling?
