Thunda Around The Rotunda- April 30th - Raging Grannies and Senator Erpenbach

... forgive me ... I have heard this group many times ... called "The Raging Grannies" I think ... shot from side of speakers area 2:38 pm... then Senator Erpenbach ... several clips

Thunda Around The Rotunda- April 30th - Bikes on Carroll x 4

2:32pm 4/30/2011 On Carroll looking down toward W. Washington and State St ... gives a good sense of how many bikers ... there were more Mifflin ... on all sides of the Square ... speakers on King St

All and Part III - Thunda Around The Rotunda - April 30th - Madison WI Capitol 00003.MTS

 Thunda Around The Rotunda - April 30th - Madison WI Capitol 2:23pm

Cycles/Hogs Part III - on to Square coming up South Hamilton St - Shot from King and Main 4/30/2011 2:23pm - Supporting Workers Rights ... coming on for about 10minutes ... more with stragglers ... parked all around the square ... both sides on some blocks (Mifflin and Carroll)

Integrated version ... all three parts put together and final part separately!

Isthmus: Motorcycles ring Wisconsin Capitol for 'Thunda Around the Rotunda' (slideshow) Kristian Knutsen on Saturday 04/30/2011

Part II - Thunda Around The Rotunda - April 30th - Madison WI Capitol 00002.MTS

Thunda Around The Rotunda - April 30th

Turned video off/on ... so parts stayed loadable in a reasonable amount of time!

Cycles/Hogs Part II - on to Square coming up South Hamilton St - Shot from King and Main 4/30/2011 2:21pm (more later or see wi1848forward) - Supporting Workers Rights ... coming on for about 10minutes ... more with stragglers ... parked all around the square ... both sides on some blocks (Mifflin and Carroll)

Remember: Start - Thunda Around The Rotunda - April 30th - Madison WI Capitol 00001.MTS

Thunda Around The Rotunda- April 30th

Cycles/Hogs Start on to Square coming up South Hamilton St - Shot from King and Main 4/30/2011 2:19pm (more later or see wi1848forward) - Supporting Workers Rights ... coming on for about 10minutes ... more with stragglers ... parked all around the square ... both sides on some blocks (Mifflin and Carroll)

Organizer's site: Thunda Around The Rotunda- April 30th

Update 1/30/2012: Do it again and tractors too!

UP TOO Early: Ignorance is Bliss, but What is it Costing YOU?

A developing source ... the things we can find out together ... then we have to hope words make a difference!

From the source (click title) -

People, we need to be aware of this organization - I don't care what your political leanings are; you need to know this. It HAS IMPACTED YOU - your finances, your life. IT WILL IMPACT YOU.

I have provided the source of this information below - THEIR OWN WEB SITE from 1999, which is still available courtesy of the Wayback Machine, a web archive service.

Home for IceFishingLady (whose season is just getting started!) -Up Too Early

Video Protest - Fare-Free Ohio: ALEC - they meet in secret -- they write our laws

Fare-Free Ohio: ALEC - they meet in secret -- they write our laws

March around the hotel ... Cincinnati?! 4/29?!

SeeYouInCincy at ALEC - Protest and TeachIns

The Enquirer is one of the local Cincinnati press (aka Cincinnati.com)?  It stayed home?  Not even a mention of event(s)?

Protest Greets Legislative Ghostwriters in Cincinnati; Enquirer Absent April 30, 2011 - sentientcincinnati

From the source -

An anonymous group, they gathered to plan their next legislative roll-out for America.  They were greeted outside the Hilton by bucket drums, megaphones, and a hundred angry voices.  Three blocks away, The Cincinnati Enquirer stayed home.

... But as the group’s annual Spring Task Force Summit convened yesterday, so did journalists and activists from across the Midwest.  And during a two-hour protest and 19 public “teach-ins” across downtown Cincinnati, speakers described a group bent on bloating corporate profits, at the expense of taxpayers and jobs.

Indianapolis-based Daily Kos journalist Bob Sloan told an audience at the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center about a growing ALEC-supported movement to provide cheap inmate labor to corporations, by criminalizing immigration, relaxing child-labor laws, and abolishing “prevailing wages” rules for working inmates.

 ...
Although ALEC has non-profit status, it appears to behave more like a political action committee, with its member list and model legislation texts both kept under wraps.  But with the election of Governor John Kasich, who was a founding member of ALEC, the promotion of Boehner to Speaker of the House, and 25% off baseball tickets offered by Reds, Ohio may feel like receptive territory this year.

Also active from Ohio are Senator Bill Seitz, Chair of the Civil Justice Task Force, and Rep. John P. Adams (R-78th), ALEC’s Ohio state Chairman.  Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder sits on ALEC’s Board of Scholars, and Reps. Andrew O. Brenner (R-2nd) and Danny Bubp (R-88th) were tweeting from the summit.

...The two sides will have another opportunity to face off this August, when the board holds its annual meeting in New Orleans.

Start organizing and planning!  They do!


http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/04/e1045412/state-legislators-gather-and-discuss-state-policy-solutions

Help Discover RT Wing LINKS: ALEC - US Chamber of Commerce - Mackinac Center

Have got some time to do some reading ... and some file space of course?!  The Daily Kos needs your help!

UPDATED: Anonymous Hits Chamber!

From source -

As we speak I'm sitting on a mile high pile of data released about the US Chamber of Commerce. Thousands and thousands of docs released a few hours ago. Wanna help read through the docs and see what crazy things the Chamber is up to? There's thousands of these docs. It's a 1.2 GIGABYTE download. My computer is choking on it. Looks like a lot of docs scraped from their sites.

...It contains documents from an organization that particularly makes my teeth curl, the Michigan based Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Those are the dudes who brought us the Overton Window. They're kind of nuts.

How did Dane County Vote - JSOnline

In some people's mind the "evidence" of massive voter fraud in Dane County would be the reason for pushing  AB 7 or as it is known Voter ID legislation.  I guess the evidence does not exist, so far, but a huge turnout may never happen again if it can be made difficult to vote.  The Democrats have Brookfield and the Republicans have Dane County!  Now the Democrats just need to start planing on how to reform "voting" when their turn comes - probably just repeal AB 7?

Fact-checking conservative claims of fraud and discrepancies in Dane County court vote - Craig Gilbert - Journal Sentinel April 27, 2011

From source -

Ever since Dane County delivered massive vote margins for JoAnne Kloppenburg in the ultra-close April 5 state Supreme Court race, there have been suspicions raised on the right about those numbers, even cries of “fraud.”

With a recount in the race now under way, this is an effort to fact-check those claims, which have come in e-mails, blog postings and a press release last week by the Republican National Lawyers Association, which blasted the recount requested by Kloppenburg and called instead for an investigation into “potentially massive fraud that occurred in Dane County.”

The group alleged that, “In some precincts in the liberal City of Madison of Dane County, as many as 40% of voters only voted for judge – an extremely high number that is not seen even in Presidential election years.”

How did #DaneCounty Vote - #JSOnline #Kloppenburg #2011 WI 1848 Forward 

NYTimes - Leading Democrats Form Fund-raising Group

If 2012 Presidential politics have not already begun they have now!  So shortly after hunting for Easter Eggs the money hunt and trying to define the other guy has begun in earnest.  Evidence the YouTube entry that has been put up!  It is included as part of this NY Times - Politics article at the very bottom - April 29, 2011, 7:18 am Leading Democrats Form Fund-raising Group By JIM RUTENBERG. 


First from the article (click title to see in full) -

A group of leading Democrats, including some with close connections to the White House, are officially forming what are expected be the major outside groups to combat Republicans — and support President Obama — in the 2012 elections with help from huge donations from big money donors and corporations who will have the legal ability to stay in the shadows that Mr. Obama has previously so vocally criticized.

The groups are to be called Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action, and, as such, are modeled after the Republican groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS that were started with help from the uber strategist Karl Rove and were credited with helping greatly in the party’s takeover of the House of Representatives this year — and, it happens, with facilitating a waterfall of anonymous donations from moneyed interests in the November elections.

From YouTube -

Wonder who did the research ... push enough buttons?

NYTimes - Who is Allen B. West?

Here is the title link - Conservative Congressman’s Star Power Extends Beyond Florida District - JENNIFER STEINHAUER - Published: April 28, 2011

Why is he being given so much attention?

From the source -

There was his recent observation that liberal women “have been neutering American men,” and that the president of the United States is a “low-level socialist agitator.”

Mr. West scoffs at the notion that he has become a sensation. “I don’t drink my own tub water or read my own press,” he said in a brief interview before a town hall-style meeting here this week. “I tell the truth and I stand on convictions and you know what you’re getting.”

While Mr. West’s decision to cast himself as an iconoclast has made him a conservative star, it is unclear how well it will serve him as he seeks re-election next year in this swing district, where far more voters are likely to come out for a presidential election than in the midterm cycle.

 I would suggest that someone starts checking license plates in the parking lot and see where people really reside? 

RECOUNT ALERT! SERIOUS BREAK IN CHAIN OF CUSTODY IN WAUKESHA COUNTY!

What is this all about?  Waukesha keeps providing excitement?!  From the source -

"At around 2:15pm, we were ready to open the bags for Delafield. There were three bags total. Bags 1 & 2 were fine. The numbers all matched up. When we got to bag 3, we found out that the bag # was NOT RECORDED ON THE INSPECTOR'S statement...! The Republican canvass person said we could assume that the clerk forgot to write the # down on the inspector's statement and we could proceed. Of course, this is a break in the chain of custody!..."

So Bill (volunteer lawyer) objected. I got my phone out and went to call the campaign. The sheriff wouldn't let me out the back door (even though I went out that door to use the restroom earlier) but made me go around everyone to the front door (front door is for reps, back door is for public). I had to get past the guy sitting out front wanting to know if I was leaving for the day, what my name was...

2013 Who is Paul #Ryan ? #NPR / #WPR 4/28/11 report - Still the same #Speaker in 2015

GOP Budget Architect Heads Home To Mixed Reviews by Chuck Quirmbach

From the source - the title will take you to audio (4min) and transcript -

"He's gonna save us money by cutting some of our social programs, but yet he's going to give that money, that same money, back in tax cuts to the people that least need them?" Prell said. "To me, that is pretty much lying — that's two-faced, that's dishonest, that's Paul Ryan in a nutshell."

Prell said he doesn't believe Ryan's argument that trimming tax loopholes for the wealthy and corporations would offset cuts in tax rates.

Ryan acknowledges the House budget is going to have a tough time passing the Senate and competing with the president's proposal, which seeks smaller changes in Medicare. When asked at one session if it'll take a Republican election sweep next year to get his program enacted, he said he would push for compromise this year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Ryan Cosponsors New Fetal Personhood - Bill Posted: 01/09/2013 12:34 pm EST- HuffingtonPost

WI 1848 Forward: v2 2013 Who is Paul #Ryan ? #NPR / #WPR 4/28/11 report : #Fetal Position : #NARAL #WOW #Janesville

WI 1848 Forward: 2013 Who is Paul #Ryan ? #NPR / #WPR 4/28/11 report : #Fetal Position : #NARAL #WOW #Moral ?

What's the stink about? Bill Bruins to Natural Resources Board

From Governor Walker's Press -

April 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Schrimpf, 608‐267‐7303
Walker Names Three Natural Resources Board Appointments

...Wisconsin Farm Bureau President William Bruins, Wisconsin Hunters’ Rights Coalition co‐founder Greg Kazmierski, and Shawano businessman Terry Hilgenberg have all been nominated for six year terms on the Board. ...

 ...William Bruins, Waupun, owns and operates the Homeland Dairy family farm in rural Fond du Lac County. He served as president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general farm organization with more than 22,000 members, since 2003. Since 2010 he has also served on the Waupun Area Board of Education. He has been a member of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (UW‐Madison) Board of Visitors and has been involved in a number of agricultural stewardship committees.

This article from JSOnline 2005 indicates, at that time, Bruins had a 600 dairy cow operation - and he was being affected by new/proposed state agency rules - given that the average herd was 75 cows (2005) he is no small operator - no bull!

Rules aim to end stink over farms' smell - Proposed regulations would establish state standards for odor of livestock facilities By MEG JONES JSOnline
From the source -

"If we could wave a wand and make manure not stink, that would be great," said Bruins, who took over his parents' farm in 1970.

But, of course, manure does stink, and that's why the Legislature, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and other interested parties came up with regulations.

The proposed regulations, which the state agriculture board recently voted to send to public hearings in March, would establish state standards for some livestock facilities, specifically focusing on the impact of odor and manure. But determining what smells and what doesn't was a bit of a puzzle. After all, what Bruins might think is the sweet smell of profits might be someone else's stink bomb.

Now we can give more advantages to whom - business, business and business!

What would Dave Meslin say about WI Legislative Hearings - JFC, AB 7

AB 7 concluded hearings yesterday and JFC continues next Tuesday, in the Capitol, at 11am!

Ahhh! New material for my TED presentation ;-}

TED: Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy : Local and Involved

NYTimes - Political Money - Obama ExecOrdr? - US Chamber of Commerce

... and what might Alice see through the looking glass?

Lobbyist Fires Warning Shot Over Donation Disclosure Plan By ERIC LICHTBLAU Published: April 26, 2011 NYTimes

While no final decision has been announced, the White House has acknowledged that Mr. Obama is considering issuing an executive order requiring all would-be federal contractors to disclose direct and indirect political spending of more than $5,000.

The order could, for instance, force a military contractor or an energy company seeking federal work to report money it gave to the Chamber of Commerce or another advocacy group to help finance political ads and expenditures.

Steve Doyle - Election for 94th Assembly District - Soon!!!

Steve Doyle

94th Assembly District: A matter of experience Doyle touts proven leadership

From the source ... LaCrosse Tribune

Doyle expected outside interest groups would target him in attack ads. “I can’t say I was not warned and didn’t know what I was getting into,” he said. 

But that doesn’t mean the attacks don’t rankle. He can challenge the claims but prefers for now to stop short of launching any counterattack.

“People are mad, and they’re mad at both parties,” he said. “They just want the fighting to stop ... they want to see solutions, not finger-pointing.”

GAB wants extensions to handle RECALLS

TheWheelerReport.com has posted ... GAB. Files motion to reopen, add parties and extend deadlines in recalls.  The GAB link will get the PDF for you to read!


As I read/scan GAB wishes to extend deadlines for its certification Recalls to the end of May (two different dates 23rd, 31st meetings, cert 5/31-6/3)  ... and if everything was accepted then elections would happen on July 12th?!


#GAB (no more #GOP killed it in favor of partisan #politics ) wants extensions to handle #RECALLS

NYTimes: House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget

The NY Times article gives a "wider" perspective on how people reacting to RyanCaresNot!

From the article -  By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and CARL HULSE Published: April 26, 2011

After 10 days of trying to sell constituents on their plan to overhaul Medicare, House Republicans in multiple districts appear to be increasingly on the defensive, facing worried and angry questions from voters and a barrage of new attacks from Democrats and their allies.

Click Title for article.

One video included just as another example!

#VoterID Hearing 4/27/11 Capitol - AB7 - Listening to Testimony

There has been a great deal of, let us say negative feedback.  People are also concerned with fiscal and administrative impacts.  Various estimates of $4M to $5M have been offered - per year?  Semi-official organizations have indicated that training of staff and the public is going to impact preparedness for the next elections.  Whenever the word disenfranchisement is used the Republicans basically resort to rhetorical mechanisms to claim people have responsibility to follow the rules and this bill is not going to disenfranchise anyone.  Representatives of the UW Board of Regents favored allowing Student Ids. League of Women Voters does not support AB 7 ... need I go on!

As I listened/watched on WisEye.org from 11am until 3pm (with some gaps) I think I heard one person support AB 7.

The Brennan Center for Justice (link below) was referenced again and again ... seems like ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) group think.

Voting Rights Under Attack

From that source -

Since January, legislators have proposed strict new voter ID policies in at least 37 states, including Florida, a key swing state in federal elections. Far more restrictive than bills introduced in the past, critics argue these policies are not only ineffective, but also make it harder for seniors, students and other vulnerable citizens to vote. A recent Brennan Center report finds these measures also have high implementation costs at a time when many states are trying to close budget gaps.

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_cost_of_voter_id_laws_what_the_courts_say/

 Previous blog entry -
Voter ID Hearing 4/27 Capitol - AB 7 - Common Cause

Today 4/28/11 from the Isthmus -
Dissenters dominate Wisconsin voter ID bill committee hearing - Alison Bauter on Thursday 04/28/2011 8:58 am

Walker's War on Safety Net - Public pensions face changes

Mike Ivey, who writes the Biz Beat column for the Capital Times in Madison, recently wrote Public pensions face changes (4/27). It is a short piece with some interesting references. It also scratches the surface on a good number of other issues – most significantly legal. The following blog entry on this topic was provided a few days ago NYTimes - Public Pensions, Once Off Limits, Face Budget Cuts (4/25). Another blog entry related to this is from March 1^st Public Employees' Contributions To Pensions . This last entry also links to Tax.com - David Cay Johnston. It is lengthy but worth printing and reading with a pencil in hand and start writing letters, NOW!

An ounce of awareness is worth a ton of politics, of which the latter may be about to fall on many Wisconsinites. David Cay Johnston makes the point that 401K, are very inefficient investment vehicles.  Think about it: 1) the time an individual has to devote, 2) the time and number of additional administrators required in organizations, and 3) the multitude of fees that administrators and investment vehicles collect (such as mutual funds). Finally, 401K are a tax break for those with any discretionary income.

Traditional or defined benefit pension plans, properly administered, increase economic efficiency, while the newer defined contribution plans have high costs whether done one at a time through Individual Retirement Accounts or in group plans like 401(k)s.

Hopefully as there is time to check the references provided in Biz Beat we may see otherwise! As another idea all Wisconsinites should be offered a “deferred compensation 401K” administered by the Employee Trust Funds and thus secure excellent ROI , and avoid the problems listed above.

Vermont: What is single payer? It will become law - soon!!!

Vermont explains Single Payer very clearly!

Statement of Principles:
We support a universal health care system for the State of Vermont, one that includes all Vermonters, offers free choice of providers, is progressively financed, decoupled from employment, affordable for all, and pays for all necessary care out of public funds; a system which retains the private delivery of health care and has a publicly accountable budget process to ensure adequate capacity to meet the health care needs of all Vermonters.


Title takes you to VermontForSinglePayer.org

Happening? Vermont Single Payer HealthCare - Why not WIsconsin - Walker Politics

TED: Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy : Local and Involved

Dave Meslin Oct 2010 TED presentation in Toronto - posted 2011 -

Local politics -- schools, zoning, council elections -- hit us where we live. So why don't more of us actually get involved? Is it apathy? Dave Meslin says no. He identifies 7 barriers that keep us from taking part in our communities, even when we truly care.

WI 1848 Forward: #TED : Dave #Meslin: The antidote to #apathy : #Local and Involved : #47% #OWS #99% vs #1% #Elites

The Friday Podcast: Do The Rich Flee High-Tax States? Planet Money NPR

Click Title for Original PodCast !

Upd 4/29:  This story must have generated so much interest that NPR put up a 5 minute version on Morning Edition ... as you can imagine it is not totally redundant!

Here is the link to listen -
Studies: Rich Don't Flee High-Tax States - NPR - Morning Edition

____________________
Chris Christie at best exaggerated (if not worse) ... he misrepresented a study ... and the answer to the question above, poised by Planet Money, is NO!  The program is about 17 min but worth listening to, especially now that all kinds of polls suggest that many Americans think some people's taxes should be higher.

From the source -

Three Studies!

1. Boston College study cited by NJ Gov. Chris Christie.
2. How taxes influence migration patterns in New England.
3. How a New Jersey tax hike affected millionaires.

Click the Title to go and listen!  Save up some thoughts for the next Town Hall Listening Meeting you go to!


The Friday Podcast: Do The Rich Flee High-Tax States? Planet Money #NPR - NO #Taxes #47% vs #elites #1%

Sen. Cowles recall to be filed Thur. 4/28 - It's happening any moment!!!

GreenBayPressGazette.com reports ... 1pm 4/26

Organizers working to recall Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Allouez, plan to submit completed petitions Thursday. Now comes the next daunting task for the Democratic Party: finding a legitimate candidate to run against him.

Cowles hasn’t faced a serious challenge in his last three elections, and Democrats haven’t even tried to field an opponent in more than a decade. The long-time lawmaker has been very popular in his large, sprawling district.

Who is willing to take him on?

Click title to see article -

Voter ID Hearing 4/27 Capitol - AB 7 - Common Cause

Although Poll Taxes have been long gone there are clever ways to prevent people from voting.  The Republican Legislature is on a roll ... so the hearing may not be what you like but testify tomorrow if you can get there!

Most Restrictive Voter Photo ID Measure in the Nation Gets a Hearing on Wednesday/Big Crowd in Kenosha to Discuss Reformv-CommonCauseWisconsin

From the source -

On Wednesday, April 27th the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Election and Campaign Reform will hold a public hearing on ASSEMBLY BILL 7 - which, if passed and enacted into law, would be the most restrictive voter identification law in the nation. This measure would likely mean that tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of voters in Wisconsin would find it too difficult and onerous to cast their ballots on election day, and take Wisconsin from being one of the top two states in the nation in voter turnout to one of the lowest.

4/21 WI Voter - How to spend campaign money?!

It's not that you would not expect media consumption to differ by political ideology - just did not expect the information to be so delineated.  News channels, newspapers, sports channels, internet all figure into a fascinating spread on some great graphics.  New polls will be developed now where they just ask you what channels you watch and how much you use the internet or read the newspaper and voila we will know who will be the next State Supreme Court Justice!

How Democrats and Republicans use the media (very differently) By Craig Gilbert - Journal Sentinel April 21, 2011

Teaser from the source -

A new study on media consumption in the Midwest illustrates how this works in individual media markets like Milwaukee.

Heavy radio and Internet users here tend to skew Republican, while big television and newspaper users skew Democratic.

Viewers of Fox News, the Golf Channel, the History Channel, the Speed Channel, ESPN and Country Music Television lean Republican.

Viewers of MSNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Lifetime and Bravo lean Democratic.

Mercenary comes to Milwaukee - Karl Rove

From Fox6 web site - Karl earned $23,000 to speak at the event. Five hundred people were interested in what he had to say. Large numbers protesting ... not precisely stated.  The advertising is at least soothing!

Fellow Travelers - Young America's Foundation
- probably a transitory page!

Happening? Vermont Single Payer HealthCare - Why not WIsconsin - Walker Politics

Think about it!

VtDigger.org -Senate gives initial OK to single-payer health care bill by Anne Galloway | April 26, 2011

The spirit of order and compromise was upon them. The Vermont Senate passed the universal health care reform bill in a 21-8, largely along party lines on Monday, after just five hours in the Green Room. (Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, voted aye; Bobby Starr, D-North Troy, voted nay.The senators will take up the bill for third reading on Tuesday.

The ALEC way -Creating True and Lasting Budget Reform in Your State

You have to be patient to listen to this .... be not afraid ... you hope!

Something to do ... now!

ALEC Spring Meeting (4/29) Cincinnati Ohio - Rally Against

From 12/10

Creating True and Lasting Budget Reform in Your State from American Legislative Exchange Co on Vimeo.

NYTimes - Public Pensions, Once Off Limits, Face Budget Cuts

No Gimmicks Walker raids Emp. Trust Funds - 2nd Budget Repair

And what do you think Walker is thinking about?

Madison - Capitol Square - Smack down by a Tea Bag?! 4/25

Madsion Police not Capitol Police ... let's hear the rest ... in the record by tomorrow?

Persective on Jeremy!

Do you remember 7/9/ #2010 ... 9.5% #UnEmployment ... Deficits the story!

Perspective from Need to Know - do you remember July 9th, 2011 and what the debate was?

From the source -

The battle over unemployment

July 9, 2010

As we simmer along with an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent — a number that would be higher if so many people hadn’t simply given up looking for work — the proposed solutions seem contradictory: Spend more to stimulate the economy; cut spending to reduce the deficit. Smart people on either side of that argument will tell you why they’re right. But left in the middle are hundreds of Americans whose unemployment benefits have run out, with no relief in sight from a Congress that refused to extend these benefits before going on recess.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Do you remember 7/9/ #2010 ... 9.5% #UnEmployment ... Deficits the story! 

Vision and Jobs (Obama) vs Cronyism (Walker) :

Infrastructure investment - Walker turns it down and then rewards his "felon" railroad campaign donor buddy!  Remember?!

From one of the sources in the blog entry (below) ...pls use the link below -

... money laundering allegations involving campaign contributions by William Gardner and the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company (WSOR).

Governor Scott Walker today announced 11 state awards totaling $25,515,123 that will be used to construct freight rail-related facilities, and preserve and upgrade rail infrastructure as part of overall efforts to support job growth and Wisconsin’s economy. ...

2 Articles: Isthmus: Iron(y) Rails at Walker - Political Freight? PolitiScoop


From Need to Know -

Already, Republican governors from Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida have rejected over a combined $3 billion for building high-speed rail, stalling the Obama plan, at least for now.

... As the administration tries to get back on track, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat and co-chair of Building America’s Future — a non-partisan advocacy group calling for infrastructure investment — is making the case for spending now on modernizing the national transportation system, even as an emboldened Republican Party tries to cut government spending and tighten the country’s belt.

Now compare and contrast from Need to Know -

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Vision and #Jobs ( #Obama ) vs Cronyism ( #Walker ) : #1% #elites

4/25 WSJ Recall: Risser, Taylor safe, by Wed. Coggs??

Title says it all!

v2 Walker's War on HealthCare : Our Obsolete Approach to Medicaid

2/14/2013 ... Walker's Valentine to Kids ... get a job so you can pay for your own healthcare ... no more BadgerCare for you ... see what his new budget may do?!

All seems consistent with what he said a year ago ...

~  4/25/2011 -Governor Walker Op-Ed in NYTimes ... click Title!

Not a lot of content!  Makes a lot of statements that sound like facts but ...!

For example, from the source ...

We need to modernize not only Medicaid’s benefits and service delivery, but also its financing. In good times, the open-ended federal Medicaid match encourages states to overspend. Amazingly, the program is now viewed by some states as a form of economic development because each state can at least double its money for each dollar spent. That matching feature penalizes efficiency and thrift, since a reduction of $1 in state spending also means forfeiting at least one federal dollar, often more.

What does this mean?  I guess it means states waste a $1 so they can get another $1 ... I don't think so!

It is always so easy to claim something is old or outdated or inefficient!  When Governor Walker talks about those kind of things you have to be cautious about what he really means and rather than soundbites have a public discussion before he uses the legislature as his rubber stamp!

Do Not Forget ... he wants to write all the rules himself ... don't bother the legislature with any oversight!



PBS - Need to Know - The battle over Medicare and Medicaid

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

v2 #Walker 's War on #HealthCare : Our Obsolete Approach to #Medicaid #BadgerCare #wwJd

#Pocan - salaries & benefits for WI state employee ~8.5 percent of the 2009-2011 #budget

Click on title to see Polifact.com article - read the whole article before you decide who is "more" correct or "more" wrong!

I think there are other considerations to be made with respect to the UWSystem and it should not be counted in the total.  Many faculty and staff are partially or totally paid for by external grants and overhead charges associated with those grants (also true for some state agency funding).  The UWSystem is just a different kind of entity.  None the less the article makes for an interesting read in which the name of the game seems to be how to pick your favorite denominator but do not bother to distinguish how things actually work


From the source -

Pocan claimed in a blog post that salaries and benefits for state employees comprise 8.5 percent of the state budget. He did not provide evidence for the figure. In a footnote, Pocan acknowledged that two huge state operations -- the university system and corrections -- were not included, and that if they were, the figure is about 17 percent.

The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance agreed with the 17 percent, while the state budget office argued that the figure is 60 percent. Experts said the two figures are different ways to express what employees cost. But everyone agreed that Pocan’s 8.5 percent -- the main number he used, which was repeated elsewhere -- is not accurate.

5/2 Upd- Recall Grothman Ozaukee County Canvassing 4/28-29+

5/2 : WisPolitics.com reported this morning that Grothman recall fell about 5,000 votes short of the ~20,000 needed!

_________________
Grothman recall effort --- action!!! upd 4/21 et alGrothman recall effort --- action!!! upd 4/21 et alClick Title for event info on FaceBook

From source -

Recall Grothman seeks volunteers to canvass in Cedarburg, Grafton, and Port Washington, Thursday Apr 28 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday April 29, 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If you can help for two hours or more during any of those times, click ATTENDING on this site and we will get in touch with you. If you have specific times you can help, please email...

 If you wonder why?

Grothman implies that 41% of women have children because they get government handouts ... 8/2010 at Tea Party event

Grothman recall effort --- action!!! upd 4/21 et al

Education: Walker prefers unequal - Barrett gets a A+ for fair...

Click title to see OpEd in CapTimes by Barrett 4/24/11

Tom Barrett: In calculating school aid, count all the kids
From the source ...

The bottom line is this: Milwaukee’s homeowners and businesses support roughly 100,000 children in property tax-supported schools; 80,000 kids are in MPS schools and 20,000 kids are in choice schools. By refusing to recognize the fact that choice students are supported by Milwaukee property taxpayers, the governor’s proposed budget makes matters worse. He’s pitting choice school students against MPS students by taking the money directly out of MPS classrooms.

That’s wrong. The solution is plain and simple. So is my request to state legislators.

Count the kids. All the kids.

WI 1848 Forward: Education: #Walker prefers unequal  #Inequality - #Barrett gets a A+ for fair... 

Reagan's Real Legacy - Video: When care runs out

When care runs out

PBS - Need to Know

I personally do not think that Ronald Reagan wanted these families to be in such a dilemma!

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

WI 1848 Forward: #Obamacare #ACA vs #Reagan's Real Legacy - Video: When care runs  out http://wi1848forward.blogspot.com/2011/04/reagans-real-legacy-video-when-care.html?spref=tw

#PBS - Need to Know - The battle over #Medicare and #Medicaid

Background on Medicare and Medicaid ... do you remember ... then and now! What does Ryan really want to do ... let alone Walker!

11/11/11 #Medicaid: Death by a 1K Cuts or 10K or More - Making It Personal

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Other national perspective -
Medicare - in the NYTimes 4/12 in Politics

WI 1848 Forward: #PBS - Need to Know - The battle over #Medicare and #Medicaid vs #Ryan #elites #1% #Janesville

How is Grothman recall coming? 4/23

Counterpoint to Grothman on March 1 from O'Donnell program ...

He says what he thinks ... if you can call it thinking?

Grothman is famous for calling people thugs!

4/30/11 -"Thunda Around the Rotunda" to Rumble into Madison Saturday

Next weekend 4/30 Sat ... more than just boom boxes!  From Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch ... click the title! From the source -

On Saturday, April 30, the fight for collective bargaining will bring a different type of activist to Madison’s Capitol Square. As many as 10,000 motorcyclists from around Wisconsin and across the Midwest will ride in support of Wisconsin workers at the “Thunda Around the Rotunda” event.

Eric J. Hartz, a Madison Public School Teacher, organized the “Thunda Around the Rotunda” with a motorcyclist friend. “This is a grassroots event,” he said. “There is nobody funding this.”

According to Hartz, it started with motorcyclists talking and getting together on social networking sites, and soon, “groups of 100 here and groups of 100 there” were signing up to attend from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.

The #Walker Problem 4/30/11 -"Thunda Around the Rotunda" to Rumble into #Madison Saturday #WI 1848 Forward

Upd 4/27 - Darling - raising money - from whom - oil?

 4/27 from JSOnline
Darling reports almost $422,000 in campaign contributions this year - By Tom Tolan - Journal Sentinel April 27, 2011

From source - new amounts and some old news -

There is no limit on campaign donations in a recall campaign, and many donors listed on the Darling report contributed more than the $1,000 individual maximum usually in effect for a state Senate campaign.

Among the most generous: Ted Kellner of Mequon, listed as the CEO of Fiduciary Management, $22,500 total in contributions; Daniel McKeithan of River Hills, president of Tamarack Petroleum, $20,000; and Joe Alexander, executive of Madison-based Alexander Management, $10,000.

________________
4/23 : Click Title -to see Wispolitics ...  and other data for Democrats and Republicans ... plus named contributors ... more detail may useful in campaigns!

From source -

Most of the lawmakers targeted for recalls are taking advantage of state law that allows them to exceed normal contribution limits when facing removal from office, according to a WisPolitics check of campaign finance reports.

Joint Finance Committee Co-chair Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, leads the way for fundraising among recall targets with $188,226 through March 21. She also spent $15,579 and had $177,863 cash on hand. Her biggest donor was Daniel McKeithan of Tamarack Petroleum, who gave $20,000.
... Darling’s report includes a number of heavyweights from the Milwaukee business community, including Bradley Foundation CEO Michael Grebe ($5,000) and Lubar & Co. founder and Chair Sheldon Lubar ($2,000). Her other largest donors include $11,000 from retiree Reid Marion and $10,000 from Joe Alexander of Alexander Management.

Reflections - WPR and St. Norbert College - Spring 2011 WI Survey

I'm A Mac, You're Sarah Palin - PCMag

The Poll - it is what it is?  Why are there skeptics and why are there proponents and do those implying meaning really provide answers or appropriate context?  It seems that polls just provide another opportunity for partisans and journalists to expound yet another narrative!

Questions about polls:

1. What's the universe - land line, random, adults.
2. What are the questions and how were they presented - verbal script read to respondent?
3. What's the time frame - 4/5 to 4/18.
4. What are the socio-economic and demographic background of respondents - not reported.
5. What is voting background of respondent.
6. What future changes to the social environment are likely to occur if these same questions were repeated in the future or had been asked in the past.

This survey is a small sample of Wisconsin residents (adult) who are reachable by land lines at an unspecified time of day?  It is a sentiment survey.  The small sample makes questions 4-6 interesting if gathered but statistically moot.

This survey - it is what it is!  By question inclusion it provides some ideas in those arenas about what this universe of people think.  That begs the question as to how representative of Wisconsin residents it is.  The legislature has recently implicitly changed the definition of resident when is comes to voting.  The means of sample and administration of the survey introduce other questions.  We already know that we have no information about age of respondents, or voting habits or geographical dispersion and most importantly intensity of response.  The latter being represented by what are you going to do about any of the things represented in the questions?

We do have other indicators!  Supreme Court elections, JFC regional hearings, Rep. Ryan town hall meetings, rallies and recalls, etc.  This survey is what it is!

Footnote:  Surveys have been done, and perhaps appropriately managed, or not, but imagine Google, Yahoo, FaceBook, or Apple running these  - given what they already know about us!  Of course then the problem would be finding the bias by whether you have a computer and internet access!

WPR and St. Norbert College - Spring 2011 Wisconsin Survey

Ancient History

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

More for the footnote : 4/24 (irony I see this now)

I'm A Mac, You're Sarah Palin PCMag

From Source -

The results of a survey of 388,315 Hunch users

 Among the more provocative findings:
► 58 percent of Mac people are "liberal," as compared to 38 percent of PC people
► 67 percent of Mac people have completed a four-year college degree or higher, as compared to just 54 percent of PC people
► 52 percent of Mac people live in a city, while PC people are 18 percent more likely than Mac people to live in the suburbs and 21 percent live in rural areas
► Mac people throw a lot more parties than PC people
► Mac people are more confident about their verbal abilities but less confident about their math abilities than PC people
► Mac people are more likely to see random people as "similar," whereas PC people are more likely to see them as "different".

Mac vs. PC: A Hunch Rematch - HunchBlog

Heard Gov. Walker watched - PBS - Big thinkers on how to fix American education April 15, 2011

He wanted to learn ... really ...how do you use this information?

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

 

Where does the nearly $1 Billion Walker is cutting go?  See what people think look at St. Norbert / WPS survey!

WPR and St. Norbert College - Spring 2011 Wisconsin Survey

PBS - Need To Know 4/22 Broadcast - Capitalism 4.0

Video: In this new era of capitalism, who do we trust? Markets, regulators or both?
About 8min ... dichotomy ...

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

From a previous blog entry -  just the lead in ... keep an open mind ... how do you use information!

FDR vs Paul Ryan, 1938 all over again

 Although I am not a scholar on the history of the Great Depression, it has been described to me by my family and I have read about it ... which makes me as qualified as most of the people pontificating about the situation we find ourselves in today.  People like to disparage the economist Keynes these days ... all he said was that there was a little simple algebra that roughly describes the interactions of interest rates, employment, income and consumption!  Trust me ... it is still true!  You have a big crash, a reduction in income, a shrinkage of asset values and you are going to have a recession / depression!  What would you do ... Mr. President ... well Keynes would tell you to supplant the loss in consumption with Federal spending to boost / maintain employment or reduce low / middle income taxes or both ... but not if you are a conservative Republican!  In the latter case you focus on finding an anti-FDR solution ... contract spending, raise interest rates and increase unemployment.

The rest of it ...

 FDR vs Paul Ryan, 1938 all over again

WI 1848 Forward: #PBS - Need To Know 4/22 Broadcast - #Capitalism 4.0 : #47% vs #1% 

WPR and St. Norbert College - Spring 2011 Wisconsin Survey

When I saw separate newspaper stories about "wind energy" and "politics" I decided I better get closer to the source - maybe ;-}

Click on Title to see Press Release and several pdf files !

This just came out from CapTimes -
What's News: Beyond the Walker recall numbers in the WPR/St. Norbert poll

Ayn Rand has a Tea Party?

Click the Title to see the article!  You should take the time and listen to the clip ... interesting item about "educational" enterprises and scholarships.  The article just makes it all more timely.  And a group on campus with "regular" lectures in Granger Hall brings all the events full circle!

Juxtaposition always brings surprise. 


The Tea Party and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand is a cult figure for Tea Party types, but if a bad movie gets them reading, they may be surprised by her ideas by Megan Gibson 4/22/11 UK

From the article -

...The movie's publicity has only propelled sales yet higher – the opening weekend saw the book version of Atlas Shrugged shoot to the No 4 spot on Amazon's bestseller list.

So, while the Tea Party's promotion of Rand has made a splash, Objectivists can take comfort knowing that the impact has largely been on book sales. If one has to delve into Randian territory, it's better to go straight to the master's words rather than a choice interpretation of them or convenient soundbites.

From OTM: On The Media: Object Lesson May 9,2008 ... about 12 minutes

Think you know reality? Ayn Rand did, and through her novels and nonfiction she gave legions of followers a practical philosophy by which to live. Brooke looks at the enduring legacy of the original Objectivist.

I missed it ... on campus ... regularly?!

From email / flyer -

ALTRUISM vs. AMERICA
AYN RAND SOLVES THE PROBLEM

Thursday, April 21st at 7:00pm
Granger Hall
Morgridge Auditorium

America was founded on the principle of individual rights—the idea that each person has a right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.  Since the country’s founding, however, Americans have increasingly accepted a morality that is incompatible with rights, namely, altruism: the notion that
being moral consists in self-sacrificially serving others. ...

LFB: You can't know what you don't know - Walker Budget or Repair - channeling Don Rumsfeld!

Clicking the title will take you to a previous blog entry!

Do you have the numbers or not?  This kind of data can easily exist in a spreadsheet (or several) ... not a big deal!  So either gross numbers at the statewide level were used ... which is really kind of worthless or the data was aggregated upwards from political divisions (towns, municipalities, counties, etc.)!  Which is it?

Based on the statements in the letter (cited below and previously) the detailed data was used (my guess)!  But ... the same letter discredits that methodology as widely variable!  So again which is it and where is it ... make it public at the detailed level?

The figures in Table 1 are estimates for the state as a whole. The tax impacts in individual municipalities would vary considerably from these figures.

You cannot know the "would vary considerably" unless you have the detail (or you are guessing).  The quote above, LFB 4/15 Web Site: SUBJECT: Property Tax Estimates Under Senate Bill 27 and Assembly Bill 40 , is from the above source and the final sentence from that five page document!  The LFB does the best analysis possible but the detail needs to be available and evaluated!

Why is this important?  It is important because "local" officials are in the best position to evaluate the estimates and tell you how good or how bad the numbers are as estimates or reality.  Second the data as presented in the aggregate suggests very manageable changes in property taxes but this issue has become so complex in sorting out "budget repair" from "budget" we need to know the difference!

These statements have been made with all due respect for the fine work I personally feel the LFB does.  I have considered and reconsidered every word and still believe the "details" need to be public!  Opinions may change and votes may change based on the "local" insight yet to be contributed.

After all the Joint Committee on Finance may move aggressively to get the budget to the floor shortly after April 26th.  Has there really been any kind of fair consideration!?
_________________________
Footnote: circa 1984 the LFB began making Personal Computers available to analysts for dealing with the difficult problems of coming up with "fiscal analysis" of various legislation.  The software "de rigueur" was VisiCalc - long since gone from the scene! How do you think I know this?

Supporters of GOP senator Olsen crash opponent Clark's event

Let's hope this does not happen again ...

WSJ - Supporters of GOP senator crash recall challenger’s event

From source -

Clark took the podium, and during a pause in Clark’s speech a tussle broke out in the back of the room.

Challenger Fred Clark

Chuck Goranson of Portage said he was trying to take a picture when one of the Olsen supporters “reached up and grabbed the lens and twisted it.”

I prefer this .... but he was not there!

Senator Olsen and Senator Harsdorf (?) at another event some other time!

What is ScareCrow Walker up to - Health Care Risks!

(4/21 thoughts) This blog entry below was written, mostly on 2/11, and updated for actual "blogging" on 3/2 - Walker: Budget Repair, Healthcare - Hidden Agenda, Retirees Beware .  It ranks right up there with some of the "scariest" things that Walker might try to do and that must urgently, even proactively be counteracted.  Only if the editors and journalists and public remain vigilant will another "budget repair" scare be prevented.  The major concern, among so many, is from a letter, quoted in that blog entry, that Governor Walker sent to all state employees.

From the blog entry -

Even more troubling, in a letter by the Governor to state employees, he directs -

“the Group Insurance Board to implement changes to health insurance plan designs to further reduce premiums by 5 percent and will implement health risk assessments for all state employees beginning on January 1, 2012. “

What does this mean? Sounds like a clever way of saying you are going make some employees pay more for their health care than others!? Older employees perhaps? Diabetic employees maybe? Employees with preexisting conditions? With Governor Walker putting himself in charge of agency rule writing and review – who knows? There are over 191,000 state annuitants, who may or may not have associated health care, which they pay for in full – are they going to be impacted?

The original "blog" context raised the alarm for annuitants - that they could find their health care coverage changed significantly even though they pay for it in full as an out of pocket expense.  If coverage options change for state employees and other governmental employees then almost certainly annuitants will be affected as well!

Let's repeat the quote from the letter and remove a little verbiage so as to focus more clearly on the scary part!

“the Group Insurance Board  ... will implement health risk assessments for all state employees beginning on January 1, 2012. “

What does this mean?  If "implementation" meetings are or will take place who will attend and when will they be held?  What information is on the record of these meetings.  What exhibits have been or are being produced?

How does one file a FOIA request before the fact or even after the fact about such "implementation planning?"

Back to the abridged letter from the Governor and what it means!  The original blog entry suggested, repeated again -

What does this mean? Sounds like a clever way of saying you are going make some employees pay more for their health care than others!? Older employees perhaps? Diabetic employees maybe? Employees with preexisting conditions? With Governor Walker putting himself in charge of agency rule writing and review – who knows?

Very scary ... you should be wary if not afraid, very wary!


#WRS annuitants worry WI 1848 Forward: What is ScareCrow #Walker up to - #HealthCare Risks!

NYTimes - Poll Finds Lack of Passion for Republican Candidates By JIM RUTENBERG Published: April 21, 2011

Click Title - they seem not to have an identity - local ramifications - or too early?

From sources -

While it may not be unusual for voters’ attention to be focused elsewhere at this stage of a campaign, the survey at the very least provides a reality check for a race that has received frenetic coverage at times on cable news and the Internet even though nearly 60 percent of Republicans cannot point to a single candidate about whom they are enthusiastic, according to the Times/CBS poll.

Cronyism needs higher standards ;-} Another Walker example!

Looks like they went out of their way to disqualify the most qualified but just went with a buddy of a buddies inexperienced spouse!

Another Walker pick causes stir Campaign worker named register of deeds over more-qualified candidates - By Patrick Marley - Journal Sentinel April 20, 2011

From source ...

Madison — In picking a new register of deeds for Marinette County, Gov. Scott Walker picked a Republican campaign worker with no experience with land records and vital records.

He passed over three candidates with detailed knowledge of how the office of the register of deeds works, including two deputies who have worked in the office for years.

The appointment comes after the GOP governor faced criticism because the son of a campaign supporter landed a top job at the state Department of Commerce.

WI 1848 Forward: #Crony #Cronyism needs higher standards ;-} Another #Walker example! Dumps #CivilService 2/11/16

Harsdorf Recall - 10th Senate -Video - News 18 from 4/18

http://uppitywis.org/tags/sheila-harsdorf See the site ... from there

The fourth recall campaign against a Republican Senator in Wisconsin has announced that they will be submitting signatures.  The Recall Harsdorf campaign will be filing 20,000 signatures tomorrow, which is approximately 4000 more than required.

I was just at the celebration in Menomonie which was a standing-room-only event (actually people were spilling out of the door into the parking lot).  Spirits were high, and when I left everyone was watching a very nicely produced slideshow of the recall campaign, and eating a smorgasboard.

Some advertising on video!

Paul Ryan on upper income taxes ... in Wisconsin ... listen! Milton

I think this is his Town Hall meeting in Milton?

Channel3000 same meeting ... at the end 19 more stops ... in WI?

WI 1848 Forward:#Paul Ryan on upper income taxes - in Wisconsin ... listen! Milton : 47% #aarp #medicare #Janesville

Recall and Recount and someone said Refresh - Darling

4/21: Facebook page
Darling

WE NEED YOU! We’re asking all supporters and volunteers to join us at 12:00pm, Thursday, April 21 at Kletzsch Park in Glendale. We are asking for everyone to bring in any signed petitions they may have left. As we inch closer to our goal we want to make sure that no signatures goes uncounted. The more signatures we have to turn in makes a statement to both Sen. Darling and Gov. Scott Walker. During the Thursday rally we do plan on making a BIG announcement of where we are. Please invite your family and friends as we gather at Kletzsch Park to discuss our plans moving forward. We look forward to seeing you at the rally!

4/21: WPR ... get an update on their news loop ... Darling, et al
____________________
I remember seeing the above phrase used in connection the Kloppenburg - Prosser contest on election day and the day after!

So Kloppenburg is going for a recount ... not a surprise just like Prosser would have done!  In the end we may get even better election officials if nothing else - the Governor and Republicans passed "voter fraud" protection by making it harder for the young and old to vote - seems like they targeted the wrong people especially in Waukesha County ... but competence is not a requirement!

From the JSOnline about 1pm ...

3 groups targeting Democrats for recalls to file signatures Thursday - By Tom Tolan of the Journal Sentinel

Everyone will challenge everyone one of the other persons signatures - no surprise!  The surprises have more to do with who is not going to be challenged ... in our current political state-of-mind a recall seems the norm not the exception it has been historically.  Let's hope that voter complacency finally goes away and never comes back!

The Little People Are Still Protesting - Can't eat anymore pizza!

MI takes over Benton Harbor - story 4/16

 From this blog - Strategy - Walker's Wars - a Michigan takeover gimmick?

Click on title for story - from that source -

Harris' action is likely the first since Gov. Rick Snyder signed a law in March granting more powers to emergency managers the Treasury Department appoints to take over distressed schools and communities.

 ... The new powers of emergency managers include setting aside collective bargaining. Harris' order comes only days before a scheduled training session for prospective emergency managers and turnaround experts.

... Emergency managers are in place at Detroit Public Schools and in the cities of Benton Harbor, Ecorse and Pontiac.

What does Health Care cost you per year ( WI )?

10/18/2017  ... and now Trump tries to destroy HealthCare Markets ... withdrawing $

5/2/2017 Consumer Reports

How the Affordable Care Act Drove Down Personal Bankruptcy

...Filings have dropped about 50 percent, from 1,536,799 in 2010 to 770,846 in 2016 (see chart, below). Those years also represent the time frame when the ACA took effect. Although courts never ask people to declare why they’re filing, many bankruptcy and legal experts agree that medical bills had been a leading cause of personal bankruptcy before public healthcare coverage expanded under the ACA. Unlike other causes of debt, medical bills are often unexpected, involuntary, and large....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get an education look at these links ... a two person family (my guess) in Wisconsin spends $6500 each in a healthy year (with pretty good coverage plus expenses) ... sort of confirms the National Geographic graphic ... so beware of your cost and if Walker or Ryan get the changes they are looking for ... ask if your life is more or less complicated or your health care costs you more or less

More links for thought ...
Ezra Klein - WashPost 2010 - America spends way, way, way more on health care

Compares health care expenditures among nations.  The NatGeo graphic source is in the next link and is much more readable - it needs to be seen full size.

Graphic - The Cost of Care Posted Dec 18,2009 - National Geographic

Graphically depicts health care expenditures vs life expectancy among nations.  You need to see it large.

More thoughts - do any of the countries depicted have a Paul Ryan Health Care System?  Except for Mexico and the United States they all seem to have Universal Health Care.  We spend roughly $2900/yr more to die two (2) years younger than the Swiss.  As I recall the Swiss use private insurance but manage (regulate it) very uniquely?

That thought led to this link -
Healthcare in Switzerland - Wikipedia

#Trump how? What does #HealthCare cost you per year - real info? : ExGov #Walker ExRep #Ryan vs #Switzerland #AARP #ConsumerReports #Medicare #ACA ( #PayItForward system otherwise #Bankruptcy #WOW Early Death) #47% -WI 1848 Forward

Strategy - Walker's Wars - a Michigan takeover gimmick?

4/26: It is nice to see the thread kept alive ... it has to be or we will be surprised again -

Emily's Post: Benton Harbor, Scott Walker's budget ... Emily Mills on Tuesday 04/26/2011 11:14 am
From source -

Walker has denied that such a bill might be in the works, and I even initially dismissed reportsrumor. Further troubling evidence that such a bill may, in fact, be in the pipeline has since come to light, though, and I can’t ignore it anymore.

Last week, someone at Foley & Lardner confirmed that the firm was working to draft similar legislation “in collaboration with the Greater Milwaukee Committee, the governor and his allies.”

Walker’s claim that “There's nobody on my staff, nobody in my administration, I'm certainly not working on anything remotely close to that,” may be technically true – maybe none of his people are actually penning the legislation – but it’s certainly disingenuous.

____________________

4/19/2011
The following was posted in this blog, WI 1848 Forward, yesterday (4/18) under the general theme of Walker's Wars a report from the local democracy battlefront. I was a little skeptical given that it appeared in Forbe's and was suggesting that not only should the content and attributions (to sources – disclosed and undisclosed) but so should the motivations of the author be carefully evaluated.

Hmmm! Time to call the Ghostbusters I guess?

Forbes - Rick Unger - Gov. Scott Walker Reportedly Planning Financial Martial Law In Wisconsin -Trial Balloon or Real?

Since what I wish for rarely happens I decided to go to the “media” skirmish in Madison.com and see how it was going by searching “Garvey”. It produced four hits right on top (one irrelevant) - a good tag and the results as they appeared at roughly 9am are provided, links and all, below – the raw link will reproduce the search but “times will change” results -

http://host.madison.com/search/?l=25&sd=desc&s=start_time&f=html&t=article&app=editorial&q=garvey

Walker nixes rumor of effort to match Michigan law

Gov. Scott Walker on Monday shot down reports that he was working on legislation to take over struggling cities and schools.

            Apr 18, 2011 | 5:55 pm | (34) Comments

On Topic: Milwaukee group pushes for 'statewide financial stress test' for localities

Although Gov. Scott Walker has denied he has any plans to push a plan that would allow the state to take control of local governments that fail a "financial stress test," a coalition of Milwaukee businesses and organizations is floating a proposal for a "statewide fiscal stress test."

Apr 18, 2011 | 3:15 pm | (46) Comments 

Ed Garvey: Walker plots to OK financial martial law

"The best government is closest to the people" and other such axioms are headed for Gov. Scott Walker's trash can. Take the latest development discovered by friends and delivered to FightingBob.com anonymously.

Apr 18, 2011 | 7:00 am | (34) Comments

At this point the Unger article starts to become more comprehensible but you have to be a bit conspiratorial or as I prefer conjectural. Any political entity, if there is such a thing, is made up of many ideological parts – some want one thing, some want another, sometimes they can coexist, sometimes they can compromise – but they have an agenda! So what is going on in this case? There are so many ways to interpret this it is hard to begin – how about a list of conjectures?

• Walker has cold feet on further changes and groups were pushing so he leaked it so he can suppress the push knowing that Garvey, et al, will jump on it!
• Garvey is an incredible investigative journalist and realized that this story just had to get to the public – so it could be stopped!
• Unger is trying, along with his constituency, to precondition an idea and make it seem plausible, “stress tests”, so that it becomes acceptable to the public as an important way to solve problems (or deal with other political philosophies). If you salt Carthage it is pretty difficult to make things ever come back as they were (hence end collective bargaining)!
• Some of the Walker camp are trying to line up support and secure more influence within the camp and need to smoke out those that oppose them (within) so they can be marginalized (a euphemism)!

Take your pick, or make up a new one ... we are better off having some insight than none! Consider when politicians claim overwhelming majorities, which are better described as slim majorities, and were only elected because a complacent and perhaps beguiled population ignored the election – see an opportunity. Be aware if not afraid, very aware!


WI 1848 Forward: Strategy - #Walker 's Wars - a #Michigan takeover gimmick? #vouchers #Elites Kill local governance!