middle wisconsin news - june 2013

7/28/2019 Middle Wisconsin News - June 2013

1/12

Information Technology SolutionsMiddle WisconsinNEWS

A VOICE FORTHE MIDDLE OF THE STATE

Ju n e 2 0 1

FREE CONCERT .....................1

School Tax Credits....................2

Privatizing the Public.................

3

Choosing Not to Choose...........4

War and Freedom.....................5

Telephones ...............................6

State of the Tribes .....................7

BadgerCare...............................8

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

Local News..............................

10

Help Wanted ...........................11

Challenging the Myth ..............12

2013 Midd le Wiscons in

IN THIS ISSUE:

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

,

Middle Wisconsin News

welcomes leers, arcles, and

essays on relevant topics. We

ask that you limit submissions

to 600 words and provide

sources when appropriate.

Submissions may be edited for

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DARING TO BE

BOLDLY PROGRESSIVE

FREE CONCERTto celebrate PUBLIC SCHOOL

Saturday, June 15Noon to 5 pm

The 400 Block | Downtown Wausa

Middle Wisconsin is hosng a Concert Celebrang Public Schools.Were gathering on

Wausaus 400 Block at noon on Saturday, June 15, to celebrate Wisconsins proud tradi

of public educaon; to seek support from cizens and our government ocials; and to he

promote fairness and stability for our public schools, teachers, and students. Come hear

these bands:

NEATO FANEATO THE REMNANTS

ORLOW & THE CWB LIMITED METHODS

There will also be kids acvies, guest speakers, food vendors, informaon booths, & mo

Why Celebrate Public Schools? They guarantee every child access to a free educao

They unify our diverse populaon

They assure equal opportunies for all our children

They prepare our children to be responsible cizens

Two years ago, Middle Wisconsin was successful in raising awareness about changes to

Wisconsins vong laws through our Concert for Voters. Its me to come together again.

We need friends to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the ght to preserve our public

schools.

From freezing the amount of per pupil support for local school districts to expanding vouc

er schools and increasing local property taxes, Governor Walkers budget will force our pu

lic schools to make dicult decisions that dont reect our values.

Your contribuon of $100; $50, or any amount you can aordwill help make this conce

possible. You can donate by sending a check made payable to Middle Wisconsin P.O. Box

1901 Wausau, WI 54402 or by donang securely online through PayPal.

Youve always been here to help Middle Wisconsin and to promote progressive values in

Central Wisconsin. Please come and celebrate Wisconsins public schools!
http://middlewisconsin.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3f2d24dc5460bbc315d637ce2&id=fbfac7889e&e=dfd928ef64http://middlewisconsin.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3f2d24dc5460bbc315d637ce2&id=fbfac7889e&e=dfd928ef64http://www.middlewisconsin.com/index.php/donate/http://www.middlewisconsin.com/index.php/donate/http://www.middlewisconsin.com/index.php/donate/http://middlewisconsin.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3f2d24dc5460bbc315d637ce2&id=fbfac7889e&e=dfd928ef64


2/12

School Choice Wisconsin and their We want to prot from every tax dollarand Privaz

our public schoolspromoters have nally come clean. They are demanding to expand pr

vate and quasi-public school choice statewide, regardless of income level all funded

by income tax credits. Of course, if you dont earn enough to take advantage of a tax cred

it worth $1,000 to $1,500 per child, well too bad.

School funding is a hot topic of debate in the Joint Finance Committee. Senator Luther Olsen

chair of the Senate Educaon Commiee, thought he and others had an agreement on ed

ucaon funding. But then Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin, along with

the organizaons wealthy corporate backers and their lobbyists from the Wisconsin Coun

cil of Religious and Independent Schools (WCRIS)descended upon Madison. They demand

ed tax credits of $1,000$1,500 for the 100,000 students who aend private schools in

Wisconsin, but dont parcipate in Milwaukees or Racines school choice programs. They

dropped the pretense of school choice vouchers for low-income families in Milwaukee,

Racine, or elsewhere to go aer tax credits for the wealthy! According to Sen. Olsen, the

tax credit issue was not discussed as part of the May 29 deal regarding the expansion of

the voucher program.

Why tax credits? Because the school choice agenda is not about helping low-income stu

dents improve academically through vouchers. Over and over, peer veed research prove

these students get a beer educaon in our public schools. Addionally, vouchers dont

generate enough money to allow the private market to make a prot from our public ta

dollars. Like any business, private and parochial schools need customers with money to

buy their services. Thats a rule of the market No customers, no business.

Tax credits allow well-to-do families, who dont want their children in publicschools, to be reimbursed by tax payers to send their kids to PRIVATE schools

Like the original voucher program, the proposed tax credits are only $1,000$1,500 per

child, but such caps never last. Wisconsin history conrms that caps are always extended.

What today looks like $100 million to $150 million in Wisconsin tax credits, looks like a naonal gold mine of future prot.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Burlington, and Senate Majority Leader Sco Fitzgerald,

R-Juneau, who are both recent Wisconsin State chairpersons for ALEC1, and spokesperson

for Gov. Walker are not commenng on the discussions about educaon funding. Estab-

lishing tax credits for private school tuion is an ALEC agenda.

1ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that.

Through ALEC, corporaons hand state legislators their wish lists to benet their boom line. Corporaons fund

almost all of ALEC's operaons. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces, where corporate lobbyists and special

interest reps vote with elected ocials to approve model bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and De-

mocracys ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on PRWatch.org.

Middle Wisconsin NEWS Ju n e 2 0Pa g e

When you wage war

on the public schools,

youre attacking the

mortar that holds the

community together.

Youre not a conserva-

tive, youre a vandal .

Garrison Keillor


By Tom Ivey Wausau

Tax Credits(the ultimate goal of School Choice promoters)

SLINK out of the Woodwork

Please contact your

legislators and members

of the Joint Finance Com-

miee.Ask them to:

1. Focus on funding our

public schools; remove

privazaon proposals

from budget consider-

aon.

2. Increase revenue

limits by $275 per

public school student.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEChttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEChttp://alecexposed.org/http://alecexposed.org/http://www.prwatch.org/http://www.prwatch.org/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/Pages/default.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/Pages/default.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/Pages/default.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/Pages/default.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/Pages/default.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://www.prwatch.org/http://alecexposed.org/http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC


3/12

When I woke up this morning, I was grateful for the public services

that I receive because of the taxes that I pay. I believe that paying

my fair share of taxes is PATRIOTIC, and I know that acivilized

society has a moral mission to provide essenal services to its cizens.

This morning, I brushed my teeth and made my coee with clean drinking water provided

by tax dollars. If my water services were privazed, a predictable result would occur:

A CEO would make decisions about what should or should not be allowed in my

drinking water with no public oversight.

I would not be sure whether the private water corporaon would be subject to anyregulaons created to keep me, my family, and my community safe.

I couldnt hold the CEO accountable by vong him/her out of oce if I didnt like

decisions being made.

My water rates would likely increase to ensure they showed a prot every quarter.

Id have no input into what a fair compensaon package would be for the CEO.

This is only one small example of the potenal dire eects if public services are privazed.

It strikes me that most cizens would take issue with our water services being privazed

since its a resource aecng everyones daily life.

There are other public services that have been privazed or considered to be privazed by

our elected ocials. These stealthy incremental steps should be concerning to cizens.

For example, when the Department of Commerce was recently privazed and renamed the

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporaon (WEDC):

WEDC board members had lavish pares, bought Milwaukee Brewers ckets,

and could not account for MILLIONS of taxpayers dollars.

Its malfeasance bordering on a criminal oence, and it happened because there is NO

public oversight anymore. Other predatory privazaon ideas have emerged, such as

paid toll ways and, of course, voucher schools.

Progressives have a duty to promote public discourse with the following ideas:

Government has a moral duty to protect and empower its cizens. Private corporaons

have no such duty.

Privazaon of public services results in higher costs as private companies seek to max

imize prot. The public is not concerned with making a prot; its concerned with doing

whats best for society as a whole.

Smaller government oen means making the public good secondary, which abandons

the moral mission of government.

It is only when Progressives take action to change the public discourse that Wisconsin will

return to its venerable and historical progressive status. Join me in being BOLDLY progressive!


I hope we shall

crush in its birth

the aristocracy of

our moneyed

corporations,

which dare

already tochallenge our

government to a

trial of strength

and bid deiance

to the laws of our

country.

Thomas Jeerson(leer to his friend in 1816)


By John Spiegelhoff Merrill

The Consequences of Privatizing

Public Services
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/J/Thomas-Jefferson-9353715-1-402.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715&h=402&w=402&sz=45&tbnid=dcQqs-kqgik1dM:&tbnh=93


4/12

I dont feel old enough to wax nostalgic, but,

as my friends and siblings recently started

navigang the public schools for children of

their own, I found myself oen enough fall-

ing with them into this reverie:

Do you remember the good ol days,

when our parents just sent us to

the school down the street?

Nowadays, enrolling your rug rat in 4K is a complicated process of research and tesng an

professional evaluaons and leers from doctors and applicaons and loeries and string-

pulling, all in hopes of setting into motion the proper Rube Goldbergschool sequence to get

your baby into the right college.

This is the unspoken side eect of the school choice iniave: The burden of providing a

adequate public educaon is no longer the states to shoulder. The government has ab-

solved itself of the guilt it should feel when neighborhood schools are subpar by shiing

that onus onto parents instead, ceding much of the responsibility by giving parents the

power to choose other oponseven if at a severely limited capacitythrough open

enrollment or charter schools or vouchers. Cricism, when a student receives a poor educ

on, then, falls not on the provider, who fails to meet the total demand, but on the con-sumers, who fail to negoate that limited demand successfully.

This shied power is doubly problemac because what is best for school systems as a

whole oen appears to conict with the goals we have for our own lile darlings. Re-

search supports balance and equity as key ingredients to a strong school system. A district

that equalizes its schools, seeking to create the maximum number of average schools is

more likely to maximize aggregate student success than a district that clusters its schools

ability. In truth, gied programs oer minimal benets to students, especially when com-

pared with the decits for those students le behind.

But, what parent is going to consider system-wide equity when selecng a school for their

child? Informed parents are instead ghng to get their kids into those schools with excep

onal test scores, which only creates token exemplar schools amid a sea of neighborhood

schools that become increasingly drained of resources. The impact of such choices, howev

er, is not limited to our own children. By parcipang in choice programs, parents endorse

the very policies that have undermined investment in their neighborhood schools.

If we made choices for the greater good, well-educated, involved parents would send

their kids to high-need schools in hopes of providing those schools with the advocacy ne

essary for adequate support and resources. If we cant muster such broadminded genero

ity, at the very least, we can connue to support our own neighborhood schools and, ac-

cordingly, the concept of universal access that once dened them.


There is something

fundamentally anti-

democratic about re-

linquishing control of

the public education

policy agenda to pri-

vate foundations run

by society's wealthiest

people; when the

wealthiest of these

foundations are

joined in common

purpose, they repre-

sent an unusually

powerful force that

is beyond the reach

of democratic

institutions.

Diane RavitchAuthor, The Death

and Life of the Great

American School Sys-

tem: How Testing and

Choice Are Undermin-

ing Education


Choosing Not to Choose

By Greg Wright Stevens PointBlog: WrightAndLeft
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machinehttp://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/http://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6954133-the-death-and-life-of-the-great-american-school-systemhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=public+schools&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=ybduw2K-ymoOoM&tbnid=brH1Esue1FiFZM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kudzu.com%2FcategoryMain.jsp%3FN%3D9630&ei=qDGqUf-PJMThrQGA6YHoDg&bvm=bv.47244034,d.aWM&psig=AFQjhttp://wrightandleft.blogspot.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine


5/12

Middle Wisconsin NEWSM a y 2 0

Pa g e

In this country, we have a widely ac-

cepted belief that our democracy and

civil liberes have been secured and

protected by military acon that the

sacrice of our troops gave us the free-

dom we enjoy.

The truth is that most of our military

conicts had nothing to do with estab-

lishing or preserving freedom for

anyone. With the excepon of the

Revoluonary and Civil Wars (and even

these are debatable), most were about

protecng commercial interests and

gaining territory. A paral list of wars

and other acons will illustrate this

point.

The conicts with Nave Ameri-

cans were a sad history of lies,broken treaes, genocide, and

land grab. The conicts may have

secured safetyfor those acquiring

the land, but were not about cre-

ang freedom.

The Mexican American War (1848)

led to the acquision of Texas and

California. It was openly advocated

at the me as a way to expand our

territory and even to conquer all of

Mexico.

The Spanish American War (1898)

was also about seizing territory.

We occupied Cuba and acquired

Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

From 1899 to 1922, we fought a

bloody war to suppress local Pilipi-

no resistance to our liberaon of

their country.

WWI was about the European

powers ghng over colonial and

commercial interests. Woodrow

Wilsons famous 12 Points (one of

the few times our foreign policy

made human rights an objective)

were not the primary reason for our

involvement. Protecng commer-cial shipping was the issue that got

us involved.

WW2, the good war, is more

complicated. We did establish

democrac governments in Japan

and Germany following the war.

But war in the Pacic happened

because of commercial interests,

and our colonies in Hawaii and the

Philippines put us in conict with

Japanese empire building.

The Korean War (1950) was about

containment of communism. Alt-

hough South Korea today is a capi-

talist economy and nominally dem-

ocrac, it suered many years of

repressive dictatorship following

the war. The war did not secure

freedom for the Korean people.

Communism was a paper ger and

eventually collapsed on its own.

Currently, communist China is

our manufacturing center.

Our numerous military intervenons

in other countries were about pro-

tecng commercial interests. Examples

include the CIA-assisted overthrow of

the democracally elected government

of Iran (1953). Few Americans know

this history, but it is one of the many

reasons we are a target for Islamic ter-

rorists. In 1954, the CIA overthrew a

democracally elected government in

Guatemala. This led to a series of re-

pressive military dictators and tens of

thousands deaths for nave Guatema-

lans. The same thing happened in Chile

in 1973. Death squads and military dic-tatorship were supported in El Salvador

in the 1980s. We have seldom support-

ed democracy, civil rights, or

freedom in other countries.

In Vietnam, we began supporng the

French in re-establishing their colony

aer WW2. Our involvement (1955

1975) supported corrupt dictatorial

governments and produced civil war,

genocide, and disaster for the enre

region. Communist Vietnam never rep-resented any threat to our naon or

our personal freedoms.

The two wars in Iraq were about ac-

cess to access to oil, lies about weap-

ons of mass destrucon, and establish-

ing bases to dominate the region. Iraq

was not a threat to the Uned States.

Afghanistan was about revenge for

9/11 and the polical necessity to

appear to do something. But war wasnot the only way, nor the best way, to

deal with these crimes. In over 10 years

of war, we have over 3,000 dead, lost

internaonal respect, spent $1.5 tril-

lion, and terrorism is proliferang.

Given the history, why do we sll

GLORIFY the military? Why do we cling

to the mythology?

On War and FreedomBy Phillip Anderson Maple

Editors Note: This arcle by Phillip Anderson, a 20-year military

veteran, is the second in a series of two arcles on the U.S. military.The rst appeared in the May edion ofMiddle Wisconsin News.


6/12

Of course, telephones are needed. However, RushLimbaugh and Rep. Tim Grin (R-Arkansas), call the

longstanding Lifeline program (a telephone program for

rural areas) wasteful, and they target it for eliminaon.

News editor Jamilah King reports in colorlines.comthat the Lifeline program began unde

President Reagan and the Republican-led Federal Communicaons Commission (FCC) in

1985. The goal was to make basic telephone service considered a necessity, not a luxur

available to the vast majority of U.S. residents. If you couldnt aord landline phone se

vice, you lled out an applicaon. If approved, the local phone company received a feder

subsidy to provide service.

In 1996, Congress revised the Telecommunicaons Act to:

Change from landlines to cell phones

Ask companies oering phone service across state lines to give a poron of their

prots to the Universal Service Fund, creang a subsidy that pays for itself

Have telecom companies pay a poron of their prots into the Fund and extend

service to low-income and rural households to have money returned to them in

the form of a federal contribuon

TracFone/SafeLink Wireless has made huge prots by aggressively markeng their service

In 2009, TracFone/SafeLink received $189 million from federal subsidies to service low-

income subscribers. TracFones oer basic service, not Internet, with a limited number of

minutes per month. Last year, in response to some complaints of subscribers who wereineligible, the FCC set up reforms to curb fraud. Applicants must now provide paperwork a

reapply for the program every year. This makes it more dicult for the homeless, elderly,

and rural folks to qualify.

Early in Obamas rst term, conservaves started calling the program phone stamps an

calling Lifeline prepaid cellular units Obama phones, poinng to it as some sort of Obam

led socialist expansion.

Today 13.5 million households rely on Lifeline subsidized phones to help them

housing and work and to access emergency and medical services.

The money spent on Lifeline is small compared to the trillions the government spent on bbanks in 2008 when their greed nearly brought the world economy to ruin, the billions tha

big corporaons avoid paying in taxes by siphoning prots to foreign subsidiaries, or the b

lions of extra dollars spent on Medicare drugs because Congress did not allow the govern

ment to negoate discounts from drug companies in the Part D Drug Law.

Contact your representavesin Congress and ask them to quit picking on the po

and start to solve serious problems caused by too-big-to-fail banks, tax-dodging

corporaons, and obscenely overpaid drug companies.

Ms. Jamilah Kings report was featured on the radio show Counterspin, which Haywards OWJB FM

Woodland Community Radio airs on Sundays 11:30 a.m. to noon, and again on Mondays 5:00 to 5:30


Compassion

is not

weakness.

Concern for

the unfortunate

is not

socialism.

Hubert H. Humphrey

Jamilah King

News editor of

colorlines.com


Are Telephones Needed?

By Jeanne Larson Phillips
http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/04/the_truth_about_so-called_obamaphones.htmlC:/Users/owner/Documents/Outlook%20Fileshttp://colorlines.com/archives/2013/04/the_truth_about_so-called_obamaphones.htmlhttp://colorlines.com/archives/2013/04/the_truth_about_so-called_obamaphones.htmlhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://colorlines.com/archives/author/jamilah-king/http://colorlines.com/archives/author/jamilah-king/http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://colorlines.com/archival_images/jamilah_king2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://colorlines.com/archives/author/jamilah-king/&h=333&w=250&sz=119&tbnid=le9bFNakFHMNLM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=67&prev=/search%3Fq%3DJamilah%2BKing%2Bphoto%2http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.conservapedia.com/images/thumb/1/13/Hubert_humphrey.jpg/200px-Hubert_humphrey.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.conservapedia.com/Hubert_Humphrey&h=211&w=200&sz=7&tbnid=hVWgGRSnjja-3M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=83&prev=/search%3Fhttp://colorlines.com/archives/author/jamilah-king/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/pages/waml.aspxhttp://colorlines.com/archives/2013/04/the_truth_about_so-called_obamaphones.htmlhttp://colorlines.com/archives/2013/04/the_truth_about_so-called_obamaphones.htmlC:/Users/owner/Documents/Outlook%20Files


7/12

Middle Wisconsin NEWSJu n e 2 0

Pa g e

The State of the Tribes Address to the Wisconsin State Legislature is

an annual event.On April 9, Gordon Thayer, chairman of the Lac

Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, delivered

the address. Chairman Thayer recognizedthe many disnguished

guests in the audience.Dennis White gave the invocaon in Ojibwe.

(I have had the honor of hearing Dennis White speak at several

events.I am always touched and moved by his eloquence.)

The Lac Courte Oreilles Youth Council representaves Josh Marn,

Ryan Bunker Jr., Nicolee Trepania, and Heather Marnson were

recognized for leading the gathering with the Pledge of Allegiance.The Inter-Tribal Drummers (comprised of performers from all 11

tribes) were recognized for the Honor song. Veterans from the 11

tribes in Wisconsin were honored and recognized. Chairman Thayer

reached out to all to share common ground stang:

Wemust do our best to build strong vibrant communies.Thayer then addressed the following issues:

1. Prescripon drug abuse and narcoc abuse: This as a growing problem all across Wisconsin. The Lac Courte Oreilles

tribe has taken drasc measures to curtail the epidemic.

2. Educaon: The Lac Courte Oreilles formed the K-12 school system in the mid-70s. The Waadookodaading, an Ojibwe

language Immersion Charter School, was launched 12 years ago as a partnership with community members and the

Hayward School District.The school has earned a widespread reputaon for fullling its name: A place where we

help each other. The Lac Courte Oreilles Community College (LCOCC), fully accredited through the North Central

Associaons Higher Learning Commission, was founded in 1982 and serves the surrounding communies and four

satellite sites. At present, the LCOCC enrolls 875 students and has served over 10,000 since its incepon.The state of

Wisconsin provides the University of Wisconsin system schools almost $12,500 per student. The state provides $0 for

students aending the LCOCC or the College of the Menominee Naon. Act 31 is designed to build relaonships

between tribes and local communies. It is supposed to illustrate the history that is centuries old between tribalmembers and non-tribal members. The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Council and the Hayward School Board are meeng

with Superintendent Craig Olson to discuss mapping an educaon plan for the children in their respecve schools.

3. Economic Development, Jobs, Taxes, and Tourism: In 2012, Lac Courte Oreilles employed 1,005 individuals with a

payroll of $29.2 million.Payroll taxes to state and federal governments was $5.1 million, and the total purchase of

goods and services equaled $12.3 million.The Lac Courte Oreilles gave $467,233 in donaons to local organizaons.

In FY 201112, the State received $52.1 million from tribes under the revenue-sharing provisions of the negoated

gaming compacts.A distribuon of $24.9 million was made to 16 state agencies and boards that benet Wisconsin.

More informaon can be found at either the WI State of the Tribes rebroadcastor the WI State of the Tribes transcript.

State of the Tribes Address (SOTA) 2013

By Joyce Luedke Hayward

LCO Chairman Gordon Thayer
http://www.newsfromindiancountry.net/index.php/tv/13813-wi-state-of-the-tribes-sota-address-by-gordon-thayerhttp://www.newsfromindiancountry.net/index.php/tv/13813-wi-state-of-the-tribes-sota-address-by-gordon-thayerhttp://www.thewheelerreport.com/wheeler_docs/files/0409thayer.pdfhttp://www.thewheelerreport.com/wheeler_docs/files/0409thayer.pdfhttp://www.thewheelerreport.com/wheeler_docs/files/0409thayer.pdfhttp://www.newsfromindiancountry.net/index.php/tv/13813-wi-state-of-the-tribes-sota-address-by-gordon-thayer


8/12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2013

Possible BadgerCare Budget Deal

Admits Walker Plan Spikes Numbers

of Uninsured Wisconsinites

Joint Finance Commiee majority developing plan

over the weekend to pay hospitals more for impact

of forcing Wisconsinites o health coverage.

As a consequence of months of intense public pressure on

the Legislature to reverse Governor Walkers rejection of

billions of enhanced federal dollars for the states Badger-

Care program, the conservative majority on the Joint Fi-

nance Committee may be working on a deal that would

pay Wisconsin hospitals more to make up for the cost of increased uncompensated care.

Interviews with Joint Finance Commiee Co-Chair Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills)

by Milwaukee Business Journal, and Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls), a key GOP

proponent of taking the federal money, by Wisconsin Reporter, describe a deal that

would sll reject the federal money but would spend more state money to compen-

sate hospitals for the impact. This would add to the $119 million state price tag in this

budget alone for turning down the federal health care reform dollars.

By conceding that hospitals will be damaged by an increase in uncompensated

care, such a deal would be an admission that Walkers plan will cause tens of

thousands people throughout Wisconsin to lose health coverage. This has been

denied by the Governor and his allies in the Legislature up to now, said RobertKraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. It would be a stunningly

callous and immoral act to compensate hospitals for the impact

of forcing people off health coverage, when it would be easy to

prevent this tragic result in the first place by taking the federal

health care dollars that are on the table. If such a deal came to

pass, it would show that leaders in the Legislature care more

about hospitals than their own constituents, who need guaranteedaccess to affordable health coverage to prosper and succeed.


As I have said before,

we need to challenge

the notion that direct

health care should

ever be provided, or

that medicine ought to

be practiced by for-

proit corporations. I

submit that we will notbe able to have good

quality, accessible

health care at an af-

fordable price until we

restore physicians as

independent, ethical

health care profession-

als, and until we

restore small, inde-

pendent, community

responsible, non-proit

hospitals as the locus

for inpatient care.

Roy M. Poses MDCorporate Medicine

Marches On

Pung Revenue Ahead

of Paents


BadgerCare Immorality

Editors Note: The following is a press release from Cizen Aconregarding BadgerCare

expansion, or lack thereof. Governor Walker and crew are willing to dump another $119million of our tax dollars to avoid accepng billions of dollars allocated by the Aorda-

ble Care Act for the expansion of BadgerCare.
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2013/05/31/legislature-plans-to-compensate.htmlhttp://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2013/05/31/legislature-plans-to-compensate.htmlhttp://watchdog.org/87915/moulton-says-wi-gop-working-on-deal-to-allay-medicaid-concerns/http://watchdog.org/87915/moulton-says-wi-gop-working-on-deal-to-allay-medicaid-concerns/http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://newiprogressive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2930:possible-badgercare-budget-deal-admits-walker-plan-spikes-numbers-of-uninsured-wisconsinites&catid=38:the-state-news&Itemid=56http://newiprogressive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2930:possible-badgercare-budget-deal-admits-walker-plan-spikes-numbers-of-uninsured-wisconsinites&catid=38:the-state-news&Itemid=56http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=money+and+healthcare&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=d_A8elDiKwwxZM&tbnid=T3-4mO2NYVB6OM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblackandmarriedwithkids.com%2F2012%2F11%2Fmoney-monday-would-you-patronize-a-business-that-denihttp://newiprogressive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2930:possible-badgercare-budget-deal-admits-walker-plan-spikes-numbers-of-uninsured-wisconsinites&catid=38:the-state-news&Itemid=56http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2012/12/corporate-medicine-marches-on-putting.htmlhttp://watchdog.org/87915/moulton-says-wi-gop-working-on-deal-to-allay-medicaid-concerns/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2013/05/31/legislature-plans-to-compensate.html


9/12

When Unions first organized in mines, plants, shipyards and other businesses,

strikes were sometimes called when a worker was fired. This shut down the busi-

ness, and the owner lost money. Such strikes caused workers to lose pay. Compa-

nies wanted the Union not to strike. Unions wanted to make sure that companies

didnt fire workers without a good reason. Slowly, the practice of trading a no -strike

clause for an arbitration clause grew.

During World War II, the government banned strikes because of the war effort.

Then the government sent trained industrial experts to hear discipline cases. In this

way, the practice of arbitration of discipline grew. Unions bargained for and, in most

cases, received contracts with just cause (the employer could not discharge or disci-

pline employees without just cause).

Our country has a long history that gave rise to a fair method for employees and

employers to resolve disputes over discipline in the workplace. This did not happen

in a vacuum. Workers organized when one of their own was harmed by the compa-

ny. They gave up the right to strike when they believed workers had a fair system to

resolve discipline matters. They simply wanted fair treatment.

So what does just cause mean in the workplace?

1. Just cause protects employees from arbitrary or unfounded disciplinary action.

2. Honest, hardworking employees deserve protection.

3. A disciplinary standard with due process and fair treatment of employees helps

management by giving structure and guidance to disciplinary decisions.

4. A fair system legitimizes discipline in the eyes of employees.

5. The employer and its employees all benefit when the workers have faith in the

system.

6. Workers are more productive when they know that they are respected and

treated fairly in the workplace.

7.

Just cause is consistent with the American values of due process and theconcept of innocent until proven guilty.

In the State of Wisconsin, workers have been relegated to second -class citizens

since Governor Walker took office. Just cause has been stripped from workers,

which has created a workplace of fear and apprehension. They can be fired for

virtually no reason without any substantive recourse and are considered guilty until

proven innocent. Citizens charged with crimes have more due process rights than

ordinary workers.

Wisconsin has always been a progressive state with the motto FORWARD.

How long before we return to what our founding fathers envisioned?


Workers are

more

productive

when they knowthat they

are respected

and treated

fairly in the

workplace.--

John SpiegelhoWausau District

Sta Representave

AFSCME


By John Spiegelhoff MerrillAmerican Federation of

State, County and Municipal Employees

Just Cause

Working Wisconsin Labor News & Views
http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/http://www.afscme40.org/


10/12


Pa g e

Letter from

Senator Dave Hansen

Dear Middle Wisconsin,

Thank you for wring to me and for providing me with a

copy ofMiddle Wisconsin News. I really enjoyed it.

A newsleer is an excellent way to disseminate news

and informaon and it looks like you, with Middle Wis-

consin News, are making a signicant contribuon to

Wisconsins public debate on the important issues that

aect us.I appreciate that your newsleer gets its ma-

terial from sources throughout the state.Its important

for residents and lawmakers to get alternave views on

important topics.

Thanks again for providing me with Middle Wisconsin

News. If you have addional comments or if I can be

assistance in the future, I hope you will let me know. I

can be reached at home at 920-391-2000 or at my

oce, toll free, at (866) 221-9395.

Sincerely,

Dave Hansen

State Senator

March Against Monsanto in Wausau

March Against Monsanto happened Satur-

day, May 25, around the world. One hun-

dred people from the Wausau Area met on

the steps of the Marathon County Court-house. Over 2 million people in 436 cies

around the world marched against Mon-

santo to demand labeling of GMO

(genecally modied organism) food.

GMOs harm the human body as well as the

environment. The European Union banned

GMOs years ago.

You can watch the video here.

D.C. Everest Senior Wins Top Prize in the WorldBrandon Dively, D.C. Everest Senior High School senior, took rst place in the world

in the Professional Selling Event at DECAs annual Career Development Conference in

Anaheim, California, April 24 to 27. Dively took a markeng exam and presented a sales

demonstraon. Ten other students from D.C. Everest also aended the event.

Dively is D.C. Everests rst student to win at the Internaonal level. There are a total

of 47 events, and therefore, only 47 winners among the 16,500 DECA members from

around the world.

The DECA Depot, the school store, was recognized for achieving the Gold Level School

Based Enterprise. This is the highest honor for a school store. DECA prepares emerging

leaders and entrepreneurs in areas of markeng, nance, hospitality, and management

at the high school and college level around the world.

Source: Wausau Daily Herald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkt6zvHw89Y&feature=youtu.behttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkt6zvHw89Y&feature=youtu.behttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkt6zvHw89Y&feature=youtu.be


11/12


Pa g e

Help Wanted: Sand Mine Inspectors

We really need concerned cizens to be our eyes and ears, wrote DNR Storm Water Specialist Ruth King in response to cizen com-

plaints about frac sand mines. I am only a half-me employee and cannot be everywhere at all mes.

Ms. Kings appeal was reported in an arcle wrien by Kate Prengaman of the Wisconsin Center for Invesgave Journalism who close

ly follows the growing sand mine industry.

Nearly a h of Wisconsins 70 acve frac sand mines and processing plants were cited for environmental violaons last year, wrote

Prengaman. She quoted Air Management Specialist Marty Sellers, who said he sent leers of noncompliance to 80 to 90 percent of

the sites he visited.

The DNRs limited resources means some frac sand mines are not inspected or only inspected when citizens complained about the mine.

To address the sta shortage, the state budget includes two posions as dedicated sand mine monitors. However, addional p osions

were recently considered by the Legislatures Joint Finance Commiee.

Monitors are needed to oversee air quality during mine construcon and operaon. New inspectors would monitor compliance with

storm water rules, high capacity wells, wetlands and endangered resources. Inspectors review permits, blasng and fugive dust con-

trol plans, discuss best management pracces with the operator, inspect equipment and review company operaon reports.

The Joint Finance Commiee was informed about the sand mine industry through a paper wrien by the nonparsan Legislave Fisca

Bureau (LFB), which provided detailed informaon on the industry that has exploded in western Wisconsin.

Three years ago there were 5 industrial sand mines and 5 industrial sand processing plants in the state, wrote LFB analyst Kendra

Bonderud. DNR ocials recently esmated that as of April 1, 2013, there are 105 industrial sand mines and 65 industrial processing

plants in the state, which is two to three mes the number the Department was aware of in the summer of 2012.

The LFB paper noted last summer the DNR reviewed stang needs for perming, compliance and monitoring of frac sand operaons

At that me, the Department esmated 10.2 full-me posions were needed to oversee the 54 known sites. The fast growing industry

now needs two to three mes more inspectors.

Joint Finance Commiee member Senator Jennifer Shilling oered an amendment to fund at least those 10 posions. Sll, the majorit

of Finance Commiee members voted down Shillings amendment.

Adequately funding sand mine monitors is important for neighbors, local government, and the mine owners and workers. I receive

many calls of neighbors concerned about mine operaon. Local government ocials are stretched thin and are oen unable to monito

the mines. Most counes have few sta dedicated to the inspecon of mines. Workers need necessary health and safety protecons.

Owners that do follow the rules are at a compeve disadvantage with those who do not.

Cizens are rightly concerned when the state relies on them to monitor mine safety. It was from cizens that I learned of one of the

most serious violaons. Last year Preferred Sands mine in Trempealeau County had a mudslide that aected a neighboring property.

The WI Center for Invesgave Journalism reported this mine also had mulple violaons of its air quality permit. The violaons arenow being considered by the Department of Jusce.

Trempealeau County is the epicenter of sand mining. With 28 mines, there is no higher concentraon in the state. Recently, c izens

delivered to Trempealeau County Board Supervisors peons with 821 signatures in favor of a year-long sand mine moratorium. Pe-

oners were upset when supervisors ignored the stack of signatures and instead failed to pass the moratorium on new county mines.

Cizens should not be charged with the monitoring of mines in their neighborhoods. If Wisconsin allows sand mining, Wisconsin

must invest in sta to monitor compliance with the law.

Not all 170 mines and processing plants are up and running. But it is reasonable to expect they will be by June of 2015, the end of the

upcoming state budget. The Legislature should act to phase-in the funding for all 32 needed posions before the nal passage of the

two-year state budget.Reprinted with permissi


12/12

By Dave Svetlik Mosinee


Pa g e

And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed

if all records told the same tale

then the lie passed into history and became the truth

George Orw

1984 (published in 194

CHALLENGING

THE MYTH...

The Myth That We Are a People Divided

It is said that Americans are divided, that conservaves and progressives have irreconcil-

able dierences represented by the Republican and Democrac pares. But perhaps a

more accurate assessment is that we have been deliberately divided and are no longer

represented by eitherpolical party. Perhaps we are not as divided as we think.

Conservaves and Progressives alike feel anger for the loong of Americans that oc-curred in the bailout of Wall Street banks. We are united in our belief that there should

be criminal prosecuons at the highest levels of the nancial sector that too big to

fail banks must be broken up and reregulated. We are united in our desire for a nan-

cial transacon tax liming the casino capitalism of hedge funds that buy and sell the

lives of working Americans like so much fodder. We are united in our belief that the

Bush tax cuts for the wealthy should have been terminated, and that oshore tax havens

for the richest Americans and corporaons must end.

Virtually all but the wealthiest Americans feel hatred for the Supreme Court Cizens United decision giving per-

sonhood to corporaons. We are disgusted that elecons are sold to the highest bidder.

Americans of all polical stripes oppose cuts to Social Security. We understand there is no true lack of funding for this

vital earned benet and that future shoralls can be easily corrected by raising the payroll tax cap to a level reecng

decades of inaon. President Bushs eort to privaze social security for the benet of Wall Street was universally

opposed, and President Obamas aempt to link cost of living adjustment to the Chained CPI is meeng similar re-

sistance.

Conservave and progressive cizens are united in their disgust at the current level of income inequality. In 2011,

hedge fund manager Raymond Dalio of Bridgewater Associates made $3.9 billion. Assuming he has a 40 -hour work

week, he makes $1.9 million per hour. In 2012, average CEO pay for typical corporaons was $9.6 million, or $185,000

per WEEK. Few average Americans feel such income levels are legimate.

The list of issues uning us goes on, and Americans of all persuasions are beginning to realize that their neighbor is

not their enemy. They are realizing they have been the vicm of divide-and-conquer strategies ping us against one

another while hiding the true culprits responsible for our economic woes. Americans are realizing there is no longer a

level playing eld that government debt and sequester cuts are rigged games used to plunder the public domain

through privazaon and cut social programs vital to hard-working Conservaves and Progressives alike. They are

realizing their government has been abducted, and that it has become the servant of money.

Two words must become familiar to all Americans: Plutocracy(government by the wealthy) and Oligarchy

(government by the few, or government in which a small group exercises control for corrupt and selsh purposes).

There is a divide in America, but it is NOT between Conservaves and Progressives.