Upon sitting out the vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) remarked that what women really need is “education and training.” Puzzling, because in 2007 Sen. McCain avoided the vote on the America COMPETES Act and voted against the College Cost Reduction Act. The America COMPETES Act promotes education in engineering, technology, and science—fields not typically pursued by women—and was supported by the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The AAUW also supported the College Cost Reduction Act—which aimed to increase Pell grant awards to restore the grant’s purchasing power and reduce subsidized student loan interest—given the fact that “because women are more likely to borrow money for college than men are and will earn less on average after graduation, female graduates are more likely to struggle with their loan debt.”
Read More »Watch John McCain tell a 14-year-old girl that she doesn't deserve equal pay.
McCain seems to think that women don't need equal pay protection, they need "more education and training." Check out the video below to hear Sen. McCain's outrageous remarks about his opposition to equal pay for women.
In April, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) skipped the vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would have restored workers' ability to pursue pay discrimination claims in the courts, and provide protection for women receiving unfair wages. McCain explained his opposition to the bill by saying that instead of equal pay protection, women simply needed "education and training." A 14-year old girl knew better and questioned McCain about his absence and position on the bill to provide protection for equal pay. McCain responded, "I don't believe that this would do anything to help the rights of women."
Read More »The Bush economy has long been a disaster for working people but has only recently started to affect the very wealthy. It has been an economy of massive tax cuts for the wealthiest, endless loopholes and handouts to the largest corporations, while charging everything to our national credit card. While Senator John McCain has declared that “the fundamentals of the economy are very strong,” reality is showing that he couldn’t be more wrong if he tried.
Just last week, we learned that the jobless rate has jumped in what is the biggest rise since 1986. This week, a study revealed that childhood poverty rates have risen both nationally and in our state. Nationally, there has been an increase of 1 million children living in poverty. The percentage of children living in poverty in Wisconsin has jumped from 12 percent to 15 percent since 2000. That amounts to an increase of almost 200,000 more children living in poverty. Much of the increase in childhood poverty is directly tied to the loss of jobs during this Bush economy. Sadly, this is not likely the end of these kinds of depressing statistics.
Conservatives like to praise the magic of “the market” when discussing anything about the economy. Hopefully they will finally understand what progressives have been saying for years. The Bush approach of tax cuts for the rich and hand outs to corporations has been “market tested” and has proven itself to be a complete economic disaster.
It is no secret that anti-choice groups have long used radical tactics to oppose abortion. This year, we saw young children outfitted in "I survived the American Holocaust" tee shirts in legislative hearings in the Wisconsin capitol. Last July, we watched in horror as a group of "pro-lifers" staged, in front of a Milwaukee abortion clinic, a celebratory reenactment of the murder of a Florida abortion provider and his escort by Paul Hill. In short, their campaigns and demonstrations have grown increasingly extreme and more inappropriate as of late.
Continuing in this vein, Pro-Life Wisconsin is holding prayer vigils across the state on June 7, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Griswold v. Connecticut. For non-history buffs, this 1965 Supreme Court decision struck down a Connecticut law outlawing contraception for married couples. Since the legalization of contraception, birth control has become commonplace in our society. In fact, 98% of American women use contraception at some point during their lifetime. Despite birth control’s popularity and safety, Pro-Life Wisconsin is joining other anti-choice groups on June 7 to protest outside family planning clinics that prescribe and dispense contraception to low income women. The name of their oh-so-subtle campaign? "Protest the Pill Day '08: The Pill Kills Babies".
Yes, you read that correctly. No longer satisfied with attacking a woman’s right to choose abortion, Pro-Life Wisconsin is now attacking the millions of women who use contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Read More »Residents who are interested in helping this effort should attend the next neighborhood meeting on May 10th, 2008 at the Center Street Library. (27th and Fond du Lac) at 10:15 AM.
This meeting is open to anyone who cares about what is happening in our city and believes that residents should have the opportunity to compete for the jobs our money creates!
McCain, contrary to the image his cynical marketing juggernaut has created, is neither a moderate, nor a maverick. (Discuss amongst yourselves.) Not when it comes to reproductive rights and women's health.
Let's look more closely at the REAL McCain: In 2006, McCain co-sponsored the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalized some abortion services even when a woman's health was endangered. In this campaign, McCain put it more bluntly than Bush ever did, saying, "I do not support Roe v. Wade. I think it should be overturned." These are not the words of a moderate candidate - the vast majority of Americans support Roe and do not want to go back to the bad old days of back-alley abortions where women were treated like criminals. Read More »
Over the years I have heard hundreds of heart-wrenching stories about individuals and families who suffer as a result of health insurers failing to provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments.
One Wisconsin woman shared with me an especially poignant story that illustrates the imbalance of the current system.
In the same year, this woman’s husband and daughter both required major medical care because of life-threatening conditions. One had a disease of the kidneys and one suffered from severe clinical depression.
Both patients required emergency visits and extended treatment. Both patients were compliant and followed their doctor’s treatment instructions. Both patients were covered under the same family policy.
But the insurance covered twice as much of the costs associated with the kidney disease as it did for the severe depression, simply because depression is a mental illness.
March 25, 2008
For more information contact:
Jennifer Epps 414-443-0682
Fed up with Injustice, Milwaukee Residents "Rise Up"
More than 1,000 city residents unite to solve Milwaukee's economic crisis
Milwaukee is facing harsh economic times. In response, residents are "Rising Up." At 5 pm on Saturday, March 29th, just 3 days before the critical April 1st elections, more than 1000 residents will gather at the Rave for "Rise Up Milwaukee: Rhythm For a Reason" -an event to unify diverse areas of the city in recognition of the common need for family-friendly jobs with fair wages, where workers can work free from fear with safe and healthy working conditions. The event is organized by "The Milwaukee Unity Cam-paign," a coalition of local community organizations, labor unions, and residents working together to address the economic crisis facing Milwaukee's residents, particularly in African-American and Latino communities. Read More »
In 2002, a survey found that 300,000 women were raped each year, resulting in 25,000 unwanted pregnancies. 16,000 of these unintended pregnancies ended in abortion. With the effectiveness of emergency contraception, 22,000 (88%) of the pregnancies and the resulting abortions could be prevented if all sexual assault survivors used emergency contraception.
Though it took women's health groups and pro-choice politicians five years to find the necessary support for the bill, it seems that many communities have long supported this legislation. The American Medical Association advocates provision of information and access to emergency contraception to rape victims. A bi-partisan survey of Wisconsin voters in 2004 showed that 82% of voters were in support of guaranteeing emergncy contraception access to rape and incest victims. This session, a bi-partisan effort in both the state Assembly and Senate has ensured that this bill will become law. As a result, the views of both the medical community and Wisconsin citizens will finally be represented by state law.
Two felonies and 4 criminal charges for his crimes against a child.
He lived across the street from a home for runaway kids, and found a cache of little boys to give beer & marijuana to, after treating them to his Xbox.
He'd expose his genitals, and when police asked if anyone was in the house.
He said no.
They found a half naked boy in his bedroom closet.
Brown County Case Number 2008CF000155
His court records show he's written worthless checks, failed to pay his taxes on time, and credit card defaults.
After his Dec 2006 arrest, he remained the GOP chair speaking for Republicans all over Northeast Wisconsin.
The Republicans protection of sex offenders is not creating the outrage it should.
Sen. Craig & Vitter remain in the US Senate.
Dozens of Republicans have been sexually assaulting people- of all ages, across this nation, and the party does nothing.
Here in Wisconsin, we can make sure the state GOP is shamed, and punished for allowing this man to operate for a year, after his arrest.
The Wisconsin GOP is protecting sex offenders.
Supposed candidate, John Gard has not made a peep about Fleischman, or the moral failures of his party.
Mr. Gard has to have had extensive contacts with Fleischman, and the largest county in the 8th Congressional district, during his 2006 race.
The former officials, within the Brown County office are not talking.
We must confront them, on their roles, in this disgusting behavior.
Keeping Fleischman in office of one year after his arrest, is unacceptable.
Let's see how the conservative Green Bay newspaper covers this crime, over the Favre retirement that has been going on for three days now.
Throughout the hearing, pro-choice advocates from organizations such as NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood kept their testimonies to the point, focusing on the antiquated law passed in the 1840's and the importance of repealing it. The anti-choice speakers often focused on graphic imagery and rare circumstantial cases that were off topic and had little to do with the legislation at hand. Here are some of the facts presented by the pro-choice organizations.
Last year, Bush's new Supreme Court upheld the Federal Abortion Ban in a 5-4 decision that sided against women's health, chipping away at one of the most basic principles of Roe. With this decision indicating a change in the federal court, it is only a matter of time before Roe v. Wade is overturned and the right to a legal safe abortion is back in the hands of our state government. The repeal of 940.04 is necessary before Roe is overturned, or women and doctors statewide will be facing criminal investigation for exercising the right to choose.
At the hearing, pro-choice organizations and advocates focused on the criminalization of doctors and women under the current law for providing or accessing basic health care. They focused on the necessity of repealing a bill so antiquated that at the time of its passing in the 1840's, women weren't allowed to own property or vote. Abortion is a personal decision, not a criminal act. Medical decisions should be kept private, rather than promoting the next McCarthy era by making these decisions a matter of public investigation.
The Women's Health and Safety Act is truly about keeping our prisons filled with real criminals, rather than criminals that were created by politicians looking to score political points.
This Wednesday morning, February 27th, The Assembly Committee on Jobs & the Economy will hold a hearing on Wisconsin’s minimum wage. The Committee’s hearing starts at 10:00am in room 400NE, and it will consider Assembly Bill 274, which would raise the minimum wage and index it for inflation.
Although federal increases in the minimum wage passed the U.S. Congress last summer, bringing the federal minimum wage up to $7.25 by July 2009, AB274 is important because of its long term implications. Without indexing for inflation, some obvious problems remain constant even after a boost to the minimum wage is given. As explained by Goldman Sachs Vice President Andrew Tilton in a 2006 issue of US Economics Analyst,
Read More »“the periodic debates about raising the wage consume politicians’ (and economists’) time and energy, and the unpredictability of the law – irregular large hikes followed by gradual erosion through inflation – makes business planning more difficult. If a minimum wage is desired, indexing it to inflation would avoid these problems.” (WCCF)
PostsHighestRated Posts
