http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/category_rss/corporataccountability Just over a week ago, the Institute for One Wisconsin launched an email campaign asking concerned citizens to send a message to the board members of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). To date over 10,000 communications have been generated in that very short time. This is just another example of how people all across the state are sick of their increasingly partisan behavior. Outgoing UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley accurately stated that WMC has been taken over by “political extremists” and that they have created a “toxic” political environment in Wisconsin. Obviously he is not alone in making that assessment as evidenced by large numbers of emails sent out by concerned Wisconsinites. The “political extremists” that Wiley describes are apparently so concerned about the email campaign that one of them decided to send his own communication to the WMC board members. In it he pleads that they should not let the emails disrupt their fundraising drive for the ads that they plan to run in the coming months. In an email to WMC board members, WMC Vice President for Government Relations James Buchen said the following: It appears that the email campaign is an effort to disrupt WMC's fundraising drive for the WMC Issues Mobilization Council, Inc. We hope that this will not be the case. We hope that Directors will continue to show the resolve and fortitude demonstrated at the June Board Retreat when the Board voted unanimously to launch our fall issue campaign. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBN http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBN/commentary#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:31:57 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBN Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHBN/ Yesterday we told you about the early success of our email campaign to the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) board. Since then many more people have responded and thousands more emails have been sent flooding the inboxes of those that sit on the WMC Board. If you have not yet had the opportunity to speak your mind to the WMC Board of Directors, now is the time to take your stand . WMC has been rightfully on the receiving end of much criticism lately by some of the most respected people in our state. Most recently the outgoing UW-Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley called out WMC for allowing itself to be “hijacked by highly partisan, ideologically driven staff.” The senior staff at WMC have ignored very similar statements in the recent past by other prominent Wisconsinites and all indications seem to show that they will also ignore Chancellor Wiley’s as well. WMC Vice President Jim Buchen responded to the comments claiming that he and the other staff “is not ideologically fixated.” A laughable comment considering just some of the following facts available at WMCWatch.org : Many of the staff have worked in or come directly out of Republican Party politics. Only Republicans receive a high rank on their phony “scorecard”. They have spent millions of dollars to support Republican candidates. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHB5 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHB5/commentary#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:35:31 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHB5 Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHB5/ We have seen the Bush energy policy at work now for nearly eight years, it seems to be a plan based on not leaving any big oil and gas company behind. The policy appears to be the following simple formula: give a free pass to these massive special interests in any way possible, give them record amounts of handouts from the public and then allow them to “thank” the public by gouging them at every possible turn. This energy free-for-all has most definitely had an impact, unfortunately it has been a hugely negative one for individual citizens and the entire economy. Consumers are paying record amounts at the pump, while Big Oil pulls in record profits . This has a major impact on the price of things like food and other essentials. In many ways it is responsible for a 17 year record high in inflation. As if working people weren’t hurting enough in this Bush economy, now we are getting early warnings about just how much more it will take to heat our homes this winter . Estimates from the Department of Energy project that heating costs will climb 21 percent in the Midwest this year. There is an expected 26 percent increase for homes that stay warm with heating oil. Even with all of the bad news, John McCain has decided to follow the Bush economic and energy “plans”. As it has been previously documented, McCain has already learned how to roll over for Big Oil interests by reversing his own positions. Actually, McCain plans to go even further than Bush in many ways when it comes to appeasing Big Oil. He has not only decided to back Bush’s irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy but he also gives away the treasury on even more tax cuts for big corporations. Big Oil would receive some $4 billion in additional handouts . It would be difficult to imagine, but such a McCain economy could make a terribly bad situation much worse. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBS http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBS/commentary#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:28:59 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHBS Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHBS/ A story has been popping around the internets about a lawsuit John McCain’s mom filed against his first wife back in 1980. While this tale may at long last make the story of McCain leaving his injured first wife to court the millionaire beer baroness to whom he is now married of interest to the media – in the same way Jeremiah Wright’s image was omnipresent for weeks, what would be great it’ll bring up how hypocritical McCain is when it comes to so-called tort reform. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHBV http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHBV/commentary#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:16:02 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHBV Scot @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/b15bea43ee26199f1d_l7awmvb5t.jpg Scot @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHBV/ Pro-corporate soulmate Supremes Mike Gableman and Annette Ziegler get closer by the day. The latest revelation, Gableman’s going to pull a Ziegler and rule on cases where Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is involved – despite WMC dumping nearly $2 million during his run to get on the high court. Ziegler earned front page headlines after she provided the deciding vote and wrote the opinion on the WMC-backed Mensha Corp. case – costing taxpayers $265 million and making WMC’s $2 million investment in Ziegler’s ascendency to the top court a worthwhile investment. Now Gableman tells wispolitics.com that he makes distinctions between those special interests which filled his campaign coffers and those special interests which dumped $2 million in smear ads. Sounds like WMC is getting let off the hook on a technicality. And we know how they hate technicalities . http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHGh http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHGh/commentary#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:07:40 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHGh Scot @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/b15bea43ee26199f1d_l7awmvb5t.jpg Scot @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHGh/ Over the weekend the Wisconsin State Journal ran a story about the search for a new head for the Department of Commerce. It addresses how the right choice for the job is particularly important right now, during a challenging economy. The story goes on to quote state Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) who trots out the right wing's one trick pony on the economy, endless corporate tax cuts. We have seen how good that approach has worked nationally, but apparently old habits (and knee jerk reactions) die hard for the Brookfield Senator. OWN Executive Director Scot Ross was also quoted shortly after Kanavas saying that tax cuts shouldn't be the first choice in creating a strong economy. He went on to say the following: "The next commerce secretary needs to support spending on roads, schools, universities and municipal services because that infrastructure makes businesses want to stay and move here. Experience shows both in the state of Wisconsin and the rest of the country that tax cuts won't buy loyalty from corporations." Most corporations rely on a decent infrastructure to carry out their normal operations (roads, educated workforce, safety ect) . Most of that infrastructure is provided as a result of taxpayer investment. Blindly cutting away at it or finding ways to keep corporations from paying their fair share is actually counter productive for everyone. There are countless areas where public investment has spurred both the development of new technology and entire industries. Hopefully the new Secretary of Commerce will be a person that approaches the economy from a fresh perspective. Hopefully they will be an advocate for bold and broad solutions rather than joining the overly simplistic "tax cut choir" headed by partisans like Kanavas. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGV http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGV/commentary#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:25:22 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGV Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHGV/ It looks like we can all expect the races for the state Assembly to get really ugly this year , primarily because Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) plans on buying up as much ad time as possible. Some observers expect them to spend as much as $7 million to keep their iron fisted control of the state Assembly and its agenda. Wisconsin is still recovering from the dishonest and disgusting attacks that they helped launch earlier this year against Louis Butler. Their actions helped draw very negative national attention to Wisconsin. The vast majority of independent observers condemned their actions in that race and the nonpartisan Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee described the WMC ads as “ deceiving the public ”. Why would we expect anything else from them when their gravy train in the Assembly may be at stake? Whenever WMC prepares to spend record amounts of money to influence elections, they often send out their resident joke man Jim Pugh. It is his job to serve up the real whoppers that can sometimes get him laughed out of a room . His most often joke is that WMC’s nonstop flow of deceptive ads are merely an effort to “educate the public.” The Milwaukee Journal has reported the contents of a July fund-raising solicitation from WMC that appears to very clearly state their real goal for the fall, retaining Republican control of the Assembly. The story describes this as their “top priority.” It also reports that they would like to raise some $1 million by Labor Day to use for political ads that would serve that underlying goal. Flooding the public airwaves with deceptive ads is merely a vehicle for WMC’s real goal of maintaining their control over the Assembly. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGM http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGM/commentary#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:30:26 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGM Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHGM/ The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that all the usual business suspects are going to pump cash into an effort to fight the paid sick day referendum. The story further reveals that if they don’t get the result that they want on the referendum, that they will spend even more money by challenging the will of the people in the courts. So what is a person supposed to take from this news? That business interests are willing to invest their money in an expensive ad campaign and possibly a protracted lawsuit but not in their own employees and the public health? Are they really going to launch such an effort to keep some of the poorest workers in the city from having a benefit that most people take for granted? The business interests involved in the fight against paid sick days list all of the same talking points that they have always used when asked to invest more into their employees and the common good. This story is no exception, once again they claim that requiring paid sick days will put people out of business and chase others businesses from the city. How many times have we had to endure this tired old argument? It is straight out of central casting but they have simply replaced the last issue with paid sick days. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMs http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMs/commentary#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:48:17 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMs Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHMs/ (cross-posted from Wisconsin Labor 2008 blog: http://labor2008.typepad.com/wi/2008/07/rep-steve-kagen.html ) WATCH Rep. Steve Kagen in Appleton talk about the value of the Employee Free Choice Act : http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/casetheplace/CHML http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/casetheplace/CHML/commentary#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:49:24 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/casetheplace/CHML casetheplace casetheplace 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHML/ My pal Bill Kraus at Common Cause in Wisconsin decided to take a poke at OWN yesterday on the FightingBob.com blog for our efforts advancing progressive values, ideas and policies to ensure a Wisconsin with equal economic opportunity for all.   Bill has a long and admirable career of doing what he thinks is best to make Wisconsin an even better state. In this instance, he uses FightingBob.com, a 501(c)(3), tax exempt organization, to advocate for policy change, writing, "There is a proposal to bring some transparency to the participation of all of these incipient campaign hijackers which most lawyers think will get past the Supreme Court." http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMH http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMH/commentary#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:25:44 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMH Scot @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/b15bea43ee26199f1d_l7awmvb5t.jpg Scot @ One Wisconsin Now 1 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHMH/ As a top advisor to predatory lenders, as well as John McCain ex-Texas Senator Phil Gramm has been taking heat for calling people concerned about the tanking economy and the loss of the homes, jobs and futures as “whiners” experiencing a “mental recession.” Having studied the career of Gramm as part of a research paper I had to write in the mid-90s, it was like a trip down memory lane when I heard the Huffington Post had posted something about Gramm investments in a couple failed Russ Meyer-inspired soft-core porn flicks . To be certain, in the hypocrite hall of fame, Gramm’s got his wing. The smaller government, except when it comes to giving taxpayer money to my corporate clients, Gramm made a career of railing against “guvment” spending. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMW http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMW/commentary#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:47:05 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHMW Scot @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/b15bea43ee26199f1d_l7awmvb5t.jpg Scot @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHMW/ In a 4-3 decision the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against the State of Wisconsin in the Department of Revenue v. Menasha Corporation case. Of all people, ethically challenged Justice Annette Ziegler wrote the majority opinion. Last year hundreds of Wisconsinites called for her to recuse herself from the case because it was a major priority for her benefactors at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Who could forget that they spent some $2 million helping to get her elected? That was more than she spent on her own campaign and almost more than both campaigns combined. She refused to recuse herself and now has delivered a big victory to her benefactors. It looks like WMC just won a $265 million return on a $2 million investment in just one year. Unfortunately this special interest gain is a big loss for Wisconsin. During this troubling economy and a time of tough budgets, Ziegler’s decision gives us $265 million less to invest in schools, public safety, or to fix our crumbling infrastructure. Although she chose to step down from many cases last year, oddly this was one that she refused to leave. At the time she said that she would only consider recusing herself if one of the parties in the case requested it. The person that was supposed to represent Wisconsin in the case was Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who also owes his current job to WMC’s deep pockets. Naturally Van Hollen didn’t cross them by asking for their latest installation to step aside. WMC really covered their bases on this one and it got what it paid for, meanwhile the rest of us just get the shaft. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMG http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMG/commentary#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:35:26 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHMG Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHMG/ The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the prospect of $200 a barrel price for oil by the end of the year. The price has shot up over the last 7 years but that increase has been much more rapid in the last six months. During that time we have seen it go up from $100 to $150 a barrel. If the price actually hits the $200 prediction, that will translate to well over $6 a gallon for gasoline at the pump. The pain at the pump is only the beginning of the budget crunch for the average working family. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that natural gas is also at a high for this time of year. Experts in that industry are predicting major sticker shock for energy customers, especially when we try to heat our homes in winter. Natural gas futures have jumped 82 percent since just the start of the year. The story reports that increases in the price of natural gas have already driven up electricity bills twice since March. All of these costs are overburdening working families and impacting our already fragile economy. This is where the failed Bush policies of irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy, coddling Big Oil, and lacking a forward thinking energy policy has brought us. U.S. Senator John McCain has been a rubber stamp for those polices in the Senate. He supported Bush as much as 100 percent in 2008 and 95 percent in 2007. In addition, McCain now says that he will make Bush’s tax cuts for the rich permanent. Actually he will go even further by offering unprecedented tax giveaways to some of the biggest corporations in the country. Under this economic scheme, Big Oil would get some $3.8 billion in tax giveaways. To the average person, such a massive giveaway to the very industry that has us over a barrel makes no sense at all. To John McCain it’s just business as usual. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjK http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjK/commentary#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:17:58 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjK Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjK/ Former Assembly Speaker John Gard has scheduled several town-hall meetings that he says will focus on gas prices. Unfortunately his positions on our addiction to oil is no different than the failed policies of the most unpopular president in history, George W. Bush. More specifically Gard is talking about giving Big Oil a free pass to dig up and take over wherever they think that they can find oil. Whether it is endangering pristine areas of wildlife or erecting Big Oil monuments right off our coasts, Gard’s folly is trying to drill our way out of this energy crisis. Even some of his fellow Republicans do not agree with this shortsighted gamble for what is sure to be a very limited gain. While Gard is busy promoting Big Oil’s self serving agenda, I wonder if he will take a moment to correct himself on a recent related claim. Talking Points memo reported  recently that Gard parroted a conservative talking point that had been completely debunked. The conservative claim that China and other nations were drilling off the coast of Florida was repeated in a Gard flyer even after Dick Cheney had to admit that it was not factual. When reporters for Talking Points Memo called the Gard operation to ask them about the misinformation, they were given several different false and conflicting answers. Perhaps it would be good for John Gard to take a moment during the town hall meetings to explain why he put out such inaccurate information for public consumption. Like his energy policy in general, the flyer demonstrates the length that he will go to in order to protect Big Oil and their narrow interests. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjt http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjt/commentary#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:10:09 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjt Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 1 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjt/ Last week it was reported that a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) staffer condescendingly referred to the Epic Systems founder and well-respected progressive business leader as “that computer lady.” As a result the Institute for One Wisconsin launched an education effort this week questioning WMC’s attitude toward women and their history of opposing legislation that would have been helpful to both women and their families. The online campaign includes a WMC Watch News Alert available at WMCWatch.org and a letter to the editor writing tool. Individuals can write a letter to the editor of their local papers expressing their outrage at both the dismissive WMC comments and their legislative positions that have been bad for Wisconsin women. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjp http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjp/commentary#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:41:38 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjp Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjp/ Although the media is trying its best to paint him as something different , Congressman Paul Ryan continues to prove that he is from the same polluted conservative mold as the most unpopular president in history. While the rhetoric around Ryan may suggest otherwise, reality and his actual record have proven him to be nothing more than a rubber stamp of the worst kind. The latest example came only yesterday when he voted against a bill with massive bipartisan support. The bill postponed a planned cut in payments to physicians who treat Medicare patients. If the bill is not passed before July 1 doctors that treat Medicare patients will take a 10.6 percent hit. Such a dramatic pay cut could easily jeopardize access for both seniors and the disabled. Why would Paul Ryan vote for that? Ryan’s vote is even more peculiar when you consider that 129 of his fellow Republicans joined with the Democrats to support the bill. There are only two explanations for Ryan’s hard line against this measure. Either he is just that loyal to a grossly out of touch president that has promised to veto it or he has a deep desire to protect big insurance at all costs. The cut to doctors was replaced by a reduction in payments to private insurers that participate in the Medicare Advantage program. According to a congressional advisory commission , those companies get some 13 percent more than it costs Medicare to offer services itself. For a guy that prides himself on his imagined budgetary prowess, it seems an odd thing to defend. Someone should corner Ryan and ask him exactly why he would rather cut doctors and seniors rather than slow down the gravy train for big insurance. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjj http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjj/commentary#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:22:06 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjj Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjj/ Today Paid Sick Days Milwaukee, a coalition of labor, educational and community organizations, delivered over 42,000 signatures to the Milwaukee Common Council. The effort was lead by 9 to 5 , National Association of Working Women. They are asking the council to pass a requirement that all businesses in Milwaukee provide employees with paid sick day benefits . The council can either vote on it themselves or they could put the measure on the November ballot. The proposed ordinance would require all private businesses in Milwaukee to give their workers one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Full-time employees for a large business would earn 72 hours a year. Smaller businesses (with 10 or fewer employees) would only be required to provide 40 hours a year in paid sick days. The days could be taken for illness, medical care for the worker, for their children, parents or any other person related to the worker. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjC http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjC/commentary#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:44:39 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjC Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 1 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjC/ George Lightbourn is the former budget advisor for Governor Scott McCallum. Now he is a glorified shill for corporate interests at the right wing Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Thursday corporate interests attacked the $2-billion-saving “ Healthy Wisconsin ” plan through their chosen outlet. Before taking WPRI’s rantings too seriously, perhaps one should first consider the source, because Lightbourn has zero credibility on sound budgeting and related issues. When George Lightbourn was working for Governor McCallum, he played a major role in digging our state into a historic budget deficit . Then they had the bright idea of selling off $6 billion in future tobacco settlement payments for only a short term fix to a budgetary problem that he helped cause in the first place. Certainly his advice is not the kind that we needed then and it is definitely not now for this health care crisis. Lightbourn twists himself into an ideological pretzel in his recent attack on the savings provided by the Healthy Wisconsin plan. Conveniently Lightbourn provides no real healthcare reform, rather he only attacks the bold initiative of the State Senate. In the attack of Healthy Wisconsin, he makes clear that he disapproves of hugely successful government healthcare programs like Medicare, BadgerCare and SeniorCare. This extreme position is not only a purely ideologically driven one but also is totally out of step with the vast majority of people that have greatly benefited from such successful programs. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGY http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGY/commentary#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:09:47 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGY Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHGY/ One Wisconsin Now was proud to help sponsor a Milwaukee stop during David Sirota’s book tour. David Sirota is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of the New York Times best selling, Hostile Takeover . Sirota came to the Schwartz bookstore on Downer last night to discuss the issues addressed in his new book, The Uprising . It is an investigative look at America’s new populist movement. To research for the book, Sirota traveled all across the country interviewing people on the front lines of the movement from both the left and the right. About 40 people attended Sirota’s presentation Tuesday night. He covered the over arching points from his book regarding this new populist movement. He talked about the broad frustration with our government among regular working people and how it was fostering the movement on all ends of the political spectrum. He pointed to the success of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee who won in some very conservative states using an economic populist message. He commented that this should be a hopeful sign that regular people across the political spectrum are beginning to understand that they have been locked out of our current system. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGd http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGd/commentary#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:49:04 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHGd Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHGd/ U.S. Senator John McCain has proposed a gas tax “holiday.” This is a concept that has been universally panned by economists . The average consumer would see almost no savings. It seems clear that it is little more than a pander to people that are struggling with record gas prices. While John McCain offers only smoke and mirrors to the average American, all indications show that his feet are firmly planted on the side of Big Oil and their record profits. Although he has said in past town halls (Rindge, NH, 11/18/07) that he would “oppose any tax breaks or good deals for the gas and oil industry…” his current tax plan does the exact opposite of what he promised last year. McCain’s plan would actually give the top five oil companies $3.8 billion a year in tax breaks. Further, McCain has consistently voted against windfall profits taxes for Big Oil and has voted against taxing them in order to provide rebates to severely strapped consumers. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHG2 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHG2/commentary#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:24:41 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHG2 Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHG2/