http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/group_rss/MakingWorkPay Focusing on the hidden costs of low-wage jobs and how progressive policy can ensure a livable wage for all Wisconsin workers. John McCain has been little more than a rubber stamp for the failing George W. Bush economy. Perhaps this is the reason that he has such a hard time bringing himself to admit that this economy has been very hard on the average American. June was the latest time where John McCain claimed that, “the fundamentals of the economy are very strong. Very strong.” Who exactly was he trying to convince with that statement, himself or the many working families that know different? In June this “very strong” economy lost another 62,000 jobs, making it the sixth straight month of negative job growth. The Bush economy has been a boon for the wealthiest in our nation. John McCain is one of the richest members of the U.S. Senate, but could he really be so out of touch with the average person? Since when is massive job loss a sign of a “strong economy?” It looks like John McCain was right, he really does need more education on the economy . http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjc http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/CHjc/commentary#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:37:00 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 0 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/CHjc/ One Wisconsin Now is marking the 45th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act’s passage by calling on Senator John McCain to promote policies in the U.S. Senate that close the pay gap between women and men once and for all. 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 provided greater 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. ” He even told a 14-year-old girl that he didn’t think protections for equal pay would do” anything to help the rights of women.” The women and families of Wisconsin and the nation can’t afford McCain’s kind of costly inaction. In 2006, Wisconsin women’s wages were about 22 percent lower than men’s. That means a women working full-time in the state would earn around $28,000 per year, on average, compared with over $36,500 for a man. Earlier this year, Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and Representative Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee) authored the Equal Pay Enforcement Act. It passed in the state Senate but continues to languish in the Wisconsin Assembly. It’s time for Senator McCain to set the tone for our nation and its state legislatures by making equitable wages for women a priority. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27F http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27F/commentary#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:49:20 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27F 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/C27F/ Just yesterday U.S. Senator John McCain once again proved just how out of touch he is with regular working Americans. Despite all of the struggles that people are having he declared “I have a great belief that the fundamentals of the economy are very strong. Very strong.” Apparently he had to say it twice just to convince himself that the statement was true. Less than 24 hours after he made his proclamation, the Labor Department reported that the jobless rate has jumped to 5.5 percent in May, the biggest rise since 1986. That equates to 49,000 more jobs lost by President Bush and his enablers like McCain in Congress. For McCain the eighth richest U.S. Senator with nine properties worth more than 13 million dollars, maybe the economy does seem very strong. Unfortunately not everyone is as privileged as the Arizona Senator. While he may be living high on the hog, working Americans are struggling to pay their mortgages, fill their gas tanks and pay the ever growing costs for basics like health care and food. On the economy the Senator promises more of the same, tax cuts for the wealthiest and even more tax loopholes for big corporations. He chooses this approach even though over the last seven years it has produced a disaster for our economy. McCain appears willingly delusional about our economy, even if that means celebrating things like record setting job loss. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27W http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27W/commentary#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:16:17 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C27W 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/C27W/ During the month of May Labor 2008 will kick off its biggest mobilization effort. Union activists all around this country will be talking to union households about Sen. McCain’s anti-worker record. In Wisconsin people will be busy recruiting for member-to-member walks and phone banks. The walks begin Saturday May 10th in Milwaukee and May 17th in Wausau, Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Eau Claire and La Crosse. Much of the effort will focus on John McCain’s healthcare plan and how it leaves Working Families on Their Own. Soaring health care costs are forcing wages down for people lucky enough to have insurance. Another 47 million are uninsured. Although John McCain says he intends to combat rising costs, his proposals protect insurance company profits at the expense of working families. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2PY http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2PY/commentary#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 12:52:15 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2PY 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/C2PY/ On Wednesday Democrats and some Republicans in Congress tried to pass a discrimination bill . It would have allowed employees more time to sue if they were being discriminated against in pay. The bipartisan effort was unsuccessful because of an almost exclusively Republican filibuster. Even if the measure would have passed, it would have also faced a promised veto from the President. Specifically at issue was a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. It allows employers to continue paying their employees in a discriminatory fashion for the workers’ entire career if the employees don’t dispute their pay within the first 180 days. Prior to the ruling, most people understood that the 180-day limit was intended to apply to any paycheck not just the very first one. It can be difficult for employees to find out what other co-workers are making within the short time frame outlined in the Supreme Court decision. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2Pt http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2Pt/commentary#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:32:27 EDT http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/C2Pt 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/C2Pt/ I just wanted to take a moment to explain how to sign up for this group, for "My Own Page" on our site and how to use the available tools successfully. To sign up for this group you can simply click "Join Group". If you have already registered for our site you must first log in. If you have never registered for our site then please enter the requested info in the sign up section. Once you have signed up you will get an email verifying your information. After verification you can simply sign into "My Own Page." On the "My Own Page" left column you first have your profile which you can edit as you wish. Do this by clicking the arrow,choosing an option on the drop down menu, and clicking "go." Below that is your own blog. Simply click the arrow on the drop down menu and choose to manage, view, write, or edit a blog posting. If you select "write" click "go" and let the world know what is on your mind! After writing scroll down and choose the catagory that the post belongs in and what group pages that you would like to display your blog posting on. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhq http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhq/commentary#comments Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:54:39 EST http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhq Cory @ One Wisconsin Now http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/profile_picture/9ad40ac09a26a36f86_dlqmv2gn9.jpg Cory @ One Wisconsin Now 3 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/comment_rss/Bhq/ I was listening to Ben Meren's show on WPR yesterday and heard a caller mention the COWS study on low-wage jobs. It seems that the station went off the air for a moment cutting off the beginning of his remarks. You can still get a feel for what he is saying as well as him plugging the COWS website. If you would like to hear it click the link below. The comment is about 22 minutes and 26 seconds into the program. Link http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh4 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh4/commentary#comments Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:07:37 EST http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh4 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/Bh4/ I think that it would be a great idea to start writing letters to the editors of our local papers regarding the hidden costs of low-wage jobs and how to better use TIFs as a development tool. Below please find instructions for using our LTE tool. It is very easy and convenient. If you plan on sending a letter to the editor please let everyone know about it in the comments section of this post. To get to this tool you simply click on "My Own Page." If you have already registered at our site, you simply log in (unless you are already logged in now) and look in the right hand column for the "LetterRip" section. Click on "Daily Newspapers" enter your zip and click on the "Participate" button. Check the papers that you want to receive your LTE, write it and send. Certainly come back and let the rest of us know if your letter was published. http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhm http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhm/commentary#comments Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:16:42 EST http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bhm 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/Bhm/ Take a look at this new report released by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. It focuses on the hidden costs of low-wage jobs in Wisconsin. The report also gives a list of progressive policy solutions. Follow the pdf link below to view the entire report. "When Work Doesn't Pay" http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh7 http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh7/commentary#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:40:24 EST http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/coryliebmann/Bh7 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/Bh7/