One Wisconsin Now

I've had enough of incumbent legislators who tout their so-called "records" on issues when they haven't really done squat. Or those who have been in office for many years, yet keep promising "this is what I'll do next term." Well then, why didn't you get it done before? I guess it really wasn't a priority, huh.

Case in point: State Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire) of the 31st Senate District. He's on the committee responsible for bills that would reform our healthcare system. And there were three bills in the committee this past session that would have done so. Now, granted, the bills do need more work before they're ready to pass. But why wasn't the issue made a priority? We have 500,000 uninsured people in this state; clearly, reform is urgently needed. And Brown's answer is that the proposed bills would have cost too much (yes, some of the plans would have had additional expenses at the outset to provide for much greater long-term savings) and that tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and incentives for companies that promote healthy lifestyles are the answer. Yeah, tell that to someone with no health insurance who has kids in school bringing home various germs on a daily basis.

So, you may ask, why would someone with such a poor record on healthcare even bring it up? Well, one, polling says it's a big issue in his district (nearly as big as taxes), and, two, his opponent, Kathleen Vinehout, has made it her number one issue. Which, you know, isn't surprising, since she has a Ph.D. in Health Policy. If you want real healthcare reform for the citizens of Wisconsin (as opposed to what preserves the profits of big corporations), the choice is pretty clear. I hope my fellow voters in the 31st will send a clear message on November 7th that they've also had enough of waiting for real healthcare reform.

Someone wrote a letter to the editor in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram last week in support of the ban on civil unions and gay marriage. To be honest, it was somewhat more reasoned than most arguments I've seen, but it still had some gaping flaws. I decided to write another letter in response, so we'll see if it gets printed. But, in case it doesn't, it's below for your perusal.   Read More »

If you're curious as to the origin of this blog's title (trust me, it's not sexual, please get your mind out of the gutter), it comes from my favorite Emily Dickinson poem. Unfortunately, I couldn't put it as my "motto" in my profile because of formatting issues, but, here it is. I think it's particularly appropriate for someone whose ultimate deadline for getting the job done comes on Election Day.

Much Madness is divinest Sense--
To a discerning Eye--
Much Sense--the starkest Madness--
'Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail--
Assent--and you are sane--
Demur--you're straightway dangerous--
And handled with a Chain--

So, I was checking out the latest WPRI polls today. Of course, it's very easy to just take a quick peek at the headline ("Strong Support for the Death Penalty," in this case, which I honestly don't care all that much about, though I do plan to vote against it) or, from yesterday's release, how Governor Doyle is doing ("uncomfortably close," as a fellow politico put it to me), and ignore the rest. However, I took a closer look at what else WPRI asked about besides the Death Penalty and came across a very interesting statistic for the Chippewa Valley regarding Healthcare concerns...   Read More »