Thursday March 28, 2024

An Independent Progressive Media Outlet

FacebookTwitterYoutube
Newsletter
News Feeds:
Commentary
Democratic Radio: Help Keep Veterans Safe PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin   
Friday, 16 October 2020 13:49

veteran-olderSecretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs urges veterans to protect each other, and everyone else, from the virus by wearing masks.


MADISON —​ Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Mary Kolar today delivered the Democratic Radio Address encouraging Wisconsinites to help keep Wisconsin's 350,000 veterans safe by staying home and wearing a mask.

Audio file of radio address.

Hello. I’m Mary Kolar, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. I hope you and your loved ones are well.

Unfortunately, too many of us in Wisconsin, including family, friends and neighbors, are not well. More people, every single day, get sick from the coronavirus. COVID-19 is sneaky, some will not experience symptoms and others get very ill. Some die.

As the advocate for our state’s 350,000 veterans, I implore you to do all you can to keep yourself healthy and protect those in our communities who took an oath to serve our country, stand up for it, and fight if necessary. They stood up for us, now let’s stand up for them.

Many of our state’s veterans are older, and with conditions that put them in a high-risk category for complications from COVID-19. Many live in rural areas, where COVID-19 is now rapidly spreading, and are also far from a hospital. And there are veterans who live at our Wisconsin’s Veterans Homes, nursing homes where we fight every day to keep them safe from the virus.

Please, for those who have served our country and those who support them, I ask you to join me in the fight: stay home when possible, mask up and stay six feet away from others when you go out, and wash hands frequently. These are known ways we can do our part to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. This isn’t political; this is literally the possibility of long-term negative health consequences or death.

By protecting ourselves from the virus, we protect them, our veterans – our nation’s heroes.

Let’s have each other’s backs and do our part to keep each other safe. Thank you.

 
Republicans Won't Act On Climate Change Because They Can't PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Palzewicz for Wisconsin, Chelsea Cross   
Friday, 16 October 2020 13:26

fossil-fuel-industry-exxonWe've over-weighted the amount of power that our fossil fuel producers have, and we need the people of Wisconsin to stand up for real solutions, says 5th CD candidate Palzewicz.

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 October 2020 11:46
Read more...
 
Visioning a healthy Wisconsin - Battleground Wisconsin Podcast PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky   
Friday, 09 October 2020 09:41

visioning-healthy-wiWISCONSIN - We discuss the continued failure to control the COVID-19 outbreak in Wisconsin, including the deliberate Republican state legislative effort to undermine any state response. We debrief the new MU Law Poll and the VP debate. Yet another police officer will have no charges brought against them for the killing of a Black teen in Wauwatosa. We close the show by welcoming State Assembly candidates Jacob Malinowski and Jessica Katzenmeyer to discuss their suburban Milwaukee campaigns.

Listen Now - Episode #462
Download Mp3

 
Sarah Conklin: Vote for candidates who will protect our health care PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by WisDems Press, Philip Shulman   
Friday, 09 October 2020 08:46

biden-harris-pusaWISCONSIN -- Tuesday night at the vice presidential debate, Kamala Harris made it clear to Wisconsinites that a Biden-Harris administration will protect protections for pre-existing conditions. Right now, Trump and his administration are working to strip protections for people with pre-existing conditions, which could threaten over 2.4 million people in the Badger state.

Mike Pence continued to lie and distract from Trump’s attacks on our health care system and failed COVID-19 response, and refused to address any sort of plan that would protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. Read below to understand how Wisconsinite Sarah Conklin doesn’t see this election as a partisan issue, but a life and death decision because of her pre-existing conditions. 

The Cap Times: Sarah Conklin: Vote for candidates who will protect our health care

  • As a resident of Outagamie County and someone who has multiple preexisting conditions, it’s terrifying to see the number of COVID-19 cases spiking as hospitals nearing maximum capacity.
  • Over the last 25 years, I’ve given birth, had 16 surgeries, been diagnosed with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis and survived breast cancer — needless to say, I’m a “high-risk” Wisconsinite when it comes to the coronavirus.As hospitals run out of beds, I have to wonder what happens if someone like me gets sick? Where will I go if I need the emergency room, but even going to the hospital is a risk in itself?
  • This is the reality Wisconsinites across the state are facing — especially those with preexisting or underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to this deadly virus. What makes accepting this worse is we know it didn’t have to be this way. The reason we’re headed in the wrong direction now is for the simple reason that the elected Republicans will not take this pandemic seriously. Just last week, the president was headed here to hold a rally that didn’t mandate mask usage or social distancing, despite Green Bay seeing its COVID-19 cases going through the roof. So really, it’s no surprise that other elected Republicans across the state are following Trump’s lead as they try to repeal the mask mandate and hold events where social distancing and masks are just a punchline for their candidates. Sen. Ron Johnson went so far as to attend an event after he knew he had been exposed to COVID-19.
  • Meanwhile, Trump still hasn’t announced his health care plan, even as he relentlessly attacks the Affordable Care Act in court. After his failure to respond to COVID-19 when it could have made a difference, more than 1,300 Wisconsinites have died and our state’s economy is in turmoil. It seems the only way to fully defeat the coronavirus and reclaim our lives is by voting out every Republican at every level of office, including the administration in the White House. It doesn’t matter if they represent us in Washington or Wisconsin — they have all pretended that this virus is nothing to worry about even though nearly 210,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.
  • Your political leaning doesn’t matter when our lives literally hang in the balance this November. For the sake of people like me with preexisting conditions, for your family, for your community, and for your country, please vote for the candidates who take this crisis seriously and are doing everything possible to keep us safe. Health care is on the ballot this November, and that’s why it’s critical we elect Democrats up and down the ticket.
Last Updated on Saturday, 10 October 2020 11:44
 
State Republicans, Nygren Fail Wisconsin on COVID-19 PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Karl Jaeger, Jaeger For Wisconsin   
Tuesday, 06 October 2020 09:54

trump-wh-covidWillfully downplaying the severity of COVID-19, disregarding the safety of our citizens by ignoring science, and fighting every attempt the Governor makes to slow the spread, has helped make Wisconsin the Nation’s new COVID-19 hotspot, says Karl Jaeger.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2020 10:32
Read more...
 
“Democracy Trumped?” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky   
Friday, 02 October 2020 11:29

democracy-trumped-bgwWISCONSIN - We debrief the presidential “debate” this week, discuss the potential of a Trump strategy to use the state legislature to overturn electors and appoint new electors that support Trump, and sound the alarm on the deepening COVID-19 crisis throughout Wisconsin. We are joined by Kristin Lyerly and Kathy Hinkfuss who are running for State Assembly in the Green Bay area. Both are healthcare professionals who are running outstanding campaigns to win in gerrymandered districts.

Listen Now - Episode #461
Download MP3
Press Clips

 
Democratic Radio “Encouraging Wisconsinites to Stay Home and Stay Safe” PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin   
Friday, 02 October 2020 09:49

tony-eversThe COVID-19 pandemic is surging in Wisconsin. Take precautions to put the brakes on the pandemic and keep your family, friends, employees and co-workers, and neighbors safe.

Last Updated on Monday, 05 October 2020 10:16
Read more...
 
Seniors are America's Great Untapped Resource PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Palzewicz for Wisconsin, Chelsea Cross   
Friday, 02 October 2020 09:30

seniors-happyPalzewicz believes in examining budget priorities to determine cost-effective programs for healthcare, infrastructure, and national defense.


Brookfield, WI – America too often overlooks its senior citizens. Call it age discrimination,  disrespect, or just a lack of appreciation, but seniors are a great untapped resource.  Democrat Tom Palzewicz, running for Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District seat, envisions a new, post-COVID economy that embraces seniors' knowledge and experience and embraces what they bring to the table.

Seniors are often overlooked as if they no longer know anything because they are retired or have reached a certain age.   On the other hand, Palzewicz recognized true expertise when he and his brother set up their business.

tom-palzewicz"We brought my mom in to be our executive assistant when my brother and I were first starting our business," Palzewicz recalled with a smile. "She had just retired as a 25 year executive assistant at Charter manufacturing. She's wonderful. She just came in and did whatever we needed to do."

"Once again, because we've tied jobs to healthcare, it doesn't allow us to tap into this pool. This is a massive brain drain in our country because when people retire, they take all that knowledge with them, and you have two choices. You can become a consultant. If you've made enough money and have access to healthcare, or you just have to go scrape by, and you don't get to use that knowledge."

"If we decouple those two things, if we decouple the healthcare market from the labor market, we create tremendous opportunities for seniors to give back. A lot of them just ended up working in nonprofits or volunteering their time in ways that they care about.  If you're a company that provides benefits, it's very difficult to hire people who are already retired or in their advanced age, because there's just too much liability that you have to assume.  If we change healthcare, there's this huge amount of experience that could be passed along in a work environment that we're missing out on."

Palzewicz believes in examining budget priorities to determine cost-effective programs for healthcare, infrastructure, and national defense.

"Here's a case in point. Europe invests more of its money into people and infrastructure. Their quality of life is so much better than ours because they have their priorities set from a budgetary standpoint.  We continue the two things that Republicans have always run on: higher defense spending and lower taxes. Those two priorities are actually incompatible if you do the math.  Look at Fitzgerald's stuff. It says exactly the same thing. He's running on more defense spending and lower taxes.  This is like a parallel line that slowly will meet at some point and cross over.  People either don't understand it or don't care."

"Republicans bring out this magic wand and say, 'I'm going to lower your taxes and the government's going to get more money.' And it never happened not once.  People still believe it though. If you said, 'if we had to cut everything, what's the one department you would keep?' they would say, 'defense spending and give me my taxes back.'"

Palzewicz favors a common-sense approach that allows for every age group to participate in the economy.  Retirees, seniors can be an effective, productive element in the American economy, given small adjustments to include them.

###

Tom Palzewicz is the Democrat running for Congress in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. He is a small-business owner and Navy Veteran running against Scott Fitzgerald in this traditionally red district.

 
WI Democracy Campaign - Mourning RBG PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild   
Saturday, 26 September 2020 12:49

ruth-bader-ginsbergCareer dedicated to equality and justice, two things right at the heart of our work here.


MADISON - Here at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, we remain in mourning at the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Among the many causes she championed in her career dedicated to equality and justice, two are right at the heart of our work here.

The first is reducing the influence of money in our politics. She told The New Republic back in 2014 that the worst decision of the Roberts Court was Citizens United. “The notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be," she said.

And the second cause is ending gerrymandering.

In 2015, Justice Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion in a case called Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The case revolved around the constitutionality of Proposition 106, the statewide binding referendum that passed in Arizona in 2000 and that took the redistricting authority away from the legislators and handed it over to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Committee.

Ginsburg ruled that the initiative process was totally in keeping with our founding principles. “The Framers may not have imagined the modern initiative process in which the people of a State exercise legislative power coextensive with the authority of an institutional legislature,” she wrote. “But the invention of the initiative was in full harmony with the Constitution’s conception of the people as the font of governmental power.” That conception is crucial in the context of gerrymandering, Ginsburg argued, stressing the importance of “lawmaking by the people, particularly where such lawmaking is intended to check legislators’ ability to choose the district lines they run in.”

In a sentence that rings so true for those of us in Wisconsin, she noted: “The legislature’s responsiveness to the people its members represent is hardly heightened when the representative body can be confident that what it does will not be overturned or modified by the voters themselves.”

matt-rothschildJustice Ginsburg knew well why our Legislature here in Madison is not responsive to the people. It’s because of gerrymandering.

May her memory be a blessing.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
Trump, Pence Blasted for Failed Response to COVID-19 PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by WisDems Press, Philip Shulman   
Friday, 25 September 2020 10:15

trump-mike-pence-nbcnewsSen. Baldwin, ER Doctor, Wisconsinite with pre-existing conditions say failed response to the coronavirus pandemic has led to countless Wisconsin jobs lost and small businesses shuddered. Continued attacks on Obamacare, Medicare, threaten over 100,000 Wisconsinites who have tested positive for COVID-19.


WISCONSIN - In response to Mike Pence’s visit to the state, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, ER Doctor and candidate for Wisconsin's 67th State Assembly District Chris Kapsner, and Bob Andruszkiewicz, who has pre-existing conditions, called out the Donald Trump and Mike Pence for their failed response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to countless Wisconsin jobs lost and small businesses shuddered. They also discussed the Trump administration’s continued attacks on protections for pre-existing conditions, while still having no real plan to confront the pandemic. For the over 100,000 Wisconsinites who have tested positive for COVID-19, and the economic fallout that it has caused, Trump and Pence’s gross mismanagement has made this crisis far worse than it needed to be.

Watch the full event here or read excerpts of what the speakers said below.

tammy-baldwinUS Senator Tammy Baldwin: “What has been a continuous concern for Wisconsinites is their ability to get quality and affordable health care, as well as their ability to pay for their prescription drugs… Testing positive for COVID-19 is a pre-existing condition. As is asthma, diabetes, cancer, and pregnancy. If Donald Trump and Mike Pence get their way, these people, and the tens of millions of others across the country with pre-existing conditions, could lose their care. They could go bankrupt trying to pay their medical bills, their rent, and putting food on their family's table… Still today, we see these attacks continue,, in the midst of a pandemic that was turned into a full blown crisis by Trump and his inability to prepare for or respond to the virus. Joe Biden was on the frontlines of passing the ACA, and I know with him as our next president he will build on the progress we’ve made -- that’s something Wisconsinites can count on."

Chris Kapsner: “Without this leadership here we are floundering. We’ve been at this for 9 months both on a state level and a federal level. At this moment we’re still struggling with aggressive testing… The other big issue is PPE… Sadly it’s because of a lack of leadership on a federal level… We’re watching the Republican party tear apart the Affordable Care Act. For ten years now they've been talking about repealing and replacing-- all they want to do is take it down, they have nothing to replace it with… all these thing are going to disappear with the aggressive assault that the Republican party is undertaking both on a federal level and in the state of Wisconsin on our health care system...How can the most powerful country in the world not be able to handle this. You cannot overstate how this is an abject failure of leadership on a spectacular scale… We need to fire everyone who has ignored the real problems and the suffering of the people of this state and this country.”

Bob Andruszkiewicz: “As one of the many millions of Americans, but also one of the 2.4 million Wisconsinites living with pre-existing conditions, I know what this feels like going through COVID… To have a strong America, you need strong and healthy Americans, and that’s why we need to keep the ACA… Living with these medical conditions is hard enough to do everything that I need to do and not have to worry about health care coverage… For the last four years, Trump has relentlessly tried to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and he and the Republicans continue to do so, even in the middle of a pandemic… We need to make sure that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win this election and save the Affordable Care Act and save Americans.”

 
<< Start < Prev 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Next > End >>

Page 57 of 129
Tweet With Us:

Share

Copyright © 2024. Green Bay Progressive. Designed by Shape5.com