To Dismantle the Military/Industrial Complex.

TUCSON, AZ - As an American, you and your family face a future of forever wars, possible nuclear war, economic decline and climate disaster.

Or, you can fight for a better path, urging America work with the UN and other nations for a peaceful, sustainable future for all humans.

You know where Pres. Trump’s path will lead you.

Our options are:

• Impeach for Lesser Crimes. Impeaching Trump for alleged obstruction of justice and removing him will promote Pence to president – with his likely continuation of Trump’s disastrous policies, illegal wars, along with, possibly, enabling Pence’s election as president in 2020.
• Skip Impeachment. Doing nothing means America moves toward more war, irrationality, possible “future ending” nuclear war, climate disaster and possible US bankruptcy.
• Impeach for War Crimes. I believe we must impeach Pres. Trump for war crimes to uphold the Rule of Law, commence dismantling the military/industrial complex and place America on a path toward peace rather than endless war!

House members must uphold their oath of office by passing an impeachment inquiry resolution – alleging Trump’s “high crimes” of continuing illegal:

• wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria….),
• torture of prisoners,
• spying on Americans,
• killing of civilians, and
• threatening preemptive or nuclear wars against N. Korea, Iran and Venezuela.

All the above actions are considered to be crimes or war crimes violating the US Constitution, laws, UN Charter, and/or various international treaties.

Why is this important?

Our Revolution was fought at great price to rid our nation of living under the arbitrary dictates of King George. Our Nation was founded under a Constitution establishing the top authority to be the “Rule of Law” -- NOT the arbitrary “Rule of a King.”

Our Constitution requires Congress pass a “declaration of war” BEFORE our military attacks another nation, except if America’s attacked by another nation.

America has NOT been attacked by any of the nations in which our military or CIA forces are fighting. Furthermore, Congress passed NO “declarations of war.”

We must face it:  These wars are illegal.

The vast military/industrial complex wastes trillions on illegal wars and preparation, places millions of our soldiers in harm’s way, drowns our Nation in debt, prohibiting domestic public investments necessary for our people and environment.

The result of the complex’s domination of our political system is: millions of people dead, wounded, ill, homeless and futureless worldwide.  Thousands of American troops have died and hundreds of thousands wounded physically, mentally or emotionally.

America is using its vast intellectual, scientific and organizational capabilities and half our federal taxes to produce death and destruction.  The looming question is will we end up destroying ourselves.

Iraqi civilians flee through an alley as Iraqi Special Forces

continue their advance against Islamic State militants in

the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, on July 3, 2017.  Felipe Dana—AP

We must dismantle the military/industrial complex.

We can do this by:

• Removing Trump from office via impeachment followed by federal prosecution for his alleged crimes.  Only such action will cause the next president (Vice President Pence) to obey the Rule of Law - because if he does not, then he will be impeached next.

Future presidents will think twice before they commit illegal wars. Once Pres. Trump is impeached, impeachments/prosecutions of military, intelligence and other leaders for violations of their oaths of office and the Rule of Law become easier.

• Congress must break up the complex and reorient it toward, for example, reversing climate change and Greening America.

Presently, the “complex” is possibly the greatest threat to our children, world peace and America’s future existence.

Begin it’s dismantlement by impeachment.  Google “impeach Trump for war crimes” to sign a petition to take action.

****

Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive activist, a member of Veterans for Peace and a former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer Vietnam Era, city and county elected official, union organizer, impeachment organizer, former Exec. VP of WI Alliance for Retired Americans, a retired state government planner, presently working to Stop VA Privatization.

MADISON - After Dayton and El Paso, the need for common-sense gun control measures has never been more urgent.

But the NRA has put the Wisconsin Legislature in lockdown.

As Rep. Chris Taylor said, “Republicans in the State Legislature continue to be in the death grip of the NRA.”

To examine that death grip, just click on our most recent posting:

Here’s a Look at the Campaign Backing the NRA Gives Wisconsin Legislators

The power of the NRA to override the will of the people is a public health hazard and an assault on our democracy.

That’s why, in addition to common-sense gun control laws, we need to limit the power of big money and dark money in our elections.

Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee introduced a package of campaign finance bills earlier this year that would do just that:

2019 Campaign Integrity Package

Please contact your legislators and urge them to support these bills.

Thanks for your concern.

MILWAUKEE - We discuss the growing death toll of white supremacist terrorism, last week’s mass shootings, and the tepid response from Wisconsin GOP leaders. State Senator Jon Erpenbach joins us to talk about this week’s introduction of legislation to expand BadgerCare. A new study says Foxconn jobs will cost state us $170,000 - $290,000 per job, or an astounding 6 to 10 times the national average. Finally, Citizen Action co-op organizer Noah Reif tells us about door canvassing this Saturday at 10 am in Black River Falls and next Saturday in Menominee.

Listen Now - Episode #403
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MADISON, WI – Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) offered the Democratic weekly radio address this week on the continued momentum to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hi, I’m state Senator Jon Erpenbach with this week’s radio address.

“Earlier this week, I joined Governor Tony Evers to announce that Representative Daniel Riemer and I will be giving Republicans yet another chance to do the fiscally right thing, and join the 37 other states who have expanded Medicaid.

“The Medicaid expansion would make health care affordable for everyone. It will give 40,000 uninsured Wisconsinites health insurance. It will reduce the cost of premiums on the individual market, save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and would keep about $2 billion of our federal taxes right here in Wisconsin instead of sending them to Illinois or New Jersey. These are proven facts, substantiated by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Commissioner of Insurance, and Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

“70% of Wisconsinites agree that we should expand Medicaid. During budget hearings, both Democrats and Republicans listened to stories of real people whose lives have been changed because of Medicaid. After a town hall meeting, the Hamman family from Stevens Point reached out to tell their story.

“Their family was facing out-of-pocket medical bills of about $20,000, when their twins, who were born prematurely, needed extensive medical care. Because of their health complications, the twins did qualify for Medicaid. But, if it weren’t for Medicaid, they could have lost their home, even though the Hamman family had health insurance and full time jobs.

“Plain and simple, Medicaid is health care, it’s not welfare. It is time for the Republican majority to do the right thing – and the responsible thing – and just say yes to expanding Medicaid. Expanding the Medicaid program in Wisconsin will bring billions of new federal investment into our state to cover more Wisconsinites for less money.”

MADISON, WI – Senator Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) offered the Democratic weekly radio address this week after Republicans on the Joint Finance  Committee refused to take up an agency request for critical funding for farmers and farm families in Wisconsin.

https://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/milw-valley-powerplant-s5.jpgWisconsin is a great place to live, work and raise a family because of the unique cities that make up our state. Building relationships between our rural and urban communities makes us stronger.

MADISON - I was sad when I heard the news that Justice John Paul Stevens had died.

I was sad for personal reasons, since Justice Stevens and my father practiced law together in Chicago for many years and were very close.

And I was sad for political reasons, since Justice Stevens, when he was on the Court and afterwards, used his calm and logical and brilliant voice to advocate for a pro-democracy jurisprudence.

Nowhere was this more obvious than in his scorching dissent in the Citizens United case, and I excerpted some of his most powerful passages here:

Justice Stevens’s Dissent in Citizens United Lives On!

He warned that corporate special interests would have a field day, and so they have, here in Wisconsin, as we pointed out the record spending by corporations and PACs last season:

PAC, Corporate Contributions Hit Record $27M

And we also posted something this week on the record amount spent in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race earlier this year:

2019 Supreme Court Race Cost Record $8.2 Million+

This week, we also weighed in on the issue of the veto power of Wisconsin’s governor, which we have consistently viewed as overbroad:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign on Gov’s Veto Power

And on Tuesday, there was a jam-packed press conference in the State Capitol in favor of legislation to ban gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Here’s what I said at that press conference:

A Democracy with Fair Play (or watch here)

Those companion bills, by the way, are SB288 and AB303. Please contact your legislators to support those bills, and please contact the chairs of the relevant committees to demand they hold public hearings on them.

The chairs of the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection are Senator Stroebel (Chair) and Senator Kapenga (Vice-Chair).

The chairs of the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections are Representative Tusler (Chair) and Representative Sanfelippo (Vice-Chair).

You can reach state legislators at 1-800-362-9472 or 266-9960 in Madison.

Thanks for your activism on this issue!

MADISON - Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) talks about bill she and Senator Dave Hansen rolled out this month that would create a non-partisan redistricting process in Wisconsin.

Audio File of Radio Address

Hello, I am State Representative Robyn Vining with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.

Senator Dave Hansen and I rolled out a bill this month that would create a non-partisan redistricting process in Wisconsin.

Every 10 years, new lines are drawn for legislative districts. The bill we authored would take that power away from politicians, and place the responsibility with a non-partisan service agency called the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Our democracy has been threatened by partisan gerrymandering. Rigged maps allow politicians to ignore the will of the people, because their legislative seats are safe. Gerrymandering also distorts election results.

Last November, all five statewide elections in Wisconsin were won by Democrats. Assembly Democrats received 200,000 more votes than Assembly Republicans statewide. And yet, in the State Assembly, the divide stands at 63 Republicans and 36 Democrats.

Wisconsinites have a constitutional right to be fairly represented by their elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation. They have a right for their voices to be heard. But right now, legislators are ignoring the will of the people – because they don’t have to listen.

The public overwhelmingly supports Medicaid expansion – 70% in fact – but their legislators are not listening.

Legislators are ignoring this directive from their constituents because there is no electoral consequence for failing to act. Gerrymandered maps are protecting the seats of representatives who do not represent the interests of the people.

It is beyond time we take the important step of creating a non-partisan redistricting process in Wisconsin.

Our state motto is “Forward”. Let’s bring back fairness, because the people deserve it. If we do not move forward with fairness, we have not moved forward at all.

Thank you.

Senator Jon Erpenbach talks about the U.S. women’s soccer team and the importance of paying women fairly.

MADISON, WI – Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) offered the Democratic weekly radio address.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hi, I’m state Senator Jon Erpenbach with this week’s radio address.

“When the U.S. women’s soccer team won their fourth World Cup, fans erupted into the chant exclaiming “equal pay,” and that chant followed them back home, inspiring men, women, and children alike. Undoubtedly it is way past time that we recognize that it shouldn’t matter what your profession is- everyone deserves to be compensated for their hard work fairly, but more importantly, free from discrimination based on gender.

“Wisconsin once honored this sentiment by passing the Equal Pay Enforcement Act law in 2009, but the legislation was later repealed by Republicans in 2012. On average, including here in Wisconsin, women earn around 80 cents for every dollar a man makes, and that gap is larger for women of color. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, since women make up nearly half of our workforce and are huge contributors to our economy.

“By not paying women fairly, we are only hurting our state’s ability to grow. In order for our communities to thrive, we need to ensure that everyone has the best opportunity to succeed. Knowingly discriminating against workers based on their gender is just wrong.

“As we enter the second half of 2019, we know that enacting Equal pay legislation is far overdue. It is time for us to end discrimination in the workplace, and endorse equal pay for equal work. As the chant goes, ‘U.S.A., Equal Pay.’”

MILWAUKEE - We welcome Citizen Action co-op member Mireya Sigala-Valadez to discuss the Lights for Liberty national day of action event she is helping organize in Eau Claire where people will gather in solidarity to end refugee camps and to protest the inhumane treatment of refugees.

Co-op member and State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski gives her take on the signed state budget and organizes us to fill out her new student loan surveys. We discuss the Texas lawsuit to end the Affordable Care Act and what state legislators are preparing to do to in response. Gov. Evers says Foxconn will only create 1,500 jobs. The 2020 Presidential Election heats up in Wisconsin this week with candidate visits and Trump fundraiser.

Listen Now – Episode #400
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