Panel discusses the latest MU Law poll, dirty campaign tactics, Senator Chris Larson, and the State Senate.

STATEWIDE - Our panel analyzes the latest MU Law poll. We review how healthcare is becoming a dominant issue in the election, particularly Walker’s support for allowing discrimination against people with pre-existing health conditions. We also discuss the sleazy effort to divide the Bryce family by featuring Randy’s brother in an ugly negative ad that drew a heartfelt angry response from Randy’s mother.

We welcome State Senator Chris Larson to discuss the huge opportunities for Democrats in the State Senate this November. Sen. Larson reviews all the important Senate races and promotes our important fundraiser on Thursday, October 4th for Citizen Action organizer Jeff Smith who is running for State Senate in the Eau Claire area in a must win race. Fundraiser is at Big Head Brewing Co., 6204 W. State St. Wauwatosa.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #360
Download MP3
Press Clips

The Governor’s claim to be the defender of pre-existing conditions is false.

MADISON, WI – Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) offered the weekly Democratic radio address today.

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

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hello, this is Senator Mark Miller with this week’s democratic radio address.

“In this week’s necessary fact check, we look at the Governor’s claim to be the defender of pre-existing conditions.

“Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are prohibited from denying health insurance to persons with pre-existing conditions. The Governor is falsely claiming that he is the protector of this provision that allows our neighbors who have had the misfortune to have been sick in the past to purchase health insurance today at reasonable cost. This claim by the Governor is blatantly not true.

“Instead of protecting the ability of Wisconsinites to get health insurance without regard to pre-existing conditions, the Governor, together with his Lt. Governor and his Republican Attorney General and with the support from the Republican majority in the legislature, joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn the very protections that many in Wisconsin depend on.

“We rate his claim: false.”

Actions speak louder than empty political promises and real people’s lives are at stake.

MADISON - For eight years, Scott Walker has worked to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and undermine its protections for the estimated 2.4 million people in Wisconsin with a pre-existing condition.

As someone who has beat cancer, I have a pre-existing condition.

In a shocking failure to display leadership or any empathy for people suffering, Walker is currently part of a lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act (including protections for people with pre-existing conditions).

Click here to sign my petition to demand Scott Walker drop Wisconsin from this dangerous anti-health care lawsuit.

If Scott Walker wants to protect the millions of Wisconsinites with a pre-existing condition, he will take immediate action to drop Wisconsin from this lawsuit today.

Actions speak louder than empty political promises and real people’s lives are at stake here. Let’s see if Walker is willing to save lives, or if he’s more concerned with playing politics and pleasing his right-wing donors.

Insist Walker drop Wisconsin from the lawsuit to end the Affordable Care Act.

TAKE ACTION: https://tonyevers.com/lawsuit-challenge/

Onward, Tony

Veterans report many are falling for the Washington politician lies that the VA is not being privatized.

TUCSON, AZ - Do you know that approximately 40% of the of the 104 million VA outpatient appointments are now being conducted in the private sector via the Choice & Community Care programs? That’s right! Only 60% of all the veterans served are being cared for in VA hospitals & clinics. Before Congress passed the Choice Act in 2014 about 22% of outpatient appointments were done in the private sector

The VA “Completed Appointments” vs Private Sector
Appts. (Community Care+Choice) Rates Are:
Percent of Outpatient Appts by Fiscal Year (FY)

FY14 70.8 m total appts. 22% in pvt. sector & 78% in VA

FY15 79.7 m appts. 30% in pvt. sec. & 70% in VA

FY16 89.2 m 35% in pvt. sec. & 65% in VA

FY17 103.7 m 40% in pvt. sec. & 60% in VA

You see the trends, right? How soon will they begin closing hospitals & clinics due to not enough patients?

Well, some Veterans Service Organizations have fallen for the lies that the VA is not being privatized we are just helping veterans get better care faster.

VSO's in New Mexico have not fallen for the lies.

Below is a report from Veterans for Peace member Charles R. Powell on the New Mexico resolution.

On Thursday September 13, the United Veterans Council of New Mexico passed a resolution against the privatization of the Veterans Administration medical services.

The UVC is a non-profit coalition of more than 30 chartered and federally recognized veterans service organizations and affiliates established in 2007. They strive to provide a forum for the free exchange of information between veterans organizations, state agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The council President is Ken O'Keefe, the website is <uvcnm.org>.

The resolution was introduced by the delegate from The Donald & Sally-Alice Thompson Chapter 63 of Veterans For Peace of Albuquerque and was approved without opposition.

RESOLUTION AGAINST PRIVATIZATION OF THE VETERANS ADMINSTRATION

Whereas, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the VA cost for private care would be 10% higher than the payment rates for Medicare and the Physicians for a National Health Program states the medical costs at the VA are 20% lower than Medicare rates, therefore costs for private care might be 30% higher than the same care provided by the VA, and

Whereas, the RAND Corporation's decade of research found that VA provided care is equal to or better quality than private sector care in all forty-seven quality-of-care measurements comparing VA outpatient care with comparable civilian facilities, and

Whereas, the Department of Veterans Affairs is better equipped than most community providers to coordinate complex physical and mental healthcare for combat veterans, and

Whereas, a bipartisan survey by Lake Research and Chesapeake Beach Consulting 80 percent of veterans polled oppose turning VA health care into a system of private sector vouchers inadequate to cover costs;

Therefore Be It Resolved that United Veterans Council of New Mexico…

1.   Supports policies that provide necessary resources to serve veterans by maintaining a robust Federal Government Veterans Health Administration;

2.   Supports policies that would create integrated health care networks for veterans with the Veterans Health Administration, serving as the coordinator and primary provider of care when and where needed as determined by the VA medical staff to ensure timely and convenient access for all enrolled veterans.

3.   Opposes privatization of medical and psychological care for our Veterans.

-- Charles R. Powell

Wisconsin families are facing a huge crisis with child care costs, that’s why Democrats are proud to support legislation to provide a child care tax credit.

MADISON – Today, Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) offered the following weekly Democratic radio address on Supporting Families through a Child Care Tax Credit.

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

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hello. I’m State Senator LaTonya Johnson.

“Wisconsin has many great child care providers who offer exceptional services to families in our community. As a former child care provider myself, I have seen first-hand the positive impact having a safe, quality place for children to thrive can have on a child’s life and on a parent’s ability to work.

“But Wisconsin families are facing a huge crisis with child care costs soring. In fact, only about one in five families are able to afford infant care in our state with an average cost of over $11,000 per year. That’s more than one year of tuition at a UW system school.

“For too many families, quality child care isn’t just unaffordable, it’s nearly impossible. Families with an infant and a four-year-old spend nearly a third of their income on child care alone.

“That’s why Wisconsin Democrats are proud to support legislation to provide Wisconsin families with a child care tax credit. Under our proposal, a family with one child would be given an income tax credit of up to $1,050 and a family of four or more would see a tax credit of up to $2,100.

“Through targeted tax relief, we can help support hardworking families while also ensuring our child care providers are able to retain workers dedicated to the development and safety of our children.”

MADISON - Last week, Governor Scott Walker took to Twitter and criticized NFL players and those who support them for their decision to peacefully protest against police brutality.

Following the event, Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) made the following statement:

“So Governor Walker didn’t have time to defend Harley-Davidson, but he has time to blow dog whistles. While draping himself in the ignorance of Donald Trump’s themes of racial division, bigotry and disregard for the rights of others to peacefully protest, Walker’s calls to be honorable and stand up ring hollow. Because when police officers have made egregious decisions, like those that led to the death of Derek Williams in the back of a Milwaukee squad car, Walker didn’t speak about respect or honor, and he definitely didn’t stand up.

Clearly he missed the memo, so I will give it to him again. Kneeling has nothing to do with the military, never has and never did. In fact, it was Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer who asked Colin Kaepernick to "take a knee," rather than sit, during the national anthem. STOP trying to co-opt the message! The kneeling was to protest police killings of unarmed African Americans. I don’t know, like Botham Shem Jean, who was shot and killed by a Dallas police officer who mistakenly entered his apartment. Other bullets on the memo include, prior to 2009 NFL players being on the field for the national anthem wasn’t even a required practice. Also there are some lyrics in the song, that some African-Americans have found to be objectionable. Like, the reference to former slaves being killed on the battlefield.

Everyone else may not hear it, but Walker’s decision to weigh in deeper on this issue is coming through loud and clear. I would appreciate it, if both the Governor and Lt. Governor Kleefisch would not use this issue as political fodder to stir up racial division and angst in our state. Wisconsin already does a pretty good job at segregation. With racial disparities in everything from education to incarceration, we need leadership, not a Twitter fight.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/foxconnwisconsin-s5.jpgAs Foxconn pulls the classic bait-and-switch on jobs and commitment to Wisconsin, the people are stuck with a  deal that will cost everyone for 25 more years. Is Walker's big deal turning into just another empty election year promise?

MADISON -- The following is a statement from Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning on the significance of Labor Day.

“This Labor Day, I’m so grateful for the hard work and determination of leaders before us who fought tooth and nail for the rights of our nation’s working people. The Democratic Party has been proud to stand beside the workers of Wisconsin through some of the toughest fights our state has seen. And we will stand arm in arm together as we build a better future for our families and our communities.

“We remain committed as ever to fighting for a living minimum wage, for ensuring working people have the ability to organize for better working conditions, for equal pay guarantees and for workplaces free of discrimination. We all do better when we all do better, and that means making sure hardworking Wisconsinites have a fair shot at getting ahead.”

Schools are the heart of the community for cities and towns across Wisconsin. In order to move forward, we need to prioritize K-12 education.

MADISON, WI – Senator Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset) offered the weekly Democratic radio address today.

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 Patty Schachtner with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.

“Students, parents, and teachers are gearing up for another school year.

“Schools are the heart of the community for cities and towns across Wisconsin. They are a place of learning, collaboration, and growth for our children and their families.

“As a parent and former school board member, I want every child to have the opportunity to succeed.

“Whether a child is interested in the agriculture or academia, white-collar work or blue-collar careers, schools should help them grow along the way.

“Despite the importance of education, I am concerned we are not doing enough to prepare our children for today’s competitive economy.

“Wisconsin’s K-12 schools are still recovering from historic cuts to education made in 2011, when $792 million in direct state aid was eliminated.

“Statewide, the average years of teaching experience declined since 2011.

“While state lawmakers increased K-12 spending this year, many communities fear the overdue increases are insufficient to meet next year’s needs.

“In order to move Wisconsin forward, we need to prioritize K-12 education. That means investing in our schools and teachers.

“Thank you.”

Join the team of artists and Mayor Tom Barrett for a Peace Post Ceremony with a live performance by WebsterX inaugurating the Home Court Design.

MILWAUKEE - Anne and Ben Koller, owners of the iconic MECCA floor, were born and raised in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood, growing up playing sports at Tiefenthaler Park, a park that has been the scene of two homicides and multiple shootings in one of the most violent zip codes in the City. Over the years, community organizations surrounding the park have been seeking innovative initiatives that foster peace and encourage youth in a positive direction. After traveling the world and working in public art, placemaking and entrepreneurship, Anne and Ben felt called to return to their roots and support the community they grew up in.

Since January, in partnership with Lake Valley Camp and ActivateMKE, they have been working with community residents and leaders on peacemaking efforts that use sport and art as a platform for peace. With the support of generous grants from the Milwaukee Arts Board and Harry and Mary Franke Idea Fund, community-based public artist Muneer Bahauddeen was commissioned to lead the neighborhood through a process of peacemaking to craft five (5) Peace Posts made using the residents intentions for peace as the inspiration and foundation of the art pieces.

In the spirit of the MECCA Floor, bring together the seemingly opposite worlds of Sport and Art, a diverse team of local artists were assembled to design and execute a fully painted basketball court at Tiefenthaler park as a memorial to the Life and Work of the late pop artist Robert Indiana. On Saturday, August 25th from 5 to 9PM join Midtown residents and leaders at Tiefenthaler Park (25th and Galena) for their city-wide Stand 4 Peace Day Celebration.

Attendees are invited to join the team of artists and Mayor Tom Barrett for a Peace Post Ceremony with a live performance by WebsterX inaugurating the Home Court Design in support of peace and unity in the community. Learn more and RSVP at stand4peacemke.eventrbrite.com.

Peace,

Anne and Ben Koller