Walker’s own Wauwatosa Neighbors Welcome a Recall Kickoff Rally Tuesday Nov 15th

This gets more beautiful the more I learn about it.  Not only is there a march to sign Walker’s recall papers on Tuesday in Wauwatosa near Walker’s home,  Walker’s own neighbors are volunteering their yards for the purpose. Enough people are coming that buses will be running for about 4 hours!

Copied directly from the facebook event:

“We Are Milwaukee, an alliance of community-based organizations, unions, faith communities, and local leaders, will kick off our work on the Walker recall on November 15th with a rally and march.

We are gathering at the practice field by Juneau High School for a brief program before marching over 4 blocks to Walker’s neighborhood. There, we will line up to sign recall petitions and sign up to play a role on the campaign. Actually, we’ll be signing petitions in the front yard of Walker’s own neighbors who have volunteered their space to help us start off the recall right. Also, we will provide training to activists and opportunities to activate right away.

Park on the streets around Juneau High School or at State Fair Park, from which buses will run from 3:45 PM to 7:00 PM”

Parking site:
Juneau High School Practice Field
6415 W. Mount Vernon
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

MAP to parking site:

Here’s the facebook event where you can indicate you are ATTENDING! 

October 5 Blogging Wall Street and the Occupy Movement

The morning after:
Democracy Now’s coverage of the march and speeches is about as good as you’ll find. They briefly cover other events first in this, then move on to a video of people getting arrested in their tent in Seattle’s Occupy location, and then cover New York’s march.
They report that 75 schools staged walkouts across the nation yesterday, and interview Tomas Reed from CUNY. Also: an interview of Naomi Klein which includes discussion of CNN and other press’ mocking coverage of Occupy Wall Street. Klein also talks about the plan to build the tarsands oil Keystone pipeline and the cozy relationship between the U.S. Consulate in Ottawa and the U.S. State Department

Watch live streaming video from democracynow at livestream.com

There was a point at which 10 protesters were arrested and police pepper sprayed people in the crowd and beat them with batons. “Journalist Luke Rudkowski was attacked by police Wednesday night while trying to document the Occupy Wall Street arrests in NY. NYPD used pepper spray, batons, and brute force to move protesters away from the entrance to Wall Street after many tried to push through police barricades. Rumors immediately circulated that police provocateurs dressed as protesters were to blame for the incident.”
Video:

backup link to video
Video and quoted write-up are from the site WeAreChange

Here’s Keith Olbermann reading the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City:

Backup link to Keith Olbermann reading the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City.

There are more videos and link at the official occupywallst site.

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5:51 Central Time
This is likely my last update for the evening. If you scroll down, you’ll see several spots to get live video from occupy events.

Here are some social media updates from Wisconsinites on Wall Street:
From Arthur Kohl-Riggs
“Dozens of thousands of people here, this is beautiful.”

Tweets from HarryWaisbren
-Cheeseheads are getting even more comments than usual. mass motivation from #WIunion at #occupywallstreet!
-“We will fight. We will win. New York, Cairo, Wisconsin.”

Tweets from Jenna Pope AKA @BatmanWI
-Just got done with a live interview with @harrywaisbren on Free Speech TV at #occupywallstreet.
-A dude is handing out free cigarettes to us as we’re marching.
-People also handing out free fruit
-There’s at least 15,000 people in Foley Square near city hall!
-People are loving the cheeseheads! Getting lots of thank you’s and people telling us how inspiring we are.

Tweets from Jenni Dye AKA @legaleagle
=People were asking how to donate to #OWS. They have a link for donations on occupywallst.org – or help in your local community!
-It took less than 30 seconds to get separated from my friends in this march.
-“We are the 99%!” Math cheers. My dad would be so proud. #OWS #p2ny #wiunion
-There are people talking but the drumming drowns out the speakers.
-Apparently we’re fenced in or something at Foley Square. People chanting “hey hey ho ho, these barricades have got to go
-I’m on the fence about Zucotti Park, but this feels like #wiunion. Singing “Solidarity Forever.”
-Marching back to Zucotti Park now

Here’s a brief video from Ed of Milwaukee also known as @superbranch. You get a sense of how many people are there and how LOUD it is.

Video streaming by Ustream

A recent upload from (JennY) of flickr who is in the San Francisco Occupy action

Opinion of Occupy Wall Street beats that of Congress – (not like we have much of an opinion of Congress): A new Rasmussen poll finds that the group enjoys a higher approval rating (33 percent) than does Congress (14 percent).

And here’s the sign for Madison’s Occupy event.

This is their twitter: @occupymadison99
and here’s their facebook event
and their facebook page Occupy Madison
———————————————————
2:44PM Central

Ed from Milwaukee sends this photo and the tweet “At #occupywallstreet union folks are starting to mingle”

Jenni Dye was interviewed by radio host Kurt Baron today. He asked “Is there a concrete goal you are aiming for? What specific changes need to be made?”
LINK HERE
Kurt’s twitter: @forwardwithkurt
Jenni’s: @legaleagle

A tourist cheering protesters from her bus:

image from @allisonkilkenny
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1:10pm Central Time
Laura Flanders of GritTV was down by Wall Street interviewing and then her camera guy was silently walking around taking it all in. I’ll go ahead and embed multiple places to get audio and/or video of today’s scenes. You fmight see an annoying ad at the beginning of some of these, but hold out for the content. There are probably more occupy feeds to be found by contacting one of the 293 occupy meetups. I selected the feeds that were “on” when I came by today.

Watch live streaming video from lauraflanders at livestream.com

Global Revolution on livestream-Typically broadcasting New York City content.

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

Occupy Los Angeles

Watch live streaming video from owslosangeles at livestream.com

Occupy Austin

Watch live streaming video from occupyaustin at livestream.com

Occupy Tampa

Watch live streaming video from occupytampa at livestream.com

Occupy Calgary

Watch live streaming video from occupycalgary at livestream.com

Occupy Toronto

Watch live streaming video from occupytoronto at livestream.com

———————————————————-
12:40PM Central Time
Here’s the full list of colleges that committed to a walkout in advance. I see University of Wisconsin-Superior is listed.

I think there are a lot of spontaneous walkouts we won’t know about until later judging by tweets like this one:
“AndreaLHill
My class voted to walk out at noon for @occupyboston. Here at NU rallying in solidarity. #walkout #occupywallstreet”

Here’s a photo from Binghamton University’s Latin American Student Union tweeted by Catherine:

Catherine tweeted these statements from the day: “Banks got bailed out, we got SOLD OUT!!!” and “This is about Wall Street, this is about Corporations!”

And if you haven’t seen it yet, somebody at the Chicago Board of Trade recently put signage in their windows proclaiming they are the 1%. It’s at Chicagoist

————————————————————-
12:06pm
Seeing no signs of Madison or Wisconsin walkouts yet.

Photo of a CUNY walkout HERE

I don’t think this next headline is framing the scenario correctly. I think the question is better put “How can the open-minded and radical spirit of Occupy Wall Street be nurtured and not be co-opted by partisan groups?” -anyway, this is the irksome Mother Jones headline I just found:
“Occupy Wall Street, Powered by Big Labor—
Can major unions help grow the fledgling protest movement into a force to be reckoned with?”

———————————————-
11:51am Central
They’ve walked out at U of Buffalo. A very brief video of some noisy chanting:

And here’s a photo of a teach-in in progress:

Where UBSpectrum says they’re saying: “Education should be for everybody!”

The facebook event for New York City’s COMMUNITY/LABOR MARCH TO WALL ST.

—————————————————
11:31am Central
Seeing signs of walkouts on the East coast on twitter but much of it is this stuff at the moment: “OccupyNC Anonymous
TODAY We the 99% & Anon @OccupyColleges. Show your support for #OWS & #OccupyAmerica THIS IS A NATIONWIDE WALK OUT. NOON #Solidarity #UNITY”

There is some radio coverage of NY protests/walkouts promised via the website of WNYC FM At the moment they’re talking about Wall Street mismanagement and news coverage.

Here’s a photo of a walkout at Brooklyn College

—————————————————-

Freespeech TV has been broadcasting from Van Jones’ American Dream conference in D.C. Frequent references are made by speakers and interviewees to either Wisconsin or to Occupy Wall Street. Some are accurate and some are downright cringe-worthy. At the moment I’m seeing Mahlon Mitchell, a great rallier and speaker from Wisconsin and the State President of The Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. You can follow him on twitter at @MahlonMitchell

Watch live streaming video from freespeechtv at livestream.com

———————————————-

The Occupy Wall Street happening was at first ignored. Then when it got more national attention it was “Oh. I can’t figure out what they’re saying.” Then FOX began to cover it all the time and ridicule it while other mass media outlets did an OK or so/so job. Now we’re seeing politicians and organizations trying to ride its energy for their own ax grinding or agenda.

From a Wall Street Journal [that’s Rupert Murdoch-owned] interview with Herman Cain:

“CAIN: I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration. Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself!”

I don’t think I’ve seen 1 single occupy sign that mentioned Obama. Wisconsin’s thing was somewhat “about Obama” because Walker’s union-killing agenda is about getting money and electoral votes away from him. But I don’t see this occupy thing that way. This is so organic, it’s non-partisan and not at all about electoral politics. The occupy thing is erupting from alive, aware, and angry people in America who are saying enough is enough. That chant “We are the 99%!” is the opener that states the truth: there is a 1% that has 40% of our wealth and Americans are angry about that. You can then ask, “Well, what do we do about that?” and “Who do we blame for this?” and I think you’ll get so many mixed replies. But that 1st statement–that chant – -how do you argue with it? You can’t.

I just caught that Cain is the person polling 2nd among GOP presidential wanna-bes.

—————————————————–

from reddit’s occupywallstreet subreddit

——————————————————

There could be a national U.S. student walk out at Noon today [in each time zone] that stems from what definitely will be a large student walk-out of colleges in New York City. And there will be a rather large convergence of protesters – citizen led and union led – upon New York City and Washington D.C. Here’s where I will put news bits, interesting tweets, photos, videos etc that help to let us know what’s going on.

For the record, I am safe from tear gas and marauding cops in Madison, Wisconsin either at home or in locations downtown.

Save America’s Postal Service

What can you buy with 44 cents? These days it doesn’t even buy a candy bar. If you’re lucky 44 cents will get you package of ramen noodles. With 44 cents you can buy a first class stamp that can be used to send a letter to any address in the United States. That’s pretty amazing. I often take for granted all the great stuff done by the Postal Service and some of my fondest memories are of receiving that “something special” in the mail, be it a special present or a simple “thinking of you” card.

Mail is delivered to every address in the nation six days a week. That’s no small feat when you consider the number of addresses they service. For me the postal service represents quality and equality of service. Nothing says “equality” like having mail delivered to the poorest areas with the same frequency and quality of service as the wealthiest neighborhoods.

Each day more people are using electronic methods to communicate instead of sending letters, but remember these methods of communication aren’t universally accessible like the postal service. How many people can’t afford to pay for Internet service? How many people just don’t want to use computers? There’s no sign up fee or learning curve when it comes to receiving mail. All you need is an address and the post office takes care of the rest.

Yesterday postal workers held more than 400 informational rallies across the country. Their goal is to educate the public on the true financial status of the Postal Service and to ensure passage of H.R. 1351. Under a law passed in 2006, the USPS is required to pre-fund 75 years of health care for their retirees in 10 years. H.R. 1351 will allow the Postal Service to take money that was overpaid into retirement funds and use it to pay for current obligations.

I’ve often heard from conservatives that public services should be run like private businesses. Which private industry routinely sets aside 75 years of pension funding in 10 years? Which specific company plans for the retirement of people who haven’t even been born yet? I believe in saving for the future just as much as the next person, but think this is taking that idea a bit too far.

Rep. Darrell Issa and Re. Dennis Ross are cosponsors of H.R. 2309. Text for that bill can be found here.

From an article at the Herald-Times.

“Postal workers oppose HR 2309, which would give the service the option of eliminating Saturday service and also close various postal offices that bill sponsors estimate could save $1 billion.”

Contrary to popular belief, the Postal Service isn’t going broke, in fact in the last 4 years they made a net profit of $600 million. The Postal Service is completely self funding and doesn’t cost the taxpayers a penny. This “crisis” is an artificial one that was created by Congress in 2006. Congress created this mess and Congress should be the ones to fix it by passing H.R. 1351.

Please take the time to complete either the site. online petition or better yet, use the printable version of the petition and send it in the mail.

Please take the time to do your part to strengthen the Postal Service. Do you think any private business is going to charge only 44 cents to deliver a letter? Is anyone naive enough to believe private industry is going to jump in and deliver to every address in this country 6 days a week? By supporting USPS we support mail delivery to everyone in this country, not just the profitable delivery areas. We also back living wages, fair compensation and decent retirement packages.

Some pictures from the Save America’s Postal Service Rally in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Photos from a similar rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

[singlepic id=585 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=586 w=320 h=240 float=center]

….and still more Madison rally photos are on the blue cheddar facebook page.

Usual suspect Steve Nass fires up protest expense feud, insults Rep. Terese Berceau

I’m pondering whether I’ll start drawing social security before or after this feud over protest-related expenses ends. (23 years from now, give or take).

As you recall, Wisconsin’s DOA got the message out that protests at the Capitol were an expensive burden, saying it would cost $7.5 million for Capitol building cleaning – which later got knocked down to about $350,000. We’re back to talking big numbers but this time on security: $8.1 million in security costs during the high protest weeks at the Capitol.

Representatives Terese Berceau of Madison and Steve Nass of Whitewater seem to be designated fighters sparring on this issue.

Dem. Rep. Terese Berceau

Therese Berceau: “I am horrified that Governor Walker’s paranoia toward the people of Wisconsin has now resulted
in Wisconsin taxpayers being forced to shoulder an extra $8.1 million dollars in security costs. At the height of the protests earlier this year I was in the Capitol on a daily and nightly basis. Nothing warranted this cost. I saw seven state patrol officers outside of a second-floor bathroom with no protesters in sight. Twenty-eight state troopers stood outside the Assembly chambers when we were voting on redistricting when almost no one was in the Capitol. At one time, I actually heard a state trooper say, ‘Who do we call to say that two-thirds of us aren’t needed?’ – link to her full statement dated August 15.

I can cosign. And I can understand over-staffing in the early days, but as time wore on, it became clear the crowds were mature and even organizing their own volunteer “marshals” to act as vigilant watchdogs, ensuring civility.

When Nass wrote back to Berceau, he said that Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, County Executive Kathleen Falk, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, and Madison Police Chief Noble Wray were “siding with the siege participants” and egging them on.

(A little perspective on Tea Partier Nass’ relationship with Madison – he thinks that the Indian Mascot law should be repealed because the old name-your-team-after-an-Indian system wasn’t discriminatory while he IS worried about car driver discrimination committed by the “liberal extremists in Madison who hate cars and think everyone should bike to work.”)

Nass is missing the point that the amount of security was out of balance with the situation. But let’s say I do entertain this argument–that Dane County leaders have some responsibility for keeping the crowds strong and present. Then by the same logic, Nass and the whole largely boy band of Republicans bear a heavy burden of responsibility for standing by the legislative equivalent of Walker’s Atom Bomb. They refused to budge an inch on the laundry list of offenses within Wisconsin Act 10 and the rush of legislation that followed, only giving us maybe an 8th of an inch particularly by keeping Wisconsin’s Seniorcare program intact [This is a program which I’ve witnessed get put on the chopping block periodically over the years only to be revived at the last minute as if it’s fated to star in some ritual drama. This I know because I’ve heard my 84-year-old mom worrying about it each time]

As for the Dane County side of enforcement aid, Nass is not addressing squarely what caused tension between DOA and the Dane County Sheriff, David Mahoney, which is that the DOA refused to comply with a court order that opened up the Capitol building to the public and Mahoney responded by pulling his men and women, refusing to use them as “palace guards”:
“The deputies had been told that the doors would be open at 8 a.m. yesterday, but that didn’t happen and the officers didn’t find out why until the afternoon, Mahoney said.
“When asked to stand guard at the doors that duty was turned over to the Wisconsin State Patrol because our deputies would not stand and be palace guards,” Mahoney said. “I refused to put deputy sheriffs in a position to be palace guards.”” -press conference 3/1/11

Nass seems to be assuming that if local enforcement were more involved, the whole security detail would’ve been cheaper. I don’t see anything to prove it. Plus Madison and Dane County have had to float the $ to pay those personnel and they aren’t even reimbursed yet. Why would they want to take on more of the expense and wait this long to get $ – especially from a hostile administration like Walker’s?

Nass finishes off with a pithy paragraph about truth and the “fight to save our state and country”. The thousands who were so moved to assemble at his place of work and our Capitol to appeal to him also ARE OF THIS STATE AND COUNTRY. They also hold truth–apparently as seen through a different lense. They stood in the snow for hours. They didn’t demand Nass stand outside with them. They just wanted Nass and his kind to unthaw enough to move an unseen dial to a middle place inside their hearts or minds and accept the task of governing for all Wisconsinites. Nass has no noble claim of serving state and country. He’s lost that.

Nass stayed inside safe and dry and stubborn, and left too many people out in the cold.

——————————————————————-

Rep. Nass: Letter to Rep. Berceau re: Round 2 Capitol security costs
8/18/2011

Representative Terese Berceau
Room 127 West
State Capitol

RE: Round 2 – Capitol Security Costs and Reading Comprehension

Dear Representative Berceau:

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my letter of August 16, 2011. I appreciate you taking the time to obtain a response from the public sector union bosses and forwarding their thoughts on to me.

I encourage you to review your letter since it fails to accurately depict the content of my letter (not a press release). I stated my opposition to reimbursement of costs incurred by the City of Madison Police Department and the DaneCounty Sheriff’s Department (emphasis added to assist in ease of reading). Your letter dishonestly states I am opposed to paying all law enforcement agencies for their service at the State Capitol.

During the Capitol Siege, I understand that you were busy pandering to the protesters while wearing your orange shirt, but the media documented the statements of Sheriff Dave Mahoney, County Executive Kathleen Falk, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, and Police Chief Noble Wray.

In those statements, it was clear these local Madison officials were siding with the siege participants and even encouraging their conduct. These local actions clearly played a role in the need for the Department of Administration and the Capitol Police Department to seek assistance from other state and local law enforcement agencies in re-establishing law and order at the State Capitol.

If the Madison Police Department and the DaneCounty Sheriff’s Department were permitted to provide service within the State Capitol, then it might not have been necessary to obtain manpower from other agencies. However, the local leadership of these law enforcement agencies ( City of Madison and Dane County) restricted those officers from participating in the proper law enforcement function of securing the State Capitol and removing the obstructing protesters.

I am not surprised that you would attempt re-write history and whitewash the terrible conduct of your colleagues in the professional protest community. However, the intentional dishonesty in your communications are another telling sign of the desperate need of Assembly Democrats to hide their behavior from decent people of this state. While the truth may be your enemy, it is the life’s blood of the citizens that took back their government in November 2010 and will continue to fight to save our state and country.

Sincerely,

Steve Nass
State Representative
31st Assembly District

Letter originally located at wispolitics.com

To communicate with Rep. Steve Nass:
Capitol Telephone
(608) 266-5715 Or
(888) 529-0031

District Telephone
(262) 495-3424

Email
Rep.Nass@legis.wisconsin.gov
Room 12 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708

Voting Address
N8330 Jackson Road
Whitewater, WI 53190

Nass’ district:

Image from GazetteExtra

How much Madison/Dane County did kick in: According to Isthmus “The state has calculated that costs for providing security during the months of protests is more than $8 million. Madison is asking to be reimbursed $682,842 for services it provided, including $555,098 for police, $37,719 for fire personnel, $79,148 for Metro Transit and $10,876 for use of the fire department’s command center. The state expects to pay Dane County $534,081.”

Statement from Madison Police Chief Noble Wray

Photos from the SOS education rally in Madison, Wisconsin

It was a hot day folks and I’m beat…so this is a short post.

Today, educators and supporters of public education rallied around the nation and in D.C. in a “Save our Schools March and National Call to Action”. This is the 3rd day of a 4 day event about the crisis public schools are facing in America. Schools suffer budget slashing in every state and a multi-state Tea party/Republican push to route public tax dollars to private charter schools.

To dig in more on public education’s dire situation, see Diane Ravitch’s CNN article from February, “Why America’s Teachers are Enraged” which talks about Madison’s occupied Capitol: “Thousands of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public sector workers have camped out at the Wisconsin Capitol, protesting Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s efforts to reduce their take-home pay — by increasing their contribution to their pension plans and health care benefits — and restrict their collective bargaining rights..”.

“For the future of our children, we demand:

Equitable funding for all public school communities
Equitable funding across all public schools and school systems
Full public funding of family and community support services
Full funding for 21st century school and neighborhood libraries
An end to economically and racially re-segregated schools.

Read the rest at the official SOS site:

A few more of my photos are at flickr at this link.

I hope to get my videos up here in short order.

Video: Everyone, Everywhere, Every Time – Until He’s Gone! by Kevin Mulvenna

It does my heart good to see these video pieces of Scott Walker being hounded. Add a soundtrack from the Dropkick Murphies – “Take ‘Em Down” – and I’m doing a jig. Their song has that irritating twangy banjo picking I usually hate. But here it seems perfectly fitting against the raising of signs and fists. Thank you filmmaker Kevin Mulvenna!

Everyone, Everywhere, Every Time – Until He’s Gone! from Kevin Mulvenna on Vimeo.

Devil visits Devil’s Lake State Park: Scott Walker protested by 300

Photos and video of about 300 protesters confronting Scott Walker at Devil’s Lake State Park this morning. Images are from Skillet Creek Media. It’s important to protest radical right wing authoritarians like Walker and it’s important to share the images and sounds of protest with others. Photos, videos, and accounts of protest beget yet more protest causing it to multiply. Protest is the living test of your right to assemble and right to speak. A thousand thanks to those who did this today.

Why are these people protesting with such anger? Here’s just an abbreviated list (perhaps you’ll add more offenses in a comment or two):

• Walker’s administration has illegally circumvented

Lovely Wisconsin weekend for a protest. Or making calls or knocking on doors…

This next statement sounds a little like a mix of me and the Wisconsin Tourism Board:

Whether you want to protest with a sign, make a call, knock on a door, or even plan to leave for Chicago, there’s just a whole lotta political stuff to keep you busy in lovely Wisconsin!

The most picturesque protest location Wisconsin has to offer: Devil’s Lake.

WHAT: Protest Walker. Walker and program scheduled at 9:30am Saturday June 25. (expected duration is 45 minutes to an hour).

WHERE: Meet at North Shore entrance to Devil’s Lake State Park (intersection of County Trunk (upper) DL and Hwy. 123 at 8:45 a.m. where we plan to march in together behind a huge “Recall Walker” banner. Note: Reliable inside sources tell us that the state park’s parking lot will be closed from 7:30 a.m. on, so if you want to park inside the park, you must be in the park between the 6:00 a.m. daily opening time and 7:30 a.m. Please see other parking options and shuttle information below.

WHEN: Be inside the park by 9:00 a.m.

BRING: Signs! Important: Your car can also make a statement with signage for the drive here on Highway 12 or I-90 (exit 106 Hwy. 33 from Madison) to Baraboo. More details at this facebook note

Milwaukee Saturday  June 25th, 8:00pm
An Evening with John Nichols. Nichols will speak and answer questions about Wisconsin’s political history, which has led to the current political climate and recall staking place today. Jewish Community Center, 6255 North Santa Monica Blvd. Whitefish Bay facebook invitation

Green Bay Sunday June 26 Walker Budget Signing Ceremony

But what if the Green Bay is your location? Have no fears, Fox Valley. Details: Sunday, June 26th, 1:30pm – Protest Gov. Walker’s Signing of Budget, Badger Sheet Metal,1410 Partnership Road, Green Bay

Original location cancelled due to controversy-the biz owner is a tax evasion felon. Here is the new location: “The signing ceremony is now set for 2 p.m. Fox Valley Metal-Tech Inc. in Green Bay. Walker kicked off his gubernatorial campaign at the business in 2009.” –WisPolitics.com AND here is the facebook event page for a protest there.

Across Wisconsin – Recall Work.  See Wisconsin AFLCIO’s List

Chicago “Socialism 2011 Revolution in the Air” July 1-4 We’re living in a time when you don’t have to be a bona fide socialist to be intrigued by this national gathering. I think if you’re becoming an avid protester and organizer, you’ll find a lot to connect with here.   WEBSITE You can get a free ride, and families can get help with childcare. Inquire at iso.madison.city @ gmail.com  (608) 492-1053

Ongoing Efforts and Activities: Madison

Noon-1PM Mon-Fri Capitol Building
Solidarity Sing Along – facebook group

Daily at Labor Temple, Park St. Madison
“All across the state, tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have signed up to stand up with their brothers and sisters to fight back against the agenda of Scott Walker and his cronies. From rallies to town halls to Capitol protests, people are signed up and ready to help. We need to activate and mobilize them” Info & sign up

More photos from today’s Wisconsin budget protest

Here’s a slideshow. If you’d like some easy-to-share and downloadable images, check out the facebook album HERE.

I’d like to write something wise about the damage done inside the Capitol today.  But I’m getting some video together.

For the moment I’ll just say that I am still the same person I was and I still hold the same values going forward. Acts perpetrated against the people of Wisconsin inside of the Capitol building in the legislature and inside of the Wisconsin Supreme Court today do not stop the movement you and I have already started.

There is no choice but to fight back and fight hard.

There is no choice but to recall.

 

Part 3. 150,000 Welcome the Dem14 Home: I laughed, I cried, I took pictures.

I have video. I have audio. I have photos. They all should be compiled into a multimedia schmorgasbord. But it takes so much time to wrestle with this stuff. Just thinking about it… I need to relax and have a beer. So, for the moment, here are a few photos and comments.

Part 1 and Part 2 say “100,000” Then I heard from Steve Hanson, 150,000. Do you know how many people went to this rally? I do know that I became really uncomfortable at one point as I got smooshed in a big pack that would only inch forward. In broad daylight outside.

I found this odd and frustrating, but then again, once in a while we’d lighten up and pick up in song. Musical packs of humanity. This actually describes normal life here since February 11th.

Darth Walker stood on the corner on the way to Barriques. He wouldn’t talk or change his facial expression, remaining “in character”. Here I laughed.

Judging by posture, profile, and mood, I’d guess these drummers were father and son, or at least relatives. They drummed together solemnly near the head of the Dem 14 parade. At this point, I did cry for a second.

Firefighters, firefighters, firefighters. I will never, ever be tired of firefighters.

Senator Jon Erpenbach getting flirted with, I think.

Senator Kathleen Vinehout. Believe it or not, given the hive effect here, and relative mayhem, this is not a terrible shot.

Can you guess where I was when I took this shot?

Yes. That is a rather large puppet. I was surprised too. I think I said something eloquent like, “Holy crap. Big puppet.” and fumbled for my camera.

Wisconsin Protests Part 4. Feb. 15-March 10. Matt Wisniewski

Another video from the incredible film maker Matt Wisniewski. Here’s his photography web site. Here’s where he collects all of the supportive emails sent to him from all over the world. LINK to Matt’s VIMEO page for LARGE FORMAT & his notes.

“Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Speech of Doom”

“Gov. Scott Walker’s Budget

Speech of Doom: What to

Expect From the Wisconsin

Address”

Actual headline. The regular press is sounding like one of us cantankerous Wisconsin bloggers who’s been

You Are Wisconsin: Rally to Save the American Dream, Saturday Feb. 26

An amazing 66 rallies and counting are part of tomorrow’s national “Rally to Save the American Dream” at noon in each time zone, with 40 supporting organizations signed on.

Please visit HERE to see where a rally is near you. When you go, wear red in solidarity with us Badgers of Wisconsin and put on your cheesehead. Short of a cheese hat, I’d suggest just bringing a block of delicious Wisconsin cheese for a snack!

The point of this is to show that people care about working families across the country. As MoveOn.Org says,
“..if we can get huge crowds across the nation, it’ll send a clear message that progressives are fired up and ready to go….This is an opening to call out the Republican game plan for what it is: a brazen effort to use a wrecked economy as an excuse to reward the rich and powerful while destroying 50 years of democratic progress.”

Let’s do this, people.

Image from Nickolas Nikolic of flickr.com

Image from BlueRobot on flickr.com

 

Today at 1PM: WMC Meeting and Protest.

James Buchen (WMC) shakes the hand of Governor Walker January 27 when Special Session Senate Bill 1 was signed. Walker called the bill "Tort Reform". Ralph Nader has long called such legislation "Tort Deform" for stripping rights from plaintiffs.

[I’ll add on an article shortly – for now – the basics]

Today, Wednesday, February 23 · 12:00pm – 5:30pm

Protest of WMC’s “Business Day in Madison”

Location – Monona Terrace entrance

Schedule – Picketing: 12PM – 1PM  – – – Rally 4:30PM-5:30PM

“Who is responsible for Scott Walker’s attacks on public education, public services, public sector workers, and the right to vote? His corporate backers, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). Join us in the growing “Wisconsin Wave” of resistance to austerity and corporatization.”

Sponsor: Wisconsin WAVE. See their facebook page.

On January 11th, labor and community groups gathered at the State Capitol to express opposition to Special Session Senate Bill 1/ Assembly Bill 1 (SB 1/AB 1).

Where there is Andrew Breitbart, there are lies.

Not pigpen. I recall that Charles Shultz is a conservative. Instead, I present a dirty pig.

Some people leave a wake of garbage in their path. Reminds me of Pigpen from Charlie Brown .

Andrew Breitbart spoke at Madison, Wisconsin yesterday to approximately 3,500 Tea Party and Pro-Walker people. They were there to do their darndest to match the numbers of Progressives, workers, and students that have rallied since last week February 14 against Scott Walker’s union-busting “Budget Repair Bill”.

Now there are rumors left behind to dispel. Picking up garbage is something we thought we’d have to do after receiving 60,000 visitors. But this?: A doctored video