Public Schools for the Public Good: SB 22

Public Schools for the Public Good: SB 22

This is insane

A provision in Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) budget proposal would repeal Wisconsin's contraceptive coverage law that requires health plans to cover prescription birth control, the Wausau Daily Herald reports. 


And, in an executive order that was quietly released, Gov. Scott Walker recently suspended rules requiring contractors on state construction projects to employ workers under the state’s apprenticeship program. The rules have existed since 1971. One Milwaukee-area lawmaker is protesting Walker’s order, saying it will hurt efforts to employ minorities in the construction trades in Wisconsin.


Plus: (via Daily Kos)


House Republicans have introduced legislation that, if passed into law, would deny food stamp assistance to any family member of a striking worker.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no member of a family unit shall participate in the food stamp program at any time that any able bodied work eligible adult member of such household is on strike on strike as defined by the Labor Management Relations Act 1947, because of a labor dispute.

It's clear Walker hates women, minorities, children, probably kittens, too. But the extent to which those controlling him REALLY hate women, minorities, children and probably all domestic animals, is starting to emerge. This is one ugly picture.

Walker's emails and the Flying Monkey Brigade | Dane101

Walker's emails and the Flying Monkey Brigade | Dane101

By the numbers, how Walker got those emails, where they came from, a(nother) double standard revealed.

Who’s Really Behind Recent Republican Legislation in Wisconsin and Elsewhere? (Hint: It Didn’t Start Here) | Scholar as Citizen

Who’s Really Behind Recent Republican Legislation in Wisconsin and Elsewhere? (Hint: It Didn’t Start Here) | Scholar as Citizen

This will be my 'light reading' later on. Good info, sources.

Susan Sarandon IMBY

I missed her remarks, nice to see this vid:

Couple things wrong here

WisPolitics.com: Sen. Fitzgerald: Email re: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees

So says Fitzgerald:

Sen. Fitzgerald: Email re: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees
3/14/2011

From: Sen.Fitzgerald
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 3:52 PM
To: *Legislative Senate Republicans
Subject: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees

Dear Members,

With the return of the Senate Democrats this weekend, questions have arisen regarding Democrat members’ participation in Senate standing committee public hearings and executive sessions.

Please note that all 14 Democrat senators are still in contempt of the Senate. Therefore, when taking roll call votes on amendments and bills during executive sessions, Senate Democrats’ votes will not be reflected in the Records of Committee Proceedings or the Senate Journal. They are free to attend hearings, listen to testimony, debate legislation, introduce amendments, and cast votes to signal their support/opposition, but those votes will not count, and will not be recorded.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact my office.

Thank you,

Scott Fitzgerald
Senate Majority Leader
13th Senate District

Problem the first: "a quorum in an assembly is the number of VOTING MEMBERS who must be present..."

Second, the 'contempt' order was never enforceable.

Third, what a dick.

CEPR Resources on Public Sector Workers and Pension Funds | CEPR Blog

CEPR Resources on Public Sector Workers and Pension Funds | CEPR Blog

OMG more math but a really good read. Excerpt:

This paper shows:

• Most of the pension shortfall using the current methodology is attributable to the plunge in the stock market in the years 2007-2009.
  
  
• The argument that pension funds should only assume a risk-free rate of return in assessing pension fund adequacy ignores the distinction between governmental units, which need be little concerned over the timing of market fluctuations, and individual investors, who must be very sensitive to market timing.
  
  
• The size of the projected state and local government shortfalls measured as a share of future gross state products appear manageable.

MapWI - Interactive Maps of the Wisconsin Legislature

MapWI - Interactive Maps of the Wisconsin Legislature

Overview of Walker’s Budget Proposal’s Program Cuts « Wisconsin Women's Health Budget Project

Overview of Walker’s Budget Proposal’s Program Cuts « Wisconsin Women's Health Budget Project

I'll be looking for alternatives to these

Here's the list I'm working with in boycotting Koch products and other Walker supporters: (from boycottwalker.com)


Johnsonville Foods markets meat sausage products, most notably bratwurst. Their products are sold by most groceries, and are easily identified. Alternate products are readily available


Sargento Foods


HyCite: Royal Prestige and OceanBlue are the company’s primary branded product lines. 


Wausau Homes
Standard Process Laboratories
Wal-Mart
Briggs & Stratton


Wausau Paper: sold through OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, and local office supply stores. Their consumer paper products have the following brands - Astrobrights,Astroparche, Creative Collection, Exact Eco 100, Exact Pastels, Executive Collection, Professional Series, Stardust, Wausau Bright White.


KwikTrip
M&I Bank
Bank of America
Culver's (pending confirmation)

KOCH BROS PRODUCTS TO BOYCOTT:

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft ‘n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Lycra
Stainmaster Carpet

Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products
Georgia Pacific Building products:
Dense Armor Drywall and Decking
ToughArmor Gypsum board
Georgia pacific Plytanium Plywood
Flexrock
Densglass sheathing
G/P Industrial plasters (some products used by a lot of crafters)-
Agricultural Plaster
Arts & Crafts Plaster
Dental Plaster
General Purpose Plaster
Glass-reinforced Gypsum (GRG)
Industrial Tooling Plaster
Investment Casting Plaster
Medical Plaster
Metal Casting Plaster
Pottery Plaster

FibreStrong Rim board
G/P Lam board
Blue Ribbon OSB Rated Sheathing
Blue Ribbon Sub-floor
DryGuard Enhanced OSB
Nautilus Wall Sheathing
Thermostat OSB Radiant Barrier Sheathing
Broadspan Engineered Wood Products
XJ 85 I-Joists
FireDefender Banded Cores
FireDefender FS
FireDefender Mineral Core
Hardboard and Thin MDF including Auto Hardboard,
Perforated Hardboard and Thin MDF
Wood Fiberboard -
Commercial Roof Fiberboard
Hushboard Sound Deadening Board
Regular Fiberboard Sheathing
Structural Fiberboard Sheathing

COMFOREL® fiberfill
COOLMAX® fabric
CORDURA® fabric
DACRON® fiber
POLYSHIELD® resin
SOLARMAX® fabric
SOMERELLE® bedding products
STAINMASTER® carpet
SUPPLEX® fabric
TACTEL® fiber
TACTESSE® carpet fiber
TERATE® polyols
TERATHANE® polyether glycol
THERMOLITE® fabric
PHENREZ® resin
POLARGUARD® fiber and
LYCRA® fiber

holy hell

Republican Senators created special committee at 4pm, to meet at 6pm (even tho law requires 24 hr notice). Met at 6, they stripped out the "fiscal" items so they could vote without quorum. Passed the anti-union bill (so never about budget in the first place, which is what we were saying all along). They wouldn't allow motions or amendments or democrats to even SEE it, said "it's the same, just took some items out".

I can't think straight. Trying to figure out if Dem14 are on their way back. This was a disgusting display and the most undemocratic thing I've ever seen.

GOP senators find way to advance collective bargaining bill without Democrats present

GOP senators find way to advance collective bargaining bill without Democrats present

If the Republicans move forward with their plans, it would be a major reversal for Gov. Scott Walker and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau. Both have contended that the bill is fiscal in nature and thus the collective bargaining could not be stripped from the measure.

Democratic Senators on Wednesday immediately criticized the move, saying it proves Republican attempts to end collective bargaining for public employees are not about balancing the budget.

"They have been saying all along that this is a fiscal item, we've been saying it is not," said Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, from Illinois. "They have been lying. Their goal is to bust up the unions."

I am speechless. Stay tuned. Screw that, hope everyone gets down to the Capitol. NOW.

Select Helpful Websites - Wisconsin Budget Situation

Select Helpful Websites - Wisconsin Budget Situation

Sen. Fitz. Come again??

Connecting the dots FOR us. Nice!

Almost forgot

There's also this.


AN ACT to amend 302.372 (2) (a) (intro.) and 302.372 (3); and to create 66.0408
and 175.55 of the statutes;  relating to: local ordinances, determining the
lawful presence of a person arrested for or charged with a crime or certain civil
violations, and providing a penalty.


...

Under the bill, a person who cannot prove his or her lawful presence may be

held in secured custody for up to 48 hours to allow the person to obtain

documentation of his or her lawful presence.  If the person produces the required

documentation, he or she may be released.

So, right now my driver's license is expired (as of my birthday, Sunday March 6). Since that's not valid ID, I would need to have upon my person my Alien Registration Card to prove I'm a lawful permanent US resident (and would be subject to being detained until I provided the goods).

I don't even know where that card is, for starters. I purposely do NOT keep it on me as replacing it would be a phenomenal pain in the ass. But off I go to look for it. Just in case.

Jackasses.

Wrapping brain around something

I caught Rachel Maddow's show (TG for internet) and had to rewind to make sure I was hearing her correctly. In addition to the Wisconsin budget mess, there are huge issues brewing in Michigan's budget proposal.

Chief among them, get this:

Towns are hurting financially.

The governor can declare a town to be in a financial crisis.

The governor can then appoint someone that town's "emergency manager."

The emergency manager has the authority to:

- cancel, amend all contracts in place (including union contracts, natch)

- a bunch of other crap

But here was the biggie (for me): The emergency manager has the authority to dismiss elected officials.

Dismiss. Elected. Officials.

So, a municipality struggling financially can be placed under the management BY WHOMEVER THE GOVERNOR APPOINTS, and THAT PERSON can then, y'know, dismiss the mayor.

Rachel Maddow does a much better job at outlining all this (here's the video) but I needed to get this out, apparently.

Dark days, my friends. Poor Michigan.

How To Engage On Sites Using Facebook’s New Commenting Plugin

via feedproxy.google.com