Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Get involved!

Two events on Thursday offer citizens the chance to share ideas and learn from elected officials how they are using our ideas to improve our community.

From 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Mayor Kabat will host a "Coffee with Kabat" at the Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 Sixth St. South. "Meet the mayor, learn about city business, and offer your thoughts and ideas on how to improve our city. Coffee will be provided."

Beginning at 6 p.m. the Sustainability Institute will host a Relience Think Tank at the La Crosse Public Library, 8th and Main. "Help us develop community projects that can focus in on community resilience here in La Crosse.  Join community leaders like Grow La Crosse and other organizations to develop projects based on the needs and ideas spun from the Resilience Symposium in November. If you were unable to attend, no problem! simply review and layout the ideas that came from the symposium and then allow time to build on those ideas."

Additionally, 

Driftless Voter Coalition is looking for people who would be willing to get training in May on helping people register to vote. You may also sign up to volunteer at upcoming events to make sure everyone eligible is registered and ready to vote in the August primary and November elections. "If you are interested in training and volunteering at events with us this summer and fall please send an email to info@everyonevote2018.org with your name, organization, and phone number. Training sessions will be in May, please indicate if you prefer weekdays, weeknights, or weekends. Please send us an email by April 24, 2018."

and

The La Crosse County Democratic Party will begin canvassing in our area to build upon growing support for Medicare for All legislation. Join their Medicare for All Canvassing Kickoff at noon on Saturday, May 19. In fact, if you really want to have some say in the candidates we vote for, JOIN THE PARTY! and get involved.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Voter registration training

The Driftless Voter Coalition is teaming up with the La Crosse Area League of Women Voters to help people register to vote!

In the months leading up to the November election, we have many non-partisan community events. In an effort to provide voter registration at as many events as possible, LWV will host training sessions for the online voter registration process.

If you are interested in training and volunteering at events with us this summer and fall please send an email to info@everyonevote2018.org with your name, organization, and phone number. Training sessions will be in May, please indicate if you prefer weekdays, weeknights, or weekends. Please respond by April 24, 2018!

People power prevents pork processing plant

Congratulations, Viroqua Concerned Citizens for Smart Growth.


Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Let's maybe not bomb Syria: Protest at the clocktower, 5 pm Thursday 4/12

Some local folks are throwing together an ad hoc protest opposing bombing Syria.  Anyone who thinks bombing Syria is a bad idea right now is invited, regardless of other political opinions or affiliations.  It'll be at the UWL Clocktower at 5 on Thursday, April 12th (sorry for the short notice, but events are moving fast).

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/156220968381518/

Monday, April 09, 2018

Just in case

If Trump fires Mueller, La Crosse action will be at West Ave & Main.  Sign up at MoveOn link. (Thanks, Megan).

In the meantime, be prepared.







Sunday, April 08, 2018

Monday - Conservation Congress

On Monday evening at 7 p.m., every Wisconsin county will host a Conservation Congress spring hearing. The Wisconsin CC is, "the only statutory body in the state where citizens elect delegates to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on how to responsibly manage Wisconsin's natural resources for present and future generations. The Congress accomplishes this through open, impartial, broad-ranged actions."

A hold over from the days when Wisconsin government was tasked with protecting public resources, this body is still very active around that state and individuals can help guide policy.

The La Crosse meeting will be held in the Onalaska High School Fine Arts Center. If you go, you will get a questionnaire (it's pretty long - you can read it in advance here) which is really a ballot. Questions concerning everything from hunting seasons to water quality management will be on the form. In addition, attendees may introduce resolutions. This is a way to participate and make clear what we expect the DNR and state to do, enforce, monitor, protect, and prioritize. 

See the Spring Hearing link for more details. And if you are interested in how the John Muir Chapter Sierra Club recommends voting on some of the most important issues, read about their endorsements on page 4 in their spring newsletter.


Friday, April 06, 2018

TONIGHT'S ONALASKA PROTEST CANCELLED

The hate group did not have the insurance required by the venue so they have cancelled their event and the protest is also cancelled.

Call to action ASAP - CANCELLED


  UPDATE: The group holding the event has cancelled because they do not have the insurance required by the venue. So tonight's protest is cancelled. 

But this was a good test of the network AND possibly points to a community discussion we should have about the First Amendment, hate speech, etc. I hope that one or more community groups might consider putting together something like this. It's a very complicated issue. Government censorship has been used in the past against those advocating for peach, justice, and progress. Where is the line? Who decides?

An anti-Muslim hate group is planning an event at the Omni Center tonight. SURJ requests our immediate action. See link for details. 

UPDATE: The city will not cancel the event (no standards that a bona fide hate group would violate, I guess) so Shoulder to Shoulder La Crosse asks us to
  • Show up at the event at the Onalaska Omni Center at 6:00 p.m. (wear WHITE if you can to symbolize peace, they say) 
  • Bring peace promoting signs (some will be there)
Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that. 
Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence, 
and toughness multiplies toughness 
in a descending spiral of destruction.... 
The chain reaction of evil -- 
hate begetting hate, 
wars producing more wars -- 
must be broken, 
or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. 
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963

Wednesday, April 04, 2018

Win

Congratulations to all who voted for the right candidates and issues yesterday. The Republican-backed WI Supreme Court candidate lost (not sure we should be calling new Justice Dallet a progressive or even a liberal, but she's not a Republican puppet at least.)

We get to keep our State Treasurer's office - ready and waiting for real and important duties after we awake from the Walker nightmare later this year.

La Crosse United to Amend scored HUGE, with 88% of city residents backing a constitutional amendment to restore human (not corporate) rule to government.

Many good local candidates retained or gained seats including a new progressive mayor in Viroqua.

It's a good turn, but the public good and good government are still being dismantled and endangered (check out today's forum on the university system for example).

There's lots to do to continue turning the bus from the cliff. Let's do it.

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

VOTE TODAY!



If you aren't yet registered, you can do it at the polls. Make sure you take the correct PROOF OF RESIDENCE in addition to the correct VOTER ID. For questions about where to vote, what's on your ballot, what to bring, etc. please visit myvote.wi.gov.

Rebecca Dallet is the only Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate NOT ENDORSED BY THE NRA.

Scott Walker approves of the ballot initiative to get rid of the office of State Treasurer (who will follow the money then?)

La Crosse United to Amend would like you to agree that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

Plus there are other local elections and a school referendum on the ballot. 

Do the right thing. Vote. Make sure everyone you know votes. Then join the party so we can make the changes needed in the future.