Monday, July 30, 2018

City Fair Housing Survey

from the City of La Crosse website:

7/30/2018 - Please take the City’s Fair Housing Survey
 
The City of La Crosse is preparing a fair housing study and we need your input. This study will examine patterns of race, poverty, and housing needs in the region. Your opinion will help La Crosse improve housing for its residents. By taking the survey, you also will have the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card! The deadline to take the survey is September 1, 2018.     

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LaCrosseFairHousing

Thursday, July 19, 2018

This is why we need all progressives to get active yesterday.





Medicare for All because progressives


The La Crosse County Democratic Party has a Medicare for All campaign going on locally. Get involved! Pick up info at their HQ, 115 Fifth Ave South, or at the fair through Sunday afternoon or email the co-chairs.

Progressives within the party are making a difference. The Unity Reform Commission recommendations, including weakening the power of "super delegates" to skew primary results, are on the path to approval. New progressive candidates are showing strength across the country. National Dem legislators are getting more forcefully behind progressive programs (most of which supported by a majority of Americans, don't forget).

This is happening in part because of strong issue oriented organizations and in part because hundreds and thousands of progressives have joined the Dem party, run for party offices, moved progressive priorities, and recruited and supported progressive candidates. Ground up institutional changes do not happen in a hurry. And they don't happen if change-makers get discouraged when the traditional power base pushes back.

It's a there and back again, long, hard, frustrating, rewarding, necessary quest. And every one is needed. They have the money but we're supposed to have the people. Do we?

Let's show up now for Medicare for All, retaining Democrats in the US Senate (it is possible to take power from the regressives currently in power),  more diverse progressive candidates, more people centered legislation, and a more sustainable future. Show up outside AND show up inside.

Friday, July 13, 2018

Monday - Immigration issues at Dem Meeting

On Monday, July 16, the La Crosse County Democratic Party will host former immigration attorney, Chuck Berendes, and pediatrician, Dr. Mark Neumann, to talk about the legal and human health issues involved in the Trump administration's immigration policy. Both spoke at the June 30 Legalize Humanity rally held in Burns Park. Both have excellent info for anyone wishing to understand the issue better. If you did attend the rally, here's a chance to hear more and ask questions about the issues. If you missed the rally, here's a chance to learn why this inhumane treatment of legal human beings legally seeking asylum must change. The meeting is on Monday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dem's HQ, 115 Fifth Avenue South. Please attend and invite other. You need not be a party member to attend!

The meeting will also include information about the eight remaining candidates in the Democratic primary for governor (absentee in person voting begins on Monday, July 30 in the area). If you missed the very good WUWM debate/forum on Tuesday, July 11, you can listen to it via links provided here (audio linked in three sections). Another opportunity to hear from four of the candidates is coming up this Sunday as Wisconsin's Choice hosts it's "Final Four" forum (there's a local watch party for this event starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 15 at the Concordia Ballroom).

Also, Pete K is asking people with campaign yard signs to take a selfie and send it to him for a dynamic visual project he's working on. If you have a sign, please use the form to submit. If you don't but want one - order online or get candidate signs at party HQ.

On Wednesday, August 15, we will know which candidate will be running against Scott Walker in November. If we want better roads, more accountability of our public money, cleaner government, a functioning science-based DNR, the road to health care for all, social safety net programs that don't treat participants as criminals, the start of more fair elections, and protections against the Trump administration's intended dismantling of every good government program fought and died for since about 1900 (watch out women voters!), and much much more, then we'd better be ready to commit to canvassing, working, donating, phone banking, volunteering, text banking, registering people to vote, taking people to vote and every other thing we can do to make a positive change for the future.

We are working on a CHANGE THE FUTURE workshop sometime in the middle of August so we will know how to get more involved. Watch this space for more details.

Friday, July 06, 2018

Elections coming

US Senator Bernie Sanders will campaign with US Senator Tammy Baldwin on Saturday, July 14 in Eau Claire at the Lismore Hotel, 333 Gibson Street. Doors open at 8:00 a.m.
If we have any hope of blocking and stopping some of the most extreme, anti-human, anti-environment, anti-future policies and judges, we must keep this US Senate seat away from Republicans. Thanks to millions and millions of Koch and other RW money, Tammy Baldwin is being bombarded daily on the air and online by those who want to keep the senate as Donald Trump's great big open door to the abyss. You can help by donating and by offering to help phone and text bank and canvass. The Dem HQ has sign up sheets and should be offering training for those who need it.


ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS: There are many Americans who say they are very concerned about the environment but do not vote. The latest Coulee Region Sierra Club newsletter has an article about the Environmental Voters Project: "Did you know that 20.1 million registered US voters identify climate change or other environmental issues as one of their top two priorities? However, only 10.1 million of these environmentalists voted in the 2016 presidential election which was decided by just 770,000 votes," The environmental Voters Project hopes to change that equation. Sign up with them to help educate and motivate the enviro-vote.

ACLU VOTERS: The ACLU wants to make sure everyone concerned about civil and human rights - from immigrant and refugee treatment to unequal and outrageous treatment black and brown people must live with every day to eroding rights of the GLBTQ community to privacy issues and much more - get out and vote." You can join the ACLU Voters team to help GOTV for justice voters.

August 14 is primary election day in Wisconsin. We will choose candidates to run against the Walker administration in November: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, US Senator (Tammy Baldwin has no primary opponent), and down the ticket.  There are five parties represented on the ballot: Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertairan, and Constitution. You may only vote for candidates in one party (if you vote for a Dem, all your votes must be for Dems) or your vote will be invalid.

You can find out what's on your ballot (along with lots of other info - how to register, where to vote, etc) at myvote.wi.gov.

You may vote absentee in person beginning July 30. Check with your municipal clerk for hours of availability.

Lots of events are coming up to help you decide how to cast your ballot:

Gubernatorial candidates will appear in forums or "debates" on

In addition, Wisconsin Public Television has a resource online, Wisconsin Vote,  to provide information about voting and about specific candidates.

Gerrymandering, electoral college, machine hacking, and who knows what else have made the playing field uneven. Michael Moore recently reminded us that Republicans have won the popular vote only once in the last seven presidential elections. Don't count on a wave or flip or pendulum. Count on overwhelming voter numbers.

Now's the time to make sure you are ready to vote, make sure everyone you know is ready to vote, make sure you are doing everything you can to help candidates you want to win, make sure you are pushing back against incorrect info and against those who say what most Americans want is some kind of "fringe pie in the sky." No. It is what MOST Americans want.



Monday, July 02, 2018

Climate Crisis - Act NOW

from the Sanders Institute:


The world is not only facing climate “change” we are facing a CLIMATE CRISIS.

For thirty years, scientists have warned that we were changing the climate and now those predictions are coming true with a vengeance:
  • The five hottest years on record have all taken place since 2010
  • The 2017 hurricane season caused more damage than any other natural disaster in U.S. history
  • California wildfires devastated a million acres. 
  • And weather events have cost the American economy alone 240 billion dollars a year
We need to start addressing this climate crisis and we need to have started yesterday. This video gives an overview of climate change, how we got where we are, and what we can do now.

There is ample evidence that climate change is happening. 97% of scientists believe not only that climate change is happening, but that humans are causing climate change.
The National Climate Assessment is a report compiled by over 300 experts guided by the Federal Advisory Committee.

Read more at https://www.sandersinstitute.com/blog/the-climate-crisis