What's coming up (July 10 through 16)

Several important meetings and online actions this week. Please participate in as many as you can! If your event is missing from our calendar, please submit it via this form or email us.

Monday, July 10 - The Weigent-Hogan Neighborhood Association will hear from Karl Green Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development Agent for La Crosse County Extension about emerging trends in demographics and housing choices for the City of La Crosse and the neighborhood. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 401 West Avenue South.

Tuesday, July 11 is full of important stuff. At noon, hear about "Overconsumption of Native American Imagery and Ongoing Results" at a free talk by Dan Green, UWL, hosted by the La Crosse County Historical Society. The program will be at the Riverside Museum in Riverside Park. AND at 6:30, the La Crosse chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby will hold its monthly meeting at 401 West Avenue South. Email them for more details AND Starting at 7 p.m. New Directions/Indivisible La Crosse will host a social at John's Bar, 109 Third Street South. 

On Wednesday, July 12, take part in the nationwide DAY OF ACTION FOR NET NEUTRALITY sponsored by dozens of groups, organizations and businesses.

On Thursday, July 13, the Wisconsin DOT will host a public information and input session on the rebuilding of South Avenue starting at 5 p.m. at Central High School, Losey and Green Bay. So far, plans are light on bicycle infrastructure, so if you are interested in sustainable transportation for our future, please attend and have your say. Or visit the link to find out how you can comment directly to the folks working on this project via email. AND The La Crosse Common Council meets at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 6th and La Crosse Streets. There is no agenda available yet, but it is expected that the Council will decide on the future of Memorial Pool. At last week's Finance and Personnel committee meeting, a rebuild of the pool with historic designation consideration at its current site, was agreed. It's probable there will not be a public hearing, but having as many people as possible at the meeting registering in support will help with getting the pool back as soon as possible. 

On Saturday, July 15, Wisconsin Progress is hosting a READY TO RUN candidate training in Richland Center and Chippewa Falls. You can sign up here. 

SPECIAL:  PLEASE ATTEND MONDAY, JULY 17 LA CROSSE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MONTHLY MEETING beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Ho-Chunk Three Rivers House (8th and Main) A very important by-laws vote will take place at the meeting and State Senator Kathleen Vinehout will speak. Vinehout has recently registered to challenge Scott Walker for governor. You do not need to be a party member to attend and if you wish to join, you may do so at the meeting. 

Also, 

This public notice initiates the public comment period for the La Crosse Area Planning Committee Public Participation Plan and Title VI Non-Discrimination Program and Limited-English Proficiency Plan. The public comment period officially ends at 3:00 pm on September 15, 2017. To submit comments or to request these documents in an alternate format, please contact me at jeastwood@lacrossecounty.org or at 608.785.6141

Battle for the Net on July 12

On July 12, 2017, websites, Internet users, and online communities will come together to sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality. Learn how you can join the protest and spread the word at https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12/.

Right now, new FCC Chairman and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai has a plan to destroy net neutrality and give big cable companies immense control over what we see and do online. If they get their way, the FCC will give companies like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T control over what we can see and do on the Internet, with the power to slow down or block websites and charge apps and sites extra fees to reach an audience.

If we lose net neutrality, we could soon face an Internet where some of your favorite websites are forced into a slow lane online, while deep-pocketed companies who can afford expensive new “prioritization” fees have special fast lane access to Internet users – tilting the playing field in their favor.

But on July 12th, the Internet will come together to stop them. Websites, Internet users, and online communities will stand tall, and sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality.

The Battle for the Net campaign will provide tools for everyone to make it super easy for your friends, family, followers to take action. From the SOPA blackout to the Internet Slowdown, we've shown time and time again that when the Internet comes together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Now, we have to do it again!

Learn more and join the action here: https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12

Healthcare rally TODAY plus more

Just a reminder that today from 2 to 4 is the March for Health - Round 2 for Justice at Cameron Park. Please attend if you can!

Also, a Badgercare For All bill, authored by State Representative Eric Genrich (D-Green Bay) and State Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee),  has been introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature. Citizen Action of Wisconsin, who has been working on this issue for a long time and helped work on the bill, held a State Capitol press conference with leading legislative Democrats to announce the new bill. According to Citizen Action, "The proposal will offer better health insurance with a wider choice of doctors and hospitals for an average of 23% less than corporate insurance. The bill demonstrates that we can dramatically reduce health care costs and increase choice if we use the positive power of our own democratic government in the public interest. It stands in stark contrast to the plans proposed by Congressional Republicans which take health care away from tens of millions of people to fund tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans."

Citizen Action is about half way toward its goal of signing up 240 Healthcare for All co-op members who would commit to donating $20 per month to hire a full time healthcare for all organizer in our state. Anyone may join. See their website for details.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post is reporting that the White House and Senate are planning a "final urgen blitz to pass health-care law." Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell has said that if a Republican-only bill fails, the Republicans will have to, "... work with Democrats," to shore up the ACA healthcare market. 

In the meantime, the CBO estimates that the BCRA (Better Care [sic] Reconciliation Act) would

• knock at least 22 million people off of health care
• cause dramatic increases in premiums and out-of-pocket and deductible costs
• impose an "age penalty" on older Americans by changing the level of subsidies based upon age rather than income
• knock at least four million older Americans off of health care
• have adverse affects on Medicare
• knock  thousands of veterans off of health care
• kill off hundreds of rural health clinics
• devastate states' struggles to cope with the current opioid crisis

Coming up this week (July 5 through 8)

There are several opportunities for public action and input coming up this and next week. Please check the calendar for daily updates. If your event is missing, please submit it using this form or email couleeprogressive-at-hotmail.com.

Wednesday, July 5 - Feminism on Tap hosts a Summer Social starting at 5:00 p.m. (100 Harborview Plaza)  and local Mike McCabe backers are holding a meeting at 6:30 p.m. (Email Mark for more details).

Thursday, July 6 - The Kane Street Community Garden hosts a Garden Day from 3 to 6 p.m. AND  The Alt Truth Project will do a concert performance of the musical 1776 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Pump House

Saturday, July 8 - Local activists will hold a Rally & March for Healthcare at Cameron Park from 2 to 4 p.m. AND the Kane Street Community Garden hosts a Garden Day from 3 to 6 p.m.

Ongoing - Remember to check out Citizen Action of Wisconsin's new HEALTHCARE FOR ALL organizing co-op. They are seeking at least 200 people from around the state to join the co-op so they can hire a full time organizer to work on this important issue.

La Crosse United to Amend - Next Steps

La Crosse United to Amend (the local arm of Wisconsin Ready to Amend) plans to petition the City of La Crosse to put to referendum a resolution for the "We the People Amendment" on the April 2018 ballot. The referendum calls for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which affirms that:

• The rights protected in the Constitution are those of individual human beings only
• The spending of money is not speech, and political spending can be limited to allow all Americans to participate in the democratic process

The group will need to collect 3,800 signatures in a 60 day period. They plan to begin on September 4 and finish on November 3. When the petitions have been certified, the La Crosse City Council will need to approve the resolution for referendum. Already, according to Wisconsin Ready to Amend, more than 730 communities across the U.S. have already passed resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment, including over 105 governments in Wisconsin and 19 state legislatures.

In March, the group will educate and energize voters to approve the referendum.

If you are interested in helping with this effort and did not receive an email from the organizers, please take the doodle poll BY JULY 6 to help find the best date for the next meeting. If you have trouble with the poll, please email the organizers for assistance.

Why is this so important? The Guardian (UK) reports that the Kochs are demanding action from their bought and paid for minions. Open Secrets details how the wealthiest Americans are also top political donors. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has many articles showing how wealthy crony corporations and contributors get what they want by donating to the right people.