Save our Libraries!

Libraries are under attack in Canada, too.

As Donald Trump works to kill of the U.S. Postal Service, an institution enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, so short-sighted budgeteers seem to be doing their best to Grover Norquist our public libraries, another centuries-old institution. Don't let that happen!

This alert is from Citizen Action:

The La Crosse library system is suffering.  

The City of La Crosse has slashed their budget.  We can take action RIGHT NOW to restore funding but we have to move quick.

Libraries across the Coulee Region are so important. They offer so much more than books. They are internet access for the underserved. They are a meeting place. They are a resource for the unemployed looking for work.  Libraries serve everyone in the Coulee Region.

The library is collecting statements from the public in support of restoring the library's funding.  Use this link to submit a statement in support of La Crosse's library. It only take a minute and it can have a huge impact. 

The deadline for comments to be submitted is July 31st so we only have a small window.  Please take a moment RIGHT NOW to let the City of La Crosse know that libraries are an essential service.

Thank you in advance for helping to protect La Crosse's libraries!

Week of Action!

There are several action items coming up that need your attention. 

Note: Currently, the Coulee COVID-19 Compass is at SEVERE with recommendations to stay at home unless essential, no indoor gathering outside of household, only 10 or fewer people at a gathering outdoors, etc. The county is concerned that if we don't control this now, fall will be hell. Young people can get it. People can spread it without knowing they even have it. Even those who have mild symptoms can end up with long-term serious brain, lung, immune system and other conditions that may require costly therapies. We cannot recommend in-person events at this time.

First - VOTING HAS STARTED for the August 11 primary elections. You may still request an absentee ballot at myvote.wi.org or by calling your municipal clerk. You may also vote absentee-in-person at City Hall through August 7. Please vote AND encourage and help others to vote. And, make a plan to help get out the vote and protect the vote from now until November 3. Experts are predicting a very scary election season due to voting issues from problems with mail-in ballots to lack of polling places, decrepit unreliable hackable voting machines and Republic efforts to continue disenfranchising voters. Add the concerns by experts on authoritarian and fascist regimes and expect a nightmare. Be prepared.

The Governor's Task Force on Climate Change is accepting comments through Friday, July 31. Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes is heading up the group. He says, "We are charting a path to meet our goal of 100% carbon-free energy by 2050, while improving the state's economy and environment, diversifying the resources used to meet the state's energy needs, and generating family-supporting jobs." Please submit comments to push for real and meaningful change as quickly as possible. One item you might consider mentioning: If Governor Evers is serious about reducing carbon emissions and addressing equity and environmental racism, he should not restart the "zombie" highway, a bllion + dollar extension of I-94 in Milwaukee that even Scott Walker rejected. Read more about the task force and how to comment at their website. 

On Sunday, August 2, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and SEIU Healthcare are hosting a social distant rally and protest in La Crosse taking a stand against medical debt.. Meet at 3 p.m. at Poage Park. PLEASE REGISTER AT THE LINK. Wear purple, bring your water bottle, and dress for the weather. Let Gundersen know that they need to stop suing their employees and the community over medical debt! The event will begin at CA says, "Gundersen Healthcare is somehow a nonprofit that brought in over $1.4B in profits last year. They are paying their CEO over $1.1M a year. At the same time they are ruining the financial future of their employees and community members by sending them to collections for debts as small as $300. Gundersen is even garnishing the wages of THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES. As one of the largest employers and health care providers in our community, Gundersen Health System has a responsibility to our most vulnerable citizens. In just the past few years, Gundersen has taken hundreds of our community members to court for unpaid medical debt – including its own employees who cannot afford the who cannot afford the steep cost of the Hospital's insurance plan."

At 5 p.m. on Monday, August 3, the La Crosse County Board's Planning, Resources, and Development Committee will discuss a Resolution Adopting Sustainability Goals Transitioning to Carbon Neutrality & 100% Renewable Energy by 2050. This is your chance to push for strong local action to address the climate crisis. If you are able to attend the meeting, please do. You may attend online but UPDATE: If you want to comment at the meeting, you will need to attend in person - Room 1700 County Administration Building, 7th & State Streets. Right now, though, you can SIGN THE PETITION urging prompt action and you may EMAIL THE COUNTY BOARD (countyboardsupervisors at lacrossecounty.org) with your comments in support of a strong resolution that will include the whole county, not just county operations. The window of opportunity to make sufficient changes to avoid an unsustainable global temperature rise is rapidly closing. We are already brushing up against the 1.5 degree ceiling. The Arctic is on fire. Read more about communities that are pledging to reduce their carbon emissions to fight the climate crisis.

At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, Building Unity Wisconsin is coming to La Crosse. The event will be held OUTDOORS in the parking lot at 401 West Avenue South. Social distancing and masks required. This will be part rally and part brainstorming session with some speakers. If you would like to speak on a particular issue, please email and we will put you in touch with organizers. It is also nonpartisan. Building Unity is based on four pillars: Peace, Justice, Sustainability, and Democracy. For more information about the event and the organizations, visit buildingunitywisconsin.org.

On August 8 and 9, the Democratic Party will call voters who have requested absentee ballots but not returned them yet. Beyond the importance of making every vote count, voters who have requested absentee ballots for the rest of the year but fail to return their August ballot will not be mailed a November ballot unless they complete a new absentee ballot request form. If you would like to sign up for this very important phone bank event, please email Pete (peterk at wisdems.org).

Stand Against Medical Debt!

from SEIU and Citizen Action

Citizen Action of Wisconsin and SEIU Healthcare are taking a stand against medical debt. Join us for a socially-distant rally and protest to let Gundersen Health System know that they need to stop suing their employees and the community over medical debt!

Saturday, August 2 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Meet at Poage Park, 1301 Fifth Avenue South

Please use this form to RSVP for this important event. 

As one of the largest employers and health care providers in our community, Gundersen Health System has a responsibility to our most vulnerable citizens. In just the past few years, Gundersen has taken hundreds of our community members to court for unpaid medical debt – including its own employees who cannot afford the who cannot afford the steep cost of the Hospital's insurance plan.

Gundersen has been named one of the most profitable hospitals in the country.  Community members and Gundersen employees should be able to receive affordable services at a nonprofit Hospital without being sued, taken to collections, or having their wages garnished.
We demand Gundersen:

1. Cease suing our community members and employees for medical debt
2. Forgive existing medical debt
3. Provide employees with affordable health insurance coverage

Remember to bring water and sunscreen.  Also please wear the color purple in solidarity. 

PLEASE USE THIS FORM TO RSVP

More Than A Word

From Media Education Foundation:

More Than a Word is Streaming Free Now! WATCH THE FILM After years of resisting and mocking pleas to change the racist name of the Washington football team, franchise owner Dan Snyder has finally caved to pressure and relented — not because it was the right thing to do but because corporate sponsors like FedEx and Nike were threatening to walk and damage his bottom line. Regardless, it’s a moment of triumph for Native American groups and others who have been fighting against all odds to get the team to change its name for years. If you’re looking for some background on the fight to change the Washington team name, and the larger ongoing movement against racist indigenous team mascots in football and other sports, we want to remind you that our acclaimed film More Than a Word is streaming free through the end of July! Directed by Native American filmmakers John and Kenn Little of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, More Than a Word offers a deeply personal account of the injustices done to indigenous peoples, the inequalities that still plague indigenous communities, and the cultural stereotypes that have helped normalize both. "Native people have been fighting the battle against Native American-themed mascots for more than 50 years," the filmmakers said in a recent statement. "It has been a slow but steady battle. We're proud to have been part of that movement, and thankful to people like Suzan Harjo, Amanda Blackhorse, and others who have been instrumental in creating change for Indian Country. This is the beginning of the end for Native mascots." More Than a Word is just one of many anti-racist titles we're making available to stream for free from now until the end of July. See the full list here.  Stream it for free Buy the DVD or streaming rights Set up a screening Copyright © 2020 Media Education Foundation, All rights reserved.

Criminal Justice Commission positions

This is from Mary at La Crosse Waking Up White:

As people learn about systemic racism they ask, "What can I do".  Here is a concrete way to make a difference.  Consider being a "citizen member" of the La Crosse County Criminal Justice Management Council. This committee has made some substantial changes in our community's criminal justice system. They initiated the "System of Care" which has made progress on the disproportionate contact of black youth with the criminal justice system.

Here is the information about applying to become a citizen member of County Criminal Justice Management Council. NOTE the DEADLINE is July 29th.

"The Criminal Justice Management Council (CJMC) is currently recruiting citizen members to fill 3 open seats on the council. Candidates selected will participate in an active and engaged committee that applies a forward thinking philosophy to create and support enhancements to the criminal justice system. These include reducing disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system, treatment courts and other alternatives to incarceration, evidence based decision making in arrest and detention decisions, and gender-specific programming in jail and the community. Our current focus is on developing a plan to make our system more responsive to racial injustice, people experiencing trauma, and implementing strategies that are based on research and best practices. Since its creation in 2000, the CJMC has advised the County Board on establishing and fostering innovative correctional policies for juvenile and adult offenders.

In selecting new members, preference will be given to citizens who have felt the effects of the criminal justice system, have been involved in promoting racial justice in the community, have a strong interest in equity issues, or bring a diverse perspective to the table. In order to bring a greater balance to the council, BIPOC, LGBTQ and other marginalized community members are encouraged to apply.

The CJMC is composed of 21 members – the county board chair, three county board supervisors, a judge, sheriff, district attorney, one representative each of the WI Department of Corrections, the WI Public Defender’s Office, and the La Crosse School District, the Director of Human Services, the police chief of the City of La Crosse and a police chief from another municipality in La Crosse County, along with eight citizen members. Citizen members are crucial to the CJMC, since they bring diversity and insight into community concerns to the Council.

The Council meets monthly in the County Courthouse, and members are strongly encouraged to attend regularly. Citizen member terms are for three years. Interested citizens are encouraged to submit a letter of application, including their name, address, phone number and email address. Please include a brief statement describing how your background qualifies you for serving on the CJMC, and reflect on how you will contribute to the bettering of our community.

Please submit your application to: Monica Kruse, County Board Chair, 212 6^th Street North, Room 2400, La Crosse, WI 54601 or email to: mkruse@lacrossecounty.org by July 29, 2020.

Thank you,

Monica Kruse