More on citizen action

On Tuesday, Our Wisconsin Revolution - La Crosse chapter hosted a Meet your City Government event at the Myrick Park Center. Moderated by Prof. Richard Kyte of Viterbo University's Ethics in Leadership program, the panel included Mayor Tim Kabat and members of the La Crosse City Council, School Board, and City Committees.

According to one attendee, "Mayor Kabat encouraged people to CALL their elected reps - not email, as it’s more direct- regarding matters of concern. He encouraged people to CALL him (608 789-7500) when they had issues of vital importance and didn’t know where to go. Maybe it's time for people to call their council members, committee members, and the mayor, and call again and again…respectfully of course. AND give kudos to the Planning Committee, direct positive feedback to those members, saying their approach is helpful to civic engagement."

Calling or speaking with an elected in person is a most effective way to communicate. But, especially if you are lobbying for a specific program change or innovation, emailing can also be useful because you can include graphics, charts, and links to background information. Or if you are contacting the entire city council (since public hearings before all the council members are now much more difficult), emailing may be the most effective and efficient way.

Another way to get involved: you can nominate yourself to serve on a City Board or Committee. 

We also need to make sure that those we call actually count and respond to our calls (or emails or letters). How many times have you been asked for your name, address, and phone number when called Sen. Ron Johnson's office? (Maybe that's a bad example since 90% of the time you will either get the chance to leave a voice mail, or, more often than not, get a message that the voice mailbox is full). [Ron Johnson's contact info is here.]

Speaking of effective citizen action, this email came today:

#AllOfUs, Democracy Spring, Democratic Socialists of America, Our Revolution, The People's Consortium, and Progressive Democrats of America are working together to organize, coordinate, and support sit-ins at Senate offices across the country on Thursday, July 6th inspired by ADAPT’s courageous nonviolent sit-ins last week targeting Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell . We will target as many Republican Senators as possible with a common demand that they vote NO on the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Our country needs single-payer, Medicare for All that leaves no one out. But right now we must do everything we can to defend the tens of millions who will suffer if Trumpcare passes. If ordinary people rise up and demonstrate that this bill is morally unacceptable, if we put our own bodies and liberties on the line to show our neighbors that human lives are stake, we have a real shot at stopping this bill from becoming law.

Sign up now.

Public involvemet in government

Long ago, anyone in the city of La Crosse could "attend" Common Council meetings by tuning them in on a radio. You could hear what new proposals were coming up, who was in favor and opposed, who had prepared for the meeting and who had not, and who understood Robert's Rules of Order and who did not. The broadcasts were provided by a local commercial radio station.

In the 70s (I think), that service was taken over by UWL's campus station and then it was available on cable (not everyone had or has cable) and now it's less accessible than it was 50 years ago. I guess if you have cable/satellite and/or high speed internet you can hear the meetings, but if you don't you will have to attend or rely on La Crosse Tribune (sometimes restricted access) articles to know what's going on.

Not all that long ago, when a big issue came before the city council, citizens were able to attend a committee of the whole meeting and give public input before the entire council. We did that when getting an anti-war resolution passed and when passing a minimum wage increase in the city.

A few years back, those rights were severely restricted when the council decided to only allow public input at committee meetings. They kept the door to some public hearings at full council meetings partly open (ok if approved by vote of two-thirds of the council but not as a routine right.) And, while committee meetings are required to be posted online, often they are not posted until the very last minute with vague agenda items that makes it difficult to know what is being discussed when. In addition, while city council meetings are held in the evening, when more people are available to attend, some committee meetings are held in the afternoons or at other times when working people may find it hard to get to a meeting.

Now, the city council is changing even those input rights. Under the heading "New Start Times for Meetings of the La Crosse Common Council," comes this little tidbit: "Starting with the July 2017 Judiciary & Administration Committee and Finance & Personnel Committee meetings, anyone wishing to register to speak on an agenda item, or register in favor of or opposition to said agenda item, must complete a committee registration form prior to the start of the meeting.  No forms will be considered after the meeting has started, except in the case of public hearings that are required by law."  I guess the good news is that those committees will now begin at 6 p.m. But if you are rushing to a meeting after work or picking your kids up from soccer or swimming or otherwise unable to be there before the meeting begins, your opinion, at least in the form of public input at the committee meeting, is out.

Consider, for example, a La Crosse Tribune article on Wednesday noting that planning is underway on La Crosse's 2018  budget. The Mayor may submit more than one budget, but one must be a "no tax rate increase" budget, according to the article. The article also mentions that, "The Board of Estimates will host public hearings on the budget no later than Sept. 10, according to the city website. The Common Council will take citizen input, and before the third Tuesday in November, approve the operating budget."

Here's an opening for citizen input, but, I have been unable to find any details about the, "Board of Estimates will host public hearings," part of the article. In fact, the Board of Estimates' page is totally empty.

So, it's nice to have people in city government telling us how open they are to more citizen input, but it would be nice to have that talk backed up by more not more restricted opportunities for public input and more opportunities for people to find out what's happening in city council and committee meetings.

Budgets are important and citizen input in the budgeting process is vital. Apparently, this is coming. When we find out how input is possible, that info will be noted here.

Now, for a GOOD example of inviting public input into an important issue, check this out from the La Crosse Area Planning Committee:

Our Wisconsin Revolution Steps Forward

[from Mark N.]

Photo by Allison Vandenberg-Daves

On June 24 and 25 about 200 people from all corners of Wisconsin met in Stevens Point for the first convening of Our Wisconsin Revolution (OWR). By-laws were voted upon and ratified. Seven at large board of directors were elected to office (see below.)
An OWR (short) platform for political engagement was accepted:
+ Real Democracy
+ Economy that Works for All
+ Quality Public Goods and Services for All
+ Fair Taxes

Delegates discussed strategy and enlarged upon plans for growth in the eight Wisconsin congressional districts. If you were to ask us for an elevator speech for what I learned about what OWR represents for the future of Wisconsin political life it is this:
We Believe in the Goodness of Governance
Of the People, By the People and For the People

Part of La Crosse delegation (by Allison Vandenberg-Daves)

For too long a campaign has been waged to undermine confidence in the service of our government. Remember the 1981 catch phrase announced by President Reagan, "Government is not the solution, government is the problem." That was the shot that echoed across our land of a battle, now sustained for 35 years, to vilify the idea of governmental service for the benefit of all.
OWR believes that our elected and appointed public servants are benefactors to our community. OWR believes that government is a common good that we all share. OWR works to develop governance of the people, by the people and for the people.
Come join us.Together we will sustain confidence in our community's ability to govern ourselves for the good of us all. Start by attending Tuesday's Meet Your City Government event, a conversation between public servants and that public they serve (free and open to all) at 7:30 p.m. at the Myrick Park Center.
>===========
from OWR]
Congratulations to our newly elected At-Large Board members: Terrance Warthen (Interim Co-Chair), Sarah Lloyd (Interim Co-Chair), Rahul Mahajan, Joel Rogers, Alicia Leinberger, Jaime Alvarado, and Marina Dimitrijevic. We look forward to working with you and adding CD Reps from each Congressional District across the state.

Coming up this week (6/26 - 7/1)

[Report on this weekend's Our Wisconsin Revolution organizing convention coming up tomorrow.] 

This week:

Monday, June 26: Pre-register now for a telephone town hall on healthcare at 5:30 p.m. with Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. If you register, they will call you precisely at 5:30. If you miss the call, you will not be able to participate. Currently, Sen. Johnson is opposed to the Senate's version of a health care bill (which, as noted by a great letter in Sunday's La Crosse Tribune, saves the government money by killing people off). Johnson, in an interview on CNN equated people who have preexisting conditions (like children born with disabilities, cancer survivors, and maybe even mothers (depending upon how you define "preexisting condition,")) with those who wreck their cars and then want affordable car insurance. This is the mindset.  AND  The Bluffside Neighborhood Association meets at 6 pm. at the First Congregational Church.

Tuesday, June 27: The Coulee Region Sierra Club holds its annual summer potluck at 6 p.m. in Onalaska (see link for details). You meed not be a member of the Sierra Club to attend. Discussion is informal but often includes sharing ideas and plans about environmental issues and programs. AND The Upper Northside Logan Neighborhood Association meets at 6 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sill Street.  AND Our Wisconsin Revolution - La Crosse chapter is hosting Meet Your City Government beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Myrick Park Center.

On Thursday, June 29 from 5:30 to 9 or so, join fellow bicyclists and pedestrians in an OpenStreets Mapathon. MUST RSVP (see link). Bring a laptop if you can.

If your event is missing PLEASE submit it to this calendar!

Ongoing - Citizen Action of Wisconsin is looking for new co-op members to chip in montly in order to hire a full time HEALTHCARE FOR ALL organizer. This is a statewide project.

Citizen Action is also seeking FAIR MAPS ACTIVISTS to leaflet and march for and end to partisan gerrymandering. Citizen Action Organizing Co-op members want YOU to join us in your local 4th of July Parade and celebrations to raise awareness about gerrymandering and drawing fair election maps. We call it the "Independent Maps for Independence Day!" action. Having fair elections is ground zero for our democracy. Wisconsin's election maps are rigged so that politicians are choosing their voters, not the other way around. When maps are skewed to benefit one party, they undermine our American democracy and our belief in "one person, one vote." Show your patriotism this 4th of July by participating in Independent Maps for Independence Day! events. Read a good article about the harmful effects of Republicans' political gerrymandering in Sunday's La Crosse Tribune.

Riverfest is coming and lots of people will be in and around Riverside Park and downtown La Crosse. If you have a candidate, event, or cause, get your flyers ready. Thanks to a lawsuit a few years ago, we are free to leaflet in the park before, during and after Riverfest, and on city sidewalks and other public property. (See this ACLU page of brochures about our rights.) Let's take advantage of this opportunity. (You will need a button north of the eagle statue because of course we have to pay again to enter a publicly owned and paid for city park. Or something.)

Indivisible notes that "One of the final stages of the TrumpCare bill is a little-known process known as “vote-a-rama” where ANY Senator can submit as many amendments as he or she wants. And here’s the thing: EVERY amendment takes time to be introduced and voted on. We’re collecting THOUSANDS of amendments and submitting them directly to Senate staff.

Please please please: submit your amendments here, and get your friends and family members to submit amendments. https://www.ouramendments.org/ We know this is working already. Senators are reading these amendments on the Senate floor. But we need thousands more.

Ron Johnson tele town hall/Healthcare

Sen. Ron Johnson says he does not support the current Senate Republicans' "American Health Care Act (AHCA)" bill. His aide said (I actually got to talk to a human one day last week when I called) he prefers that the Congress work on two bills - one that would fix problems with the current Affordable Care Act (ACA aka Obamacare) and one that would take longer to produce and be a comprehensive long term bill. You have to wonder what's going on since Johnson has been one of the most vocal and inaccurate (to be kind) critics of the ACA since it was signed into law. And he says he doesn't like this bill because it doesn't do enough to cut subsidies so people can afford health insurance! (His take is that "Obamacare" artificially hiked premiums and priced the wealthy (not eligible for subsidies) out of healthcare. Never mind that premiums were increasing exponentially before the ACA took effect.) But at this point we take what we can get.

Johnson is hosting a telephone town hall on health care on Monday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m. Central time. You must sign up at the link and then precisely at 5:30 p.m. you MUST be able to immediately answer your phone when they call you (not in the bathroom, hanging up clothes, freezing asparagus, or anything that doesn't allow you to immediately answer your phone when THEY CALL YOU.) Then you may or may not (probably the latter) get to ask a question. But the more concerned citizens on the call, the more chance that the overall tone will be "DON'T DO IT!!!"

While you're at it, use the Indivisible Guide to Stop TrumpCare in the Senate to make some more calls every day. Scripts and phone numbers are in the guide. There is also good information about the impact of this regressive gift to the wealthy on each state. We also want to be sure to contact Dem Senators and urge them to withhold consent on all normal Senate business and filibuster by amendment on the repeal bill itself. Even after all the terrible awful rule-breaking things their Republican colleagues have done, some Dems are still unwilling to go the limit opposing this bill.

Currently, there are as may as eight Republican Senators who have said they oppose the bill - most because it's not mean enough and at least one, Maine's Sen. Susan Collins, who didn't get the memo that her party has been taken over by killer zombies and still thinks they actually want to provide health care with this bill. Haha.

This Independent article has rundown of the low points of the Senate's bill with respect to women. (Hey, at least they haven't yet given employers the legal right to fire women who use contraception. At least not in this bill.)

So, every call, letter, and personal exhortation helps no matter where you live.

Oh, yes, this should help the Democrats win over the majority of voters who favor single payer healthcare.