Walker Started Something

The struggle continues in Wisconsin. This morning these items appeared in my inbox.

1. Walker emails show that even more severe steps were being considered to force the fourteen Democratic senators to return, i.e. taking away their office computers, denying one year of retirement benefits,etc.

2. Dane Co. reports that it would collect less child support under Walker's budget.

3. The State DNR is requesting Walker roll back the weakening of rules managing the release of phosphorus into lakes that is in his draconian budget.

However the following also appeared the other day. Anyone in Wisconsin might consider this a must attend event. Gather a group and go! It is sponsored by Wisconsin Wave of Liberty Tree. Sign up for their updates. After reading a brief copy of their effort, you may sign up at www.WisconsinPeoplesAssembly.org. So here's the details:

They have their house. It's time we built our own house. It's time for the . . .
WISCONSIN PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
Downtown Campus of Madison Area Technical College
The evening of Saturday, April 9th . . .
. . . through the evening of Sunday, April 10th . . .

Spend Sunday, April 10th, and the previous Saturday evening, in Madison with hundreds if not thousands of other Wisconsinites as we convene the first in a series of meetings of the Wisconsin People’s Assembly. By participating in the Assembly, you will have the opportunity to meet, learn from, and build lasting personal connections with Wisconsinites coming from all trades, communities, and backgrounds. Together, we will create the kind of solidarity and strategies required to overcome the corporate takeover of our state, reverse the damage that has already been done, and win reforms that strengthen Wisconsin's democracy for future generations to come.

This first Wisconsin People's Assembly will focus on three common themes:

* Building a Popular Movement -- that overcomes segregation and discrimination and unites all of us in common cause.
* Direct Action Campaigning -- in order to achieve the will of the people when the official government closes its doors to us.
* Winning Democracy -- by strengthening local democracy, expanding participation, democratizing elections, and amending our constitution.

The Wisconsin People’s Assembly is convened by the Wisconsin Wave, a popular mobilization of workers, students, farmers, small business owners, the unemployed, retirees and others against corporatization and austerity, and for democracy and shared prosperity.

Sounds exciting doesn't it? As a friend of mine said, "Walker doesn't know what he started!" So true but it's unfortunate that we didn't believe this was coming before Walker was elected. I guess the common feeling now that we, as a whole, were asleep is most likely accurate else why would we have stayed home and watched this happen? Walker did not sweep in to Wisconsin's Capitol with a mandate. Far from it. He received little over half of the votes cast by considerably less than half of the voters in Wisconsin. One of the truisms Andy reminds me of is so basic it should serve as politics 101 in America. Democrats represent the vast majority of the voting public - we could call those the common people. Republicans, generally speaking, represent the business side of the population and fewer voters. So, in a tight election, if the Dems stay home, who wins? Yup, the Repubs. When the voters turn out, as we did in the last national election, we end up with a Democratic president. It's fairly simple considering polls and whether or not you actually believe there's any difference between the two parties. But, just for the sake of simple, it works to see it that way. Working people, common people, vote Democratic.

Walker is certainly providing a lightening rod around which people and events are gathering. And perhaps the loss of Russ Feingold as senator will allow him to be even more effective now as a progressive leader from the grassroots. The tea party agenda is becoming more and more clear to more and more people as it moves through state after state. We'll need people like Russ but we will need all of us as well! The news from Michigan is startling. http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/hostile-takeover-threat-spurs-concessions-from-michigan-unions/

As Walker's hostile government, which is now being referred to as - Fitzwalkerstan - seeks to cut funds for recycling, roll back protections for the lakes and rivers of Wisconsin, this is also happening: http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/water-is-our-life-source-opposing-the-transport-of-nuclear-waste/

Last, this morning, from an online article - "Judge Sumi is right; it's not a minor detail." (reference the decision she made last week regarding Wisconsin's open meeting law and the ensuing right wing hoopla.) I hope for more challenges to Walker's power grab.

"Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies, everyone goes...." See you in Madison on April 9-10!
Power To All The People!