Republicons Hungry to Further their Attack on Food for the Poor

In their latest attempt to punish poor people for being poor people, last week Republicons on Wiscossippi's Joint Finance Committee approved a measure in Gubnah Scooter's budget that would require childless able-bodied adults to work at least 20 hours per week or attend 20 hours of job training per week to continue receiving federal food assistance.

On it's face that's sounds reasonable. We all believe in the dignity of work and that able bodied people should work to support themselves. And job training, well that's a good thing, right? Well of course the devil is in the details and a little critical thinking can expose some of those devils and their devilish intent.

For example, since the FoodShare program is available to individuals under 200% of the federal poverty level ($39,000 for a family of 3), we all know that lots of people receiving food assistance are already working. But suppose your job doesn't offer you 20 hours per week on a consistent basis. Will these people be able to find another job to make up the additional hours needed? That's very unlikely in Wiscossippi where Walker's jobs agenda has failed miserably due to his ill-willed and politically motivated austerity and anti-worker policies. Walker's Wiscossippi Sucks at Job Creation!

Now suppose you're among the estimated 63,000 unemployed or under-employed Wiscossippians receiving federal food assistance who will be required to get the training to continue receiving food. Twenty hours per week, that's two full eight hours days per week plus an additional 4 hours. So the question is WHERE will the training be offered and HOW will people get there and back Three Times Per Week?

Wisconsin Food Deserts & A Place at the Table

Documentary - A Place at the Table

Sometimes things just seem to converge for a reason. Recenlty BAP Steering decided to work on presenting a new documentary film about the hunger crisis in Merica, entitled - A Place At The Table. It's not that we don't have enough food in America, it's that we have too much poverty. The showing is set for 7:00 June 4th at the Plaza Theater in Burlington. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to cover costs. Our costs are also defrayed by by concession sales, so have a beer/wine and some popcorn. Students are encouraged to attend without donation. Please also bring non-perishable food items for donation to Love, Inc. Check out the the trailer starring The Dude! AND see the two women behind this effort on the Daily Show!

At the same time Build a Better Burlington member Karen Tolle is working with student volunteers to grow vegetables for Love, Inc. on the grounds of the 1st Methodist Church here in Burlington. We hear the Karen has absolutely beautiful plot plans and that she is going well beyond tossing a few seeds into the earth. She has found out what veggies are needed and has a trellis planned. Contact her at kltolle@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer.

Also the Michael Fields Institute in East Troy will be hosting a Summer Film Series that focuses mostly on food safety and availability issues and kicks off Friday June 21st, 7:00 pm with Genetic Roullette: The gamble of our lives, about the dangers of GMO foods.

Meanwhile, out of touch congressional Republicons say let them eat cake as they push for even deeper cuts to the food stamp program than in last year's farm bill. They don't care that 1 of 2 American children will have to rely on food assistance at some point, that 50 million Americans need charity for their food or that food insecurity exists in every county in the U.S. They're too fetus focused to care about actual thinking, feeling Humans Being!

And THEN! Last week, Wisco Republican Representative Dean Kaufert of Neenah got a bill passed through the Wiscossippi Assembly that would require food stamp recipients to spend at least two-thirds of their food budget on "healthy" food. The bill would even treat organic milk and sharp cheddar cheese as junk food - In Wisconsin! Wait, I thought Republicons hated the "Nanny State"? Oh but of course, they Love the "Abusive Father State". You'll do what I say is good for you and you'll like it, or else! . . .

We all wish everyone would eat more healthily, right? But there are Food Deserts present in both urban and rural portions of Wisconsin. You can investigate where these deserts are on the USDA's interactive Food Access Research Atlas.

IF the Republican legislator wrote this bill with a sense of goodwill and is not (in typical GOPster fashion) trying to punish poor people for being poor people,

Betrayal of the Public Trust by Tyler August & fALEC

If you live in eastern Walworth County (as I do) or Wheatland in Kenosha Co. or the Bohners Lake area in Racine Co., you are misrepresented in the State Assembly by the porcine likes of Tyler August.

Tyler doesn't want his constituents to know the intentions of the corporations he REALLY represents, so he has directed that all communication from the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) go only to his personal email and he has defied Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for these messages. As a consequence he is rightfully being sued by Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy for this information that legitimately belongs to the PUBLIC! Unfortunately, us constituents will foot the legal bills, instead of the fALEC Corporate interests who he serves, for his trying to keep us in the dark. That's a lose - lose situation for us "citizens". Thanks for nothing Tyler, you are a disgrace!

Yours Truly,
CorpSerf ID: IMFD-OURFD-2

June Clever, we have a job opening for you.

Some thoughts about education, my chosen profession.  Many conservatives have hopped on board the voucher train.  Vouchers are, according to their "experts", best for providing a quality education at a lower price that the public schools.

Much of the planned savings come from paying teachers much less than those in the public schools.  The theory is that good teachers will flock to these schools where there will be fewer discipline problems and the student body will be more engaged and--well, simply more likable.  "I will have a classroom of little Beaver Cleavers, and when the day is done, I will go home and eagerly wait for the next day."  Great plan.

But here's where it gets interesting.  New, young excited teachers can no longer work for much less than the public schools are paying, much less the crumbs that the new, privately run schools will.  Due to cuts in state funding done by the politicians that these people supported, these young people are saddled with huge student loans that have to be paid.  They don't have the option of working for less than the big, evil, union schools pay (unless they also want to give up the option of not living in a van down by the river). It's like owning an Italian sports car;  it may be appealing, but it's not anything that will realistically fit in the budget, so there's no point in spending a lot of time pondering it.

And hiring older, experienced teachers?  Those ladies who are married and are looking for a lower stress job than the public school experience?  That, like the world of the Cleavers, no longer exists.  My mom was a school nurse.  Money wasn't something that was talked about much in my home growing up, so I don't know what percentage of the family income her salary covered. But if I was just guessing I'd say Mom's salary was what paid for vacations and better cars in the driveway. But I know about my family (my wife also teaches), and I know that unless we wanted to radically change our lifestyle neither of us could take much of a pay cut.  We both love teaching, but we also love a nice summer vacation, eating out on occasion and dinner that doesn't include spam or canned spagetti.

So who will be teaching the kids?  People that can't find any other work.  Or the other option?  The teacher that are putting in 20-30 hours per week in a second job.  Why does this matter?  Because teachers that work long hours at other jobs don't give essay exams or writing assignments.  They do true/false and multiple choice tests because they can be graded quickly.  Also, you will be dealing with high turnover. If that teacher gets a shot at a job that actually pays them a decent wage, there will be no reluctance to bail out in early March if the chance comes.

I have plenty of other questions asking where corners can be cut to make these schools "efficient" enough to not only pay for themselves, but generate a profit.  Do you save on the building?  Technology?  Textbooks?  Security?  And how much can you cut without the quality of education paying the price?  Are 15 year old used books still good enough?  If a teacher wants to show kids a live  feed of an erupting volcano--is there a way to do that?  When a teacher bails, are there substitutes available?  But for now, I'll be happy to have just the first one answered.  And yes, I know that I won't ever get an answer, because there isn't one.

Teabaggers Endorse Social Welfare!

IN HAWAII !

I concur with President Obama. The IRS should definitely NOT be political. I mean why would they question Tea Party creds as tax exempt social welfare groups? Everyone knows the TPs are socialistic and all about promoting the general welfare, right? Hell, welfare is practically their middle name! And they loves them some socialists, ya'll! Kenyan, Kansasan, Muslim, Hawaiian, Gnomish, Yeti, any kind.

I mean it's not as if the white, the old and the red of neck sprang up like locusts out of nowhere in 2009 over any particularly dark political event, campaign or election that preceded their emergence! Clearly the sincerity of the teatotaler's social conscience is beyond question. And I'm sure they're hurt and deeply regretful over the current discourteous misunderstanding with their dear friends at the IRS and that they bear no ill will. So don't be TEA'd. Simply smile, sip and point your pinky!

Swillingly Yours,

Seanyanna

GOPster Austerity Failing Utterly!



Very Revealing Graph Kindly Forwarded by Josh Dow

The letter to the editor posted below from the May 5, 2013 Walworth County Sunday, written by Ron Shrader was submitted by Mary Gilding for inclusion in the BAP Blog. Combined with the above chart and the sudden and utter rejection of the failed austerity policies across Europe it is enough to strip the scales from the eyes of anyone. Well, not faithful Cult of Con indoctrinants like Scooter Walker and Pall Ryan. Ideologues like them are too deeply invested to let a little thing like reality change their "minds". They're engaged in a war on the middle class and scapegoating, the politics of envy and a fanatical devotion to the GOP are among of their chief weapons.

They incessantly pound it into the heads of their followers that public workers are on some sort of gravy train. Imagine, being able to retire, why the nerve of it! It's part of their divide and conquer strategy. Meanwhile these same followers have been sold a bill of goods called the 401k with the false comfort and ego stroke that it is "your own money". That is until those that control the "free" market come looking for more of what they consider to be theirs. Fairies, Frog Princes and Free Markets! And so rather than coming up with good solutions to ensure the secure retirement of all Americans and the stable economy that will promote, the cynical politics of division are invoked. Cuz the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence right? Please read on!

Thanks,
Sean

A reprint from Your Views in the Walworth County Sunday on May 5, 2013 Submitted by Ron Shrader of Beloit

Another View of Teacher Pensions

Social Security IS an ENTITLEMENT!

Social Security IS an "Entitlement" and rightly so! So stop letting the right corrupt the language we're entitled to!

Americans, have been intentionally mislead about the definition of "entitlement".

en·ti·tle·ment 
/enˈtītlmənt/
Noun
The fact of having a right to something.
The amount to which a person has a right.
Synonyms
right - title - warrant

You paid the money in, YOU are Entitled (have a right) to get your benefits (money) out! The amount to which you have a right.

I created the meme (box) above to point that out that we have to stop letting the likes of Pall Ryand and his Republicon brethren twist the word into something it's not, something negative, something people are supposedly getting for nothing from the government, which is a LIE!

We cannot not literally let the Republicons define the TERMS of debate and still win the debate. Every time you passively accept the misleading Republicon jargon on a subject (Failing Public Schools, Tort Reform, Deregulation, etc.) you've already succumbed to the lie.

The Goods on WeVote Part II - Merican Majority & WeVoBee Lies

As reported here recently, there are well funded national Plutocratic People with national plutocratic goals behind the local Tea Party people who after your schools, your money and your children: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-goods-on-wevote-burlington.html#more And surprise surprise they're willing to lie to advance their hidden agenda and achieve their goal$.

The National Agenda and the Generalized Lies: 

Let's start with the lies crafted by America Majority, who trained the local Tea Party / WeVote candidates for the BASD School board both this year and last year before proceeding to the lies promoted by both about events in Burlington. The following paragraph (emphasis added) is from the American Majority (AM) website: http://americanmajority.org/majority-2/its-time-for-new-leaders-in-our-education-system/  

AM: "According to the National Center for Education Statistics, total per student spending reaches $12,643, or over $600 billion annually. That is a 46 percent increase from 1988–89 through 2008–09, “with interest on school debt increasing faster than current expenditures or capital outlay”. They also report that 81% of that goes to staff salaries and benefits- a 75% increase over 10 years. Clearly, the public education system has financial problems that need solutions."

It should be noted that the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) is part of the Federal Department of Education and therefore a non-partisan source of information. Now let's see what the NCES Actually Says: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_tot.asp

100% of America’s Problem is Corruption at the Top

100% of America’s problem is corruption at the top

AND a population of voters that just doesn’t understand the connection between corporate profits and political bribes. And that they (the voters) pay them BOTH!

By Jack E. Lohman

Politicians have allowed our system to move from Left-Right to Up and Down… class warfare rather than Democrat v. Republican … because they get a piece of the action. From those at the top, not at the bottom. Cash works, but only for those who have it. We have a corrupt government and until the people get their eyes off the “little fires” and battle the leaches at the top, the corruption will continue. That Transparency International has us listed as 24th in political honesty in the world, rather than 1st, is telling.

And One Amendment to Rule Them All

The founding fathers were very bright people.  They also knew what they didn't know and couldn't forecast.  Thus, when they wrote the Constitution, they stayed with broad, general guidelines, not specifics. And it's worked.  People that have loved and hated the document can't seem to come up with arguments against it.

So, the Dads realized that the instrument they were building would on occasion get out of tune, and they put in a process to fine tune it using the court system.  On a few occasions, it's been given a heavier overhaul with additional constitutional amendments.

And it works. Whenever law enforcement comes up with a new tool to look into our privacy, it ends up in court and rules are made.  When new forms of media arrive, policies are adjusted to fit speech and press freedoms (the Wisconsin state Capitol is the exception--the Constitution of North Korea applies there).  I can believe in any religion I want, but I can't sacrifice a human in the process.  Don Imus can make his "Nappy Headed Hos" remark and, while it cost him his job, it did not cost him his freedom.  Remind me sometime to tell the story of the time I shouted "theatre" in a crowded fire.  Great story.

Paul Ryan is a FRAUDSTER!

The following article was composed and contributed to the BAP Bog by a local citizen, Tom Dona Rosa who has done his homework. Thank you Tom!

Each year for a number of years citizens living in the First Congressional District have received from Congressman Paul Ryan an Annual Report on the Unites States Government with the Great Seal of the Congress of the United States on it. The Report represents itself to be a an Annual Report similar to a Corporate Annual Report. We all know that Corporate Annual Reports must be a truthful and an accurate representation of the Corporation at the time that it was issued. So why would this Annual Report be any different? WOW is all I can say!! I had glanced at the others and filed them, but this one I looked at more closely and to my utter shock found out that it is a TOTAL misrepresentation of our Government’s finances!! It is in essence a FRAUD upon us because it intentionally misrepresents the income and expenses of our government!!!

For starters Paul Ryan claims that the payments to the Social Security Trust Fund and other similar programs, Medicare, Federal Unemployment, and of all things the Railroad Retirement Fund are part of the Government’s Revenue!! He calls them “Social Insurance Taxes” as if there is such a thing. It would be like Governor Walker claiming that the payments to and income earned by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) is part of the income to the State of Wisconsin!! Now people know that the money that goes to the WRS for public employees pensions is NOT income to the State of Wisconsin but money being set aside and invested to pay the pensions when those public employees retire.

Vulture Vos & the Educational Profiteers

Photo Obtained from Root River Siren Blog

This following piece was contributed by Susan Hickman.

Yes, Robin Vos wants to promote vouchers so that “for profit” and private schools can use our tax dollars and this video was his set up. 90% pure lies. http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2013/apr/14/robin-vos/wisconsin-assembly-speaker-robin-vos-says-1-4-scho/   Yes, this is alarming but there is more.

Welcome to the latest advancement to education, the Common Core Standards. There were two major new models for school improvement that could have been considered for nation-wide school improvement. To understand, please take a moment to look at the 21st Century Skills model http://www.p21.org and you will see a beautiful educational model. It includes innovation, technology, the arts, global understanding, team work, history, and more. 

Mark Belling, of far right radio fame, recently referred to a member of the Milwaukee governing body as a "bitch".  Not the first time he's shown that he is incapable of expressing his views without using bathroom stall language.  Here's my letter I just sent to his boss at Clear Channel. Had someone at MSNBC said it about one of their right wing favorites, the far right would be screaming for blood.

It is my understanding that Mr. Belling referred to a a member of the Milwaukee governing body as a "bitch".  He may have danced around the borders a bit, but the implication was clear.  This, of course, was not the first time that Mr. Belling has shown his lack of ability to express his views without the use of offensive street language.  

Let me remind you, sir, that Clear Channel does not own the airwaves.  They are owned by US, the American people.  Your company merely leases space. 

Bonnie's got BAP's Bunny Ears Burning!

 Bonnie's got BAP's Bunny Ears Burning! 

Local illiberal and WeVoter Poobah Bonnie Ketterhagen continues to supply loads of Tea Party entertainment value to the local scene! At last Saturday's Burlington Area School District open house and again at Monday's school board meeting she complained about the distribution of leaflets during the recent school board race, which her candidates lost handily. Please see page 4 of the April 11, 2013 edition of the Standard Press. For background on this issue, please refer to the following Standard Press article: WeVote Leader Takes Issue with Fliers

Without providing any reasoned argument as to why our rights should be infringed, other than she doesn't like it, Bonnie wants the board to adopt a policy banning the distribution of informational fliers on BASD property. "Please stop all postings," she said. "Just say no." "The board has opened a floodgate of possibilities," said Ketterhagen. "This is not a free speech issue. It is a property rights issue. It is not litter. It is a trespassing issue."

Not a free speech issue? Trespassing on public property? HELLO! Whose schools are they anyway? They're OUR schools, they belong to ALL of us! Which I suspect is the thing the Tea Partiers object to the most. How can you trespass on PUBLIC property? And this is an election we're talking about here, probably THE most sacred act of our Republic!

Senator Soundbyte Rides Again!

Senator Ron Johnson (R-Chamber of Commerce) is living proof that you can be dumb as a post and get elected if you have nice hair, a pretty, marry into money and stick to canned sentences no more than 10 words long. He's now among a dozen dip-schmidts in the Senate who threatened to filibuster ANY new arms control legislation including the expanded background checks favored by the vast majority of American citizens and which were at one time even acceptable to the Bloody NRA.

I hope he and his puppet-masters are ready to have their noses rubbed in blood like naughty dogs when the next Sandy Hook happens. Please read more at the Root River Siren blog: http://rootriversiren.blogspot.com/2013/04/mr-victims-of-government-wont-allow.html

Ya hey da Republicon "tought" fer da Day

And now your Republicon "thought" for the day
Courtesy of Senator Frank Lasee
A miles long sulfide trench is A-Okay
But them windmills is bad da envirnmunt der-hey!

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111011/GPG0101/110110429/Wisconsin-wind-turbine-moratorium-sought-by-Sen-Frank-Lasee-R-Ledgeview
  Hey http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120308/GPG0101/203080569/Wisconsin-Senate-kills-windmill-siting-legislation-Frank-Lasee-blames-Democrats-Dale-Schulz   HEY! https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/03/02/state-senator-frank-lasee-introduces-bill-to-protect-health-and-safety/   Whadda jerk der eh?

Hey Governor.  Want to make a quick boost to the economy?  Push to legalize same-sex marriage.  Washington state estimates that same sex marriage boosted spending in the state by 88 million dollars.  Iowa?  Somewhere between 12-13 million.  New York?  A whopping 259 million dollars. Not only would it generate a lot of revenue, but it would also give you credibility with the actual, real "not-just-in-name-only" libertarians out there and totally confuse your left wing opposition.  OK, I know that about 90% of those that call themselves "libertarians" really aren't, but it's a thought.  And think of how it will confuse us "liberals"  Call the Koch brothers and see what they think.  Since it won't affect their efforts to turn Wisconsin into a resource rich third-world nation, they probably won't care.

The Goods on the WeVote Burlington Part I

American Majority Rally - Madison 2011 with
Their Hero the Late GOPropagandist Andrew Breitbart

Perhaps you've heard me before say things like our communities, civility, rationalism, our educators and not only our public schools, but our public institutions generally, are under attack by the combined forces of greed, selfishness and short-sighted ignorance. While some of you are no doubt aware of what I’m referring to, others may have dismissed it as mere paranoia.

Well now I’ve got the goods on the WeVote Burlington Tea Party and the big money, American’s-for-Plutocracy national agenda behind them and their attempt to take over our local school district. http://americanmajority.org/majority-2/its-time-for-new-leaders-in-our-education-system/

EXCERPT: One of the groups that joined the New Leaders Project is We Vote Burlington. Activists in a local group led by Bonnie Ketterhagen attended an American Majority training and decided to bring some change to their own school board. They recruited two new candidates for the school board elections, trained them using American Majority’s campaign resources, and helped them to victory in the Spring of 2012.

Chicken products vs. byproducts.

Andy Mitchell

9:21 PM  -  Public

The Republican party--the party of small government, the party of the power of the individual to make their own decisions, the party of "keep government out of my medicare"--continues to serve people chicken crap and try to convince them it's chicken salad.  In Kansas, women that go to their doctor to discuss abortion will be read a script by their health care provider that is (1) mandated by the government and (2) false.  Here in Wisconsin, a doctor's written prescription that was discussed and agreed upon in the privacy of a closed exam room can be overruled at a crowded public counter if the pharmacist objects to distributing it.  That's right...if he objects to the medication and the use, he can legally refuse to give it to you.  And the list goes on.

The White Wash Won't Work Walker!

Empty GM Plant in Janesville Wisconsin

Even with the white wash, It's Not Working Walker!

Wiscosippi's Gubnah Walker would have you think that all is on the mend in the Badger State and we're on our way to sunshine, roses and his promised 250,000 jobs. In a state that has gone from 11th to 44th in job creation under little Scooter's rule, nothing could be further from the truth.

(Psssst, Scooter, dampening consumer demand in a 70% consumer demand driven economy in the middle of the Great Republicon Recession by attacking public worker job, benefits and retirement security was one major brain fart, even for you!)