Kenosha County Democratic Party

What scares me is listening to Gov. Walker on Mike Goucha’s show claiming schools throughout the state are better because he gave them tools to improve. We won’t know the results of his “tools” for another couple of years at least. Then we’ll see how the test scores plummet and drop-out rates skyrocket. His “tools” led to teacher protections disappearing and class sizes doubling. Already overworked teachers have had their salaries drastically cut and their pensions disappear. Scott Walker sounded convincing because there was no one to challenge him or his lies.

And now the legislature, at his bidding, want to use our GRF funds (General Revenue Funds, otherwise known as state income tax) to send rich kids to the private schools they are already attending. He SAYS poor kids, but his definition of poor is family income of $75,000 or less. After the voucher schools are chosen, the first kids considered for the vouchers are the kids already going there. If the details were known, no one would believe this will improve public education. Voucher schools don’t accept ESL or Special Ed kids. Of course everyone would love to send their kids to schools with no slow or disruptive students. But to get into those schools, you already have to be going there. If it’s private, the disruptive kids get kicked out. The slow kids never get in.  My question: is there one voucher school in Milw. or Racine that is not also a religious school?  They say the voucher schools will spread to all areas of the state…yeah large cities in the state. But our rural money will be paying for those city kids to go to schools that don’t make our schools better!  They’ll be going to schools with unlicensed teachers, to schools that do not have to follow the same rules as public schools.

John Nichols proposed this theory on The Ed Schultz Radio Show.  The Communists must have realized about 30 years ago that an out-and-out-weapons-based-war with America was too costly and wasteful to win.  I imagine that happened right around the end of the Vietnam War.  Over the years they have perfected the trade deals that let them now steal our country right out from under us.

First they implanted the idea that it was profitable to send our manufacturing to them.

Sensata in Freeport, Illinois is a perfect example of the model operating throughout this country.   First the Chinese Government builds the company a brand new factory in China and gives it to them for free.  Our government gives the company a total tax write-off for the expense of moving their manufacturing equipment to China.  In addition there are (American) tax incentives to move the company.  Why do we have these insane tax laws?  I image it is because campaign contributions have bought the lawmakers.  The greatest incentive for a company to actually move, of course, is the 99 cent-an-hour rate of pay in China.  John Nichols reports that any safety equipment on the machinery moved to China is dismantled before it is even shipped, and the manufacturers do not need to worry about employee safety.

Sensata is a small company…only employing 170 people.  If we extrapolate this Chinese model to large and small companies all over the US for the last 18 years (since all the hub-bub about “free trade deals”), you will understand why the unemployment in the US is so high.

You will also understand that with this model our unemployment will continue to spiral out of control.  And you will see how China has plotted to topple the United States.  Topple it will, unless we elect lawmakers who pledge to change the tax codes, impose tariffs on Chinese-made products, and give incentives to return manufacturing to the US.   Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, and Paul Ryan are the wrong choices for Wisconsin and the US!

You will also understand that we cannot compare the rate of economic recovery in Pres. Obama’s administration to the rate under any other administration.  The Republicans responsible for these irresponsible deals  have changed the playing field  America cannot win on this field.  The Obama administration has done an amazing job of helping to create jobs considering the war we are fighting and don’t even know.

by Norm Siler

Thank you, Kevin Mulvenna for another amazing contribution to our blog!

Walker Lies! Admits “Divide & Conquer!” from Kevin Mulvenna on Vimeo

And you can watch a longer version on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1iDctZ2hJg

When the Fab14 left Wisconsin last year, they went to the home of Kathleen Vinehout’s sister in Woodstock, Il.  They stayed there for the 1st week of their forced exile.  Kelly Vinehout and her husband wrote an open letter to the people of Wisconsin to tell us what really happened that week.  Here is that letter.

Kelly Vinehout and Douglas Smith: Open letter to the people of Wisconsin 3/14/2011

 To the People of Wisconsin:

 There are times when life happens so powerfully and unexpectedly that all you can do is embrace it fully and play the role you are given to the best of your ability. Sometimes that role is to lead, sometimes to support or protect, and sometimes that role is as a witness.

Way past bedtime on a Thursday night, February 17, 2011, we found ourselves unexpectedly sitting at a table in a fast-food restaurant with a group of people who had sacrificed their own comfort so that the people of Wisconsin would have a chance to learn the contents of the Governor’s “Budget Repair” bill. They had no extra clothes, no food, only the small amount of cash they typically carried with them, and no place to go. Some did not even have essential medication with them. Despite this, their conversation focused on remaining in contact with their constituents and being able to negotiate with their Republican colleagues.

The comment “Why don’t you come to my house?” was spontaneous, genuine, and one we would repeat. That night and the next day, we escorted Wisconsin Democratic Senators to our home where they slept, ate, and constantly worked for the next week, before moving on to another “undisclosed location.”

It was a pleasure to host this group of dedicated and loyal people. We were repeatedly amazed at how hard they worked. They were awake by 4:30 or 5:00 AM and kept working until well past midnight. Each of them made many personal sacrifices and agonized that they were missing events at home, such as birthdays of their children and spouses, children’s school events, funerals, family reunions planned long ago, wedding anniversaries, and many other days that we cherish as families. Their spouses scrambled to take out loans to pay bills at home when their paychecks were withheld. They risked debt and sacrificed time with their own families so that they could represent those they were elected to serve. They spent endless hours returning telephone calls to the people in their districts. Contrary to the contents of some of the newspaper articles we have since read, they attempted daily to negotiate with their Republican colleagues and their Governor, and spent endless hours attempting to contact these legislators. We watched them write these letters at our kitchen table. We watched their disappointment as their pleas for negotiation were steadfastly refused. We, common citizens who previously knew very little about politics, were then amazed to read news releases stating it was the Democratic Senators who were refusing to negotiate.

Although we are very private people, we decided to write this letter because, just as you had a right to learn the contents of your Governor’s proposed bill, you have a right to know the truth of what happened during the three weeks your Senators worked in Illinois. We witnessed first-hand how these Senators never stopped working from the moment they made the heart-breaking decision to leave the state they love. They made many personal sacrifices because every week they received tens of thousands of messages from their constituents pleading with them to not return.

We thank the great state of Wisconsin for the honor of participating in your effort to ensure a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” We are proud to be your neighbors as you move forward in the long days ahead, using the democratic process to ensure justice for all.

– Kelly Vinehout and Douglas Smith Woodstock, Illinois

When I was a sophomore in high school I lifted a 6-pack of beer from my father’s grocery store and went to a party. Yes, I stole from my own father, but having inherited a gene for guilt, I punished myself by choosing Old Style, which, in my circle of friends, was referred to as “dog pile.” In any case (no pun intended) the party was at a friend’s house and, of course, his parents were away. We’ll never know if it was the presence of too many cars in the driveway, or the volume of “Frampton Comes Alive” that prompted a neighbor to call the police. The knock on the front door sent most of us flying out the sliding glass doors before one of the responding officers made it around back. I ran a few houses down, stopped between a house and garage, and hid behind a propped-up wheelbarrow. It was warm and windows were open. Perhaps he heard my panting – the man who came to the side door, walked out and called, “Who’s there?” My fore mentioned Irish-Catholic, guilt-prone heritage, caused me to stand up and reveal myself in the semi-darkness. Very long seconds passed as we squinted at one another not saying a word. Then I turned and ran like hell. At fifteen I felt lucky to be alive – at fifty I am realizing that isn’t an exaggeration.

For part of my 30’s I rented an upper flat, across from a public school. It was a rainy evening and I was stepping out to let our terrier do his business when I was almost run over by an African-American man running down the sidewalk. It would have been somewhat unusual to see a black man in the neighborhood at any time, but running in the dark and rain? I admit I was afraid on several different levels as he quickly sidestepped me to avoid our colliding. In that split second I blurted out, “Are you O.K.?” Perhaps sensing he should explain, he slowed to a backwards jog and said he’d been cleaning at the school late and was afraid he’d miss the last bus at the stop three blocks away. I said, “Get in,” motioning to the baby blue Dodge Omni sitting in the driveway. My dog rode on his lap as we made small talk. He’d been working at the school for 6 months, had two little girls, and a wife in nursing school where I taught. He waited in the shelter only moments before I saw his bus arrive in my rear view mirror.

No one was hurt in either instance. Just people’s worlds crashing together in unexpected ways. No one meant to do harm, and no harm was done. But what if the older gentlemen had decided to bring a gun into his gangway and misread who I was, or what I was up to – at age 15 all red-faced from embarrassment, pimples and a can of bad beer in my belly? What if I carried a gun when walking my dog? Would I have chosen something other than “Are you OK,” to look tougher, to be tougher? Nobody knows. Sometimes there isn’t time to decide, and then again, maybe some people make up their minds long before about what they would do, or what they are going to do? Maybe they almost hope for, even pursue, the opportunity to inflict harm, and make themselves feel tougher, or more important while teaching others lessons?

Shouldn’t the law guard against our worst instincts, and not promote them, or plant ideas about vigilante bravado that might be tragically acted upon during flashing seconds of confusion and chaos?

I know, I know. Old Style and a baby-blue Dodge Omni? At least I’m alive and I haven’t killed anybody.

Kevin Mulvenna

Yesterday, I heard an announcer on the radio refer to Mississippi as a state with high illiteracy.  As a retired teacher, I was shocked that illiteracy in the United States still exists.  My schools certainly taught everyone to read.  And school is mandatory in the US.  So my whole adult career, I just never thought about people not being able to read in this county.

That radio show got me thinking about Scott Walker’s push to end public education.  And then this morning I heard Rick Perry say he wants to end the Federal Department of Education.  Is that so that every state can become a Mississipi?  So that governors like Walker can gut public schools?  Is that so that our schools can have more children in each classroom?

Is there really illiteracy in the US?  Is there any in Wisconsin now?  Well, a Google search answered that question!  Yes, Mississippi does have 16% illiteracy.  Wisconsin has 7%.  But California has 23%, and New York has 22%!  Can you imagine almost a quarter of the population not being able to read?  Can you imagine Wisconsin in 10 years if Scott Walker stays in office?  Is this the Wisconsin we want?