Wisconsin Food Deserts & A Place at the Table

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Sean Cranley
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,
then he's probably completely oblivious to the fact that lots of people on food assistance will simply lack access to the "healthy" foods he's prescribing because they live a mile or more from a grocery store and don't have a car. So they buy what is available at the Quicky Marts that dot their neighborhoods. Tank you very much, please come again. Guess what, they don't sell fresh peas and carrots at the Seven Eleven!

Mr. Kaufert might also not know or even care to know that healthy foods are more expensive than the ubiquitous cheap, processed, calorie dense foods. Hamburgers are cheaper than peaches. Which is another reason why people of limited means often resort to junk food. Will poor families go hungry because they can't access the foods they are ordered to buy? Will they go hungry because the healthier foods are more expensive than junk food and will burn through their monthly grocery budget much faster? Couldn't Kaufert have used a CARROT as well as the STICK to create incentives to get healthy foods into these deserts and lower they're costs?

And check out where some of these food deserts are. The West Racine neighborhood where I grew up is now a food desert. When I was little, there were several grocery stores in West Racine including an IGA and the Piggly Wiggly. The little stores all closed years ago but when they shuttered the Piggly Wiggly, which people could walk to and moved it out by a shopping mall where No One walks, the desertification was complete. See below.

RACINE, WI - 12% of Households Without a Vehicle =/> 1 Mile From Grocery Store
And it's not just the Urban Centers!

ADAMS, WI - 6% of Households Without a Vehicle =/> 1 Mile From Grocery Store 
WALWORTH, WI - 4% of Households Without a Vehicle =/> 1 Mile From Grocery Store
 
KENOSHA, WI - 8% of Households Without a Vehicle =/> 1 Mile From Grocery Store

MILWAUKEE, WI - 5% of Households Without a Vehicle =/> 1 Mile From Grocery Store

So if you ain't got the Doh Rey Me boys, just make sure that when you're watching the Green and Gold that it's 2/3 peas and carrots and only 1/3 cheese and crackers. Oh, and make sure that the cheese is sharp cheddar, or you might hurt yourself. FREEDUMB!
Posted in A place at the table, BAP, food deserts, food insecurity, food stamps, healthy food, junk food, Reptilian Republicons | Leave a comment

Betrayal of the Public Trust by Tyler August & fALEC

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Sean Cranley


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



EXCERPT: Another of the legislators, Rep. Tyler August, R-Walworth, provided only his personal email address as a contact, according to ALEC Education Task Force documents, the lawsuit states.

To get an idea of corporatist agenda of fALEC's Education Task Force, including (of course) Vulture Schools you can go right to fALEC here: http://www.alec.org/task-forces/education/

to get more information on the fALEC agenda you can go here: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Education_Task_Force and here: http://www.alternet.org/education/inside-alecs-education-task-force-private-players-manipulating-public-education

Madison Office
Room 119 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Telephone
(608) 266-1190
Fax
(608) 282-3632
Email
Rep.August@legis.wisconsin.gov
Voting Address
116 Evelyn Lane Unit 3A
Lake Geneva, WI 53147

Posted in ALEC, BAP, Corporate Serfdom, Corporatism, FALEC, GOPlutocracy, Porcine, School Vultures, Tyler August | Leave a comment

June Clever, we have a job opening for you.

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Andy Mitchell
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.
Posted in BAP | Leave a comment

June Clever, we have a job opening for you.

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Andy Mitchell
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.
Posted in BAP | Leave a comment

Teabaggers Endorse Social Welfare!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Sean Cranley
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

Posted in BAP, Birth Certificate, Crapitolism, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Kenyan, Muslim, Socialsm, Tea Baggers, Teabagnorance, Teabilly, teatotalers | Tagged | Leave a comment

GOPster Austerity Failing Utterly!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Sean Cranley

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


To the editor,

Here are some little known facts about the teaching profession. Teachers bargained in early years to have their portion of the retirement contribution paid by their employers in lieu of a pay raise. When the legislature took away that provision in 2011, teachers actually lost that pay raise.

Teachers are required to contribute to the state pension program. Payments are automatically deducted from their paychecks. Retired teachers do not receive an annual cost of living increase. For teachers to receive an increase, there must be an investment return in excess of 5 percent with no outstanding deficits to be made up from previous years' investment losses.

To illustrate: the core fund had a loss in 2008 of 26.2 percent. In the following years, the fund had gains of 22.4 percent, 12.2 percent, and 13.7 percent. However, during that five-year span, retirees did not receive any gains. Instead their pension was reduced by 21.2 percent in many cases. Last year, the deduction was 7 percent and this year, 9.6 percent. Wisconsin retirees in the state pension plan experienced a total reduction of more than $4 billion over the past several years, according to the Wisconsin Retirement System.

Teachers also do not have a say in how their funds are invested like private sector investors do in their 401k plans. Teachers who are Wisconsin residents pay state taxes on their pension unless they started teaching prior to 1964. END LETTER

How do you like that gravy? And I can attest to the part about the 9.6% reduction because my Father is a retired Racine Unified Teacher. And every time I talk to my Mother she vows that she will make a commensurate 9.6% cut in their consumer (job creating) spending. And she's a stubborn Hungarian so you better believe she'll do it!

Now the drop in the retirement funds experienced by my parents and tens of thousands of other former public and private sector workers across Wisconsin are not Scooter's fault, they are the result of the Great Republicon Recession of 2008. Thank you Bu$hyboy, et al!

But you don't make things worse in a recession by attacking the spending power and security (not to mention the dignity) of pubic workers when the private sector has gone in the tank due to GOPster deregulation, avarice and hubris. Because Demand is the ONLY Job Creator! Especially when 75% of the economy is consumer demand! The one percent just can't buy that much stuff, it has to be the middle class. But the middle class is under attack by the likes of Scott Walker, Pall Ryan and their Plutocrat Ruler worshiping brethren. So that is exactly what they have done. And THAT is exactly why It's Not Working Walker!

We can turn Wiscossippi back into Wisconsin by dumping this austerity nonsense and it's failed proponents, and by wisely investing in all our infrastructure for the 21st century (not just road builders), by stopping the attacks on workers (consumers) and labor rights, by working to make average people feel more secure in their jobs, their healthcare, their retirement and their income so they feel they can spend money at local businesses, the primary employers in or economy. Or who knows, possibly even feel they can take the risk to start their own small business!

And speaking of Pally, it turns out that the economists that he's been hanging his austerity hat on were not only wrong, but DEAD WRONG! http://rootriversiren.blogspot.com/2013/04/paul-ryan-just-another-pretty-face.html

But do you think Pall Ryand will change his tune? Don't bet on it. He's like one of those shallow, annoying 70's disco songs that pop into your head and then won't go away!

Austerity!
When your facts are gone you must go on
Austerity
When caught in your lies don't be shy
It's hard to bear
With no truth to share you're going nowhere

Austerity!
When you lose control cuz you got no soul
Austerity!
When you're telling tales cuz your spreadsheet fails
It's hard to bear
With no facts inside you, you're going nowhere
Posted in BAP, Demand is the ONLY Job Creator, GOPlutocracy War on the Middle Class, It's the Demand Stupid, Its not working Walker, Pall Ryand, Paul Ryan Austerity Fails | Tagged | Leave a comment

Social Security IS an ENTITLEMENT!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Sean Cranley

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.


Back to Social Security. It is funded by FICA one of the most regressive taxes we have. And don't be fooled! Because, while your employer may have written a check for their 1/2 of the FICA tax, your labor paid for 100% of those taxes. Because no employer could afford to take a 7.5% loss on their employees month after month, year after year and still continue to employ them. Your productivity paid the whole freight baby, and you're ENTITLED to slap yourself on the back for that!

Don't listen to Lyin' Ryan, Social Security ENTITLEMENT IS solvent now, the money is in treasury bills, the world's most trusted investment vehicle in the world. And any future SS shortfall is an easy fix. The cap on income taxed for SS (currently at $113,700) should be raised substantially. Problem Solved! If it had been indexed to inflation since the 60's the cap would be at well over $450K by now and SS would way more than solvent for the more than foreseeable future. You're entitled to the truth, so take it easy, but take it!
Posted in BAP, GOPlutocracy War on the Middle Class, GOPsters, Pall "Lyin" Ryan, Social Security | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Sean Cranley

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

NCES: "Total expenditures per student in fall enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools rose from $8,634 in 1988–89 to $12,643 in 2008–09, a 46 percent increase as measured in constant 2010–11 dollars (see table A-20-1). Most of this increase occurred after 1998–99. The various components of total expenditures experienced different percent increases during this time period. Spending on interest on school debt per student had the highest percent increase (149 percent, from $141 to $351), followed by capital outlay, e.g., buildings, at 117 percent (from $637 to $1,383) and employee benefits at 75 percent (from $1,267 to $2,222).

In 2008–09, salary and employee benefits for school staff amounted to $8,797 per student, or about 81 percent of current expenditures. From 1988–89 through 2008–09, combined salary and employee benefit expenditures per student increased by 38 percent, with the salary component increasing by 29 percent and the employee benefits component increasing by 75 percent."

Did you notice the little switcheroo that American Majority pulled? They claimed that salary and benefits had  increased 75% since 1998-99, when in fact they only increased 38% since 1988-89, less than the 46% over-all increase in spending since 1988-89. The 75% increasecited by NCES is for benefits only and is no doubt legitimately due mostly to health insurance, the costs of which rose 131% nationally between 1999 and 2009: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2009-09-15-insurance-costs_N.htm  

The media these days is squeamish about using the word "lie", preferring terms like "misstatement". I suppose one could call these little manipulations of the facts "half truths". But since the intent of the "editor" was obviously to deceive the readers, that intent makes it a lie. If you must lie to advance your thoughts, your thoughts are not advanced!

And doesn't that figure of 81% going to employee salary and benefits sound familiar? It was the figure quoted by TP candidate Norma Miller as she ludicrously claimed that this money wasn't going to benefit students: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2013/03/norma-tp-miller-not-qualified.html Now you know where she got her figure and the ridiculous notion that in a labor intensive effort like education most of the money should not be spent on teachers, as if the teachers are there as mobile mannequins and not for the benefit of the students. How ponderously dim, SHEESH!

NCES went on to conclude: "Whereas expenditures per student for salaries have increased by 29 percent between 1988–89 and 2008–09, salaries for teachers and other staff have remained nearly flat. The increase in salary expenditures results from increases in staff greater than the increase in students."

I'm sure there are legitimate reasons for this increase in staff as well, like the deinstitutionalization and mainstreaming of children with disabilities that require extra support. Notice that American Majority  in shifting their "facts" around is trying to place as much of the blame as possible for the costs of educating our children on the teachers, even though staff related costs have risen at lower rates than other costs like capital outlays and debt service, their salaries (like the rest of us 99%-ers) are flat and they have no control over healthcare costs that are on a skyrocketing path to being out of the reach of most Americans. That is a reflection of their hidden anti-worker, anti-union, national plutocratic agenda.

And now Back to Burlington and the Localized Lies:
From the American Majority link in paragraph two above: "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."

Lie #1: "In the Burlington Area School District, citizens showed up in mass to oppose property tax hikes, and voted down a property tax increase. However, the school board ignored the wishes of the taxpayers and proceeded to raise taxes by 3.69%."

Yes the WeVoBees plotted and executed a sneak attack to show up en mass and vote to blow up the BASD budget process in the late summer of 2011: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2011/10/basds-frightening-emergency.html  But perhaps our readers will recall a little incident conveniently left out of the account above that was no doubt provided by WeVote to our friends at American Majority. There was a board meeting at the high school on Halloween 2011:  The bleachers on both sides of the field house as well as chairs on the floor were flooded with BASD electors. As it turned out the Citizens out numbered the Taxpayers by a substantial margin and the electors voted to reject the Tea Party's frightful sneak attack on our schools. I suppose it's possible that Bonnie simply forgot to mention that, or the AM folks didn't feel it pertinent to the "message" they wished to convey.

Lie#2: "The newly elected conservatives immediately started creating waves on the teacher-union dominated school board."  Yeah those of you who live in Burlington and pay any attention to the School Board know that "teacher-union dominated" simply is not true, nuff said.

Lies #3&4: "One of those new members, Phil Ketterhagen, decided to investigate local testing methods that had indicated improved test results and discovered that in reality scores had been going down for the previous 6 years, according to the statewide testing standards. After bringing to light the inconsistency and stating his view that teacher raises should be left out of the next budget, the liberal controlled school board voted to censure him."

Funny, as I recall the censure was related to an intemperate and bullying comment by Mr. Ketterhagen comparing teachers to cattle and saying they needed to be hit on the head with a 2x4. I guess fidelity to truth and facts are just not Cult of Con sacraments." I also seem to remember that there was significant dispute over Mr. Ketterhagen's interpretation of those test results and/or the particular type of test he chose to focus on. But I don't have that information readily available right now. And again, "the liberal controlled school board"? In Burlington!? Please.

Once again we see the Tea Party for what it is, a hidden big money anti-democratic, selfish national agenda behind local activists, attempting to impose their narrow-minded will on their fellow citizens, and who are willing to use scapegoating and lies about their fellow community members to attain the goals that are spawned from their perceived Taxpayer-Victimhood. Reject the Mad Hatters cuz INTEGRITY MATTERS!

For more reading on the Plutocratic education agenda and WHY the Wisconsin based Bradley Foundation is pouring millions into the cause of education privateering go here: http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/04/report-bradley-foundation-spent-31.html
Posted in Attack on Education, BAP, BASD, GOPlutocracy War on the Middle Class, War on the Middle Class, War on Working People, WeeVoters, WeVote Burlington Backwards | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Sean Cranley

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.


Even doubling our wages, at this point, is NOT the answer. We’ll just send manufacturing jobs to some other country, because (please note … BECAUSE) the CEOs are allowed to!!! Not only do their corporations take a tax write-off for their $20 million salaries, but these high salaries and political bribes provide the incentive to screw the workers and public.

Don’t get me wrong.

I do NOT support $300K salaries for union bosses either. Or government bureaucrats with salaries 50% higher than the taxpayers who pay them, or those who grow government to protect and build their own job. As I’ve said before, even Scott Walker is not always wrong.

As a former union steward I view unions as a necessary evil, mainly because we have CEO and politician crooks seeking to depress wages to increase profits, which they share. They want in my (and my kid’s) pocket and they’ll do anything to make it happen. AND while some union bosses will sell out their members to keep it all cool, that’s an issue that the members themselves must correct.

We have problems in both public AND private.

I’m basically a free market type. Not a crony-market supporter, however. If the shareholders voted for a $20 million CEO, fine, but that’s not what is happening. The politicians have been paid cash bribes to establish rules that make CEOs and bankers and petroleum companies like little Gods, and they have earned every penny of their take. At taxpayer and consumer expense, mind you.

But now we have to get the VOTERS to recognize that this problem exists because WE ALLOW it to exist, and only a near-100% turnover in 2014 will fix it.

NONE of our nation’s disparities would exist if we had an honest political system. THIS is where our future fights must begin.
Posted in BAP, Corporate Serfdom, Corporatism, GOPlutocracy War on the Middle Class, GOPlutocratic Power Grab, political corruption | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Sean Cranley

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.


Even doubling our wages, at this point, is NOT the answer. We’ll just send manufacturing jobs to some other country, because (please note … BECAUSE) the CEOs are allowed to!!! Not only do their corporations take a tax write-off for their $20 million salaries, but these high salaries and political bribes provide the incentive to screw the workers and public.

Don’t get me wrong.

I do NOT support $300K salaries for union bosses either. Or government bureaucrats with salaries 50% higher than the taxpayers who pay them, or those who grow government to protect and build their own job. As I’ve said before, even Scott Walker is not always wrong.

As a former union steward I view unions as a necessary evil, mainly because we have CEO and politician crooks seeking to depress wages to increase profits, which they share. They want in my (and my kid’s) pocket and they’ll do anything to make it happen. AND while some union bosses will sell out their members to keep it all cool, that’s an issue that the members themselves must correct.

We have problems in both public AND private.

I’m basically a free market type. Not a crony-market supporter, however. If the shareholders voted for a $20 million CEO, fine, but that’s not what is happening. The politicians have been paid cash bribes to establish rules that make CEOs and bankers and petroleum companies like little Gods, and they have earned every penny of their take. At taxpayer and consumer expense, mind you.

But now we have to get the VOTERS to recognize that this problem exists because WE ALLOW it to exist, and only a near-100% turnover in 2014 will fix it.

NONE of our nation’s disparities would exist if we had an honest political system. THIS is where our future fights must begin.
Posted in BAP, Corporatism, Corporatist Lobbying, GOPlutocracy War on the Middle Class, GOPlutocratic Power Grab | Leave a comment