Economics
Food Stamp Folly
"We all do better when we all do better" was the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone's simple, yet profound, statement of economic truth. In a stable, sustainable economy no one should be left behind even if they are poor or not as “productive.” This is not just kindness or charity. It is a recognition that an economy, like a chain, is only as strong as its weakest link.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly called food stamps) illustrates how Paul Wellstone's economic principle works in the real world. It is an example of how helping ...
Climate Change and the Grand Canyon
It’s called the Dragon Bravo fire, and it has burned well over 140,000 acres on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, taking the historic Lodge and many of the guest cabins with it. Whether we’ve been there or not, mark this loss as one of enormous proportions. Sitting on the canyon rim, the view of a storm crossing the chasm while resting in front of the Lodge’s great window almost 55 years ago still lights up my soul the way a western lightning bolt lights up the night sky. The guest cabins, which in those days you could rent for the night even mid-Friday afternoon ...
Nuclear War Scenarios
(one of two in a series)
“The likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe is greater today than during the cold war, and the public is completely unaware of the danger.” Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry
This year is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Americans, if they think about the issue at all, probably think the threat of nuclear war ended with the break up of the Soviet Union. They believe peace through strength, mutually assured destruction (MAD) and deterrence worked. Nuclear war was avoided and America won the ...
JUNE 2025 THOMAS STREET NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR WITH THE FRIENDS OF WAUSAU HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
Citizens for a Clean Wausau and the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks teamed up in the Thomas Street Neighborhood this month. With the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks, we learn about the history of Wausau, the ornate landmarks, the lumber barrons, and how Wausau was formed. This month was a unique blend of the beauty, as well as the damge done from former factories in the area. Thomas Street was the home to Crestline (the area is now owned by Wauleco/Sentry Insurance) and across the street was the former site of Connor Industries, where St Vincent ...
Other News Stories
“I think the person running the country should be smarter than I am. We’ve just lived through the alternative, and it was only good for the liquor industry.” Andy Borowitz, political satirist, in his 2022 book “Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber.“
Mr. Borowitz was talking about President Trump in his first term. Now we are living through another round of incompetent, fact-free, ego driven mismanagement. Only this time the damage being done is much more severe and comprehensive.
We can get overwhelmed and ...
Peace is Possible and Patriotic
“..I know a great deal of the horrors and tragedies of war...The cost of war in human lives...I am deeply moved to find some means or method of avoiding another calamity of war...” Gen. George C. Marshall
We often think of military veterans as aggressive warriors and super-patriots who believe war is necessary to protect our country. But throughout history, there have been many soldiers who advocated for peaceful solutions to conflicts. Having experienced war, they understood that war was not worth the costs.
Sun Tzu (544-496 BC), the ...
Gold Dome Bridge to Nowhere
The “Star Wars Dome” Proposal Prioritizes Illusion Over Fiscal Reality
While national defense is vital, the proposed continental missile shield—dubbed a “Star Wars Dome”—ignores practical and economic realities. Israel’s Iron Dome system protects a nation smaller than New Jersey (8,469 square miles), while scaling such technology to cover the continental U.S. (3.8 million square miles) would require staggering investments in infrastructure, maintenance, and iterative upgrades. Even if technically feasible, the system would likely be obsolete by deployment ...
Wisconsin’s Budget
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has released his proposed 2025-2027 budget. In what has become a legislative tradition, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos declared Evers’ proposal “dead on arrival.” The next step in the biennial battle is for the Republican controlled Joint Finance Committee to write their own budget ignoring most of Evers' work.
Gov. Evers' budget proposes a $119 billion plan for investments in education, healthcare, public health, cleaning up environmental problems and tax relief for the lower tax brackets. There are a number of improvements for ...
HEAD START
Right now, Congress is working on a budget proposal that includes eliminating the Head Start program nationwide. For Wisconsin children, this could be devastating. In St. Croix County alone, Head Start funded preschool enrollment for over 9,000 children in 2023.
Head Start promotes school readiness for children from birth to age five who live in low-income households. Families also benefit from participation in the program, as it also provides prenatal care, housing support, job training, and education both for parents and staff.
Starting in 1965 ...
Attacks on Freedom
Funding for institutions of higher learning, including the University of Wisconsin’s campuses in Wausau and Marshfield, is being used to coerce them into following philosophical mandates issued by the Trump Administration. Attempting to coerce universities to change admission and administrative policy is an assault on academic freedom and on the First Amendment to the Constitution.
The First Amendment is written for the express purpose of allowing people to speak in opposition to government policy without recrimination. The Trump Administration has been abducting and ...