Government
War Spending in Perspective
We all know federal spending on war and preparation for war – what we euphemistically call “defense” spending – is huge. But most people have no understanding of how big these numbers are, how they compare with other government spending, and what it all means for their lives.
People might understand $100,000 because that is about the median family income in the U.S. (which means half of families live on less). An average house costs around $400,000. But $7,400,000,000,000 – the total federal budget for FY 2026 – is just a big, incomprehensible number.
Und...
A “Defense” Spending Surge
“In America, nothing – and I mean nothing – seems capable of reversing massive military spending and incessant warfare.” William Astore, a retired USAF Lt. Colonel, historian, author and commentator on military issues.
Pentagon spending for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) is projected to be $961.6 billion. This is an 8.1% increase over FY2025. I say “projected” because with federal spending no one knows what the totals will be until after the fact. The dollars budgeted may not match the amounts authorized by Congress (in appropriation ...
Banning Gerrymandering
Wisconsin Governor Evers has called a special session of the legislature for April 14th to pass a constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering. Extraordinary public pressure will be needed for this important reform to have any chance in the Republican controlled legislature.
Prior to the latest redistricting compromise, Wisconsin had the worst gerrymandered legislative maps in the country. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the old districts unconstitutional and required new state legislative districts be created. Fearing the liberal controlled Supreme Court would ...
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election April 7
In Wisconsin April 7 is the spring nonpartisan election. The statewide issue is the election of a Supreme Court justice. Across the state there are many nonpartisan local government and school board positions on the ballot and 72 local school funding referendums for voters to approve or reject.
Historically voter turnout for spring elections has been low. These races don't get a lot of press coverage and don't usually have controversial issues at stake. But that doesn't mean they are not important elections. Local communities can be severely impacted when an unpopular ...
A Smart Investment for Wisconsin
Too many people think of public services as expenses. Public spending is a burden on taxpayers that must be reduced and controlled. But taxes are the dues we pay for civilization. Taxes provide the capital needed to invest in all the things we need for a successful society. Public spending fuels the investments in people, infrastructure and public goods that pay dividends in the future.
In Wisconsin the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is an example. Republican legislators cut funding for this important program in the recent state budget. If not renewed via additional ...
You Can’t Fire the Facts by Paul Hambleton
You Can't Fire The Facts
By: Paul Hambleton
President Trump’s firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer—an accomplished, bipartisan-confirmed economist—for releasing unfavorable job numbers is more than political overreach. It’s an attempt to erase reality. But here’s the thing about truth: you can’t fire it, silence it, or make it disappear. Facts have gravity. They always come back down.
Our reality-denying president removed McEntarfer for overseeing the release of jobs data that he didn’t like. Rather than investigate the numbers or offer a ...
Red Counties Dependence on the “Deep State”
“One of the most enduring conservative myths is that of the self-reliant, salt-of-the-earth, rural-dwelling American who pulls himself up by his bootstraps...If that were ever true, it hasn’t been for a while. These days, rural America is largely dependent on the federal government it claims to hate.”
This quote is from an article in Daily KOS (“Look just how much red counties depend on the government they hate,” July 10, 2025). The article points out that, “far from self-reliant, rural America is subsidized by blue states.”
Dr. ...
Left vs. Right is not the Issue, Rather Democracy vs. Extremism
What is the political left that our current administration attacks vehemently and relentlessly? It is not a single entity of opposition to any current leader, nor does it describe any single political position. The political left describes a broad spectrum of ideologies that favor governmental reform in the general direction of more social equality. This political stance has, historically, stood against hierarchy and privilege. This puts the political left in the crosshairs of the one-percent oligarchs who have grabbed control of our government. Are there some extrem...
More on political violence
Donald Trump has a lot of damn gall accusing Democrats and liberals of inciting political violence. Since 2015 he has been a primary source of inflammatory, divisive, hate-filled political rhetoric that encouraged violence by his supporters. He is the only president in our history to incite a mob to attack Congress.
In the past I wrote about how political murders are actually rare in comparison to other murders. But they are increasing along with other hate crimes. This article updates a prior article on political violence
“The hope of a ...