Government
A WAR CORESPONDENT
Those of us born in the 1940’s and 50’s well remember the Cuban missile crisis when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba that were minutes from destroying Washington DC and other major US cities. And we all remember President Kennedy’s speech to the American people telling us that the Soviet Union meant no harm and was just defending itself from American aggression and that Cuba was a sovereign nation and had every right to allow Russia to place missiles on its soil. There was nothing to worry about.
Of course, we all know exactly the opposite ...
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.
U...
Christian Nationalism in Power
Join the Marathon Dems this Thursday, May 21 at 6 PM as we welcome Kelda Roys, one of our fine candidates for Governor. I am sure there will even be time for some Q & A.
After this we will be showing an information packed movie called “Bad Faith 2026: Christian Nationalism in Power.” The Winning WI 07 team along with Building Unity is looking for new ways to educate all of us going into the fall elections.
COOPERATION 106
cooperation [ koh-op-uh-rey-shuhn ]
an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit
mutually beneficial interaction among organisms [nations] living in a limited area [planet Earth]
It was back in November of 2024 that I wrote COOPERATION 105 in this series. There has been so much turmoil in the ensuing 3 months that it has been hard to imagine any sort of cooperation in the U.S. or globally. Yet the urgency for cooperation has only grown – in the U.S. and globally.
Donald Trump, of course, moved ...
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 ...