Voting/Elections
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 ...
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 ...
The War on Children
“I’m not sure we’ve ever seen an Administration so laser-focused on targeting the nation’s children for harm. This president and his appointees – with an unprecedented assist from Congress – has specifically targeted children’s health care with $880 billion in proposed cuts, is closing down the Department of Education, and literally plans to steal the lunch money of the nation’s poorest kids. Babies have been singled out for special punishment with the proposed revocation of birthright citizenship and deportation of U.S. citizen children. This Administrat...
YOU CAN’T FIRE THE FACTS
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 solution, he accused ...
LABOR DAY POSTCARDS
SAY IT IN ONE SENTENCE POSTCARD CAMPAIGN!!
Yep, that’s right. Write one sentence “I WORK HARD FOR A LIVING AND THIS IS MY MESSAGE TO YOU: Then address them to your elected officials, -we have the addresses for you. The postage is already on them, just drop them in the mail. THESE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE LABOR TEMPLE.
HAPPY LABOR DAY!! There will be burgers and brats after the parade!
Another Black Eye for United States
President Trump has revived the practice of separating small, immigrant children from their parents.
His first administration seized over 5,000 immigrant children to discourage other immigrants from entering the United States. A federal judge halted the practice in 2018.
Five years later, some of those families have still not been reunited.
The Trump administration claims the judge’s decision in 2018, prohibiting separation at the border, does not pertain to its current practice of taking children from their parents inside the US.
A current example of this policy is ...
WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
This last week we held awareness rallies for Social Security in Wausau and in Wisconsin Rapids.
The Wisconsin Rapids Field Office was the hardest hit office due to the DOGE employee buyouts in March when they lost 58% of their staff - leaving just 3 employees to manage all the public’s earned benefit work. The Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans decided to pay them a visit today to thank them for their service by demanding private interest keep their hands off their Social Security.
SSA is 90 years strong this week on August 14 and the program doesn’t run ...