RETIREMENT SECURITY FOR PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS

By Powrs (Protect Our Wisconsin Retirement System) Two Wisconsin legislators, Rep. Eric Genrich-DePere and Senator Dave Hansen-Green Bay, have teamed up to bring retirement security to private sector workers in Wisconsin. Assembly Bill 403 and Senate Bill 302 propose solving the impending retirement crisis by helping create a way for everyone to achieve a decent retirement income in the future. These ideas were proposed in the past, but the Republican-controlled legislature has not allowed the bills out of committee for a floor vote. The need for retirement-for-all ...

Presentation on Redistricting in Our Wisconsin Legislature

FIFTY PER CENT DECLINE IN FARM INCOME……CHANGE NEEDED IN FARM BILL

By Darin Von Ruden, President, Wisconsin Farmers Union and a dairy farmer from Westby, Wisconsin. This Farm Bill is critically important. Here in Wisconsin, we’ve seen devastating dips in dairy and crop prices. The American farm economy is on the brink of a crisis. We need a drastic change in direction in the next Farm Bill. It may be time to focus less on how technology and exports are going to save the day and more on what can be done to address declining farm numbers, struggling rural communities, growing environmental concerns and the staggering anti-competi...

MORE AND BETTER CHILD CARE IS NEEDED IN MARATHON COUNTY

Recently I heard Julie Burmesch (retired educator) talk about the importance of quality child care. One dollar invested in quality child care produces $4 in stable and healthy adults. Within the first 3 years of a child’s life, 80 per cent of the brain development occurs. By the time a child is 5, 85 per cent of his brain is developed. Environmental triggers can activate certain genetic tendencies. Children need quality child care and enough food and water to fully develop their brain and be ready for school. The first 3 years are very important. It is like growing ...

TREASON

Suppose a small group of extremely wealthy people sought to systematically destroy the U.S. government by: Finding and bankrolling new candidates pledged to shrinking and dismembering it; Intimidating or bribing many current senators and representatives to block all proposed legislation, prevent the appointment of presidential nominees, eliminate funds to implement and enforce laws, and threaten to default on the nation’s debt; Taking over state governments in order to redistrict, gerrymander, require voter IDs, purge voter rolls, and otherwise suppress the ...

About Middle Wisconsin

Our Mission: Middle Wisconsin is an online magazine promoting just and transparent government, quality public education, healthy communities, thriving local economies, and environmental stewardship Get our bimonthly email with news, events, and action alerts. You'll get the latest articles in your inbox, and we'll never share your email address. Go to our home page at www.middlewisconsin.org Enter your email address. We at Middle Wisconsin welcome thoughtful articles and letters in support of community, families, and a sustainable planet. Limit each submission to ...

PEOPLE OVER PIPELINES

A movement is growing across the country as communities are opposing proposed pipelines that offer more risks than benefits. From North Dakota to Minnesota, tribes are calling for their sovereignty, hunting and gathering rights, and their treaty rights to be upheld. Landowners from Georgia to Virginia to Nebraska are standing up for their property rights and opposing eminent domain for oil pipelines. Faith leaders, concerned community members, environmentalists, climate activists, and more are all standing together. Here in Wisconsin, Enbridge is moving forward ...

October Events

OCTOBER EVENTS ========================================= THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 LIFE UNDER CONSTRUCTION: DESIGNING A LIFE YOU LOVE By Allison Liddle, a Wausau native 6 – 8 p.m. YWCA Wausau 613 N. Fifth Street Wausau Wisconsin 54403 715-842-3381 Free and Open to the Public Free on-site Child Care To register today: Email info@mcdevco.org Allison will share her personal transformation journey to grow herself, her business, and empower her life as she talks about her book: Life Under Construction. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 The United ...

Smart Houses, Dumb People

“That man is richest who's pleasures are the cheapest.” Henry David Thoreau The world of technology is constantly changing. Change can be hard on many folks especially us old duffers. I may be a curmudgeon but I am not a complete Luddite. I know that many of the gadgets that clutter our lives are useful. Some of them even make life better. But sometimes I think many technological “advances” happen only because we can. Because microchips can do lots of stuff we feel a need to do lots of stuff with them. Whether any one wants, needs, uses, (or even has time to ...