STAND UP FOR SCIENCE, OUR DEMOCRACY, AND OUR PLANET
It was bad enough when we recently discovered our state DNR had stripped the words “climate change” from its website and added wording that led readers to believe there is controversy in the climate research world about its cause - the only real controversy is political, not scientific. A little later we learned that our Public Service Commission had done the same. Now, we find the new Trump administration erased climate change from the Environmental Protection Agency's website and has silenced EPA staff. Perhaps Orwell should have titled his book “2016” instead of ...
NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN ORGANIZING CO-OP
I have some exciting news to report. As of this afternoon, we officially surpassed the halfway point of the co-op drive! We currently have 126 pledges, and we have several high-profile events in the works in Oneida, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, and Langlade Counties. I encourage all of you to check out the pledge page if you haven't. If you could add your pledge or start paying into the co-op at this time, that would be very helpful and greatly appreciated. Also, I would like to ask all of you that have pledged to commit to finding at least one more pledge. If all who ...
WEALTH AND MONEY PART XXVII: WAR, TAXES, BANKING AND THE LOOTING OF AMERICA
“Our roads and bridges are crumbling, our airports are out of date and the vast majority of our seaports are in danger of becoming obsolete. All the result of decades of neglect. None of this is really in dispute. Business leaders, labor unions, governors, mayors, congressmen and presidents have complained about a lack of funding for years, but aside from a onetime cash infusion from the stimulus program, nothing much has changed. There is still no consensus on how to solve the problem or where to get the massive amounts of money needed to fix it.” - - - CBS 60 Minutes ...
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Many people across our country are organizing to hold on to our democracy and to rebuild our country. Here are some examples.
Paula Lugar of Wisconsin writes:
“In 2011, I retired from 22 years of working in special education for a metropolitan Minnesota school district, ending my 37 year career as an occupational therapist employed to work with kids and families. I am taking a year to decide what comes next in my life after the August, 2016, death of my husband of 40 years. My exploration is informed by the core ethics of Permaculture: Care of People, Care of Earth ...
QUOTATIONS
“Politics isn’t left vs. right. It’s top vs. bottom.” –Jim Hightower
“The revolution starts here. It is the beginning of much-needed change, change that will require sacrifice and people, change that will require many of us to make different choices in our lives. So my question to you today is, are you ready?”—Madonna, January 21st Women’s March in Washington D.C.
“The future is female.”—a sign carried by a marcher in Wausau, WI on January 21
“We all know that there is a connection between waste in one location and simultaneous starvation ...
THE URGENT NEED FOR SKEPTICISM
1953:
Few Americans remember the CIA orchestrated coup that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran. Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh won the election in 1951 and began implementing reforms to benefit the citizens of Iran. With the full support of his people, Mosaddegh nationalized the Iranian oil industry which had been under British control since 1913 through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now BP - British Petroleum). For 40 years the corporation had plundered the oil wealth of Iran, leaving her people with next to nothing.
Naturally, U.S. based corpora...
CELEBRATE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
The third Monday in January is a national holiday in the United States — to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is time to remember his commitment to the cause of nonviolence and his work on behalf of the poor and the powerless.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 - 1968) spoke to his own people and gave them hope — a sense of their inherent dignity and high destiny. He called other racial and ethnic groups to brotherhood and sisterhood — a caring concern for and commitment to others. King was a pioneer breaking down barriers, building bridges, and ...
LEAVE RIB MOUNTAIN ALONE
We, the people of Wisconsin, love our Rib Mountain State Park. We have listened to the proposal for the expansion of Granite Peak Ski Hill and have some major concerns. Let’s think about snow run-off and how this impacts the load to our sanitation system and local homes. Let’s think about the increased traffic and impact to our roads and quiet neighborhoods. Let’s think about the ground water impact as more and more water is taken from the Rib River.
We would like proof that expansion will not produce “glade skiing” where the hill removes undergrowth and coats ...
Science Illiteracy and Public Policy
“Every shortcoming of American governance is related in some fashion to the knowledge deficit of the public...”
Susan Jacoby, author of “The Age of American Unreason”
Americans have a long tradition of anti-intellectualism. In today's politics this is expressed as denial of facts and scientific research in favor of opinion, self-righteousness, and prideful ignorance. We seem to be unable to distinguish documented knowledge from unsubstantiated opinion. Unfortunately for our public affairs, as Susan Jacoby says, our elected officials “suffer from the same ...
WOMEN’S MARCH ON MADISON
Set your calendars! It's a new year with many opportunities!
January 21 we will have a bus going to Madison for the March on Women (everyone is included).
This march is in solidarity with those in Washington D.C. on that day.
We will leave the Universalist Unitarian Church parking lot, 504 Grant Street, Wausau at 9 AM sharp!
Be ready to board at 8:40 AM.
We will march from Library Hall, 728 State Street, Madison to the Capitol.
The end time is approximately 3 PM.
Speakers will include Senator Lena Taylor.
There will be performances by ...
