A FACT-DRIVEN VOICE FOR MIDDLE WISCONSIN VIEWS

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FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

Middle Wisconsin News

www.MiddleWisconsin.com December 22, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:

CHRISTMAS 2011
Christmas.. . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Recall Stories . . . . . . . . . .2 Survey Analysis . . . . . . . . 4 The Moral Question . . . . . 5 Last Weapon . . . . . . . . . 6 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Winning . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Robin Hood . . . . . . . . . .11 The Literary Page . . . . . .12 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Public Statement . . . . . .15 Rep. Duffy Survey. . . . . .16 Challenging The Myth . . 17

eace on Earth - Good Will towards men. These simple words are the hope the dream of Christmas. This is a Christian day of remembrance of course, but peace and good will towards others are basic tenets of all the worlds great religions. The values of fairness, and respect, and the community of man are universal. How heartbreaking that the wealthy power structures in America and around the world are doing everything in their power to kill the dream of Christmas - to convince us that it is every man for himself and survival of the fittest. Let us find strength and courage in the struggles ahead knowing that we are the voice of Christmas. We are the hope - the dream. We are the fairness, the respect, the community of man. So to all - be we Christian, Jew or Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Unitarian - - -

Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Joyful Holiday

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December 22, 2011 Page 2

Stories From The Recalls

ANOTHER REASON FOR RECALL
By Nate Timm

Canvassing door to door always has the potential to produce the unexpected. And, thats just what I experienced this past weekend.

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work; you dont give up.
-- Anne Lamott Bird By Bird

After having lived in the same neighborhood for over 40 years one tends to settle into some patterns. I have lived with most of my neighbors for the majority of this time. One of these neighbors has always supported my request to place Democratic signs in his yard. So when I pulled up to his house this weekend with a Recall Walker Petition in hand, I was sure of a positive result. As expected, I was met at the door by a friendly greeting and invited in. I asked the lady of the house who had greeted me if she had signed a recall petition yet. She seemed unsure so I advised her to sign again. I next turned to her husband with the same question. His response was the surprise of the day. My neighbors reaction reminded me of an applicable Russian proverb: One day a Russian serf was plowing a field with a walking plow. He was surprised to strike a hard object which pitched him over the plow handle. He immediately dug the object from the ground. To his amazement it was a brass urn. Upon pulling the stopper, a magic genie appeared. The genie informed the serf that he would be given one wish. After some thought, the serf said My neighbor has a goat which gives milk from which he makes cheese. He is becoming wealthy by selling the cheese. The genie interrupted, So you would like a goat? No the serf replies, I want you to kill my neighbors goat. My neighbor too was victimized by this mean-spirited Walker agenda of turning neighbor against neighbor. Average people experience wage cuts and job losses while the Governor gives tax breaks to corporations. He informed me that he had long ago experienced the transfer of health care and pension costs from his company to himself. Therefore, it seemed only fair that public employees be faced with the same demands. His wife then reminded me that the company had gone into bankruptcy and still owed him back wages. I empathized with their comments and then expressed my reason for supporting the recall. Yes, many people like you are hurting under the Walker economy. Unemployment has gone up from 7.4% to 7.9% not down as he had promised.

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December 22, 2011 Page 3

Stories Continued . . .
Even worse, rather than supporting the train project which would have created jobs, he supported tax breaks for corporations, $122 million at the very start of his administration. Not to mention the opening of the Las Vegas loop hole which allows large companies like M&I Bank to avoid paying their State Corporate tax. What do you think of that? The husband replied, Its not right. But I said, most of all I personally think Walker should be recalled because he is attacking our democracy. Just think about all the people the age of our parents who have worked hard raising their families and paying their taxes all of their lives. And now when they are in a nursing home without a drivers license or ID, they are denied the right to vote by Walker and his allies. John, didnt you go to Viet Nam and risk your life to give them the right to vote? And now the Governor is going to deprive your parents of this very right. This Governor is depriving his own people of their democratic rights. And for that alone, he should be recalled. At that point I turned to the wife to ask her if she would like to sign. At which point the husband grabbed the clipboard from my hand saying I want to sign. He had found another reason for the recall. Nathan Timm, Wisconsin Recall Task Force/Wisconsin Grassroots Network
--THE HIGHTOWER LOW DOWN, November 2011

I dont agree with

everything your Occupy Movement does, but I sympathize with your cause and agree on our common enemy, declared an October internet posting by a former teapartier from rural Minnesota.

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December 22, 2011 Page 4

Response to the Press Release Titled Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators Survey Shows Walkers Reforms are Working
By Dave Michlig

Dave Michlig is a Certified Public Accountant. He was born and raised in Wausau, WI, but after graduating from college in 1987 Dave moved to Cross Plains, about 15 miles west of Madison, and has lived there with his family ever since. Because of his work with the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District, Dave has extensive experience with public school funding formulae and the financial issues currently being faced by Wisconsin school districts. We are all indebted to Dave for the extraordinary work he has done analyzing the School District Administrators Survey released by Governor Walker. We urge you to take the time to read Daves analysis. It is an education not only in how this particular survey was interpreted and misinterpreted, but also in the design and use of surveys in general.

Most of us have seen the November 10, 2011 press release from Governor Walkers office entitled Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators Survey Shows Walkers Reforms are Working. While the numbers they tout in this release are essentially correct, they are misleading. There are also numbers they did not include in this release, perhaps intentionally because they would not support their assertions. What Ive done is take the raw data from the survey, question by question, to come up with responses when someone cites these results. Calculation Errors: Wisconsin has a couple of different types of school districts. Most are what we consider normal (K-12). There are others called union or unified districts that have separate districts for their K-8 and high school. An example is Lakeland, which is a union high school that consists of I believe four elementary districts, Lac du Flambeau, North Lakeland, Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk, and Woodruff-Arbor Vitae. The responses included data from LdF, NL, MHLT, and Lakeland as four separate items in the total of 353 districts who responded. If the data was related to elementary school items, the high school data had NA in the response and vice versa. In looking at the data, there were two errors I noted when they calculated the percentages.

1. Numerator of the fractions This was calculated by subtracting the number of Yes
answers from the total 353 responding districts. Therefore, the numerator interpreted the NA answers as No answers. Denominator of the fractions. When the percentages were calculated, they were done strictly by dividing by 353. There were some NA responses in some K-12 district data as well. However, since we do not know whether the question is really not applicable for the particular district or it was just not answered, the NA responses should have been excluded from both parts of the fraction. I recalculated the percentages using this premise. It did not change the overall result of any item. I also found minor math errors that did not materially change the figures. However, they raise my level of suspicion of the accuracy of the data that was entered. Without having the individual surveys to review, I assumed the data as entered is correct. Here is a question by question look at the data: Question 1 Listed below are four staff positions. Write the number of retirements, layoffs, nonrenewals/resignations and new hires that took place for the 2011-12 school year in the appropriate spaces. Then indicate the net gain or loss. The four staff positions listed were: Teacher Aides, Other Support Staff, Teachers, Administrators. Per the Press Release: The release cited three items related to this question new teacher hires outnumber layoffs and non-renewals by 1,213 positions, the three districts with the most teacher layoffs (Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Janesville) didnt adopt the reforms put in place by Governor Walker, and the Milwaukee, Kenosha and Janesville school districts account for 68% of teacher layoffs for the entire state, but only contain 12.8% of Wisconsin students. Continued on page 18

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December 22, 2011 Page 5

The Moral Question Before Us

By John Spiegelhoff

We have to be willing to broaden our sense of attachment from property rights and obligations grounded in territory to universal human rights and obligations grounded in our collective participation on a shared Earth.
--Jeremy Rifkin
The Hydrogen Economy

This Country is at the crossroads of a great moral question which we must all ask ourselves: What is the role of government in our lives? Dwindling resources, global competition and increased demand for governmental services has strained the ties that bind us together as a nation. When we go about our daily lives we depend on others in our community to function as a caring society. In other words, we do not act alone. That is simply not how we have evolved. However, the Republican echo chamber wants us to believe something entirely different. They desire us to act against our collective best interests and the societal fabric which holds us together. The Republicans claim that each person is in essence their own spinning planet separate and distinct in our universe. That each person is only responsible for themselves. They spin the big lie that everyone can make it big in the free market economy and if you dont, then you are a failure. If you fail (or dont even attempt to make the big money) then dont expect others in your community to help you out. There are very few people who have won the free market economy lottery. The odds are stacked against Joe average citizen who has little to no opportunity to make it big in the free market economy. The banksters have little desire to lend money to the little guy. There goes the American dream of striking it rich. The poor, working and middle class are relegated to work at substandard wages and keep their jobs at the pleasure of their employer. To make ungodly amounts of money, corporations and the wealthy strip workers of their rights, reduce workers pay and lay off the workforce. For those who have been victimized by this unjust system, they are only seen as chattel. When workers do lose their jobs, the Republicans cut their unemployment compensation, rob them of their houses and cut the very programs they need to get back on their feet. They justify these actions by claiming that these people were just not disciplined enough to make it in a free market economy. They claim that you need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and quit complaining that life (in reality the wealthy) gave you a raw deal. You should not receive government handouts. Such lies are contrary to the very core of our communities. We take care of each other. We have a moral obligation to help out those who have fallen on hard times at the hands of the wealthy, the banksters and the corporations. Government is the great equalizer. We have a moral obligation to change the very system which enslaves us. We are represented in Congress by a gang of millionaires on both sides of the aisle. This wealthy elite creates laws which only serve their interests. It is time to demand justice for ordinary working people. Political apathy perpetuates our enslavement to the corporations and the wealthy. We are standing at the precipice. Fight back.

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Middle Wisconsin News You Gave Up Your Last Weapon

By David Chekouras

December 22, 2011 Page 6

The cards have been deliberately and methodically stacked against us.

You gave up your last weapon without a fight. You didnt even notice that they came and took it from your hands. You voted for them and cheer them on to this day. During October of 2005 the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 went into effect with conservative corporate and banker backing. The result: You lost the right to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. That protection allowed you to stave off creditor predators and submit your plan to pay your bills for the approval of a court of law. Some people can still file Chapter 11. Those people whose secured debts of well over $1,000,000.00, for example, can file Chapter 11. Even religions can file Chapter 11 to escape paying damages from convictions for pedophilia. Not you though. When the plant closed, you couldnt make the payments on your pick-up any more. Same for the house now. The job creators, who closed the plant , where you got the money for the payments, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Not you though. You lost your job, pick-up and soon the house, but you cant file Chapter 11. If corporations are people, arent people corporations too? If you had kept your financial weapon of Chapter 11 protection, you wouldnt have a financial crisis. During the run up to the passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, all of the finance lobbyists were out in force. Banks and financial corporations knew that this bill would pass. They paid for passage. Who was lobbying for you to keep the right to Chapter 11? Nobody. The path was cleared and financial institutions gave mortgages to anyone who asked. If you had kept your Chapter 11 weapon, banks and finance companies wouldnt have been able to make reckless loans. Now, you pay both ways. Whatever you have left goes to keep the pick-up and the house, plus bailing out the banksters with your hard earned tax money. The common man deserves his last financial weapon back.

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December 22, 2011 Page 7

Letters
Senator Dr. Pam Galloways Prescription
Under the BadgerCare cuts, supported by Senator Dr. Galloway, people now have to pay much more out of pocket to cover common treatments, such as mammograms. Thats not fair!

I hope that all members of the international community agree on a responsible and credible response to this worrisome and complex phenomenon, taking into account the needs of the poorest and future generations.
--Pope Benedict XVI at the UN Climate Change Conference

Last week I went to a small business establishment here in Marathon County. The owner, self employed and hard working, is in crisis. She has exhausted almost all health insurance coverage with previous breast cancer treatment. She works hard from dawn to dusk trying to earn money to pay medical bills from cancer treatment. Two medical credit agencies phone her constantly trying to get her to pay more even suggesting she max out her credit cards. Her bills are piling up. She cant sleep and is always stressed. No one should have to suffer like this. On top of it all, she continues to need breast cancer treatment. The treatments she must endure are horrible. Making matters worse, her husband is being treated for a heart condition. Under Dr. Galloways cuts to BadgerCare, this small business owner, and her family, will no longer be able to afford insurance. They will be forced to go to the ER. Increased ER visits will increase insurance premiums for the rest of the policy holders and will put more demand on our taxes. Thats not right! Contact Senator Dr. Galloway and ask her to keep BadgerCare funding for citizens who need it. If she continues to support BaderCare cuts call 715-817-6583 and ask to sign a recall petition. Joyce Chekouras
(This letter was originally published in the Wausau Daily Herald)

Letters continued on next page

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Middle Wisconsin News Information Technology Solutions Letters Continued . . .

Our Sacred Right To Vote

December 22, 2011 Page 8

Act 23, the Voter/Photo ID law in place for 2012 has many aspects that will hinder our most sacred right--the right to vote. This law will make it more difficult for all of us to be equals in the poll booth. It will undermine the very pillar of democracy. 1. The voter will need to have a Voter/Photo ID. 23% of Wisconsin voters ages 65 and older lack a state ID. Half of Wisconsins African-American and Latino voters in Wisconsin do not have a state ID. This Voter ID needs to be obtained by going to a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. People will have to travel many miles to a DMV office and many have limited hours. I recently went to a DMV office. The wait was at least two hours. The waiting room was filled to capacity. How will the disabled and/or elderly be able to maneuver through the obstacles at the DMV especially if they do not have someone to assist them? A recent article in the Capital Times gave an example of a 101 year old woman and the obstacles she had to go through to receive her Voter ID. Another example was a young man who had all the needed documents to obtain the Voter ID but was refused because he did not have enough activity in his checking account. This is just unimaginable that this is happening in Wisconsin.

If an elephant has its foot on a mouse and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.
---Desmond Tutu

A more recent article in the Wausau Daily Herald (12/6/2011) about 84-year-old, Ruthelle Frank, highlights the egregious hurdles Act 23 puts in place. Ruthelle Frank is an elected official of the Village of Brokaw, but she does not have a drivers license. Two of the hurdles she faces in getting the Photo ID are the cost of getting a certified birth certificate and the cost ($200) of having the spelling of her maiden name corrected. The more heinous issue of Act 23 is the hurdles/obstacles Ruthelle Frank, and many, many others, have to go through to obtain the appropriate documents (and there are many!), get to the DMV (What if they dont drive?), and obtaining help with this nefarious law. (What if they dont have family/friends to help?) 2. To obtain a Voter ID, a person must pay to obtain a certified birth certificate. This birth certificate will cost the person at least $20.00. This is a form of a poll tax which is unconstitutional. Some have had to wait eight weeks to receive the birth certificate.

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Middle Wisconsin News Information Technology Solutions Letters Continued . . .

3. A new residency requirement is also in place that will further hinder the voter. Now the person needs to have lived in the municipality where he or she will vote for 28 days. Will that person go back to the previous municipality to vote especially if that person cant drive? 4. College and university students along with technical students will also face barriers in voting.

December 22, 2011 Page 9

The economy of the future will be based on relationships rather than possessions.
--John Perry Barlow cyberspace theorist

5. People who vote by absentee ballot, especially the elderly and disabled, will also face obstacles. If they have a Voter ID, they will need to include a photo copy of this. What if they dont drive? Cullen Werwie, Governor Walkers spokesman, stated: We already require it (a photo ID) to get a library card, cold medicine, and public assistance. I disagree with him on these points: 1. I have never had to show a Photo ID to get a library card! All I needed was proof that I resided in the given county of the library. 2. I have never had to show a Photo ID to buy cold medicine. 3. The only time I have ever had to show my ID is when I write a check. 4. The bigger issue concerning Cullen Werwies remarks is this: In the above examples he is talking about using or buying a service which is totally different from participating in the voting process--our most sacred right. Does the reader see the obstacles put in place for the most vulnerable in our state by Act 23? Can you really say this is okay to put up barriers for people to vote? Is this the kind of government you want for this state: A government that puts up road blocks to voting? What will be next? For lack of space, I cannot fully explain all the deterrents and complexities of Act 23. I suggest you go to the GAB website: http://gab.wi.gov for more information. I urge you to assist people who do not have a Photo ID. I urge you to report any incidences of obstacles/hindrances to the voting process to the League of Women Voters:www.lwvwi.org Joyce Luedke

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December 22, 2011 Page 10

How Democrats and Progressives Can Win

A Report on the Concepts of Dr. George Lakoff
By Virginia Kirsch

1. Unite and reclaim patriotism. 2. Learn how to frame all issues from a Democratic/Progressive point of view. 3. Know your progressive values: empathy, responsibility, strength, protection, fair ness, fulfillment, freedom, opportunity, prosperity, community, service, cooperation, trust, honesty and open communication. 4. Use language and framing that works for your position. Do not use Republican terms such as tax relief or compassionate conservative. 5. Liberals in all religions should be active in politics. 6. Understand how a Strict Father model is shaping politics. 7. Activate the Nurturant model in swing voters.

The global information and communication revolutions decimated nation-state boundaries just as the cannon once toppled the city-state walls of the feudal era.
---Jeremy Rifkin
THE EUROPEAN DREAM

What does Dr. Lakoff mean by reframing? When you are talking with a Republican about tax relief, you say that taxes are investments that provide dividends to all of us, such as the interstate highway system, the internet, and medical advances. Taxes are investments in people, in business and in a better future for everyone. When you hear a Republican say we need a strong President to protect us, you talk about environmental protection, worker protection, consumer protection, and protection through Medicare and Social Security. Democrats have delivered and supported these protections. When you hear someone say they are against abortion, you reframe the issue by saying the issue is really womens right to control their own lives. If you are pro-life, you are in favor of pre- and post- natal care, and health insurance for poor children. When you hear someone say that same-sex marriage will undermine family life, you say that marriage is affirming love in a long-term commitment. Love and commitment are sacred in our country. For further details, go to www.winwithlanguage.com

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December 22, 2011

Middle Wisconsin News

Senator Galloways Robin Hood in Reverse Voting Weakens Wisconsin
By John Spiegelhoff The State of Wisconsin is a much darker place today since Senator Galloway was elected. Her give to the rich, take from the poor, working and middle class approach to government, attacks the very core of what makes Wisconsin a great place to live. Those of us who work to support our families and strengthen our communities are under attack by Senator Galloway and her corporate backers. Clearly, Senator Galloways and Governor Walkers reforms are not working for Wisconsin. Consider the following:

Page 11

Senator Galloway raised taxes on those least able to afford it. She and her like-minded colleagues gutted Wisconsins Homestead Credit and Earned Income Credit Acts. These laws were originally intended to provide tax exemptions for those of limited means so they would have more disposable income to spend in our communities and reduce dependency on social safety-net programs such as Food Stamps and BadgerCare. Senator Galloways changes to the tax exemptions took 70 million dollars away from our citizens and local economies.

Senator Galloway reduced our investment in our children and adults education programs by cutting more than 2 billion dollars from our public K-12 schools, Technical Colleges and Universities. She distorts the effects of school budget cuts in order to minimize the damages done by her budget vote. See the actual damage done to your schools: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/pb/1113_budget.html

Senator Galloway stripped workers of their ability to provide for their families by reducing their compensation by nearly 1 billion dollars. These dollars will be missed by Main Street businesses and their employees. And what did Senator Galloway and her political cronies do with the money they took from working people, schools and local governments? They gave away over 2 billion dollars in special interest spending to their corporate donors and supporters while telling us Wisconsin was broke! Senator Galloways budget priorities are truly a Robin Hood in Reverse which harms our communities. See:http://www.wisconsinbudgetproject.org/tax_cuts_increases_budget_bill_2011.pdf] But Senator Galloway didnt stop with giving away our tax money.

She made it difficult for elderly and students to vote in next years elections. She claims the Voter ID law was necessary because of voter fraud, but in the last Presidential Election there were only eight prosecuted cases of election fraud in Wisconsin. Our right to vote is fundamental to Wisconsin. Her vote is contrary to Wisconsin values demanding free and open elections. Her support for Voter ID is self-serving. It seeks to maintain her Senate seat and protect her rich, out-of-state donors.

Senator Galloway, and her corporate friends, are attacking health care for the working poor. They propose to: 1. Raise BadgerCare family premiums by 700% 2. Disqualify people from basic health care protection for a year if they miss a payment and 3. Redefine financial eligibility to include all individuals living under one roof.

The changes will eliminate over 65,000 people from BadgerCare. Emergency Room use will skyrocket driving up health insurance premiums for the rest of us. Senator Galloway and her colleagues have not improved our community or our lives. The opposite is true. These are dark times for Wisconsin unless you are wealthy, or a big corporate CEO with loads of dollars siphoned from taxpayers. The Koch Brothers and their friends must be very proud of her. Im sure they will reward her with large amounts of corporate money. The only thing standing in the way of her giving to the rich and taking from the poor, working and middle class is us. Sign a Recall Galloway petition and elect someone else to effectively represent us who has the right priorities.

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December 22, 2011 Page 12

The Literary Page

A Poem by Tom Neale

There are rare moments in history when a generation of human beings are given a new gift with which to rearrange their relationship to one another and the world around them. This is SUCH a MOMENT. We are being given the power of the sun! Hydrogen is a promissory note for humanitys future on Earth. --Jeremy Rifkin THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

TERRORISM
for the children

The vicious cycle of screaming jets and screaming jets begins again. For all the talk about precision, aerial bombardment is a crap shoot; with ten civilians killed for every active combatant. Industrial warfare as social control terror spread far and wide by those who call any sort of resistance to their sovereignty from above terrorism. Bobble headed journalists concur, the defiance of the impoverished terrorism. A powerless anger washes through me. Thugs have their fingers on the trigger. The change salesman stands mute. The fading oil boy follows the foreign policy tradition of sitting on his well manicured hands. Feigning concern, feigning neutrality they both know that terror is a necessary, unspoken pillar of empire.

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December 22, 2011 Page 13

Recipes
Fudge 3/4 c. Margarine 2/3 c. (5 1/3 oz. can) Evaporated Milk 3 c. Sugar

1 (12 oz.) pkg. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 1 (7 oz.) jar Marshmallow Creme 1 tsp. Vanilla Combine sugar, margarine & milk in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 5 minutes stirring constantly-important. After 5 minutes are up, remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow creme & vanilla. Blend well until everything is melted and of a smooth consistency. Pour into well-greased 13x9 pan and cool at room temperature. Cut into squares. Makes approximately 3 pounds of yummy fudge.

Submitted by Kim Rantanen Day

2011Middle

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December 22, 2011 Page 14

Recipes Continued . . .
Tortellini Soup
2Tbsp. Olive Oil 2oz. Bacon or pancetta finely diced 1 med. Onion. Chopped 3 cloves Garlic minced 1 (49 1/2 oz.) can Chicken Broth 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1 (9oz.) pkg. Cheese Tortellini 1 (28 oz.) can crushed Tomatoes in puree 8 oz. fresh Spinach, rinsed, stemmed, & chopped Meatballs ( 1/4 to 1/2 pkg) frozen ready-made Salt & Pepper to taste 1 c. freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat. bacon, cook until crisp, add onion, cook until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Add broth & Italian seasoning bring to a boil & simmer for 5 min. Cook tortellini according to pkg. directions & drain. Add tortellini to soup mixture, stir in tomatoes & simmer 5 mins. Add thawed meat balls & simmer additional 10 mins. Add spinach and cook just until wilted, season with salt & pepper, garnish with cheese. Submitted by Kim Rantanen Day

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December 22, 2011 Page 15

A Public Statement to Representative Sean Duffy

Link to the current list of legislators who have signed the Pledge Of Allegiance to Grover Norquist and the Wealthy for Whom He Stands, thus abdicating their oath of office and pledge of allegiance to the people of America
http://s3.amazonaws.com/ atrfiles/files/files/072911federalpledgesigners.pdf

Congressman Sean Duffy 208 Grand Avenue Wausau, WI 54401 December 19, 2011 Dear Congressman Duffy, In the past several weeks we have received surveys directed at senior citizens from you concerning Medicare and Social Security, and the US Postal Service. Although we applaud your efforts to seek the opinions of your constituents, we feel that the questions you have asked and the way in which they were worded left us unable to express our true thoughts and concerns about these vital programs. Additionally, there are many other issues impacting the lives of average Americans that you have not asked about, and we feel it is time that all legislators set their personal ideologies aside and begin asking people about these matters. Attached you will find the first in a series of surveys we will be sending to you that we feel is more representative of the questions that are truly being asked by average people and that we feel you should be sending to all of your constituents. We will be releasing these surveys publicly so that people are aware that you have received them. We are all hoping to see a return to the democracy of, by, and for the people that we previously had before moneyed interests took control of our government. Sincerely, Dave Svetlik Virginia Kirsch Judith Rose Joyce Leudke Informed And Involved Citizens

See Survey # 1 On Next Page

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Concerns For Our Democracy Survey #1 For Congressman Sean Duffy

1. Do you feel that the financial inequality in America, now at the levels preceding the Great Depression, is a serious threat to our democracy? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 2. Do you feel that the deregulation of the financial sector that caused the 2008 economic collapse should be corrected by reinstating strict regulations on this industry such as the Glass-Steagall Act prohibiting commercial banks from collaborating in the investment banking that destroyed our economy? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 3. Do you feel that the illegal, unethical behavior of the Wall Street Bankers that caused the 2008 financial collapse should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 4. Do you feel that hedge fund managers, many of whom make millions or even billions of dollars per year should continue to be taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rate while ordinary Americans are required to pay 20 to 30 percent? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 5. Do you feel there should be a financial transaction tax to limit the high speed computer trading of stocks that has turned investing into a casino game that can only be won by the largest banks and investment firms and is now destroying average Americans? Yes___ No____ Unsure____ 6. Do you feel that corporate CEOs should be paid 300 to 400 times as much as average employees? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 7. Do you feel that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that are the single greatest cause of government debt should be canceled immediately? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 8. Do you feel that corporate taxes and progressive taxes on the wealthy should be returned to the levels that existed at the time of President Reagan? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 9. Do you feel that the lack of corporate taxes and progressive taxes on the wealthy is now the single greatest job killer because the resulting financial inequality has removed so much purchasing power from average people that there is no longer sufficient demand to sustain a viable economy? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 10. Do you feel that those legislators that abdicated their oath of office to the American people by signing the Pledge of Allegiance to Grover Norquist and the Wealthy for Whom He Stands should be required to publicly revoke their allegiance to Norquist and publicly restate their allegiance to the American people? Yes____ No____ Unsure____

Please feel free to copy and mail completed survey to: Congressman Sean Duffy 208 Grand Ave Wausau, WI 54401

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December 22, 2011 Page 17

CHALLENGING THE MYTH...

And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposedif all records told the same tale then the lie passed into history and became the truth. George Orwell, 1984 (published in 1949)

Maybe The Government Does Create Jobs

By Dave Svetlik

How betrayed many baby boomers like me must feel to learn that they were lied to by their parents and grandparents and even their history teachers. Well I remember the stories we were told about how the government founded the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corp to create thousands of jobs for people left unemployed in the aftermath of the Great Depression. How upsetting to now learn that the government cant create jobs and that these stories were just lies in some sort of socialist plot to take away our freedoms. And that municipal welfare recipient who drove the snowplow past my house at 4:30 this morning is just another example of big government taking over my life. The guy should be thrown out on the street and told to go find a job. Thank God for hedge fund managers and their credit default swappy things and exotic financial instrument stuff. Those guys really work for a living. Not like those lazy cops and firemen who just leach off all of us and need to go stand in line next to the snowplow guy and find a job. And I know that on average each of the top 25 hedge fund managers make over a billion dollars a year (more than all of the public school teachers at $50,000 plus benefits in Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, and St Paul combined), but those hedge fund guys have a job and actually work for a living. And those swappy things and instruments create real jobs. Good thing these guys are only taxed at 15% or theyd quit working for all of us. Ayn Rand told us these things. And even though she was a religion hating, married partner sex swapping atheist, she knew.1 God wants it to be every man for himself. Its the only way well get all these government employees off welfare and out on the street and actually working for once. And while were at it, we need to privatize everything the government does. Those corporate CEOs who make over 300 times what average employees earn, know how to do things right. They could make a profit off criminals instead of coddling them like public cops. Some of these public workers are actually dumb enough to think that we should try to rehabilitate lawbreakers. Private throw-away-the-key prisons are the only way to go. And if a few houses burned down because lazy people didnt pay for fire protection, things would finally get better. And we should sell off all public buildings too. If we sold the capitol in Madison to real estate developers, things would start to happen. We could keep an office in it for Governor Walker because he knows how to work with corporations to get stuff done and throw out those lazy bum senators who ran off to Illinois. Once they saw we were on the right track, the Koch brothers might be decent enough to put in a water slide or something under the dome. This would create real jobs cleaning pools and bathrooms. Maybe some other private sector people would put in some nice chain restaurants on the second floor and create good waitress and busboy jobs. And if we can continue to get rid of those stupid child labor laws we can have 5 and 6 year olds who dont fit in scrub urinals for a year or two. Set em on the right track. And since the capitol would no longer be a public building, we would be done with all those lazy out of state hippie protestors. And, thanks to the good senator from Wausau, Dr. Pam Galloway, having all the paying customers carrying concealed 357 Magnums wont hurt either. But the real frosting on the cake is that Dr. Galloway also made it legal for us to buy alcohol earlier in morning. We can start the day off at the water slide with our kids while slugging a few shots of brandy. Were finally getting back to good Christian values. There are lots of good things profit makers are trying to do to help get people back to work, but the first thing we need to do is get teachers and cops and firemen and snowplow drivers and their ilk off the public dole and out into the private sector working at a real job. Merry Christmas.

http://www.alternet.org/story/153454/how_ayn_rand

December 22, 2011

Middle Wisconsin News

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Survey Analysis Continued From Page 4

My Observation: The 1,213 number is in total, not just teachers, but includes all four staff positions. It also does not include retirements. Many of the new teacher hires were a direct result of the retirements. If you factor the 4,581 retirements, there were actually 3,368 less positions at the school districts that responded. They singled out the Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Janesville layoffs indicating that they didnt adopt the reforms. However, there was no question that asked that question. How many other districts did not do the same? Some could not because of contracts that were in place that covered the current school year. Being able to sort the data by this important question could provide interesting data. I calculated the teacher layoffs to be 67%. They had a math error in their calculation. They also indicate that these three districts contain 12.8% of the students. This must be the entire state, not just the districts who answered the survey. However, these districts represent 17.1% of the students of the districts who answered the survey. Because of its size and the extraordinarily high numbers of teacher layoffs, the inclusion of Milwaukee skews these statistics greatly. It has three times as many students as Madison, the second largest district. Milwaukee accounted for 51% of the teacher layoffs of the districts responding to the survey. If you take the top 10 responding districts in enrollment and exclude Milwaukee, these nine districts account for 21% of the students but only 19% of the teacher layoffs. Also, the non-Milwaukee responding districts account for 87% of the students but only 49% of the teacher layoffs. Interestingly, the non-Milwaukee districts had 95% of the teacher retirements and 99% of the new teacher hires. Question 2 If you have fewer administrators this year, indicate the positions lost with a check mark. They listed: Principal, Asst. Principal, Curriculum Director, Assessment Coordinator, and Other (specify). Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: Principals 23, Asst. Principals 15, Curriculum Directors 11, Assessment Coordinators 5, Other 45. These are not the number of positions lost. They are the number of districts that checked a particular position. Among the cited other positions lost were Special Education Directors (6 responded), athletic directors, technology directors, and pupil services. There were also some that indicated a reduction in hours. Question 3 Overall, did you increase class sizes in grades K-3 in 2011-2012? Per the Press Release: 75% of districts have the same K-3 class sizes or are decreasing them. My Observation: Districts have made the choice to have minimal effect on the elementary school students. See the results of question #8. Also, the question did not have a decrease option. Therefore, it should not be in the statement. This is an example of where the NA responses were included in both portions of the fraction. The fraction is actually 74% when removing these. Question 4 Overall, did you increase class sizes in grades 4-6 in 2011-2012? Per the Press Release: 67% of districts for grades 4-6 are keeping the same class size or decreasing them. My Observation: Districts have made the choice to have minimal effect on the elementary school students. See the results of question #8. Also, the question did not have a decrease option. Therefore, it should not be in the statement. This is an example of where the NA responses were included in both portions of the fraction. The fraction is actually 66% when removing these.

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December 22, 2011

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Survey Analysis Continued . . .

Question 5 Were there increases in student fees? Per the Press Release: 78% of districts are keeping student fees the same or decreasing them. My Observation: Districts define student fees differently. Some may include participation fees for athletics or other extracurricular activities as a student fee while others may not. Another question should have asked if there was an increase participation fees for athletics and other extracurricular activities. Also, the question did not have a decrease option. Therefore, it should not be in the statement. Question 6 Were sports programs reduced or eliminated? If yes, please identify the sports that were reduced or eliminated. Per the Press Release: 92% of districts are keeping sports programs the same or expanding them. My Observation: Increased participation fees may have kept the sports programs from being reduced or eliminated. Many schools have booster clubs who may be helping fund these activities. Also, the question did not have a expand option. Therefore, it should not be in the statement. Question 7 Were other extracurricular programs reduced or eliminated? If yes, please identify the programs. Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: 92% of districts are keeping other extracurricular programs. Again, as with sports programs, are there additional participation fees to keep these from being reduced or eliminated? Question 8 For Each area below, indicate if overall there were staff reductions for the 2011-12 school year. If you do not offer the program or service, mark not applicable (NA). They then list 12 areas (Technology support, Library/Media Center, Social work, Guidance, Psychology, Gifted and Talented, Special Education, At Risk programs/services, Drug & Alcohol Abuse programs, Early Childhood (4K, Head Start), English-Language Learner programs, Reading Coordination). Per the Press Release: The press release listed something similar to 89% of school districts have the same number or increased the number of technology support staff for all 12 of these areas. The percentages ranged from 73% to 96%. My Observation: While they throw out a large number of statistics with large numbers, I find the summary statistics for these categories more telling than the detail by area. Of the 350 districts that reported having at least one of these 12 areas, 237 (68%) reported a decrease in at least one of the areas listed, 151 (43%) of which reported a decrease in more than one area. Nine districts reported decreases in six or more areas. While no specific area was dramatically cut statewide, school districts made some choices of what cuts for 2011-2012 they needed to make based on their individual school district. Also, the question did not have an increase option. Therefore, it should not be in the statement. This is another example of where the NA responses were included in both portions of the fraction.

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December 22, 2011

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Survey Analysis Continued . . .

Question 9 For the 2011-12 school year, is your district using federal stimulus dollars ("Education Jobs") to deal with budget shortfalls? Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: 50% of the districts who responded to the question responded yes. When this is not around next year, the cuts will only be deeper. Question 10 For each area below, indicate if your district eliminated sections, eliminated course offerings, or increased class sizes in the areas listed for the 2011-12 school year by marking YES or NO for each choice. Then indicate the grade levels affected by marking the appropriate spaces. They then list 12 areas (Advanced Placement, Vocational/technical, Art, Music/Band/Orchestra, Family/Consumer Ed, Physical Education, Business Education, Foreign Languages, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies). Per the Press Release: As with question #8, the press release listed something similar to 96% of school districts have the same number or increased the number of AP sections, 98% of school districts have the same number or increased the number of AP courses, and 89% of school districts have their AP class sizes stay the same or decrease for all 12 of these areas. There were three items per area (eliminate sections, eliminate course offerings, increase class sizes) for a total of 36 separate items listed as a response to this question. The percentages ranged from 77% to 99%. The press release did not address the fourth area (indicated the grade levels affected). My Observation: As with question #8, while they throw out a large number of statistics with large numbers, I find the summary statistics for these categories more telling than the detail by area. Eliminated Sections: Of the 345 districts that reported having at least one of these 12 areas, 184 (53%) reported they eliminated a sections in one or more of the areas, 133 (39%) of which reported eliminating sections in more than one area. 23 districts (7%) reported eliminating sections in six or more areas. Eliminated Course Offerings: Of the 345 districts that reported having at least one of these 12 areas, 106 (31%) reported they eliminated a course offering in one or more of the areas, 49 (14%) of which reported eliminating course offerings in more than one area. Increased Class Sizes: Of the 345 districts that reported having at least one of these 12 areas, 154 (45%) reported they increased class sizes in one or more of the areas, 122 (35%) of which reported increasing class sizes in more than one area. 55 districts (16%) reported increasing class sizes in six or more areas. Indicate the grade levels affected: Any information that was entered on the individual survey responses was not entered with the raw data. Therefore, no conclusions could be drawn related to this. However, the areas listed are primarily middle and high school level areas that have more elective opportunities which would be eligible for cuts. As with question #8, while no specific area was dramatically cut statewide, school districts made some choices of what cuts for 2011-2012 they needed to make based on their individual school district. The results shown here coupled with the responses to questions 3 and 4 relating to class sizes for K-3 and 4-6, increased class sizes is a reality for the middle and high school grades. This is another example of where the NA responses were included in both portions of the fraction.

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December 22, 2011

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Survey Analysis Continued . . .

Question 11 For the 2012-13 school year, does your district anticipate cuts in staff will be greater, about the same, or less than 2011-2012? There was also a spot to check for Dont Know. Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: Of the 347 districts who answered this question: Greater - 114 (33%) Same - 118 (34%) Less - 45 (13%) Don't Know - 70 (20%) The question itself was so poorly written that drawing conclusions from the above results is hard for a couple of reasons. First, it assumes that all districts will be making staffing cuts for 2012-13. If you do not anticipate cuts or actually anticipate staffing increases, how do you answer this? Second, by reading the question, you could interpret this as 80% know there will be cuts (33% will be greater than last year, 34% will be the same, and 13% will be less than last year). Many of the things that I read from various school districts indicated that the cuts would be worse the second year. When 67% of the respondents indicate they anticipate the staff cuts for 2012-13 to be the same or greater (interpreting the question literally), those fears are confirmed. Question 12 What is the official enrollment of your district during the 2010-2011 school year? Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: The respondents ranged from 67 students (Washington Island) to 80,934 (Milwaukee), Question 13 Any comments about this survey or about your districts educational or financial status? Per the Press Release: There was no response in the press release. My Observation: They were not on the spreadsheet either. These would be interesting to read. Other Observations: Early on, Kaukauna was cited as a district that turned a sizable deficit into a surplus with the tools given them. In looking at their response for question #1 regarding staffing, they had a net loss, including retirements of 26 positions (18 teachers, 6 aides, 3 support staff with an increase of 1 administrative position). When asked about using federal stimulus dollars, they also responded yes. Waukesha School District did not respond. This is the district where the school board member that appears in the Governors ad telling us that he gave them options is from. Among other large districts that did not respond were Oshkosh, West Allis, Elmbrook, Sun Prairie, Beloit, Middleton-Cross Plains, Chippewa Falls, and Marshfield. The Monona Grove School District responses do not correspond to the claims by the teacher in the most recent ad for the Governor. The district is on record refuting his statements. In looking at their response for question #1 regarding staffing, they had a net loss,
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December 22, 2011

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Survey Analysis Continued . . .

including retirements of 9.5 positions (6 teachers, 1 aide, 1.5 support staff and 1 administrative position). When asked about using federal stimulus dollars, they also responded yes. For questions #3 & #4 regarding increased class sizes for K-3 and 4-6, they responded yes for both. For question #10 regarding increased class sizes, they reported increases in 6 of the 12 areas noted. There were some questions that should have been asked that could have made this survey more complete and provide meaningful information. Among them are:

1. Did your district adopt the reforms enacted by the state earlier this year? If no, why not? 2. When does your current union contract expire? Were these extended prior to the effective date of the state reforms? 3. Did participation fees for sports programs increase, decrease, or remain the same? 4. Did participation fees for other extracurricular activities increase, decrease, or remain the same? 5. For 2012-13, do you expect your staffing to increase, decrease, or stay the same as 2011-12? If you expect a decrease, does your district anticipate cuts in staff will be greater, about the same, or less than 2011-2012? 6. For 2012-13, do you expect the number of course sections offered to increase, decrease, or remain the same as 2011-12? For 2012-13, do you expect the course offerings to increase, decrease or remain the same as 2011-12? It appears that the methodology of analyzing the results of the survey was hastily put together. How else to you explain the simple calculation errors that occurred as I noted earlier? I believe I did more analyzing of the data than those who were actually paid to do this job. I also believe the press release listing of over 50 line items with large percentages was done to deceive the public about the true issues surrounding the staffing, course selections, and class sizes. Conclusion: Without a question asking if the district adopted the reforms, a conclusion that the reforms are working cannot be drawn. In order to know if the reforms are indeed working, the data collected would have to be segregated between those that adopted the reforms and those that did not so a comparison can be made. The numbers provided above, when looked at as one group, do not support the assertion that the reforms are working. The reduction in staff, programs, and course offerings, coupled with the increased class sizes cannot be beneficial for the students.

2011Middle W is c ons in