First he led the Birther Movement, then called Mexican immigrants “rapists”, now his failed COVID-19 response destroyed the economic progress since the great recession.

WISCONSIN -- Trump launched his political career by pushing the outrageous conspiracy theory that Barack Obama, the first Black president, was not born in the United States. It was merely a preview of what would come later. Trump announced his presidential campaign by railing against Mexican immigrants as “rapists”, and his tenure in the White House has been punctuated by praise for neo-Nazis in Charlottesville as “very fine people” and by violence against anti-racism protests in front of the White House.  

Trump was handed a booming economy by the Obama-Biden administration, which included record low unemployment for people of color since the great recession. But Trump’s failed COVID-19 response destroyed that progress. Now, both African-American and Hispanic unemployment is nearly 20%, nearly triple the African American unemployment and quadruple the Hispanic unemployment when Obama and Biden left office in January 2017. The coronavirus itself has devastated communities of color, with Black Wisconsinites nearly three-times as likely to die from the pandemic. 

After hundreds of millions of dollars in the first round of PPP funding went into the pockets of giant corporations, as well as Trump’s donors and golfing partners, the second round had a portion allocated for Black-owned businesses. However, these entrepreneurs still struggled to get the funds they needed to sustain their businesses. 

“As communities of color continue to suffer under Trump’s failed leadership, he is using his time to push 1960s segregationist rallying cries, belittling protestors, and doing everything to distract from the lack of meaningful solutions from his administration,” Democratic party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman said. “After pushing obscene birther conspiracy theories, Trump destroyed the livelihoods of millions of people of color with a failed coronavirus response. Trump has systematically sowed disunity with his racist policies and rhetoric. When we elect Joe Biden to be the next president, we know he will be a voice for everyone, and will work to empower those who have been harmed by systemic racism.”

TMJ4: Closing the wealth and poverty gaps for African American communities
When it comes to wealth and poverty in Wisconsin, African Americans face enormous difficulties in both categories...A study by the Federal Reserve Board says the median net worth for white families is about $134,000. For African American families, it's just $11,000...Layoffs can have a direct impact on poverty. In Milwaukee County, 33.6 percent of African Americans live in poverty. It's more than three times higher than their white counterparts (10.8 percent in poverty).

Politico: Missing data veils coronavirus damage to minority communities
“There's no doubt moving forward that our more marginalized communities will be affected the hardest by any spike that we see,” said Ben Weston, health director for Milwaukee County. “And there's also no doubt that we're going to see a spike.” That Wisconsin county, which declared racism a public health emergency last year, was one of the few to break down coronavirus data by race and ethnicity early on. Black people make up 27 percent of the population but 46 percent of the deaths. More recently, cases among the county’s Latino population have surpassed those among African Americans — Latinos now make up 35 percent of cases but 15 percent of the population.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Maps show ZIP codes with highest percentage of people at risk of severe complications from COVID-19
That variation has been seen in Milwaukee County, where the pandemic has disproportionately affected first African American communities and now Latino communities. In all, Milwaukee County has more seven ZIP codes where 35% or more of the adults are at severe risk of complications.

Over 900 jobs to be lost as Verso plans to shutter paper mill in Wisconsin Rapids.

WISCONSIN -- After crushing Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector with multiple trade wars, Trump’s failed Coronavirus response is adding to the damage. It was recently announced that Verso, which produces paper, will be shutting down its Wisconsin Rapids factory as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read the full story here or parts of it below.

Wisconsin State Journal: Over 900 jobs to be lost as Verso plans to shutter paper mill in Wisconsin Rapids

The state’s paper industry has suffered another debilitating blow, this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Verso Papers announced Tuesday it would shutter its mill in Wisconsin Rapids by the end of July, putting more than 900 people out of work. The Ohio-based company also said it would close its mill in Duluth, Minnesota, by the end of June, a move that would eliminate about 235 jobs.

In a statement, the company said it is “exploring viable and sustainable alternatives” for both mills, including restarting the facilities if market conditions improve or closing them permanently and putting them up for sale.

[...]

The decision to close the two mills is driven by “the accelerated decline in graphic paper demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the company said. Stay-at-home orders have “significantly” reduced the use of print advertising including in retail, sports, entertainment and tourism. According to industry estimates, North American printing and writing demand fell by 38% year-over-year in April, and operating rates are expected to drop well below 70% in the second quarter. Verso also operates mills in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Quinessec, just north of Niagra, Wisconsin, and in Escanaba.

The mill in Wisconsin Rapids is the city’s largest employer and has been a staple along the Wisconsin River since 1904. The loss of jobs will be felt throughout central Wisconsin, Mayor Shane Blaser told the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune.

“During a time when so many have so little, with COVID-19 impacting our health and wealth, this news is even more devastating,” Blaser said. “My heart goes out to each and every one of these employees and their families.”

[...]

The state is now home to 35 pulp, paper and paperboard mills that produce $13.7 billion in product annually, according to the WPC.

Wisconsin Economic Development Secretary Missy Hughes said state officials “understand the importance of the paper industry,” which has an estimated $18 billion economic impact in Wisconsin.

[...]

In 2017, Appleton Coated in Combined Locks filed for receivership, closed, was sold and restarted some manufacturing but only about 150 of the company’s 620 employees were called back that year. In 2018, Kimberly-Clark, founded in 1870 in Neenah but now based in Dallas, Texas, cut about 5,500 jobs worldwide, about 13 percent of its workforce. Less than two weeks later, it announced plans to eliminate about 600 jobs in the Fox River Valley.

[...]

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http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-tariffs-s5.jpgDonald Trump's failures as a President and leader coming home to roost on the economy.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/george-floyd-protest-eau-claire-s5.jpgWe still have a lot of work ahead of us to address systemic racism and injustice, and it will take a collective effort to achieve equality.

Democrats comment on Trump's disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic pain caused by his lack of leadership, and the violence against peaceful protesters he encouraged.

WISCONSIN - This week Wisconsin Democrats continued to hold Trump accountable for his disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has cost over 113,000 Americans lives and millions of jobs, his attacks on the health care system, and his divisive and racist rhetoric in response to the national protests taking place in small and large cities across Wisconsin and the United States.

On Monday, an op-ed by Gary Mitchell, president of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, highlighted how Trump’s handling of the Coronavirus, as well as his attacks on the Affordable Care Act, have put seniors in a perilous situation. Mitchell argues that “America’s seniors — and all who love them — desperately need President Trump and Republicans to end their assault on America’s health care.” -- and he’s right. For years Trump has promised to lower health care and prescription drug costs, but even in the midst of a pandemic he refuses to help people hold onto or get the care they need.

Just a few days later, DNC Chairman Tom Perez, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, State Representative Greta Neubauer, AFL-CIO State Treasurer Dennis Delie, and farmer and business owner Tina Hinchley blasted Trump for destroying the booming economy he was handed by the Obama-Biden administration. The speakers highlighted that while a great deal of the economic pain came from Trump’s failure to address the COVID-19 pandemic, his disastrous trade wars as well as the tax-scam bill he passed hurt working class Wisconsinites far before the virus came to the United States.

Black leaders like Rep. Moore, Democratic Party of Wisconsin 1st Vice Chair Felesia Martin, and Milwaukee Alderman Chevy Johnson called out Trump for his racist rhetoric that has been a keystone of his presidency. Recently, Trump has encouraged violence against peaceful protesters, bemoaned army bases having their names changed from Confederate generals, and has used a segregationist rallying cry to further divide the country.

Trump continues to fail Wisconsinites, and they will continue to hold him accountable until he is voted out of office on November 3rd.

MADISON - We’re living in a historic moment.

We’re witnessing the biggest mass movement in this country in the last 50 years. And from studying history, we know that progressive mass movements are what propel positive change in this country.

I reflected on this moment, and this movement, in a talk I gave by Zoom to the Rock County Progressives last night:

On Racism, Voter Suppression, and Democracy

We also posted something on the political spending by police unions. They were split about evenly, but the Milwaukee Police Association gave overwhelmingly to Republican candidates, as we note here:

Police Groups, Unions Spent $2.3M on Lobbying and Elections

On the gerrymandering front, I noticed that Scott Jensen is up to his old tricks again. He’s filed a request with his pals at the Wisconsin Supreme Court urging them to take up any lawsuits that might arise during the redistricting process next year. It’s a preemptive strike, as I explain here:

Scott Jensen Tries to “Pre-Rig” Redistricting

I hope you find these postings to be of interest.

Have a nice weekend, and join a protest if you can.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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MILWAUKEE - We welcome Mark Thomsen, the attorney for Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown, to discuss critical lessons from Sterling Brown’s legal case against the Milwaukee Police and what they teach us about police reform. In addition, we discuss the Wisconsin Election Commission’s unanimous decision to send absentee ballot application to 2.7 million Wisconsin registered voters.

Listen Now – Episode #446
Download MP3
Press Clips

MADISON, WI – Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) offered the Democratic weekly radio address celebrating Pride Month.

“Although there is still work to do in Wisconsin as we move forward, such as ending the practice of conversion therapy in our state, I am extremely proud of the progress that our state and country have made during my lifetime.” – Senator Tim Carpenter

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below: 

“Hello, this is State Senator Tim Carpenter, I’d like to invite you to celebrate “Pride Month” with me this June. Ever since the Stonewall Uprising in June of 1969, June is a special time for us to come together to show our pride in our identity and the contributions that LGBTQ people have made to society. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride celebration, making it the Pride jubilee!

“I would like to thank Governor Evers for celebrating with us by flying the rainbow flag over our State Capitol, signifying his support for people all across the spectrum. I would also like to thank him for his actions he has taken to support the community, especially his veto of a bill this session that would have undermined Wisconsin’s protections for sexual orientation, national origin, and ancestry.

“Although there is still is much more work to do in Wisconsin as we move forward, such as ending the practice of conversion therapy in our state, I am extremely proud of the progress our state has made during my lifetime. Although celebrations this year will be affected by physical distancing, I look forward to seeing the creative ways that everyone expresses their pride this June!”

Brown County Dem supports Shelton over Gruszynski in northeastern Wisconsin Assembly race.

GREEN BAY, WI - This summer, voters in Green Bay’s 90th District, currently represented by first-term incumbent Staush Gruszynski, should support challenger Kristina Shelton. Shelton is vice-president of the Green Bay School Board. She has proven herself to be an excellent campaigner, but more importantly, she is a leader that brings people together and solves problems by listening, collaborating, taking decisive action, and being accountable. Shelton is a progressive leader who will help increase turnout by reaching out to people who have never been reached out to before and empowering them to become part of the solution to the problems facing all of us.

Over the last 20 years, Shelton has proven to be a leader who improves the organizations that she is a part of. She’s the leader we need right now because she represents the change we need. And electing her in this August’s primary is even more important because of the consequences of our current representative’s recent behavior.

In October 2019, freshman Assembly Representative Staush Gruszynski sexually harassed a state employee while having after-hours drinks with a group of people in Madison.

In December, the state legislature’s HR department found the victim’s account of the incident to be credible. Gruszynski didn’t deny the victim’s statements. The freshman legislator admitted to making ‘’a terrible mistake’’ and claimed to be in counseling and practicing sobriety.

Leaders of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the Assembly Democrats, and the Young Democrats of Wisconsin called on Gruszynski to resign. Minority Leader Gordon Hintz banned him from caucusing with Democrats and asked Speaker Robin Vos to withdraw Gruszynski’s committee assignments, which the speaker did.

Gruszynski stubbornly refused to resign and stated that he would ‘’continue to work hard’’ to represent Green Bay in Madison in the Assembly.

Ever the politician, Gruszynski looked forward to his next election instead of reflecting on how his actions affected a worker. He started strategizing about how to repair his image and build up his endorsements almost immediately. As far as I know, Gruszynski hasn’t spoken publicly about what happened on that night and he hasn’t appeared on camera to take questions from reporters or the public.

Remarkably, Gruszynski has had some success at garnering endorsements from old friends and political allies. His old friends and allies have a right to support anyone they want, but loyalty in light of what happened that night sends the wrong message. They are standing by their man in spite of how his actions affected a worker.

I want to be clear that Gruszynski has never done anything to me personally. I voted for him in 2018 and supported him as a small-dollar donor at two of his fundraisers. I genuinely supported him and wanted him to succeed as a representative of Green Bay.

However, Gruszynski’s actions on that October night disappointed me when I read the newspaper reports some time later. Gruszynski was entrusted with a position of power, but he made a big mistake that affected another person and he squandered an opportunity to fully represent the interests of Green Bay citizens as our representative in Madison.

Despite support from his loyalists, Gruszynski has the political strength and momentum of a wounded turtle. He’s been on the outside looking in on the political activity in Madison and he hasn’t been allowed to participate in committee meetings because he lost his assignments due to his actions. We don’t know when or if Gruszynski will be welcomed back to caucus with Democrats or be returned to his committee assignments even if he is re-elected.

Political observers and voters in Green Bay have been discussing whether or not Gruszynski deserves to keep his job as our representative. In America, and indeed here in Green Bay, we believe in second chances because of our deep religious roots and our understanding that no one is perfect. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t consequences and repercussions for actions or that a person is entitled to be forgiven and keep his or her job regardless of what they do. Gruszynski deserves a second chance in life and the opportunity to redeem himself, but I don’t think he deserves to keep his job as our representative.

Morally, I think it is clear that Gruszynski’s actions should keep us from nominating him in the Democratic primary on August 11 and re-electing him on November 3.

Politically, nominating Gruszynski would weaken Democrats in November. As most everyone knows, it is crucial for Democrats in Green Bay to do well in November because of how the local turnout and results could determine the outcome of the presidential election.

We as Democrats pride ourselves in being in favor of workers’ rights and women’s rights, as well as being deeply committed to doing what is right. In my opinion, we as members of the local party will lose credibility if we nominate and support someone who recently admitted to sexually harassing a worker. How can we question the character of Republicans who abuse their power and at the same time support a Democrat who did the same thing?

If, like me, you want our party to stand for accountability and workers’ rights, please join me in supporting Kristina Shelton to be the next representative for Green Bay and the 90th District in the Assembly.

- Jarrett Brown, Green Bay

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Jarrett Brown is a factory worker, activist, and voter who lives in the 90th Assembly District in Green Bay. He is an active member of the Democratic Party of Brown County.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/farm-family-s5.jpgThe Senator writes about ways we can support our dairy farmers and celebrate June Dairy Month in Wisconsin. He reflects on conversations with friends from the farming community and their ability to be resilient during tough times.