http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/kristina-shelton-s5.jpgClean water and environmental advocacy group says newcomer Shelton is a champion who will offer bold solutions to the problems facing northeastern Wisconsin.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-protesters-split-cnn-s5.jpgThis is the DNC’s Battleground Brief -- a weekly wrap-up of Trump’s broken promises and everything you need to know across the path to 270.

Trump was handed a booming economy that he flushed away as he ignored intelligence warnings as far back as January about the impending COVID-19 outbreak.

WISCONSIN -- Friday, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Spokesperson Philip Shulman released the following statement in response to the May jobs report:

“Today’s dismal jobs report, which showed 13.3% of Americans out of work at the conclusion of May, is due not only to Trump’s disastrous COVID-19 response, but also because of his erratic trade war with China and his tax-scam bill that encouraged giant corporations to ship jobs overseas. Instead of fighting for hard working Wisconsinites who are struggling more than ever, Trump has been more concerned with pushing conspiracy theories and stoking racial grievances. He has turned a blind eye to the tens of millions of Americans who are out of work, the 818 Wisconsin dairy farms that closed their doors forever, and the more than 4,100 factory workers in the Badger state who lost their jobs last year as a result of his trade war.

“Trump was handed a booming economy that he flushed away as he ignored intelligence warnings as far back as January about the impending COVID-19 outbreak. Instead of working with economic advisors, he gave away the store to China as he shipped them PPE that our frontline workers desperately needed. But his kowtowing didn’t start there; after staging a photo-op for a hollow trade deal, America’s farmers are getting a measly $13 billion in agriculture purchases from China -- not even a drop in the bucket compared to the markets Trump destroyed.

“After three and a half years Wisconsinites know they can’t afford four more years of Trump as president. He has proven to be nothing more than bluster and bravado. Just like his businesses, many of which have gone bankrupt, he has run Wisconsin's and America’s economy into the ground. His callousness during some of America’s darkest days has further proven he is not fit to lead our country.”

Co-Chair of Joint Finance Committee history of blocking measures to address racial disparities

MADISON – The tragic killing of George Floyd and the protests that have followed in Wisconsin and across the nation are the sad result of years of systemic racism and discrimination. For far too long, Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and her Republican colleagues have pursued policies that cement Wisconsin's unfortunate distinction of having the worst disparities for Black families in the country. As the co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, Senator Darling has used her position of power to further tip the imbalances in our state. Instead of fighting to eliminate the barriers to success people of color face every day, she routinely does the bidding of powerful special interests, and puts the blame on communities of color.

“Wisconsin residents deserve better than someone who supports policies that suppress communities of color,” said SSDC Executive Director Eric LaGesse. “From voting rights, to education and health outcomes, Sen. Darling is complicit in the systemic problems that prevent Black Wisconsinites from being treated equally. The success of our state relies on the success of the people that live and work here, and they deserve elected leaders that will fight for the rights of everyone.”

Despite Wisconsin having the highest infant mortality rate for African Americans, Sen. Darling voted against a Democratic budget amendment to improve women’s health and birth outcomes. Sen. Darling also rejected funding for clean water protections as thousands of children are continuously poisoned by lead pipes. During her time in the legislature, she has been a staunch supporter of voter suppression policies that disenfranchise people of color.

And It Started Before COVID-19

WISCONSIN -- Like the rest of the country, Wisconsin’s economy continues to suffer because Trump failed to take early and decisive action against the Coronavirus that would protect American families and the economy. Instead of working with medical experts and his economic team to prevent the economy from free-falling, Trump prioritized pushing conspiracy theories and using White House press briefings as partisan campaign rallies rather than reassuring the American people.

To date, there have been nearly ¾ of a million unemployment claims as a result of Trump’s failure to adequately address COVID-19; Wisconsin hit 14.1% unemployment as of April. Businesses across the state have shut down permanently, entrepreneurs have had to put their plans on hold, and spending from everyday Wisconsinites has all but dried up.

But Trump’s assault on Wisconsin’s economy started long before his disastrous response to the Coronavirus.

Farmers, manufacturers, and local economies have paid a heavy price for his chaotic trade war with China that turned the Badger state into a political football. Trump never had a real plan to deliver for Wisconsin, and as a result the state’s farming community has been decimated. 818 dairy farms closed their doors forever, crop farmers saw the markets they took decades to build disappear in just a few short months, and the state's manufacturing sector lost over 4,100 jobs in 2019.

The impact of Trump’s mindless trade-war stretched into local economies as local businesses felt the impact of his toxic agenda. An economic report found that average families stood to lose $1,000 a year because of his failure. All the while Trump ignored the very real pain being felt across Wisconsin, claiming things like “Farmers are over the hump” and supporting Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said Wisconsin’s small and medium-sized farms need to get bigger or just go out of business.

What’s more is Trump hid behind a multi-billion dollar taxpayer funded bailout that went primarily to large agriculture companies and not the very family farms he put in the line of fire with his trade war. And now the pain is going to get even worse as Trump failed to deliver any real results. It was recently reported that instead of the $50 billion in agriculture products Trump promised China would buy, it is instead a fraction of that total.

“Trump is danger to all of us: whether it is his disastrous response to COVID-19, his enabling of white-supremicists and bigots, or his aimless trade wars -- he is a president only for himself,not Wisconsinites or the American people,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman said. “So many have lost so much: family members and friends, jobs, or life savings. The pain has been endless under Trump. This nation cannot afford four more years of this president, and the November 3rd election can’t come soon enough.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-pusa-ad-6.2.20-s5.pngNew TV Ad from Priorities USA Action shows how Donald Trump gassed peaceful protesters and clergy so he could use the Bible and a local church for a photo-op.

GREEN BAY, WI - Clerk Kris Teske is calling on residents of Brown County willing to serve as poll workers for the August 11 and November 3 elections to replace poll workers who are unable to serve due to age or health concerns from the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Green Bay has approximately 240 poll workers, known as election inspectors, who serve at polling places. A significant number of them are in their 60s and 70s, and many may have other health conditions.

In Wisconsin, election inspectors are appointed at the municipal level.  Anyone who is interested in working should contact the clerk’s office immediately at 920-448-3010 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Green Bay will provide virtual training for any new election inspectors before the election through its Clerk’s office.

What are the responsibilities of a poll worker?
Poll workers conduct assigned duties at a polling site on Election Day.  Duties can include issuing ballots to registered voters, registering voters, monitoring the voting equipment, explaining how to mark the ballot or use the voting equipment, or a greeter who assists with answering questions and directing voters to the voting area.

What are the hours of work?
Polling places are open statewide from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Poll workers can work a full day, generally from 6:30 a.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. or later in the case of November elections.

Are poll workers (election inspectors) paid or volunteers?
Poll workers are compensated for working at polling places at a rate determined by the appropriate municipal governing body, and, in some municipalities, are also compensated for attending any required training sessions.  Poll workers may also choose to volunteer their services by filing a written declination of compensation with the municipal clerk

What are the training requirements for poll workers?
The City of Green Bay will  provide virtual training for all poll workers in July 2020. This training provides all of the necessary information and knowledge to be a successful poll worker.  An experienced chief inspector who has been certified by the Wisconsin Elections Commission must be present at each polling place for each election. Chief inspectors must receive six hours of continuing election education training during each two-year period.

What length of commitment will be expected?
Poll workers are usually appointed to two-year terms and are generally asked to make a minimum two-year commitment.   However, given the current circumstances volunteers for only the August 11 and November 3 elections are appreciated and should not be expected to meet the full two-year commitment.

What are the qualifications to be a poll worker (election inspector)?

To be a poll worker, a person must:

• Be a qualified elector of the county in which the municipality is located (i.e., an adult citizen of the United States who has resided in the election district for 10 consecutive days and is not otherwise disqualified to vote)
• Be able to read and write fluently in the English language
• NOT be a candidate for any office to be voted on at the polling place at that election.

A poll worker may also:

• Have strong clerical skills
• Be able to solve problems
• Be an effective communicator

How do I become a poll worker?
If you are interested in becoming a poll worker you should apply directly at https://greenbaywi.gov/1047/Poll-Workers.

Can I be excused from my regular job to be a poll worker?
Wisconsin law requires every employer to grant an unpaid leave of absence to each employee who is appointed to serve as an election official, if the employee who serves as an election official provides their employer with at least seven days’ notice.  The leave is for the entire 24-hour period of each election day in which the employee serves in their official capacity as an election official.   Upon request of any employer municipal clerks must verify appointments.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/staush-gruszynski-w-s5.pngLocal elected leaders and democratic leaders in Green Bay and Northeastern Wisconsin stand up for re-election of Democratic incumbent.

With Donald Trump’s approval rating in free fall, Trump's campaign and super PAC are scrambling to respond to Priorities USA Action consistently outspending them in key battleground states.

Washington, DC — Priorities is launching an updated version of its “Way Down” ad, running in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which holds Trump accountable for his failure to protect the health and safety of the American people from the coronavirus pandemic that has now claimed more than 100,000 American lives. With reports that Trump’s chaotic administration has continuously mismanaged the crisis, it is clear Donald Trump has failed the American people and there is still no clear national strategy from the federal government to combat the virus. Even after the virus has claimed far more American lives than the lives of those from any other country in the world, Donald Trump continues to claim that the virus will “go away” while ignoring expert advice about mitigation.

After being largely inactive in battleground spending, the Trump campaign and its super PAC America First Action are scrambling to counter Priorities' ad spending that has been in progress for nearly a year. Priorities has consistently outspent Trump and his allies in battleground states, including since April, during which time Priorities has solely outspent all Trump entities combined in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Since the beginning of April, Priorities spent about $10.9 million on TV and digital ads in MI, PA and WI compared to the Trump team's $10 million. Priorities is on track to spend more than $200 million by the end of 2020.

“We have lost over 100,000 American lives and 1 in 4 Americans are out of work. The Trump campaign and super PAC know that they cannot win by talking about Donald Trump's record, so they are turning to baseless attacks on Vice President Joe Biden,” said Guy Cecil, Chairman of Priorities USA. “Priorities will continue to tell the truth about Donald Trump and meet voters where they are on TV and digital platforms. The Trump campaign is scared because our ads are working. When Americans know the facts about this administration, they know that it’s time for new leadership in the White House.”

The amendment would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. FEC, so that limits could be placed on the vast amount of money in our political system.

Darlington, WI – On Tuesday, May 19^th, the Lafayette Board of Supervisors voted unanimously for a resolution that supports an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The amendment would overturn the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. FEC, so that limits could be placed on the vast amount of money in our political system.  The amendment would clarify that only human beings should have inalienable human rights and money is not the same thing as free speech.

Lafayette County joins with 163 other Wisconsin communities that have called for an amendment.  In total, almost 3.2 million people (56% of Wisconsinites) live in these jurisdictions.  Across the country, 20 state legislatures have voted for an amendment, as well as over 820 towns, villages, cities and counties.

“We cannot solve any of the pressing issues in front of our country as long as our politicians do not represent us, and they won’t until we get the big money out of politics,” said Darlington resident Nancy Fisker.

Multiple polls show over 90% of Americans, regardless of party, think special interest money has too much influence in American political campaigns.[1] Numerous polls show that Money in Politics is a top issue for voters.[2]

One volunteer, Bill Holland of Monroe, expressed frustration: “Citizens in 164 Wisconsin communities have passed resolutions calling for an amendment.  We need state legislators to put it on a statewide ballot, but they won’t even let the bills have a public hearing!”

Resolutions calling for a statewide vote on Citizens United have been introduced into the state legislature (AJR 11 / SJR 9).  The referendum would ask voters if they support allowing individuals and corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.

Former State Senator Dale Schultz summed it up well. "We're talking about billionaires turning this country into a Russian-style oligarchy, where there are two dozen billionaires who buy the whole political process... we are awash in money because of Citizens United, and it puts good people in both parties in a difficult situation."[3]

The roots of the problem run deeper than Citizens United. Over a century ago Robert M. La Follette spoke out against corruption wrought by the "concessions and privileges" given to corporations by legislators. “Why,” he asked, “in a government where the people are sovereign, why are these things tolerated?”

Four in five Americans oppose the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision, according to a Bloomberg poll. A New York Times/CBS poll found that 85 percent of Americans—including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—believe we need fundamental changes to our campaign finance system or to completely rebuild it.

Matt Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, summed it up succinctly: “People across the ideological spectrum get it: All of our voices are being drowned out by those with big money.”

United To Amend is a bipartisan, all volunteer, citizens group.

Link to this press release.

For more information visit UnitedToAmend.org

Background material can be obtained here: pdf1, pdf2 and pdf3.

Photos: photo1, photo2, photo3, photo4, photo5, photo6 and photo7.

[1] https://mayday.us/data/20150925_gop_polling_results.pdf

https://mayday.us/data/20150925_dem_polling_results.pdf

http://www.texansunitedtoamend.org/uploads/5/0/8/1/5081028/representus_analysis.pdf

[2] http://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Money-In-Politics-Polls.pdf

[3] Senator Dale Schultz presentation, March 7, 2014 at the L.D. Fargo Public Library, Lake Mills, WI.