http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/coronavirus-masks1-s5.jpgCOVID-19 hasn't taken a holiday, and we can’t afford to undo all the sacrifices people have made to get us to this point.

WISCONSIN - The panel digs into the racist federal appeals court ruling restricting Wisconsin early voting, and risking a dangerous replay of the infamous pandemic primary. Citizen Action is a lead plaintiff in the case. We discuss a new report co-released by Citizen Action of Wisconsin on how 8 Wisconsin billionaires have made an economic killing from the pandemic.

The pandemic continues to accelerate, confounding Donald Trump and the GOP by refusing to go away on its own.  We point out some of the hotspots and controversies around the Badger State. We look at the rising pressure for Congress and the President to extend coronavirus economic relief, and to make bold new investments in publicly-subsidized jobs and a green transition. We report back on a major news event Citizen Action led in La Crosse this week to put pressure on the feds to act. Finally, we look at the latest Wisconsin racial justice protest developments, and unveil the latest round of Citizen Action legislative endorsements.

Listen Now – Episode #499
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Press Clips

Our military should not be a political issue, but an American issue. The President has a solemn, moral responsibility to protect and support them.

Brookfield, WI – U.S. Navy veteran Tom Palzewicz, the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin’s Fifth Congressional District seat, is concerned by President Donald Trump’s reaction to the story alleging Russia paid bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. Soldiers.

“The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party,” Trump tweeted. “The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!”

Palzewicz, who served aboard a nuclear submarine during his six-year enlistment, was confused by Trump’s lack of response when the story broke, but was even more perplexed by the president’s tweet.

“The President has a solemn, moral responsibility to protect and support our men and women in the armed forces,” said Palzewicz. “His statement suggests that he will not do or say anything to achieve that end. Even if the reports of the Russian activity are not completely accurate, the Commander-in-Chief must step up and defend our military.”

“Acting in the best interest of our military should not be a political issue, but an American issue,” Palzewicz continued. “We are all together in protecting our interests, our values and our security. When I am in Congress, protecting our military will be a high priority, regardless of political pressures.”

Wisconsin families are suffering simply because Trump cares more about what he looks like on TV than their livelihoods.

WISCONSIN - Today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman released a statement on the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment numbers that showed Trump’s disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to crush Wisconsinites and Americans everywhere:

“Today’s BLS numbers continue to show that Donald Trump’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic -- from taking the word of China over our own intelligence community, to advocating for less testing, to encouraging people not to wear masks, is preventing a full recovery as millions of families still bear the brunt of historic unemployment numbers. Wisconsin families are suffering simply because Trump cares more about what he looks like on TV than their livelihoods and wellbeing. With Trump in office this pain is going to get worse before it gets better, and that’s why we so desperately need to elect Joe Biden our next president.”

MADISON - One of the things I enjoy the most about my job is working with other – and younger! – activists around the state that are engaged in the effort to make our democracy work better right here in Wisconsin.

We’re part of the Wisconsin Voting Rights Coalition, which sent the following letter to Gov. Evers in hopes that he’ll follow through on his good ideas about expanding DMV hours and accessibility so that citizens can more easily obtain the Voter ID card they need:

Wisconsin Governor Evers Must Enforce His Executive Order to Expand Access to Photo ID

This is just a small part of a huge effort by pro-democracy nonprofit groups all across the state to make sure there’s a big turnout here on Nov. 3. I wrote about his effort in a commentary I just did for the Wisconsin Examiner:

The fight to make voting easier in Wisconsin

Another coalition we’re proud to play an active role in is the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition. Thanks to the hard work of grassroots activists, more and more citizens will be able to weigh on whether they want nonpartisan redistricting in Wisconsin, as I note here:

More Counties Asking Citizens on Gerrymandering

I hope you like these items – and the work we’re doing in coalition.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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MADISON - Lt. Gov. Barnes Delivers Democratic Radio Address on First Listening Session for Governor's Task Force on Climate Change.

Audio file of radio address.

Lt. Gov. Barnes delivered the Democratic Radio Address and discussed the first listening session of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, which occurred on Tuesday, June 23.

Hey, it’s Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and this week I want to share about the ongoing work of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change.

I am proud to chair this task force as it works to combat climate change and transition Wisconsin towards a more just and equitable clean economy.

The task force brings together a diverse coalition of task force members, representing Indigenous communities, agriculture, utilities, labor groups, and more. But the task force cannot do this work alone.

Input from the public is vital to developing policies that will reflect the will of the people and the ones that are informed by those who are being most impacted.

This week we held our first virtual listening session, and over 200 Wisconsinites from across the state joined us to share their concerns and their ideas.

They raised concerns about ground water pollutants, extreme weather, flooding, and our society’s reliance on fossil fuels.

They also called on elected officials to act! To invest in renewable energy and job training programs so Wisconsin has the green infrastructure it needs to be a thriving and healthy state.

Most importantly, we heard citizens calling for environmental justice, and they asked that no one be left out of these important conversations and solutions.

With that, I ask you to join the Governor’s task force and the administration in doing this important work. Please consider attending an upcoming listening session and encourage your friends, family, and community members to do the same.  More information can be found at ClimateChange.wi.gov.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-ques-covid19-cnn-s5.pngGreen Bay Senator Dave Hansen, Marinette's Karl Jaeger, and business owner Kim Jensen speak out on Trump's weak response to the pandemic and 3 1/2 years of economic and healthcare policies that have hurt us.

Marinette County Supervisor and Assembly Candidate says Trump is using our state as a political football.

MARINETTE, WI - I am saddened to see President Trump coming to take a victory lap in my backyard just months before Election Day because it’s clear he only cares about us now that November is just around the corner.

He didn’t care about all the workers across Wisconsin whose jobs were lost due to his botched COVID19 response. He still doesn’t care about the families he harmed with his actions, who are still trying to figure out how to pay for their healthcare, their rent, and the food they need to put on their tables.

As many of you know, Marinette is the site of one of the largest PFAS contamination disasters in the Country and the Trump administration has fought against legislation that would regulate those cancer-causing PFAS compounds and protect the drinking water of the citizens of Marinette County.

He is using our state as a political football. He sees us as expendable—just another group he can exploit for his own gain.

That is part of why I am running for Assembly. The Republicans in our Legislature have become an extension of the Trump Administration. They don’t do what’s best for their constituents, only what they think will serve Robin Vos and their special interest donors.

Leadership, whether it’s coming from the White House or the State Legislature, is failing Wisconsin.

To get things back on course—to save our economy, to revive our families, and to bring our state back to prominence—we need to restore real leadership from top to bottom.

Wisconsin stands for honesty, fairness, and hard work and Joe Biden embodies those values. We need Mr. Biden to show us what a real president looks like—what it means to have someone who cares for and believes in Wisconsinites and the American people. And we need this at every level to make sure we have a State Legislature that will work with Governor Evers to do what’s best for our people and our state—not what’s best for Big Business special interests. It’s what every Wisconsinite deserves.

***

About Karl: Karl is a long-time resident of Assembly District 89 and an elected Supervisor on the Marinette County Board. He is in this race because he believes in standing up for his neighbors. We have seen the consequences of Big Business representing us in Madison, and it’s time for the people of Wisconsin to have their voices heard. Karl will put people first and represent the citizens of WI.

Latest testing claim just the last in a series of dismal acts that have hurt Wisconsin.

WISCONSIN - As Trump heads to Wisconsin on Thursday for a political photo op, he’ll be forced to defend his confession that he slowed testing in order to artificially improve perception of his coronavirus response as the economic and public health crises facing the state continue to devastate Wisconsin families. 

Trump admitted he slowed down testing in order to improve the perception of his failed coronavirus response. His inaction has lead to infected thousands of Wisconsinites and left families struggling to get by.

Trump: “When you do testing to that extent, you’re gonna find more people you’re gonna find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please”  

WBAY: “The state has now confirmed 24,539 coronavirus patients and 744 COVID-19 deaths since testing began earlier this year.” 

Wisconsin State Journal: “Unemployment claims in Wisconsin surged to unprecedented numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying shut down. DWD reported last month that the state had lost 385,900 private-sector jobs from March to April, and the unemployment rate had climbed to the highest level since the Great Depression. The average number of weekly claims skyrocketed from 45,000 a week to 300,000 last month.” 

The reality is even worse for the Black and brown communities, which have been devastated both by the virus and the failure of the Trump administration to provide meaningful economic assistance Black-owned businesses.

Wisconsin State Journal: “African Americans, who make up less than 7% of Wisconsin’s population, have had 18% of confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24% of deaths. Latinos, who also account for just under 7% of state residents, have had 33% of cases and 11% of deaths.”

Los Angeles Times: “In that same time frame, 38% of Black-owned small businesses did not receive any of the financing they applied for, compared with 33% of Latino-owned businesses, 24% of Asian-owned businesses and 20% of white-owned businesses, the report said.

In the midst of a pandemic that Trump and Pence let spiral out of control, they are trying to rip health care away from millions of Wisconsinites as they try to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Wisconsin State Journal: “Another key campaign topic for Trump in 2016 was his criticism of the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in 2010. However, despite his attempts to eliminate what is colloquially known as Obamacare, Trump’s efforts to invalidate the health care reform act have stalled, with the matter now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Trump administration has not unveiled a formal replacement...For now, Trump’s pledge to do away with the ACA has been unfulfilled…”

Vanity Fair: “On top of the 11.4 million Americans who already had ACA insurance in 2020 and 12.5 million enrolled in Medicaid expansion, the Economic Policy Institute estimated April 30 that approximately 12.7 million workers have so far lost their employer-based health insurance since the beginning of the pandemic alone. And those numbers could just be the tip of the iceberg, with the Urban Institute projecting that 25 million workers or more could ultimately lose their employer insurance due to unemployment caused by the COVID-19 crisis.” 

After Trump’s erratic trade policies with China decimated Wisconsin farmers and manufacturing sectors, he begged the Chinese to make a bad trade deal to shore up his reelection chances, selling out working Wisconsin families along the way.

New York Times: “Soybean, dairy and pig farmers saw their businesses dry up as the world’s most populous nation aimed for Mr. Trump’s weak spot, putting tariffs on more than $70 billion of American products in retaliation for his decision to tax billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods.” 

Wisconsin Examiner: “Coxhead said trade policies under President Donald Trump (whom he didn’t mention by name) contributed significantly to the plight of Wisconsin farmers in the last few years. The federal government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic has further endangered the country’s — and Wisconsin’s — position in the world economy, he added.” 

CNBC: “From January to September, the states bordering the Great Lakes have lost more than 25,000 manufacturing jobs: Pennsylvania lost 8,100; Ohio lost 6,000; Michigan lost 6,500; and Wisconsin lost 4,700.” 

Now, as factories continue to close, Trump and Pence have to defend an economic record that has abandoned workers.

Wisconsin Rapids Tribune: “Verso plans to idle the Duluth mill by the end of June and the Wisconsin Rapids mill by the end of July, according to the company. As a result, the company will lay off about 1,000 employees between the two mills, including the majority of the roughly 915 employees who work in Wisconsin Rapids.” 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “BRP, the Canadian manufacturer of Evinrude outboard engines, says it’s eliminating 387 jobs at its factory in Sturtevant as the company steps away from the Evinrude brand founded in Milwaukee more than a century ago...In a notice filed with Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development, the company said it would eliminate 387 jobs in Sturtevant, including employees currently on furlough. Some workers could be recalled but will lose their jobs permanently over the next four months, according to the company.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/madison-violence-102320-gmtoday-s5.jpgViolence needs to stop, but inaction by State Legislature on Police reform only fueling the fire says Green Bay Senator.