“Our job is to make every citizen in Racine who can vote is able to cast his or her ballot,” said Racine Mayor John Dickert.
Also during the media conference, the coalition co-released a report titled, "Rigging the Vote: How a National Effort to Attack Voting Rights Landed in Wisconsin." The report documents how changes to our voting system proposed by Assembly Speaker Vos, such as eliminating same day voter registration and rigging the electoral college system, are apart of a cynical national effort to manipulate the electoral system at the state level for partisan gain.
Rep. Cory Mason Kelly Gallagher, Turn Up the Vote Racine
"Wisconsin's elections have just been ranked among the best in the country," said Brendan Fischer, Staff Counsel for the Center for Media and Democracy. "These new proposals to change the state's election practices appear not to be motivated by a desire to make a good system even better, but by politicians falling in line behind an out-of-state effort to limit access to the ballot box and rig elections for partisan gain.
The groups have pledged to criss-cross Wisconsin to protect the integrity of our elections.
Citizen Action's, Mike Wilder and Anita Johnson with Jameel Ghuari, Executive Director of the Bray Center, at Racine media conference in support of Same Day Registration.
“I urge Speaker Vos, Governor Walker, and members of the legislature to stop attacking democracy. Wisconsin has historically had a very high voter turnout as opposed to many other states. Same day registration is one of the main reasons for our high turnout. It needs to be protected. With the recent non-partisan report released by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, we know now that in 2011, the 25 percent unemployment rate for African-Americans in Wisconsin was the worst in the nation. Speaker Vos and the Legislature needs to focus on job creation, not rigging our elections” said Mike Wilder, Director of the African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable, and a member of the staff of CItizen Action of Wisconsin.
In the November 6th general election, Wisconsin’s turnout rate of eligible voters was 70.14%. According to the Government Accountability Board (GAB), this was the one of the highest since records have been kept. The City of Racine reported an 83% turnout among registered voters. Many voters were able to cast their ballot by using Same Day Registration. 460,000 Wisconsinites registered to vote on election day this past November. The option is so popular that Governor Walker took his son to register to vote on election day.
Members of the coalition who participated include The George Bray Neighborhood Association, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Voices, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Election Protection, Wisconsin League of Young Voters, The African American Civic Engagement Roundtable, United Council of UW-Students, League of Women Voters, Community For Change, Wisconsin Jobs Now!, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, MICAH, Institute for One Wisconsin, Forward Institute, and America Votes Table
As Gov. Walker weighs accepting $12 billion from the federal government that would guarantee healthcare coverage for low-income adults at no charge to the state, Eau Claire community leaders and people in need will gather today, at 1pm to urge him accept the money. Please join us.
WHEN: 1 pm, Today, February 6, 2013
WHERE: Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, 836 Richard Drive, Eau Claire
WHO: Uninsured residents on the BadgerCare waiting list, State Rep. Dana Wachs, Maribeth Woodford of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, and Kevin Kane, Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Event is organized by Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Jobs NOW!
In response to growing pressure to accept billions of dollars in federal Medicaid money to fill the holes in BadgerCare, and guarantee that over 170,000 Wisconsinites have access to the secure health care they need to prosper and succeed, Governor Walker has been injected a false reason for not taking the money.
In Wausau on Friday, WSAU Radio reported: “Walker responded by saying the federal government may want Wisconsin to take the money, but there is still no guarantee the federal money is really there. ‘They're not fully appropriated in Congress right now. Having been in Washington last week, there's some real concerns that those funds aren't in the budget.’” Walker and his spokespersons reasserted variations of this claim in written responses to reporters to a packed State Capitol press conference Tuesday, and on Facebook and Twitter posts Tuesday evening.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin has spoken to a number of experts on federal budgeting in Washington and Wisconsin, and all agree that the claim that the increased state Medicaid money which is part of the national health care reform law is “not fully appropriated” and that the funds may not be “in the budget” is false. This is because the national health care law did appropriate the money, so the spending is already the law of the land. The experts we talked to all agree with the Associated Press report this morning: “Medicaid is an entitlement program and the money for the expansion will automatically flow to the states unless Congress and the president change the underlying law. That’s highly unlikely with Obama in the White House and a U.S. Senate controlled by Democrats.”
“It is extremely disturbing that Governor Walker would introduce a false argument into a discussion of such a critically important public issue,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “It undermines meaningful democratic decision making when public officials inject false claims into public discussions of vital issues. At the very least, Walker owes the people of Wisconsin an honest and forthright explanation of his position on a critical public policy decision that will profoundly impact the life prospects of over 170,000 Wisconsinites.”
Conservative Governors around the country continue to lineup to take federal Medicaid money provided by the new health care reform law. Monday John Kasich announced Ohio will be taking the money. Kasich, who has often been compared to Walker ideologically, and who represents a Great Lakes industrial state, joins four other conservative governors including Jan Brewer of Arizona, who have accepted the Medicaid money so far. Governor Walker has not yet announced his decision, although he did offer excuses on Friday for seriously considering not taking the money. Walker is expected to announce his decision in his Budget Address on February 20.
“Giving the growing list of conservative governors who are taking the money, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Governor Scott Walker to defend his indecision,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
At a major media event at 11 AM today in the Assembly Parlor, Senator Jon Erpenbach and Representative Jon Richard announced the Strengthen BadgerCare Act, which takes the federal Medicaid money to fill the holes in BadgerCare.
“Filling the holes in BadgerCare is essential because the health insurance market has failed to provide moderate income Wisconsinites with affordable health insurance options, and low wage jobs are far less likely to include affordable coverage,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “People who lack access to stable and affordable health coverage do not have a fair shot at the American dream. In the 21st Century you do not have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness if you cannot control your own health care decisions or have the peace of mind of knowing that health care will be there when you need it.”
More data and information on why Wisconsin should take the new federal money to strengthen BadgerCare provided by the Affordable Care Act can be found at: www.citizenactionwi.org and www.gothealthcarewi.com
Although Governor Walker and the tea party may be silent for now, Citizen Action, our health care coalition partners, and supporters of health care freedom across the state have been speaking loud and clear. Through columns in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Capital Times, Green Bay Press Gazette, Wausau Daily Herald, and others we have made the overwhelming moral case for taking the money. There have also already been major events across the state in Appleton, La Crosse, Wausau, Racine, and Milwaukee, with many others in the works.
Today at 10:30 AM, members of a coalition of community organizations will hold a media conference in the State Senate Parlor at the Capitol to urge state lawmakers and Governor Walker to support increased mass transit funding in the state budget.
Organizations participating in the Community Response to the Transit Crisis include: ACLU of WI, African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable, ATU Local 998, Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Disability Rights Wisconsin, IndependenceFirst, MICAH, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Milw. Transit Riders Union, 9to5, Volunteers of America of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light
For more information contact: mike.wilder@citizenactionwi.org
Stop GOP and corporate elites attempt to crush the Milwaukee County Board for successfully opposing their conservative agenda.
By Mike Wilder, Citizen Action of Wisconsin
When the leadership of Wisconsin’s 101st Legislative Session said they “would put a laser like focus on job creation,” the optimist in me was hoping that they would follow through on their promise. With the recent report released from The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages which showed Wisconsin was 42nd out of 50 states in job creation, the Governor and the Legislature had a prime opportunity to end the partisan divisiveness of the last year and get to work on bipartisan solutions that would get people working and get our economy working for everyone. Sadly, on January 7th, the day the 101st Legislature was sworn in, faith in a new era of bipartisanship was quickly dashed.
Alberta Darling, GOP and Corporate Elites on the attack in MKE
One of the very first pieces of legislation floating around the Capital is a coup of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. This partisan power grab was initiated by disgruntled former County Supervisor, now State Representative Joe Sanfelippo and State Senator Alberta Darling. That fact in-and-of itself is enough to give the average Milwaukee County voter pause.
To be fair, the last legislative session saw an unprecedented amount of power grabs and partisan wrangling from Republican extremists who blindly followed the Gov. Walker's anti-worker, anti-Milwaukee agenda. Who could forget the Governor’s recall primary victory speech when he boasted proudly, “we don’t want to be like Chicago, we don’t want to be like Milwaukee.” In recent years the Milwaukee County Board has acted as a check and balance to this right-wing, anti-Milwaukee agenda. The Board has overridden vetoes of both Governor Walker and County Executive Abele to protect social services, parks and public transportation.
However Milwaukee County residents feel about the Board of Supervisors, we should all agree on one thing, a bill aimed at taking local control away from Milwaukee County is not what the state legislature should be working on right now. We need jobs. Job creation in Wisconsin is worse in Wisconsin than 42 other states. It’s an issue that the Governor and the Legislature loves to campaign on to get elected, so it’s curious that after the election elected officials are yet again pushing a divisive, hyper-partisan piece of legislation that will do absolutely nothing to help put Wisconsinites back to work.
This legislation to reduce the power and influence of the Milwaukee County Board is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Republican’s will try to spin this as putting the decision in the hands of Milwaukee County voters - Don’t be fooled! The referendum is being writing in Madison by people who have an ax to grind against Milwaukee. It is being pushed by the conservative Greater Milwaukee Committee and it will consolidate power in the hands of the very people who have a vested interest in controlling the resources of Milwaukee County without benefiting the people who live here.
The fight for good jobs is going to depend on the priorities of our legislators, and their priorities will depend on our willingness to speak out and get involved. Voters in every county should contact Rep. Sanfelipo at (608) 266-0620 and Sen. Darling at (608) 266-5830 to tell them that we need more people working, not more partisan power grabs.
On a Media Call Friday morning health advocates discussed new research that shows that Wisconsin businesses will pay $120 million more in federal taxes if Governor Scott Walker rejects increased federal Medicaid money offered by the Affordable Care Act, the national health care reform law. The reason for this huge tax differential is that under the terms of the Affordable Care Act employers with over 50 employees who do not offer adequate health insurance pay an additional tax penalty if their employees enroll in the new health exchanges. They do not pay a tax penalty if employees enroll in Medicaid (BadgerCare). “Another important reason the Governor and the Legislature should accept hundreds of millions in federal money to fill the gaps in BadgerCare is to protect Wisconsin employers from a massive federal tax increase,” said David Riemer, Senior Fellow at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, and the author of the analysis.
“The case for accepting the new federal investment in Wisconsin’s health is so overwhelming that it is hard to believe any responsible leader would seriously consider turning it down. The Community Advocates analysis provides yet another compelling reason to accept the federal money to fill the holes in BadgerCare,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “In addition to the many health, economic, and fiscal benefits of taking the money, we know that Wisconsin business will pay over a hundred million in unnecessary federal taxes if Governor Walker and the Legislature turn down this critical federal investment.”
On Jan. 1, Congress, after a series of embarrassing missteps, kept America from going over the "fiscal cliff." House Fiscal Cliff vote Photo: CNN
The good news – great news, really – is that for the first time in two decades, many Republicans, including Wisconsin’s Senator Ron Johnson and Congressman Paul Ryan, rejected the rigid gridlock of anti-tax ideology embraced by Grover Norquist and some of the more conservative members of Congress. The decision to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for high income Americans is something that President Obama ran on, voters embraced and Congress finally acquiesced.
This moment should not be forgotten, but it also shouldn’t be viewed as final solution to America’s income inequality and tax fairness problem.
The bad news is that tough times lie ahead. In two months, many Republicans will set their sights on America’s safety net – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Deadlines are coming – automatic spending cuts in two months and a debt ceiling deadline, just to name a few. As in the “fiscal cliff” fight, Americans are facing two very different visions for our country’s future.
Conservatives in Congress – who often do not recognize the promises we made to protect the nation’s elderly and infirm – will seek to reduce the deficit on the backs of poor, elderly and disabled Americans.
There are better ways to meet our country’s needs. One way involves cutting Pentagon spending. We can save as much as $1 trillion in reducing Pentagon spending over one decade while not harming our national defense. We can also finish the job and end the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000. Ending the Bush tax cuts for families making more than $450,000 was a good start, but much more can be done. More tax fairness could include – things like bringing the limit on itemized deductions for the rich down to 28 percent and asking the wealthy to pay social security tax on all of their income like 98% of the country’s workers do.
Above all, we need to understand that this is a fight about jobs and shared prosperity for all. A strong America requires strengthening tax fairness, reducing income inequality, and investing in education and infrastructure.
Congress and President Obama have begun to take us down this road, despite the best efforts of corporate and special interests. We have to keep having conversations like the one I overheard in the gas station on New Years Eve. It’s our responsibility to do whatever it takes to help elected officials stay on this path.
"The Obama administration answered a key question from governors on Monday with a clear "no": States may not expand Medicaid only part of the way and still get the additional federal funding provided in the Affordable Care Act."
Medicaid, the federal-state program that funds such programs as Badgercare & Familycare, is set to cover more individuals in Wisconsin as part of the Affordable Care Act. Badgercare featured many loopholes and different levels of eligibility, and the Affordable Care Act is set to "fill-in-the-gaps" in Badgercare. This means that the over 140,000 people on the Badgercare waiting list would be able to qualify for the program.
Medicaid (and Badgercare) is designed to allow individuals and families the opportunity to get quality medical care, and to do it at a cost-efficient standard. Many individuals now who would stand to benefit receive coverage from county-programs, emergency rooms or no care what-so-ever. The long term costs of caring for the uninsured actually costs society more.
Unfortunately, when the Supreme Court weighed the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, they granted states the opportunity to deny the additional revenue to fill-in-the-gaps of their states' Medicaid program. Walker only has a short window, by the beginning of Spring, to decide whether to accept the funds or not.
The Governor's decision is more important now. This news from HHS declares that states must decide to expand it all the way or not at all. This is important because many GOP-led states have considered only partially expanding, or expanding at a later date. Anything other than the original plan to help cover more families in a less expensive way is the wrong decision, and Walker is stuck either making the right decision for the wrong reasons or the wrong decision and force Wisconsin to pay huge consequences for it.
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