November
4th. . .
Elections matter. That is a reality that Wisconsinites have
learned all too well over the past 4 years.
While Americans frequently try their best to ignore politics and political
action, the need to be involved and active politically has been made crystal
clear to us as we have seen the climate around a host of issues change
drastically under the Walker
administration. The Wisconsin of clean, cordial, cooperative
government has changed and we are now one of the most politically polarized
states in the nation.
Over the past four years
we have heard significant talk about how unpleasant the political climate is
here in Wisconsin. Our public discourse has been anything but
open minded and the current election has been among the nastiest in our
history. Those who bemoan the decline
and fall of our civilization have a chance to reclaim the dialog in this
election. The best way to do this is to
turn out and vote. Governor Walker was
elected twice, and in both elections turnout was dismally low. Even in the recall election that generated so
much political action turnout hovered around 50%. If we are to gain any traction in our efforts
to have a real discussion about political, social and economic issues we need
to see more involvement from all citizens.
Otherwise, we will truly get the government that we, as a people,
deserve.
It is vital that we
remember that this upcoming election isn't about any specific individual. While Governor Walker has become either a
hero or a villain depending on one's political ideology, the fact remains that Walker as a person should
not be the focal point of the election.
Instead, we need to keep the focus on what our government, and the
leaders we elect, will do to make Wisconsin
a better place for all citizens to live in.
We aren't voting for prom king or queen, we are voting to elect
individuals to represent our interests in decision making processes that impact
all of us.
So, this election truly
becomes a measuring stick of where we are as a state in terms of our ability to
function as a democracy and to live up to the ideals that we claim to
espouse. We are a society that prides
itself of free thinking, opportunity and the rights of the individual, yet we
also must recognize that any functioning society must also restrict some
individual rights in order to promote the greater good. This is where the debate about the role of
government enters in, and it is one that has been ongoing for our entire
history. Those who want to restrict or
eliminate the role of government claim that the "free market" will
provide what members of society need. Yet,
history and common sense tell us that an unrestricted, unregulated market will
provide what the most powerful need, and the remaining members of society are relegated
to second (or worse) class status.
The Walker legacy is one of division, corruption
and policies that cater to a small segment of the population. If we are to move forward as a state we need
to change the leadership at the top of our government. There are many reasons why Mary Burke is the
better candidate for Wisconsin's
future. They center around the need to
restore a vision of government that serves as a protective shield for the
citizens who live under it. Government
exists to serve the people and to maintain conditions that promote equity and
opportunity for all citizens. This
election's importance is magnified given what has happened in Wisconsin over the past 4 years.
Mary Burke scores better than Scott Walker on overall
issues.
www.postcrescent.com
Gov. Scott Walker owed much of his victory in the 2012
recall fight to the big margins he piled up in the small cities, towns and
countryside of northern and western Wisconsin.
jsonline.com|By Craig Gilbert
Here are a few reasons to
cast a ballot for Burke. . .
Restricting voting
privileges for citizens is anti-democratic and the efforts to implement voter
ID are based on flawed logic and are unsupported by data. If one case of voter ID is unacceptable, then
how can we claim that one person disenfranchised by voter ID makes things
better. The voter ID push was clearly an
effort to win elections, not protect the integrity of our electoral
system. Walker's support of voter ID shows that his
focus isn't on all the people of the state, but rather on maintaining political
power. We can't allow the politics of
fear, divide and conquer us.
WASHINGTON (AP) — States that toughened their voter
identification laws saw steeper drops in election turnout than those that did
not, with disproportionate...
talkingpointsmemo.com
Changing the rules seven weeks before an election creates
disorder...
sheboyganpress.com
Rejecting Federal money
and resources that support citizens in need makes no sense. Claiming that this is fiscally responsible,
or that it somehow helps taxpayers is illogical. The money that is available from our national
government comes from taxes that have been paid by people in Wisconsin and rejecting the funds means that
our money will go to other places, and the people of our state suffer the
consequences.
Wisconsin
is one of three states ending a program that provided increased food assistance
benefits to low-income households.
wpr.org
Transparency and honesty
matter. The allegations of fraud and
incompetence surrounding this administration are extremely troubling. Walker
supporters will claim that the attacks are politically motivated, but the data
supporting serious concerns about the integrity of this administration is
there.
Gov. Scott Walker’s semi-private job creation...
wisconsingazette.com
Courage is standing up for
what is right in the face of challenges.
Courage is not standing up for false promises and "reforms"
that don't promote the general welfare of the citizenry for one's own gain. Act 10 is economically and ethically
unsound. The manner in which Act 10 was
passed and the impact it has had alone are enough to make a case that Walker isn't governing
for Wisconsinites, but for well financed special interests.
Yesterday's release of the Bureau of Economic Analysis'
survey of personal consumption expenditures by state would generally be a mundane
bit of data....
dailykos.com
It is easy to discount
personal narratives about a candidate, especially when they appear in political
advertisements. This one appears to be
unsolicited by the Burke campaign, and tells a powerful story about a candidate
who has the potential to turn our state around in a positive direction.
monologuesofdissent.blogspot.com|By
Heather DuBois Bourenane
Who will look out for the
real hard working taxpayers of Wisconsin. The Conservative rhetoric about their interest
in the "common folk" is just that, rhetoric.
MADISON (AP) — Governor Scott Walker says that while he
doesn't support increasing the minimum wage, he also doesn't support repealing
it altogether....
fox6now.com
Engaged in a tight re-election duel with Democrat Mary Burke,
Gov. Scott Walker is returning to a theme that’s been a constant in his career.
Tax cuts. In a new TV ad, the first-term Republican governor...
politifact.com
Even Walker's record regarding business is
questionable at best.
A respected business ranking out this week put Scott Walker
and Chris Christie, and their states, near the bottom of states. Here's a link
to the ranking and a link to the full report.
jsonline.com|By James Rowen
Of course I believe that
public education is a key issue in this election. While I wish that Burke's stance on vouchers
and other education issues was even stronger, she is a much better choice for
governor based on her ideas around public schools in Wisconsin.
Whether it's her position on voucher schools. . .
Burke said Monday the state Department of Public Instruction
projects the cost of the voucher expansion at $1.2 billion per year, or about $2.8
million per district.
host.madison.com|By Lee Enterprises
Families that already send their children to private schools
are the ones benefiting, and taxpayers are paying the price.
jsonline.com|By Lily Eskelsen García And Betsy Kippers
Vouchers ignore plight of state's public schools
htrnews.com
Or the fact that our
public schools have been financially decimated by cuts in state which has
resulted in local tax increases and cuts to services schools can provide, Burke
will do more to protect our public school systems than Walker will.
As the state’s share of public education costs spirals
downward, Eau Claire school district residents
will contribute more money out of pocket.
leadertelegram.com
Madison residents will pay more in taxes after the school
board approved a new school district budget Monday night.
channel3000.com|By Channel 3000
The difference between the
candidates around environmental issues is clear as well.
MADISON, Wisconsin
- With the November election six weeks away, neither Republican Gov. Scott...
greenfieldreporter.com
There are many more
reasons to vote Burke on Tuesday (as well as to vote Progressive in many key
local races that shouldn't be ignored), but the key is that every eligible
voter gets to the polls. Take a friend,
a neighbor, a colleague, family member or anyone you can find, but get everyone
to vote. Our society is relying on us to
raise our collective voices and give a clear message to those we elect. We want Wisconsin to be a positive leader in the
dialog about important issues.
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