Special Retirement Seminar: See Video on Observer---Deforest, Wisconsin Public Library---6:30PM-8:00PM

Seminar Coming Re Wis Retirement System: May 31st Public Informational Event: Wisconsin Retirement System’s Future in 2012: “What You Need to know about Your Wisconsin Retirement System Account” Featuring expert analysts: Roger Springman and Buzz Davis Under present Wisconsin planning, discover changes that may soon take place affecting retirement all WRS accounts starting in 2012. Informed citizens may be able to give input that could have a positive effect on those decisions. Come to learn and share your ideas as well! May 31, 2012- A second event due to popular demand!! 6:30 pm – 8:00pm DeForest Public Library 203 Library St. DeForest, WI 55352 This is a public Service event open to all & Free. The Wisconsin Advisory Committee set up to review Wisconsin Retirement System’s Status will release its recommendations in mid-June. Join us to hear experts who’ve analyzed what changes are likely to be made to the Retirement System. This is information important to be aware of and share with all you know who are or will depend on the retirement system for their pensions. Now you can see and hear EVERY word from this seminar on the Evansville Observer Youtube site. See the videos on the front of The Evansville Observer. This is a blockbuster issue that has not seen the amount of press that it deserves.

Mailbag: Wireman: Videos regarding Union and Woman's Issues

Why Labor Unions Matter: How Labor Unions Protect the Rights of All Employees - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obWZANR-AGY Unions Protect Us All - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nTUr3YTyAY Living Wages or Safety Nets?: Minimum Wage Earners vs. the One Percent - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHUxWggZ_Xo Myths about Families Driving American Policies: All Working Women are not Sarah Palin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19y-h6qpy-E What Do Working Mothers Really Need? How Can We Help Working Moms? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Wqgz-QA9I Code Words, Food Stamps and Getting Along: Or Why Newt Gingrich Was Wrong - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG40C5saCAY The American Dream, Growth Jobs & the Myth of Meritocracy: Why your kids may not get American Dream - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS3lTMkSTuo

Mailbag; Wireman: Ed Schulz Coming to Baraboo on Saturday

We just got word Ed Schulz will join John Nichols in Baraboo on Sat. Evening. See ticket information below. nicholsal.JPG June 2nd 7:00pm Al Ringling Theater Baraboo Tickets $5 alringling.com (608) 356-8864 Sponsored by the Center for Media and Democracy

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting Up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Black Earth and Mazo---check them out...some signs are doublesided---

Evansville Observer on Youtube on blueray

When you on your big screen, choose Youtube, and the login with your account name and password. Then search for Evansville Observer and you will see the video files available. Beautiful full screen video. The excitement is building. Check it out. It will only get better after Apple and Google launch their TV applications.

Mailbag: Wireman: WRS Pensions Under Attack

WALKER THREATENS RETIREE BENEFITS If you or anyone you know is on the Wisconsin Retirement System or expects to be in the future this is long but well worth reading. Walker likely to change the system in ways that hurt you. I sent you notice of a meeting about it yesterday. Basically it looks like Walker and the Republicans want to privatize the system that could cost CURRENT BENEFITS to current retirees and future retirees. NOW is the Time to Defend it! Months of investigation and reasoned analysis by union leaders, retiree activists, and political scientists have led to the conclusion that the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) is under assault by Walker and the Republican majority. Really? How bad can it be? ANSWER: Not good and it could get worse! What’s to Gain? Why the assault? The WRS is under assault for three main reasons: Ideology . . . right-wing desire to end large, public benefit programs just like Paul Ryan wants to do at the federal level with Social Security, desire to “privatize” public pension programs by changing them to 401(k) style programs thereby sending millions in extra fees/charges to Wall Street and investment companies from individual annuitants. to undermine public employment and public employee unions because public employees are the last major opposition to the right-wing agenda for Wisconsin. Public employees have family supporting wages and benefits. By pitting public employee benefits vs. private employee benefits; they attempt to “divide and conquer”! But the WRS is So Sound and Safe . . . The fact that WRS is strong, cost effective, is in the top 4 of public pension programs in America, and is 99.7% funded does not matter. It manages about $77 billion in stocks, bonds, real estate trust funds; $13billion of which is invested in Wisconsin. And it doesn’t bust budgets! State and local government spending for pension contributions in Wisconsin only amounted to 1.26% of total government spending in 2009. Where is the evidence of assault? It began early with the passage of the 2011-2013 State Budget Bill which called for a study to: 1) examine creating a defined contribution plan and 2) determine the feasibility of allowing employees to “opt out” of WRS. The study is due June 2012 and will go directly to the Joint Finance Committee and Governor rather than the legislative committee established by law to review retirement issues. The study may well endorse the above changes as a pre-emptive move to “save” the system from future problems and/or offer employees greater flexibility. Not wanting to wait, in January 2012, Republican Rep. Pat Strachota introduced AB 539 allowing WRS “opt out” for new University of Wisconsin System hires. What is often ignored is that Rep. Strachota is a member of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), an organization comprised of corporations promoting privatization and deregulation , and she borrowed one of their bills to write AB 539! The Wisconsin legislature is full of ALEC members: Robin Voss, Alberta Darling, Scott Suder, Van Wanggard, Terry Moulton and Scott Walker is a former ALEC member. WRS is a complicated system carefully crafted over many decades by Republican and Democratic leaders and even small changes like the April 2012 Wisconsin Employment Relation Commission (WERC) ruling on teacher base pay could have an impact. This ruling will reduce teacher contributions to the WRS as school districts would be able to only negotiate over local base wages, effectively reducing teacher salaries by 20% or more . . . and their 5.8% matching contribution. So, provisions like employee “opt outs”, reductions in contributions , and even changing who gets appointed to WRS governing boards or organizations like the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) and Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) can all add up and have adverse impacts. Wouldn’t adding a defined contribution option like 401 (k) be a good idea? No. The WRS operates as a defined benefit system which means you receive a known and predictable retirement benefit (annuity) guaranteed for a specified period. Defined contributions plans like 401(k) programs DO NOT guarantee a set monthly benefit. “Retirement income” is the money left at retirement meaning annuity payments are directly related to the current value of the portfolio. Market goes sour? So too does your annuity. The WRS has a small Variable Fund that operates like a defined contribution plan. Because of incredibly high volatility, ETF and SWIB have recommended closing it to new applicants and, in 2008, annuity values went down 40%! You get much greater peace of mind with a defined benefit program! The WRS brings great value because of its large volume transactions and low fees reduce management costs to nearly half that of most defined contribution programs. An added danger of defined contribution plans is “risk shifting.” Employers in defined contribution plans are only responsible for their contributions and take no responsibility for annuity outputs; their stability or adequacy . It is entirely YOUR risk! But my annuity is “guaranteed”! My annuity can’t drop; can it? “Yes” it can. You start with a base or floor which, by Sec. 40.19 WI Statutes, it cannot be reduced below. Over the past twenty five years, good performance allowed annuities to expand well beyond base amounts by about 4.6% per year. Unfortunately the 2008 bank-Wall Street collapse reversed this historic pattern, requiring the WRS to deploy one of its best stability tools: 5-year rolling average adjustment. Through 2013, the fund will re-stabilize itself and hopefully begin rebuilding upward again. In 2012, longer-term annuitants saw a 7% drop in their monthly payment. Many saw a reduction of several hundred dollars in recent years, but no one went below their guaranteed floor! The WRS can self-correct and protect its “floor guarantee”, so long as major market down-turns are not too close together and politicians don’t make matters worse with ill-conceived legislation. However, because the WRS is a defined benefit program, to save the WRS from actuarial failure under the most adverse of scenarios, it could be necessary for the legislature to revisit the “floor guarantee” to allow for greater management flexibility. What can be done to stave off the assault? Walker and Republicans are clearly showing their desire to change the WRS. Vote for Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell on or before June 5th. If you live in a senate recall area, vote Compas in the 13th, Lehman in the 21st , Dexter in the 23rd, or Seidel in the 29th and support them with help and contributions! Democrats have shown far greater support for the WRS than most Republicans. Stay informed and work with others. Join an activist organization like the WI Alliance for Retired Americans, WI Coalition of Annuitants , contact your home union, or join a retiree chapter of your union. Contact or petition YOUR representative and senator! Take a delegation to their office and hold them accountable. Also, consider getting involved by signing a petition found at http://signon.org/sign/save-the-wisconsin-retiremen?source=s.em.cp&r This is the time and moment to defend YOUR retirement system!! For information on WI Alliance For Retired Americans, go to www.retiredamericans.org or call 608-241-1831 . For information on WI Coalition of Annuitants go to www.wicoa.org This publication was prepared by Protect Our Retirement System (POWRS). POWRS is a statewide working group of activist retirees and can be contacted at powrs2012@gmail.com. DEBUNKING THE MYTHS about the Wisconsin Retirement System The Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) is a defined benefit pension program serving 572,000 active public employees and retirees (12% of Wisconsin’s adult population), affecting about 20% of Wisconsin’s population when families are included. Public employees of 1,400 units of government, including state employees and school districts are covered by the program. It is the 9th largest public retirement system in the country. The WRS provides exceptional return and security for its covered employees. Its nearly $77 billion in assets are managed by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) which invests in a wide array of stocks, bonds, real estate, and other investments. It is a true gem amongst public pension programs. Unfortunately significant disinformation and distortions are now being spread about the WRS in the hopes of undermining it for political gain and to justify program changes in 2013. This flyer reviews some of the more common myths and provides reality checks. Myth 1: Public employee pensions are busting state and local government budgets. Fact: Public employee pensions have very little impact on state and local government budgets in Wisconsin. In 2009, pension contribution costs represented 1.26% of government spending . . .well below the national average of 2.9%. Fact: Investment earnings support all Employee Trust Fund (ETF) administrative costs (about $31 million for 2010) and a great majority of annuitant distribution costs. In 2010, earnings covered 66% of the $3.8 billion in annuitant distribution costs and employee contributions covered an additional amount. Fact: All wages and benefits are earned compensation. No employee gets anything for free! General Employees currently contribute 5.8% of wages to their pensions. Myth 2: Public employees’ “gold plated” retirements are excessively generous. Fact: . In 2010, ETF paid out $3.8 billion in retirement payments. The average retirement benefit was $23,800 per year, 83% of WRS annuities were under $40,000 per year, and 26% were less than $10,000 per year. Fact: These benefits are typical. Nationally, public employee pensions average $23,407 per year. Private sector defined benefit pensions average $20,298 per year. MYTH 3: Public employee pensions hurt Wisconsin’s economy by increasing taxes. Fact: In 2006, WRS beneficiaries (86% of them live in Wisconsin) spent $4.5 billion, accounted for over 33,000 jobs that paid $1.7 billion in wages and salaries and over $730 million in federal, state, and local taxes. Their spending generated $1.48 in economic activity for every dollar paid in benefits. A 2012 study found $5.52 in total economic output for every dollar contributed by taxpayers to WRS. Fact: SWIB invested over $13 billion in Wisconsin companies in 2010 . . . many of whom use Wisconsin employees. WRS is an asset for all of Wisconsin! Myth 4: Defined contribution plans are better than defined benefit programs. Fact: The National Institute on Retirement Security and other organizations report that defined benefit plans, like WRS, are economically more efficient than defined contribution plans, delivering the same level of benefits at nearly half the cost. Most defined contribution (called 401k) programs built on individual investing are far more risky and costly due to added fees/charges than large, public pension programs. Fact: WRS has performed very well. The main Core Fund effective rate of return averaged 10.4% per year over the past 25 years and, because of this performance, the average annuity increased 4.6% per year over this period. Myth 5: WRS is not flexible and doesn’t meet the needs of employees. Fact: WRS has benefits similar to defined contribution plans while providing steady, low-cost performance. WRS provides individual accounts, retention in the event of system departure or job change, and the option for additional contributions. Fact: WRS has a feature called “money purchase” which is similar to a defined contribution plan. This feature allows employees to receive their final annuity as a series of payments based on the current market value of their account. Myth 6: WRS is not sustainable and will not be here for future retirees. Fact: WRS is “fully funded” (99.7%) which means the WRS assets are large enough to cover all expected current and future retirement payments for all current annuitants and active employees. WRS has always met all benefit payment obligations. WRS is rated as one of the top four public employee retirement systems in the nation by the Pew Center for the States . . . a true national leader! Fact: The size of WRS ($77 billion in assets) and the use of several risk management mechanisms to smooth market losses over 5-year periods provides great sustainability and stability. If it isn’t broken…don’t fix it! Sources: NASRA Issue Brief. “State and Local Government Spending on Public Employee Retirement Systems”. National Association of State Retirement Administrators. February 14, 2012. Wisconsin Retirement System, Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, January 2011 The Trillion Dollar Gap, Underfunded State Retirement Systems and the Roads to Reform, Pew Center on the States, February 2010. 2010 Comparative Study of Major Employee Retirement Systems. Wisconsin Legislative Council, December 2011. Pensionomics 2009 and 2012, Measuring the Economic Impact of DB Pension Expenditures, National Institute on Retirement Security. February 2009 and February 2012. David Mills and David Stella, “Good Pensions for Everyone Would Boost Economy”, Capital Times, March 10, 2012. Department of Employee Trust Fund information can be found at http://etf.wi.gov/ . This publication was developed by Protect Our Wisconsin Retirement System (POWRS). POWRS is a statewide working group of activist retirees and can be reached at powrs2012@gmail.com .

Recall Walker Signs Evansville, Wi

Recall Walker Signs Sprout up in Evansville, Wisconsin as Signs spread all across Wisconsin. For questions about set up of your own signs, contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Bear Trader Replies Re; Bank Holiday in a Digital Age

(Ed.note: "Bear Trader" is a "bear" on market matters and his thoughts are reflection, not market advice.) As far as European events are concerned, nobody, but nobody, knows what will happen to our derivative backed financial system ($600 Trillion notional and counting!). The European Central Banks are pretty sure they are ready for it, they say. Could be. I think they are whistling past the graveyard. Got to keep up public confidence, don't you know. One thing is for sure, the various Big Boys and Girls don't intend to be the ones that end up realizing the losses. There will be big hiccups in derivative settlement ranging from years of squabbling to years of inter-country fighting over who takes the loss. We could see finance retreating into national borders as in the Great Depression, and no 'return to normalcy' for generations if ever. Major war is, hopefully, not terribly likely. Greece is a small potatoes thing. The big problem is the debt and unfulfillable politician''s promises. Democracies can't handle telling the voters to go quietly away and starve somewhere else. The voters will vote in their local equivalent of Adolf Hitler. Plato and Aristotle both held that Democracy always ends sooner than you think, and ends with the election of a Tyrant. If you think the USA hasn't been moving in this direction for over fifty years then you haven't been watching. Economic progress has been halted, or more precisely, can no longer be the tide that raises all boats. We cannot live on Ipads, Ipods, or other toys. That is why you are seeing the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. As far as bank holidays in the USA, I think access to FDIC insured accounts of about $1000 a week maximum should be available after a few days, probably over a weekend. Business would halt until the bank clearance system is back on line. This is a fairly likely scenario. Suggestions for individuals interested in protecting their families? What follows should be seen as insurance, as a small expense today to hedge low probability but potentially catastrophic future possibilities. Call this "the Greek scenario". Some cash on hand could be useful. Do not stockpile hundred dollar bills as they attract too much attention. Stick to well used twenties. A little food storage, enough for about four weeks, no luxuries, only staples. Rice and dried beans store well. Don't worry too much about 'a balanced diet', the "informal" marketplace will provide. The wise can read between the lines. Consider electric power outages, maybe days or weeks long, and amazing gasoline prices. On 5/27/12, The Evansville Observer wrote: > Question for you Bear Trader-- > When FDR took office, he declared a bank holiday that took I think three > days. Then we went off the gold standard. > Soon, when Greece leaves the Euro, EVERY option spread involving Greece will > have to be restated or settled? In a world where everything is online, what > will the bank holiday look like?How will not this disrupt the LIQUIDITY of > the current banking system in the US and in fact all of our deposits? > I know not how much liquid cash you have on hand, but I would guess the > average American is not expecting a 4-5 day bank holiday where everything is > frozen. > Corporations are preparing for the Greek situation by moving money out of > greece every night to Britain and pounds...What do you see as practical > steps that every family can do to prepare? > If Jamie Dimon was wrong about the 2 Billion dollar trade that might be a > 5billion dollar trade, what about the millions of other trades out there? > Is not this too big to bail out?Give me your thoughts----thanks. >

Video: 1 of 3: Art of John Wilde

(Ed.note: With over 11,000 video downloads, this video is the virtual tourist record setter of The Evansville Observer and makes the point that the Artists of Evansville are a key element that makes Evansville special.) Video: 1 of 3: Docents introduced from the Chasen Museum of Madison; Why did John Wilde live here? Video available on The Evansville Observer, www.evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com We set the standard for online news in Southern Wisconsin

Memorial Day Evansville, Wisconsin 2 of 2

Video: Memorial Day Parade, Evansville, Wisconsin; EHS marching Band.

Memorial Day Evansville, Wisconsin 1 of 2

Video: Memorial Day Parade, Evansville, Wisconsin

Assistant Director of Eager Library Named

Please welcome our new Assistant Director for Eager Free Public Library. Megan Becker began her duties on May 21st. She comes to EFPL from a library in Mequon. Megan and her husband will reside in Fitchburg. The Trustees of the Library are initiating a search for a new Director. In the interim, Megan will be Acting Director

Eager Library Spring 2012 Newsletter

The Friends' major fund-raiser every year is the Ice Cream Social and Charity Auction on the EFPL Lawn to kick off the Evansville Community July 4th Celebration. This year, we're pumping up the excitement level. • ELVIS PRESLEY will entertain the crowd! (Well, sorta like Santa Claus, it's not the Real Elvis.) For all you hound dogs and lovers of blue suede shoes, he will bring back memories. For the younger set, it will just be a blast to see and hear what their elders rocked to a generation or more ago. • RAFFLE! This year's ICS will feature raffles for an Apple iPad, an antique quilt, and an adult StingRay bicycle. These three items have all been donated by Friends of the Library, and your committee decided they have too much value to be auctioned. You'll be able to buy raffle tickets soon, and we urge all our Friends to buy and to volunteer to sell raffle tickets around town, perhaps even to out-of-town folks, during the next month. Winners don’t need to be present at the drawing. Take a chance; maybe you’ll win something really super! • THE AUCTION itself will be a whole new animal as well. The ICS committee has gathered a grand assortment of items unlike any offered before. You'll want to come to the Social just to see some of the unique and fascinating goodies on which you can bid. And hopefully you’ll bid freely, because you know that this is how we raise money to support Eager Free Public Library. Shelving, security system, movie projection equipment, language-learning programs: these acquisitions and support for the library's services and programs all were paid for with money the Friends raised in the last several years. We would be grateful to receive a few more unique and intriguing auction items. If you’ve not donated (tax-deductible!) to our auction in the past & wish to help this year, please call Audrey Shomos (882-4070 ) to arrange your donation. Thanks! • SOCIALIZE! Schoepp's ice-cream, beautiful (and taste-y) home-made cakes and cupcakes for you to savor as you socialize with your friends. We’re also challenging you, as a FRIEND, to invite a friend who is not yet a FRIEND to come to the ICS with you. Introduce them to the glories of our library & how we support it as an entire community. Ask them to join you as a FRIEND OF THE EAGER FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Mailbag: Wireman: Volunteer Opportunities Re: Election

GROUPS NEEDING VOLUNTEERS THE DEMS sun & mon. from 12 p to 5p to show up at our office 210 N. Bassett St. We will give them a short training and then send them to the Brat Fest to sign people up to volunteer for GOTV. We also need people to sign up for GOTV, (see below) we still need a lot of people to help on election day. They can sign up by entering the following link in to their web browser bit.ly/dane2012gotv . They must write the link exactly as written and it is case sensitive. we must schedule 170 volunteer shifts per day in order to reach our goal for "Get Out The Vote Weekend." Recruit your friends, family, and co-workers to come with you by copying this link: bit.ly/dane2012gotv and posting it all over the internet. We need the most help for election day and Monday June 4th. We may also need help during the weekend, but if people go to the website, they will be able to see which locations and times we are still open. We need help both with phone calls and with canvassing doors, the information is on that website. A canvass shift consist of approximately 50 doors, which is what a person can do in 3 hours. A phone shift is 3 hours. Still a little uncomfortable about volunteering? That's normal. We'll give you a training beforehand and make sure you're up to speed before volunteering. Click here to stand up and tip the scales our way. Already signed up but still want to help? Great. Any chance you could sign up for another shift on Monday June 4th and/or Tuesday June 5th? These are the days where we need the most help. Already did that and still want to help? Phenomenal! Encourage them to sign up for every shift they can. Dane County Field Team Democratic Party of Wisconsin 608-692-9740 danefieldoffice@wisdems.org WE ARE WISCONSIN today, mon and rest of week we will be lots and lots of doors. We are running canvasses all days. The first canvassers we send out is 11am, then the times change during the day, all depending on the time people have available. During the evenings we launch canvassers go out at 5pm. Thursday will be our big weekday canvass, and that will also be at 5pm. I assume they are making phone calls as well in case you don't want to do doors. Saturday starts our 4 days of Get out the Vote, these 4 days we will have many doors to knock on to ensure that people vote on Tuesday. The times for this will be 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 5pm. Except for Sunday morning, we will not be canvassing until 12pm on Sunday. also here is an e-mail volunteer@wearewisconsin.org Madison - Baldwin St. Office 412 Baldwin St. Madison, WI 53703 Contact: Steph Mulvey (608) 535-9771 ; Steph@wearewisconsin.org Madison Labor Temple 1602 S. Park St., Madison, WI 53715 Contact: Andrew Collier (608) 620-3053 ; andrew@wearewisconsin.org Madison - American Federation of Teachers 6602 Normandy Ln, 2nd Floor Madison, WI 53719 Contact: Ben Tobias (920) 960-8238 ; ben@wearewisconsin.org THE HOURS MAY BE DIFFERENT for sun prairie HERE SO CONTACT THEM Sun Prairie Office 1571 Ivory Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590 Contact: Neal Waltmire (608) 535-9131 ; neal@wearewisconsin.org ©2012 Wireman & Associates | 4001 Monona Dr, Madison WI 53717

Seminar Coming Re Wis Retirement System:

May 31st Public Informational Event: Wisconsin Retirement System’s Future in 2012: “What You Need to know about Your Wisconsin Retirement System Account” Featuring expert analysts: Roger Springman and Buzz Davis Under present Wisconsin planning, discover changes that may soon take place affecting retirement all WRS accounts starting in 2012. Informed citizens may be able to give input that could have a positive effect on those decisions. Come to learn and share your ideas as well! May 31, 2012- A second event due to popular demand!! 6:30 pm – 8:00pm DeForest Public Library 203 Library St. DeForest, WI 55352 This is a public Service event open to all & Free. The Wisconsin Advisory Committee set up to review Wisconsin Retirement System’s Status will release its recommendations in mid-June. Join us to hear experts who’ve analyzed what changes are likely to be made to the Retirement System. This is information important to be aware of and share with all you know who are or will depend on the retirement system for their pensions.

Mailbag: Bold Progressives: Amazon drops ALEC

WE DID IT! Over 95,000 PCCC members petitioned and Amazon answered. CEO Jeff Bezos announced yesterday the company would drop its membership in ALEC. Victory!! We got word as we protested outside Amazon's annual shareholder meeting with over 500,000 petition signatures in hand from PCCC members and our allies. Amazon bowed to public pressure and will no longer fund ALEC's agenda of union-busting and voter-suppression -- but corporations like AT&T are still standing by ALEC.

OpEd: Are YOU Divided? Will YOU be conquered?

In the now famous video of Gov. Walker speaking to Ms. Hendricks of ABC Supply in which he says the plan on destroying unions is one of divide and conquer.....think of what he might have meant for your situation. If you have lived in Wisconsin for the past ten years, recount the losses for non-union labor....these have gone on for a decade and have been very painful..Just think locally of manufacturing employees that were terminated, with little fanfare, and then told if they disclosed anything about their terminations, their pensions would be invalidated. Nice. Nobody has ever even written of it in the newspapers, much less protested it. So in the pain of it all, those who have gone before in the pain process and taken a decline in standard of living, may have just a bit of resentment about those union folks who may have not taken a cut, or at least they think. That is the "division". If because of personal pain, you believe that others and including yourself deserve a politician that would be terrible for all, you are deeply mistaken. The misdeeds of Gov. Scott Walker are far beyond unions, and reach to every corner of Wisconsin society. Just recount a bit of it...the disrespect for law, the disregard of open meeting laws, the poisoned politics, the misrepresention of intention, the repeal of rights of women for equal pay...and on and on... It's called the Stockholm syndrome, or "The Patty Hersch Syndrome", as in falling in love with your captors....and it is treated with therapy....Make a note of it.

I and E Corner: Conference Coming June 6-7

June 6-7 Special Conference in Madison A special invitation from Lynn Pitman, University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives and April 2011 Guest Speaker at I&E Club The I&E Club members might be interested in the upcoming Madison Cooperative Jobs Conference on June 6-7. The conference is sponsored by the City of Madison, UW Center for Cooperatives, and the Madison cooperative business community. The June 6th pre-conference session will focus on small business succession planning and the use of cooperative conversions as a way to maintain thriving businesses under employee ownership upon the retirement of the owners. The workshop is 9:00-4:00, followed by a reception from 4:00-6:00. This session will be led by Roy Messing, Business Succession Planning Program Coordinator, Ohio Employee Ownership Center, Kent State University. Topics will include: creating a successful decision-making process; the various succession options; and the tax, legal and financial environment of selling to employees. Roy is has significant experience working with small business owners to develop transition plans to employee ownership, and he'll bring a variety of case studies and best practices to the discussion. Topics on June 7 will include the role of cooperatives in our community, an introduction to cooperative finance and successful cooperative start-ups, and how cities and cooperatives can work together to support job creation and local ownership. The conference will run from 8:30 until 4:30. All conference sessions will be at the Pyle Center of the UW-Madison campus. Registration is $25 for one day, or $40 for both. Complete program and registration information is available at: http://www.cityofmadison.com/business/coopconference/schedule.cfm Madison Cooperative Business Conference: Growing Jobs through Co-Op... cityofmadison.com

Mailbag: Wireman: Absentee Ballots Info

Most requests for absentee ballots must be submitted to the clerk by the end of the day on May 31. There are exceptions for sequestered jurors and hospitalized electors, etc. See the May 17 memo on the GAB web site for more info. Voters mailing an absentee ballot must have it postmarked by Election Day, June 5, and received by 4 pm on Friday, June 8. Hand delivered ballots must be received by 8 pm on Election Day. In-person absentee (early voting) runs through June 1, but you may wait in line longer at the clerk's office than you would at your polling place on election day. Shirley H.

Dinner Party at Creekside is Coming SOON, June 2, 2012

Dinner Party at Creekside Place Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012 Time: Cocktails at 5:00PM Dinner at 6:00PM Cost: Member: Single/Couple $17.50/$35.00 Non-Member: Single/Couple $22.50/$45.00 (Gratuity included) This dinner will be catered in by JL Richards of Oregon, the featured entrée will include chicken cordon blu with seasoned red potatoes, crisp green beans, and for desert we will be serving brownie alamode. The tickets are $17.50 per member guest and $22.50 per non member guest (this includes gratuity). Reserva-tions may be made by calling 882-0407 or you may stop by the front desk at Creekside. To confirm your reservation guests are requested to prepay for the dinner prior to the Monday, May 28th.

Video: 1 of 8: "The Art of Theodore Robinson"

(Ed.note: Over 1600 people have downloaded this video and it is at the top of "virtual tourism" charts for the Evanville Observer) Video: 1 of 8: Richard Krake, Painter, speaks at the Eager Free Library on "The Art of Theodore Robinson" Video compliments of The Evansville Observer, www.evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com We set the standard for online news in Southern Wi.

Mailbag: ALEC petition: www.boldprogressive.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Share the petition on Facebook or share on Twitter. you signed our petition telling corporations to stop funding ALEC. Because of people like you, 14 corporations and 39 Democratic state legislators have dumped ALEC. Now, we're going after Amazon, one of the biggest corporations that still supports ALEC. This Thursday, we're going to take the fight to them by delivering your petition signatures to Amazon's shareholder meeting in Seattle alongside our partners at SEIU and Color of Change. Over 85,000 people have signed on already! Can you spread the word and help get even more signers before the petition is delivered? Click here to share the petition on Facebook or Click here to share on Twitter. (You can also forward this email to friends and family -- they can sign on here.) Thanks for being a bold progressive. -- Kristiane Skolmen and James Ploeser, PCCC organizers

The Rapid Rise of "Mobile"

About 25% of the traffic of The Evansville Observer is from "mobile" users, handheld phones, ipads etc. The number has been rapidly rising. This phenomenon has been mentioned in the discussion of "Facebook" in that in that stock issue, the idea of monetizing the handheld traffic had come into question, and that as that traffic had zoomed up in the recent months....What we are seeing on The Observer is rapidly rising mobile plus broad age participation and both men and women.

Mailbag; More Election Information

ink to print out the absentee ballot request from the clerk's website: http://www.cityofmadison.com/election/absenteeVoting/documents/AbsenteeBallotRequest-2012.pdf DATA FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND REQUEST AT BOTTOM FOR HELP MONITORING ELECTION You can still register to vote at your municipal clerk's office before the election or at your polling place on Election Day. Bring an official proof of residence document. To register, you will be asked to provide the number of your Wisconsin Driver's License or Wisconsin ID, if you have one. If you do not have one, you may provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you don't have any of these numbers, your clerk will assign a voter number for you. These IDs will not be needed to vote, once you are registered. If you are one of the many registered voters who are moving between May 8 and June 5 (students, this applies to you!), you will be able to vote in your old voting district. You can do this in person at your old polling place on Election Day or by absentee ballot before the election. You must request an absentee ballot from your municipal clerk. You can do this in person at your clerk's office before the close of business on Friday, June 1, or you can cast an absentee ballot by mail. Click here for instructions on requesting and casting an absentee ballot. Be sure to follow the instructions very carefully, or your vote might not be counted! Today the gubernatorial recall election campaigns are a-buzz about Wisconsin job numbers. Thirty-second TV ads don't tell the story! For differing views, see the press release from the Department of Workforce Development and an analysis by Forbes Magazine contributor Rick Ungar. Click here for the website Alice in Political Land, a web-based radio talk show. Recent interviews include one by Madison author and consultant Peggy Wireman with the LWV-WI executive director about new voting laws. If you can spare a couple of hours on Election Day, help the League monitor the June 5 election. Click here for information about our election observer program and an online volunteer sign-up form. You don't need to be a League member to be an observer. The League will provide training, a packet of materials and a polling place assignment. Find the League on Facebook! Like How to register and absentee vote; how to evaluate jobs numbers on Facebook Your contribution to the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network will help make democracy work in Wisconsin! Make a secure online donation or download a printable contribution form here.

OpEd: The Sharper Message

Walker did not need to destroy education to save Wisconsin....or destroy unions...he just needed to keep his promises about creating jobs. It is possible to REFORM education, and REFORM educational funding, and WEAC is not going to lead the way on that. So there is a middle way that has not been created yet, yet I see it as possible. Tom Barrett said in the televised debate that he did support a revised educational funding formula that added a sales tax to support education. This is reasonable since the property tax has been exhausted as a source, and voters if given the opportunity to raise their taxes on their homes, will reject it, and reject the candidate that opens that door---make a note of it. Standards for promotion in education must mean more than just interviewing all the teachers in a school for their present job. There must be a measurable way of evaluating teacher performance...I have not seen it yet. So--the bottom line. The message that "everything will be restored as it was before Walker" is a non starter. And the message that the property tax will be the source of restored funding is a non-starter. The message must be delivered by Barrett as to what his solution is. Voters need to hear it.

Rising Interest of Women in Wisconsin Governor's Race

At the time of the primary election for Governor of Wisconsin, only 10% of viewers of Evansville Observer Utube video channel were women. As of today, it is about 41%. It appears that women voters are doing their research as to the issues---and women may be the difference in the election. However--the irony is that most of the video offered by the campaigns is men talking to men...The videos that have gotten much viewing are women talking to women----Where is Falk talking about why she supports Barrett? Where is Vinehout talking to women voters about the policy wonk improvements needed? Make of note of it. The interest of women is rising in this election. They are looking for women leaders of the progressive persuasion to speak to them on the issues.

"It was just a dumb trade?"

This week JP Morgan announced that the broker-trader in London named "The Whale" had done a dumb trade that was going to cost the firm 2 BILLION dollars, but could cost more....the next day, they announced that the loss was more like 3 BILLION dollars...but could be more...Jamie Dimon, the chairman of JP Morgan was on the hotseat, and at the annual meeting, there was a vote on whether he should be removed...How could this have happened? He is so meticulous and such a wonderful leader and all....yada yada yada Every hedge that involves two options, maybe one a call and one a put, the net of the two is the NET risk of the trade---BUT if one of the two options becomes ILLIQUID or aka "WORTHLESS" then all bets are off as to the result of the trades....and the risk of that happening is NOT reflected in any data that a president of a firm would have....and there are tons of leveraged derivative "Hedges" out there that involve the European Union...and guess what, they are denominated in euros, and what happens when everyone reverts to their own currancy? In summary, the present assessment of risk by firms is a complete fiction...and is going to end badly. In summary....this was not a "dumb trade"---that is just a smoke screen public relations comment. What is crystal clear is that we need to revert back to Glass Steegal rules that were abandoned....or beware of the coming results.

Mailbag: Wireman: Details on Absentee Ballot Procedure for Election

this weekend is the last chance to reach UW students who are leaving town or graduating, and educate them on how they can vote. Graduations will be this Saturday and Sunday at the Kohl Center, and that area would be a good place to reach students--a shift from about 11:45 to 2:15 on either day would reach students leaving the morning ceremony and coming for the afternoon ceremony. The attached flyer has been checked for accuracy by the city clerk's office, and gives students instructions on where to vote depending on their circumstances. It is designed to be printed double-sided--the absentee ballot request file on one side, and the student voter guide on the other side. If anyone knows already by tonight that they are interested in this, I would be happy to make copies by tomorrow morning. Unfortunately I am leaving town for a funeral so I can't do anything after tonight. But anyone is free to make copies of this material. Please forward this to anyone you know who might be interested in reaching out to students this weekend. I know I saw other groups out doing voter registration but didn't think to ask them how to contact them in the future. Thank you everyone for all the work you're doing! Sherri Swartz How Do I Vote in the June 5 Barrett-Walker Election? If you have voted with your Madison address in the past, and you are staying in Wisconsin until June 5 or plan to return to Wisconsin in the fall, you can: 1) Vote at the Madison City Clerk’s office, 210 Martin Luther King Blvd, Mon. May 21-Fri. June 1 (most days 8 AM-7PM, limited hours Memorial Day weekend). OR 2) Request an absentee ballot—see form on back. This form can be mailed to your summer address. OR 3) Vote from your hometown address, if it is in Wisconsin. (You cannot vote from a temporary summer address if you plan to return to Madison in the fall.) If you are staying in Madison after graduation, vote at your usual location, or vote early at the City Clerk’s office, 210 Martin Luther King Blvd, May 21-June 1. If you’ve never voted before in Madison, you can register when you vote. Bring an ID and proof of address to register as a new Madison voter. Call 266-4601 to find your voting location, or look it up on www.vpa.wi.gov. If you have never registered to vote in Madison and you are not living in Madison this summer, you must vote at your hometown address. You do NOT need a photo ID to vote in the June 5 recall special election. Questions? Call Madison City Clerk at 608-266-4601) 266-4601 Make Sure Your Absentee Ballot Gets Counted! Ten to 15 percent of absentee ballots do not get counted. To be counted, mail it early—postmarked no later than election day, seal and sign the envelope, have a witness sign the envelope, and make sure you’re registered at the address you use to vote! Absentee Ballot Request In order to receive an absentee ballot, you must be registered to vote at your current address. I request an absentee ballot for the elections I have checked below:  Recall Primary, May 8, 2012  Recall Election, June 5, 2012  Fall Primary Election, August 14, 2012  General/Presidential Election, November 6, 2012  All 2012 Elections in which I am eligible to vote  _ Name (please print) Residence Address Madison, WI Mailing Address (if different than Residence) – Send ballot to:  I have attached a copy of my Photo ID Card If sending a copy of your student ID, you must also send proof of current enrollment. Signature of Elector  Return to: Madison City Clerk 210 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd #103 Madison, WI 53703 ©2012 Wireman & Associates | 4001 Monona Dr, Madison WI 53717

Mailbag; Vinehout Writes Re Wisconsin Budget Process

State Budget Fix: Moving Debt into the Future “Please tell me what’s really happening with the state budget,” the man asked me. “It’s so hard to know what’s going on.” Welcome to the murky world of state finances. Digging deep into state finances is not for the faint of heart. The numbers are big and the problems even bigger. The past several budget years started in the red. State law requires every Governor to submit a balanced budget. If things stray too far into the red, the Governor and Legislature must then craft a ‘budget repair’ bill. February estimates necessitate the state take action on repairing the budget. But recently, the administration announced things look better. In a recent Department of Administration memo, the numbers show a better than expected balance at the end of this budget. Legislators are scrambling to see what numbers are real. Reports suggest the national economy is improving. This is good news. I certainly hope this translates to improvements for Wisconsin. But it’s too soon to verify if this actually happened. What I can verify is the numbers released by the administration include several actions that raise cash by ‘refinancing and restructuring’ debt. This includes delaying – or not paying - debt payments coming due. Not paying bills can free up cash but costs all of us more down the road. Imagine your mortgage is coming due but you need cash. You ask your banker if you can delay making the mortgage payment. He says OK – but it will cost you in additional interest and principal payments over the life of your mortgage. The same thing happened in state government. Instead of a mortgage, the state sells bonds to finance debt. The bonds are paid off usually over 20 years. The Walker administration delayed paying over $500 million in debt payments. The consequence is increased principal and interest payments over the next 20 years. Delaying debt payments was only part of the strategy to improve immediate cash flow by increasing long-term debt. There are other actions to gain cash up-front that cause the state to pay more down the road. The administration sold bonds at a ‘premium’ - meaning bonds were sold for more than they are worth. The state pays higher than market interest rates to gain cash up-front to finance current expenses. This premium long-term interest rate means a higher debt payment. This action helps raise immediate cash – and makes the check book look a little better – but costs us all more in the long run and puts the state in worse financial shape by adding to the long-term debt. Some debt ‘refinanced’ by the administration was taken to lower interest rates – in the way you might refinance a mortgage to capture a lower interest rate and, hence, a lower monthly mortgage payment. But even this action was done for only short-term gain. The refinancing brought in a little over $10 million in savings. Rather than reduce the debt payments – spreading the new lower interest rate over the life of the loan - the administration decided to take all the cash up-front. This kept the debt at the higher interest rate. Delaying payments has been used by governors when the state faced a financial crisis. But the accumulation of techniques used to raise cash at the expense of increased long- term debt is unusual. As is the size of the debt delayed and the speed at which it was delayed. The timing of the action is also suspect. Not in 30 years has the administration released new revenue numbers before the usual pre-budget action in November. Without the help of experts in the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, it would be virtually impossible to track the debt delayed and bonds refinanced. The difficulty in verifying numbers and ‘unspinning’ the spin highlights a critical problem in state government – the lack of transparency in state finances. If we want to have an honest discussion about how to move our state forward and cure our financial woes, we must have an honest discussion of what’s happening right now and how this action will affect our state’s future financial health. Click here to download the PDF

Committee of the Whole Meets Thursday, May 17, 2012

Common Council Special Meeting as Committee of the Whole Thursday, May 17, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, WI Agenda 1. Call to order 2. Roll call 3. Approval of agenda 4. Previous minutes approved at May 8, 2012, regular Common Council meeting 5. Citizen appearances 6. Basics: A-ha sheets, parking lot scribe, process monitor, notes & minutes 7. Report on League New Officials Workshop: new ideas, surprises (5 minutes) 8. May 8 Financial Overview: Comments, follow-up questions, or topics for parking lot (5 minutes) 9. Wrap-up from last Committee of the Whole meeting (20 minutes) a. Additions to list of “Appreciate What Is” b. Other comments/questions c. Cohesive Team Model i. Trust ii. Attention to results 10. Trust at Pivotal Moments (30 minutes) a. Ehlers Public Finance Seminar panel on economic development b. Procedure for city administrator hiring 11. Break (15 minutes) 12. Constructive conflict (15 minutes) 13. Commitment (10 minutes) 14. Accountability (15 minutes) 15. Attention to results – How do we succeed? (20 minutes) a. What is top notch service b. What are components of quality of life c. How are top notch service and quality of life translated to city budgeting strategy 16. Check-out (15 minutes) a. Review Cohesive Team Model b. A-ha sheets c. Parking lot d. Next steps 17. Adjourn. Sandra J. Decker, Mayor

Summer Clean Up Coming==Thursday May 17, 2012

Hello For the ninth year, third-graders from Levi Leonard school led by Nancy Greve-Shannon and the Evansville Community Partnership will team up to clean up the downtown. This year we will sweep from 1 pm until 2:15 on Main and Madison Streets and we need your help. We need 6-10 adults to take charge of a small group of very willing sweepers and cleaners for just one hour. The more adults we have, the better the event is for all concerned. Please plan on meeting us at Shannon Law Office on Main Street at 1 pm. We will reconnect at Creekside Place at 2:15 for snacks and camaraderie before going our separate ways. I hope you can help us this year as we make ready to welcome Summer guests to downtown. Nancy Greve-Shannon Jim Brooks

Wall Street Corner: "The Bathing Suit Rule"

Years ago I had the pleasure of training to be a securities broker on Wall Street, and trained in the heat of the summer in New York...It was memorable sitting on the steps of Wall street, across from the Starbucks, and reflecting that everybody was not there...they were at the beach...because it was just deserted..... With the summer coming prior to the Presidential Election, it foretells to be a hot, hot time....with a scarcity of retail activity...and I just am very thankful I am not a broker in this coming environment.... Hence...in our family there is a special rule..."The bathing suit rule" and every time my younger brother calls me with a special stock pick advice, I just say...but remember, Denis..."The bathing suit Rule"---wait till the temps get to 100 degrees and then buy something......

Mailbag: MoveOn.org; Is DNC supporting Recall Walker?

Dear MoveOn member, As a Wisconsin progressive working day and night for the recall of Scott Walker, I'm shocked: The Democratic National Committee still isn't giving financial support to the recall fight in Wisconsin. After more than a year of grassroots efforts, Wisconsin citizens have accomplished more than anyone thought possible. We now have a Democratic challenger to Scott Walker who is neck and neck in the polls, even though Tom Barrett is being outspent by Walker's millions from out-of-state donations. There is no more time for the Democratic National Committee to wait—if Walker wins, it would be a huge setback to Democrats in races across the country this year. We need the DNC's support immediately! That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, which says: Democratic National Committee and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, invest now in the crucial fight to remove Scott Walker from office in Wisconsin—the people have worked hard and it's time to help. Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=275536&id=41477-2996462-en9ikrx&t

"Last Man Standing" found kneeling: The story of Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan

Stock Markets were rocked today by the loss announced by JP Morgan of "at least" TWO BILLION dollars. The head of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon said he felt "comfortable" with the situation. As pundits will recall, Jamie is the hero of the book "The Last Man Standing"---it is available from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Man-Standing-Ascent-JPMorgan/dp/1416599533 The irony is of course that Mr. Dimon is one of the strongest advocates of non-regulation of the banking industry. Mr. Johnson, author of 7 Bankers, has called for his resignation today.

Mailbag: Recall Walker Happenings for Saturday, May 12, 2012

Labor Temple at noon We Are Wisconsin speakers, food, sign ups This Saturday at noon, We Are Wisconsin will host a grassroots Solidarity Kickoff at the Labor Temple in Madison. Click here to RSVP on Facebook. It’s going to take every ounce of grassroots energy we have to beat back Walker and his limitless out-of-state campaign cash. At this kickoff on Saturday, we’ll come together to show the Koch brothers and their allies that their slick TV ads can’t match our energy and momentum. This Saturday, please join us for food, music, speakers, and fun as we energize for the final push. P.S. Please remember to bring a non-perishable food item to the Labor Temple on Saturday to support the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive. After that, we’ll be hitting the streets to start vital conversations with our neighbors about how – together – we’re going to send Scott Walker packing. Polls show this race is going to be incredibly close and every single one of these conversations with voters will have an impact. Grassroots activism is how this started and it’s how we’re going to win. Please join national American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, John Nichols, SCFL President Kevin Gundlach, Rep. Chris Taylor, and our dear friend Sly to kick off the start of the general election. We can’t wait a minute more to start working to get Tom Barrett elected. Whether you’ve been volunteering nonstop for a year or are just getting started, we need absolutely everyone on board.

Mailbag: Theodore Robinson Society: Kendall Schneider Writes:

Hi All, I would like to meet again this month at 7:00 on May 10th at Creekside Place. A couple of topics would be a request from the organizers of the Pleine Air event coming up for some funding, another would be possible fundraising to help with costs associated with bringing D. Scott Atkinson to Evansville for the Theodore Robinson Annual meeting on Sunday September 16th the weekend of the 14 South artist's weekend. Kendall

Twitter: Library news: Moms Celebrated on Sat, May 12th

Moms, come Sat. May 12 from 10 am - 11am to enjoy muffins with your child at the library! Beverages also provided.

Mailbag: Wireman: Recall Walker Rally announced for Wed May 9,2012: State Capitol

. On Wednesday, May 9th, we will not be holding the regularly scheduled meeting of the Democratic Party of Dane County at the Concourse Hotel. Instead, we hope you will join the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for a rally at 6:30pm on the steps of the Capitol with the Democratic Nominee for Governor. The primary election on Tuesday, May 8th will determine who will be the Democrat to reclaim our state from Scott Walker's radical agenda and bring Wisconsin values back to the Governor's office. On Wednesday, May 9th, the Democratic Party will stand up with our nominee and let Walker and his big money allies know that they cannot divide us, and together, we will make history. The rally will be at the State Street side of the Capitol at 6:30pm. Our nominee, the three other candidates, and some special guests will be there to help us start the final phase of the recall of Scott Walker. If you'd like to RSVP, you can do so on the Dane Dems Facebook page or at this URL: http://danedems.nationbuilder.com/democratic_unity_and_forward_to_victory_rally

Mailbag: I and E Club: "Small Mistakes in HR can Cost you BIG Money": Wed, May 9, 2012:

Hi everyone Just a couple of notes to share: 1. First, make time to join us next Wednesday! 2. And, just a heads up, too: our main fundraising event is the Lunker Lob, a ton-of-fun kid event (well, OK, adults have loads of fun, too)! It is held at Lake Leota park on the Fourth of July, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. We are already recruiting prizes and volunteers to work two-hour shifts. Just email me if you can help with prizes (or connections) and shift. Thanks! Sue "Small Mistakes in HR can Cost Big Money" Presented May 9 Come to hear human resources consultant Maggie Ley present “Small Mistakes in HR can cost big money: a primer for new and small business owners.” Ley is speaking at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, at the Evansville Area Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. The meeting is free and open to the public, and will be hosted at Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville. Ley has more than 25 years of experience in human resources management, having served as human resources director for law, accounting and investment firms. With particular expertise in coaching, team building, and employee handbooks, Ley has become known for her dedicated approach to client service, firm grounding in the rules and regulations of employment law, team-focused leadership style, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to develop programs that are tailored to small business needs. Sponsoring this meeting is Wendy Pryce and her "sweet sensations,” which are delightful concoctions baked from scratch the old-fashioned way. Come to sample treats, and to meet interesting people who might have the connection or piece of information that matters to you. It’s a relaxed, informal way to trade phone numbers, tips, and ideas! For information about sponsorships or I&E club, contact Sue Berg at 608-882-0986 or suebergsolutions@gmail.com.

OpEd: Politics: The Ying and the Yang

If you step back for a moment....and reflect how Wisconsin got to where it is----Gov. Scott Walker got elected governor...and what were the grievances of those who elected him....one of them was high property taxes that supported public education...and with the lack of growth in Wisconsin, many communities had property taxes that were DOUBLE those of other parts of the USA that have higher concentrations of population in urban areas, and a better tax base. Who caused the failure of the legislature to revise the basis for school aid funding? Now enter WEAC. With the push for 4K. Expansion of the school system. Higher funding...and to come from where? the property tax? I think in retrospect residents of Wisconsin hit a wall of purchasing power....the end of property tax as a way of funding schools is at hand. A sales tax will have to be legislated...there is no other solution unless you plan on having all of Wisconsin being uninhabitable. One of the flaws then was the narrow focus...the focus of partisans just thinking of their special interest...higher property taxes beyond the levy limits to support their cause...and it imploded...was anything learned....NO...the partisans endorsed in a primary...how creative...when experienced politicos NEVER endorse candidates in a primary because it makes enemies all around....Doug LaFollette said it best at a recent forum...."The labor endoresements in the primary was strategic error". What he hinted at was that partisan enthusiasm harmed the overall effort to unseat Scott Walker. So....blinded by narrow self interest....a continuing theme .....the old chinese fortune cookie...."He who seeks a thing directly...will never attain it". Wisconsin is faced with the disintegration of a civil society, and pain is all over the place...to be the big tent is more than talking.... The Democratic primary debate is Friday....tune in to public radio and Tv...It should be interesting...Which candidate has the specific proposals...Which candidate can unite the people? Which candidate can win? You make the call.

Evansville Police Report: March 2012

(Ed.note: This is the Evansville Police Report section of the minutes of March 2012 Public Safety Minutes) 8. Evansville Police Report – There were 1228 calls for service for the month of March 2012, compared to 1401 in March of 2012. There were 60 license plate transactions for March. All training that was scheduled for staff was completed in February and March. Officers Schmidt and Job completed ARIDE training April 2-3. DAAT training on April 23 will be attended by Officers Nankee and Schmidt. On May 14-17 Instructor Development training is scheduled for Officers Job and Mahan-Strupp. Chief McElroy and Lieutenant Koehler continue to work on Police Office Evaluations. Office Anacker and Mawhinney are in their final phase of training-working with a second officer. Officer Matt McElroy currently attending the police academy and training for court officer is scheduled to graduate on May 4, 2012. Officer Reilly plans to start his training in April. Accreditation/Policy Updates continue with recent completion of Policy 6.14 on Eye Witness Identification. Files continue to be scanned daily and the Police Website is updated with significant information. The radar trailer is continued being placed outside in good weather. The department expects the new squad to arrive in May. The squad room dictation and office computers were lost over the April 1 weekend. These were replaced with less expensive laptops from Hanson Electronics in Evansville. The Intoximeter room laptop is also in for repairs, which was will be shared until this laptop is repaired. A TV was added to our conference room to utilize for presentations. An email was sent to Roger Berg in regard to the parking for the Eager Economy Building asking him to address this issue with Plan Commission. There are currently 55 parking stalls.

Minutes: Tourism: March 2012

City of Evansville Economic Development Committee Subcommittee on Tourism Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 2 PM Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville, WI MINUTES 1. Call to order at 2:10 p.m. 2. Roll call. Present: Sue Berg, Mary Rajek; Ex Officio Sandy Decker, Jim Brooks. Guest: John Decker. Absent: Greg Ardisson, Susan Farnsworth, Dave VanDerHaegen. 3. Motion to approve agenda. Tabled due to lack of quorum. 4. Motion to waive the reading of the February 29, 2012, minutes and approve them as printed. Tabled due to lack of quorum. 5. Citizen appearances. John Decker reported that he would represent the Civil War Rally ‘Round the Flag event at the Civil War Expo to be held March 24 in Kenosha. 6. Discover Wisconsin. The current contract with Discover Wisconsin ends in June. Four options to renew are available: a. $36,000 to produce a new 30-minute TV program in a 2-year contract identical to the last one; b. $18,000/$12,000 to join a group of 6 destinations featured in one 30-minute TV program broadcasted in one season ($18,000 for 3 broadcasts in spring/summer; $12,000 for 2 broadcasts in fall or winter); c. $10,000 to be a part of a theme program with up to 4 destinations in a 30-minute TV program in a contract otherwise identical to the $36,000 option d. $3500 + $3500 for a 2-year contract that extends the life of the current program on video links plus Discover Wisconsin web presence (destination page, calendar). $3500 is the 2-year commitment to be matched by $3500 in local advertising sales led by DW. e. The $10,000 program has a unique opportunity. DW is in the process of working on an Ice Age Trail program focusing on the Rock County area. The IAT Alliance has contributed funds; remaining cost is $6500. Janesville CVB and Chamber have invited Evansville to share in the program at a rate of $2000. Distribution of Evansville brochures would be included in the package. f. After extensive discussion, consensus of the group is to recommend that the Economic Development Committee commit $3500 in room tax dollars to extend the web contract 2 years (2012 to 2014) and to commit $2000 to participate in the Ice Age Trail program (2013 to 2015). 7. Strategic initiatives. Berg reviewed the five strategic initiatives identified as strongest tourism assets for Evansville; the Civil War event in May; the Arts; Nature; Agri-Tourism; and History. David Spiegelberg from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism anticipates having a summary report ready for presentation around mid-April. 8. Budget considerations a. Floral baskets Berg reported that the Economic Development Committee approved allocation of $1350 from room tax funds for downtown floral baskets. b. Berg also reported that the Economic Development Committee approved allocations from room tax funds of $500 for Civil War promotion; $500 for fireworks; and $250 for promotion of the new Theodore Robinson Plein Air Painting event June 8-17. c. A barn quilt brochure for the Evansville area is underway. The self-guided historic walking tour brochure may have enough quantities to get through the season. The Discover Wisconsin brochure needs to be updated. Berg will collect printing bids. 9. WIGCOT report a. www.wigcot.org for handouts. Berg summarized highlights of the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Green Bay March 4-6, 2012. In particular: 39% of visitors travel within one month of planning; 23% of visitors travel within two months of planning; forget apps because no one traveling wants to “go to the store” and download apps; instead stick with QR codes. 10. Grant Programs. Berg noted that these grant programs may be potential sources of future funding. a. State Farm / community revitalization, marketing sponsorships b. National Endowment for the Humanities / interpretation of historic places brochure c. National Endowment for the Arts / Our Town Program 11. Set next meeting date. Tabled until after mayoral appointments are announced. 12. Meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m.

Nostaliga: 2008: Video: " Minnesota Hail to Thee"--U of Minn Marching Band

Nostalgia: 2008: Congrats to Molly on her graduation: Video: Right prior to loading the busses to the Metrodome, the U of Minn Marching Band sings "Minn. Hail to Thee."

ALEC Exposed film premiers at Barrymore TONIGHT

The Madison premier of the new Greenwald Film; Koch Brother's Exposed will show at the Barymore tonight: April 27, 2012 at 7:30PM. The Barrymore Theatre is at 2090 Atwood Ave, Madison, Wisconsin. Admission is $10 the day of the show. After the show, there will be a discussion of the role the Koch's have played in funding ALEC and meddling in wisconsin politics. On Friday night, Center for Media Democracy Mary Bottari, John Nicols of the Nation Magazine, and UW profs Joci Rogers and Julie Underwood will be on the discussion panel. If you cannot get to the film tonight, you can order a copy of the film at the Center for Media Democracy web site, and go to the facebook event page. Enjoy.

www.tinyurl.com/removewalker

To access an archive of some of the video of the Recall Walker campaign on Utube, click on this shortened URL. Enjoy the Evansville Observer channel on Youtube. Remember to vote on May 8th.

Wis. Primary Debate Coming Friday, May 4, 2012

WISCONSIN 2012 DEBATE: THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL RECALL PRIMARY Tune in for a live debate between Democratic Gubernatorial primary candidates. The May 4th Debate will be broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television at 7:00pm. If you are interested in being in the debate audience, call 800-253-1158 and leave a message with your name and daytime phone number * * * * * *

Subscribe FREE to The Evansville Observer

On the front page of The Evansville Observer is a "Email" icon. Just put your email address on this line and each day you will receive an email from the Evansville Observer "feed" from Feedburner, listing the stories that have been added that day. You can read the stories, send them to your friends, post them on facebook and then delete. Now you will never miss an important news item. You can unsubscribe at any time. Check it out. This feature is also available on The Agenda Blog and the Minutes blog, and The Tales From Normal, Mn. Enjoy.

"The Rise of "Gangsta" Government"

(Ednote: This is reprinted due to popular demand from the Reflections blog) The Rise of "Gangsta" Government: Oh the Glories of Little Bohemia Recently I took a winter pilgrimage of sorts up to Manitowish Waters in Northern Wisconsin to spend a weekend near "Little Bohemia"---the resort where the FBI had that famous gun battle with John Dillinger as depicted in the recent movie. As I approached the lodge in the erie darkness, I was stunned that the very dark display of the film was in fact how it was in real life....we had a wonderful time at dinner there where there are momentos of the Dillenger event and I do recommend everyone to take a trip to see for yourself...but I digress... Those were the days when bold robbers met their fate at the hands of skillfull lawmen of the young FBI....what has happened to those days when bribery and extortion were met with the righteous wrath of the courageous FBI? Take for example the recent event in Madison, Wisconsin where a noted corporation, posing through a middleman, threatened the State of Wisconsin that they would leave for the warm weather of Florida unless they were paid several million dollars to relocate to the nearby Middleton...... How is this different from the famous extortion cons of the wild 1930"s. Very simple. Now we call it Economic Development

Mailbag; Vinehout Writes; re; Gov. race

Education: People are Priceless A woman at the farmers market shared her story. She taught special students. They often came from poor areas, had troubled parents and frequently could not speak fluent English. Without help they were destined to face a troubled life. She had much success changing students’ lives. She spent hours helping them read and write; encouraging the youngsters. But recently her school district announced severe layoffs for the coming year. How would the layoffs affect her and her students? Next year class sizes were expected to be 45 to 48. Students would spend most of their day in front of a computer. The school administration touted this as ‘education reform’ and ‘individualized instruction.’ But parents and teachers know it is individualized learning – with a human teacher – that best helps troubled students. This story is from a school district in Wisconsin. And it may be coming to a school near you. A recent audit from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction showed more than 2,300 staff and teaching positions were cut in this school year; a more than 50% increase over last year. Eliminated positions are widespread. Seventy-four percent of schools cut staff in this school year. Seventy-three percent cut teachers. The audit showed actual school data that mirrors an earlier survey of school superintendents. The cuts fell disproportionably on business and technical education, librarians, reading and science teachers and special education. With deep funding cuts and heavy restrictions on raising local money, school superintendents turned to the largest part of their budget – staff. Local superintendents tell me they have struggled with almost twenty years of tight budgets. Some schools survived by referendums. Others cut programs, slashed staff and increased class sizes. Some schools survived using federal dollars they saved and other schools found new health insurance plans that saved money. But these ways to reduce spending won’t be available next school year. In an earlier survey of most of the state’s superintendents, two-thirds reported that next year’s cuts would be as bad or worse. The federal dollars that helped many superintendents weather the budget storm dried up and the savings from increased employee contributions to pensions and health insurance were already booked in next year’s budget. In some cases, employees are already paying most of the cost of health care. Many school staff told me they are now paying a $4,000 deductible on their health insurance or more. A teacher recently told me she delayed going to the doctor despite serious symptoms because she didn’t have the money. In the end it is the children that suffer most. And it is all of us who pay down road when children with special needs are not given the one-on-one personal support they need to become highly functioning adults. Education is an investment for all of us. Education pulls children out of poverty, inspires and motivates. For many of us, the school is the center of our community. People are fundamental to education. A motivating teacher changed my life, many times. Any parent who sat with a youngster and helped them with homework has seen the effect one-on-one human interaction has on the developing student. A computer is a tool to assist students and teachers in learning. But it is grave mistake to replace the human teacher with a machine. I remember the name of the teachers four and half decades ago that changed my life. My guess is that you do too. Replacing those caring, stimulating and motivating souls with a computer will not result in an enlightened generation to come. Click here to download the PDF

Recall Walker Campaign Will be Decided by Grassroots Organizing, not Traditional Media

One of the amazing things about the Recall Walker campaign that gathered a million signatures, was that it was a grassroots campaign, not a top down organized campaign, but a bottom up campaign. I challenge you to find in the midst of the rallies on State Street in Madison one advertisement in traditional media for the events---it was all done by word of mouth, social media, flyers, email, neighborhood organizations etc.. So...do not be surprised that in the days leading up to the primary election we find sparce media coverage of the campaign....The big money will come in the regular election contest...and for that, it will be best for citizens to shut the tv off, put the phone answering machine on, and instead check your social media sites and community organizations.....person to person, one at a time...that is what will decide the election...it will be close...what do you think will be the result?? But forget the big traditional media...they are dead.

"Why Secret Service Abstinence Matters": Tales From Normal, Mn.: FICTION

In a routine public works committee meeting today in Normal, Mn., the nuts and bolts leader of that committee explained to the three folks attending, that it was very important to have the secret service abstinent since in the past the highest leaders of our distinguished nation, and indeed the IMF, have participated in such unseemly conduct that it was important for someone to be sober and chaste....to preserve our black bag for nuclear response, and to ensure that someone was incharge...just in case....leadership was needed. He then mentioned that this nation is confronted by the wild and crazy behavior of North Korea that is planning to conduct a nuclear test just to make up for a failed rocket launch, and that when faced with trying to unravel the logic of such rogue states, it takes clear minds, and sober minds to unravel the rogue logic, and thus sobriety and chaste thought is essential, and indeed may not be available at the highest levels of government...the secret service needs to be alert. Stay tuned as I follow this developing story.

Evansville School Board Meets Monday, April 23, 2012

EVANSVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education Regular Meeting Agenda Monday, April 23, 2012 6:30 p.m. District Board and Training Center 340 Fair Street Note, public notice of this meeting given by posting at the District Office, Levi Leonard Elementary School Office, Theodore Robinson Intermediate School Office, J.C. McKenna Middle School Office, High School Office, Evansville School District Web Site: www.evansville.k12.wi.us, and by forwarding the agenda to the Evansville Review, M&I Bank, Union Bank & Trust and Eager Free Public Library. I. Roll Call: Dennis Hatfield Kathi Swanson Eric Busse John Rasmussen Tina Rossmiller Sharon Skinner Nancy Hurley II. Approve Agenda. III. Annual Board Reorganization. A. Election of Officers. IV. Business (Action Items): A. Approval of Selection of Delegate Representative to CESA 2. B. Approval of Staff Changes: Staff Retirement, Staff Resignations, Staff Reduction in Contract, and Child Rearing Leave. V. Budget Finance – Chair, Treasurer - A. Discussion Items: 1) Update on Evansville Education Foundation. 2) Non Represented and Support Staff Benefits. B. Develop Budget Finance Draft Agenda for May 21 Meeting. VI. Policy – Chair, Nancy Hurley - A. First Reading of Policies: 1) Policy #251-Organization for Administrative Purposes. 2) Policy #251 Exhibit-Organization Chart. B. Second Reading of Policies: 1) Policy #322-Student School Day. 2) Policy #411.4-Student Bullying. 3) Policy #722.1-Staff Accident Reports. C. Develop Policy Agenda Draft Agenda for May 21 Meeting. VII. Future Agendas – Chair, President - A. Discussion of May Board Meetings: May 14 and 21 Regular Meetings. VIII. Adjourn. Mission Statement: The Evansville Community School District, in active partnership with families and the community, will provide a positive learning environment that challenges all students to achieve personal excellence and become contributing citizens of the world community. Vision Statement: Creating a culture of excellence in: • Academic achievement • Character development • Pursuit of arts, athletics, and other activities • Community engagement • Highly effective staff This notice may be supplemented with additions to the agenda that come to the attention of the Board prior to the meeting. A final agenda will be posted and provided to the media no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting or no later than 2 hours prior to the meeting in the event of an emergency. Persons needing special accommodations or more specific information about agenda items should call 882-5224, ext. 3387 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Posted: 4-18-12 Re-Posted: 4-19-12

Recall Walker Signs Evansville, Wi

Recall Walker Signs Sprout up in Evansville, Wisconsin as Signs spread all across Wisconsin. For questions about set up of your own signs, contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Recall Walker Signs Sprout in Evansville

Check out the Recall Walker Signs that have sprouted up in Evansville, Wisconsin on Hwy 14. For further information on how to get your own signs, contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Recall Walker Signs Arrive in Evansville

Be sure to drive through Evansville, Wisconsin today.... stop in for a cup of coffee at a local coffee house, and view the Recall Walker signs now on Highway 14 on East Main Street. You can get your own signs for Recall Walker by contacting people4progresswi@gmail.com

"Best of Vinehout": 1 of 3: Campaign: Gov

"Best of Vinehout": 1 of 3: Kathleen Vinehout on the Campaign Trail, Stoughton, Wisconsin, April 15, 2012; Produced by The Evansville Observer, www.evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com

"Best of Vinehout": 2 of 3: Campaign Gov

"Best of Vinehout": 2 of 3: Campaign forums; Stoughton, Wisconsin April 15, 2012; Produced by The Evansville Observer, www.evansville.blogspot.com

"Best of Vinehout": 3 of 3: Kathleen Vinehout on Campaign

"Best of Kathleen Vinehout, Campaign Trail, Stoughton, Wisconsin, April 15, 2012 3 of 3 videos

OpEd: Neither "Reverse Robin Hood" nor "Robin Hood" will do"

Wisconsin has a structural imbalance in its fiscal affairs, and neither a "Robin Hood" nor "Reverse Robin Hood" will work...but SHARED SACRIFICE will. That means getting beyond slogans, and examining how to generate tax revenue fairly affecting all income groups, and cutting expenses. Only Shared Sacrifice will work. The Reverse Robin Hood of Gov. Scott Walker has clearly been a failure and divided Wisconsin, rich from poor, sick from healthy, old from young, union from non-union----and unless this is solved, there will be an accelerating exodus of business and families from Wisconsin seeking a state where government does what works for communties and families to work together effectively. If you want to see what this might look like, go to seethe movie "Margin Call". We are headed for a selling panic if this situation is not addressed shortly. Stay tuned.

Issue Corner: Governor: Quality Education & Funding

(Ed.note: This is one of the identified issues at the Governor Candidate Forum in Stoughton, Wi on Sunday, April 15, 2012) Question: Over the last 20 years, state aid to school districts has been a smaller and smaller portion of the total cost of quality public education. Our children are receiving fewer educational opportunities. Gov. Walker has reduced revenues to schools by another $1.6 billin in this 2 year budget. The result? More teacher layoffs and program cuts hurting children. The Legislature can fix the school-funding formula tomorrow by taking two actions: By passing State Superintendent Tony Evers""Fair Funding for Our Future" Plan and By approving "The Penny for Kids" one-cent increase in the sales tax to restore Walker's $1.6 billion in cuts. Specifically, "The Fair Funding for Our Future" Plan calls for a base state funding of $3000 for every student in every district, increases state aid if the district has a high number of students living in poverty, helps districts with declining enrollments, increases state aid each by 2% or the CPI to provide stability, eases the state revenue limits, and places the school levy tax credit monies into school aids. Specifically, "The Penny for Kids" would increase the state sales tax from 5% to 6% on the dollar producing nearly $900 million per year in revenue that would then be sent to schools as state aids making up for Walker's cuts."

Issue Corner: Recall Walker Campaign: Budgets Etc

(Ed.note; This was one of the many issues discussed at the Governor candidate Forum in Stoughton, Wisconsin on Sunday, April 15, 2012) This is a question on Revenue Limits. "Since 1993 the State of Wisconsin has removed local control from public schools and municipalities by restricting their ability to tax. the state calls this "placing revenue limits" on schools and municipalities. The state has reduced shared revenues while limiting local governments ability to raise property taxes or use other means to increase revenue. This state law is "starving" local governments and schools---jeopardizing the fabric of out communities and the future of Wisconsin. Question 1) Please outline a multiple pronged approach to allow local governments to increase local control of revenue and determine the level of services that are right for their communities. Question 2) Do you favor repealing the revenue limits for schools, counties and municipalities and return Local Control to those jurisdictions?

Dateline Normal, Mn.: Legislator Proposes Abstinence and Sobriety for Secret Service and Military: FICTION

Dateline Normal, Mn.; Legislator Proposes Abstinence and Sobriety for Secret Service and Military: Cites Benefits:FICTION Word has spread like wildfire today as Legislators in Normal, Mn., that sleepy fishing town in northern Minnesota, where the peace of walleye fishing gives the politicos a clearer understanding of how to remedy world problems,...the legislators proposed that all secret service and military personnel would immediately be required to pass abstinence and sobriety tests or be discharged from service. The news has prompted such an immediate surge of discharges from service, that the result has been a tremendous increase in the esteem and pride of those serving this great country, and also a tremendous increase in the prospect for world peace. Married men just have not seen the attractivenes of traveling all around the world to be sober and abstinent. Conservatives from Wisconsin have been particularly pleased with the result, since they have always asserted that abstinence, and indeed ignorance is the cure for most of the ills of society, and especially the cure for TOP Gun types... Stay tuned as I follow this developing story.

Progressive Corner: Recall: A Teach-In coming Tuesday

Waunakee Rebuild the Dream Presents a Teach-in Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Time: 7:00 PM Matthew Rothschild Editor The Progressive Magazine http://www.progressive.org/ "What's at Stake in the Recall" Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine, which is one of the leading voices for peace and social justice in this country. Rothschild has appeared on Nightline, C-SPAN, The O'Reilly Factor, and NPR, and his newspaper commentaries have run in the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, the Miami Herald, and a host of other newspapers. Rothschild is the host of "Progressive Radio," a syndicated half-hour weekly interview program. And he does a two-minute daily radio commentary, entitled "Progressive Point of View," which is also syndicated around the country. Rothschild is the author of You Have No Rights: Stories of America in an Age of Repression (New Press, 2007). He also is the editor of Democracy in Print: The Best of The Progressive, 1909-2009 (University of Wisconsin Press, 2009). Waunakee High School Small Auditorium 300 Community Drive Enter the building via door 17. The parking lot is off of South Street for this doorway.

The Woodchucks Signs of Evansville

The Evansville Observer strongly recommends the work of the Woodchucks of Evansville, Wisconsin, a non-profit community based group located at the Evansville Senior Center...Check out their new signs made to your specifications. Contact Fred Juergens at Creekside Place during regular business hours for details --608-882-0407

Mailbag: Vinehout Issues "Call to Action"

As weeks turn to days before the primary elections we all must work hard to get the word out about our candidate for Governor. We have options to spread the word and get people engaged in our grassroots campaign. ORDER YOUR DVDs NOW! You can host a house party with a virtual Kathleen. Gather your neighbors, friends and family, put out the snacks, and view a DVD featuring Kathleen’s speeches and responses to questions about important issues. SPREAD CAMPAIGN LITERATURE OVER YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! You can spread the word by distributing campaign literature in your community. You will be energized by the beautiful spring weather and by sharing our campaign message about a fresh start for Wisconsin. SEND OUT POSTCARDS ENDORSING KATHLEEN! You can share your personal support for Kathleen by sending grassroots endorsement postcards to your friends, family and others. Take out your address book and send a message that can make a difference. All the resources you need to call your friends and family to action! Email us today at volunteer@kathleenvinehout.org with the number of DVDs, postcards, & pieces of literature you need Orange isn’t just for Hunters! People recognize orange is for our grassroots campaign to change our Governor and the way we govern in Wisconsin. Many of our fellow volunteers have made hundreds of Vinehout for Governor signs that need to appear in yards all around the state! Stop by the campaign headquarters to pick up your sign(s) today. If you can’t make it to the headquarters but plan on attending one of Kathleen’s upcoming events let us know and we’ll send extra signs along. Sharing the Good News! Kathleen is winning over people all around the state. This week she was the top vote getter in a gubernatorial straw poll following a candidate forum in Darlington attended by people from southeastern Wisconsin. Share news from your neighborhood. How are you spreading the word? Do you have activities and ideas that really taking off? Submit your ideas and grassroots efforts to Jamie Rebman at Jamie@kathleenvinehout.org. Grassroots Idea of the Week: Potluck With a Purpose Host a potluck at your house. Invite friends and family over for dinner—before dessert is served, go around your neighborhood and pass out Vinehout literature! Kathleen is Wisconsin PTA “Friend of Children” Award Winner Friday April 27th – Wisconsin PTA State Convention - Fontana Kathleen will be honored during Convention General Session * The Joan Dykstra “Friend of Children” Award * This award honors elected or appointed public officials who share the PTA goal of promoting education and children’s issues. Kathleen is recognized for her tireless work in the State Legislature to improve the quality of education in Wisconsin. In doing so Kathleen is a champion for the hopes and dreams of all Wisconsin children. Here’s a look at Kathleen’s schedule for the next week Saturday April 21th WAUSAU – 7th Congressional District Convention Kathleen will speak about why we need a fresh start for Wisconsin 9:00am-11:30am – Labor Temple - 318 South Third Street MADISON – 2nd Congressional District Convention Be part of the discussion about Kathleen’s goals for Wisconsin’s future 1:00pm-4:00pm – Madison Labor Temple – 1602 South Park Street Sunday April 22th ST. FRANCIS – Meet & Greet with Sen. Kathleen Vinehout Join area residents for a cup of coffee and conversation with Kathleen 2:00pm-4:00pm – Fixx Coffee Shop – 3558 East Sivyer Street RACINE – Meet & Greet with Sen. Kathleen Vinehout Kathleen welcomes folks to an informal conversation about important issues 5:00pm-7:00pm – The Grind Cafe- 7300 Washington Avenue Monday April 23th RACINE – ReFUND Wisconsin Town Hall Join Kathleen in this discussion of investing in Wisconsin values 6:30pm-8:30pm – Bray Center – 924 Center Street Tuesday April 24th GREEN BAY – Kathleen visits the Green Bay School District Kathleen gets a first-hand look at how Green Bay schools are dealing with Walker’s education budget cuts 8:30am-11:00am – Green Bay School District – 200 South Broadway Wednesday April 25th MADISON – Guest at the WisPolitics Luncheon Come and participate in a discussion with Kathleen about Wisconsin’s future 11:45am-1:00pm – The Madison Club – 5 East Wilson Street WHITEWATER – Visit to UW-Whitewater Join Kathleen on campus to discuss issues important to students and faculty 3:30pm-4:30pm – University Center – 800 West Main Street WHITEWATER – Candidate Forum hosted by UW-Whitewater College Democrats and others Kathleen will share her views on the critical issues facing Wisconsinites 7:00pm-9:00pm – UW Whitewater Highland Hall – 800 West Main Street Thursday April 26th EAU CLAIRE - Join Kathleen as we take back democracy in the state. Share the enthusiasm. Hear stories of democracy in action around the state and become a part of the movement. 5:00pm-6:30pm - Stella's Red Room - 302 East Madison Street Friday April 27th FONTANA – Wisconsin PTA State Convention Kathleen receiving Wisconsin PTA “Friend of Children” Award 2:00pm-3:30pm - The Abbey (on Lake Geneva) – 269 Fontana Blvd ELKHORN – Meet & Greet with Walworth County Democrats Kathleen will gather with area democrats and progressives 5:00pm-6:30pm – Walworth Democrats Office – 10 South Washington Street LAKE MILLS – Speaking at the Lake Mills P.I.E. Meeting Kathleen will fire-up this informed and engaged group of citizens 7:30pm-8:30pm – Waterhouse Foods - 110 East Lake Street

Mailbag: Chamber of Commerce; Re: Memorial Day Celebration

Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce Announces 2012 Memorial Day Weekend Celebration & Raffle Evansville, WI – The Evansville VFW Post 6905 and Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism are planning fun for the whole family Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday, May 26th: First Annual Chamber Open Golf Classic Join Chamber and community members for the first annual Chamber Open Golf Classic hosted at the Evansville Golf Club. Tee off for a challenging day on a mature course for a good cause! Golfers will have a chance to purchase Rally in the Alley raffle tickets, along with a chance to win a variety of great prizes – including NEW CAR! For more information, contact the Chamber at 608-882-5131 or go to http://evansvillechamber.org. Monday, May 28th: 4th Annual Rally in the Alley Raffle Bring the family to VFW Post 6905 (179 E. Main St., Evansville) for the Chamber’s annual Rally in the Alley Celebration from 11:00am - 6:00 pm. Enjoy food, music, and a chance to win great raffle prizes! New for 2012 -- A portion of the Raffle proceeds will go to support the Evansville Honor Flight for WWII Veterans. For more information, visit: http://evansvillechamber.org. Raffle tickets have just arrived, and prizes for this year are set: 1st Prize – 2012 Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV 4x4 2nd Prize – $500 Cash 3rd Prize – Ruger 10-22 Semi Automatic or $200 Cash Only 1,000 tickets will be sold; tickets priced at $20 per ticket or 6 tickets for $100. Winner must be 18 or legal guardian to win. Tickets are available at the Chamber Office at 8 W Main St. and from local businesses and establishments displaying the Rally in the Alley Raffle poster starting next week. Contact Chamber Director Mary Rajek, 882.5131 or stop by the Chamber Office, 8 W. Main with questions / requests for tickets.

Minnesota Faces Crisis with Possible Loss of Vikings

Top officials with the NFL are meeting today at the Minnesota State Capitol to discuss, urge etc. legislators to get a deal done for a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. Folks all over the nation know that the top three assets of Minnesota are in order; 1)The Vikings 2) Walleye Fishing 3) Cheap Beer, mostly imported from Wisconsin. The loss of the Minnesota Vikings will put a lot of pressure on Walleye Fishing...My sources tell me that Minnesotans are drinking as much cheap beer at present as humanly possible and not to expect a further increase in consumption to bail out Minnesota. It is factually true that watching the Vikings over the past two seasons has been troubling for football fans, but the possible loss of the team would mean that all that could be done on Sundays is visiting with family, going to church, ice fishing, and SCRABBLE. The prospect of just a limited menu might tip Minnesota into well...a real low... Stay tuned as I follow this breaking story.

Issue Corner: Fair Tax System---Key Questions for Governors Race in Wisconsin

(Ed.note: this is one of the questions for the candidates for Governor at the Stoughton, Wis meeting last Sunday. This question is on taxes from the Institute for Wisconsin's Future, a Wisconsin think tank in Milwaukee. Governor Walker balanced the budget by cuts alone. He reduced tax assistance to low-income parents and seniors while opening new tax breaks for businesses and investors. He cut staff at the Department of Revenue, though it's clear that small investments in catching tax delinquents bring large returns in revenue. He gave new tax credits to big firms, though such profitable companies as General Electric, S.C. Johnson and Associated Bank go year after year without paying Wisconsin income tax. Three questions: 1) Do you believe in a balanced approach to budgeting? An approach which doesn't just reduce funding but also finds additional sources of revenue? 2) Will you build the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's capacity to catch tax cheats? 3) Do you support a Buffett rule for corporations, to force all big, profitable companies to pay a fair share of income tax?

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Mazo and Black Earth----check them out...some signs have messages on both sides....Drive safely....all the signs are creating lots of buzz

Mailbag: Vinehout Writes

FoodShare: Who’s Minding the Store? FoodShare is a vital program for low-income people who cannot afford to feed their families. But the program has been plagued with oversight problems. Past reports include a prisoner incarcerated for almost four years who still received FoodShare benefits with an unknown individual using those benefits. Auditors recently found 334 instances where the FoodShare card was used to make a purchase in Wisconsin on the same day the card was manually entered to make another purchase in another state – including New York, North Carolina and California. Recent audits by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau provide insight to what is happening and why. Systems are supposed to be in place to enforce rules and identify fraud. But audits show state officials have not performed routine data matches, checked routine reports or adequately staffed fraud and abuse positions. Nearly all the money for FoodShare comes from the federal government but the state shares responsibility for oversight of the program. To be eligible for Foodshare, families must meet both financial and non-financial requirements. Federal law prohibits prisoners or those who live outside Wisconsin from receiving benefits. Every 12 months the state must recertify households to continue to receive benefits. The state must make sure individuals have not gained employment that makes them ineligible or moved out-of-state. In some cases, people who moved out-of-state had their case closed right away. However many cases remained open for several months, increasing the risk of fraud. Systems and staff to monitor the program are inadequate. Beginning just last year two staff members were assigned to review cases. With the new staff, fraud detection improved. But those two staff members reviewed less than half of all cases reported by the federal government. State officials told auditors they can’t monitor more cases because of staff shortages. Another problem is individuals who received benefits but were subsequently imprisoned. The problem with prisoners receiving benefits and ‘someone else’ using the benefits is not new. Auditors first identified the problem four years ago. The agency responded with the promise of a system of data matches - comparing lists of prisoners to lists of program recipients - every month. But four years later, despite repeated recommendations from auditors, the routine data matches were not being performed. Two years ago auditors found 33 individuals who were in prison and still receiving benefits – ten of which had been in prison for over a year. One individual received FoodShare despite being in prison for almost four years. These inmates should have been caught during the routine recertification process. But they were missed Again state officials committed to resolving the problem. But a recently released audit shows that did not happen. Only one time did state officials performed the monthly data matches of prisoners to FoodShare recipients. No regular matches by caseworkers were completed. In the one match that was performed, officials discovered 235 cases of prisoners receiving benefits. Last fall the Governor created a new position of Inspector General to monitor fraud and abuse. The Department of Health had 19 new positions budgeted to monitor fraud and abuse in public programs. But none are on the job yet. State officials expect the new fraud and abuse monitors will be in place midsummer. State officials also said regular reports on FoodShare money spent out-of-state are sent out to counties but are not consistently monitored. They expected to resolve this situation with a memo. The Department has also come under federal scrutiny for privatizing the administration of FoodShare. In a visit a year ago federal officials threatened to withhold federal FoodShare money if the state continued to send so much administration of the program to private contractors. Previous audits exposed problems with the oversight of other contracts administered by the Department of Health. Many of the problems of fraud and abuse can be resolved through proper administrative oversight. To accomplish this, the state must make an investment in staff. Watchdogs must be well trained, proper procedures must be in place and systems must be evaluated. Program integrity is the result of an investment in staff and structure. Auditors are continuing their work and expect a comprehensive review of the program integrity issues in the FoodShare program to be released later this year.