UPDATE: CLARIFICATION 5/3/12

WIvoices.org has removed this statement at the end of this article: “According to Farrington, this has come to fruition as every couple of weeks “there is no food left for the backpack program…so the teachers (help with) that.”

Farrington was referring to the recent across the board state cuts affecting the backpack program, not to specific cuts to her school district.    Furthermore, teachers use their own time and money to offset the cuts.  WIvoices.org is responsible for all the information in this article.

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Meg Farrington (29-year veteran teacher from Somerset, WI) explains that some students are struggling with hunger in school and how teachers have “stepped up to the plate” to bridge the gap and fill the need in the community. Farrington said “because of Governor Walker’s cuts” at the state level, consequences in policy choices have become reality for the most vulnerable children in rural Wisconsin.

For instance, public school districts have a cooperative agreement with social services to feed hungry children through a “backpack program” in which children are given food to take home over the weekend. I contacted Duana Bremer (local Director of Social Services) for comment, “the demand keeps going up and everything is more difficult”. Her crew packs over 900 backpacks/week for hungry children and issued a press release detailing the need in the community. Before this backpack program, teachers and nurses reported that some children were “begging” for food, experiencing stomach issues, and were “agitated” and unable to learn due to hunger related issues. The backpack program eliminated these issues; however, due to budget cuts the program is now threatened.

WIvoices.org previously interviewed Bremer, on July 30, 2011 about this issue. At that time, Bremer worried that the backpack program would suffer due to the cuts at the state level.

Wanna help? Contact Duana Bremer @ 715-485-1221

duana_bremer@usc.salvationarmy.org

Stay tuned for Farrington’s entire verbatim interview ~ to be released soon.

Here’s his story.

_____________________

You’ve asserted that the WRS is not only one of the best public pension systems in the country, but also in the world.  What do you reference to make that kind of statement?

“Well, our pension system has been studied by a number of different groups to look at funding levels, to look at stability, and its performance.  Our pension system is currently fully funded.  There is no unfunded liability; it doesn’t cost taxpayers anything.  It is supported in full by the contributions by the members and required employer contributions. The Pew foundation, in a study, recently indicated that it was 99.67% funded.  The National Public Pension Institute considers anything that is 80% funded as fully funded.  We are the 9^th largest public pension fund in the country, the 30^th largest in the world.  The fund pays its own costs of administration. It has typically beaten the benchmarks; it’s beat the stock markets in its performance.  It has provided pensions, so that the retirees can retire in dignity without costing the taxpayers.  And so, yes, our pension is, I think, one of the best in the world.  It is one that many other states wish they had. It would resolve many of the issues that Rhode Island is dealing with, or California, where a lack of adequate funding levels have created huge holes in the budget, which were used to justify to changes.

It is clearly not broken.  I guess I really question the wisdom of essentially trying to fix what ain’t broke.”

So, has there been an assertion that the WRS is, in fact, broken?

“There has not been an assertion that the WRS system is broken.  However, there has been a request for a study of the WRS and ways in which it could be converted…converted in ways that would be very detrimental to the system.  The study request was originally in Act 10, the “Budget Adjustment Bill”, some people call it the “Budget Repair Bill”.  I don’t really think it repaired anything, so I prefer to call it a Budget Adjustment Bill.  The study of the WRS was pulled from that bill.  I’d really like someone to explain why it was pulled.  I have my own guesses, but it magically reappeared in Act 32 in the Budget Bill.  So, that study request is still out there.  The study will be conducted.”

UPDATE: (After this interview, WI Rep. Strachota introduced AB 539 (previously LRB 3202) that would initiate the first changes to the current WRS.  I contacted her office for comment.  I received an email that asserted the bill’s only intention “would allow the UW System discretionary authority to create an optional retirement plan limited to new professors and new academic staff hired after the bill becomes effective.”  However, many opponents of AB 539 assert that passage of this (now delayed) bill would be an effective “back-door attempt” to overhaul the WRS entirely through smaller stages.)

“Ironically, the results of that study will be presented to the governor and the Joint Finance Committee, which is a bit unusual.  Typically, anything dealing with pension systems would go to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems.  Why, suddenly, is that channel being abandoned?  Even though any changes to the pension systems have to go through that committee?  But instead, suddenly, the study is going to the JFC and the governor…raises some questions.”

What questions does it raise? 

“Well, if you were to consider changes to the WRS, it would only make sense that you would refer it to the committee of legislators (JSCRS) that have specialty, experience, and knowledge in that area.  The JSCRS is also comprised of 3 Republican, 2 Democratic, and one independent legislators.  It might be more difficult for the governor to control what comes out of that committee than to control what comes out of the JFC (which has 12 Rep/4 Dem split).

Now, if I wanted to change something, the first thing I need to have is a reason.  This study opens up the system to any changes. One directive of the study is to look at the contribution rates and whether or not people can opt out.  Allowing people to opt out will make the fund ineligible for IRS…if you make it voluntary, it becomes very easy to adjust the rate, and any budget bill can manipulate it further.  And with voluntary contribution rates, with college loans and families, and you are creating a generation of people who are not going to be self-supporting in their elderly years.  I’d say, pay me now or pay me later, but YOU are not really paying me now.  The people have paid themselves!  Lose regular contributions and the fund would be destroyed.

Another possible change, as we’ve seen in Michigan, is that ALEC has encouraged governors around the country to move from a “defined benefit” to a “defined contribution” pension plan.  We call WI a defined benefit plan, but it really isn’t.  It is a hybrid.  It is a combination of a defined benefit and defined contribution.

My concern I guess is — ah – you take a retirement system that is really the envy of 49 other states.  Very, very few other states, today, can say that they have a pension system that is fully funded, pension system that supports itself, that pays its own costs of administration, that doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything, and yet provides a decent pension for retirees and allows them to live out their elderly years with some dignity.  And this opens the door to the possibility of the right-wing agenda to privatize that pension.

Um, we have been really reactive in the way that we’ve dealt with the governor’s office.  I don’t think anyone can argue that these aren’t extraordinary times.  But we’ve seen a pattern where agendas were suggested and suddenly rolled out that were much more aggressive than suggested and then fast-tracked through the legislative process.  And we’ve reacted to these changes.

And at some point we have to be pro-active.  That requires that we do a little guess, and look in the crystal ball, who is opening up this pension system to change?  What is some of the rhetoric that we’ve heard?

That group that wants to move to the right does offer some suggestions.  There has been a move toward personal responsibility, towards reducing government.  I think Grover Nordquist said it best, when he said he wanted to reduce government to the size that it would drown in the bathtub.  Well, one way to reduce the size the government is to eliminate 2 agencies: SWIB (State ofWI Investment   Board) that invests the pension funds, and ETF (Department of Employee Trust Funds) which administers the programs of the retirement system.”

Do you know the amount of money that is in the WRS?

“The WRS currently contains about 80 billion dollars.  That 80 billion is the result of contributions made by employees, matching contributions made by employers, and the interest in dividends…many of which until this past year were made totally by the employees and employers. If they shut their doors, tomorrow, it is estimated that it would pay for the full retirement costs of anyone who has participated for the next 30 years.  All public employees that work more than 1,200 hours a year… all state, local, and municipal…there are a few exceptions…

I think WC Fields told us, “Democracy is the best form of government that you can buy.”  And with the $5 to $6 billion in private management fee you could generate by privatizing the system, you might be able to buy a good chunk of that government.  And this is the concern.”

How do you challenge the assertion that this is really tax payer money and that the state should be able to do with it what is pleases?

“I would challenge the assertion that it is state money simply based on the fact that it is part of a wage and benefit package that I earned for work I performed and contributed my money to that fund.  If I contributed, as I have to other retirement funds, it doesn’t make that state money.  I earned that for services that I performed.  It is compensation that employees earned for services performed.  Unlike social security – those assets currently exist in the WRS.  They exist in a separate fund, and they exist in the form of assets, in the form of stocks and bonds.”

People in the private sector do not always have the same type of pension opportunities.  Is it unfair that public workers have these retirement packages?

“Well, I would say, if you go back historically about 20 years, you would find that about 80% of private employees that had pensions had defined benefit plans, very much like ours.  There has been a huge change.  And now that number has flipped to about 20% of private pensions with defined benefit plans.  So, many private employees had those at one time.  Now, many of them don’t, unfortunately.  Public employees enjoy a benefit package that was one of the things that caused them to choose public employment over private, where often they would’ve received a much higher wage.  But they chose the benefit over the wage.  Besides which, rather than looking at how we can all reduce ourselves to the lowest possible level and choose the lowest pension to which we should aspire…it seems to me, that we ought to be looking at ways that all of our citizens, both in private and public employment, can enjoy dignity in their old age and a pension system that provides for that.

The notion of pension envy.  Dave Obey tells a story of the Russian peasant that is walking along this dusty trail and he’s living on the edge of starvation, barely able to eek out a living for he and his family.  And he picks up a bottle and he rubs it and a genie appears.  And the genie says I’m empowered to give you one wish.  And the peasant says my family is starving, we have no clothes, we don’t have enough food, we’re just living in poverty.  My neighbor has a goat.  The goat gives really good milk and he’s much much better off, he’s much wealthier than I.  The genie looks at the peasant and says, do you want me to give you a goat?  No, I want you to kill my neighbor’s goat.

This notion, that we should all be as poor as the poorest, just defies reason and common sense.  We should all aspire to that rising tide that lifts all boats…to that kind of a pension system that is fair and provides opportunity for our elderly to live out their lives in dignity.”

————————

Bob’s wife, Sheryl, sat quietly in another part of the room.  Bob encouraged her to tell him if he was getting too “long winded”.  We all laughed.  At some point during the interview, Sheryl and I were pleased to make the connection that she had been a former elementary teacher of mine from Elk Mound.  Typical of teachers in small farming communities, she remembered me 30 years and thousands of students later. 

Later, I thought about Bob and Sheryl as I was dozing off to sleep, warm and comfortable in my bed.  They were probably still on the road, hours yet from home.  I imagined myself as a young child, this couple already well into their careers.  Yet they continue to work endless hours for the people of this state, when they should be enjoying their retirement.  Why?  For the “opportunity for the elderly to live out their lives in dignity”, Bob says. 

A value we all share.

Concerned citizens have spoken about topics ranging from diminished access to and rising costs of health care, voting rights, environmental deregulation, child protection, competent leaders, education, farming, cronyism, women’s health/reproductive issues, campaign finance, Supreme Court impropriety, workplace environment including safety and intimidation, college tuition, election fraud, jobs, livable wages, immigrant issues, human rights, democracy, favoritism, inner city isolationism, gun control, Native American treaty rights, mass transit, corporate influence, 2-party system, unemployment, collective bargaining, corruption, deportation, poverty, incarceration, WI retirement system, access to elected leaders and Capitol building, fair taxation, equitable funding, hunting, state park system, nutrition, privatization, mining and fracking, working government, 99% issues, protecting the vulnerable, Wisconsin’s legacy, and more…

Here is a recap of some of WI Voices interviews from this past year.

“Frank”

lost Badgercare; livable wages; fair taxation; retirement

Janet M. and Stephanie Roland

inner city isolationism; equitable government; competent leaders

John Shafer

family farmers; corporate influence; favoritism; livable wages

Tami Weber

health care; independence; equitable gov’t

“Jake”

correctional officer; privatization; collective bargaining, livable wages

Auriel Auriel and Julia Willett

visibility in government; worker’s rights; democracy; access to Capitol

Teresa Tellez-Giron

equal protection and rights; child protection; immigrant issues; deportation

Chris Wondra (left, with friends)

government corruption; education; transparency; democracy

Duana Bremer

Social Services; child nutrition; fair funding; protecting the vulnerable

Larry and Mania Moore 

 collective bargaining; workplace environment; education; fairness

Zhi Yang Chen, Yang C., Jay S., Linshu Li Lily Spider

democracy; working government; voting rights

Susan Bickley and Marie Martini

99% issues;WI legacy; transparency; education

 Gary and Connie Gille

Gov. Walker Supporters; fair taxation; corporate influence; democracy

John Wolfe and Rita Platt

voting rights; human rights; working government

Mike and Norma Briggs

preserving Wisconsin; protecting the vulnerable; education

Ike Edwards

WI legacy; mass transit; protecting the vulnerable; livable wage

“Megan”

child protective services; workplace environment; livable wage

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For more stories from regular people in Wisconsin, check out WI Voices TV.

Here are two other stories produced by grassroots upstarts:

 atbl1tv

normaraenetwork

These bagpipers from the firefighter’s union have not missed a single Madison rally.  In the crowd of 40,000, I was fortunate enough to make my way right up next to them as they circled the Capitol.  I captured this inspiring bagpipe audio.  As you listen, it feels like you are right in the crowd, eavesdropping on side conversations and struggling to hear over the cheers of bystanders.  The crowd followed, sang, and played makeshift instruments along with them at times.

I randomly interviewed people in the crowd.  I was surprised by the number of people who were at the rally primarily supporting other people.  Being minimally affected themselves by recent public policy changes, some people were advocating for the preservation of the legacy of Wisconsin.

Here are 2 of those stories.

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Norma and Mike Briggs (Oregon, WI)

Mike’s sign reads: “I signed (the recall) because Walker tried to take the unions, he cut health care for the poor, he slashed education, and he LIED!”

Where are you originally from?

Mike: England, county of Norfolk.  We’ve been in the United States for 53 years….we’re both naturalized citizens and we remember something, I think, about no taxation without representation was slogan a couple hundred years ago.  Well, we are not getting representation here and now.  So we are standing up for what we became naturalized for.

So how have Gov. Walker’s changes in policy affected you personally?

Mike: (pause) Personally, not.  We’re both retired (lawyers) and we’re fortunate that we’re reasonably well off.  But, he’s hitting a lot of people who are not as reasonably well off as we are.

Norma:  We’ve got lots of friends who are having difficulties.  A guy who’s 63 and is unemployed now and he is really well educated -

Mike: He can’t get work.

Norma: It’s just awful.

Mike: Cutting money for schools, cutting money for health care, ah, destroying union rights…it’s just not something that I want to see in my home state.  The reason I don’t vote Republican is that they are “me, me, me” and that’s not what it’s about.  It’s “us, us, us”.

What makes you different than other people?  For instance – if it doesn’t affect them personally, they won’t advocate.  What makes you guys different?

Mike:  Well, I don’t know if we are different.  We’ve got a bunch of friends who are geezers like us, and you know, they’ve had decent working lives…they’ve got pensions, they’ve got social security, they’ve got Medicare…

Norma: Dozens of our friends are here, just sitting here like us.

[During this short 5 minute interview, they were greeted several times by acquaintances passing by in the crowd.]

 So you have a lot of friends who may not be affected personally, but they’ve decided that this is important enough to get involved to help other people?

Norma: Yes, absolutely.  We’re in a Plato discussion group.  Do you know what Plato is?

[I shook my head.]

Mike: Plato is a senior citizen discussion group that operates within the university extension.  And I’d say 99% of them, hey! that’s a good number there, are for what is going on here today.  I don’t think I know anybody who is on the other side…especially the people our age and up.  They’re mad, mad as hell.

_______________________________________

Ike Edwards (Deer Park,WI)

We’re here to support the public sector workers and their plight.  [Ike is not a public worker.]  We think it is totally unfair that their collective bargaining rights were taken away and we’re here to let the governor know that we are against him.  We are going to walk around this Capitol as long as it takes to get his attention and to also incite other people to get involved.

I have a lot of confidence in our teachers that run this system.  And it is one of those jobs that everybody thinks that they can do it better.  But unfortunately, nobody wants the job.  And I sympathize with their plight.  So, some of the people that I have had indirect contact with have basically told me that they have experienced a tremendous loss in pay, like $400 bucks a month.  That’s devastating, I mean, people can’t just throw away $400 a month.  That’s the difference of a car note, maybe a house note…people can’t afford to lose.

What’s your opinion about the rail line that was proposed to run near your town, from Minneapolis/St. Paul passing through Madison and Milwaukee to Chicago?

 I don’t know all of the specifics.  [Walker turned down $810 million in federal for the rail system project.] I was very disappointed that it didn’t go through.  I mean, just think about it.  That would’ve turned Chicago into a suburb of Milwaukee. My wife and I go to Chicago quite frequently, you know, because Chicago is a nice town.  It is a nice place to go to socially…a lot of nice theaters, and night clubs, and theaters, and museums.  I mean just think about it - you could live in Milwaukee, work in Chicago, think about how that would expand your job searches, your places to live, your places to shop…it would’ve been fantastic if that had gone through.  

Have you seen activism like this any time in your lifetime?

Never.  Never.  I’m glad to see it though.  You know, I can’t remember who the pastor was, but he wrote a book about it… and he basically said that nothing was going to change until people hit the streets.  Well, they are in the streets.

(Now, spiritual leaders) are more distracted by things like same sex marriage and abortion and things of that nature that they are so sidetracked by that, they forget about something that affects everyone.  This affects everybody.

I foresee things like right to work, I foresee us going backwards in time.  And I hate to see that….I think we’ll turn into a very backwards, uneducated group of people.  That’s not what I want to see.  That’s not Wisconsin.

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While hundreds of thousands of people are affected personally by the changes in public policy, I was surprised about the numbers I met that inconvenienced themselves in order to advocate for others.  This type of mass mobilization has not been paralleled in the memories of anyone I’ve interviewed.  When I’ve asked those old enough to compare this to the 1960’s and 1970’s civil rights or anti-war movements, they’ve told me that this is different.  2011 not only has brought a collision of groups that would otherwise have little in common, but an arsenal of minimally affected people who are becoming involved for the first time in their lives. Why?  Ike tell us, this is “not Wisconsin.”

Capitol in Madison during the Walker kick off rally, November 19, 2011.

This is the 2^nd of a 3 part series of interviews from that day.  Read the first part of the series HERE. 

I stood silently on one of the corner streets of the Capitol scanning the diverse, demonstrative crowd.   Speakers were rallying the crowd from the Capitol steps while thousands listened and cheered.  Ragtag bands circled the block chanting the seemingly required rally song, “This is What Democracy Looks Like”.  Homemade signs carried by children, parents, uniformed workers, and wheel chaired elders bobbed up and down in every direction, blocking my view except for short periods of time.  The most noticeable difference between this rally and Farmer’s rally in March 2011, was the greatly improved food selection.  Hours of wait time was no longer required as make shift vendors, offering everything from burgers to egg rolls, lined the streets around the capitol and proudly displayed their support of the protestors with signs such as this one. 

I randomly questioned people in the crowd of 40,000.

Here are 3 of their stories.

_______________

After about 5 minutes of crowd study, my eyes settled upon a trio of women across the street from me.  My view was mostly obstructed by the mobs of people passing between us, but through gaps in the crowd I could see two women sitting on a bench on the Capitol lawn.  A third companion was entertaining them with a lively story of some kind.  As the three laughed heartily together, I walked toward them.  Two of the women were willing to grant an interview, the third wished to remain anonymous…but decided to chime in quietly (or laugh loudly) here and there anyway. 

Janet M. and Stephanie Roland

(Milwaukee,WI)

Stephanie:  I am here to collect recall signatures so we can force a new election for a new governor of Wisconsin. I look at it this way - we all contribute to the state and the economy whether you make $5,000 a year or $1 million.  We are all tax payers.  So every one of us has a voice, not just the wealthiest, you know?  So when we march around the Capitol and you close your doors and you don’t even listen?  That tells me that you don’t care about the people and you turn your back on the very people who pay your salary.  It is just a slap in the face to all of us….When he came into office, the first thing he did was cut the educational system.  Well maybe education is not important to Scott Walker because he doesn’t even have a college degree!

(Everyone laughs.)

Not to laugh, but it is what is!  Maybe that’s why he’s making the decisions that he’s making.  Maybe we should require that our governors to have a college education.  My point is this – I see the state of Wisconsin as always being a working people’s state.  And if you tell the people of Wisconsinthat you are going to take away their rights?  Then I start thinking that this person wants to be a dictator.  And we are democracy.  We live in the United States of America where we elect people who represent us.  That is why I am here, because he forgot that he works for the people, not the corporate interests.  If you work for the corporate interests, you will have civil unrest then…when people aren’t heard, they will make themselves heard.

In Northern Wisconsin, we don’t get a lot of news about inner city Milwaukee.  How are recent policy changes at the state level affecting you in the inner city?

 Stephanie:  Oh my goodness.  If you do any search, Milwaukee tops the list in unemployment, incarceration, poverty.  You know when you clean up the house and you kind of shuffle something under the rug so when company comes you don’t see it?  Well I feel that is what they did.  They shuffled us under the rug, you know?  When you have all of your blacks in the inner city…then blacks feel like they are not wanted here. Not to make it racial, but we did know about Scott Walker in Milwaukee county (for a long time).  But a lot of the people who were initially affected were like the poor black housekeeper and the poor black janitor.  And so it didn’t get as much attention.  Now all races have been affected.

Janet: People need to use their brains and look at somebody’s record because if people would’ve done their research they would’ve noticed that Walker did the same thing in Milwaukee County that he’s doing to everybody now.  He tried to “save” money by privatizing.  Look at the activity records of Walker in Milwaukee County.  He tried to privatize services by saying he was saving the tax payers money.  And he fired union workers and then they all got hired back!  So we ended up having to pay for them and private contract at tax -

Together: Payer expense!

S: So when you look at Wisconsin, you see a pretty picture.  But what you don’t see is the crime, the poverty, the high school drop out rate…  I look at it this way, those people who drop out of school – you are denying them an education.  Like, if you don’t give the teachers the supplies and programs that they need, and don’t make sure that schools have quality teachers, I mean what kid is going to want to go to those kinds of schools?

** [According to Milwaukee public school superintendent Gregory Thornton, 82% of MPS children live in poverty, struggle with hunger, and have little access to health care.  MPS is facing a $74 million dollar shortfall and is projected to lose 4 math teachers, school nurses, and programming including At Risk and Advanced Placement.]

So those kind of kids are feeling like opportunities are denied to them and they take it out on the innocent people around them…like going to the state fair and beating up innocent people.  That’s wrong.  People in the inner city would want to come to Madison (to protest) but they can’t get here.  I mean Scott Walker just axed the rail line, (laughed, shook head) I mean, can you imagine if we would’ve took that money ($810 million from the federal government) to build a rail system from Milwaukee to Madison? How many jobs for the people -

Janet: And tourism jobs! Everybody in the state would’ve benefited because Wisconsin was gong to be part of a national expansion!

(But) not all of it is limited to inner city, I mean you are starting to see foreclosures in the “Burbs”… you are starting to see more people at food pantries, you are starting to see people go broke due to health care costs. And there are no jobs or jobs with inadequate pay with few, if any, benefits.  And 65,000 losing health care and children, children!  are being cut…and you have rich fat cats over here (waving arm behind her at the Capitol) wining and dining each other, lining each others’ pockets with money stripped from the middle class and poor. (All nodding and collective murmuring) It’s almost like Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake!”

(Burst of laughter, Stephanie hugging stomach)

That’s why he needs to get educated; he needs to learn his history!

S:  (Catching breath) Oh he does…he really does. (Nodding) Because when you don’t know your history –

J: It’ll repeat itself!

S: And here’s an uprising just like in the past…and it always ends in the same way – the people always get what they want.  Put this down there (pointing at my note pad).  We are the 99% and the 1% don’t even compare…and we’ll always get what we want. And we should NOT vote on party lines.  Let’s see if the candidate is really going to work for the people or are they going to work for the corporations?  Are you going to support the inner city to the suburbs to the farmers, are you going to support all of the people?  We have to come together, neighborhoods, color lines…

J: Mouths can easily lie, actions rarely do.  People need to be conscientious of the fact that they are not just choosing somebody they can have a beer with or open a brown paper bag with.

(Everyone laughs.)

But people have to be willing to work together and understand that the 99% need to come together and highlight commonalities, rather than allow ourselves to be divided by our differences.  We must come together and help each other by electing people committed to helping the masses get those basic needs met…if we get ourselves united and mobilized together, that’s it.  Positive change will happen.

————————-

I joined a throng of people circling the Capitol while eavesdropping on the conversations and songs.  A couple abruptly stopped in front of me, halting me with them. As they made adjustments to their belongings, I took that opportunity to tell them about the gathering of interviews that WI Voices is amassing.  They agreed to add their perspective to the assortment.  We all began again to pace the Capitol, in the sea of bodies and voices, and they told me this.

Auriel Auriel and Julia Willett

(Madison,WI)

Auriel: It is especially hard hitting for students in the state.  I have contact with a lot of grad students, and they do not make a lot of money.  And these giant cuts for public workers is really egregious.  Financially, I’ve been affected fairly minimally.  (Auriel is a post-doctoral researcher who works for the state).  For me, (the policy changes are) annoying.  But that’s not the main reason I’m out here.  I’m out here because when someone is elected into office to help with budgetary concerns -

Julia: What budgetary concerns?  (Laughing) We didn’t have any budgetary concerns until he got into office!

Auriel: Well, there were some longstanding issues that needed to be addressed.  But making huge contributions to one’s campaign financers and then calling that a sudden budgetary concern on the part of tax payers?  You know – that was egregious.  But what I found the most appalling of all, was that unions were willing to compromise on a number of different measures in order to keep collective bargaining rights. And they all seemed quite reasonable.  And it would’ve raised a significant amount of money that Scott Walker and the Republican were looking to cover.  But Walker simply wanted to gut the ability to have collective bargaining as well as some basic rights.  And that just shows a type of partisanship and unreasonableness that is not keeping with the tradition of Wisconsin or the past governors that has actually occupied that office.  Partisan politics really bother me, especially when it doesn’t get to the root of the problem.

 Julia: We have somebody sitting in the gubernatorial office who spent a lot of time campaigning on issues that nothing to do with why he came into office and once there, he pretty much starting doing everything he could to help out those really nice campaign contributors who helped him get in office and really nothing at all for the actually working class people in the state that he is supposed to be governing.

He took away basic rights and he just keeps biting away at all the things that makes Wisconsinsuch a great place to live and work.  I mean, when I first moved here back in 2008, Wisconsin was named by Forbes Magazine as (a great place) to find a job.  And I did find a job at a co-op.   I have health care through GHC and all the cuts that Walker has been making has made them have to make changes accordingly.  GHC themselves did everything they could to minimize the damage, my employer did everything they could to minimize the damage, but every year it has been getting harder and harder for them to cover the costs .

(Also) I have friends who are educators, I have friends who are students, friends who are doctors, friends who are union members, and awful, awful number of people who have become unemployed because of this.  We used to have really good viable prospects here in Wisconsin and now know some who are moving out of the state.

Auriel:   Yeah when something comes along to affect a large proportion of the people with whom I deal regularly, I’m willing to get out there and protest, and in some cases get roughed up by police.

Roughed up here Madison?

A: Not here in Madison.

J: Well, if you don’t count all that stuff that was happening here when they closed off the Capitol.

A:  Well, ok –

J: But that was no where near what was going on in UC Davis and UC Berkely.  But the cops here were still were shoving people out the doors and dragging them around.

(However) I feel very, very, very lucky that we did it right from the very get go.  The people did everything they could to make sure that we had convivial relationship with the police.  And the police respected that.  A little bit less so with the state police and a lot less so with the troopers and what not.

Why do you think the relationship is strained with the troopers?

 J: Most likely, because, well… (laughs), troopers are familially tied to Scott Walker! (laughing)

[Walker selected Stephen Fitzgerald as the head of the WI state patrol.  Fitzgerald’s sons, Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly speaker Jeff Fitzgerald helped push Walker’s agenda through the state legislature.]

A:  Well, I think that (the state troopers) are less used to the protest culture, or the progressive element around places like Madison and Milwaukee.  So it could also be a cultural thing that they aren’t used to.

J:  It could be, yeah, but when they brought in the state police and the troopers, the people here did the same things they did when they were dealing with the city, university, and the capitol police.  The people said, “Hey, we are here peacefully and we want don’t want to start any trouble with you and we just want to come here and express our rights legally, the way we have been doing.”

And the city police, the university and even the capitol police, to some extent, were like, “Yeah, we’re cool with that.  You guys aren’t breaking any laws and as long as you stay peaceful, we’ll stay peaceful too.”

But, when the state troopers and other people who were brought in from the outside, they were like, “No, sorry, I really don’t care about that. I’m being paid to basically kick you out.  It doesn’t matter if the way I’m doing it is wrong.  It doesn’t matter if the reason I’m doing it is wrong.  I’m going to do it anyway.” So yeah, to that extent, I would disagree that it’s not just because they are not used to the culture because they were exposed to the same treatment and they responded completely differently.

____________

This was the view inside the Capitol rotunda this day.  I hustled into the building to take the edge off the slight chill of the day.  A group of four was just paces ahead of me, quietly talking and looking at the details of the architecture.  They seemed surprised by my request for an interview, but they all quickly consented.

Zhi Yang Chen, Yang C., Jay S., Linshu Li Lily Spider

(Yang C. and Linshu Li are both students in the UW system; all from China)

Yang C: We are from China and we are here because we are very curious about American democracy.  I’m majoring in humanities, so I’m interested in how the constitution of America works, and the American political system.

And I mean, like, people in Wisconsin are trying to recall Walker and we are very interested to see how people work in this system.  So I mean, it is very interesting.

Is our constitution working?

Yang C: It’s working. (All nodding) You are all doing really good.  You are the 99%.  We’ve now experienced a full protest, in person.  That is really good.  You have a full right to recall a governor.  That’s a nice right for the citizens.  It is the price of democracy.

Do you have that capability in China, to recall an elected official?

Linshu: Never.  Never.  It is illegal.

Zhi Yang:  It doesn’t work.

Linshu:  Because we are communist!

(They all laugh.)

Zhi Yang:  We are westernizing, pretty much becoming more like South Korea.

What is your election process like in China?

Yang C:  Uh…we elect people, who have the power to elect our leaders.

So do you feel like you have a voice in china?

 (All started talking at once; indiscernible)

Yang C: (Loudly) Really less voice.  Really less voice.

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I couldn’t help but wonder how officials in the Chinese government would feel seeing their youthful citizens swept up in the excitement in Madison, Wisconsin.  These young people are exposed to debates ranging from isolationism in the inner city to cronyism and campaign finance reform.  While the contentious atmosphere of 2011 has been openly divisive, Yang’s assertion is sobering.  He reminds us of the price of not having voice.  And how precious the right to use it.

John Wolfe and Rita Platt

CLICK to watch our interview

UPDATE: MSNBC used our videoproduction Watch MSNBC HERE!!!

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 UPDATE #2: March 6, a Dane County Judge placed a temporary restraining order on the Voter ID bill, calling it the “single most restrictive voter eligibility law” in the United States.  Local elections all over the state on April 3, 2012 operated under the previous law.  A second judge placed a permanent injunction on the law.  A trial on whether to grant a permanent injunction is scheduled for April 16.  This issue is expected to reach the WI Supreme Court.

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Now that photo ID’s are required for voting in Wisconsin, Jennifer “Rita” Platt and John Wolfe drove 45 minutes from Osceola to the nearest Dept. of Motor Vehicles office in Hudson, only to be turned away. Governor Walker and state Republicans recently passed the “Voter Photo ID Law”, or Act 23, which has many Wisconsinites scrambling.  Rita and John brought social security cards, current pay stubs, and driver’s licenses from Iowa, but it wasn’t enough.  They need to pay for certified birth certificates, and wait for them to arrive in the mail, in order to secure a free Wisconsin ID card issued for voting.  To complicate matters further for the couple, the computers at the DMV were down and unable to process their request. 

 Here’s their story.

——————————————-

Rita:  On November 23 (2011), John and I drove down the day before Thanksgiving, because we were both lucky enough to have the day off … hoping to get our Wisconsin driver’s licenses.  It is a long haul down to the DMV, and it takes some time at the DMV, and it is a long haul back up, so we wanted to do it on a day when we didn’t have work.

So, as soon as we got there another customer told us that the computers were down and that he’d been there all morning.  We must’ve gotten there sometime around 10 or 11:00 am, and he said he’d been there since it opened [8:00]. And so we thought (Hugh…rolled eyes), “What a bummer!  The one day we could come here the computers are down and we can’t get our licenses.”  Then, the gals behind the counter encouraged us to get our paperwork filled out, in the hopes that when we were finished the computers would be up and running.

So, we filled out the paperwork, and the gal asked for my identification.  I gave her my expired Iowa state driver’s license. [Rita and John moved to WI 18 months ago]  And I gave her my pay stub for my school district in St. Croix Falls, where I teach.  She said these didn’t count as proof of identification and that I needed either a certified birth certificate or a passport, neither of which I had.  Then, I asked her if I could, at least, get a voter ID, since I’d like to vote in the next election.  She said, “No.”  I couldn’t get that either because I’d need either a certified birth certificate or a valid passport to get a voter I.D., as well.

Finally, I told her that I’d previously been a Wisconsin resident (from the mid ‘80’s – mid 90’s) and that I’d had a driver’s license at that time.  Then, she said, “Oh, if you’ve already had a Wisconsin driver’s license, then you can get a new one and you don’t need the other proof.”  So, she got on the computer…which, I still don’t understand because she said it was down, but she was able to find some information on the computer about me.…She was able to see my old license on the screen but for some reason she couldn’t see enough information for it to count.  So, at that point I knew that there was no chance to get a license or voter I.D.

I was super, super frustrated at that point.  And, um, and you know, I’d watched John struggle to get his, too, and also be denied.  So, we left, and that was the end of the story for that day.

John: … fair enough, computers go down…but I went in there with a current Iowa driver’s license, social security card, proof of residency here – a bank statement, and a pay stub.  They said, “No, that doesn’t count as proof of your identity.” They also said that I had no proof that I was a United States citizen, because all a social security card says is that at some point I was allowed to work here.  So, you know, it is hard in that situation to not want to argue with the women that are working there.  But at the same time you realize that they are just employees.

What is your plan now?  Do you still plan on getting your licenses or IDs?

Rita: Well, I’m really lucky because I know that I will get my driver’s license before the next election.   I have a computer, so I went on to find out how to get a certified birth certificate.  I’m from California, so I have to fill out some online paperwork and pay $26 and wait for it to come.  Then, the next time I go back it will have to be a day off work.  So, that will be lost income, and then to spend the gas down and back the second time, with gas being close to $4 a gallon.  Altogether, that is a ton of money.  There are a couple of other DMV centers that are 30 minutes away, but they are only open 1-2 afternoons per month and only open during my working hours.

John: I was born in Arlington,Virginia and it’s going to take somewhere between $20 and $30 to order a certified birth certificate.  But I’m one of the lucky ones.  I can take the time off work.  I can have some flex time, and I have a pretty good salary.  I have a reliable car.  I can do all of this, and I will.  But what worries me is that this is a law that will cause many people not to vote.  I value democracy, and I want my fellow citizens to vote.

[According to UW Milwaukee, School of Continuing Education, Employment & Training Institute: “Minorities and poor populations are the most likely to have drivers license problems. Less than half (47 percent) of Milwaukee County African American adults and 43 percent of Hispanic adults have a valid drivers license ...The situation for young adults ages 18-24 is even worse -- with only 26 percent of African Americans and 34 percent of Hispanics in Milwaukee County with a valid license compared to 71 percent of young white adults in the Balance of State…. An estimated 23 percent of persons aged 65 and over do not have a Wisconsin drivers license or a photo ID. The population of elderly persons 65 and older without a driver’s license or a state photo ID totals 177,399 and of these 70 percent are women.”]

What has been your experience voting in other states?

 Rita: I was living in Wisconsin for my first election, at 18, and I’ve voted in every election.  I love adventure and travel, so I’ve lived in a lot of different states.  I’ve voted in 5 different states and overseas.   This is the first I’ve ever had any trouble.  I’ve lived in rural Eskimo villages on the Bering Sea coast, and I’ve voted overseas in Thailand.  No problem.  Now, here I am in Wisconsin raising my kids in theMidwest, with values that are so close to my own, and this is the first time I’ve had any trouble trying to vote. I’ve never missed a single election, and I certainly didn’t want to miss the coming election (special election for the recall of Gov. Scott Walker).

It is sad to say, and I’m certainly not a conspiracy theorist, in general, but it does seem a bit suspicious to me that this Voter ID law came up now, when our state is very divided and there is a lot anger.  Here we have this law that has the potential to disenfranchise an incredible number of voters.  You look at the statistics and this will affect a huge number of African American and Latino voters.  It seems politically motivated.

 John: I’ve lived in Iowa, Illinois, Arizona, Japan, and Switzerland.  Any other place I’ve been, any other state, any other country, it was fairly simple to vote with some documentation, and now, suddenly, I was stopped cold.

There seems to be a double standard.  You have these legislators who claim that we need this law to protect valid democracy.  And yet depriving someone by setting up conditions that make it difficult to vote, for someone who has a right to vote, means a vote has not been counted.  And that is a blow at the democratic process just as much as permitting someone to vote who shouldn’t be allowed to.  Yet, I don’t see the Republican legislators wringing their hands and panicking over the fact that 100 or 1000 people who should be voting are not going to vote.  You know, where is their concern for the validity for the voting process then?

__________________________________________________

I called the Hudson DMV for comment.  A woman named Joyce verified that the computers were down on the day that John and Rita attempted to obtain I.D.’s.  She acknowledged that, “Every once in a while that happens.  Then, we usually tell them to come back another day or call back later in the day to see if they are back up.”  I asked if this problem was something unique to the Hudson DMV or if this was a statewide occurrence.  The response, “It happens throughout the state.” 

 In 2008, the GAB reported 6 cases alleging voter fraud.  Yet, hearing the extraordinary efforts that one couple is taking to cast 2 votes, one wonders how many voters the law, itself, will disenfranchise?  Voters must now navigate through technical difficulties, new requirements, and financial obligations.  As evidenced with John and Rita, potential voters without IDs need to be finanicially secure enough to have internet research options, gas money for trips to the DMV, time off work, and hard cash to pay for certified birth certificates.  Thousands of  Wisconsinites share their predicament.  John and Rita say, “We are the lucky ones.”  How many will not be so lucky?

Rita Platt is now part of the NAACP lawsuit challenging the Voter ID Law.  Watch HERE.  This story has just gotten broader national attention with Al Sharpton on MSNBC, watch HERE.

On November 19, 2011, I traveled to Madison, WI to attend the rally to begin the recall of Gov. Walker.  The weather was a warm, near 50 degrees for mid-November.  The crowd was lively with the regular songs, rousing speeches, local music, and the wave of protestors circling the Capitol.  I randomly approached strangers in the crowd of approximately 40,000 to interview.  I wanted to know why they came and what was important to them.  This is the first in a three part series of short interviews from that day.  There was a request from one of the people – that there would be no retribution for their beliefs.  As Wisconsinites, I think we can handle that.

Here are 3 of their stories.

_____________________________

Susan Bickley and Marie Martini (Madison)

From the group “Raging Grannies”

Marie: I got involved to be a voice for the children who don’t have a voice…the children of Wisconsin who are poor, hungry, can’t get medical, homeless and now their educational system is being decimated.  And somebody needs to speak for them.  We are selling their future.  Our future is going to be gone because they are not going to be able to have a life.  I’m also involved for the parents of those children, who are swamped with educational debt and can’t buy a house. And if they do it is underwater and they have no opportunities.

This is horrible, I’m a life-long resident of Wisconsin, and I would have never thought that this could happen.  My daughter is a school principal, and they have to lay off teachers because that is where the most money is – in payroll.  So, the class sizes are increasing, and the morale of teachers is horrible.  There are no tools. Our educational system is being destroyed.  I just don’t understand it.  Teachers and the cops and the firemen and the garbage collectors are responsible for the financial crisis?  “We” are the enemy?  The 99%?  I don’t think so.

Do you see a solidarity among the public workers here in Madison, even though some were exempt from losing collective bargaining?

 Susan: The relationship between the protestors and the police and fire department is amazing.  And if I could have one wish in all of this excitement, it is that the rest of the country that is doing this incredible work with “Occupy” could bottle what we have here.  Because it is so disheartening to watch the police in NYC (and elsewhere) act as if they were not part of the “99%”.  And it breaks my heart to see that rift, when we have a model here showing how that can work.

It’s not that the police don’t tell us sometimes, “I’m sorry, but you can’t be on that street corner.”  But they do it with a smile, and then they show us where we can stand.  And every demonstration here has started with the firemen with their bagpipes and their uniforms and marching down State Street and marching into the rotunda.  And it just brings tears to my eyes, because we are a community. For the first time in many, many years – we are united….our anger and our frustration and our disbelief that anyone could do this to our state.

_______________________________

 Teresa Tellez-Giron (Madison,WI)

I’ve been part of this since the beginning. I’ve been impacted by this and my children, too.  So, I think it is important for the minority groups to get involved, and this is something that is going to impact everybody.

Personally, (I have) to have a pay cut when we can just hardly make it sometimes.  I’m a specialist with Child protective services and I’ve seen the impact on the families I work with and how, you know, all that Walker’s been doing is affecting the lower and middle class.  And so, when I’m not able to provide things that I need for my own family and the clients that I work with, I have to get the voice out there.  We need to be more active, more pro-active, in these kinds of things if we want any changes.

Um, I have to be here and get more of the Latino community here, because sometimes we are afraid to use our voice and have people hear our voices.  And so, by me being here I am already trying to make a change in my community.

Why do you think Latino people are scared to speak out?

Because, politically they’ve kept us in our little corner, where they don’t want us to make any noise and people have learned to be that way.  But, you know, I’m a citizen, too, and I have my rights, and this is our right to start making changes…to come out here and show our faces, so when my clients see that I’m here, they feel that they can come here, too, because they see someone else that looks like them.

 Undocumented people don’t have a voice, and they are losing all of their jobs.  They are creating more laws that are penalizing people for hiring undocumented people.  People are being detained and being sent back to their countries and leaving their children, who are U.S. citizens, behind.  But there are no services available for the children left behind to be reconnected with their parents…with their families.  This is happening every day.

Does Wisconsin’s new Voter I.D. bill affect the Latino community?

 Yes.  There is nothing, nothing, to help U.S. citizen Latinos (Latino citizens)know that they can get a free I.D.  And if we don’t do more of this, and we don’t do more in our community to get them informed of their rights, then they will not be able to vote.

What changes would you like to see?

Number one, recall Walker.

Number two, eliminate laws like the Arizona ones that only impact children and their families.  And it is already creating an issue with employers that are not able to hire other employees to work for them, because the Latino community works so hard. It is hard to find people who will work that hard for such little pay.

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Gary and Connie Gille (Madison) – not pictured

Gary: We’re Pro-Scott Walker, we’re pro not having unions in the public sector.  Our group that we were just with is totally a grassroots group, started by a citizen, for the citizens for the state of Wisconsin, no money from the unions, no money from the Democrats…

Private sector unions are fine. But in the public sector they’re not fine, because there is no give and take. When a corporation is not doing very well, the union is not going to ask for as much until the economy picks up.  But the government unions just keep getting the same wages and the same benefits. And the wages are way too high for what they do.  And I work in printing, for a “big corporation” with 600 people.

Connie: It’s non-union, and he’s seen plenty of union companies go out of business because they can’t compete.

What about the big bailouts on Wall Street and the tax breaks to the wealthiest citizens?

G: Yeah, like Bruce Springsteen and those people?

C: And he professes to be a liberal, and he doesn’t pay taxes! What’s right with that?  (The bail outs) that’s wrong, they should’ve let them go and should not interfere with the economy.

G: You have to be careful with banks, though, because when the banks fail you punish the middle and lower classes. But to let a company fail that isn’t running it correctly, yes, it should fail.

C: And there should be means testing for people getting public assistance that don’t need it or are, literally, robbing the system…

G: And people who have more money to hire accountants, (like) GE made 14 Billion this year…with a “B”.  And they paid zero in taxes.  That is wrong.

I think the tax breaks and the GE scenario are things that we could agree on.

G: (laughing) 100 percent.

C: But it is not all about corporations.  Because if they don’t make money, we don’t make money.

And on the other end, for instance, the 29,000 children losing BadgerCare is not right.  It should be a common value that we take care of our children. 

G: It’s not their fault, but the money isn’t always going to be able to come from the non-government working class. We’re tapped out.

What do you say to people that are out working two jobs and still can’t make ends meet?

 G: In a free market society, it’s going to happen.

C: (shrugs and looks away)

When you shrug like that it makes it seem like you don’t care.

 C: (looks at me directly) No! It means that we are all in this together!  I have two kids.  You think I haven’t sacrificed? No!  I don’t go out and buy new shoes or clothes (motioning up and down on her body)

G: We save our whole lives to put our kids through college. They are almost through, and we are almost broke.

C: But that’s the way it should be!

G: We did it on our own.  I’ve worked 38 years for the same company and never missed a day of work.  We’ve worked our whole lives, but we don’t expect anything from our government.

C: And we shouldn’t!  The government isn’t there to give me anything, and I give some so the guy who is in a wheelchair and doesn’t work can have something of it.

G: We aren’t cold-hearted people. We just think too many people are sucking off the system.  We’ve given money to charity, we’ve helped our family and neighbors.

But there is realism and there is idealism.  And you are an idealist (mimics my voice playfully), “oh ideally everyone would have this and everything would be fine.”  But a realist says, “Ok, how are you going to pay for this?”  The realist is the one who solves the problem.  And the idealist is the one who brings up problems.

_________________________________

We are interrupted.   A truck pulls up to the three of us with man and a woman inside.  They must’ve deduced the scenario seeing my “Recall Walker” sticker on my backpack and speaking to a couple with “Stand with Walker” signs.  The male stranger yelled out to me: “They are absolutely right and there is nothing you can do about it!”

We all laughed while Gary threw his hands up and yelled back, “In a democracy, we all have an opinion!” 

The stranger stopped then, his wife was smiling at us from inside the cab.  He continued, “Some of us have to think about things and then you have to live with your own conclusions.  But when you follow, someone else made those decisions.  All you have to do is follow.  But I care about others, I care about the poor.  I want public healthcare for other people, even the lazy ones that don’t want to work…who don’t want to do anything!”

 We all laughed again.

He continued, “And it is not because I’m altruistic and holy.  No, it’s because I’m a selfish bastard.  You know why?  Because if they get sick –“

Connie interrupted laughing, “Then, you have to pay even more!”

 “Megan”, a social worker in Child Protective Services, first told her story in May when the debate of Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill was still underway.  Now that the bill has passed, Megan has agreed to offer an inside view of the recent changes to her workplace.  She also provides intimate details about how the BRB has affected her personal life and the lives of the families that she serves. 

Here’s her continuing story.

___________________________________________________________

 Any new developments at your place of work since the Budget Repair Bill has passed?

(nodding) For the first time, we just had a “Quality Service Review” from the state, and they randomly select cases.  And the case of mine that they chose I felt relatively confident about and I was (thinking), go ahead and look at that one…I’m feeling good about it.  And I got high scores in the areas of engagement and really, you know, assessing what the true concerns of the family were.  But I had gotten some…you know, step-down scores in my documentation.  And I’m thinking, I did do that but I just didn’t have time to document it!  And then I fear that was one of the cases that I did top notch work. (sighing)  And now my caseloads are increasing and we are going to lose resources… and the belt has already been tightened, and we are going to have even less to offer clients.

I walked away beating myself up, feeling like, how am I going to show that I really am doing good work?  I’m hearing that what is going to matter, and what the state is going to want to see, is what you are going to put out in documentation.  And I question the impact overall on the families that we serve.

*** [The Wisconsin Council on Children & Families asserts that the proposed changes to BadgerCare may have a more severe effect on children then their parents.  For instance, under the current system a parent may lose healthcare for up to 6 months if a monthly BadgerCare premium is missed.  The new proposal allows for the state to withhold healthcare from their children as well; and, for up to one year.]

And that is kind of brewing with these other things like loss of bargaining rights.  And now they are starting these focus groups at work to address how things will look.

Are these “Focus Groups” a new development since the BRB was passed?

 (nodding) And I have to give credit that the county did open it up to all employees to participate in whatever group they had an interest in.  But for me there was a time issue, and I had to trust that there would be people there that would represent the voice of the workers.  However, some of the feedback that came back was moving away from the ability to post into new positions.  And basing performance and pay by how well you do on paper.  Some pretty vocal people are proposing that (our work) should be based on (paperwork).

(Megan expressed frustration at the appearance of favoritism when noting that certain people were hand selected to participate in certain groups.  She questions the motivation for the formulation of the Focus Groups, and also the selection process to fill those groups.)

So my question is: “Who is going to determine the standards that we are measured by?”  Is it all going to be based on documentation?  Because I still believe strongly that, you know, true social work is the work that you do with the families, the relationship that you build with them.

Would you provide an example of “true social work” that the state’s documentation wouldn’t necessarily measure?

I guess an example would be I have a case where a parent works the night shift.  So, her solution was to have roommates move into the home. They get free room and board, but they provide the childcare.  However, generally people who need free room and board come with the baggage (sideways smile, raise eyebrows)….you know, whether it is AODA (drug/alcohol) issues, criminal issues, um, so there’s some concern.

Yet I see as the strength of this parent is keeping her job.  She’s worked there for several years, so that is a long work history.  She’s making good wages, considering what is available.  Yet, she’s got many kids. And her way of problem solving daycare, since they don’t qualify for daycare assistance because she makes too much – is to have someone watch their kids. But then the questionable reports start coming in from mandated reporters at the school because of what they are hearing about the home.  So, it is kind of a cycle.

That kind of case I see value in bringing in family and friends to put our heads together and come up with a solution.  But facilitating a meeting takes time, accommodation of everyone’s work schedule, you know – it goes beyond an 8-5 job.  (But the state is mandating a strict time table.)  So, you can see the difference in workers in a case like this.  The ones that are behind in their assessments are analytical, they are true assessments, you really understand the families and their true dynamics.  The ones that are done quickly every time leave you going, “yeah, I don’t really understand all the problems that this family has, but apparently they are fine.”

So, that is the difference that I struggle with ….which one is more effective? And I guess my outcome would be – which one are we going to see come back through the door?  And if you do it right the first time, you know, you may never see this family come back into the human services door again.

So would you problem solve this differently now with the increased emphasis by the state on quickness and documentation rather than effective practice?

Wehhhhl ?! (laughing and shrugging) that’s the challenge that I have. Those are the kind of cases that take time, and you need to slow down the process…not try to come up with the solution in isolation.

I would probably still take the same approach, but I think the pressure and feeling that I’m having is: what is going to happen to me? Because I’m not going to be able to keep up.  I’m not going to get my paperwork in on time perfectly.  And I’m nervous about my own family, my own ability to keep my job, keep my own insurance, to have some sustainability. But I realize that if I’m going to really make a change …or…try to support this family, I can’t approach it punitively.  I have to look at partnering and finding a solution that realistically is going to work.

That is what is making me feel burnt out and feeling like I don’t know if I want to do this job anymore. Because I just feel like that workplace environment and that culture that is happening right now…And I think that’s changing how people interact, and I’ve noticed that my workplace culture is shifting. I’m feeling somewhat isolated from my co-workers and somewhat more from my supervisor.  It brought certain pressures back on my supervisor, that the money and dollars and everything we do is going to be based on documented outcome versus practiced approach.  Now, I think my supervisor sees that we are up against quite an imbalance, and probably acting for self protection.  And now we don’t have a union rep that we can go to if we have an issue.  So, where do you draw your support from?

What kind of things are going on with your local union?

Um, I probably can’t answer that because I know that the union has contacted me and I haven’t had a chance to have that dialogue, yet.  I didn’t feel like our union was very strong in the first place, but I value the need for unions.  And there was a reason we had them.  Would I voluntarily pay to be part of this union that I don’t necessarily respect, when I don’t think they are a very strong union or very cohesive union? (raises eyebrows, splays hands)

But like I said, I want to continue to have that dialogue with them (the union). I want to know – what are you going to continue to do? What role will you have?  If you were to ask if I support unions – yes, I believe that they need to exist.  So, if it were strong, yeah, then I don’t think I would hesitate.

The first time we talked you predicted that when the BRB bill enacted a reduction in your check that you would be forced to take on a second job.  Have you had to take that route?

I have.  The question that everybody asks me is “How are you going to balance that with family and your current job?”  Because my current job goes beyond an 8-5, you know. There are nights that I work until 11:00 at night.  But I felt the need to take another job because I’m already feeling the impact.

(Megan’s partner is also a public worker.  Together, they have 3 children and are grappling with a $560/month loss in their household.)

Even with a second job, we are looking at it like, “Wow… how are we going to make it work?”  It’s increased stress and increased, um, lack of quality time to address how we are going to work through that stress.  I feel like I have more pressure on my shoulders, because I am the one who’s out working two jobs, um, but I don’t want to discredit him.  He’s got more pressures and picked up more responsibilities to meet the kids’ needs, you know.  He’s doing more of the pick up and drop offs for daycare, more of the single-parenting I’d say, because I am the one working two jobs.  So, that’s adding to stress…I feel (laughing and shrugging) guilt on my part because I’m feeling like I’m missing out…and that hurts.  And I’m feeling, you know, tired (looking down and shaking head). I’m missing my family, but I’m trying to work with families that are also having problems and trying to be attentive, available, present, and I’m struggling with that (shrugs and hugs body).

So.

So, what solutions do you see?  How do you see getting out of this situation for your family and the families that you work with?

(long pause, staring at the floor)  We need to undo what Walker did.  If those cuts go through – what are they (her clients) going to do?  I truly don’t know.  What is driving this philosophy?  Are you trying to punish these families?  How are we going to break the cycle if we are punitive toward the people who are trying to work their way up and we keep them down?  Parents are working multiple jobs, and children are left with their needs unmet.  I mean, what are we producing?  So the children are left suffering. That’s the vicious cycle that I see.  I think we need to keep finding an avenue to figure out how we can advocate, not just settling because we feel powerless.

_____________

About half-way through this second interview with Megan, I noticed that I was speaking to a different woman.  Six months ago, she was a passionate advocate for the families with whom she partners.  Now, Megan’s concerns for her own family have taken priority.  Her careful, thoughtful approach to her profession is now overshadowed by her anxious needs closer to home.  If you were frustrated by the scattered nature of this verbatim interview – you’ve journeyed a few moments in her life.  Speaking with Megan reminded me of a pilot’s advice over the intercom of a commercial flight, “Please secure your own face mask before helping others.”  In Megan, we took someone who cares about others – but now, emotionally, she can’t afford to.  How do we measure that?

Chris Wondra (left) with friends

Below is a recent email sent by Chris, a grassroots organizer, teacher, and founder of We Teach, We learn.  He and his wife, Lisa, have been active in the recall of Senator Harsdorf and now in the election of Shelly Moore in her place.  All six recall elections against GOP senators are slated for Tuesday, Aug. 9.  Chris later turned this email into a blog and posted it on his blog site.  It not only summarizes the blow-by-blow battle for WI, but captures the rollercoaster of emotions that many Wisconsinites have felt for the last 6 months. 

Here’s his story.

——————————-

Folks,

Some of you are, no doubt, growing tired of of these political posts.  I don’t blame you.

By nature, I’m not that into politics. And truth be told, I grow weary of this fight.

But it’s stuff like this that blows my mind and reminds me to keep shouting.  The truth must be known.

Please read this link: GOP redistricting maps make dramatic changes

“With recalls pending, GOP releases redistricting plan: A quick vote . . . before recall elections . . . would let Republicans lock down advantages at the ballot box for the next 10 years by drawing maps in their favor.”

Remember: Today, Republicans own Wisconsin.  Please consider though, who owns the Republicans–and what has happened so far:

1. Refusal to listen to constituents, even after unprecedented public outcry
2. Votes and discussion behind closed doors (violated open meetings LAW)
3. Ignored judge’s orders
4. Made it harder to vote
5. Run fake candidates, forcing Democratic primaries and increased the cost of the recall elections by over $400,000
6. Violence in the Supreme Court
7. Decimated public education (and demoralized educators) while at the same time funding private schools in Milwaukee and cutting taxes.
8. Rolled back environmental protections.
9. Rolled back citizens rights by making it harder for people injured by negligent corporations to get justice.
10. And now, rushed to redraw the district voting lines BEFORE recall elections–which would give them an advantage for at least the next 10 years.

Let’s be clear.  Republicans OWN Wisconsin.  From the Governor, to the Senate, to the Assembly to the Supreme Court.  They can do whatever they want–without discussion, without compromise, without negotiation.  And this is exactly what they are doing.

This blatant power grab is unprecedented and remarkable.  Anywhere.  And at any time in history.

Let this be another powerful reason why this election is like no other. We have to take back the Senate NOW.  If you think this bit of is legislation is suspicious, just consider what will happen if we lose these summer elections.

You think they are done destroying public education, rolling back environmental protections, making it harder to vote, privatizing government institutions (like schools, prisons, the department of commerce, Wiscnet–the NON-PROFIT internet supplier to libraries and schools) grabbing power at every opportunity?  By their own admission, they’re only getting started.

These are the kinds of political games that people are growing so tired of.  They (Walker, Harsdorf and the rest) are getting beat up in the polls.  So what do they do?  Change the rules . . . again.

Seriously, every morning I think–I’m done sending emails, marching in parades, writing letters to the editor, making videos.  I’ve got a garden to weed.  Bills to pay.  Kids to take care of.  The other day, somebody referred to me as a “good activist,” and I thought, what the hell has happened to me?  I’m out.  I’m done.

This is not who I am.

But then, by the end of the day, I undoubtedly hear or read something else that is happening in Madison.  And my blood boils anew.  I am aghast.  I can’t believe my eyes/ears.

I do this because I am deeply concerned about our families, our schools, our communities, our children, our chances.

Please do what you can, everyone, to understand and then shed the light of truth on Wisconsin.  After all, we are all in this together.  Or at least . . . we used to be.

Thanks,

Chris

_________________________________

The last 6 months has changed everything for some people.

Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf’s extreme budget repair bill generated a collective uproar.  A new community of “reluctant activists” began to form, becoming different people than they thought they were.  Regular working people, retired people, young people – most of whom were non-political before this, were instantly mobilized.  They were made up of District 10 people from as far north as Siren and Grantsburg as far south as Prescott and River Falls, as far East as Menomonie, and as far west as New Richmond and Hudson…and all the smaller communities in between.  Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls are like adopted D10’ers… volunteering en mass whenever needed. 

This new community greets each other at each event: parades, rallies, speeches, debates, sign making and letter writing parties, canvassing meetings, and Facebook groups.  Gov. Walker is an incredible community organizer, on both sides of the aisle.

 But, instead of fighting between each other, we should turn a critical eye on anyone who would tell us that instead of prospering together, we should all suffer together.   We are too creative of a people to believe that. 

Vote Tuesday, August 9.

Click HERE to watch a portion of her interview.

Duana Bremer has been the Director of Social Services for Polk, Burnett, and St. Croix counties for the last 7 years.  She left a more lucrative career in sales and marketing, in order to serve the neediest people in our communities.  She tells us that her job will become more challenging with the cuts coming at the state level.  She worries that it will be more difficult for the most vulnerable people to find the help they need or that the poorest children will not have their nutritional needs met with the 10% cuts to the school food programs .  Duana looks at her job the way that our elected leaders should, she wants to serve and “learn from” the people she helps.  The best way she can serve them now is by speaking for them, as Wisconsin finds itself at a crossroads.

 Here’s her story…and theirs.

_________________

We help community members with whatever the need is.  We help with eviction, rent, utility, and transportation assistance; we provide shelter.  We have the shelter in Somerset (Grace Place) that houses single individuals and families.  In Balsam Lake (Serenity Home) we house single people who need shelter. Both of our facilities are full, right now, with a waiting list.  But we did allow one gentleman to sleep on the couch last night because he had been sleeping in a garage in this heat.  So, we thought it was prudent to allow (him to do) that…you know, what are you going to do?

[The homeless children in Bremer’s programs tend to be 1.5 years behind in school.  She has formed a partnership with retired teachers from the area, who for years have volunteered their time and talents to teach the children in shelters.]

Part of the problem is that single people don’t qualify for any state aid, and we can’t meet all of their needs.  For instance, BadgerCare is full with a waiting list, and there is no more state funding for that.  So, these folks don’t even have insurance.  A lot of the people that are here have been so sick, for so long, that they’ve lost everything. 

Additionally, I would say that 98% of the people we work with have some sort of mental health issue.  If you are single without insurance, you have no way to get medication. Then, you crash and it costs us more money, and we end up institutionalizing them.  So, it actually costs us more money not providing them the medicine.  And I have to say, every single individual that is residing at our facility that is on medication – they are working.  They are able to be productive citizens.  And we’ve been told that the mental health budget will be cut next year (shaking head). 

Most people are on public services for less than 6 months – and they are back on their feet.  Of course there are a very few people that take advantage.  But in WI, there is no free welfare.  If you are receiving assistance, you have requirements to work and move forward with your life.  There is no state funding for people to lounge on their couch, watch TV and eat bon-bons.  Approximately 85% of families that walk into a food shelter has at least one working member of that family.  But in St. Croix County– the sustainable wage for a family is about $24/hour (one person, or a combined total).   So quite frankly, if you work in St. Croix County – you really can’t afford to live in St. Croix County.  It is very very difficult. 

When discussing the Budget Repair Bill, a lot of the media is focusing on the collective bargaining issue.  What should people in District 10 know about how this bill will affect your programming?

In my opinion with the Budget Repair Bill, the biggest effect will be on the agencies that support these individuals.  For instance, I am part of a COC (Continuum of Care) for the homeless, and we write a grant together for 6 counties: Pierce, St. Croix, Polk, Barron, Dunn, and Pepin.  [Bremer only receives $100,000 in state aid, and operates mainly on private donations].  When we got the funding back, we were told that the state funded only 3 of the 15 agencies.  Thankfully, my program was funded, but I worry about the other programs. 

For instance, CRA (Community Referral Agency) in Milltown is a domestic abuse shelter that is not being funded.  Turning Point domestic abuse shelter in River Falls is also not being funded.  It is going to be difficult, but I’m pretty sure that they are going to still be there.  But is it going to be harder for them?  Absolutely.  Does that mean that they will have to get more volunteers and less paid staff? Absolutely.

Also, another thing that could be impacted is what we call the “Happy Kids Backpack Program” started 3 years ago.  Before this program, my big worry was that these kids are getting free and reduced lunch and breakfast Monday through Friday – but what do they do on the weekends?  Before the backpack program they come to school – they are agitated, they are hungry, they are disrupting the rest of the class, they aren’t learning anything, it is difficult for the teachers…  Should the kids come to school hungry after the weekend?  Well no, of course not.  So, every Friday we pack 720 backpacks ($7/piece) for the weekend, so children who would be otherwise hungry, can have food for those two days.  The backpacks have something for breakfast and then some sort of meal, like maybe pasta and some spaghetti sauce, or whatever…so it’s not a huge amount of food. 

What was so frustrating to me, and how the budget cuts affect our programming, is that we are working so hard to get food to these kids on the weekends…and then the state is cutting the school breakfast program by 10%?  I’m not sure how the schools will deal with that.

[Happy Kids Backpack program serves 9 school districts in D-10, adding 1-2 more school districts each year.  To accomodate the demand, DPI requested $795,000 additional funds.  Instead, they will recieve $695,000 less next year.]   

Would it be fair to say that the biggest impact for you with the Budget Repair Bill will be in the cooperative partnership that you have with the school districts in making sure that our kids are well fed?

I think that would be very fair.  With the cuts moving forward on the school districts – that is definitely going to impact us.  We are probably going to see kids coming to school hungry.  Those children count on those food sources.  If the kids are hungry, they are not going to be ready to learn.  Hunger definitely affects learning.  And the class sizes are going to be bigger, so that is a double whammy because the kids are going to be more agitated, and the teachers are going to have to do even more work. 

Before we had the backpack program, one story came from a custodian in the Amery school district.  He said that the kids would come in on Monday and they would be so hungry that they would just pile food on their plates, because they had not eaten all weekend.  And they were only supposed to take one breakfast, but they couldn’t help it.  But since we started providing the backpack program – that just hasn’t happened, because they are now getting food on the weekends.  So, you can just imagine what the effects are going to be with whatever cuts happen to that breakfast program in the schools.

Another story was from a teacher in the Webster school district.  She kept snacks and food in her room for kids to eat whenever they were hungry.  She said that before the backpacks, on Fridays the kids would get real agitated and start asking how much food they could take home for the weekends.  Once we started this backpack program – that stopped.

 And now after the food programs, nurses are seeing less children in their office with hunger-related issues like stomach aches and that sort of thing…the children are coming to school and they are ready to learn because they are well fed, and also the children are happier. 

Do I have an answer about how we will help the school districts subsidize after they lose this 10%?  No, I don’t.  And people say to me, “are you enabling the families?”  Maybe.  But I really don’t care.  Because my thought is – these are kids!  They can’t go out and get a job…they have no control over their circumstances.  For them to have something to eat…is very important. 

[According to June Paul of the Department of Public Instruction, a meal can not be simply reduced by 10%.  “A meal costs what a meal costs” -  if there isn’t enough money, meals may not be provided.  Cap Times reports that currently 39% of Wisconsin children are in need of free or reduced food programs.  However, many families in our D-10 have greater needs, and rival the percentages of inner city Milwaukee: 45% of Menomonie children utilize free/reduced, 55% in Unity, 75% in Siren, and Webster nearly doubles the state average with 77% of their children needing free/reduced food.]

Have you been able to contact your representatives, Rep. Severson and Sen. Harsdorf, about your concerns?

I have contacted both of them.  They have both seen our facilities.  They are both very familiar with our programs.  So, that is very positive.  And I have to say that I have now gotten a response from both of them; however, it was not answers that I have wanted to hear. 

Looking at the budget as a citizen – nobody is against a balanced budget.  Everybody wants a balanced budget.  But the issue I have is that it is just being balanced on the backs of the poor and the working people.  If it was fair – that would be a great idea.  And I do think that the poor in our community are looked at as disposable.  They don’t have a voice.  There is nobody out there advocating for them. 

Well, this is the way that I look at it.  In order for society to work in our best interests, government and non-profits (such as Bremer’s programs) have to collaborate together.  I believe that government is there for all the people.  They are there to protect the weakest link, and there to support the strongest link.  What is good for one of us – should be good for all of us.  And I, personally, have real issues with wealthy people dictating government.  I’m a real believer that if you are wealthy – you have every right to purchase your fancy houses, your fancy boats, take your fancy vacations, purchase your fancy cars, things like that…but you shouldn’t have the right to buy democracy.  And that’s what I feel is happening right now. 

If people want to make a private donation to your program, whom would they contact?

Send a check to:

Serenity Home

200 Polk County Plaza

Balsam Lake,WI  54810

______________________

We are accustomed to seeing hungry kids on TV in foreign parts of the world, but not in our own communities.  At least not anymore.  You see, step by step, starting with President Truman in 1946, we’ve been feeding American children with free or reduced lunch programs.  Children were still hungry, so school districts responded by phasing a breakfast meal into their children’s diets.  A vulnerable spot in this scenario left children hungry on weekends – giving light to Duana Bremer’s backpack program.  When the state and a private organization worked together in our district,  finally children were “ready to learn” and “happier” and getting enough food.  But now as we debate our values in Wisconsin, we may decide to take a step back with Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf’s Budget Repair Bill.  The bill allows the state to withdraw food that our kids depend upon.  Duana asks, “Do I have an answer about how we will help the school districts subsidize after they lose this 10%?  No, I don’t.”

Let’s hope our elected officials do.

Larry and Mania Moore [no relation to Shelly Moore] are both retired teachers and residents of Wisconsin’s Senate District 10.  The Moores live in Mania’s childhood home on the edge of a sleepy pond in New Richmond.  With a level of foreboding, they’ve been witnessing the political events of our state unfold.  It is eerily reminiscent for this couple, they’ve seen this once before.  Not only will the changes enacted by Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf affect the profession that they’ve dedicated most of their lives toward, but also undo the very union that they helped create.

 Here’s their story.

 —————————

Larry: I always told my students – my first goal is to get you to learn; my second goal is to teach you some history.  I realized that you have a lot of kids who just came to school because they had personal problems.  I’ve buried about 31 of my kids over the years.  How do you go on teaching during times like that?  That is a moment for humans, not for state standards.

When I was hired in Clear Lake in 1969, about 50 teachers were there.  Principals, Superintendents, and teachers were all members of the same group, The Polk/Burnett Education Association.  Well, you can imagine who ran the meetings, superintendents.  Then, I started coaching.  “Supers” ran the coaching meetings, too.  We were frustrated with the lack of input we were getting.  I’ve always had an absolute demand that no one can go into administration unless they’ve had at least 10 years in the classroom.  You know, without that – it’s like getting sex education from a priest.  It just doesn’t make any sense.  

We started getting whiffs of things that were happening in the southern end of the state.  The teachers down there were starting a union for teachers using the WEA.  A real union.  I said, “I don’t know anything about unions…I don’t know if I want to join.”  Leaon [influential older teacher] was wearing wooden clogs at the time.  She said, “If you don’t join, I’m going to hit you with my shoe!” (Laughing)  So I said, “Ok, I guess I’ll join.”

Two years later, in 1971, I was the president and the head negotiator.  When I took the responsibility – I took it totally.  So, 26 different schools started coming to meetings at Rice Lake Elk’s Club and we were first called NUE or Northwest United Educators – Clear Lake. 

What were some reasons worthy of firings before unions?

Mania: Pregnancy.  Any reason at all that (superintendents or school boards) wanted.  Any reason.

L: We had 3 young men teachers who didn’t have a lot of money and shared the upstairs of a woman’s house.  Well, they fired one because the implication was he was gay.  He wasn’t, but they forced him out. 

This is the stuff that people don’t know. 

Female teachers and students had to wear dresses at all times.  Girl students could wear slacks under their skirts only if it was 20 below zero.  Then, they had to take the slacks off when they got to school to look “like ladies.”  Girls had to kneel on the floor to show that their skirts were long enough. 

M: Unions later gave the students the same rights as the teachers.

L: Another time the super reamed two teachers up and down because they were wearing open toed shoes and it wasn’t “lady-like” and was dangerous.

M: Control!  Control!  It is all about control.  And you could never buy alcohol in town because if you were caught you could be fired for that.

L: And you could be married, but not pregnant. [In the generation before, a woman couldn’t work anymore once she was married.]

M: Or pregnant, but not showing!  As soon as you started to show you were let go.

L: Coaches were let go because they didn’t play the right kid at quarterback, or they didn’t have a winning record that season.

M: With the Republican agenda on the far right – and without unions – you couldn’t teach things they didn’t agree with.  That will happen now. [ It’s already happening in Texas ]

L: Even after the unions, teachers were afraid to teach theories, like evolution, because of the repercussions.  Now can you imagine how it is going to be? [ A recent example includes the Georgia textbook controversy ]

Mania: So, I want Larry to talk about why we went on strike in Clear Lake.

L: Just before the strike in ’73 our teachers voted for a union.  We didn’t want much.  The main thing we were asking for was “just cause,” which means you can be removed from your job, but with procedure.  At that time there was talk of strike in the air. So, to avoid that we told the board that we’d take their last offer. 

M: Then the board said, “No, we won’t give that to you anymore.  We’re changing our mind.”

L: We asked the board, “What’s your reasoning?” They said they didn’t have to have one.  So, the next morning we went out on strike. 

M: We went on strike over dignity – it wasn’t the money.

L: We had about 5 teachers who didn’t want any part of it.  So, roughly 45 of us went on strike.  We had older teachers holding hands with tears in their eyes saying, “We’ll support you, we’ll sit here in strike headquarters all day, but don’t ask us to march.” They inspired us to keep going.

Very quickly we were all fired.  Other schools went on strike, too.  During this time in WI, they were singling out and arresting African American protestors within a group for “having a rally without permission.”  So, then the Black protestors would walk away from the group when the police came, but they would be arrested then for “having a parade without permission.”  These are times that people don’t hear about or want to believe.

Mania, Leaon, and I moved into the upstairs of a house of one of the teachers and used it as “Strike Headquarters.”  A bunch of us young idiots were out there holding signs in front of the school all day, and we’d come back and be telling stories.  Mania and the other ladies were making up strike songs.

M: I was in my last year of college at the time.  We had strike songs for “On Top of Old Smokey” and “7 Blind Mice”.  We had a deer head up on the wall with a tie around its neck that symbolized someone. (both laughing and smiling at each other) We served meals, sang our songs, and slept on couches.  

L: The district had brought in the “Scabs” (substitutes) to teach.  They paid Scabs way more than they ever paid us.  Plus, they threw in room and board for them.  We were going to get beaten.  It had nothing to do with the money.  They were going to beat us. 

I don’t think people understand the stress level involved with something like this.  A few people went out picketing a couple of times and it was just too much – they went duck hunting instead.  And many people didn’t do anything at all.  We had to take one guy to the hospital because the stress just got to him.  He broke.  Leaon was my strength, and she was starting to crack.  She would go home and cry.   Then, I went to this one guy’s house and his wife is in tears because there is no income and he’s starting to break.  The next house is the same deal.  Some of the teachers were going to go back in…crossing the picket line and going back to work. 

We were picketing in front of the school.  The Scabs just let kids out, and they were all over the place.  We put our signs down and helped gather the students up, monitoring while they got on their buses.  We had a ton of support from our students. 

We had open meetings for negotiations and the super and board would use intimidation tactics.  They set it up where they were up above us on a stage looking down.  They had our tables wedged right up against the crowd with these really angry, aggressive people right up against us.  The whole cafeteria was full of people.  ”Unionist!” you hear us called.  It was a swear word.  Sometimes, I’d be there with just Leaon because people were too scared to come. 

“We’re starting to cave.  We’re going to lose,” I was telling Jim Guckenberg (ex-WEA president/current NUE director).  But what we didn’t know then was that the community was calling in and pressuring the School Board and Super.  So, the district hired a lawyer to negotiate with Jim and I.  It was top secret, and we couldn’t tell anybody.  After striking for 4 days, we settled for $50/year raise [from $4000/yearly salary] and we finally got “just cause” for teachers. 

[The Moores still qualified for food stamps after their raise.]

When the board finally settled it, we all sneaked up to the Clayton Rod and Gun Club that night and had a little party.  Every bar had a brew called “Teacher Beer” because it was the cheapest beer.

M: A case of beer for a couple of bucks.

L: Talk about a bunch of idiots for the way we were celebrating.  We considered it as a victory, of course – because we finally got “just cause” (and could no longer be fired without a reason).  The oldest teacher on staff and his wife were chasing each other through the grass like kids, celebrating.   From that point on, everything was “BTU” (Before The Union).

Besides “just cause,” what other advances did your union make for workers?

L: A teacher, Darlene, was pregnant.  During negotiations, they were like, “ok, we’ll give you maternity leave.”  And we said, “No.  We’ll take “long-term leave”.  That way anyone could use it.

M: One of the things that this accomplished was that you made any of the benefits work for both sexes. [Men may take some time off to help with their newborn] Then, there was the benefit that allowed teachers to switch positions within the school.  Before that you had to quit and reapply.

L: Then, we had a male teacher who was raised by his aunt and would not be allowed to attend her funeral, because that right was only allowed for the death of parents, spouses, or kids.  We were negotiating and saying, “Who are you to say that this guy’s aunt isn’t important to him?”  And their argument was, “People go to funerals to socialize and get out of work.”  We finally got “funeral leave” for anybody…but at a “leave day” cost.

Well, then we got “sick leave”.  Before that, one teacher was reamed out because she was home sick on the day of parent/teacher conferences.  They said, “Ok you can stay home sick today, but you’d better get here for conferences tonight.”  So, she came in very sick. 

Then, we got “personal leave,” so when your kids are sick you were allowed to care for them.

We also set aside our own wages to collaboratively take care of our own retirement needs.  We would take less now to have enough later.  It is deferred payment. 

Then, we had a group of teachers who got together and created our own insurance, which wound up being the standard in WI.  We did that ourselves.  No one gave that to us.  The thing is – the better you do at something, the more jealous some can become, and you are punished for it….things are taken away that you’ve earned.

M: We negotiated for things instead money.  We could’ve taken money all of those years.  But we took insurance and retirement, instead.  And we showed the district how they could save money by letting us retire.

L: You are in teaching for the dignity and the value of teaching.  Of course you want a decent wage, but no one goes into teaching for the money.

____________

Over 3 decades ago, 45 brave educators – our friends, neighbors, and loved ones – struggled for reasonable treatment for workers. They were able to make sure future generations were not fired without cause; workers could stay home when they or their children were sick;  workers could attend funerals when loved ones died; or women, minorities, and students were treated fairly within the educational system.  Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf have assured Wisconsinites that eliminating virtually all of the bargaining rights of unions was a “fiscal policy,” and they have assured Wisconsinites that they will not eliminate progress made for workers.  I hope they are right.  We will all bare witness to the truth of that assertion.  Will Superintendents, School Boards, and bosses exercise restraint and be satisfied with the financial concessions made by most public workers?  Or will they start demanding longer work days, elimination of seniority, and erosion of “just cause”?  Larry and Mania Moore predict the latter, “You see, people don’t get it.  Without unions, the leaders don’t have to have a reason for anything they do. Period. “

The Shafer Family

Watch a clip of John Shafer’s interview HERE.

Farmer John Shafer is a rare breed.  Along with his wife, Jenny, and young daughter, they live on a 4^th generation, small farm in Spring Valley.  John spoke with us while he completed his morning chores.  He fed a calf a bottle, cleaned and operated various pieces of machinery, and let the cows out into the pasture.  He had stories about many of the dozen or so half-wild cats peeking out from behind walls and bales of hay.  We followed John as he explained that his property has been passed down from generation to generation, beginning with his great-grandfather who bought the land in 1915.  In a few short years, the Shafer’s land will be deemed a “Century Farm”.  This recognition both inspires and taunts John.  He not only is struggling to hold onto his farm in the face of corporate interests, but he also wonders how his children will be able to continue this fading way of life.  

 Here’s his story.

________________

How will Walker’s policies affect your dairy farm?

The biggest thing that I am scared of is the shifting of taxes from the upper class to the lower and middle class.  That is what really bothers me.  There was no tax cuts for us, it was all to the rich, and it shifted the burden onto us. 

It also bothered me that they put in that legislation that they could sell state-owned property with no bids.  Well, that kind of hit home for me, because I bought a haybine from the college [University of Wisconsin - River Falls] and I had to make a bid on it along with everybody else.  I was surprised that I won the bid because I only paid $2300 for it, but everyone else was bidding only $200-$300 for it.  Well, Walker is trying to make it so The Kochs, or whoever, don’t have to pay fair market value for state property. [Because UWRF is a state owned institution, Walker’s policies could allow a corporate farm to purchase this piece of equipment with a no-bid contract at a much lower price.]

Another thing that bothers me is that there are a lot of farmers on BadgerCare, because most farmers cannot afford to get regular insurance.  One neighbor lost his BadgerCare and he got into an accident and his ear got partially cut off.  The ambulance people were saying, “You gotta go to the hospital.”  And he said, “Just stitch me up here, I don’t have insurance.”

Then, there is the program on the chopping block called PACE (Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements). Walker is basically saying that we need to develop more land.  (It could affect me because) I want to find ways to preserve my land for the next generation.  And if we have continued urban sprawl, then there is no other options for small farmers than to sell.  My great-grandfather bought this back in 1915.  So, that has kinda given me the urge to try to stick this out.  But it is a lot of work, and all people, like me, are asking for is a chance, and to make a reasonable profit.  We’re not asking to be millionaires, but we’ve been lied to. 

I support Shelly Moore because she didn’t sell herself out to agribusiness.  Sheila Harsdorf did.  Ten years ago there was a bill that was being tried in the state legislature that was called “The Family Farm Protection Act.”  Sheila Harsdorf, instead of supporting family farms and standing up for family farms and for this bill, stood by agribusiness.  When I heard her do that, I thought – she is not there for the family farmer.

Some people support Sen. Harsdorf for social issues such as being Pro-Life.  And I’ve said to people, “Harsdorf is not Pro-Life, the Republican Party is not Pro-Life…they are Pro-Birth.”  If they were truly Pro-Life they would be interested in feeding the child, clothing the child, educating the child, providing health care for the child.  That’s what it should mean to be Pro-Life.

I’m not pro-life, I’m not pro-choice. 

(The problem for farmers is that the) Pro-Choice groups will say, something “is not alive until it takes its first breath.”  Well I’ve had to deliver a calf because the mother is having complications.  I’ve had to put on a long glove and reach inside to help.  I’ve had a calf suck my fingers.  You will have a hard time explaining to farmers that (the calf) is not alive. 

You have said that you are looking for ways to be able to pass this farm down to future generations.  What will enable you to do that John?

 That’s a very good question, and I don’t know what all the answers are.  It does not help when Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf have given government tax money to all these corporate farms.  They are giving million dollar grants, not loans, grants – for people to expand into these mega-farms.  I’m too small of an operation to qualify for any of these programs.  Plus, Spring Valley used to have 2 feed mills, but now they’ve been forced out of business because there is no farmers to patronize.  Corporate farms don’t spend local, they buy bulk elsewhere.

(If corporate farms are in financial trouble) they are told to just file bankruptcy.  A lot of these huge factory farms have 3 or 4 different corporations within them.  One owns the cattle, one owns the machinery, one owns the real estate, and sometimes one owns the buildings.  But there is one farmer who owns 26 different of these things.  The only reason I can stay in farming is because this has been passed from one generation to the next.  Some young man or woman who wanted to start farming – there is no way they could afford it.  There is no way they could even think about starting something like this.

I hope the next generation, my children’s generation, can take over, but they are going to need help.  They’re going to have to hope that the progressives and the Democrats actually stand up and help the “little guys” out.  I’m not just talking about farming communities – I’m talking all areas of labor.  I need help modernizing my facilities….a parlor would be nice…newer equipment would be nice.  My newest tractor is 23-years-old. 

So, big corporate farms are given grants and also given ways to modernize their equipment and small farmers are not.  Why do you think that is?

There is powerful influence by agribusiness.  There are groups pretending to be farm groups when they are really masquerading as agribusiness like The Dairy Business Association, The Farm Bureau, and The National Corn Growers Association.  Their opposite groups are pro-farmer, like WI Farmer’s Union and The American Corn Growers Association, and oppose Gov. Walker’s awful legislation.  When you have media that is owned by big business and agribusiness you only hear one side of the story.  They were telling farmers like me that producing ethanol from the corn was going to be great for the farmers.  I was one of the guys who thought that ethanol was maybe not one of the best ideas… because you are taking food out of the food chain and turning it into fuel and it may not be one of the most efficient ways to make fuel. 

Some of the farm cooperatives are afraid of challenging big business; sometimes I think it is the fear of retaliation.  Some of the creameries wanted to restrict BHT hormone coming into their food.  (They were) threatened with lawsuits if farmers weren’t allowed to use hormones.

Sometimes I am afraid of speaking out, because I have a family now that I’ve got to worry about.  But I’ve got to say something, because all sides need to be heard. This is a culture that is worth preserving.  My biggest fear is that if all small farms disappear in the next 5-10 years, we are going to see price gouging at the grocery stores that none of us will even imagine. 

What would you need for your farm to survive long-term?

Stable milk prices.  Supply control.  Paying what it costs to make milk plus a little profit to keep our equipment working and get some hired help.  Plus, food safety issues (need to be considered). 

We need to have a fair price and a fair wage – something that keeps up with the pace of inflation…so we can buy new equipment and have time with our families.  We’re not asking to be multi-millionaires.

Small family farmers are afraid of failing, so we are concerned with sustainability.  Some of the big corporate farmers can just walk away. 

It sounds like you are saying that there needs to be some kind of balance between government intervention and absolute free market.  Would that be a fair statement?

 That is very fair.  Just as I told two Walker supporters in the community, there has to be a balance between union interests and interests of the corporation.  But it doesn’t make sense to me that you can be upset if you think unions threaten people but it is ok for corporations and rich people to threaten to leave the state.  It can’t be that way.  Everybody has to give and take a little bit.  But the last 30 years one group has had to give too much.  And what has it done for us?  It hasn’t done any good.  I fear for my daughter’s future.  She’s a very bright young lady, but if we keep gutting everything there isn’t going to be a future for her or any child.

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All four of my grandparents grew up on farms, but only one couple continued that lifestyle as adults.  That couple had 6 children, of which only two continued farming.  I grew up on one of those small family farms.  Now, there isn’t a farmer left among us.  As I followed John around amidst the familiar smells of fresh hay and the thin layer of brown dust that settles quietly on every surface, I understood his dilemma.  Does he continue to struggle for a treasured way of life that is deeply embedded in his lineage?  Or does he succumb to mounting pressure and begin a new chapter for his family?  Wisconsinites have to ponder the same question.  But for today, John is speaking out for this Wisconsintradition, “I hope the next generation, my children’s generation, can take over, but they are going to need help…This is a culture that is worth preserving.” 

I recorded this interview, with permission, at 2:00 pm on Election Day for our Democratic primary for the recall election in WI Senate District 10, July 12.  This primary resulted in Shelly Moore (D) defeating fake (pseudo Democrat) candidate Isaac Weix, who is a Republican.  Weix was injected into the Senate race in order to delay the general election on Aug. 9 (the Republican Party stated that their incumbents needed more time to campaign).  Moore will now advance to face Sheila Harsdorf (R) who has held the Senate seat for over a decade.

A 67-yr-old life-long Democrat in District 10 received a confusing robocall and an inconsistent absentee ballot request form from the group Wisconsin Right to Life.  The robocall instructed her that she “will be receiving an absentee ballot application…in the next few days…send it back to us…” That application came the following day, July 12, and she knew she did not have time to follow WRTL instructions.  After hearing similar confusing reports from all over our district, I decided to call WRTL for clarification.  A woman named Betty answered the phone, and surrendered the call to another woman part way through who did not identify herself.

In the interview, WRTL explained that executive director, Barbara Lyons, wrote and read the script used for the robocall.  Wisconsin Right To Life confirmed that they contracted a group from Virginia (703-410-3201) and actually planned the robocalls to land on the day before Dist. 10’s primary election.  When I said that voters are frustrated and confused – Betty, at the WRTL office, admitted that robocalls were “very, very poor timing on our part.  It was supposed to have been done yesterday.”  WRTL explained that the robocalls were planned for July 11 only, but the contracting company “chose to complete it today,” when they allegedly were unable to fulfill the contract on the agreed date. WRTL has denied any wrong doing.

In the robocall, constituents were told to “complete that application and send it back to us in the next 7 days…voting absentee will ensure that your vote is counted…” However, the last day for mailing absentee ballot request forms was actually Thursday July 7, 4-5 days prior to the calls going out to voters.  In my interview with them, WRTL asserted that the robocalls and absentee ballot request forms “were intended to be for the general election, not the primary.”

However, the robocall does not specify which election, potentially leaving listeners waiting for their application and staying home during the primary. WRTL even admits that their plan was for the robocall to go out on the day before the primary (yet they candidly concede that this was “poor timing” and confusing for voters). Furthermore, though the robocall does not mention the Democratic primary, the absentee ballot request form indicates that it may be used “for the primary election scheduled for July 12…”  RTL App 1, RTL App 2, RTL App 3 (look at the bold print halfway down the page), RTL App 4

Another problem with the robocall is that WRTL requests that people “send it back to us….”  The absentee ballot request form even has the address provided: Absentee Ballot Processing Center; P.O. Box 1327, Madison, WI  53701-1327.

When I asked: ”Do you turn in the absentee applications when people send them to you?”

WRTF answered: “No, we don’t.  People send them ah…and then their city clerk gets them and then um..ah…um…a clerk will send the ballot back to them.”  She further clarified that someone looks at the addresses and sends them to the appropriate clerk, who then sends the ballot to the expectant voter.

In addition, WRTL has squared off against the Federal Elections Commission.  They are headed to the Supreme Court partially concerning the legality of campaign advertisements used by WRTL during election season.  Out of respect for the vital work that our local voting clerks are conducting and not wanting to force bias, I approached a professional in a nearby state for comment instead.

Renee Matlock, MI election official, had this to say after reviewing the WRTL robocall, absenttee ballot request form, and interview:

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“It takes a lot to leave me dumbfounded but I must admit that (robo)call did it. I’m an election official with 30 years of experience who has seen enough voter fraud over 30 years to know voter fraud when I see and hear it. Someone, regardless of their political leanings, who is not a clerk of the election and saying to voters “return your absentee ballot application to us for processing” IS committing election fraud…

As an election official the very first thought I am going to have if I get a packet of absentee ballot applications from a group (any group) instead of directly from the voters themselves is “election fraud” and I am NOT even going to be processing them because it is likely they are fraudulent applications. My second thought is going to be to pick up the phone and make three phone calls (State Police, Bureau of Elections and FEC) because it’s a CRIME for me to suspect election fraud and NOT report it.

Then the issue of the WRTL absentee ballot request form, the correct address in Madison to send absentee ballot applications to is Government Accountability Board  PO Box 7984 Madison, WI 53707-7984 and that is decidedly NOT the address on this card nor is the address on the card any official government address that I can locate through the state election board.  That leads me to a conclusion which I am not liking at all.  That conclusion being the group in question is either (a) planning to mass mail the applications to the assorted clerks (which the clerks will NOT process OR have great difficulty processing with hours of extra time and also taxpayer money getting them to the appropriate place.  The cost of correctly processing them if they are sent to the wrong clerk is going to be astronomical.) or (b) they are intending to “leave people hanging” waiting for an absentee ballot that will never arrive.   Either way it is disenfranchising voters who aren’t reading closely – regardless of their political affiliations. 

Further, the application specifically states “I request that an absentee ballot be sent to me for the primary election scheduled for July 12th and the general election scheduled for August 9th in the Wisconsin Senate recall election.”  Now, I am scratching my head here trying to figure out why on earth they would send something to voters for the Primary election so that it arrives AFTER the last date to apply for an absentee ballot…  The choices are “poor planning” or “disenfranchisement” and given the REST of the form… I’m betting on “a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters” over simple “poor planning” because the fine print DOES state “This form is not an official form by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.” which could, if one is being generous, be construed to be “notice” that the voter must fill out the official form in order to actually receive an absentee ballot. 

Finally, in my experience, senior citizens and college students are the most easily disenfranchised voters.  Recent high school graduates who have moved on to college tend to be uninformed as to the process… In contrast, senior citizens have years of experience with the process and tend to perform the same actions each time. So, if someone sends them what appears to be a valid application to vote absentee they are likely to fill it out and return it, in many instances without ever looking at the address they are mailing it to.”

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During the interview, even WRTL was confused or uncertain about dates and their own literature several times.  They even admitted in the interview that, “It is very confusing for voters….”  Then, it is pretty simple – stop adding confusion to our election process.  There is too much at stake in our district, state, and country to tolerate any kind of practices that confuse or disenfranchise even one voter, no matter which side of the aisle.

 

           

“Jake” is a correctional officer (aka “Blue Shirt”) in a Wisconsin state prison.  He has worked for the Department of Corrections for over 15 years.  Jake tells me that due to the policies of Gov. Walker, the stability and safety of his work environment are being threatened.  Now that Jake’s union has lost all of its bargaining rights – workers have little avenue left to improve the situation for themselves and the inmates that they manage. 

 Here’s his story.

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 What is the main purpose of your job?

The main focus and purpose of my job is safety and security for the public.  We work a job that nobody else wants to.  We do that by choice.  I was told when I started this job – if you come into this job looking for glory or praise you aren’t going to get it.  And I understand that.  And I’ve been tempted to leave on several occasions, but I haven’t.  Benefits play a role in staying, but I’ve also made so many life long friends in this job.  It is much like the law enforcement or fire department setting in that we are a family because of what we do for a living.  We all work odd hours; we all have safety issues involved in our jobs.  So, you know, you gotta be able to trust each other – our job is unique.

Contrary to public belief, we aren’t all ‘knuckle draggers,’ ‘The Haves’ or ‘The Thugs’.  Our job is actually 90% communication.  We have to be good communicators.  In our job we want to de-escalate.  We are educated professionals.  We work in a job where there is a lot of stress, so we make a lot of wise cracks to each other.  But when it comes down to it – we are forced to be a responsive group of people.  We will respond to how the inmates react.

I mean, I’ve been hurt by inmates twice in 15 years.  I had to be tested for AIDS both times and wait 6 months for the results.  I was mind-F***ed waiting that long.  The first time it happened I was pat searching an inmate.  He had taken a paper clip and had sharpened it to a needle and it tore through my glove.  The next time I got tested for AIDS was after two inmates got into a fight over a card game.  I was covered in blood from finger tips to the top of my shoulders.  In that particular situation I had a guy take a jab at me but I ducked – I was fortunate enough to have the leverage. I had to perform a vertical-wall stun…basically push him into the nearest wall.  Then I escorted him to the ground and (hand) cuffed him.  You are not allowed to get angry.  Because if you get angry, you may lose control.

So, safety is definitely an issue.  How will Walker’s policies affect safety of correctional officers?

The cuts are coming to the DOC.

 If this budget goes through we will lose a lot of qualified people, because we will lose the necessary incentive to keep them in here.  If you pay a Blue Shirt $8/hour, they aren’t treated well, they don’t have any say, you don’t offer them any benefits, the working conditions aren’t the best, and then you add what you would considers society’s worst on top of that?  You know, it takes a special person…. [long pause] not to make some bad choices in that situation.

We also don’t have as much training as we used to have.  There is no funding for it.  Before, we would schedule an extra body to provide coverage, so many of us were trained together.  Now, most of our training will be done on the computer on our own.  How the hell am I suppose to watch the inmates if I’m sitting in front of the computer?

Then, there is the food issue.  What they are cutting out, how much they are serving, how it is being prepared, or different food.  There’s a saying: ‘There’s two things that you don’t mess with in prison: mail and food’.  Because that’s all the inmates have.  That’s all they have.  I’ve seen serveries on the housing units almost be lost control of because they didn’t get Sloppy Joes.  When you hear about riots – most of the time it is related to mail or food.

Another safety issue that I can think of is the added fact that I’m looking at the possibility of having to work another job. People already work two jobs.  Realistically – it shouldn’t happen.  What happens there is – you are working two jobs and you are tired, not as aware, and it becomes an additional safety issue here.

The WI Supreme Court overruled Judge Sumi today and “The Collective Bargaining Bill” was allowed to be published.  Besides safety issues – how will losing bargaining affect your profession?

 Next month – after 15 years – I have a 50% chance of getting a straight 1^st shift job.  I’ve worked 2^nd or 3^rd for 11 years and shift relief for 4 years.  It took me 15 years of hard work to get here though, ok?  I think I’ve earned that, ok?  But theoretically, now that bargaining has gone away, that opportunity could go away.

I honestly believe that our Governor, the Fitzgeralds, ‘the powers that be’ haven’t thought about the consequences at the local level.  If the master contract goes away and there is no collective bargaining, then our ability to bargain for health insurance is gone, seniority could go away, signing procedure could go away, transferring from one agency to another, sick leave, policies, for God’s sake, – hazing and harassment – unions used to have some say in those things.  And good luck filing a grievance with the civil service system.

You are taking the representative process away.  You are taking away policy and procedures that have been devised in cooperation with workers and supervisors.  You can sit and tell me until you are blue in the face that you aren’t gonna mess with those things – but just take a look! It is already happening!  No contract – nothin’ says they need to do it!  They are saying things like “such and such is not even a consideration at this time.”  I mean – at this time? It doesn’t take a genius to see what is coming.

But most importantly are the inner workings of the institutions that will be messed up.  If we are short-staffed, I’m at the mercy of ‘the powers that be’.  There will be no accountability for the bosses.  They could now potentially screw with people’s families and lives.  If we don’t have any bargaining, what if I piss off a supervisor?  Scott Walker wants management to have total control over everybody.  I’m not saying that a boss shouldn’t run their business – but they are doing that right now already in cooperation with the union!

You spoke of your work environment as being “like a family.”  Will losing unions have the potential of jeopardizing that atmosphere if you are now forced to compete against each other?

Right now, this is galvanizing us for the most part.  People are finally understanding the potential impact.  But, not having bargaining rights may have a negative impact regarding our “family” atmosphere is if the state screws with seniority.  If vacation, overtime, or if job positions are not offered by seniority…if these things are arbitrarily awarded to whomever, instead of allowing people who have worked years for these things to use seniority, yeah eventually it could threaten that brotherhood atmosphere. Maybe not right away but eventually people will get angry if people are getting something they haven’t necessarily earned.

How do you feel about the hundreds of millions of tax breaks to major corporations?

 You know – in a perfect world, giving tax breaks to corporations would be a good thing if they were to build here and do things like that.  But you are talking about taking out a huge chunk of the tax base out of the middle class with whatWalkeris doing.  The thing that pisses me off is – if you have good workers and people have money to spend – companies are going to come here!

[Statistics support Jake’s assertions.  According to the Economic Policy Institute, “Right to Work” states have lower wages, benefits, and retirement plans for all of their workers in comparison to states with unions.  Furthermore, studies show that being a RTW state has no positive impact on job growth and no discernable impact on attracting new business.]

I think it is working slowly toward privatization of state. And let me tell you something – private prisons don’t work. There are certain corporations that build prisons and they run them for profit.  Studies show that private prisons pay way less, the screening provisions on employees is way less.  Statistics for violence is higher, the rate of drug trafficking is higher.  The training, apparently, isn’t as thorough.

[In response to budget cuts, Sheriff David A. Clark (Milwaukee) recently announced intentions of laying off 110 county employees in a move toward outsourcing and privatization.]

There wouldn’t be a 40-hour work week without unions.  A lot of the benefits that everyone receives in the private sector, too – wouldn’t even have that opportunity if it weren’t for unions.  Because, I believe that unions force private companies to be competitive.  Now, if a private sector person has to pay more for their benefits – I’m sorry about that.  Some people won’t even comprehend the fact that I chose a different job specifically for something with some kind of insurance and a retirement plan.

[Far beyond wages and benefits, unions also negotiate for safer work environment, safer work practices, safety training, occupational health, cost effective labor-management, and many others.]

You know, I had a couple of buddies that went down toMadison with me.  We saw a couple of unemployed people standing there with ”Walker” signs and a couple of Blue Shirts went up to talk.  TheWalkersupporters said, “It is about time that you suffer, too.”  Really?  That’s your answer?  You could make the choice to work my shi**y hours, you could make the choice to work with society’s most undesirable, you could make the choice to start out at the bottom at $9/hour and work your way up – just as I did. [After 15 years Jake now makes about $22/hour.]

Some people know you’re losing hundreds of dollars every month, losing health benefits, retirement that you’ve built up and they’ll say, “Hey, that’s not my problem.  You should have to suffer, too.”  [throwing hands up and shaking head] My buddy said it best, “If this is supposed to be such a great country, and a great state – why are you wishing ill will on somebody else?”

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Our parents, and grandparents before them, have taught the value of the American Dream.  If you make wise choices, work hard, and honor your own committments – you will climb up the ladder and will make a life for yourself and your family. “Walker’s Dream” is eroding the American Dream of our ancestors by taking away the ladder upon which we climb. Regular people work their whole lives climbing that ladder, only to have the rungs cut from above.  “Walker’s Dream” shows us that it is ok for those in power to back out of their promises when a better deal can be made for themselves.  “Walker’s Dream” teaches us that it is ok for those in power to take from the working many and give to themselves and their friends.  This enables bullies within every institution.  But Walker’s attrition of the American dream is even more sinister than that – in cases like The Department of Corrections – his policies compromise the safety and security of the workers and public they protect.  As Jake offers, “I honestly believe that our Governor hasn’t thought about the consequences at the local level.”

Tami Weber has lived in Wisconsin’s Senate District 10 her entire life.  Now in her forties, she grew up in the late Senator Gaylord Nelson’s village – Clear Lake.  Tami now lives in a modest apartment in River Falls.  She told me that due to impending budgetary cuts in Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill, supported by Senator Harsdorf, she may soon find herself living in a nursing home.  You see, Tami is quadriplegic.  And the changes coming at the state leverl are eroding the structure upon which Tami’s life is based. 

 Here’s her story.

———————–

Have you had a chance to travel much?

 As kids we did the Glacier thing, Mt. Rushmore thing…the last 20 years I’ve gone to Vegas multiple times.  I’m not a gambler, plus I have no money, but the people watching is phenomenal.  I could just sit on a bench all day, watch people and chuckle.  I also like to sit by the pool with my sister-in-laws and friends.

A little history, is that I have a rare metabolic neuromuscular disorder that stems from an error in my DNA which leaves me obese and functionally a quadriplegic.  When I was in high school I was in some sports and extremely active in many organizations.  By the time I was 21 I had my first wheelchair.  For the most part, I try to have a positive outlook because people don’t want to be around those that are crabby…and having a pity party serves no purpose…and that’s not who I am.

With that said, there are days that I get real down and look around and I want what everyone else wants, you know – kids, family and career.  I have my bachelor’s degree and started my masters.  I think my ultimate dream job was press secretary for some Governor or Senator…public speaking was really my forte.  I do a lot of advocacy work…try to bring awareness to anything from how to treat people with disabilities to how things could be improved in the community for those who are disabled.

One of the things I like to do is try to teach those around me.  As an example, I like to go to ShopKo and it is really interesting…kids are so fascinated with my power wheelchair. They like the wheels and they are also wondering “why can’t she walk”?  Kids could care less, and so I start talking to them.  But a lot of the times it is the parents who are telling their kids “don’t stare” or  “don’t look”.   And I say “Oh its ok” and I try to educate both the parents and the children about disabilities.

What exactly is going on in your world right now?

There are many ideas and some rumors floating around regarding portions of Medicaid.   Walker is trying to freeze, or else limit funding, for the “Specialized Transportation Program.”  At best, this will make transportation significantly difficult.  To get to my medical appointments at Mayo [Clinic in Rochester, MN] I need to use a specialized transportation company [Handi-Lift].  First of all, they [Walker and supporters] forget about NW Wisconsin.  The [Handi-Lift] company gets paid for the initial pick-up and by the mile.  If the funding is frozen and gas is high, companies will have to start billing more.

Walker is also trying to limit the transportation companies from crossing state lines.  If I couldn’t go to Mayo, I would have to go to Marshfield or Madison. Now, door-to-door to the Mayo Clinic is 70 miles.  Marshfield is 3 hours from here, Madison is 3 ½ hours.

So instead of going to Mayo, you’d have a 7 or 8 hour trip in the van, not counting the extra money spent for personal care workers.  Not only does that seem to be a complete inconvenience for you – but also an ineffective cost scenario because of the number of miles the taxpayers would have to pay in gas alone.

 Exactly.  And not to mention that I have personal care workers that instead of getting me in the van by 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, I’d have to be in the van by 5:00.  So let’s talk about tax payer money.  If you start adding more co-pays and start decreasing the medical benefits, clinic visits may go down, but ER visits will shoot through the roof.  The other people in the community will suddenly have to start paying more to eat those costs of ER visits.

[Tami’s monthly income of $777/month from Social Security is quickly consumed by rent, utilities, food, medical co-pays, etc.]

What would it mean to you if all of these policies in the Budget Repair Bill were enacted?

 If Walker’s budget repair bill goes through I most definitely see myself in a nursing home within two years.  If you cut my general healthcare (Medicaid), funding to my personal care workers, and my transportation – what choice do I have?  Then add Congressman Paul Ryan’s purposed cuts to my other insurer, Medicare….a nursing home is most definitely going to be my only option.

I’m 44-years-old.  I’m college educated…a completely cognitive individual.  Is a nursing home really the appropriate place for me?  Not too long ago the big push was to keep people in their homes.  This isn’t 1950.  They let us out of institutions for a reason.  And as I’d like to say, “You let us out – you can’t push us back in.” Contrary to what Mr. Walker would like to do to us; this is 2011 darn it, and we have just as much right to live where WE want!  People should be able to live among their peers.

[Tami is one of 61,000 of Wisconsinites that needs Medicaid to remain in the community of choice rather than an institution.  She asserts that she is less expensive for the tax payer in her own home.  She tells me that her personal care workers earn $12/hour and are on hand for her 11 hours/day.  Using those figures quick math puts the current cost for tax payers at a little over $48,000/year for Tami.  In comparison, according to Special State Report From Families, nursing homes in Wisconsin average $81,400/year.]

How does Walker’s phrase “Wisconsin – Open for Business” make you feel?

 Yeah – if you have a lot of money – come off it…let’s keep taking things away from the most vulnerable…let’s put people in institutions where they can’t be seen.  He wants to decimate the middle and lower class…absolutely decimate it.

I have fought so hard to stay in my home and keep good personal care workers who respect me.  It’s not easy to have people come in and bath you and dress you, feed you.  And sometimes it can be difficult because I feel like I have a revolving door of workers.  But, it is still a choice for me and better than being in a nursing home.  If I want to go for a walk in the park – I can go.  All of my nieces’ and nephews’ birthday parties and family holidays are here.  Would I still be able to do all of that if I were in a nursing home?

And, I know what I’m talking about.  I’ve been in a nursing home – for a month when I was 27 and recovering from major surgery, I was there for 4 weeks.  It is not a place for a younger person who is fully cognitive.  You start getting up at 5:00 a.m. because the aides have so many people to get up that they have to do that.  The aides, bless their hearts, do the best they can.  Then after breakfast the CNAs lay everyone down for a nap.  Suddenly, they thought that I needed a nap, too.  Then, they get everybody up for lunch.  Then back down for a nap.  Absolutely no privacy or dignity–just the nature of institutional life.

Now, I have freedom to walk out that door whenever I want to.  Once in awhile I like to have some friends over – say a Friday night and we play board games or watch movies…I might have a couple of beers, I might have a couple of wine coolers.  On a warm summer evening I like to sip on brandy slush and watch a ball game.  I’m a sports fanatic. In a nursing home all of your clothes are written on too – so they know who it belongs to.  I am picky about some of my clothes.  Should we label all of your clothes Governor? Or maybe we should have his meals unseasoned and “soft” just for starters.

Sound bites coming from the Governor’s office suggest that folks have to demonstrate an ability to adapt.

 How much more adapting are we suppose to do?  How much more adapting?  Our whole life is about adapting.  Our whole life.  I can tell you right here and right now, that my health would get worse, faster, because I would have no purpose and no will to live. How would you like your basic dignity taken away?

What is your sense of Senator Harsdorf who was just recalled and is now facing a special recall election?

 (Pause) Do you have 8 days?

(Laughing) Have you ever met her?

 Ah, it is funny that you should ask that.  Sheila and I are personal friends.  Sheila has been in my home numerous numerous times.  We’ve made dinner together, gone on walks together!  She has said, “You are such an inspiration” or “I’m so proud of you.”

I take this whole thing like a slap in the face.  And not that I expect her to change her vote solely because she knows me, but do I think that she gave one second thought to me?  Not at all.  I’ve given her numbers on how keeping me in my home is cheaper.  And it is cheaper.  I’m on a program called “SDS” (Self Determined Support) which means I get to decide who I hire and who I fire.  I get to decide a lot of my life instead of having a county social worker or home health nurse do that – which also saves a lot of money.  I fail to see why I should not have all of the same choices as to where I live. There is no reason that I shouldn’t have say in my life – absolutely none.  Somehow I don’t think that she gave one second thought to me.  I’ve tried to call her and she has not returned one phone call of mine.  I completely understand that Senator Harsdorf is incredibly busy, but she’s got to know how I feel about this.

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Policies of Gov. Walker and Sen. Harsdorf call for a shared sacrifice among all Wisconsinites.  But I can’t help but wonder how much one human can be expected to give? Tami is a happy, productive member of society.  If the impending cuts to her medical care, personal care workers, and transportation are enacted – moving into a nursing home would be the only way she could have her basic needs met.  Then, her human need for self-determination and choice will seem a luxury.  Tami’s personal story illustrate that these policies may not only be more costly for the tax payer, but also exact a human toll which cannot be quantified.  So, once again Tami asks, “Is a nursing home really the appropriate place for me?”

Watch Tami give a speech here.

“Megan” is one of the more than 280,000 public workers in WI.  She’s a social worker in the division of Child Protective Services.  She investigates allegations of neglect and also the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children. If needed, she refers families for services. Megan is a witness in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society – poverty stricken children.  Part of the reason that Megan is good at her job is because she knows what it’s like to be on the other side.

Here’s her story.

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I got into social work because I had my own difficulties in life.  I think back to being a teen mom myself, on AFDC and putting myself through college. [She now has 13 years of experience and had gained her master’s degree along the way.] And if I didn’t have that help I don’t know that I’d been able to go to school.  And now I see these young parents much like myself and they want to improve themselves, too.  Back then (late ‘80’s) there was the stereotype of the “Bon Bon” moms…you know that we were all sitting around eating bon bons watching soap operas all day.

So, the stereotype wasn’t true for you then.  How about now when the population that you service are called “leeches on the system” or “lazy” ?

I see hard working families, who are working two jobs.  I see families with kids working…teenagers, who are contributing to the family’s ability to survive.  I see myself working hard and my co-workers… with a few exceptions.

What is your case load right now Megan?

HA!  (slapping her knee) That’s a bad question to ask me right now!  Our county was hit pretty hard last year – all of us were carrying extremely high case loads.  I was over 75 cases for a while, but now I’m down to a reasonable level of about 15.  We all sat back and wondered what is going on? Why are case levels so high?  But the economy isn’t good overall, and we wondered if it was playing a role in what was happening…people’s ability to cope with day-to-day life.  And you know I swore I would never work in child protection (due to the emotional toll), but here I’ve been in child protection now for years.

Can you tell me about some of your most challenging cases?

 Well (sighing)…. I think a better question might be “What do the most challenging cases all have in common?” Three things: substance abuse, mental health, and domestic violence.  Some cases have all three of these or a really high emphasis in one of these areas.  So, when you think of loss of services or loss of funding – that’s an area that requires a lot of financial resources in order to ensure child safety.  You have to look at what services to link a parent up to, what’s available in your community, what funding sources are available.  And if you can’t access services or put services in a home – then how are you going to keep a child safe?

The Budget Repair Bil enacts cuts to the poorest population.  Will this inhibit your ability to keep children safe?

 (Nodding)  I see a higher stress level and stress management is going to be lower.  I see a huge increase in risk to children who are already vulnerable.  When you talk about Walker – his whole budget is cutting areas that you shouldn’t ever cut.  It doesn’t make logical sense to me – it is hitting the wrong population.  We are going to see an absolute increase in cases being reported.  I anticipate that if his mission is accomplished – we won’t be able to serve the population properly and less-seasoned workers, without background or skill level, will be employed.

So if the “collective bargaining” law passes, you will work without a union.  Would you feel susceptible to an unjust firing without a union?

 Absolutely.  Absolutely.  Because what I can tell you is this: the workers who make the most change in a family and have the most connection with that family are going to be the workers that will be the most behind….we have paperwork that the federal and state government expects.  So, we will not meet all of those deadlines perfectly every time.  The workers that don’t meet with the families as much, don’t make the personal connections, are going to have their paperwork turned in on time and they will look good on paper.  But if you were to interview the families – the ones that don’t look good on paper are going to be the ones that the family says helped them the most.  I do my own outreach… work with them to establish a relationship.

And that is the part that makes me mad.

And I thank God for having a union, because I would be at risk because the union has worked it’s way through the years to ensure good workers are protected.  (Without collective bargaining) they are going to keep the ones that look good on paper… I like to know that I have the protection, so that I can do what I need to do to protect children.

Most public workers will see a decline in pay as a result of the BRB.  Do you see social workers leaving their profession as a result?

Well, I don’t know if it is just pay, but the realization that you’ll be absolutely ineffective.  Because I mean pay is one thing…I mean I thought about that today when I thought about taking on a second job but I can’t realistically do that right now, because I have a young child.  And I need to take care of my own well being to be able to take care of others.  People can adjust, but what happens when this comes through and the ramifications hit, and people no longer have access to what I could’ve given them before?

Like what?

 Like inpatient treatment, intensive in-home programs – based upon whether or not we have money in the budget – which puts another person in the home with a family during vulnerable times of the day… or what people have when I meet them – like BadgerCare – and you take that away, too?  And you take away my tool belt?  What am I going to do? I can talk, but I won’t have anything to work with.

***[Governor Walker recommends cutting funding for the “FoodShare” program for low income legal immigrants.  Studies show that food insecurity leads to low birth weight and learning difficulties among children.  Right now, Wisconsin law still requires that all children have access to health care – but not dental.  As a result, dental problems are one of the leading causes of childhood illness among poor children.]

Gov. Walker and supporters like Sen. Harsdorf state that public workers “need to pay your fair share.”  It is my understanding that your union already has given all of the financial concessions.

 Right…If they can succeed and the unions crumble – that makes me fearful.  When you get down to the real issue – it’s just common people who are trying to make a living, who are working in an environment that provides a service that everyone in society will need at some point or at least benefit from the work that we are doing.

I think that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  And I’ve always had to work hard for everything that I’ve got…and I work with a population that is mostly below the poverty line or at the poverty line, and I rarely ever come across families that are very well-to-do.  They come across every once in a while – but they have access to private services mostly.

It has been suggested that the population that you serve needs to demonstrate a willingness to adapt.  Do you see your clients being able to cope with less than they are getting right now?

I don’t think that my clients can (shaking head)…and I’m still doing the same job. How much more can they ask us to do?  People don’t get it.  My job isn’t 9-5.  I could work from 8 – 10 (14 hours/day).  I have no idea what I’m going to be walking into.  I could walk into a dead child case. I could walk into a situation where kids are testing higher than their parents for meth.  A very common situation is finding a small child left alone or receiving inadequate supervision…like finding a small child alone in a dirty house or multiple children left alone without any food or supplies…for days on end.  I come home with this on my mind all the time. I live with this stuff all the time.  My co-workers live with this.  Lots of us are on medication to deal with all of the secondary trauma associated with the job.  Many of us have to access our employee counseling program.

If you could say anything to your elected leaders – what would you say?

Answer the questions that people are asking.  Sit down in a room with people that are impacted and listen and go head-to-head with someone… because I don’t think they could honestly believe that what you are doing is really the right thing… if you were visually seeing the good that people do and the stressors that they have and still believe that this is the way that things should be done.

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Megan is just one of the hundreds of thousands of public servants in our state.  Her personal story well illustrates the likely impacts of The Budget Repair Bill and the repercussions which are likely to follow its passage.  Governor Walker and Senator Harsdorf, for all of Megan’s hard work on behalf of the children of our state, she asks: “if you take away my tool belt…what am I going to do?”

]]> http://www.wivoices.org/2011/05/17/wi-voices-a-social-worker/feed/ 4 http://www.wivoices.org/2011/05/11/wi-voices-man-losing-badgercare/ http://www.wivoices.org/2011/05/11/wi-voices-man-losing-badgercare/#comments Thu, 12 May 2011 00:43:46 +0000 Heidi Herron http://wivoices.wordpress.com/?p=14

UPDATE: November 2011 – Frank was terminated from BadgerCare and is now without health insurance.

“Frank” is a 60-yr-old Wisconsin man.  He’s a single, self-employed contractor who works on homes after they have been foreclosed.  He has several grown children and small grandchildren, some whom were running around or jumping on his lap during our interview.  Frank is a classic Midwesterner of his generation in many ways.  For instance, his most passionate points of the day referred to his love for The Green Bay Packers. He would’ve been content to stay on the football topic for much longer.  He’s also typical in his willingness to help others while uncomfortable complaining about his own situation.  For this reason, he wished to remain anonymous.  Frank told me that he is about to lose his state-funded BadgerCare insurance for low income Wisconsinites.  Approximately 63,000 residents around the state share his predicament.

Here’s his story.

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At what age did you start working?

I started working for (neighbors) on the farm at age 12 or 13… mostly just chase cows for them.  Got up at 4:00 in the morning and brought ‘em into the corral…well they knew the way.   As I got older I would feed the calves or bail hay, chores like that.  By the time I was 16 I had enough money saved up to buy my first car… a ’64 Ford.

What was your next job?

 After high school [by then married] I worked for a construction company burying telephone lines, removing old telephone poles. And then I went to work at a local meat packing plant.  I worked there for 15 years until they got bought out by a non-union company and we all lost our jobs. [By this time Frank and his wife also had 3 young children.]

So when a non-union company bought the plant, they didn’t keep your crew on?

No.  We got severance pay.  For working in a plant, I really liked working there.  I was never just standing in one spot.  I was moving, pushed carts around or formulated things.  I liked the people there and it was great pay and full insurance for the family.  For working at a plant, I really liked it.

Was there grumbling when you were let go?       

We knew it was coming–and you could stay on.  But, I mean – it was – the pay was so much less it was ridiculous.  It just wasn’t the same anymore when they took over.  It changed a lot of stuff with my family.

Any correlation between then and now?

Same in the sense that it is all about big business…people will say that “I’m not making much, you shouldn’t be either.”  No body cared about us.  [This was in the 1980’s] back when Reagan started this “Trick Down” stuff – we’ve seen now that it doesn’t work… I mean, why isn’t there any strings attached?  Like “you have to create this many good jobs or you don’t get any money.”  But there is never any of that.  They just give them [big corporations] the money and it doesn’t make its way back.

What led you back to farming?

After I lost my job at the plant, it was luck that I found a great deal on the farm.  It was a guaranteed income for a family.  I was involved in a farm co-op where I shared in the profits.  [He and his wife divorced at some point during this time.]  But there again it was a local business getting bought out from a big one from some where else.  Farmer’s profit was cut in half after the buyout.  So it was just a series of these things. [Frank chuckled and shook his head]

So, this has happened to you twice now. Where you have had an income where you were making it, supporting a family, had insurance and the small, local company you worked for was sold to a larger corporation which took away your power as a worker.

 Yep.  Two different times. After the buyout, it came to light that a corrupt person in the system down there [in his co-op] was stealing money and we all lost most of our equity.  I don’t even know if he went to prison over that (chuckled), it was just one of those things that got pushed under the rug.  So yeah, that was going to be my retirement (laughed).  So, now I don’t have any retirement.  And, you know what it’s one of those things that I am so thankful that I’m healthy to work.  And I have a job and for some reason I don’t lose sleep over it.  I just somehow feel that something will work out that I’ll be alright.

So how long have you been on BadgerCare?

 Two years

How long until you qualify for Social Security or Medicare, those type of things.

When I’m 65, another 5 years.

Take us through your health insurance coverage in your life?

Well I had coverage for the family at the (meat packing) plant.  Then I bought my own policy for us all on the farm.  One daughter had a serious health problem and insurance wouldn’t pay. [It was discovered that she had a congenital birth defect which was correctible with proper intervention, but deadly without it.]

So you paid your premiums every month and insurance wouldn’t pay for your daughter’s surgery?

No they wouldn’t.  I was mad about it but they said it was a pre-existing condition.   So someone recommended The Shriners and they took her in and completely took care of everything.  Every time I see one of those guys I thank them.  I mean, I tell them don’t even call and ask me – just send me the donation slip every year, I’ll pay it.  And I always put a note in there thanking them for everything that they do.

Then when the kids were all out of the house I just had a really high end deductible thing.  One company I was with dropped me when I needed shoulder surgery.  It got so bad that couldn’t work for a while so I asked about surgery.  But they wouldn’t cover it saying it was a pre-existing condition and then they dropped me after that.  So I just learned to live with the shoulder.  It will never be right, but you know – you won’t die from that.  After they dropped me I had a lapse for several years when I didn’t have any insurance.

So you were without insurance for years?

Yep.  I just stayed really healthy, you know.  But then I qualified for BadgerCare.  I had to go the emergency room for a hernia while the Badger Care paperwork was going through.  I had to pay for that myself.  It was over $900.  That was a surgery that I absolutely needed.  I don’t know what I would’ve done without BadgerCare.  The thing with BadgerCare is that is was a pre-existing condition and they still paid for it.  I mean the thing about the shoulder, I can live with that, like I said, I wasn’t going to die from it.  But the hernia – yeah – I needed that.

**[I called the hospital nearest Frank and was quoted a price of $9,489 for hernia surgery.  Frank told me that it took him 18 months to pay off the ER visit.  At this rate - and if he never needed any more health care - he would've paid for the hernia surgery for over 16 years without BadgerCare.]

What is the word on the street in your world concerning all of this political stuff?

It’s split right down the middle.  Either they are all for Walker or they think it is outrageously wrong.  I really don’t see anybody that is just middle of the road…and for once it is not just Democrats against Republicans.  You see a lot of Republicans upset with it….and when you hear a Governor say that “bi-partisan doesn’t work”…well, hugh!  That is just blatant in your face ‘I really don’t care what you people think, and I don’t care what the majority thinks, we are in control now and this is the way that things will be done.’

What would be one thing you’d like to say to your elected leaders if you can get your story out there?  Because some of the things being said are that you are ”special interest groups” and those on Badger Care should “work harder” and it seems to me that you have worked hard your whole life.

Yeah I have worked hard my whole life.  I don’t like being bitter at the system, but I am bitter about this because I would think that all of the taxes I’ve paid that…uh…I mean that hernia surgery is the only big thing I’ve needed.  I haven’t been to a doctor much since.  I’m not a burden.  I’d like to see them keep BadgerCare and only use it in an emergency, because, I don’t abuse the system.  But even with BadgerCare I wouldn’t mind paying a portion of it if I could continue to have it. I’m just wondering if they are eliminating BadgerCare then why haven’t they given us any direction about what to do from here?

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Frank told one of the 63,000 BadgerCare stories in Wisconsin today.  Many of our friends, neighbors, and family members will face the difficult choice of either using the expensive ER services (paid for by the tax payers) or simply “learn to live with it.”  Frank feels lucky that he has no young dependants at home.  Many families face a terrifiying position of losing crucial care for adults who provide for small children, physically and psychologically endangering the stability of the family unit.  Frank would like to know: “Why haven’t [you] given us any direction about what to do from here?”