Dane101 - Advocacy

Should Wisconsin bloggers use the "Texroots" model to create "Wiscroots"?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:45 +0200

Kerfuffle, a.k.a. Dave Wilcox, is at the DailyKos Netroots Nation Convention is Austin, Texas. Before he left he offered dane101 the opportunity to crosspost anything he writes that has a Wisconsin focus. This is the first of his entries.

"Yearly Kos" changed its name to "Netroots Nation" to, as I understand it, reflect that the many gains made for Progressives and Democrats in recent years have been greatly assisted by internet-driven activity. Citizen journalism, online activism, lefty blogging. Call it whatever you want, but nowhere is it more organized and I'd say, effective at the state level than here in Texas. I look at their success and, like a little kid looking at his pal's tricked out new bicycle, find myself asking "How do I get one of those?" One look at the scheduling grid for Netroots Nation will tell you that you have to make some choices in what event you want to attend. I had planned on going to a caucus of state bloggers, but at the last minute decided to sit in on the Texas bloggers caucus instead. As it turned out, I was the only non-Texan in the room, but they let me stay. Until very recently, I had no idea that a large group of Texas bloggers had formed the Texas Progressive Alliance.

Madison's Pride Weekend is alive and well

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:07:04 +0200

Contrary to yesterday's article in the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison's LGBT Pride weekend is alive and well. Sure the central event at Brittingham Park has been streamlined and stripped of much of the glitz and glamor of previous years, but what the article missed is that the weekend has expanded to multiple venues over multiple days making it a truly citywide event. Madison's Pride weekend just ain't your Daddy's Pride anymore.

As the article points out the organization, Madison Pride, is suffering from serious financial issues and missing records. Last year they pumped $30,000 into the Pride weekend, this year they are only pumping in roughly $500 and the events, including the Pride March, speakers, and music from the Cowboy and the Gentlemen, will take place on Sunday. The organization may have "reduced scope" but the weekend itself has expanded.

Congressional Transgender Employment Discrimination Hearings

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:45:11 +0200

Last fall the Employment Nondiscrimination Act was introduced into congress. The purpose of the act was to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination in employment. Or that was at least the original spirit. Along the way, as so often happens in politics, someone got thrown under the bus.

In an effort to make the bill more palatable, transgender people were eliminated from the protections of the act. In a huge controversy in the LGBT community, the Human Rights Campaign, a group who’s mission is to work for equal rights for LGBT people, signed off on the elimination of transgendered people from the bill.

Who would you put in Wisconsin's Hall of Fame?

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:00:08 +0200

Pop Quiz: What two things do Yogi Berra and Bruce Springsteen have in common? Both are Hall of Famers in their respective fields and both hail from New Jersey. On Sunday night those two distinctions merged as Berra and Springsteen joined 15 others to become the first Jerseyans to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The goal of the Hall is to help improve the reputation of the Garden State by highlighting prominent individuals who have lived there for at least five years. When accepting the award on Sunday, Springsteen said, "Rise up, my fellow New Jerseyans. We are all members of a confused but noble race. Even with this wonderful Hall of Fame, we know there's another bad Jersey joke just around the corner."

As the Wisconsin Historical Society rolls out an exhibit dedicated to Madison native Chris Farley this week I wondered why Wisconsin doesn't consider a Hall of Fame? Wisconsin, like New Jersey, is often the butt of many jokes and our stereotyped culture is one of beer, Packers, and cheese. One night each year we could showcase the innovation and celebrity of prominent Wisconsinites by inducting them into a Hall of Fame. It would not only earn the state national headlines, but would serve as an example to young Wisconsinites.

Lance Armstrong to visit Madison for Smoke-Free Wisconsin rally

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:21:12 +0100

For those of you still showing withdrawal symptoms from the high-profile appearances of politicos in Madison over the past three weeks, you have at least one more opportunity to get a fix. Lance Armstrong will be coming to our capital city for a Wisconsin Citizens for Smoke-Free Air rally. The seven consecutive Tour de France champion and cancer survivor will be the featured guest at the rally happening from noon until 1 p.m. on March 4 at the Monona Terrace.

Since his battle with testicular cancer Armstrong has become a leading advocate for people living with cancer. One of the primary goals of his foundation's "livestrong" campaign is to protect children from secondhand smoke. The campaign, launched on February 4, is a year-long and worldwide movement to advocate and promote the importance of providing smoke-free environments for children.

Senator Kohl sells out to the telecos

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:00:48 +0100

You should be proud of one of your Senators today Madison. Senator Russ Feingold has stood up time and time again to make sure the telecommunication companies who are complicit in allowing the government to invade your right to privacy are held accountable. As for the other one, Senator Herb Kohl, not so much. Today Kohl joined 18 other Democrats to vote against an amendment to the FISA bill that would "strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government." With his vote Kohl says he supports retroactive immunity for those who would violate the Constitution.

Waiting until 2010 is no compromise when health is the issue

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:10:31 +0100

When the notice arrived in my email box that the Wisconsin Public Health Committee had passed Breathe Free Wisconsin I was elated. Finally, we were living up to our motto and moving the state "Forward!" Then I read that Breathe Free Wisconsin was amended with a later implementation date of January 2010 for bars and restaurants. Hello? What? Are you serious? I can understand waiting until January 1, 2009, but 2010?

Maybe no one told the Public Health Committee that in 2006 the Office of the Surgeon General issued a report detailing the impact of second hand smoke? In case you missed it, I've pulled out two of the many substantial findings:

Learning from the neighbors: New laws in other states we should consider implementing here

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:45:23 +0100

With the arrival of 2008 a number of new laws have been implemented in various states around the country. While looking at the list I found a number that I thought could be handy in Wisconsin.

First up is Illinois where they have now banned smoking in the workplace statewide. Wisconsin needs to step into the 21st Century and follow suit. The argument that such a ban will force smokers in the border towns to head west to bars in Minnesota or south to bars in Illinois are now irrelevant because both of those states have shown they are committed to the health of individuals who work in the service industry. The Sheboygan Press said it best when the paper wrote on January 1: "The momentum to pass a statewide smoking ban was growing and reached its height when the Wisconsin Restaurant Association threw its support behind a statewide ban, instead of the hodge-podge of local ordinances that exists today. Sens. Decker and Breske, if they really care about a Healthy Wisconsin, they should move the workplace-smoking ban off the back burner and onto the floor of the senate for a vote.

Transgender Awareness Week at the UW

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:32:44 +0100

Starting tonight with the "Transgender Monologues," a series of events aimed at promoting awareness and education about transgender issues will take over the UW campus. Transgender Awareness Week, put on by the UW LGBT Campus Center and a number of student and community organizations, comes at a time when transgender rights have recently been in the national spotlight.

Madison’s own representative, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, recently authored and pushed for an amendment to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that called for "sexual identity," i.e. transgendered people, to be included as something employers could not discriminate against when hiring. While ENDA itself did, happily, pass (though it still faces a threatened veto from President Bush), Baldwin’s amendment didn’t receive enough support from either Democrats or Republicans to make it through.

A Madisonian in New Orleans: They Are Not Okay

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:18:02 +0200

If you read blogs out of New Orleans then you are already aware of the meme "We Are Not Okay." Repetition and echoes of that meme began spreading through the city's blogosphere a little more than a year and six months ago when it became painfully obvious that the American consciousness had begun moving on from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. The bloggers adopted it as a reminder that Katrina may have dissipated, but the struggle continues in the Gulf Coast – "don't forget about us."

Last week I traveled to New Orleans for the first time since I was two years old. This visit came two years and two months after one of the five deadliest hurricanes in our recorded history and more than a year since Kendra Frank headed to New Orleans from Madison to file a lengthy and gripping report for Dane101 readers. As of October 2007, it is fair to say, they are still not okay. Unlike in the rest of the country, it is difficult to go half an hour while in The Big Easy without thinking about or hearing mention of, as the locals simply call it, “The Storm.”

Eight Ways to Help Break the Budget Stalemate

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:05:08 +0200

A group of us over here at dane101 spent last night brainstorming via email on some ways we can make like drain-o and unclog the budget sink. Here are some ideas we came up with, feel free to share your ideas in the comments section. (the map to the left shows in blue all of the states that have yet to pass a state budget).

1. No Extracurricular activities: You need to show us you can get your work done before you can take on more. This means no happy hour specials at our fine Madison establishments. Including no cigars at Maduro, no half-price wine at Montmartre, no meatballs or mini hot dogs at Genna's or wings at the Orpheum, and especially, no more "happy endings" at The Rising Sun.

How I learned to stop worrying and love not having a budget

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:53:12 +0200

I'd like to say the informational picket on Friday to point out the incompetence of a legislature that can't pass a budget in less than 104 days was a moderate success. Many horns were blown, thumbs were pointed skyward, the occasional pedestrian asked what it was all about, and one news source did an interview (WTDY).

Most characters who stopped to chat were friendly, although one didn't really seem to understand the point of the picket and chose to argue that our signs were too vague and didn't express what should be changed in the budget. Another seemed to think we were calling for any old budget to be passed no matter the repercussions - not the case. And more than one person just didn't understand how five individuals could gather on the Capitol Square and not be represented some sort of organization, "Are you with McCabe's group?" Nope. Just some constituents who think it is outrageous that our representatives will be going on 107 days next week and still not be able to see eye to eye on a budget.

"104 days without taxes, you could at least get your sign right."

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:47:46 +0200

The first round of my one man (turned two) informational picket went rather well. Many smiles, a few thumbs up, and two or three horns were honked (although that could have been from the near accidents caused by reading the sign). Kevin Kopplin was kind enough to join me from 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. as we reminded those passing by that Wisconsin is the only state in the union that has not passed a new state budget - 104 days.

My sign read "104 days, no budget, fire 'em all!!" I included an asterisk because I fully support the legislators on both sides of the aisle who are calling for a new bill that will make sure our representatives don't get paid if they don't pass a budget on time.

WisPIRG violates kiosk etiquette

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:55:51 +0200

A big finger wag at WisPIRG for getting carried away and completely covering the downtown kiosks without regard for everyone else who is seeking an audience. The kiosks are a promotion free-for-all, but there is a certain unwritten kiosk etiquette that most try to abide by when posting on the shared space. To cover one or two other flyers is a necessary evil of kiosk promotion, but to wallpaper the entire kiosk is a blatant disregard for Madison's local music scene and many other hardworking non-profits seeking a wandering eye.

Madison music venues making home for homeless tonight

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:06:03 +0200

Tonight, Madison musicians of all stripes perform in 5 different venues within walking distance of the Capital, raising money along with awareness. A mere $7, or $5 with a donation of two non-perishable food items, covers all of the venues and the 14 featured acts — the night kicks off at 7 pm in the Overture Center’s Promenade Hall (where, rumor has it, Mayor Dave will make an appearance) and continues until the wee hours at Overture Center, Orpheum Theater, Brocach, Café Montmartre, and King Club. The proceeds of this event go towards supporting Porchlight, Inc. and the non-perishable donations go to Community Action Coalition. Not only are these two organizations working to combat poverty and homelessness in our community, this year they have created an innovative approach to a growing problem by involving area musicians.