The Fight Is Not Over: 20 Thousand Rally At Wisconsin State Capitol.
By Patrick DePula Madison, WI. The sky was gray, the temperature below 50, and the wind brisk. Perfect Wisconsin protesting weather. Nearly 20,000 people came out to the capitol last Saturday to protest the Walker Administrations’ war on the middle class. You’d never know that the Wisconsin Uprising continues if you get your news from the mainstream media. The rally opened with music by PurgAtory Hill, an intense and otherworldly Sturgeon Bay duo consisting of grammy-nominated Pat mAcdonald, and his partner MelanieJane. Pat dedicated the song “Reset” to resetting Wisconsin government. Essentially, PurgAtory Hill has taken delta blues, amped it up…
May Day in Madison -Sí, se puede! From the Perspective of a Second Generation Italian American.
by Patrick DePula It’s been a cold spring here in Madison. Just about every rally I’ve been a part of, it seems to have been freezing, snowing and/or raining. Surprisingly, the weather looked promising for the May Day, or International Workers Day, rally that would begin with speakers in Brittingham Park, involve a March to the State Capitol, and end with additional speakers on the Capitol steps. Seemed like a great day to load my son Sal into the bike trailer and set out on a bit of an adventure. Before leaving the house, I decided to wear my Italian National…
Rotundaville and Other Updates from the Cheddar Revolution
Madison, Winsonsin – It’s a community called Rotundaville. It boasts a medical clinic/dispensary manned by capable folks who know first aid, a food preparation/pantry area, a communal charging station for electronics, its own Facebook page, and even a family respite center. It’s a village unto its own that functions 24 hours per day, under the persistently glowing lights inside the capitol dome. And it is home to an eclectic group of dedicated volunteers who care for the sick, provide food, coordinate cleaning crews, and most importantly, occupy this normally staid symbol of Wisconsin State government in protest of Governor Scott…
University of Alaska Will Decide Whether to Include Sexual Orientation in Non-Descrimination Policy
~In summer of 2009, proponents of the expanded equal rights ordinance stand in front of those wearing red in opposition. Remember in 2009 when mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the Assembly’s vote to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Anchorage’s non-discrimination policy for employment, housing, education, and use of public facilities? Many of us do. We sat and watched more than 20 hours of public testimony about it. We rejoiced when the Assembly did the right thing and voted 7-4 to accept the language, and we cried when the mayor decided to embrace bigotry instead of the 21st Century. Fast-forward to 2011….
Coffey Stains Anchorage City Plan
It was a little before Mudflats’ time as a blog, but Anchorage residents may remember the best piece of political theater since… OK, it was the best ever. It all had to do with a conversation between Assembly members Dan Coffey, and Bill Starr when we all got to eavesdrop on – how shall I put this – their “coarse language,” a scheme to force the Anchorage Police Department to approve a shooting range in Eagle River, and some illegal fund raising activities by a certain Mr. Dan Coffey. Alaskans fondly refer to this telephone call as “the butt dial.” …
Anchorage School Board Wrap-up. Gains made.
~Linda Kellen Biegel testifies at the School Board meeting Thanks to all who showed up last night at the special meeting of the Anchorage School Board. The room was packed, and the public testimony was moving, and heartfelt, and practical. We put our money where our priorities are, and nobody wants to live in a city where the next generation is not a priority. It was amazing to hear employees of the Anchorage School District talk about the job descriptions of positions that were on the chopping block, speaking up for people who have dedicated their lives to making a…
Muni Fees May Force School District Cuts *UPDATE*
My now-13-year-old daughter expressed a great deal of angst this past summer over attending middle school in a different school zone. She can be somewhat shy so my husband and I were a little concerned. As it turns out, my daughter is excelling in seventh grade! She has been on the honor roll both quarters, she’s in several accelerated classes, she’s doing really well as a clarinet player in the band (she has a solo in an upcoming performance) and she’s made some friends in the new school while still keeping up with her old friends. My husband and I…
Dan Sullivan, Go to the Back of the Class.
It’s been a little while since we’ve heard from America’s least favorite Mayor. If you’d been speculating, perhaps, that the Mayor was visited over the holidays by the Ghost of the Municipality Yet to Come, and had had a transformational experience which left him filled with human compassion and a love of mankind that would guide the rest of his political career, I’m going to have to disappoint you. He’s taken a little break this week from targeting firefighters, and police officers, and the homeless and he has now turned his malevolent gaze upon… your children. If ever anyone needed…
Last-Minute Holiday Gifts That Truly Show You Care
by Linda Kellen Biegel I received a secretive email from a friend of mine yesterday, telling me to search my “spam email filter” because she thinks that’s where a “special gift from Santa” may have ended up. So, I perused through the array of offers in my 97 unread “spam emails” to try and determine which gift Santa was bringing me. As it turns out, my friend gave me probably the coolest Christmas gift I’ve ever recieved. It was an e-gift card for a website called DonorsChoose.org where the card recipients can choose which education project(s) at schools across the…