Citizen Action Weekly
Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, December 13th

Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, December 13th

Friday, December 13th

Citizen Action hires new movement politics director, JoAnna Bautch

Citizen Action is very excited to announce the hiring of JoAnna Bautch as our movement politics director! JoAnna will be developing Citizen Action’s electoral and voter engagement programs, with a focus on helping current (and future) members run for office on our long term agenda for structural reform. JoAnna will also help recruit and develop members who want to learn how to run campaigns and support Citizen Action candidates who, if elected,h will co-govern with us.

JoAnna is passionate about the growth of her community. She is born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, and loves everything the city has to offer.

Raised by a single mother, JoAnna knows the importance of a strong work ethic, and coming from a matriarchal family, she knows the power of the Latina voice. Although JoAnna struggled through high school, she is a proud MPS graduate, and in May of 2017, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Alverno College.

JoAnna stays active with her community as a board member of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Milwaukee Chapter, the Milwaukee Water Commons, and TRUE Skool. She is also a member of the 88Nine Cultural Commons/Community Stories Live Steering Committee and the Alverno College Latinas Con Fuerza Ceremony committee, a ceremony she helped found during her senior year at the college.

In her spare time, JoAnna enjoys drinking coffee at local coffee shops, taking in various cultures at different festivals and eating tacos from a food truck.

If you are interested in running for office in the future or learning the skills needed to help run campaigns contact JoAnna at [email protected]

Thanks to all who attended Citizen Action’s annual meeting at 6 locations

North Central Organizing Co-op Joins In On the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Annual Meeting

For the first time, members of Citizen Action of Wisconsin from all across the State, were able to join in on the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Annual Meeting, from their own regions! It turned out great. The North Central Organizing Co-op joined in from Wausau.

We were fortunate enough to be joined by both Democratic candidates for the 7th CD Special Election, Lawrence Dale and Tricia Zunker, as well as both Mayoral challengers for Wausau City Mayor, Katie Rosenberg and Christopher Norfleet.

Co-op members from each region were given awards for their dedication and altruism. Then, each Co-op gave a 3 minute presentation on what has been accomplished in 2019 and what we hope to accomplish in 2020. The top 3 issues that we will be focusing on, besides elections at all levels, are Healthcare, Green New Deal (big umbrella which includes fighting against environmental pollution, green jobs, etc.), and Movement Politics (big umbrella which includes fair maps, census work, electoral work, etc.). Co-op member, and member of the Citizens for a Clean Wausau, Tom Killian gave the speech on our accomplishments and priorities.

We ended the meeting by breaking out into strategy groups, to make a solid plan for moving forward. There was a lot of excitement in the room, and a willingness to work together for a better future. Great things are happening at Citizen Action.

If you would like to be a part of the movement, please contact Organizer Joel Lewis at 715-551-2525 or email him at [email protected]

Healthcare Consumer Protection Team-Looking for Heroes

Healthcare Co-Op members Zena Blom and Khristine are going to be leading some initiatives around consumer protections in healthcare. They are looking for a few interested members to be on their team.

An example is how hospitals and insurance companies are denying women access to preventative care like mammograms which should be at no cost as mandated by the ACA. However, they are circumventing the spirit of the ACA by inventing a technicality to make themselves more money. In this case, women are facing yearly prohibitive costs for their mammograms. Do you know what happens when women have to pay $500, $1000, $1500 and up for extra imaging per year?  They avoid going in for their mammogram which puts us back to square one.It’s profit over lives once again.

Here is a great story detailing this issue. 

If stories like this make you mad, it’s time to get even.  The team needs you to help strategize and to take some planned group actions.

Universal Family Care and Long Term Care

It’s time to talk about care. The profession of care as a profession has long been undervalued in America. From early childhood care all the way to elder care and those that care for the disabled.  Next year, we are going to charge forward with a campaign that changes that and it’s called Universal Family Care. Members Lynn Carey and Rita Simon are helping to lead on this issue and might be calling you soon asking for help.

You can read more about here.

Let me know if this important to you.  After all, who will care for you when the time comes?

Citizen Action supports investing in Milwaukee Public School students 

Monday morning Citizen Action members stood with parents, educators, community members and leaders from community organizations who are ready to organize to win a new school referendum for more resources for our kids.

In the past 25 years, 97% of Wisconsin’s school districts have gone to and passed referenda raising funds for their students. Recently, the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association partnered with Leaders Igniting Transformation to commission a poll to gauge voter interest in a referendum to increase the revenue limit. The poll shows overwhelming support for such a referendum, with 62% of likely primary voters saying they’d be willing to pay more in property taxes to increase funding for our public schools.

The Milwaukee School Board will likely approve a referendum later this month for the April 2020 election. The referendum passed a board committee this Thursday evening.

Watch video of media event on Monday.

Northwestern WI Coffee With Your Co-Op, Saturday, December 14th, 10am – Noon

Coffee and Conversation with Breana Stanley, the Northwestern WI Co-op Organizer for Citizen Action WI. Come talk about what’s concerning you in our region, statewide, and nationally. What you wanna work on, and anything else that you believe if necessary for Breana to know!

Bridge Street Brew in Chippewa Falls
December 14, 2019 | 10:00am
RSVP and more information

“Dark Money” movie showing and discussion in Viroqua

Citizen Action of Wisconsin will be sponsoring a viewing and group discussion about the movie “Dark Money” at the Commons in Viroqua on January 15th at 6:00 PM.  Dark Money is a political thriller that examines the greatest threat to American democracy; the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections.  “Dark Money” uncovers the shocking truth of how American elections are bought and sold. This Sundance award-winning documentary is directed and produced by Kimberly Redd.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is committed to restoring political power to the people rather than corporations.  “Dark Money” really explores the problem and how we can fix it. After the showing there will be a discussion. We hope everyone is able to attend and learn more.  RSVP for this showing here.

Merchant Bank joins Associated Bank in offering green home loans in support of “Green Homes, Good Jobs” campaign. 

Merchant Bank in Minnesota (with a presence in places such as Onalaska) has confirmed they  will be offering and training their staff on the green mortgages we are helping members with.  These green mortgages will help homeowners outfit their homes with energy efficiency upgrades such as solar panels, new insulation, air sealing, new heating/cooling units and more.  Residential upgrades are one of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our “Green Homes, Good Jobs” campaign is designed to save homeowners money RIGHT NOW on utility bills while creating good, union jobs here in our area.

Merchant Bank responded to a member-led letter writing campaign, started by southwest Wisconsin co-op member Janette Dean, confirming their intention to help residents upgrade their homes.  In order to help as many people upgrade as possible we are asking co-op members across the state to contact area banks/credit unions and ask them to offer green mortgages.  A sample letter and instructions on how to lobby financial institutions can be found right here. Please take a moment to email banks and credit unions in your area and ask them to do their part to fight climate change!

If you are interested in upgrading your own home contact Kevin Kane at [email protected] right away.

Northeast Coop organizer speaks at Wisconsin Conservation Voters Event

Noah Reif, our Northeast co-op organizer, was invited by Wisconsin Conservation Voters to speak about our Green Homes & Good Jobs campaign. Over thirty interested community members attended to discuss the opportunities, obstacles, and learn what the next steps of clean energy look like in the Fox Valley!

7th CD Candidate Forum in Rice Lake, January 15th, 6pm

“2020 prescription drug plan” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

We discuss the new House Democratic prescription drug plan that passed the House on Thursday. We review a new study that found for the first time in history, U.S. billionaires pay a lower tax rate than the working class. Also, Senator Tammy Baldwin joins only 26 other U.S. Senators telling Donald Trump to fire white nationalist advisor Stephen Miller. We close with a discussion of defrauded student loan borrowers who are being further abused by Trump’s Education Secretary, and finally some brief reflections on impeachment.

Listen Now – Episode #421
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