Citizen Action Weekly; Friday September 4th
Labor Day Weekend
Citizen Action of Wisconsin Driftless Co-op 1 Year Anniversary Meeting with video
For those of you who were unable to join us on Saturday for our virtual meeting on Saturday celebrating Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s one year anniversary of organizing in the Driftless region please take the time to watch a recording of the meeting. We were thrilled to celebrate our victories fighting climate change, expanding healthcare, expanding voting access and so much more! We also announced our plans to form a social media team AND a rural issue team to organize around issues that matter to rural voters in the area.
After you watch the video please take a moment and fill out this quick poll letting us know what you think of the meeting and how you want to get involved!
Some of the highlights from the meeting include:
A recap of the amazing victories we have had so far in 2020
They include the passage of a resolution committing La Crosse county to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050, joining in a major protest to demand that Gundersen Healthcare stop suing the community over medical debt, and the wonderful candidates we have endorsed this year. We also celebrated our amazing member leaders who championed these projects!
The formation of a social media team
Now that the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Driftless Co-op has a public facing Facebook page we are looking for leaders who will like and share our content to help us get our message out there! Please like AND FOLLOW us at www.facebook.com/citizenactionwidriftless. Also please let Ben know that you want to join our social media team.
Green Home Upgrades
We are still helping homeowners upgrade their homes with carbon reducing, energy saving and money saving upgrades. If you are interested in upgrading your home AT NO UP FRONT COST please contact Kevin Kane at [email protected] right away! For more information about our green home upgrade program please visit http://www.citizenactionwifund.org/greenhomes
We are launching a recruitment drive.
After the major successes we have had this summer in fighting climate change, expanding healthcare, protecting voting rights and so much more we want to build our base (and our power) so that we can do even more! With more members we will be able to take the victories we have seen in La Crosse county and bring them to other areas, build power to fight for a statewide people’s budget that works for EVERYONE, and lobby for progressive change in even more districts in Southwest Wisconsin. You can help by hosting a virtual, small group meeting. Please contact Ben at [email protected] to discuss ways to get involved with the recruitment drive.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin is launching a rural issue team in the Driftless region
Citizen Action of Wisconsin is forming a rural issue team in the Driftless region. We understand that multiple crises are hitting rural Wisconsinites at once. Whether it is the disappearing small family farm, water quality, milk prices, rural infrastructure, the corporate take over of the agriculture industry, housing, saving the USPS, COVID, climate change and historic flooding, CAFOs, or the need to reach rural voters we want to have a member team that is ready to respond and help to plan campaigns to improve the quality of life for rural, progressives in the Driftless region.
We are currently recruiting 10-15 members to serve on this team. The rural issue team will be meeting at least once a month, virtually. Folks from La Crosse or other cities in the area are welcome to join if they have a commitment to protecting our rural voters.
If you are interested in joining this team please contact Ben at [email protected]. We are hoping to have our first rural issue time meeting in September. We are also actively expanding our membership into rural Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and Adams counties. If you know anyone in those areas who might be interested to learn more about Citizen Action of Wisconsin please connect them with Ben ASAP.
Northeast Co-op Member Shelton helps Launch “Wisconsin Leadership Tour”
US Senator Sherrod Brown joins Co-op member Kristina Shelton and Green Bay workers in a launch event for Joe Biden’s “Wisconsin Leadership Tour.” Kristina is also a candidate for the 90th Assembly District located in Green Bay. You can watch the discussion on how Wisconsinites continue to step up and sacrifice in the face of Donald Trump’s failure to support those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic!
Want to learn more about Kristina’s campaign? You can volunteer for her campaign by signing up here https://www.kristinaforassembly.com/volunteer.
National Poll Worker Recruitment Day!
Tuesday, September 1st was the very first National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. We are proud of all of our Co-op members who give back to their communities by working the polls. In Northeast Wisconsin, our member Renee Gasch shared why she became a poll worker for the first time in August and plans on doing so again for November!
“I’m planning to be a poll worker this year because our democracy depends on it. The poll workers in my community tend to be elderly and many have understandably opted out of working the fall election because they are at high-risk during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the election to run smoothly and fairly, we need new volunteers to step up to fill the poll worker shortage. It’s a service to our country that is critically important right now.”
Signing up to work the polls on Election Day is a rewarding way to strengthen our democracy, give back to your community, and ensure free, fair, and accessible elections for all. Learn more about how you can Help America Vote at HelpAmericaVote.gov.
Citizen Action Director Debates Black Lives Matter with Conservative Talk Show Host and Police Officer
Citizen Action’s Executive Director Robert Kraig had the rare opportunity to have a civil discussion about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha and racial justice generally with a conservative talk show host and a conservative cop who called in. The discussion took place on a central Indiana radio show. Listen here.
Wisconsin Assembly District 96 candidate Josefine Jaynes launches mini, virtual fundraising drive
Citizen Action of Wisconsin endorsed candidate Josefine Jaynes is the youngest candidate to ever win a primary in Wisconsin. When elected she will be the youngest member of the state assembly ever elected. She will also be the first woman to represent Wisconsin’s 96th assembly. But Josefine didn’t run to be the first. She is running to protect the Driftless region. She is running to save out USPS. She ran to stand up for Wisconsin’s small farms. She is running to make sure everyone in her district has access to broadband. She is running to protect our water for agriculture and for our tourism. She is running to make sure that our public schools are funded. She is running to represent EVERYONE in the 96th Assembly district. She is running to give voice to rural Wisconsin.
Josefine is also committed to running a safe campaign during the age of COVID. Rather than have large public gatherings this Labor Day weekend Josefine is hosting a mini fundraising drive. You can get involved now! Please visit Josefine’s website here and donate $5 or $10 to help her win and protect the Driftless region! Every little bit helps. You can also reach out to Josefine personally to schedule a time to talk, get to know the candidate and find out where she stands on issues that matter to you! Please reach out to her email at [email protected] and schedule a time to talk! Also please follow and like her campaign Facebook page to stay up to date with events and announcements from Josefine’s campaign.
Attend Southeast Co-op virtual Summer Assembly on Saturday, September 12, 10AM
Don’t miss our virtual Summer Assembly on Saturday, September 12, 2020, at 10:00 AM via Zoom. You’ll hear from some amazing guest speakers, including Rep. David Bowen, Rep. Robyn Vining, candidate Emily Siergrist, and more. This meeting is for all Co-op members that would like to catch up on how Citizen Action has been active in the election, the Green New Deal, and current social movements in our state. We will need all hands on deck for this time around. Please Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/KEeaeyAvCki5n2lnloKXsg2 to
Citizen in the News
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Jeff Santos radio show to discuss the events in Kenosha and the state of play in the presidential election. Listen here.
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on a national Pacifica Radio show, Flashpoints, to discuss the Trump and Biden visits to Kenosha, and the integrity of the all important Wisconsin presidential election. The network includes over 200 progressive radio stations nationwide. Listen here.
As reported above, Citizen Action’s Executive Director Robert Kraig had the rare opportunity to have a civil discussion about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha and racial justice generally with a conservative talk show host and a conservative cop who called in. The discussion took place on a central Indiana radio show. Listen here.
“The cynical politics of Kenosha” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We discuss the electoral politics of the Kenosha controversy and the push for meaningful action against structural racism with our regular panel and special guests Supreme Moore Omokunde and State Rep. David Bowen. How are the events of the last two weeks playing in the presidential election? Will they finally prompt action by the Legislature? We take a deep dive into the Trump Administration’s newly announced evictions moratorium. It is a rare humanitarian act from a callus administration or something else? We close with a discussion of the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s new policy of suppressing public information on COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. What are the dangers? Why is a Democratic administration withholding vital public health information?