Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, Feb 5th

February 5th 

Medicare for All with a Local Twist

Join us SUNDAY FEB 7TH @ 2PM CT for an exclusive COVID Teach-In with Dr. Abdul El Sayed and People’s Action’s very own health care justice leaders to learn about the roots of healthcare injustice in the US, and what it looks like to fight for REAL COVID Relief which can set us on a path to winning Medicare for All. 

Milwaukee’s own, Norma Duckworth will be talking about her experience and survival of Covid. We are so glad she is feeling better and able to tell her story. There will be local level work around this issue amping up soon so this is a good  for you to get involved.

Sign up here

 

TAKE ACTION NOW to help Wisconsin residents reduce carbon emissions AND lower utility costs.

Residential carbon emissions account for 30% of all greenhouse gases.  Green home upgrades (like solar panels, new insulation and air sealing) help to reduce carbon emissions, save money on utility bills and create family supporting jobs in the green energy sector.  Thousands of homeowners in Wisconsin are unable to upgrade their home because of up front cost, credit history or due to the fact they are a renter.  We can address this problem and upgrade homes by supporting On-Bill Financing through the public utilities in La Crosse and throughout the state.

On-Bill Financing allows utility customers to upgrade with energy saving green upgrades at no up front cost.  Watch this video for a simple explanation of how these programs work.  The utility pays for the upgrades initially and the home owner pays them back as a line item on their utility bill.  Customers see a net saving right away on their utility bills!  This clears the way for so many people to add solar panels to their home.  It reduces carbon emissions and creates jobs in the green sector, America’s fastest growing job sector.  On-Bill Financing even creates new public revenue streams through financing charges.

La Crosse residents your city could offer On-Bill Financing opinions through its public utility.  Please use this form to contact the mayor and city council and let them know you support efforts to create an On Bill financing program through La Crosse’s public utility.

Those of you outside of La Crosse can take action now to help communities across the state create on bill financing programs.  No matter where you are in the state you can use this link to contact the Governor and State Legislator to let them know that you support On-Bill financing.

Rural Wisconsin needs your help to fight the climate crisis and grow in these uncertain times

Rural Wisconsinites have been suffering for too long.  Our small towns are shrinking.  Our small and medium sized farms are disappearing.  Our people are going without the broadband they need to compete and thrive.  Not enough young Wisconsin families are choosing to raise their families in Wisconsin’s rural areas.  Rural areas are suffering the real world effects of climate change in real time. 

Scott Walker era politics and politicians have been tearing local control away from rural towns and counties.  Wisconsin’s elected leaders need to pass a 2021-2022 state budget that helps rural areas.  You can help RIGHT NOW by contacting elected leaders and demanding they fund programs that will help our struggling communities.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is asking our elected leaders to include funding for local climate action plans, broadband expansion, support for our struggling farms, and so much more.  Wisconsin can’t allow our rural areas to be left behind!  We are asking our leaders to fight for the following budgetary demands:

  • Investments to make rural small businesses, local rural factories, and small/medium sized farms competitive  through targeted grants and loans to underwrite family supporting jobs and reverse the “brain drain” by incentivizing people to stay in or move to rural communities across Wisconsin
  • Large scale investment into farmer led watershed groups with a focus on flood resilience 
  • Funding for rural communities to create and maintain local climate action plans that dramatically reduce carbon emissions, prepare for impact of extreme weather events (such as major flooding and drought)  and improve economic development without harming Wisconsin’s small and medium sized farms
  • Restore DNR funding and authority to hold CAFOs to higher environmental standards and give counties the local authority to prevent new CAFOs or expansion of existing CAFOs
  • Invest to scale in local (and regional) food distribution models to dramatically and measurably lower rural carbon footprints and to support Wisconsin’s small and medium sized farms
  • Funding a study to establish how 100% broadband coverage across Wisconsin can be achieved by 2025 through nonprofit, local communication co-ops or  public broadband utilities 
  • Fund a study to establish how state government can dramatically increase the supply of affordable housing and family supporting jobs in rural Wisconsin

You can help RIGHT NOW by using the link below to send an email to the Governor, Lt Governor and your state representatives and ask them to include our demands in the state budget.  No matter where we are, the color of our skin or how we pray all Wisconsinites rely on rural areas to put food on your table.  No matter where we are in the state we need to stand up and fight for rural areas in every way that we can.  Please contact your elected leaders right now and help protect our rural communities.

 

Join Co-op Organizers Ben Wilson and Joel Lewis to learn How you Can Help with the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Rural State Budget Efforts

The Citizen Action of Wisconsin Driftless Organizing Co-op recently developed a rural state budget campaign and list of demands. On Monday, February 8th, at 6:30 pm the Wood County Democratic party is holding their monthly membership meeting, and they have invited North Central Organizing Co-op Organizer Joel Lewis, and Southwestern WI (Driftless) Organizing Co-op Organizer Ben Wilson to discuss how people in this region can help. It’s also the possible beginnings of a coalition to continue to work on issues that affect rural Wisconsin in the future. All are welcome. Click here to join on Monday.

The Meeting ID is: 873 6685 0959 and the Passcode is: 055412

 

This week UpNorth News revealed emails between Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and Speaker Robin Vos about their true intentions on setting up a criminal justice task force. Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig responded in a follow up story, saying the revealed the Republican’s “true intentions” do undermine any progress on racial justice and a “toxic cynicism.” Lt Governor Mandala Barnes, State Senator LaTonya Johnson, State Rep. Francisca Hong, and BLOC’s Angela Lang also responded. Read the whole story here.

Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Jeff Santos Show for 60 Minutes talking about Biden’s political strategy on COVID relief, Republican Sabotage Efforts, and other major issues. Listen here.

 

Support Local Elections! Voting and engaging in local elections is important for ensuring your voice is heard. When you get involved in local elections, you have the opportunity to elect leaders who represent your community and will take action for YOU! Support local candidates this upcoming weekend and make sure you complete your plan to vote by the Spring Primary on February 16, 2021. 

Sign up to Volunteer: Jilly4MPS

Facebook: Jilly for MPS

Instagram/Twitter: @Jilly4MPS

 

 

 

 

Sign up to Volunteer: Kelly for District 4

Facebook: Vote 4 Dana Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

Save the date! February 22nd at 6PM an exclusive DPI Superintendent Candidate Interview. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Making Change in Washington. Can Progressives Co-Govern with Biden?” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

Progressives have more influence in the Joe Biden’s Washington than we have had since the 1960s, but are we prepared to translate our outside power into the governing power we need to win bold reform? In this special edition of Battleground Wisconsin, we discuss how the progressive movement must evolve to meet our moment with two national organizing strategists, George Goehl, the Director of People’s Action and Bree Carlson, the Deputy Director of People’s Action.

Listen Now – Episode #478
Download Mp3

Read In These Times article on the same subject.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook post of the week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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