Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, May 21st
Friday, May 21st
Wausau is a Community for All. Marathon County (North Central Region) Makes the New York Times, But Not For a Good Reason.
The responses to a proposed Community for All resolution, drafted by the Diversity Affairs Commission, by some Marathon County Board of Supervisors, and members of the public, led to an article in the New York Times (photo to the right credited to Lauren Justice with the NY Times). The process of drafting this resolution began nearly a year ago, with a small group of elected leaders and the diversity affairs commission of Marathon County. It originally had the title No Place for Hate, but after that was seen as too inflammatory by some, it was changed to A Community for All Resolution. After a year of discussions and community engagement, the Executive Committee voted against bringing the resolution to the full board for consideration by a vote of 6-2.
A coalition of members and activists from the community called and emailed their Supervisors, urging them to support this resolution, but those pleas fell on deaf ears in many cases. Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg (photo credited to WAOW-TV), who formerly served on the Marathon County Board representing her district, felt compelled to respond to this decision by the Marathon County Board. She was joined by Marathon County Board Supervisors Yee Leng Xiong, Ka Lo, William Harris and members of the public to present a proclamation, declaring the City of Wausau a Community for All.
We commend Mayor Katie for being the positive voice that this community and world needs more of!
Appleton: Learn how to Lobby your Local Elected Officials and get ready to take Climate Action on May 27th!
The impacts of a looming climate catastrophe are becoming more common. Once in a century weather events, increased flooding, and increasingly weather volatile conditions are impacting our communities. This pain is being felt deeply by poor and working class people and in particular people of color. Our communities are on the front lines of the Climate Catastrophe and we know this moment calls for bold; decisive action from all levels of government.
Our calls for action cannot simply exist with us. We must take our demands for bold action to stave off a climate catastrophe to our elected leaders. Lobbying your elected officials is one of our best tools to create the change that is desperately needed. Join a Citizen Lobby Training with our partners at Wisconsin Conservation Voters at 530 PM on Thursday, May 27th!
Lobbying isn’t just for the wealthy or well-connected; anyone can do it! Your voice is your power. When you attend the Citizen Lobby Training on May 27th, you will learn what lobbying is, how to have an effective meeting, and conduct mock meetings to practice what we learn. Make sure you sign-up here,
Join us next weekend! Inoculation Emancipation Party sponsored by Minocqua Brewing Company.
Join the Minocqua Brewing Company and Citizen Action of Wisconsin for a party celebrating vaccination freedom with live music and #ProgressiveBeer. Music featuring Blues Legend John Primer and his Band, The Kim Wasserburger Band, the Tommy Bentz Band, and more…The CDC recently relaxed masking protocols for large outdoor gatherings for anyone who is vaccinated. So proof of vaccination will be required to attend this event. Only folks fully vaccinated plus 2 weeks of full protection will be admitted. FREE BEER will be given to those who have had at least one shot in the Month of May as a big “THANK YOU” for getting vaccinated for their health and the health of their community. Pick up your free beer at the entrance of the event. We’d love to have you stay but only folks fully vaccinated will be admitted. We hope you enjoy your free #ProgressiveBeer safely at home though! Lastly, Citizen Action of Wisconsin will be giving 2 FREE pint glasses and 1 drink ticket with any donation of at least $20. Become a member for at least $60 per year to join our movement to organize people and harness Wisconsin’s collective power to build a better future for all in our state.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to verify vaccination cards and serve beer (bartending license not required). Volunteers will be given a free drink ticket to enjoy at the event. Indicate your interest in volunteering at the bottom of the registration page. Reminder, this is a 21+ event only. Register here!
Follow us on Twitter! Participate in our Tweetstorm on Wednesday, May 26th against Blue Cross Blue Shield!
On May 26th, Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance holders–including the People’s Action network–in collaboration with movement allies, and health care experts, will be calling on major insurance providers to stop monetizing health, instead, put into the practice of: Care over Cost. This campaign is meant to let health insurers, like Blue Cross Blue Shield, know that you think they should stop making profits by costing people their health.
Taking care of others is how we take care of ourselves, and as the pandemic comes to a close, we want to uplift and expose how lives are being impacted under the corporate health insurance system. Keep up with us on Twitter NOW!
HealthCare for All Weekly Talk
This week Karen Kirsch, our healthcare organizer and Dr. Mark Nuemann had guest and co-op member Zena Blom on. Zena talked about her long road to a medical diagnosis and how an interruption in employment can be disruptive, if not life threatening. If there is anything more evident about our healthcare system after Covid, is that tying care to employment is unconscionable. Karen and Dr. Mark will have a weekly talk to parse through the single payer approach which other countries are using and talk about the way forward to re-making the American healthcare system.
If you join them in the Webinar, after the show they will have a green room to talk more privately with any interested viewers. Register here.
Take Action: BadgerCare Expansion!
This is our final chance to go all in for BadgerCare Expansion and expand care to over 90,000 Wisconsinites. Contact your legislators this weekend and demand they prioritize our health over special interest groups by supporting BadgerCare Expansion! Take Action NOW
New Podcast Alert! This is NOT that launching on Tuesday, May 25th.
How often have you found yourself streaming news updates, radio shows or podcasts and thought to yourself, “This is NOT That” ? Well, we’ve heard enough. This is a bi-weekly unfiltered conversation with a panel that centers Community, People and Politics. This is NOT that.
Meet our Panel, Milwaukee Grown.
Rafael Smith leads civic engagement for Citizen Action of Wisconsin with a focus on climate and health equity in Milwaukee’s North Side, through his recent launch of North Side Rising Organizing Co-Op. Rafael Smith has led the early conversations around climate equity in Milwaukee and the priority to launch a Green New Deal at both a state and national level!
JoAnna Bautch is a leading voice in Wisconsin Movement Politics. From supporting neighborhood leaders to get their names on local ballots to launching her own campaign for the Wisconsin State Assembly, JoAnna values authentic leadership and the journey it takes to get you on the ballot!
Isaiah Holmes, investigative reporter for the Wisconsin Examiner is committed to bringing you FACTS. Isaiah has led the documentation around policing in Wauwatosa and is a part of the bigger conversation of police brutality on both a local and national level. Isaiah has led the documentation of the endless systemic oppression Black and Brown people continue to face in the City of Milwaukee.
Demonstrating our increasing strength in rural organizing, the Spring Green Valley Sentinel did a major feature story on the Citizen Action Driftless Co-op’s rally for BadgerCare Expansion aimed at Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Howard Marklein, a key swing vote on BadgerCare. Spring Green is Sen. Marklein’s hometown. Read the story here.
Citizen Action responded immediately to Governor Evers’ declaration of a Legislative Special Session on BadgerCare Expansion. Read coverage which quoted us from Wisconsin Examiner and from Up North News.
Citizen Action Executive Director Robert Kraig discussed the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and the need for a more progressive American foreign policy on the Boston-based Jeff Santos radio show, which runs in the Madison media market weeknights on Devil Radio 92.7 FM. Listen to the interview here.
“Evers calls BadgerCare Special Session” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
Our panel discusses Gov. Tony Evers’ declaring a special legislative session on BadgerCare Expansion with Shawn Phetteplace of the Main Street Alliance of Wisconsin. We also deconstruct a Republican state legislative effort to remove $300/weekly federal Unemployment Insurance benefits and completely cut-off the self-employed and gig workers. Citizen Action’s Movement Politics Director JoAnna Bautch joins us to announce the launch of a new Citizen Action podcast called This, Is Not That, featuring JoAnna, Citizen Action Climate and Equity Director Rafael Smith, and rising journalistic star Isiah Holmes from the Wisconsin Examiner. We close with a discussion of the CDC’s mass mask confusion created by publicly declaring that fully-vaccinated Americans need not wear masks indoors or outdoors, without revising public policy guidance for businesses and employers. What is the CDC’s motive? Will it lead to a resurgence of COVID infections?
Facebook post of the week
