Citizen Action Weekly; Happy Earth Day!
Friday, April 22nd
Citizen Action is hiring!
Happy Earth Day 2022!
Mark Pocan joined Citizen Action this Monday for Release of Tax Day Billionaires Report.
Wisconsin Working Families Paying Their Fair Share but Billionaires are Not.
This Monday, Citizen Action of Wisconsin hosted a virtual Tax Day media event featuring Congressman Mark Pocan and Healthcare For America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge to release a new report documenting that Wisconsin billionaires are not paying their fair share, despite huge profits during the pandemic.
The report comes as Congress is considering proposals supported by President Biden such as the Billionaires tax which would require the super-rich to pay their fair share.
Read the Wisconsin Examiner story about the report.
Read our media release with the report’s details.
Watch video of media event with Congressman Mark Pocan.
Citizen Action Northwest Coop participates in Earth Claire
The Northwestern Wisconsin Citizen Action Organizing Co-op had a presence at “Earth Claire” on the UW-Eau Claire campus on Monday, kicking off student-led activities for Green Week. The new co-op organizer Jeremy Gragert (wearing blue Citizen Action t-shirt), was joined for this photo by area co-op members who staffed neighboring booths for advocacy organizations in the community, including the Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance (CVTA) and Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Eau Claire Chapter. It was energizing to connect with students again, and help foster connections to the broader community!
Join us for a text bank for our new Care Over Cost campaign
The healthcare organizing co-op is taking part in a big national campaign to fight back against insurance companies that are denying care to people. Join us for a text bank as we search for people that have been denied coverage for any diagnostic tests they need, surgeries, prescription drugs, or other treatments.
You text from your computer and not your phone so your phone number stays private. It’s easy as we have a program that sends out many texts quickly and all you need to do is check in periodically during a session to respond and reply. You can do it on your own schedule as well, once you are signed up.
Our national affiliate, People’s Action will be helping people appeal the denials so if you think anyone that would be interested in being trained to help in that role, let me know.
Karen, our healthcare organizer, will contact you to help get you started.
WE NEED YOU: Were you helped by the Affordable Care Act/ACA?
Last year, President Joe Biden passed a stimulus bill that directed money into the ACA marketplace to help with the affordability of healthcare coverage. It was a smart move during Covid times as it is a fast way to get people the care they need within the channels that are available. Basically, he increased the number of people that qualified for subsidies so they could afford better plans with lower deductibles. He also extended the open enrollment period.
Those subsidies are set to run out in Fall but should be extended. Were you helped by these subsidies or the extended enrollment period?
Please contact Karen Kirsch, our healthcare organizer, now. She’s looking for you!
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action hosted a Tax Day news conference with Congressman Mark Pocan to release a report on how Wisconsin Billionaires are gaining billions more in wealth yet not paying their fair share in taxes. Rep Pocan, Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig, and Margarida Jorge of Health Care for America Now advocated for the billionaires tax now before Congress.
The news conference drew excellent coverage on CBS TV 3 in Madison and the Wisconsin Examiner.
In addition, Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on WCLO Radio for 45 minutes to discuss our new Billionaires Tax report. Listen here.
Listen to “Supreme Gerrymander” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We assess the damage of the State Supreme Court redistricting bombshell, imposing a radical gerrymander for WI Assembly and Senate districts for at least 2022, and perhaps until 2032. What are the implications for democracy, racial equity, and the progressive movement? Robert educates us on Governor Evers’ newly unveiled clean energy plan, the first serious move on climate in Wisconsin history. A Tax Day report on Wisconsin’s billionaires finds that their wealth grew by 50% or $19.7 billion in the two short years since the COVID pandemic began. Is the politics finally aligned for making Billionaires pay their fair share in taxes, through President Biden’s proposed Billionaires tax or other means? We welcome award winning Wisconsin Examiner journalist Isiah Holmes to talk about a new report quantifying that shocking percentages of Wisconsin’s Black and Hispanic renters are behind in their rent payment and at risk of eviction. Why is this happening, and what can be done?.
Social media post of the week
