Matthew Brusky 
Trump said: “Those (California and New York) are really two hotbeds. …(Y)ou go out to the Midwest … and they’re watching it on television but they don’t have the same problems.” Facts: there are many thousands of coronavirus cases and a rising death toll in the Midwest. Wisconsin cases doubled in a week to over 1,000.
That is why the CDC sent a team to Wisconsin. The CDC said: “(W)hat we’re seeing in New York City … right now is a real warning to other areas about what may happen or what may already be starting to happen … .” And, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) chief medical officer Ryan Westergaard said: “I would characterize the risk in all Wisconsin counties as high.”
With the national toll above 125,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 2,500 dead, Trump wants the economy “opened up” by Easter: “You’ll have packed churches… .” However, Trump is not relying on data and science. He said: “I just thought it was a beautiful time (Easter) to loosen limits.” Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine strongly disagrees: “Protecting people and protecting the economy are not mutually exclusive. The fact is, we can save our economy by first saving lives. And we have to do it in that order.”
Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers told the Washington Post: “We had the president one time saying it’s a hoax, then a few weeks later, it’s really, really bad, then let’s shoot for Easter. There is a disconnect, … it’s confusing to people… . My health care officials and scientists are telling me it’s still a big deal. They’ll make the decisions based on science.”
Evers is not alone. Over 25 Democratic and GOP governors across the U.S. have issued statewide orders to stay at home. Six Midwest states agree with Evers’ “Safer at Home” policy. Wisconsin GOP legislative leaders had second thoughts about challenging Evers, perhaps after noticing GOP governors in Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Vermont and West Virginia on the same page as Evers.
Wisconsin DHS Secretary (nominee) Andrea Palm said: “It is certainly safe to assume that there are more … positive numbers of cases considering the prioritizing we are doing to assure that our frontline health care workers and those in hospitals and long-term care are getting tests.” She thinks Wisconsin could have 1,000 deaths and over 20,000 coronavirus cases shortly if Wisconsinites don’t stay at home. Palm has not been confirmed by the GOP-led Senate, but has risen to the crisis.
Meanwhile, all Wisconsin congressional members supported the $2 trillion coronavirus spending bill, which includes checks to more than 150 million Americans, loans to small and big businesses, and help for hospitals and modest spending for dairy and other farmers. It’s a start.
The additional health care funding is needed for Wisconsin – but may fall short. One prominent Wisconsin doctor said a coronavirus “tsunami” is coming. Hospitals will become overwhelmed. Circumstances have changed. It’s time to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid. It’s urgent.
– Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.
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Katie has served the Marathon County Board of Supervisors for the last two terms. She attempted to pass a resolution for fair maps back in 2018, and has been supportive of our work around healthcare. She is also an advocate for renewable energy and responsible environmental practices. She is a vocal supporter of our Organizing Co-ops. It’s hard to capture all that she has accomplished as an elected leader, but her willingness to work with all parties involved is something that gives her an edge in governing.
Tiffany Rodriguez-Lee (District 2) – Tiffany is a political newcomer, but her family has been very active in the local nonprofit world. She was recently elected as the Vice President of the Governance Council for the Wausau Area Montessori Charter School, and is the Grants & Outcomes Director at the Wausau Boys and Girls Club. Tiffany felt compelled to run because she believes the Wausau City Council does not embrace diversity. Her opponent is opposed to our platform and goals.
Tom Kilian (District 3) – Tom is a founding member of the Citizen Action NC Organizing Co-op, and has been one of our strongest supporters from the beginning. He has led the fight in Wausau to expose decades of environmental contamination in his neighborhood, covered up by industry and minimized by local and state governments. He co-created a group called Concerned Citizens of Wausau. Several Co-op members are also active in this group. Tom brought in the assistance of a Harvard toxicologist who is a member of Citizen Action’s national network People’s Action. He is challenging an incumbent who once recited biblical verses in response to organizers seeking a permit for a pride parade in Wausau.
Tracy Wheatley (District 7) – Tracy is a political newcomer, and is a young woman with a lot of passion who shares our values.
Sarah Watson (District 8) – Sarah is a Citizen Action co-op member, a member of WEAC, and the co-president of her local. She is running against a woman who once served as Mayor of Wausau and has a history of making racial comments. Sarah was recommended to the Co-op by one of our founding members.
Jen Bizzotto (District 2) – Jen is a political newcomer. She currently works for Judicare, and believes that the Marathon County Board of Supervisors needs to be more inclusive of the diverse people that make up the community. She is running against someone that stands for the opposite of what our members stand for.
William Harris (District 3) – William is a political newcomer. He works for Judicare, and believes that we should be working to help families that are struggling and believes that local governments play a vital role in this. William is opposing a man that is opposed to much of what the Co-op wants to accomplish. The NC organizer serves on a candidate recruitment committee, made up of several groups and community leaders, and Will was found as a result of the efforts of this committee.
Ka Lo (District 5 & Wausau School Board) – A Citizen Action Co-op member, Ka has served on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors for the last 2 years, and is supportive of our platform. She is the first Hmong woman elected to the Marathon County Board of Supervisors. If she wins the race for school board, she will be the only voice for the Hmong community on that board. Ka used to run the progressive Democrats group in Marathon County, and is also active with Our Wisconsin Revolution.
Yee Leng Xiong (District 19, Village of Weston Board of Trustees, and DC Everest School Board) – Yee is a Citizen Action Organizing Co-op member, and is a fierce advocate for the Hmong community and for Citizen Action. He is the Youth Program Coordinator for the Hmong American Center in Wausau. Yee has served on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors since 2014, and has been on the DC Everest School Board and the Weston Village Board of Trustees for several years.
Jonathan Fisher (District 38) – A founding member of the Citizen Action Organizing Co-op. Jonathan’s wife is also on the local Steering Committee of the co-op. Jonathan strongly supports our issue platform, and is a huge supporter of health care reform and renewable energy. He and his partner are strong supporters of renewable energy and healthcare reform.
Steven Schreier (District 4) – Steven and his partner are both Citizen Action organizing co-op members, and spoke at the JFC hearings in support of expanding BadgerCare and Fair Maps. Steven has helped lead the Fair Maps fights in the Town of Newbold and City of Rhinelander, and is committed to the Citizen Action platform.
Lindsay Dorff (District 4)- Lindsay is a long time co-op member. She is a leader in the Fair Maps coalition and has demonstrated her commitment to progressive ideas many times over.
Megan Borchardt (District 8)– Megan is a co-op member and leader in Brown County on the issue of mental health and criminal justice reform. She works very closely with our WISDOM Affiliate and LGBTQ+ Leadership in her advocacy on the Brown County Board.
Cassandra Erickson (District 19)- Cassandra is a co-op member. She is a strong progressive leader in Brown County and spends her time volunteering in the local schools, and lead a transgender support group in Brown County.
Barbara Dorff (District 1)- Barb is a long time member and supporter of progressive politics in Green Bay. She is a vocal supporter of Co-op member Mayor Eric Genrich’s push for inclusivity and diversity positions in Green Bay.
Randy Scannel (District 7)- Randy is a co-op member and vocal progressive on the Green Bay City Council. He has been working closely with the Green Bay sustainability commission to implement their recommendations on a municipal level.
Emily Voight (District 3)- Emily is a co-op member and political leader in Calumet county. Her three main goals as a county board member are fair maps, health, and human services and clean water for her community.
Tearman is ready to use the City Attorney office to help advance our agenda. He was particularly impressive in his interview with his promise to work proactively with Citizen Action to ensure our climate and equity proposals at the City of Milwaukee pass legal muster and are implemented effectively. The incumbent has regularly used his office to work against most progressive legislation proposed at the City over the past three decades.
We need your help to win this April 7th election and then the May 12th special election for 
We discuss the latest COVID-19 pandemic news, including this week’s Congressional action. Is the $2 trillion relief package the biggest corporate giveaway in American history, or vital help for working Americans and small businesses in a time of dire need? We welcome Susannah Dyen from Caring Across Generations to talk about the Texas Lt. Governor’s comments that grandparents would be willing to die to preserve America’s economy. We close with the latest on the troubled April 7th spring election, including changes to election procedures imposed by a federal judge and growing opposition to holding this election during a state lockdown.
On Wednesday April 1st Citizen Action of Wisconsin Driftless Co-op will be hosting a virtual house meeting via Zoom to discuss ways that our co-op can help people through these hard times. We need input from member leaders on ways our co-op can help our community deal with healthcare access, financial insecurity, and protect Wisconsin during the COVID19 outbreak.
UFC is a new social insurance program that would make early child care, paid leave, support for people with disabilities and elder care accessible and affordable for all. You can read more about it 
Governor Evers is calling on Wisconsinites to make 50,000 protective face masks. We are calling on anyone who can sew to help out.
Most of you are connected to hundreds of people across social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. You can use that audience to create positive change. Please take a moment to follow the statewide Facebook and
Democrat Chris Larson is a lifelong resident of Milwaukee County . He graduated from St. Thomas More High School and UW-Milwaukee. Now, he and his wife, Jessica, are raising their own family here.
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Outrageously high prescription drug prices, forced on the public by pharmaceutical corporations who have been granted monopolies over life saving medications, are at the very top of voter concerns in 2020. Ultimately, the federal government (which performs most of the nation’s drug research then grants unnecessary monopolies to predatory corporations) has the most power to fix this problem. State governments can provide some relief as well. But few realize that local governments have an opportunity to provide lower cost prescription drugs to their residents, although none have yet taken advantage of it.
Under pressure from a 
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North Central and Central WI Volunteer Opportunities from home!
Claire Zautke 
Nationally, consumer worry about health care affordability is well documented but now—for the first time—a new survey reveals how affordability concerns and ideas for action play out in Wisconsin. Altarum Healthcare Value Hub, a national nonpartisan research organization supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in partnership with Citizen Action of Wisconsin, administered a Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHESS) in Wisconsin.
On Tuesday March 7th Citizen Action of Wisconsin members joined La Crosse’s mayor Tim Kabat, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and RENEW Wisconsin to announce the rollout of a brand new tool kit designed to help Wisconsin resident reduce their carbon emissions. This tool kit is the culmination of a year’s worth of work to build a plan to fight climate change.
Voting Closes Sunday, March 15th, Midnight.
l local Citizen Action of Wisconsin members were on hand to protest Mike Pence’s planned visit to La Crosse on Thursday March 5th. This rally and press event was hosted by our friends at the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
The Chair for the NC Organizing Co-op, Don Dunphy is a member of the First Universalist Unitarian Church in Wausau. He is also a member of the League of Women Voters. Through the social justice committee for his Church, our Co-op’s Steering Committee, and in cooperation with the LWV, he organized voter registration tables at Nicolet Technical College (Rhinelander), Northcentral Technical College (Wausau), and UWSP – Wausau on 10/10, 10/11, and 10/12 from 10 am to 2 pm.
Several Co-op members, as well as members of the LWV and Don’s Church ran the tables. Don floated between locations to ensure that they ran smoothly. They had a very positive response. A couple of weeks back, Don Dunphy and Melissa Engels-Lewis were hired on as canvassers to do Deep Canvasses, in the Wausau and Stevens Point areas. After checking in on tables, Melissa and Don went out together, with Don’s partner, Ruthann driving, and knocked doors.
Our panel discuses of the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency by Governor Evers, cancelled in person classes at many universities, and resulted in the suspension of the NBA season. We focus on the dysfunctional response from the Trump Administration to the outbreak, including the lack of testing, its cost to patients, and the president’s error riddle and xenophobic speech to the nation. We welcome Lynn Quincy, director of the Healthcare Value Hub, to talk about a new study conducted in partnership with Citizen Action that shows a majority of Wisconsinites across party lines are concerned about the high cost of healthcare. avoid needed care due to cost, and support fundamental reform. We discuss the latest news in the Democratic presidential primary after another big week for Joe Biden and yet another attempt to purge Wisconsin’s voter roles by the right.
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Press Clips
Health Care Value Survey Shows Wisconsinites Concerned About Affordability and Quality of Care: Provides both statewide and regional data
Wisconsin’s Caregiver Crisis
“Let’s get ready to rumble” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
Press Clips