This Is One of the Best Times in History to Be an Organizer

January 16th By: Sulma Arias, Director, People’s Action. Citizen Action of Wisconsin is a member of People’s Action, a national organizing network. “Let us be those creative dissenters who will call our beloved nation to a higher destiny.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a community organizer, I often imagine what it would have been like to march with…

Bill Kaplan: Congress must extend health care coverage

The pandemic isn’t over. COVID-19 cases are slowly rising nationally, including Wisconsin. Although there’s only a slight rise in hospitalizations, while deaths decline, now is not the time to drop our guard. Too many have still not been partially or fully vaccinated, increasing the risk of more COVID-19 variants. It’s clear that COVID-19 vaccines are “free, safe and highly effective”…

This Tax Day, Wisconsin Working Families are paying their fair share but Wisconsin’s Billionaires are not. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2022 Contact: Robert Kraig, (414) 322-5324, [email protected] $19.7 Billion, or 50%, Pandemic Wealth Gain of Wisconsin’s 8 Billionaires May Well Go Untaxed, Making Case for President Biden’s Proposed Billionaires Income Tax Passage of Billionaires Income Tax Could Deliver up to $934 Million a Year to Wisconsin if Distributed Like Current Federal Grants STATEWIDE – Wisconsin’s…

Bill Kaplan: Wisconsin GOP obstructs healthcare coverage, ignores math

April 11, 2022 COVID-19’s horrifying toll: 80.3 million U.S. cases, including about 1.4 million in Wisconsin, almost 1 million deaths nationally, including over 12,800 in Wisconsin. Many infected will have long-term cardiovascular, lung and neurological medical problems. However, it could have been much worse. The Commonwealth Fund reports that nationally vaccinations prevented 66 million more COVID-19 cases, resulted in 17…

On Citizen Action’s Decision in the Milwaukee Mayoral Election

By Robert Kraig, Executive Director Overview Some context is needed to understand why our Board of Directors made the decision to not endorse in the Milwaukee Mayoral race. Unlike conventional political organizations, social justice groups like Citizen Action see elections not as ends in themselves but as means to higher purposes. Citizen Action does not endorse in every race, and…

Bill Kaplan: Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, January 6

President Biden eloquently marked the first anniversary of the Trump incited January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The rioters injured 140 police officers, including two who later died. And, the mob desecrated the Capitol, destroying or vandalizing historic, priceless artifacts. Over 725 have been charged, including 6 Wisconsinites. Many have pleaded guilty or been convicted. Biden said: “For…

Bill Kaplan: Vaccinations will end pandemic

COVID-19 does not care whether you are a Democrat or Republican; we must unite against our common enemy – the virus. It’s long past time to end personal attacks and vitriol from all sides. Former GOP state Senator Dale Schultz once said: “We’re better than this.” Unvaccinated Wisconsinites will not be persuaded to get a shot by disparagement. Respectful engagement…

Bill Kaplan: Listen to doctors, get vaccinated.

Please listen to doctors about getting vaccinated to save yourself and loved ones, as well as end the pandemic (I do listen as I am married to one of America’s leading doctors). Louisiana GOP Senator Bill Cassidy, also a doctor, said: “Whenever politicians mess with public health, usually it doesn’t work out well for public health. And, ultimately it doesn’t…

Bill Kaplan: Bipartisan infrastructure plan gains momentum

Senator Ron Johnson refuses to support bi-partisan plan. The bipartisan infrastructure plan has gained momentum: The House Democratic-GOP Problem Solvers Caucus, which includes Wisconsin GOP Representatives Mike Gallagher and Bryan Steil, “strongly supports the Senate infrastructure framework … .” The group also touted a business-labor coalition that endorsed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan: “A broad coalition of organizations across the…