Important websites for you to go to to contact your elected officials: Start Now!
http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/documents/2009publicroster.pdf
U.S. House of Reps: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
U.S. Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Wisconsin Legislature: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
Or click on the title for a comprehensive Stae and US listing.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
This is How The Madison Common Council Celebrates Wasting YOUR Money!!
Contact your council member and the mayor and let them know that they should not be celebrating spending/wasting hard working Madison resident's money!!!
Invite e-mail to an after budget party reads:
Subject: Council After Budget Party!
Please join Ald. Mark Clear Council President,
and ALD. Laren Cnare, Council Pro Tem,
at Madison's 119 King Street Immediately Following Adoption
of the City's 2011 Budget!
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:48 PM
To: Bidar-Sielaff, Shiva; Bruer, Tim; Clausius, Joe; Clear, Mark; Cnare, Lauren; Compton, Judy; Eagon, Bryon; Kerr, Julia; King, Steve; Maniaci, Bridget; Palm, Larry; Pham-Remmele, Thuy; Rhodes-Conway,Satya; Rummel, Marsha; Sanborn, Jed; Schmidt, Chris; Schumacher, Michael; Skidmore, Paul; Solomon, Brian; Verveer, Mike
Cc: Cieslewicz, Dave; Harmon, Ray; Klein, Chris; Mendoza, Mario; Piraino, Janet; Statz, Andrew; Strauch-Nelson, Rachel; All Agency Heads; Berg, Elena; Phelps, Jean
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Let The Bush Tax Cuts Expire For The Wealthy!
If we let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy (or for those making over $300,000 per year) we can balance the budget / reduce the deficit within 5 years! CONTACT your congressman/woman today and tell them to let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy!
The other options they are trying to pass onto middle class Americans to balance the budget is to increase the retirement age to 68 or 69, increase Medicare and Medicaid costs, and eliminate the property tax credit on homeowners. These are just a FEW of the items the new congress is trying to push through and middle class Americans should not have to bear the cost or burden of more sacrificing because congress decided to be irresponsible with tax cuts and spending (republicans and democrats alike).
Please ACT NOW!!
The other options they are trying to pass onto middle class Americans to balance the budget is to increase the retirement age to 68 or 69, increase Medicare and Medicaid costs, and eliminate the property tax credit on homeowners. These are just a FEW of the items the new congress is trying to push through and middle class Americans should not have to bear the cost or burden of more sacrificing because congress decided to be irresponsible with tax cuts and spending (republicans and democrats alike).
Please ACT NOW!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Recovering From Nov 2nd - Voters Choose Based on Emotion Rather Than Logic
The elction is over and the predictions were right/close. Nationally - we will be thrown back to where we were two years ago or will the republican house and speaker create more gridlock than the last two years? I don't know how this would be possible since the party of "NO" is just bigger - not better.
Locally, My biggest surprise was the choice of Brett Hulsey as representative of the 77th District (WI). Hulsey's actions have proven him untrustworthy and were even identified by the very man he replaced, Spencer Black. Manski Ran a clean, honest campaign without making up quotes or elected supporters such as Black, Baldwin, Feingold. I hope we make a better decision in the next election.
The other disappointment came from the approval of the MATC referendum (scam) that is going to cost property owners $50 - $75 every year for the next 10 years - and - that is only part ONE of the project. It now will cost the average property owner in Madison 10% more in property taxes over last year when all the taxing authorities are accounted for (City of Madison, Dane County, MMSD, MATC, State).
Some confidential sources who work at or with MATC have told me the following:
Locally, My biggest surprise was the choice of Brett Hulsey as representative of the 77th District (WI). Hulsey's actions have proven him untrustworthy and were even identified by the very man he replaced, Spencer Black. Manski Ran a clean, honest campaign without making up quotes or elected supporters such as Black, Baldwin, Feingold. I hope we make a better decision in the next election.
The other disappointment came from the approval of the MATC referendum (scam) that is going to cost property owners $50 - $75 every year for the next 10 years - and - that is only part ONE of the project. It now will cost the average property owner in Madison 10% more in property taxes over last year when all the taxing authorities are accounted for (City of Madison, Dane County, MMSD, MATC, State).
Some confidential sources who work at or with MATC have told me the following:
Barhorst has, from day one, been trying to transform MATC from a vocational/tech
institution to, IMO, a liberal arts college, a petit Oberlin or Huntington. She doesn't
even like the words 'vocational/technical', hence the rename and new logo that tries
to purge the icky 'technical'. I say 'tries' because I note that there seem to be college
staff who maybe make a subtle point by saying/writing 'Madison College' or 'MATC'.
As in where do they stand, maybe?
A colleague noted that Barhorst just loooves going on about
A colleague noted that Barhorst just loooves going on about
rather fluffy UWish liberal arts things, and ignores anything to do with, in two cases,
construction trades and fire safety...
An Employee of the college had this to say:
Please vote against this referendum. I have personal knowledge of the
wasteful spending practices of MATC. Currently they are asking for money to
expand their programs in protective services. I recently discontinued teaching
wasteful spending practices of MATC. Currently they are asking for money to
expand their programs in protective services. I recently discontinued teaching
for many reasons.
The area stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, fire and
EMS are all dissatisfied with the operations of MATC and have actually left
the system going to other institutions like Blackhawk Techinical College
even though it is a travel. This means that they are doing their trainings
elsewhere and are not looking to hire from MATC. The dean of protective
services was recently let go for many reasons and the entire department is
in turmoil. It is almost fraudulent for MATC to ask for more funding when
their basic functioning is in such disarray. I have personally communicated
with the VP, Terry Webb, at the college and my impression is that this is a
bureaucratic mess with no one really prepared to make tough decisions. The
president of the college has also been notified of these issues via direct
letters from community stakeholders and yet the problems continue to be
ignored. Please tell others to vote NO.
EMS are all dissatisfied with the operations of MATC and have actually left
the system going to other institutions like Blackhawk Techinical College
even though it is a travel. This means that they are doing their trainings
elsewhere and are not looking to hire from MATC. The dean of protective
services was recently let go for many reasons and the entire department is
in turmoil. It is almost fraudulent for MATC to ask for more funding when
their basic functioning is in such disarray. I have personally communicated
with the VP, Terry Webb, at the college and my impression is that this is a
bureaucratic mess with no one really prepared to make tough decisions. The
president of the college has also been notified of these issues via direct
letters from community stakeholders and yet the problems continue to be
ignored. Please tell others to vote NO.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Should Madison Alders Receive Full Health Insurance Coverage??
The City of Madison is considering offering the Common Council members full city health insurance benefits paid for by the City (taxpayer) at 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%. Below is Mark Clear's proposal for the 2011 budget (We now know the % the city taxpayer will be covering):
2011 Operating Budget
Proposed Board of Estimates Amendments Amendment No. 7
Agency: Common Council, Supplemental Compensation
Page(s): 51, 13
Sponsors: Alds. Maniaci, Clear
Fringe Benefits $40,000 Total: $40,000
Levy Impact: $40,000
Provide funding for Wisconsin Retirement System pension benefits and health insurance coverage for alders effective for the Council members elected in the 2011 election. The costs above are calculated based on providing pension benefits for all 20 alders ($15,000) and health insurance coverage for 5 alders with the City (TAXPAYER) paying 75% of that coverage ($25,000).
For complete viweing of the 2011 Operating Budget go to: http://www.cityofmadison.com/comptroller/budget/2011/ex2011opbud.cfm
And don't forget to let your council member and mayor know what items are too costly or unnecessary.
The requirement for health insurance coverage being that the alders have to prove that they work 600 hours or more preparing for meetings, attending meetings, community events, etc. The average worker has to work at least 30 hours per week or 1,560 hours and full time employees typically have to work 2080 hours to be covered by their employers health insurance and pay 35-50% for the benefit. Again - the mayor and some council members think that the time is right to spend taxpayer money on a program that benefits those who already have jobs or self employed (Mark Clear) and have coverage, but, if the city's coverage is better and also includes the alder in the retirement services - what a sweet deal at a time when most of us are struggling to make ends meet. The burden of proof for working 600+ hours is going to belong to who?
Here is Mark Clear's proposal for the 2011 Operating Budget (I guess we know our answer now of the %):
Many alders DO work long and hard hours and it is appreciated by most - and we should offer something to those who don't already have insurance at a discounted rate of no more than 50%. If it exceeds this - we are paying too much. It is time to start sharing your feelings on the never-ending spending by this city's administration - AT THE BALLOT BOX next year for our mayor and some alders. We can not afford Mayor Dave and those on the council who push spending agenda items such as these (many of whom have been on the counsil 12 or more years!).
Questions the alders need to answer on the questionaire are following:
2011 Operating Budget
Proposed Board of Estimates Amendments Amendment No. 7
Agency: Common Council, Supplemental Compensation
Page(s): 51, 13
Sponsors: Alds. Maniaci, Clear
Fringe Benefits $40,000 Total: $40,000
Levy Impact: $40,000
Provide funding for Wisconsin Retirement System pension benefits and health insurance coverage for alders effective for the Council members elected in the 2011 election. The costs above are calculated based on providing pension benefits for all 20 alders ($15,000) and health insurance coverage for 5 alders with the City (TAXPAYER) paying 75% of that coverage ($25,000).
For complete viweing of the 2011 Operating Budget go to: http://www.cityofmadison.com/comptroller/budget/2011/ex2011opbud.cfm
And don't forget to let your council member and mayor know what items are too costly or unnecessary.
The requirement for health insurance coverage being that the alders have to prove that they work 600 hours or more preparing for meetings, attending meetings, community events, etc. The average worker has to work at least 30 hours per week or 1,560 hours and full time employees typically have to work 2080 hours to be covered by their employers health insurance and pay 35-50% for the benefit. Again - the mayor and some council members think that the time is right to spend taxpayer money on a program that benefits those who already have jobs or self employed (Mark Clear) and have coverage, but, if the city's coverage is better and also includes the alder in the retirement services - what a sweet deal at a time when most of us are struggling to make ends meet. The burden of proof for working 600+ hours is going to belong to who?
Here is Mark Clear's proposal for the 2011 Operating Budget (I guess we know our answer now of the %):
Many alders DO work long and hard hours and it is appreciated by most - and we should offer something to those who don't already have insurance at a discounted rate of no more than 50%. If it exceeds this - we are paying too much. It is time to start sharing your feelings on the never-ending spending by this city's administration - AT THE BALLOT BOX next year for our mayor and some alders. We can not afford Mayor Dave and those on the council who push spending agenda items such as these (many of whom have been on the counsil 12 or more years!).
Questions the alders need to answer on the questionaire are following:
Q.1
Please list your name and district number
Q.2
As explained in my email that led you to this survey, alders would be available for health insurance, under certain reporting circumstances. Do you think you hit the 600 hour annually required to qualify in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)? That works out to 11.53 hours a week in meetings (council, committees) and in meeting prep time (to include neighborhood and stakeholder meetings and not to exceed twice the hours spent in meetings themselves). *
Q.3
If you qualify for the 600 hours annually, would you be interested in getting health insurance through the city? *
Q.4
Part of our decision will need to be if alders are to receive insurance, at what level will the city participate. If you are interested in receiving insurance, and understanding that part of your paycheck will now go to premiums for insurance, please check all plans you would be interested in, so we may budget an amendment accordingly. *
| 25% city/75% alder | 50% city/50% alder | 75% city/25% alder | Not Interested | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Plan ($1,216-$1,272) | ||||
| Single Plan ($488-$510) |
Monday, October 25, 2010
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