On Tuesday, June 5, 2012 Wisconsin will hold an historic election; a very heated and socio-politically important contest between Mayor Tom Barrett and the recalled Governor Scott Walker.
Last evening the Overpass Light Brigade took one of their illuminated messages into the red county of Waukesha, and displayed it on the Water Street pedestrian bridge, in the predominantly red city of Menomonee Falls.
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(additional images from this event can be viewed here)
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Leica M8, 28 mm Summicron Asph
Do not ignore the [extreme] income disparity
Get smart
Take the money out of the politics
End corrupt government
Help those in need
Recall corrupt officials when and where you can
Keep corporate hands off government
Stop greed
Wake up
End corporate “personhood”
Stop funding war
Start funding education, health and safety
Repair and maintain existing infrastructure
Design/build a strong, modern infrastructure
End corporate gangster activity
Put these issues on peoples screens.
Educate, inform, discuss.
Speak and write clearly.
Know your issue(s).
Apply pressure to government officials:
through numbers, petitions, voter registration and votes.
Remove the “evil doers.”
Install those who “care” about “we the people.”
Get yourself some Occupy Love and Get Occupied
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Canon 5D, 24-70 mm L USM
So many speak, of the current labor awakening in Wisconsin, using war and sports terminology – winning and losing – battles – fighting for rights – kill the bill – etc. Fact: wars, battles, and yes even some sports destroy, damage, and cause pain and suffering. Believing that something of value can arise through fighting for turf, whether metaphorically or really, makes absolutely no sense — if we seriously want to solve problems. What happens if we consider those metaphors both obsolete and serious distractions from the problems and tasks at hand? I believe we can speak more clearly; using far more accurate language; language that refers directly to our creative spirit rather than from our reptilian fight/flight mentality. In his sign, seen above, Muhammad chose his language well when he said, “…he’s facing the world.”
People, whether Egyptians or Wisconsin workers (along with all others demonstrating around the world), simply want to BUILD a better future. These demonstrations express a desire to CREATE a better QUALITY LIFE. Manifesting these desires requires creative thinking; not destructive thinking.
Useful terms like envision, plan, manifest, demonstrate, educate, engage, listen and learn must replace useless terminology like class warfare, budget crisis (or any other crisis for that matter). We cannot accept outdated metaphors if we want to truly create something new and valuable.
If anything derails efforts to build a just society – it will come in the form of hyperbolic demonizing and/or uncontrolled violence (whether physical or psychological); no matter which side it comes from. The actual facts contain enough horror. True problem solvers do not use smear tactics. They use common sense, factual data, correct intentions, planning and implementation. Good causes have a true moral high ground. Fox refers to Wisconsin demonstrators seeking social justice as “radicals.” They apparently intend to demonize rather than inquire or objectively report. Prove the claim false, at each and every opportunity, by demonstrating intelligence and most especially by using veracious information to the contrary. Meet false information and propaganda with verifiable information. I don’t believe one can tame or diffuse wackos. Totally ignoring them seems the only choice. Liars and charlatans, on the other hand, need facts (not opinions) following and preceding their every deception. Shine a light on pretenses, hypocrisy and lies. It’s one thing to battle over ideology and quite another to honestly inform and educate.
The necessary shift from a combative culture to a creative culture requires focusing attention and intention on building and innovating. This means building alliances, communities, agreements; and requires innovative, creative, positive communication. Step one to achieve a shift in culture requires an agreement on integrity – and a deep willingness to expose every deception, hypocrisy and pretense. If a person seeks public office they should minimally stand up and speak clearly and honestly on behalf of their actual agenda. We recently discovered state senator Alberta Darling saying, “I can’t say this on television.” to a select group of her and Scott Walker’s supporters. People, like her, with clandestine agendas will not ever create a just, equitable society. We need honest, forthright representatives to accomplish that goal. We can accept nothing less.
My friend Bert Stitt lives in Madison and works with communities, organizations, governments, and businesses throughout the country. I invited him to share his thoughts on this topic. He offered,
Bravo! We have evolved!
The chant, “What does democracy look like. This is what democracy looks like!” rings off the stone and glass facades of Madison’s Capitol Square and fills the air. This refrain also fills the streets, plazas, squares and other public venues in many languages and interpretations all over the world. At least one echo of the contemporary voice of democracy reverberates with peace; a peaceful voice that stands calm and firm as in the protest button; “stay calm and protest on!”
I, at least, feel refreshed that we have not, so far, spun down into so much of the rhetoric of the 60’s anti-war, anti-segregation protest. I don’t pretend that such thoughts and words don’t occur to us. I do see a conscious choice to think, speak and act differently. We can legitimately appreciate a different order of strength and effectiveness in the face of ‘outrageous fortune.’
In Madison we have a dedicated cadre of peace advocates who have populated the protest scene inside and outside the Capitol building with in-the-moment coaching with people who want to exercise the power that comes from within the integrity and dignity of our voice. These dedicated advocates for the peaceful message have surely infused the atmosphere with healing and powerful medicine.
We know that we have many voices of despair, disrespect, distress, disregard and more in ‘balance the budget’ theater as well. We have watched a serious devolution of civility, care and interest in the ‘other.’ We have heard words of incivility aplenty.
In the midst of this I see a sign altered from “Kill the Bill” … to “Stop the Bill” – a self editing process that seeks to shift the tenor of the conversation while maintaining the power of the message.
Thanks for contributing Bert!
It’s been a long time comin’
And the tables’ turned around
‘Cause one of us is goin’
One of us is goin’ down
I’m not runnin’
It’s a little different now
‘Cause one of us is goin’
One of us is goin’ down
Songwriters: Anzai, Emma; Armato, Antonina; James, Tim; Moore, Shimon;
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Canon 5D, 24 – 70 mm f:2.8L USM
(Additional photographs in the Madison, WI Capitol)
The US of A does BEST, overall, when the very wealthiest pay more in taxes. Clearly, with regard to taxes, a 20% tax on 50 million will not cause you to question whether or not you can send your kids to college, replace a furnace, water heater, or buy health insurance, a house or car; though 20% of 50K certainly will.
Wisconsin, financially speaking, is not in bad financial shape. Governor Walker’s budget bill has nothing to do with balancing a budget, as labor readily agreed to take all the concessions EXCEPT to give up their right to bargain; their right to have a voice in their employment contracts. That’s it. The 5 states in the US of A which have banned collective bargaining for teachers have 4 out of the top 5 lowest ACT average; and face similar, or larger, deficits anyway (due to the banksters robbing the economy).
The “trickle down” idea of taxes on wealth never worked. It didnt work with Reagan, Bush Sr, or Jr. Look at the historical data over the last 50 yrs and see which “party” provided the best fiscal performance. (click graphics for larger view)
The above graph illustrates the myth that you can cut taxes, increase spending and expect to achieve increased revenue. Since Johnson every Democrat has increased revenue more than spending; while under all five Republicans since Nixon revenue has decreased and spending has increased. Positive, unambiguous proof that cutting taxes does not increase revenue. Yet Republicans continue to try to sell this old canard.
The contrast between Clinton’s tax policies and the second Bush’s are dramatically evident from this data. By setting up taxes to help the middle class and small business Clinton stimulated the economy so much that we saw the largest revenue increase in history. The Neo-Con “trickle down” policy clearly does not work. Cutting taxes reduces revenue. Period. That REAL TRUTH exists as historical FACT, no matter how many times Republicans repeat the mantra that we must make the wealthy just a little wealthier to improve the economy. It simply does not work that way and the numbers above prove it.
The beginning of the implementation of the trickle-down economic theory began in 1981 with the Gipper, President Ronald Reagan. Reagan cut taxes for the upper income tax tier from about 70% to 50%. 1981 and 1982 faced what is known as the double dip recession, and was widely understood to have ended in November of 1982. During this period of time, though taxes were reduced for the highest economic tiers and businesses, reinvestment and savings made no tangible difference to the economy. Instead, under the Reagan administration, national expenditures increased by about 30%, while national revenue saw itself being heavily outweighed. The end result was a national debt in 1985 that amounted to 283 billion Dollars, a 198 billion Dollar increase from Jimmy Carter’s term as president.
In 1989, with the election of George H.W. Bush, taxes were further slashed for the upper income tiers and businesses, and federal spending once again heavily outweighed national income. By 1991, a new national debt record was set of 432 billion Dollars, an increase of 149 billion Dollars. As Bill Clinton’s presidency began, taxes were increased for the upper income tiers and businesses and spending was balanced. Though dealing with a hostile congress (some contend the most hostile congress in US History), Clinton brought the national debt down to 18 billion Dollars, a decrease of 381 billion Dollars in 8 years.
It is important to note that by the beginning of the George W. Bush presidency, the national debt had been gathering, from the debts left from the Reagan and George H.W. Bush years, almost 2,212 billion Dollars.
Of course, when George W. Bush took office, tax cuts were pushed heavily for the wealthy, and again, national spending far outweighed the income the state was taking in. GDP essentially stagnated, but spending increased massively. In 2009, as Bush left office, the national debt amounted to 11,900 billion Dollars.
The Obama administration increased debt in attempts to resupply and artificially stimulate the economy into a strong recovery. Taxes were set to increase to near Clinton levels for the upper class and businesses and reduce for the middle and lower class (a formula that worked under the Clinton administration). In this time, Obama increased the federal debt by 1.25 trillion Dollars, though half of that is left over debt accumulation from the Bush tax cuts. In reality, about 625 billion Dollars was actual Obama spending.
It is important to note that if you add how much of the current debt was left over from the Republican administrations (Bush, Bush II, Reagan), the total comes to 12 trillion Dollars. Simple math illustrates that had the United States not had to pay the massive interest tacked on from these administrations, the United States would have been in prime economic position for the last recession it faced, and would not have come out nearly as badly beaten as it has been.
Watch a short video which further illustrates the history of our national debt.
An economy with social safety nets is perfectly sustainable. We proved that in the 1990s after Clinton raised taxes and we had surplus budgets even with our social programs. Remember just 10 years ago when the biggest problem was whether the surpluses would be too big? Kind of tragic, eh? I remember one of the biggest debate topics between Bush Jr. and Al Gore was “what to do we do with the surplus of $100 billion.”
Yes. The *current* economic model is unsustainable. It became unsustainable when Republicans elected Bush and cronies; then slashed revenues and hugely expanded spending, mostly on the unnecessary and brutal wars.
The Bush tax cuts add to the crimes committed by the banksters and in combination continue to brutally tear our social safety net apart. Budget decisions are moral and ethical decisions.
Republicans complain about Obamacare yet offered nothing as a substitute. Republicans did nothing on healthcare for 8 yrs under Bush; with a majority in congress during 6 of those years.
Anyone can hold and express their opinion in our US of A. They’re entitled to it. Though they are not entitled to deny facts, lie, deceive, or rewrite history.
Thank you Bucky Miller for doing my homework for me.
