Thursday, March 31, 2011

Oshkosh Police Department seeks information about and/or person(s) suspected of neglecting and starving a dog to death

Date: March 31, 2011

Time: 4:15 P.M.
Contact: Officer Joseph Nichols
(920) 236-5742

Subject: Animal Neglect-Dead Dog

MEDIA RELEASE

The Oshkosh Police Department, in conjunction with the Oshkosh Area Humane Society, is investigating an incident where a deceased dog was found in the 500 block of Oak St. The call came in at 8:26 a.m. on today’s date from a neighbor who saw the deceased dog on the sidewalk.

The breed of the dog is unknown. The dog was male, brown and white in color, and approximately 5 months old. The dog showed signs of severe starvation and it appears that the dog was left there by someone. The dog was taken to Lakeside Animal Hospital to be examined for the possible cause of death.

The Oshkosh Humane Society is offering a reward of $500 for anyone that may have information about the dog leading to an arrest.

If you have information in regards to the dog or owner, please contact the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) 236-5700 or the Oshkosh Area Humane Society at 424-2128.

If someone can identify the dog’s owner and wishes to remain anonymous, they may call Crime Stoppers at (920) 233-8477 and leave a crime tip; or go to the Crime Stoppers website of www.winnebagocrimestoppers.org and submit a crime tip on the website; or Text the tip "IGOTYA plus your message" to 274637 or CRIMES. The person leaving the tip is eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information.

If you have any questions in regards to the media release, you may call me or Joni Geiger at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society at (920) 424-2128. Thank you.

Joseph Nichols
Crime Prevention Officer
Oshkosh Police Department
Office: (920) 236-5742
Cell: (920) 379-3572
Fax: (920) 236-5743

Oshkosh Area School District Test Scores on the Rise

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 31, 2011): The Oshkosh Area School District test scores on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) are rising. Since 2005, district scores in math have gone up, on average, 6.1% with the largest growth occurring in 10th grade at an increase of 11.5% in level of proficiency. The reading scores, which were high to begin with (average of 84.5% proficiency in 2005), increased 2.7% in proficiency in the same time period. Of 17 districts of comparable location or size, Oshkosh Area School District students scored in the top five in reading and the top four in math.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) will be calculated and released from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Department of Educational Accountability in June 2011.

Detailed information on all state test scores can be found on the Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools (WINSS) http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sig/index.html.

Seasonal Curbside Brush Collection Starts April 4th

(Oshkosh, WI.) The city of Oshkosh Sanitation Division would like to remind residents that regular monthly curbside brush collection begins the week of April 4th through April 8th. Collection will continue for the first full week of each month through December.

Materials must be out for collection by 7:00 a.m. on your regular solid waste collection day. Brush that has a diameter of less than three (3) inches should be tied in bundles not to exceed four (4) feet in length or fifty (50) pounds in weight.

Material can also be placed in PAPER BIODEGRADABLE BAGS. Plastics bags, other containers, or loose leaves will not be collected.

The annual Spring Clean Up is scheduled for April 18th through May 6th. The Spring Clean Up is an extended collection schedule to help residents dispose of larger volumes of yard waste. The Sanitation Division will allow grass/thatch or garden material to be placed in paper biodegradable bags during this time.

For more information, please contact the Sanitation Division at (920) 232-5383.

Seasonal Hours Start on April 1st for Yard Waste Drop-off Site

(Oshkosh, WI.) The city of Oshkosh Sanitation Division would like to notify residents that the hours of operation for the city’s yard waste drop-off site will be from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends. These hours of operation will go into effect on April 1, 2011.

The yard waste drop-off site is located on Idaho Street south of Witzel Avenue.

Permits are required to use the drop-off facility. The cost of a permit for a resident of Oshkosh is $15 (permit only valid for one vehicle). The cost of a permit for a non-resident is $80 (permit only valid for one vehicle). Permits are valid from January 1st to December 31st of the year issued. Please note that commercial operations are not able to use the yard waste drop-off site per requirements of the municipal code.

Permits can be purchased at City Hall at Collections or at Kitz and Pfeil True Value Hardware Store, 427 North Main Street.

All yard waste being transported in trucks or trailers to the drop-off facility must be properly secured with a tarp.

Please note the yard waste drop-off facility is closed on holidays. For more information, please contact the Sanitation Division at (920) 232-5383.

Information about cell phones and telemarketers

Earlier today the Oshkosh Police Department sent out an email to people on its mail lists warning them that cell phone numbers were going to be made public to telemarketers this month and that, not only would people start receiving sales calls on their cell phones, but recipients of such telemarketing calls would also be charged for those calls. This story has been floating around on the Internet for years and, according to some very reliable sources, including the Federal Trade Commission, is just that – a hoax or rumor. I immediately sent an email to the sender, Joe Nichols at OPD, telling him this might well be a hoax and providing him with three links which discussed the rumor in depth. He may have gotten emails from others as well as he sent quickly sent out another email to the mail list people stating that the phone number on the original email was indeed the number for the National Do Not Call Registry, that everything on Snopes isn’t always accurate and that we shouldn’t always believe what we read.

OPD provides a wonderful service and is a great resource for many things. I think that, in this case, anyone who may have sent him an email, including me, was only trying to help OPD not spread inaccurate information. Judging by Officer Nichols’ response, it didn’t seem to be taken that way, nor did it seem to be appreciated by him.

For the record, based on everything on the Internet about this, and given the fact that this rumor has been going around for several years and, apparently, has never come to fruition, I think we can feel pretty confident that this is just that – a rumor. I also contacted my own cell provider and was told they have no intention of releasing any numbers to telemarketers.

People can certainly research and then judge for themselves if this is a rumor or not. Here are some links where you might want to start.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

http://www.compunoodle.com/are-cell-phones-going-public

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm

But perhaps the most compelling piece of information is from the Federal Trade Commission itself about this rumor. Here is the text of their press release dated January 19, 2006. Here is also the link to that direct press release. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/01/dnccellphones.shtm.

For Release: January 19, 2006

The Truth about Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission today reiterated that despite the claims made in e-mails circulating on the Internet, consumers should not be concerned that their cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketers in the near future, and that it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones.

The truth about cell phones and the DNC Registry is:

• Contrary to the e-mail, cell phone numbers are NOT being released to telemarketers, and you will NOT soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone.
• There is NO deadline by which you must register your cell phone number on the Registry.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent.
• The national associations representing telemarketers have stated that their clients do not intend to start calling consumers’ cell phones.
• There is only ONE DNC Registry. There is no separate registry for cell phones.
• The DNC Registry accepts registrations from both cell phones and land lines. You must call from the phone number that you want to register. If you register online, you must respond to a confirmation e-mail.
• While the telecommunications industry has been discussing the possibility of creating a wireless 411 directory, according to the FCC, even if a wireless 411 directory is established, most telemarketing calls to cell phones would still be illegal, regardless of whether the number is listed on the federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry.

In addition, according to the industry:

• Your number would not be included in a wireless 411 directory unless you wanted it to be (i.e., you will have to “opt-in”); and
• The wireless 411 directory would not be available in a printed, electronic, or Internet list for telemarketers. In other words, a list of numbers on the wireless 411 directory would not be made available to telemarketers.

For More Information

To learn more about the National DNC Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov. For more information about a planned “wireless 411” directory, visit http://www.qsent.com/wireless411/index.shtml.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov/. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Media Contact:
Mitchell J. Katz,
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2161

Staff Contact:
David Robbins,
Bureau of Consumer Protection
202-326-3747
- end press release -

Of course, at the end of the day, as I mentioned to Officer Nichols in my original email, it certainly can’t hurt to put your cell number on a Do Not Call List. But if you’re going to do that you might also want to put it on the Wisconsin Do Not Call list. They are separate registries and give protection where the other one might not.

https://www.donotcall.gov/ or call them at 1-888-382-1222

https://nocall.wisconsin.gov/ or call them at 1-866-9NO-CALL (1-866-966-2255) toll-free in Wisconsin

Please note that if you choose to register at either of these places by phone, you must call the number from the phone whose number you wish to register.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Rep. Hintz to hold Office Hours

Contact: Representative Gordon Hintz


1-888-534-0054

Rep. Hintz to hold Office Hours on Friday, March 25th at 11:30am

***Note this is a change of time***

OSHKOSH– Representative Gordon Hintz will be holding office hours at the Oshkosh Senior Center to discuss issues important to Oshkosh residents. The event is open to the public and those with questions regarding state issues are encouraged to attend.

Anyone with questions or comments is encouraged to contact the office of Representative Hintz toll-free at 888-534-0054 or via e-mail at rep.hintz@legis.state.wi.us.

Who: Representative Gordon Hintz

What: Senior Center-Office Hours

When: Friday, March 25, 2011 11:30am – 1:30pm

Where: Oshkosh Area Senior Center - 200 North Campbell Road

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Walker's Republicans Reveal True Agenda

[a press release from Rep. Gordon Hintz...]

Walker's non-fiscal "budget-repair" bill passes - increases health care, pension costs and strips collective bargaining rights for public workers

Madison: In a shocking turn of events yesterday Republicans in the Senate and Assembly stripped the non-fiscal policy agenda proposals out of Governor Walker's "budget-repair" bill. Walker and the Republicans created a new a new stand alone bill that increases health care and pension costs and strips collective bargaining rights for public workers. To get around the rules, a conference committee was convened to jam through this non-fiscal "budget-repair" bill. Then the Senate immediately convened and passed this new bill 18-1 without debate or public hearings. The Wisconsin State assembly convened today and passed this new non-fiscal bill 53 to 42.

"At least Walker's Republicans have finally admitted that the real intent of their "budget-repair" bill was to strip workers of their rights", said Rep. Hintz (D-Oshkosh). "They finally gave up the hoax that this bill deals with the state's fiscal matters. Today Walker's true non-fiscal agenda got pushed through. It took him much conniving, game-playing and backroom dealing, but Walker finally got his way to the detriment of our people."

"Wisconsin was once a shining example of Democracy at work. But in ten short weeks Governor Walker has polarized our state, driven out democracy and told his constituents he will not listen and they have no place at the table," Hintz continued. "One can only imagine what Governor Walker and his national friends, such as the Koch brothers, will try out on our state next. Fasten your seatbelts, as this is just the beginning of our race to the bottom."

Republican Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland center) voted no on the bill yesterday citing that he was voting with the majority of his constituents. Today Republican Representatives Dean Kaufert (Neenah), Lee Nerison (Westby), Dick Spanbauer (Oshkosh) and Travis Tranel (Cuba City) voted against the bill.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Rally for the rights of workers and and middle class citizens to be held Thursday, 3/10 - please note new time!

Oshkosh is going to be continuing the regular Thursday rallies at Opera House Square in downtown Oshkosh. Here are the details for this week:

Thursday, March 10, 2011 - 1 Month Anniversary of the Budget Repair Bill Battle

Beginning at 9 am (new time) and continuing all day and early evening

Opera House Square (at the Sundial)-Oshkosh

Bring your signs, noisemakers and bullhorns and help us observe the eve of the 1 Month Anniversary to the introduction of the Budget Repair Bill and Wednesday evening's unconscionable vote against workers' rights and true democracy. Let's make this the biggest group yet!

Recall petitions against Sen. Randy Hopper and other recall information against those who dare to attack the rights of Wisconsin's hardworking citizens will also be available! An attack on union workers and middle class citizens is ultimately an attack on us all!!

All are invited to join in this protest against Walker's and the Republicans' attack on the middle class and workers beginning at 4:30 pm on Thursday at Opera Square in downtown Oshkosh.

PRESS RELEASE: BUDGET REPAIR BILL'S IMPACTS ON OASD

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2011


For more information contact:
Donald Viegut
Superintendent
Oshkosh Area School District
(920) 424-0160

Long-term the Governor’s budget as proposed will significantly impact the district’s ability to provide a quality education in the Oshkosh Area School District. The district was already facing a 26 million dollar shortfall over five years. Those districts not facing large budget shortfalls are better positioned to retain quality programs and services for the students and communities they serve.

Prior to the release of the Governor’s budget repair bill, district and association leaders had been proactive in addressing the district’s budget challenges. They were collaborating effectively to balance the district budget.

It is premature to assume that the suggested 12.6% of healthcare and 5.8% in pension contribution will be sufficient to provide sustainable funding now and into the future. In fact, no decisions have been made on changes to the employee contribution in healthcare or pension.

The Oshkosh Area School District is already a low spending, high performing district. The district will need to compete with surrounding communities for quality employees. It will become imperative to provide the compensation and working conditions that will allow Oshkosh to retain, attract, and recruit employees. This will allow the district to maintain high student achievement and become a destination community.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Last Soldier program at Oshkosh Public Library

A local group dedicated to honoring Civil War veterans will present The Last Soldier, a program at the Oshkosh Public Library on March 10 that will appeal to history enthusiasts, genealogists, Civil War buffs and families whose ancestors fought in the Civil War.

The Last Soldier will begin at 7 p.m. in the library’s lower level meeting room. The event is co-sponsored by the Winnebagoland Genealogy Society.

Guest speaker Vincent Barker will talk about the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) and their efforts in Wisconsin to carry out the Last Soldier Project. Through a partnership with the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society, SUVCW has located the final resting place for the last Union soldier buried in almost every Wisconsin County. Barker is part of Old Abe Camp #8 based in Omro.

Janet Eiler of the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society has worked extensively with Barker to locate burial sites throughout the state for the Last Soldier project. “I have ancestors in the Civil War so this is interesting to me,” she says. “Getting these soldiers the recognition they deserve is important.”

Eiler recently was honored by SUVCW for her contribution to the Last Soldier project. “I’m big into genealogy, so we have a common interest,” she explains. “Even though these aren’t my ancestors I wanted to help.”

During the process she learned more about the activities of SUVCW, which will preside over the ceremony when a new headstone for one of her ancestors in installed in Winneconne this summer.

At the library program, Barker will share information about SUVCW’s other activities that honor the brave soldiers who fought in the Civil War. SUVCW is involved in the National Grave Registration Project, which seeks to locate the grave sites of all Union and Confederate Civil War veterans so that the information may be entered in a national database. The National Graves Registration Database can be searched by the public at http://www.suvcwdb.org/.

More than 91,000 Wisconsin soldiers fought in the Civil War. Nearly 12,000 of them died and thousands more were wounded. “The Civil War had a profound effect on life in Wisconsin,” says Mara Munroe, a librarian who is a local history and genealogy specialist at the Oshkosh Public Library. “We assist many people at the library who are curious to find out if they have a personal connection to this significant event in our nation’s history.”

In the process of tracing Civil War ancestors, individuals can find out which of Wisconsin’s 56 regiments these soldiers served in, as well as the battles in which they fought.


The Oshkosh Public Library is one of the premiere local history and genealogy resources in the Fox Valley area. The library’s extensive collection of local history books, digital books and photo collections, community indexes, maps and atlases are a mainstay for anyone interested in area history and genealogy.

The library and the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society have a long-standing partnership that has enhanced the genealogy services the library is able to offer. The society has been instrumental in indexing vital records, allowing the library to create the Oshkosh Vital Records Index, an online resource used in genealogy research. The index spans a period from 1861 to the present.

For more information about The Last Soldier or other programs, services, and resources at the Oshkosh Public Library, visit http://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Walker, GOP Legislature Tending Special Interest Wish Lists

NEWS


For immediate release
For more information: Contact Mike McCabe

Walker, GOP Legislature Tending Special Interest Wish Lists

Madison – Republican Governor Scott Walker and majority GOP legislators accepted about $2 of every $3 in campaign contributions from wealthy special interests who are now seeing some of their long-sought tax breaks and other spending and policy priorities become law, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.

Some of the items which were introduced at the governor’s request in January were lifted from the legislative agenda of the state’s largest business organization – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce – which also supports Walker’s union-busting budget repair bill at the center of the Capitol protests.

Special interests contributed $7.91 million directly to Walker from January 2009 through October 18, 2010 and spent another $6.9 million on outside electioneering activities like negative broadcast ads to support him. Republican legislators who control the Assembly 57-38-1 and the Senate 19-14 accepted $3.89 million in large special interest contributions and got $3 million in additional support from outside groups. The entire legislature accepted $6.47 million in large special interest contributions from January 2009 through October 18, 2010.

Here are some of those special interest bills, which added about $140 million in business tax breaks and other spending to the state’s projected $3 billion-plus deficit through 2013, and the amount that special interest supporters and opponents of those measures contributed to Walker and GOP legislators from January 2009 through October 18, 2010:

1) A $48 million tax exemption for individuals who want to sink money into health savings accounts to pay future medical bills. Republicans who generally support the exemption say it is one way to help consumers pay for medical bills, while Democrats who generally oppose the exemption say it’s nothing more than a tax break for rich people and does nothing to control health care costs. Ten Democrats voted with GOP legislators to pass the bill.

Eleven powerful special interests including the business, construction, banking, real estate, insurance and agriculture industries contributed $5.09 million to Walker from January 2009 through October 18, 2010 which represents 64 percent of the $7.91 million in total large individual and political action committee contributions he accepted during the period.

Republican legislators elected last fall received $2.49 million from those 11 special interests, which was 64 percent of the $3.89 million they accepted from all special interests.

2) Labor unions, which opposed the bill, contributed $27,460 to Walker which was three-tenths of 1 percent of his total large contributions and $75,863 to legislative Republicans which was 2 percent of their total large contributions.

3) Limits on injury and product liability lawsuits and the awards that can be collected against businesses. The measure was passed along party lines. Republicans generally support tort changes, saying Wisconsin’s legal climate discouraged businesses from locating or expanding here because it left them victim to frivolous lawsuits while Democrats generally oppose these measures, saying they put corporate profits ahead of people’s safety.

Ten special interest groups led by bankers, manufacturers and health professionals contributed $2.42 million to GOP legislators – about 62 percent of all their $3.89 million in large special interest contributions. Opponents of the measure – labor unions, lawyers and environmentalists – contributed $224,763 or about 6 percent of the Republican legislators’ large contributions.

Walker accepted $4.6 million from special interests who supported his tort bill – about 58 percent of his $7.91 million in total large special interest contributions. The bill’s opponents contributed $321,969 or 4 percent of Walker’s large special interest contributions.

4) Giving Walker authority to approve the scope and content of administrative rules developed by state agencies in order to enforce laws passed by legislators. Republicans generally support the bill because rules can go beyond legislative intent. Democrats generally oppose the measure because it gives the governor too much power and intrudes on the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government. The measure was approved by the legislature nearly along party lines.

Nine special interest groups who supported the measure gave Walker $3.91 million, or 49 percent of his total large contributions, led by manufacturing, construction and banking interests. Environmentalists who opposed the bill contributed nothing to Walker from January 2009 through October 18, 2010.

Those nine special interest groups also contributed $1.82 million to GOP legislators, or 47 percent of their total large individual and PAC contributions. Environmentalists opposed to the bill contributed a total of $750 to two Republican legislators.

5) Requiring a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate and the Assembly in order to increase income, sales or corporate taxes. Sales and corporate taxes have not been raised since 1982 and 1981, respectively. Individual income taxes vary by income and a new bracket of 7.75 percent for the highest income earners was created in 2009. The bill was approved by the legislature nearly along party lines.

Six groups that supported the bill, including manufacturing, construction and banking interests, contributed $3.02 million to Walker which was 38 percent of his total large contributions.

Labor unions opposed the bill and contributed $27,460 to the governor which was three-tenths of 1 percent of his $7.91 million in total large contributions.

Those six special interest groups that supported the bill also contributed $1.37 million to legislative Republicans which was 35 percent of their total $3.89 million in large contributions. Labor contributed $75,863 to Republican legislators which was 2 percent of their total large contributions.

6) Creating a tax credit for out-of-state businesses that come to Wisconsin for at least two years. The credit, estimated to cost about $1 million over the next two years, would be equal to the amount of a business’s income or franchise tax liability. Supporters claim the bill, which was approved on bipartisan votes of 82-12 in the Assembly and 24-9 in the Senate, was part of a package of measures to help improve the state’s business climate. Critics said the measure was mostly symbolism and lacked the substance to attract new business to the state.

Six special interest groups that supported the bill including manufacturers, construction, banking and business contributed $3.21 million, or 41 percent, of Walker’s total large contributions.

Those same six special interest groups contributed $1.96 million, or 30 percent, of the $6.47 million in total large special interest contributions accepted by all legislators. Legislative Republicans accepted $1.46 million from those interests and Democratic legislators accepted $498,618 from those interests.

7) Increasing by $25 million the state’s Economic Development Tax Credit program which already had $75 million in unused credits sitting in its account. The credits are used to reduce a business’s income tax liability.

Five special interest groups that supported the bill, including manufacturing, construction and banking interests, contributed $3.02 million, or 38 percent, of Walker’s $7.91 million in large contributions.

Those five special interest backers of the bill, which was approved on bipartisan votes of 82-12 in the Assembly and 25-8 in the Senate, contributed $1.78 million, or 28 percent, of the total large contributions accepted by all legislators. Republican legislators accepted $1.32 million from those interests compared to $457,922 accepted by legislative Democrats.

8) Creating a new program to reduce small business income and franchise taxes by $66 million over two years. Republicans defend the measure saying it is among a number of proposals designed to improve the state’s business climate while Democrats say it does too little to significantly stimulate job creation.

Four special interest groups that supported the proposal, including construction, banking, business and transportation interests, contributed $2.19 million to Walker or 28 percent of his total $7.91 million in large contributions.

The four special interests that backed the bill, which passed on bipartisan votes of 60-33 in the Assembly and 25-8 in the Senate, also contributed $1.56 million, or 24 percent, of the total $6.47 million in large contributions to all legislators. Republican legislators accepted $1.14 million from the bill’s backers and Democratic legislators accepted $418,956.

Recall Sen Randy Hopper Info

[Following is from the Winnebago County Democratic Party...]

Hello Members and Friends of Working Families and the Winnebago County Democratic Party!


Just a quick note – The recall effort of Senator Randy Hopper has begun.

There will be kickoffs tomorrow (Saturday, March 5th) at 10:00 AM. You can get all the info you need as well as papers to circulate at:

Recall Senator Randy Hopper
Fond du Lac: Winnebagoland Uniserv 325 Trowbridge Drive, Fond du Lac
Oshkosh: UW Oshkosh Reeve Union 748 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh

We have regular updates at our website: http://www.winnebagodems.org/ and our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25262968258.

Updates are constant. These pages are updated more often than we can email.

Recall information can be found at: http://www.recalltherepublican8.com/

If you are not a member of the Winnebago and Wisconsin Democratic Parties, most of the funding we use to support these efforts come through membership dues.

Please join here: https://wisdems.zissousecure.com/membership.

Info on recalling:

When circulating recall petitions for signatures please keep in mind…
· Petition signers must be qualified electors and residing in Senator Hopper’s district.
· Petition circulators must be eligible to vote in Wisconsin, but do NOT need to reside within Senator Hopper’s district.
· DO NOT sign and date the bottom until AFTER you have collected the signatures from the public. If the petition includes ANY signatures dated after your signature date, the ENTIRE PAGE WILL BE INVALID.
· Make sure the signatures are legible and that all information is filled out in its entirety. The phone number and email fields are NOT mandatory; all other fields are required by the Government Accountability Board and the signature will not be counted if any information is incomplete.
· Before handing in completed petitions, make sure you have signed and dated the bottom of the page.
· Please DO NOT number the pages in the bottom right hand corner; the Recall Committee will enter page numbers.

Common questions potential signers may have…

Do I have to live in the Senate District?
Yes. You have to live in the district and be an eligible voter.

Do I have to currently be registered to vote?
No.

Who are you with?
The Committee to Recall State Senator Randy Hopper.

Why are you trying to recall Senator Hopper?
Madison is a mess right now and Senator Hopper has become part of the problem. This petition is to start a recall election in order to break the gridlock in Madison and get our elected officials working across party lines to move Wisconsin forward and start creating jobs again.

Senator Hopper and Governor Walker have gone too far. They decided to side with protecting tax breaks for CEOs and Corporations while slashing funding for education and our communities. We are here to recall Senator Hopper because our communities deserve someone who will fight for middle class families, not corporate CEOs and their lobbyists.

Senator Hopper and Governor Walker have proposed a union busting bill to take collective bargaining rights away from Wisconsin workers. Working families agreed to ALL of the concessions on wages and benefits but they wouldn’t take yes for an answer and continued on insisting on stripping away their rights. We are recalling Senator Hopper because when he ran for office, he promised to continue protecting the rights of Wisconsin workers and he has broken that promise.

We sent Senator Hopper to Madison to fight for our community. The budget that he and his fellow Republicans just introduced will devastate our local community, gutting school funding, police and fire protection, and many other services people like you and I rely on, all so he can protect his new tax cuts for corporations and CEOs. We’re recalling Senator Hopper so we can stop this horrible budget.

How does a recall election happen?
The Recall Committee must collect signatures equaling 25% of the number of all votes cast for governor in the incumbent’s district in the last gubernatorial election. These signatures must be filed with the Government Accountability Board within 60 days of the start of the recall effort.

A recall election is called, where the incumbent is automatically placed on the ballot (unless they file within 10 days that they do not want to be on the ballot) along with any candidate that qualifies to oppose the incumbent.

If I sign this petition, does it mean I have to vote for or against Senator Hopper in a recall election?
No. Signing simply says you agree that there should be a recall election. Signers are free to vote for whomever they’d like during that election.

If I have more questions about this recall, want to volunteer, or want to donate, what should I do?

Call Committee to Recall Hopper at (608) 255-5172 or visit http://www.recalltherepublican8.com/.

Candidate Forums Scheduled for March 10th

(Oshkosh, WI.) The League of Women Voters of Winnebago County and Oshkosh Community Media Services (OCMS) will present two candidate forums on March 10th.

The first forum will feature the Oshkosh mayoral candidates and be held from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. The second forum will feature Oshkosh Common Council candidates and will run from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.

The candidate forums are open to the public and will be held at City Hall (215 Church Ave.) in room 404.

Questions for the candidates may be submitted in advance to league@lwvwinnebago.org or by telephone at (920) 231-4770.

The forum will be carried live on OCMS CitiCable 10, live on WOCT 101.9 FM, and video streamed live on the internet at http://www.oshkoshcommunitymedia.org/. Replay times for the forums will be posted on http://www.oshkoshcommunitymedia.org/.

If you would like more information, please contact OCMS Communications Coordinator Dean Leisgang at (920) 236-5269.

DESPERATION: Koch Brothers Coming To Rescue Scott Walker, Their Pet

[Following is a press release from the Winnebago County Labor Council...]

Americans "For" Prosperity Group Unleash Phony Bus Tour


MADISON-Having seen their union-busting plans exposed, the Koch Brothers oil tycoons are coming back to Wisconsin in a desperate effort to rescue their pet, Scott Walker, in the form of a propaganda bus tour.

Americans "For" Prosperity, one of the many Koch Brothers entities scheming against Wisconsin's working families, will take its show on the road through the weekend, hoping to gin up support for an effort to take away rights from Wisconsin's working families that is opposed by everyone from  the Archbishop of Milwaukee and America's Catholic bishops to the Green Bay Packers to hundreds of thousands of average Wisconsinites who have demonstrated over the past month.

"The Koch Brothers are coming back to Wisconsin to protect their investment, their pet Scott Walker, who has used "Tea Party" threats as a way to ensure that Republicans in the Legislature do not break with the plan, hatched out-of-state by shady forces, to end collective bargaining in Wisconsin," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said Thursday. "While the bus runs on Koch Brothers money, it is intended to run right over the rights of Wisconsin's working families."

Teachers' union president incorrectly advised staff members about call-in process

[We have received this press release from the Oshkosh Area School District and are happy to pass it on to our readers...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 4, 2011

For more information contact:
Donald Viegut
Superintendent
Oshkosh Area School District
(920) 424-0160

On February 17 and February 18, 2011, during a period of heightened activity at the State Legislature, a number of Oshkosh Area School District employees were not in school, even though schools within the District remained open and in session.

A review of staff call-ins occurring on those days by the Oshkosh Area School District indicated that staff members were incorrectly advised by OEA President Len Herricks that District Administration supported a call-in process. Mr. Herricks has acknowledged that he may have become overly involved in the statewide effort to challenge the pending Budget Repair Bill, and the Oshkosh Area School District has dealt with this incorrect advice and the matter of emails sent by Mr. Herricks as a personnel matter.

The District, the Oshkosh Education Association (OEA) and Oshkosh Paraprofessional Education Association (OPEA) are all in agreement that sick leave or other paid time should not be used and will not be paid for attending political events on District time. Use of paid sick leave within the Oshkosh Area School District has always been limited to a narrow group of approved sick leave related reasons. OEA and OPEA indicated it was never the intention of the Associations or their members to use sick leave benefits. Instead, their members used the sick leave notification process as a mechanism for advising the district that they would be absent. Members who attended the rallies in Madison will not be paid for those days and the district will be compensated for the cost of a substitute. The Associations have also committed to supporting the District in reminding all staff that leave requests need to follow the proper process and that any future such call in incidents will lead to suspensions and possible termination of employment.

The understandings between the District and Association were reduced to writing.

It is the collective mission of the district and its employees to educate the children in their care. The District’s first responsibility is to those children and to their families who entrust us with the care of their children. Everyone involved understands that the District and its employees have a fiscal responsibility to the citizens of our community. OEA and OPEA said that the members that went to Madison were doing what they believed was important for the future of public education. The District cannot, however, support absences from the workplace.