Performing Arts Centers @ the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

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Public pressure pushes library district to reconsider fees. (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 9/4/2012)

Excerpt:   "We have gone through a tough time, necessitating cuts in staff, reductions in library hours and other major cost-saving moves," said Jeanne Goodrich, library district executive director, adding that these were largely the result of severely reduced income from property taxes. 

"When we first made the decision in 2010 to increase our rates, we were under the impression that we hadn't raised rental fees since 1994," she said. "We have a volunteer archivist who subsequently discovered that our rates haven't been increased since 1988 and possibly earlier.

Report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS): State of Working Wisconsin 2012

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From the reverse side of the cover page.  The Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) is a nonprofit think-and-do tank, based at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, that promotes high road solutions to social problems. These treat shared growth and opportunity, environmental sustainability, and resilient democratic institutions as necessary and achievable complements in human development. COWS is nonpartisan but values-based. We seek a world of equal opportunity and security for all.

Executive summary (in bullet points)

• Wisconsin Jobs:  Massive Deficit
• Devastated job market as a result of 2007 recession/Anemic recovery
• Job numbers
• 2,880,000 in December 2007
• 2,720,000 in July 2012
• Jobs deficit:  245,900, factoring in job losses and population growth
• Wisconsin's lagging jobs growth in 2011
• Regionally, nationally
• On the contention over job numbers:  ....using any source of data our job market is a national and regional laggard.
• Family Income: A Lost Decade

• Unemployment Remains High
• Doubled from 2000 to 2011
• "Fully" employed from 94% to 87% (see pie graph on page 2)
• % unemployed for 6+ months tripled
• 25% of workers age 16-24 are unemployed or underemployed
• Black Prospects Bleak, Worst Unemployment in Nation
• 25% African-American unemployment rate in 2011
• Median wage for black men and women more than $2.00 below state's median wage
• Manufacturing Still a Source of  Growth but Still Brutally Down Across the Decade
• Number of jobs declined from 600,000 in 2000 to 450,000 in 2011.

The Mirro Company, Manitowoc

• Wisconsin Wages:  Weak Growth, Inequality (from page 3)

• Poverty Wage Jobs
• 1 in 5 Wisconsin workers in this category (less than $10.97/hour)
• 23% of poverty-wage jobholders receive health care from employers (vs. 63% in higher-paying jobs.
• Majority of New Jobs Pay Low Wages, Study Find.  (The New York Times, August 30, 2012)

Who's Running for State Office in Wisconsin 2012: 3rd Assembly District (General Election Edition)

Public libraries in the 3rd Assembly District:

Appleton (portion of service area)

Brillion

Kimberly-Little Chute (portion of Little Chute)

Menasha (portion of service area)

The Republican Incumbent

Born Green Bay, June 19, 1949; married; 4 children, 7 grandchildren. Graduate Brillion H.S.; UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course 1968; 1st Class of Participants in WI Rural Leadership Program 1986.

Former agri-business salesman, owner/operator of independent agri-business, tenant dairy farmer, and cash crop farmer.

Member: Republican Party of Wis.; Calumet Co. Agricultural Assn.; Calumet Co. Farm Progress 1993 Exec. Com. (chm.). Calumet Co. Board 1973-92 (vice chp.), chp. of its Ag/Extension Educ. Com. and vice chp. of its Land Conservation and Planning/Zoning Coms.; Wis. Land Conservation Bd. 1984-88 (secy.).

Elected to Assembly since 1986.  Ran unopposed in 2010.

Project Vote Smart.

Al Ott easily won a primary challenge from Branfi Lefeber.

The Democratic Challenger
Kole Oswald
                          City of Appleton

Oswold for Assembly on Facebook.

From Blue Cheddar. The Appleton Taxpayers United web site was even kind enough to supply the names of the alderpersons who voted for same sex domestic partner benefits. They are Christoph Wahl, John Robin Hill, Curt Konetzke, Jeff Lutz, Kathy Plank, Joe Martin, Peter Stueck, Teege Mettille, Cathy Spears and Kole Oswold. Remember to thank them individually if you have the chance.

The Independent Challenger

"Josh Young survives nomination challenge by Wisconsin Rep. Al Ott".  Appleton Post-Crescent, 6/11/2012.  (The article is no longer available at the Post-Crescent website.)

Excerpt:   Ott challenged the validity of 16 of the 214 signatures Young submitted. Had all 16 challenges been upheld, Young would have ended up with fewer than the 200 signatures required to make the ballot. Ott accused Young of certifying with his own signature some nomination papers circulated by others on his behalf. It’s acceptable for others to circulate nomination papers, but the person who circulates them is required to vouch for them. “

It was a legitimate error on my part,” Young said. “I circulated 90 percent of the papers and noticed a page didn’t have a signature so I signed it and handed it in.” 

Young said he doesn’t fault Ott for making the challenge. 

“It’s just part of the process,” Young said. 

Young for Assembly on Facebook.

Related posts (the Fall 2012 edition).
Assembly District 1.
Assembly District 2.