Noam Chomsky on Reagan's Distorted Legacy, Wisconsin Protests & Obama's #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

DemocracyNow.org -
World-renowned public intellectual Noam Chomsky discusses several domestic issues in the United States, including the protests in defense of public sector employees and unions in Wisconsin, how the U.S. deification of former President Ronald Reagan resembles North Korea, and the crackdown on political activists with anti-terror laws and FBI raids. Chomsky is professor emeritus at MIT and the author of more than 100 books.

Watch Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8g_XE...

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This Week In Education: AM News: Budget Messes In DC and Wisconsin #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

This Week In Education: AM News: Budget Messes In DC and Wisconsin

AM News: Budget Messes In DC and Wisconsin

by Alexander Russo

Democrats join GOP in voting to block tighter regulation of for-profit schools WP: Dozens of House Democrats, including the party leader, joined with Republicans Friday in a vote to block an Obama administration plan to tighten federal regulation of trade schools and colleges operated for profit... Obama makes pitch for his education and high-tech agenda: President Obama paid a quick West Coast sales call for his education and high-tech agenda, dining with industry royalty at a private meeting in Silicon Valley before touring a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant in Oregon... More LA schools convert to charters as funds dip LAT: El Camino Real High School has won six national academic quiz championships, boasts test scores that rank it as one of California's top secondary schools, and offers two dozen college-level courses ranging from macroeconomics to human geography... City to Toughen Auditing of School Test Scores NYT: The move appears to acknowledge concerns that schools might be manipulating the statistics they are judged by... Md. gets a C for teaching of U.S. history BaltSun: By the time students get to Matthew Finck's 11th-grade U.S. history class, the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln are vague memories, historical facts they haven't heard about since eighth grade... Wis. Capitol Becomes A Stage For Demonstrators: Demonstrators are keeping up their nearly weeklong protests in Madison, Wis., amid anger about a plan by Republican Gov. Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights for many public employees. Legislators have abandoned the Capitol, and so has the governor, turning the building into something of a giant performance space... School Board Vote Called 'Modern-Day Segregation' NPR: In a controversial move, the Wake County School board in North Carolina voted to end its "busing-for-diversity" program in favor of sending children to schools in their own neighborhood. Host Liane Hansen talks with Superintendent Tony Tata, a military brigadier general and the former COO of the D.C. school system. Image via Newseum

The Fetishes of Fox News | Dissident Voice #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

The Fetishes of Fox News | Dissident Voice

The Fetishes of Fox News

Privatizing Education, the Construction of False Dichotomies, and the End Game of the Public/Private Divide

by Bill Reck / February 21st, 2011

We all knew it was coming, and the good folks at Fox News just couldn’t help themselves. The pundits on America’s favorite (for one reason or another) “news” channel have responded seemingly instinctively to the recent uproar in Wisconsin. That’s right: governor Scott Walker’s attempt to end collective bargaining rights for public sector unions, thus effectively crushing them, and the resistance among citizens across the state can mean only one thing: unionized public school teachers at all levels, from kindergarten to university, are in it only for the money, so the rational capitalist answer must be to privatize education!

The treatment of public educators as lazy fat cats who seek only to get rich and also do not care about educating children is just one of many false dichotomies Fox News and the Right use to push this country’s concept of the public good into a tiny closet that only gets opened when militaristic goals

activities | Support Our Union | Legislative Resources | Issues & Advocacy |#wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

activities | Support Our Union | Legislative Resources | Issues & Advocacy | Wisconsin Education Association Council

Rallies continue in Madison
and throughout the state!

Keep raising your voice!

Background Article: Labor leaders ask Wisconsin citizens to come to the State Capitol (join the conversation here) Also join the conversation at facebook.com/myweac.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21

COME TO MADISON TO RAISE YOUR VOICES FOR EDUCATION AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES!

AFSCME bus schedule
Buses from WEA Trust (45 Nob Hill Rd.) to the Capitol will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (There will be no buses at the Sheraton.)

Noon Rally, State Street entrance to Capitol

Speakers will include former Green Bay Packer wide receiver (1994-95) Charles Jordan.

5 p.m. Rally, State Street entrance to Capitol

These rallies are still on despite the forecast of snow on Monday!

Musical performances are planned by Tom Morello aka The Nightwatchmen and formerly of Rage against the Machine; Wayne Kramer, of the MC5; The Street Dogs, featuring Mike McColgan former lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys; Tim McIlrath, from Rise Against; Tom Grabel, Against Me! andIke Reilly.

Be sure to contact your UniServ office for rallies, vigils, and picketing in your area. In addition to the Madison rallies, local activities are taking place throughout the state.

**LOCAL EVENTS

Milwaukee:
What: 'Can the Bill' rally while collecting
food for the hungry
When: Monday, February 21st
Where: 633 S Hawley Rd,
Milwaukee Area Labor Council
Time: 9:30 am-10:15 am

We will be holding a rally/food drive with the Hunger Task Force this Monday from 9:30am-10:15am at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council on 633 S Hawley Rd.

The Labor Council is off of I-94 on the way from Milwaukee to Madison. Take exit 307 B going West on 94, right on Hawley at the end of the ramp and the MALC will be on your right at intersection of S Hawley and Main St.

GET FIRED UP AT A RALLY IN MILWAUKEE BEFORE HEADING TO MADISON!

Kenosha:
7 p.m. Kenosha Common Council meeting, 625 52nd Street in Kenosha, WI at the Municipal Building.
If you have not been able to participate in the protests and rallies in Madison, this is a great opportunity to show your opposition to Scott Walker's Union Busting actions.
If you would like to speak at the beginning of the meeting during citizen's comments the signup sheet is available at 6:30, but citizen's comments are limited to 45 minutes total. There is no real limit to comments during the open hearing.

Appleton: 4:15 p.m. silent protest during Republican Lincoln Day at the Paper Valley Hotel to show how the end of collective bargaining would silence workers’ voices.

Ripon:
4 p.m. rally at the square downtown.
6 p.m. town hall meeting, Steelworkers Hall, 443 Scott Street

Platteville:
4 p.m., Community Forum, Platteville High School

Richland Center:
5 p.m., rally, Courthouse

Racine:
3:30 p.m., Town Hall Meeting, Racine Labor Center, 2100 Layard Ave.

River Falls:
10 a.m. Rally, Meyer Middle School, 230 N. 9th Street.
10 a.m. Rally, UW-River Falls Mall in front of University Center
5:30 p.m., Town Hall Meeting, River Falls Public Library

Chippewa Falls:
3:45 p.m., Picketing, Mouldy's Archery, 2863 S. Prairie View Rd.
7 p.m., Town Hall Meeting, 2233 Birch Street (Guests include Congressman Ron Kind, Pat Kreitlow, Kristen Dexter and Jeff Smith)

La Crosse:
6 p.m., Town Hall Meeting, Hmong Community Center, 1815 Ward Ave.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

COME TO MADISON TO RAISE YOUR VOICES FOR EDUCATION AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES!

Noon Rally, State Street entrance to Capitol

5 p.m. Rally, State Street entrance to Capitol

**LOCAL EVENTS

Green Bay:
4:30 - 5:30, informational picketing @ Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 300 N. Broadway (corner of Dousman & Broadway),

Madison teachers union provides lesson in democracy #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Madison teachers union provides lesson in democracy

Madison teachers union provides lesson in democracy

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Cap Times editorial | No Comments Posted | Posted: Monday, February 21, 2011 8:00 am

During a Madison Teachers Inc. membership meeting Sunday, a vote on whether to return Monday was so close that it couldn't be counted by voice or hand count. Members had to leave and re-enter through a central door where they were counted one by one. The vote was 741 to 731 to return Monday, but a later voice vote to return Tuesday received more overwhelming support.MATTHEW DEFOUR — State Journal

Related Links

• Full coverage of Gov. Walker's budget repair bill and protests
• Budget battle rages on

Madison Teachers Inc., the union that has been so central to the struggle to preserve collective bargaining rights for public employees, has historically been one of the most democratic unions in the country.

John Matthews, the executive director of MTI, is a committed and passionate trade unionist.

But he is also a small "d" democrat.

So when MTI makes a major move, the members set the agenda. That's what happened Sunday, when MTI members met for four hours to discuss when and how to return to work after being off the

Christine Pelosi: We Are All Wisconsin Workers #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Christine Pelosi: We Are All Wisconsin Workers

We Are All Wisconsin Workers

By carpool and caravan, populists are crowing the capitol to stand up for working people. Millions of Americans are standing together today saying "we are all Wisconsin workers." All eyes are on Madison, watching to see whether America's public service workers will continue to have a voice on the job and whether -- by extension -- any of us will.

The outpouring in Wisconsin erupted after years of downward pressure on wages and benefits that public employees have been feeling for years. Benefits negotiated when private sector jobs were flush are resented now that recession takes its toll. Last September, as I blogged here at HuffPost, I participated in an American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) training where workers told me about over 100,000 jobs mowed down by the 2008 market crash

The Best Piece Written About Wisconsin Protests | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

The Best Piece Written About Wisconsin Protests | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

More iPhone App Recommendations Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Beginning iPhone Users Like Me: Essential apps to buy before traveling is from the Daily Aztec. 12 Totally Awesome (Yet Free) Photography Apps For Your iPhone is from Luke Tech Tips.

The Best Piece Written About Wisconsin Protests Wisconsin Power Play by Paul Krugman at the New York Times may be the best piece that’s been written about what’s happening in Wisconsin. I’ve added it to The Best Resources For Learning About Attacks On Teachers & Other Public Sector Workers In ...

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: NDSG 2011#wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: NDSG 2011

NDSG 2011

by Mike Klonsky

North Dakota Study Group stopped work and went to Mad City. Here's Francisco Guajardo's video.