Previously: Here's an impossibly good statistic for union defenders, dug up by the Maureen Downey at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Only five states do not allow
USA Today last week published yet another story claiming that public sector workers make more that their private sector counterparts – this one saying that Wisconsin is one of many states where this is the case. Their “analysis” used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and compared total compensation (salary+benefits) between workers in the private sector and state/local government.
No matter how many times they are told that you can’t just make a straight comparison of dissimilar groups of workers, apparently they still don’t get it. Incredibly, this particular article admits as much, and even quotes economist Jeffrey Keefe, who tells them that the gross comparisons don’t account for important sectoral differences in education and other factors. In other words, their numbers don’t tell us much of anything about public versus private sector compensation. Still, there is the headline: “Wisconsin one of 41 states where public workers earn more.” How many people saw that headline, and now believe that public workers are “overpaid?”
USA Today, of course, is not alone. These assertions have lately become insidious, coming from governors,commentators, and others. But when a major national newspaper decides to run this story at this politically-
Note: AFSCME also is maintaining a list of activities and events. If you don't see an event in your community here you may find one on the AFSCME activities list.
In addition to events listed here, ongoing canvassing is taking place in many communities. Contact your UniServ office for deails in your area.
Join the conversation at facebook.com/myweac.
Ongoing event in Eau Claire: The UW-Eau Claire faculty union (AFT local #6481) is planning a protest every work day at 5:14 p.m. at the Downtown City Parking Lot at the corner of Farwell & Gray to thank our 14 Wisconsin Senators who were forced to leave the state.
Ongoing event in Menomonie: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. every day Monday through Friday, a peaceful march at the Veteran’s Memorial Park on Crescent Street in Menomonie. Signs available. Participants are welcome to come for whatever time they are available.
A Step It Up: We Are Wisconsin Rally! is now planned for Noon - 3 p.m. on the King Street side of the State Capitol. Musical guests include Michelle Shocked, Jon Langford and Ryan Bingham. Speakers include:
Why? Koch Industries is one of the largest polluters in America. The brothers who own the energy conglomerate have given over $100 million to right-wing causes, including pseudoscientific climate-change denial groups, "Tea Party" astroturf, and "free market" solution advocates.
The Koch brothers are major philanthropists, but often use their donations to advance their political agenda. An exhibit they funded in the National Museum of American History seriously underplays the dangers of human caused climate change, suggesting that species will simply evolve in response.
Charles Lewis, the founder of the Center for Public Integrity said they "have a pattern of lawbreaking, political manipulation, and
Image via Wikipedia
In 1950, the Turing Test–named after Alan Turing, a British mathematician and founder of computer science–was established to determine if an artificial intelligence (AI) program could be written that would convince judges–who would pose questions through a computer terminal to a human and the AI program–that they knew whether a human or machine was answering their questions. For the past two decades, a prize of $3,000 was given. In2009, a human won–but just barely.
Recall also Garry Kasparov beating Big Blue in chess in 1996 and then losing to the machine next year.
And just a month ago, Watson beat two human contestants at “Jeopardy.” Looks like AI machines are on a roll
 NYT Gives Us David Koch, Public Benefactor | |
| By: Scarecrow Saturday March 5, 2011 8:08 am | |
John D. Rockefeller
The Times editors and Mr. Koch, it seems, are worried about what people might think of a man whose industries despoil the earth, poison our air and water and cause massive public health problems that cause untold thousands of deaths every year, while using his great wealth and power to corrupt our politics and fund the most radical, anti-human corporate protectionism in America. How could anyone think ill of him?
But Mr. Koch is a human being and he’s suffering from prostate cancer. Hence his dual need to find the cure and have others think well of him. So Michael Cooper and his editors oblige:
Mr. Koch, a billionaire who is perhaps best known for
never again (photo: simiezzz via Flickr)
Much of the political debate in Washington over the next year is going to be dominated by two potential pending crises: a government shutdown and a failure to raise the debt ceiling. If Congress fails to actively and regularly avert them, these crises could significantly disrupt our society, cost money and hamper the economy. Yet both of these are artificial problems created solely by our dysfunctional government. There is no logical reason we can’t permanently remove the potential of ever being hit by either of these two negative events.
Just pass one unlimited increase in the debt ceiling
If Congress ever failed to pass a bill raising the limit, it would cause serious economic problems. Congress could permanently deal with the problem by taking just one vote fully removing any limit on borrowing. Instead, Congress only passes small, incremental increases forcing itself to take a politically unpopular vote on the issue
Filmmaker Michael Moore will march with members of Madison Firefighters Local 311 to the Wisconsin Capitol today and join a mass rally at the King Street entrance around 2 p.m.
Moore will speak up for union rights and cheer on the mass protests at a rally organized by the Wisconsin Wave movement, which has been backed by Wisconsin labor, farm, community and grassroots groups. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, former Mayor Paul Soglin, State Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, Liberty Tree Foundation director and Wisconsin Wave organizer Ben Manski and others will also speak, while singers Ryan Bingham, Jon Langford and Michelle Shocked will also join the rally.
Moore, a long-time supporter of labor rights, is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Capitalism: A Love Story, four of the top nine highest-grossing documentaries of all time. His
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