Saturday, February 28, 2015

Book Discussion--The Land Remembers--March 4 at 10:30

Garrison Keillor with author Ben Logan (photo from LaCrosse Tribune)
Bernie Brohaugh will be leading a discussion of The Land Remembers, a memoir by Ben Logan, recounting the author's youth on a southwest Wisconsin farm.  For those of us who did not grow up on a farm but have spent lots of years in Wisconsin with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and students from rural backgrounds, the book provides insights into the farm life.  For those of you who grew up on the farm, you will resonate with many of Logan's experiences.  Come and join us!

The book discussion will be at 10:30 a.m. in the River Falls Public Library in the Meeting Room (as you enter from the parking lot on the right) on Wednesday, March 4th.

If you haven't had time to read the book, the Sept. 2014 obituary of Ben Logan might give you a good sense of his writing.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also provides some good background on the book in its obituary as well.

Here is Michael Perry's tribute to Logan from the Wisconsin State Journal (5 Oct. 2014):  "The Land Remembers Requires Many Reads":

I received the news of author Ben Logan's death while I was in a hotel room many miles from my home. Naturally, I flashed back to his book "The Land Remembers," but more specifically I flashed back to a childhood memory of reading Mr. Logan's book as I reclined on an old bedstead wedged into a corner of our farmhouse porch. I recalled midday summer sun filtering through needled white pine crowns, warm breeze filtering through the screen door, and the chip-chip of sparrows echoing from the barnyard.

It is an overdue blessing of our age that simplistic cultural summaries no longer pass as sufficient, and so on those occasions when I am asked to address the Wisconsin experience (usually when outside the state), I try to point out that despite persistent images it's not all red barns, green fields, and black-and-white cows. The inner city Milwaukee experience, the suburban La Crosse experience, the Great Lakes shoreline experience—these are no less the Wisconsin experience than Alice in Dairyland scarfing cheese curds at a Friday night fish fry before the polka dance (I offer this with apologies to the real Alice in Dairyland, whom I have met and on my honor she was doing none of the things just described).

That said, if—as I was—you were raised in a world of red barns, green fields, and black-and-white cows, then you knew Ben Logan got it right. He evoked a people, a place, and a time with perfect pitch. No straining, no false drama, just clear beautiful scene upon scene. (As a guy known to use three pages to describe a shovel, I sometimes think of Ben Logan and a little voice inside my head says, Maybe just say it's a shovel. )

Perhaps the greater testament to Logan's writing was his ability to convey those things with which we were not familiar. I am thinking in this instance of topography: Logan's was a landscape of valleys and ridges; mine was swamps and flatland. And yet, Logan wrote of the land in such a way that I felt the Driftless Area long before I ever saw it— and when I did finally travel to the southwestern corner of the state, it seemed a reunion. I suspect there are thousands of readers out there who feel the same no matter from where they hail.

I did a lot of reading on that old porch of ours. My dad, who did not treat us like free labor but did expect us to pitch in, once said he lost more man hours to my books addiction than to "football, pickup trucks and girls combined." Even now as I recall myself lazing through "The Land Remembers," I have this image of my father hard at work and wondering when I was going to get around to cleaning the calf pens. And yet — I suspect due to some benevolent intervention by my mother — he allowed me time off from our farm to read about another farm. I had not the slightest inkling that I would one day turn to Ben Logan's work as a source of guidance in creating my own, but there I was, quite unwittingly preparing for the future with a book of memories.

I met Ben Logan once. I thanked him as a reader, and I thanked him as a writer. I tried to keep it simple and short. You know: call a shovel a shovel, and move on. He was gracious, but even so I was left with the nagging feeling that I had failed to convey the depth of my appreciation. How do you prove to someone how their work has affected you without descending into fan-babble?

Perhaps it is this: In my little office over the garage, there is a set of bookshelves. On one of the shelves is a well-worn copy of "The Land Remembers." I know its location by heart. I have read it many times.

And I am not done reading it.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Understanding the Governor's Budget

EDUCATION:  Editorial from 2/21/15 CapTimes insisting that " any 'education reform'that shifts tax dollars away from public schools in order to fund private academies is not sincere and necessary reform. It is an attempt to fool some of the people some of the time with a promise of “reform” that will hurt students and communities."

ECONOMY:  Republican leaders in the WI legislature, backed by Gov. Scott Walker, are going to fast track right-to-work legislation.    It is going to be introduced on Feb. 23.  How would our county and state be affected by such laws?  The per capita income in Pierce County is $27,462; household income is $59, 226 (clearly indicating that two incomes are needed to support a family in this county).  The fact that the average travel time to work in the county is more than 27 minutes also means that the majority of people living in the county work in Minnesota, not Wisconsin.

If Wisconsin becomes a right-to-work state, we can expect the average worker to earn $5,971 less than states without right to work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The median family income will be 12% less than in other states. And 26% of the jobs in those states are low-wage occupations, compared to 18% of the jobs in other states.

In right-to-work states, there are more uninsured people because fewer companies offer insurance coverage, there are greater rates of poverty and infant mortality, and more than 30% less investment in education—when Wisconsin is already disgracefully leading the list of states disinvesting in education.

You might also want to read a report by Marquette University economist Abdur Chowdury providing specifics on how right-to-work laws would affect Wisconsin.
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Many see budget cuts as presidential ploy, according to the New York Times

Wisconsin Budget Project's Summary of the effects of the governor's budget on K-12 education.

Op-ed piece in the New York Times by UW-Milwaukee History Professor Christine Evans discussing how important the Wisconsin Idea and the humanities are to WI students and to the state.

Digging into the details, Paul Fanlund finds the budget targets the DNR, K-12, UW, prisons.  
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Walker's Proposed Cuts to SeniorCare:  Being required to shift to Medicare Part D from Senior Care could cost seniors in one month of prescriptions the full cost of SeniorCare's annual fee.

At Dean Knudson's recent listening session, it was reported that the governor's budget cuts will cut River Falls schools more than $500,000.

Sheila Harsdorf remains vague about the governor's budget, urging citizens to contact her regarding their concerns.


Summary of the Budget (education starts on page 46).  Thanks, Cheryl Maplethorpe.

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Summary of the budget was provided by WisPolitics

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the proposed budget is going to result in huge financial losses to Wisconsin's K-12 schools while allowing removing caps on taxpayer dollars to be used for vouchers at private and charter schools: "Wisconsin's public schools will posed $127 million in state aid in the first year of Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal, according to a provision that district administrators were starting to understand Wednesday."  Additionally, according to Senator Chris Larson, the budget calls for cuts in school breakfast programs, school libraries, and school violence prevention programs.

Another Milwaukee JS piece maintains that the governor's budget would destroy the public school status quo by neglecting public schools and redirecting money to private, parochial, and voucher schools; by eliminating the state's achievement tests, which are consistent with the Common Core, and have been in place for several years; and by lowering standards for teacher licensure.

Specifics regarding public education in the bill:

No increase is special education categorical aids (8th straight year) – eroded funding for 20 years
• No Increase in funding for high cost students (students over $30,000 annually)
• $150 cut per pupil (all pupils)
• No fix for open enrollment to stop the discrimination against students related to “undue financial burden” decisions
• Expansion of vouchers statewide with no limits on students or schools – income capped at 185% poverty level - No accountability or protections for students with disabilities in voucher schools.
• No new career and college ready supports for students with disabilities (no inclusion of youth employment Better Bottom Line Initiatives)
• Schools will be allowed to choose from multiple student achievement tests for accountability purposes (schools will get letter grades) – thus comparisons across schools will not be “apples to apples”
• Proposal that report cards may be “weighted” for students with disabilities – Report cards will be used to take funding away from school districts
• Creation of a State Charter Authorization Board that will be ran by government Appointees which takes away control from locally elected school board



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The proposed budget will cut $15 million dollars over two years for Wisconsin's Senior Care.

The proposal calls for Wisconsin seniors to shift to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, which is more expensive than the current state coverage.St. Paul Pioneer Press 

A recent report shows that UW-Madison is one of the top four research universities in the country, a status threatened by the current budget proposal. 

Despite Walker's claim that language undercutting the Wisconsin Idea was simply a "drafting error," manuscripts show the deliberateness of the changes either by Walker himself or his staff

John Nichols writes in The Nation about Scott Walker's rejection of the Wisconsin Idea

Legislators of both parties are questioning Walker's budget:  "unrest is growing among Republicans who control the Legislature about what Walker is asking them in what will be his final budget before the 2016 campaign."  

Interactive Legislative Map

You can find your representatives in the Wisconsin state legislature in our RFArea REA Directory, or you can go to this nifty site.  Click on your district or type in your address, and your legislator's name and contact information will appear.

Here is a screenshot (not an active map) of the site.  You need to hit the link above to access the interactive map.

Now is the time to write to your legislator on a number of issues pending in this session.


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Minutes of RFAreaREA Meeting on February 18, 2015

Submitted by Laura Zlogar

The meeting was called to order at 11:07 a.m. at the West Wind. (Temperature was 0 degrees.)

In attendance were Glenn Potts, Jeanette Potts, Ruth Wood, Evelyn Johnson, Vicki Cobian (new member), Karen Brohaugh, Bernie Brohaugh, Ethel Johnson, Margarita Hendrickson, Cheryl Maplethorpe.

Business

1.    Minutes, published in the February newsletter, were approved.

2.    The treasurer's report, published in the newsletter, was accepted and will be forwarded for audit.
3.  Legislative Report (Laura Zlogar, substitute for Jane Harred) focused upon some of the key elements of the governor's budget proposal:
Public Schools
  • Support to Wisconsin public schools will be reduced by $98 million over two years.  This amount is on top of other cuts schools have already experienced:  15% less per student from 2008 to 2014 or $1,014 less per student during that period.
  • Since the budget will not allow any increase in property tax, it will result in $150 per student in 2015-16.
  • River Falls School District will lose $500,000 in this budget.
  • Expansion of the voucher program will mean less money available to the public schools.  The governor proposes an increase of $17.2 million to support school vouchers, an amount lost to support public education.
  • $12.9 million of new money is designated for charter schools.
  • Requirements for teacher licensing will be loosened:  anyone with a bachelor's degree, "relevant experience," and "demonstrated proficiency in a subject" could apply for a 6-12th grade level teaching license.
  • $4.5 is requested to rework the accountability assessments according to the governor's and legislature's new standards.
  • $5 million is required to implement the new ACT standards to replace the Common Core currently being used.
  • The Common Core requirements would be replaced.
Agriculture, Environment, DNR
  • The governor's budget calls for all citizen boards governing these areas would be reduced to advisory boards with no absolute authority.
  • The budget calls for the firing of 46 scientists at the DNR responsible for research on wildlife, water quality, forestry, wetlands, mining, public health, and other areas.
  • State park fees would be raised, though the increases would go to the state's general fund, not to the parks directly.
Higher Education
  • The governor is calling for $300 million dollars to be cut from the UW System budget.  UWRF would lose $4.2 million over two years.  These drastic cuts are 13% less than current support and will necessitate layoffs of faculty and staff on every campus, academic programs to be cut, research to be eliminated, extension services to end.
  • The budget also calls for a tuition freeze over the next two years.  At the end of that period, tuition is expected to skyrocket.
  • The budget calls for an end to regulation and oversight over for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix or Globe University.
Health
  • $15 million would be cut to SeniorCare, a state program that helps 85,000 low-income seniors in this state to purchase prescription medication.  This would result in seniors having to buy medications through Medicare Part D, which will cost $90 million more than through SeniorCare.  The program would also lose $66 million in matching funds from the federal government
  • The governor is also proposing $2,000 incentive for state employees to opt out of state health insurance coverage (presumably to be covered by a spouse's insurance provided by private business, thereby increasing business costs in the state).
  • The governor is continuing to refuse federal Medicaid expansion, which has cost the state taxpayers more than $66 million dollars in lost revenue over three years.
Transportation
  • The governor's budget calls for borrowing $1.3 billion dollars for new roads and bridges rather than raise the gas tax.  The legislature already approved the governor's request two years ago for $2 billion in bonds for building and transportation.  The new bonds would be in addition to the debt already incurred.
Communication with legislators on these issues is important.  Contact information is in the Directory and listed below:

State Senator Sheila Harsdorf (District 10), N6627 Cty Rd. EE, River Falls, WI 54022, Phone:  715-232-1390Room 18 South Capital, Madison, WI 53707-7882, Phone:  608-266-7745;800-862-1092; FAX 608-267-0369.  Email:   sen.harsdorf@legis.wisconsin.gov

State Assemblyman Dean Knudson (District 30), 1753 Laurel Ave., Hudson, WI 54016,  220 North Capitol, P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708, Ph:608-266-1526; Toll-free:  888-529-0030, fax: 608-282-3630.  Email:  Rep.Knudson@legis.wisconsin.gov


4.  Programming chair Ruth Wood reminded members of the following upcoming meetings:
  • March 4 at 10:30 RFAreaREA will be hosting a book discussion at the River Falls Public Library in the meeting room off the lobby as part of the River Falls Reads program.  We will be discussing Ben Logan's memoir of life on a southwest Wisconsin farm, The Land Remembers. The public is also invited.  Please attend, even if you don't have a chance to the read the book.
  • March 11 at 4:30 in the River Falls Public High School library, Roger Byers will be leading a meeting for area teachers ready to retire.  RFAreaREA has traditionally been the host.  Bernie and Laura will be there.  Contact Bernie if you are able to help also (with refreshments, distributing materials, etc.)
  • March 18 at 11:00 at the West Wind--Kathy Otto, Archivist at UWRF Library will do a presentation on tracing one's genealogy.  Kathy has much experience in this area, including exploring documents not written in English.  UWRF also has an extensive collection of documents from western Wisconsin and Pierce County that will interest members native to this area.  The Board will meet at 10:00 on the 18th also prior to the membership meeting.  Anyone can attend board meetings.
  • Ruth also distributed materials on areas of interest for future programming and exploring a silent auction.  We may need to hold that at a time and location with more people (RFHS craft show, Moose Lodge pancake breakfast?)
5.  By-laws Chair Bernie Brohaugh distributed proposed changes to RFAreaREA's by-laws for a first reading.  These changes are also available in the February newsletter.  They will be voted upon at the next business meeting, to be held on April 1 at 11:00.

6.  Scholarships:  Naomi Brandt has distributed materials to area schools for scholarship applications.  Support from Royal Neighbors for this year will be reduced to $500 matched to what we are raise at our bake sale on April 2nd.  We may need to consider ways to raise more money to support our scholarships.

7.  Volunteer opportunities are something that we have discussed in the past.  Members are urged to contact Bernie Brohaugh with ideas in that regard.

Meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m., followed by lunch and a program discussing lessons we loved to teach.  Glenn Potts, Ethel Johnson, Vicki Cobian, and Margarita Hendrickson shared some of their favorite books and lessons.