Progressive Webmasters

Senator Kreitlow--a Freshman Fighting for Wisconsinites

bschmock — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:53:30 -0500

On May 21, I had a chance to attend Wisconsin State Senator Kreitlow's listening session at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire. A number of topics were brought up by constituents--gas prices, railway transportation, higher education, healthcare, the Iraq War, farming, etc. But the topic of most importance to me--as a UW-Madison student--was NOT sky-rocketing tuition or universal healthcare; instead, I was most interested in bipartisanship. We will only see effective policies implemented if our elected officials commit to working across party lines.

As a first term Senator, I hope Senator Kreitlow is committed to finding real solutions during this partisan age. Admittedly, his positions are often along party lines. Nonetheless, throughout the listening session, Kreitlow talked about the need for compromise and respecting the views of people you may not agree with.

As I listened to Senator Kreitlow, I couldn't help but think about State Representative Musser--a Republican of Black River Falls--who will not be seeking re-election because he is "fed up" with the partisan ways that have come to dominate politics.

The Capital Times reported:

After 24 years in the Assembly State Rep. Terry M. Musser, R-Black River Falls, will not seek re-election this fall, saying he is "fed up" with how "nasty" politics have become in the state.

"The last straw was the personal attacks I received in (Assembly Republican) caucus on the compassionate care bill. Before then I was thinking I may be giving it one more term, but not after that," Musser said from his Capitol office Wednesday.

. . .

The senior ranking Republican in the Assembly said he has had enough of the political battleground where adherence to ideology makes collegiality nearly impossible. Instead, he will retire to his Jackson County farm where his cows give him fewer problems, he said.

"I think the people of Wisconsin appreciate bipartisanship; that's what was needed in the last two budget bills, but too many people in this puzzle palace think that's a sign of weakness. I've never understood that, so it's time to go back to my cows who are much more reasonable," he said.

As retired members of the Legislature have said, Musser said he remembers when legislators could debate a bill on the Assembly floor and then go out have a drink with them. But now that friendship doesn't even carry over from his own Republican caucus when he on the other side of a debate.

"I was shocked at the venom in our closed caucuses I knew it would be rough, but the personal attacks in the caucuses just blows my mind," he said.

. . .

"For years I've tried 'working across the aisle' but it seems like there are too many now that only talk about it but don't do it. Now, it's 'my way or the highway,'" he said.

It is interesting that the extreme attacks that Assembly Representative felt were from within his own party. At a time when Wisconsinites are demanding solutions from their leaders, political parties are continuing to entrench themselves in ideologies.

Old timers, like Representative Musser, seem to always remember the good ol' days of politics--when ideological and political differences existed, but when compromises where still made. Where have these good ol' days gone? I'm far to young--at 23 years old--to remember an era that existed without 24-hour-news-shows and talk-radio-line-ups that epitomize partisan bickering. Today, compromises are more often portrayed as signs of weakness or acts of betrayal.

In his book The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama also addresses the idea of vehement partisanship. Americans--and Wisconsinites--have the right to demand solutions from their leaders. They have a right to demand that compromises be made to find those solutions. I firmly believe that we need more Freshman Senators who are committed to a new kind of politics that produces results.

As a side note, I will be trying my hardest in this blog to keep talks of politics away from personal attacks. I understand that my views and opinions may, at times, appear partisan. However, this does not mean that I am not willing to listen to the other side; it does not mean that I am not willing to concede my position to a better one; and, it does not mean that I would not seek compromise. Instead of attacking the opposite party, I will use this blog as a way to combat something more important--Mainstream Media (See Post: "I LOVE/HATE the Mainstream Media").

Progressive Webmasters

Going on vacation

Steve Hanson — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:40:10 -0500

Hi -

I'm going to be out of town starting this afternoon, and then pretty much till Oct. 15. I'll be checking my email, etc. at least every couple of days - but things will be a little slow in the contact department till after I get back, so don't expect real quick response to anything.

I'll be in Minneapolis at Nordic Roots Festival over the weekend, then leaving for Nova Scotia for a while. Then going immediately to a business show for 2 days, so it's gonna be nuts.

Progressive Webmasters

Wisconsin Progressive Blogger Meeting

Steve Hanson — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:28:12 -0600

A few of us have been kicking around the idea of having a meeting for progressive bloggers and webmasters later in the year. It struck me that one good possibility might be to do this in conjunction with Fighting Bob Fest - but I'm very open to suggestions. Ideas ? Either comment here or drop me a line through the contact button at the top of the site.

Progressive Webmasters

Wednesday is Citizen Conservation Lobby Day in Madison

James Rowen — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:31:11 -0600

Be a Citizen Conservation Lobbyist in Madison Wednesday

Wednesday, February 21st is Conservation Lobby Day 2007 - - the date on which conservationists will gather to button-hole legislators at the State Capitol and talk to them about pressing Wisconsin environmental issues.

Power plant siting. Ground and surface water protections. Wildlife habitat and wetlands preservation. And more.

On all the other days, big-shot lobbyists with bigger-dollar clients will have their routine policy and legislative way with representatives and senators, but Wednesday is when you can organize with like-minded Wisconsinites make a direct impact.

The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is one of the groups that is helping organize this event: check out the details here and get involved.

Progressive Webmasters

Uppity Wisconsin at the Big Ed Festival

Steve Hanson — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:54:06 -0500

Come visit us at the Big Ed Progressive Festival in Baldwin on Sunday the 8th. We'll be there with the Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin booth.

Progressive Webmasters

Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin Looking for Members

Steve Hanson — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 13:57:22 -0500

You may have noticed the Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin Blogroll or the Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin web ring on this site lately.

We've been trying to get together a group of Wisconsin web sites devoted to progressive causes, or with a progressive slant on life. The group has been growing quite a lot lately, and we're looking for more members.

The goals of this group are to share information (technical, political, and otherwise), to help promote each others sites, and to get to know each other and have a little fun in the process. Uppity Wisconsin is sponsoring a Progressive Webmasters booth or table at a number of state progressive events. We were recently at Fighting Bob Fest (along with borges from Kicktime ) and hope to be at more events soon including the Big Ed Progressive Festival.

We're working on some joint tools, like a shared blogroll and web ring. If you have a progressive Wisconsin-based blog, we'd like to hear from you . The links listed below will get you signed up, and we'll be in touch from then on. Please join us in helping each other out and working together to make Wisconsin progressive again.

Progressive Webmasters

Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin Web Ring

Steve Hanson — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:40:41 -0500

This is the Home Page of the Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin Web Ring.

The Progressive Webmasters of Wisconsin is an organization of web sites devoted to progressive causes.

If you run a progressive web site you can add yourself to our web ring (we'll have to approve you, of course) by clicking on the add a site link below.

Sites in ring

Ring Statistics

Search the Ring

Add a New Site - Note that you must add the code to your site before it can become an active member of the ring.

Get HTML Code/Edit Site

Progressive Webmasters

Here We Go

Steve Hanson — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 15:13:09 -0500

At the moment I'm furiously getting together some stuff for the Fighting Bob Fest this weekend. I'm hoping that the PWMW group can get some traction during the Fighting Bob Fest and we can get some new members and a little more involvement.

In the mean time - please sign up for this subgroup on Uppity Wisconsin, and let's talk about new and great ideas, etc.

Progressive Webmasters

Working Together as Progressives

Steve Hanson — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:11:11 -0500

I've created this topic as an area to discuss how we could work together better as Wisconsin progressives. I have been trying for some time to put together a more cooperative atmosphere for different progressive groups in the state, and to promote more cooperative ventures between different web technologies working for change.

This has been going considerably less than well. So I ask the question - what specifically can we do to work together better as progressives, particularly in the areas of technology and spreading the word via any means?

Progressive Webmasters

Progressive Web Site Association

Steve Hanson — Thu, 25 May 2006 14:57:33 -0500

Progressives have a hard slog ahead of them. The election is coming up, and will bring with it not only a lot of very important candidate choices, but also state-wide referenda of great importance. It's time we stop acting like we're a whole log of different totally self-interested one-issue groups, and start to act like we're all in this together and need to help each other out toward a common goal of improving life in Wisconsin and the world.

This is the reason I started this web site - to provide a big umbrella for different progressive groups in the state that want to work together. But I don't think that's nearly enough.

To that end, I'd like to propose that we start a coalition of progressive webmasters and bloggers in Wisconsin. We could share resources. We could share ideas. We could work together to fight the incredible backsliding into the 19th century that is happening in Wisconsin and the country. I have a few ideas, some of which I'll bring up here. I'd love to know if anyone else has any other ideas on how we could work together. The right wing-nut people are working together a lot more effectively than we do (see Badger Blogger Alliance ). They work together. They have picnics and have fun. Don't see why we can't do the same. Besides, everyone knows that Progressives are MUCH more fun at parties anyhow!

I'm thinking we could do things like:

A Wisconsin Progressive web site banner exchange - we already have an ad server here - we could share it.
Sharing promotional resources- for example, I've thought it would be great if some of us could get together to mutually promote our sites and progressive politics at events, etc.
Build a directory - by the way - PLEASE add your progressive web site to this site - just click on the Submit Link thingy at the top of the page.
Start a Wisconsin Progressive web ring
Start a Wisconsin Progressive blog carnival
We might be able to work out a deal to save some money - for example, my consulting company would gladly give a discount on web hosting to members. I'm sure that as a group we could wangle some other stuff.
Wouldn't it be fun to share some content in an organized fashion? For example, I'd really like to run political cartoons. Maybe we could share our strengths.
A Progressive Web Site Assocation booth at Fighting Bob Fest in September. I'm reserving a booth for us - please let me know if your group would like to participate either by helping at the booth or by being included in the information.
I'm sure there's more.

In any case - If you are at all interested, contact me. Just use the contact us button at the top of the page to email me. Let's get something going.