Have a Happy & Peaceful Thanksgiving!
Great discussions Wednesday night at our monthly meeting. We had our Wisconsin Progress representative Lori Hawkins talk about all the resources her organization has to help us run for office. Last election cycle she worked with two of our candidate heroes, Dana Glasstein and Jack Holzman. Dana announced that she will be running again to unseat Paul Melotik in Assembly District 22. AD 22 includes all of Port Washington, all of Grafton and Cedarburg, a portion of Mequon, and a small slice of Germantown. If you live in those communities, look for Dana and her gang knocking on your door. Thank you for running, Dana!
Two legislative notes: our great State Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin crafted a bill to regulate data centers. It would regulate energy use, water use and labor practices of data centers with dozens of facilities in the works across Wisconsin. Currently there are no rules or regulations. This is incredibly important.
Because the state is one big legislative puzzle, our Democratic assemblyman to the north in Assembly District 26, Joe Sheehan, has put forward a “Kids First” bill. The bill includes general aid increases (so districts do not need to continually go to referendum), plus a requirement that all tax bills indicate how much of their property tax bills goes to vouchers for private schools. In addition, it includes a provision to provide healthy meals for all kids (breakfast and lunch) with no income bracket exclusions like our sister state Minnesota. Legislative floor sessions are planned to finish on Nov. 20 and be to the governor's desk by Dec. 5.
In addition to the environmental concerns Ozaukee County has with the giant data center in Port Washington, Town of Cedarburg residents are raising alarms about the proposal from two town residents to create a private 13-acre “ski pond” on their property. Town citizens have organized an advocacy group called “Save Cedar Creek/Stop the Gauthier Pond Proposal.” They have been meeting and protesting this assault on water rights in our county. Go to their Facebook page for more information, sign the petition and do what you can.
Nationally, could President Trump get more insulting and embarrassing? The answer is “Yes.” Could the Republicans get more creepy? The answer to that is also “Yes.” With the Epstein files ready to be released and Trump helping out convicted sexual predator Ghislaine Maxwell and interfering in the prosecution of sex trafficker Andrew Tate, it makes sense that he would try to appoint someone like Matt Gaetz to be his head of the DOJ. Fortunately he was not successful on that one, although sneering Pam Bondi also has very questionable integrity
On Nov. 13, Michael Schmidt reported in The New York Times the story of the 17-year-old girl whom the House Ethics Committee found was likely paid to have sex with former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). The girl was a homeless high schooler who needed to supplement the money she made from her job at McDonald’s to be able to pay for braces.
Through a “sugar dating” website that connected older men with younger women, she met Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, who introduced her to Gaetz. Both men allegedly took drugs with her and paid her for sex – allegedly including at a party at the home of a former Republican member of the Florida legislature, Chris Dorworth.
Seriously, what is wrong with these people and the people who elect them?
Aren’t you grateful that we stand on the other side of not only the aisle from these people, but of morality? Our county party has lots of fun and interesting things coming up in the next few weeks. Sign up to walk with us in the Grafton Christmas Parade on Nov. 29 and then join us afterwards for hot chocolate and conversation at the office.
For all the deer hunters out there, have a safe hunt. To all of our county party families, have a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving.