Weekly News from Your Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair .      International Workers Day & #DayWithoutLatinos A principle at the very core of our platform as Democrats is the idea of fairness -- that no matter where you start, you deserve the tools and opportunities to get ahead and family-supporting wages to get there. That’s why we support labor unions and believe that every worker deserves the right to negotiate for fair wages and working conditions. This Tuesday was May Day, or International Worker’s Day, and I’m proud of the rich labor tradition we have here in Wisconsin. When Scott Walker and legislative Republicans outright attacked public unions, Democrats, progressives and workers across the state came together in the tens of thousands to protest these injustices. While Act 10 has become our reality, improving the working conditions and wages of Wisconsin’s workers still remains a priority for Wisconsin Democrats. We believe in raising the minimum wage, equal pay for equal work, and the right of workers to unionize. No matter what attacks Republicans lob our way, sticking up for hardworking Wisconsinites will always be important to us.

Members of our Latinx and immigrant communities also used International Workers’s Day to demonstrate the huge role their work plays in our communities and local economies. Across Wisconsin, thousands participated in “Day Without Latinos” marches to demand protection from ICE agents tearing families and communities apart.

Immigrants are our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, but they’re also simply people, and they deserve to be treated by our government with humanity and compassion regardless of their legal status.

We need to welcome and protect our neighbors with open arms no matter their race, faith, gender, sexuality, ability or legal status. Hate has no place in our communities.

 

Our Democratic Attorney General candidate Josh Kaul and Rep. Mark Pocan held a joint press conference this week calling on Brad Schimel to join the group of Attorney Generals suing to protect our free and open internet. "The elimination of net neutrality puts more power into the hands of big cable companies, and it hurts Wisconsin businesses and consumers," Kaul said. "AGs from more than 20 states have gone to court to stand up for a free and open Internet, and Wisconsin should be part of that challenge." I couldn’t be more thrilled that we have such a strong advocate for our families and local businesses running to unseat Brad Schimel. Net neutrality creates a level playing field for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and it’s fundamental to protecting free speech, innovation, education and a competitive economy. Our government has the important job of protecting our interests and Wisconsin’s Attorney General needs to protect the interests of Wisconsinites, not that of corporations. Serving Our Country is Patriotic, Not Partisan   U.S. Navy Veteran Tracey Sperko, a member of our Veterans Caucus, issued a statement on our behalf following Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson questioning the “cognitive thought process” of Democratic service members and veterans: "Military service isn't about progressive values or being a conservative -- it comes down to love of country and a sense of duty. My oath of enlistment was to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and not an oath to any political party. "As a Navy veteran, I'm deeply troubled by Kevin Nicholson's attempt to politicize military service to advance his own political career while tearing down fellow veterans -- it's wrong, and it epitomizes the toxic partisanship that Wisconsinites hate about Washington."     The Price Tag for Foxconn Keeps Adding Up First Scott Walker told us that bringing Foxconn to Wisconsin would cost taxpayers $3 billion. Then that number rose to $4.5 billion. Then we were told our air would be polluted, road projects delayed and defunded, and our courts manipulated all for Foxconn’s benefit. And that's barely scratching the surface... Now one of Foxconn’s main suppliers is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars to locate to Wisconsin!  Imagine how different our state would look if instead of doling out a $4.5 billion taxpayer handout to Foxconn, we had invested that money in our home-grown Wisconsin entrepreneurs and small businesses, or if we had fixed our crumbling roads and fully funded our public schools and classrooms?

This past week was #SmallBusinessWeek. Democrats have always been champions for the “little guy” -- while the GOP has given handouts to the wealthiest corporations like Exxon and Wells Fargo, small businesses and local economies have been left behind.

If we want to create an economy that works for everyone, we have to be a state that fosters entrepreneurism. We must invest in education and innovation in order to be an incubator for small businesses to grow and thrive in Wisconsin.

I truly believe that if we had invested even just a portion of the payout we’re giving Foxconn in supporting and expanding opportunities for our Wisconsin small businesses, we’d see much more economic development and job growth with less risk.  Using even a fraction of that $4.5 billion payment in an actual investment in thousands of local start-ups would be a true investment in Wisconsin.