Occupy Movement Targets Big Businesses That “Control” Political System

Click picture to hear Occupy Milwaukee supporters talk about why they are there

Todd Stoner and Anthony D Williams Jr discuss the importance of Occupy Milwaukee and why Milwaukee as a community is crucial to this movement.

Why is Occupy Milwaukee important to you both?

Anthony B. Williams: “It’s a way to bring light on a touchy subject that’s been going on in America for centuries. It didn’t just start.”

Williams says “The 99 percent will no longer stand for the things that have been going on in America that have brought us tot where we are right now as far as a recession.

Todd Stoner sees Occupy Wall Street as an opportunity to educate the public about inequality, corruption and the connection between “big business, big money and politics.”

“It’s working. We have wide support despite what you can see on corporate media, the vast majority of the people in Milwaukee agree that things are messed up. That’s there’s far too much money in the hands of the one percent. And that we the 99 percent need more of a voice.”

Income inequality and joblessness should be at “the forefront of the media” says Stoner. He sees Occupy Milwaukee is one way of doing that.

Poverty and segregation motivating “occupy” movement in Milwaukee … Continue Reading

Wisconsin GOP Senate Majority Remains At 1 Vote

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has seen his Republican Senate majority cut from 5 votes to 1 vote.

Senator Jim Holperin (D-Conover) beat challenger and tea party activist Kim Simac of Eagle River. Senator Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) easily topped Republican lawyer Jonathan Steitz.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said the recalls will force Governor Walker to take a more moderate approach. “The victories tonight of Senators Wirch and Holperin cap off successful recall elections this summer for Democrats, progressives, moderates and independents. Democrats won more races, recalled two Republican senators, protected every Democratic incumbent, shifted the balance of power in the state Senate away from conservatives, and forced Walker and the GOP to pay public lip service to moderation and bipartisanship for the first time since they took power in January. All of these facts show that voters gave Democrats the overall victory in this summer’s historic senate recall elections.”

Taking the Fight to the Ballot Box: Wisconsin’s Recall Election Primaries

Click picture to watch video on Wisconsin recall voting

Nine Wisconsin State Senators, including six Republicans and three Democrats, are running in recall elections this summer in response to voter outrage over the questionable process used when Republicans cast votes on the bill to strip public workers of their unions. Republicans forced Democrats to hold primaries in the six Republican incumbents districts by recruiting Republicans to run as “protest candidates” in the Democratic primary. All of the “protest candidates” lost.

For this video, we checked in on the primary race in Senator Luther Olsen’s district. Senator Olsen represents the Central Wisconsin communities of Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Waupaca and New London, among others. Senator Olsen faced two challengers today: Democratic Representative Fred Clark and GOP Protest candidate Rol Church.

We stopped in on all three polling places in Baraboo. Turnout was light, with each polling place reporting fewer than 200 voters as of 10am. Ida DeKeyser and Karen Lawson, two poll workers at Baraboo’s East School, said they usually see a thousand people vote in a typical spring election.

As voter Bill Schlewey said “Wisconsinites are known fighters and this is another fight we’re not going to go down easy on.” Sam Mayfield, is working on a documentary film about the gentle uprising in Wisconsin. For more information visit her blog.

Steelworkers Union Shifts Political Focus From Federal to State Elections

During an interview with The UpTake at Netroots Nation, United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard said that, in the future, organized labor would invest more resources in state politics. The Steelworkers have traditionally spent 70 percent of their political donations and manpower to influence national elections, and only 30 percent on state elections. But Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s assault on collective bargaining rights, and organized labor’s existential struggle in Madison this past winter, have convinced Gerard that state politics cannot be ignored.

Tens of Thousands Protest in Madison

Thousands protest in “Walkerville” outside the Wisconsin State Capitol as the Republican-controlled State Assembly debates the budget. Lawmakers in both the Assembly and Senate are pushing this week toward final passage of Governor Scott Walker’s union-busting legislation. The UpTake’s Sam Mayfield — who was briefly arrested by Capitol Police last week — is in Madison filming the demonstration.

Journalist Tells Her Story Of Arrest In Wisconsin

Video and text by Sam Mayfield- cross posted from her Sam Land blog
On June 6th two journalists were arrested at the state capital in Madison, WI.

I was one of them.

I was grabbed by an aggressive and very escalated police officer after walking in to the state capital on Jne 6th. Officer Corcoran told me to leave, to “get out”. It was bewildering because I was already in the building and was simply walking by him filming my way in to the rotunda.

He grabbed me aggressively. I told him, in the friendliest voice I could find, that I was with the press. He let me walk by.

I recognized him from the many times I have been in the building over the past four months covering the gentle uprising as it develops and unfolds around Governor Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill.

Assistant hauled away in handcuffs … Continue Reading

Wisconsin Police Tackle, Arrest Credentialed Reporters

These are edited “highlights” of police arresting photo journalist Alex Noguera-Garces at the Wisconsin Capitol after she video taped police locking the doors to the building.

Alex is working with The UpTake’s Sam Mayfield on a documentary about Wisconsin trying to take away workers’ rights.

@0:32 you can hear Sam Mayfield say “She’s with the press” to which the police officer says “then you can go too”.

@1:00 Alex pulls swings her wrists that are holding her camera and brings out her camera. Sam takes the camera. The officer lunges out of the elevator and tackles Sam.

@1:21 the police officer is asked “why did you tackle a reporter”. “I didn’t tackle her” says the police officer. “yes you did” respond several eyewitnesses in the crowd. “Why don’t you let her go, she has credentials? She has press credentials.”

“She’s obstructing an arrest” replies the police officer.

“Why are you arresting her in the first place, she’s a member of the press.”
“Because I filmed him closing the doors” says Alex . “I was filming you closing the doors and that was it. I was in the building. I did not resist arrest once, I did not want my camera taken away from me because I felt it would fall on the floor that is what happened. ”

Alex: “I want that camera not to fall on the floor. It’s my brother’s… ”

“It’s evidence” says another police officer .

“So what are we being held for right now” says Sam “So why did you grab me ? “I told you to leave before and then we had more come in.” said the arresting officer. “I was inside the capitol building, why on earth would I leave?” “Excuse me, she’s shaking and trembling , we need to give her a moment . Excuse me. Excuse me. This is not safe right now. Do you see what’s happening to her ?”

Police Detain UpTake Journalist For Helping Her Assistant

Earlier today, “BadgerGurl88″ shot this video of videographer Sam Mayfield being detained by Wisconsin State Police at the Capitol in Madison. Sam is in town working on a documentary film about upstart Republican Governor Scott Walker’s crusade to take away workers’ collective bargaining rights. She has shot video of the historic labor demonstrations periodically this spring for The UpTake.

Sam checked in with us immediately after this incident. She is being charged with disorderly conduct. Watch the video for yourself and decide if that’s an overreach by police. Watch what happens @1:31 into the video

The woman in the video who is initially being arrested by police is Sam’s assistant Alex Noguera-Garces who is helping her shoot the documentary. According to Sam, Alex was arrested after she videotaped police “roughing up” people. Alex was told to leave the public building, which she didn’t and then she was arrested.

As Alex is being ushered into the elevator she hands Sam the camera she has been using to shoot. Police drag Alex out of the elevator and chase down Sam, putting her in a bear hug. The two are both taken into the elevator. Sam is later charged with disorderly conduct and released.

Although being mostly ignored by the media, the workers’ rights movement in Madison, Wisconsin continues to maintain a presence at the State Capitol, now in “Walkerville” a tent city named after the Wisconsin’s Governor — much like shanty towns were named “Hoovervilles” to mock the Great Depression policies of President Herbert Hoover.

This isn’t the first time that police have arrested journalists trying to protect their helpers. You may recall during the Republican National Convention, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman was arrested for protecting one of her journalists. Listen to Goodman talk about how she is suing over the incident here. You may find interesting parallels between the two situations.

Wisconsin Circuit Court Rules Against Anti-Collective Bargaining Law

Concluding that the Republican-led Wisconsin legislature violated the Open Meetings Law when it rammed through Governor Scott Walker’s anti-collective bargaining legislation on March 9 and 10, Judge Maryann Sumi of the Wisconsin Circuit Court Branch 2 (located in Monroe County, near the state’s southern border with Illinois) ruled overturned the controversial law today. The fight is expected to proceed to the state supreme court, whose political makeup rests in the outcome of the David Prosser-JoAnn Kloppenberg recount. Prosser, the conservative incumbent, defeated Prosser in a heated race, but the challenger could appeal to the courts.

Read the Circuit Court’s ruling here:
Wisconsin Circuit Court Ruling Striking Down Wisconsin Anti-Workers’ Rights Law

Wisconsin Workers’ Rights Rally Draws More Than Palin Rally

Pictures by Tracey Pollock
This weekend in Madison, 10,000 to 15,000 people protested Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget and his elimination of nearly all collective bargaining rights of public sector employees. The bargaining rights issue is currently tied up in the courts.

Although this weekend’s protest does not match the over 150,000 people who showed up to the last large rally in March, the movement has clearly not stopped in Wisconsin. For some perspective, recall the rally that conservative superstar Sarah Palin held in Madison in April where less than a 1,000 people showed their support for Governor Walker.

At this weekend’s rally, several speakers told the crowd that the fight for labor, immigrant, women’s, education rights is not over. Speakers included Phil Neuenfeldt, president of WI AFL-CIO; Alex Hannah of TAA; Christian Pacheco, an undocumented high school senior speaking for Voces de la Frontera; Mahlon Mitchell of Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin; and Jon Erpenbach Wisconsin state senator 27th district. Erpenbach urged the crowd to not come back to Madison, but help out with the recall elections in or near their home districts as the next action against Governor Walker and Republican legislators.

More pictures … Continue Reading