goveisman's blog

Our Energy Future

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:12:21 -0700

Governor Gaylord Nelson promoted the use of environmental impact statements (EIS). Now comes candidate Nelson EISman and one of the main reasons I am running for Governor is that we need to restore state standards for energy and transportation planning and environmental protection. We have seen the results of moving the responsibilities from our government to the corporations that profit from building roads and providing dirty energy. Our energy costs keep rising and the power company profits increase as our environment declines. Four more dirty coal plants are being developed. Our fish are too toxic to consume. What will be the impact on our public health and economic prosperity? Who will pay to clean up this mess?

Restoring Public Trust in Wisconsin Government

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:55:36 -0700

My campaign to make a HUGE Difference in Wisconsin begins with bringing an honest government to the people.

An honest government will reduce the influence of money in politics by providing candidates a choice to eliminate contributions from corporations and sources outside Wisconsin. I propose that we change the criteria for qualifying to be on the ballot and offer public financing in one step. A candidate for statewide office would need 1,000 signatures on nomination petitions from people qualified to vote, along with a tax-deductible amount of $5.00. Then candidate will choose whether or not to be publicly or privately financed. Their choice will be designated on the ballot along with their party affiliation.

Fixing Education -- 100% State Funding

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:37:29 -0700

If we would fix our schools we must first fix ourselves.

Education needs to begin with prenatal care, safe neighborhoods, and a nurturing community that fosters respect, self-esteem and responsibility. State government determines the economic and social policies that enable local communities to succeed.

The first proposal I have for fixing education is to fix health care. Our present system is inefficient and ineffective and can be remedied without additional cost by expanding BadgerCare to cover complete services for everyone. Without the annual threat of health care costs busting the local school district budget, we can stop the endless program cuts, the QEO and revenue caps, and focus on achieving excellence in education for every student.

Farmers Preferred Over Nazis

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:30:50 -0700

Another disappointing decision by the Doyle's Administration preempts our local Farmers Market On the Square to issue a permit to the so-called National Socialist Party; otherwise known as the white supremacist Nazis. DOA has directed our local farmers to close their stands earlier than normal this Saturday to accommodate the schedule requested by the Nazis.

The Nazis have the same access to publicly express their views as anyone else. However the Farmers Market should be able to have their normal day and clear out before the Nazis perform.

Why would the Doyle Administration disrupt the weekly market and deprive our local farmers of their business opportunity?

Eisman Number One in Clean Election Survey

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:22:00 -0700

Political analyst Jack Lohman asks, “Who won the Fall 2006 Government Ethics Voter Guide Questionnaire distributed by League of Women Voters, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and other state reform groups?” and his answer clearly indicates that Nelson Eisman, the Wisconsin Green Party candidate, gets the “best-in-class” ribbon among the three gubernatorial candidates.

On his popular website www.ThrowTheRascalsOut.org, Lohman examines candidates and their politics with a nonpartisan critical eye, looking for positive change. No one can accuse Lohman of being a card-carrying member of the Green party. To the contrary, in his recent book, Politician: Owned & Operated by Corporate America – Why Campaign Reform is Crucial to the U.S. Economy and National Security! Lohman admits he “voted for Bush... in two presidential elections.”

Marijuana and Me

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:12:00 -0700

In 1965 I vacationed in Mexico before going to Pensacola, Florida to start Navy Flight School, and was stopped coming back into the USA by the border patrol, who found the small amount of marijuana I had bought for recreation. Although I was a first offender and the pre-sentence report recommended probation, the Texas federal judge gave me a 5-year sentence, six months to serve, and the rest suspended on probation, and a $2,000 fine. He had Timothy Leary in his courtroom the week before and was "tired of the drug culture of Eastern intellectuals."

After moving to Madison in 1971, I started a Volunteers in Probation program for youthful offenders. I worked with the court system to create a bail rating system, still in use today. Then I worked as a community organizer and paralegal trainer for The Center for Public Representation, working to include offenders in the Halfway House Association client base. Legitimizing this type of halfway house made it possible for me to successfully negotiate for providers to get direct purchase of service contracts from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. I volunteered with several community groups, including Noah's Ark, Willy Street Coop, and the Voluntary Action Center.

Justice for Janitors: The Best Bargain for Wisconsin

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 18:32:53 -0700

Twice this week I marched in solidarity with the janitors who clean state facilities.

When I joined state service back in the 70’s there were state workers cleaning the state offices. They enjoyed the wages, benefits and dignity of serving the public. Why were their jobs privatized? The public was told we have too many state workers and that is why taxes are so high. That makes sense only if you are going to stop cleaning the offices.

Contracting out state operations has never saved any money. The companies have to pay the workers and make a profit. Sure, they pay them less and give them fewer if any benefits, but the company’s overhead and profits more than make up for the difference. There must be a hidden reason to privatize these ongoing operations.

Under my administration the only contracting out will be for limited engagements of special purposes with a definite deliverable at a specific cost. There will be no more of the fuzzy, open-ended; hope-for-the-best contracting that has wasted so many hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Under my administration the executive sponsor of a $26 Million "error" trying to build a payroll system or an endless spending spree on a voter list will be held accountable. And under my administration a public employee will perform every ongoing state job, including janitors. That is the best bargain for Wisconsin.

All the photos

Why Clean Government is Primary

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:14:28 -0700

The most vital change needed in our state is a clean government focused on the needs of the people of Wisconsin. Government exists to provide people with services they cannot provide for themselves. To me education and health care are primary public services. Everyone needs an education and everyone needs health care. In a democratic society governed by the people their government would meet these needs. Why then are we faced with unaffordable day care, college tuition, and health care? Obviously it is because we do not have a government of the people.

We often hear comments like, “we have the best government money can buy.” Sadly this is not a joke. By forcing candidates to seek obscene amounts of money to be able to afford campaign staff, advertising, pollsters, travel, offices, websites, and professional consultants, we know their sources of money are not going to be without pledged support to special interests. My opponents in the race for Governor of Wisconsin are reported to be spending $30 Million on this campaign. Who gives them this kind of money? Probably not you.

9/11 and Academic Freedom

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 19:48:47 -0700

We may never know the truth about 9/11, as we will always wonder about the assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK, Jr., and Malcolm X.
Is 9/11 another Gulf of Tonkin?

I must admit that as I watched the twin towers collapse, I said to my wife Annette that the sequence and perfection of events speak a strong and clear message: whoever we are we have completely compromised your security. The death of our innocent civilians was appalling. The elegance of the engineering was intriguing.

Intrigue alone is reason to explore all possibilities. We should be encouraging scientists, engineers, forensic experts in explosives, arson and murder to find the truth of what happened and who had to be complicit for these events to occur. On our UW-Madison campus we have at least one brave instructor, Kevin Barrett, willing to suggest these explorations deserve discussion.

Fair Taxes

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 19:11:20 -0700

Fair taxation in Wisconsin has been eroding over many years, as the burden of paying for public services has shifted from corporate profits to working families. Under my administration the budget will be balanced using a fair progressive income tax, and this will include corporate profits.

Wisconsin will join 16 other states that have implemented combined reporting to prevent corporations from defrauding the states in which they make their profits. To see how this works http://newrules.org/retail/taxfaircombined.html.

It has been estimated (http://.cbpp.org/6-30-99tax.htm) that without combined reporting Wisconsin loses over $70Million annually.

Contracting Out Never Works Out

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 16:00:53 -0700

I have been a state employee for over 30 years and I have yet to see a single contracting out effort work for the people of Wisconsin. The state managers who bring in the vendors do not know how to establish the scope of the projects nor specify the requirements in enough detail to hold the contractors accountable. I have personally seen tens of millions of hard-earned taxpayer money just wasted. And when big money is being spent there is always the temptation to mix in corruption for good measure.

Funding Public Parks and Prosperity for All

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:32:49 -0700

Tara Leitner, reporter for the "Peninsula Pulse," a newspaper in Door County, is working on an issue about funding for our state parks. Tara writes, "I'd like to get a perspective on this issue from Mr. Eisman's office, either from him or your media representative. Specifically, I'd like to know how Mr. Eisman feels about the amount of funding for state parks. Does he feel it's adequate, or that more funding is needed? If he thinks more funding is needed, where would he suggest it come from and what exactly would he do with it? I'm trying to wrap up this story by Wednesday, and I'd appreciate any help you can give me."

Letter to My Union Local

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:23:42 -0700

A Special Request from a Candidate

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

This is a unique moment in Wisconsin history; a union activist is running for Governor.
Please help me to win this election by visiting http://voteEisman.org and donating to the campaign. Please also register to volunteer so we can build a structure for success. Together we can do this.

Both of my opponents will further privatize state services. Our bargaining unit and our sister unions will lose members as the race to the bottom continues. My opponents raise “war chests” of corporate money and try to confuse the public with their fighting over who is the more corrupt and issues of little real importance to workers.

Response to WISmedPAC

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:15:06 -0700

Jeremy Levin, Government Relations
WISmedPAC

Dear Jeremy,

Thank you for sending me your questionnaire. It raises important issues that require serious reflection.

As the Wisconsin Green Party candidate for Governor I do not have a policy staff to hand this over to, nor can I spend the time these issues deserve. Therefore I ask you to go to my website http://voteEisman.org and see if my campaign resonates with your concerns.

Please share my website with your friends and ask them if having a clean government is important. Do they value economic justice, green energy and universal health care? I want to make BadgerCare available to everyone and remove the layer of insurance paperwork. To do this I will need the support and assistance of the medical community and the University to forge a new Wisconsin Idea of the practice pf health care. Then doctors can practice medicine instead of insured "maintenance."

Robin Hood

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:00:16 -0700

7/21/06
Today I was interviewed on the HERE AND NOW show by Frederica Freyberg. The first question she asked was about "taxing the rich" and did I think I was Robin Hood. I love that image. Robin Hood was probably the first Green. Who I wonder would be the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and who is cast as the lackey from the even more evil king?

Yes friends I am a rebel in the woods with my merry folk; although we are completely nonviolent this time around. Please join us in our struggle to make Wisconsin proud to be of the people and for the people.