Education

Wisconsin innovations: worker's compensation, public employee unions, The Wave and now: Protest pizza via the Web

September 23, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Egyptians send pizzaIt's historical fact that Wisconsin was the birthplace of many progressive ideas, including worker's compensation, public employee unions, child labor laws, and more. Some even have advanced convincing arguments that the nationwide sports stadium phenomenon known as The Wave originated at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison during boring late '60s Badger games.

Now add to the Wisconsin innovation list this: Protest Pizza via Web. During last spring's massive protests in Madison relating to Gov. Walker's union-busting bill, sympathizers in Egypt and nearly 50 other countries ordered pizza by email for hungry demonstrators surrounding the state Capitol. The idea originted with sympathizers across Wisconsin and quickly spread worldwide. 

Pizza by Web has now become a part of long-form, sit-in protests elsewhere. The current mass protests on Wall Street in New York City are the latest venue. From a post at FireDogLake.com:

Tackling rising health care costs - Now is the time to act

September 23, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

The Heath Affairs magazine arrived this week at my Capitol office. The headline shouted to me: “New Urgency to Lower Health Costs.” The words echoed the calls of many who pay too much and get too little for their health insurance dollar.

Often conversations with constituents turn to the continued struggle folks face with rising health premiums. New research published this month in the journal Health Affairs confirm when it comes to health care we are paying more and getting less.

One study by the Rand Corporation found workers’ monthly health care bills doubled in the past ten years. The L.A. Times reported, “Rising out-of-pocket medical bills were so corrosive…they virtually wiped out income gains over the decade, leaving the typical family with just $95 more a month to spend on things other than health care in 2009, compared with 1999.”

The Health Affairs article reported the typical family would have $545 more a month in 2009 if health costs had not dramatically exceeded the rate of inflation.

A study released by Commonwealth Fund found nationally the number of uninsured climbed to 52 million people under age 65. Over the past seven years the number of people with poor or inadequate health coverage grew by fifty percent. This is a 9% increase in just three years.

Stop the Sneaky BCBS Double-Digit Rate Hike

September 21, 2011 by Democracy for N...

Take Action: Sign the petition at : Health Action New Mexico or view it directly at http://tinyurl.com/StopBCBS.

They're at it again! Less than one year after imposing a 21% rate increase on individual health insurance policy premiums, self-employed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico customers last month received a letter informing them that another double-digit rate increase is coming. This proposed rate increase by BCBS comes right before new strict rate-review guidelines are to go into effect thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the national health reform law that cracks down on double-digit rate increases through increased scrutiny.

Wisconsin innovations: worker's compensation, public employee unions, The Wave and now: Protest pizza via the Web

September 20, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Egyptians send pizzaIt's historical fact that Wisconsin was the birthplace of many progressive ideas, including worker's compensation, public employee unions, child labor laws, and more. Some even have advanced convincing arguments that the nationwide sports stadium phenomenon known as The Wave originated at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison during boring late '60s Badger games.

Now add to the Wisconsin innovation list this: Protest Pizza via Web. During last spring's massive protests in Madison relating to Gov. Walker's union-busting bill, sympathizers in Egypt and nearly 50 other countries ordered pizza by email for hungry demonstrators surrounding the state Capitol. The idea originted with sympathizers across Wisconsin and quickly spread worldwide. 

Pizza by Web has now become a part of long-form, sit-in protests elsewhere. The current mass protests on Wall Street in New York City are the latest venue. From a post at FireDogLake.com: