GAB To Request Permission To Delete Voting Machine Memory Before Recount

According to the Journal Sentinel, the Government Accountability Board "will file paperwork Thursday in Dane County Circuit Court to seek permission to clear the memory devices on some voting machines," destroying evidence from the original Wisconsin Supreme Court election results. They state 31 counties need to clear their devices "so ballots can be run through them again for the recount." The GAB must ask the court for permission, because Wisconsin law says that the devices cannot be cleared during a recount.

This appears to be true given this memo from the GAB on April 14th,

"We are receiving information from some county clerks who use [PROM] packs with tabulating equipment for their voting systems, and they report that they are unable to get sufficient additional [PROM] packs from their respective vendors to conduct the recount, while at the same time preserving and retaining intact the Election Day prom packs.

...This may mean getting judicial permission to clear memory devices for reuse during the recount"

This is absolutely unacceptable, and it's just another example of a real issue with our election systems in Wisconsin.

Update: (4:07pm) The candidates have agreed to a hand recount in these 31 counties. No erasing will be done. Thank God!

Update: (5:28pm) I posted more information here.

JoAnne Kloppenburg Officially Requests A Recount and Full Investigation In Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

WisPolitics reports that the Government Accountability Board says the Kloppenburg campaign has officially requested a statewide recount.

Kloppenburg announced the request at about 4pm to very loud sustaining cheers and "thank you"s. She's also asking for a full investigation into Waukesha County.

Kloppenburg said there are "widespread anomalies and questions within Waukesha County and across the state." She listed the cities of Milwaukee and Racine as well as Waukesha County. She also mentioned issues with "long lines, photo-copied ballots" and the vote counts in the city of Fond du Lac and Winnebago County. Kloppenburg said these issues "necessitate a statewide recount," adding, "Wisconsin deserves to know the election was legitimate."

"A recount will have shined a necessary and appropriate light on an election that to so many people appears suspect."

Kloppenburg addressed the Prosser campaign saying that a recount is "frivolous" by saying, "My opponents don't want a recount and that surprises me. A recount benefits everybody." She later said, "It's called American democracy."

"If there is doubt we must remove it."

"Going forward we must make sure" there must be real change in the elections in Waukesha County. "We must have a full investigation by a trained independent investigator."

The Kloppenburg campaign is questioning certain communications between the GAB and the Waukesha County Clerk's office. They have submitted those communications to the GAB.

Kloppenburg responded to questions about the Prosser campaign saying a recount is "frivolous" by saying, "The Prosser campaign made threats."

To questions that the unions or anyone else has asked Kloppenburg to do this, she said it was "her decision" and "other people have tried to [stick] her with the unions." Kloppenburg reiterated that she has been an independent throughout the campaign and looks at the facts when making decisions. She said she "has been consistent throughout that we need to do what the law says. And the law says we need a recount."

The reactions and statements from the two campaigns in the last week clearly show who's the more careful, thoughtful, and reasoned candidate - qualities one looks for in a judge.

Thank you, JoAnne Kloppenburg, and everyone who worked to bring out the truth in this election!

You can donate to the Kloppenburg campaign's fund for recount efforts on their website.

Please forgive me if my quotes aren't exact.

Update: (5:34pm) Prosser has responded, and they're clearly afraid of the public finding out the truth, calling the recount a pursuit of a "nakedly political goal." I'm sorry, but "vigorously" preventing a recount in this situation, as Prosser says he plans to do, is a "nakedly political goal."

"Justice Prosser’s recount team will work diligently in the weeks and months ahead to protect the votes of Wisconsin citizens at the same time Ms. Kloppenburg’s campaign works to take them away." What do they mean by "take them away"? No one is looking to take any votes away, that is unless they aren't real votes.

"And now, ironically, less than 24 hours after the Government Accountability Board concluded that the April 5th canvass in Waukesha County was correct, she today insists that it needs further examination."

The GAB has NOT concluded their investigation! It appears they issued the early statement so that the deadline to request a recount wouldn't need to be extended. Their short statement shows how much more remains to be done.

Also, for those who don't think tax payer money should be spent to find out the truth, you had your chance to demand answers from Kathy Nickolaus and you declined. Now we have to find out the truth ourselves. This is on Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

Update: (5:50pm) The video of Kloppenburg's announcement is well worth your time and can be found at WISN and on YouTube.

Update: (April 21, 1:46am) There are reports that Prosser "sent a heckler and two fake reporters" to the Kloppenburg announcement to "challenge her with loaded questions." I'm not sure how factual the reports linking them to Prosser are at this point.

The Journal Sentinel is reporting that the Kloppenburg campaign believes Prosser met with Governor Scott Walker the day after the election.

"And in her complaint seeking a probe of Nickolaus, Kloppenburg alleges Prosser had a one-on-one meeting with Republican Gov. Scott Walker on the day after the election - an explosive charge in an officially nonpartisan race where the candidates questioned each other's claims of political independence.

The next day, Walker's administration asked the Supreme Court to quickly get involved in a Dane County case that has blocked implementation of Walker's controversial plan to sharply limit collective bargaining for public employees.

Melissa Mulliken, Kloppenburg's campaign manager, said she had been in touch with two or three people with knowledge of a Prosser-Walker meeting, including at least one who observed Prosser entering the meeting."

The article also states that the GAB is requesting "permission to clear the memory devices on some voting machines." Who in their right mind thinks this is a good idea?! No erasing! Get new memory devices or do a hand recount. We cannot erase evidence.

Update: (April 21, 10:23am) WisPolitics has published documents relating to Kloppenburg's request for a full investigation of Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus here.

Kloppenburg Must Request A Recount In Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

It shouldn't have come to this, but since we're not sure exactly what happened in Waukesha County, it's a step towards getting some answers. People are rallying around the Capitol right now to show JoAnne Kloppenburg we support her. Anyone who says a recount is not warranted in this situation clearly wants to keep information from the public. This isn't just a case of possibly finding a few votes here and there. If serious discrepancies are found with the vote counts from Waukesha County, Kloppenburg could turn out to be just as far in the lead as Prosser appears now.

I have a strong feeling that we will find some serious discrepancies, criminal or not.

Our scrutiny shouldn't end with Waukesha County. The error causing the missing votes could have been an honest mistake, but it's shown us how easily our elections can be skewed by those who run them. We need to look deep into every county in Wisconsin with the same diligence as we do in Waukesha County.

You can still make your voice heard on this issue. Here are some easy and effective ways.

Update: (3:43pm) According to the State Journal, Kloppenburg will make an announcement regarding her decision to request a recount at 4pm.

Update: (3:52pm) The State Journal is tweeting that the GAB says Kloppenburg has officially requested a recount. I'll make a separate post when there's something more official to cite.

Update: (4:37pm) Info on the announcement is here. Short summary: Kloppenburg requesting statewide recount and full investigation.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Hearts Big Government

Apparently Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker thinks government is the solution and the bigger the better. At least that's what you would think based on his plans to repeal a Milwaukee ordinance that the people of Milwaukee themselves overwhelming voted for (69%). Aren't keeping decisions local and shrinking the government two platforms of the Tea Party and modern conservatism?

The ordinance requires Milwaukee businesses to provide sick pay for their employees. Oh, I see now. The workers are asking for too much again. Their motive for the bill has nothing to do with business or government, it has everything to do with workers' rights. How dare the people of Milwaukee ask their businesses to treat their employees with a little decency.

The bill was passed in the Senate while the Wisconsin 14 were gone, and last week it passed in the Assembly. Walker hasn't signed it yet, though he is expected to. No matter what he does, this entire bill was a complete waste of the state's time and money, and I hope for the people of Milwaukee that Walker declares it so and vetoes the bill.

Scott Walker's email address: govgeneral@wisconsin.gov

By the way, three of the Republican 8 introduced the bill (SB 23): Glenn Grothman, Mary Lazich, and Alberta Darling.

Voter Distraction Bills Across The Nation

Just like the collective bargaining rights-stripping bill, bills similar to Wisconsin's Voter Distraction Bill (SB6) are being proposed all over the country in a coordinated effort. "The Interview" on the Rachel Maddow Show Tuesday evening had incoming DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz talking with Rachel about fake voter fraud claims and the many bills across the country similar to our Voter Distraction Bill.

These bills try to solve an almost non-existent issue, voter fraud, by requiring an ID to vote. Not only has voter fraud been shown to be a non-issue in Wisconsin but also in many other states as well. The only reason these bills are being proposed is to try to disenfranchise all voters, particularly new voters, and Schultz said it's a way to use the system to "rig elections."

Schultz and Rachel also discuss how bills such as the collective bargaining rights-stripping bill are another way to "rig elections" by reducing the amount of money going to Democratic candidates.



Why do we even have to register to vote once we become eligible?

On a slightly different note, John Nichols wrote in The CapTimes the best article I've read on the Tea Party Tax Day rally and said that the Tea Party supporters in Madison this weekend were outnumbered by a factor of about 5 to 1.

Fifth Wisconsin Republican 8 Senator Recall Announcement Coming

MSNBC's The Ed Show has become the place for breaking news on the Republican 8 recall campaigns. John Nichols has correctly hinted about coming recall announcements at least two times on The Ed Show. Tuesday evening, Ed Schultz hinted that an announcement regarding the recall of a fifth Republican 8 senator is coming, and he said that senator is most likely Alberta Darling.

The short segment doesn't appear in the videos online, but another interesting piece of the show was when Ed interviewed a resident from Waukesha who attended yesterday's town hall on Paul Ryan's budget.



Before this week, petitions were already filed to hold a recall election for two of the eight Republican senators. Senator Dan Kapanke was the first senator whose district gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall, and Senator Randy Hopper was the second. With the announcements from yesterday and the filings today from the recall campaigns for Senators Luther Olsen and Sheila Harsdorf, half of the Republican 8 senators will face a recall election. Now, it sounds like at least five of the Republican 8 senators will face a recall election, and that means there's a good chance the Democrats can retake the majority of the Senate.

The Republican 8 are being recalled for outright lying to Wisconsin and voting to strip collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin workers. Two senators facing a recall election with just over half the allotted time to get signatures was quite amazing. Now, with just over a week since filing a petition for Randy Hopper's recall, it's unbelievable that two more senators have been added to the list, not to mention a likely third. It shows just how strongly Wisconsin feels about workers' rights.

In the same time, the Koch brothers and Republicans have been trying to recall eight Democrats. However, they haven't been able to gather enough signatures to recall even one.

The effort to collect enough signatures for Senator Robert Cowles is thought to be not far behind, though it's difficult to tell.

The magnitude of Wisconsinites who support democracy and workers' rights is becoming very clear. Keep up the good fight!

The remaining efforts to get signatures for the Republican 8 are for:

• Senator Robert Cowles - Senate District 2
• Senator Alberta Darling - Senate District 8 (likely complete)
• Senator Glenn Grothman - Senate District 20
• Senator Mary Lazich - Senate Disctict 28

Even though the recall campaigns have been going extraordinarily well, these remaining efforts need all the help they can get because the deadline to collect signatures is quickly approaching - May 2nd.

Government Accountability Board Finds Few More Anomalies With Waukesha County - Still Investigating

Today, the Government Accountability Board announced that after speaking with Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus and reviewing documents, they have found only a few more minor anomalies with the 2011 vote count in Waukesha County. However, the report says, "The G.A.B. will continue to review additional documentation and correspondence from the Waukesha County and Municipal Clerks' offices relating to all issues identified for investigation." So, it doesn't appear as though they have completed their investigation. They say a more "detailed report will be completed in the next 60 days."

Since the GAB's investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County has barely touched the surface and they won't look at the actual ballots, none of us can be sure at this point that all of the numbers are correct. We have more than enough reason to suspect that votes in Waukesha County could have easily been lost or changed. There's so much reason that the decision to request a recount shouldn't be based on the latest vote counts without a full bipartisan investigation. However, it seems we're on that path.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus should have given us many more details by now out of duty to her office, and that's why I've called for her resignation. We should be able to trust a county clerk's word, and if there are doubts, such a clerk should be willing to help us understand. We can't have open and transparent elections when county clerks behave as Nickolaus has.

I put together a bit of a timeline of the events after Nickolaus's press conference here.

Yesterday, the Prosser campaign said that they plan to "vigorously" prevent any recount, even though they were previously open to a recount. Prosser is only ahead now because of the controversial vote counts from Waukesha County. So it's imperative that we express our doubts and get answers now.

Here are some easy and effective ways you can do that:

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

Wisconsinites can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board regarding issues with the processes and security of the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to give a clear explanation for over a week. The GAB has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

You can join the wave of rallies across Wisconsin happening every day. Wisconsin Wave is a non-partisan effort to unite Wisconsinites together in support of democracy, workers' rights and other fundamental Wisconsin values. They have a list of their events here. Many other events are listed at Defend Wisconsin. There are probably many other events not included in those two lists, but they're good places to start.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our elections. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would noticeably improve our elections.

The most important thing you can do right now is help us push Kathy Nickolaus to answer our relevant questions before the recount deadline. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the questions you have, why you think Nickolaus should answer those questions before a recount is conducted, and how they can help. Contact the press and your state representatives, and demand a clear explanation before a recount.

Contacting the press may prove to be most effective, and Facebook and Twitter are effective as well, so don't forget them.

Finally, don't forget to email Scott Walker, because I'm sure he'll tell us how many supporters have emailed him: govgeneral@wisconsin.gov. All you need is a brief message stating that you don't have confidence in the vote counts from Waukesha County and a full bipartisan investigation should be conducted.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Time is of the essence.

Fourth Republican 8 Senator To Face Recall Election - Sheila Harsdorf

John Nichols hinted last week that more recall petitions would be filed for the Republican 8. Yesterday, Senator Luther Olsen became one of those senators, and Steve Hanson at Uppity Wisconsin reports that today Senator Sheila Harsdorf will become the fourth. Volunteers announced last evening that they will be filing the recall petitions with the Government Accountability Board today.

Before this week, petitions were already filed to hold a recall election for two of the eight Republican senators. Senator Dan Kapanke was the first senator whose district gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall, and Senator Randy Hopper was the second. With the announcements from yesterday and the filings today, half of the Republican 8 senators will face a recall election.

The Republican 8 are being recalled for outright lying to Wisconsin and voting to strip collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin workers. Two senators facing a recall election with just over half the allotted time to get signatures was quite amazing. Now, with just over a week since filing a petition for Randy Hopper's recall, it's unbelievable that two more senators have been added to the list. It shows just how strongly Wisconsin feels about workers' rights.

In the same time, the Koch brothers and Republicans have been trying to recall eight Democrats. However, they haven't been able to gather enough signatures to recall even one.

The effort to collect enough signatures for Senators Darling and Cowles are thought to be not far behind, though it's difficult to tell.

The magnitude of Wisconsinites who support democracy and workers' rights is becoming more clear. Keep up the good fight!

The remaining efforts to get signatures for the Republican 8 are for:

• Senator Robert Cowles
• Senator Alberta Darling
• Senator Glenn Grothman
• Senator Mary Lazich

Tea Party Significantly Waning - Madison Not Only Evidence

Rachel Maddow did a great report Monday on the Tea Party tax day rallies across the country this past weekend, including Sarah Palin's visit to Madison. Madison was the host of the largest Tea Party rally in the country, but only because there were so many counter-protesters surrounding them. The rest of the Tea Party rallies attracted far fewer people. In fact, many places reported significantly less Tea Party supporters than in past years. Compare that with the many times that over 100,000 people came to the Capitol to protest Scott Walker, and it becomes easy to see where Wisconsin stands.

The Republicans want us to think that they're controlled by a mass of Tea Party supporters. This way they don't have to take responsibility for their ridiculous ideas and statements, but it looks like the number of people within the Tea Party is significantly dwindling (if it was ever that large). These Tea Party rallies are annual events that are planned long in advance, and there's nothing bigger for the Tea Party than tax day.

It's time for our Republicans to start listening to the people of Wisconsin, not the few in the Koch brothers-sponsored Tea Party!



Also, you may be interested to know that Prosser plans to "vigorously" prevent a recount, even though the campaign previously stated they were open to a recount. The results of the Supreme Court election clearly don't reflect the views of Wisconsin, and if we are to have open and transparent elections we must know exactly what happened in Waukesha County.

Latest Info On Wisconsin Supreme Court Election - Prosser Attempting To Squash Democracy

According to WisPolitics, tweets by the State Journal, and a TPM article, the Prosser campaign plans to "vigorously" block any effort for a recount, even though they were previously open to a recount. Now I'm extremely skeptical, we need answers now! This is an attempt to squash democracy in its clearest form!

I also keep getting asked what's the latest information on the Supreme Court election and the vote count in Waukesha County. So I decided I would write a post with all of the latest news. The short answer is nothing.

Here's what I know at this point:

• The latest vote counts can be found here.
• Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus still hasn't clarified her explanation for the missing votes that she gave during the press conference on April 7th.
• The day after Nickolaus's press conference, U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the vote count in Waukesha County. The request is being reviewed.
• Two days after the press conference, One Wisconsin Now began collecting signatures for a petition to request a bipartisan investigation. In less than 48 hours they had collected over 10,000 signatures. You can sign the petition here.
• Last week Monday (4/11), the Waukesha County Canvass Board member who is the only non-Republican member and has been used to legitimatize the vote counts, Ramona Kitzinger, wrote a statement saying that she "was never shown anything that would verify Kathy's statement about the missing vote" and she told Nickolaus that she doesn't "understand anything about computers."
• Later that day, the Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy told WisPolitics they didn't at that point see "any criminal activity." WisPolitics added that the GAB is in the "process of matching those numbers for all Waukesha County wards." I note that criminal activity in this situation can be very difficult if not impossible to detect, and the GAB is not looking at the ballots.
• Wednesday, nine state Democrats wrote a letter to the Republican chairs of the Elections and Judiciary committees asking those committees to investigate Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus. There's been no response that I'm aware of.
• Thursday, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin asked the GAB to investigate the vote counts in Waukesha County going back to at least 2006. The GAB then confirmed they are investigating election results from that county going back at least five years.
• All of the counties finished their canvass last week Friday with Prosser in the lead only by using the controversial new vote counts from Waukesha County.
• The GAB hasn't completed their investigation into Waukesha County's vote counts yet.
• Kloppenburg has until Wednesday at 5pm to request a recount, and nothing specific has come out of that campaign that I'm aware of.
• The Prosser campaign won't comment on the vote count in Waukesha County even though they're demanding there be no recount and will "vigorously" prevent any attempt. Prosser's a Wisconsin Supreme Court Judge, but he says he has no position on the matter. It sounds like Prosser needs more information about the missing votes before drawing a reasoned conclusion, too. However, then it's absolutely wrong to claim there's no need for a recount.
• Tuesday (4/19), the GAB issued a statement saying that they see no major discrepancies in the 2011 vote counts from Waukesha County and only a few more minor anomalies have been found thus far, but they're still continuing their investigation. I note that there are still many ways the vote counts could differ from the actual counts for which the GAB hasn't looked into.
• Wednesday, JoAnne Kloppenburg announced her request for a statewide recount and a full investigation, citing many unanswered questions and unresolved issues with the election.

Considering this was a non-partisan election, it's sad that more Republicans aren't asking for clarification so that we can determine and fix the issues in Waukesha County. I'd be demanding answers no matter what, because I know our elections have issues and I would like them solved. Instead, the Republicans in the State Senate are trying to quietly pass the Voter Distraction Bill (SB6) to spend lots of money to try to fix a near non-issue in our elections, voter fraud (more below).

Prosser's right, we shouldn't have to pay for a recount to get answers, and we shouldn't base a recount on controversial vote counts. So we need clarification now. However, it's absolutely wrong to prevent a candidate from executing a recount when there's so much doubt surrounding the one thing preventing that candidate from winning.


Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification now. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our elections. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would noticeably improve our elections.

Update: (April 19, 6:31pm) Updated to include the latest statements from the Government Accountability Board.

I also find it interesting that the only two things the Journal Sentinel appears to have left out of this article is the Prosser campaign statements saying they plan to "vigorously" block a recount and the fact that the GAB is continuing their investigation.

Update: (April 21, 8:18am) Added JoAnne Kloppenburg's recount and investigation announcement.

Senator Luther Olsen Becomes Third Wisconsin Republican To Face Recall

John Nichols hinted last week that more recall petitions would be filed for the Republican 8. Today, Senator Luther Olsen became one of those senators, making him the third Republican senator to face a recall election. Volunteers filed the recall petitions with the Government Accountability Board today.

Already, two of the eight Republican senators will face a recall election. Senator Dan Kapanke was the first senator whose district gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall, and Senator Randy Hopper was the second.

The Republican 8 are being recalled for outright lying to Wisconsin and voting to strip collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin workers. Two senators facing a recall election with just over half the allotted time to get signatures is quite amazing and shows just how strongly Wisconsin feels about workers' rights. Now, with just over a week since filing a petition for Randy Hopper's recall, another senator is added to the list.

Also, Saturday, Jud Lounsbury at Uppity Wisconsin spotted this in the Inter-County Leader, "Those gathering signatures to force incumbent State Senator Sheila Harsdorf into a recall election in June have indicated they have collected more than the 15,000-plus signatures needed." The recall petition organizers still want to collect more signatures to "provide a safe margin" before submitting the petition. So, Senator Harsdorf is likely the next Republican senator to fall.

The effort to collect enough signatures for Senators Darling and Cowles are thought to be not far behind, though it's difficult to tell.

In the same time, the Koch brothers and Republicans have been trying to recall eight Democrats. However, they haven't been able to gather enough signatures to recall even one.

The magnitude of Wisconsinites who support democracy and workers' rights is becoming more clear. Keep up the good fight!

The remaining efforts to get signatures for the Republican 8 are for:

• Senator Robert Cowles
• Senator Alberta Darling
• Senator Sheila Harsdorf (though very close)
• Senator Glenn Grothman
• Senator Mary Lazich

Don't forget about a little known but important battle, the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6).

Wisconsin Republican State Senator Rob Cowles Still Telling Lies

When the Republicans voted for the collective bargaining rights-stripping bill, we knew that stripping those rights didn't save any money, because otherwise the Republicans wouldn't have been able to vote on the bill without the Democrats. However, when Governor Scott Walker admitted to that fact in front of the U.S. Congress the news still made big headlines. Now, I read an article from Sunday in which Senator Rob Cowles is still perpetuating that lie from two months ago. The article says that Cowles "believes the changes [in the bill] were needed to deal with the state's financial problems and doesn't hold Scott Fitzgerald responsible for angry blowback."

This is why Senator Cowles is one the of the Republican 8 being recalled. He is either lying or unwilling to listen to reason, because he continues to spread lies directly in the face of clear facts. We need representatives who will reason and vote based on facts not political friendships, and we need representatives who will take the time to learn the facts relevant to an issue. Senator Cowles does not provide the kind of leadership we need to solve the complex problems of today.

Senator Cowles, why do you insist on perpetuating this lie, and now that you know collective bargaining doesn't cost Wisconsin, why did you vote to strip those rights away?

Update: (1:49pm) Signatures are still needed for the recall of Senator Cowles. For information on how you can help, see the event calendar here and other information at www.recallrobertcowles.com.

Mike Rowe: There's A War On Work

Here's a video from a couple of years ago that I think is just as relevant today. Mike Rowe, from Discovery's Dirty Jobs, talked about some very entertaining job-related stories and also about society's "war on work" as a TEDTalk.



A key bit from the talk,

"We’ve declared war on work, as a society, all of us. It’s a civil war. It’s a cold war, really. We didn’t set out to do it and we didn’t twist our mustache in some Machiavellian way, but we’ve done it. And we’ve waged this war on at least four fronts, certainly in Hollywood. The way we portray working people on TV, it’s laughable. If there’s a plumber, he’s 300 pounds and he’s got a giant buttcrack, admit it. You see him all the time. That’s what plumbers look like, right? We turn them into heroes, or we turn them into punchlines. That’s what TV does. We try hard on Dirty Jobs not to do that, which is why I do the work and I don’t cheat.

We’ve waged this war on Madison Avenue. So many of the commercials that come out there in the way of a message, what’s really being said? Life would be better if you could work a little less. If you didn’t have to work so hard. If you could get home a little earlier, if you could retire a little faster, if you could punch out a little sooner. It’s all in there, over and over, again and again.

Washington? I can’t even begin to talk about the deals and policies in place that affect the bottom-line reality of the available jobs ’cause I don’t really know. I just know that that’s a front in this war.

And right here, guys; Silicon Valley. How many people have an iPhone on ‘em right now? How many people have their Blackberries? We’re plugged in, we’re connected. I would never suggest for a second that something bad has come out of the tech revolution. Good grief, not to this crowd. But I would suggest that innovation without imitation is a complete waste of time. And nobody celebrates imitation the way Dirty Jobs guys know it has to be done. Your iPhone without those people making the same interface, the same circuitry, the same board over and over – all that, that’s what makes it equally as possible as the genius that goes inside of it."