Below is an open letter to Scott Walker from my aunt Joan.

Dear Mr. Governor,

I wanted to forward you two excellent educational videos concerning the ongoing protests that have been outside your door for the past few days or so. I hope you have some time to review them. They may or may not be enlightening to you. I truly hope they are as these are the true faces of the people from Wisconsin who have been here day in and day out.

Wisconsin Protests - Powerful Video

We Are Wisconsin


I was born and raised on a small family farm in central Wisconsin. I have absolutely nothing to do with any union. After traveling the world and around the nation in active military service to my country I was always proud to be from this great state of Wisconsin. A state that always valued its people and had such a strong work ethic. The many Soldiers from Wisconsin that served with me were always standouts. Just check with your National Guard leaders as they will also tell you that Wisconsin units have been highly regarded when on deployments. I submit that there is a reason for this. It was and hopefully will continue to be because of the great education we received. I also submit that the unions had a great role in helping to establish that. There has to be something to the fact that Wisconsin has continually scored at the very top of the ACT/SAT scoring while the states without collective bargaining rights have continually scored at the very bottom. I was also proud to be from a state which has one of the best health care systems in the nation. Additionally, this State has good quality services that are far superior to many states I have lived in while in service to my country. I've been around to know.

This "Budget Repair" bill is not about balancing the budget. It is about taking away the things that helped make this State the quality state it really is. It is about taking away the voice of workers so that they cannot advocate for the people they teach, care for, or serve. It's about killing the voice of the middle class. I listened to your phone call. I think you verified it yourself.

This "Budget Repair" bill has so many issues that have absolutely nothing to do with balancing the budget such as the politicization of legal oversight of every single State Department and no bid contract to name a couple. Please stop this bill and start over.

Please also stop your untruthful adds on TV/radio about the "budget" bill and what is going on with the protests. This is Wisconsin and we deserve better than this. I know what the bill is about. I know what is going on with who the protesters are as I have been one of them every day since 16 February. Granted some have been from out of state, but not to any degree of what your ads depict. You should be ashamed of the mistruths that you are telling with these ads and your press conferences and interviews. I have spoken with many many people from all across this great State while walking in and around the Capital. I know they are taking the truth back to their communities large and small. The real truth is getting out and spreading to every nook and cranny of the State.

Please also stop the assault on good honest Wisconsin residents with the voter ID bill. How much money will it cost to disenfranchise voters for a problem that does not exist? Again, are you interested in balancing the budget or to stifle what you perceive to be threats to your power?

Yes, 1,128,941 Wisconsin residents voted you into office. However, 1,031,891 Wisconsin residents voted for someone else other than you, but we are still residents of the state of Wisconsin. And we live here too. And we will for years to come. It is unfortunate that now we will have to live with the divisiveness that your rhetoric, your policies, and your strategy have created by pitting us against each other. And I must ask the question as to why? I must also ask as to why everyone but the rich have to suffer for an economic downturn that was created by Wall Street. Why?

Please consider me one of many Wisconsin residents that do not agree with your policy agenda.

Sincerely,

Joan Arnold
Colonel, US Army Retired
Madison, WI

Holding little girls to a higher standard of cleanliness than little boys is actually bad for them. It potentially increases the risk of illness later in life. Maybe my good health is due to the fact that I was pissed on by so many species of frogs as a child.