Jessica Opoien's News Articles

News

Demonstration Planned To Protest ALEC Annual Meeting

by Jessica Opoien — July 28, 2011 - 11:31am
  • Topics: Activism, ALEC Exposed, Politics

    • When the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) gathers in New Orleans for its annual meeting at the end of the summer, it will have some company.

    A peaceful demonstration has been planned to coincide with ALEC's 38th annual meeting, which is scheduled to be held August 3-6 at the Marriott New Orleans. According to the "Protest ALEC" website (which is not affiliated with CMD), advocates will hold a number of workshops devoted to examining the ALEC agenda, corporations, and politicians. The session will culminate with a program followed by a "March to the Marriott" from the Hale Boggs Federal Building. Scheduled speakers and performances include Jordan Flaherty, journalist and community organizer; Bob Sloan, prison industry investigative consultant and author; David Rovics, musician; and representatives from the AFL-CIO and Interfaith Worker Justice.

    Op-Ed

    How Intrepid Netroots Activists Toppled Glenn Beck

    by Jessica Opoien — July 8, 2011 - 5:27pm
  • Topics: Activism, Corporations, Media

    • On July 28, 2009, Glenn Beck called President Barack Obama a "racist" who has a "deep-seated hatred for white people, or white culture" in an appearance on the Fox News Channel morning show, Fox & Friends. Almost two years later, on June 30, 2011, he wrapped the final episode of Fox's The Glenn Beck Program.

    What led to the demise of the firebrand's controversial television show? Everything from a sharp decline in ratings -- according to The New Republic, Beck's ratings fell from an average of 2.9 million in January 2010 to 1.8 million in January 2011, and Forbes' Rick Unger said his numbers represented the "steepest decline in all cable news programs" -- to political differences between Beck and the Fox team has been cited, but one important factor cannot be ignored.

    Beck's vitriolic commentary forced Fox to take a hit where it hurts the most: its bottom line. But it would not have happened without a concerted effort by a number of groups and activists.

    Op-Ed

    Ohio, Wisconsin Reach For Progressive Era Tools To Fight Modern Robber Barons

    by Jessica Opoien — June 29, 2011 - 5:23pm
  • Topics: Democracy, Politics

    • On the same day that Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee law takes effect in Wisconsin, public workers in Ohio can celebrate a victory in the battle for democracy.

    We Are Ohio, the group leading the effort to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 5, the anti-collective bargaining bill, delivered a record number of nearly 1.3 million signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State today, backed by a "Million Signature March" parade of more than 6,000 people, retired fire trucks, motorcycles, a drum line and bagpipes.

    "This is the people's parade," said We Are Ohio spokesperson Melissa Fazekas in a news conference after the parade. "You are truly one in a million."

    Op-Ed

    Walker Plans to Celebrate Budget Bill with Felon Until Union Broadcasts Rendezvous

    by Jessica Opoien — June 26, 2011 - 10:22am
  • Topics: Democracy, Politics

    • Governor Scott Walker will sign the controversial state budget bill into law June 26. He was originally scheduled to sign his budget at Badger Sheet Metal Works, a private business operated by a man with six felony tax convictions, in Green Bay, at 2 p.m. on Sunday. However, now that Gregory A. DeCaster's tax troubles have been publicized, the governor's office has announced a new location for the ceremony: Fox Valley Metal Tech, also in Green Bay.

    Op-Ed

    Feingold urges Netroots Nation crowd to fight the special interests

    by Jessica Opoien — June 17, 2011 - 9:34am
  • Topics: Democracy, Ethics, Politics

    • MINNEAPOLIS — In his first-ever Netroots Nation appearance, former Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold asked the crowd to take back the Democratic Party and the U.S. government.

    "I fear the Democratic Party is in danger of losing its identity," Feingold said, asking the Netroots crowd to redouble its efforts.

    Feingold decried shady strategies such as Priorities USA Action, a Democratic Super PAC that does not disclose all of its donors, telling the audience "we can win without selling our soul" and urging transparency.

    Much of Feingold's speech focused on his fight to overturn the Citizens United decision, which he referred to as "lawless."

    "Speech doesn't corrupt," Feingold said. "Money corrupts, and money isn't speech."

    Op-Ed

    False Flag Operation in Wisconsin's Open Primary

    by Jessica Opoien — June 14, 2011 - 1:59pm
  • Topics: Democracy, Wisconsin Protests

    • When Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollette pushed for the creation of an open-primary system in Wisconsin, his intent was to weaken the power of political party bosses beholden to special interests, like the railroad barrons. A central tenet of the progressive movement, opening up the primaries allowed independent, progressive activists to advance their political causes.

    In its purest form, an open-primary system means that anyone can vote in any primary, and anyone can run in any primary.

    Op-Ed

    With Affordable Housing Under Attack, Wisconsinites Fight Back

    by Jessica Opoien — June 9, 2011 - 3:45pm
  • Topics: Wisconsin Protests

    • Protesters formed a picket line on Thursday morning in front of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Fluno Center for Executive Education chanting, “Housing for the needy, not profits for the greedy!”

    About 100 people gathered with signs and noisemakers to protest the Wisconsin Real Estate and Economic Outlook conference, headlined by Gov. Scott Walker and Rep. Paul Ryan. The event was sponsored by several groups, including the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA). Walker received not only an endorsement from the WRA, but also more than $150,000 in WRA-related campaign contributions in the 2010 election cycle, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

    News

    Beer Revolution: Protesters Gather to Protest Proposal That Favors MillerCoors at the Expense of Small, Craft Brewers

    by Jessica Opoien — June 4, 2011 - 7:20am
  • Topics: Activism, Corporations, Democracy

    • "This is the Wisconsin revolution, and it's powered by beer!"

    John Nichols, associate editor of the Capital Times and Washington correspondent for The Nation, gave a rousing introduction to Friday's "Save Our Craft Beers" rally, held on the State Street side of the Wisconsin state Capitol at 5:00 p.m. Protesters gathered to unite in opposition against a measure added to the budget by the Joint Finance Committee that effectively bans brewers from purchasing wholesale distributors and, according to the Wisconsin Positive Business Alliance, requires new wholesalers and breweries to secure 25 "separate, independent retail customers before a wholesale license can be granted."

    Op-Ed

    With Educational Opportunity Under Attack, Protesters Disrupt Proceedings with Civil Disobedience

    by Jessica Opoien — June 3, 2011 - 8:38am

    Clarissa Sanchez, a freshman in high school from Racine, Wisconsin, knew the state legislature's Joint Committee on Finance's majority vote was not likely to shift in her favor. But that didn't stop her from boarding a bus with fellow members of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES!), the youth branch of Milwaukee-based immigrants rights group Voces de la Frontera, and traveling to the Capitol for the committee's June 2 meeting, during which it was expected to vote to repeal the 2009 measure granting in-state tuition rights (for the University of Wisconsin system and state tech schools) for the children of undocumented immigrants who grew up in Wisconsin.

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