IN CASE YOU MISSED WEDNESDAY NIGHT VIEW IT HERE

Judge tosses lawsuit challenging voter registration checks

THU., OCT 23, 2008

State Journal archives Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen may appeal Thursday's ruling directly to the state Supreme Court, a spokesman said today.



Judge tosses lawsuit challenging voter registration checks
MARK PITSCH
608-252-6145
mpitsch@madison.com




A Dane County circuit judge today dismissed a lawsuit by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to require the state elections agency to check voter registrations against other state databases dating to 2006, which critics said could have thrown hundreds of thousands of registrations into doubt.

Judge Maryann Sumi said Van Hollen failed to state an adequate claim for bringing the lawsuit and noted that state law has consistently favored protecting citizens' right to vote. Sumi also said that Van Hollen did not have standing to bring the lawsuit.

Van Hollen had sought to require the state Government Accountability Board to enforce the federal Help America Vote Act, which required Wisconsin election officials to verify registrants' names and ages against state driver, death and felon records beginning on Jan. 1, 2006.

But Sumi said only the U.S. attorney general can enforce that federal law.

Van Hollen filed the lawsuit after the accountability board decided to conduct the registration checks starting Aug. 6, when the state's registration database became operational.

Wisconsin is one of ten states that missed the January 2006 deadline, and the next to last to develop a functioning database, according to officials in those states and electionline.org, which tracks election issues.

DOJ spokesman Kevin St. John said the Department of Justice plans to appeal, possibly directly to the state Supreme Court.

St. John said the department is "disappointed with the ruling" and said it would appeal because "there are going to be future elections."

He also said the department believes the accountability board is violating state law, which he said requires compliance with HAVA, and the attorney general can enforce state election law.

Lester Pines, a lawyer for the board, called the ruling "an absolute validation of the position of the board."

"Judge Sumi's decision was exceptionally scholarly, well-reasoned and supported by law," Pines said.

The accountability board contended Van Hollen's suit could compel the board and local clerks to check the voting records of the 1 million voters who registered between January 2006 and Aug. 5 of this year.

Most of those voters have already shown the necessary proof of residency, said Barbara Hansen, director of the state voting system. But about 241,000 people who registered in person at a clerk's office, by mail or with a special deputy authorized to register voters would not have had to show proof of residence, and their checks would be the most time consuming, Hansen said.

Van Hollen had argued that all effort should be made to conduct the expanded checks before the Nov. 4 election. A state co-chairman of Republican Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, Van Hollen said the presidential election could hang in the balance.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, characterized the lawsuit as an effort by Republicans to remove eligible voters from the polling lists.

"The law in Wisconsin is clear," Doyle said in a statement after Sumi's ruling. "The Government Accountability Board, not the Republican attorney general, has the responsibility to supervise elections."

It's not clear what checks back to January 2006 would turn up. A check by the accountability board of voters who registered between Aug. 6 and Aug. 26 this year showed discrepancies in the information of 22 percent of the registrations. But most of those mismatches related to transcription errors or names being recorded one way on a driver's license and another way on a voter registration card.

CAROL KING AT OSHKOSH DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFICE --TODAY- AT 5:15 PM = CORNER OF MAIN AND MERRITT IN OSHKOSH

A SAMPLING OF HER SONGS

A PROGRAM I LEARNED ABOUT AT THE WCA CONVENTION -- should WINNEBAGO COUNTY BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM

Prescription Drug Discount Card Program



This special program is provided at no cost to the participating county or its taxpayers.
Any resident of the participating county regardless of age is eligible to receive savings. The primary beneficiaries are the uninsured or underinsured
Cards are made available by direct mail and at local pharmacies and service organizations. No enrollment forms are necessary. Participants must simply present the card at time of purchase at any participating pharmacy.
Cards may be used at participating local pharmacies and nearly 60,000 pharmacies in our nationwide network.
To find out if your county is participating in this costs saving program, or to find out how your county can join the program, please email aviertel@medonehs.com or call 888-88-4MED1 today!

a day late-sorry -Blog Action Day and Hunger in Winnebago County

Wednesday, October 15, 2008


Blog Action Day and Hunger in Winnebago County October 15, not your typical day? In fact October 15th has been designated Blog Action Day, a day where bloggers unite for a common nonprofit cause, this year the focus being on poverty. E-Power is collecting food for the pantry run by Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Oshkosh. The church serve approximately 400 families each month. Can you donate food? E-Power will pick it up and deliver it to the food pantry.

In a time of economic crisis, natural disasters and conflicts, people, communities and nations unite to help in any way possible. With economic problems piling up, we need to help people now. Along with poverty comes hunger. We need to help people in need not just around holidays, but year round.

Looking at Poverty in Winnebago County, where E-Power Marketing is headquartered, we see an ever increasing trend of people falling at or below the poverty line. In just 5 years (from 2001 to 2005), the number of people falling below the poverty line in Winnebago County has increased over 50%.

Food pantries are especially in need this season. The floods this past June ruined much of the food inventories as they were often kept in the basement. The economy is sending more into poverty. Please help.

What can you do to help stave off poverty in Winnebago County?


Get Involved with your Local Food Pantry.

Oshkosh Area Food Pantry Hours and Locations

Many grocery stores have ways to donate; Festival Foods, Copps and Pick N' Save

Donate clothing, coats, and blankets so that those who can't afford them on their own can stay warm this winter.

Donate baby supplies (diapers/bottles/formula), school supplies, etc

Use your own resources, like your blogs or company newsletters to raise awareness about area poverty and hunger.

Volunteer with local literacy programs (Winnebago County Literacy Council); share your knowledge with those in need.

Find out about your local school's meal programs, do they offer breakfast programs for children who would otherwise go without?

Are there elderly nutrition programs in the area that need your help?

Volunteer at area shelters; serve at area meal sites like the Salvation Army's


E -Power Marketing has participated in several charity events including Race for the Light, a nonprofit to raise funds and awareness for the Christine Anne Center for Domestic Abuse, as well as making charitable donations and helping to coordinate a golf outing for the Oshkosh Area Humane Center. E-Power has also made charitable donations to Jaycees to buy Shriners Circus tickets for disadvantaged kids, Shrine Circus Fund to help kids with serious burns receive medical attention and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. This year, sparked by the Blog Action Day for raising awareness to poverty and by the astounding local statistics mentioned above, E-Power wishes to shed light on local poverty issues as well as coordinate a food drive with a local food pantry, Emmanuel United Church of Christ.

We encourage bloggers and everyone else to get involved with the fight to end poverty, whether it be on a micro or macro level. If you wish to help E-Power Marketing with their Food Drive to benefit Emmanuel United Church of Christ; 1306 Michigan St; Oshkosh, WI; 920-235-8340. Please contact - info@epowermark.com for more information on how you can help.

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HOW DO YOU MAKE OUT UNDER OBAMA'S TAX CUT PLAN

http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/48f203eebb67a86f


Use this calculator to check how much you will save under both Obama's and McCain's tax plans.

A VOTE FOR JESSICA KING = A VOTE FOR FAIRER TAXES

A letter I sent to editor today.

Dear Editor :

The recent economic events have made it necessary to reconsider the tax structure in Wisconsin. namely who pays taxes, how much and is it done fairly. I believe its time for what I call Income Tax Revision Act of 2009. Meaning lets make the burden of paying of taxes more fairer in this state.

Why should large corporation like Sears, Pepsico and McDonald’s pay nothing in income taxes due to outdated corporate income tax rules, yet local businesses like Ardy’s & Ed’s and The Paper Tiger do pay income taxes.

The corporations I speak of make use of rules that enable to find ways not pay any income taxes, none at all. Corporate income taxes make up only 3% of the total revenue collected by the state.

These changes will not hurt business in any way. For most of these corporation are very large and pay income taxes in other states who have stopped the use of combined accounting. Combined accounting is the way these corporations get out of paying no income taxes.

Why should you pay more in income taxes here in the state of Wisconsin then many large corporations do in the state. If the corporations make a profit in this state they should have to pay their fair share of income taxes if they can in Illinois then they can here in Wisconsin.

How do we get these changes to make paying incomes taxes more fairer- we need to vote for and elect Jessica King to 18th State Senate District on November 4. Vote for fairer taxes vote Jessica King.

McCain vs Obama on how many times each has voted to raise taxes

Some facts on how many times John McCain and Barack Obama have voted to increse taxes while serving in the US Congress.

GALLERY WALK in OSHKOSH THIS SATURDAY

The monthly Gallery walk is this Saturday but I wanted inform of special showing taking place ;

OCT. 4: COURT TOWER APARTMENT ARTISTS: Work by residents of the Court Tower in Oshkosh, part of Oshkosh Gallery Walk.


Hope to see you there stop by and say hello to Jane.