Dissecting the Dems
Dave Cieslewicz is correct about the Democrats needing to develop a message that resonates with people across the state (“Next Dem party chair? Who cares?” 6/1/2017). For beginners, stop just defending Obamacare and start talking about improving it.
He is wrong, however, that the party does not need to improve grassroots organizing. Up until this year I lived in rural Dane. We were highly effective in our area (though many of us were independents, not Democratic Party members) only because we made our own posters, kept our own voter database and often did our own leaflets. Things are getting better thanks to a number of people who have moved up in the Democratic Party, but there is still a long way to go.
If you need 25,000 to 50,000 votes they are out there, but there needs to be a commitment to the grassroots other than just asking for money to fight the right on their grounds in the media, as opposed to our grounds on the ground.
— George Hagenauer (via email)
Dave says that we, as a collective democratic mass, should “stop looking so very hard at the ways in which we’re being wronged” in favor of supporting a unified Democratic Party. But our society doesn’t ignore our identities and it doesn’t follow colorblind laws, rather it targets certain marginalized identities, the exact ones you claim people should ignore. Ignoring institutional oppression won’t help us win elections. It will only help to maintain the status quo, a normalcy that makes Wisconsin the worst state to raise a black child in the nation. Thanks for the tip, Dave, we’ll keep it in mind.
— Julia Levine (via email)
Clean energy
The Madison Gas and Electric Shareholders for Clean Energy (“Flip that switch,” 6/1/2017) are spot on in calling for MGE to take the lead in pulling together the necessary stakeholders to address the electrification of our transportation sector in Madison and Dane County.
The #1 air polluter in Madison and Dane County is — by far — transportation. Providing utility-owned renewable energy to power our transportation sector not only addresses the concern about carbon and air pollution, but it is also a good business model for the utilities. The Madison area community and many MGE shareholders clearly believe that initiatives must be taken to address the concerns facing our environment. As MGE takes the lead in these initiatives, “Your Community Energy Company” can become just that.
— David Poklinkoski, President, IBEW Local 2304 (via email)
Correction: The photo on page 17 of last week’s cover story (“Bridge of Steel”) was incorrectly attributed to Ty Helbach Photography. The photo was taken by James Dudley.