This was received by e-mail:The People's Legislature 1,000 call for political cleanup, approves diverse agenda
It was a patchwork quilt rapidly sewn together - not as colorful as many wanted, with some images not as clear as others would have liked. It's not finished, but the pattern and overall theme have emerged.
It's what the more than 1,000 people who gathered for the People's Legislature at the Alliant Energy Center on Tuesday voted for after speaking and listening and arguing for more than seven hours.
Here's what the people of Wisconsin from Hayward to Green Bay to La Crosse to Milwaukee to Stoughton and points between and beyond want, in order to clean up a state government they view as corrupt:
* Comprehensive campaign finance reform with public financing of state election campaigns, including full disclosure of contributions and a complete ban on corporate contributions.
* A politically independent, combined state ethics and elections board that will enforce the law.
* Nonpartisan legislative redistricting modeled after a system used in Iowa, and restoration of the fairness doctrine so the media covers all candidates.
* Preservation of local control to prevent arbitrary, centralized budgetary limits on local units of government.
* More rigorous ethical standards by all people in government.
* More openness and more citizen input in how laws are debated, and more openness with respect to public records.
* Restoration of the state public intervenor, an attorney who represented citizens in environmental matters.
Some of those goals come from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which was one of the organizers of the People's Legislature. But though Mike McCabe, executive director of the campaign, and consumer advocate Nino Amato presented some basic ideas, those proposals were substantially amended, and the one that is basically an anti-Taxpayer Bills of Rights Amendment was not on their agenda. And a proposal by Amato that Public Service Commission members not be allowed to go via the "revolving door" to work for utilities after their terms in office was first changed to state regulatory agencies in general and then tabled for future consideration.
Dozens of people got up to speak about their pet peeves or favorite projects, but in the end it was agreed that to achieve any of those goals a clean environment or fewer unemployed minorities or health care insurance for all the election system has to be cleaned up.
Master of ceremonies Ed Garvey, editor of FightingBob.com, kept order at the meeting by saying it would be run by the Golden Rule, as opposed to the state Legislature, where "gold rules."
Amato used an analogy from retired TV commentator Bill Moyers to explain the problem caused by legislators considering bills supported by major campaign contributors. It's like a baseball player who gives the umpire a check before he steps up to the plate, Amato said, adding, "A bribe is a bribe."
Libertarian Party leader Ed Thompson said the current legislative system is a sham in which two parties are rolled into one - "the Republicrats."
"I ran for governor and raised $400,000. I was running against $22 million," Thompson said. "If each one of us tells our friends and families about what is happening ... even professional politicians won't be able to ignore it."
McCabe said that something must change before the state of Wisconsin becomes a collection of Wal-Marts and prisons connected by very wide roads.
Stan Gruszynski, a former legislator who now heads the Rural Leadership and Community Development Program at the UW-Stevens Point, challenged those present to act. "We've evolved to a digitocracy, where you point to someone else. It comes down to what you are willing to do," he said.
He suggested that people who will not accept campaign finance money challenge legislators at the next election. "When one legislator goes down, the rest will pay attention," Gruszynski said. "If you wanted to focus on one legislator, you could make a difference."
Attendees who offered opinions included Mike Heidenreich of Madison, a 25-year-old who said more effort must be made to get young people involved in the People's Legislature. Others agreed that those present were getting along in years, but one pointed out that young people found it harder to take a day off from work.
Lenny Alston, 50, of Madison, noted that very few people of color were present. Garvey asked both Heidenreich and Alston to get involved and help bring in more diverse people.
Steve Stuckert, who teaches high school in Madison, said, "It's pathetic how greedy" some business organizations are in their demands to the Legislature. "We have to make it clear that we're fed up to here."
"We have to reform elections, or just have a lottery and be done with it," said Don DesMonie, 74, a retired machinist from Big Bend.
At the close of the meeting Tuesday, people were signing up to serve on a statewide steering committee to keep the movement going and refine various issues that had been discussed. It was decided that a Web site will post action alerts and information on related legislation. At least for now, information will be available on FightingBob.com.
Members of the group may form "shadow legislatures" at regional levels. They also pledged to hold state legislators accountable for their actions, with report cards if necessary.
- Anita Weier
