Event of the Week: Celebrate International Women’s Day

TheMequon campusof MATC is hosting four of the state’s most accomplished women to celebrateInternational Women’s Day. The notable women are household names in Wisconsin, but it’sworthwhile to mention their achievements one more time. Vel Phillips is thefirst woman to serve on the Milwaukee Common Council, as judge in Milwaukee County,and as secretary of state in Wisconsin.State Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson is the first woman to serveon Wisconsin’shighest court and the first female chief justice. Congresswoman Gwen Moore rosefrom being a single mom who received welfare benefits while attending Marquette Universityto becoming the first African-American woman to represent Wisconsin in Congress. Ruth Zubrensky is alongtime, legendary champion for civil rights and justice for all.

Theevent, titled “Why We Celebrate Women and Their Successes,” will be held atMATC-Mequon, 5555 W. Highland Road, Mequon, on Friday, March 5, from9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the lower level cafeteria, Room A131. It’s free and opento the public; refreshments will be served. Sponsors include Liberal Arts &Sciences, Student Services, and Local 212.

Event of the Week

Protest Scott Walker’sFund-raiser With Jeb Bush

IsGOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker palling around with terroristsympathizers?

Hmmm…

OnMonday, March 8, Walkerwill hold a fancy $250-a-head fund-raiser with Jeb Bush. While Bush is bestknown as being a former Floridagovernor and brother of George W. Bush, he also appears to have played a rolein helping to give safe haven to accused anti-Castro terrorist Orlando Bosch.In fact, Bosch was accused of being a terrorist and a “threat to nationalsecurity” by the administration of Jeb’s father, the first President GeorgeBush. Bosch was accused of helping to mastermind the bombing of a Cubanairliner in 1976, which killed all 73 civilians on board. Later, Bosch wasjailed in Florida,yet Jeb Bush actively advocated for his freedom. Bosch was released.

OnMonday, March 8, from 4 to 6 p.m., a protest will be held in front of thePfister Hotel, which is hosting the fund-raiser. The protest is organized byPeace Action Wisconsin, the National Lawyers Guild Milwaukee Chapter, andothers. For more information, go to www.peaceactionwi.org.

Hero of the Week

Jason Babcock

TheNext Door Foundation’s Books for Kids program collects new or gently used booksfor young readers in Milwaukee’scentral city, with the belief that all kids, regardless of their family’sincome, should have their own books and begin a lifelong love of reading asearly as possible.

Thatgoal was supported by the remarkable efforts of Wauwatosa East sophomore JasonBabcock, who collected 2,100 books for the program. The 16-year-old made thatextra effort for an Eagle Scout project for Boy Scout Troop 47, sponsored bythe First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa. The books will go to thefoundation’s Early Head Start, Head Start, and Charter Schoolprograms.

Jerk of the Week

Rep. Paul Ryan

Lastweek the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (406 to 19) toremove the special exemption from antitrust laws that the health insuranceindustry currently enjoys. This vote was long overdue and almost all of theRepublicans joined the Democrats in this voteexcept for Rep. Paul Ryan and 18of his fellow Republicans, including another local House member, Rep. JimSensenbrenner. Interestingly, this vote came at the same time, for example,that giant health insurer WellPoint was raising rates by 39% on individualhealth insurance plans in California and by17% on some individual policies in Wisconsin.

It’sespecially ironic that Ryan would support this anti-competitive antitrustexemption since he continually touts an extreme free-market approach to thehealth insurance issues. Could it be that his inconsistent vote was influencedby the insurance industry? After all, it has been Ryan’s largest campaigncontributor over his entire political career. Paul Ryan’s new slogan should be“Do as I say, not as I vote.”