Audience grows testy, ignores applause ban at Wisconsin Budget Bill Hearing in Neenah

[eowyn_of_rohan]

This is great - Nearly all the people who showed up at this hearing were ANTI-Walker Budget. The thugs had diverted these hearings away from Madison to other, smaller and less BLUE locations in hopes the "vast majority of Wisconsinites who support the bill" would show up. FAIL!

Watch live video here- http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110413/WIS1001/304140024&template=livestream

Today - April 13, 2011
Audience grows testy, ignores applause ban at Wisconsin Legislature's Joint Finance Committee budget hearing in Neenah

NEENAH Wisconsin (near Green Bay) — After Joint Finance Committee co-chairwoman Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, asked audience members to hold their applause Wednesday morning, American Sign Language quickly came into vogue.

Without saying a word, many in the Neenah High School auditorium began to signal approval for comments by twirling their outstretched hands, a physical symbol for deaf applause.

But by the afternoon, as the two-minute remarks grew more strident and speakers lashed out at lawmakers for not paying attention, the silent demonstrations gave way to roars of applause.

“You need to schedule (hearings) in the evening so working people and taxpayers can be at these meetings,” Christine Taylor, 66, of Madison said to thunderous applause. “I am not a special interest representative. I am special, and my family is special. You cannot cut $900 million from the school budget.”

They crowd also cheered when University of Wisconsin-Madison student Maxwell John Love warned that the budget cuts would further energize young voters.

“If this budget passes, it will be a call for a movement of young people to stand up,” Love said.
“This isn’t a dream. This is a movement.”

...A steady stream of Wisconsinites strode to a Neenah High School podium on Wednesday and pleaded with lawmakers to reject deep budget cuts to a wide range of programs.

MORE-- good read
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110413/WIS1001/110413088/Wisconsinites-plead-with-Joint-Finance-Committee-to-reject-budget-cuts-to-programs?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

[Rex]

1. Repukes are begging for a fight, they don't just want 90% of the pie

they want half the cake too! Soon, people will be so poor and ignorant that all they will know how to do (or be able to afford) is a pitchfork and a torch.

[Scuba]

2. I disagree.....

...they want all the pie, all the cake and all the marrow in your bones.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

8. We have to get 'em before they can take it that far

the events this week are riling people up all over the state. It is easy to get discouraged when you (I) do nothing but sit here and read and type... it is very exciting to me that so many are fired up. I am hoping for a big rally at the Capitol this weekend though the weather might be bad...

[Scuba]

9. What do you know of events planned this weekend???

I'll be in Madison on Sunday and will try to squeeze in a stop on the Square.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

12. I found out last night that the Tea baggers and Faux news will be there

Please do come! Last night, Ed Shultz was in Madison at a local theater (Barrymore), where he had a "town meeting" and broadcast his radio show. It was sold out when we got there, but we talked to people outside--there was quite a bit of interest in going to the Capitol on Saturday. I don't know what other groups or events are planned but will do some digging and let you know what I find.

[Scuba]

13. Thank you!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

14. I just posted a thread on the rally - Are you coming?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x890284

I just saw this on twitter-- La Crosse Tea Party cancels bus to Madison rally citing low turnout (heehee)

[eowyn_of_rohan]

3. Neenah police brace for state budget hearing ... Does free speech= leaving protest signs outside?

Protestors are gathering for a post hearing rally - Go Neenah!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

4. kick for Neenah - Live broadcast going on now

[eowyn_of_rohan]

5. 15 more minutes - some Great Speeches being made - live

One speaker just set the house on fire - this is great...

[elocs]

6. From my local paper: "Neenah isn’t in western Wisconsin"

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_575d3a98-6225-11e0-b1a8-001cc4c002e0.html

Who says the Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature don’t have tremendous clout? This week, they’ll prove that they can move western Wisconsin all the way to Neenah. Before you recalibrate your global-positioning system, understand that this is the new Wisconsin. Traditional maps no longer matter.

On Wednesday, the Legislature’s budget committee was planning to hold a budget hearing in Arcadia. That’s in Trempealeau County located in western Wisconsin. It’s important that people from throughout our state have the opportunity to weigh in on the impact of Gov. Scott Walker’s budget. In fact, it’s so important to the people of western Wisconsin that school officials in Arcadia apparently were concerned that the potential for a large turnout could disrupt classes.

So with that pent-up demand to be heard, to go on record and to provide the perspective from western Wisconsin, two Republican legislators had a brilliant idea. If we want to provide the opportunity for the good people of western Wisconsin, let’s just move the meeting to Neenah, located in Winnebago County on the east coast of Wisconsin, about 180 miles due east of Arcadia.

For those unfamiliar, western Wisconsin does have larger communities with larger facilities that, without question, could hold larger crowds of people interested in discussing the state budget. One of those cities is La Crosse. Eau Claire is another. Perhaps the folks on the east coast have heard of them.

To get an idea of the move, see La Crosse on the Mississippi on the west border of Wisconsin. Arcadia is just north and a little west of La Crosse. Now move on a nearly straight line east of Arcadia and you will see Neenah nearly on the other side of the state. Both La Cross and Eau Claire have populations over 50,000 with lots of places they could have held a budget meeting.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

7. I wondered what happened in Arcadia - Thugs obviously scared of LaCrosse & Eau Claire

VERY unfair to the people of western Wisconsin. I wasn't happy when they took all the hearings out of Madison, for obvious reasons.
They wanted the "vast majority of Wisconsinites who support the bill" - I have not heard of a SINGLE right wing speech, rally OR protest over ANY of these hearings.

FULL STATEWIDE HAND RECOUNT!

This is From the LaCrosse Tribune - This will come as a tremendous shock, so please be seated and engage the appropriate safety device: Two of the leaders of this committee — Rep. Dean Kaufert and Senate President Mike Ellis, both Republicans – reside in Neenah...

(The speeches are intense right now! Listen if you can)

[Scuba]

10. Fox Valley much safer for the Repukes. n/t

[xchrom]

11. recommend

[gratuitous]

15. Hearings in the middle of the day, before hopefully friendly audiences

Gee, it's almost as if the Wisconsin Republicans don't want to hear from people who might have another point of view. But we know how they like to declaim about the "will of the people," so it can't be that.