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February 19, 2011
Greetings NUL Affiliate Leaders,
Over the last seven days, our state and city has been all over the national news because of large protests taking place within and around our state capitol against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Bill. Thousands of people have been camped out inside and around our Capitol since Tuesday and the public schools in our city and surrounding suburbs have been shut down since Wednesday due to a mass teacher sickout. Today, tea partiers from across the country have descended on our city to advocate in support of the Governor’s bill. It is a spectacle, indeed.
Right now, more than 50,000 people are rallying both for and against the budget repair bill which, if passed, will:
· eliminate collective bargaining in Wisconsin among public employee unions,
· reduce other organized labor’s ability to collective bargain for wages only,
· require teachers and other union members to contribute to their health care and pension plans,
· significantly reduce spending on K-12 education,
· make our state’s flagship public university, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a privately funded institution,
· give complete decision making authority to our state health secretary for determining the rules of our public health insurance program used by low-income families, and from most accounts
· place the burden of addressing the state’s $2.5-3.6B looming budget deficit on the backs of disadvantaged citizens.
Yesterday, a coalition of African American leaders in Dane County (where our organization and capital city are located) came together to discuss Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Bill, Special Session Assembly/Senate Bill 11. Today, the Coalition, with the support of Mr. Marc Morial and the National Urban League forwarded the attached letter to the Governor, Wisconsin Senate President Michael Ellis and Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald.
The Governor’s budget, regardless of the position one takes on it, will affect large numbers of children and families across Wisconsin. His proposals will have an even greater impact on those we serve at the Urban League of Greater Madison.
Our 43 staff serve our community through education, workforce training and a highly regarded homeownership program. Presently our team provides tutoring, internships and college and career readiness services to nearly 3,000 young people in 19 middle and high schools in Madison and four surrounding suburban districts. We also own 43 rehabilitated homes that families are leasing to purchase. In 2010, we served more than 500 adults through our general workforce and customized training programs, which include a new weatherization training initiative and an award winning program that prepares individuals to become medical assistant technologists trained in EPIC software and technology. Last fall, we began an effort to establish Madison Preparatory Academy, an independent public charter school serving young men in grades 6-12 and will work to add a girls campus as well. In December 2010, we launched our Best in the Midwest agenda, through which we intend to work with others to transform the greater Madison area into the best place for African Americans and others to live, learn and work in the Midwest.
For these reasons, we have partnered with other African American leaders to discuss the issues and talk through our concerns. The attached statement articulates the Coalition’s current view and the attached strategic plan highlights our organization’s reasons for taking a leadership role in this effort.
It is the goal of the Urban League to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of public life and that all voices are heard.
To that end, I share with you our statement.
Onward!
Kaleem Caire
President & CEO
Urban League of Greater Madison
Main: 608-729-1200
Assistant: 608-729-1249
Fax: 608-729-1205
Website: www.ulgm.org
