Matthew Rothschild - Twelve Ways to Save Democracy in Wisconsin

First, Id like to thank the staff at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign for educating me on many of these issues over the past six years. I had only a passing knowledge of campaign finance laws and of gerrymandering when I arrived, and they showed a lot of patience while they schooled me. Im grateful for the expertise that Michael Buelow, David Julseth, and Beverly Speer shared and for reading this manuscript and offering their advice. I appreciate the work on the business side of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign from Evan Arnold and Barb Kneer, who keep the lights on. And Im thrilled that Cely Flores has joined our staff. I also want to give a shout-out to our longtime intern John Montgomery, who has provided invaluable research for our reports and stalwart assistance at our table at the Dane County Farmers Market.

I want to thank the board of directors of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign for their conscientious (yet uncompensated) stewardship: Peter Cannon, Erin Grunze, Bill Franks, Sue Lloyd, Beauregard Patterson, Mary Rouse, board chair Abby Swetz, Angie Trudell Vasquez, and Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrn. And I would like to thank our previous board chairs, Peter Skopec and Diane Welsh.

We at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign are able to track and expose money in politics and advocate for a full democracy because of the donations from concerned citizens across this state, and I want to thank those individual donors, large and small, for supporting us and for putting up with my incessant begging. Im especially grateful to Jeff Chandler, Pat and Dan Cornwell, George Cutlip, Susan Eichhorn, Beth Kubly, Tom Link, Dick Mazess, Al and Aileen Nettleton, Edward Ream, and Warren Werner not only for their generosity over the years but for their friendship as well.

I also want to thank the Brico Fund, the Brookby Foundation, the Buck Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and the Craig Newmark Philanthropies for supporting the work of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Im indebted to Gail Shea for having the vision to found the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign back in 1995, and to Mike McCabe, who ran it with gusto for fifteen years.

Then theres the impressive group of coalition partners we work with on a regular basis. One of the underreported stories in Wisconsin is how prodemocracy nonprofit leaders across the state are rowing harmoniously together, so let me salute the ones I interact with the most: Carlene Bechen of the Fair Elections Project, Anjali Bhasin of Wisconsin Conservation Voices, Julie Bomar of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Heather DuBois Bourenane of the Wisconsin Public Education Network, Sachin Chheda of the Fair Elections Project, Debra Cronmiller of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Sara Eskrich of Democracy Found, Kevin Gundlach of the South Central Federation of Labor, Jay Heck of Common Cause Wisconsin, Anita Johnson of Souls to the Polls, Greg Jones of the NAACP Dane County, Robert Kraig of Citizen Action, Angela Lang of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, David Liners of WISDOM, Lisa Lucas of Wisconsin Voices, Rabbi Bonnie Margulis of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Helen Marks Dicks of AARP, Christine Neumann-Ortiz of Voces de la Frontera, Shauntay Nelson of All Voting Is Local, Chris Ott and Molly Collins of the ACLU of Wisconsin, George Penn of Wisconsin United to Amend, Kerry Schumann of Conservation Voters of Wisconsin, Ken Taylor of Kids Forward, Liz Trevino of All on the Line, and Markasa Tucker of the African American Roundtable. I enjoy working with all of you, and Im amazed by all you do.

Democracy reform has some champions in the state legislature, so I tip my hat to: representatives Deb Andraca, Jimmy Anderson, David Bowen, Jonathan Brostoff, Dave Considine, Jodi Emerson, Dianne Hesselbein, Todd Novak, Sondy Pope, Melissa Sargent, Katrina Shankland, Mark Spreitzer, Shelia Stubbs, Lisa Subeck, Robyn Vining, Don Vruwink, and state senators Tim Carpenter, Rob Cowles, Jon Erpenbach, Gary Hebl, LaTonya Johnson, Chris Larson, Jeff Smith, and Lena Taylor. And I want to thank former state representatives Terese Berceau, Spencer Black, David Crowley, Andy Jorgensen, Penny Bernard Schaber, Chris Taylor, and JoCasta Zamarripa, along with former state senators Tim Cullen and Dave Hansen, former lieutenantgovernor Barbara Lawton, and former US senator Russ Feingold for all theyve done over the years on this front.

I would like to give a special shout-out to former Republican state senator and majority leader Dale Schultz, whom Ive come to know as a friend over the last five years. We call each other up and get together now and again at Ale Asylum to share tidbits and to bounce ideas around, which is the kind of exercise I like. Ive got a quote of Dales on my office wall: When some think tank comes up with the legislation and tells you not to fool with it, why are you even a legislator anymore?... Youre kind of a feudal serf for the folks with a lot of money.

Ive been fortunate to do prodemocracy work for forty years now, and I couldnt have done it without my parents guidance, the support of my brothers and sisters, and the sustenance of my high school friend Vic Schaffner, my friend from Nader days Carl Mayer, and all our friends who share in the commitment to make our world a more just place. Thanks to Joe Boucher, Marcie Brost and Dave Porterfield, Ron Binter and Janie Eggl, Debbie and Gilles Bousquet, Doug Bradley and Pam Shannon, Pat DiBiase and Allen Ruff, Charity Eleson and Steve Feren, Gail Gredler and Phil Schradle, Rick and Janet Gordon, Lynn Hobbie and Kevin Little, Glenda Hodge, Diane Hulick, Mike Kepler and Mary Beth Keppel, Mary and Ed Musholt, Bob McChesney and Inger Stole, Amit and Deepa Pal, Betsy Parker and Gerry Cumpiano, Ann and Joel Sacks, Jana and Don Sellarole, Kelly Parks Snider and John Snider, Gordy and Nancy Ranum, and Mary Reed.

Thanks also to the irreducible core of Madison activists, who turn this city into a treehouse without a tree, to borrow an image from Adrienne Rich.