As usual we’ll be out canvassing this weekend and we’d love to have your help!

Please go to our volunteer page to sign up for a shift or head over to one of the field offices.

Help us reach out to your neighbors. It’s crunch time! 

If you haven’t heard, we’re handing out special “I helped Lori” buttons to anyone who canvasses four times.

The New York Times is covering Lori’s campaign! Her coverage starts on page 4 of an article about the divisive politics in Wisconsin and includes a photo of her knocking on doors. Excerpt:

“Few in Wisconsin are more identified with the grass-roots resistance than Lori Compas, a 41-year-old wedding photographer and mother of two. With no assistance from the state Democratic Party, Compas led an unlikely yet successful drive to recall the Senate majority leader, Scott Fitzgerald, Walker’s most essential and visible ally. Compas lives in Fort Atkinson, a small town 30 miles east of Madison, and has never run for office before. She is now Fitzgerald’s improbable opponent in the coming June recall election.”

Here’s the video mentioned in the article:

Folks, we’re uploading as fast as we can. Will post video links here as they become available on YouTube.

Opening statements

Collective bargaining, civility in Wisconsin politics

Closing statements

Full debate

YouTube link (thanks to ladyforward1!)

Thanks to everyone who attended or listened in tonight to hear Lori and Senator Fitzgerald talk about the issues facing our district. And, thanks to the hard work of WFAW and all the debate organizers for providing this forum for voters to hear from both candidates.

We will post links to audio and video of the debate as they become available.

News coverage

• NBC15, WKOW, FOX6
• State Journal, Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, Daily Union, WisPolitics
• UStream video of whole debate (audio isn’t great)

Tonight at the Compas-Fitzgerald debate we heard many competing claims about what’s happening in our state. Learn more below about Fitzgerald’s tax breaks and cuts to education and health care.

Tax breaks did not create jobs

We’ve heard that tax breaks were needed to create jobs. Most did not require the creation of any new jobs.

• A $359.7 million tax break (moderator referred to this as the “Domestic Production Activities Tax Credit”) in the next 5 years to corporations which would effectively erase their income tax liability by 2016-17. Senator Fitzgerald implied that this credit required  job creation; however, no new jobs are required to receive this tax break (see page 5 of Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo).
• Re-opening of the “Las Vegas Loophole” which allows large, multi-state companies to count pre-2009 losses during the height of the recession as tax credits for the next 20 years. This corporate loophole will cost us $48.4 million during the 2011-2013 budget period. Again, no new jobs required.
• $500,000 sales tax break for advertisement/promotional direct mail (in other words, junk mail).
• Sources: nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance 6/21/2011, nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign 5/21/2012 and The Cap Times 5/23/2012

• Taxes were increased on Wisconsin’s working families through cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit
  by $56.2 million in 2011-2013.
• Taxes were increased on elderly and low-income renters though cuts to the Homestead Credit
  by $13.6 million in 2011-2013.
• Sources: Wisconsin State Journal 3/5/2011, nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance 6/21/2011, and nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau 6/5/2011

• “Massive reductions in state and local support for education over the next two years will inflict severe damage on public schools, threatening Wisconsin’s ability to create jobs and draw businesses. Up to nearly $2 billion in cuts over the next two years will leave students with fewer courses in math, science and other core subjects, along with dwindling opportunities for career and technical studies.”
  Source: Wisconsin Budget Project 1/9/2012

• The Department of Health Services plans cuts totaling $500 million during 2011-2013 budget period. Around 263,000 BadgerCare participants will see their benefits reduced and co-pays sharply increased.  Source: Wisconsin Council on Children & Families 1/9/2012
• 17,000 people will be cut from BadgerCare in the coming year and 111,000 will have their premiums increased. Sources: Wisconsin State Journal 4/28/2012 and Wisconsin State Journal 5/2/2012

Thanks to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance for allowing us to post their publication on this site.

Day 2 was another beautiful day with strong community support in Fort Atkinson, Horicon, Columbus, and Beaver Dam.

This tour was a celebration of everything that we have in common regardless of our political party. It was about our shared values of honesty, compassion, and fairness.

Thanks so much for your support!

We are pleased to announce that Scott Fitzgerald has agreed to debate Lori this Wednesday at 7pm in Jefferson.

While we’re disappointed that Senator Fitzgerald would not agree to Lori’s challenge of five debates, we’re excited to finally go head-to-head with him on the issues at this venue.

The debate will be held at Jefferson High School Auditorium (700 W. Milwaukee St, Jefferson). It is sponsored by WFAW – 940 AM out of Fort Atkinson and will be aired live. If you can’t make it to the debate, be sure to tune in. If you are outside the station range, you can listen online here (audio archive of debate).

After a successful day in the district yesterday, we’ll be back out visiting more towns today. Come out and learn more about Lori’s campaign.

Sunday, May 20

• 12:00 pm (noon) Fort Atkinson – Ralph Park on North High Street (map).
  Rain or shine.
• 2:00 pm Columbus – 159 East James Street (map).
  Outside if sun and inside if rain.
• 3:30 pm Horicon – IAM Local Lodge 873, 258 Barstow Street (map).
  Outside if sun and inside if rain.
• 5:00 pm Beaver Dam  – Lakeview Park, corner of Burnett and Mary (map).
  Rain location: Compas HQ at 116 Monroe

We’ll also be canvassing all over the district. Sign up here to help!

We had a great turnout for Day 1 of our “Vote Your Values” Tour in Deerfield, Lake Mills, Oconomowoc, and Watertown. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped fill the day with successful events!

Vote Your Values tour – THIS WEEKEND!

I’ll be going on a whistle-stop tour of the district this weekend to move past the divisiveness of the past year and celebrate all we have in common.

No matter where we stand on the issues, we can all agree that our values include honesty, compassion, hard work, and fairness. I’m looking forward to discussing how our policies can better reflect these values as we move forward.

Saturday, May 19

• 10:30 am Deerfield – Fireman’s Park, corner of Nelson and Grand (map).
  Rain location: Deerfield Library at 12 West Nelson
• 12:00 pm Lake Mills – Commons Park Band Shelter, Town Square Main Street (map).
  Rain or shine.
• 1:30 pm Oconomowoc – Riverside Park, corner of Harding and Cherry (map).
  Rain or shine.
• 3:30 pm Watertown – 924 Labaree Street (map), private residence near Riverside Park.
  Rain or shine.

Sunday, May 20

• 12:00 pm (noon) Fort Atkinson – Ralph Park on North High Street (map).
  Rain or shine.
• 2:00 pm Columbus – 159 East James Street (map).
  Outside if sun and inside if rain.
• 3:30 pm Horicon – IAM Local Lodge 873, 258 Barstow Street (map).
  Outside if sun and inside if rain.
• 5:00 pm Beaver Dam  – Lakeview Park, corner of Burnett and Mary (map).
  Rain location: Compas HQ at 116 Monroe

We’ll also be canvassing all over the district. Sign up here to help!