Democracy Checkup

Wisconsin has its fair share of problems.

In this commentary, Mike McCabe of BlueJean Nation says the problems vary from place to place, from young people drowning in student debt, unsafe drinking water, lack of internet access, racial profiling, mass incarceration, an unlivable minimum wage, and issues in infrastructure, all grow from the same fundamental problem: a broken political climate that serves very few.

The post Wisconsin is up to its eyeballs in problems. How do we fix it? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

It’s time for your Democracy Checkup.

In this commentary, Mike McCabe of BlueJean explains why he thinks people have lost faith in the Democratic Party, and why people distrust public institutions.

The post Current Political Culture Celebrates Greed appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

There are still a lot of big questions that need to be addressed when it comes to Foxconn.

In this commentary, Mike McCabe of BlueJean nation says the most important question asks what basket should Wisconsin be putting our eggs in to? If Wisconsin spends the money, should it be to subsidize a company from Taiwan? Or should the state use it to empower the people here at home in Wisconsin?

The post Is Foxconn Worth the Investment? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In this commentary, Mike McCabe of BluJean Nation explains why he believes the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is holding Wisconsin back with a backward way of thinking. The WMC’s philosophy, he says, of lowering the cost of business is a recipe that hasn’t worked for years.

The post Is the WMC Holding Wisconsin Back? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On tonight’s Democracy Checkup, Mike McCabe of BlueJean Nation wants to begin a difficult conversation: abortion. In this commentary, McCabe argues that politicians should spend more time looking for common ground on making abortion unnecessary — from sex education, to birth control, to combating poverty.

McCabe says outlawing abortion won’t make the procedure disappear, it will only make it far more dangerous. Instead, politicians make it difficult for the women who seek to get them and the professionals that perform them, using it to divide the country and pick up votes in process.

The post Starting the Conversation on Abortion appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

A lot of what is made and sold is designed to be discarded after a single use. Is the same thing happening to workers? Are people disposable? As automation rises, jobs seem to be surrendered to machines.

In this commentary, Mike McCabe of BlueJean Nation discusses the need for government support in the age of disposable workers.

The post Support Wisconsin Workers appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On the 4th of July our radio neighbors just a couple notches down the dial at NPR did what they do every 4th of July… they read the declaration of independence over the airwaves.

Except this year they accompanied the broadcast with tweets–a lot of them–quoting the whole text 140 characters at a time.

On this week’s Democracy Checkup, Blue Jean Nation’s Mike McCabe responds to the firestorm the tweets caused when many people didn’t realize NPR was quoting one of America’s founding documents.

The post NPR’s Declaration of Independence Tweets Spark Outrage with Trum... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on our Democracy Check up, Blue Jean Nation’s Mike McCabe discusses education and its importance in the fabric of Wisconsin’s democracy.

The post The Fabric of Wisconsin’s Democracy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Unemployment may be down in Wisconsin, but is the economy up? Not according to Blue Jean Nation’s Mike McCabe.

This week on our Democracy Check Up, McCabe talks about income inequality, underemployment, and the increasing reality of a jobless economy, which threatens democracy.

The post Americans Face Economic Turmoil in New Economy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Wisconsin has a history of leading the nation in public policy discussion. According to Blue Jean Nation’s Mike McCabe, it’s time for Wisconsin to lead the way on healthcare reform.

In this week’s Democracy Checkup, we talk healthcare and how the current conversation is falling short.

The post Lead the Way, Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.