Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


January 5, 2018

 

Contact Me

 

418 North, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

 

PH: (608) 266-7521

TF: (888) 534-0078

FAX: (608) 282-3690

 

rep.subeck@legis.wi.gov

Website

 

Things happening in the district & around Madison


Ecological Restoration Work Party Wingra Oak Savanna
Saturday, January 6
9:00 am – 12:00 pm

UW Arboretum Parking Lot
Off Monroe St

Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at Arbor Dr. parking lot, off Monroe St. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
 


Phenology Walk
Sunday, January 7
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Aldo Leopold and his graduate students kept journals to record the timing of natural events (phenology) in Wisconsin and at the Arboretum. Start the new year learning to track annual life cycles and events. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
 


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches
Tuesday-Thursday, January

9, 10, & 11
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older. The meal is served at noon and participants must arrive on time. The suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but participants are encouraged to pay what they can afford. Transportation to the meal is available with an additional $1.00 donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.
 


WMSC Movie Day – Going In Style
Wednesday, January 10
1:30 pm- 3:30 pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Richie Moriarty, & Josh Pais; PG-13; 1hr. 36min. 2017.

Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money. West Madison Senior Center Programs are designated to provide opportunities for learning, socializing and community involvement.
 


Chess Club
Wednesday, January 10
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Learn how to play chess and play against others with varied levels of experience. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
 


Drop-in Preschool Storytime
Thursday, January 11
9:30 am- 10:15 am

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

A happy blend of stories, fingerplays and songs that help preschool children develop print ans phonologic awareness, vocabulary, letter knowledge and narrative skills. Groups welcome. Siblings welcome. No registration required.
 


Knitting at the Library
Thursday, January 11
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Learn to knit or bring your current project. Supplies provided. Children under 8 must have an adult present.
 


Making Advance Health Care Decisions
Friday, January 12
11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Do you have a power of attorney for health care? Have you ever thought about completing one but didn't know where to start? Please join Cheri Milton, Agrace Educational Institute's Grief Support Manager as she discusses Choices and Wishes: Making Advance Health Care Decisions. No registration is necessary!
 


Friday Night Meet Up - 1944 (International Film Movement Series)
Friday, January 12
6:30 pm- 8:30 pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

1944 : a film by Elmo Nuganen starring: Kaspar Velberg, Kristjan Üksküla, Maiken Schmidt (NR) 100 min. released 2015; language: Estonian | Russian | German Friday Night Events

 


Visiting the Capitol
Whether you are planning a visit to the state Capitol as part of a large group, small gathering, or just by yourself, our office can assist you in scheduling a free guided tour of the Capitol building during normal business hours.

Free tours are offered daily, year round. Tours depart from the ground floor Information Desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm. A 4:00 pm tour is offered Memorial Day through Labor Day. The sixth floor museum and observation deck are also open during the summer months.

 

 
 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

I hope you enjoyed the holiday season, and your 2018 is off to a great start.

In this week’s newsletter, you will read about how more taxpayer money is going to the Foxconn boondoggle. You will also find information about Christmas tree removal, how to stay safe this tax season, and how to get notified about commercial pesticide sprays this spring.


If you have any questions or need assistance with any matter, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Lisa Subeck
State Representative
78th Assembly District

 


Wisconsin is Getting Conned By Foxconn
People around the state thought the Foxconn deal was lousy when it passed last summer. At the time, the deal promised a $3 billion giveaway to the foreign corporation, waived rules that protect our wetlands and our water – the same rules everyone else follows, and assured the company of even more money from local taxpayers.

Now, we have learned that the deal is even worse. Initially, Foxconn promised to invest $10 billion of their own, but this number has already shrunk by a full $1 billion under the terms of the contract approved by Scott Walker’s economic development agency. With local incentives and state highway improvements added, the size of the public subsidy keeps growing, too, and now stands at over $4.1 billion – equal to $1,774 from every household in Wisconsin.

We now know one piece of that ever increasing subsidy will come from the Walker Administration raiding $134 million from the state highway rehabilitation fund to pay for local roads supporting Foxconn. This raid was not previously disclosed and, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), it is unlikely that the work was accounted for in the state highway rehabilitation fund when the 2017-19 budget was adopted and “would likely result in the delay of other, previously planned rehabilitation projects on state highways.”

The Walker administration claims that the misuse of funds will be offset by the early completion of other highway projects. However, the LFB confirmed they were likely already accounted for in the budget. Additionally, any savings generated by the completion of other projects would require legislative action to be transferred to the highway rehabilitation program, according to the LFB.

In addition to the financial aspects the deal, Foxconn also gets relief from environmental regulations that Wisconsin’s other companies have to follow. Foxconn has no obligation to avoid or minimize its impact on a pond and 42 wetlands that cover about 26 acres within the first parcels of land the company is readying for construction in Racine County. This week, we also learned that the Army Corp of Engineers will not require Foxconn to seek out federal approval regarding these wetlands, leaving these wetlands unprotected.

 


Informational Meetings for Families and Adults with Developmental Disabilities on Family Care and IRIS
Arc of Dane County, LOV Dane, the Wisconsin Long Term Care Coalition, and Third Place Group are holding small group sessions entitled “Our New Reality: Making Sense of Family Care & IRIS in the Transition Period and Beyond on.” The sessions will be held in Sun Prairie, Cross Plains, and Stoughton to provide factual information, opportunity for questions, and time for parents and people with disabilities to share their experiences about the transition to Family Care and IRIS.

Information about the three sessions:

  • January 11th, 2018, from 6:00 -7:30 pm at the Sun Prairie School District Offices, Multipurpose Room, 501 S. Bird Street in Sun Prairie.

  • January 17th, from 6:00-7:30pm at Rosemary Garfoot Public Library, 2107 Julius Street, Cross Plains

  • January 18th, from 6:00-7:30pm at Stoughton Public Library, 304 S. 4th Street, Stoughton

The meetings are free of charge but pre-registration is recommended. Click here or call (608)833-1199 to register.

 


2018 Tax Season is Upon Us
In the next few weeks you should receive the W-2 forms you need from your employer to file your state and federal taxes. While the receipt of W-2 marks the beginning of the income tax filing season, it is unfortunately a time when scam artists declare open season on unsuspecting taxpayers.

If you are contacted by an individual claiming to work for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue or Internal Revenue Service there are three important things to keep in mind, no matter how convincing the person contacting you may be:

  • Both the IRS and Wisconsin DOR contact taxpayers about their accounts by mail.

  • Neither agency will call you, make threats about your tax liability and demand immediate payment.

  • Neither agency will request that you pay your taxes using iTunes or Amazon gift cards, wire transfers, PayPal, prepaid debit cards or reloadable MoneyPak cards.

Even if caller ID or the email address of the sender leads you to believe you are being contacted by one of these agencies, do not provide any information to a person who calls claiming to be from one of these agencies or respond to any emails that appear to come from one of these agencies. Phishing scams, sending emails which appear to have been sent from a legitimate sender, are increasingly common and effective. Caller ID spoofing, using technology to have another number appear on your caller ID, is another tactic that is used by scammers.

Click here if you suspect that your identity has been stolen and someone used your information to file a false tax return and follow the instructions.
 


Christmas Tree Removal
Every neighborhood in the city of Madison will receive two rounds of Christmas tree collections. You may also bring your trees to a city Streets Division drop off site.
The first round of collection has already begun, starting on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. The second round of collection will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. It typically takes the city 8 to 10 working days to complete a round of collection.

Tree Collection Rules

  • Place trees at the street edge only.

  • Remove and discard tree bags.

  • Remove all tree stands, ornaments, lights and other metal objects.

  • Trees that are not properly prepared will NOT be collected.

Tree Drop Off Sites
West: 1501 W. Badger Rd.
East: 4602 Sycamore Ave.
The sites' open winter hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 3:00 pm
 


3rd Edition of the Public Access Lands Atlas Now Available
The atlas includes properties managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, as well as federal and county-owned lands. People can download and print these maps free of charge from a home computer.

The University Book Store's digital storefront provides a web-based option for those interested in purchasing a PAL Atlas. The original PAL Atlas, with 441 maps, two indexes and a glossary is available for $89.95. A separate PAL atlas is also available for each of Wisconsin's 72 counties for $24.95. Lastly, a DVD with over 450 pages of public lands access data is available for $5.95.

For orders using a check, a mail order form is available on the University Book Store's website.
To place an order by phone using a credit card, call: 1-800-993-2665 EXT 5929. In order to simplify the purchasing process, be sure to mention the item number (099127660) in your call.

For more general information, visit the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, and type the keyword "atlas" in the search bar. To order the Public Access Lands Atlas via the DNR website, simply click the "buy" button.
 


Sign Up Open for 2018 Landscape Pesticide Registry
The Landscape Pesticide Registry is now available to sign up for the 2018 growing season, and participants will find a new, easier online registration this year.

You can request that commercial lawn care companies notify you before they apply pesticides to lawns, trees and shrubs on the block where you live, or on blocks immediately adjacent to yours. Participation in the registry is free.

You can register online by clicking here until Feb. 1.

If you are already an active user of the registry, you should have received an email from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection reminding you to renew your participation with instructions and the new web address. Just for this year, you will need to set up a new password, and you will need to provide the addresses again. You’ll be able to view an interactive map to determine addresses of the properties for which you want notification. In successive years, these properties will be in the system and you will only have to indicate that you want to keep them on your notification list.

New users will follow the same steps of setting up a password and then choosing the addresses for which they want notification.

You may continue adding addresses until Feb. 1, when the registry will be closed to the public so department staff can review it for ineligible addresses. It will take effect March 15, when pesticide applicators will be able to search it to find out if any of their clients' addresses have been listed.

The registry applies only to commercial landscape applications. Homeowners or landlords who do their own applications are not covered by the notification requirements, nor are applications to the inside or outside of buildings. The registry does not allow for notification of pesticide use in agriculture, or for you to be notified about applications around your workplace or your children's school or day care center.

 


Fun Wisconsin Fact
In 1977, Wisconsin made the honeybee its official state insect. Legislation was introduced after a third grade class at Holy Family School of Marinette and the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association pushed for the honeybee. The honeybee was victorious against other insects that were considered to represent Wisconsin including the monarch butterfly, dragonfly, ladybug, and mosquito.

The honeybee is not exclusive to Wisconsin, seventeen other states recognized it as a symbol due to their major role in agriculture. Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival, beeswax and honey are only surplus gifts from this tiny insect. The plant world expends a lot of energy attracting bees and other insects with brilliantly colored flowers and sweet nectar (nectar is produced solely to attract pollinating insects).

 

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