Andre's Executive Order

What does it look like when a social organization, like a church, corporation, or political party, is fundamentally changed by a new interest? Let's assume that interest is one that might sing a similar tune to the existing choir, but is just different enough that it ultimately shifts the direction and purpose of the group to something novel. Would you know it if it happened to you? Chances are you wouldn't. At least not at first. Let's explore. First let's distinguish between two core components within the Republican party's membership (not the only divisions with, but the two important to this point). The corporatists represent big business. They are generally wealthy and because of that money and other resources they are the engine of Republican campaigns. Politics cost money, businesses have it, therefore these men and women representing private industry are generally the de facto leaders of the party. The second group is the average American conservative. This ...

Governor Walker says the deadline to refinance Wisconsin's debt it today. The word 'refinance' suggests we will seek a lower interest rate and save money. But if you listen to Walker, he never actually says that. He says it will help him avoid having to lay off workers which is possible. But the truth about the money itself is that he's borrowing allocated tax funds for the May debt payment to balance his current budget. That borrowing will result in another 14-25M in interest owed by the State turning 165M into nearly 200M. The argument can be made that that losing jobs is worse for the economy than acquiring some additional debt. But that argument rings hollow when you consider the impact of Walker's and the Republican's budgets on the economy as a whole. Beware those who treat fiscal responsibility as an ENDS instead of a MEANS. Cutting spending by the by government during a recession when the general public and private enterprise is skittish about THEIR spen...

Today I'm going to walk you through an analysis of the logic behind protesting the Budget Repair bill that I think anyone regardless of political orientation can follow. First, some facts taken from Scott Walker and his Administration. I've placed some citation sources in the margin for areas I thought might be helpful. Campaign Promises The cornerstone of Scott Walker's campaign promises were on numerous items including stopping the train, cutting taxes, cutting spending, and creating 250,000 jobs. He also made numerous smaller promises none of which are relevant to this discussion one way or another. These promises are pretty standard Republican election points, the only thing particularly interesting is that the number of jobs promised is very ambitious – but good for him. Set your sights high. We need jobs. State of the Budget In Scott Walker's State of the State address, he referred to the budget in dire terms: “First, let me be clear: we have an economic and fisca...

I heard what sounded like political wisdom last night on the Lawrence O'Donnell show. I'll share that in a moment, but first an update on the protests. The Wisconsin protests are striking their long stride at this point. While the sheer numbers of people showing up at the capitol have started to ease, the determination of those present has if anything grown deeper. I was at the capitol for about three hours last night and got a chance to talk to a lot of people. The icy damp air had pushed most of the protesters into the capitol building which was still crowded and loud, but the streets and walkways around the capitol were still moving with signs and chants. The diversity of people I talked to was impressive. Of course they included teachers, firefighters, and other public union members but they also included private sector non union employees. I talked to an electrician of 23 years who had moved to Madison from a 'right to work' state and had told union friends 'ne...

“John Kotter suggests that for change to be successful, 75% of a company's management needs to "buy into" the change. So for change to happen there needs to be a shared a sense of urgency around the need for change. And this will result from honest and open dialogue with your people about what's happening in your market and with your competition. If many people start talking about the change you propose, the urgency can build and feed on itself. To lead change, you need to bring together a coalition, or team, of influential people whose power comes from a variety of sources, including job title, status, expertise, and political importance. You can find effective change leaders at all levels within your organization - they don't necessarily follow the traditional company hierarchy. It is important to get an emotional commitment from these key people as you build a team to support your change initiative.” The above excerpt is taken from John Kotter, as stated, an ex...