ICYMI: Trump Fails to Extend Pandemic Paychecks for 700,000 Unemployed Wisconsinites

MADISON, Wis. — Today, the pandemic unemployment assistance that has kept millions of Americans afloat will expire. As of today, nearly 700,000 Wisconites will get a $2,400 pay cut per month during this pandemic of unprecedented scale. This week also marks the nineteenth consecutive week that more than 1 million Americans — 1.43 million, to be precise — have filed for unemployment assistance. 

Check out Opportunity Wisconsin’s conversations with newly unemployed Wisconsinites.

On the final day of this lifeline program, President Trump still has yet to approve extending pandemic unemployment assistance. Instead, Trump has prioritized legal immunity, tax cuts, and bailouts for corporations over direct aid to working- and middle-class families. 

Below are recent statements from Mark Westphal, President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member, in response to President Trump’s failure to put Wisconsin families and workers first during this pandemic:

“[Yesterday], we saw tremendously disturbing GDP numbers, which only begin to represent the real fear and pain being felt by workers, small business owners, and middle class families across Wisconsin. So many across the state are continuing to cope with loss of work and income due to this administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 crisis.”

“The loss of $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits will only make the situation worse and negatively impact GDP for the rest of the year. It didn't have to be this bad. If the Trump administration continues to prioritize the wealthy and Wall Street over the well-being of the rest of us, we are going to continue to see the real American economy here in our communities crumble.”

“Right now, Wisconsinites are facing unprecedented unemployment, wage loss, sickness, and incredible financial uncertainty. Now is not the time to let these economic relief measures expire. Wisconsinites can’t take another pay cut during this pandemic.”

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers will face starting tomorrow, since President Trump failed to extend vital economic relief by today. Now, that clock will start to count forward, to track the number of days Wisconsinites are going without paychecks during this pandemic.

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

U.S. GDP Plummets By A Staggering 35 Percent, Worst Decline On Record

Madison, Wis. — Today, the Commerce Department announced that U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) faced its worst decline on record in the second quarter of 2020, plummeting by a staggering annualized rate of about 35 percent. In fact, experts say the only other comparable economic periods in American history are the Great Depression and the economic slump after World War II. 

In Wisconsin, nearly 700,000 folks remain unemployed. What’s more, this week marks the nineteenth consecutive week that more than 1 million Americans — 1.43 million, to be precise — have filed for unemployment assistance. 

“Today we saw tremendously disturbing GDP numbers, which only begin to represent the real fear and pain being felt by workers, small business owners, and middle class families across Wisconsin. So many across the state are continuing to cope with loss of work and income due to this administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mark Westphal, President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member. “The loss of $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits will only make the situation worse and negatively impact GDP for the rest of the year. It didn't have to be this bad. If the Trump administration continues to prioritize the wealthy and Wall Street over the well-being of the rest of us, we are going to continue to see the real American economy here in our communities crumble."

This Friday, the pandemic assistance that has kept millions of Americans and 700,000 Wisconsinites afloat will expire. That means this Friday, nearly 700,000 Wisconites will get a $2,400 pay cut per month during a pandemic. President Trump has prioritized legal immunity, tax cuts, and bailouts for corporations over direct aid to working- and middle-class families. Wisconsin families facing bills without paychecks and struggling to make ends meet right now need extended direct aid. Check out Opportunity Wisconsin’s conversations from last week with newly unemployed folks from across the state who called on President Trump to help families stay afloat during this pandemic and recession.

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers will face should President Trump fail to extend vital economic relief by the end of this week. 

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.
To reach an Opportunity Wisconsin spokesperson, please email press@opportunitywisconsin.org

Gov. Evers, Wisconsin Health Providers Lay Bare Trump Administration Failures Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers joined Wisconsin health care providers for a candid conversation about the state of health care amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants focused on the unique challenges they are facing during this unprecedented health crisis in a conversation hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care. 

To view the full remarks by Gov. Evers and the ensuing roundtable discussion, please click here.

Moderated by State Rep. Jodi Emerson, the roundtable discussion among health care providers made clear that the Trump administration has failed to adequately respond to the pandemic, and that ongoing efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would only exacerbate the challenges facing Wisconsin families. 
“At a time when everyone needs to be able to have access to health care and stop the spread of a communicable disease, we’re seeing our federal administration actively working to take down the Affordable Care Act,” noted Emerson, referring to the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to invalidate the ACA via the Supreme Court. 

“It feels 100 percent irresponsible to get rid of the ACA with absolutely no plan to replace it,” added Dr. Lori Whitis. “There’s a huge disconnect in understanding of reality.”

Working- and middle-class Wisconsinites have long struggled with access to affordable health insurance. Today, 15.5 million Americans have already lost or are at risk of losing their health coverage because they or their family members have lost work due to COVID-19.  

In remarks setting the stage for the conversation by providers, Gov. Evers noted that, “It was 3 years ago that Senator John McCain cast his famous thumbs down vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately here we are 3 years later, and in the middle of a global pandemic no less, and Republicans are still trying to repeal health care for millions of Americans including 2.4 million Wisconsinites who like me have pre-existing conditions.”

Providers also discussed the need to expand BadgerCare, the state’s public health care program for low-income residents, and deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line health care workers.
“In other states where Medicaid has been expanded, they’re able to come in and see health professionals without the worry that they’re going to be bankrupted by it,” said Dr. Jeff Huebner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “And they’re going to be able to afford the care that they need, the tests they need, the treatment they need.

“I always knew that I would probably have to work in a pandemic,” remarked Dr. Julia Kyle. “Never in a million years did I think that in the United States of America, I would be wearing the same surgical mask for days.” 
For interview requests of the health care providers who participated, please contact press@opportunitywisconsin.com 

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

About Protect Our Care

Protect Our Care is leading the fight against efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act while promoting access to quality, affordable coverage for all Americans.

New Data Shows Wisconsinites Still Face Steep Unemployment, As Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Expires in Days

Opportunity Wisconsin’s layoff tracker provides in-depth look at historic unemployment continuing to devastate Wisconsinites

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data that reveals Wisconsinites are still grappling with devastating unemployment and layoffs nearly five months into the coronavirus pandemic. As of this week, more than 25,000 Wisconsinites have filed for unemployment since March and the most recent rate of unemployment in Wisconsin remains a staggering 8.5 percent. 

Two months ago, Opportunity Wisconsin unveiled a new website to share updated and aggregated job data from across the state. The site has been updated to reflect today’s new monthly jobs numbers and offers data visualizations of the economic pain lingering across the state.

Check out the Opportunity Wisconsin Layoffs Tracker here.

These numbers do not even fully reflect the damage that has been done to workers, small businesses, and the economy during this pandemic. While President Trump insists on more tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected, as recently as yesterday, Wisconsinites continue to pay the price for Trump’s billionaires-first policymaking. 

“I was lost, confused, and angry when I found out that I was being laid off due to the pandemic. I didn’t know where my next check was coming from, or how was I going to pay my rent. My life was up in the air,” said Shamar Cannon, a former security guard in Milwaukee. “I had no savings, I lived check to check working as a security guard. There were no guarantees, and I didn’t know when, if ever, I would return to work. I was in a living hell, not able to pay my rent, buy food, or support myself.”

The impending expiration of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in one week will only exacerbate the crisis, as nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites will soon receive a $2,400/month pay cut. Even if the Trump and Senate Republicans commit to some form of continued unemployment assistance next month, they have firmly stated it will be a mere fraction of the paycheck helping millions stay afloat right now. If President Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate allow these benefits to expire or slash them to pennies, they will deliver yet another pay cut to Wisconsinites who have already been hit the hardest.
Under such dire circumstances, Wisconsinites need the president to put us and our communities first by extending pandemic unemployment assistance. President Trump cannot continue to put the whims of Wall Street over Wisconsin families.  

About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

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Newly Unemployed & Furloughed Wisconsinites Discuss Concerns About Soon-Expiring Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

MADISON, Wis. — Over the last three days, Opportunity Wisconsin has hosted a series of live conversations with furloughed Wisconsin workers to discuss the impending expiration of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits created by the CARES Act. These benefits have provided support for about 700,000 unemployed Wisconsinites and served as a critical lifeline for millions more Americans out of work.

Watch the full conversations here.

Unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate take action before July 31, nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites will receive a $2,400/month pay cut starting August 1. Over 25,000 Wisconsin residents have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, and providing direct assistance to these workers should be the highest priority for the Trump administration. Instead, Republicans are focusing on providing more tax breaks to the wealthy and shielding corporations from liability if they refuse to protect their workers from the pandemic. It is clear that this administration is out of touch with working Wisconsinites’ needs — in fact, the White House confirmed this week that the president does not support extending unemployment insurance.

During the series, a teacher, a barista, a county supervisor, a photographer, and operations director shared how their lives will be impacted if PUA aid is terminated in just a few days. 

Some highlights from the conversation: 

“I just wish that people understood that we don’t have the resources on the ground — if we did, people could build and create things. We have this thing about resources ‘trickling down’ and that just doesn’t work,” said Kara Counnard, County Supervisor, wedding photographer and substitute teacher. “I am so worried. I keep thinking about how we really haven’t hit evictions and homelessness, and that’s coming next.”

“Come August 1, I do not know what is going to happen. I just lost  a 2000 dollar job yesterday. We are just dumping water out of the boat to keep your afloat for a little while,” said Pete Olsen, a freelance photographer. “Trump’s response has been an abject failure. Trump contradicts his own experts. There is no question about it: Trump is more concerned about the stock market than individuals. What he relates to is big corporations and big money — he favors money over people or the states.”

“The extra $600 helps a lot. This is the last week we get that extra $600. We’re going to feel it without the extra $600 a week,” said Marty Ybarra, Center Director for the Toman Youth and Learning Center. “I’ve worked hard all my life, and I’ve provided for my family and I want to continue to do that for them. I’m not asking for much. I just want what’s best for my children.”

“When I initially got my unemployment it took 7 weeks to get anything, andthe major hold was for a determination for a job that I haven't had in over a year,” said Sarah Johnson, a creative director. “I don't know what to do. After that 7 weeks I did start getting unemployment but then the determination was readded to my account so then i didn't get funds for another 6 weeks. I called and spoke with someone and basically the answer was keep applying and be patient. I was told to be patient a lot but 7 weeks is a long time without any income. The system is outdated, nothing that has been put in place was set up for a pandemic like what we are going through.”

“Before the pandemic we were almost always able to save a little money at the end of the month and we’ve been planning on buying a house. After the pandemic I was worried about if we’d have to lose our savings,” said Liz Carey, a barista. “We were fortunate to receive unemployment and not have to completely drain our savings. The base unemployment insurance without the $600 would have left us scraping by and probably having to drain our savings. Having that extra $600 a month gave us the peace of mind that we’d be able to get through this without having to declare bankruptcy or rack up our credit card bills. I had surgery in May and we wouldn't have been able to pay for that without the extra assistance.” 

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About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

NEW VIDEO: Pence to Visit Dairy Farm Today, While Trump’s Trade War is Destroying Wisconsin’s Farm Industry

ELEVA, Wis. — Today, Vice President Mike Pence will visit the Morning Star Dairy Farm in Onalaska, Wisconsin after visiting Ripon College. While Pence is slated to speak about the Trump administration’s agenda during his visit and tout the USMCA trade agreement, Wisconsinites know the vice president won’t mention that the Trump administration’s trade war is destroying the state’s farm industry — the backbone of our state.

A new video released by Opportunity Wisconsin today features Eleva-based dairy farmer Paul Adams discussing the damage President Trump’s trade war has done to farms like his.

Watch the 30-second video here.

“Vice President Pence really should have joined me out at our family farm earlier this year. Maybe then he’d reconsider believing that the Trump administration has actually helped the farm industry here in Wisconsin,” shared Adams Dairy owner and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member Paul Adams. “My family was forced to sell off the last of our herd, adding to the more than 2,000 Wisconsin dairy farms that have been lost since President Trump and Vice President Pence took office. And, all of that was before coronavirus, which has been hitting dairy farmers particularly hard.”

Paul’s tough decision to sell the remainder of his farm came after he got the opportunity to question Secretary Perdue about the administration’s lack of enforcement or accountability in farming. He outlined how family farms like his were feeling squeezed by the administration’s policies, and about his worry for the future of our state’s long-held farming traditions. Instead of looking out for family farmers like Paul, members of the Trump administration defend the big firms that put Paul out of business, saying “in America the big get bigger and the small go out.”  

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin also held an event with Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), Paul Adams, Nelson dairy farm and Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative Development Director Sarah Lloyd, and Landmark Creamery co-owner Anna Landmark, who discussed the damage Trump’s trade war and his economic policies have inflicted on Wisconsin’s farmers. 

“The instability in the dairy industry has been impacting the cheese industry for a long time. We are all just kind of holding our breath right now,” said Landmark Creamery co-owner and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member Anna Landmark. “Money is going to run out soon, [and] unless the federal government continues aid, we'll be gone by September.”

"When Vice President Pence visits Morning Star Farms today, I would like to challenge him to take a good look at the forces moving our industry toward greater concentration and monopoly power” said Nelson Dairy Farmer and Vice-President Columbia County Farmers Union Sarah Lloyd. “At our dairy farm and at farms across the state, we are seeing increased price volatility and a lack of market stability, and this is ultimately causing Wisconsin to lead the nation in dairy farm closures and bankruptcies. The concentrated market forces don’t give family farmers, like me, a fair shot. The Trump administration has not dug in to these issues and it is severely hurting our businesses.”

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

One Year Since the House voted to give workers a raise, but President Trump Stopped Them

NEENAH, Wis. — Tomorrow marks one year since the House of Representatives passed the Raise the Wage Act, which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour. As the legislation moved through Congress, President Trump swore to veto it should it reach his desk, essentially blocking a much-needed raise for more than 800,000 Wisconsin workers. 

Because of policy choices like this, workers in the Badger State were struggling to make ends meet even before the pandemic. Now, not only are more than 800,000 Wisconsinites dealing with $3 billion in lost wages, they are facing unprecedented unemployment, sickness, and even greater financial uncertainty.  

“When President Trump blocked the Raise the Wage Act last year, he irreparably hurt working Wisconsinites — whose median wage, when adjusted for inflation, has remained nearly stagnant for the last forty years. The current median wage of Wisconsin's workers is only 73 cents higher than it was in 1979. People could have been earning wages that actually cover expenses and leave room to save. That would have meant a world of difference for millions of us during this pandemic,” said Mark Westphal, Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member and President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council. Instead, we’re struggling to make ends meet and living paycheck to paycheck if we are lucky enough to still have jobs. The president owes working class folks in Wisconsin a check for stifling our wage increases over this past year.”

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers will face should President Trump fail to extend vital economic relief. As of today, the president has still vowed to block an extension. When the relief expires July 31, nearly 700,000 Wisconites will get a $2,400 pay cut per month during a pandemic. 

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

Opportunity Wisconsin Unveils Countdown Clock to Highlight Impending Pandemic Pay Cut for Wisconsin Workers

Badger State residents are encouraged to email President Trump and demand action as vital aid is set to expire

MADISON, Wis. — As Wisconsin sees a surge in COVID-19 cases, indicating the crisis is far from over, Opportunity Wisconsin has unveiled a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut Wisconsin workers will soon face if President Trump fails to act to extend vital economic aid.

The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, created several provisions to combat the economic burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of these vital provisions are set to expire in late July 2020, and President Trump has threatened to block their extension, leaving many unsure of how they’ll make ends meet come August. 

“Right now, Wisconsinites are facing unprecedented unemployment, wage loss, sickness, and incredible financial uncertainty,” said Mark Westphal, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council. “Now is not the time to let these economic relief measures expire. Wisconsinites can’t take another pay cut during this pandemic.”

It’s been 126 days since President Trump said we’d soon have zero cases in the U.S. We now have 2.7 million cases and more than 130,000 deaths. Statewide, nearly 1 in 7 Wisconsin adults have filed for unemployment, more than 25,000 people are battling coronavirus, and at least 750 people have lost their battle to the disease.

This is what’s at stake if President Trump and Wisconsin’s Republicans let this vital aid expire: 

• Expiration of supplemental unemployment benefits

  • On July 31, 2020 an estimated 676,449 Wisconsinites will stop receiving supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 a week. For most Wisconsinites, that’s a $2,400 pay cut per month. 

• Moratorium on eviction for properties receiving federal aid expires

  • On July 25, the moratorium on evictions for properties receiving federal assistance is set to expire. An estimated 131,400 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing their homes. 

• Deferment of federal student loan payments will cease

  • On September 30, 2020, student loan borrowers will no longer be able to defer payments even if they’ve lost their income due to COVID-19. That means that 64% of Wisconsin's collegiate graduating class of 2018 will be forced further into debt.

This shouldn’t be a difficult decision for the president to make. Emergency benefits shouldn’t end until the emergency does. 75% of Americans agree and think Congress should extend emergency unemployment benefits. President Trump and his allies claim that they want to cut people’s unemployment benefits to force them back to work – but not only is that obscene during a pandemic, it also wouldn’t work. A recent study shows no evidence that cutting people’s benefits pushes them to go back on the job any sooner. It just hurts them, their families, and the overall economy.

Opportunity Wisconsin is calling on Badger State residents to take action in two ways:

1. Contact the White House: Email President Trump and demand that he extend the supplemental unemployment benefits that hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites need right now to survive.

2. Share Your Story: If you have been receiving supplemental unemployment benefits, what’s at stake if that aid stops arriving? Have you received any aid? How would you feel if the program expires before you get any aid?

President Trump is acting like the economic crisis is over now that Wall Street and big business got their bailouts, but if we let Wisconsin workers and families fall through the cracks, this economic recession will be far longer and deeper than it needs to be.

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About Opportunity Wisconsin

Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.