Fighting Bob Fest Kickoff: Friday night, September 16, 7:00pm.(Doors open at 6:00)

Featuring:

Dennis Kucinich

Thom Hartmann

Jim Hightower

Stan Gruszynski

Greg Palast

Ruth Conniff

John Nichols

Daniel Kunene

At the Barrymore Theater

http://barrymorelive.com Tickets: $8.00 Advance/$10.00 Day Of Show

Saturday schedule:

Coliseum Doors open at 8:00am

Program begins at 9:00am

Breakout sessions

The Encroachment of the Powerful Few Upon the Rights of the Many-- Fighting Bob La Follette’s Solutions and Why they Matter Today

Join history professor Nancy C. Unger in a discussion (illustrated by photos, film, and political cartoons) of class warfare--and how Fighting Bob (1855-1925) successfully combated it in his own day. Author of the award-winning biography Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer, Nancy will focus particularly on collective bargaining, the debate over the wisdom of political compromise, and what to do when a duly elected official continues to dismantle hard fought progressive gains. Fighting Bob’s responses to political challenges reveal how Wisconsin can once again reverse reactionary politics and reclaim national progressive leadership.

Participants: Professor Nancy C. Unger

Location: Lower Level Concourse

We Belong to the Land

Actor and writer Bruce Bradley gives a captivating performance of his adaptation of the inspirational autobiography of Father Elias Chacour. Father Chacour has been working for peace in Israel/Palestine for the past 45 years. Against overwhelming odds, he established the multicultural Mar Elias School in Ibillin, where Christians, Jews, Muslims and Druze are educated side-by-side without regard to religious or ethnic denomination

Participants: Bruce Bradley

Location: Third Floor Corridor

Class Warfare: A Strong Middle-Class requires a Strong Labor Movement"

The theme of Bob Fest #10 is “Class Warfare: Fight Back” A sub theme is—“A Strong middle-class requires a strong labor movement.” It is clear that the Koch brothers, operating through Scott Walker, John Kasich and other right-wing governors are determined to make America “Union-Free.” They think they can destroy labor. First by killing public sector unions; the private sector next.

The first part of the plot is operative in Wisconsin right now. That is to say, Walker has pulled out all the stops to kill public sector unions by limiting what they can bargain for—wages, requiring the unions to recertify annually; and to refuse dues collection. As we prepare for Fighting Bob Fest, the Koch brothers are trying to destroy AFSCME, WEAC and other unions that survived and thrived because they were effective in bargaining and because they had a regular flow of funds through employer check-off. Those days are gone.

The question for the breakout panel, consisting of John Matthews, MTI, Carin Clauss, Law professor at UW, and Fred Redmond, United Steelworkers is “How can we help unions regain the wind at their back and emerge stronger or, if not stronger, at least an important part of the game.

It is certain as the sun rising in the east that Right-to-work (RTW) is next on the Koch charts. If Wisconsin becomes a RTW state, private sector unions will be in the same position as public sector unions are today.

We will ask the panel HOW Wisconsin can defeat the Koch brothers and remain a solidly non-RTW state! Get ready for a lively discussion.

Participants: John Matthews, MTI; Carin Clauss, Law professor at UW; and Fred Redmond, Vice President of United Steelworkers

Location: Main room of the Coliseum

Our Planet: No More Excuses—Saving the Planet One Community at a Time

Climate change is occurring, and the pace of the change is picking up. The consequences are grave, and coming sooner than the projections. We know a lot: We know we have a global-scale problem, and we know what is causing it. We know that political leaders lack the courage to enact meaningful policy. We know corporations are interested in next quarter’s profits, not in the environmental conditions they will leave their workers’ children and grandchildren. We know the natural inclination of the elite is to dump solutions on the backs of the poor.

We also know that working at the grassroots, people are making a difference in their neighborhoods, communities. Exciting and innovative things are happening in communities across Wisconsin – people are leading and fighting back and politicians and corporations need to get out of the way.

Please join Sharon McMurray from MICAH and the Cleaner Valley Coalition, Kurt Reinhold from Solar Connections, and John Fergus from E3 Coalition and the Southwest Wisconsin Driftless Region Energy Independence Collaboration as we focus on some of the cutting-edge actions that are underway in Wisconsin.

How can one person make a practical difference?

Participants: Kurt Reinhold, Sharon McMurray, & John Fergus

Location: Located Break-Out #2-- Please see your program day of event

Voter Suppression: IDs and PACs vs. the People

Wisconsin has led the nation in voter participation. Minnesota and Wisconsin, for years, have battled to be number one in turnout. Wisconsin invited every eligible voter to vote. Then Scott Walker argued that there was rampant voter fraud—even though he had no evidence of significant fraud in Wisconsin—and passed the new Voter ID Bill. Why? Most voters on the prosperous side of the ledger have a driver’s license, the proper ID; therefore, will vote. What can be done is the challenge facing the Democratic Party. Students, homebound seniors, and far too many minorities statewide will not be allowed to vote! Is this not direct violation to the 1965 voter law? Nino Amato and Christine Neumann-Ortiz will weigh in on how to help. We all know that the Supreme Court’s ruling Citizen’s United has transformed elections-- unprecedented spending by special interest groups, limitless campaign contributions, corporations buying elections. How can we reverse Citizen’s United? How can we fund campaigns? Jay Harris will lead the discussion.

Participants: Jay Harris and Nino Amato

Location: Located Break-Out #4-- Please see map on back of program