
Bruce Thompson: Why Wisconsin, U.S. failed against COVID-19
Conservative network, including key state operatives, quietly fought solutions other advanced countries pursued.
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Conservative network, including key state operatives, quietly fought solutions other advanced countries pursued.

How state compares to others in testing, rate of positive cases and rate of hospitalization.

President Trump’s refusal to accept responsibility for a national health emergency along with his reluctance to even acknowledge the severity and consequences of COVID-19 has turned the pandemic into a public health crisis and economic devastation that Americans are paying for with their lives and well-being.

Six years after policy began, classrooms are out of control, teachers are afraid and students – black and white – are suffering.

While the CARES Act was an important step, we are now heading into the fifth month of this crisis and further action is needed in Washington to help us back home in Wisconsin.

Each time there is discussion of police violence against unarmed blacks the same tired narrative plays out, attempting to deflect attention from the issue at hand. Stop comparing apples to oranges.

For the tens of thousands of out-of-work Wisconsinites caught in the state Department of Workforce Development’s abysmal Unemployment Insurance claims system, it must be comforting to know that the state Department of Health Services is offering “coping tips.”

The first requirement is that we recognize how unequal we’ve become. Then perhaps we can start doing something about it.

Pandemic devastates lower and middle class while billionaires get wealthier.


Over the past few months, crime and criminal justice issues have become central to our lives, yet little concrete action has been taken by our state government.

We must have real discussions of what “defunding the police” means. If it means abandoning the concept of law enforcement, that is a nonstarter. If that means conducting a laser-focused, deep dive into the responsibilities of policing and the consequences of reallocating resources, count me in.

We should not have to trust the police to police themselves. Trust will come only when we are allowed to see inside the process.

Wisconsin health providers and patients alike need relief, and the STOP Act will provide that for them in the form of a responsible long-term fix.

President Trump and GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s incompetent response to COVID-19 continues to hammer the economy.

In true American fashion, President Abraham Lincoln explained that, “My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.”

Gov. Tony Evers’ excuses about his waffling response to last month’s Madison riots are getting harder to buy.

Businesses need to be transparent when employees test positive for COVID-19.

We can’t allow petty whining about the “inconvenience” of wearing masks to outweigh science and common sense. If we do, some people’s liberties will lead to some other people’s death. The virus is not done with us.

After COVID-19, Washington County and Wisconsin needs to get back to work. Unfortunately, a bureaucratic process is literally getting in the way of rebuilding our economy.

Conservative network, including key state operatives, quietly fought solutions other advanced countries pursued.

How state compares to others in testing, rate of positive cases and rate of hospitalization.

President Trump’s refusal to accept responsibility for a national health emergency along with his reluctance to even acknowledge the severity and consequences of COVID-19 has turned the pandemic into a public health crisis and economic devastation that Americans are paying for with their lives and well-being.

Six years after policy began, classrooms are out of control, teachers are afraid and students – black and white – are suffering.

While the CARES Act was an important step, we are now heading into the fifth month of this crisis and further action is needed in Washington to help us back home in Wisconsin.

Each time there is discussion of police violence against unarmed blacks the same tired narrative plays out, attempting to deflect attention from the issue at hand. Stop comparing apples to oranges.

For the tens of thousands of out-of-work Wisconsinites caught in the state Department of Workforce Development’s abysmal Unemployment Insurance claims system, it must be comforting to know that the state Department of Health Services is offering “coping tips.”

The first requirement is that we recognize how unequal we’ve become. Then perhaps we can start doing something about it.

Pandemic devastates lower and middle class while billionaires get wealthier.


Over the past few months, crime and criminal justice issues have become central to our lives, yet little concrete action has been taken by our state government.

We must have real discussions of what “defunding the police” means. If it means abandoning the concept of law enforcement, that is a nonstarter. If that means conducting a laser-focused, deep dive into the responsibilities of policing and the consequences of reallocating resources, count me in.

We should not have to trust the police to police themselves. Trust will come only when we are allowed to see inside the process.

Wisconsin health providers and patients alike need relief, and the STOP Act will provide that for them in the form of a responsible long-term fix.

President Trump and GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s incompetent response to COVID-19 continues to hammer the economy.

In true American fashion, President Abraham Lincoln explained that, “My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.”

Gov. Tony Evers’ excuses about his waffling response to last month’s Madison riots are getting harder to buy.

Businesses need to be transparent when employees test positive for COVID-19.

We can’t allow petty whining about the “inconvenience” of wearing masks to outweigh science and common sense. If we do, some people’s liberties will lead to some other people’s death. The virus is not done with us.
After COVID-19, Washington County and Wisconsin needs to get back to work. Unfortunately, a bureaucratic process is literally getting in the way of rebuilding our economy.