🏆 Okay, I’ll admit there might be a bit of an “up north” favoritism to that question, but I’ve been to the State Fair in West Allis and the Central Wisconsin State Fair in Marshfield and I stand by my hometown bias. The fairgrounds in Chippewa Falls is a “Goldilocks” type of event, not too small like some county fairs, not too overwhelming, not too pricey like the growing number of big-name music festivals. It’s a “just right” place for strolling through the exhibit buildings, sampling all kinds of delicious fair fare, and dancing to bands in multiple beer gardens on a hillside just above the Leinenkugel Brewery. 

🐄 Here’s a 2023 article from Salina Heller with more about the differences between our many fairs.

I hope you get a chance to take in one or more of the celebrations in your area before summer slips away.

Also, if you’re up north and anywhere near Lake Tomahawk (maybe attending this weekend’s Hodag Festival?) join me on Saturday morning as I moderate a forum between the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor, co-sponsored by UpNorthNews.

You can CLICK THIS LINK to pre-register.

Have a great weekend. And be sure to stay up to date with our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Click on the photos to read more about each story.

WJFW-TV screenshot

💸 The question posed to the candidates in the 7th Congressional District Republican primary was a simple one. “What is the single most important thing Congress can do to lower the cost of living for Americans?” asked moderator Dan Hagen of WJFW-TV in Rhinelander.

But for a party gunshy about seeming to support federal spending on anything other than tax cuts and war, it was more of a stumper, as they relied on tropes, hyperbole, and misinformation to address a question of basic household economics.

Michael Alfonso, who’s seeking to win the seat once held by his father-in-law, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said cutting the federal budget would make life more affordable. He didn’t specify how that would work, but he did specify one area of the federal budget he would target — and it wasn’t the war in Iran.

🐐 “We’re paying for the most ridiculous things,” Alfonso said, “like transgender surgeries for goats in Afghanistan or who knows what else US aid was funding.”

There is no such program. Alfonso did not cite any other budget cuts that would reduce the average cost of living.

⚖️ Kevin Hermening also responded with spending cuts as a path to lower prices and said he would only vote for federal budgets that were balanced or reduced the deficit. That would require a break from his party, as Republican control of the White House or Congress has consistently led to higher debt and deficits compared to Democratic progress on reducing deficits and adding jobs.

🛢️ Jessi Ebben said she would pursue lower energy costs for Americans by embracing fossil fuels and pulling back American progress on renewable energy sources.

“Democrats love to fund solar panels and windmills on our farmland. This is bad energy to begin with. It’s not reliable when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing,” Ebben said, seemingly unaware of battery storage technology and solar performance even on cloudy days. 

🤷 Niina Baum did not cite a policy that would reduce everyday costs. She said it would require changing the influence of special interests on politics.

Starting Friday morning on our social media feeds, you can see my video report on these responses.

🏥 Over the years, a lot of ideas have been put forward to change how we handle health insurance for Americans, including proposals from candidates running for governor.

If you had to pick just one change, what would it be?

We acknowledge the options below are simplistic definitions in order to make it a little easier to choose only one path. And please resist saying any change is acceptable; we’d really like to know which one option connects best with you.

🄰: Medicare For All (Single payer) – Every American has coverage, as the government would be the single insurance coverage provider. There would still be some out-of-pocket costs and a role for private sector healthcare, but no American would face bankruptcy for getting sick or injured.

🄱: Government-run – No more for-profit entities in healthcare, with most facilities operated by the government and most healthcare providers being government employees or independent contractors. (Much like the Veterans Administration.)

🄲: Public Option – Leave everything mostly as it is, but give the for-profit sector some competition through a public option. For example, letting everyone in Wisconsin buy into coverage from the plan that covers state employees.

🄳:  Expand the ACA – Keep the current system largely intact but provide more generous subsidies to families so that they have more and better options to choose from in the insurance marketplace.

🄴: Do Nothing – Things are fine as-is. If anything, remove more government involvement and let the free market determine coverage and affordability.

Click the blue box above to visit our website and select the answer closest to your point of view. We’d really appreciate you adding your comments and your first name and hometown.

We asked if we will still have a two-party system 50 years from now when America reaches its tricentennial.

👉🏼 22% said yes, like Joel in Spooner: “What both parties are very good at is protecting their own. The only time they fully work together is to quash any third party. Different iterations, but we will have the two wings of the same bird for a while.”

👉🏼 44% feel the major parties will eventually split up and give us multiple viable parties. ”About time,” said one respondent.

👉🏼 17% said the best we can expect is a new, viable third party. “Each side has failed in doing the right thing, so a third party will meld ideas to where there will be no extremists,” said Michael in Howards Grove.

👉🏼 17% feel we won’t even have this kind of political system in 50 years. “I’m not feeling optimistic, sorry,” wrote Julie. “The super rich have complete control.”

Thank you for your responses!

Our bulletin board will return next week!

Send your events and announcements to Abigail Deatrick, UpNorthNews’ regional community development organizer, at least one week before the event to see them here.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great weekend!