Contrary to the talking points of the commerce class, the middle class was never inevitable. It hadn’t happened in centuries and only came thanks to generations of men and women who understood that a lifetime of secure work shouldn’t be controlled by — and perpetually threatened by — the whims of millionaires (then billionaires, and now, good lord, a trillionaire). 

If we’ve learned nothing in the past decade of Donald Trump’s ascension to power, it’s that despite islands of individual benevolence, there will never be a pause in the desire of many with great wealth to control the people whose labor gave them their riches. 

Here’s to ongoing progress in the quest for work that is universally respected and rewarded.

Have a great holiday weekend and stay on top of our social media feeds on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more for any late breaking stories.

🗳️ Oct. 20 – The start of early, in-person absentee voting. Although it remains under attack by people who now have a track record of trying to undermine voting rights, it is still a valid and attractive option for people who aren’t sure they’ll be free to vote in person on Nov. 3.

(Photo by Salina Heller)

November’s heroes: Clerks and poll workers

Poll workers, also called election inspectors, play an essential role in the election process. Becoming a Wisconsin poll worker is a great way to contribute to your community, help protect elections, and see the democratic process up close–all while getting paid. 

“I really appreciate our democracy,” said Tori D., an Eau Claire poll worker we talked to during the August primary. “And I just wanted to be a little more involved and be active in helping keep our country the way that it is.”

“I love everyone that I work with and it’s not too hard to learn,” Tori said about her 10 years as a poll worker. “Satisfying? Absolutely! We do get paid a little bit for this job, but even if they didn’t pay me, I would do it.”

Our Voter Guide has a story from Abigail Deatrick with everything you need to know to become a poll worker in Wisconsin — job requirements, duties, and how to apply.

You also find a story from Salina Heller that outlines the role county clerks play in making sure Wisconsin elections are safe, secure, and accurate.

In honor of our newly published Voter Guide outlining how to start voting for the first time, we want to know when you first exercised your right to vote.

We seem to be seeing a lot of younger first-timers in our more polarized political environment compared to a generation ago, when young people may not have taken the time to cast a ballot.

So, when was your first time? Did you take it seriously right away? Wait until you maybe had a family of your own? Or were you a late bloomer because you didn’t understand its importance but you do now?

Click the box above to be taken to our website where you can select your response. Feel free to say more in the comment box—and leave your first name and hometown so we can share your answer in our next newsletter.

We asked how you felt about the two major parties and whether they had drifted too liberal (for Democrats) or too conservative (for Republicans). 

🄰 29% said both parties are too extreme.

🄱 Only 2% of our respondents said the Democratic Party is too far left and the Republican Party is where it should be expected.

🄲 55% said the Democratic Party is where it should be expected, while the Republican Party has drifted too far to the right.

🄳 Only 6% said both parties are right where they should be ideologically.

🄴 And 8% gave a different answer, many saying the Democratic Party isn’t liberal enough or that there should be a major third party option.

By the way, the question in a recent Marquette Poll was worded differently  than ours, but the upshot is that 52% of those respondents thought the  Democratic Party was too liberal while 26% thought the party was where it should be. And 49% said Republican Party was too conservative while 33% thought the GOP was where it should be.

Among your responses:

👉🏼  “It’s not that there aren’t moderates in both parties, there are. I think both extremes have gotten more control and influence, partially because of their use of social media effectively destroying things.”

👉🏼  “Both parties are out of touch with the majority of voters. There needs to be a third party representing the ‘silent majority’ as a middle road to get government governing again.”

👉🏼  “I think the Democrats need to be a bit more left of center than some are. We are caught in an extreme situation and that calls for extreme measures from the left.”

Thanks for your responses.

Our calendar of events will return after Labor Day weekend.

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!