Thanksgiving Special Interviews

·1 hr 13 min·5 clips

Wisconsin now pays the least taxes in state history, dropping to 35th nationally while public needs go unmet.

The episode opens with hosts Matt Bruski and Robert Craig introducing a Thanksgiving special featuring two interviews. They first discuss a new report showing Wisconsinites now pay the least amount of their income in taxes in state history, ranking 35th nationally. The hosts critique bipartisan celebration of this trend, arguing it reflects regressive tax policies that undermine funding for public education, childcare, and infrastructure. They trace this to Republican control and tax cuts under Governor Walker, expressing frustration that Democratic Governor Tony Evers is also celebrating the low tax ranking. The conversation then shifts to the first interview with Chris Gooding, a theology professor at Marquette University and union steering committee member. Gooding explains that non-tenure-track professors at Marquette earn 30-50% less than tenured faculty while teaching twice as many classes, with starting salaries around $43,000-$45,000. He details how Marquette is blocking unionization efforts by invoking a religious exemption from National Labor Relations Board oversight, despite Catholic social teaching's strong pro-union stance. Gooding notes that 70% of eligible faculty have signed union cards and calls for public pressure on Marquette administration. The second interview features Tom Content, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB). Content explains CUB's role as a utility watchdog and discusses recent double-digit rate increases approved for We Energies by the Public Service Commission (PSC). He reveals that Wisconsin's allowed utility profit rates are the fifth highest in the country, and We Energies has had record profits for 20 of the last 21 years. Content criticizes the PSC for ignoring public testimony about affordability and for allowing utilities to continue collecting profits on retired coal plants. The hosts and Content discuss structural problems with the PSC, including regulatory capture, high staff turnover, and the revolving door between the commission and utility companies. Content suggests reforms like a five-member commission, longer cooling-off periods for former commissioners, and potentially elected commissioners. He notes unusual coalitions forming around utility issues, including partnerships with conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity. The episode concludes by linking utility costs to broader economic anxiety, noting that average Milwaukee rent is $1,800 and energy burdens affect residents statewide regardless of ideology.

As heard by us

A Thanksgiving special that turns post-election unease into practical organizing around Marquette and a statewide campaign.

Thanksgiving Special Interviews uses the holiday setting to shift from gratitude and post-election family strain into Wisconsin organizing. Matt Bruski of Citizen Action Wisconsin and Robert Craig, its executive director, help frame a conversation that first lands with Marquette…

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Why you'd press play

When Thanksgiving conversations brush against elections, follow this episode into a Marquette academic-worker pressure campaign and a broader statewide push.

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