Economy and Jobs

By Cristina Marcos Wisconsin Democratic Reps. Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore slammed Gov. Scott Walker's proposal that welfare beneficiaries undergo drug testing. "It is time Governor Scott Walker stop blaming the poor for being poor," Pocan said in a statement. "Before coming up with new, costly, and ineffective policies, Governor Walker needs to first explain to Wisconsin taxpayers how he intends to address next year’s projected $1.9 billion deficit." In a letter to Walker, Pocan and Moore request... Read more

Drug testing as a condition of eligibility for critical, life-saving social services is a gross insult to Wisconsin's struggling families, Rep. Moore said. "The insinuation that those battling poverty are somehow more susceptible to substance abuse is as absurd as it is offensive. Governor Walker needs to focus less on finding ways to discriminate against Wisconsin's most vulnerable and focus more on fixing his failed policies that contributed to our state's current economic trouble." Read more

I find it shameful that Governor Walker has chosen to drug test our struggling Wisconsin families as a condition of eligibility for vital, life-saving social services. The insinuation that those battling poverty are somehow more susceptible to substance abuse is as absurd as it is offensive. Drug addition and subsistence abuse knows no economic or social distinctions. This discriminatory policy is devoid of any scientific credibility and has proven in the past to be fiscally irresponsible and a colossal waste of our time. Read more

By Joseph Pisani NEW YORK — Police handcuffed nine protesters in Boston and dozens of others in cities across the country who blocked traffic Thursday in their latest attempt to escalate efforts to get fast-food companies to pay employees at least $15 an hour. The protests, which were planned by labor organizers for about 150 cities nationwide throughout Thursday, are part of a campaign called ‘‘Fight for $15.’’ Since the efforts began in late 2012, organizers have switched up their tactics eve... Read more

By FOX News Latino Staff Police handcuffed dozens of protesters who blocked traffic in dozens of cities across the country on Thursday in their latest attempt to escalate efforts to get McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food companies to pay employees at least $15 an hour. The protests, which were planned by labor organizers for about 150 cities nationwide throughout Thursday, are part of a campaign called "Fight for $15." Since the efforts began in late 2012, organizers have switched up t... Read more

By Daniel Strauss Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) was arrested by West Milwaukee police on Thursday as she joined a minimum wage protest in her district. Twenty-five people have been arrested so far by police during the "Fight for 15" protests in West Milwaukee, according to the local CBS affiliate. The group advocates for raising the minimum wage and has staged protests across the nation on Thursday. Steven Greenhouse, who covers labor for The New York Times, also tweeted out a picture of Moore's arres... Read more

By Jason Silverstein U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore was detained by police at a protest Thursday led by fast food workers pressing for an increase in the minimum wage. The nonprofit group Wisconsin Jobs Now tweeted a photo of Moore being handcuffed by what appears to be a plainclothes police officer. Moore's personal Twitter account soon followed with a tweet, written by Moore's communications director Eric Harris, confirming her arrest. "I take great pride in supporting Milwaukee workers as they risk ar... Read more

By Katie Delong MILWAUKEE (WITI) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Susan Hedman has announced a $1 million “Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund” grant to clean up contaminated properties in Milwaukee to prepare the sites for reuse. Hedman was joined by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and Mayor Tom Barrett for the announcement at a brownfield site in the Park East Corridor on Thursday, August 7th — where a prior EPA grant was used for cleanup work. “This EPA brownfield grant is a sol... Read more

By Steve Dzubay WASHINGTON D.C. -- House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Janesville says he wants to reform federal programs for the poor without a net reduction in spending, but at least one Wisconsin Democrat doesn't buy it. Milwaukee Representative Gwen Moore said the block grants Ryan's talking about are a "proxy for the chopping block." Moore said it would lead to cuts in programs that benefit the poor. Ryan said that at first, states would choose to test his idea of merging up to eleven anti... Read more

By Craig Gilbert Washington — While citing some areas of common ground, Democrats reacted with general skepticism to the anti-poverty agenda unveiled by House budget chairman Paul Ryan of Janesville on Thursday. One big reason: their deep disdain for the House budgets Ryan has crafted in recent years, which they view as punitive toward the poor. "It's a case of total cognitive dissonance between the (Ryan) proposals today and the Republican budgets" that Ryan has shepherded through the House, s... Read more