 Liberal Place: Madison, WI
These are comments on Madison, submitted by other Turn Left visitors. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of the webmaster. You may add a comment on Madison if you want.
 Madison is the home of the progressive
movement, led at the turn of the century by Battling Bob La Follette.
Today The Progressive magazine, one of the country's most left-leaning
publications, is still published here. The University of Wisconsin adds
an intellectual environment to the city, giving it one of the highest
levels of bookstores per capita. Madison also has some of the most
tolerant policies of any American city with regards to homosexual rights.
Anyone who has walked in downtown Madison can attest to the city's
liberal, friendly feel, in the proud Midwestern liberal tradition.
...and another comment...
Madison also has the lowest unemployment rate and the third lowest crime
rate in the nation, as well as an AAA bond rating. Madison was also
rated as "the number one city in America to live and raise a family" by
Money magazine. All of these accomplishments were made under a liberal
democratic city government. Madison should be seen as a model city and
as proof that liberalism works.
...and another comment...
Everything said about Madison is true. It is a wonderfully liberal and
socially aware place--to the extent that conservatives get very annoyed
especially Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. "Herman Goering" Thompson We have a
an openly gay state represntative and probably one of the most
progressive and innovative mayors in the country: Paul Soglin.
Unfortunately, he's retiring. Nobody will ever fill his shoes, but, we
do have two competent leftist candidates running. If any Madisonians
read this: vote for Bauman!
...and another comment...
Madison is the annual Cannabis Harvest Festival, Gay Rights marches,
leftist lectures, honors to visitors like Noam Comsky and Ralph Nader and
a population that is very protective of their ducks. I love Madison.
...and another comment...
Madison now has its first woman mayor. Not only that, but Dane County
(the county that Madison is in) has its first woman county executive,
Kathleen Falk. Falk's former position was the state Public Intervenor.
Her job was to stop businesses from engaging in environmentally damaging
behaviors.
A couple years ago, Gov. Thompson gutted the public intervenor's office.
Soon afterward, Exxon was permitted to begin preparations on a dangerous
mine in northern Wisconsin. This mine is at the head of the Wolf River,
which empties into the Wisconsin River (Wisconsin's largest), which
empties into the Mississippi. Coincidence??? Thankfully, the State
Legislature has temporarily stopped the project from proceding and is
currently debating a statewide mining moratorium.
...and another comment...
yes Madison is a great city. I used to live there, and now live in Orlando. Madison is not great because of liberal democrat politicians. Madison is great because it is largely filled by decent,hardworking people who show up for work everyday and basically have conservative values. If you want to talk about any govt policies improving things in Madison, how about gov. thompson's welfare reform, mmmm? Now that's improvement.
...and another comment...
Madison is chock full of WHITE, college-educated affluent people who
openly claim that when a murder occurs on the streets of the southside,
it must be due to drugs and gangs. Yes inded, very liberal. The
pampered white college students have no problem riding bicycles naked
down State Street for a cause, but they only go to Allied Drive to buy
their drugs. It's a place where hoards of baby-boomers worry about the
long-term effects of marijuana usage and thank god everyday that their
next door neighborh now has three kids and works for the Primate
Reasearch Center and doesn't have AIDS because they used to have orgies
together with their friends in the commune they started in 1972. Only
in Madison could you have loonies like Ron Greer handing out flyers on
the steps of the city hall outing his allegly lesbian boss, yeah, very
open to whom????? In my opinion, Madison is quintessentially liberal
...and another comment...
Recently, after a local church put up billboards bashing gays, the Madison government passed a resolution (unanimously) stating Madison was a City of Tolerance which welcomes all people, including gays. Hundreds of locals also counteracted the hateful billboard by putting out yards signs welcoming gay people. I am proud to live here.
...and a comment on the rest of the state...
The only Wisconsin city on your OK list is Madison, which I agree is a wonderful place
to be. However, almost anyplace north of Madison (almost the whole state) is
quite bigoted and very republican. In my congressional district, there hasn't been a
serious democratic challenge to the 20 year republican since he took office. Even
on a local level, we have 9 people running for county offices- clerk of courts, register
of deeds, etc. and they are billing themselves as republicans. (Like it matters.)
That pastor from Michigan who wants to place the 10 commandments in every
courtroom chose Green Bay to be one of his first test cases.
The John Birch Society national headquarters are in Appleton.
Lately, we have to contend with the Green Bay Packers and Reggie White's comments.
I couldn't wait to see the backlash in the papers. Surprise! The Appleton Post-Crescent
kept count, and the letters were about 15 to 1 IN FAVOR of his fundamentalist bigotry.
And of course, there is Brett Favre speaking at Governor Thompson's fund raisers,
and Packer president Bob Harlan hosting conservative columnist Cal Thomas in Green
Bay, and the Packer foundation donating thousands to anti-choice groups like the
Veritas Society.
It's amazing we have two fairly liberal Dem senators in Kohl and Feingold. That's about
it for this state. And to think we used to be known as a progressives, in the days
of Fighting Bob LaFollette- now we're known for being the first to cut poor people off
welfare, which is Gov. Thompson's claim-to-fame.
I guess the bloodlines of Joe McCarthy (born in Appleton) are still running.
Add a city. Be sure to tell why you think this place is liberal-friendly.
Comment on Madison.
Go back to the master list of liberal friendly and unfriendly cities.
| 
