Milwaukee was festive today with a large labor day parade today that showcased the best attributes of the city – diversity, dissent, and creativity. The “Recall Walker” signs were out in force, as was an incredible array of floats and puppets created by the “All City People’s Parade.” My personal favorite was the “Wheel of Misfortune” float that spoke volumes about the draconian cuts that the Milwaukee Public School system has faced.

It was a sign of the times to walk past block-after-block of vacated storefronts as retail has absolutely collapsed in downtown Milwaukee and labor day could just as easily be termed “unemployment day” considering how “austerity” (i.e. capitalism) has left so many people unemployed or underemployed. Let’s hope Wisconsin and other states make the best use of the Fall and Winter by organizing and rising up.