Just a reminder that City of Milwaukee Residents can register to vote at any library within the city. The last day to register for the Spring Primary (Feb. 19th) is Wednesday, January 30th. Any questions on polling locations can go to Ready Reference, 414-286-3011.
On Friday, January 25, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will hold a listening session in MPL's Centennial Hall from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Each year Senator Feingold holds listening sessions in every county of the state. These sessions are opportunities for residents to share their ideas and concerns with him.
From the Senator's Website:
“I again look forward to meeting with constituents in Milwaukee County,” Senator Feingold said. “These listening sessions are an excellent opportunity for me to hear directly from constituents about any issues or concerns they may have, and I appreciate the effort people make to attend these meetings and let their voices be heard. Their ideas and advice continue to enable me to serve the people of Wisconsin to the best of my ability.”
On February 13, President Bush signed the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, which will give a total of $152 billion to millions of Americans.
Starting in May, the U.S. Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million American individuals/households. To receive the payment, a 2007 income tax return must be filed - from which payments will automatically be issued to qualifying filers. Payment amounts will be based on 2007 income tax returns or information provided by Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration and/or Railroad Retirement administrators. (from the IRS Website)
For more information about these payments, see the General Information and Frequently Asked Questions sections of the IRS Website.
ATTENTION!!
Registering to vote for the April 1st Election ends at 5 pm March 12th.
Remember you can register at any library for the April 1st Election and find out your polling location too
Registration is open again for the General Election in Fall. If you are a City of Milwaukee resident you can come into any library and register. The deadline to register at a library for the election is Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
Jennifer L.W. Fink, a freelance writer, wrote an interesting article for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, about the economic times and the effect on Public Libraries. The link to the article is below.
Also, Joanne Williams, of WITI Fox 6 news spent time today at both Central and Washington Park libraries doing a similar story. That will air at 6:00PM tonight.
Are you in need of energy assistance this winter? Flood relief? Child care concerns? The U.S. Federal Government may have a program to provide support. GovBenefits.gov is a one stop website with over 1,000 federal benefit and assistance programs. There is a helpful questionnaire which will help you determine if you are eligible for certain programs and it also contains a quick alphabetical list for specific categories of aid. With this type of information often scattered about the Web, this pulls the information together in one place. For other useful sites courtesy of the Federal Government, check out the Government-Federal category on the MPL homepage under Recommended Links.
Want to express your opinions to Mayor Barrett and city aldermen on the proposed 2009 budget for Milwaukee libraries and other city departments? You have one more chance to do just that. Come to a town hall meeting and listening session at:
Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St.
Monday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m.
If you wish to speak you will be required to sign up prior to your remarks. You will be held to a specific time limit.
This hearing will air live on City Channel 25 on Time Warner Cable and on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
The 44th Presidential Inaugural will take place at 11:00am Milwaukee time (at noon Washington time) on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Taking the kids to D.C. doesn't seem like such a great idea, what with the crowds, the temperatures (not to mention the stroller ban). But that doesn't mean you have to miss the opportunity to be part of Barack Obama's historic presidential inauguration. There are free and lovely libraries all over the city to watch the inauguration in a group setting so you get that live experience… but with heat!
Television:
All the public libraries in the city of Milwaukee will have televisions tuned to the inauguration activities during the day so you can watch all the festivities. Check hours and locations of Milwaukee Public Libraries here.
Internet viewing/live stream:
You can also use one of Milwaukee Public Library's free public computers with word processing, internet access and many useful databases at all city library locations--but don't forget your library card. (If you don't have a library card, click here to find out how to get one.)
For a live webcast of the Obama inauguration, internet viewers can go to:
Disability.gov is an award-winning federal Web site that contains disability-related resources on programs, services, laws and regulations to help people with disabilities lead full, independent lives. Disability.gov provides critical information on a variety of topics, including benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, housing, health, technology and transportation.
For additional databases and links on this subject, check out the Resources for People with Disabilities Category from the Recommended Links section of the Milwaukee Public Library home page.
The massive earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 has dominated the news cycle for the past couple weeks. As reports come out about the massive devastation and loss of life, many Americans wish to assist monetarily to the relief effort. Unfortunately, as more people dig deep into their pockets to offer help, e-mail scams soliciting funds have also appeared. In order to ensure that your funds are going to a reputable charity, check out Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau's charity page. Charity Navigator rates charities and also provides a brief description of their services. The Better Business Bureau's charity site provides information about charities and also provides contact information for further inquiries or to file a complaint. If you receive an email that appears to be from a scammer, you can assist the FBI in closing down fraudulent operations by reporting the email to Internet Crime Complaint Center .
Whether you are barbecuing or boating, swimming or sunning, travelling or tenting, you can find safety tips for the Fourth of July weekend at usa.gov. At this website, you can also find fun facts about July 4, ways to help your country, and American recipes (including everything from Diabetes recipes from the National Institutes of Health to Mrs. Truman's Mac & Cheese). Access to usa.gov is available via the Milwaukee Public Library website's recommended Federal Government links.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is offering a free seminar for inventors, entrepreneurs, educators and legal professionals at Centennial Hall, 733 N. Eighth Street, on Wednesday, September 8 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The day's events will include:
*An overview of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets
*How to make the best use of the USPTO website
*Conducting a patent search, step by step
*Asking the right questions of invention promotion firms
*Conducting a trademark search, step by step
A prepaid box lunch will be available for $7.50 with your choice of turkey or hummus wrap, chips and a beverage, or you may opt to go out to eat.
To register, contact Judy Pinger, the MPL Business & Technology Coordinator, by phone at 414 - 286 - 3247 or by email at jeping@milwaukee.gov. The deadline for registration is Tuesday, August 31.
This program is presented in connection with Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World on exhibit at the Central Library from September 8 to October 22, 2010.
Tuesday November 2nd is election day. Make sure your vote counts by checking which is your polling place and making sure that you are registered. Residents of Milwaukee can enter their address into the Election Commission's site to determine which is their polling place. The Election Commission also lists who your representatives are for selected national, state, and local positions. Another place to find information on who your state representatives are based on your residence is on the Wisconsin State Legislature's site. To view a sample ballot for the upcoming election and verify whether or not you are already registered, search the State of Wisconsin's Voter Public Access site.
photo by April Sikorski
Last week the Census Bureau released the results from the United States' most massive participation movement in history, the 2010 U.S. Census. Conducted every ten years as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is the basis for determining the number of seats given each state in the House of Representatives and for the allocation of federal funds. The Census' user-friendly website makes it easy for everyone to view and use the census data.
Check out the Census Bureau's Interactive Map (shown above) to see the nation's changing population and current and historical data on population density and apportionment. Looking for more information about the Census Bureau? Check out the Director's Blog, an informative and behind the scenes look at the workings of the Bureau from Director Robert Groves.
To alert you to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal government agencies have joined together to create www.recalls.gov. It's easy to use this website to search for specific product recalls or all recent recalls. You can also subscribe to receive emails when products are recalled and there is an application you can download to your mobile phone. The different recall categories include consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics and environmental products.
On January 31st of 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment to the constitution, which states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Though President Lincoln had already issued the Emancipation Proclamation late in 1862, it was inconsistently enforced since it only addressed the states that had seceded and were still in rebellion of the Union. The states that had already surrendered to the union were not bound to abide by the Emacipation Proclamation. Neither were those that had not ever seceded, especially border states.
With the arrival of Spring comes an increased risk of flooding for many areas in the United States. Stay prepared with for spring flooding with some advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) blog, via USA.gov:
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also has a comprehensive site with information on mold, drinking water safety, utility service interuption and more. Check out their Flooding and Safety page for additional useful preparedness tips.
If you're wondering where your federal taxes are spent, have a look at the White House's 2010 tax receipt. You can get a specific breakdown of how much of your money is spent on different programs based on the dollar amount you paid in taxes for 2010. You can see how much goes to agricultural subsidies, Medicare, disaster relief, defense, and scientific research. There's even some accounting done for the amount spent to offer certain tax credits and deductions.
Today is the day of the recall election. Your vote will help determine who will be the Governor of our fair state. If you didn't get the chance to vote early, there is still plenty of time to make your voice heard today. To see where your polling place is, enter your address into the Wisconsin Voter Public Access' search form. If you need any other information regarding the election, and any requirements for same day voter registration, look at the City of Milwaukee Election Commission's website. Now you should have everything you need to make your voice heard. Make sure you tell your friends!
Today is election day, and it is your last chance to cast your vote for this election cycle. Many have voted early, but those of you who haven't had the chance should make your way to the polls now. Polls are open today, Tuesday November 6th from 7 A.M. to 8 P.M. People who are in line to vote at 8 P.M. will get to cast their vote, so stick with it, even if the lines are long! To find out where you will vote and what you need to bring if you need to register at your polling place, look at the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board's My Vote Wisconsin site. There you can check to see if you are already registered to vote. If you would like to preview a sample ballot for this election, you can view it by entering your information and clicking on the link for a sample ballot for your voting district. Now that you've got the tools to vote, make sure you spread the word.
This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Now @ MPL... in the Government category. They are listed from oldest to newest.
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