Wisconsin is represented by major league teams in the three most popular spectator sports in the United States: American football, baseball, and basketball. Lambeau Field, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin is home to the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers. The Packers have been part of the NFL since the league’s second season in 1921 and currently hold the record for the most NFL titles, earning the city of Green Bay the nickname “Titletown”. The Green Bay Packers are one of the most successful small-market professional sports franchises in the world and have won 12 NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowl games and Super Bowl XXXI. The city fully supports their team, as evidenced by the 60,000 person waiting list for season tickets to Lambeau Field, which is referred to as the “frozen tundra” and is considered by many football enthusiasts to be “hallowed ground.” Such a strong fan following brings strong ratings during national Monday Night Football. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers football program, playing at Camp Randall Stadium, enjoys similar loyalty; both teams are known to sell out their entire schedules far in advance. The Milwaukee Brewers, the state’s only major league baseball team, are based out of Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before Miller Park was opened in the year 2001, the Brewers played their home games at County Stadium. In 1982, the Brewers won the American League Championship, marking their most successful season. The Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association play home games at the Bradley Center. The Bucks won the NBA Championship in 1971. The state also has minor league teams in hockey (Milwaukee Admirals) and baseball (the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, based in Appleton.)

In addition to professional teams, Wisconsin is home to many successful college sports programs. The Wisconsin Badgers, teams based out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hold many NCAA division championship titles in their respective sports. This includes a historic dual-championship in 2006 when both the women’s and men’s hockey teams won national titles. The Wisconsin football team has also seen much success after the hiring of Barry Alvarez as head coach. Alvarez lead the Badgers to three Rose Bowl victories, including back to back victories in the years 1999 and 2000.

The Marquette Golden Eagles of the Big East Conference are the state’s other major collegiate program. They are known nationally for their Men’s Basketball team which, under the direction of Al McGuire, won the NCAA National Championship in 1977. The team, led by Dwyane Wade, returned to the Final Four in 2003.

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by Martina
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According to the 2004 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wisconsin’s gross state product was $211.7 billion. The per capita personal income was $32,157 in 2004.

The economy of Wisconsin is driven by manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. Although manufacturing accounts for a far greater part of the state’s income than farming, Wisconsin is often perceived as a farming state. It produces more dairy products than any other state in the United States except California, and leads the nation in cheese production. Wisconsin ranks second behind California in overall production of milk and butter, and it ranks third in per-capita milk production, behind Idaho and Vermont. Based on poll results, Governor Jim Doyle chose for Wisconsin’s 50 State Quarters design a Holstein cow, an ear of corn, and a wheel of cheese. Wisconsin ranks first in the production of corn for silage, cranberries, ginseng, and snap beans for processing. Wisconsin is also a leading producer of oats, potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, maple syrup, and sweet corn for processing.

Given Wisconsin’s strong agricultural tradition, it is not surprising that a large part of the state’s manufacturing sector deals with food processing. Some well known food brands produced in Wisconsin include Oscar Mayer, Tombstone frozen pizza, Johnsonville brats, and Usinger’s sausage. Kraft Foods alone employs over 5,000 people in the state. Milwaukee is a major producer of beer and the home of Miller Brewing Company’s world headquarters, the nation’s second-largest brewer. Schlitz, Blatz, and Pabst used to be cornerstone breweries within the city of Milwaukee. Today, Milwaukee’s economy is more diverse with an emphasis on health care. In 2004, four of the city’s ten largest employers (including the top two) were part of the health care industry.
Badger State
State Animal:  Badger
State Domesticated
Animal:  Dairy Cow
State Wild Animal:  White-tailed Deer
State Beverage:  Milk
State Fruit:  Cranberry
State Bird:  Robin
State Capital:  Madison
State Dog:  American Water Spaniel
State Fish:  Muskellunge
State Flower:  Wood Violet
State Fossil:  Trilobite
State Grain:  Corn
State Insect:  European honey bee
State Motto:  Forward
State Song:  “On, Wisconsin!”
State Tree:  Sugar Maple
State Mineral:  Galena
(Lead sulfide)
State Rock:  Red Granite
State Soil:  Antigo Silt Loam
State Dance:  Polka
State Symbol of
Peace:  Mourning Dove

Wisconsin is also home to several transportation equipment and machinery manufacturers. Major Wisconsin companies in these categories include the Kohler Company, Rockwell Automation, Johnson Controls, Briggs & Stratton, Miller Electric, Milwaukee Electric Tool Company, Bucyrus International, Oshkosh Truck, and Harley-Davidson. Wisconsin also ranks first nationwide in the production of paper products; the lower Fox River from Lake Winnebago to the Bay of Green Bay has 24 paper mills along its 39 mile (63 km) stretch. The largest paper companies with operations in Wisconsin are Kimberly-Clark and Georgia-Pacific, both of which rank among the state’s top ten employers.

The development and manufacture of health care devices and software is a growing sector of the state’s economy with key players such as GE Healthcare, Epic Systems, and TomoTherapy.

Tourism is also a major industry in Wisconsin — the state’s third largest, according to the Department of Tourism. This is largely attributed to the 90 attractions in the Wisconsin Dells family vacation destination area, which attracts nearly 3 million visitors per year. Tourist destinations such as the House on the Rock near Spring Green and Circus World Museum in Baraboo also draw thousands of visitors annually, and festivals such as Summerfest and the EAA Oshkosh Airshow draw national attention along with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Wisconsin collects personal income tax based on four income-level brackets, which range from 4.6% to 6.75%. The state sales and use tax rate is 5%. Fifty-nine counties have an additional sales/use tax of 0.5%. The counties surrounding Milwaukee County have an additional 0.5% tax imposed upon them to fund the new baseball stadium, Miller Park, which was constructed around the turn of the century. Retailers who make sales subject to applicable county taxes must collect 5.5% tax on their retail sales.

The most common property tax assessed on Wisconsin residents is the real property tax, or their residential property tax. Wisconsin does not impose a property tax on vehicles but does levy an annual registration fee. Property taxes are the most important tax revenue source for Wisconsin’s local governments, as well as major methods of funding school districts, vocational technical colleges, special purpose districts and tax incremental finance districts. Equalized values are based on the full market value of all taxable property in the state, except for agricultural land. In order to provide property tax relief for farmers, the value of agricultural land is determined by its value for agricultural uses, rather than for its possible development value. Equalized values are used to distribute state aid payments to counties, municipalities, and technical colleges. Assessments prepared by local assessors are used to distribute the property tax burden within individual municipalities.

Wisconsin does not assess a tax on intangible property. Wisconsin does not collect inheritance taxes. Wisconsin’s estate tax is decoupled from the federal estate tax laws; therefore the state imposes its own estate tax on certain large estates.

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by Agustina
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Wisconsin Dells, WI has long been a favorite travel destination of numerous vacationers, but it wasn’t until recently that more people have discovered what Wisconsin Dells all has to offer. With the combination of award winning resorts, highly rated dinning, indoor and outdoor waterparks and numerous attractions, Wisconsin Dells really has it all.

Wisconsin Dells is often referred to as the “Water Park Capital of the World” because of its abundance of indoor and outdoor water parks. Wisconsin Dells contains America’s largest outdoor and indoor waterparks. Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells is the largest outdoor waterpark in America and features 45 waterslides along with 2 huge wave pools. Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells is America’s largest indoor water park and features the FlowRider® which allows you to surf or boogie board year round.

Wisconsin Dells attractions do not just contain waterparks either. With over 80 attractions in the Dells area, travelers can enjoy a wide range of different attractions. Wisconsin Dells attractions include; mini-golf, magic shows, music performances, comedy clubs, museums, scenic tours, shopping, petting zoos, gambling, golf, fishing and much more.

When it comes time to eat travelers can choose from over 100 restaurants, all within 19 square miles in Wisconsin Dells. Whether you are hungry for seafood, steak, fast food, fine dinning, ethnic entrees, family-dinning or an all you can eat buffet, you will find it in Wisconsin Dells. You will not need to travel far to eat either, as most Wisconsin Dells resorts have restaurant within the resorts.

When looking for a hotel resort to stay at while in Wisconsin Dells there are 5 main resorts to choose from if you want a resort with an indoor and outdoor waterpark. These 5 resorts include; Great Wolf Resort, Kalahari Resort, Wilderness Resort, Treasure Island Resort and Chula Vista Resort. Each of these resorts has large indoor and outdoor waterparks attached to them and admission is included with your stay. They also have restaurants within the resorts. If you are looking to save money you can stay at a Wisconsin Dells hotel or motel that does not have a waterpark and prices will be much lower. However, you will still be able to enjoy a waterpark by visiting Noah’s Ark Water Park.

When planning your next vacation take a look at Wisconsin Dells and see what they all have to offer. It is sure to be a vacation you will remember for some time to come.

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by Jade
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The University of Wisconsin–Madison (also known as UW–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, or UW) is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1848, it is the largest university in the state with a total enrollment of over 41,000 students, of whom approximately 29,000 are undergraduates.

A public, land-grant institution, UW-Madison offers a wide spectrum of liberal arts studies, professional programs, and student activities. The school is frequently called a “public Ivy,” and in 2007 US News and World Report ranked UW as the eighth best public university in the United States. It has also been ranked as the 16th best university in 2006 in terms of volume scientific publications according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

From 1848 to 1956, the university was part of the higher education system in Wisconsin that included the current Madison campus, ten freshman-sophomore centers and the state-wide extensions. Between 1956–1971, it was part of the then University of Wisconsin. It became a part of the University of Wisconsin System in 1971.

Wisconsin’s NCAA Division I athletic teams are called the Badgers. They compete in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except ice hockey, where they participate in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Wisconsin’s football team won the Rose Bowl in 1994, 1999, and 2000. Its men’s basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 1941, and made it to the Final Four in 2000. Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won the national championship in 2006.

The university had its official beginnings when Wisconsin was incorporated as a state in 1848. Article X, Section B of the Wisconsin Constitution provided for “the establishment of a state university, at or near the seat of state government…” On July 26, 1848, Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin’s first governor, signed the act that formally created the University of Wisconsin. The board of regents held their initial meeting in the library room of the Capitol on October 7, and provided John W. Sterling a $500 per-annum salary to become the university’s first professor (mathematics). The first class of 17 students met at Madison Female Academy on February 5, 1849. Regents continued to discuss the construction of the university and soon a campus site was selected. It was an area of 50 acres (200,000 m²) “bounded north by Fourth lake, east by a street to be opened at right angles with King (later State) street, south by Mineral Point Road (University Avenue), and west by a carriage-way from said road to the lake.” Building plans called for a “main edifice fronting towards the Capitol, three stories high, surmounted by an observatory for astronomical observations.” This building, University Hall, now known as Bascom Hall, was finally completed in 1859. A fire later destroyed the building’s dome, which was never replaced. North Hall, constructed in 1851, was actually the campus’ first building. Finally, in 1854, Levi Booth and Charles T. Wakeley became the first graduates of the university. Academics continued to improve at Wisconsin, and in 1892 the university awarded its first Ph.D. to future university president Charles R. Van Hise.

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by Madison
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Politics
Much of the state’s political history involved coalitions among different ethnic groups. The most famous controversy dealt with foreign language teaching in schools. This was fought out in the Bennett Law campaign of 1890, when the Germans switched to the Democratic Party because of the Republican Party’s support of the Bennett Law, which led to a major victory for the Democrats.

The cities of Wisconsin have been active in organizing themselves to provide for greater government transparency by increasing the availability of legislative information on the internet. Currently three out of the top five most populous cities in Wisconsin provide their constituents with internet based access of all public records directly from the cities’ databases. Wisconsin cities started to make this a priority after Milwaukee began doing so, in 2001. One such city, Madison, has been named the Number 1 digital city by the Center for Digital Government in consecutive years. Nearly 18 percent of Wisconsin’s population has the ability to access their municipality’s information in this way.

Lawmakers in Wisconsin
1984 was the last election that Wisconsin supported a Republican Presidential candidate. However, both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections were close, with Wisconsin receiving heavy doses of national advertising because it was a “swing” or pivot state. Al Gore carried the presidential vote in 2000 by only 5,700 votes, and John Kerry won Wisconsin in 2004 by 11,000 votes. Republicans had a stronghold in the Fox Valley but elected a Democrat, Steve Kagen, of Appleton, for the 8th Congressional District in 2006. Republicans have held Waukesha County). The City of Milwaukee itself heads the list of Wisconsin’s Democratic strongholds which also includes Madison and the state’s Native American reservations. WIsconsin’s largest Congressional district, the 7th Congressional district has been a strong Democratic hold since 1969, and has re-elected Congressman David Obey with 62% of the vote. Rep. Obey chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

* Wisconsin’s political history encompasses, on the one hand, “Fighting Bob” La Follette and the Progressive movement; and on the other, Joe McCarthy, the controversial anti-Communist censured by the Senate during the 1950s.
* In the early 20th century, the Socialist Party of America had a base in Milwaukee (the phenomenon was referred to as sewer socialism because the socialists were more concerned with public works and reform than with revolution); it faded out in the late 1950s, largely due to the red scare and racial tensions.     * The first Socialist mayor of a large city in the United States was Emil Seidel, elected mayor of Milwaukee in 1910; another Socialist, Daniel Hoan, was mayor of Milwaukee from 1916 to 1940; and a third, Frank P. Zeidler, from 1948-1960. Socialist newspaper editor Victor Berger was repeatedly elected as a U.S. Representative, although he was prevented from serving for some time due to his opposition to the First World War.
* William Proxmire, a Democratic Senator (1957-89) dominated the Democratic party for years; he was best known for attacking waste and fraud in federal spending.
* Democrat Russ Feingold was the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2001.
* Democrat Tammy Baldwin from Madison was the first, and is currently the only, openly lesbian U.S. Representative.
* In 2004, Gwen Moore, a Democrat from Milwaukee, became Wisconsin’s first, and currently only, African-American U.S. Representative.

The 2006, Democrats gained in a national sweep of opposition to the Bush administration, and the Iraq War. The retiring GOP 8th District Congressman, Mark Green, of Green Bay, ran against Gov. Doyle, amidst a scandal of illegal campaign contributions. Green lost by 8% statewide, including his own district and hometown. Doyle became the first Democratic Governor to be re-elected in 32 years. The Republicans lost control of the state Senate with 3 Republicans losing their seats. The Democrats gained 8 seats in the state Assembly, but the Republicans retained a 3 vote majority, in that house.

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by Laurence
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