Opponents of Governor Scott Walker and his efforts to drastically curtail union rights in Wisconsin began their recall efforts at midnight Tuesday and are seeking over half a million signatures over the next two months to put the recall election on next year's ballot.
In Boscobel, a small but determined group is mobilizing its efforts this week and has set up a signature sign-up sheet at two locations on Highway 61: the Chamberlain home at 500 Elm St. and the InHealth Thrift Shop at 605 Elm St.
"It's actually quite a large group," said retired art teacher Robin Transø, who is spearheading the recall effort in Boscobel. "We have about 50 area people mobilizing for the recall effort, people who have already been trained and can train others."
Transø said there are recall signup sites in Platteville, Lancaster and at Southwest Tech in Fennimore.
"We're shooting for one million signatures, but we'll settle for 700,000 in case something goes wrong," Transø said. "This is history."
Recall organizers need to have at least 540,000 signatures in Madison by Jan. 17 to put the recall election on the 2012 ballot. Transø said over 1,400 people in Grant County had pre-pledged to signup with United Wisconsin-which is spearheading the statewide recall effort along with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
Transø started what she is calling a "Can Walker Event" on Tuesday to collect food for area food pantries. Donations can be dropped off at the Thrift Shop through Christmas.
"We're calling it a Can Walker food drive because all of our food pantries are hurting due to his budget cuts," she said. "People who couldn't afford food or medical care before certainly can't afford it now. That's why I'm fighting so hard for this."
In addition to collecting food at the Thrift Shop, Transø is also selling the board game "Scottyopoly," with half the proceeds going to the Free Clinic and the other half to Grassroots Citizens of Wisconsin, "to prevent this from happening again." "A game of power and influence," Scottyopoly costs $30 each.
"It looks political, but it rally isn't," Transø said of Scottyopoly. "It's more historical of what happened in his first 180 days in office, and it's selling like hotcakes. People really enjoy playing it."
A large Recall Walker rally is planned for this Saturday on the Capitol Square in Madison, and Transø will be there, traveling in an old ambulance to highlight Walker's health care cuts.
"We probably won't get a lot of deer hunters, but we might get their wives," she said. "What he's done, well, it's just crazy, nuts. Having been a teacher, I don't want people to forget."