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| Final Report of the Northeast Wisconsin Karst Task Force |
The fix for the safety of our drinking water is easy.
It's called local control, (calling in the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers as force multipliers) and when Republicans in the state legislature and Scott Walker run political interference for the special interests who pollute our water and take away local control—vote the bums out.
Retiring State Rep. Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) (Assembly District One) killed local-control legislation, with help from his Republican friends—legislators, polluters and their money.
One would think Rep. Bies and Republicans would appreciate, if not the environment, at least the safety of our drinking water and the tourism and recreation dollars in Door and Kewaunee counties.
By Don Freix of Fish Creek, Wisconsin in Door County, (Wisconsin Assembly District One)
In the Final Report of the Northeast Wisconsin Karst Task Force (Feb. 9, 2007) sufficient scientific study needed to describe our region’s unique geological limitations as to the amounts of industrial and feedlot toxins that could be safely spread on the land without immediately endangering public health and safety, and polluting our ground water and precious Great Lakes resources, were clearly explained. (See also Golden, Wisconsin Watch)
State legislators passed out of Committee, Senate Bill 632 (SB 632) in 2009, which in recognizing the susceptibility of our shallow soils and fractured bedrock, granted greater local control and allowed for stricter regional environmental regulations regarding disposal of these toxic wastes.
Specifically the toxins coming from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), uncritically and improperly described far too often, as large "dairy farms." More precisely these are cosmetically regulated industrial factories, disproportionally usurping public water and legally enabled to directly poison our environment for the financial profits of a very select few.
In 2009, SB 632 died a certain death as Rep. Garey Bies refused to co-sponsor the bill and introduce it to the appropriate Assembly Committee for further consideration.
Responsible preventative actions could have been initiated, stemming predicted problems. Problems that have become the current, inexcusable, permanent and growing human health and safety crisis underway in Kewaunee County and literally spreading throughout parts of Door County, because of willful, if not criminal, state majority party executive and legislative negligence.
In this immediate crisis of CAFO toxins, of further degradation of public health, of sustainable tourism, and of stable property values if not addressed, please consider this. Who has or will actually represent you in Madison?
In central Wisconsin Assembly District 72, CAFO toxins have become the defining issue of the campaign.
Action against or perpetrating for moving toxins into our environment ought weigh heavily on whom we elect in Assembly District One,—Door and Kewaunee counties, and our friends and our fellow constituents in Brown and Manitowoc counties.
"Representative" Bies willfully forfeited his primary responsibility of being our voice in Madison, as did Sen. Frank G. Lasee (R-De Pere) who both voted to grant sole authority over administrative rule-making to Gov. Scott Walker.
Will candidate Joel Kitchens (R), whose current business success depends upon industrial agriculture, veterinary services to thousands of cows, or will Sen. Lasee who is reported to not even reside in the 1st District and who has already abdicated his responsibility as our voice in Madison, actually listen to you?
Public health, sustainable tourism, stable property values, clean water and local control, or life under narrowly beneficial, authoritarian dictates.
Top to bottom of the ticket, reclaim your voice on Nov 4.
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