Clean Water Group Endorses David Gorski in Central Wisconsin Assembly Race

Wisconsin State Rep. Scott Krug (R) is a factory farm champ
who runs political interference for the Wysocki corp. proposing
a massive factory farm in central Wisconsin. The clean
water citizen group, Saratoga Concerned, dumped on Krug
and endorsed David Gorski (D), a water warrior.

Saratoga Concerned Endorses David Gorski (D) over Rep. Scott Krug (R)

Candidate Synopsis
Saratoga Concerned
Tue 10/9/2018, 7:55 AM
                   
Saratoga Concerned

72nd Assembly District Race
Candidate Synopsis

Friends and neighbors,

The Saratoga Concerned group does not associate itself directly with any political party.  Our leadership team consists of individuals on various sides of the political spectrum and together we work every day to create a balance within our beliefs and messaging to our supporters.  We believe it is everyone's responsibility to VOTE and now more than ever we also believe it is extremely important to know where your candidate actually stands on the ISSUES and not depend on what you believe their political party once represented.

Over the past 2 months, our Saratoga Concerned team has connected with candidates for the 72nd Assembly District with one sole purpose, to dig deep with questions and make them prove their commitment to protecting and preserving Wisconsin waters.  We understand our supporters have multiple issues that are important to them personally and you need to weigh all the factors before voting. For Saratoga Concerned our one and only focus is the issue of Water.

Our Saratoga Concerned team has poured hours into the candidate questionnaire project, checked and rechecked candidate responses fact-checking information provided and made every attempt to provide a non-biased resource to our supporters regarding where each candidate stands in protecting Wisconsin Waters. Below, you will find our synopsis of each candidate, sharing both positive and negative aspects of their responses.

SCOTT KRUG
Scott Krug has been the 72nd Assembly District representative since 2010.   In his early years of holding this position, Representative Krug successfully acquired funds to study and address phosphorus levels within Petenwell Flowage to address the blue-green algae issue.  As Wisconsin citizens watched numerous bad water bills come through our state legislature Representative Krug on occasion made attempts to bring forth amendments to make these bills more palatable to his constituents.   In 2013 Representative Krug formed the Citizens’ Water Advisory group which consisted of local citizens, farming interests, and environmentalist to work together to design an acceptable legislative bill addressing high capacity well pumping in the Central Sands.  Although the intent of this group was positive and proactive the overall progress was not. According to participants, meetings were often disorganized lacking a specific agenda, minutes of the meetings were not published, and in the end citizens did not have input on, nor did they see, a copy of the bill prior to it being brought forth by Representative Krug, resulting in lack of support for the bill by actual members of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee and their associated groups.  In 2017 Representative Krug successfully proposed an amendment and acquired necessary funds, for a hydrological analysis of the Central Sands to study the overpumping currently being allowed.  Although the amendment was accepted into the bill, the actual area currently being studied by the WDNR is much smaller than originally promoted to local constituents.  The High Capacity Well bill itself is horrendous and was highly contested by conservation, environmental, and citizens groups as a whole.  The amendment proposed and passed by Representative Krug, although limited in scope, was a small positive step for the Central Sands and is currently underway.

Representative Krug has made documented efforts to support water initiatives over his time as our local Representative, however, he has also voted AGAINST water protections and in favor of loosening protections.  Just this last legislative session alone found Representative Krug voting to support the following bad water bills that are destructive to our Wisconsin waterways:

    AB105 High Capacity Well Bill - limits the ability of the DNR to address groundwater overpumping and grants ‘forever’ permits for high capacity wells

    Special Session (SS) SSAB1 Exempting Foxconn from State Clean Water Protections - Creating a special district/zone, the bill eliminates state environmental protections for isolated wetlands, navigable streams, and lake beds within this zone. 

    AB547 Removing State Protections for Identified Wetlands - Removal of protections of over one million acres of wetlands in Wisconsin, allowing them to be filled in for development, leading to potential increased flooding in our communities and decreased water quality

    AB499 Industrial Acid Mining Bill -  Eliminates Wisconsin’s “Prove It First” mining law that protects public health and natural resources by requiring mining companies to show a demonstrated track record on protecting water quality before being permitted.

Closer to home, Representative Krug has repeatedly shared that he supports a compromise between the township of Saratoga and the Wysocki organization regarding the proposed CAFO to our community, “With the project in Saratoga, I made my position clear in 2014 and have worked to make sure neither side loses or wins 100% of what they want”.  Representative Krug does not support a limited moratorium on CAFO’s and believes new technologies will solve the pollution problems associated with them.

In conclusion, of the 13 questions posed to Representative Krug he directly answered 7 and received a “non-answer” status on 5 questions for talking around the given subject matter. 

DAVID GORSKI
Candidate Dave Gorski is running as a challenger to Representative Krug for the second time.  As a legislative challenger, Candidate Gorski does not have a voting record as an elected official for us to share among our supporters. Therefore our synopsis consists solely on responses received from Candidate Gorski and on documented actions we could verify through public records and accounts.

Candidate Gorski solidly advocated for the protection of our water and the environment which is voiced clearly and openly in his response to numerous questions posed. He is a strong outspoken advocate of the Public Trust Doctrine believing in the State Constitution that the waters belong to all of us. Candidate Gorski states he would like to work with fellow legislators on the problem of high capacity well overpumping of groundwater and believes there is a need for legislation that balances the needs of the citizens and agricultural interest for water usage.  Most importantly Candidate Gorski believes that environmental polluters should pay for the damage done to our environment and compensate the citizens impacted. He is also an advocate of the Great Lakes compact and voices that Wisconsin should honor the Great Lakes Compact using the water withdrawal for residential use and not for business interests as the compact was designed.

Candidate Gorski states many of these issues can be addressed/accomplished by returning local control back to communities and creating the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an elected position by the Natural Resource Board and removing it as an appointed position by the sitting Governor.

Saratoga Concerned was able to verify that Candidate Gorski works with numerous local and statewide environmental groups.  In 2016 he helped organize The New Peoples Environmental Summit in our local area, additionally, in 2016 he attended the Factory Farm Summit to learn about the impact of CAFO to communities across the country.  In 2017 Candidate Gorski attended the Citizens’ Water Lobby Day at the state capitol as well as attending numerous other water protection events such as Conservation Lobby Day and actively testified and spoke with legislators in Madison regarding water issues and proposed legislation. 

Closer to home Candidate Gorski has spoken out openly against the Wysocki Golden Sands CAFO proposal and supports a statewide CAFO Moratorium on new and expanding CAFOs until appropriate water and environmental protections are in place for Wisconsin citizens.  He actively attends and participates in our local meetings and has a clear understanding of what his potential constituents are vocalizing regarding water and environmental concerns.

In conclusion, of the 13 questions posed to Candidate Gorski he directly answered 11 and received a “non-answer” status on 2 questions for not answering the specific question completely.

FINAL THOUGHTS
It is imperative that we all exercise our right to vote.  It is also important that we step out of our former mindset of being either a Republican or Democrat voter and instead vote the issues.  Our area lakes and streams are in a state of decline and our control over our own environment is being taken away. That makes it all the more important to know what your candidate stands for on individual issues and vote based upon the issue.  Please remember you can access all our previous newsletters at the link provided www.saratogaconcerned.com/newsletter-subscribe.

After thoughtful conversation and reviewing answers provided by both candidates, Saratoga Concerned believes Candidate David Gorski will be the stronger water protector and support his candidacy for the 72nd Assembly District.

Blood Drives Bring Unity and Life in Time of Hate and Division

Sixth annual Blood Drive in memory of Allen Braund of
Saratoga, Wisconsin garners 39 units of blood for life
on Jan. 6, 2017 at the Wisconsin Rapids Elks Club.
Pictured above are donors, family and friends.
Image by Mary Captain-Braund.

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin—Driving north on United States Highway 51-(I-39) into central Wisconsin, traffic is overflown by eagles drawing the attention of excited passengers.

This rural region with the Wisconsin River coursing serpentine is a thriving tourism and recreation mecca with strong communities and multi-generational families. It's a place where the 97-year-old, retired teacher, Lorraine Weaver gets out to eat breakfast at the Four Star Family Restaurant and is occasionally greeted by former students and families who recognize her from decades past.

Last weekend, the Wisconsin Rapids Elks Club housed the sixth annual Blood Drive in memory of Allen Braund, sponsored by the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, family and friends. Their mission is to save lives, and they're already have set the date for January 5th, 2019 as the seventh annual Blood Drive in memory of Allen Braund.

Braving below-zero weather, the community and visitors from as far-away as Chicago gathered to honor Allen Braund, donating some 39 units of whole blood and platelets, critical for the healing efforts of the medical profession.

"Every year at the event, it's January so it's cold and every year people rallying around Allen walk away feeling warm and reinvigorated, knowing we have helped our community and our fellows," said Mary Captain-Braund, wife of Allen.

The feeling is confirmed by medical professionals and staff who gratefully acknowledge the help of dedicated community members.

"Benefits such as Allen Braund's ensure the Blood Center of Wisconsin will be able to provide the blood products patients need at the local hospitals we serve," said Becky Brown, a staff member from the Blood Center.

The enterprise of coming together to pass our life-blood to others awakens in many the connections that bring people together from all walks of life.

One young gentleman donating around 12:30 p.m. told family members he read about the event in Wisconsin Rapids City Times, so he "came on over."

And the beautiful Wisconsin Rapids region is the place where unity and decency reign supreme.

Already, there is news of another blood drive this month, sponsored by the Paper City Savings Association.

Reports Joe Bachman of Wisconsin Rapids City Times:

Paper City Savings will be holding their fourth annual blood drive on Wednesday, Jan. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at their Eighth St. location.

Our blood drive this year will be held in memory of our dear friend and coworker Gnet Williams who passed away on Oct. 2, 2017. Throughout her battle with cancer, Williams benefited many times from blood donations.

It's a good bet giving the gift of life will succeed again this month.

Central Wisconsin Lakefront Communities Look to Study Blue-Green Algae Prevention

 Lake Camelot in northern Adams County, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin — Resort and recreation attractions in central Wisconsin are a natural.

So is living in this picturesque region of the glacial sands and white pines. Many retirees call it home.

A broad coalition including many retirees have joined forces to fight Big Ag, and they are winning.

Lakeside communities in northern Adams county, (Wisconsin), the Tri-Lakes, is on the forefront. From a new communication:

By Don Ystad

Remember the lake closures for blue green algae last summer. You may recall that a citizens committee has been formed to work with TriLakes to clean up our lakes and 14-Mile watershed.

We've begun communication with upstream neighbors to bring all interested parties to the table. As part of our investigative process, we want to determine if the soil that was excavated from the lowlands and creek bottoms when these lakes were first built may contribute to our water quality issue.  o do that, we are performing soil tests of lakeside properties to determine the nutrients in our soil around the lakes. We need your help to have a reasonable distribution of tests around our lakes.

If you are a lakeside property owner, we would like you to allow us to do a simple soil sample on your property. There is no cost to you, or risk for you.  It's a blind test used only to identify soil and nutrient makeup around our lakes. You will be given the test results which can help you to know the nutrient content or lack thereof for your soil.

This is important in that it will allow us to know what part our lakes play in the water quality issues from which we suffer.

Thanks on behalf of our 14-Mile Watershed committee.

Clean Water Activist Helped Stop Illinois Ag Factory, Hails Central Wisconsin

Saratoga Wisconsin November 2016 update points to disaster
if Wysocki CAFO begins operation.

The Town Board of Saratoga, Wisconsin is meeting April 19th to take stock of the legal effort to stop a predator, a would-be corporate polluter.

A Saratoga legal victory in state appellate court over a proposed massive factory farm in central Wisconsin stops for now a disaster that would devastate an entire region, (Golden Sands Dairy LLC v. Town of Saratoga, (Wisconsin Court System)), (Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune), (Mal Contends), (WSAW-TV).

The Wysocki corporation has until May 13 to file an appeal with the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Susan Turner worked with an Illinois non-profit to stop a similar propsoed ag factory and works with Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards (H.O.M.E.S.) now in Iowa.

Turner offered congratulations to Saratoga with the cooperate predator looming:

Dear Board Members of the Town of Saratoga, Wisconsin,

My heart is overwhelmed with joy for you and your citizens. Your action, and the choices that you made, are a reflection of the love that you have for your town and it's neighbors. This is becoming a rare thing in our world.

Legal mechanisms are like war, and need to begin immediately, like a military holding action, to protect the public at large.

I speak from my past experience and do not want to make this about my story. I can briefly state that we were the only group to stop a mega dairy after it was 60% constructed, dismantled, and returned the land to corn production. We did this with a 5-year court process and with state and federal government agency. Please visit stopthemegadairy.org for timelines and story.

The citizens had to form a 501c-3 called Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards (H.O.M.E.S.) to fight the corporate monster because our town board treated this as a non issue.

We actually had to fight our town board to fight the mega dairy as they formed ordinances to silence us.

The town became torn apart as people fled the area as their homes would have a negative number for a property value, had heart attacks, or fought along side or against our 501c-3. They blamed our view of environmental protection for the social strife that occurred. The locals were not equipped to fight. Even though we were rid of the mega dairy, the people left harassed are those who fought for their air and water. I had to move.

Your town has grown together because of the fight. Your beautiful town is more valuable now because of the Board's quick action and commitment to finishing what was started. That equals property value as far as I'm concerned.  Young couples looking to invest in their first home will value the excellent work of the town of Saratoga protecting their community.

Who wouldn't want to move to a place were the quality of life is being preserved with great sacrifice and commitment? What a great example your board is making for all to witness!

That translates into property value.

Your beautiful community and it's people are awesome.  It is an honor to know of your hard work and efforts.

Most sincerely,

Susan Turner
Dubuque, Iowa

Wisconsin Town Advocates for Water

Saratoga, Wisconsin

A central Wisconsin town, Saratoga, is a beautiful place to call home.

Now, multi-generational residents (and neighboring communities) are galvanized in protecting their homes, and their children, against the encroachment of a proposed, massive industrialized (and polluting) CAFO or Concentrated (Confined) Agricultural Feeding Operation.

Sp perverse has become the Walker administration's abandonment of clean water protection, the town of Saratoga is producing videos reminding politicians fresh, clean water is imperative for life.

This writer has lived in Wisconsin for some 50 years, and I can tell you something is qualitatively wrong and sick with Scott Walker and the Republicans who follow along.

But I can tell you something is right with the town of Saratoga.

State Legislator Conned Constituents, Clean Water Activists

It's one of the oldest and most cynical tricks in the political playbook: Jump on a story and coopt a grassroots movement as your own.

State Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa and ALEC) was advised well, and perpetuated a political fraud and will likely lose an election in his gerrymandered district.

Krug strung along 1,000s of citizens fighting for the safety of their water against a proposed mega diary CAFO (Concentrated Agricultural Feeding Operation) after having accepted the CAFO's super lobby's Legislative Excellence Award which Krug highlights in the 2013-14 Wisconsin Bluebook

Citizens of central Wisconsin were witness to the spectacle in which Krug claimed he tried to build "consensus" with the proposed Wysocki CAFO by holding informal Ground Water Advisory Committee meetings that proved to be a con job Krug was playing on his own Constituents.

What kind of consensus does Krug want to build; the people don't want the CAFO anywhere near the Town of Saratoga.

Only after the August primary election showing overwhelming opposition to the proposed CAFO did Krug suddenly come to the conclusion that the CAFO should not be sited in the region with the most high capacity water wells in the state. So he issued one press release.

Bruce E. Dimick of Saratoga attended the Ground Water Advisory Committee meetings Krug held, reporting Krug often did not show up and never took minutes.

Krug disbanded the farce because, in Krug's own words at an October 7 Adams County forum, Krug told opponent Dana Duncan (D-Port Edwards): "We stopped meeting around the same time that many of the members started campaigning for you."

One can see why Scott Krug doesn't do forums anymore; he's in the assembly for a taxpayer-funded paycheck and nothing else.

Representative Scott Krug’s Ground Water Advisory Committee

By Bruce E. Dimick, Town of Saratoga

Well over a year ago Scott Krug, Assembly Representative from the 72nd District, recruited a citizens committee ostensibly to develop and draft legislation to regulate the proliferation of high capacity wells. We did recruit a knowledgeable cadre of citizens and others voluntarily joined along the way.

The first formal meeting was held on August 23, 2013 at the Rome Town Hall. total of sixteen people showed up including a surprise guest, Julie Lassa, Senator from District 24. It was learned much later from Katrina Shankland, Assembly Representative from the 71st District, that she and Julie had discussed having a bipartisan Ground Water Advisory Committee with Scott Krug, but he would have none of it. How could protecting our ground water be a partisan issue? So Katrina and Julie simply came to many of the meetings anyway or sent a representative.

Senator Neal Kedzie apparently got wind of Krug’s efforts and quickly introduced legislation of his own, a bill that latter became know as SB 302. This bill was essentially a rubber stamp for Big Ag to drill as many high capacity wells as they wanted wherever they wanted with just a few minor restrictions. Scott offered the thought that he could work with Kedzie to somehow modify his bill to meet the needs of the citizens of the Central Sands.

Towards the end of the first meeting, Scott charged the group with coming up with policy issues for the next meeting. A number of us did that and came to the next meeting on September 6 with copies of our policy ideas. There was no published agenda for the meeting and it seemed like the policy idea sharing was largely forgotten. We were able to share some of the ideas, but there was no structured discussion or any meaningful conclusions drawn. Scott Krug set a target of November to have a draft of a bill with a hearing. In subsequent meetings this goal was promptly forgotten.

The next meeting was on September 24. Scott had some new ideas. He wanted Dr. Francie Rowe to head up a committee that would be somewhat separate and work directly with him. He had some ideas about developing legislation that would only be applicable to the Central Sands and another committee that would work on legislation for the whole state. This direction sounded pretty good to most of us and Francie took her new charge seriously.

And that was the last we heard of that. There was no follow up with Francie and there was no formation of a separate committee.

Soon a number of us became suspicious that nothing was going to become of this Ground Water Advisory Committee. The basic fundamentals for a committee of this type were totally ignored.

Specifically:

• There was no published agenda until some of the members took it upon themselves to create agendas. This didn’t happen until early 2014
• The email list originating from Scott Krug’s office was erratic. Several of the members did not get the meeting reminders all the time. It appeared that no master list of members was ever created.
• No official minutes from the meetings. Some members took it upon themselves to create minutes from their notes and recollections.
• What ever was decided at the previous meeting was promptly forgotten. It was as if we were starting with a blank slate every meeting.
• However, Scott Krug was getting maximum political mileage by hosting this committee. He referred to it constantly in his public letters.

As the legislative session approached an end early this year, Scott did write up a rough draft of a bill of sorts. He did not share it with the committee, but we were able to get a copy anyway through another channel. It was basically an unworkable disaster that would have never passed either the Assembly or the Senate. He had the gall to say he wrote it with our input.

During one of the final meetings, the committee persuaded Scott to abandon his bill and put all his efforts towards blocking Senator Neal Kedzie’s SB 302.

SB 302 never came up for a vote because it was so bad that a handful of Republicans in the Senate indicated that they would not vote for it.

The committee has pretty much petered out. The last meeting, rather poorly attended with a showing of 10 members, was held on May 23, 2014. There was no agenda and no follow up of any sort here four months later.

So the question is "Did Scott Krug just play us as a bunch of fools or is he incompetent when it comes to running a committee and developing meaningful legislation?"

I don’t know, but either way he must be replaced.

(A version of this letter is published in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune)

Wisconsin Town to Encircle Proposed Factory Farm Site with 10 Monitoring Water Wells

Updated - The Town of Saratoga in Wood County in central Wisconsin is a sand-laden recreational area that features tourist attractions located right in the middle of the Wisconsin Central Plain or Golden Sands.

Saratoga residents are revolted by the effort of the Wysocki Family of Companies to stick a massive Concentrated Agricultural Feeding Operation (CAFO) in Saratoga that would directly affect five neighboring counties and fear the CAFO will bleed pathogens in liquid cow manure into water aquifers, trout streams and area lakes.

Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors and Rome and Saratoga Friendly are leading the fight, and the Town of Saratoga stands together with these citizens groups as citizens watch property values in neighboring Adams County plummet 20 percent and property values in Wood County remain stagnant.

Wysocki's sock puppet, State Rep. Scot Krug (R-Nekoosa), came under such political heat running for reelection that he had to flip/flop and express opposition to the CAFO (73 days before Election Day) though reportedly Krug was told by Assembly Speaker Robin Voss that James Wysocki, owner and chief financial officer of the Wysocki Family of Companies, said that while Krug's statement of opposition went too far for Wysocki's taste, Wysocki was assured by Voss Krug's wink-wink statement would not present a problem while the Republicans controlled the state assembly and the governor's office.

Voss' office refused to confirm or deny the report.

Saratoga resident, Bruce E. Dimick, reports the Saratoga Town Board "unanimously voted to contract for the placement of 10 groundwater monitoring wells that will encircle the proposed Wysocki CAFO in the Town of Saratoga."

By Bruce E. Dimick

At a well-attended Saratoga Town Board Meeting, the Town Board unanimously voted to contract for the placement of 10 groundwater monitoring wells that will encircle the proposed Wysocki CAFO in the Town of Saratoga. All the citizens that spoke, spoke in favor of the proposal with great passion. No citizen or elected official opposed. The citizens emphasized the need to get the well network in this fall so that baseline data can be gathered prior to any activity by the Wysocki organization. This will provide the town and its citizens with solid data for further legal action in the event that the Wysocki organization moves ahead with its plans and the aquifer that all the citizens of Saratoga depend upon is degraded.

This proposal will be put out to bid, but it is expected to cost something in the neighborhood of $60,000 the first year, and considerably less in subsequent years.   The key parameters that will be monitored will include:

• Determine the soil type and any impervious layers that may or may not exist in the borehole.  This is key data for any mathematical models used to simulate the effect of the CAFO on our aquifer.
• The shallow wells will vary from 20 to 50 feet depending on location and there will be two deeper wells at 50 - 70 feet.
• All water samples will be tested for pesticides, herbicides, coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, total organic nitrogen and ammonia.
• In addition all samples will be tested for oxygen demand, nitrate nitrogen, chloride and phosphorus.
• Water depth will be measured every 4 hours automatically.
• Other tests may be added after an examination of the initial proposal by a committee of knowledgeably citizens and professionals.

It cannot be overly emphasized how significant this action by our town board is. They are definitely looking out for their residents. Wouldn't it be nice if we had this kind of support at the county, state, and national level as well?