Wisconsin Rep Attacks Citizen Groups, Says Spreading "Misinformation"

Clean water activists in Saratoga, Wisconsin fight for
water and oppose the siting of a proposed factory farm

An impressive feat the last six years during Wisconsin's lost decade is the organization of citizen groups around the state to defend clean and abundant water.

The citizens' worst enemy are the state representatives who should be working for citizens.

In central Wisconsin, local representatives run political interference for Big Ag which pollutes and depletes ground and surface waters. [State Rep. Scott Krug, (R-Nekoosa), threatened this site with a libel suit in 2014 when I noted Krug running this "political interference," a threat Krug dropped after I advised him truth is an absolute defense against defamation actions, among other defects in Krug's threat with respect to libel law, (Mal Contends), (Capital Times), (Crooks and Liars).]

Defiling Wisconsin's waters has the political support of local State Rep. Scott Krug, (R-Nekoosa) and State Sen. Patrick Testin, (R-Stevens Point) who represent the gerrymandered districts drawn to elect Republicans. These legislators also lend their support to the proposed Wysocki factory farm. 

Wysocki and his family bankrolled State Sen. Testin with $10,000 in contributions for his successful 2016 run. Krug's 2016 campaign received heavy funding from Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Ron Vos Gov. Scott Walker and other Republican interests aligned with Big Ag, (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign),

After Krug and Testin helped ram through the Big Ag-supported Senate Bill 76 last week, Krug complained in his current constituent newsletter that, "The misinformation campaign by several area groups make this sound like a massively different bill than it is. I am happy to sit down with anyone and walk through the actual bill."

The groups Krug complains about include: Rome-Saratoga Friendly, Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors, Central Sands Water Action Coalition, Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network, and the Citizens' Water Coalition of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Senate Bill 76 "is good only for the handful of really large growers, [Big Ag], who have as much concern for their fellow farmers as they have for others who need access to clean and abundant water - none!," notes Saratoga (Wisconsin), Concerned last year, (Facebook).

Scott Walker will sign Big Ag's Senate Bill 76 soon.

Of note is the fact clean and safe water groups increasingly work in concert statewide. As noted by Criste Greening in the Green Bay Progressive in late April, clean water citizen groups include the following:

Citizens' Water Coalition of Wisconsin
Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network
Wild Rivers Chapter Trout Unlimited
Friends of the Central Sands
Frac Sand Mining Awareness
Crawford Stewardship Project
Protect Wood County & Its Neighbors
Save The Hills Alliance
Kewaunee CARES
People Empowered Protect the Land (PEPL) of Rosendale
Green County Defending Our Farmland
Central Wisconsin Nature Foundation
Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative
Facing Forward Vernon Our Wisconsin Revolution
Inland Sea Society
From the Earth
Indivisible Fond du Lac
Protect Our Water
Friends of the Kinni
Concerned Rome Citizens
Rome Saratoga Friendly
Indivisible Winnebago
Central Sands Water Action Coalition
Forward Kenosha
Rinehart Lake Association
Farms Not Factories
Spirit Creek Water Protectors
Indivisible Milwaukee ~ South Side
Bad River Watershed Association
Frac Sand Sentinels
Indivisible Solon Springs
Indivisible DeForest
Concerned Citizens of Princeton
Citizens for a Better Environment Lake Mills
Emerald Clean Water For All
Penokee Hills Education Project
Penokee Hills Light Brigade
Water Protectors of Milwaukee
Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Area
Citizens for Environmental Stewardship
Indivisible Ashland
Heartland Land Creations
League of Women Voters of Ashland and Bayfield Counties
LCO/Sawyer County Dems
Preserve Waupaca County
League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi RIver Region
Crystal Lake Club
Friends of the Tomorrow /Waupaca River
Waupaca Commoners Caucus
Constituents Only
Defending Our Ixonia Countryside
Vernon County Democratic Party
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger
Gaia Coalition
Concerned Citizens of Easton
League of Women Voters/Greater Chippewa Valley
Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin
Organic Consumers Association
Blue Jean Nation
Wisconsin Resources Protection Council
Echo Valley Hope
Madison Action for Mining Alternatives
Reedsburg Area Concerned Citizens

An Appeal for Safe Water from Colfax, Wisconsin

What kind of political party targets water?

'I've always felt that I had a 'forever clause' to have clean water to drink.'

Madison, Wisconsin—On March 15, some 100 people are expected to bus and drive from central Wisconsin to the state capitol building in Madison.

Small business owners, small farmers, used-to-be-retired folk, all kinds want assurance of safe, clean drinking, and surface water.

They face stiff opposition led by State Rep Scott Krug, (R-Nekoosa, Wisconsin) and other Republicans.

Republicans are pushing two bills that would decimate Wisconsin waters and offer protection to polluters and industrial interests that are literally sucking regions dry.
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From Dick Lamers of Dunn County in northwestern Wisconsin:

Dear Legislators,

Subject: GROUNDWATER BILL WOULD RESULT IN PERPETUAL AUTHORITY TO PUMP!

Reference: (Senate Bill 76, Assembly Bill 105)

Please stop and think about what these bills will do for your legacy and the impact it will have on the citizens of WI!

I don’t understand the justification for approving the unlimited use of water from our aquifers and the permit-approval process of these wells now being proposed with a 'forever' clause.

I’ve always felt that I had a 'forever clause' to have clean water to drink. That is one of the reasons I made a choice to move back to my home state. I was extremely proud of the environmental heritage that I remembered from my childhood and wanted it for my family. That is not the case for what I see happening today.

The 'Big Sell' used by some when this was last considered in 2016, was to keep talking about the 'certainty' of being able to pass on these permits to future buyers or family members (Corporations). There is no consideration for what happens when the permitted use causes catastrophic damage to the lives and well-being of their neighbors.

What about their certainty? When will you consider that this regulation has the potential of destroying whole communities? Who will stay in an area when the lakes dry up and people don’t have water to drink? (Companies buying bottled water for those affected is not a solution.)

These bills actually prohibit legal recourse when the use of these high-capacity wells prove to be detrimental to others.

Not allowing the research and study of the cumulative impact of these wells before approval or renewal, just passes the problem and harder decision making onto the next generation. If the 'greatest generation' helped develop our water ethics, then the least we can do is fight to uphold them.

I firmly believe one of your responsibilities in our society, is to protect me from these type of situations. I’m looking forward to seeing some of you STAND UP, LEAD, find a better way for ALL… of Your Constituents.

Please Vote No!

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Lamers
Colfax, WI 54730

Wisconsin Rivers

Wisconsin Republicans Target Water Again

Rome, Wisconsin relies on clean and safe water
The central Wisconsin community is a tourist
and recreational mecca fighting the current
of anti-public mania of Wisconsin Republicans.

In Wisconsin a coalition of citizen groups is getting riled again.

They want to stop ground and surface water from being plundered and poisoned by industrialized factory farms.

Republicans in the legislature are saying in effect, 'forget it, water warriors, we work for Big Ag.'

Pro-water forces are sounding the alarm about the "Death by a Thousand Straws' bill drafted by Republicans for Big Ag, against the interests of surrounding communities.

They oppose Senate Bill 76, (Assembly Bill 105), that will result in "PERMANENT damage to our state’s waters – lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and residential water wells. Written in its current state, this bill does not solve any problems for our state groundwater and surface water issues and only allows our current problems to continue," (Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network and Concerned Rome Citizens).

By Rick Georgeson, Steve Raap, John Endrizzi, Rick Antin, and Don Ystad

Concerned Friends and Neighbors,

The recently proposed Senate Bill (SB) 76 is bad for us. It's a follow-on to the bad water bill from last session that failed to get approved.  And, now we hear there is a companion bill being introduced in the Assembly. Many of you helped to defeat the bills last session, and we are going to need all of you and more to help defeat this one. The deck is stacked against us as the administration further disembowels the DNR and as large industrial farm lobbies pour in more money trying to influence our legislators. So, it's just us, the largest pool of lobbyists in the state, and we have the ability to affect change. This mailing is informational.; Soon, you will be asked to take action to protect what's important to you and your family. And, it will cost you only a few minutes of your time.

Oppose SB76/AB105,  'Death by 1,000 Straws'

Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network and Concerned Rome Citizens, (Facebook), opposes SB76/AB105 and believe passage of this bill will result in PERMANENT damage to our state’s waters – lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and residential water wells. Written in its current state, this bill does not solve any problems for our state groundwater and surface water issues and only allows our current problems to continue. 

Wisconsin is a mecca for recreation and tourism. Allowing the passage of SB76/AB105 would land a direct blow to the thriving tourism industry upon which many of our rural communities depend.  Those who travel to Wisconsin will be forced to find alternate vacation destinations to boat, fish, and recreate as lake levels continue to be drawn down.

SB76/AB105 will guarantee the continued drawdown of many lakes, trout streams, and residential wells if passed by our current legislature. Unlimited permits are unprecedented in Wisconsin and pose a serious and immediate danger to our waterways and our residents. Periodic review of high capacity well permits is essential to protect our waters. 

The transfer provision in SB76/AB105 is of greatest concern and encourages elected officials to purposefully and directly ignore the state’s Public Trust Doctrine, which states the waters of Wisconsin belong to all of us. Transferring water rights with the sale of a property is in direct conflict with that doctrine outlined within our state's Constitution. Transfer wording should be deleted entirely from this bill.

As Wisconsin residents, we depend and trust our elected officials to enact legislation that will ensure our surface and groundwater will be here for our children and grandchildren to use and enjoy.  Moreover, we have property rights and hold our representatives to the expectation that they will protect our interests over big industry donors who are attempting to buy preferential legislation. 

Numerous scientific studies predicted reduced surface and groundwater due to overpumping from high capacity wells. Statewide, lakes, streams and wells are drying up and we are demanding legislative action to protect our water NOW. Do not vote to pass legislation that will make Wisconsin water issues worse and directly impact our tourism and recreational industry. SB76/AB105 will not stop or prevent further damage to the families of Wisconsin… it ensures the damage will continue.

Concerned Rome Citizens values the lakes in the Rome area that contribute in a large way to the $300,000,000 annual tourism revenue in Adams County.  The billion dollars in valuation of lake properties in Adams County represent a major source of revenue to commerce, schools and community services.  These lakes communities must be protected.

Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network (SRWN) is a statewide coalition of thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations dedicated to preserving the environment while maintaining the health and economic vitality of rural communities. We are concerned about Wisconsin’s water resources and support sustainable water use. We cannot support legislation that gives Wisconsin’s water to the highest bidder at the detriment of the citizens.