April, 1998 Table of Contents
Not the First TimeLegislators Are Trying to Hide Pollution What You Can DoCome hear speakers Industry doesn’t want you to hear Water-Keepers -- Public Forum on Water Quality Legislature Threatens Land-use What are “Takings?”Clean Money Campaign Reform Legislators Block ReformElectric Utilities Downplay Wind Energy Contrary Attitude from WPSA New Kind of Drug Problem? What About the U.S.?Public Comments Sought for Non-point Program Timeline DNR Bows to Industry Pressure Once again, Gov. Thompson’s new version of DNR has bowed to pressure
from Fox River polluters and the Chamber of Commerce.
For years citizens have asked for public hearings and programs on critical
issues involving the Fox River clean-up. For years, DNR staff have agreed
this is a good idea, and yet it hasn’t happened.
This time, DNR claims the April 27 program was just a bargaining chip
to convince the Chamber of Commerce to stop telling the public there’s
“no proof of PCB’s health effects.” When the Chamber of Commerce wrote
a “letter of apology,” the DNR claimed the public program was no
longer necessary, and cancelled it, to the dismay of several co-sponsoring
agencies such as EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
1. George Meyer, the DNR Secretary, had been boasting about the upcoming program for weeks, saying he was very pleased to be hosting several internationally prominent speakers. 2. The Chamber’s letter of apology is nothing of the sort. The Chamber only admitted that “Upon reflection --- the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Division of Health, and others, do consider that the current levels of PCBs found in the river pose a serious threat to human health.” The letter didn’t say that the Chamber agrees that PCBs are a threat to health. 3. One letter from the Chamber doesn’t undo the serious damage caused by at least four months of the Chamber’s aggressive lobbying and deliberate misinformation campaign against Fox River clean-up efforts. The Chamber and the polluting industries have systematically worked, very effectively, to frighten local officials and the public into thinking PCB clean-up isn’t worth the risk --- either economically or environmentally. 4. For years, Gov. Thompson’s DNR and other health and environmental agencies have ignored their responsibilities to inform and involve the general public in their actions and scientific reasoning. They are allowing self-serving polluters and politicians to control public perceptions of the issue. This endangers the entire clean-up effort. Gov. Thompson’s DNR and other agencies claim the public program is only
postponed, until perhaps next Fall. We’ve heard this before.
Demonstrations to Start Soon
Meanwhile, the public and wildlife are still being poisoned on a daily
basis in the Fox River Valley and Lake Michigan region. Anglers and duck
hunters continue to ignore the warnings against eating fish and ducks.
They’re still feeding these fish to their kids and families, risking another
generation of harm.
Legislators Are Trying to Hide Pollution Now that the Republican’s once again control both the Senate and Assembly
of the Wisconsin Legislature, as well as the Governor’s Office, several
proposed bills may actually pass.
Write your elected officials and tell them what you think: State Senator
State Rep. (Last Name, Mc thru Z)
Come hear speakers Industry doesn’t want you to hear The program is NOT cancelled You are cordially invited to attend a free, public presentation by several public health experts --- discussing “Restoring the Fox River: Perspectives on PCBs and Public Health.” We will also have speakers on dredging and disposal technologies for PCB contaminated sediments. Monday, April 27 --- 7:00 p.m. Liberty Hall, 800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly, Wisconsin East of the Intersection of Highway 441 and County Trunk Hwy CE Co-sponsored by --- Clean Water Action Council, the Sierra Club, and several other citizen organizations. Don’t let corporations dictate the information you’re allowed to hear. Water-Keepers -- Public Forum on Water Quality Earthweek Event! Tuesday, April 21 5:30 p.m. --- Supper and Socializing 6:30-8:00 p.m. --- Open Mike and Discussion If you can’t make it, we’ll miss you, but please send us a quick note
listing your successes and your ideas for display in an exhibit that evening:
Location: Baird Creek Ski Hill Chalet Triangle Sports Center, 500 Beverly Road, Green Bay Take the University Avenue exit to the right off Hwy 43 and immediately turn left at the first stop light onto University Way, then left on University, right on Humboldt Road, right on Baird Creek Road and right on Beverly. Join Clean Water Action Council on Earthweek for a public forum to celebrate efforts to protect and clean-up the waterways of Wisconsin. We will provide a potluck supper (contributions of food welcome). Then we’re planning an open microphone session where we invite you to share your success stories, concerns and ideas. What have you done for clean water in Wisconsin? What still needs to be done? How do we get there? Legislature Threatens Land-use Several Republican “Takings” bills are also moving again in the Legislature.
Some people in recent years have reinterpreted the U.S. Constitution
to say that zoning and some environmental laws involve a “taking” of private
property rights without “just compensation.” They believe that the government
and taxpayers should be forced to pay individuals to not develop their
land or property in
AB 806 --- Defines “ takings” actions as those which reduce the fair
market value of private real property by 50% or more, and creates heavy
restrictions on local and state governments before such “takings” can be
approved.
Charging that political insiders in Madison and Washington are dropping the ball on campaign finance reform, citizens set off on a 12 city media tour last week to promote state legislation called “Clean Money, Clean Elections,” Assembly Bill AB 950. The Wisconsin Legislature’s 1997-98 session ended with the passage of just one reform bill out of at least 16 bills offered. And in the previous session, they killed another 27 bills. “There is mounting evidence that Wisconsin government now operates by
a new code: you don’t pay, you don’t play,” said John Berge, state
chair of the Sierra Club. “Since clean water and clean air can’t
pay, they get less attention than checks from Exxon and paper company executives.
Those who write the big checks collect their debts from those who write
the laws, to the detriment of the environment, working families and democracy.”
At the Green Bay media event, local activists Rebecca Katers, of Clean Water Action Council testified on the importance of reform, as well as Lorry Corby and Carol Montie, of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, the League of Women Voters, and numerous related social organizations. “Polls show that 84% of Wisconsin citizens want “sweeping reform” noted Kelly Sparks, regional political director of the United Auto Workers. “The way that politicians spend our tax money is directly affected by how they raise their campaign money.” The Clean Money, Clean Elections Bill was introduced as AB 950 in the latest legislative session. It’s sponsors include Assembly Rep. Tammy Baldwin and Senator Fred Risser, and Assembly Representatives Robert Turner, Rosemary Potter, John Lehman, and Spencer Coggs. Supporters of the Clean Money, Clean Elections system are aiming for the following five goals: 1. Less spending --- By eliminating the advantage of excessive spending, most candidates will choose to spend less money overall. 2. Equal Opportunity --- A level playing field for all candidates, whether they’re wealthy or not. 3. Ending Connections between special-interest donations and special-interest influence over public policies and government budgets. 4. Ideas Not Money --- Restoring the value of good ideas over the power of the money. 5. Allow Time for Real Work --- Freeing candidates from the frantic
pursuit of donations. And preventing elected officials from spending all
their work time raising money to get themselves re-elected.
1. Qualifying --- Candidates would voluntarily qualify for the Clean Money, Clean Elections funding by collecting $5 Qualifying Contributions and signatures from several hundred private individuals, and agreeing to adhere to spending limits and accept no private donations, other than seed money. (The number of required contributions varies upon the seat being sought.) A candidate would still need to campaign and work hard to show the support of hundreds of voters before he or she could receive public funding. 2. Full public funding --- Qualified state-level candidates would
receive a sum equal to 75% of the average spending for the position state-wide
in the 1996 election cycle. (This will immediately reduce overall spending.)
3. Discouraging “Arms Races” --- If a “clean elections” candidate were opposed by a privately funded candidate who refused to respect spending limits, the clean candidate would receive matching funds from the state’s Democracy Trust Fund, with a cap of up to 3 times the level of the initial Clean Money grant. This removes the incentive for candidates to spend excessive amounts. 4. Independent expenditures --- A candidate who qualifies for and accepts
public financing would receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds when he
or she is targeted by an “independent expenditure” campaign or “issue”
ads which use a candidate’s name or image during a campaign season. This
provision establishes a prior notice requirement to disclose an intended
independent expenditure campaign.
5. Costs (and Savings) for Taxpayers --- The highly respected Center
for Responsive Politics estimates that campaigns for all major state offices
could be covered at an average cost of about $5 per taxpayer. A small investment
to ensure democracy.
6. Private Donations --- Clean Money candidates can accept private campaign donations only as “seed money” to get their campaign started. There is a $100 limit on such contributors. Total seed money allowed would be: for Assembly, $2,500; State Senate, $5,000; and Governor, $10,000. All other private donations would be forbidden for Clean Money candidates. 7. Voluntary Program --- Candidates could still choose to rely on private-interest funding; however, they would not gain a financial advantage because of the Clean Money plan’s “equalizing funds” feature. (from information provided by Wisconsin Citizen Action) • The lions share of contributions for Wisconsin’s elections come from a tiny, wealthy circle: 40% of the contributions in 1996 legislative races came from just 2/10 of 1% of the population. • The richest 1% --- those making over $262,000 --- pay only 6.4% in total state, and local income, property and sales taxes. Those making under $43,000 pay twice as high a rate --- 12.9%. Are tax breaks geared to benefit wealthy campaign donors? • Wisconsin corporations receive $1.1 billion a year in tax reductions and exemptions. • Wisconsin corporate taxes are among the very lowest in the nation, even lower than such corporate-friendly states as Mississippi, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee. • Car dealer Russ Darrow gave $5,314 to Gov. Thompson, and then succeeded in getting the Gov. to intervene in changing a road detour, at a cost of $50,000 to taxpayers. • Ameritech and other tele-communications interests have contributed over $30,000 to Gov. Thompson, and will gain a $63 million tax reduction annually starting in the year 2001 Electric Utilities Downplay Wind Energy by Kim Bowker The state of Wisconsin has an exciting new energy source on the horizon
--- literally.
A recent article in Windpower Monthly entitled “Project up despite utility
reluctance” states “... the community response to the project has been
mostly positive ... the same cannot be said for the project’s co-developer
and host, Wisconsin Public Service.”
Average versus Peak Wind Speeds Although average wind speed is the usual means for determining the viability
of the wind resource it is inherently flawed since it waters down the peak
wind speeds. The equation that calculates the power density (power available
in the wind) represents the unit for power as a cubic function in relation
to wind speed.
Wind Energy is Available & Renewable In all fairness, the use of power density in place of averages still
proves that Wisconsin does not have the wind resource that the mountain
passes of California or the open Dakota Plains have.
Fuel Subsidies Undercut Wind Energy Economics The higher cost of renewable energy relative to fossil fuels is another
reason offered by utilities for not installing more renewable energy projects.
Environmental Costs Not Included These numbers do not include the costs of environmental clean-up or nuclear waste disposal and clean-up. (The EPA estimates that oil spills alone cost taxpayers $1.7 billion between the years of 1974 and 1983.) These numbers also do not include miliary dollars spent to secure our access to Middle East oil or subsidies to areas of the energy supply infrastructure like extraction and transportation of fuels, or transmission of electricity. The federal subsidies to all renewable technologies combined were 203.7 million. The ratio of renewable subsidy dollars to fossil fuel and nuclear dollars is getting better under the Clinton Administration by the playing field is still nowhere near level. Wind energy has been used all over the world since the 1400’s to grind grain, move water, and produce electricity. It is not a new idea. Yet the utilities are trying very hard to demonstrate that it is expensive and unreliable, an idea for the future. The talks this past year in the Governor’s Office revolved around increasing the reliability of the electric system in our state. Wind energy, along with other renewables and energy efficiency, is the answer. Up to Top
Drugs of all kinds are turning up in European water supplies, according
to an article published in teh March 21 issue of Science News.
The article suggests that the same drugs could be found in U.S. waters
if the water were monitored for drugs.
Up to Top
A series of important “listening sessions” will be held to gather public comment on plans to redesign Wisconsin nonpoint source pollution programs, which are responsible for protecting the state’s water. The meetings are jointly sponsored by the DNR and the Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The two agencies are responsible for administering the state’s non-point programs. Last year’s budget bill directed the agencies to redesign the programs, which cover many areas, including: • manure storage & feedlot
management
“Redesigning our nonpoint program will have a great impact on many groups, including farmers, municipalities and county governments,” according to DATCP representatives. “These listening sessions are a chance for affected groups and other interested parties to give us their views, comments and suggestions for restructuring.” According to DNR, “The budget bill reemphasized that the goal of the soil and water conservation programs in both agencies is to protect and restore water quality.” The program redesign is expected to take from 18 months to 2 full years. At the listening session, agency staff will describe the proposals which
the agencies have developed. Unfortunately, they haven’t provided any information
on what those proposals will be.
Please attend these important public sessions and show support for strong, coordinated programs which truly address this issue: Wed. April 23 --- Green Bay
Thurs., May 7 --- Rhinelander
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