From Charles and Christine Wellington
Monroe
To the editor:
One of the attractions in the State of Wisconsin has always been its beautiful and varied natural resources. In the past it was easy to take this for granted as it was valued by most in power.
Sadly, this is no longer the case. It seems clear that the governor's budget proposal lays bare his true agenda regarding the environment. That agenda is to sell out our natural resources at the expense of the environment and weaken the institutions that provide us with good scientific research regarding the dangers (i.e. the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Natural Resources). The cuts to the UW have been well publicized. More disguised is the attempt to weaken the DNR by removing approximately 60 persons from the Science Services Section, taking away the DNR's role in proposing legislation and giving that function to the governor. The rather disingenuous aspect of this proposal is that the staff reduction will not save any Wisconsin taxpayer dollars as those persons are federally funded. Does anyone else see a problem with this?
The governor's track record on the environment has been clear. He has attempted to make the path for Gogebic Taconite as easy as possible in the Penokee Hills even though the proposed mine will put one-tenth of the world's fresh water at irreversible risk. No mine of the type and magnitude of the one proposed has ever not resulted in environmental devastation.
Wake up Wisconsin. If we sell out our natural resources, without a full understanding of the cost to our environment, there will be no recovery if things go bad. Mining companies are prone to hide behind the corporate veil or they file for bankruptcy protection if things go sour. This is not just bad policy. It is potentially catastrophic. Given the source of a great deal of money spent in this state in the last election, this should be alarming.
It's time to wake up, Wisconsin. We cannot afford to sleep on these issues.
Monroe
To the editor:
One of the attractions in the State of Wisconsin has always been its beautiful and varied natural resources. In the past it was easy to take this for granted as it was valued by most in power.
Sadly, this is no longer the case. It seems clear that the governor's budget proposal lays bare his true agenda regarding the environment. That agenda is to sell out our natural resources at the expense of the environment and weaken the institutions that provide us with good scientific research regarding the dangers (i.e. the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Natural Resources). The cuts to the UW have been well publicized. More disguised is the attempt to weaken the DNR by removing approximately 60 persons from the Science Services Section, taking away the DNR's role in proposing legislation and giving that function to the governor. The rather disingenuous aspect of this proposal is that the staff reduction will not save any Wisconsin taxpayer dollars as those persons are federally funded. Does anyone else see a problem with this?
The governor's track record on the environment has been clear. He has attempted to make the path for Gogebic Taconite as easy as possible in the Penokee Hills even though the proposed mine will put one-tenth of the world's fresh water at irreversible risk. No mine of the type and magnitude of the one proposed has ever not resulted in environmental devastation.
Wake up Wisconsin. If we sell out our natural resources, without a full understanding of the cost to our environment, there will be no recovery if things go bad. Mining companies are prone to hide behind the corporate veil or they file for bankruptcy protection if things go sour. This is not just bad policy. It is potentially catastrophic. Given the source of a great deal of money spent in this state in the last election, this should be alarming.
It's time to wake up, Wisconsin. We cannot afford to sleep on these issues.
