May 30, 2004
Not my fault
Every now and then a story appears that absolutely boggles the mind. On Saturday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that 4.6 billion gallons of untreated sewage was dumped into Lake Michigan. (That is "billion" not "million.") That one-month dump was greater than any annual dumping since the system was opened in 1993.
Who is at fault?
Not Kevin Shafer, the executive director of the Sewerage District. Get this: "We are not the ones who produced the water that got into the system...you can only do so much." Words to live by. Not Shafer's fault; not the board's fault; not the DNR's fault; not former Mayor Norquist's fault, although they hint that his wife might have been at fault; not Tommy or Scott's fault; not Jim Doyle's fault, and certainly not Charlie Sykes' candidate for governor, Scott Walker's fault.
It is, screamed the Sunday MJS, the fault of, you guessed it, lax environmentalists. I'm not making this up.
The Republicans killed the Public Intervenor, forced the independent DNR into Tommy's cabinet, reduced enforcement of the Clean Water Act, cut the DNR budget, but it ain't their fault. No siree. Alberta Darling, state senator and doyen from River Hills, was quoted, "It would sure help to have the environmental groups exert pressure on us."
Not to be outdone, the MJS found Quarles & Brady lawyer Tony Earl, who also blamed the environmentalists. "The traditional environmental groups were absolutely AWOL during this whole thing, and that troubles me. They didn't do a damn thing." Tony, who lobbied for the Crandon Mine following his re-election defeat in 1986, did not offer his solutions or explain where he was during this battle.
As for the Journal Sentinel, had they pushed for a solution to the sewerage problem instead of hiring lobbyists to convince the Legislature that spending a billion on Miller Park was more important, perhaps they might be a credible source. (They did report that 4.6 billion gallons would "fill Miller Park 15 times from home base to the retractable roof." Is that a suggestion?)
Do we still have a DNR?
Where is Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker? Yup. On a Harley ride around Wisconsin. At least he was smart enough to leave town.
Where is the leadership in this state?
post a letter about this blog »
current
--------
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003