Environmental Activists Win Nail-Biters On Franklin Council

Environmental advocate Kristen Wilhelm, after a recount, won a seat on Franklin's Common Council by a four-vote margin, 609-605.

She defeated an incumbent, as did a second environmental challenger, Steve Taylor - - by a mere ten votes.

So every vote does count!

Franklin has been roiled recently by controversial developments, and the city's Environmental Commission, on which Taylor and Wilhelm sit, had found its status often discounted by other local officials.

So congratulations to Wilhelm and Taylor for being progressive voices in a relatively tough environment - - Milwaukee County's south suburbs.

You can follow Franklin and that region's land use and political issues at a great Franklin-based blog by John Michlig.

And then for the flip side, there's full-time state legislative aide Kevin Fischer and his Franklin-based, self-proclaimed pro-development blog - - wherein he calls the Department of Natural Resources "the Wisconsin Wing of the Nazi party."

Very nice.