Tea And Sovereignty

I can remember that George Wallace, the Alabama Governor who, to be fair, did eventually jettison his segregationist ways, made inroads nationally as a presidential candidate, and set the stage for the new Republican South by campaigning against the federal guvmint, social spending and pointy-headed bureaucrats.

Darned if the Tea Partiers and their current-day Republican Party enablers don't sound much the same today. (Great essay in Harper's about this, and more.)

A new report from this weekend's Tea Party gathering in the Dells has the protesters railing against "them" - - and it's not clear whether that's liberals, government or social spending - - but to me, it sounds like creepy George Wallace talk all over again.

I also hear those strains in the silly sovereignistic talk out in Waukesha by some mayoral challengers, alderman and even from City Administrator Lori Luther at a city water hearing last Monday night.

The naysayers bring up "sovereignty or "independence" as if these things weren't settled by the Civil War, or if cities were somehow more than creatures of the state - - which they are not.

But this wacky construct of sovereignty in the water debate has currency in Waukesha.

See how The Freeman closed out its reporting on the February primary - - wherein challenger Jeff Scrima defeated incumbent Larry Nelson - - with these paragraphs:

Waukesha’s future water supply, economic development and taxes are likely to be among top issues during the campaign.

Waukesha is looking to develop its future water supply because of a drawdown in the aquifer and a court order to reduce radium levels in the water by June 2018. The Common Council will be asked in March or April to submit an application to receive Great Lakes water to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The DNR needs to approve the application, as well as the other Great Lakes states.

The city is looking to receive water from Milwaukee, Oak Creek or Racine.

Nelson has said in the past that the water issue is one of the most crucial issues facing the city. He has said he hopes to collaborate with Waukesha Water Utility general manager Dan Duchniak in the city’s quest to receive Lake Michigan water.

Scrima, on the other hand, has questioned if receiving water from another community will cause Waukesha to lose its sovereignty

“Do we want to be subservient to them?” Scrima said about a contract with Milwaukee during a Feb. 10 mayoral forum. “Do we want to play second fiddle?”

Scrima has proposed the city use a variety of resources, including deep and shallow wells, the Fox River and quarries to provide drinking water for the city residents.

Nelson said during the Feb. 10 forum that Scrima’s idea to blend a variety of sources would end up being more costly than Lake Michigan water. He also pointed out that the mayor does not vote on contracts and the final decision is up to the Common Council.

“Our council would never agree (to a water contract) that gives up sovereignty,” Nelson said.

The reality is that Waukesha has a water problem and Milwaukee offers the cheapest way to solve it.

But Milwaukee has socio-economic problems created in or exacerbated by an entire region that includes Waukesha, so Waukesha could help address them.

Just help. Not solve, as Milwaukee water would do for what ails Waukesha.

Help, you say?

Cooperate?

Regionally?

And by doing so recognize some larger, shared reality - - dare we say, some responsibility?

"Hell, no," as they were chanting in the Dells, over tea.

Them's fighting words.

Or just plain "No," as in the Facebook Group "Say No To Milwaukee Water In Waukesha," with 450 fans as of 3/14. And growing.

Let's call out this fear-mongering, this retreat to insularity, this belief that cities should have moats around them, that individuals are islands unto themselves, and the golden rule has been retired.

It's cheap and easy politicking to stand up for self-interest in a down economy.

It's harder to campaign for the common good, especially now that the Supreme Court has decided that corporations are people free pour billions into the political process on behalf of their shareholders - - with the biggest usually on the Boards of Directors calling the shots.

Imagine what will happen if the neo-Wallacites take over and kill the very governments they say they despise when corporations - - whether banks or health insurers or drug companies or cable providers or water bottlers - - will be freer to treat their customers as has Toyota.

If you like usurious bank practices, and unaffordable drugs, and air too dirty to breathe you'll love what the Glenn Becks and the Scott Walkers and Sarah Palins and Mitch McConnells and the corporate sovereigns have in store for you.