Friday, April 22, 2011

Earth Day Gets Official Snub In The Land Of Gaylord Nelson

I have scoured Gov. Scott Walker's office website and I see no news release or any acknowledgement today is Earth Day. If I missed it, shame on me. If not, shame on you know who.

Other Governors, even conservatives, managed to issue Earth Day proclamations.

[Update: nothing issued Monday.]

In Alabama on Earth Day there was an entire statewide celebration.

The North Dakota Governor issued a proclamation.

As did the Governor of New Hampshire.

Kentucky's Governor encouraged his state's residents, and especially the children, to join in the largest day of civic participation worldwide. Video here.

You get the picture. It's pretty mainstream, positive, fun. Even in the conservative South.

But Walker's Earth Day silence was an intentional, cynical "*F*** you" to Gaylord Nelson's memory, and the people of the state, and a land ethic in Wisconsin dating back to John Muir and Aldo Leopold, by our small-minded leaders.

That's the Earth Day message, the anti-Earth Day message, from the crew that wants to dismantle recycling, permit phosphorus dumping, block wind turbines, fill wetlands, starve transit and spend billions on more, wider roads.

Keep it up, Mr. 52%: Your year of living disrespectfully in the Governor's mansion is about a third gone.

[An earlier version of this posting indicated that there was no information about Earth Day on the DNR website, too. I subsequently found some information, and deleted the DNR reference in less than an hour. I still see no Walker news release on Wheeler, or through Google searches. JR 1:00 a.m. 4/23.]

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just tells you the integrity of the Walker Administration and his appointed minions.....

Anonymous said...

Who cares?

We have tried 75 years of progressivism. It didn't work.

Enjoy your own earth day. Celebrate it yourself.

Perhaps Walker didn't want the Freedom From Religion folks to sue him for worshiping mama earth.

Anonymous said...

"Who cares?"

Anyone who makes his living off Wisconsin's tourism industry. If Wisconsin's waterways become as polluted as Illinois's are, don't expect any Illinoisans to come visit.

Anyone who makes his living off Wisconsin's wild rice exports.

It's real money.

Anonymous said...

It's time to step things up. This summer when the lakes around Madison get their algae blooms, let's get some pool scoopers, load the stuff in buckets and bring it to the governor's mansion. Walker is making this mess. Let him wallow in the smell.

Reagan's Disciple said...

The smell was in Madison long before Walker arived.

James Rowen said...

To RD: Yes, the lake weed smell was there for a long time, which is why so much time went into creating a plan to attack the problem, and why it is crazy to suspend it.

John P said...

Maybe the Union idiots in Madison, should worry first about cleaning up after themselves before they lecture others on "Earth Day". I enjoyed my Earth Day, by rejoycing in all of the great developments that capitalism has given me.

Trotter said...

Great blog. You summed it up very well.
Who cares anonymous? I do and tens of thousands of Wisconsinites who enjoy our beautiful resources. As governor of our great state he should be at least planting a tree somewhere. Perhaps a tree on the capital grounds ?

CC said...

It's unconscionable that Walker didn't publicly acknowledge it in the state of Gaylord Nelson, without whom our water and air pollution would be unchecked, and much of the wonderful land we enjoy would have been destroyed. Shame on you, Governor Walker.