(first posted, 9:45 Wednesday, Jan. 11): Attention, Assembly Republicans:
As you rush your flawed mining bill to a vote next week, have any of you read the document sent in August by the US Army Corps of Engineers to Gov. Walker - - and to others, including Natural Resources Committee and Hurley hearing chair Rep. Mary Williams, (R-Medford) - - that explains in great detail how the Assembly Republicans' legislative approach to shorten mining permit reviews would actually lengthen the process because the state and Corps' reviews would be on different and incompatible time lines?
Here is a link to the letter in pdf, courtesy of the Ashland Current - - GovWalkerOffice 07-2011.pdf
"Multiplying expense and time," is the path that the Corps urged the Assembly to avoid.
Why not take the advice, unless obeisance to contributors, a Tea Party-pleasing confrontation with Obama's Feds and displaying world-class arrogance is what these legislators really want to accomplish?
Raise your hand if you think a Federal court is going to throw out the Corps' responsibilities required under the decades-old, bi-partisan reality known as the Federal Clean Water Act in favor of something cobbled together by a group of unnamed Wisconsin legislators and a mining company?
Early warning about this.
They just want to vote on it and let the cards fall where they may. Much like their other bills. It's the only "real" jobs bill they will have passed since they took office even though it will fail miserably in the courts. They will wash their hands and shrug their shoulders.
ReplyDeleteIs this the same Corps that dredged the St. Lawrence and thus has caused the steady drop in Great Lakes Water levels?
ReplyDeleteNo, anonymous, it isn't.
ReplyDeleteThat Corps is long dead. Its spirit lives on among the Republicans though.