Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A Wisconsin Assemblyman Parades His Biases

Videotaped arrogance: Jeff Stone, (R-Greendale), admits that the Assembly excluded Native Americans when drafting mining legislation that also covers many water issues, too.

Though the mining bill was written in such secrecy, but with input from the mining company, that no legislator would put his or her name on it as a sponsor.

But drafting input from the mining company? Sure.

From Native Americans whose Bad River watershed will get the mines' polluted silt. No.

And I remember when Stone was considered a reasonable, moderate, thoughtful guy. Former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist and I used to have coffee with Stone on Water St. to talk about transit, and government.

But these days, the Republicans feel free to air out their biases, Like State Sen Neal Kedzie, (R-Elkhorn), another former moderate, but who is now leading the fight for Indian high school mascots and nicknames, and, in the Senate, in favor of wetland fillings and quick mine approvals.

Discrimination is in vogue!

And the public be damned. It's the era of Walker and big money, so let the feast begin.

So let the mining lawsuits fly - - which the reckless Assembly knows are coming - -  with Stone's remarks becoming Exhibit "A."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So basically he is bluntly stating his intent to drive Wisconsin and the tribes into federal court.

James Rowen said...

This so-called legislating is the equivalent of sending out a news release, then calling a donor and saying, "Hey, look: I did something for you."

This bill is DOA in the Senate, and the courts, and the court of public opinion. It gets raves at the local Tea Party bean feeds, and at the Gogebic board.

Say What? said...

Why is it dead in the Senate? They will use it to put Bob Jauch in an awkward position. No?

Boxer said...

This is what happens when a bunch of small-minded bidness people, who know little or nothing about the law, are put into positions where they can legislate. They're like children set loose in a candy store--they can't hand out goodies to their friends or stuff their own mouths full fast enough.

Anonymous said...

Why is it dead in the Senate? One word: Recalls.