Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Expand Recall Discussion To Mining Issue

Discussions and strategies about removing Gov. Scott Walker and Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald through recall elections should be broadened to target and block these officials' misguided special-interest-driven bill to de-regulate mining in the state, as new polling data released by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, (WLCV), show more people in the state, regardless of political party, prefer wetlands protections and citizen involvement in mining permit review procedures than support the Walker and Fitzgerald de-regulation bill.

The leaders' support for bad, anti-science legislation is more than a political or policy disagreement with the opposing party that can be hashed out in the next regular election cycle: it poses an emergency threat to clean water, public health, environmental protection and treaty rights held by the Bad River band of Ojibwe who live close to land and waterways affected by the proposed iron ore mine near Ashland that the Walker/Fitzgerald bill would fast-track.

And set a terrible precedent for citizen participation in basic conservation policy-making, wetlands protection statewide and water-dependent tourism and recreational businesses from Superior to Kenosha.

The Journal Sentinel notes that this is the second poll showing little enthusiasm for weakening state environmental laws that now guide mining permit reviews - - with the earlier poll commissioned by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, a conservative political organization finding:

A minority of Wisconsinites (38 percent) favor streamlining environmental regulations in order to create more mining jobs in Northern Wisconsin while slightly more than half (51 percent) say environmental regulations should not be weakened. Eleven percent don’t know or declined to answer.
From the firm that that conducted the WLCV poll:
From: Tom Jensen, Director of Public Policy Polling

To: Interested Parties Subject: Wisconsin voters oppose effects of open-pit mining bill

Date: 2/20/2012
A new Public Policy Polling survey finds that Wisconsin voters are strongly opposed to the effects a new open-pit mining bill would have on the state’s environment. 
Concern about the bill carries across party lines - this is something Wisconsin voters from all political backgrounds find deeply troubling. Key finding from the poll include:

-69% of voters oppose weakening Wisconsin’s wetlands law, while only 22% think doing so is necessary to attract open-pit mining companies and jobs to the state. Majorities of Democrats (81/14), independents (70/21), and Republicans alike (53/35) stand against any legislation that would hurt the state’s wetlands. The negative environmental fallout far outweighs any other factors for voters when it comes to this bill.

 -Only 22% of voters support a provision that would reduce public participation in the mining application process, while 72% are opposed to it. This is another proposal where we find strong agreement across the party spectrum

- Democrats (87/10), independents (74/21), and Republicans (52/37) all think there should be no weakening in the right of citizens to speak out against mining permits.

 -Just 34% of voters support any streamlining of environmental regulations to help bring mining jobs to northern Wisconsin, while 49% oppose any weakening of water protections. Always critical independent voters are even more against proposed streamlining of environmental regulations than the population as a whole, opposing it 51/33.

Wisconsin voters are sending a clear message: legislators should vote against this bill. They think its negative environmental impacts far outweigh any jobs it may create.

And they strongly oppose any changes to the process that would quiet citizens’ voices.

PPP surveyed 866 Wisconsin voters on behalf of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters on February 17th and 18th. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.3%.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The mining/wetlands issue can help put the significant constituency of anglers and hunters at least partly into the Dems' camp. What about the redistricting issue? That is huge and any fair-minded person should be able to see what an outrageous breach of public trust the GOP has committed, with the sanction of Walker, who signed the maps. As time goes by we also will be seeing more and more school districts facing 7-figure holes in their budget that Act 10 cannot help this time. Programs and staff are going to be on the chopping block. There is much, much more behind this recall than union rights.

Anonymous said...

you are correct, sir.

Reagan's Disciple said...

How about just posting something that liberals will not recall Walker for?

Did he walk on the correct side of the street? Against traffic? Did he come to a complete stop when driving? Did he stay within the crosswalk? Did he forget to use his blinker?

I'd like to think that is all sarcasm, but I know in this age, all of those things listed would be considered "valid" reasons by the left to attempt to recall Walker.

Thankfully, Wisconsinites will see through this and he will win yet again! (Falk has no chance and I certainly hope that she is candidate) In fact, I will probably vote for her in the primary.

James Rowen said...

To RD - - Walker is facing a movement, Not opposition to an issue here or there, but a movement - - of his own creation.

Anonymous said...

@James Rowen Walker is indeed facing a movement of his own creation. He is also ahead in the early polls in a situation where anti-Walker sentiment will have already peaked. This is an UNPRECEDENTED movement that has ENRAGED AND ENGAGED the left and that is going to RECLAIM WISCONSIN FOR THE PEOPLE and FIGHT THE MACHINE and the candidate to carry the flag is... Kathleen Falk? Really?

She is not a politically astute person, and that is why she is the only serious Dem in the race. Good luck with that. She simply cannot win. Her defeat will embolden the GOP, who will reclaim the senate (which they'll lose this summer) in the fall, and then next year we'll see right-to-work and pension reform legislation and the liberation of our great state from the union beast will be complete.

Reagan's Disciple said...

The movement that Walker created is that he is a Republican, and he won the election. The left simply can not understand this and simply do not know how to deal with their lack of power in state government.

They then behave like children and act out. Screaming, yelling, bullhorns, harassing family members, bomb threats, death threats, assaults etc...,

Ask yourself this, Did republicans act like this when Doyle won?
Furthermore, the idea that this movement Walker started while correct, is is not at all sincere. This radical and dangerous behavior by the left was started as soon as Walker won and continued through his inauguration.

I agree with anon 12:13. Falk can not and will not win. As much as the left despises Walker, they moderates will prefer him over a left-winger from Madison who will be waiving her budget vetoing pledge that she recently signed with the unions.

The union /collective bargaining issue is over. Wisconsin is not going backwards to start that whole thing over again... especially with Falk.

Anonymous said...

"...Screaming, yelling, bullhorns, harassing family members, bomb threats, death threats, assaults etc..."

Yes I agree, the behavior of the teabaggers has been absolutely despicable.

RD said...

Anon,

Can you cite some examples of the behaviors and threats made by these homophobically (it was your term, not mine) labeled people?

It must really hit home when it is your side behaving in such a dangerous and hateful manor. However, it sounds like you have unfortunately come to accept this behavior.

I still think James is the only one here to denounce this uncivil and boorish behavior by many of these left. Others, like yourself just prefer to look the other way and toss out blatant lies like "Not us, it's all them!" If they are not lies, please cite your information.

All from the party of tolerance and coexist... go figure.