Downstream impacts drained from WI GOP water scheme

[Updated] The Wisconsin water privateers are making their case in Madison today for permanent, regulatory-averse control of groundwater that everyone needs.

Industry has its talking point  - - "certainty" - - focus-group vetted and scripted. And has its eager chief water-carrier - - GOP Senate Majority leader Scott Fitzgerald - - locked down to guarantee delivery of this special interest, 'chamber of commerce mentality' privilege:

Growers say water certainty is needed

No doubt the $220,000 Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has traced from these special interests to members of the committee holding the hearing should help along that 'certainty.'

Not to mention lobbying, known and documented.

It's the same talking point Big Ag and Big Dairy marched over to the Legislators in 2015 in a brazen, hand-delivered written demand for permanent groundwater control - -" certainty" for them but not for people living nearby or fishing downstream:

The bold, hand-delivered memo, its bold-faced language and the weighty array of powerful logos at the top tell the story:

An urgent communication to all Wisconsin legislators 

We are at a crossroads. It is imperative that the legislature assert its authority and bring certainty and sanity to the regulation of new and existing high capacity wells in Wisconsin. 

And..

However, we cannot accept any legislation that would create new, stifling regulations or establish regulatory uncertainty as to how DNR and the state will approach new well applications moving forward. 

Aqll of which makes mincemeat of Scott Walker's earlier talking point about government not using its power to pick marketplace winners and losers:

Scott Walker accused Tom Barrett during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign of using government programs and public dollars to pick business sector winners and losers.

Conservative talker Charlie Sykes even put the reflexive righty allegation on his website when Walker sent him an email about it and said to Sykes (bold-face and italics in the original): 

But the bottom line is that people create jobs and not government. The Mayor's plan is limited to tax credits which allow the government to pick winners and losers.

Groundwater is connected to surface water, and vice-versa. 

It's already known that The Little Plover River, below, suffers from heavy withdrawals to irrigate big farms. 

Say "No" to privatizing groundwater and making this a new Wisconsin symbol: