Sunday, March 25, 2018

Foxconn should not be surprised at the resistance

A senior Foxconn executive, apparently having mistakenly thought Scott Walker to be Wisconsin's authoritative oracle and fount, is surprised that there is opposition to the deal Foxconn made with Walker to remake, among other things, much of the state budget, Racine County and the state's environmental history.

On the environmental side - - and there are plenty of recent issues among which Foxconn is but one of many, but especially because Foxconn has been awarded unique permissions to do what it wishes without permits on its massive site in a Great Lakes state - - 


that I suggest a brief reading, below.

Understanding that Walker's purpose is unwinding much of the state's environmental tradition - - regardless of the impact on quality of living not measured on a corporate balance sheet - - including achievements of his predecessors, in both parties and those of the state's legendary conservation pioneers:

The Public Trust Doctrine: Wisconsin's Waters Belong to Everyone


Meet Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day


The Man From Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Senator Gaylord Nelson


A Sand County Almanac and other materials from Wisconsin-based Aldo Leopold Foundation.


One article among thousands about where John Muir got his start


How a leading scientific publication has described Walker's relationship with the environment:

How Scott Walker Dismantled Wisconsin's Environmental Legacy
How a writer in The New York Times described Walker's earlier signature push for the GTac iron ore open pit mine which also exempted the mining company from routine Wisconsin environmental wetlands protections and related standards:  
The Fight for Wisconsin's Soul
To facilitate the construction of the mine and the company’s promise of 700 long-term jobs, Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation last year granting GTac astonishing latitude. The new law allows the company to fill in pristine streams and ponds with mine waste. It eliminates a public hearing that had been mandated before the issuing of a permit, which required the company to testify, under oath, that the project had complied with all environmental standards. It allows GTac to pay taxes solely on profit, not on the amount of ore removed, raising the possibility that the communities affected by the mine’s impact on the area’s roads and schools would receive only token compensation. 
A recent summary piece from the state's largest newspaper, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 
Wisconsin, under Scott Walker, no longer leads in conservation 

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