Walker dismisses MLK Jr. legacy with superficial Tweet

From our hard-right GOP governor who lives not one second of a life similar to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and who has shown he knows nothing of "the arc of the moral universe [which] bends towards justice" by - - 

Lying about "a drafting error" having led to his budget language smashing the intent of the historic Wisconsin Idea.

Cutting food stamp access for the poor and pushing drug testing and work requirements so the poor can eat;

Enforcing a rock-bottom $7.25 hourly minimum wage and calling it a "living" income.

Promoting and signing laws restricting voting hours;

Establishing punitive and unneeded voter ID which discriminates against minorities, seniors and students;

Enjoying partisan benefits of a blatantly-partisan, secretly-crafted gerrymander at the expense of fair and open government;

Agreeing grudgingly to follow the law and call special elections to fill legislative vacancies he created when he gave two GOP legislators jobs in his administration .

- - we see this perfunctory, 22-word and thoroughly hypocritical tweet - - and photo lifted from somewhere - - which contains absolutely no deep personal or political resonance. 
Scott Walker‏Verified account @ScottWalker 3h3 hours ago
3 hours ago

Today we pause to remember and honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. His impact on our country lives on. #MLK50

10:13 AM - 4 Apr 2018

How about "recommit to remember and honor," or "begin to commit to remember and honor?"

I 've seen Walker tweets with logo-and-product promotion images of meals out or sporting events or State Fair that indicate more effort or connection.

Such as:

Scott Walker‏Verified account @ScottWalker

Had a few beers at Fred's Pub at Miller Brewing Co. in Milwaukee, at an event for the Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction at WI State Fair.

7:08 PM - 10 May 2017

Or:

Scott Walker‏Verified account @ScottWalker

Late lunch at @Culvers. Mmmmmmm!

2:10 PM - 15 Feb 2015

Or:

Ready for a big @Packers win on @SNFonNBC #GoPackGo #GBvsATL

7:23 PM - 17 Sep 2017

Walker's post-election whine sets new hypocrisy standard

Wisconsin Governor and special interest money king Scott Walker's tweet-whining about outside special interest influence having snatched a State Supreme Court seat from the inexperienced GOP cookie-cutter issued candidate whom Walker had groomed for the race since 2015 would be like loathsome Laura Ingraham griping that someone was rude to her, or Donald Trump complaining that his feelings were hurt because somebody gave him a mean nickname.

Records and reporting show that Walker directed the collection of major 2012 recall campaign donations from outside groups, and that most of his recall election war chest along with his recent contribution haul have come from out-of-state donors, according to Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. 

Along with homeowner's rights, park land oversight and vital wetlands, clean air, fresh water and open government in Wisconsin, Walker is even devaluing routine political hypocrisy.

To Gableman, Screnock, good riddance times two

While we thank Rebecca Dallet for crushing Justice Michael Gableman-clone Michael Screnock Tuesday night, let me copy out in full a short blog item I posted seven years ago, on April 4, 2011, to more fully memorialize who the WMC-created Gableman really was.

---------------------------------

Justice Gableman attacks Jesse Jackson for coming to Wisconsin

Judge Michael Gableman knocked off Justice Louis Butler, and now Justice Gableman is campaigning for fellow conservative Justice David Prosser.

Gableman in this weekend video [note: click on video #2, right index] lambastes Prosser opponent JoAnne Kloppeburg as a partisan - - then claims - - get ready for the weird projection - -  that Jesse Jackson's presence in Milwaukee of late, proven by all those Illinois license plates Gableman says he's hearing about on the North side, is really all about the Presidential 2012 election.

Butler...Jackson...Obama...why do they make Gableman so uncomfortable?

-----------------------------------

Also, don't forget Gableman was being vetted for something from the Trump administration, and there sure are vacancies there.

Walker, corporate allies, grabbing resources as blue wave advances

Walker and his corporate allies have been pushing their water-grabbing-wetland-filling agenda statewide with increased fervor because they know the same blue wave which just carried Rebecca Dallet onto the Wisconsin Supreme Court and, earlier, a Democrat to a January special election Senate seat win in a GOP-district is heading straight at Walker and the legislators who serve him.

Walker shown here with his recently with one of his albatrosses

Dallet provides progressives a WI win

Meet Rebecca Dallet

your newly-elected Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

She beat Walker's former lawyer/gerrymander-enabler/hand-picked water carrier/NRA-favorite and WMC-funded Michael Screnock.

This is precisely why Walker had refused to call other special elections, and had to be bludgeoned into following the law and scheduling those contests.

As Walker said in January in a nine-segment Tweetstorm after he and his Republican party machine lost a special election up north in a safe GOP district - -  "WAKE UP CALL."

I checked Walker's Twitter feed a few minutes a few minutes ago to see if his wake up call was being broadcast.

So far, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Update: Walker has tweeted. Weak. "...we are at risk of a #BlueWave in WI?'

Son, it's worse than you think.

Scott Walker‏Verified account @ScottWalker 25m25 minutes ago25 minutes agoMoreTonight’s results show we are at risk of a #BlueWave in WI. The Far Left is driven by anger & hatred -- we must counter it with optimism & organization. Let’s share our positive story with voters & win in November.

WI DNR adds 2 more waterways to state's impaired list

I'd earlier posted information about the skyrocketing number of Wisconsin waterways, principally due to phosphorous pollution because the state has relaxed its phosphorous discharge rules

that the state had reported, as required, to the US EPA in a biennial filing.

Regrettably, the final impaired list shows no additional waterways removed from the list, a new increase of two as explained below in the yellow indicating how the DNR's webpage has changed.

Wisconsin’s 2018 impaired waters list

Every two years, Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to publish a list of all waters that are not meeting water quality standards. In the proposed 2018 list update, DNR proposes to add 242 240 new waterbody water segments. A majority of the listing additions were waters that exceed total phosphorus criteria. Thirty-five waterbodies are proposed to be delisted. A 30-day public comment period was held started on November15, 2017 through and has been extended to January 8, 2018. The final documents are listed below and some of the information found Comments can be viewed on emailed to the DNR at DNRImpairedWaters@wisconsin.gov , or sent by U.S. mail to Ashley Beranek, DNR, Water Evaluation Section (WY/3), Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 . Comments emailed, postmarked, or received by January 8, 2018 Water QualityReportwill be considered before submitting the final draft list to  Congress webpagethe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. 

Final2018impairedwaterslistmaterialsPublic Comment Materials 

• WisconsinDraft 2018 Water Quality Report to Congress Impaired Waters List [PDF]
• Clean Water Act Report to Congress  Executive SummaryFactsheet on Assessing Wisconsin’s Waters [PDF]
• Final draft 2018 impaired waters list [Excel]
• Response to Public CommentsFactsheet on 2018 Draft impaired waters listImpaired Waters List Updates [PDF]
• Assessment methods used to develop the impaired waters listFactsheet on Impaired Waters Listing Process [PDF]
• Framework for prioritizing listings for restoration plan development  [PDF]
• Two-Story Fishery Lake list  [PDF]

Dataviewingtools

• The Impaired waters search toolWaters Search Tool [go to application]may be used to search DNR’sWATERS databasefor previous and current and previous impaired waterslistings, as well as listing update proposals. A help guide for using the search tool [PDF] is available.
• The Surface Water Data Viewer  [go to application] can be used to search for impaired waters listings and proposed listings in an interactive mapping application. To view impaired waters on the map, click the “Show Layers” button to expand the “Impairments and Assessments” grouping and check the “Impaired Waters Status” layer. The definitions of the listing status categories are provided here [PDF].

Factsheets

• Fact sheet describing proposed listing updates [PDF]
• Assessing Wisconsin's Waters: How Healthy Are Our Lakes, Rivers, and Streams?  [PDF]
• Factsheet on Impaired Waters Listing Process  [PDF]

Contact information

For information contact:

Impaired Waters Program

Why should state taxpayers pay twice for the same building?

In 2002, WisDOT bought the Sigma-Aldrich chemical company facility in downtown Milwaukee as part of the Marquette Interchange project. 

WisDOT paid $32.5 million for the property using, I presume, public transportation dollars which were in the $800 million federal and state-financed project.

Now we see on the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board April 11 meeting agenda, below, that the Wisconsin DNR will buy the property from WisDOT for $3 million, moving the DNR's Southeast regional operations there from the King Dr. location: 

1. Land and Improvements Acquisition – Southeastern Region Headquarters – Milwaukee County
   Citizen Testimony and Written Comment Welcome
   (Jim Lemke, Real Estate Section Chief)

Taxpayers already paid once for this property when WisDOT acquired it, so why should taxpayers pay for it a second time and move $3 million off the DNR's books to WisDOT's?

Does WisDOT have to pay the feds back for some of its share of the original property purchase? Did anyone ask the feds that long-ago expenditure?

Does WisDOT have to spend the money it will get from the DNR in the SE region, where the Zoo Interchange (WisDOT photos, below) is behind schedule?

Is this a clever way to get one-time 'found' money into WisDOT work underway and projected for Foxconn facility in Racine County?

I'm prepared to learn a public financing lesson that's above my pay grade, but the process just seems wrong to me.

It's not like the DNR is buying the property from a private party, or another state.

Anyone?

WI fiscal 'expert' just cost the people $30,000

Did you know that those Wisconsin legislators who might lack a certain kind of skill with numbers can rely on a "CPA Caucus" which helps them account for the money in our accounts?

Number cruncher Dale Kooyenga emerges as conservative star

He...was part of the “CPA Caucus” that unearthed the University of Wisconsin System’s $650 million surplus, resulting in a two-year tuition tax freeze.

“He is a prime example of where the Legislature is lucky to have people who have a combination of smarts, savvy and tenacity,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Dale has a bright future.” 

That is, until Kooyenga 


grabbed a protester's sign, got himself sued, and settled his official transgression for $30,000 of our money.

Lester Pines, the attorney who brought the lawsuit on behalf of the man whose sign was taken, said he welcomed how the lawsuit was resolved. 

"We are pleased with the settlement because it is an acknowledgement by Rep. Kooyenga that he violated the Eighth Commandment — thou shalt not steal," Pines said.

Maybe it's time for the accountants' caucus to remind Kooyenga that "accountant" and "accountability" share the same root word, "account."

As in, 'sorry I didn't account for your funds.' 

Or, 'I didn't take your interests into account.'

And, 'there's no accounting for irony.'

Walker's boy Trump just slammed WI agriculture

Walker and the WI GOP worked hard to boost Trump to a win with a big GOP rural vote.

That was then, and today the trade war that Trump declared without warning after a few random synapses fired a few weeks just made cranberries and other Badgerland staples 15% more expense to get into in the Chinese market.

While we wait for the Walker-Paul Ryan excuse-making wimp out, feel free to consult two documents: 

* The lengthy Chinese tariff list published today, which includes cranberries, nuts, ginseng and other agricultural and industrial items.

* This webpage posted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection showing that China is Wisconsin's third-largest importer, and the state ranks #1 in exports of cranberries, ginseng roots, and sweet corn.

Well done,. GOP:

​​2017 Export Statistics​

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection provides annual statistics on top Wisconsin export markets and products. We obtain our statistics from WISERTrade.​

January - December 2017 Wisconsin Agriculture Export Highlights​

• From January to December 2017, Wisconsin exported more than $3.5 billion worth of agricultural products to 147 countries. This is an increase of 3.63 percent compared to the same time period in 2016.
• Overall, US exports of agricultural products totaled almost $167 billion, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to the same time period in 2016.
• Wisconsin continues to be ranked 12th overall for agricultural exports, up from 13th place in 2014.
• Exports of dairy, eggs and honey in 2017 were valued at $297 million, a 19.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Wisconsin  ranks fifth among U.S. states in the export of these products. 
• Wisconsin ranks first in the U.S. for exports of ginseng roots, prepared/preserved cranberries, sweet corn prepared/preserved, and bovine semen. Wisconsin ranks second in the export of cheese, whey and raw furskins.
• Total Wisconsin exports, including manufactured goods, were valued at $22.3 billion, a six percent increase from the same period last year.

Top Five Markets for Wisconsin Exports - Agricultural Products

Country, $ Value Export, % Growth

Canada,  $1.45 billion,  (+1.45%)

Mexico,  $412 million,  (+14.2%)

China,  $299 million  (+27.62%)

Korea, $178 million,  (+.33%)

Japan, $146 million, (-0.81%)

Top Five Products - Agricultural Exports

Product, Product Value, Export Percent Growth, Product Details

Prepared Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts,  $314 million,  (+8.90%),  Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts, other plant parts.

Miscellaneous Food,  $331 million,  (+11.52%),  Ingredients, sauces, yeasts, etc.

Oil Seeds, Miscellaneous Grain,  $310 million,  (+35.69%),  Soybeans, flaxseed, etc..

Dairy, Eggs and Honey,  $297 million,  (19.98%),  Cheese, milk, whey, butter, lactose, etc.

Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal,  $254 million,  (+13.3%),  Soybeans, flaxseed, etc.

WI mining lobby bulking up

The GOP may come out of the November elections in Wisconsin with less influence and control, but one corporate lobby is strengthening its bench and reach right now.

Look for changes to the political landscape, and the land and water, too.

The WI GOP/Walker/Legislative/bulldozer that is enabling wetland gouging, polluting waterways and systematically rolling back environmental rules and protections has added a powerful piece of political machinery promoting high-profile sand mining and potentially-toxifying sulfide metal-mining operations greenlit by Walker and the Legislature last year.

 The Journal Sentinel's Lee Bergquist discloses Monday in a must-read-and-bookmark piece some details about the mining association's goals and structure, including: 

Aquila Resources Inc., of Toronto, is a mining development company with projects in Wisconsin. Aquila supported last year’s law that overturned a moratorium on sulfide mining. The company’s projects include a gold mine in Marathon County now in the exploration stage.

Meteor Timber is a company that needs state approval to build a $70 million sand processing plant and rail spur in western Wisconsin... 

In recent weeks, Meteor has created a stir over of a pair of last-minute amendments by Republicans in the Assembly to exempt the company from requirements in a state wetland permit needed for its project...    

The registered lobbyists for the parent company of Meteor include former Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, the brother of Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)...

Aquila Resources is also applying for a permit from Michigan authorities to mine for copper and gold along the Menominee River which forms the border between the two states in the Upper Peninsula.

More information, later.

More of this, too.

Audio may explain Fitzgerald's end-of-session obstinance

After being told by judges he wouldn't be able to help Walker continue to legislatively refuse to call special elections, Fitzy

then baffled observers by obstinately refusing to bring to the Senate floor he controls several meveral measures with bi-partisan support or Assembly approvals. 

This audio may explain the GOP Senate Majority Leader was trying to make. 

Foxconn's diversion = Every day, 1,100 water tanker trucks. In 14-mile line.

Math is not my strong suit, but this argument looks like it holds water.

Enough to treat any outbreak of Foxconn Fever.

Every once in a while a blog comment deserves its own post. Here's one from today on a blog item Friday about what the proposed diversion of 7-million-gallons of Lake Michigan water daily

which Wisconsin is on track to award to Racine County and Foxconn would look line:

Just to give an approximation for the purposes of visualization: A gallon of water weighs 8.36 pounds and a typical semi-tanker can hold about 6000 gallons of water legal weight for transport. 

So after doing the math for 7 million gallons per day that would mean the equivalent of looking at over 1,100 semi tankers of water. Of course they're not trucking it but it gives you an idea to visualize the magnitude. Every day. 

As an example, if you went to park 1,100 semi tankers end to end they would stretch for over 14 miles. Looked at another way, if you jammed them all together with no space between them in the most compact parking area you would need a lot that is almost 4 miles by 4 miles or almost 16 square miles. 

Every day. Your typical large truck-stop parking lot would hold about 100 trucks. Some more some less but you get the idea.

A related issue is how Foxconn and Racine County will clean the water that is not consumed by the plant will be returned to the lake, and how carefully the DNR and other states will monitor it. Of the 7 million gallon daily diversion, a large portion, estimated at 39%, or 2.7 million gallons, will be consumer by the plant, leaving 4.3 million gallons to clea and discharge, the Journal Sentinel reports. 

The obligation to clean the water according to state and local standards rests with the DNR and local authorities, but the other Great Lakes can intervene if they do not think the DNR has the will or staff to guarantee it.