When Wisconsin Lead On The Environment, Eagles Were Saved

The Madison Capital Times has published a wonderful account of the grassroots and governmental teamwork that took place in the state to save the bald eagle.

That same energy sometimes flashes across the political landscape these days - - expanding the Stewardship Fund's purchase of open lands is one current example - - but more often than not, the false dichotomy of jobs vs. the environment is successfully argued by so-called development interests to the detriment of the public interest, and that diminishes the state's rivers, lakes, streams and farmlands.

A "Friends-of" Group Organizes To Protect Waukesha's Vernon Marsh

Developers and water suppliers continue to lick their chops over the beauty and resources of Waukesha County's signature Vernon Marsh, so Wednesday, July 18th's initial meeting of "Friends of The Vernon Marsh" is right on time.


Here are the details:

Please Join Us
Friends of the Vernon Marsh
An Organizational Meeting of a New Group

Wednesday, July 18 7 pm – 8 pm Waukesha Town Hall
W250 S3567 Center Road
Waukesha, Wisconsin

The Town Hall is on Center Rd. one-half mile north of Hwy 59.

The Vernon Marsh is a unique ecosystem, consisting of 4,596 acres of
marshland, flowages, river and lowland forest. It supports abundant
wildlife and is available for hiking, hunting, bird watching, canoeing,
and fishing.

The marsh's wildlife includes pheasants, waterfowl, fur-
bearers, deer, rabbits, woodcock, and sandhill cranes. The Fox River
runs through the marsh, making it an important connection between
the Fox, Mukwonago River, and Pebble Creek watersheds.

Contact Allen Stasiewski: 262-896-0070 astasiewsk@aol.com
or Laurie Longtine: 262-542-7929

Political Will, Costs Stymie Manageable Climate Change Problems

The Washington Post publishes a Sunday package of stories suggesting that there are available approaches to many climate change dilemmas - - but a lack of political will to confront the costs.

Like other big-picture, big-dollar fixes - - whether it's for Social Security, Medicare or other national issues facing the country today - - the decision-making and tab is being postponed for future generations to deal with.

The Road To Sprawlville

I might make The Road to Sprawlville a series. This would be Part I, from a recent Capital Times column.

New Berlin Water Diversion May Conflict With City Of Milwaukee Adopted Policies

Among the things that the City of Milwaukee will bring to the negotiating table if and when it meets with New Berlin officials over a possible diversion of Lake Michigan water is an existing city policy that says water sales to suburbs across the subcontinental divide must meet many criteria beyond a negotiated per-gallon water price.

When DNR-sponsored hearings took place in 2004 about diversion language to be included in the proposed Great Lakes Compact, a unanimous Common Council resolution #040646, signed by Mayor Tom Barrett, was presented by Council President Willie Hines and Ald. Michael Murphy, now chairman of the Council's powerful finance committee.

The resolution says that any suburb beyond the divide - - and this would cover the possible diversion to western New Berlin - - would be required to adopt plans that promote affordable housing, water conservation, sprawl limitations and other socio-economic goals.

The thinking behind the Council resolution was obvious: without such agreements in advance, Milwaukee would be promoting development far from its borders that would exacerbate the constellation of inequities that already have placed the land-locked City of Milwaukee at a disadvantage in comparison with more exclusionary, but faster-growing suburbs.

The Council could rescind its policy, but that is unlikely, especially since the state has essentially off-loaded the political problems associated with a diversion to Milwaukee and told it to go solve these problems with New Berlin.

The same dynamic is at work with regard to the return of diverted water for treatment by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District: the state is creating a financial and policy problem for another unit of government while saying, 'you all get together and hammer this out.'

And New Berlin has added to these tensions by saying that it would only pay an unstated portion of the cost of upgrading Milwaukee's water works' pipes and pumps to get the water that New Berlin wants.

Selling Milwaukee water to New Berlin is not a done deal because it is an uphill struggle, and it's not just because the water has to get up and over Sunny Slope Rd. for delivery and return.

It's because the state has basically assigned the problem-solving to Milwaukee, New Berlin and the MMSD without much, if any, prior consultation.

I posted the DNR's decisions about the potential diversion on this blog yesterday, the first airing of the documents.

The DNR also demonstrated a lack of awareness of, or indifference to, the millions in infrastructure improvements that are needed, along with the existence of the city policy statement about criteria that have to be before the city would agree to the water sale.

What the DNR and the state have done is set a process in motion with disorganization and prematurity.

However...however...the fact that water cannot flow promptly, for a host of legal, physical, fiscal, political and other reasons means one good thing: that attention now can be focused on getting a strong Great Lakes Compact adopted so Wisconsin has a coherent process that will make the entire New Berlin experience, regardless of its outcome, a one-time event.

All in all, not a great process, and one that is bound to spin-off more problems, and one that is sure to aggravate those who think that now it's simply a matter of turning a few valves so the water can flow.

Scott Walker Cluelessness Reaches Embarrassing New Height

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Scott Walker returned from a tour of cities with urban rail systems still opposed to a system for Milwaukee because the other cities have traffic congestion that is mitigated by the rail option.

Oh: so we don't have bad traffic congestion? So why was Walker such a big backer of spending $6.5 billion to upgrade and widen the region's freeways, including pushing new lanes through Milwaukee?

Wasn't the expansion to deal with our oh-so-horrendous traffic congestion?

DNR Urges Progress on Great Lakes Compact, Discussions About New Berlin's Great Lakes Water Plan

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has completed its review of an application by New Berlin for diverted Lake Michigan water, and has sent letters to New Berlin officials making several points about New Berlin and the bigger picture - - adoption of the pending Great Lakes Compact.

The letters, reproduced below as text, highlight that:

a) The New Berlin application is acceptable, but more DNR and other approvals are still required.

b) The Great Lakes compact needs adoption by Wisconsin to rationalize future application procedures;

c) Discussions should begin with entities that may ultimately supply New Berlin with Lake Michigan water and treat the returned wastewater.

The Compact would establish first-time rules, procedures, conservation expectations and other standards for eight Great Lakes states as applicants in their boundaries seek diversions of water from the Great Lakes.

Here are the texts of the DNR letters, with the bigger picture letter first:

101 S. Webster St. Box 7921 Madison, Wisconsin

53707-7921 Telephone 608-266-2621 FAX 608-267-3579 TTY Access via relay - 711

Jim Doyle, Governor Scott Hassett, Secretary
July 13, 2007

Mayor Jack Chiovatero
City of New Berlin
3805 S Casper Drive
New Berlin WI 53151

Dear Mayor Chiovatero:

The Department of Natural Resources, on behalf of Governor Jim Doyle, is authorizing the City of New Berlin to immediately begin discussions with potential water suppliers to determine the feasibility of securing Lake Michigan water for use by those residents of New Berlin in the west side of the city who are currently served by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD).

The Department is also instructing New Berlin to bring any agreement reached with a jurisdiction to provide water to New Berlin back to the Wisconsin DNR so that we can ensure that any such agreement complies with all aspects of New Berlin’s application for Great Lakes water.

The review step will be required before any water could flow from Lake Michigan to the west side of New Berlin. We have also informed other jurisdictions in the Great Lakes Basin that we will be happy to share that water provider agreement with them at that time prior to completing our review.

This authorization enables your community to move forward with technical discussions to determine if a Lake Michigan water source can be secured to address radium contamination, as you know, a serious public health concern with your water supply.

This authorization is limited to the service area within the City of New Berlin.

We strongly believe that these discussions must move forward now. If a Lake Michigan source can be secured your application clearly demonstrates that there will be NO adverse impact whatsoever on the water quantity in Lake Michigan and the water quality of Lake Michigan water will be improved.

We also firmly believe that this application meets the standards of the Great Lakes Compact – even though those standards are not yet law. In fact, the application and process went well beyond what is envisioned for communities like New Berlin under the Compact. You are to be commended for your excellent effort.

Again, we wish to stress that a final decision can only be made once we are satisfied that any water supply agreement that you negotiate clearly complies with all aspects of New Berlin’s application.

The final review and how it will be conducted will be heavily influenced by the status of the state legislation here in Wisconsin to ratify the Great Lakes Compact.

In short, we need to pass the Compact in Wisconsin.

If the Compact is law in Wisconsin by the time New Berlin reaches an agreement with a water provider, the path to the completion of the final review will be much easier to walk.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

Scott Hassett, Secretary

cc: Steven Schultz – Ruekert Mielke
Rick Johnson – New Berlin
Jill Jonas – DG/2
Todd Ambs – AD/5
Chuck Ledin
Rhonda Volz – SER

Second letter:

101 S. Webster St. Box 7921 Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7921 Telephone 608-266-2621 FAX 608-267-3579 TTY Access via relay - 711

Jim Doyle, Governor Scott Hassett, Secretary

July 13, 2007

Mayor Jack Chiovatero
City of New Berlin
3805 S Casper Drive
New Berlin WI 53151

Dear Mayor Chiovatero:

The Department of Natural Resources Division of Water has completed its review of the Amended Sample Application For Straddling Community Water Diversion for the City of New Berlin, Wisconsin, submitted by Steven H. Schultz, P.E., Ruekert Mielke, and received on March 9, 2007.

As part of the review the proposal was evaluated in comparison to the basic principles of the Great Lakes Compact and current State Administrative Rules.

Based on this evaluation the proposal does not require a water loss approval under ch. NR 142 Wis. Adm. Code. Approvals are required from the Department for the construction of any new water supply facilities under chs. NR 108 and NR 811 Wis. Adm. Codes.

At this time no other additional information is necessary for evaluation in comparison to the Compact.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in the Department’s evaluation and information efforts related to the Great Lakes Compact.

Sincerely,

Todd Ambs, Administrator
Division of Water

cc: Steven Schultz – Ruekert Mielke
Rick Johnson – New Berlin
Jill Jonas – DG/2
Todd Ambs – AD/5
Chuck Ledin
Rhonda Volz – SER

Government's Top Doctor Told To Ignore Science

The New York Times reveals the reported muzzling of former US Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who explains how the Bush administration repeatedly made him put politics above science.

It's a little like finding out that White House operatives made NASA deny astronomy, or told the CIA to shelve electronic espionage in favor of Tarot cards.

There is a clear Wisconsin connection to this story, and to presidential campaigning, because Carmona worked under then-Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson.

As Bill Christofferson asks in the comment section below - - did Tommy play a role in censoring and stifling the nation's top doctor?

Carmona served as Surgeon General from 2002-2006, and told congressional investigators in sworn testimony that the White House removed science from policy-making and speeches on issues ranging from stem cells to global warming to disease transmission.

For those who assume Dr. Carmona was some sort of renegade, tree-hugging healthinista, here's how the Times described his background:

"Before becoming surgeon general, he was in the Army Special Forces, earned two purple hearts in the Vietnam War, was a trauma surgeon and a leader of the Pima County, Ariz., SWAT team."

New World Map May Show Sun Revolving Around Waukesha County

Still fuming over some transit funding shifted by the often pro-suburban regional planning commission to Milwaukee - - which runs the largest bus system in the state - - a few Waukesha County supervisors think the commission misrepresents Waukesha.

Mind you - - this is the same regional planning commission that has recommended tearing out scores of homes and businesses, and millions in tax base, from Milwaukee for the commuting convenience of Waukesha County residents.

And that grabbed $260,000 in Milwaukee County property transfer fees to fund the water supply study that Waukesha County asked the commission to conduct, and that is busy studying all sorts of regional water supply schemes to get Milwaukee water from New Berlin to Western Waukesha County, where groundwater has been depleted by chaotic annexations and other sprawl development.

There is a pervasive sense of entitlement to regional and Milwaukee land, water and dollars on the part of some Waukesha County leaders.

In land-locked Milwaukee, this perverse, anti-regionalism exceptionalism, where regional cooperation usually means "Waukesha-Should-Always-Get-What-It-Wants" is nothing short of comedic.

So let's be honest:

Despite the bluster, Waukesha County isn't pulling out of the regional planning commission.

The county gets far more than a dollar in value and outcome for every dollar it sends the commission's way.

And Milwaukee County still is the commission's largest annual funder, not Waukesha County.

And let's continue to be honest: the commission is deeply connected to Waukesha County for a divorce to take place.

Remember that the commission a few years ago bought its current, $4 million headquarters on a no-bid basis from Ruekert & Mielke, one of its favored consulting contractors, so the commission could move from downtown Waukesha to more suburban Pewaukee.

And the commission had all seven county partners, with Milwaukee again bearing the largest share, pick up the remaining costs on the commission's lease with the downtown Waukesha building that became the Les Paul museum.

In a sense, regional expenditures helped Waukesha get a museum.

And Pewaukee got the commission's jobs and the prestige of housing the regional effort - - far from more urban Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, where the commission apparently feels comfortable.

The Pewaukee offices are so far from Milwaukee that it isn't even connected to the bus system that Waukesha County is now complaining about because the Milwaukee bus system is finally getting its fair-and-rational transit aid.

Maybe they should take another gob of Waukesha transit subsidy and use it to run an express line from Milwaukee to Pewaukee so the public can get a better look at the commission's offices and its many committee meetings?

Nardelli Appointment a Step Backward

Naming former city alderman Tom Nardelli his chief of staff was a step backward for county exec Scott Walker and the region, too.

Already cut off from many supervisors, it's hard to see how the sharp-tounged and elbowed Nardelli can win Walker more support on the board, and in county departments already feeling besieged by budget cuts and soaring service demands.

The Road To Sprawlville, Chapter II

In another in the continuing series "The Road To Sprawville," a huge housing project in the rural Waukesha County community of Dousman continues to generate controversy over land and water resources.

Information is provided not by an environmental organization, but by a local Waukesha County newspaper, the Kettle Moraine Index, which has the story.

New Environmental Blog a Welcome Addition

Longtime activist Rosemary Wehnes begins blogging. Welcome!

Some Media Damage Perception of Milwaukee

Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty is correct when she says that media does exaggerate crime in Milwaukee, creating an unrealistic perception of public safety in the city.

She made the remark in the context of a decrease in violent crime in Milwaukee during a summer anti-crime initiative, noting that Boston has crime statistics similar to Milwaukee's, but Boston isn't seen as unsafe.

This is not to minimize Milwaukee crime, but you only need to look at The Waukesha Freeman's alarmist and demagogic editorial copy to understand what Hegerty is referencing.

Exhibit A: former Freeman editor Pete Kennedy's "Milwaukee sucks" screed.

Hear a Simple Four Minutes of Radio To Understand The Great Lakes Compact

The Great Lakes Radio Consortium has produced a short audio explanation of the Great Lakes Compact that hits all the relevant historical, geographical, regional and political issues in just four minutes, ten seconds, here.

Another Scientific Conclusion Sure To Be Dismissed By The Right's Flat-Earthers

Another day, another peer-reviewed scientific study warning against "business-as-usual" in the climate change debate.

Look to political and talk-radio science-deniers on the Right to dismiss the findings.

Race and Regionalism, Inertia and Opportunity

Again, southeastern Wisconsin is roiled by race.

While riveted by individual events, let's not lose sight of the bigger picture.

First, some of the events:

The beating of Frank Jude Jr., a bi-racial man, by current and former white Milwaukee cops, has moved to trial in Federal court.

Separately, Ald. Michael McGee, an African-American, has been charged with state and federal offenses, and sits jailed since Memorial Day with bail restrictions his supporters say are racist.

(Looked at objectively, if that is possible given the way race distorts so many things, the no-bail restrictions seem prudent, given the allegations against McGee of violent plotting and intimidation that extend beyond bad-enough financial extortion.

On the other hand, the people who are charged with the actual beating of Frank Jude Jr. were allowed bail.)

Nonetheless, juries will determine if McGee, and those charged with beating Jude and violating his civil rights, and those of a second victim, are innocent or guilty.

McGee led protests against the officers who evaded convictions on earlier state charges, in part through now-admitted perjured testimony.

Though the trials of McGee and the cops are unfolding in different courtrooms, the connections between them - - he led street protests in favor of justice for Jude - - are, if nothing else, deeply ironic.

Then there is the recent Supreme Court case restricting the use of race as a factor in school assignments, jeopardizing the Milwaukee school desegregation program, known as Chapter 220.

Assembly Republicans, eager to stir the racial pot to appease the base in heavily-white and segregated suburbs (more about that in a minute), immediately proposed a budget cutting Chapter 220 funding, confusing governing with pandering.

Some leadership.

And there was the revelation through Open Records by transportation activist Gretchen Schuldt that, when faced with criticism of its minority hiring record, the regional planning commission created a $50,000, no-bid planning contract for a Milwaukee central city neighborhood - - in part to appease some of its minority critics.

More pandering; less leadership.

And the bigger picture?

Race is a stultifying blockade to economic progress for the region - - a fact emphasized by the Brookings Institution, a prestigious Washington, DC think tank.

The institution is trying to focus attention on the opportunities awaiting a more vibrant - - and equitable - - Great Lakes region, and has released The Vital Center, a blockbuster report on the issue.

The Vital Center argues that with a new attitude, and innovative solutions, the Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, is poised to prosper, and to lead on a global scale.

But one of several things holding back the region, say the report's authors, is racial segregation.

The Great Lakes city-suburbs' residential segregation ranking follows.

1
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
2
Detroit, MI
3
Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH
4
St. Louis, MO-IL
5
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
6
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
7
Chicago, IL
8
Indianapolis, IN
9
Rochester, NY
10
Pittsburgh, PA
11
Columbus, OH
12
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI

(Note: The report says that residential segregation is measured across five dimensions: evenness, exposure, concentration, centralization, and clustering. The Census Bureau uses non-Hispanic whites as the reference group, and metropolitan areas as reasonable approximations of housing markets. There are 43 large metropolitan areas.

Source: John Iceland, Daniel H. Weinberg, and Erika Steinmetz, U.S. Census Bureau, Series CENSR-3, Racial and Ethnic Residential Segregation in the United States: 1980-2000, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2002.)

And though this is merely the latest in a string of analyses that reached similar conclusions - - including some earlier Brookings date I included in a Journal Sentinel op-ed about Milwaukee's suburban segregation - - let's end with two questions:

Wouldn't you think that our regional planning commission, even if it is ensconced in Pewaukee, deep in the heart of virtually all-white Western Waukesha County, could address the racial realities of our surroundings with more intention than a $50,000 palliative (which, by the way, was awarded ultimately to two white consultants)?

And more to the point: shouldn't the planning commission have long ago faced the segregation issue head-on, fearlessly, by issuing a recommended housing plan for the region - - a plan it has not updated since 1975?

The commission says it doesn't have the money for such a study, but given its many subsequent studies on a variety of basic issues, that excuse is just that: an excuse, and given the findings of Brookings and other authorities, an embarrassment.

Doyle's Global Warming Task Force Hears Expert

Building codes, hybrid vehicles, ethanol from sources other than corn - - these good, but pretty conventional ideas, were brought before the Governor's Global Warming Task Force.

New Jersey and California are the national leaders, to date.

Wisconsin needs to step it up; some effects of a warming planet are already being felt here, as a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report recently summarized.

Discussions I had this past weekend with people living north of Tomahawk were filled with their anecdotes of shorter, warmer winters that have led to leaner income from traditional winter tourist activities.

Anecdotal information, to be sure, but anecdotes that back up broader, scientific findings.

Minnesota, Great Lakes Investigative Blog Noted

Check out Sky Blue Waters, an interesting blog from Minnesota, also heavily about Lake Superior and Great Lakes water issues.

Major Chicago Water Conservation Plan Would End Its Diversion

At least some in Chicago - - details and Power Point of the 'Growing Water' project here - - are thinking about how to end its huge daily diversion of Lake Michigan water through revolutionary storm and wastewater treatment.

Iraq, Afghan Wars Now Cost $400 Million Daily

New figures from non-partisan Congressional staffers put the daily cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at $12 billion a month, or $400 million a day.

Imagine what just a few weeks of that spending could do if applied to Great Lakes cleanup, better schools, comprehensive medical insurance, transportation upgrades and a host of domestic programs.