Uppity Wisconsin

From Here to There Conference this November 13-14 in Fitchburg, WI.

This Midwest-focused Bioneers event is designed to address the question of "How can we get from where we are right now, to where we want to be?" Seeking to spark imaginative conversations about a just and sustainable tomorrow, key issues relating to food, water, energy, transportation, clean air -- to life on Planet Earth -- will be addressed.

Here's a beautifully crafted video (produced by Greta Wing-Miller and Aarick Beher, of DowntownDailies.com) of the rally that took the issues of Organic Rules violations to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack himself. The rally took place on July 16 at the La Crosse County Fairgrounds in West Salem, Wisconsin. Cornucopia Institute led the way on the issue, organizing the event, and speaking truth to power on behalf of those dairy farmers subject to an unfair structure.

I think we all predicted this when the USDA first got involved...remember that?

 

In September of 2007 KickTime covered a Livestock Siting case in Magnolia Township that was unique because the town had zoning and wanted to put some conditional use requirements on an operation that had a history of polluting a local stream.  In a "first of its kind" case brought before the Rock County Circuit Court, the judge vacated the decision of the State Livestock Facilities Siting Review Board to strip the Town-issued permit of conditions.

All the details are in the press release in the full story, but this is a huge decision that may change the uneven power relations between local units and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture (DATCP) and their review board. The case will probably be appealed, but for the moment the circuit court seems to have applied common sense that the review board somehow could not muster.

Both stories may not hold up but for the moment Cheney is being indicted and Ted Stevens has lost the Alaska Senate race.

Rather promising news, but Stevens might be allowed a recount, and Cheney has lawyers calling for dismissal. For a moment though ...

Get your Palin_Bingo_here! Concerned that tonight's debate party might get a bit hard to take? No worries now--play along with the debate and distract yourself. On a more serious note down here in the Kickapoo Valley we have a great organization working for all the candidates. The State Senate and Assembly seats (currently Republican incumbents) are being challenged with great candidates, Tara Johnson and Dale Klemme. In our efforts to bring their issues to the fore we are highlighting them on the cvdems_website. The "c" and "v" in the website name stands for Crawford and Vernon Counties that in collaboration pack a punch. At least we are trying to make that Wisconsin difference.

Seems McCain made a mistake in his VP choice, but he almost got it right...

Found a new video blogger worth watching, who did a particularly good job of summing up the comments Sarah Palin brought to the Republican National Convention. His show is "ill doctrine" on blipTV. So here is Jay Smooth...

There has been good news for those organizing for responsibility on the part of large animal feeding operations (CAFOs.) The conference in early April was a terrific success with good attendance from the concerned as well as ag industry. From this lift there is a new blog on the block Wisconsin_CAFO_Watch that will help organizers network and get news out to state and national environmentalists. Watch some video there from the April Conference. And perhaps most importantly the DATCP Siting Review Board last Friday reversed the decision of the Crawford County Land and Water Board to give a siting permit to a hog confinement facility expansion planned near the Wisconsin River. The issue was decided because the plan for where the manure would go was not adequate to protect water resources. A press release that was prepared by Midwest Environmental Advocates is below the fold. While all those pressing for responsible agriculture need to take a moment for a pat on the back, this is just one step on a very long campaign. Keep your eye on that new blog for future developments.

A friend of mine, so miffed by a phone message left by a Gableman supporter (Coalition for America's Families,) got me this recording of the "loophole Louie" rhetoric coming from supporters of Gableman. JSonline doesn't_like the ads from this group. Some_outlets won't run the ads. Of course using telephone messages gets their point across without anyone watching. The Annenberg Political Fact Check website has a page that finds fault on both sides. This independent source ends with a fairly disgusted opinion of Wisconsin Judicial politics. Listening to the telephone message against Butler, I have to agree.

[press release from Midwest Environmental Advocates
via WisPolitics]

Once again, factory farms get a pass from a major environmental law 2/27/2008

If you live downwind from a mega-farm, don't put away those gas masks just yet.

The Natural Resources Board voted today to approve a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rule that grants "sources of hazardous air pollution associated with agricultural waste" (read: manure) yet another exemption from state requirements concerning toxic air emissions. Now, these sources of pollution won't have to meet state requirements until July 31, 2011.

In these times of political attacks, we now even have Nietzsche joining the fray.

[This in from Peter McKeever]

There has been discussion of an opportunity for activists concerned about factory farms to meet and perhaps consider forming in informal network across the state.

One opportunity to do this will be at Fighting BobFest, September 8, in Baraboo at the Sauk County Fairgrounds.

At noon, there is a breakout session entitled A Place at the Table: Food, Agriculture and Democracy with Curt Meine, facilitator; Will Allen, Jeanne Merrill and Paul Johnson.

See  http://www.fightingbobfest.org/schedule.htm

This might be an opportunity to begin to collect names and email addresses on a list, meet one another, and quickly consider next steps.

You might want to pass this invitation on to others across the state with whom you have been in touch on this important issue.  This forum should be a good opportunity to raise some questions with the speakers and those in attendance and invite others to participate.

Incidentally, Paul Johnson is an Iowa farmer, former DNR head in Iowa, and former Chief of the NRCS under President Clinton. He is an outstanding agriculture progressive, well worth hearing.

I will be there, standing to one side or the other of the venue, and we perhaps can meet quickly and see if there is interest in a longer discussion.

The Governor's Task Force on Global Warming will hold its first round of public input sessions on August 6, 2007 from 4 to 7 p.m. The session is planned to be held simultaneously in Green Bay, Milwaukee, La Crosse and Madison and is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

If possible, pre-register here. A pdf is at that link that has all the location information for each site.

The task force is made up of "prominent" people - so this is a chance for us non-prominent people to speak. Take this opportunity to speak out on an important issue.

Remembering Hiroshima/Nagasaki August 2007 marks the 62th anniversary of nuclear weapons use Sunday evening, August 5, 7-8 PM, at Cameron Park: Memorial Service and Remembrance Bring a candle to light from the Hiroshima flame. Sponsored by: The Interfaith Justice and Peace Group; Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration; Lutheran Office for Justice and Peace; Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee; Nukewatch. For more information, call 786-2816. pdf of the flier attached to this story

There has been much public outcry and last minute action by county committees on the entry of the swine industry into Vernon County Wisconsin. A 999 animal unit swine operation is in the process of getting approval in the area of Retreat, WI. At one public meeting our State Senator Dan Kapanke made these statements about our loss of home rule (from: Vernon County Broadcaster) Anita Zibton asked State Senator Dan Kapanke about state regulations that seem to prevent local units of government from controlling operations like the one being proposed. Kapanke said the state animal siting regulations in DATCP 51 were developed with many public hearings that took into account many points of view. "Everybody had a say," Kapanke said. "The whole idea behind the agriculture siting rule is to grow agriculture in Wisconsin. We are an agriculture state. If someone like Jeff wants to put in hog or dairy or chicken operation there are rules and regulations that apply, that are very strict by the way. If they follow the rules as stated, they can do it, and Jeff is doing that." And yet James_Rowen points out a different story in Manitowoc (covered by the Journal_Sentinel). A story of a DNR unable to act, unwilling to study the situation and in this case a large dairy getting away with polluting Lake Michigan. So much for "very strict" regulations--by the way.