Taking Power away from the People Machine

[Homer12]

There is no argument that the Republican State Legislature have submitted to the wishes of Gogebic Taconite LLC and State Mining Equipment Corporations, to bypass long standing and well researched mining permitting process that is set up to protect the environment and the people. The old permitting process allowed mining with public input from the people where the operation will be, and the environment it will change forever.

People easily forget that mining can have long term social, health, and environmental damage well after the minerals have been removed and the short term profits plundered.

Northern WI long term economic success will also include tourism, hunting, clean water not poisoned by cyanide and sulfer, and other mining activities. The people and tribes who live where the mine will be should have a say after the legislation has been written, in part with the WMC and Gogebic Taconite LLC mining themselves TWO special interest groups.

One meager hearing before the legislation was brought out; like the Republican legislature so graciously gave to those in Ashland.There’s even less of an incentive now for the local community since the state will take a large cut of the taxes, rather then have them go to the area the locality that will be effected. It’s also funny how the Mining Corporation is touting the tax contribution, knowing that what they pay to the state will be pennies to the profit they blunder.

The Republicans rebuttal for the 1 and only public hearing was that they wanted to be close to the mining Equipment companies in West Allis. Which makes sense since this special interest is who the State republicans are working for (WMC and Gogebic Taconite LLC), and not for the people in Ashland County.

If they really cared about the voters (taxpayers if you are a conservative) in Ashland county, since we the people vote them into their cushy government jobs, they would not try to bypass a well established system of public input and court challenges into legislation and would have had more than one and only hearing near the people that the open pit mountain top removal mine would be.

Republicans clearly value these special interests groups more than constituents were the proposed mine will go.

And this brings me to the point of what is wrong with the Republicans in our state they are doing all they can to push voters and the public away from having a direct say into the legislative process and make it difficult to have any sway other than the 1 vote you get to vote your representative in. As if they keep themselves permanently in a bubble, unwilling to hear and deal with another point of view or facts that might have negatives to their plans.

They need to get some spine and take responsibility for some of the over -reaching and extremist legislation they have written. As if putting their heads in the sand and legislating more and more road blocks to the public is somehow going to protect them. It makes them look like elitists stuck in their happy bubble of conformity.

As if democracy ENDS for the voter after the vote for your representative is cast!

With the power of the entire state Government; State Republican’s from Scott Walker to David Prossor to his Fitzgerald Henchman keep on proving they prefer to “Dictate” their ideological agenda rather than doing the hard job of building a democratic consensus among the diverse views of the public which includes all of us whom vote. They never would get everybody behined them, but the hard work would create trust and a working relationship.

The state legislature have also seceded legislative powers of oversight of administrative rules, power of the full legislature to vote over federal medicade money for badger care, taken away consumer protections, stealth poll taxes on voting, freedom of assembly and speech supressing capitol building rules and with this mining legislation to keep on removing public input from legislation as this WMC mining bill showcases.

The answer, it’s easier to let Walker Dictate and not have the legislature vote.

I thought conservative policy, ideas, and ideology were always superior to any others and able stand on their own and will always win when faced with a challenge at least that is what I keep reading!

Why the road blocks? Why make it more difficult to opponents express their opinion and objections?

I wonder if taxpayers who voted for the conservative agenda, voted for Republicans to also take away taxpayer input into the legislative process as well.

More importantly the question is; does it even matter since the representatives that taxpayers align themselves with take this power and enjoy seeing views and voters being blocked and their voices crushed?

Is this true intent of the modern conservative agenda after Barak Obama in 2008, consensus by crushing and silencing your political opponent, taking away their rights?

Didn’t Scott Walker run on that? Less democracy! Less Public Input! I know what is best for you! Didn’t he say that he wanted to concentrate power into the office of Governor?

Didn’t he say that he needed an Emergency Manager Law like Rick Snyder’s in Michigan and suspend the will of the voters in whatever WI town, village or city that he seems fit? The emergency manager law makes voter ID seem like pre-school tactics. It is real power, take away ALL power of locally elected officials in one sweep and put in a loyal supporter whom you control to do your bidding!

Shouldn’t he use the law with Milwaukee and Madison first? The largest Democratic voting blocks and opposition to said Office holder.