Presidential Candidates Got a Good Dose of Wisconsin Winter

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 4:20 PM CST

Joan Sanstadt, News Editor

Wisconsin weather showed both its wintry blasts and its bipartisan manners this past weekend as presidential candidates from both parties had to scramble to schedule, re-schedule and then change their plans to woo voters just days before the Primary Election on Tuesday.

Because of deadlines, we won’t be able to comment on winners or losers in this week’s column. A New York farmer who called last week to talk about the Clinton campaign was sorry to have missed our deadline. But he did provide some contact information that should be useful later on.

Before the nominating conventions I’m hoping to be able to contact all of the campaigns and submit my own list of questions n that way each candidate has the same opportunity for comment.

There is no doubt the Wisconsin vote will be carefully watched. The race, particularly on the Democratic side, seems to be getting closer all the time. From now until the convention, the results of primaries and caucuses in the remaining states will receive a great deal of national attention.

Primary lore

As former President Bill Clinton was preparing to speak on the UW campus last week, Sevie Kenyon from the CALS Communications office sent out some trivia about presidents who spoke at the Stock Pavilion.

According to Kenyon, Clinton was the fourth president to speak at the historic building located on the ag campus. That list included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, William Howard Taft n and now Bill Clinton.

The Pavilion opened in 1909 and because it was the largest such structure in Madison until 1930, the building became a popular site for many public events, Kenyon related.

Home to the Department of Animal Sciences, the Pavilion was used extensively for horse and livestock shows and sales, as well as for teaching and research.

“Even now, the building hosts public events and remains an important part of the teaching and research mission of the UW-CALS,” Kenyon said.

Its use wasn’t limited to political speakers, however. Until the Madison Civic Center was built (its location is now part of the Overture Center), and later, Monona Terrace, the Stock Pavilion was where concerts took place. Capital Times Founder William T. Evjue, in his Hello Wisconsin column, used to heap shame on the city of Madison for not providing a more proper venue in which visiting artists could perform.

Budget shortfall

Last week members of the DATCP’s citizen board heard first hand that the department will again have to make cuts to help make up for the $650 million budget deficit.

DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen said the department’s share in the cuts needed to offset the deficit amounts to $1.2 million.

“We’ll find it; we’re working on it,” Nilsestuen told the board. But he also believes the governor and the legislature will “be making more tough decisions on the shortfall. Agencies can’t find it; there’s a hiring freeze; and restrictions on out-of-state travel.”

Nilsestuen passed up the annual meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) because of the travel restriction. “It’s not fun, but it is where we are. Everyone will have to share in that,” he added.

Clean Sweep change

The Wisconsin Clean Sweep Program, which has operated since 1990, has been a place where state residents could dispose of unwanted pesticides, chemicals and other household hazardous waste.

Soon unwanted or expired prescription medications will be able to join this list of products because of a new pharmaceutical Clean Sweep program.

“Public interest in safe, environmentally-responsible disposal of unwanted drugs has mushroomed in recent years,” explained Roger Springman, manager of the Wisconsin Clean Sweep Program.

Fashioned after the current program, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will offer grants to local governments to host pharmaceutical collection events.

It is expected that from 12 to 20 collection projects will be funded between July 1 and Dec. 31 of this year.

“Not only will these pharmaceutical collections keep potentially dangerous drugs from entering our waters and the environment, we’ll also keep drugs from being diverted to illegal uses for street sales and protect children from accidental poisoning or abuse of medication,” Springman said.

Beginning in March, grant applications will be made available with the grant awards taking place in April or early May.

For more information on the pharmaceutical Clean Sweep, contact Springman at 608-224-4545 or on the web at: mailto:roger.springman@wisconsin.gov

Flood control dams

Last week the Assembly Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby) held a hearing at the capitol to highlight the importance of flood-control dams in protecting infrastructure, property and public safety, especially in light of the August 2007 floods.

Testimony at the hearing came from Senators Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) and Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) who emphasized the repair needs of the aging flood-control dams.

Vernon County Conservationists Kelly Jacobs and Phil Hahn, told committee members they are concerned about how a greater-than-usual volume of melting snow due to this winter’s record snowfalls could affect the county’s dams.

Hahn, who also chairs the statewide PL-566 Coalition, reminded the committee that the PL-566 dams re unique because local communities determined where flood control was needed n long before the federal government designed and helped build those dams over 50 years ago. Hahn said funding for dam safety grants is a bipartisan issue of public safety.

Meg Galloway, from the DNR’s dams and floodplain section, said the state has approximately 3,800 dams and about half are privately-owned. The rest are owned by municipalities, state and federal agencies, utilities, and lake associations or districts.

Darryl Hinz, from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, told committee members the state used to allocate funds for dam repairs n but that this had not been done in several past budgets.

Currently $150,000 is available for dam maintenance and removal as long as the grants do not exceed $50,000 per project. Hinz said only seven earmarks for dam safety projects have been included in state budgets since 1991, including $500,000 for Jersey Valley Lake that Nerison obtained through the current state budget.

“As a result of this meeting, my goal is to convince my colleagues in the Legislature that money spent on flood-control dams is money well spent. Any repair or maintenance cost will pay for itself many times over when you consider that the costs for recovery after a flood-control dam failure will be much higher.

“Most importantly,” Nerison pointed out, “you can’t put any price tag on public safety.”

State board vacancies

State Rep. Terry Musser (R-Melrose) said earlier this month that over 80 vacant positions exist on Wisconsin state boards and commissions.

Members of these groups assist in policy making and regulation for many of the different issues affecting the State of Wisconsin. “This is a good chance for citizens to be directly involved in government,” says Musser.

Among the boards/commissions that have openings are:

* Council of Forestry n needs four members. It advises the governor on issues pertaining to forest lands and provides policy direction for the state’s forest management efforts.

* Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board n needs a public member. This board provides funds and assistance to local programs and recommends needed changes to the governor and state legislature.

* Rural Health Development Council n has an opening for a Physician Representative. This council advises the Department of Commerce regarding administration of the physician loan assistance program, delivery of health care and improvement of facilities in rural areas and coordination of state and federal programs available to assist rural health facilities.

Information on other openings/vacancies can be found on the “visit the Boards and Commissions” section on the governor’s website at: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/

Not a done deal

The proposed Great Lakes Compact was not welcomed with open arms last week n at least that’s the way it was at the Wisconsin Legislature.

Both Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) and Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford), chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, agreed “Wisconsin deserves a Great Lakes Compact that’s done right n not a rush-job passage of an unfinished product.”

Conservation groups disagree pointing out it was one of four Conservation Priorities for the 2007-08 legislative session.

As currently written, the Compact includes a provision that allows the governor of any single state to veto any diversion of Great Lakes water. According to Huebsch and Gunderson, “that should raise a screaming red flag for several communities in Southeastern Wisconsin that may have to rely on such a diversion in the very near future.

“Under the current terms of the compact, any municipality, development, neighborhood or expanding business would need the approval of all eight Great Lakes states to meet their water needs n even if they return the water to the basin after they use it n and even if they have no other available water source.

“The opportunity for shenanigans and political games is frightening,” Gunderson continued. “Wisconsin deserves better than putting the needs of growing businesses and communities at the mercy of our neighboring states. We’re just trying to level the playing field.”

The changes members of the Republican-controlled Assembly are asking for n a simple majority vote for future diversions, instead of a one-vote veto, and the removal of an unprecedented expansion of the Public Trust Doctrine to include groundwater n only require approval in each participating state, rather than starting over at square one.

If implemented, the language of the compact cannot be changed, even through further legislative action.

Capitol Notes:

- An attorney for the out-of-state landowners who initiated a high profile environmental nuisance lawsuit against a Sawyer County cranberry grower says an appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court is in the works. Earlier this month the District 3 Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s ruling in favor of the grower, William Zawistowski, who had been sued for being an environmental nuisance. After the appeals court ruling, the governor indicated the state would no longer pursue the case against the grower. Rural Mutual Insurance Company has defended the farmer in the lawsuit and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Court of Appeals. Without the state’s backing and because of the decisive language delivered by the Appeals Court, the WFBF contends the plaintiff’s case is severely weakened. The state’s highest court has the option of accepting or refusing to hear any case.

- The Wisconsin Green Party will be sending 24 of the 836 delegates that will determine the Green Party’s nominee for president of the U.S. That party’s nominating convention is set for July 10n13 in Chicago. The party intends to conduct its primary by mail during the month of March. Ballots will go to all current members and will include the names of declared Green Party candidates for president. So farm announced candidates are from West Virginia, California and Texas. Ralph Nader has not declared himself as a candidate on the Wisconsin Green Party ballot but his name could be written in.

- Share Brandt, Maple Grove, Minn., has been named as general manager of the WECA Division of the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives. Brandt replaces David Jenkins who resigned last September.

- Farm customers of Wisconsin Public Service are being encouraged to call in a state-certified electrical inspector before completing any new construction or renovation project. Such an inspection will help to eliminate safety hazards and reduce stray voltage. The utility will pay the inspection cost, up to $1,000, for its farm customers. For more information call 877-444-0888.

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