OPINION: Air and water suffer as politicians pander

There`s obviously no end to the degradation of what was once Wisconsin`s revered environmental heritage by the wrecking crew that currently runs state government.

The latest outrage is yet another proposal last week to put the interests of big business political donors ahead of safeguarding our state`s natural beauty, its environmental equilibrium and the quality of its waters.

With the now-infamous Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce leading the cheers — they are never satisfied with the handouts given to big business interests — this Legislature has been giving away the store since it took control seven years ago...

...The late Gaylord Nelson, the former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator who famously founded the annual celebration we know as Earth Day, warned that the combination of corporate greed and pandering politicians presented the biggest danger to Wisconsin`s trees, lakes, rivers, wildlife habitats and scenic landscapes. Once destroyed, he lectured, they could never be replaced....

Ken Notes: Let me add a little balance here, in the past we lost major industries and prevented new ones from entering the state because the permitting process was arduous and we refused to work with business on environmental solutions. This ying yang is bad for the State on all fronts.

Gaylord Nelson was successful in making Wisconsin a showcase because he understood the balance between environment and business and the good that could come from it. We never mention the Regulatory Flexibility Act where he advocated for small business or his leadership in bringing new business to the state. He did not want business to go away, he wanted business to be responsible.

"Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders."

EarthDay.com

While I question the partisan veracity with which we did it, I understand the need to clear the regulatory path for a business like Foxconn. In development delay means money and a record of spending years clearing the way for a project can easily cause a company, of any size, to look elsewhere.

We need to return to the shared goals of the past and realize the need to work together to accomplish them.