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Nosedive continues for Smallmouth Bass in Door County

As some of you know Sturgeon Bay was ranked as the #1 and #2 Bass waters by Bassmasters magazine in 2014 and 2015.  I personally thought these rankings were too high, but, still easily top 10 nationally.  It has brought ridiculous pressure and as I've shared several times, I feel the fishery has taken a nose-dive.

 

In 2021 Sturgeon Bay did not make the top 25 in the Bassmasters Central Division rankings.  In 2022 back in the Central Division about #12 or so.  The magazine just came out with its top 100 for 2023 and "again" Sturgeon Bay is not even in the top 25 for the Central Division.  Quite a drop from those 2014 and 2015 rankings.  Yes, these are not scientific, but it's very obvious what many of us have been saying, "there's a big problem going on with the smallmouth bass fishery in Sturgeon Bay/Door County!"

 

This is the premier smallmouth bass fishery in Wisconsin and it has big problems that the WI DNR should be very concerned about and try to fix!  Nest Fishing on steroids, too many tournaments during the spawn, largemouth bass virus, Cormorants, Pelicans, small unregulated weigh at the dock tournaments, etc., etc.  This is not just an observation by me, but by a large number.  Off the record virtually every guide would probably agree.

 

More and more tourist anglers are not coming to Door County to fish, which is a much bigger impact than a few tournaments not coming.

 

I challenge the WI DNR to take an even closer look at this once great smallmouth bass fishery and try to figure out what is going on and can it be brought back to, or close to the quality of 2014/2015?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill Schultz

Keep Sister Bay Marina Public

TO THE SISTER BAY MARINA COMMITTEE:

 

I AM WRITING TO YOU FROM THE CHICAGO AREA.  AS A REGULAR VISITOR OF SISTER BAY AND LONGTIME SEA LOVER, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PRIVATIZATION OF SISTER BAY MARINA THAT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT MYSELF AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO GO TO SISTER BAY EVERY SEASON TO ENJOY WATER ACTIVITIES AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY. 

 

BY REMOVING ALL COMMERCIAL BOAT OPERATIONS, WILL END THE LIVELIHOODS OF YOUR OWN PEOPLE, BUSINESS OWNERS, THEIR BUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. CAN’T YOU SEE THAT?  

 

THE PRIVATIZATION OF SISTER BAY MARINA WILL ONLY BENEFIT THE POCKETS OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUCH PROPOSITION AND THE ELITE, THE PRIVATE OWNERS OF LUXURIOUS MOTOR BOATS.  

 

THE PRIVATIZATION OF SISTER BAY MARINA WILL PUT AN END TO INCLUSIVITY AND MEMORIES MADE.  EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL WELCOMED AND BE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF SAILING AND BOATING.  NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO BUY AND MAINTAIN A NEW SAILBOAT OR MOTOR BOAT.  

 

THE PRIVATIZATION OF SISTER BAY MARINA WILL HURT THE ECONOMY AND UNEMPLOYMENT.  SISTER BAY IS A TOURIST TOWN AND RELY ON THE REVENUE FROM THE COMMERCIAL BOAT OPERATIONS.  

 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I’D LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT I HOLD DEARLY CLOSE TO MY HEART.  EVERY SEASON I DRIVE FOR HOURS FROM THE CHICAGO AREA TO GO SAILING IN DOOR COUNTY.  SISTER BAY IS MY LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN, AS I LIKE TO CALL IT, WHERE I CAN FEEL MY LATE GRANDFATHER’S PRESENCE WHILE IN THE WATER.  HE WAS A HARD-WORKING IMMIGRANT, SAILOR AND OWNED SAILBOATS HIS WHOLE LIFE, AND HE ACTUALLY HAND-BUILT MY CRIB, WHICH WAS A SAILBOAT.  I’VE ENCLOSED A PHOTOCOPY.  MY LOVE OF SAILING COMES FROM BIRTH AND SAILING IS A WAY OF LIFE IN MY FAMILY, BUT DUE TO LIFE EVENTS, I SADLY NO LONGER HAVE A SAILBOAT, BUT I GREW UP IN ONE.  

 

KEEPING SISTER BAY MARINA PUBLIC IS CRUCIAL TO THE ECONOMY, WATER INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW ALL FAMILIES TO MAKE MEMORIES AND WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW ME TO REUNITE WITH MY LATE GRANDFATHER SPIRITUALLY AND FIND SERENITY IN THE WATER WHILE SAILING. 

 

I HOPE THE RIGHT DECISION IS MADE, WHICH IS TO KEEP SISTER BAY MARINA PUBLIC.  

 

SINCERELY, 

ERIKA HOFFMANN (FURTADO) 

As members of the Door County Community, we support equal rights for LGBTQ+ people

Fifty years ago, when a middle-aged Jewish school teacher from Queens, New York learned her gay son was hospitalized because a city official had assaulted him, she decided right then that enough was enough. She wrote a letter to her local newspaper supporting her child, championing his efforts on behalf of the movement for LGBTQ+ equality and justice. Jeanne Manford launched a movement to engage parents and allies to support our LGBTQ+ children. Less than a year after that letter was printed, she founded what we know today as PFLAG, the first and largest organization for parents, families, and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.

Today, as powerful people again turn their harmful and bullying assaults on our LGBTQ+ loved ones we choose to lead like Jeanne, and lead with love.  

Whether you’re a part of PFLAG, you have an LGBTQ+ child, or you are an ally who believes that regardless of their color, genders, or where they live, all kids deserve the freedom to be themselves, we ask you to join PFLAG Door County.

Our kids and our community are being assaulted by people who stoke fear and spread misinformation about LGBTQ+ people. They are trying to divide our community and turn us against each other in order to seize power. And they are doing it by attacking children and teens. 

Enough is enough. PFLAG Door County has been advocating, educating, and supporting LGBTQ+ people, their families, friends and allies since 1997. This year we celebrate our 25th anniversary! PFLAG Door County meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Contact us at pflagsturgeonbay@gmail.com for the link or join our Facebook group. Together, we can make this a place that includes all of us – a place where we are all free to thrive and support each other for who we are. Join us and be people who choose to lead like Jeanne, and lead with love.

The officers of PFLAG Door County

Beth Mitchell, President

Sandy Brown, Treasurer

Ricki Mitchell, Secretary

UW System deserves your support, faces challenges head on

When I left my parents’ farm in Elroy to attend UW-Madison, we were so poor that I carried my belongings in a paper bag instead of a suitcase. I went on to earn a law degree, serve in the legislature, get elected to four terms as governor, lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as its Secretary, and become president of the University of Wisconsin System.

 

It’s been an honor to serve as UW System president these past 20 months, and in my final weeks in office, I’ve been visiting our 13 universities, meeting with community and business leaders, faculty and staff, and students. I wanted to thank our employees and students for their resilience during the pandemic, point out our accomplishments, and share a few final thoughts about higher education in our state.

 

First, it’s time we stop apologizing for the UW and start bragging about it. The UW System is Wisconsin’s greatest asset other than its people. We need to let everybody know what a great value for students we have here, perhaps with a robust marketing campaign, because the returns to our state when our UW succeeds are tremendous.

 

I want our state’s young people and their parents to hear how vitally important a university education is to their individual growth, to our Wisconsin communities, and to our state’s economic health. To become the engineers, doctors, teachers, writers, data scientists, and conservationists of tomorrow, you need a university degree. And our universities are the key to providing critical thinking skills that help develop citizens in an information-rich society. A college degree is more important than ever.

 

While the UW System remains critical, we are facing challenges. So here are a few things I want everyone to think about:

 

A Blue Ribbon Commission should be established to study the future of public higher education in our state. The Wisconsin Technical College System has been a great partner, but demographic, financial, and other challenges compel us to seek ways to collaborate and innovate.

 

We must also avoid “regionalizing” our universities, which would have the effect of reducing enrollment and access for students, but we should continue to build on operational efficiencies here at UW System.

 

Being on a UW campus and taking classes in person is a quintessential part of the higher education experience. We must continue to support the residential university because that is the kind of education our students deserve and parents expect. But we must also find ways to better offer education credits online—including to the estimated 815,000 Wisconsinites who have some college credit but no degree. We have proven that we offer a quality education online, but we need to do more or else we will fall further behind.

 

We need to highlight the unique qualities that make our universities special. That doesn’t mean we eliminate dozens of majors. But it might mean identifying a few fantastic programs and departments at each campus and building them up by adding professors and resources and recruiting more students. More targeted specialization will enhance our universities and make them more attractive. 

 

The past 20 months has been a whirlwind of activity and challenges, yet I have now seen first-hand the extraordinary opportunity that our 13 universities offer students and families throughout Wisconsin. Let’s keep it that way and make it even better.

Candidate Profiles: Kewaunee County Circuit Judge

GET OUT AND VOTE or sign up for an absentee ballot! https://www.kewauneeco.org/.../elections/voter-information The upcoming Primary is February 15th for Kewaunee County circuit court judge. This is a non-partisan position. We the Democratic Party of Kewaunee County wish to inform voters to vote.

 

There are 3 candidates running for Kewaunee County Circuit Court Judge position with primaries set for Feb 15th. 2 of the 3 have responded to our requests for statements: Why they are running, Who they are, and Why voters should vote for them. Below are statements and information on the 3 candidates.

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Kim Hardtke wrote:

 

I am running for judge because I want to continue my career of public service by serving the citizens of Kewaunee County. I was born and raised in West Kewaunee, graduated from Kewaunee High School, and am now raising my own family in the Luxemburg area. I love my home county and would be honored to be chosen to help its people and communities if I am elected.

 

Over my career thus far, I have developed a reputation for being thoughtful and fair. I take my position as an Assistant District Attorney and the authority that comes with making decisions as a prosecutor very seriously. I believe in justice for victims and the community, but also fair and thoughtful treatment for defendants. I am used to working in a high-volume, high-stress environment, while still making sure to treat every individual I meet with dignity and respect. Every day I strive to live up to the authority that comes with the job of a prosecutor, and I believe that integrity will serve me well as a judge.

 

I also know what it takes to make tough decisions. Before joining the DA’s office, I worked directly for the 8 judges in Brown County for 2 years. I helped them research, write, and make decisions on a wide range of complex legal issues. I learned how judges think, and how to fairly evaluate the positions of all parties before making a decision.

 

For more details about me, my candidacy, and what I stand for, please check out my Facebook page Kim Hardtke for Judge, or my website www.kimhardtkeforjudge.com.

Kim

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Jeff Wisnicky Wrote: Who Am I?

 

I am an attorney with over eighteen years of professional legal experience handling a full array of legal matters. I spent fourteen years as the assistant district attorney in Kewaunee County prosecuting all manner of crime including complex drug homicide cases. I have extensive experience in private practice and in government handling all the essential proceedings that are routinely decided in Kewaunee County including civil matters, real estate, family law, probate, juvenile law, mental health and guardianship. I continue to serve as Kewaunee County’s trusted in-house attorney where I provide legal advice to the County Board and all its employees. My wife Blair and I along with our four children are lifelong residents of the residents of Kewaunee County.

 

Why do I want to be the next judge in Kewaunee County?

 

I want to be the next judge in Kewaunee County because I know how important it is that we have an exceptionally well qualified and experienced individual taking on the awesome responsibility of deciding on the most important matters in Kewaunee County. I have experience in the most serious cases heard in Kewaunee County including reckless homicide cases, abused and neglected children cases and very substantial civil matters. I know how important it is to keep Kewaunee County a safe place to live and raise a family. As the next judge, I will keep Kewaunee County safe for you and your family.

 

People should vote for me because:

 

We need a circuit court judge with professional and life experience who is skilled in all aspects of the law and is ready to serve on day one. I am the most experienced, most well-rounded and most qualified candidate for judge, and I am ready to serve. My broad-based professional experience in private practice, in the district attorney’s office and work for county government makes me uniquely qualified to serve as Kewaunee County’s next circuit court judge. I am well known and have earned the trust and respect of all the attorneys who routinely appear in Kewaunee County. I am currently the president of the Kewaunee County Bar Association and have worked for several local organizations giving back to the community. If you support me you are supporting a candidate who is committed to this community.

Facebook page: Wisnicky for Judge

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Dear Voters, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I’m John Peterson, and I’m running for Kewaunee County Circuit Court Judge because it would be an honor to serve the community that has provided me and my family with so many opportunities. Growing up in the Door-Kewaunee County area, I’ve been blessed to be raised in the safe, small-town life and that’s why I returned to this area to practice law and raise a family. My wife, Kari, grew up on a dairy farm on the west side of the state and quickly fell in love with this area. Kari is currently the principal at Holy Cross school and we decided long ago that this is where we wanted to raise our three daughters Sylvia (15), Evelyn (12), and Adeline (11). For the past 19 years, I’ve represented folks in northeastern Wisconsin as an independent, private attorney, and started my own firm 12 years ago. I understand first hand, the issues we face as families, individuals and as a community, and how law intertwines with our everyday lives. My guiding principles as a judge will focus on applying the law and not creating new law - known as judicial activism. I will be an impartial judge that will apply common sense rulings to cases that affect each and every one of us. I also pledge that I will ensure fairness and respect to all parties without regard to any outside special or political interest. To be helpful, I’ve enclosed a brochure that tells you a little more about myself. I hope to have an opportunity to meet you in person soon, and if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact me at (920) 676-8751. I truly appreciate your time and consideration for this February 15, 2022 primary election.

My Best,

John Peterson      www.petersonlawllc.net

Letter to the Editor from an embarassed neighbor

Dear Editor, 

 

I'm ashamed to say I live in a community where people call themselves Christians but treat others like dirt. I hope some reporter would be interested in this story enough to expose them. 

 

Three couples that have property on East Spring Lane in the Town of Egg Harbor have blocked a gay couple from getting an easement for electricity. They were willing to let the previous owners get electricity but after the gay couple put a lot of money remodeling their cottage, the couples are refusing to grant the utility easements. 

 

I'm sorry I have to remain anonymous, but I don't want their wrath turned on me.

 

Embarassed Neighbor

 

 

Kewaunee County water study looks backward, not forward

Another study about Kewaunee County has popped up dealing with groundwater, cows and humans in our community. News stories about the study, which uses data collected in 2016-17, are causing some unfounded concerns about people getting sick, today, from farming practices.

 

The fact is no farmer wants to cause even one person to become ill, and we go to great lengths to keep that from happening. That commitment won’t change, with or without a study.

 

As to the most recent study, people deserve a more complete explanation of what it is and is not.

 

What it is, is fairly technical research using data from well water samples collected in 2016-17. In other words, this is a follow-up analysis of old — not new — data. The study uses that data to make a mathematical model to predict — predict — what the author believes we currently should be experiencing in the way of acute gastrointestinal illness among residents due to manure and human waste. 

 

What the study is not, is an epidemiological study to determine the actual number of people who get sick here. It is not a study that uses any Kewaunee County public health data. Surprisingly, the Kewaunee County Public Health Department was never even contacted by the study’s authors. If they had checked, the researchers would have learned that the department sees only a handful of such cases each year.

 

To put this in simpler terms: If I wanted to know what was for dinner at home tonight, I could either survey all local grocery stores to find out what foodstuffs they have been selling, then make a model to predict what is likely for dinner. Alternatively, I could go home and see what’s on the grill. This study took the first approach. 

 

So, we find ourselves in a strange situation. We have a mathematical predictive study showing we should have a lot of sick people. But we have a medical community that says we don’t.

 

There’s another important consideration that the study and the news stories promoting it do not reflect.

 

A tremendous amount has changed in farming practices and regulations in the years since those well samples were taken. Farmers have proactively joined together in Peninsula Pride Farms to find and implement solutions for improving both ground and surface water quality. By working together, and using science, we vastly increased the adoption of new protective farming practices.

 

So, data from half a decade ago is simply not a fair measure of current practices. As a farming community, we have made great advances and we are not content to stop now. We remain committed to continuous improvement, and there’s ample evidence of this.

 

When the water quality data cited in the study was collected, we had 3,864 acres in no-till farming; in 2020 we quadrupled that number to 12,284 acres. In 2016 we had 4,189 acres of cover crops; in 2020 we were up more than fourfold to 18,653 acres. Both of these practices improve soil health. Healthy soil helps filter contaminants out before they can reach ground water.  Our coordinated use of these practices to improve soil health and ground water quality in an entire watershed, with an aim of directly affecting ground water, is unique. 

 

Since 2016, we also have more than doubled the amount of manure that goes through a methane digester in areas with shallow soils, providing tremendous pathogen reduction to the manure itself before it is applied to fields.

 

Also, state regulations in our areas have become much stricter. There is no longer any manure being applied by anybody on any fields with less than 2 feet of soil.

On the Door County Peninsula, we are fortunate to have a medical community that is dedicated and professional, county conservation departments that are diligent and involved and a farming community that is focused on healthy soil, cows and neighbors.

 

We firmly believe that we can have both clean, safe water and a thriving agricultural community.

Sheriff's Corner: Good decision making important

Having been Sheriff now for 15 years, I look back on the many opportunities I have had to interact with our community and realize how lucky I am to be able to serve in this capacity. Probably my favorite activity is when I get have the opportunity to speak with our young people. I will be reaching out and speaking at one of our area schools next week, on good decision making. This is a subject which is near and dear to my heart as I have seen so many lives changed in a moment by either a good decision, or a bad decision. Even when we look at our amazing country, the ability to succeed is not limited by wealth or education but rather is many times a result of good decisions. We can all find examples of those born into great wealth and opportunity only to squander it through a series of bad decisions. In contrast there are also stories of persons born in absolute poverty or with no resources who, through a series of good decisions propel themselves to amazing heights. Even in our relationships, our ability to react to situations appropriately can either foster a relationship or destroy it, and because this process of making good decisions is not exclusive to young adults, I thought I would share a bit of my presentation for next week.

        

Each of us can look back on events which have changed the course of our lives. In some cases we have experienced joyous events which have propelled us forward in our personal or professional lives, while other events have been tragic which created struggle and stymied our growth as individuals. Although we have little to no control over the many and varied events which we will undoubtedly face throughout our lives, we can control our response to them by managing the thoughts they generate.

   

Why is this important? Because by controlling our thoughts we ultimately determine what emotions we will allow to surface, and subsequently what type of reaction we will exhibit. The ability to manage our thoughts and thus our reactions to events both good and bad can make the difference between success and failure in our personal and professional lives. We have all witnessed situations where we have seen individuals effectively manage a critical event while in other cases struggle or seemingly over react to a not so significant event. In many cases this is due to the ability or inability to control their initial thoughts as the event was unfolding.

    

I have witnessed this behavior unfold in so many ways throughout my years in law enforcement. I have seen people become unhinged at the prospect of receiving a minimal citation for speeding, while others have responded to unbelievable tragedy with an amazing level of calm and composure. I would submit that the difference has been the ability or inability to manage their thoughts and thus self regulate their responses. This skill is not inherent; it must be developed and maintained through practice. Each of us has the choice at any given moment in our lives to take the events which lie before us and do one of two things; use these events to make us stronger and grow our relationships, or use these events as a crutch and blame them for any and all shortcomings we perceive in our lives. I choose the former over the latter.

    

So the next time an event occurs in your life, whether that be in your personal or professional life, please take a moment to think of the thoughts you are generating and whether those thoughts will ultimately lead to a positive reaction or a negative reaction. We can use this approach every day when we wake up and either say to ourselves “What a bummer, I have to go to work” or you can say “Awesome, I get to go to work!” Either way, you are going to work, the difference is how you manage your emotions.

     

In the world we live in, there are very few things we actually have control over, but what we can control is our emotion which ultimately leads to our response. Having the ability to manage our thoughts and use those thoughts to improve the quality of our lives and that of our community is another example of the power of resiliency.

Citizen Requests County Resolution Opposing Kitchens/Cowles

My reading of Joel Kitchens' press release is that providing publishers more opportunities "...to receive compensation for printing legal notices..." is going to result in greater taxpayer costs for counties and municipalities. 

 

https://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/01/kitchens/media/1824/kitchens-cowles-press-release-newspaper-legal-notices.pdf

 

My suggestion is that if the legislative goal is actually to make legal notices more widely available via internet posting on newspaper websites, the logical legislative means to provide for that, needs to be to allocating that same public funding to counties and municipalities to provide that service and avoid higher taxpayer costs by allowing our government subdivisions to self-publish these legal notices on existing government run websites.  Keep the local tax money in house, so-to-speak, as there is no need to pay more for private sector services that could be readily publicly provided.

 

The ridiculous and specious argument that all small towns may not have a local newspaper is easily and completely dismissed by the fact that every county and municipality likely already has a government managed website and can actually better provide for the claimed intent of the proposed legislation, than this apparent and outrageous transfer of public dollars to private interests, which in itself carries the stench of an apparent conflict of interest for legislators, through potentially getting more favorable news coverage or fewer critiques from the press.  This has an appearance of another quid pro quo.  The Wisconsin Newspaper Association favors it?  Any wonder why that is?

 

This legislation as I understand it, also exactly fits the definition of blatant fascism, i.e., government enacting legislation to funnel more public money to benefit private commercial interests.  Our Legislative Committee must, in the public interest, immediately resolve to formally oppose Kitchens and Cowles on this proposed and needless legislation. 

 

Amend the rules and statutes to allow governmental unit on-line publishing of legal notices and provide the necessary appropriations to make it a reality.

 

Peace and Resolve,

 

Donald Freix

LETS MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

I’M FED UP, I’ve had it, I want it to end . I want to Make America Great Again. I’m
tired of waking up each morning and turning on the TV news to find out what craziness
happened over night. What new thing this irresponsible president did or said , what city
was ravaged by riots and unrest. I don’t pretend to have a crystal ball to know how it’s all
going to end, but one thing I do know for sure is that it isn’t going to get any better with
the election of Donald Trump to another 4 more years as President! We have seen what it
is like with him at the helm and this country can’t withstand another 4 more years. We
have seen what it’s like...division not unity, ugliness not civility, disrespect for promises
and agreements made. Donald Trump doesn’t believe in science, and he puts no value on
facts. He lies about everything and does nothing unless it is to his advantage.
But, I can’t just blame him. I blame the spineless , cowardly members of the Republican
Senate and House who refuse to rein him in even though they know he is way off base.
They could have neutered him years ago but now they simply cower and feign that they
really don’t know enough about the issue a comment.
I, like you want to Make America Great Again, to go back to a time when I don’t have to
unfriend long time friends and a time when I don’t have to like or dislike my neighbors
based on the political signs on their lawn. It isn’t going to all end with the next election
but it certainly is a place to start. Our votes can tell the world and this country that we are
better than that.
On the last go around I voted for 2 Republicans because they promised me that they were
going to be a different kind of Republican. They were gong to have a concience and they
were going to have courage to buck the party line. Once they won the seat they quickly
found out that if they didn’t want a short lived political career they better just go along
with the party line. I voted for these new kind of Republicans then but I sure won’t do that
this time. I want to make America Great Again. We have the opportunity right now to
vote. I urge you to vote for Democrats and tell the world that Wisconsin voters are ready
to get back to civility and replace Donald Trump and the enablers that are riding his coat
tails.

Jerry MacMillin
1309 Texas St
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Human Rights Watch - US culpability and Genocide in Yemen

Local legislators Rep Joel Kitchens and Congressman Mike Gallagher have praised the "employment opportunities," and touted the contracts with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for enhanced capability LCS gunships built by NE Wisconsin's Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) and Sturgeon Bay's Fincantieri Bay Ship (FBS). 

 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/21/us-war-crimes-yemen-stop-looking-other-way

 

Sturgeon Bay's common council recently granted zoning variances to allow exceptions to facility height restrictions to accommodate FBS building expansion plans for eventual participation for construction of the new US Navy frigate contracts.  FMM was awarded several million dollars for conceptual design ideas for un-manned US Naval sea-based "drone," vessels, presumably for anticipated warfare against other sovereign nations.

 

US Secretary of State Pompeo was in Madison, WI yesterday reiterating earlier comments by Gallagher about perceived security threats from China to an exclusive GOP state legislative audience, which Gallagher started expressing in a May 7, press release while touting his appointment to an all GOP federal, "China Task Force."  There's been no response from Door County government as to how such irresponsible cold-war sabre-rattling will negatively affect our or a wider Wisconsin's extensive economic trade with the Chinese and not even a response to crushing Door County's Sister City efforts.

 

With a diminishing ability of our local, state and federal governments to deal with the numerous negative pandemic related public health and economic burdens being thrust on a growing and serious majority of US citizens, isn't it about time we as a community start publicly asking the questions of our "leadership,"  about what constitutes the more immediate threats to the survival of our democratic republic than killing Yemeni civilians or starting a new cold or hot war with China would do?  Isn't it about time for a responsible local press corp to pose these questions and demand answers?

 

I'm asking where are the responsible local journalists, the responsible local elected officials or self-appointed civic leaders and where is any sustainable and humanitarian focused private economic sector with even a remote concern beyond short term profit at any cost (in human lives or otherwise) instead taking any public stand for any sort of viable future for any of us?  Door County - Commitments to Cleanliness and Safety?  Really, and for whom exactly?

 

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo-warns-against-chinese-influence-in-speech-to-state-lawmakers/article_24064695-9ddd-548f-9e56-ca7ad2170821.html

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-09-23/pompeo-faces-new-criticism-of-politicization-following-wisconsin-trip

 

Donald Freix

Fish Creek, WI 54212

Village of Egg Harbor Beach project complete

 In 2017, I found myself bouncing down the highway toward Madison, in hopes of receiving grant money to engineer an aspirational beach project, which was not yet fully envisioned. I returned to Egg Harbor hopeful, and for good reason, the Village had received $32,000.00 from the Coastal Management Program. 

     A year later, I found myself headed back to Madison, with a community developed plan in hand. Once again, in front of the Coastal Management Council, I pleaded my case and held out my hat, on behalf of the tax payers of Egg Harbor. The plan touted: a 50% increase in beach frontage, ADA accessibility to the waters edge, recessed beach that would stay above the extreme high water levels, a stone revetment for seating, and more. Little did I know that representatives from the Fund for Lake Michigan (FFLM) were also in the audience. They liked the project and encouraged me to apply for funding from their program as well.  In response to our application, the Fund generously provided a grant of $120,000.00 to assist with construction costs. The contribution was meaningful and provided the catalyst to move the project forward, a project which may otherwise have been acknowledged as a good idea but remained on paper year after year. 

“The Fund for Lake Michigan is thrilled to assist with this exciting project in Egg Harbor,” said FFLM executive director Vicki Elkin. “Providing citizens with access to healthy and safe beaches is a key component of what we do.”  

     The engineers on the project, SmithGroup JJR were as one would hope, wise and professional. The project was not without its problems, not uncommon with projects of this scale, but as issues appeared they were calmly worked through and managed. A kind thank you to SmithGroup, for capturing the Village’s wants and wishes, and manifesting them within the project. 

     And to the builders, the doers, and staff who ensured that the project was built with an eye for detail, thank you for your wonderful work. And a special thanks to Rass Excavating, of Sturgeon Bay, who was awarded the project through a public bidding process.

     Now, the Village decision makers can take pride in a comprehensive plan that received incredible stakeholder feedback, and the Trustees feel empowered, knowing that the vast majority of people support improving existing amenities, especially those that strengthen our connection to the outdoors. Looking forward, all eyes turn toward the Alpine Resort, with the potential acquisition of an acre of property. This purchase would allow for: additional parking, moving a wastewater pump station currently located in the center of the beach, expanded beach area, an improved breakwater pier, and could serve as a trailhead for a recreational path to be designed.

 

 

Letter to the Editor: A Conservative Speaks about Mask Wearing

I was impressed by conservative republican Karen Hughes’ thoughts about wearing masks. The following are excerpts from her opinion piece published on July 1, 2020 in the Washington Post. Hughes was counselor to the president and undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the George W. Bush administration.

 

“When leaders said ‘We are open for business,’ too many citizens heard ‘Life is back to normal.’ 

 

A recent University of Washington study projected that 33,000 fewer people will die by October if 95 percent of us wear masks in public. 

 

Yes, we enjoy personal freedom, but we can also choose to do something better for the common good. Wearing a mask should not be a political issue. Calls for masks are grounded not in politics but in lifesaving public health practices and the science behind how covid-19 spreads. 

While wearing a mask is not a political issue, it is a moral one. The choice and stakes are clear: the minor inconvenience of donning a mask vs. potentially threatening other people’s lives. The options are not equal on any scale of duty, honor, citizenship, or service to God and others. Amid a deadly viral pandemic, wearing a mask is the only responsible course of action.” 

 

Dan Powers

Sturgeon Bay

Letter to the Editor -- Agenda Packet, page 12, June 23, 2020, Ken Pabich Memo, re: "Operational Projects"

Dear Supervisors,

As the opportunity for comments have been sketchy recently, I comment by email.

Please refer to page 12 (Memorandum) in the Agenda packet under the heading: “Operational Projects”, Millpond Project:

“Status: Valve is wide open and water levels are coming down with the dry weather”.  Not exactly information overflow, but this statement seems to reflect more wishful thinking than accurate information. 

Actually, during the last 30 day “dry” period the water level has gone up 3 times, several feet each time, culminating in 2 overflows and working on its 3rd one today, while none of these were caused by significant rain falls (all less than 1.7"/day). This emphasizes the massive runoff again.  Also, since the beginning of the drawdown, the Millpond has been flooded more than half the time!

I quote here from the Millpond Report Executive Summary: “An analysis of the land use, as well as computer modeling of sediment and nutrient loads, highlights the  primary driver of pollutant loading as agricultural sources”.

Would it not make sense then that our SWCD department would tackle “the primary driver of pollutant loading” problem?  SWCD's recommended option however, shows otherwise.  The 2 yr. drawdown was never part of the options presented to the public.  This was added later under “Updated Management Options” as a separate topic on the SWCD website, and to show how ineffective this option is, they mention here that it might have to be repeated every 5 - 10 yrs. again!  The execution of this SWCD recommendation (the 2 yr. drawdown) was then later assigned to Facilities and Parks.

This ill conceived project has already ruined our recreational opportunities and destroyed the fish and wildlife for many years, polluted the waters of our neighbors downstream and added serious health risks to residents and visitors. 

The Board approved this project without a plan in place of how to manage it. That came about 8 months later, and following that plan has been full of flaws as well.

The so called “Stakeholders Meetings” as part of the decision making process did not include any of the most important stakeholders!

 

Time to reconsider this project and bring the REAL stakeholders on board during the decision making process, meaning establishing a twin Door County/Kewaunee County Ahnapee Watershed Management Plan.

Thank you,

Robert Sijgers,

FOFD, Inc.

OUR FESTIVAL IS CANCELLED, OUR PRIDE IS NOT

To Our Friends and Allies,


Out of concern for the health and safety of all members of our community, Open Door Pride has cancelled our fourth annual festival, scheduled for Saturday, June 27th, in Martin Park. We know we are one of many organizations needing to cancel major events, and our hearts go out to all those impacted.


While the Pride Festival is the most visible of Open Door Pride’s events, it is just one aspect of who we are and what we do. While the Festival will not go on, our care and support of our community continues, as it always has, 365 days a year. We are here as a resource for those seeking information about LGBTQ+ issues, as a community connector, and as a compassionate listener. We take to heart every day our mission: to promote diversity through inclusion for all.


During this time of safer-at-home and social distancing, we know that many in our community, especially our LGBTQ+ youth and elders, may not feel safe at home. To all of those quarantined in unsupportive homes, we see you surviving day by day and we are so proud of you. We are here for you. Reach out to us at info@opendoorpride.org; visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected with a supportive community. If you know of an LGBTQ+ person who may be feeling particularly isolated right now, please reach out to that person via a phone call, an email or a text message. It’s amazing how much a friendly hello can do in the lives of those who feel so alone.


We have been so grateful for the community’s response and encouragement for our annual festival. We want to acknowledge that many local businesses that have supported us so generously since our first Pride Festival in 2017 are currently hurting. Now more than ever, it is important for us all to shop local, and to support those businesses so they can continue to make us a diverse, strong and vibrant community. 


Though the festival is not taking place, we are working on alternative plans to celebrate and support the diversity of our wonderful Door County community. We look forward to you joining us.


Gratefully,

Open Door Pride 


signed by members

Cathy Grier, James Champion, Cynthia Germain, Steve Makovec, Jerod Santek, and Sandy Brown

Your Right to Know -- Pollution records must be open

Just shy of two years ago, this column explored the heightened importance of open government when public health is at risk. Multiple examples showed the government was not sharing timely information with the public, or even other branches of government, on issues such as clean drinking water and chronic wasting disease.  

Some progress may be on the horizon, however. A bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a bill, AB 700, which would require the state Department of Natural Resources to notify counties within seven days when a water discharge permit-holder has violated groundwater quality standards. It also directs the department to create a notification system for other interested parties, such as residents, regarding the same violations.

Known as the Water Pollution Notification Act, the bill aims to prevent what happened in La Crosse in 2016. Then, La Crosse County health officials worked in vain for months to get information from the DNR about potential groundwater pollution from a local Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). It turned out that pollution had been ongoing for years.

The bill’s co-author, Rep. Jill Billings, D-La Crosse, worked with county and DNR officials to draft the bill. “The intent of this legislation is not to go after farmers,” Billings told Wisconsin Public Radio. It merely ensures that people who live near problem wells be notified “so that they can test their wells and make sure that they have clean water.”

This makes sense, and it is in keeping with the ideal of maximum transparency. As one county official expressed, “We make decisions based upon the best information that we have available at any point. So there cannot be a decision made to notify the public if we’re not aware of a problem.”

The bill is not limited to farm contamination; it would require disclosure of contaminants from industrial or other sources as well. The bill is co-authored by Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, whose district has experienced groundwater pollution from a class of contaminants called PFAS, and who has criticized withholding information about groundwater pollution.

A similar bill was proposed in early 2018 but failed to pass. Let’s hope this bipartisan effort fares better in 2020.

Sadly, not everyone agrees that sharing information about groundwater contamination is a good idea. Officials in Lafayette County were roundly criticized in November for proposing to prosecute media and discipline board members who reported results from a three-county groundwater study in a manner not favored by county officials. While that sweeping proposal did not pass, a scaled-back version received approval from a county committee, and some county officials still supported releasing results only to local media.

Scientists working on the study pushed back against the county proposal. 

“We are public employees and our work is public work,” said state geologist Ken Bradbury. “We cannot choose to release some data to some parties and not to others.”

That’s the spirit. Information about clean drinking water and clean air is of fundamental importance to the public. That alone is reason for proper communication about testing results, instead of trying to withhold studies that taxpayers are funding.

We hope policy makers resolve in 2020 to bring additional transparency to matters of public health.

Letter to Editor: WARD'S WOOLEN MILLS WORKING OVERTIME

With a seeming intent to craft a thick and opaque blanket, to “pull the wool” over the public eyes on the west waterfront development at the December 17, 2019 regular common council meeting, City of Sturgeon Bay taxpayers might want to chime in very soon to protect their pocket books.
Mayor Ward, since the “acceptance,” of Ad Hoc West Waterfront ADVISORY recommendations, has repeatedly pushed his unilateral plan, outlining “four steps,” defining how to implement the still unapproved ad hoc waterfront concepts.   Another $30K is now heading out the door for estimates to hurriedly implement one single aspect of an enormously complex and still unapproved plan, an arguably unnecessary and ill-advised piecemeal approach, cart-before-the-horse decision that will undoubtedly waste significant taxpayer money.  You correctly might ask, why the rush?
Individuals quick with making jokes about a “granary,” annual bridge crossing festival shouldn’t need reminders that the City currently has a binding development agreement with the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society.  Until such time the common council majority has the political courage, fortitude and conviction to legally alter that SBHS development agreement, Lot 92 is the final destination for the granary.  The mayor, city administrator, city attorney and common council majority need to officially act with legal remedies, or they should quit public whining about supposed problems with the SBHS.    
Anyone without Ward’s woolen blanket tightly wrapped over their eyes yet, recognizes that his hasty push to build an unapproved waterfront promenade also becomes the hasty push that could immediately cause relocation of the iconic tugboats.  The waterfront promenade becomes the false flag project “requiring,” immediate city action to force removal of the tugs.  City leadership could claim they no longer have any choice in the matter and invoke plausible deniability. “We didn’t see this coming.”     
Considering Ms Reeth’s breathless one-liner concern over attorney fees spent in regard to waterfront litigation, she will undoubtedly separate the costs for which she, along with alders Bacon, Nault and Williams voted to incur, to employ Madison-based attorneys to seek leave for filing an Amicus Brief with Judge Gill’s court over the recent Wiese, et.al., appeal, challenging the WI DNR ordinary high water mark ruling for city lot #92.  
Reeths should inquire whether the mayor and city staff instructed these attorneys, or did these attorneys “advise” the “city,” to seek leave to file their Amicus Brief on a topic entirely outside the legal purview of the actual ruling before Judge Gill’s court?  She will undoubtedly be informing city taxpayers about why that money was spent for legal work not explicitly approved by her common council vote. 
Reeths surely will report the potential legal fees to be incurred, should the city desire to quit making veiled insinuations about “problems” with the current SBHS development agreement and vote to officially change that agreement.  She’ll also undoubtedly inquire about the legal costs that will be incurred if the city is forced to defend any alleged breach of the current SBHS development agreement.  
Deliberately misspelling one word (for civility sake) in the familiar colloquial admonition, “Sit or get off the pot,” here directed to majority city leadership and some city staff, please, enough with public opinion manipulation, and please, enough of the divide and conquer tactics and misdirection over the issues of the tugs remaining on the waterfront, the ultimate location of the granary, and on the pretense that an advisory ad hoc plan has already been approved.  Very few people are falling for this city government majority charade. 

 

Your Right to Know -- Don't block anonymous requests

You can walk into City Hall asking to see records without ever having to give your name. 


You can mail or email an open records request to any public entity without giving any indication of who you are.


You don’t even need to submit a written request. You can make the request orally and still remain anonymous.


That’s because, while there are a few exceptions, Wisconsin’s open records law states: “No request … may be refused because the person making the request is unwilling to be identified or to state the purpose of the request.”


The law’s chief author, Lynn Adelman, a former state legislator who’s now a federal judge, has said that provision was so important to him that he would have scrapped the legislation entirely if an amendment to remove it had passed.


Yet, in at least two recent cases, that right has been challenged. 


An anonymous requester sued the Madison Metropolitan School District in November for refusing to release records unless the requester revealed his or her identity. The person, according to the suit, made 26 requests between July and October. The school district ignored some of them. It responded to others by saying it needed to know the requester’s name to ensure he or she posed no threat.


That’s one of the exceptions to the anonymity provision of the law — if there’s a safety concern that outweighs the presumption of disclosure. Another is that if student or health records are requested, the custodian should confirm the requester is authorized to receive them.


The requests in the Madison case are for routine documents, such as school board updates and a school improvement plan. As the requester’s attorney, Tom Kamenick, notes in the suit, the records are “not focused on any individual, and they contain no information that would put any person’s safety in danger if revealed.”


There are circumstances in which the exemption can be legitimately applied — for example, a request by a domestic abuser for records about the abuser’s victim. This isn’t one of them. 


In a second case, the village of Ashwaubenon refused an anonymous request in March. The requester had asked for the billing records of an outside law firm the village had hired to conduct personnel investigations. 


The requester used the pseudonyms Mr. M or Richard Marven, a Navy officer who was a whistleblower in the Revolutionary War.


The village’s attorney responded in April by asking the requester to make an appointment at city hall to access a copy of the records. 


After several email exchanges didn’t lead to a resolution, the requester filed suit in June, contending the village and its attorney refused to provide copies of the records by mail or email and required the requester to appear in person to inspect them.


In October, the case was settled and the requester, who was not required to reveal his or her name, said the records were made available.


The presumption of openness in Wisconsin government means there should be as few obstacles to openness as possible. Requiring records requesters to identify themselves is an obstacle. 


Citizens would be less likely to make requests without the right to anonymity. That’s why the law was clearly written to prevent governments from denying public information to people for whom this is important.


The anonymity provision is crucial to the state open records law. Our governments need to understand that — and obey the law.

 

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Council member Larry Gallup is the digital news director for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Letter to the Editor:  End Plastic Waste

In recent years, the issues of disposable waste, recycling, and sustainability have become concerns for many. Seeing acres of plastic containers floating in the ocean is haunting. Although local units of government in Wisconsin (including Door County) are tasked by laws and regulations to manage municipal solid waste,  State law 66.0419 (Section 1) was passed in 2015 restricting the authority of local government to regulate reusable or single-use disposable containers, including waste plastics. As it stands now, municipalities may not choose to create local laws for regulating plastic - or any other one-time use materials. 
Fortunately, this year a bill has been introduced in the state legislature to address the growing problem of plastic waste pollution by simply repealing the statute passed in 2015. AB177 returns local control to those interested in pursuing more environmentally sustainable practices and in finding local solutions to waste pollution. In April 2019 the bill was assigned to the Assembly Committee on Local Government, headed by Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville). It is critically important that this issue get the attention of lawmakers, and AB 177 deserves to be passed. The first step is for Rep. Novak to schedule a hearing on AB 177. 
To effectively address and manage plastic waste pollution will require manufacturers, businesses, governmental and consumer policy-makers to work together.  It is a large, complex and thorny problem, getting worse by the day, and includes industrial wastes.  But according to the Center for International Environmental Law, “the petrochemical industry is poised to invest billions to expand plastic production by 40 percent in the next few decades. If they succeed, plastic will outweigh fish in our oceans by 2050.”
The people of Door County are proud of our environmental awareness and of being good stewards of the fragile beauty entrusted to us.   Businesses and individuals often go above and beyond minimum requirements for keeping our peninsula beautiful for so many who visit, as well as for those of us who call Door County “home”.  We should have our power restored to choose locally how we manage waste and encourage sustainability.  
 If you want to help with the effort to pass AB177, please do two things: Contact Rep. Todd Novak,  Rep.Novak@legis.wisconsin.gov  or (608) 266-7502  insisting that he schedule a hearing on AB177; and contact Rep. Joel Kitchens, Rep.Kitchens@legis.wisconsin.gov   or  (608) 266-5350 to ask that he co-sponsor  AB177. 

League of Women Voters of Door County
Shirley Senarighi, Chair

 

Civil Discourse: High Speed Rail Would Have Been Better Bet Than Foxconn

Wisconsin turned down more than $800 million in federal stimulus money in 2010 that would have created high-speed rail corridors between Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Minneapolis. Turning down that money will cost Wisconsin far more than it will ever gain from Foxconn.

Former Governor Scott Walker made high-speed rail a loser and Foxconn a winner. He promised more than $3 billion in subsidies to Foxconn in return for a commitment to invest $10 billion and create up to 13,000 jobs in southeast Wisconsin.

Today Foxconn has a record of missed construction dates, missed employment levels and a missed product mix. In fact, the first production looks like it will be coffee machine robots rather than high-tech screens, as promised. So much for Foxconn and legislators who were led along a route of job-creation fantasy.

Southeast Wisconsin could have been boosted by the economic development that fills in high-speed rail corridors all over the world if the federal stimulus money had not been rejected. And misguided political leaders not only took a pass on federal stimulus money, they also failed to comply with a contract with Talgo, the Spanish train manufacturer. Talgo created jobs in a poor part of Milwaukee and could have been a major employer for years. The company had contracts to build two trains for Amtrak and additional trains for a proposed Madison to Milwaukee line when Wisconsin pulled the plug. Walker and Republican legislators lost a lawsuit for failure to honor the Talgo contract. It cost taxpayers $10 million.

And Wisconsin lost much more in economic development that could have occurred but will not. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, writes frequently about the fill-in factor. He demonstrates the increase in employment, home values and additional economic development that “fills in” along high-speed rail corridors.

But that will not happen in Wisconsin where Walker and Republican legislators put their money on Foxconn instead.

Today you can take a high-speed train the 350 miles from Rome to Milan in about three hours. Free high-speed internet and speeds of up to 180 miles an hour mean Italian train travelers ride in comfort and efficiency.

What Wisconsin lost abounds along rail corridors throughout Italy. Hotels, resorts, and restaurants create jobs that follow rail passengers. In the small remote villages of Cinque Terre trains arrive every fifteen minutes. That’s job creation that will be far in excess of whatever Wisconsin will see from Foxconn.

Wisconsin would have been better off with high-speed rail than we ever will be with the Foxconn promises.

That’s my opinion. I’d like to hear yours.

 

THE PUBLIC RECORD – FACEBOOK

The Wisconsin City/County Management Association (WCMA) defines two of the many duties of a Mayor with an Administrator form of government thusly:


-The mayor shall serve as the chief representative of the city in relations with the media.


-The mayor shall serve as the chief executive officer of the city, performing executive
responsibilities by monitoring the activities of the administrator and the various departments
of city government to see that city ordinances and state laws are enforced.

 

Prompted by a public comment during the Sturgeon Bay common council meeting on September 3, I looked at the City administered Facebook page. Posts and comments ran the gamut from excellent city department summaries such as those from the city engineer and other department heads, to anonymous “City of Sturgeon Bay,” responses in the comment section, to abusive and potentially libelous comments from individual citizens.

 

 

The City administrated Facebook page is an official city media publication and is also subject to open records request discovery, and the city is potentially liable to suffer legal and financial damages by allowing abusive and potentially slanderous and ill-informed public comments such as some of those comments allowed by the Sturgeon Bay FB page administrator in the August 23, 2019 West Side School
“informational,” update.

 


An extended comment containing the phrase “…The Friends of Sturgeon Bay and Sturgeon Bay Historical Society…” represents an unconscionable lack of mayoral and city administrator oversight and such an abusive comment hopefully would never be tolerated during common council public input, but it squarely puts the city at risk of being named as a willing party to future legal action.

 


And because that comment had been allowed to appear and to remain, nearing a second week so far, one assumes that the Mayor and the City Administrator totally miss the damage being done or simply agree or approve of the misinformation and self-interested, abusive attitude expressed by the commentator.

 


Commenting on Facebook requires submission to third-party terms and conditions that are
unacceptable to many and this creates a condition of literal discrimination against citizens unwilling to acquiesce to a third-party terms of service in order to participate on a city administered digital public forum.


With clear neglect of city monitoring of their own social media page and inherent discrimination against equal public participation with this social media platform, this reasonably amounts to failure of due diligence, potentially voiding city liability insurance coverage along with needlessly encouraging legal liability suits, also fostering the appearance of official partisan policy favoring certain comments, which is contrary to any actual public interest.

 


Thankfully, the good Alderwoman from the 4th has asked for an examination of current city policy regarding digital social media use. With regards to the Mayor’s campaign platform of furthering “civility,” sadly that plank is still floating somewhere out on Lake Michigan and inexcusably, the City Administrator appears “blues clueless,” to very crucial issues at hand putting the city in avoidable jeopardy.

WFIC Column: The scourge of privacy

I like privacy as much as the next person. I don’t want anybody tapping my phone or peeking through my windows. I’m even irked that whenever I go online to shop for, say, chainsaws or hiking boots, every other web site I go to afterward reminds me of my interest in these products.

But as an advocate for open government, I am troubled by the extent to which public officials are using privacy in order to shut down access to public information. They say it’s necessary because the public can’t be trusted not to do horrible things.

One manifestation of this was the decision last year to remove records of dismissed cases from the state’s online court records system. The change was supported by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who like me was a member of a committee that looked into the issue. (I opposed the change.) 

Vos argued that the information had to be removed to keep people from using it to discriminate against others whose names appear on the system, officially known as Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA). For instance, if employers learn that someone was accused of a crime, even if it was dismissed, they will refuse to hire that person. Yet Vos also told the group that he regularly hires ex-cons in his various businesses, and finds them to be excellent workers.

And that gets to the heart of the matter: pure arrogance. Those who want to purge public information believe: “I am a good person who knows that not every charge is valid and even actual convictions shouldn’t be used as a basis for judging future behavior. But other people are not nearly as good as I am and will discriminate brazenly and illegally. So we must keep them from obtaining this information.”

Yet purging information from WCCA, which many people incorrectly call CCAP, means that the system no longer provides a comprehensive picture of what happens in our courts. Right now, for instance, every former prosecutor whose last case ended more than two years again has a 100 percent conviction rate, since all of the cases that did not lead to a conviction have been purged from public view.

Currently awaiting scheduling (and likely passage) in the Wisconsin Legislature is a bill with broad bipartisan support to greatly expand the availability of expungement of criminal convictions, which entails sealing court files and removing information from WCCA. Again, this is being done to “protect” those who have been convicted against the unfair and irrational judgments of members of the public.

Recently, a state appellate court ruled that judges can order the redaction of dismissed eviction cases from WCCA. The court bought hook, line and sinker the argument advanced by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Frank Remington, who said he wished he had the authority to order this purge because “everyone goes on to CCAP and just simply assumes that if someone files an action, you must be guilty of something and you can never sort of break away and get a fair shake.”

Neither Remington nor Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, who wrote the ruling, offered any evidence in support of their contention that people other than themselves lack the capacity to reach fair conclusions about a dismissed eviction case. Instead, the public, in their view, is little more than an insensate mob eager to latch onto any excuse to discriminate.

In 2015, concerns about privacy — or so they said — led lawmakers to end the requirement that significant donors to political campaigns disclose where they work. As Wisconsin Democracy Campaign noted at the time, “This makes it much more difficult for the media and the public to know whether employees of a specific company are all giving to a candidate in the expectation that their candidate will do the company a favor if that candidate wins.”

Now, Vos and other GOP lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow winners of the state lottery to remain anonymous. They say it is needed to protect lottery winners from harassment. Yet the bill’s proponents, Vos included, have offered no evidence of any actual harassment endured by lottery winners. None.

The director of the Wisconsin State Lottery, Cindy Polzin, opposes the change, saying releasing winners’ names helps prevent fraud. Indeed, the nonprofit investigation news outlet Wisconsin Watch last year published a story about suspicious repeat lottery winners that could not have been written were it not for access to winners’ names.

But the proponents of shielding names are determined to force this change. “Just because you win the lottery,” bill sponsor Rep. Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel) declared, “it shouldn’t mean you lose your right to privacy.”

A handful of other states have passed bills to shield the names of some lottery winners. In Delaware, Ohio and South Carolina, all winners can remain anonymous. But in New Jersey, then-Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a similar measure, saying it would “undermine the transparency that provides taxpayers confidence in the integrity of the Lottery.”

Perhaps the most outrageous recent example of secrecy in the name of privacy is the news that Jake Patterson, the man convicted of abducting 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, has been moved to an out-of-state prison whose location is not being disclosed, according to a state Department of Corrections spokesperson, “for his safety.” So now Wisconsin is officially sending people to secret prisons to protect their privacy. Don’t ask, because the state won’t tell.

In April, I attended the annual summit of the National Freedom of Information Coalition in Dallas, Texas. One theme that came up was the embrace of privacy as a justification for keeping official state secrets.

Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, said there have even been cases in which information on officer-involved shootings is being withheld on grounds of officer privacy. He told that group, “If you label something as pro-privacy, there’s almost nothing the legislature and judges will not affirm.” 

He added; “I sometimes think if you told people today that you wanted to create a book with everyone’s name, address, and phone number and put it on people’s doorsteps, you’d be tarred and feathered.”

I don’t mind if the law keeps people from installing secret cameras in my house. But when the state of Wisconsin decides to disrupt my life by filing bogus charges against me that are later dismissed, I bloody well want for there to be a record of it. I will trust that others can look at it and see that it was dismissed without assuming that I must have been guilty of something.

In fact, I have never met a single person who did not think that he or she had the ability to make rational judgments about people who are accused or even convicted of crimes, or who have been the subject of an eviction action. But many of them believe their fellow citizens are too stupid and too mean to do the same. 

The evocation of privacy as a justification of official secrecy is really just part of a larger push on the part of public officials to limit what the public can know about the actions and inactions of government. It serves their own interests more than anybody else’s. 

AD HOC WATERFRONT, YAWN INSPIRING

Laurel Hauser described the glaringly obvious flaws comprising the Sturgeon Bay Ad Hoc Waterfront Committee “plan,” recommendations on July 16, 2019, when she wrapped up their presentation with the word “compromise,” and the phrase, “nobody got everything they wanted.”
While genuine and sincere thanks for the committee member efforts is entirely warranted and the process to obtain ideas and public input is to be heartily congratulated,  the various ”stakeholders,” should have bowed out completely at that point and handed their findings over to professional planners without obvious self-interests in any part of the project.
Ad Hoc planning facilitators urged committee members to ignore financial costs and obviously the current city development agreement with the SBHSF was completely ignored.  Civility and the "kum-ba-yah" moments of compromise were indeed proper tools for the process, but were not the ultimate “product,” requested of the committee.  An inspiring plan was the goal, and that plan largely failed to materialize.
As examples, contrary to the "towers," framing the park to draw people in, this immediately presents "book-ended prison guard towers," absolutely further blocking the existing views of the waterfront for any passers-by.  The DCMM should be completely prevented from expanding either parallel to bulkhead or eleven stories vertically, both being totally unwarranted intrusions into public space.

The “granary,” is the authentic, logical centerpiece to this planning, along with retaining the fleet of tugboats.  Following the historic Ahnapee rail spur “trailhead,” into this park to “discover,” the working waterfront is the visitor’s reward and the exploratory challenge and incentive to draw people in. 

Each Ad Hoc “stakeholder,” getting something they wanted, either preserving their parking, or their view, or their art or their facility expansion have nothing to do with creating a proper waterfront  plan and are the very reasons the entire Ad Hoc committee should have turned over their information to the already known, visionary professional planners.

Stephanie Trenchard was absolutely correct in summarizing that “art,” was relegated to an afterthought.   The Ad Hoc, between the bridges planning, exudes irrefutable mendacity and piecemeal petty self-interests, unworthy of further public attention.

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