Promoting quiet recreation in Wisconsin.
Opposing the coming attempts to sell off Wisconsin's natural heritage.
Fighting denial about climate change. When are we hitting the streets?


Saturday, December 31, 2011

Taking down Billboards

5 years ago, Sao Paulo, Brazil  removed all billboards from the city.  Apparently, people like the law.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

December Quiet Hunting

This is the quiet hunting season in the Northwoods-just enough snow to ski, and the Snowmobile trails aren't yet open.  You don't have to go out far to away from human sound.

I couldn't find my waxless skis, so I took out the old Asnes and headed out to the Lumberjack trail, hoping that whatever I had on the bottoms would work on a day that seemed warm and cold at the same time.   The description of the trail as "ungroomed" is not accurate-it is often groomed by some guy with big boots and several large dogs (Or, some guy being stalked by several large wolves maybe) and by the random skier or snowshoer.  You takes your chances.  

Chances went my way today-the Sun was shining, the glide wasn't great, but I wasn't sticking or slipping, and it was absolutely still and peaceful.  

The Wisconsin Hunter Heritage Bill is Government Social Engineering

The purpose of the bill is to "recruit" hunters, anglers, and trappers, since interest in these pastimes is declining among young people.

But one might ask: "why is it the government's job to nudge people into doing something they don't want to do? Maybe young people just want to play World of Warcraft instead."   And the answer is: to meet important social goals.  We need hunters and trappers to manage animal populations, and we need people outdoors in order to build an ethic of caring for the land.

In other words: Government Social Engineering.   Nothing wrong with that, but the same logic applies when we nudge people to use public transportation and more efficient vehicles.    There are things the government can do to "get" people to do what they wouldn't do otherwise.

The Sports Heritage Bill and Laws that encourage energy efficiency may be well designed or poorly designed, but you can't be in favor of one and criticize the other merely because it is "social engineering"

Friday, December 09, 2011

Crapping up Wisconsin, continued

This looks very bad, but its about what we could expect:


-The DNR would have to approve or deny an iron mine application within 360 days of deeming the application complete. Current state law doesn't lay out a deadline.
--Contested case hearings on DNR permitting decisions would be eliminated. The hearings allow testimony and cross-examination in a quasi-judicial setting; they've been a crucial recourse for conservationists in the past.
--No one who isn't directly injured by a mining operation could bring a lawsuit challenging DNR permit enforcement or alleging violations of mining laws.
--The DNR would have to issue a mining water withdrawal permit even if the applicant can't show the withdrawals won't hurt the public welfare or the quantity or quality of state waters if the agency decides the mine's public benefits exceed the harm.
--Half of the revenue from a state tax on ore sales would go back to the state's general fund. Currently all the money from the tax is distributed to local governments where the ore is mined.
--The bill acknowledges mining will probably result in "adverse impacts" to wetlands but presumes it's necessary.

Its hard to imagine any case under rules like these in which a permit wouldn't have to be granted.    Fortunately, mining companies generally act as good environmental stewards of the land, even without strong oversight, right?

Thursday, December 08, 2011

The Republican Franchise means you make the burgers the Koch way

Via, Joe Romm, a great article in the National Journal on why so many Republican politicians-including Presidential candidates- have changed their minds on global warming and became deniers at the same time the evidence for climate change became even more certain.

The answer: The Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity:


"What it means for candidates on the Republican side is, if you … buy into green energy or you play footsie on this issue, you do so at your political peril. The vast majority of people who are involved in the [Republican] nominating process—the conventions and the primaries—are suspect of the science. And that’s our influence. Groups like Americans for Prosperity have done it.”
As I said, in order to be a Republican candidate, you are told exactly what positions you will take.   While on some level those positions are "ideological", that isn't the case with global warming. This is purely about supporting the interests of the Koch brothers and others like them over the interests of the market and the people of the United States.  Simply put, there is no free market right to pollute.


The clearest and most "free market" way to deal with Global Warming pollution would be through a carbon tax in order to create incentives for developing the most efficient market alternatives. Money from the tax would could be funneled back to those, like long distance truckers, most effected by the tax.

The second most "free market" way would be through a cap and trade system.  Paradoxically, the Reagan administration proposed the second idea, and Al Gore something like the first.

But Republicans today oppose both.   The reason they oppose both is that they know the kind of blizzard that would come down on them if they did.

Friday, December 02, 2011

Walker Strategy number two: Blame the poor

You are spending tons of  money from your corporate handlers on television commercials, but the commoners are still signing recall petitions.   Even in the hinterlands!   Pretty soon, those friends of yours are going to wonder whether you are up to running their Wisconsin franchise.

So what do you do?  Shout "Look! Over there! Poor people!"  

Poor people do scam the system.  So do rich people.  Here is the difference: The scams performed by the wealthy put the country in a recession, nearly brought down the wold economy, required secret bailouts, and still netted the scammers obscene profits and bonuses 

 Another difference between poor people scams and rich people scams is that when the wealthy get caught, they know their army of lawyers will force the government to settle without even admitting wrongdoing . 

Monday, October 31, 2011

Another reason why our cars should drive themselves

When it comes to car-pedestrian collisions in residential zones, the difference between 20 and 30 miles an hour is a big deal.   Eric de Place advocates making it easier for communities to reduce speed limits, but then wonders if drivers will comply anyway.

But why leave it up to the drivers?   We have the technology now to make cars stay within the speed limits.  This is another example of how our weird idea about cars and transportation gets in the way of safe roads.

The Muller-Best study is Koch's future "Get out of jail free" card

"Skeptical" Berkeley Professor Richard Muller's BEST study confirmed what climate scientists have been saying for years: The planet is in fact heating up rapidly, just as the models of man-made climate change would predict, and the record, carefully developed by separate climate scientists in a number of previous studies, had predicted.

 But in an abundance of caution or scrupulosity, Muller and the BEST group undertook a review of all previous work on assessing whether the climate is indeed warming.  

Lots of writers note the supposed irony that a study funded in large part by the Koch brothers confirmed that the climate is heating up in ways predicted by climate scientists.    But I think that looks at the Koch brothers' motives in the wrong way.

For years, they have promoted confusion and denial about climate change,  in spite of the fact that a vast majority of climate scientists believe the issue is settled.  

But even now, the "facts on the planet" are starting to show up in ways that can no longer be disguised.    When things go all to hell,  people will be looking for heads to roll.   The Fossil Fuel industry will need to show that even as 2011, the science was still "unsettled".  And so, the real purpose of the study.

The results will do little in terms of science because actual climate scientists had already repeatedly tested and demonstrated that the planet was heating up the way theories of the greenhouse effect predicted all along.   Muller merely was the outlier who came in from the cold.   (All good scientists are "skeptics" by the way-its the way science works).

The study will do little in terms of public policy, because the media still doesn't cover global warming seriously, and the politicians either ignore reality or actively run against it.

But the study does have a function, because in the future Koch's defense attorneys will be able to point to headlines like "New Study Settles the Debate on the existence of Climate Change" as "proof" that there was an actual scientific debate as late as 2011.

Lets hope that in our newly ravaged world people will still care about nuances like trials and jails.  

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Koch brothers and environmental regulations

The Koch brothers masquerade as advocates of  private property and free markets against intrusive environmental regulations.   But there is no "free market" property right to pollute.
 If I fling my dog's poop into your yard, I am violating your property rights.   If I am fined or arrested, it is not a sign of too much government, but just the right amount of government to protect those rights.    

By buying off  politicians, the Koch brothers are not protecting property rights against big government, they are using government to protect their own financial interest in messing up your property rights and health.

This clip from the film Exposed shows the consequences.  People in Wisconsin should note that reduced environmental regulations are one of the goals of the Koch supported Walker administration.





  



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Arab spring continues...

The uprising in Libya got more of a nudge from Western powers, but it was still started by the same revolt against tyranny that led to regime change in Egypt.    We don't know yet what the outcome will be, but we can be hopeful that Libyans will be able to enjoy a stable, representative government.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Knowledge not required

  This is a fun quote-during a debate, Kim Simac can't name one piece of legislation she is looking forward to challenging or advancing.

 This makes Simac an ideal candidate for a world in which industry funded think tanks like ALEC write the legislation for politicians.  If Simac is elected, they will tell her what to vote for or against.

Worse than predicted by the scientists...

 Whose predictions about the climate have been correct: Climate scientists or television and radio pundits?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning...

The advice from the Reverend seems appropriate for Dems right now...

What's next?

The recall election results are depressing.  The Republicans hold on to their majority in the Senate, and the momentum for a Walker recall falters a bit.

The good news is that the elections in Republican districts were close.  It won't take a lot of swing voters to recall Walker.

Now that the first wave of recalls is over, look to see Walker and the Republicans go to work on the ALEC agenda-with a special focus on repealing State environmental protections and  fast-tracking mining operations.

To paraphrase Mencken, the state is about to get what it voted for "good and hard".  

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Republican candidacy as a franchise

Someone else has probably thought of this analogy already but I can't think of anyone in particular, so here goes:

Republicans at the local, state, and national level are all voting alike.   We can contrast them with the Democrats, who couldn't even get their own party organized when they had the Presidency and both houses of Congress.  Or, contrast it with the past, when there was such a thing as a  "moderate Republican".

Most  commentators blame this fact on the need to placate the Tea Party, and that has got to be partly right-Tea Partiers may not represent the base of Republicans, and certainly not the brains, but they have the energy and committment.

But politicians have to be aware that there are only so many Tea Partiers, and even many of them aren't going to be happy when they hear about the policy positions really impact their lives.

To be a Republican candidate, you have to run as a franchise operation.  If you want to start a fast food business, you need lots of capital and resources.    Many people decide its easier to buy in to a franchise.  But once you have a franchise business, you lose the ability to call the shots.  You make the burgers the franchise way.

 The owners of the Republican franchise write the bills for the Republican politicians to submit and advance, and give the politicians their marching orders on policy.  If you go against the franchise guidelines, you will be replaced by the owners.

So even if you know, as a franchise politician, that a particular piece of legislation is unpopular with your constituents and bad for your State or Nation, you won't vote against it if it comes down from Corporate Headquarters.   In this case, "Corporate" being Corporate funded think tanks like ALEC.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Australia gets it: A carbon tax IS the correct conservative response to Climate Change

While America falls behind the race to develop a renewable energy economy, the Australian Prime Minister actually proposes a price on carbon pollution.


Since there is no free market right to pollute,  (see Hayek quote here)  we need policies that move us away from the long standing statist practice of allowing harm to the property if individuals through pollution.  

 Conservatives complain about the government mandating gas milage standards and the kinds of light bulbs we have to buy, but they have already rejected the most free market solution to Greenhouse Emissions pollution-a carbon tax.



 




Monday, July 11, 2011

How a Franchise operates...

I would be surprised if anything in the way of concrete evidence turns up in this:




A prominent business leader from state Sen. Rob Cowles' district was stunned when the veteran lawmaker explained why he voted in favor of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget-repair plan.
Cowles had contacted the business leader earlier this year to ask for the person's support in his upcoming recall election.
"He said, 'I didn't like this (bill) either. I didn't like being put in this position. I didn't like anything about the way it was done,' " the business leader quoted Cowles as saying. " 'But the governor's office told us if we didn't give them our support, they would run a tea party candidate against us.' "

But seriously, does any Republican politician doubt that he or she would be challenged by corporate-sponsored Tea-Party members if they voted against the party line?   Does any Republican doubt for a moment that his or her lucrative post-political career as a lobbyist or corporate board member will depend on their voting the party line?

No wonder Cowles is denying the story-if it were true, it would mean  he lacked the courage to act on his convictions, and that his Republican handlers thought he was so dim that he had to be told what should have been obvious.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Crystal Stilts - Departure



Some music feels to me like the memory of music-as if you had left a performance with the music still playing in your head.  

First blizzard of summer


I am out of sunflower seeds, and the birds and deer are not happy.  The deer are out kicking the heck out of an old leaf pile looking for acorns.  On a happy note, the ice went out yesterday.

Matt Yglesias on the true price of coal

Matt Yglesias explains why coal is cheap:
"Coal-fired electricity is cheap for roughly the same reason that pulling a dine and dash at a fancy restaurant is a cheap way to get a nice dinner."
     Energy Policy in the United States is not an example of the free market at work.   Government allows coal companies the right to hand off the costs of pollution to society.  That is a government program, just as putting money into renewables or enacting a tax on carbon would be a government program.

   The question is: Which government energy program will lower health care costs, protect the planet, and move our economy forward in a sustainable direction?




Saturday, April 16, 2011

New York Times: State level G.O.P. after our natural heritage

Although the article doesn't mention Wisconsin, the template among these Republican governors is the same-and will certainly be part of the playbook of a Governor who sees Wisconsin and its natural resources as "open for business".

Friday, April 08, 2011

James Fallows on Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan's "serious" proposal

Read the whole article for a great take-down.

Paul Ryan is a follower of Ayn Rand, and requires his staffers to read The Fountainhead. Ayn Rand believed public education was a form of theft, so he must be happy that his Janesville, WI school board is eliminating 130 positions, most of them teachers, as a result of Governor Walker's budget "reform".









Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bizarro world John McCain on climate change.

(Via Ezra Klein) I don't know who this man is, but he bears a remarkable resemblance to John McCain, who currently votes against everything this man here says on climate change...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Wisconsin for Sale: Strip mine in Northern Wisconsin

Lets start tracing where this is going. Scott Walker accepted campaign contributions from Gogebic Taconite. Walker seems to see the DNR's primary function as "job creation", so we should expect lots of environmental safeguards will be tossed.

Friday, February 25, 2011

What is next on Walker's list?

Opening up northern Wisconsin to strip-mining?


Rachel Maddow on Scott Walker


Shep Smith and Rachel Maddow both agree that Scott Walker is using budget issues as a pretext for destroying unions.

Senate Majority leader Scott Fitzgerald says that public employees don't need unions because they have civil service protections, but Fitzgerald and Walker don't plan on having many public employees around to be covered. The plan, as diagrammed out by the Koch brothers for Walker and Fitzgerald to run, will look like this:

-Use the budget crisis to declare that the state must reduce funding to local governments.
-Pass laws that make it easier for local governments to privatize their work force.
-Create a financial incentive program for local governments to do so.

The best Civil Service benefits will do no good if there is no civil servants to benefit from them. But as Shep Smith and Rachel Maddow point out, the real dividend will be the removal of the last organized group to oppose the creation of a free-market Koch-istan.


Shep Smith on Scott Walker

What's Next?

We are still fighting the fight on Governor Walker's plan to strip unions of their bargaining rights. And people are starting to look at the rest of the budget reconciliation bill.

But we also need to make some assumptions about what Walker might do in the future, based on what we see of his approach towards public unions.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Truth about Walker's Bill....

I haven't had time to work through the environmental implications of Scott Walker's blitzkrieg bill. As soon as I do, I will let you know.

I will also post a bit about my experience in this whole thing-as someone who was actually on our union's negotiating team as this whole thing came down on us.

But lets start with a few of the facts:

-Scott Walker did not run for office on the idea of destroying public unions. He didn't because he knew (or his handlers knew) that he would have lost the election. Walker attempted to pass this bill with no public discussion-in one week. So any statements made by the Walker side about "democracy" needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

-Unions have agreed to the concessions on benefits that Walker wanted. Walker wants to take away the basic right to organize-a right that Wisconsin has had for 50 years. Few of us would be demonstrating at the Capitol or around the state if it weren't for that.

-The protests in Madison and all over Wisconsin are peaceful, mellow, energetic. Most of the people-by far-are Wisconsinites. But it is inspiring to see demonstrators from other States.

-I will be posting more as I get time.







Friday, February 18, 2011

Republicans against the environment-and the free market

Imagine that Republicans abolished your local police department, saying that protecting people from theft and bodily danger gets in the way of economic growth.

The Environmental Protection Agency protects people's property and health. There is no more "Free Market" right to pollute than there is a free market right to beat up your neighbor or pour acid in his swimming pool.

Pollution itself is a government program. Politicians grant the right to pollute to their political supporters at the expense of the rest of us.

The attack on the EPA is an attack on the environment, your health, and any real notion of a free market.



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Taking the "Conserve" out of Conservativism, part one

Wisconsin depends on its water resources. Those resources are strained by unrestricted development. Wetlands legislation helps protect the resources upon which Wisconsin depends. Wetlands legislation is, in effect, "conservative".

One of the things other countries admire about the United States is the idea of Rule of Law: That is, laws are supposed to apply to everyone-there aren't specific goodies you get because you are a major campaign contributor. This seems like a pretty good idea to conserve.

In one move, Governor Walker showed he is not interested in conserving the environment or the rule of law.

House Plans to Overturn EPA's finding on Climate Change

There is no "free market" right to pollute. If the House votes to overturn the EPA restrictions on greenhouse gases, it is voting for a government intervention into the free market.

The EPA is trying, in a moderate way, to mimic the market ideal that one person's activity should not intrude on another person's property or health.







Friday, February 04, 2011

Do we really need to drive anymore?

Via Wired magazine, Audi passes another milestone on the road to driverless cars. All of the objections seem to be falling by the wayside. Soon, a driverless system will be safer than conventional cars, and at that point we will have to ask whether we want to continue to kill and maim people for the illusion of control that driving gives us. Lots of folks would rather text or put on make-up, anyway.