If one paragraph
can explain the situation, this might be it:
Wisconsin is the nation’s No. 1 producer of frac sand,
with an estimated output of about 26 million tons annually, more than double
what it was in 2012. The sand mined in Wisconsin is injected into oil and
natural gas wells in the process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
If one quote
can explain the situation, this might be it:
“We've spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We're going to
spend more."
The
quote above is by billionaire David Koch, speaking to the Palm Beach Post, and
what is the source of Koch’s wealth? Wikipedia to the rescue:
The Koch family (/ˈkoʊk/ koke)
of industrialists and businesspeople is most notable for its control of Koch Industries, the
second largest privately owned company in the United States (with 2013 revenues
of $115 billion).[1] The family business was started by Fred C. Koch, who
developed a new cracking
method for the refinement
of heavy oil into gasoline.
You
probably know—the Koch brothers are as conservative as they are rich: their
father was a founding member of the John Birch Society. OK—being conservative
is no crime, but are the Koch playing by the rules? Well, I’m happy to tell
you—yes! And that’s because…
…they’re
making the rules.
Consider
this quote from
the John Muir Society (I know, the name is as damning as anything with
“heritage” or “prosperity” is….):
AB 426 demolished environmental safeguards
related to mining, eliminated public input, reduced revenues to local
communities, and rushed the permit review process.
In fact, ABN426 never passed, but a later and virtually identical bill
passed by one vote, with no Democrats voting for the measure.
Nor is it just at the gubernatorial or legislative level that the Kochs
are willing to spend their money: they also are meddling in local elections.
Remember that open-pit iron mine that—if approved—may be the world’s largest?
It’s in Iron County, where the County Board gets elected on the strength of
about 200 votes each, and where no one could remember anyone challenging an
incumbent. Oh, and the average amount spent on the race is usually under $1500.
But all that changed when the mining issue came up:
The
Madison-based group (of the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity) sent
a field organizer to Iron County after a strongly pro-mine candidate for the
board was defeated in a three-way primary in February.
AFP mailed
full-color flyers on March 19 accusing seven opponents of pro-mine board
members of being radical environmentalists. AFP also made plans to telephone
potential voters and talk to them door-to-door, and the group sent a second
mailing that lauded eight board members and one challenger.
In fact, it was an almost even draw for the AFP, since five of their
candidates won, and four lost.
There are several galling things about what’s happened in my home state
of Wisconsin. There is the trashing of our legislative process, which has
traditionally been open and clean. There is the betrayal of our history of
conservation of natural resources. There is the tawdriness of duping basically
good, honest conservative people with disinformation and lies.
I never thought my state could be bought.
And it breaks my heart that it has….
