31st Senate District Report - Senator Kathleen Vinehout
Living in a changing world: part one
August 27, 2008
“We have $47 million in inventory here today,” the plant manager told
me. “We have twenty acres under one roof.”
Goods are stacked high up on racks. Workers move quickly on carts; gathering
up loads delivered by over 2,500 semis a week and sending groceries on to
stores all across the upper Midwest.
Last Friday I visited the Wal-Mart grocery distribution center - right in
our Senate District. I learned Wal-Mart is the largest grocery retailer in
the United States.
I also learned Wal-Mart is the largest employer in Wisconsin. The center in
Tomah has more employees than any other Wal-Mart distribution center in the
country. Almost 1,000 people work there.
The plant manager seemed to know the name of every one of his employees. He
greeted each one of them as I toured the plant.
The Wal-Mart folks told me about their efforts to help their communities and
the environment. Each Wal-Mart store has a budget of around $35,000 to
donate for community service programs. The entire company has a focus on
recycling and reducing waste and helps employees better understand how to
conserve energy and live sustainably.
As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart has more in sales - $378.8 billion
in 2007- than most states have in total gross domestic product. This is more
than one and a half times the entire of economy of the state of Wisconsin.
Wal-Mart’s economic activity would rank it as the twelfth largest state.
Wal-Mart is part of the story of how our entire world has changed. And our
world in rural Western Wisconsin is changing faster than ever before.
Every farmer who listens to the crop report realizes what happens in Brazil
is important to the decision of when to sell beans. We live in an
interdependent world, more than ever before in our history.
Whether it is changes in agriculture as farms grow larger and hire more
immigrant labor or changes in manufacturing as some companies leave and
other companies dramatically transform to survive. Workers feel the change
as real wages stagnate or fall and jobs move south; to South Carolina, or
Mexico; and then to China.
Now I hear jobs are leaving China and moving to Vietnam. Wage rates are
lower in Vietnam.
I live in a community that used to have five gas stations, a hardware and a
grocery store, two car dealers, a co-op and of course, four churches and
maybe ten taverns. We still have the churches and taverns. But the rest,
except for Kwik Trip, are gone.
In Alma, folks like to think they don’t need the rest of the world. It
doesn’t really matter what happens in the rest of the world, we’ll do just
fine, thank you.
In part, it is true. Alma has strong community organizations. Most of the
store fronts on Main Street are open for business. And everyone donates more
than their share of time volunteering to keep the community thriving.
But our population is not growing. Our school leads the state in declining
enrollment. And not having a hardware is makes it hard on farmers who need
just one bolt to fix that chopper.
As much as we don’t want to admit it, what happens in India, in China and in
Tomah, does have an effect on Alma.
What can we do? How do we adapt? In the next few weeks I will be exploring
how Western Wisconsin is affected by our changing economy and what we can do
to thrive as the world changes around us.
Got a story about changing times in your neighborhood? Got an idea on what
might work to grow Western Wisconsin? Let me know!
Contact me in
Black River Falls at (715) 284-1730; or in Madison at (877) 763-6636 (toll
free); or write: State Capitol; P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707-7882 or
email Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov
Past Kathleen Vinehout 31st Senate District columns
91st Assembly Report - Representative Barbara Gronemus
Where's the dam money?
Arcadia News-Leader, August 21, 2008
As you have probably seen on the TV, heard on the radio, or read in the
newspaper, dams around the state are in need of maintenance and repairs.
After the flooding this summer, many people are wondering: What's going on
with Wisconsin dams?
According to state law, the Wisconsin DNR is required to inspect dams every
10 years to help ensure they won't fail or fall during flooding like we had
earlier this summer. At the same time it became known that inspection of
dams were behind inspection schedule. At least 230 dams as of last August
had not been inspected since 1997 and 67 of them were classified as "high or
significant hazard." Currently, the DNR has caught up on all of the state's
"high hazard" dams, but still has 32 "significant hazard" and 143 "low
hazard" dams to inspect. So now that counties and local governments know
what dams need to be repaired there is an even bigger problem-there is no
money repairs.
In the 1989-91 biennial budget the state legislature created the Dam Repair
Fund, and it was to pay for grants to local governments that were ordered,
by the state DNR, to do work on their dams. Twelve million dollars was made
available, through borrowing, up through the 2001-03 budget, but since then
only about $150,000 was left for grants, which probably is as effective as
sticking one's finger in a hole in a dike. In 2001 the Wisconsin DNR sought
$2 million, and in 2003 requested $150,000 to keep the program going, but
did not receive any in the final budgets. In the 2005-07 and 2007-09 budgets
the Wisconsin DNR did not even request any money for the fund. With no grant
money available for counties to cut the cost of repairing dams, a lot of
counties and local governments are forced to delay or not start certain
projects.
What does all this mean? No ifs ands, or buts, the 2009 session of the
legislature had better get serious about refilling the fund, in my humble
opinion!
Now that I said my opinion on the subject, do you have one?
As always, comments can be shared with me in person; by writing me at home
at PO Box 676, Whitehall, WI 54773 or at the Capitol in Madison at PO Box
8952, State Capitol, Madison, WI 53708; giving me a buzz Toll Free in
Madison at 1-888-534-0091 or in Whitehall at 715-538-4130; sending a FAX to
me in Madison at 608-282-3691 or at home at 715-538-2119; or via my
legislative e-mail of rep.gronemus@legis.state/wi.us
Best wishes.
Your State Representative
Barbara Gronemus
Past Barbara Gronemus 91st Assembly District columns
Great Lakes compact will protect important natural resource
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Carla Vigue, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
The Great Lakes are one of the world’s most precious natural resources. From
the majestic shores of Lake Michigan to the brutal and beautiful waters of
Lakes Superior, the Great Lakes are not just part of our heritage, but part
of who we are. They are the reason why so many people choose to live in the
Midwest, take a vacation here, or locate their business here.
As Governor, I’ve taken aggressive action to protect these resources and
have worked hard to reach a bipartisan agreement. Two years ago, eight
governors and two Canadian premiers representing the Great Lakes states came
together in Milwaukee to endorse the Great Lakes Compact.
Today, I am proud to say, we are one step closer to making this agreement a
reality. Earlier this month, I signed April 2008 Special Session Senate Bill
1, ratifying the Compact and creating unprecedented protections for the
Great Lakes and ensuring their continued availability for regional economic
growth. It will ban long-distance diversions and provide a framework for
ensuring sustainable water use in the Great Lakes basin.
In order to become law, each state legislature must ratify the compact and
Congress must give its consent. Wisconsin joins Minnesota, Illinois, New
York and Indiana in completing their legislative approval. Quebec and
Ontario have also approved the agreement, while legislation is pending in
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
From our farmers to our industries to our environmental stewards, I
appreciate everyone who contributed to getting this done. This agreement has
broad and bipartisan support. It passed the Wisconsin legislature
overwhelmingly, 32-1 in the Senate and 96-1 in the Assembly.
The Great Lakes Compact not only protects these resources for generations to
come, but presents a great economic opportunity for Wisconsin, where we have
the second largest amount of Great Lakes shoreline of anyone. One of our
greatest competitive advantages in a 21st Century global economy is our
water - water that will help Wisconsin businesses grow and draw new
businesses to our state.
As water sources in metropolitan areas across the country dry up, our
sparkling blue waters will look better than they ever have. It’s imperative
we keep that water here in the Midwest, not in faraway deserts in other
corners of the country.
If some city in another state wants to drain the Great Lakes, Wisconsin’s
Governor should be able to stand up, say no, and prevent that from
happening. One state veto power protects Wisconsin communities. And federal
law already allows it. The Great Lakes Compact not only keeps this important
provision in place, but does so in a way that sets standards for sustainable
management of our waters. It sets up a reliable system for communities near
the basin, cities like Waukesha and New Berlin, to receive Great Lakes
water.
Our national economy depends on the Great Lakes. More than 35 million
Americans live, work, and recreate in, on or by the waters of the Great
Lakes. The Great Lakes generate $55 billion in tourism for the region and
create nearly $377 million in personal income from wages and salaries. In
Wisconsin alone, the Great Lakes support more than 11,000 jobs in the
state's ports.
Protecting these Lakes is critical, not only for the governors and the
millions of citizens who call the Great Lakes home, but for the entire
nation. And I am happy to say that here in Wisconsin we have signed an
agreement that protects these resources and ensures that our children and
grandchildren have the same opportunities to enjoy the Great Lakes that we
have today.
For the Great Lakes are not only Wisconsin’s greatest natural resource,
Office of the Governor
115 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
608-266-1212
608-267-6790 (TTY)
608-267-8983 (FAX)
