"We are at a crossroads in Wisconsin. Our water, air and quality of life is threatened by industrial agriculture and its factory farming. You only have to look at Kewaunee County and their polluted wells; the DNR's incorporation of Attorney General Brad Schimel’s opinion on the cumulative impacts of high capacity wells; Midwest Environmental Advocates Petition for Corrective Action; or the Legislative Audit Bureau's report on the DNR's wastewater permitting and enforcement to see that the CAFO, (massive, polluting and cruel industrialized agriculture operations), way of doing business is causing harm across this state."
So reads the beginning of a call to rally at the state capitol on Oct 22, Saturday, 10 a.m. - Noon, (Facebook).
In central Wisconsin, (as across Wisconsin), the message is clear. Folks are fighting for a way of life, and the right to clean and safe water and air.
Picture yourself driving through idealistic, rustic countrysides ringed by rivers and lakes, and splat, you're hit with the unbearable stench of manure wafting through the air, and insinuating itself in our surface and ground waters.
We're there, folks.
Rome Concerned Citizens
Fellow concerned citizens,?
?You will recall that our core group came out in support of Julie Lassa and Dave Gorski, primarily because of their position regarding our groundwater. Any doubts were eliminated when it became clear the primary donors for their opponents are from the big grower organizations. In fact, the Wysockis, (proposed a massive factory farm against citizens' wide opposition in central Wisconsin), were the primary supporters at Testin's come-out party.?
Here is the latest TV attack ad by the Testin campaign, (running against water warrior Julie Lassa), featuring Jeremy Pavelski and Heartland Farms.
So far this race has seen seven ?attack ?mailers (six from the Washington D.C.-based RSLC and one from Americans for Prosperity), radio and digital ads attacking ?Lassa. The RSLC, (Republican State Leadership Committee), has said they are going to spend six figures to ?try to defeat ?her in this campaign. It's estimated ?Testin ?h?as received about $250,000 from the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate to run broadcast TV ?and ?radio?,? and to send out two mailings. We've just seen the first anti-Gorski mailer, also from an out of town dark-money group.
So, it's clear that big ag and industry lobbies like the Dairy Business Association and Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers are trying to buy their way in to this election.
Here's what we can all do. Where our groundwater, lakes, streams and drinking water wells are concerned, vote the issue in November. There's a reason Big Ag is trying to influence this election, and you know it's not for your benefit.
Talk with your friends and neighbors to make them aware of what's happening here.
And if you can help the Gorski or Lassa campaigns to do doors, or make calls to help ID voters for election day in the Wis. Rapids area, or drivers to take runners to their doors (if people don’t want to knock themselves), please do. Also if you care to donate, visit ActBlue online.
Core Group Rome Concerned Citizens
Bob Benkowski, Rick Georgeson, Steve Raap, Rick Antin, John Endrizzi, Don Ystad
Act or this is our future below, it's like this: Ponding of filth from too much liquid manure and rain. Portage County, Town of Grant, Wisconsin in 2016, (Image by Rhonda Cain-Carrell):
