We gotta leave the petty world of libel suits and newspaper publisher bullies and move back to the things that really matter to us in the Northwoods

We gotta leave the petty world of libel suits and newspaper publisher bullies and move back to the things that really matter to us in the Northwoods.

Although pandemic and economic chaos are unavoidably depressing and achingly top of mind, there are equally disturbing things happening in our local environment that could actually mess with our lives more in the long term.

“No way,” you say. “Life couldn’t get much worse.” “Way,” I say.

It’s something I didn’t know much about when Rob Swearingen pissed me off enough to run against him for state assembly by overturning Evers safer-at-home order that was helping to keep us safe, but it’s a big deal.

It’s called sulfide mining, and everyone in the Northwoods—Republican or Democrat—should be terrified of it. I spent a few hours yesterday near the Schoepke Township visiting a exploratory drilling site, the precursor to sulfide mining. Below is a picture of me holding the drill. I know, it’s a tad phallic.

Stick with me for 2 seconds on sulfide mining. IT REALLY sucks for rivers and lakes (picture dead fish and deer everywhere, nothing can grow for years, etc.), your property values, and the tourism industry which is basically our economy up here. AND the argument that mining provides more jobs is junk because those jobs only last a few years and most don’t go to locals, but mercenary miners, then local taxpayers most often have to pay to clean the toxic site up for 20 years down the road. There is literally NO UPSIDE for anyone in the Northwoods.

The only upside is for a Canadian pirate company with the pleasant sounding name Badger Minerals. They could make bank by poisoning your lake and our precious Wolf River. Apparently Canadians are not always nice.

This isn’t a partisan issue. You can say you hate tree-huggers all day long and still should be against sulfide mining. Real estate agents, builders, land developers, fisherman, hunters, rich second homeowners, rich first homeowners, should all freak out if sulfide mining starts happening here.

So you’d think this issue would be a slam dunk to vote against for any elected official up here right? Wrong. Your favorite “rubber stamper” and mine, Rob Swearingen, voted to destroy the laws we had to protect our lakes from mining in Assembly Bill 499 passed in 2017 (now known as Act 134)

Why would he do that? Can you guess why? Same reason he made you vote in person during a pandemic and voted to embarrass Evers and create a pandemic Wild West in Wisconsin.

Rob Swearingen does what he is told so he can hold onto power and play jenga all day in a cushy leather office chair in Madison.

Neighbors, it’s time for a change. You can bet that if you send me to Madison, I will not play jenga nor will I allow sulfide mining in the Northwoods.

If you, like me, are scared of sulfide mining, please share this widely, especially with your conservative friends, to let them know there is only one choice at the ballot box for state assembly this November that will protect our lakes in the Northwoods.

Written by Kirk Bangstad on 06/17/20