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1 --- George Meyer, WDNR Secretary. April 28, 1997. Letter to Jeff
Rochon, responding to request for permit enforcement. 2 pgs.
2 --- Stacy Grunwald, Mosel Town Clerk. Aug. 9, 1995.
Letter to John Lillesand, Senior Vice Pres. Tech. Services,
Kohler Co. “Conditional Use Permit” from Town of
Mosel. 2 pgs.
3 --- Lynn Torgerson, WDNR Engineer. Nov. 30, 1995.
Handwritten internal WDNR memo to Vic Pappas and Kathi
Kramasz, re: “Whistling Straits Slope Stability Analysis.” 1 pg.
4 --- Gloria McCutcheon, WDNR District Director. Dec. 4, 1995.
Letter to Jeff Rochon re: bluff stability. 1 pg.
5 --- Gloria McCutcheon, WDNR District Director. May 16, 1996.
Letter to State Assemblyman James R. Baumgart, responding to
his constituents concerns and questions. 2 pgs.
6 --- Jonathan (Jay) Hoekstra, Civil Project Engineer for Kohler
Co. Oct. 25, 1995. Letter to Ben Wopat, Chief,
Regulatory Branch, US Army Corps of Engineers, re: “Whistling
Straits Golf Course Response to Public Notice - North Berm.”
2 pgs.
7 --- Woodward-Clyde, Kohler Co. Engineering Consultants.
Oct. 18, 1995. Letter to Jay Hoekstra, re: “North
End Bluff Stability Analysis Whistling Straits Golf Course,
Project #5E09542, Exhibit D. 3 pgs.
8 --- Kathy Kramasz, WDNR Water Mgmt. Specialist, and Victor
Pappas, WDNR Environ. Coordinator. Jan. 2, 1996. Letter to
Marvin R. Sommer, area resident, responding to concerns. 2 pgs.
9 --- Kathy Kramasz. July 18, 1996. Letter to Jay Hoekstra,
Kohler Co., re: “North Rest Station Approval, Whistling Straits.”
1 pg.
10 --Woodward-Clyde, Kohler Co. Engineering Consultants. July
27, 1995. Figures 1, 4, General Layout Headland Control,
and Typical Revetment Section. 4 pgs.
11 --Kathy Kramacz, WDNR. Aug. 10, 1995. Letter to Jay Hoekstra,
Kohler Co., and final approved DNR Permit #3-SE-95-0445 and limitations,
for grading in excess of 10,000 sq. ft. on the bank of Lake Michigan,
in the Town of Mosel, Sheboygan Co. 6 pgs.
12 --Kathy Kramasz, WDNR. Oct. 2, 1995. Letter to Fred
Bolgert, Vice Pres. Sheboygan Rifle and Pistol Club,
re: “Notice of Proposed Grading, Whistling Straits Golf
Course.” 1 pg.
13 --Kohler Company Homepage: www.kohlerco.com
14 --Jonathan D. Salant. Sept. 9, 1998. “Group: Congressional
Leaders Help Their Patrons.” Associated Press. 2 online pgs.
www.foxnews.com/national/features/election98/o_0909.sml
15 -- Mike Dries. Nov. 4, 1996. “Soft Money, Big Business.” The
Business Journal of Milwaukee. 4 online pgs.
www.amcity.com/milwaukee/stories/1996/11/04/story2.html
16 -- Common Cause -- www.motherjones.com/...ngress/eye_on_newt
17 -- Center for Responsive Politics ---
www.crp.org/candidates/os96/topdonors/H2IL20042.htm
www.crp.org/1998elect/dist_contrib/98OH13contrib.htm
18 -- Associated Press. Oct. 11, 1996. “Proposition 209 Supporters
Outpace Foes in Fund Raising.” 1 online page. http://sddt.com/files/librarywire/96wire...nes/10_96/DN96_10_
11/DN96_10_11_cah.html
19 -- San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council.
“Proposition 226: Political Contributions by Employees, Union
Members, Foreign Entities” www.igc.org/sfbctc/prop226pre.htm
20 -- Homepage: http://www.c-com.net/~prosocs/fcf.html
Information for this report was gathered from the Whistling Straits
Project File in the Sheboygan County Courthouse and from the Project File
at the DNR’s Southeast District Headquarters in Milwaukee, including
permits, engineering reports, e-mail and other correspondence of citizens
and regulators.
Campaign contributions were tallied using the Wisconsin Cooperative
Campaign Finance Database, a joint project of Wis. Democracy Campaign and
Wis. Citizen Action, funded by the Joyce Foundation. Data were
accessed thru individual names and through donors’ employers listed on
campaign contribution reporting forms.
The campaign finance tables underestimate actual campaign contributions,
because of limitations in reporting requirements and alternative methods
for funding campaigns. All figures included in this document
relating to political contributions should be considered minimal estimates
and the actual monetary contributions and political influence may be much
greater. Specific data limitations include:
1. Small Donors --- Donations of less than $100 were generally
not included, because small donors aren’t required to disclose their employers’
names.
2. Unknowns ---Some donors’ links to the Kohler Company couldn’t
be made, so they weren’t included.
3. Spouses --- Kohler Company executives may have listed
contributions under the spouse’s occupation, which would obscure the Kohler
Company connection.
4. Team Approaches --- Other types of businesses may
team up with Kohler Company leaders, and make large parallel contributions
when mutual interests benefit. These could include banking, finance,
insurance, suppliers, and trucking industries linked with Kohler Co.
5. Parties --- Industry leaders can funnel money through
the funds of political parties to help specific candidates.
6. Independent Money --- The Kohler Company can also
spend large amounts of money for “issue campaigns” which benefit specific
candidates --- but these “independent expenditures” are not identified
in state records as campaign contributions.
For example, in the 1996 state legislative campaign, Wisconsin Manufacturer’s
and Commerce (WMC) spent $413,000 attacking six Democratic candidates.
WMC refused to name the source of the money, but some of the money could
easily have come from companies like Kohler or Vollrath, or Windway Capital.
Ordinarily, it is illegal for corporations to donate money directly to
Wisconsin candidates. All funds are supposed to come from individuals,
parties or PACs and the source of funds must be disclosed. “Issue
campaigns” by WMC are a loophole in those rules.
Other Examples of Kohler Influence --- Terry Kohler also gave $82,500
in 1993-9416 and $145,000 in 1995-9615 election cycles to the national
Republican party organization,and several thousand dollars to specific
congressional races in other states.17 Windway Capitol also
gave $100,000 to support Proposition 209 in California to prohibit affirmative
action programs in public hiring, contracting and education,18 and $10,000
to support Proposition 226 in California for “paycheck protection” which
limits the ability of labor unions to raise funds for campaign contributions.19
The Kohlers also participate in and donate undisclosed amounts of
money to several conservative non-governmental organizations which are
politically active through the Free Congress Foundation20 and the Progress
& Freedom Foundation.16
Natural Resource Accountability Project:
Citizens for a Better
Environment
Clean Water Action Council
Environmentally Concerned Citizens
of Lakeland Areas (ECCOLA)
Northern Thunder
Sierra Club - John
Muir Chapter
The following two groups also support this issue of DNR Watch:
Lakeshore Fishermen’s Club
Wisconsin Fishing Council
