A Letter to the Editor,

For nearly 30 years, the Wisconsin Public Intervenors Office was an important part of the checks and balances we taxpayers needed to keep our government honest and working.  The office protected public rights in the natural resources of our state, and though it had only a small staff (two attorneys and 1.5 secretaries) it was very effective in helping Wisconsin citizens with complex environmental problems, and exposing agency weaknesses and government mistakes.

In 1995, when the Office was eliminated, the Intervenors were leading a statewide effort to expose the gross budget imbalances in the state’s Transportation Department, where expensive highway expansions were planned while existing road maintenance, rail services and mass transit were being cut.  The economic and social damage from this transportation bias is as bad as the serious environmental impacts.

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection promotes pesticide and chemical usage at our farms and homes.  The Intervenors exposed the Department’s weakness in preventing widespread pesticide contamination of drinking water around the state.   he Intervenors had pressed for reduced chemical usage and sustainable farming practices which benefit farmers while protecting public health, but now they’re gone.

The Intervenors were watchdogging the Crandon Mine proposal at the headwaters of the Wolf River.  They brought in 3 world-class experts to examine company plans and provide technical testimony on potential wetland losses, groundwater losses, drinking water contamination, and other serious impacts --- but we lost all their services when the Intervenors were eliminated.  Wisconsin residents need the Intervenors now more than ever, to balance the political power of corporate giants like Rio Algom.

In 1995, Governor Thompson and Republicans in the legislature abolished this small office of government, claiming it saved taxpayers money.  Yet, the Intervenors Office saved taxpayers money by exposing and preventing costly government mistakes.  The Intervenors Office also prevented expensive environmental liabilities in the future.  Please contact your legislators and tell them to bring the Intervenors back.
 
 

For the People’s Forum,

When I voted for Governor Thompson, I wanted him to eliminate government waste and trim spending.  I did not want him to destroy important government functions like the Wisconsin Public Intervenor Office, as happened in 1995.

Since 1967, the Intervenors fought to protect our natural resources, so we could breathe clean air and drink clean water.  They helped our state maintain its high standard of living, providing all the wildlife, beauty and natural recreation areas that we take for granted.  In this modern age, Wisconsin is still a sportsman’s paradise with abundant fish and game.  We need to keep it that way.  That’s why the Intervenors Office was created to protect public rights in Wisconsin’s natural resources.

The Intervenors Office was not a bloated, wasteful bureaucracy.  Their services weren’t duplicated by any other agency.  They had only two attorneys who provided excellent public service for their wages.  The Intervenors should have been a model for other government functions.  They were efficient, effective, and directly served important needs of Wisconsin citizens.  They helped thousands of state residents with environmental problems each year.

I’m very disappointed that our governor and legislature eliminated them.  It was a mistake and it needs to be corrected.  Please restore the Wisconsin Public Intervenor Office.
 
 

For the Opinion Page,

Hunters and fishermen support strong protection of natural resources in Wisconsin.  For decades, we’ve provided the bulk of funding for wildlife and habitat management by the Wisconsin DNR, through our fishing and hunting fees.

Back in 1967, many of us were alarmed when the governor and legislature proposed to merge two government agencies to form the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  The Commission wanted to put the Department of Resource Development into the same agency as the Conservation Department, which we felt was a direct contradiction of purpose.  How could an agency charged with promoting resource development and extraction also protect wildlife and habitat, and environmental quality at the same time?  We felt that environmental protection would lose out because of the political power of the developers.  Because of this, hunters and fishermen all across the state protested to the legislature and held large rallies outside the Capitol building.

To address our concerns, the legislature created an independent Office of the Public Intervenor in the Department of Justice, with the specific duty to watchdog the new combined Department of Natural Resources and to protect public rights in water and other natural resources.

That was almost 30 years ago, yet we still need the Public Intervenor to curb the excesses of the DNR and ensure that public rights are recognized.  Unfortunately, in 1995 most legislators were unaware of the promises made back then, and they followed the Governor’s recommendation to eliminate the Office of the Public Intervenor.

Hunters and fishermen need to remind the legislature of its promises, and to protest again if necessary to restore the Public Intervenors.  Our natural resources need protection.