Here in Portage County, WI, there’s a primary election on Feb. 16th 2010 for the County Executive. Of the three candidates, I think Patty Dreier offers the best prospects for a different approach to the problems this county faces. Other candidates are the current County Executive, Mark Maslowski, and County Supervisor Jim Gifford.
In his appeal to voters, Maslowski seems to stress the fact that he’s been the County Exec. for the last four years, and is “proud to have served the people” during that time. Going forward, the big project that seems to appeal to Mr. Maslowski is the building of a new courthouse for Portage County, with the current estimate being $29 million to build it.
Keep in mind: the voters rejected a $72 million referendum to build a new “justice center” (courthouse plus jail) in the County last November. One does get the sense that the County Exec. and the County Board would like to sneak this project past the voters in incremental stages–$30 million here, $20 million there, perhaps another $24 million elsewhere, until we end up with their original goal, the $72 million new “justice center.”
Sustainability activists have noted the lack of any commitment by the County Exec. even to making this new courthouse a truly “green” sustainable building project.
Criminal justice activists may note the lack of commitment to de-criminalizing certain activities, for example, small amounts of marijuana possession. Instead, we have the prison-industrial complex mentality still in full force in Portage County. Marijuana busts are annoyingly routine and highly touted in the press, as the prosecutory system ruins countless lives over activities that should carry no criminal penalties whatsoever, not even a fine.
Unfortunately, Jim Gifford offers, as the reason to vote for him, the fact that he’s been in County government a darn long time. Seventeen committees he’s served on. Experienced. Ready to keep leading the county using the paradigms and thought processes that served us so well 10, 15, or 20 years ago. He also would like the expensive, new edifice constructed for the County Courthouse, again without any (apparent) thought to its green credentials or inclusion in any sustainability plan. At least, that’s not on his website.
In short, I think you’ll find the two men, Gifford and Maslowski, amount to clear votes for what is known as the “old boys’ network.” You know, the guys who know which guys to call when you need things done the good, old-fashioned, back-to-the 90s (or ’80s, or ’70s, or someplace in the wayback machine) Way We’ve Always Done It.
I’ve never heard a peep from Maslowski nor Gifford addressing the need for less fossil fuel reliance, understanding the Peak Oil problem, addressing sustainability, considering the urgent need of the youth for some means of livelihood and sustaining themselves, worrying about the overuse of groundwater by Big Agriculture in our region, thinking about whether it’s really okay to allow the constant urban sprawl that seems to be this county’s signature passion.
In fact, when the Stimulus package was announced last winter, local officials (city, county, state) for the most part fell all over themselves looking for projects to keep the Old Ways going for another decade or two: “shovel-ready” projects, keeping the highways growing, the highway bridges in tip-top shape, more roadwork, more whatever it takes to keep using petroleum-fueled personal automobiles, in disregard of the fact that petroleum-fueled vehicles are fully obsoleted by the approach of the downslope of global peak oil production. Well, you can’t expect imaginative new solutions from gentlemen whose vision is locked in the rear-view mirror of their 450-horse V-8 SUV, can you?
With Patty Dreier, I do get a sense, on the other hand, that she is aware of these issues. You see her at local food group breakfasts. You see her reaching out to younger people, calling meetings that focus on students, and wondering how things can be done in a more sustainable, “green” manner. You actually get the sense that Patty is listening to you, when you raise difficult questions.
There is experience to consider, and Patty’s work in grant-writing for the County, as well as working for the Central Wisc. Environmental Station as Director, and a solid background in biology and natural resources, are key experiences that will serve a County Executive well in going forward into an era when nature matters, more so than the needs of developers and construction firms.
Even further, I get the sense that even if Patty Dreier doesn’t win this election, she’ll still be there at the local food group events, or reaching out to sustainability-oriented people, or mixing it up with students and younger people to sketch out the future that these younger folks are going to have to contend with.
I decided not to run for the County Board again this election cycle, because I wanted to put full efforts into the work of doing community-supported agriculture and marketing the local food idea to the local communities. So, instead, I’m throwing what little weight my words may have behind getting you to first go out and vote in the primary election on Tues. Feb. 16th, 2010. Then, when she secures a spot on the April ballot, go out and vote for her again.
Especially if you’re a student of voting age, I’m urging you to vote. Every year, 9,000 students become part of our County’s population base. In order to maintain the good old status quo, Way We’ve Always Done Things, our local elected officials count on minimizing or just ignoring the issues, needs, and contributions of college, technical school, and recent high school graduates. I think with Patty Dreier’s campaign, you’ve got at least a shot at having those issues, needs, and contributions acknowledged.
I’m Bobby G, and I wrote this blog independently of any campaign, and I’ll take the flak for whatever I just said that might irritate some folks.
Bobby G.