A student–run publication
September 2015
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CONTENTS Fox Times | SEPTEMBER 2015 2 3 5 6 8 10 15 16 17 18 22 26 28 34
From the Editor Letters to the Editor Ask Foxy Cheers and Jeers People Every Student should meet & know Club Spotlight Faces of FVTC My Fitness Journey Random Questions Interior Design Show Burial Chamber Tucker’s Take Exotic and Exploited Wind turbines at center of bat protection rules
37 Drafting notes silent on author of open records overhaul 38 Two Companies fail after getting $1.4 million from Gov. Walker’s jobs agency 42 Scott Walker’s office ‘obstructed’ probe of missing veterans funds, investigators allege 44 Gov. Scott Walker’s science cuts may hinder efforts to halt walleye decline 47 Gov. Scott Walker backs away from changes to open records law but is mum on his role 49 Comics by Phil Hands
Advisor Shannon Gerke Corrigan gerkecor@fvtc.edu Fox Times Staff Members Rich Weber – Editor In Chief William Miller – Layout & Design Contributors
Editor
Sadie Enders
Dee J. Hall
Panar Vang
Abigail Becker
Tucker Jahnke
Tara Golshan
Haley Henschel
Kate Golden
Ron Seely
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F rom The Edit or
Welcome to the 2015-2016 academic year Fox Valley Technical College students! To those of you that are new, it isn’t as scary as it may appear. To those of us returning, welcome back to the terror dome! Mwah ha ha ha! Seriously though, welcome one and all to the friendly confines of FVTC. The education journey begins with a single step and continues daily. Keep plugging away and you will find yourself on stage receiving your degree.
The Involvement Fair is Wednesday, September 9th in the Commons and Student Success Center. Unfortunately I cannot attend and meet you all as I must attend the Wisconsin Technical College System meeting in Racine. Get involved and join an organization on campus or experience some of the volunteer opportunities that exist in the valley! Elections for Student Government will be on Monday and Tuesday, September 28 & 29. If you desire to run for office, let Shannon Gerke Corrigan know at gerkecor@fvtc.edu. *Psst* I’m running for President, don’t forget to vote for me! ;) There have been some changes here at the Fox Times. We made the decision to move away from the printed version of the paper as it is too expensive. Only 200 copies will be printed of this issue and scattered about the regional centers and main campus. Following months will see that number dwindle further, hopefully with us being entirely digital by May 2016. We are on Issuu, which is a digital magazine rack that allows us to integrate interactivity into the paper. Being digital permits us to be in color as well! Printing, and especially in color is prohibitively expensive and destroys my meager budget. Links will be clickable for polls, surveys, and questions. Issuu is mobile friendly, adapting to your screen size for an enjoyable reading experience. It is also shareable, so please do so. The more people that see it the better! Issuu.com/foxtimes is the link to the main Fox Times profile. You can view some of the archives up there as well. We are also beginning to do video and webcam interviews with people from all walks of life. These videos can be found on the Fox Times Facebook page, and on the Fox Times YouTube channel. If you are interested in participating or contributing to this new venture, let me know. fvtcfoxtimes@gmail.com There is also a feature making a return, “Faces of FVTC” will be a photographic journaling of students throughout each month. Don’t be surprised if someone with a camera asks you to strike a pose.
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There are a number of big things going on this year with several student organizations. Student Government Association, the Fox Times, and Phi Theta Kappa are joining together to raise awareness in the community and on campus of Domestic Violence. All student organizations are invited to participate, as well as students that haven’t found an organization just yet. More details will be coming in future months. The cover this issue is of three international students that graduated and have gone home. We chose this cover as a means of conveying what you as a student can accomplish when you get involved. Each one of the ladies were involved with multiple student organizations, met frequently with Student Government, and made the absolute most of their college time. http://issuu.com/foxtimes/docs/summer_ft_inside/26 Follow the link to the article in the Summer issue discussing the Student Government Awards Gala and all of the student organizations that took home awards. It was a fantastic evening, and a great cap to an awesome school year. There is an article from WisWatch this month on exotic pets, and Cecil the lion is still in the news. I thought about writing a piece on Cecil and big game hunting, and I actually did write it. It wasn’t print worthy, mainly because my satirical tendencies shined too brightly within the article. The gist of the article was this. In my opinion, big game hunting is nothing more than men compensating. Same with giant jacked up 4 x 4’s, sports cars, and other such things, the guy is traditionally compensating for a lack of, well, you get the picture. If thinking that consuming tiger testicles/rhino horn makes you a more virile lover, I’m sorry, I got nothing for you. To me, a more manly pursuit is to photograph these animals in the wild, you get the thrill of the chase and the animal continues to live. If the lions, elephants, tigers, rhinos, et al were being killed to feed people, or because they were killing people, then I would have no problem with it. Since they are not threatening people, and in fact most of these killings are done from helicopters with scoped rifles, it just isn’t fair. You want to kill big game for sport? Then here is the way you do it. This, this will make you a man. You, a knife, and the animal. You, and only you track the animal, hunt the animal, then you have to battle the animal with only a knife and your wits. That to me is a fair fight. If the animal eats you, well, you didn’t belong there anyway. If you best the animal, then you can claim to be a “real man”. Enjoy this issue, relax and let’s make this the best year in FVTC’s storied history! Have a great semester, Rich
Letters to the Editor
Where are your letters? Tuesday, September 29th 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. Public Safety Training Center
Rise Together Thursday, September 24th 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. Oshkosh, Riverside
Fox Times is looking for photographers willing to take random pictures, attend sports events, and attend school events. Email foxtimes@fvtc.edu if interested!
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Dear Foxy,
Dear Foxy,
What advice does Foxy have for all the new students this year?
What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?
— Brenda W Hi Brenda, Great question! Advice for new students? Hmm. I got it. Be involved. Simple. Join a student organization, volunteer in the community, attend a Student Government meeting. The more involved a student is, the higher the likelihood of that student graduating. Best advice I can give. Dear Foxy, I am a new student and am wondering how many clubs FVTC has. How do you join a club? — Alicia M Welcome Alicia! There are currently 50+ student organizations here at Fox Valley Tech. In order to join you can stop into Student Life and speak to Shannon Gerke Corrigan or Luke Leitner. Or you could attend the Involvement Fair on September 9th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Appleton Commons and chat with each of the clubs and decide which one suits you best from there. Dear Foxy, When does the fitness center open up again? I have been dying to get my pump on all summer! — Lift Things Up and Put Them Down Hey Lift, Well, it is now called the Wellness Center, and Wellness Coordinator Brandy Hankey is your contact. The fully renovated center with all brand new equipment will open at 7 a.m. on Monday, August 31st. I am hyped as well, without the center open my fur has gone a little slack this summer.
— Perplexed Hi Perplexed, Well, that is indeed a good question. According to my friend Wikipedia, “The history of the rubber duck is linked to the emergence of rubber manufacturing in the late 19th century. The earliest rubber ducks were made from harder rubber. Sculptor Peter Ganine created a sculpture of a duck in the 1940s, then patented it and reproduced it as a floating toy, of which over 50,000,000 were sold. Jim Henson popularized rubber ducks in 1970, performing the songs “Rubber Duckie” and “DUCKIE” as Ernie, a popular Muppet from Sesame Street. Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. On a special occasion, Little Richard performed the song.” There you have it, if Sesame Street says it’s cool, then it is cool by Foxy. Hey Foxy... I’d like to inquire about the clocks at FVTC; especially the ones in the commons. They are all about 5 minutes behind real-time. If I follow these clocks I’m going to be late for my classes. Does FVTC condone tardiness? -I Don’t Feel Tardy Hi Tardy, Well that is interesting. I never noticed that. I wonder now if they do. I will have to do some investigating and I will report back next month!
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Cheers for the beginning of the NFL season! Cheers for the start of the school year! Cheers to Ronda Rousey for being awesome! Cheers to Geno Smith’s jaw… Now the Jets might win a game. Cheers to love being love, and ALL Americans being able to legally marry who they love without arbitrary restrictions. Jeers to Floyd Mayweather, for my goodness, I don’t have room to put all of the reasons. Jeers to the 97 people running for President on the Republican side. Talk about a race to the bottom. Jeers to the Wisconsin Legislature and Scott Walker for trying to gut the open records law to hide their malfeasance. Jeers to science deniers. Whether it is the moon landing, climate change, the holocaust. Or what have you. Three jeers to you deniers, three jeers.
If you wish to submit a cheer or jeer, send an email to fvtcfoxtimes@gmail.com with cheers and jeers in the subject line.
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Learn Locally, Act Globally Connect to the World with Global Education International Student Welcome! Meet students from Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and more. Join us Tuesday, August 25, at Noon in the Culinary Atrium, to meet new students and develop a friendship that will take you around the world!
Join the International Exchange Club!
Develop Skills Hiring Managers Want!
Want to Earn Credit While Traveling Abroad? Travel to places such as Ireland, Jamaica, Central America, Spain and more. The rewards are endless. www.fvtc.edu/Studyabroad
Bolster Your Resume & Credentials Earn Elective Credits! Take one or more of our 12 world language classes: Arabic Italian (also online) Portuguese
French (also online) Japanese Russian
German (also online) Mandarin Chinese Spanish (also online)
Hmong Polish Intensive English (also online)
Earn a Certificate: Spanish, Spanish Healthcare, Global Business, and TESL. Earn a TESL Certificate. Develop teaching methods and techniques for non-native English speaking students. Teach Abroad or volunteer in the USA. Learn more at www.fvtc.edu/TESL. NEW! Global Specialty Track: Available as an emphasis to the Business Management Program.
www.fvtc.edu/Global Contact us: Globaled@fvtc.edu | 920-735-4810 | G130 Follow us on Twitter: @FVTCGlobalEd
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By Rich Weber
I was scared my first week or two back after a twenty year break from school. I was lucky, recently retired Director of Student Life Vicky (Barke) Weiland, Manager of Student Life Shannon Gerke Corrigan, and recently retired Counselor Sandi Moore were there and available for me to express my fears about school, and help me be comfortable and involved at FVTC. Without their assistance I might not still be a student. Luckily, I asked for help and they were more than happy to. There are many services and benefits provided by Fox Valley Technical College through the use of student fees, and paid for by the college. I have heard a number of students mentioning they don’t know where to go or who to speak with about a variety of issues. Fear not, my friends, I am providing a beginning list of some great people to speak with and some of the services they provide. I have said this repeatedly, and I will say it again. The college wants you to succeed, and have provided students with these go-to people to help in any way they can. Unfortunately, they cannot read minds, and you, the student, need to raise your hand and ask for help. If I, a super manly tough guy… can ask for help, you can too. There are more people to meet and know, but to me, these are the people every student should start with. Here is the list. Wolfgang Wollschlaege – Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse Counselor He is available in the Counseling and Advising Center, down the hall from Entrance 10. Private and confidential meetings with Wolfgang are helpful to many people. Test anxiety, stress management, addiction, and smoking cessation along with other issues Wolfgang can assist with. All free of charge to current FVTC students. Room E121 Phone (920) 735-5696
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Diane Drew – Certified Consumer Credit Counselor Empowering students with their personal finances to achieve their educational goals. Were you aware that finances are the leading cause of students not completing their education? Diane is available to assist you in finding a way to make things better, free of charge. She is here to educate people on their financial options so they can make good, sound decisions. Knowledge is power, and that is where empowerment comes from. Diane is here at the college through FISC. Diane is available in the Counseling and Advising Center, down the hall from Entrance 10. Room E121, Phone (920) 735-5696 Rayon Brown – Manager, Multicultural Student Services Multicultural Student Services is committed to planning, developing and implementing services, and interventions that foster the learning and personal development of the various students served. Rayon and his team promote a strong campus sense of community and assist students in building essential skills for independent critical thinking and self-determination through, in, and out of classroom experiences. Through collaborative efforts with college and community partners, they provide educational efforts to promote multicultural sensitivity, awareness, competency, and understanding. Students from all backgrounds are welcome, stop by and let them know the Fox Times sent you! Room E120, Phone (920) 735-4706
People Every Student Should Meet and Know continued... John Rank – Oshkosh/Athletic Director/OSB Advisor At the Oshkosh Riverside Campus John serves as the Student Life Coordinator for AMTC and Spanbauer. He is the advisor to the Oshkosh Student Board (OSB). He coadvises the FVTC delegation to the Wisconsin Student Government (WSG) sessions throughout the year, as well as co-advising the FVTC delegation to the regional NACA conference. John is available in Oshkosh and is in charge of all FVTC athletics. Men’s and Women’s Basketball and is always looking for the next basketball all-star, give John a call and he will help you out. Room 135C, Phone (920) 236-6171 Jayme Bowman – Manager of Security Services You know, those guys and gals patrolling the parking lots and hallways wearing the red shirts. Better known as Security Interns, your safety is their number one priority. Manager of Security Services, Jayme Bowman and her staff have many ways to assist you. If you have questions, concerns, or simply don’t feel safe, do contact them. Room E162, near Entrance 6. Non-Emergency Phone (920) 735-5691 Shannon Gerke Corrigan – Manager of Student Life/Advisor for the Fox Times, Student Government Association (SGA), and Volunteer Council Shannon, Penny, Lori, John, Kim, and Luke along with the front desk staff highlight the involvement parts of college life. If you wish to participate in Student Government, start here. Same with any clubs and organizations. Student Life is a place to relax and wind down. Student Life engages students through opportunities for development, which supplement the academic mission of Fox Valley Technical College, to create a complete college experience and maintain a diverse student community. Organizing many kinds of trips, from Brewers, Packers, PAC Center, Badgers Bus Trips, to selling discounted tickets to students, Student Life is the central hub for students on
campus. Pool tables, ping pong, foosball, Wii Tournaments, and oh, so much more. Stop in and say hi, make sure to let the staff know the Fox Times sent you. Room E137, Phone (920) 735-2545 Luke Leitner – Appleton Anyone interested in SAC should also contact Luke. SAC meets Tuesdays or Thursdays in G113E at 11:30am. Luke coordinates the Wisconsin Technical College System Ambassador Program for the college. He also acts as a liaison for Student Employment Services (referring students to services available to them). Room E137, Phone (920) 7352500 Tony Duff – Manager of Student Conduct Tony is the new Manager of Student Conduct, and is the person a student will meet with if they happen to run afoul of the FVTC Code of Conduct. Tony has been with the college for five years, and you will see him walking the halls periodically during the day. His office is now located in Counseling & Advising. Tell him howdy and let him know the Fox Times sent you! Room E121, Phone (920) 225-5913 Brandy Hankey – Wellness Coordinator Brandy is the Wellness Coordinator in our brand new Wellness (Fitness) Center. From group exercise classes, yoga, cardio-kickboxing, 10 minute targeted workouts, Brandy is there to “pump you up”! Stop in and say hi, her hours vary Monday through Friday. Room E170, Phone (920) 9962884 Each one of these people is here to help you succeed in your education travels. The responsibility to ask for help is up to you. They won’t know you need assistance or have questions if you don’t ask. I know from experience that asking is sometimes hard, if I can do it… and now you know who to ask.
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Addiction Awareness and Prevention Club (AA&P Club) Written by Sadie Enders — The Club Formerly Known As AODA
Commonly mistaken for an on campus Alcoholics Anonymous group, the club previously called Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counseling Club has taken on a new name in hopes of reflecting the true purpose behind its work.
FVTC’S ADDICTION AWARENESS AND PREVENTION Club Presents: the 6th annual
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL The evening will include: two guest speakers whose lives have been greatly impacted by addiction & a candlelight vigil. Information on local treatment facilities & refreshments will be available.
The Addiction Join us in honoring those who have lost their lives to addiction, those Awareness and still struggling with it, & to celebrate those who have found recovery! Prevention Club is a small, diverse group Saturday, September 19th, 2015 of students coming together for a common 7 P.M. - 9 P.M. goal: to shed a light on the addictions epidemic DJ Bordini Center and spread awareness 5 Systems Drive, Appleton both on campus and in our community. The club provides leadership opportunities, valuable career networking, Partnering with the Fox Valley Substance Abuse Coalition, and social interaction for students not only in the AODA the AA&P Club is working hard to make the Day 4 Hope program, but for all of Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC.) a success! On October 8th from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at Liberty • The club has made accomplishments such as: • Participated in a 5k Walk for Suicide Awareness. • Round Table Discussion: Heroin’s Impact on Our Community • Packaged holiday gifts for clients in inpatient treatment facilities. • Candlelight Vigil. • Family Night Out Fund-raiser at Badger Sports Park. • Hosted a resource table at the Recovery and Addiction Awareness Educational Series. Upcoming Events: September is recovery month! The AA&P Club will be hosting its 6th annual Candlelight Vigil on September 19th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the DJ Bordini Center. The event follows the stories of two guest speakers and how their lives have been greatly impacted by addiction. Candles are lit in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to drugs and alcohol, those still battling with their use, and to celebrate those who have found recovery! This is a FREE event. Refreshments and information on local treatment facilities will be available.
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Hall, the Day 4 Hope will feature a series of educational workshops with AODA related topics. Presenters will represent multiple areas including: prevention professionals, law enforcement, medical staff, family members with addictions backgrounds, and many more! The night will also include music and national keynote speaker and former NBA player, Chris Herren! Getting Involved: Follow us on Facebook at ‘Fox Valley Technical College Addiction Awareness and Prevention Club’ for more information including: how you can get involved and join our e-mail list, meeting dates/times, plus all of our upcoming events!
DID YOU KNOW? In 2012, more than 9 million people between the ages of 12 and 20 reported drinking alcohol in the preceding month. That accounts for almost 25% of people between these ages! This fact was brought to you be SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Oshkosh FVTC Campus Events 2015 - 2016
September 1st Come and enjoy FREE coffee, juice, and donuts! 7:30 a.m. @ AMTC & Spanbauer Caricature Artist 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus FREE caricature drawings for FVTC students September 2nd Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Commons September 3rd Student Leadership in Civic Engagement (S.L.I.C.E.) 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Student Resource Center Enjoy pizza while developing your leadership skills! September 9th Oshkosh Involvement Day 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus September 15th PIZZA NIGHT! 5:30 p.m. @ Oshkosh AMTC Come on down and enjoy FREE pizza on us! September 16th Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus PIZZA NIGHT! 5:30 p.m. @ Spanbauer Come on down and enjoy FREE pizza! September 23rd Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus September 24th Rise Together 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Room 133 Learn about the dangers of heroin and other drug addictions.
October 8th Coffee, Juice, and Donuts 7:30 a.m. @ AMTC and Spanbauer Enjoy FREE coffee, juice, and donuts to start off your day! October 13th Karaoke Slam 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Commons Come sing your heart out! October 14th Student Leadership in Civic Engagement (S.L.I.C.E.) 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Student Resource Center Enjoy pizza while developing your leadership skills! October 15th Homeless Awareness Event 5:30 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Room 133 October 20th PIZZA NIGHT! 5:30 p.m. @ AMTC Come on down and enjoy FREE pizza! October 21st Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus PIZZA NIGHT! 5:30 p.m. @ Spanbauer Come on down and enjoy FREE pizza! October 28th Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus Speaker: Retired Colonel Rich Graham 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. @ Spanbauer Aviation Center Room 104 Tune in as he speaks about his adventures as a pilot of the famed SR-71 Blackbird.
September 30th Employment Seminar 9:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Room 133 Discover more about your future employment opportunities! Oshkosh Student Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. @ Oshkosh Riverside Campus
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Culinary Club Richard Evers, President of the Culinary Club. I am 50 years old. Father of 4 and 2 grand kids. I grew up in Chicago. I will be starting my 6th semester this fall. I work full time at the front desk of the Holiday Inn Appleton. I am also in charge of the spices that are sold for scholarships for the culinary students. I was teaching 11 – 14 year olds over the summer in the bake shop for two weeks. (One of the most funnest things I have ever done!!!!) I am also an ambassador for FVTC.
Shelly Platten, the culinary representative for the Culinary Club, is a 2nd semester culinary arts major. She lives in Neenah, has two adult children, and teaches cooking classes at the Wire Whisk. Belonging to the Culinary Club is a fabulous opportunity to network, meet successful people in the industry and enhance your educational experience for FREE. Always a fun and entertaining time with your fellow foodies...come join us!
Allyson Kitowski, 19. I’m a second year student and the current Vice President of our Culinary Club. I chose this field because I love the adrenaline rush you get from moving at a fast pace and making sure every plate is perfect! I’m from Vesper, Wisconsin where my family owns a farm so Appleton was a big change for me but I’m learning. This year I hope to be a strong leader for our club and committed making each meeting a fun learning experience. I hope my outgoing and talkative nature will allow our members to bring their suggestions to me so they feel they have a voice in club!
Name is Allyson Kraft 2nd year student double major. Help out for Culinary club events Internship at Oshkosh Convention Center Works at Connections Café
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My name is Kurtis Konrad and I am a first year student majoring in Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management. I am the Hospitality Rep and am looking forward to this upcoming school year. Over the summer I was interning at Krystal Kleer Ice Sculptures.
Hmong Student Union (HSU) by Panar Vang
Hmong Student Union (HSU) is in session for 2015-2016. HSU has already begun to gather information and ideas for this coming school year. We look forward to a year full of events dedicated towards leadership and education. As we have had our first official board meeting this summer, we would like to introduce the new HSU Board Members. Mai Yang, President Panar Vang, Vice President Bruce Xiong, Treasurer Lao Xiong, Public Relations Personnel Secretary—to be determined Social Media Representative—to be determined This past year, we have exceed our expectations with successful events in collaboration with International
Exchange Club. In April Asian Heritage Month and Hmong National Conference provided great leadership, network, and social skills. In May we held a Leadership Camping Trip to Gardener Dam Boy Scout Camp. There we learned to work together as a team to be successful in events such as wall climbing, mountain biking, leadership group activities and preparation of meals for the club. This year we plan to incorporate study groups held by HSU. These study groups are organized to assist and encourage students to be successful in their education. As volunteering opportunities are arising, we hope to reach a goal of 150 hours this year. In continuation, we anticipate the completion of club t-shirts, along with organizing fund-raising events, and social interaction of the members themselves.
Student Veterans Pizza Sale
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Faces of FVTC FACEBOOK.COM/FVTCFOXTIMES | 15
My Fitness Journey by Rich Weber
Let’s take a trip in the flashback machine and travel to December 2005. I had just left my position as a Certified Training Manager for Family Dollar, due to the toll of working 100+ hours a week for over a year without a day off. My family, doctor, and even I felt that I had earned myself a holiday season off. Exhaustion had taken full effect; mind, body, and soul. I slept like the dead for the first three weeks I was off. It would surprise me if I had been awake for more than 4 or 5 hours a day during that time. Slowly I regained some semblance of normalcy as Christmas 2005 reared its head. Then it happened. A string of health scares happened over the next two years. I injured my back pretty badly, discovered the joys of panic attacks, and developed allergies then asthma as a result. On top of that I began the annoying habit of knocking myself unconscious on random solid objects, having 8 concussions over the next 3 years. The last one in 2012 took me 6 months to recover from. During that time I gained a lot of weight. A LOT of weight. When I left Family Dollar I was a buff 215 lbs. Picture a buff Chris Pratt, and that was me. Yes, I had hair then too. Now? I am a lean 396 lbs. and I look like I ate Chris Pratt. Over the years I have made my excuses, we all do; I’ll go back into the gym tomorrow, just one more 12 pack of tacos, did I really just eat 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies, stuff like that. I have had more false starts to being healthy than the Packers O-line. Family, friends, co-workers, doctors have all told me to get my weight under control. I keep saying that I will do it, I am listening, and no I won’t eat a whole pan of brownies again. They are nothing but encouraging, supportive, and wish for me to be healthy and live a long life. Honestly, none of it struck home, until now. My daughter is going to be 9 years old. A few days ago she walked up to me as I was finishing up the last of the chocolate cake (it looked lonely) and told me that her and I needed to talk in a very serious voice. Assuming the worst I told her of course and we sat down to chat, thinking that
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someone had been mean to her or something like that. It was much worse. My 9 year old princess told me that it hurt her heart that I wasn’t taking care of myself. That she had learned in school all about good foods and not good foods, and not eating properly can make you sick and get all kinds of diseases. She then gave me some pages she had printed off of the computer. Looking at these pages my eyes started to well up. Want to know what my little girl gave me? A story she had written about a little girl whose Daddy had died because he liked cake too much, and how the little girl was all alone because her Daddy liked cake more than he liked the little girl. Wow. Talk about powerful stuff. Yes I cried. Who wouldn’t? I would move heaven and earth for my daughter, and for her to feel like that just crushed me. She told me she didn’t want me to die because of cake and that she would go on walks with me if I needed her help. She also told me that she didn’t want any candy or cake in the house anymore, only fruits and vegetables, so everyone in the family can be healthy. We had a very long talk, and included my wife in the talk. (She had no idea my daughter was doing this) I can and have broken promises to myself and other people. Those reasons just were not strong enough for me to carry through to the end. I will never break a promise to my baby. She said I didn’t have to promise, but I did, right then and there, to break this awful cycle I have been on for 10 years. By the time I graduate in May 2016, I will be well on my way to being healthier and in shape. I have a plan, and I will be one of the first people in the freshly renovated Wellness Center. I don’t exactly know the schedule for my workouts just yet, when I do I will post them here or on the Fox Times Facebook page. I invite and encourage anyone and everyone to join me in the Wellness Center and let’s undertake this journey together. One step at a time, one rep at a time, we will do it. I will do it no matter what. I have a promise to keep.
Random Questions by Rick Weber
A new feature I am adding is asking random students a weekly question. I, or another Fox Times staffer will ask these questions to students throughout the month, take your photo and name unless you choose to be anonymous and post your responses. Here are the questions I asked over the summer. If you wish to answer any of these questions, click the link and respond in the Google Doc. Your responses will be published in a subsequent issue. http://goo.gl/forms/B4izMQlWgl 1. If you were guaranteed the answer to one question, what would it be? • What is the winning jackpot number? • Will my kids grow up ok? • Why does there have to be death. • This one • What should I invest in to secure my retirement and future for my child? • Will I be successful? • Do you love your family? 2. If you were granted three wishes, what would you do with the second wish? • Have the lifestyle with enough money to live comfortably and travel. • More Wishes • I would wish for the world to be a peaceful, happy place with no more war or disease or poverty. • Wishing that I could wish for more wishes • Share it with someone that needed it more than I did. • I would wish for happiness. • World Peace
4. When was the last time you apologized? 11 answers — 100% in last week • In the past week • In the past month • In the past year • Never Here are the questions for October. Go here http://goo.gl/forms/AuuYCnIwMa To answer them!
1. In a zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice? • Crossbow • Machete • Gun • Sword • Other 2. Would you rather die saving 10,000 strangers from death knowing no one would ever know it was you or live knowing everyone would know you decided not to save 10,000 people’s lives? 3. Would you rather have your S/O look through all of your text/chat/email history or your employer? 4. You are given the opportunity to become a vampire. The catch is that you can never change anything about yourself, you will always look the same. Would you do it? • Yes — I’m a vampire! • No — I need a few weeks/months to get in fighting shape. • Other
3. Which of your five senses would you keep if you could only keep one? • Sight • My common sense • Touch. • My sight • I would keep my sense of sight. • Sight. • Sight.
Fox Times is looking for photographers willing to take random pictures, attend sports events, and attend school events. Email foxtimes@fvtc.edu if interested!
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Interior Design Show
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An FVTC and Goodwill/FISC Partnership
Want financial
peace of mind? Discover options to make your money go further! Many responsible students go through financial challenges. We can help you make informed decisions and take control of your finances. It’s confidential and free. Get assistance with: • budgeting • using credit wisely • managing debt • credit reports We offer a variety of services to meet the individual needs of each student. Options include one-on-one counseling and regularly scheduled group workshops. Feel free to call or stop by Room E121 at FVTC’s Appleton Campus if you have a question or would like to schedule an appointment. Located at: Fox Valley Technical College Counseling Services — Room E121 1825 N. Bluemound Drive, Appleton (920) 735-4855 Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Friday
www.fvtc.edu/financialwellness
The Workshops: “Build and Keep a Good Credit Score” Your credit score affects your interest rate on loans, your insurance premiums, and even your ability to secure some jobs. This workshop takes the mystery out of credit scores. “Planning for Financial Freedom” A budget is a proven way to help you gain control over money, manage debt, and meet monthly expenses. This workshop explains how to build a practical budget that really works. “Credit Tricks and Traps” Used wisely, credit can help us live richer lives. But if we overuse credit, debt can build up and feel unmanageable. This workshop explains, how to make credit work for you, avoid credit traps, and reduce debt. To register, call (920) 735-4855 or stop in Counseling Services.
The FISC Counselor helps you:
• Understand financial options open to you • Reduce financial stress • Develoop a plan to make the most of your money • Manage debt and use credit wisely
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Supported by a grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
FACEBOOK.COM/FVTCFOXTIMES | 21
By Rich Weber
Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins along with vampires. Horror movies, books, and kids in costumes trick or treating. The feel of the autumn air, crispness of the leaves and the sounds of the horseman on the wind. I love haunted houses, I dislike horror movies, but absolutely love haunted houses. I have been to quite a few of them, and there is a clear favorite. Yes, you guessed it! Burial Chamber has been scaring people and doing it better than everyone else in the valley since 2001. Matt Mars, the man behind the madness has been haunting the populace since 1993 when he formed Mars Haunted House in Milwaukee, WI, which is still running today. I was fortunate to get a few minutes of his time recently for a chat regarding the upcoming season and what we can look forward to in the future. Fox Times — How long does it take to get things ready for the next season? Matt — I usually begin thinking and re-imagining the houses in January, but this year I will start in November. There are always changes and improvements that can be made to enhance the user experience. The houses stay up permanently, and I am constantly tweaking things to provide a new experience each time. FT — So far I have been to chicken to do the Burial Simulator, how popular is it? Matt — It is a very popular attraction for us, in fact I am looking to expand it next year. I planned on getting that done this year but time ran out. An even bigger and better ride than we have now. No worries, it isn’t for everyone.
• 2 Free Drinks in Duffy’s Pub • Welcome Snack • Free large Pizza All for just $159 at the Comfort Suites in Appleton. It is one heck of a deal, and many people take advantage of it. * On October 18th the package is $199 for 2 people. FT — What do you like best about this location? Matt — I love the whole place. The building is perfect, has plenty of room for continuing expansion and has the right ambience. The woods is large enough to have Phobia in it, with room for more. The only thing I would change if I could is the parking. I would love to have more parking, definitely something to focus on in the future. FT — When do you open up for the season? Matt — Our first night is September 26th. (Rich — I have included the schedule.) FT — It takes quite a few people to put on the attractions that you have. How many actors/ actresses do you have, and do you see much turnover in your staff? Matt — It does take a lot of people to make a great haunted house experience. We have around 90-100 actors/actresses and we keep the vast majority of them from year to year. It is a great experience for them 17 nights a year, and they keep coming back for more. I think my longest term haunter has been with us for 8 or 9 years now, maybe even longer.
FT — What is your best package?
FT — Thank you very much Matt for taking the time to speak with me. I appreciate it a great deal.
Matt — The “Spend the Night” package.
Matt — My pleasure, thank you for thinking of us.
• 2 QuickPass passes to all open haunted houses for that evening • One Night Stay in a Traditional Suite • Free shuttle to and from the haunts. Limited to 11 people every 30 minutes, sign up in advance.
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I am looking forward to seeing the changes they have rolled out for this year, will I see you there?
Wednesday, September 2nd 11:30 am — 12:30 pm Room A170, Appleton Campus
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17 th Annual
Halloween Costume Party Benefiting Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin - Fox Valley
Children’s
Friday, Oct 30, 2015 WAVERLY BEACH N8770 Firelane 1, Menasha
Hospital of Wisconsin
Kids deserve the best.
7pm - 1am Doors open at 6:30pm First band starts at 7pm featuring Vic Ferrari 1st, 2nd, 3rd place costume prizes
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We’re on a Mission to...
Save Members $40 Million!
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Pat at Community First’s FVTC branch is here to help students and staff find financial stability by refinancing high rate credit cards, car and home loans from other financials to better loans with Community First. We’re on a mission to help you save! Just stop by our Appleton Campus branch at Entrance 10 today to see how we can save you on your car loan, home loan and even credit cards!
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Visit our full service branch on FVTC Appleton campus at Entrance 10 Convenient on-campus location open 48 hours every week. Mon-Thurs 8:00 am - 6:00 pm • Fri 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Pat Schilcher
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Tucker’s Take
Longest Game in Miller Park History by Tucker Jahnke
Wussup readers? Tuck here again, talking to you about the May 31 trip to see the Milwaukee Brewers! I sure got my money’s worth on this one as I was in for a game! The 1st pitch was at 1:10 PM and the game did not end until nearly 5 hours later! The Brewers had fallen behind 4-0 halfway through the regulation 9 innings before starting a serious comeback and tying the game 6-6 at the bottom of the 8th inning. However, the rest of the game we sure got a surprise! When the 9th inning ended at 6-6, it went into what I call “extra innings”. I knew at this point whichever team scores 1st, wins the game. So all of us had been hoping the Brewers were going to get it and they got some VERY lucky breaks that kept the Diamondbacks (their opponent) from winning, even to the point where whenever the D-backs were up, a lot of us were holding our breaths hoping they would not win. Both
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teams fought to the bottom of the 17th inning with neither team willing to lose. (Especially with the kind of year the Brewers have been having!) The extra innings went on and on after regulation with the D-backs having better luck at hits than the Brewers. But when the Brewers scored a single home run at the bottom of the 17th inning, they won the game 7-6. I also remember screaming after such a game “BREWERS WIN!!!” We were a part of history too, this game is the longest one in Miller Park history! The longest game in Brewers franchise history was in 1984 when they beat the White Sox after 25 innings! I’ve been to a number of Brewers games (I lost track of how many I have been to) and I hadn’t ever seen one like this one! This game will stick with me for a very long time indeed! Lastly, if you had attended the game, you would have gotten a free Bud Selig collectable bobblehead. GO FOXES AND GO BREWERS!!!!
Tucker Takes California by Tucker Jahnke
Sup FVTC?! Tuck here! This time I am writing about the 10—day getaway that my family took to the Golden State of California June 26—July 5. I usually write full articles for you, but this one I’m going to break it down with the biggest thing I did each day and what California is like from a tourist perspective. Ready? June 26 — My plane left Appleton at 9:30 AM. Being a first-time flier, it really was a thrill when the plane started accelerating down the runway, but when the plane actually got into the air, it was a big thrill to see the ground below just get smaller and smaller below you! Then when I arrived in LA from Chicago where my 1st plane landed, it was a whole another world compared to WI! I remember thinking “Am I dreaming right now?! No way can I be!” June 27 — IndyCar Series MAVTV 500 in Fontana. I am a huge IndyCar fan, this was my 1st big event of the 10 days. The 250-lap marathon took 3 hours to run and ended with a wacky finish and a 2-car crash coming to the final lap with one of them catching wild air! The race was won by Graham Rahal, who snapped a 125-race winless drought going back to 2008. Both drivers involved in the final crash walked out unharmed. The driver I took for the race, finished 2nd (2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan). Not bad for a podium finish huh? June 28 — Left Fontana and headed for Ventura Beach. Here I did a walk of the Ventura Pier and learned all about the history of it and different species of fish that live under it via info boards all along it. June 29 — Open all day so I decided to take a stroll up the beach and see what I could find. Spent a few hours talking to some beach-goers and I will tell you, I have never been treated so nicely by anyone in a long time! June 30 — Whale and dolphin boat tour out in the Pacific Ocean for most of the day. These were really fun to look at and see dolphins come up out of the water at times. Left Ventura for Palm Springs that night. July 1 — My 1st day in Palm Springs and my 1st impression of it is HOT!!! This city is in the middle of the desert where it got as hot as 110 degrees during the day and only as low
as about 85 or so at night. The major event of this day was the aerial tramway ride I did to the top of the mountains and let me tell you, BEAUTIFUL VIEWS!!! It’s even more spectacular at night, particularly the lights of Palm Springs glowing from the same view on top of the mountain. July 2 — 2-hour dune buggy desert tour. This was awesome as the tour guide who drove the buggy was driving like a total maniac through the desert and me being a thrillseeker for speed, I was never bored during the ride! However during the tour at the stops, it was bare heat just pushing onto me with no humidity (according to what I was told) whatsoever. Despite SPF 70 sunscreen, I still got burnt pretty badly on my shoulders and face. July 3 — Left Palm Springs that morning to head for Hollywood. Here I saw the Universal Studios set, did the Walk of Fame and passed by a historical music joint called Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Blvd. There were a lot of names on the Walk of Fame I knew such as: Jim Davis (Garfield creator), Michael Jackson, Bill Maher, Audrey Hepburn, Les Paul and so on. July 4 — Left Hollywood for Fontana again. This time there, I drove 2 exotic super cars at an exotics racing school. Both cars are $200 for 5 laps around a 1.2 mile track in the parking lot of the speedway where the IndyCar race was held. I drove an Audi R8 V10 and a Ferrari 458 Italia. I had never been so thrilled or smiling before like I was when I got outta the 458 Italia. I topped out at about 130—145 MPH on it. July 5 — Final day in CA and it became a nightmare at the worst possible time! We missed a luggage check by 3 minutes for my 9:30 AM flight because of someone holding up the line for people to make their morning flights on time (including ours). So instead, we had to reschedule the flight back to Chicago with the same airline (United) and the soonest one we got had a departure time of 11:45 PM LA time — a whole 12 hours of sitting in the airport with having our rental car already returned! So what do I do for 12 hours waiting for the flight? No words can say. I did not get home until 11:00 AM WI time the next morning — originally 7 PM WI time on Sunday. Quite a 10 days I will say. GO FOXES!!!
WALK–IN FLU SHOT Clinic
Room A164–A166 Health Service Early October Dates and times to be determined
Price: $5.00 $16.00
Check facebook for more information
Clinic Information: • Blood Pressure check upon request • No pre-registration • 200 Vitality Points for employee that qualify
Students carrying at least 6 credits Employees or students carrying less than 6 credits
FACEBOOK.COM/FVTCFOXTIMES | 27
Grey Satterfield IV / Curb Magazine A tiger looks through the wires of its enclosure at Valley of the Kings, a sanctuary in Sharon. Large, dangerous exotics such as big cats would be included in the exotic animal ban currently being pushed by Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine.
EXOTIC AND EXPLOITED? Wisconsin one of five states where ‘dangerous’ exotic animals can be pets
Lack of oversight makes Wisconsin a magnet for exotic animals; some end up neglected, abandoned or on the loose By Haley Henschel Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
When Bekah Weitz’ phone rings, she never knows what is waiting for her on the other end of the line. During one of her shifts working animal control for the Eau Claire County Humane Association in 2005, a confused officer responding to a house fire in Dunn County called for backup after being tipped off that a shed attached to the burning house contained several pet cats — big cats. More specifically, tigers. And no one knew they were there prior to the fire. Weitz advised the officer not to act until she and other animal control officers arrived on the scene. If the tigers were to escape, Weitz said, they should be considered extremely dangerous and the officers should take action to defend themselves and those in the neighborhood if necessary. While en route to the scene, Weitz received another phone call from the officer: The tigers had been found, but all of them had died from smoke inhalation.
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Recalling the incident, Weitz — now a humane investigator for Monroe County — said that “as horrible as that was for them, it was probably the best case scenario for everybody involved because it didn’t mean that there were loose tigers in the area.” Wisconsin is one of just five states that allow residents to keep almost any animal they want as a pet. The others are Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina. And while the United Nations unanimously adopted its first resolution on July 30 to curb illegal wildlife trafficking, Wisconsin’s lax laws make the state a draw for animal smugglers, critics say. The “lion-like” creature on the loose that prompted a massive police search in and around Milwaukee has raised questions about the wisdom of allowing dangerous exotic animals to be kept as pets. Debbie Leahy, manager of captive wildlife protection at the Humane Society of the United States, said that it
is easier for someone in Wisconsin to own a dangerous exotic animal, such as a tiger, than to own a native animal, including a white-tailed deer.
Owners of deer parks, zoos, petting farms and wildlife parks are among those required to be registered or licensed.
“In some cases, it’s easier to own a tiger than a dog,” Leahy added. “Many places will require the dog be registered and vaccinated. There is no such requirement for a pet tiger.”
USDA inspectors are supposed to conduct regular, unannounced visits to licensed or registered facilities to ensure animals are receiving proper veterinary care, being treated humanely and have clean, ventilated enclosures. Compliance with these minimum requirements is mandated under the Animal Welfare Act, according to Andrea McNally, intergovernmental affairs specialist for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Washington, D.C.
And although there are some federal laws governing the sale, breeding, transportation and exhibition of exotic animals, critics say there are not enough inspectors to police the wild animal trade. Regulation also is fragmented among several state and federal agencies, allowing some repeat offenders to evade enforcement, records show. Some municipalities in Wisconsin, including Janesville, do ban some exotic animals. Milwaukee does not have a ban on specific pets but does prohibit ownership of animals that have a known propensity to attack people, other domestic pets or animals. An effort in the 201314 session to ban “the possession, propagation and sale of dangerous exotic animals” in Wisconsin failed to advance in the Legislature. A similar bill is being pushed again this year. However, some animal rescue organizations say stricter legislation could prohibit ownership of common pets like lizards and small snakes. Dealers and breeders argue some exotic animals live longer in captivity than they would have in their native habitat.
“We use a risk-based inspection system to focus our resources, allowing more frequent and in-depth inspections at problem facilities and fewer at those that are consistently in compliance,” McNally said. There are 193 active licensees and registrants in Wisconsin, and four inspectors assigned to the state, according to McNally. This number is too small, Leahy said, resulting in too few inspections being conducted — which, combined with the USDA’s cursory checks of potential licensees’ backgrounds, can let violations slip through the system, the national humane society said. It can take repeated, serious violations for a license to be revoked.
For example, it took 19 “willful” violations between 2009 and 2011 at Lakewood Wisconsin’s lax laws when it comes to exotic pet ownership make it a Zoo in the Oconto County draw for smugglers, advocates of stricter regulation say. town of Mountain for As a humane investigator, the USDA to take action Weitz’ primary duties are to against the zoo’s owner and handle animal neglect, cruelty and abuse complaints, most operator, Casey Ludwig. Efforts to reach him for this story of which involve cats, dogs, horses and cows. But, since she were unsuccessful. works in Wisconsin, every so often she encounters exotic, often dangerous animals being kept as pets. A complaint, filed in June 2014, cited Ludwig for several serious violations, including failure to provide “minimally Weitz said that while she would like to see stricter rules adequate veterinary care” and for failing to allow regulating exotics in Wisconsin, she believes owners should inspectors into the facility. Ludwig also was cited for be able to keep their exotics as long as the animals are well “failure to provide a tiger with sufficient food,” causing it to cared for and not a safety risk. develop bone disease. “No one’s going to be saying, ‘You can’t keep a Chinese water dragon in your home’ because that’s like a 2-inch lizard,” Weitz said. “What people are going to be saying is, ‘You can’t keep a crocodile in your home,’ you know? (Restricting) dangerous exotics is really the goal.” Many animals, few inspectors While there are no laws to regulate private ownership of exotic pets in Wisconsin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues permits to people who sell, handle or exhibit warm-blooded animals or use them in research.
A judge concluded that Ludwig’s “willful” violations showed he was “unqualified to be licensed,” and revoked his license in January, which, McNally said, prevents him from applying for a license in the future. But Ludwig’s license had already expired at the end of 2011 — just over three years prior to its revocation — and the zoo had closed in 2012. Leahy said the Ludwig case shows how “slow the federal agency is to act against chronic AWA violators.” When asked why the USDA took so long to act, McNally said cases involving serious AWA violations undergo additional legal review before a complaint is issued. continued on next page
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to certificates of veterinary inspection provided to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in response to an open records request. For instance, Mark Schoebel, the owner of Timbavati Wildlife Park in Wisconsin Dells and Animal Entertainments, a Neshkoro business that rents out animals for shows and fairs, has consigned some of his animals to the Lolli Brothers Livestock Market in Macon, Missouri, which Leahy said conducts the country’s largest exotic animal auctions.
Grey Satterfield IV / Curb Magazine This lion is one of 39 big cats currently at Valley of the Kings, a wildlife sanctuary in Sharon. Many of the animals who call the sanctuary their home have been abandoned or surrendered by private owners who kept them as pets. Some experts believe the “lion-like” creature seen roaming around Milwaukee may be someone’s escaped pet.
“The investigative and enforcement process does take time in order to gather the evidence required to proceed to prosecution,” she said. Want to buy a tiger? For Wisconsin residents, purchasing an exotic pet can be as easy as the click of a computer mouse. On Exotic Animals For Sale, one can buy a breeding pair of wallabies for $5,500; a 3-week-old, bottle-fed black and white capuchin monkey that wears diapers and clothes for $6,800; an Arctic fox pup for $500; a two-toed sloth for $4,400; and a zebra filly for $5,000. Weitz said part of her job involves patrolling websites for exotic animals for sale. On one occasion, she came across an alligator for sale on Craigslist in Wisconsin and reported it to authorities. But oftentimes, she said, they cannot take action because it is not illegal unless a municipality has an ordinance against it.
A certificate dated April 6 showed that Animal Entertainments sent 14 exotic animals — including a 10-month-old crowned crane, an 8-month-old zebra and a blackbuck (antelopes native to India whose survival is considered “near threatened”) — to the Lolli Brothers market. “Auctions are of special concern because they foster impulse purchases, and people with no qualifications whatsoever can purchase animals with especially complex needs,” Leahy said. Schoebel failed to respond to repeated attempts to contact him over the previous two months. In a statement issued by his attorney Thursday, Schoebel said he is following all laws related to consignment of animals to auction. Schoebel said in the statement that he has never been accused of any “physical or psychological harm” to animals. “I have been licensed by the USDA, who is responsible for animal welfare and care,” the statement said. “I have been in good standing with the department for many decades. … My life has been devoted to animals.” However, Schoebel did have a run-in with law enforcement in the mid-1980s stemming from a federal investigation into wild animal smuggling. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee to four counts of violating federal wildlife laws, paid a $1,000 fine and got four years of probation for failing to properly document or get permits to transport protected waterfowl, raccoons and 17 bears.
Even if USDA licensees do import exotic animals with the proper permits, Leahy said there is nothing to prevent them from giving animals to unlicensed individuals. Leahy noted that Animal Haven Zoo in Weyauwega offered to give two tigers to an ABC 20/20 undercover reporter in 2012, which is not illegal. When asked for comment, Dawn Hofferber, co-owner of the zoo, said her husband Jim would have given the tigers to the reporter only if the reporter had a USDA license, which would have required a site inspection prior to the tigers’ arrival at their new home. Hofferber later added, “We are a family-owned and run zoo and do not approve of a lot of what goes on in the animal world … we do everything in our power to help and save any animal that comes our way.” Individuals also can obtain exotic pets by visiting animal auctions. USDA-licensed facilities in Wisconsin can and do legally consign various animals to the auctions. They include emus, ostriches and kangaroos, according
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Monica Hall / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Squirrel monkeys, such as this one seen in the Ecuadorian Amazon, are among the many exotic species allowed to be kept as pets by residents in Wisconsin. The state has few restrictions on owning wild animals that are not native to Wisconsin.
In his plea deal, Schoebel agreed to work with prosecutors to uncover illegal trafficking of animals.
government or the state Department of Natural Resources or discovered in drug raids, Carnegie said.
Hard to care for seized animals
Kubwa, a male tiger weighing over 1,000 pounds, was dropped off at the sanctuary when he was four months old and weighed 60 pounds, Carnegie said. She believes the owner had to give him away because a local ordinance banned ownership of big cats and the tiger had begun to wreck the owner’s home.
When bad things happen, humane officers like Weitz and Mark Hess are some of the first people to respond. Hess has held various titles at the Waukesha Humane Animal Welfare Society for nearly four decades, and currently serves as its operations manager. In his career, he has responded to calls involving a runaway ostrich, an escaped wallaby, a primate surrendered after its owner died and a deadly spitting cobra that had bitten its owner. Weitz said although she knew she would encounter exotic, potentially dangerous animals when she became a humane officer, formal training to handle exotics was never provided to or required of her. “All of the training I’ve had has been sought of my own volition and, sometimes, paid for at my own expense,” she said. Weitz has concerns for police officers and others who respond to emergencies involving exotic animals.
Andy Carlson, who has been volunteering at Valley of the Kings for over 20 years, said when Lena finally worked up the courage to venture out of her crate at the sanctuary, she stared upward, fascinated by the sky. She had never seen it before. Hess said many of his cases end in tragedy for the animals. Euthanasia is used as a last resort when a home cannot be found for an animal. Sometimes that is the only choice if a dangerous animal is a public health or safety risk, he said. “Oftentimes, communities don’t even think about these situations until one happens, and then they’ll scramble and find out they have nothing on the books,” he said, adding that animals are the main victims when regulations are lax.
“It’s not fair to ask our police officers, who go out every single day and potentially risk their lives in dangerous situations … to then face off against animals that can legitimately kill them,” she said. Even if an animal is corralled, the question arises, what to do with it?
And Lena, a dainty female tiger, was one of a dozen big cats taken from an ex-circus trainer hoarding them in 4-foot by 5-foot, tarp-covered crates whose locks had rusted shut in his Indiana home, Carnegie said.
Grey Satterfield IV / Curb Magazine
Communities regulate some animals
While there is no Andy Carlson, who has volunteered at Valley of the Kings for about 20 One of Hess’ most recent statewide ban on exotics, years, leans in to speak to a tiger living at the sanctuary in Sharon. Carlson challenges has been some municipalities have said many of the animals at Valley of the Kings have been caught up in the finding a home for more passed legislation on their “underground market” of exotic animal trade. Some critics say Wisconsin’s than 300 chinchillas own to ban certain types lax exotic animal laws make the state a draw for smugglers. seized from a Waukesha of animals within their home in late March. So borders. far the Waukesha humane society has invested more than $100,000 to care for the small rodents native to South Janesville, for instance, prohibits any “wild, exotic, and/or America. It is a cost the organization will likely never vicious pets including raccoons, any pigs, and poisonous or recoup. constricting snakes such as pythons or boas.” Ferrets and Many larger, more dangerous exotics in need of a home have found refuge at Valley of the Kings, a 10-acre animal sanctuary and retreat in Sharon funded largely from donations and by the sanctuary’s president and founder, Jill Carnegie and her family and friends. Many of the animals at the sanctuary, including lions, tigers, a ti-liger (an extremely rare cross between a liger and a tiger), wolf hybrids, bears, foxes and bobcats, were abandoned by private owners or donated by zoos that didn’t have room to house them. Others were seized by the
non-poisonous or non-constricting snakes are not included in the ban. An effort to extend such a ban statewide has failed to gain traction in the Legislature.
In January 2014, Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva, and a halfdozen other state representatives authored Assembly Bill 703. It sought to prohibit “the possession, propagation, and sale of dangerous exotic animals,” including lions and tigers, nonnative bears, various primates and crocodilians, including alligators, crocodiles and caimans. continued on next page
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dangerous exotics. Wanggaard said in a memo to other legislators the bill is in response to the search for the Milwaukee “lion” and a 2013 incident in which police and the Racine Zoo discovered rattlesnakes, alligators, crocodiles, a snapping turtle and a Gila monster in a Kenosha home, the Associated Press reported. Leahy said her organization hopes lawmakers pass the bill before something bad happens, adding, “Ohio finally passed a law after a suicidal man released nearly 50 big cats, bears, primates and wolves in Zanesville.” Possible ban raises concern
Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha A monitor lizard lies in a container after being seized by the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha in 2006. Mark Hess, HAWS’ operations manager, said the lizard and other reptiles were being kept in a one-bedroom apartment in Waukesha. They were taken to the shelter and later placed with the Chicago Herpetological Society after their owner violated his probation and was taken into custody.
Under AB 703, those who already owned animals would be grandfathered in, as long as they registered their pets. They would also be required to notify authorities if their animal escaped. Veterinarians and other professionals who have been formally trained to handle wildlife would have been exempt from the law. This year, Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, is pushing another bill, not yet introduced, to ban ownership of
But some in the industry worry a ban could result in legislation prohibiting the ownership of even common household pets. Others have said continuing to allow the keeping of exotic pets is in the best interest of the animals themselves. Bill Zelenski, owner and operator of the USDA-licensed Wild Bill’s Exotics in Waupaca, said he buys, sells, breeds, rents and trades “any kind of animal you can imagine.” Having been in the industry since he was in middle school, Zelenski has contacts all over the world. The Milwaukee County Zoo is among his buyers. Zelenski said everyone he purchases animals from is licensed by the USDA, except for those who sell him reptiles and birds, which are not regulated by the USDA. Zelenski said he is “100 percent” against stricter exotic animal laws in Wisconsin because he does not believe lawmakers have enough experience or knowledge on the subject. However, “If they want to have animal people like myself mentor and do courses to teach people and try to regulate through our own industry … that’s great.” Zelenski also noted that some of his captive exotics live longer than their wild peers. He currently has a 21-year-old ring-tailed lemur that recently fathered twins; ring-tailed lemurs living wild in Madagascar usually live to be 16 to 17 years old, according to the National Zoo. Cindy Steinle, owner of Small Scale Reptile Rescue in Milwaukee, said her local exotic reptile community tries to self-regulate so that irresponsible owners are admonished by their peers. Steinle said it is unfair for legislators to “lump (reptiles) in” with exotic mammals in statewide bans because they are popular, conventional pets. If a ban were to be passed, Steinle believes both the humans and animals would suffer, especially if existing pets are not grandfathered in.
Monica Hall / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism This three-toed sloth was returned to the wild in March at the Cuyabeno Wildlife Refuge in Ecuador after it was discovered being kept illegally as a pet in nearby Lago Agrio. Wisconsin is one of just five U.S. states that allow residents to own almost any type of exotic animal as a pet, including sloths.
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“Depending on the reach of this ban in respect to keeping reptiles as companion animals, many families will find themselves forced to have their pets killed in order to comply with the law, as rescue groups like mine will be overwhelmed with the number of pets who are suddenly homeless,” she said. But some pet reptiles are far from harmless.
Weitz recalled one incident she responded to in early 2012 when officers in Chippewa County needed help rescuing a 22-foot-long, female Burmese python in a wooden box uncovered during a police search. Weitz, the only one on the scene who was trained to handle reptiles and amphibians, said the python could have struck and killed her in a matter of seconds. After heaving the snake into a pillowcase, Weitz brought her to a nearby humane association for holding. While the snake rested and warmed up, Weitz worked on rehoming her so she wouldn’t be on the receiving end of a lethal injection. “She sat there looking like, ‘Now what?’ ” Weitz remembered.
The same could be asked of Wisconsin lawmakers as the latest piece of exotics legislation pends while a “lion-like” creature — likely an escaped exotic pet, Weitz said — leads authorities on a chase through Milwaukee. “It’s just not fair that someone can move next door to my kid and keep … a tiger,” Weitz said. “If my child were to accidentally get in their yard or the tiger were accidentally to get in mine, you know, it’s not worth it.” Portions of this story were first published in Curb, a magazine produced by University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism students. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www.WisconsinWatch. org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
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Enforcement of exotic animal laws handled by several agencies
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the primary agency responsible for policing the exotic animal trade. But other state and federal agencies play a role. Under state law, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources only regulates native species — which cannot be removed from the wild — and several species that have been deemed too “harmful,” including wild and feral swine and bears, according to DNR communications director Jim Dick. The agency issues captive wild animal farm licenses to those who wish to keep native wild animals such as skunks, cougars and wolves. The USDA allocates licenses for nonnative species. Other agencies are responsible for regulating the interstate and international transportation of animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enforces the Lacey Act, which prohibits the import and interstate transport of “injurious species” such as Burmese pythons, mongooses and fruit bats, and restricts the transportation of captivebred big cats, according to Tina Shaw, public affairs specialist for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest region. The agency also enforces the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits interstate sale and transportation of species listed under the act including the gray wolf, American alligator and whooping crane. However, there are some exemptions for institutions like zoos, which are able to donate and move the species among themselves, Shaw said. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection lists several species — prairie dogs and tree squirrels among them — that may not be imported
into Wisconsin because they are known to carry highly contagious diseases. In addition, the department requires people transporting an animal across the Wisconsin border — even a pet dog — to have the animal inspected by a veterinarian, who completes a certificate of veterinary inspection. If the animal is a common household pet such as a dog, cat or ferret, the veterinarian makes sure the animal is up to date on all vaccinations. That certificate is then sent to the state veterinarian of the origin state, the destination state and every state that the animal passes through, said Bekah Weitz, a humane officer for Monroe County. In theory, the requirement for animal owners to obtain such certificates creates a paper trail to track animals crossing state borders. But Weitz said the illegal, undocumented transportation of animals across state lines happens “more often than we’d like to admit.” “I can pretty much guarantee that most agencies and most individuals don’t (obtain certificates),” Weitz said. “I mean, when I take my dog on vacation to Michigan I don’t do that.” She added, “I think there’s probably a lot more transportation of animals, exotic or otherwise, than we have any idea of, and being that Wisconsin is a state where there is no regulation for the keeping of exotics, I would imagine that it’s probably ... pretty attractive to certain people.” — Haley Henschel
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Steve Taylor/University of Illinois, via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Illinois scientists swab a northern long-eared bat suspected of having white-nose syndrome in 2013. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering exempting wind turbines from rules protecting the threatened bat species.
Wind turbines at center of bat protection rules
Industry seeks exemption, but regulators fear more bat deaths could lead to extinction By Ron Seely Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering requests from the wind energy industry to exempt wind turbines in Wisconsin and nationwide from new rules to protect threatened bats, even as a fungal disease has killed millions of the creatures.
Estimates through 2013 show white-nose syndrome has killed as many as 6.7 million bats since it was first discovered in 2006, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency said it expects the disease to spread and the number of deaths to grow.
Because of the disease, white-nose syndrome, the federal agency listed the northern long-eared bat as threatened. The temporary rule to list the bat as threatened exempted some activities, but not wind energy generation. The agency is now considering a final rule, including potential exemptions for wind turbines.
In 2008 and 2009, a carcass survey conducted at the Blue Sky Green Field Project wind farm in Fond du Lac County estimated the bat fatality rate during the six-month study period at 41 bats per turbine.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said wind turbines cause a significant number of bat deaths. A 2013 study, cited in the Federal Register, found wind turbines nationwide killed 650,000 to 1.3 million bats in a year. “You actually have dead bodies in hand,” Rick Amidon, a USFWS regional director in Minnesota, said of the giant turbines. He contrasted that with forestry and highway right-of-way work, which are exempted from the new rules because they kill and harm fewer bats.
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Such fatalities are of special concern in Wisconsin where white-nose syndrome is spreading and threatening to dramatically reduce bat populations. The state Department of Natural Resources has found the disease itself or the fungus that causes the disease at 14 hibernation caves, or hibernacula. Diseased bats have been found in Grant, Crawford, Richland, Door and Dane counties. The fungus has been discovered in Iowa, Dodge and Lafayette counties. The disease was first seen in a Grant County mine in March 2014, and 70 percent of the bats there have since died – an
High-stakes mortality But Amidon, with the Fish and Wildlife Service, said that some bat populations — such as northern long-eared — are so precarious that even the marginal additional deaths caused by wind turbines can become a factor in their survival. “The bottom line,” Amidon said, “is that if you have a huge population decline, the bats that are remaining become very important.”
Peter Thomson / La Crosse Tribune These wind turbines, a joint venture between Organic Valley and Gundersen Lutheran Health System, loom over Organic Valley’s distribution center in Cashton, Wis.
The northern long-eared bat, one of four cave bat species in Wisconsin, weighs only about 0.3 ounce and has been found in 37 states. It has been identified in 67 of the state’s hibernacula. Other than those caves and mines, however, the bat has no other refuges, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and a population analysis led the agency to conclude that the bat could face extinction if white-nose syndrome infected its major hibernacula.
indication of how deadly the disease can be. So far, that mine is the only location where bats have died in such large numbers in Wisconsin.
The decision to list the bat species as endangered could force wind turbine operators in affected areas nationwide to spend about $610 million over the next 30 years, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
Wisconsin is home to several of the largest bat hibernation sites in the upper Midwest, with a population estimated at up to 500,000. The state’s four species of cave bats — all of which are threatened by white-nose syndrome — serve a crucial role by consuming insects that cost farmers nationwide more than a billion dollars a year.
That cost would cover developing and maintaining a habitat conservation plan, which would show how the operator is going to minimize bat deaths. Such a plan would be required by the wildlife service before it issued an “incidental take” permit, allowing inadvertent killing of bats.
Wind turbine operators and proponents argue that the disease is the primary threat to bats and that the turbines do not account for enough deaths to warrant stricter rules.
Brian Manthey, a spokesman for WE Energies, which owns the Fond du Lac wind farm where the tests were conducted, said the utility must find a way to protect bats and birds while maximizing wind energy production. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Wisconsin’s 417 wind turbines provided 2.65 percent of all in-state electricity production in 2014, enough to power 148,000 homes. Manthey added that percentage is expected to grow.
John Anderson, a senior director for the American Wind Energy Association, said it is neither fair nor effective for the Fish and Wildlife Service to put “a conservation burden on activities that are not having a significant effect,” Midwest Energy News, a non-profit energy news website, reported recently. “The wind industry is one of them.”
Manthey said there is no doubt that the bat protections would be a “financial hit” for turbine operators “What would have to be weighed is how do we maximize the amount of energy with the least impact on bats and birds,” Manthey said.
Al Hicks
WE Energies
Bat fatalities from wind turbines are of special concern because white-
We Energies spokesman Brian
nose syndrome has already decimated populations across the country.
Manthey.
The fungus was discovered among little brown bats in New York, like this one from 2008.
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along major rivers and within three miles of Great Lakes shorelines. New wind projects in areas not covered by the habitat plan would need to seek individual incidental take permits from the Fish and Wildlife Service, Cosh said. But Amidon said wind turbine operators have indicated they would prefer a blanket exemption. In seeking exemption from the threatened species rule, the American Wind Energy Association has proposed adjusting turbine operations to reduce bat deaths. Based on the theory that bats do not fly in high winds, the association says that operators could prevent blades from turning until the wind reaches a certain speed, known as “cut-in speed.” During migration periods and during periods of low wind, bats are more active. Lindsey Heffernan / Pennsylvania Game Commission The highly deadly white-nose syndrome has spread rapidly since it was discovered in New York in 2006. The disease has killed millions of bats, including many in Wisconsin.
Midwest plan proposed In a related move, the Fish and Wildlife service is also taking suggestions for an environmental impact study on an eight-state plan to protect habitat for all bats and birds. The agency has scheduled a series of hearings, including a comment session in Madison on Tuesday. In the study, the agency would consider the impact of exemptions which would protect operators of wind turbines from prosecution for incidental bat deaths and injuries. The Wisconsin DNR has been working with the Fish and Wildlife Service on early drafts of the habitat conservation plan. DNR spokesman Bill Cosh said the federal agency is considering exempting wind farm development except in areas within a 20-mile radius around primary hibernacula, including the Bay City, Maiden Rock and Neda mines,
Manthey said the practice is the subject of a new study by WE Energies. According to the company, other studies have reported average reductions in bat mortality ranging from 36 to 89 percent using such curtailment practices. Russ Benedict, a professor of biology at Central College in Pella, Iowa, estimated that changing the cut-in speed would cut bat mortality by 50 percent but only reduce energy production by 3 percent. “If we are more careful about when we use wind turbines,” Benedict said, “we won’t have that big of an impact on energy production, but we can dramatically reduce bat mortalities.” The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism contributed to this report. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www. WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
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Feds seek public input on Midwest bat protection plan By Steve Cherry Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking the public’s suggestions for an environmental impact statement for an eight-state Midwestern plan designed to help conserve the habitats of several species of animals, including bats that can be harmed by wind turbines.. The states are Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The environmental impact statement will assess the effects of giving various operations, such as wind energy facilities, “incidental take” permits, which would give them immunity from prosecution for any incidental bat deaths or injuries.
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To learn more about the statement and the regional habitat conservation plan, known as the Midwest Wind Energy Multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan, visit the federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations. gov/ and type or cut-and-paste Docket Number FWS-R3ES-2015-0033 into the horizontal search box. A public meeting is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center, 1625 Northport Drive, Madison. The wildlife service also will conduct an online public meeting July 28 at 1 p.m. More details are at http://www. midwestwindenergyhcpeis.org/.
Drafting notes silent on author of open records overhaul Gov. Scott Walker’s office admits role but says lawmakers called for changes By Dee J. Hall, Abigail Becker and Tara Golshan Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
A review by reporters for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism of the 60 pages of drafting notes associated with sweeping changes to the state’s open-records law offered no clues about who initiated the proposals. The initials and partial names that traditionally appear on the records match Legislative Reference Bureau or Legislative Fiscal Bureau staff members who help lawmakers draft bills, the Center found. The proposals – which would have allowed lawmakers and state and local officials to withhold documents and information revealing the inner workings of government – were removed from the budget Tuesday by the Senate. The Assembly is expected to do the same. Legislative Reference Bureau records indicate the changes were drafted in the week before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee introduced and passed them Thursday on a party-line 12-4 vote without public debate. Bowing to criticism from across the state and a broad swath of the political spectrum, Gov. Scott Walker and GOP legislative leaders on Saturday vowed to remove the items from the two-year state spending plan. They were included in Motion 999, an often controversial grab-bag budget amendment whose authors traditionally remain secret. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, acknowledged to The Capital Times that he and other top GOP leaders, along with Walker’s staff, were involved in crafting the open-records changes.
the governor’s office and his Department of Administration. Fitzgerald told The Capital Times Tuesday that the proposals “came from a number of different sources,” because of “some issues, I think, related to the Legislature and the executive branch dealing with open records requests.” Patrick said it was top GOP lawmakers who initiated the changes. Emails left with the offices of Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, were not immediately returned. “Legislative leaders let us know that they were interested in making changes to the open records law. In response, our staff provided input regarding these proposed changes,” Patrick said in an email. She said the goal was to allow “robust debate” among policy makers while ensuring that materials related to final proposals would remain “fully transparent.” “Our focus remains on ensuring open and accountable government,” Patrick said, “and we encourage public debate and discussion of any potential future changes to the state’s open records law.” The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www. WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
After days of dodging questions about whether the Republican governor was involved in the proposals, his spokeswoman Laurel Patrick on Tuesday acknowledged Walker’s staff participated in drafting the amendment. A Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism story had pointed out that the language in the amendment closely followed recent open records request denials issued by
Legislative Reference Bureau The 60 pages of Motion 999 drafting documents only showed partial names or the initials of Legislative Fiscal Bureau and Legislative Reference Bureau staffers.
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Peter Thomson/La Crosse Tribune Gov. Scott Walker, then-chairman of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., participates in a WEDC board meeting in late 2013 in La Crosse along with CEO Reed Hall, left, and then-chief operating officer Ryan Murray. Walker, a candidate for president, recently removed himself from the board after a negative audit and critical news coverage of the job-creation agency.
Two companies fail after getting $1.4 million from Gov. Scott Walker’s jobs agency Tomahawk Metal Products and North American Finishing promised to provide hundreds of jobs; WEDC made loans despite warning signs By Dee J. Hall Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Despite signs of trouble within the companies, Gov. Scott Walker’s jobs agency loaned about $1.4 million in taxpayer money to two northern Wisconsin firms that now have failed to fully repay the loans or create hundreds of promised jobs. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. sued the companies — Tomahawk Metal Products of Tomahawk and North American Finishing of Suring — along with four others for failure to repay state taxpayer-funded loans or comply with grant terms. The others sued since 2014 are TJ’s Taylor’s One Price Cleaners of Madison, Ratio Inc. of Monona, Building Committee Inc. of Milwaukee and Green Box NA Green Bay of De Pere. WEDC made the ill-fated deals with Tomahawk Metal Products and North American Finishing in the first two years of the Walker administration as the governor attempted to fulfill a first-term promise to create 250,000 jobs. Walker fell short of that goal by about 100,000 jobs, and Wisconsin has remained in the bottom half of jobcreating states throughout his tenure.
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Late Friday, the agency disclosed it has settled its $360,933 claim against Tomahawk Metal Products for $125,360. In a statement, WEDC spokesman Mark Maley said the agency feared the company owner would declare bankruptcy, significantly delaying repayment to the state. The shortfall in job creation is especially problematic for northern Wisconsin, which according to a Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism analysis published in May, gets less than its share of WEDC funding despite higher levels of unemployment and poverty and lower wages. Tomahawk Metal Products left Tomahawk and was acquired by an Oak Creek company in 2014. North American Finishing is now closed. Troubles plaguing the public-private agency have been the subject of national interest as Wisconsin’s governor campaigns for the Republican nomination for president. Walker was chairman of the WEDC board until May when he asked to be removed after a negative audit and a series of critical stories were published about the agency.
hazards were not abated, and in 2013, the agency fined the company $61,600. Dane County Circuit Court records show the state had sued Tomahawk Metal Products for $360,933 on the $375,000 loan to the custom welding and fabrication company. The financing was conditioned on creating 75 jobs, retaining the company’s 22-person workforce, buying equipment and for working capital, according to the lawsuit, which the agency said now is settled. WEDC extended repayment of the loan twice after the company failed to make payments between March 2012 and July 2014. Kate Golden / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Ken Maule, executive director of the Lincoln County
The Wisconsin State Journal reported in May that the agency had made an unsecured loan for $500,000 to a failing Milwaukee company owned by a top Walker donor and pushed by a high-ranking Walker aide. The company, Building Committee Inc., falsely claimed it had not been sued in the previous five years. WEDC acknowledged it did not investigate the company’s financial condition, and records show it continued to push for other public funding even after WEDC learned owner William Minahan planned to use the state money to pay off leases on luxury vehicles. The court judgment in that case remains unpaid. Walker announced just before news of the BCI loan broke that he would end the WEDC loan program and refocus the agency on tax credits based on verified performance, including job creation. He cited a highly critical audit by the Legislative Audit Bureau in making the move. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported earlier this month that another company, Green Box NA Green Bay of De Pere, got $1.2 million in incentives from WEDC after its owner failed to disclose problems to the agency about the now-bankrupt company. It is now under investigation, the newspaper reported. History of nonpayment Tomahawk Metal Products, formerly known as Universal Industries, had been involved in a prolonged fight with the city of Tomahawk over unpaid rent on the city-owned building it occupied before WEDC loaned it money in June 2011, city officials say.
Jed Buelow / Tomahawk Leader Tomahawk Metal Products, formerly known as Universal Industries, occupied this city-owned building in Tomahawk until the business closed there in 2014. The company was delinquent on its taxes and rent before the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. loaned it $375,000 for expansion in 2011. WEDC sued and settled with the company for $125,320.
Economic Development Corp., confirmed that Universal Industries was a viable company but said that he had never heard of Tomahawk Metal Products. Records show owner Johnson changed the name of the company in 2014. A message left at Johnson’s home and his attorney’s office were not returned. “They were in business and they did have substantial — 10 to 15 — employees, and they were very well paid,” Maule said. “They were doing some high-end welding. It required a lot of skilled knowledge of the welding trade.” Maule recalled some discussion about expanding Universal Industries but “the recession hit them very hard.”
The Tomahawk Leader newspaper reported in 2011 that the company’s owner, Emil Johnson, was nearly $160,000 behind in rent and unpaid taxes on the former HarleyDavidson location. The city eventually agreed to sell Johnson the building, but that ended in 2014 when the firm closed and the building reverted to Tomahawk, said the city’s clerk-treasurer, Amanda Bartz.
In a statement, Maley said state officials were aware of the OSHA violations when they made the loan. He added the contract was negotiated by the former Department of Commerce — days before WEDC was formed — and before WEDC implemented policies and procedures “including conducting background checks on applicants.”
In February 2011, months before Universal Industries got its state loan, the business also was facing hefty fines for alleged violations of federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations for failure to provide hearing protection to its workers and other problems. OSHA reached a settlement with the company but the
WEDC is seeking more than $1 million from North American Finishing, a wood floor finishing business that operated for a time in the Oconto County village of Suring, according to the suit, first reported by the Journal Sentinel. Owner Tim Flaherty had promised to create 250 jobs in the
‘Every chance to succeed’
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business located in a former Evenflo furniture factory in the village’s downtown. Before the agency loaned money to North American Finishing in early 2013, it was alerted to Flaherty’s role as defendant in a $17.2 million civil lawsuit filed in 2010 against business associate Gary Ort, according to records released to the State Journal and provided to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism for this report. But the litigation involving Gary Ort was resolved one day before North American Finishing got its loan from WEDC. Allegations of fraud — that Ort had diverted assets to Flaherty and others for less than their value to avoid turning them over to a bank — also were withdrawn as part of the settlement, according to records from the U.S. District Court in Milwaukee. WEDC spokesman Mark Maley sent the State Journal a letter showing WEDC raised concerns about Ort and got assurances from the North American Finishing owner that Ort was only a consultant, not a partner or investor, in the proposed $27 million project. The records released to the State Journal, however, do not mention the allegations of fraud leveled against Flaherty and his company by Greenstone Farm Credit Services. The company operated for a time in 2013 but closed in 2014. Maley said it is not unusual for some economic development projects to fail. In a statement sent to the State Journal, Maley noted that “our loan portfolio has a higher risk than those of a bank – and that’s by design.” Maley and others defending the agency have said numerous policies were put in place to avoid the myriad problems WEDC faced in its early years. “In this case, we provided a piece of the financing to a project that had the potential to create over 250 jobs in the village of Suring — which has a population of 544,” Maley said. “It cannot be overstated the potential economic impact a business like this could have had on Oconto County. “When the company had some early struggles, we amended the contract — as we regularly do for startups — to give it every chance to succeed and bring those much-needed jobs to northern Wisconsin.” Business begins to flounder After it got financing from WEDC, North American Finishing began production, reopening a factory that had been closed for a decade in the village about 45 miles northwest of Green Bay. According to an amendment to the loan filed by WEDC in August 2014, North American Finishing could not make its payments because “the project to get the mill running did not get completed on the planned tímeline.” At the time, the company reported creating 24 jobs. “The company is behind because of contractor delays, equipment breakdowns, and etc. This has caused delays
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in getting the product to the market so the company is not receiving sales revenue to be able to start paying loans,” according to the staff recommendation for a 12-month extension. Eight months later, in April, WEDC sued the company for repayment. The case is pending. James Kohlwey, a village of Suring trustee, said around 14 months ago, North American Finishing had about three dozen employees and was turning out high-quality flooring. But the business closed, and court records show the building, which is in the village’s tax-increment financing district, is in foreclosure. The village is now trying to reclaim an adjacent lot it sold to the company for $1, Kohlwey said. He added that officials are working with one of North American Flooring’s investors — not Flaherty — to see if the business can be revived. A message left with Flaherty was not returned. Paul Ehrfurth, executive director of the Oconto County Economic Development Corp., said he is hopeful the talks will revive the company, which he believes could be profitable. “There is a potential it could recover, in which case we
come out OK,” Kohlwey agreed, but said “I wouldn’t take it to the casino and bet on it, though.” Wisconsin State Journal reporter Matthew DeFour contributed to this report.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www. WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
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Businesses sued by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. since 2014 Listed are location, type of business, amount of money sought and status of case.
Ratio Inc. Monona Drug delivery devices $139,338 Case status: Concluded
Green Box NA Green Bay De Pere Recycling $1.2 million Case status: Pending
TJ’s Taylor’s One-Price Cleaners Madison Dry cleaning $91,548 Case status: Concluded
North American Finishing Suring Wood floor finishing $1 million Case status: Pending
Tomahawk Metal Products (Formerly Universal Industries) Tomahawk Custom welding and fabrication Sued for $360,933; Settled for $125,320
Used with persmission
Building Committee Inc. Milwaukee Design and construction $541,680 Case status: Concluded
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Scott Walker’s office ‘obstructed’ probe of missing veterans funds, investigators allege Court filing says Walker’s Milwaukee County office repeatedly failed to turn over records of the theft of tens of thousands of dollars in donations. By Dee J. Hall Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
The Milwaukee County executive’s office under Scott Walker “obstructed” a criminal investigation into missing donations to a veterans fund, two investigators alleged Friday in a federal court brief that includes recently unsealed investigative records. The documents provide new information about the extent of the now-closed John Doe criminal investigation into the activities of Walker and his staff before he was elected governor in 2010. The filing came in response to a lawsuit filed by one of the Republican governor’s former top aides, Cindy Archer, who claims she and others have been targeted by Democratic Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm because of their work on behalf of Walker. The filing in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee revealed that Archer and Walker’s then-campaign treasurer, John Hiller, were under criminal investigation five years ago for their actions involving the proposed lease of office space by Milwaukee County that would have benefited real-estate clients of Hiller’s who had made donations to Walker’s gubernatorial campaign. In addition, Archer was investigated for working on campaign-related business for the campaign on “multiple occasions over a sustained period of time” while working for Walker as director of the Milwaukee County Department of Administrative Services, the filing showed. Friday’s filing is aimed at refuting allegations made by Archer in a lawsuit filed July 1 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court alleging that prosecutors led by Chisholm have engaged in a “continued campaign of harassment and intimidation” against Archer and other Walker supporters, including a search of her Madison home in September 2011. The Wisconsin State Journal reported in October that Archer had given Hiller inside information about a pending bid for office space and that Walker was aware of the activity. That report was based on thousands of pages of emails released from the investigation, which ended in 2013. A second John Doe investigation into coordination between Walker’s recall campaign and conservative political groups was halted in July by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Milwaukee County ultimately decided not to rent the additional office space, and no one was ever charged in connection with the 2010 request for proposals. “A Democratic district attorney who’s looked at this issue for two years 20 months ago … closed that case because he didn’t find any reason to go forward. I think that speaks volumes,” Walker told the newspaper at the time.
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Lukas Keapproth / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Investigators in the closed John Doe probe argued in a federal court brief that Scott Walker’s county executive staff “obstructed” its efforts to investigate missing donations in his office. Walker has denied such allegations in the past.
A message left with Walker’s office Friday evening asking about the allegations that his office failed to cooperate in the investigation into the theft of veterans funds was not returned. However, in 2012, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that a Walker spokeswoman denied that his office was uncooperative with the probe. On Thursday, prosecutors sued by Archer responded by filing a request with U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman that the lawsuit be moved to federal court because the allegations involve alleged federal civil-rights violations. On Friday, two of the defendants, chief investigator David Budde and investigator Robert Stelter, filed a response. In it, they reaffirmed that the John Doe investigation began after one of Walker’s top staff reported funds missing from “Operation Freedom,” an annual event held by Walker’s office to thank veterans for their military service. They said the secret probe was necessary only because Walker’s office “was uncooperative and obstructed the District Attorney’s Office’s efforts to obtain documentation
of the County’s receipt and disbursement of donations from Operation Freedom.” “As a consequence, the District Attorney’s Office was forced to petition a John Doe proceeding in order to have legal mechanisms to obtain relevant documentation from the County Executive’s Office,” they argued. Two Walker associates — former Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Russell and former veterans’ commission member Kevin Kavanaugh — were convicted of stealing more than $70,000 in donations from Operation Freedom. Four others, including Walker’s former deputy chief of staff, Kelly Rindfleisch, were convicted on a variety of other charges. Although the investigation initially was launched to probe the missing veterans funds, prosecutors repeatedly enlarged it as they came across illegal campaign activity by Walker staffers, possible bid rigging and improper campaign contributions. Walker was never charged. Archer’s lawsuit claims she was subjected to unwarranted investigation, including the Sept. 14, 2011 “raid” of her Madison home, as retaliation for her work with Walker on writing Act 10. Walker introduced the bill in February 2011 shortly after taking office. But Budde and Stelter provided John Doe records unsealed July 10 by John Doe judge Neal Nettesheim showing the investigation into Archer’s activities began months before Walker’s surprise introduction of the bill that sparked weeks of protests at the Capitol. The records show Archer’s Milwaukee County office was searched in December 2010 for evidence that she had worked on Walker’s gubernatorial campaign while on county time and at her county office.
The filing also includes a tape recording made of Archer’s interactions with officers during the search of her home, which was conducted by the FBI and members of the Milwaukee County and Dane County district attorneys’ offices. The recording was not available online late Friday. In their brief, Budde and Stelter revealed that the Archer investigation involved not only possible bid rigging and suspected illegal campaign activity but also possible violations of the state open records law. The brief said a criminal complaint was drafted naming Archer “and others” with two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and one count of solicitation to commit misconduct in public office, but Chisholm’s office decided not to file it. “While the District Attorney’s Office ultimately decided not to issue the draft criminal complaint, it reflects the good faith basis all defendants had in investigating Archer’s conduct for Milwaukee County,” the two argued. The filing also showed that two weeks after the search of her home, Archer signed a proffer letter in which she agreed to provide information to the district attorney’s office of “criminal activity in the Milwaukee area and elsewhere” in exchange for a promise that the interview would not be used directly against her in any criminal or civil proceeding. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www. WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
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Gretchen Hansen/Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin walleye have been declining for a long time. They aren’t as plentiful as they used to be, and they’re growing more slowly. Many lakes that used to support natural walleye reproduction no longer do, according to Gretchen Hansen of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Gov. Scott Walker’s science cuts may hinder efforts to halt walleye decline Critics say his plan for $2.6 million to stock lakes fails to address core issues; DNR says it will ‘prioritize’ work By Kate Golden Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Fond du Lac resident Mike Arrowood says he has begun to see fishermen from up north migrating south to find walleye. “The guys at Manitowish Waters, they come down to Lake Winnebago to fish. Why should they fish in northern Wisconsin?” said Arrowood, chairman of the nonprofit group Walleyes For Tomorrow. “You can’t catch any fish.” Wisconsin’s walleye have been in decline for as long as scientists have been collecting solid data, about a quartercentury, and it is Gretchen Hansen’s job to unravel why. “I can tell you I have not yet figured it out,” Hansen said in a December interview. Now the state Department of Natural Resources’ ability to research and reverse that decline could be at risk. Gov. Scott Walker has proposed cutting 18.4 research science positions in the agency’s Bureau of Science Services, potentially including Hansen and several others who study the state’s most popular sport fish. At the same time, the governor has proposed spending $2.6 million to continue stocking Wisconsin lakes with walleye over the next two years, part of the $10 million Wisconsin Walleye Initiative — a short-term boost to the population that researchers say is unlikely to solve the underlying problems with the species. “Stocking is a band-aid,” said Jake Vander Zanden, a professor of limnology at the University of Wisconsin-
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Madison who is part of a collaboration with the DNR, the U.S. Geological Survey and others to investigate the walleye decline. “You’re putting small fish into a system where there’s a problem with the fish.” Ultimately, “the most cost-effective way” to solve the problem is to “have healthy, self-supporting systems,” Vander Zanden said. Arrowood called the stocking plan “a waste of money” considering “how few survive.” George Meyer, a former DNR secretary under Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson who now heads the nonprofit Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, said the cuts would cause “a very dramatic reduction in data for managing fish and wildlife in Wisconsin.” His organization, along with other hunting and fishing groups, sent a letter to legislators criticizing the plan. Asked what effect the cuts might have on walleye research, DNR spokesman Bill Cosh said the department considers walleye and other fish and game research to be “priorities for the agency and our customers,” and said the department “will work with the positions that we have available and prioritize our work.” Helen Sarakinos, policy and advocacy director of the nonprofit River Alliance of Wisconsin, said the DNR did not appear to be fighting the cuts. The river and watershed advocacy group stands to lose $138,400 in funding under the proposed budget.
“It makes no sense at all that we gut all the planning and research that goes into protecting and stewarding these resources,” she said. “We have to ask: Why are they doing this?”
Clues emerge
State lawmakers on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee may take up the DNR cuts on Friday. Three Republican members and one Democratic member of the JFC did not return inquiries.
So far, the researchers have have found some simple variables that predict walleye success, Hansen said.
Economic stakes are high. Sport fishing is worth about $2.75 billion in Wisconsin, according to the governor’s administration. The governor has proposed to cut 66 positions from the DNR altogether. In addition, state law requires an agency to terminate all limited-term employees, or LTEs, before it can lay off a single permanent staffer. A DNR organizational chart from late 2014 listed 12 LTE scientists in the fisheries and aquatic sciences section.
There are numerous potential environmental causes, like predation, food, habitat or invasive species, Vander Zanden said.
That is an important step toward figuring out which lakes are likely to support walleye, which will help managers decide where to focus stocking or habitat restoration efforts. Lake size is one top determinant; another is the overall temperature. Basically, walleye seem to do well in big lakes with cooler water. How squiggly the lake shoreline is seems to matter as well. They like darker water, but many lakes have cleared up. The Wisconsin researchers have received recent recognition from fellow scientists for their efforts to tease out what is happening. A paper sent to the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences was deemed the “editor’s choice” in March, according to a DNR newsletter. The editors cited “the impressive spatial and temporal scale” of the investigation and “the importance of (the) findings for management of walleye both in the U.S. and here in Canada.” Some of the theories researchers are examining: All about that bass? Bass are up and walleye are down, and a popular theory among fishermen is that bass eat baby walleye. Arrowood, for one, believes it is a strong possibility.
Walleye babies in trouble In Green Bay, walleye are “a world class walleye fishery,” according to Titus Seilheimer, a fisheries specialist with the UW Sea Grant Institute. It supports big fish, and lots of them. But the state’s inland lakes are another story. Researchers have found that in many lakes, walleye are failing to regenerate their numbers — scientists call it a “recruitment failure.” Lakes that used to support natural reproduction no longer do. The density of the youngest walleye, those under a year old, is down 6 percent a year overall in the northern lakes where most of the data are collected, according to the DNR’s Hansen. “That is what is the most scary,” Vander Zanden said. “There’s something about the environment that is just not right for the babies to survive.” There are also fewer walleye out there. Together, the “productive capacity” of Wisconsin’s lakes is down — like a garden that is less fertile than it used to be.
But researchers from UW-Stevens Point pumped a bunch of bass bellies and found no walleye. And the inverse correlation could be explained in part by the fact that bass are mostly fished catch and release, while people fish walleye to eat them — or that both fish are responding to other environmental factors. Meanwhile, muskies are eating walleye in some lakes, but it is unknown how important that is. Climate change. There is no obvious correlation. Climate change has affected all the lakes, but walleye have declined only in some of them. Researchers nonetheless believe it may be affecting the fish, in part because walleye tend to do better in cooler water. Vander Zanden calls the problem “very multidimensional” — meaning a dizzying array of factors could be at work, and they affect each other. Warmer temperatures could affect water clarity, lake levels, the layers of temperature in the lake, just to name a few variables, all of which could affect walleye. And bass do better in a warmer world, so if they are directly competing with walleye, more bass would be bad news for walleye. Overharvesting. Since the heated arguments over tribal walleye spearing in the 1980s, walleye regulation has been overseen by the courts, which affirmed the tribes’ continued on next page
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right to spear fish. A legal agreement intended to keep the population sustainable declares no more than 35 percent of the adults can be removed each year. It is a cap designed to be exceeded only once every 40 years, similar to how insurance companies plan for 100year storms. And it covers all northern Wisconsin lakes in areas ceded by the tribes, although lakes vary in how productive they are for walleye. Vander Zanden says some research suggests the one-sizefits-all limit may be way too high for some lakes. “It is leaving them open to overexploitation,” he said — that is, removing more adults from the population than it can regrow.
“Understanding is the basis for addressing the problem,” Vander Zanden said. Scientists are beginning to mobilize against Walker’s plan. A group of five prominent researchers will hold a 2 p.m. news conference today at the Capitol, Room 330 Southwest, to discuss the cuts to the science bureau. This story is part of Water Watch Wisconsin, a project examining water quality and supply issues. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www. WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
He likened it to pulling out more money from a bank account than its interest rate can maintain, and therefore decreasing the principal. That may be causing some of the decline. _____________________________________________________________________________
Layoffs at Wisconsin DNR would trigger terminations of limited-term employees By Kate Golden Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed cuts to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources scientists could extend beyond what budget documents have portrayed.
now is executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, said the DNR asked the state Department of Administration for an exemption from the LTE termination rule — but was denied.
A state law requires that before the DNR can lay off a single permanent staffer, it must let go any limited term employees or probationary employees with the same job classification.
Cosh did not answer questions attempting to confirm the exemption and obtain related documents.
The governor has proposed to cut 66 positions from the agency, 18.4 of them research scientists from the Bureau of Science Services. Agency spokesman Bill Cosh confirmed that the DNR notified LTEs who were at risk, but he did not answer questions about how many people the proposed cuts could affect, or how the cuts would affect research. The science bureau relies heavily upon limitedterm employees as a money-saving measure; they do not qualify for tenure, paid holidays, sick leave or vacations. They are considered temporary, but some have worked there for more than 10 years. According to numbers DNR furnished the Legislative Fiscal Bureau in early May, the science bureau has 95 LTEs — 41 classified as senior research scientists and eight as advanced research scientists. Another 33 are technicians. George Meyer, a former DNR secretary who 46 | FVTC STUDENT PUBLICATION | SEPTEMBER 2015
Layoffs are not certain even if the cuts go through, because people with cut positions may apply for other jobs within the agency, or “bump” less senior staffers and take their jobs. Cosh said the DNR is working with the at-risk staff “to avoid layoffs.” Helen Sarakinos of the River Alliance of Wisconsin said the DNR administration has so far failed to explain how the science will continue, for instance whether “at risk” scientists will be offered science positions in other divisions. “Who is going to do the work? They’re not answering that, and they’re certainly not behaving as if they’re intending to protect the capacity to do that work,” she said.
Gov. Scott Walker backs away from changes to open records law but is mum on his role Budget measure’s wording similar to recent documents from governor and DOA By Dee J. Hall Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Hit with an avalanche of criticism from across Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker and Republican legislative leaders have agreed to remove language from the state budget that would have gutted the state’s open records law. In a joint statement, Walker and the GOP leaders on Saturday said they had decided to remove the controversial measure “in its entirety” after “substantive discussion.” But the question remains: Who is responsible for putting it in the budget in the first place? It is a question that legislative leaders Alison Dirr/Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and Walker — who is set to announce his Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders will not say whether he had a role in run for the presidency next week — have a controversial proposal that would have gutted Wisconsin’s open records law. repeatedly dodged since the proposal was slipped into the 2015-17 spending plan late Thursday as residents headed out to begin celebrating Republican legislative leaders have refused to say who is behind the measure, which opponents argue would Independence Day weekend. have invited corruption by largely shielding the inner A review by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative workings of state and local government in Wisconsin Journalism shows similarities between recent records from public view. request denials from the governor’s office and the state Under the measure, documents used during the Department of Administration and changes inserted “deliberative process” by the governor, lawmakers in the budget by Republicans on the Joint Finance and other state and local government officials would Committee — similarities that raise questions about be exempt from public disclosure. Those would whether Walker himself was involved in the budget include opinions, analyses, briefings, background proposal. information, recommendations, suggestions, drafts, Critics from the left and right agree the measure correspondence about drafts, as well as “notes created would have allowed state and local officials to craft or prepared in the process of reaching a decision laws and policies largely in secret. concerning a policy or course of action.” The governor’s spokeswoman, Laurel Patrick, declined to respond to questions about whether the governor was behind the effort to limit the state open records law. Walker also ducked reporters’ questions about his role on Saturday. On Monday morning, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, declined during an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio to discuss the governor’s involvement. The turnaround came soon after Wisconsin’s Republican attorney general and conservative and liberal groups dedicated to government transparency all decried the last-minute changes approved on a 12-4 party-line vote by the budget committee with no public input.
A Center review shows that on May 8, DOA used a similar rationale in denying a River Falls man access to records about Walker’s controversial proposal to eliminate IRIS, a program that allows disabled individuals to use state money to pay for self-directed care. Lawmakers have since altered the program, but disability advocates remain opposed to the changes. “Making these internal discussions just as open to disclosure as the final version of the budget would inhibit the free exchange of ideas, opinions, proposals, and recommendations among those involved in deciding what to include in the final legislation,” according to the letter signed by Gregory Murray, DOA’s chief legal counsel.
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In fact, in their joint statement Saturday, Walker, Vos, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and joint finance co-chairs Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, made the same argument, saying the goal was to “encourage a deliberative process between elected officials and their staff in developing policy.” The Center also found Walker and DOA invoked a deliberative process argument in denying requests for records documenting the proposed removal of the Wisconsin Idea and the “search for truth” from the University of Wisconsin’s mission statement. Two parties that sued Walker for records over that issue say they detect the governor’s fingerprints in the now-defunct budget proposal. Among them is Jud Lounsbury, a columnist for The Progressive magazine and his wife, Katy, a labor attorney. The couple filed suit to get records after the liberal-leaning Center for Media and Democracy discovered that the Walker administration proposed changing the university’s core mission statement in the state budget.
“It’s fair to ask, did the governor request this language in Motion 999? And if so, why?” Brendan Fischer, general counsel for the Center for Media and Democracy, noted the similarities between Walker’s denial of his organization’s request for records related to the UW’s mission statement and the controversial open records changes. After Walker’s office denied the organization access to the records, citing a “deliberative process privilege,” the Center for Media and Democracy sued in May. That suit has been consolidated with the legal challenge filed by Jud and Katy Lounsbury and is pending in Dane County Circuit Court. Fischer said that the budget proposal, which would have done “grave damage to the state and the public’s ability to know why changes are being made,” surfaced as the Walker administration is battling in court to keep such records secret. “The similarities between their claims in our lawsuit and the appearance of this in the (budget) proposal seem like more than coincidence,” he said.
Although Walker initially denied any involvement, the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other outlets used the state open records law to confirm that the governor’s office was behind the effort to rewrite the mission statement.
Fischer added that if the proposal had been enacted, it would have helped shield Wisconsin’s governor from requests for state records that are sure to mount after Walker’s intention to run for president becomes official on July 13.
“Governor Walker’s office acted outside Wisconsin’s open records law in denying our basic request to see communications that were behind removing the ‘Wisconsin Idea’ from our statutes,” Jud Lounsbury said in an email. “So we took them to court. Instead of following the law, they’ve decided to change the law.”
“His office and legislators probably already are receiving a lot of requests,” Fischer said, “and that’s going to continue as he runs for president.… (This) would certainly make life easier for the governor and legislators.”
Christa Westerberg, vice president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, noted similarities between Walker’s invocation of a deliberative process exemption in recent months and the proposal in the “Motion 999” amendment to the state budget passed Thursday. The measure would have been a “vast rollback of the public’s right to know,” Westerberg said. “It’s strangely coincidental that we’re seeing the deliberative process exemption in the budget within months of the Governor’s office and Department of Administration attempting a similar exemption in recent (open records) responses,” said Westerberg, a Madison attorney who also is legal counsel for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. “When the administration attempted this exemption this spring, it was really an unprecedented attempt to conceal decisionmaking documents about important issues in the budget.
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The issue is not over. Walker and GOP leaders said they plan to convene a Legislative Council committee to study possible changes to the open records law — this time allowing other lawmakers and the public a chance to debate them. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UWMadison or any of its affiliates.
Used with permission
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