A park ranger with the DNR patch on her uniform became impatient with me as we checked out the map of Kohler-Andrae state park. The ranger, who proved to be none other than Carolyn Morgan, the J.M. Kohler-Terry Andrae superintendent, raised a forefinger and said, “You’re not listening to me.” Morgan is the only park... Continue Reading →
Habitat Destruction Begins at Home (Why, Mr. Kohler? Part 2)
Naturalist Jim Buchholz is worried about the wildlife in and around Kohler-Andrae State Park. Buchholz served as superintendent of Kohler-Andrae for twenty-five year before retiring in 2013. On May 11, he took a group from Sierra Club and Friends of the Black River Forest on a tour of some of the rare dunes at Kohler-Andrae... Continue Reading →
“Why, Mr. Kohler, Why?” (Part 1)
Kathleen Rammer still wants to know why – why did Herb Kohler Jr. go back on his word? He made her a promise on Christmas Eve, 2013, “Before this all started,” Rammer said. Before Kohler Co. proposed to build a championship, Pete Dye golf course on top of a globally rare wetland and clear cut a... Continue Reading →
Town Halls Reveal Republican Indifference to Environmental Issues
The problem with facts, from the Republican standpoint, is that they have a well-known liberal bias. That’s why our Wisconsin Republicans try to avoid them whenever possible. But with so many parts of our state in environmental crisis, the Republican avoidance of truth has become destructive to both our health and our property values. I... Continue Reading →
The Bold Grab of Kohler: State Parkland for a Private Golf Course
The DNR is giving away some of your state parkland so Kohler can build another golf course.
God’s Army Destroys Hopes for Justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Tuesday’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election cast a familiar pall over the hopes of Democrat and progressive citizens of Wisconsin. We had hoped that the skin-of-their-teeth election of Tony Evers, Mandela Barnes, and Josh Kaul to some of the top political jobs in our state signaled a turning of the tide. But the skin-of-his-teeth election of... Continue Reading →
Don’t Ban the Drive-thru: Just Don’t Use It
In the endless winter of 2019, it’s not uncommon to see the line of idling cars at fast-food joints snaking all the way around the building, tailpipes spewing clouds of exhaust. The drive-thru is one way our car culture seduces us into choosing convenience in its most extreme form over our own best interest –... Continue Reading →
Fake Triumph Part 3: McAdams Wins a Dubious Victory for the First Amendment
In the beige marble halls of the Wisconsin State Capitol, Ralph Weber waited for the doors of the Supreme Court hearing room to open. Weber, representing Marquette University in the well-publicized case of McAdams v. Marquette, was having a moment. Chin raised, an enigmatic smile on his face, Weber was surrounded by associates from his... Continue Reading →
Fake Triumph Part 2: How MU Professor John McAdams Became a Hero of Right-Wing Media
On April 19th, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of McAdams vs. Marquette University. Rick Esenberg, director of the conservative legal organization WILL, who represents McAdams, will claim that Marquette suspended McAdams (a suspension that has since become a permanent condition) because of his posts critical of the university... Continue Reading →
