Presently regions of the southwest have been negotiating for access to the great lakes to provide water for the unplanned expansion in their areas.  As climate changes occur the need for fresh water will escalate.  We must begin to plan for the inevitable exploitation of our water resources or we will inevitably fall victim to the corporations who will reap profits from our resource, leaving us less water and more environmental degradation.  The model for exploitation of  our “Common Wealth,” as indicated by the present practices of coal and oil, only need be take from the shelf and dusted off. 

     We are fortunate to live in an area abundant with resources both human and natural that are capable of sustaining our economy as well as our quality of life.  If we do not educate ourselves and our leaders we will become the focus of exploitation.  Our “Common Wealth” is our natural resources, we own them, they belong to us.  If we choose to not become involved when our resources are damaged by pollution and misuse then we are abandoning our future and the future of our children. 

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                                            The Weight of WATER                                                                                              “ Title stolen from a movie by the same name ”  

    Water is something we take for granted until it does something unusual to get our attention.  Rain swollen rivers slip from their banks and consume homes, devour automobiles and dreams as it brushes off feeble attempts to prevent its intrusion.  We turn on the tap and nothing comes out, the spring that bubbled from the bank no longer flows, or water has become a memory of what once was, a dry lake bed, a receding shore line, it is then we take notice.   

     The global prognosis calls for rising salt water levels, and lower freshwater reserves.  Rains will come more frequently, larger amounts, inches, feet, or not at all.  I can sit and watch the water splash against the window pane, a single drop working its way down the glass, falling onto the grass, running with the others as though in a marathon, down, down, now a collective, a commune of water all working towards the same goal.  Rivulets of water taking with it anything and everything, a magnet, pulling at grasses, dissolving soil, washing the waste of winter away.    

     Water is a resource that belongs to all of us, a common wealth falling from the boiling skies, slipping like an ancient mythical creature through the fractured stone, or simply lying chameleon like reminding us all that it is more than a gift.  It not only provides the basis for all life, but also is a barometer gauging our respect, or lack of it, by gathering our mistakes, our neglect, our irreverence into pools where the affects of our disregard fester.  The blue of the afternoon sky, tempered by cataracts of poison and filth, cast their oily iridescent rainbow into the shallows where they surround the reeds like enemies, killing them silently.      

     “Our lake is dead,” words ringing in the air, the newspapers, on wireless phones that glow with the ghostly significance of another world.  We see, we hear, but we refuse to act because it is not our responsibility.  It is the responsibility of others who we have entrusted to do our bidding.  And yet we have not made clear our wishes and they in turn make up their own.  Telling not only us, but themselves what we want to hear, need to hear, we are all guiltless.  “Nothing could be done!”  They shout in the middle of the night when few will hear, fulfilling their obligation.      

      Some who do not believe raise their hands to ask questions.  How can this be?  It was no ones fault?  The lake died because it could no longer bear being accosted by indifference.  The nitrogen-laden water, brackish slime choking the reality from the lakes inhabitants causing them to leave their world once filled with primordial life and enter ours.  “Who did this?” ask the non-believers, who receive no answers.  “It could have been any of a dozen or so,” they pound the tables in response.  The non-believers strain to see the truth through the celestial haze pouring over the room like man made snow.        

      “It can not be determined who is directly responsible for the death of our water,” collective guilt dissipating the act to a mere inconvenience, as the soothing sounds of our guardians pat us on the heads like panting dogs just wanting to lie at our masters feet and have our bellies rubbed.      They smile, and we smile, glad to have it done.  We have tried, they have fulfilled their duty and yet, the water is still dead.  They told me it was an accident, people only trying to make a living, and yet the lake is still dead.  We do not debate the death of this lake, or that stream, or your well or my well.  We shift our uneasiness, change our focus, eat a donut, and talk about the fact the lake itself is to blame.  It shouldn’t have been there in the first place.  It is on unstable ground, rock formations whose arteries now lie waiting to help subvert the purpose of design, working as terrorists to defy our authority.        

     The ribbons of brown continue to find their way across the hillsides, the disappearing contours no longer capable of subsiding the enormity of waste being dumped on its surface.  The snows fall, hiding the unsightly smudge until the next time.      

      The pond now sits silent covered by a blanket of snow, “Beautiful” we muse, wishing not to be bothered by the visions of Christmas past.  The pond is now waiting patiently for the sun to warm the hills, the tumbling skies to cry over the land washing away our sins so that it can once again absorb our irreverence and lay the sacrificial creatures of its world at the feet of our most cherished deity, money.   

                                           “Musings of the politically incorrect”

     Clean Air, what’s all the fuss?  We don’t have clean water, chemically free soil, or a healthy work environment, so why worry about air.  At a meeting not long ago one enlightened town resident informed me that our air was fine.  Those suffering from asthma no doubt had made poor health choices as children.  No doubt she was referring to the numbers of children who have had to quit smoking since the tax on tobacco products has exceeded the allowance they receive from their fiscally conservative parents. 

     Perhaps we expect too much.  We as Americans are notorious for wanting everything.  We want safe automobiles, we want nicer looking food, we want population control, especially along the border.  But are we willing to give up our personal freedoms to get it?  You bet we are, we don’t use them anyway.  Perhaps the very idea of wanting clean air and freedom is just an American thing.  I can’t believe the Chinese population has any concerns about the air they breathe, and what about those in Guantanamo bay?  I have yet to hear of any terrorist news releases concerning the damage they may be doing to the environment or themselves by all the vehicles they are burning on Gods behalf. 

    We are spoiled.  There I said it.  I know it is politically incorrect, but when you reach my age what have you got to loose?  If I continue to breath smoke laden air what could happen?  I might die twenty minutes sooner than I would have anyway.  To give up progress and all that it promises to the American people so that we can live another twenty minutes doesn’t seem worthy of comment.  I know a lot of you are screaming already, “But what about the kids?”  Well, what about them.  I grew up eating lead paint, drinking un-chlorinated water, and attending schools where physical abuse was not only tolerated if you misbehaved, but encouraged.  I suppose you are thinking this is the government’s fault, and you’d be wrong.

     The government has been doing everything in its power to rid our nation of air pollution.  They have tried for years to make us come to our senses about nuclear power, and what have we done?  Chained our selves to the ridiculous notion that it is unsafe.  Nuclear waste has many beneficial attributes if only we would see them.  We wouldn’t need exterior lighting which would make the dark sky people giddy.  We are presently using the low level radioactive materials to make our bombs and bullets all the more lethal, plus getting rid of a perceived problem.  If we fail to hit our target, no matter, the lingering effects will get them eventually.  How much more efficiently patriotic can we be.  Nuclear means no coal is being burned thus eliminating hydrocarbons that enter the air.  Sure we could put scrubbers on our utility smoke stacks, but that costs money.  CEO’s aren’t going to jeopardize their stock packages by asking us to pay a little more.  It just wouldn’t be the American way.  Our government is also sending those nasty polluting factories over seas along with the jobs to protect us from the ever increasing pollutants that some left wing radicals would have us believe are detrimental to our health.  And what do we do? Complain about the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs.

     So next time you step outside, stop and appreciate what we have.  Take a deep breath and see if you can identify the harmful elements being released by burning garbage or industrial waste.  I bet you can’t.  A representative of Dairyland Power told me that the air borne mercury emissions contaminating our soils and waterways are not the fault of the utility companies.  The vast majority of mercury comes here from Asia on the jet stream.  And sure mercury may be coming from American owned companies, but they have no control over the jet stream.  Next thing you know we’ll be blaming our most important resource according to Ducks Unlimited for the problem, claiming birds are bringing mercury to our shores.  Haven’t the poor waterfowl been maligned enough, what with the bird flu and all?

    We need to stop looking at the glass as being half empty when we should be thankful after the last seven years we have a glass at all.  Don’t demand your public officials protect your environment; it does no good and it only makes you look like some kind of tree hugger type, or worse, a concerned citizen.  When your local officials tell you they are working on it, believe them.  After all they have to breath too don’t they?  I mean would you jeopardize the air you breathe for a couple of months in Barbados or a few hundred thousand measly dollars? 

     We as Americans have to stop expecting the best.  The last statistic I read said we are twice as likely to die from jay walking on the LA freeway than from mercury poisoning, and we’ve all heard about the supposedly awful smog problems they have.  When the industrial revolution promised more leisure time, and Roosevelt promised a chicken in every pot, they weren’t talking about leisure without a price or chicken without growth hormones.  We should thank our lucky stars, if you can see them, that we still have any air at all.  The future as predicted will be a future without water, jobs, food, or energy, so why all the fuss about clean air.  Grow up, get over it.  Clean air is after all just an illusion.  So lets follow the advise of our president and be preemptive and breath all the air we can before all the good stuff is gone or some terrorist finds a way to steal it, or worse, blow it up.  And why not let your two year olds have a few extra bucks for allowance, after all what have they got to lose?  Once creationism is taught in our schools we will all be able to breath a little easier.  There is nothing in the bible where Jesus promises clean air, unless you want to count the references to the Holy Ghost and I think that may be going too far where strict interpretation is concerned.  I’ve always believed if God was concerned with cleaner air he would have given us more efficient lungs from the get go, and not waited for the so called evolutionary principles to take affect.

     On a less serious note, only one million people died last year from air pollutant -related complications.  I know it seems a little low, but then you can’t take all the statistics and pile them on one cause.  What would the second hand smoke people use if we did that?  Compared to the population of the world, one million is hardly worth mentioning, unless of course you happened to be one of the chosen few.  But then perhaps, it’s just God’s way of calling us home early.

     And by the way, if you read this slowly backwards it will have a completely different meaning.  Cheer up it will make you breathe a little lighter.  And by the way the air, water, and natural resources belong to all of us.  It is our Common Wealth and we need to stand up and say so.         

     Integration of systems is not only understanding each component, but understanding how each component interacts with others to become  part of the whole.  The process of integration needs to be applied to all solutions if they are to encompass the totality of purpose.  Government is no exception.  If government is to meet the needs of the people they are intended to represent, they must first devise a process by which constituents feel free to discuss concerns and propose solutions.  I have seen a tendency of late for elected officials to ignore constituent concerns claiming they were elected and therefore will make the decisions.  They are in fact claiming to know who you are and what you may be thinking without taking the time to ask.  This approach has narrowed the focus, limiting the outcome to the experience of the representative.  It is eliminating all input that may be beneficial to a solution.  It is as if you were operating on yourself instead of asking a physician to do so, because you know where it hurts.

     The county has many departments that need to spend time each year investigating the interaction between themselves and the whole of county government.  If planning to avoid unnecessary expenditure and increase efficiency is the goal of county officials then they must integrate their systems to achieve that goal.  Sanitation, Solid Waste, Legal Affairs, Health and Safety, and Transportation all impact one an other’s policies.  To ignore the inter connectedness of departments increases the likelihood of duplication of some services while ignoring the needs of others. 

     Integration of systems allows the examination of how a proposal will impact the environment, human and natural resources, and the quality of life.  The recently proposed ash dump for Dairyland Power when looked at from a holistic perspective will point out the impact on Vernon Counties infrastructure, environment, and quality of life. 

     The infrastructure will be impacted by the number and weight of vehicles.  The distance will impact the transportation cost of the waste to a land fill.  The land fill itself will be taxed to supply needed security for a hazardous material.  The increases will add to the financial burden of the tax payer. 

    The environment will be subjected to the probability of future liability and debt placed upon the land fill.  The Karst geology (fractured limestone) increases the probability of groundwater contamination.

     The quality of life issues will become more acute as the traffic and noise increase.  The safety of highways and rural roads will increase when design factors are compromised by vehicles not intended for their use. 

     The positive affects would be for Dairyland Power and the entire consumer grid, not just those in Vernon County.   The cost would be absorbed by users as all cost is passed to the consumer in the form of increased rates.  Vernon County will absorb the disproportional impact by being asked to landfill the toxic waste created by the generation process while the product is distributed in a much larger geographic region.

     Integrating systems is a process that is capable of removing the political, religious, and personal conflict leverage associated with many of our land use issues.  We can no longer afford to hide behind political rhetoric devised to improve corporate profitability while passing the cost of doing business to the local tax payer.   

     To provide for true economic growth, and therefore economic stability, an inventory of natural and human systems must be displayed and analyzed for optimum sustainability.  Short term economic incentives will entice business but will it be the type of development that is consistent with resource availability, infrastructure compatibility, and social acceptance.  The cost in the form of taxes used to support development must be entered into the equation if investment on the part of the community will be viewed as sustainable incentive, versus the all too prevalent hidden incentives to industry by local tax payers in the form of infrastructure construction and reduced taxes. 

     For development to be successful it must be a collaboration between human, natural, and economic resources.  It must provide the community living wage employment while providing economic rewards to participants while preserving the environment necessary to maintain a quality of life.  Quality of life issues are often overlooked when economic development is encouraged.  The result of leaving the natural resources impacted by such business begins a downward spiral in which community members are no longer able to assume the debt associated with environmental degradation as it pertains to loss of property value.  When a community begins to disregard its cultural and natural resources for short term economic gain it begins to loose its sense of community and therefore its quality of life. 

     We are entering a downward national economic trend which will increase the pressure to lessen our economic, social, and environmental standards.  We will be asked to accept less environmental protection, lower wages, and lower quality of life standards, so that we can continue to consume at our present rate.  If not vigilant we will begin to allow exploitation of resources, human and natural, which will inevitably lead to a social and economic devaluation of our homes and farms.  Now is the time to repel the urge for short term gain considering the long term impact on our communities.  We must work towards a system that utilizes resources both human and natural in sustainable ways, which add value to our communities while maintaining our quality of life.  

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Understanding Transportation Issues in the Kickapoo River Valley A proposal to the Kickapoo Valley Restoration Fund fromValley Stewardship Network, Viroqua WI and theTransportation Management and Planning Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison  Justification and Outcome 

The Kickapoo River Valley is characterized by a complex mixture of steeps slopes, broad and winding ridges and valleys, and meandering rivers and associated wetland complexes.  The transportation systems serving this area are substantially influenced by these conditions.  Many of the roads and rails were laid out in the 19^th century, and only modestly improved to accommodate motor vehicles in the ensuing decades.  Twenty-first century land uses such as large-scale agricultural production and various kinds of production facilities place unsustainable loads on pavement and roadbeds, resulting in deteriorating infrastructure and/or substantial tax burden on local communities.

The future of transportation infrastructure in the Kickapoo Valley, as well as economic development that depends on roads, requires careful evaluation of conditions, loads, and potential use levels.  This analysis should be incorporated in the “transportation elements” of comprehensive land use plans currently under development.  The plans should be designed to mitigate damage to sensitive infrastructure, designate appropriate routes for heavy vehicles, and coordinate facility siting and other land use changes with transportation infrastructure capacity. 

The proposed work will provide the transportation evaluation – develop an inventory of current road conditions and current land use activities having significant impact on the transportation system.  Then, it will provide these data in a form and format that can be integrated with on-going mapping and planning activities, along with recommendations on key concepts and components for the “transportation element” in the comprehensive land use plans as required by state law.  The focus will be in Vernon County, where six towns surrounding the Kickapoo River valley (Webster, Whitestown, Stark, Union, Forest, Clinton) and the Village of LaFarge are mid-stream in comprehensive land use planning, and the County has just begun its own planning process.  To the extent feasible, applicable portions of Monroe, Richland and Crawford counties will be incorporated as well, and concepts and methods will be documented so that these counties can replicate the study.

The primary beneficiaries of the study will be residents and communities of the area.  By coordinating development and road construction/maintenance, businesses will have a more robust transportation system, local and state road funds will be directed to stretches most in need of funding, and heavy traffic can be routed away from environmentally sensitive areas.

 Proposed Work 

This project will be conducted as a collaboration between the Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) and the Transportation Management & Policy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (TMP). In broad terms, VSN collaborators will provide the “ground truth” – observations of conditions and activities influencing transportation infrastructure, while the graduate students in a TMP seminar will acquire data, analyze conditions, and make recommendations for system operations and improvements.

VSN is a citizens’ organization headquartered near the Kickapoo.  Its “encourages, promotes and helps create opportunities for pro-active stewardship efforts in the Kickapoo River Watershed through education and awareness efforts and by promoting community pride, positive land use, compatible development and communication and coordination among groups in the watershed” (http://www.kickapoovsn.org/).  TMP is a graduate certificate administered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and is closely associated with the Midwest Regional University Transportation Center in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. It  “offers a broad perspective on the environmental, economic, political, and societal impacts of the demand for, and development and management of, transportation infrastructure” (http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/grad/tmp/).

The Transportation Management and Policy (TMP) Program was created at UW-Madison in 2002 to satisfy the demand for transportation professionals who understand multiple dimensions of mobility management and planning, enabling them to make choices leading to more environmentally and socially sustainable transportation systems now and in the future.  The TMP integrates studies of environmentally sensitive transportation planning and development with studies of the economic, political, and social dimensions of transportation development.

The integrative capstone course in the TMP Program is CEE 772 Practicum in Transportation Management and Policy.  The course aims to provide students with interdisciplinary team experiences in the analysis of transportation policies and transportation management decision-making.  The class meets once a week for 3 hours and is instructed by Professors Jessica Guo and Teresa Adams.  Students in the course form multidisciplinary consulting teams to work on real transportation-related problems solicited from local communities and public agencies. 

A group of the TMP Program students and instructors (hereafter referred to as the TMP team) will be part of the research team for this proposed study by undertaking Tasks 1-3 of the proposed work plan as their course project during the Fall semester, 2008.  Task 4 will be completed during the spring semester, 2009.

The specific tasks that the TMP team will undertake are outlined below:

1. Inventory of transportation infrastructure

An up-to-date inventory of the layout and condition of the transportation system in the Valley is needed to understand the statues quo of the infrastructure supply.  Since different components of the system are separately managed by multiple state and local agencies, this task will entail acquiring and integrating existing data from multiple sources, including WISLR, Vernon County databases, and local agencies. 

1. Inventory of business practices and needs

This task focuses on understanding the current use of and future demand for transportation infrastructure in the region.  It includes collecting data about the nature and locations of significant business establishments and facilities, their logistic decisions (fleet, route, etc.) regarding transporting materials and products, and any economic, environmental, and societal considerations that let to their decisions.  Obtaining such information is not a straight forward task and the TMP team will consider and employ multiple approaches (for example, paper-based survey, face-to-face interviews, and phone interviews) to reach key stakeholders.

1. Date Integration and Mapping Analysis

Data collected from the previous two tasks will be assembled and integrated.  A set of maps depicting the supply and demand characteristics of the road system will be generated to help shed some lights on to questions such as: How have the road conditions been impacted by existing business practices?  Given the constraints that businesses have to operate under, what feasible changes in logistic operations could help improve the sustainability of the region’s transportation system?  What locations are suitable for future business?

1. Recommendations for Transportation Element in Comprehensive Land Use Plans

A template consisting of maps, plan language, recommendations, and justifications will be prepared, consistent with the requirements of the state’s comprehensive land use planning requirement.  These will be developed with enough specificity that they can be adapted to and incorporated in local and county plans.

The students and instructors will work closely with the Kickapoo Valley community representatives and the PI on the proposed tasks and provide regular progress updates.  VSN participants will have primary responsibility for Task 5. This collaboration between the TMP team, local partners, and other consultants on the project will not only benefit the kickapoo Valley community but also provides a valuable educational opportunity for UW students.

1. Local Reconnaissance, Networking, and Observations.

Assist the TMP team in identifying data sources and establishing contacts with local public agencies and private business entities.  Observe and/or verify road and land use conditions.

The students will deliver all the data collected to Vernon County Land Information Office and local jurisdictions.  They will also provide an oral presentation and a written report that describe the data collaboration process, findings, and recommendations.

Key Personnel

TMP Team – In addition to graduate students, the TMP team will include Engineering professors Jessica Guo and Teresa Adams and Agricultural and Life Science professor  Steve Ventura (all three are also affiliated with the Nelson Institute). 

Professor Guo will be the project leader and seminar coordinator.  She will be the primary point of contact with VSN.  Professor Adams is the TMP Program coordinator and ensure the timely and complete development of the project.  Professor Ventura has four on-going Nuzum funded projects related to comprehensive land use planning in the six towns and village adjacent to the Kickapoo.  He will provide connections to other local officials who need to be involved in the project and assist with the development of recommendations for incorporation in the plans.

VSN – Joe Swanson is the primary collaborator and contact for VSN.  He is a member of the board, and a resident of Town of Webster.  He will be responsible for recruiting other volunteers to assist with observations and data gathering, and serve as liaison to town land use planning committees.

    Sustainable development is often misinterpreted as focusing solely on environmental issues.  In reality, it is a much broader concept as sustainable development policies encompass three general policy areas: economic, environmental and social.  In support of this, several United Nations texts, most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, refer to the “interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars” of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

 Developing Sustainable Community Indicators:

1. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of the natural resources–renewable and nonrenewable, local and nonlocal–that the community relies on?

2. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of the ecosystem services upon which the community relies, whether local, global, or from distant sources?

3. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of aesthetic qualities–the beauty and life-affirming qualities of nature–that are important to the community?

4. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of the community’s human capital-skill, abilities, health and education of the people in the community?

5. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of a community’s social capital–The connection between people in a community: the relationship of friends, families, neighborhoods, social groups, business, governments and their ability to cooperate, work together and interact in positive, meaningful way?

6. Does the indicator address the carrying capacity of community’s built capital–the human made materials (buildings, parks, playgrounds, infrastructure, and information) that are needed for quality of life and the community’s ability to maintain and enhance those materials with existing resources?

7. Does an indicator provide a long term view of the community?

8. Does the indicator address the issue of economic, social or biological diversity in the community?

9. Does the question address the issue of equity or fairness-either between current community residents (intra-generational equity) or between current and future residents (inter-generational equity)?

10. Is the indicator understandable to and usable by its intended audience?

11. Does the indicator measure a link between economy and environment?

12.Does the indicator measure a link between environment and society?

13. Does the indicator measure a link between society and economy?

14. Does the indicator measure sustainability that is at the expense of another community or at the expense of global sustainability?

     Many environmentalists have criticized the term “sustainable development as an oxymoron, claiming that economic policies based around concepts of growth and continued depletion of resources cannot be sustainable, since that term implies resources remain constant.  Resources such as petroleum are consumed much faster than they are created by natural processes, and are continually being depleted.  It is argued that the term ‘sustainable development’ is a term invented by business to show capitalism as ecologically friendly, thereby placating people promoting environmentalist values.

     However, technologies such as renewable energy, recycling and the provisions of service can, if carried out appropriately, provide for growth in economic sense, either without the use of limited resources, or by using relatively small amount of resources with a small impact.  In the latter case, even the use of small amounts of resources may be unsustainable if continued indefinitely.

     In the short term, environmental degradation leads to declining standards of living, the extinction of large numbers of species, health problems in the human population, conflicts sometimes violent, between groups fighting for a dwindling resource, water scarcity and many other major problems.

     Social responsibility is the duty of all citizens to respect the resources of their community, both human and natural.  We are afforded dignity by the Bill of Rights, protection by our courts, and the assurance of happiness by our constitution.  We have also invited God to stand with us.  “One Nation Under God.” So that we may be afforded the assurance of Divine protection as well.  But what is asked of us?  What are our responsibilities to our communities and country? 

When we are asked to pay taxes, obey the laws that make it possible for our communities to function in relative harmony, we are asked to contribute to the care and well being of those less fortunate.  We are essentially being asked to care for one another in the spirit of humanity. 

     Some people proclaim this attribute of the human spirit to be not one of charity but of weakness.  We are willing to apply the laws of Darwinism to the sick and old, those in poverty and politically disadvantaged, but then challenge its validity in the classroom.  We expect to be taken care of by our institutions whether they are social or political, for do not these institutions function on our behalf?  Do not these institutions protect us from the predatory tactics that no longer answer to our laws, norm, and cultures, because they have become irrelevant to them?

     It is said we are protected by a democratic process that insures fairness, equality and justice.  But does it?  Our democratic process has been reduced to numbers, the outcome of an election having no more significance than the final score of a football game.  It is no longer the collaboration of invested citizens in decisions that will benefit as many as possible.  It does not define justice, but makes it more ambiguous by clouding it’s meaning with deception or morality.  The cost of poverty has been calculated by an economist in the same way a stock price on the New York Exchange is rated, failure to rise above this monetary bar does not entitle you to more, but to less.  Democracy is no longer a means to protect the populace, but the powerful.  Democracy and the institutions that support its existence have been constructed to protect those who are unable to protect themselves.  It is not to be used against them for personal or corporate gain.

     So where does our responsibility begin?  I believe it begins when we recognize the need to become involved.  When we accept the responsibility to inform ourselves about the issues facing our country and community.  To be effective it is essential we make educated decisions based on fact.  It is not necessary that we agree, what is essential is that we allow the process involving the free exchange of ideas to exist, that we create an environment where opinions are solicited rather than discouraged.

     Too often the majority feels they have the authority to proceed with their agendas leaving those who may differ with their ideals to go unheard and unheeded.  A democracy cannot be reduced to winning and losing; for when it is we all lose.  Having to defend our position causes us to examine it, and makes us stronger not weaker.  Those who are unwilling or unable to defend their position should not be allowed to hide behind the majority banner as though it were infallible.

     I find it extraordinary that those in control are so intimidated by questions that they refuse to entertain any.  The very fact that someone would question their benevolence is enough to draw the rancor of the decision maker.  The fact that I may not agree with your assessment of a situation should not make me your opponent, but a collaborator in search of a reasonable and just solution to a common problem.  Personal attack has replaced the ability to debate.  We have a responsibility as citizens to listen to the views of others and then formulate an opinion based on the information presented; to do otherwise is to be negligent.  We have an obligation to speak to our concerns with as much righteousness as those who disagree.

     When we deliberately infringe on another physically, mentally or monetarily, we are guilty of trespass no matter how the law is interpreted.  When property that belongs to us individually or collectively is damaged through negligence or greed, it is a violation of our contract with others to live under a system where justice is determined by intent of the law not simply the letter of the law.

     We have a responsibility to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the resources that keep us warm and provide impetus for our economies.  We have a responsibility to educate our children, provide health care for those in need, and give a voice to anyone who wishes to share their experience with us.  We have a responsibility to ourselves to participate in the future of not only our families, but also the environment they will inherit.  We have a social responsibility to include everyone in our society regardless of race, religion, or origin. 

     It is said a system is only as strong as its weakest link.  When people are without food, medical treatment, education or anything that keeps them from participating in our system, then we as a society become the weakest link.  When we disrespect our environment, our neighbor, or ourselves, we no longer will be able to share the promise of a future with the rightful heirs, generations yet unborn.

                                              TRANSPORTATION

     The Kickapoo Valley has an arterial system of roadways that not only make our rural properties accessible, but vulnerable.  In the past fifty years an ever increasing assault on design load by increasing vehicle weights and frequency has placed our local and national infrastructure in jeopardy.  The principle ingredient in today’s road systems is oil, an increasingly expensive commodity whose future availability is questionable. 

     Today’s rural economies are dependent upon our transportation system to provide a means for supplying our local communities as well as delivering goods to markets.  This system has traditionally developed on its own with natural topography and resources determining business development. 

     Today’s economic philosophy is no longer tied to responsibility; our ability to dominate natural and social systems with technology, no longer includes or respects natural systems.  We do not consider the impact in real costs associated with that domination.  Our average meal travels 1500 miles before it rests on our plates.  The real cost associated with transportation whether it is goods or services is calculated into the models we have created to reinforce our own productivity as a nation and society.  Our ability to ignore the interconnectedness of a transportation system with the economic and social systems that govern our communities as well as nation, has left us vulnerable to changes within the natural systems that will negatively impact, if not destroy, our ability to embrace sustainability.  Our security as a community, region, and nation has been weakened by the energy and infrastructure costs associated with global production and consumption.

     Removing the natural elements associated with transportation whether it is roads, mass transit, or air travel, has left us with systems we will not be able to maintain or sustain.  As long as the cost of energy remains hidden from the consumer, market distance and origin will have no particular impact on producer or consumer.  We can no longer ignore the true cost of transportation and the effect it has on an infrastructure built around diminishing resources.

     If a system designed to deliver goods and materials as well as transport a population is to continue, an effort must be initiated to incorporate the true cost in the form of natural resources into the efficiency model on which our productivity is fashioned.  Transportation can no longer be evaluated solely by the monetary cost associated with it, but must begin to accommodate the expense associated with resource utilization and societal impact on quality of life and health.

     Transportation provides benefits as well as having detrimental effect on quality of life issues.  Noise from vehicle traffic has become so pervasive in our society that we no longer recognize our developed immunity as a health and life quality issue.  Emissions from vehicles contribute to the ever increasing particulate matter responsible for increases in respiratory illness, and other health related diseases. 

    Transportation technology has made it possible for us to live wherever we choose.  We are, because of past energy policies and inexpensive subsidized fuel, able to ignore our responsibility to our environment.  We are no longer asked to plan our transportation strategy, much less incorporate it into our everyday lives.  We must rethink our transportation habits if we are to lessen our impact on our eco-systems and integrate transportation into our consumer and production plans. *

            The recent changes in road use contribute billions of dollars in tax subsidies to businesses and corporations.  Each municipality receives a percentage of fuel tax from the dept. of transportation.  This re-allocation, coupled with the percentage municipalities retain from property taxes provides for the maintenance of county and town roads. 

     The infrastructure was designed for weights no longer consistent with today’s transportation vehicles.  Everything from tractors, chopper wagons, manure tankers, and trucks of all sizes and weights use roads regardless of design capability.  The increase in oil has not only jeopardized our ability to maintain our road system but with the added stress of weights that exceed design capabilities the life expectancy has been more than cut in half. 

     The increase in CAFO ‘s has also added to the deterioration by the increased amount of traffic hauling in feed over greater distances and the increased weights of those vehicles.  The land necessary to comply with manure management plans also increases not only the miles traveled on town and county roads but weights which exceed design limits.  Spills have impacted not only water resources but safety on road surfaces.

     The Wisconsin DOT studies indicate that over 50% of log trucks weighed are over the acceptable design load limits.  The truck trailer combinations exceed the 80,000 lb. limit by twice the licensed limit.  The increased weight and size of vehicles contributes to the safety of traveling on town and county roads.

    Most towns in our region have approximately 50 miles of road.  The cost of gravel has risen in the past several years approximately 30% Seal coat costs have also increased by 20 to 30%, and as they are tied to the rising price of oil the increases will escalate. 

     Our local road systems are funded by the DOT in the form of fuel tax and the remainder is local property tax dollars.  Shared revenue is being used to supplement the shortfalls in expenditures needed for maintenance of existing infrastructure. 

    The transportation budget for Vernon Co. in 2006 was $8.5 million dollars, of which, $2.5 million was local property tax revenues.  33% of property taxes go to the county.   

 The impact of weights on local road systems has a dramatic affect on maintenance costs.  The price of oil is rising and will continue to rise.  The material costs (gravel, tubes, etc.) will also increase as the costs of transporting and manufacturing rise.  It will no longer be fincancially practical to build and maintain design load capability to carry the increased weights of trucks and machinery.  The existing infrastucture (State Roads) are designed for carrying capacities that enable transportation needs to be met.  The local roads were not designed for the vehicles currently using them. The design capability is inadequate and the cost of upgrading the infrasturcture to handle the unintended weights in unaffordable as it will be paid for by property taxes at the county and town levels. 

     A system must be disigned through planning commissions to evaluate infrastructure use to alleviate undue stress and expense to local property tax payers.  Businesses must locate on roads that are capable of handling the capacity and weights of vehicles supplying and shipping product from their facility, whether manufacturing or agricultural. 

Seaonal Affects on Truck Impacts:

     For Pavements, damage reduced when ground is frozen.

     Conversely, when pavements are thawing and wet, significantly more damage results.

Bridges do not benefit from frozen conditions:

     In fact, some bridges may be more susceptible to failure in cold weather.

Effects of Heavy Vehicles on Pavements:

   Conventional 5 axle tractor semi-trailer at 80,000 GVW is about 2.4 ESALs (measuring weight impact on roadway)

     Increasing the load by 12.5% to 90,000 GVW increases damage by 70% to 4.1 ESALs.

     Pavement Damage increases at a geometric rate with weight increases.

Effect of Additional Axles on Bridge Impacts:

     Dependent on axle spacings

     Impacts are specific to each bridge (span length, design and structural details) (bridge failure on I-35, Minnesota)

     Bridges are susceptible to catastophic failure and must be protected

     Bridges are susceptible to fatigue failure reducing service and life of existing bridges.

Additional Issues:

     Substantial public policy and cost issues

     Impacts are unavoidable, but can be planned for with sufficient resources and coordination

     Plans should be compatible with adjoining states to serve regional and national needs

Roadway System Issues:

     State highway issues could be addressed with significant additional investment (Federal and State tax, a larger pool, invests in systems)

     Heavier vehicles will need access on local roads

           Less likely to be able to accomodate those loads

           Far more miles to consider

One semi-tractor trailer (80,000 GVW) equals the impact of 500 automobiles. 

Over 50% of tractor-trailers hauling logs were found to be over weight, some by as much as double the allowable limit.  

Information provided by Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation