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What a State Legislative "Listening Session" Looks Like

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Enclosed is a summary of the Moulton/Larson listening session in Bloomer from a fellow Democrat.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I attended the Moulton/Larson listening session in Bloomer today. Of note is that the videographer for public radio was there but did not go to Colfax because he told me that the venue was not conducive to many people. In other words, probably very few showed up. He said it would probably be broadcast tomorrow sometime.

Fifteen people showed up for the session I attended. Generally speaking it was a mixed crowd although more were anti-Walker than pro. The issues brought up were as follows.

1. sand mining - 1 person lives on the road to one of the mines and was concerned about noise, zoning, property values and said he has gotten no satisfaction on his concerns from Chippewa county and wants to know where to turn
2. wetlands - 1 person had a wetlands issue with the DNR and was g etting nowhere trying to resolve it with the DNR
3. farm supports - 1 woman was upset about milk support prices and wanted Moulton/Larson to intervene - they said it was a federal issue beyond their control
4. septic rules - 1 person was upset about new regs he had to comply with when testing the effectiveness of a new septic system and wanted changes in state mandated testing rules
5. jobs - 1 person (me) asked that it appears that we are losing jobs at a faster pace than creating them and how they perceived Walker's programs would change that - their answers were loosey goosey at best along typical party rhetoric
6. tuition tax credits - 1 person was in support of tuition vouchers and wanted it expanded statewide - this person has appeared at other listening sessions I've attended and goes on and on and on about his pet issues
7. veterans affairs - 1 person was upset that we have no veterans affairs secretary and therefore our veterans are not getting the state supp ort they need
8. general - 1 person was upset about the attack on unions and the middle class by Walker and the republican party - no response from Moulton or Larson

My opinion was that even though these are billed as listening sessions they really aren't interested in any opinion opposed to the republican plan and these are merely to try to appease their constituents.