Letter: Politicians swiped welcome mat for doing business

On March 6, 16 Democrat senators: Tim Carpenter, Lena Taylor, Spencer Coggs, Chris Larson, Jim Holperin, Tim Cullen, Mark Miller, Jessica King, Robert Wirch, Julie Lassa, Robert Jauch, Fred Risser, Jon Erpenbach, Dave Hansen, Kathleen Vinehout and one Republican, Dale Schultz, voted to kill the mining bill that would have generated over $1.5 billion for economic development in northern Wisconsin.

The mining company Gogebic Taconite pulled out after the vote. Gogebic would have created over 700 jobs in the initial phase.

These would have paid at least $60,000 a year. Another 2,000 jobs would’ve been created in service and transportation resulting in big dollars for a depressed economy. Most would have been union jobs.

The company wanted to start mining taconite near the Penokee Range that runs from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through Wisconsin’s Iron and Ashland counties. Unemployment there is around 10%.

The company wanted to start mining a stretch south of Mellen towards the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation.

Our state has a long history of conservation. Environmentalists claim this would pollute the groundwater. But most taconite mines present little risk to the environment because they release little contamination.

Gogebic officials stated they would turn the mine into a lake after they were done working.

Democrats represented by the unions turned their noses against mining in northern Wisconsin. They would rather see thousands of opportunities leave the state and to run Governor Scott Walker out of office.

What message did these individual senators send to other corporations who thought of doing business in Wisconsin? What future do children have in this state for opportunities of good paying jobs?

All kinds of blue-collar workers would have benefited: Plumbers, electricians, construction workers, others. These 17 senators helped lose jobs. So much for doing business in Wisconsin.

Tags: opinion, letters, politics