Civics and Civility
	Locking Down
	Editorial
	Wisconsin Favorites Natural History, North-Woods Style

Civics and Civility
State Lawmakers Face Up To Their Image

It's all but certain you've never read about this in a newspaper or seen it on TV. At the moment when the Wisconsin State Assembly approved welfare reform legislation in 1995, one member who opposed the change went goose-stepping up and down the chamber’s center aisle, yelling "nazi, nazi, nazi, nazi," at the top of her voice. Another, whom voters later elevated to the State Senate, stood by his seat pounding a $400, taxpayer-owned microphone to destruction against the polished walnut document tray on top of the desk. In the years since, some lawmakers say, the level of civility in the Legislature has declined.
Leaders of a current campaign to make the Legislature mind its manners point toward subtler expressions of incivility. Some tell Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News they’ve never witnessed the kind of abusive name-calling bellowed out in the Assembly that evening in 1995. But they do say that by the end of the 1990s, the level of animosity had risen to flood stage, seriously impairing the Legislature's work.

Budget Rancor

The biggest single component of that work is passage of a state budget bill in each odd-numbered year. In October 1999, lawmakers were still at work on the budget and in a seemingly hopeless deadlock—nearly four months past the statutory deadline for a new budget to be in effect.
"It was October and we were not making progress and it was getting rancorous and it was getting more divisive; it was getting more discouraging," says State Rep. Al Ott (R–Forest Junction).
Lack of progress on a budget bill stalled by maneuvering for partisan advantage may seem like small potatoes compared with outbursts of hate speech and destruction of public property, but a legislative staffer who has served in the Capitol since the 1980s calls the fracas over welfare reform one of several "spikes" in what's been a climate of sustained hostility pretty much ever since.
"I don't think it's ever returned to the way it was before that episode," he explains. "People are constantly using delaying tactics. You don't see the spikes but when the Assembly meets it's always contentious."
As the 1999 budget dragged on, Ott joined with Reps. Jeff Plale (D–South Milwaukee), Tom Hebl (D–Sun Prairie), and Kitty Rhoades (R–Hudson) "to go to work and start a little peer pressure," Ott recalls, and the four launched something they called the Civility Caucus.

Decency Pledge

The idea was simple: recruit colleagues to sign a pledge that they would treat one another with decency. Quite a few signed on; many regarded the whole idea as a joke.
But the concept stayed alive. In the 2001–02 session, it re-emerged as the Statesmanship Coalition and later, with a nudge from the Harwood Institute, as the New Patriotism Caucus. The Harwood Institute is a Maryland-based think-tank supported by a fairly long list of major newspapers, nonprofit organizations including the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, and government agencies such as the Minnesota and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Former Governors Lee Dreyfus and Tony Earl decided in 2001 that Wisconsin's political culture would benefit from a connection with the Harwood Institute, and Dreyfus made the hookup by asking his friend Ted Kanavas, a new Republican senator from the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, to get involved.
Kanavas and State Rep. Mark Miller (D–Madison) soon emerged as leaders of the New Patriotism Caucus, which tends to run its own show. The Harwood Institute's role seems to be primarily that of referee, if not precisely throwing penalty flags, at least exerting a degree of moral suasion as caucus members meet and hash over their concerns and frustrations.
Those frustrations have been manifest, according to Miller. "People run for the Legislature because they feel they have a vision" of sound public policy, but he says for quite a few years both parties have been guilty of keeping the minority party pinned down in a state of irrelevance.

Perceptions, Campaign Spillover

"The people of Wisconsin are basically honest and hard-working and they expect the same of their legislators," Miller says. He maintains that most legislators are honest and hard-working, but because the Legislature as a whole doesn't always conduct its business in a way that reflects those qualities, people perceive it badly.
"If we conduct ourselves properly, then maybe the perception will follow the reality," he says.
One area where conduct has fallen short of propriety lies far outside the granite and marble halls of the Capitol, where Miller says he hasn't heard people name-calling. "What was extraordinary was some of the activity in campaigns, exaggerations or actual false allegations against candidates," he says, suggesting that lawmakers now forget to check their campaign belligerence at the door.
Ott expresses a parallel view, citing "the failure to recognize that governing is a little higher priority than campaign pledges or campaign rhetoric."
"I would suggest too that we're so desperate for power that we'll do anything at any cost," he says.

Mirror, Mirror…

Nevertheless, they are not without optimism. Ott is sufficiently hopeful to have spent money from his campaign account to buy every member of the Legislature a symbolic mirror, inscribed with principles of a civil approach to political controversy. He distributed them to all 131 of his colleagues at the beginning of the current session.
Kanavas is conspicuously upbeat, saying, "We're changing the tone and trying to make this a place that works again."
"It's a reaction to the last session, when things were so divisive, so personal, so bitter it made the Legislature dysfunctional. People couldn't communicate," he says.
"In the past, you could go and socialize with people even if you disagreed on policy ideas," he says, and if that didn't always resolve thorny issues, it helped keep the argument civilized. "More recently, you couldn't do it, but we're getting back to that."
Pointedly asked, one by one, if they weren't laying a trap for themselves, inviting some cynical, future antagonist to put genuine policy questions out of bounds by branding the debate uncivil, all three said no.
"This initiative isn't meant to discourage legitimate, tenacious debate about issues," said Ott.
"Civility doesn't and shouldn't put a damper on vigorous policy debate," said Miller.
"Not a chance," said Kanavas, adding, "We're trying to make it safe to argue about ideas, to get back to that instead of arguing about people and personalities.”
Or to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin: “We’ve given you a republic. We’ll see if you can keep it.”—Dave Hoopman

Locking Down
Homeland Security Department Taking Shape

Now that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is finally official with the president’s signing of the Homeland Security Act at the end of 2002, many Americans are watching and waiting as this massive, new federal agency emerges.
The department has the broad mission of preventing terrorist attacks and will deal with critical infrastructure protection, border security, emergency responses, weapons of mass destruction, and analyzing intelligence information—among other things. Since the electric utility industry is a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure, they will address threats to it also.
Some critics—and the Department of Homeland Security has their share—are expecting this “mega-merger” to experience many problems as it moves forward. It is the largest reorganization of the federal government since 1947 when, under President Truman, the Department of War and the Department of the Navy became what is now the Defense Department. With the DHS, 22 federal agencies will be merging into one with 169,000 employees and an annual budget of $37 billion. It will be the federal government’s third largest department, right behind Defense and Veterans’ Affairs.
Many sectors of industry and government that will be affected by the new department, however, will keep doing what they have always been doing.

Utilities Acted Early

“The electric utility industry has been doing a lot on its own rather than waiting for the DHS or others to tell us what to do. The thing about electricity is that it is so vital to the livelihood of our citizens and our economy on a daily basis that we can’t wait. We have to think about our risks and vulnerabilities and take any necessary and prudent actions needed to address new threats to the industry,” said Barry Lawson, manager of power delivery for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
“We are hoping that the federal government will provide the electric utility industry with funding to strengthen security measures and to provide additional expertise that may be needed in counter-terrorism,” said Lawson.
Initially, the White House was the home of the Office of Homeland Security when, shortly after the tragic events of 9/11, President Bush appointed Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to set up and run the office. However, some legislators soon pointed out that Tom Ridge did not have any authority over the bureaucracies and the budgets he needed to command. At that time, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D–CT) proposed making the office its own department. The Bush administration was initially reluctant but by summer of the next year, it had drafted its own bill, which was ultimately the one that was passed and signed by President Bush.

Broad Mission

The primary mission of DHS is to prevent terrorist attacks, reduce vulnerability to them, and minimize damage should there be a terrorist attack. The way all that’s achieved is by better coordinating the work of the formerly spread-out agencies. One of the major parts of the reorganization—and the one that will employ more than 60 percent of the employees of DHS—will be controlling the nation’s borders by putting the Coast Guard (formerly part of the Department of Transportation), Immigration and Naturalization (formerly part of the Department of Justice), and Customs (formerly part of the Department of Treasury) under one roof.
Another significant move will be by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); this once stand-alone agency will now become part of DHS. FEMA plays an important role in declaring disaster areas and reimbursing electric cooperatives and others such as local and state governments all or a portion of expenses related to disaster-cleanups. This part of their mission is not expected to change.
“FEMA will still be doing what it has always done, which is deal with natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. We can’t forget that the Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA within it, will still be taking care of those kinds of threats as well,” said Jon Glazier, senior association counsel for NRECA.
In addition to Border and Transportation Security, the other units will be Emergency Preparedness and Response, of which FEMA will be a part; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Countermeasures; and Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. This last division is the one assigned to help the electric utility industry—along with other critical parts of our country’s infrastructure such as agriculture and banking.

Reliability a Key Concern

“Attacks on our country’s power plants and critical parts of the transmission grid could cause widespread problems and deeply affect our economy and ability to communicate with one another. Attacks could come in the form of physical or cyber attacks—both are equally dangerous,” said Lawson.
Lawson explained that NRECA has been working with the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), the Department of Energy, other industry trade associations, and the Office of Homeland Security (when it was part of the White House) to develop security guidelines for the electric utility industry. These voluntary guidelines will be distributed shortly to electric co-ops.
“The electric utility industry is one of the most prepared industries for system incidents and protection of its critical infrastructure,” said Lawson. Lawson also pointed out that electric co-ops supply electricity to some of the most important sectors of the American economy—agriculture, government, and public safety facilities such as fire and rescue, critical manufacturers such as defense system manufacturers, and military installations.

Process Just Starting

Ridge has already been sworn in by President Bush to be the first secretary of Homeland Security. The President is also now appointing senior DHS officials to run the numerous agencies within the new department. DHS headquarters will be located in Washington, D.C., and officially opened its door on January 24, 2003.
“It will easily take a year until DHS is fully formed—and even after that it will be a work in progress. There will be a lot more to say about the Department a year from now so everyone should stay tuned,” said Lawson.

Prudently Prepared
Editorial by Pery Baird

 

Duct tape shortages? No plastic sheeting? A run on bottled water in supermarkets?
Along with the “orange alert” recently declared by the new Department of Homeland Security comes some disaster preparations and consumer purchasing reminiscent of the Cold War. Now people are again stockpiling consumables and sealing off corners of their homes—this time against intrusion by chemical, biological, and nuclear (as in so-called “dirty bomb”) attack.
For many Americans in the 1950s and early ’60s, living with a nagging apprehension of nuclear calamity became part of our culture, imbedded in day-to-day living.

Hunker In Your Bunker

A photo carried in the September 1961 edition of this publication, for example, showed a Barron Electric Co-op family calmly posing in a fallout shelter that was matter-of-factly incorporated into a new all-electric model home the co-op had built. “The shelter is topped with six inches of sand, sandwiched between two six-inch concrete slabs,” the description proudly stated, noting it was financed by the office of civil defense and stocked with food by Barron County 4-H clubs as part of their county-wide civil defense project.
The photo shows the family listening to a battery-powered radio, presumably to get notices from the Emergency Broadcast System. The assumption, of course, is that electric service would have been knocked out by an attack and therefore would have been unavailable for powering radios or other communications equipment.
But in the types of attacks modern-day homeowners are prepping for, lost power is not such a strong presumption, thanks in part to a segment of the commercial electric industry that didn’t even exist in 1961: nuclear power plants.

Built for “Worst Case”

“Nuclear plants are built to be formidable,” observed Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Dr. Richard Meserve in a recent speech. Protected by multiple barriers, surveillance systems, and armed security forces, nuclear reactors also feature construction to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, he asserted. Some describe nuclear plants as having the strongest defenses of any civilian infrastructure in the U.S.
A Department of Energy-funded study released in December said structures housing reactor fuel at U.S. power plants would protect against release of radiation even if struck by a large commercial jetliner.
“Of the countless possible targets for a terrorist to attack, few, if any, have the inherent defenses of a nuclear power plant,” said Meserve. “And none of this is some hurried response to a danger we became aware of in the past 14 months. On the contrary, the need for defense to a possible terrorist attack is something that we have included in our regulations for a quarter century.” Not resting on past preparations, the industry has put additional security in place since 9/11.
Ironically, apprehensions about the power of the atom were responsible for both the concrete-bunker culture of the Cold War years and what could be the most terrorist-proof electricity source of modern times.

Natural History,
North-Woods Style

Residents and visitors alike can enjoy themselves while learning about Wisconsin’s beautiful northwestern corner by visiting the Cable Natural History Museum. There, students of all ages will add to their knowledge about the Chequamegon National Forest, the region’s many lakes and rivers, and its flora and fauna.
The museum is open year-round, offering indoor and outdoor programs throughout the seasons. On March 1 and 15, for example, families are invited to participate in the Snowshoe Family Saturday, affording the opportunity to explore winter ecology along the museum’s new trail system. The snowshoe outings are free, but call for reservations. In April, all are urged to participate in the Sandhill Crane Count, and spring is the perfect time to wander through the native landscaping that surrounds the museum.
Indoors, the Cable Museum offers permanent exhibits that include mounts of birds and mammals, some in realistic dioramas of their habitats; dried and mounted fish, reptiles, and amphibians; insects; a herbarium featuring native plants; rocks and minerals of the area; plaster casts of animal tracks; and much more. A new exhibit, “Trees,” features educational hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Check out the five-pound pine cones!
Besides hosting museum visits and tours, the Cable Natural History Museum offers a variety of educational programs that help area residents get comfortable with their natural community. These outreach efforts include a museum mobile for school children and their teachers, guided programs for adults, science internships for high school students, and summer “Junior Naturalists” programs for elementary school students.
It’s no wonder the museum was recognized by Wisconsin Trails in the magazine’s “Best of Wisconsin 2002” list as the “Most Ambitious Little Museum with a Big Agenda.” The editors write, “…the Cable Natural History Museum views the North Woods as its back yard. Its jampacked program schedule reflects this vision: wildflower hikes on the North Country Trail, canoe trips on the St. Croix, voyageur paddles to Madeline Island, a summer nature lecture series, and more.”
For more information about the Cable Natural History Museum’s hours and programs, call 715/798-3890 or visit www.cablemuseum.org.