Milwaukee Biz Blog

I oppose the nanny state.

During May 2006, I wrote the following about a bill the governor signed into law that I voted against that forces parents to put their children under the age of eight in booster seats when they ride in motor vehicles.

"With a stroke of his pen, the Governor expanded the nanny state in Wisconsin by creating an enforcement and logistic nightmare. Under previous Wisconsin law, parents could decide whether their children between the ages of four and eight should be placed in booster seats or seat belts. That was plain old common sense. Under the new law there are several changes. How are police supposed to enforce this? Will every officer and squad car now be equipped with a scale and a tape measure to determine whether Mom and Dad or Grandpa and Grandma are breaking the law? How are parents expected to know or remember the requirements? Will they have to keep a copy of the law in their glove compartment or tucked under the visor? What are large families to do? Baby seats and booster seats are rather bulky. Imagine trying to squeeze two, three, or four of them into one of the new smaller size cars or vans."

I added the following in an August 2007 column:
"The many separate requirements by weight and height for each age category are confusing. Burdens are placed upon large families and carpoolers. Booster seats can be expensive and so can the fines for law violators."

As New York Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, "It's déjà vu all over again."

The state Senate has approved Senate Bill 162 (SB 162) that would require children 10 years and younger on boats to wear flotation devices. The bill originally proposed covering children 12 and under. However, an amendment approved by the state Senate lowered the age requirement to 10 and under.

SB 162 stipulates that "a person may not operate a recreational boat that is less than 26 feet in length unless, during the time the boat is under way, every person on the boat who is 10 years old or younger is wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or is in a cabin space or below the deck."

What does "under way" mean? According to SB 162, "A recreational boat is under way if it is not aground, is not anchored or moored, and is not made fast to a structure or to the shore." In other words, just about any time a youngster is on a boat, a life preserver must be worn.

There is more.

The state Senate approved Senate Amendment 1 to the bill that the Wisconsin Legislative Council writes, "provides a specific penalty for a violation of this PFD requirement by the operator of the specified recreational boat. Any person violating this mandatory PFD provision must be issued a warning notice instead of a violation for the first offense. Any person subsequently violating the mandatory PFD provision must forfeit not more than $50 for the second offense and must forfeit not more $100 upon conviction of a third or subsequent offense."

SB 162 expands current law that simply requires each boat have on it a personal flotation device for each person riding in or on the boat.

Follow along to see if you have heard this song before. The government intervenes, assuming the role of big brother. New rules and regulations are established. Violators are subject to fines.

Do you see a pattern? It’s called booster seats for boats or, the nanny state strikes again.
Everyone supports child safety. However, the state once again takes on the role of thinking for people and the role of decision maker. The state should stay on the sidelines, in this case the shoreline, and allow parents to think for themselves and make common sense decisions about their children’s safety.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th Senate District.

Did you know the state of Wisconsin issues over 18,000 cards to certain state employees to make purchases?

The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) has completed a review of the state’s program allowing state employees to use purchasing cards for state business purposes. The audit findings are mixed. There was not evidence of rampant fraud; however compliance with requirements could be improved.

A total of 3,071 purchasing card transactions recorded during 2008 was reviewed by the LAB. The purchases were selected based on the potential risk of abuse or fraud.  Under the state’s program, executive branch agencies and University of Wisconsin institutions used the purchasing cards.

Here are key audit findings.

The average purchase amount during 2008 was $233 per transaction. Some purchases, however, were greater than $25,000. Purchases made with state cards constituted only four percent of supply and service expenditures during 2008.

The Department of Administration (DOA) does not set limits on the amount of cards an employee may possess. Forty (40) cardholders had 10 or more cards during 2008. Each card is limited to a maximum balance for its two-week billing cycle and a maximum amount for a single transaction.

The average credit limit was $9,382 at state agencies and $14, 576 at UW institutions. The LAB determined that spending limits in many cases were higher than necessary, creating a potential financial risk to the state.

Over 1,100 cards issued during 2008 were unused.

Most cardholder transactions, 76.2 percent, followed strict documentation requirements. However, they could be improved to include a specific state business purpose for purchases.

The LAB found that, “Instances of inappropriate purchases were rare.” Here were exceptions the LAB identified:

• $52,463 in excessive or unnecessary purchases, including purchases that have a state business purpose but appear to be luxury items or to include avoidable costs such as late fees
• $9,181 in inappropriate purchases, including purchases made for personal use or that are otherwise unallowable
• $5,580 in third-party error or fraud, including erroneous or fraudulent charges made by vendors or unauthorized users
• $4,378 in unknown purchases, including instances in which there was not sufficient documentation for the LAB to determine what was purchased or whether it was appropriate, typically because of a lack of a receipt
• $2,897 in purchases that represented misapplication of a purchasing card, including purchases that had a state business purpose but were not allowed to be made using a purchasing card.   
• Eighteen (18) transactions totaling $52,463 in excessive and unnecessary purchases included, according to the LAB, “five business-class airfare tickets for State of Wisconsin Investment Board employees to travel to meetings in Europe, which totaled $48,226. Documentation maintained with two of the airfare transactions showed that the cost of two coach-class tickets would have been $12,600 less than the cost of two business class tickets.”

Excessive or unnecessary purchases at eight other agencies were identified, including:

• A $695 fox fur stole purchased by a UW-Milwaukee cardholder for a theater production.
• Two attaché cases purchased by a Department of Transportation cardholder for $230 each
  Four computer bags purchased by a UW-Milwaukee cardholder from a luxury luggage merchant for $195 each. 
• The LAB found 59 inappropriate purchases totaling $9,181 including one cardholder who accounted for 4 transactions totaling $1,142, including: 
• A $223 purchase from the UW-Madison Athletic department for tickets to a theatrical production.
• A $714 purchase from a vacation Web site for a trip to Las Vegas.
• A $56 purchase of a watch and purse.
• A $149 purchase for video game console repairs.

The LAB is recommending that the DOA work with UW institutions and state agencies that supply state purchasing cards to lower spending limits whenever possible, close unused accounts, require cardholders to explicitly document the state business purpose for purchases, reinforce prohibitions against the use of cards for certain travel expenses, and ensure employees given use of cards receive appropriate training.

As a member of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, I commend the LAB for another outstanding, comprehensive review for the benefit of the state of Wisconsin and its taxpayers.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Early voting is a trend that has caught on all across the country. Governing Magazine goes so far as to say, "The traditional precinct election, where everyone shows up on the appointed day, is in the process of decline."

Wisconsin election officials want your input about our state expanding early voting opportunities. The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) is asking for opinions from local election officials and the general public during a series of summer listening sessions about the possible implementation of early voting measures for the 2010 elections.

Currently in Wisconsin, as in many other states, voters can cast ballots early with relative ease by using absentee ballots. A voter simply needs to request an absentee ballot. No reason or explanation is necessary.

A report produced by the GAB during March 2009 suggested three possible options for modifying Wisconsin's absentee ballot process:
1) Regional Districts comprised of counties and/or municipalities would conduct early voting at designated locations.  The GAB believes this option would offer uniform access for early voters. However, it would profoundly change Wisconsin's system of municipality-controlled elections.
2) Municipalities would have the option of adopting early voting. The GAB says this would offer maximum flexibility for municipalities, however would reduce statewide uniformity. Under this option, traditional forms of absentee voting would continue.
3) Absentee balloting would be streamlined. No absentee application would be required. Instead of placing the ballot in an envelope, the ballot would be placed in a secure carrier, to be fed into a voting machine and tabulated on Election Day.

The GAB studied other states with early voting procedures to determine what works best and has suggested these practices be considered in Wisconsin:

Beginning early voting about 20 days before an election and ending at least three days before Election Day giving officials time to prepare for Election Day.

Setting minimum hours at permanent early vote locations that can be extended at the discretion of election officials, with some Saturday hours being required and Sunday hours being optional.

Staffing early voting locations just like the polls on Election Day, having Electronic poll lists to prevent duplicate voting, and using Direct Recording Equipment systems that eliminate the need for paper ballots.

The GAB says, "True early voting allows the elector to complete and cast a ballot immediately by placing it in a tabulation machine. Early voting would significantly reduce the need for absentee applications and envelopes. Objectives of early voting, according to the GAB include increasing voter satisfaction by reducing lines, maintaining the integrity of the vote-counting process, relieving the workload of local elections officials, and controlling costs."

A report by the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project is cited by the GAB that advocates early voting in-person versus absentee voting in-person or by mail. The GAB says the Caltech/MIT report raised worries about absentee and mail-in voting including the potential for voters being coerced because privacy could be compromised, for example, by family or staff at a nursing home. There are also concerns about mail security and voter fraud. The possibility of uncounted, unmarked, or spoiled absentee ballots was also mentioned in the report.

There are negative aspects to early voting. Some studies, according to the GAB, also suggest in-person early voting increases turnout only slightly, if at all. Florida experienced numerous technical problems with its optical scan machines used during 2004. Early vote centers in the Sunshine State have experienced long lines and emergency extension of voting hours.

We can't forget the cost. The GAB says, “Early voting will cost more. It is very difficult to generalize how much it costs, because different states pay poll workers different amounts, have different hours, and a different number of locations. One study found that 'early voting required considerably more staffing than traditional precinct voting'. States and localities with outmoded voting machines may have to purchase new ones capable of processing dozens or hundreds of different ballot styles. Studies confirm that early in-person voting and liberalized absentee balloting do not clearly result in cost saving.”

GAB listening sessions about early voting include July 22, 2009, at the Kenosha County Center, Hearing Room, Kenosha, with a Clerks meeting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. followed by the public meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and July 23, 2009 at West Allis City Hall, Common Council Meeting Room, West Allis, with a Clerks meeting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. followed by the public meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Comments from the public may also be submitted to the GAB by e-mailing the following address: gab@wi.gov. An early voting process that has been recommended for the spring 2010 election could be considered during the current legislative session. So your opinion is critical.

An early voting system has the potential of catching on and becoming popular. However, if such a system were to be implemented, every precaution must be taken to prevent fraud. As for me, one of the best changes we could and should make to our election process is to require a photo ID to vote.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Do you share my deep concern that Wisconsin's business climate is in desperate need of dramatic improvement?

Republicans in the state Legislature have formed the Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force that is touring the state holding listening sessions soliciting input from the business community. I invite you and your members to attend the next meeting of the task force scheduled Monday, March 23, 2009, in the Milwaukee area to discuss your concerns about Wisconsin business policies and suggestions to strengthen our business climate.

Your input will be incorporated into a report of recommendations to the Legislature to create jobs and truly stimulate our economy. The task force was developed by legislative Republicans after the Wisconsin budget adjustment bill was approved and signed into law in a span of 48 hours without adequate scrutiny from the public or news media. The bill made significant changes to the state's business tax structure with the enactment of combined reporting, a streamlined sales tax, a sales tax on business software and several other tax increases. Other business proposals in the Legislature include a minimum wage increase and changes in the wage lien law that were approved by Democrats controlling the state Senate and are currently in the State Assembly.

A very successful and productive task force meeting was conducted Tuesday, March 10, in Howard, Wisconsin near Green Bay. Mr. Cap Wulf of the Wulf Brothers heating and cooling company in Sturgeon Bay made an excellent statement summarizing the general business consensus: "We in the business community who make it possible for government to exist need to come together and unite. People in power now represent government, unions and trial lawyers. I don't know where business falls in their thinking. I feel more like an indentured servant."

I strongly encourage you to share your much-needed expertise at the next task force meeting: Monday, March 23, at BioResearch Inc., 9275 N. 49th St., Suite 150, Brown Deer, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Please RSVP your attendance to me at (608) 266-5400. If you wish to testify and are unable to attend, please send your testimony to me at Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, and I will make sure it is included with live testimony.

I also invite you to read my ongoing business entries on the BizTimes Biz Blog at www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/authors/senator-mary-lazich.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

The budget repair bill/stimulus package that was rammed through the state Legislature and quickly signed into law was ideally supposed to create jobs. Instead, state lawmakers opted to take the gigantic pot from Washington and use it to account for existing spending by offsetting the current budget crisis.

It is hard to imagine the package approved will actually "stimulate" the state economy and bring new jobs when the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the majority of Wisconsin's "stimulus" share, about $2 billion, is going toward education and medical assistance.

If we can't use the stimulus money in ways that would actually stimulate the economy, then it should be used on infrastructure. The stimulus money should be used on one-time projects or on projects with a life long enough that they're almost one-time. Here's an example: Waste water runoff problems on Lake Michigan.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) prepares a report card that assesses 15 separate categories of the country's infrastructure. The 2009 Report Card reports, "In 2009, all signs point to an infrastructure that is poorly maintained, unable to meet current and future demands, and in some cases, unsafe. Since the last Report Card in 2005, the grades have not improved. ASCE estimates the nation still stands at a D average. Deteriorating conditions and inflation have added hundreds of billions to the total cost of repairs and needed upgrades." The categories of drinking water and wastewater receive a grade of D-.

The ASCE says the nation's drinking water systems have aging facilities in need of replacement to adhere to federal water regulations. Demand for drinking water will increase over the next 20 years. Meeting the demand will be difficult because the ASCE estimates 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water are lost every day due to leaky pipes.

The same holds true for wastewater. The ASCE says every year, old systems are dumping billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into America's surface waters.

Out of all the categories examined by the ASCE, Wisconsin ranked the worst in roads, drinking water and wastewater. We need to invest in what we are failing the worst at and that is concretely fixable with a return in health, efficiency, and effectiveness for all the residents of Wisconsin.

We in Wisconsin are all too familiar with water problems. Our water in various areas of the state is questionably unsafe. Uncontrollable contamination of Lake Michigan is profoundly reckless. 

On Oct. 7, 2004, Water & Wastes Digest reported a stunning discovery about the quality of drinking water in La Crosse: "Prior to its chlorination, viruses from human sources occur in the La Crosse, Wis., groundwater used for the municipal drinking water supply, a new report revealed. Although the city's treated water meets or exceeds state and federal standards for drinking water, researchers and public health officials agree that more study is needed to pinpoint the exact sources of the viruses and to determine if some viruses are surviving the chlorination process. The study found interoviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus and noroviruses. La Crosse's source of water is an aquifer consisting of a deposit of glacial outwash sand and gravel approximately 170 feet deep, bounded on the east by the bluffs and on the west by the Mississippi River. Sand and gravel aquifers are among the most vulnerable to fecal contamination."

The 2003 ASCE Report Card on Infrastructure commended Wisconsin for how it handles municipal wastewater. However, the ASCE added this conclusion: "Yet much remains to be done to maintain or enhance this position as a leader in the United States. Significant investments in this infrastructure will be required to maintain this position and to address pending and likely future regulations and requirements."

The same 2003 ASCE Report Card reported this about Wisconsin's municipal wastewater treatment plants: "In year 2000, 19 plants, about 2.8%, were rated as requiring improvements and 131 plants, about 19.5 percent, were rated as requiring some action. Estimated future needs through 2020 exceed $3.35 billion, while actual project funding has been less than $100 million per year."

That brings us back to the state stimulus package that was approved in just a matter of days. Note the ASCE pinpointed the cost of addressing future wastewater needs at $3.35 billion. The state of Wisconsin expects to receive just under $4 billion in stimulus money from Washington. A better use of that money would be to invest in what we are failing at the worst and that is concretely fixable. The benefit is a return in health, efficiency, and effectiveness for all the residents of Wisconsin.

The damage being done in Milwaukee does not only affect Milwaukee, but the entire state of Wisconsin.  When compared to all other states, we are failing the citizens of Wisconsin in providing access to clean safe drinking water and a safe waste disposal system more than any other infrastructure/education/health care category.

The federal stimulus package is an opportunity for us to create jobs, give every state access to safe drinking water and build a future in our most valuable resources by fixing our water and sewage system. Think about it. We can fix our water safety, preserve a coveted resource, reduce unemployment and repair our infrastructure. That is how we should be investing our stimulus package: in our water and sewage system.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Mary Zeltzer of Largo, Florida left her assisted-living complex to pick up some groceries.  When the 86-year old failed to return, her daughter became worried. A week later, Mary Zeltzer's daughter learned her mother had been found in her own car, a drowning victim.

That was February 2008, eight months before the state of Florida enacted a Silver Alert program. Silver Alert is an Amber Alert-type system for elderly Alzheimer's or dementia patients that stray or wander off.

Charlie Brownlee had a better fate than Mary Zeltzer. Like Zeltzer, 76-year old Charlie Brownlee wandered away.  Brownlee had been staying at his sister's home in Miami.  He left barefoot, got into a car, and attempted to drive to his home in Alabama. 

Charlie Brownlee's family notified authorities. That was during November 2008, one month after Florida began its Silver Alert program.  A Silver Alert was issued and Brownlee was found by a police officer parked in a ditch about 30 miles away, alive and unharmed.

I will soon introduce legislation to create a Silver Alert system in Wisconsin. My legislation is modeled after Wisconsin's highly successful Amber Alert program. The Silver Alert would utilize the Amber Alert system to alert the public about an elderly person wandering or becoming lost.

When an Amber Alert is activated, Wisconsin radio and television stations cut into programming to broadcast information about an abducted child using the Emergency Alert System.  Highway message board signs also convey information about confirmed child abduction. The Silver Alert would use that same system that is already in place to alert the public about an elderly missing person.

Getting information out quickly and employing the aid of the public may prevent the tragic death of a senior citizen. That is why I consider this is life-saving legislation, one of the most important bills the Legislature will consider this session. Because the Silver Alert utilizes a system that piggybacks off a system that is already up and running, the cost of Silver Alert would be minimal, if anything.

The Alzheimer's Association reports that at least 5.2 million Americans suffer from dementia. Research shows that six out of 10 of those will wander. Only four percent of those leaving home alone are able to find their way back without help. Seniors and others with dementia wander away, on foot or driving. If they are not found within 24 hours, at least half will suffer serious injury or die. An aging baby boomer population means those figures will surely grow.

Twelve states have Silver Alert and the program has been successful. A majority of those reported missing have returned safely.  While the protocol for activating a Silver Alert varies from state to state, most of the states that have the program require local law enforcement to confirm that the missing person is a danger to himself or others and that the individual suffers from some sort of dementia before issuing the alert. 

The beauty of Silver Alert is that within hours, thousands of eyes are looking for the car and the license plate or that missing elderly person. Broadcasters and others already know how to use the Amber Alert system. They should be able to implement Silver Alert quickly, efficiently, and effectively. Silver Alert has put many families at ease providing comfort to them should they have a family member who has dementia. 

The Silver Alert legislation has the support of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Association, the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups Inc., and the Wisconsin Health Care Association. This legislation is nonpartisan and a positive step for the health and welfare of precious elderly.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Nov. 4, 2008, is shaping up to be the most mistake-riddled Election Day in American history.

Dr. Robert Pastor saw it coming. Pastor, the director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University in Washington, D.C., predicted earlier this year that states would not be prepared to effectively handle 2008 elections.

In a column on Stateline.org posted during January 2008, Pastor said the majority of states have failed to adopt or even embrace reforms that would restore confidence and trust in America's flawed election system. As a result, Pastor said problems with this year's elections are inevitable.

The biggest problem according to Pastor will be voter registration lists. There has not been a thorough review to determine the quality of the lists. So a number of problems are still likely to occur in this year's general elections. Pastor also points out "about one third of the states have bottom-up databases that rely on counties and municipalities to retain their own registration lists and submit information to the state rather than the other way around. In contrast, top-down lists typically deliver information in real time."

There are problems with new computerized systems that have replaced archaic punch card and lever voting. A paper trail is necessary in the event of recounts, but Congress has failed to fund and provide voter-verified paper-audit trails. Some states are so concerned that they were thinking about dumping their electronic voting systems in favor of a paper system prior to the November election.

Pastor says, "Poll workers are overworked and underpaid. They put in a 14- to 16-hour workday, face complex job requirements after little training and generally receive scant compensation."

Pastor's gloomy summary is that, "Voters are likely to face hassles with registration lists and voting machines. Poll workers will remain under-trained and overworked. Election management remains under the thumb of partisan officials, and voter identification is likely to remain problematic. 2008 is unlikely to be an improvement over 2006."

The Washington Post concurred during September 2008 when it reported, "Election officials across the country are bracing for long lines, equipment failures and confusion over polling procedures that could cost thousands the chance to cast a ballot."

This month, the Post reported that thousands of eligible voters must reestablish their eligibility because of mix-ups in new state registration systems.

The Post writes, "Tens of thousands of voters could be affected in Wisconsin. Officials there admit that their database is wrong one out of five times when it flags voters, sometimes for data discrepancies as small as a middle initial or a typo in a birth date. When the six members of the state elections board - all retired judges - ran their registrations through the system, four were incorrectly rejected because of mismatches."

Pastor's employer, the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University released a study during January 2008 providing more evidence that photo ID's are not obstacles to voting.

A random sample of registered voters in Indiana, Mississippi and Maryland found that only 1.2 percent of registered voters lack a government-issued photo ID.

More than two-thirds of all registered voters in the three states believe the electoral system would be trusted more if people had to show an ID to vote.

The study also demonstrates that a very small percentage of registered voters will be adversely affected by a photo ID requirement.

Nearly a quarter of the registered voters in the three states lack confidence that their votes will be counted accurately, and an even greater number perceive that fraud is more widespread than experts believe.
Nearly all, 96 percent of voters in this study said showing a photo ID would not make them less likely to vote.

Opposition to voter IDs has come largely from those who fear that this requirement will disenfranchise voters who do not have IDs or would find it difficult to acquire them. But they were unable to locate a single individual in Indiana who was prevented from casting a ballot because they lacked an ID.

The tragedy is that Wisconsin does not require photo ID's to vote. Gov. Jim Doyle and state Senate Democrats killed any chance of a photo ID requirement being in place for the critical November elections when the governor vetoed photo ID legislation three times, and Senate Democrats refused to allow a vote on a photo ID constitutional amendment. A common sense photo ID requirement would not be an obstacle to voting or hamper the process. Such a law would be a great step in cleaning up an election system in disrepair. It appears that as predicted, there are going to be many problems on Election Day, here and across the country.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Cranberries are big business in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Rapids now boasts having the largest cranberry producing plant in the world.

Our cranberry business is going to get even bigger now that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and cranberry growers have reached an agreement to expedite the permitting process to transform as many as 5,000 acres into cranberry bogs.

An economic study prepared this year by University of Wisconsin economists has concluded that adding 5,000 new acres to Wisconsin's cranberry industry will create 1,115 new jobs and add an annual income increase of $75 million to the state's economy.

The CEOs of Ocean Spray Cranberries and Cliffstar Corp., two large and significant buyers of Wisconsin cranberries, have been discussing speeding up the process with Gov. Jim Doyle and the DNR so that cranberry expansion can take place in Wisconsin. Failure to come up with an agreement would have sent the cranberry companies seeking land in Canada, taking all the jobs and income that go along with the expanded fruit production.

The new permitting process allows for one common permit application to be submitted to both the DNR and the Army Corps of Engineers instead of two separate applications. A pre-application meeting will be held between cranberry growers and regulators to review expansion projects that the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association believes will efficiently result in more complete and realistic permit applications. Compensation for impacts on all wetlands will still be required.

Some portions of the land that will be included in the Wisconsin expansion contain wetlands. Environmental groups are worried the wetlands will be destroyed. The CEOs of Ocean Spray and Cliffstar insist they will replace any wetlands converted into cranberry bogs.

A greater global demand for cranberries has necessitated the call for more bogs. The United States is exporting 30 percent of its crop to places like the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, China and South Korea.

Wisconsin is an ideal place to grow and harvest cranberries and expand production. The state understands the business and already has plants in operation unlike Canada that has plenty of land to convert into bogs, but lacks Wisconsin's knowledge of the industry and processing plants.

Cultivating cranberries is time-consuming. The time it takes from beginning work on the land to the actual harvest is usually about three years. Cranberry companies rightfully were concerned about the two-year permitting process in Wisconsin that was far too long to satisfy global demand.

There is not a state in the entire country that produces more cranberries than Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association reports the cranberry is the state's No. 1 fruit in both value and acreage, providing an annual $350 million boost to the state economy and 7,200 jobs in Wisconsin.

In 2007, Wisconsin's cranberry industry accounted for more than 80 percent of all fruit grown in Wisconsin in terms of revenue. Cranberries are Wisconsin's largest fruit crop in terms of acreage with approximately 18,000 acres of cranberries across 19 Wisconsin counties, and Wisconsin provides nearly 60 percent of the nation's cranberry supply. 

Wisconsin's 2008 cranberry crop is projected to be four percent larger than the state's 2007 crop. The 2008 harvest is currently under way on marshes across central and northern Wisconsin.

Wisconsin is now on a path to expand one of our most successful industries, create jobs and benefit the state economy. I commend the involved parties for coming to a mutual agreement that will benefit Wisconsin's lucrative cranberry industry.

This summer, I blogged that the Wisconsin blueberry is a superfood. The Wisconsin cranberry is also a superfood with many health benefits.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

The state of Wisconsin seems to be on a roundabout binge. The philosophy of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is that whenever major intersection improvements on state roads or four-way stops are planned, the installation of roundabouts must be considered.

Statewide, there are 58 roundabouts open on state and local roads, seven to 10 more are scheduled to open by the end of the construction season and 140 or more are in various planning stages.

Before the state proceeds with its plan to blanket roadways with roundabouts, it should slow down, and I have made that request to the DOT. I have also asked the DOT to rethink the roundabout at Racine Avenue and Interstate 43 in Muskego because of concerns with the roundabout at I-43 and Moorland Road in New Berlin.

The design at the New Berlin roundabout left much to be desired with poor signage and lane markings. There have been a number of accidents at the roundabout, not to mention a high level of anxiety and frustration. There are also complaints about the roundabout on Drexel Avenue in Franklin near Highway 100 and the new Shoppes at Wyndham Village.

Some of my constituents that have corresponded with me about roundabouts have been receptive to the roundabout concept. They agree with the DOT that roundabouts improve safety and reduce crashes. The DOT contends, "Roundabouts move traffic safely through an intersection because of slower speeds, fewer conflict points and decision-making. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that roundabouts provide a 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes, 76 percent reduction in injury crashes, 30-40 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes, and a 10 percent reduction in bicycle crashes."

However, constituents I have heard from angrily oppose roundabouts. I am very concerned about the danger posed by roundabouts resulting in accidents. There are other concerns including poor signage and lane markings that I have already indicated. What about semi-trailer trucks? The configuration of roundabouts makes it extremely difficult for semi-trailers, long trucks, campers and cars with boats to successfully negotiate the turns.

Proponents at the DOT suggest frustrated motorists, in time, and with more education, will learn to accept roundabouts. How does the DOT adequately train the masses, the vast number of motorists on our roadways? Most of them will never get their hands on a DOT brochure or see a roundabout video on the DOT website.

That is why I suggest the state put the brakes on roundabouts until the kinks can be worked out. The idea is to improve all aspects of roundabouts: design, safety, ease of use.

The DOT should bring together special study groups of designers, engineers, and importantly motorists to determine the best model for roundabouts. I have asked the DOT to conduct simulations with a cross-section of Wisconsin drivers and cross-section of vehicles before proceeding further with roundabouts.
Until then, the state should put away the plans to build more and more because the current roundabout design at I-43 and Moorland Road is not ready for prime time.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents the 28th District.

Residents of southeast Wisconsin are quite familiar with the federal agency, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA has determined the quality of air in our area is hampered by auto emissions. According to the Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program (WVIP) Annual Report for 2005-2006, "The U.S. EPA implemented a more stringent ozone standard, the so-called 8-hour ozone standard. In April 2004, several southeastern and eastern Wisconsin counties were designated non-attainment areas under this standard. The WVIP will play an important, ongoing role in the state’s efforts to comply with the standard."

That means the auto emission program continues in southeast Wisconsin, although there was a change implemented in the program this summer. As of July 1, 2008, cars and trucks built before 1996 are exempt from undergoing emissions testing.

This seems odd given that the conventional wisdom is older cars produce dirtier emissions and that newer, cleaner running automobiles that have replaced older cars are cleaner and stay cleaner much longer than their predecessors. If any vehicles should be exempt, it should be the newer and not the older models.

Motorists in southeast Wisconsin are also required to pump and use reformulated gas (RFG) that during the summertime costs much more than gasoline in counties outside our region. How effective is RFG in improving the quality of our air? The EPA had to admit that it didn’t know.

During May of this year, I signed a letter with other lawmakers asking the EPA to eliminate the RFG requirement. The EPA says it's preparing a response. Remember, southeast Wisconsin consumers have complained mightily about the effect of RFG, wreaking havoc on automobiles and small engines.

That leads to the latest EPA folly. The EPA on Sept. 4, 2008, implemented a rule that allows the agency to regulate the emissions of your lawnmower.

Beginning in 2011, a 35 percent reduction in emissions will be required for new lawn and garden equipment. Emission reductions of 70 percent will also be enforced for speedboats and other recreational boats starting in 2010. The executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, Bill Becker, told The Associated Press the new EPA rules will be the equivalent of taking one out of every five cars and trucks off the road.

Not surprisingly, the new rules carry a big cost. According to the EPA, it will cost $236 million a year to attain the required reductions in emissions so that the government can regulate your lawnmowers and boats. I will bet you can figure out rather quickly what will happen to those increased costs. You, the consumer, will pay higher prices when you purchase that next piece of lawn or gardening equipment. The California Air Resources Board calculates walk-behind lawnmowers will cost 18 percent more. The cost of commercial turf care mowers will go up about 3 percent.

The EPA says that, "To meet the new exhaust emission standards, manufacturers will likely employ catalytic converters for the first time in many small watercraft and lawn and garden equipment." The agency claims the strategy of requiring catalytic converters is "feasible and safe," despite the objections of some members of Congress that installing the devices in small engines creates a fire hazard.

Your car, your gasoline, your boat, your lawnmower, your weed trimmer ... I shake my head in amazement and wonder what could possibly be next.

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th Senate District.