This years “Gas on Fire” award goes to Gogebic Taconite’s Bob Seitz

Former  Wisconsin DNR secretary George Meyer says he’s concerned that a rift is developing between the state and the tribes in part due to differences over last years attempt to fast track a new mining bill supported by Gogebic Taconite .

Gogebic Taconite’s lobbyist, Bob Seitz, says the key to going forward now is to pass a mining bill quickly and then address tribal concerns later.

Which is the approach that antagonized tribal leaders to begin with.

Live and learn. Or not.

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21 thoughts on “This years “Gas on Fire” award goes to Gogebic Taconite’s Bob Seitz

  1. Remember. Democrats said “no” to thousands of jobs and tax revenue from a private funded mine to spite Walker.

        1. Steve, the root of “conservative” is “conserve.” The Democrats were the “conservatives.”

          1. The democrats were the obstructionists. So again, how many voted yes for the mine and thousands of jobs?

            1. Steve, clean, fresh water is “capital.” Literally nothing can be substituting for it. Preserving capital is not “obstructing.”

  2. Steve, conservatives said “no” to the pillaging of the environment for the enrichment of Gogebic’s owners. Do you have a link to the “thousands” of mining jobs. I didn’t think it was that many. The more “jobs,” the narrower the profit margins.

    Steve, when are Republicans bringing back the THOUSANDS of commercial fishing jobs that used to be in Lake Michigan? “The Decline of a Once-Great Fishery” http://www.jsonline.com/news/127244963.html

    How is Gov. Walker doing on his promise of 250,000 new jobs? “Walker recommits to 250,000 jobs promise” http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/151246245.html

    1. Why does everyone here get on these tangents? Try and stay focused John. We are talking about a taconite mine, not fishing in Lake Michigan.

      The mine would employ 700-800 full time employees. When a large operation opens like this and economy builds around it. Gas stations, hotels, restaurants, schools, car dealerships, retail stores, maintenance operations, vendors, warehouses, the list goes on. Mining equipment including drills, bits, fuel, parts, heavy machinery needs to be built by someone, sold by someone, shipped and delivered by someone.

      Thousands of jobs is not hard to understand, when you do understand how it works.

      Its sad the blue fisters say no to this just to spite Walker and his bold goal of 250,000. Wow, what an amazing thing a goal of crating jobs, what an evil man we should run him out of the state for such a thing.

      K now type back about how a China funded debt driven state budget busing car speed train would have created 10,000+ jobs.

      1. Steve,

        What do you know aboout federal treaty law? Do you or your ilk have any interest in how the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, or the residents of the northwoods in general, feel about an iron mine in the Penokee Hills?

      2. Steve, I understand you don’t want to talk about the thousands of commercial fishing jobs that no longer exist in Lake Michigan. Unfortunately for you this isn’t the Charlie Sykes Show, I’ll wait for a response.

        I bought all of Reagan’s “trickle-down,” shtick. Wish I had known then what I know now. We’ve been lowering the MARGINAL tax rates on the 1% since the Eisenhower administrations.

        Top Marginal Tax rates 1916 – 2011

        http://www.whereistheoutrage.net/wordpress/2012/03/08/marginal-tax-rates/

        From 1951 – 1964 the top MARGINAL rates on the 1% were at 94%. We should return to those levels. As we lowered MARGINAL tax rates on the 1%, they used those savings to buy both parties, and the media.

            1. I don’t have it when on the tablet apparently, there should show now. The mine was to be by Lake Superior not Michigan and certain fish populations have declined over years without a mine. So I don’t see how it relates. Minnesota is rich with mines and lakes and the water tests lower in suffer than a gallon of milk. I do not have any personal experience with the declining fish populations in L. Michigan so I can not comment why.

              I do miss the smoked chubs up in door county lasts I was told they may not be back for a long time.

              1. “Minnesota is rich with mines and lakes and the water tests lower in suffer than a gallon of milk.”

                Do you have a link to that claim?

  3. Questions to ask about the new bill
    (1) How much money will the taxpayers have to cough up for the new mine?
    (2) How much money wil the taxpayers have to cough up for environmental repair?

    My guess, given the way Walker has been operating so far, is (1) too much for what the state would get in return; and (2) Environmental repair – 100%.

    That’s how it’s been way too often with these “new” regulations.

    1. Susan, instead of sharing baseless guesses, why don’t you provide a link to your claim (in the spirit of John Casper asking above).

  4. There will be mining in Wisconsin. And there are Democrats in Madison in support of mining. But that doesn’t mean we hand the mining interests the keys to the state and our environment. The rush to pass the bill was part of the original issue. The fact that the mining company had more input into the bill than either the state legislature or the citizens of the state was part of the original issue. And the entire poisoned atmosphere in Madison was the last straw.

    And of course the prevailing attitude from the Walker administration that no good ever comes from actually talking to those involved is a continual sore spot. The Same Day Registration pronouncement being a prime current example and of course from Steve’s post above:
    Gogebic Taconite’s lobbyist, Bob Seitz, says the key to going forward now is to pass a mining bill quickly and then address tribal concerns later.

    Susan has hit the main issue right square in the face. Once a mining bill is enacted and the players get all of their ducks in a row…if this is worth doing for Gogebic, then they need to foot the bill. Not one cent of my tax dollars need to go for them to ‘build their business’.

    And there has to be a reasonable provision for reclamation and repair afterward. We don’t need to spend our tax dollars to repair their damages either, ala the plating plant locally or the Fox River or etc etc etc

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