The Mood is changing - Tiffany and Grothman still makin' fools on the loose - Cowles, Olson, Ellias expected to follow 09.03.13


The mood seems to be changing in the GTac world, which is a big damn world. Prime time news is starting to pay attention. Big thanks for all the help – Everybody does what they are able to do – everyone does a little bit and it all adds up.

This includes elders, county board reps and tribal council members, voices from the lodges and the pulpits, and a whole bunch of others who know the power of the water and recognize the simple fact that the only true protection will come from local governments. Tribal Governments, county boards, town boards, Mining Impact Committees, and local organizations are providing information, sponsoring forums, arts shows, and advertising their meetings to provide ample opportunity for public input. The pubic needs to be respectful and damned thankful that at least some level of government is willing to listen – (However the three minute rule seemed to have followed; “Bang Bang” left her mark as she scampered back to the Medford area.)

All of the above is reason for this change of mood.

And at least for now there is political wind shift that has kept the Republicans (except for one) and Democrats divided along party lines. So far this has been relatively easy; a dynamic that could change with the next political wind. One can only suspect this next wind will blow fiercely from the dark recesses of the WMC basements.  And the rumor of the day and I‘m told carried by Sasquatch, is that this will be the Clean Air authority for tribal governments.  This may be a good time for all us of across and up and down Wisconsin to quiz your local rep and help us support any Tribal Government requesting Clear Air Treatment as a state.

Our voices have been soft and quiet. Our messages shared feasts, concerts, public forums, picnics, bare-be-cues, poetry nights, art shows, birthday parties, pot lucks, speakers on tour, song and dance have been met by an armed militia.

Strong voices, the drum, song, religious leaders, the voices of mums, dads, grandparents, elders, kids, aunties, and uncles all speaking for the water and those who will follow; have been met by a private army. A private army that is not equipped to challenge the ceremonies, the drum songs, the offerings to the spirits and the respect for the old ones; a private army heavily armed and under the control of mercenary officers.

The mood change occurred when GTac started the terrorist crap as a desperate to change the tide of public thinking.   WMC goons were not successful, big shot advertising agencies were not successful, and even the words that spew forth from the mouth of Tommy Tiffany and the “meatheads”, (thank you Archie Bunker) going on and on about how the Bad River Watershed, Lake Superior, Ballou Creek, Tyler forks and all the rest will really improve after GTac and who knows from where – China, South America, Florida, Arizona, or Glidden leave and redesign nature. Now we know this ain't going to happen. The cost for security for these paranoid, purveyors of pollution will break the bank for these dudes.

Months ago the cry that we were be being treated as a third world nation were laughed at, scoffed at, and discounted. Seems the pattern that has worked was on display here:

Tell the people what they want to hear

Get a few puppets elected

Promise everyone lots of money

Act tough

Get Mad

Make Threats

Hire a Private Army  - Bulletproof Securities; The Corporate Security Force. “Doing the Jobs the Feds won’t do!”

The words in treaties and those who spoke and negotiated to protect their homelands were successful. Subsistent rights were protected!  These treaties are part of Wisconsin and belong to all of us. This region has faced the use and abuse by the military and political powers. Project Elf comes to mind, as does the futile attempt to place the nuke waste dump in our bedrock. Years ago the military and their industrial partners casually dumped 1,400 to 1,500 barrels of military waste in Lake Superior – and the DuPont Munitions operation in Bayfield County is now in the public eye and the Coal Tar Clean Up plan is currently under development. And let us not forget the train blockade or the SAC bomber run plan and there are others that should be added to this list – Treaty fishing and hunting-

The mood has changed and so must our response to the presence of violence in our neighborhood.  High-powered rifles, sniper trained shooters, and another treaty with all of us was if not broken, it is seriously threatened by the Republicans as they worked together to weaken our Public Trust Doctrine. We simply know how effing important it is that we stand together to protect the water.

We are not a banana republic – We are very proud residents of Northern Wisconsin and Ceded Territory. Ceded Territory belongs to all of us. The treaties belong to all or us for far too long the title has been Ojibwe Treaty Rights and Ojibwe Treaties. This is only half the story – The treaties belong to us all, Irish Americans, Finnish Americans, Russian Americans, Italian Americans, and everyone else who resides in Wisconsin. These treaties are about rights – reserved rights: the right to hunt, to fish. To gather, to vote, to opt for any religion or non-at all, to live free, to speak freely, to write freely, and express our opinions are the treaty we have with the state and federal governments.  At present this system is not only in disarray, it is broken. Broken by a bunch of hooligans in the State House. Led by bullies, financed by the very richest capitalist self-serving peckerwoods. Peckerwoods who found this collection of political hooligans were easily blinded by self-importance and egos gone awry. Representatives like Jeff Stone who supported a bill written by no one. Mark Honadel who is blinded by the big yellow of Caterpillar, and Amy Loudenbach apparently gleeful that she helped diminish the Public Trust Doctrine, and of course, everyone’s favorite, Mary "Bang Bang" Williams. These characters are the servants of Tom Tiffany and his newfound friend Glenn "G -Man" Grothman. Tiffany and G-Man will dance to the tunes played by Voss and Fitzgerald and Cowles, Olsen, and Elias are expected to toe the line or else - or else these big shots will turn their wrath on them. Are these three pragmatists of just cowards? We also all reserved the right to clean air, sol and water – the right to pursue happiness etc.

What is amazing that the basics of these rights we all own are not dependant on the rights reserved by treaties. These rights now are so very important and the only governments that are able to protect these rights are tribal governments and the federal government. State government could do its sworn duty and protect the rights of all Wisconsin residents except a few Republicans we expected to strep up to the plate – Luther Olson, Bobby Cowles, Mike Elias knuckled under to the voices of the rich and famous and bullies like Fitzgerald, Tiffany, and Grothman. Now they will have opportunity to stand with Walker and the Brothers Koch.