The numbers of newspapers, magazines and journals have dwindled as Inland libraries deal with tight budgets and changing consumer tastes.
They’re cutting back on hard copies in favor of digital formats. Patrons with a library card can read and check out publications on a computer, tablet or mobile device using a free app.
Public Library Circulation and Program Attendance, 1996-2013. (Complete)
Public Access Internet Computers (1999-2013) and Print Serial Subscriptions (1996-2013). (Complete)
Total Annual Hours of Operation (1996-2013) and Total Square Footage (2000-2012) of Wisconsin Public Libraries. (ThroughSt. Croix County as of 2/27/2015)
As Bob Jauch also notes, “This company manipulated the public, bought the Legislature and co-opted them into participating in one of the biggest scams in Wisconsin history.”
The direct Gogebic Taconite contributions to state legislators and candidates for office.
As documented by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, special interest groups that support the mining bill "have contributed $15.6 million to the Republican-controlled legislature and GOP Governor Scott Walker" between 2010 and June 2012. They also found that mining deregulation interests outspent opponents of mining deregulation by 610 to 1. [Emphasis added]
The mining bill is SB1, introduced on January 18, 2013. Solid red support.
Snippets from the Legislative Reference Bureau overview:
This bill creates new statutes for regulating iron mining and modifies the
current laws regulating metallic mining so that they cover only mining for
nonferrous minerals.
The bill places standards for iron mining and for the reclamation of iron mining
sites in the statutes, rather than requiring rule-making. The standards in the bill
are similar in many respects to DNR's current rules and are less stringent in other
respects.
Under the bill, these conditions on issuing a permit for metallic mining in a
sulfide ore body do not apply to issuing a permit for iron mining.
This bill does not allow a contested case hearing on any decision by DNR related
to a proposed iron mine before DNR acts on the application for the iron mining.
Under this bill, the limits on the location of a mining waste site do not apply to
the portion of an iron mine that is backfilled with mining waste.
permit
Members of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will join the governor, and Wisconsin business leaders are invited, to promote their products to potential European customers.
DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, Blockbuster L.L.C., will end its retail and by mail DVD distribution operations by early-January 2014. The company will close its approximately 300 remaining U.S.-based retail stores, as well as its distribution centers.
"The Night We Called It a Day", a recording from Frank Sinatra's first solo session, was his 3rd top 40 hit of 1942, as enumerated by Popular Song.
Music by Matt Dennis, lyrics by Tom Adair. They also wrote "Let's Get Away From It All'.
Speaking of which...
Dad spent part of the summer of '42 in Maine, a continuation of his internship experience as a student at Augustana Seminary. I have no idea of the name of the place pictured here. Dad must have run out of white ink to make notations on the black pages of his Kodagraphs scrapbook.
Extreme weather, rising seas and changing storm patterns could become "threat multipliers" for the United States, vastly complicating security challenges faced by American forces, the Pentagon said in a new report on the impact of climate change released Monday.
No Friend to the Environment dishonor roll.
Alabama Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives. (Their anti-environmentalism can be summed up in one world: coal. Which is odd, since Alabama contributes a mere 1.9% of U.S. production, good enough for an overall ranking of 13. The state's peak year of production: 1990)
2nd District. Martha Roby (R). Voted YES on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling and barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
Signed the No Climate Tax Pledge by Americans for Prosperity.
3rd District. Mike Rogers (R). League of Conservation scorecard:
2013: 0%.
Lifetime (2003-): 9%.
6th District. Stephen Baucus (R). League of Conservation scorecard:
2013: 0%
Lifetime (1993- ): 8%
Alaska Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
At-large District. Don Young (R). Ridiculed environmentalists as a “self-centered bunch of waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating,
intellectual idiots.....not Americans, never have been Americans,
never will be Americans.”
Arizona Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
4th District. Paul Gosar (R). Takes his environmental cues from cattle and sheep producers.
5th District. Matt Salmon (R). This quote sums up his view: “I found the source of global warming is coming from the hot air coming out of Washington.” Signed Koch Brothers "No Climate Tax" pledge.
Arkansas Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
1st District. Rick Crawford (R).Vow to his constituents: "As long as the Obama EPA continues its assault on farmers, I will continue to fight senseless regulations that only serve to cripple American agriculture."
39th District. Ed Royce (R). A liberal among the California Republican caucus: a 13% lifetime score on the League of Conservation Voters' National Environment Scorecard.
6th District. Ron DeSantis (R). As reported by ThinkProgress, a majority of Congressional Republicans are climate deniers. At this point in the exercise, we appear to have unanimity.
9th District. Doug Collins (R). Ranked by National Journal as the most conservative member of the state's House delegation (90.2% rating, 16th overall).
Indiana Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
2nd District. Jackie Walorski (R). “That’s My Congress” notes Rep. Walorski has followed a conservative course when voting on environmental legislation -- and everything else, for that matter. Earned a 0% rating from the League of Conservation Voters after her first year in the House.
4th District. John Moolenaar. For this newly elected representative, the photo at his energy issues webpage tells us all we need to know for the time being.
6th District. Tom Emmet (R). Creator of the phrase, "Al Gore's climate porn". (All you need to know: He now serves the district Michele Bachmann represented.)
Mississippi Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
New Jersey Congressional delegation: U.S. House of Representatives
2nd District. Frank LoBiondo (R). Received an endorsement from the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund in October 2014 even though his 2013 score of 25% was well below his lifetime score of 63%.
