June 4, 2003
Cambria wins one for all of us
It’s true: citizens CAN beat the big corporations. Victory was achieved Monday night, when a proposed ethanol plant went down to defeat in Cambria, Wisconsin. Didion Milling had applied to the village to “expand” their corn processing facilities in Cambria to include an ethanol plant, even though the site was a stone’s throw from Cambria’s schools, dozens of homes, and an assisted-living facility.
Didion Milling had struggled since last fall to put an ethanol plant in Cambria. They held “informational meetings,” distributed slick literature, hired a PR person, and brought in their Milwaukee-based attorney. But the citizens knew that schools and ethanol plants don’t mix, and formed Cambrians for Thoughtful Development (CTD). (For more on CTD’s position, see CTD leader Sarah Lloyd’s FightingBob.com article from last month.) The Cambrians printed flyers, posted a superb Web site, held “salons” to discuss the issue, put up yard signs, issued press releases, and faithfully attended (and video-taped and spoke at) village meetings. Then they really got serious: When Didion threatened to build its plant just over Cambria’s borders in Courtland Township, CTD got the village to pass an extraterritorial zoning ordinance to control development on the edge of town. CTD also collected enough signatures to get an advisory referendum on Cambria’s April ballot with the question, “should we have ethanol in Cambria?” Voters said no, 60 percent to 40 percent.
So, congrats to Sarah Lloyd, John Mueller, Dallas Bucholz, Mitzi Duxbury, and all of the others in and around Cambria who showed us all—and Didion Milling—how grassroots activism is done. These Cambrians are in the best tradition of Fighting Bob La Follette.
post a letter about this blog »
current
--------
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003