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State Debate: Before there was Brett, there was Bart, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reminds us

A 5/9 roundup of editorials from state newspapers

The Capital Times  —  5/09/2008 2:53 pm

Before there was Brett, there was Bart, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reminds us.

The tears were genuine as Bart Starr, 74, spoke May 1 to the National Day of Prayer breakfast crowd in Green Bay about what he sees as a moral vacuum in contemporary society.

"Before Brett Favre was born, Bart Starr was leading the Packers to five NFL championships and converting the smallest town with a major league sports franchise into Titletown USA. Starr's accomplishments on the field were enough to make him a legend -- but in many ways his contribution is even greater off the field."

Bart and Cherry Starr's involvement with Rawhide Boys Ranch is well-documented. The couple helped create a foster home for troubled teenagers on the banks of the Wolf River. They have also helped many other charities.

"Much has been said and written over the past few weeks about how much Brett Favre has meant to Green Bay and Wisconsin, and deservedly so. The truth is that as great a leader as Favre has been, Bart Starr set the mold."

Special-interest money threatens an independent judiciary, says the La Crosse Tribune.

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor recently brought an urgent message to audiences in Minnesota and Wisconsin: Keep the judiciary independent.

Her concern was special-interest groups launching partisan attacks on judicial candidates. And she mentioned Wisconsin specifically. We have had two consecutive years of special-interest groups spending more money than the candidates themselves -- and dominating the debate with misleading ads.

It's not exactly clear what could be done about the problem -- short of switching to merit selection. It's possible to institute public financing for judicial elections, but that wouldn't solve the problem of the special-interest groups drowning out the message of the candidates themselves. It's also possible that candidates could be given additional money if they face well-financed interest groups, but that's expensive.

"Is merit selection the answer? O'Connor believes it is. But Wisconsin officials should first take steps short of that -- including public financing -- to help change judicial campaigns."

Flight, blight, plight: Time to tackle empty big boxes, says the Oshkosh Northwestern.

While Oshkosh has scored a Lowe's (a welcome addition), many big box stores are closing in the area. A few get temporarily repurposed. But there have also been long-standing empties. Copps. Ben Franklin. Wal-Mart. Big Lots. Soon, a second Copps.

Who's responsible for rallying the troops and figuring out a new strategy to encourage infill, redevelopment or even bulldozing these empty box sites? They are getting more and more conspicuous. Given the large retail holes left within the U.S. 41 retail corridor, the big box battle seems a perfect challenge for the city's West Side Association. If that group is "looking to earn some new community credibility and clout, the big box vacancy challenge is a perfect project to concentrate on for the good of the community."

Congress should protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The House has acted. Now it's up to the Senate.

The House recently passed the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which would require all ships entering U.S. waters to treat their ballast water to get rid of foreign species. "The Senate now needs to act -- and act soon -- before the politics of an election year overwhelm all other business."

Scientists have found that the overwhelming majority of invaders into the planet's largest freshwater system since 1970 have arrived in oceangoing ballast tanks. The lakes are now home to more than 180 non-native species, and the problem gets worse every year. Species such as the zebra mussel have caused billions  in damage.

The overwhelming support in the House (395-7) needs to be duplicated in the Senate because President Bush has promised to veto the measure.

 

The Capital Times  —  5/09/2008 2:53 pm