'Extreme' groups' actions exhibit hypocrisy

To the Editor:

Everyone should see the video of the group of masked marauders that attacked the mining site. The attacks were both verbal and physical. You can see the video on YouTube or JSOnline. This group calls itself “The Penokee Defenders,” or PDF.

Subsequently, Gogebic Taconite hired a private security firm to protect their employees and property, only to be condemned by the known obstructionist state Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar. Jauch has since retracted his statement and somehow now seems to believe that Americans do have a right to protect their property. Who are these protesters, Jauch? Are they mercenaries you recruited while you were AWOL down in Illinois? I applaud G-Tac for hiring their own security, taking the strain off the Iron County Sheriff’s Department.

This mining project is hugely supported by Iron County residents, and I urge all of you to contact your county board representatives and share your support. Please urge them not to pass a mining ordinance that will make it impossible for any mining company to do business here.

Don’t listen to the “what ifs” put out there by the fear mongers. George Meyer recently spoke at a meeting. After he was through talking about himself, he spoke to the mining issue. I seriously doubt he’s even read the bill, Senate Bill 1. Again, “what if?,” “this might happen” and so on, all conjecture.

I remember back in the 1980s when Meyer was Department of Natural Resources secretary and spear fishing first became an issue. Will Meyer accomplish for mining what he accomplished for spear fishing and the tourism industry in northern Wisconsin?

On July 1, Frank Koehn and other mining opponents trespassed on my property conducting a protest and press conference without my knowledge or consent, trampling all over the very same rights their group purports to protect. Do you see the hypocrisy in these extreme groups?

The PDF and the Penokee Hills Education Project groups both claim to be protecting the environment; however, when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency violations by the local tribes (raw sewage, phosphates and sulfides flowing into Lake Superior) these same groups are strangely silent.

Remember, no mining has occurred, no environmental damage has occurred. With all the regulations by state and federal agencies, along with today’s technology, it is highly unlikely that environmental damage will occur. Let Iron County decide what’s best for Iron County.

Donna J. Falbe

Hurley