Northwoods Ownership Under Attack

by Kerry Thomas

July 19, 2004

As a resident of Wisconsin's Northwoods, I would like to take exception to the editorial column written by Bill Berry in the July 13 edition of the Capital Times. I don't know where Mr. Berry got his impressions of those of us who actually live up here, but his characterizations display a surprising lack of understanding. To quote a prominent figure of the left, "There came into the land a Pharaoh who did not know."

Mr. Berry seems to think the subject of private property rights only applies to "those who have a lot of money." Well, let me paint a little scenario that maybe others can relate to.

If you happen to purchase a piece of property, no matter what the size or locale, you generally get some sort of legal document that conveys the ownership and all antecedent rights to that property. You pay for the property. You pay taxes on the property for years. Some day you hope to retire there, and maybe even pass it on to your kids and grandkids.

Then one day you read an article in the Capital Times that says a government agency has decided that they now think they have a claim on your property (and that of most of your neighbors' property, as well).

Mind you, this government agency doesn't say they want you to move, not just yet. No, no. On the contrary, they want you to stay there, and keep paying your taxes, just as before. Only now, you're not allowed to take care of your property, make improvements to your property, or even cut down that old rotten tree that's about to fall on your house, without a half dozen permits and other government permission slips, all of which you'll have to apply for and pay an application fee for, no matter if the government agencies say yes or no to your request.

Time and space do not allow me to expound on the land use map that calls for the complete elimination of my home town, along with many more small communities in the Northwoods. How would you react if you learned a government agency had targeted your home town for elimination? It's a lot easier to do when there's no more privately owned land.

Given the state of public education today, maybe some of you don't know that the original text of the Declaration of Independence spoke of unalienable rights endowed by the Creator, among which are Life, Liberty, and Property.

"Whipped up," Mr. Berry? You're damn right we get whipped up over private property rights. My question to you, and to the rest of the readers of this newspaper, is why aren't you getting whipped up too? Why aren't you standing up for your own property rights? They're not just the purview of those of us up north. What we're fighting for up here are your rights, too.

Mr. Berry also makes reference to the Indian spearing protests of the 1980's. He says the cries were "It's not fair." and he's right. That's what we were saying then, as well as now. But the subject of the quote was not fish. It was civil rights. Equal rights for all citizens in Wisconsin, not extra rights for those of a different race. Having the right to hunt, fish, gather, or operate gambling establishments, beyond the rights conferred upon all other Citizens, simply as a result of racial heritage, is purely racist on it's face, and, as such, is a violation of Wisconsin's Constitution. We're all equal, but some of us are more equal than others.

Mr. Berry's little firecracker (it didn't rise to the level of a grenade) remark about the shop keepers and ATVs was just another jab in the ribs from this "journalist." As was his impression of why we were so outraged about the DNR's "emergency" shoreland rules. The "Minocqua fiasco" as he calls it was an example of democracy in action, a non-violent outpouring of outrage against a bureaucracy whose attempts to circumvent the legislative process was shameful at best. On it's own it may have not meant a great deal, but taken collectively with other acts from this state agency, it may have been the straw that broke our backs.

The residents of Madison are not going to be injured if I or my neighbors puts a pier out in the waters of one of our lakes up here. If you're nice, and ask permission, we might even encourage you to bring your kids and grandkids up and fish from it. We'll even treat you to a genuine Northwoods fish fry, if you're lucky.