Greetings!
We hope everyone's winter is going splendidly. Here are a few updates. Residents of Gogebic County, please read to the end!
T-shirts
We are pleased to announce that official campaign t-shirts are now available and can be yours today. These shirts are great for a number of reasons:
- They are made from 100% organic cotton, grown and sewn in the United States!
- They're being provided by LoyalTees, a local shop in Marquette,
- The design comes from Travis Even, the Community Winner of our 2024 Poster contest
- 100% of proceeds go directly to our non-profit campaign account with the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition and thus will contribute directly to furthering our mission.
Wearing a shirt is a great way to start a conversation around town and help spread word. So snag yours today!
Gogebic County Action Alert!
This Wednesday (February 12th) at 5pm, the Gogebic County Commissioners will be meeting at the Bessemer Courthouse to vote on a resolution of support for the proposed Copperwood Mine. Copperwood is not currently on the agenda for the meeting but will be added at the last minute — what some may call an anti-democratic tactic to stifle public participation. Please consider attending the meeting to speak up on behalf of Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains! You'll find a great deal of material to inspire you on the revamped website — point #1 will be of special importance to the Commissioners, whose main concerns are sure to be economic.
Last year, the Gogebic County Commissioners voted on a similar resolution shortly before asking the State Legislature to approve of a grant of $50 million in taxpayer revenue to the mining company, a corporate welfare handout which our campaign successfully defeated twice. This Wednesday's meeting could very well be the first step in seeking to resuscitate the grant from the dead.
There are now four newly elected Commissioners since November, and so the make up of the Board has shifted significantly. New faces will be receptive to new ideas, especially if exposed to fresh energy.
In-person attendance is strongly encouraged, but you can also send e-mails — please do so BEFORE the Wednesday evening meeting!
District 1- Dan Siirila (R) dsiirila@gogebic.gov
District 2- Joe Cayer (R) jcayer@gogebic.gov
District 3- Dan Wood (R) dwood@gogebic.gov
District 4- Jim Lorenson (D) jlorenson@gogebic.gov
District 5- Pete Matonich (D) pmatonich@gogebic.gov
District 6- Mike Yon (R) myon@gogebic.gov
District 7- George Peterson (D) gpeterson3@watersmeet.k12.mi.us
Out of county residents may consider contacting these officials to tell them your tourist dollars are on the line...
The mining company has been whispering sweet nothings into the ears of local officials for over a decade — baseless fairytales about jobs and economic revitalization, citing not a shred of evidence, with many important lies of omission regarding the tremendous waste pile to be stored forever, upstream from Lake Superior and visible from Copper Peak and the Lake of the Clouds Overlook. It's high time our officials learn the truth!
Again, you will find ample material to inspire your comments at the website.
In solidarity,
Tom and the Protect The Porkies team
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