WAUKESHA - If the Great Lakes Water Compact
isn’t passed with certain wording, Waukesha leaders warned Thursday that
Michigan politicians will hold the area hostage because they’ve
historically been against any type of diversionary efforts.
During a conference of state thoughts on the world’s largest
freshwater resource, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas said Michigan
leaders, no matter their political affiliation, have often denied efforts
by other Great Lakes states to acquire water. And, Vrakas said, Wisconsin
could suffer the same fate under a weak compact agreement.
"The idea is to remove the politics around it and make science
critical in the decision making," he said. "Then and only then
can we do what’s right."
Vrakas made the comments as part of a discussion held by the Waukesha
County Chamber of Commerce on the compact Thursday at the Country Springs
Hotel. More than 100 political and business leaders attended the event.
