OPINION & EDITORIAL
Ashok, Chavez make bad duo
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Also by Andrew Wagner:
- Offenders need not be damned (February 8, 2008)
- Afghanistan on brink of failure (January 25, 2008)
- Water resource policy crucial for U.S. (January 21, 2008)
- Spreading gender equality should be American mission (December 5, 2007)
- Free speech should not protect bigoted Baptists (November 30, 2007)
Related Stories:
- 'I feel disengaged' (November 19, 2007)
- Kumar brings true student voice (March 30, 2006)
- Lapidus for County Board (March 30, 2006)
- Kumar discovers sensible politics (April 11, 2007)
- Dane's not dead, so pay attention (February 6, 2008)
by Andrew Wagner
Friday, February 15, 2008
The news has slowly filtered out over the past week that District 5 County Supervisor Ashok Kumar has introduced a resolution to the Dane County Board to establish a “sister county” relationship with the Venezuelan municipality of Andres Eloy Blanco. Predictably, the news that Dane County was considering agreeing to anything with Venezuela brought a divided reaction from students, ranging from “No deals with the Commies!” to “Bring on the socialist revolution!”
Since those discussions weren’t particularly satisfying, I have decided to dig a little deeper into the details and offer my view of the situation.
When I first read the headline about establishing a “sister county” relationship with Andres Eloy Blanco, I was a bit confused. I previously didn’t have a very good idea what the whole relationship between sibling cities was supposed to be. In fact, I was only peripherally aware that cities entered into these sorts of agreements.
Thankfully, Progressive Dane’s press release on the matter swiftly cleared up my confusion. According to Mr. Kumar, the sponsor of the sister county resolution, “this relationship will provide an institutional framework for social, cultural and financial ties.”
Of course, nowhere does Mr. Kumar really explain the concrete benefits of the relationship.
Supposedly, a taskforce will be formed to look into the possible options that Dane County has to create trade, cultural understanding and goodwill.
Is Dane County really going to develop strong ties with a place thousands of miles away? It’s possible this could happen, should Dane County actually be paired with a county that shared something beyond having a few cooperatives and a “progressive” political outlook. However, once I looked beyond the feel-good platitudes offered up by Mr. Kumar and others, there doesn’t seem to be much of a foundation for establishing this relationship.
Andres Eloy Blanco has a total population of roughly 54,000 people. Dane County has more than 450,000 residents. The primary economic activity in Andres Eloy Blanco is agriculture — mainly growing coffee. Meanwhile, Dane County’s economy relies on the salaries of state bureaucrats, the University of Wisconsin, biotechnology companies and other firms headquartered in a large urban area. Agriculture is peripheral to the county’s economic life.
What does Ashok Kumar see in a potential relationship between such disparate areas beyond the so-far empty promises?
What about the potential for social and cultural interactions? Again, the disparities between the two counties seem to argue against this actually happening. I highly doubt this relationship will inspire many of the residents of Dane County to visit rural Venezuela with the exception of perhaps Ashok Kumar and some county board members.
As for Venezuelans coming to the United States, it’s pretty unlikely that the farmers of Andres Eloy Blanco have the time to jet up to Wisconsin for a summer vacation or cultural program.
Looking around at other cities that have made agreements with Venezuela, it’s hard to resist the urge to jump in after them. After all, Venezuela has offered subsidized heating oil to low-income residents across the United States and apparently is now moving into subsidizing fuel costs for city services such as mass transit in London. Could Ashok Kumar and the Dane County Board of Supervisors be gunning for a similar agreement?
Before running after that offer of cheap oil, consider the effects that these agreements have. Subsidizing oil prices for the United States or other countries short circuits the market mechanism that encourages people to find alternatives to oil: higher prices. Why look into other technologies if we can get cheap, Venezuelan oil?
Furthermore, for those concerned about helping Venezuela develop, consider this: Why do foreign countries get subsidized oil from the Venezuelan government when its people remain poor and its economy outside the oil sector remains relatively undeveloped? Should Dane County and its progressive politics work to take money out of Venezuela to subsidize our own oil fetish?
I know plenty of environmental crusaders and developmentalists who feel strongly about this issue, and they should think long and hard before backing this relationship. Hopefully Ashok Kumar and the Dane County Board will as well.
Progressive Dane also points out the existence of a sister relationship with Apartado, Columbia and Kassel, Germany. Apparently, some county supervisors even took a trip to Kassel recently to examine their power plants and light-rail systems.
Clearly, this sort of city is much more suited for developing ties with. Yet even there, a person has to question whether or not these visiting trips are anything more than taxpayer-financed junkets for county officials to go on a vacation.
Ultimately, one of the greatest arguments against the sister county agreement stems from the looming problem beyond Dane and Andres Eloy Blanco counties: the continuing feud between the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the United States. Dane County does not need to get involved in the mudslinging between the two. Unfair or not, entering into a “sister relationship” with a Venezuelan county can and will be interpreted by some as siding with a wannabe dictator and economic idiot. Ashok Kumar and the Dane County Board of Supervisors should not irresponsibly place us in this crossfire.
The enormous disparities and potential controversy between Dane County and Andres Eloy Blanco suggest we shouldn’t invest time, money and effort into pursuing this relationship. If Ashok Kumar and the county board want to do something like this in the future, I expect a plan that promises something better than empty Bolivarian salvation.
Andrew Wagner (awagner@badgerherald.com) is a junior majoring in computer science and political science.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:32am):
Ashok, where you at?
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 5:28am):
Wow, it takes a special kind of asshole to shit on a relatively meaningless feel-good sister city resolution, doesn't it?
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 7:38am):
I'M SURE GLAD WE DON'T SUPPORT ANYTHING VENEZUALAN, LIKE CITGO OIL.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 11:16am):
Better title for the article:
"Kumar goes to Venezuelan White Castle"
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 12:30pm):
"Agriculture is peripheral to the countys economic life."
ARE YOU THIS MUCH OF AN IDIOT?! Yes, yes you are.
Agriculture is central to Dane County's economy, some of the best farm land in the nation! This weird, uninformed article is a pathetic attempt to explain away your preference for ties with Europe and other White people over ties with Latin America and people of color.
When you write, of White Germans, "Clearly, this sort of city is much more suited for developing ties with", and don't realize that you're being Euro-centric and urban-centric, I feel bad for you.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:31pm):
Completely agree with 12:30. I was shocked when I read this. The assertion that white countries are better suited for Dane County is shameful. You should retract that immediately. Also, do you even know where you are living. Some of these statements are simply ignorant about Dane County. Why did you even write this pathetic piece?
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:31pm):
"Kumar goes to Venezuelan White Castle" ... that's utterly retarded.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:34pm):
Andrew, I haven't always agreed with what you've written, but I had come to expect at least a higher level of journalism and debate from you. This is poorly written, conceived, and argued. Whether or not it is the case, it seems like you have no understanding of the sister city project in general. The city of Madison, along with Dane County, has a number of functional sister-city relationships, none of which involve getting in bed with a "wannabe dictator." All of the arguments for not supporting the project are peripheral to the motivations for doing so, which it also seems you're clueless about. The entire logic of your debate is a straw-man: invent reasons why they MAY be initiating the project, and then use your own political dispositions to try to shoot it down. Really, Andrew, you're capable of better.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:44pm):
This is the dumbest article I have ever read. Sister programs are about building relationships that don't currently exist, not trying to see how we can exploit other countries. Its about cooperation and understanding. And how can you put this all on Progressive Dane. There are dozens of organizations, cooperatives, and non-cooperative businesses that support this.
http://wispolitics.com/index_pda.iml?Article=117649
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 3:22pm):
Viva Kumar, Viva Chavez!
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 3:48pm):
this article was pointless. are you saying that to engage in a sistership with another county around the world it should mirror dane county? will sandstrom and all?
"not place us in this crossfire" ?? dane county- please don't involve yourself in anything toooo political, controversial, unseemly.
this article sucks.
Darren K (February 15, 2008 @ 4:29pm):
Andrew-I thought this article was very well written. For those living in the past of 100 years ago when agriculture was the major industry in Dane county I don't believe that to be true today. I do agree that we have some of the richest soil and farmland in the country, yet farmers are unable to eak out a living on it. Why is our county board wasting time and resources developing "sister city" relationships with countries like Venezuela when we can't seem to handle our own local issues. Is building this relationship a means to improving the lives of Dane County residents as well? If not, I say this is a waste of time, energy and resources. Our county board supervisor need to be focused on the issues they can have impact on right here. I'm sick of the time wasted on issues such as this.
I applaud you for asking the questions many of us should.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 6:57pm):
Chavez blows but the country is spelled "Colombia."
Anonymous (February 16, 2008 @ 3:53am):
Apartado, Colombia, is a "peace community," which protests the continued violations of human rights by both guerrillas, paramilitaries, and state armed forces.
Without Madison's support - and the Colombian government's knowledge that Americans are watching over them - the village would likely come under attack, if not be destroyed.
(This isn't a "YAY AMERICA! WE RULE!" argument... It's the truth, in the framework of their civil war).
Would a partnership with Venezuela create such incredibly powerful ties like that?
Or just be playing politics?
http://www.colombiasupport.net/
Anonymous (February 16, 2008 @ 6:19pm):
"The primary economic activity of Andres Eloy Blanco is Agriculture-mainly growing coffee"
I may be wrong about this, but isn't there quite a market for coffee in this county?
"Meanwhile, Dane County economy relies on the salaries of state bureaucrats, biotechnology, companies, and other firms headquartered in a large urban area. Agriculture is peripheral to the county's economic life."
This is so ignorant I don't know where to begin. Where do you think the taxes come from that pay the salaries for state bureaucrats? Why do you think biotechnology is as important here as it is? Do you really think Madison is a large Urban area? Do you realize most of Dane County is Farm land?
Look at the numbers. Agriculture is fundamental to economic life in Dane County.
Anonymous (February 16, 2008 @ 7:12pm):
"Darren K" aka "Andrew W" has written the dumbest article I have ever read. I didn't notice until I picked up a print copy of the herald. Front page, above the fold, its a doctored photo of Ashok Kumar and Hugo Chavez embracing under the tagline "Kumar and Chavez go to White Castle. P.7" What is the paper? Its like a not-funny onion.
Anonymous (February 17, 2008 @ 11:04pm):
Ashok, stop writing about yourself. You always write things in the same hour. You're not popular. Get over it.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 10:46am):
Will the hacks ever get over themselves. Every comment ever written was by the hand of kumar. Danm its cold outside -- must be kumar. You losers are never getting laid -- must be Kumar. Whoa, last time I checked Kumar won with 70% and has actual support in Madison.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 11:56am):
Why is it that the same four republicans are trying to build a concensus on this campus that Kumar does not have popular support?
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