By Adam Jarchow
Anyone with an asphalt parking lot or driveway knows that from time to time, you need to hire a company to seal it. It’s incredibly common. Most of the current sealants do not use PAH. But some, particularly in rural Wisconsin, still do. In fact, some local governments still use it when sealing their driveways and parking lots. So why would Republicans support legislation (SB 152) to ban this product when it will hurt taxpayers and small businesses and grow government?
When we think of Republican values, we think of small government, local control, lower taxes and fewer mandates from Madison. If this proposed bill becomes law, it will result in further aggregation of power in Madison. It will result in higher costs for some local governments (your tax dollars), and it will likely put some small contractors out of business.
As to SB 152, I urge my former colleagues to oppose it.
Adam Jarchow serves as president of Empower Wisconsin. The small business owner, attorney and volunteer firefighter is a former Republican state representative in the Legislature.
I just looked at the text of the bill. It’s very short (2 pages, maybe) and it gives no reason why the ban on the products is needed. Is this another “Round Up” cancer thing or is it another attack on fossil fuels, since part of it refers to coal tar based products?