The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

My wife Carolyn and I recently visited with former GOP state Senator Dale Schultz and his wife Rachel. They were extraordinarily gracious and we had an informative, wide-ranging discussion. First he gave us a tour of their 200 acre Sauk County family farm. Schultz knows every inch of the farm, including the woodlands. He uses some of the trees to build furniture in his shop. Nothing goes to waste. New trees are planted, and conservation preserves the land. It’s a wondrous farm with corn and gorgeous wildflowers.

Schultz drove us around the area, visiting an Amish business, an apple orchard and shop selling many products, including apples. Everything looked spectacular. I finally understood just how unique Driftless Wisconsin is and beloved by residents and visitors. However, western Wisconsin is under threat by the Trump administration and corporate interests.

Trump’s trade wars, budget cuts and the Iran War have put farmers in extreme jeopardy: “Trump’s tariffs and his war with Iran have driven up the cost of fertilizer, fuel and machinery …” (Washington Post). And, the NYT reports: “Delays in loans and help from a thinned-out Agriculture Department” (forced resignations and dismissals). Schultz said: “Ordinary people are paying the price” for Trump’s cruelty and stupidity.

Moreover, worse lies ahead: the badly conceived 765 power line, feeding the anticipated (uncertain) growth of massive data centers. Schultz said: “The 765 power line will leave western Wisconsin looking like an industrial backwater.” The Driftless will be despoiled with lost trees and habitat; farm land will be seized. All in the name of the corporate bottom line. Schultz was emphatic that Wisconsinites don’t want to be ignored bystanders; they want genuine consultation and input. Schultz is still standing up for Wisconsin.

So is Democratic 3rd CD candidate Rebecca Cooke: “The Driftless is unlike anywhere else in the country, and the farmland, water and communities … are worth protecting.” Cooke wants a “moratorium on data centers” with their gargantuan demand for power and water. Schultz agreed with the MJS: “State statute requires that transmission line developers first prioritize existing utility corridors, then highway and railroad corridors … before opting to create new corridors altogether.” Schultz also hopes that Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley develops a “clearer plan” regarding placement of transmission lines and data centers.

Later we touched on other issues. Schultz said that Trump and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany “want to punish people.” Schultz emphasized that being mean “is not Christian.” He criticized the Big Beautiful Bill for cutting millions from quality healthcare coverage which will “make the future harder.” Schultz, a member of the Richland Hospital board, said rural Wisconsin needs a robust local healthcare system, and praised Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin’s support.

There is a Cooke campaign sign in front of their farm (Rachel Schultz, an educator and member of the Richland Center Common Council, serves on Cooke’s steering committee). Would that we all could be like Dale and Rachel Schultz, big-hearted and wise, who engage and listen to everyone.

Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.