Time and again, transparency advocates have seen that protecting Wisconsin’s traditions of open government depends on the courage and initiative of individuals. This year’s winners of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council’s Openness Awards, or Opees, include two citizens, two journalists, one fired government worker and one small but gutsy Wisconsin newspaper.

21st century technology, although beneficial, has placed us on thin ice with the Fourth Amendment and in situations where there is an expectation of privacy.

Here’s my advice to those pastors out there who want to do politics from their pulpits on Sundays. Go ahead. Endorse candidates, fight for or against politicians and exhort your parishioners as to how to vote. Do it all you want — just give up your tax exemption and start paying taxes on property and income just like everyone else has to do.

Shakespeare warned us that bad things could happen on 3/15 – – the Ides of March – – and sure enough, 3/15 is when a joint Wisconsin Assembly/Senate committee hearing in Madison will launch big ag and big dairy’s long-sought push to finally win permanently-held rights to massive amounts of Wisconsin ground water through an expanding number of wells which pump at least 100,000 gallons of water a day.