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(2008/07/24)
The summer of 2008 has been an active month for leaders presenting bold energy ideas. Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens bought television ads in which he looks straight into the camera and says: “This is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of.” He touts renewable energy, including wind and solar power, and reducing dependence on foreign oil.
(2008/07/24)
When the news story of a federal court in the District of Columbia repealing EPA’s Clean Air Interstate Rules (CAIR) regulations hit the airways at the end of last week, many people were wondering just what message was being communicated. The ’05 CAIR was put in place after years of environmental group pressure on legislators and utilities to clean up smokestack emissions. The regulation, comprised of a “cap and trade” system designed by EPA Air Quality experts, was primarily directed at Eastern and Midwestern states heavily dependent on coal-fueled electric generation plants. The sulfur dioxide emitted from these plants has long been under scrutiny for producing “acid rain,” which contributes to environmental damage to surface waters and subsequent environments.
(2008/07/22)
Could Monroe County, at long last, be on the path toward professional, centralized administration?
(2008/07/22)
The letter heading is referring to some members of the U.S. Congress. Did these thieves quietly give themselves a raise this past December? I have two figures; one says $275 per month, the other says $341 per month. I’ll be referring to the $341. The Social Security recipients across the country were given their usual 2.3% cost of living adjustment. When you calculate it this 2.3% raise averages about $24 per month. This annual adjustment is so paltry (worthless) it guarantees Social Security recipients will descend into poverty. The egotistical Congressional members seem to want it this way.
(2008/07/22)
Most people don’t know what’s happening in the Middle East and why our government would in their “hatched”, top secret shelf plan by the State Department to place control of Jerusalem in the hands of terrorists who are committed to the destruction of Israel - do you know why? When you do, then you will understand why our government would betray one of our best allies in the world.
(2008/07/22)
AFA Online (American Family Association) Guest Columnist, Matt Barber posted an article on July 2, entitled, In the “Gay Marriage Crosshairs.” He says, “You’ve probably heard the relativist line that goes something like this: ‘Gay marriage won’t hurt anyone...’ Well, don’t buy it for a minute.’”
(2008/07/17)
Another financial crisis, and another bailout that sends money from the Frost Belt to the Sun Belt.
(2008/07/17)
While taxpayers struggle to come up with the second property tax payment, a company with over $900 million in annual sales will make a windfall at taxpayers' expense.
(2008/07/17)
The sign is beginning to fade slightly after several seasons of Wisconsin weather, but the message is still quite clear and unmistakable in its meaning:
(2008/07/17)
According to national statistics, Americans were the victims of more than 24 million personal and property crimes last year at a cost of $428 billion.
(2008/07/14)
Mass transit -- it isn’t just an urban issue anymore.
(2008/07/14)
Recently the Tomah Journal headlined an article indicating Tomah Middle School failed the “yearly progress” standard for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE). The WKCE, which is taken in November each year, is the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s required assessment used to fulfill federal No Child Left Behind legislation. Our local media does have a responsibility to report the results of the WKCE testing, and I appreciate the publicity which Tomah Middle School receives from the Tomah Journal throughout the year when special activities are taking place. However, as principal of Tomah Middle School, I feel a responsibility to provide you with additional information on the WKCE results so you can better assess the effectiveness of the educational staff and program at Tomah Middle School.
(2008/07/14)
I’ve taken a lot of ribbing in the past week after I wrote about the grass snake that decided to make its home in my 1989 Ford pickup.
(2008/07/14)
Adverse possession is a law, recognized in every state. Using it, a neighboring landowner can take title to land you have purchased and paid taxes on. Having a survey and knowing where your legal boundaries are does not protect you. If someone claims part of your property, you will have to defend your rights in court, or risk losing through default.
(2008/07/13)
The Wisconsin Lottery invites us to “celebrate 20 years of fun with us!” But is the lottery’s 20th anniversary really a cause to celebrate? Or should it trigger scrutiny of a government program that, broadly speaking, transfers wealth from the poor to the more affluent?
(2008/07/13)
People feel squeezed between rising costs and stagnant wages. Folks are looking at ways to cut costs. With the second installment of property taxes coming due soon, people ask me “Why are property taxes so high?”
(2008/07/13)
As we have just seen another 4th of July fly by us, I would personally like to take a moment to thank the Tomah Lions Club for another fantastic fireworks display.
(2008/07/13)
Tomah Co-op has been filling my propane tank for seven years now. Last week I received a bill for $52.75, for a “minimum usage fee”. Apparently this fee is due if I don't use at least 400 gallons of propane per year. I used 350 gallons. The clerk at Tomah Co-op told me that other gas companies are charging up to $200 for this same reason.
(2008/07/13)
Vernon County has had two 100-year flood events in two years. This is when a 100-year event means it has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.
(2008/07/13)
Let us review three acronyms: NIMBY: not in my back yard. BANANA; build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything. And, NOPE; not on planet Earth. We were witness to NIMBY when a group wanted to build an alcohol plant in Sparta. I read in my July edition of Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News that “...environmental groups claim credit for cancellations of some five dozen coal projects nationwide over the past year.” Folks, that is 60, state-of-the-art, clean-coal-fired electric generation projects that we are going to desperately need in the next ten years. Two months ago the same magazine related that during the next ten years, electric demand will increase by 18% and that generating capacity will increase by only 8%. (Notice what became of gasoline prices when world demand overcame supply for oil?) Nationally, electric bills are beginning to increase due to the passing through of higher costs of fuel
(2008/07/09)
Medicare is an expensive program that still leaves beneficiaries with large deductibles and co-payments, and it shortchanges doctors on reimbursements.
(2008/07/09)
Congress created opportunities for rural communities, strengthened Wisconsin’s dairy farming economy, and supported small family farmers in the Farm Bill passed this year. While I was disappointed that the bill did not do more to target limited resources to programs essential to family farmers and rural communities, this bill made significant improvements in other areas.
(2008/07/09)
I suggest “Tomah Middle School Students Score Above State Average” would have been a more representative headline for your 6/26/08 lead article reporting Tomah Middle School’s results in this year’s statewide Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination. Your published headline, “TMS fails ‘yearly progress’ standard” describes a very small subgroup of students tested and casts a negative impression of TMS performance not supported by the data in your article.
(2008/07/06)
The trend of candidates running unopposed for the Wisconsin state Legislature has been reversed.
(2008/07/06)
“We just can’t make it.” The man spoke in barely a whisper. “I am squeezed between the price of gas, food, health insurance, and property taxes; I can’t support my family on what I make. Is there anything you can do?”
(2008/07/06)
I am writing in defense of our veterans who try to get help from the Veterans Administration and are refused medical help; or can’t find a decent job after returning home from serving our country. Is this how our government says thank you for putting their lives on the line for the rest of us back home?
(2008/07/06)
“We practice open, accurate, and timely communications with... employees... by carefully listening to their concerns.” This is one of the VA’s core values as stated on their website. At the Tomah VA, management has proven this the farthest from the truth.
(2008/07/06)
I have been told to tell all to pray for world peace - priests, bishops, pope, our families.
(2008/07/01)
The New York Times headline, “Obama opt-out threatens system,” is wrong. Obama’s decision to refuse federal funding for the general election doesn’t threaten public financing of presidential campaigns; it strikes the final blow against public financing of presidential campaigns.
(2008/07/01)
In 1977, when my family arrived in Baraboo, the community (including West Baraboo) had three stoplights.
(2008/06/29)
Welcome to Tomah, James Bialecki. Bialecki, who just completed two terms as mayor of Onalaska, was named as the new city of Tomah administrator last week. He begins his job early next month.
(2008/06/29)
“My father-in-law died of heart disease. He had no insurance,” the woman from Arcadia told me. “He tried for years to get insurance; he couldn’t get any company to cover him. Every insurance company he applied to turned him down.”
(2008/06/29)
What is going on at the Tomah VA Medical Center? There have been more than one incident whereas an Army Veteran and employee of the Tomah VA was fired when the employee had just a few months or years to retirement. Not only that but the supervisors of said department has created a hostile work environment and has gone to the length of harassing employees so these will quit.
(2008/06/29)
Let’s start with Assistant Professor at UW-La Crosse Eric Barnes. It seems the Star Hill landmark in Holmen, Wis., bothers the professor of 18 months residence in that community. During Lent the landmark has a cross lit in place of the star.
(2008/06/29)
There have been several editorials in local newspapers questioning and also expressing disappointment as to the status of our Ridgeville government and the lack of cooperation at the town meetings of the board and the residents.
(2008/06/25)
John McCain accuses Barack Obama of harboring a “September 10th mindset.”
(2008/06/25)
“They are proselytizing not on behalf of the Constitution of the United States . . . but rather on behalf of some sort of fanatical view of end times. And they are using our army to affect that.?” - - Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson
(2008/06/25)
Over the past several years, the Tomah community has been fortunate to reap the benefits of having one of the finest individuals, as well as music educators working in the Tomah School District. Mr. Ryan Waldhart recently resigned his position as Tomah High School Band Director to take a position in West Salem.
(2008/06/25)
“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don’t want the word to get out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. And the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” -- Margaret Sanger, founder, American Birth Control League, now known as Planned Parenthood (the nation’s largest abortion provider).
(2008/06/25)
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? July 4 will have a great meaning to me from now on. A friend sent me the following: Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 who fought died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary army.
(2008/06/19)
With gasoline topping $4 a gallon, it was inevitable that drilling for oil in scenic or environmentally sensitive areas would become an issue in the presidential campaign. John McCain, the likely Republican nominee for president, abandoned his opposition to offshore drilling Tuesday, and President George W. Bush pushed his own offshore drilling proposal the following day.
(2008/06/19)
A couple of weeks ago, ABC News profiled a preacher who claimed the world would end on June 12.
(2008/06/19)
One thing we the American people want from our government is for it to work. Congress is not getting anything done because of partisanship. The approval rating of Congress is a lot lower than the president’s. We need a leader who can work for all the American people, someone with a proven track record of doing just that.
(2008/06/18)
Tim Fromm and his family owned a house on Lake Delton worth nearly $1 million until last week, when flood waters cut a new a channel to the Wisconsin River, drained the lake, washed away their home and turned their lakeshore property into a mudfront lot.
(2008/06/13)
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle wants to recover $10 million that taxpayers donated to General Motors.
(2008/06/13)
Bob Kliebenstein What kind of color is khaki? Television that kept you glued to the screen? Maybe not for some. But you can bet family members for the 288 competitors at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, a few weeks ago watched the final round from the first vowel to the last consonant when it aired on ABC.
(2008/06/10)
In the early-morning hours of May 1, New York Congressman Vito Fossella was arrested in Virginia for drunk driving. Fossella, a married man with three children, was released into the custody of retired Air Force Lt. Col. Laura Fay, a woman with whom Fossella was conducting an extra-martial affair. The affair resulted in a child that’s now three years old.
(2008/06/10)
This year marks my 25th year in the newspaper business, which has proven to be a very interesting career choice.
(2008/06/05)
Wisconsin has fallen from the top 10 in terms of taxes. The Badger State is now 11th.
(2008/06/05)
“Dairy farming is a tough job. People would be surprised if they knew the hard work that goes into making their food.”
(2008/06/05)
There’s a pickup truck in Tomah with a bumper sticker that reads, “Life’s a bitch, so don’t vote for one.” It’s accompanied by a photo of Hillary Clinton with a diagonal line through it.
(2008/06/05)
The Town of Ridgeville has received some unfortunate publicity, focused on its governing body. I have attended these town meetings. Town chairman Mike Luethe chairs an orderly meeting, following an agenda publicized by acting town clerk, Inese Epstein. The meetings open with public comment. Additional opportunities for public discussion are recognized when specific issues are discussed. In conducting town business, the entire town board uses a manual of guidelines, published by the State Association for Town Boards where procedure is clearly outlined and followed.
(2008/06/04)
Last week, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court reprimanded fellow Justice Annette Ziegler for conflict of interest violations while she was a Circuit Court Judge in Washington County.
(2008/06/04)
America is a large and noisy place. We are a people with strong conflicting beliefs and self interests. I only have to go back to my mother's grandfather to be at our country’s Civil War. Today, maybe the loudness of endlessly broadcast shouting commentators makes it hard for us to see what we hold in common.
(2008/06/04)
This past week the senior citizens of Gloria Dei had our monthly meeting. For our program we invited staff from the VA to give us an overall update on the recent happenings at Tomah. What a wonderful presentation.
(2008/06/01)
It was no fun paying high prices for gas during the Memorial Day Weekend (it was $3.929 per gallon in Tomah Monday), but Americans are finally being confronted with the high cost of mobility. Since 1974, the number of vehicle miles driven in Wisconsin has outpaced its population by a factor of five, and it’s becoming clear that such mobility can’t be sustained, either economically or environmentally.
(2008/06/01)
On October 23, 2006. a U.S. soldier or Marine peered through the telescopic sight of his M24 sniper rifle and trained it on the face of Nora, a five-year-old Iraqi girl. Her pretty face was close enough to kiss. Instead, he squeezed the trigger and sent a 7.62 round slamming into her skull. The medical report read, “Nora sustained an explosive bullet injury to her head that smashed the skull bones and ruptured her cerebral membrane.” Nora survived the sniper’s bullet.
(2008/06/01)
Two months ago, my mother underwent heart bypass surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.
(2008/05/28)
Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) has a novel approach to the nation’s health care crisis:
(2008/05/28)
It’s been 19 years since Marie was cancer free. And it has been 19 years since she had health insurance. Doctors tell her at 19 years of survival, she has the same life expectancy of a nonsmoker her age without cancer.
(2008/05/28)
The far-left group MoveOn.org is already running a TV election ad supporting Barack Obama for president. In it, a man claiming to be a lifelong Republican says he is going to vote for Obama because he can bring Republicans and Democrats together. I ask how? All you have to do is look at Obama’s record. He has voted the far-left liberal partisan position every time. He has never worked with anyone across the aisle (Republican). He has never sponsored any legislation with or without a Republican sponsor. This group MoveOn.org once sponsored an ad that created a firestorm, smearing an honored and respected general of the Army. Now they are trying to fool the American people again.
(2008/05/25)
(The following editorial was originally printed in the May 26, 2005. Tomah Journal.)
(2008/05/25)
Had the opportunity a few weeks ago to witness some of Tomah High School’s finest craftsmen in action.
(2008/05/21)
The state Legislature has passed another bill to address Wisconsin’s chronic budget deficit, so expect an avalanche of criticism from pundits and editorial writers about irresponsible politicians who once again solved today’s fiscal problems by creating bigger ones in the future. Yes, the budget repair bill passed last week by both houses of the state Legislature represents nothing more than lawmakers trying to survive the next election cycle, and provisions like delaying $125 million in school aid payments to the next fiscal year do absolutely nothing to address the long-term structural deficit.
(2008/05/21)
I’ve long since conceded that political policy will fail to team up with intellect when it comes to common sense agricultural legislation.
(2008/05/21)
When students learn about our system of justice in civics class, they’re told that every American has a right to his or her day in court. Yet, people from all walks of life often unknowingly sign away their right to a trial when they sign a contract.
(2008/05/21)
Is this letter heading a legitimate question? Do you think it’s offensive? Public Radio repeated it two or three times that I heard. I’d say the question has been answered. The super liberals, the socialists, the extreme left have been deserting the first black president’s wife, Hillary Rodham, like she was a leper. The reason is Obama is more Marxist than Hillary. What is hard to believe is 85 percent of blacks are supporting Barack Hussein Obama.
(2008/05/18)
It was no doubt destiny that caused a cute black Labrador puppy to slide a wet, pink tongue across the face of my 10-year-old daughter on an August day in 1995.
(2008/05/18)
On Saturday, May 17, our nation will celebrate Armed Forces Day. At Fort McCoy, we will observe the day by hosting an Armed Forces Day Open House from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. I welcome you to visit Fort McCoy that day to learn more about Fort McCoy's vital role as a Power Projection Platform and its role in supporting the training and readiness needs of all branches and components of the military services.
(2008/05/18)
After attending the Ridgeville annual/monthly meeting on Monday, May 5, the caption from the back page of the County Line (May 1st edition) keeps coming back to me. The caption read, “Don’t Let Anyone Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes,” (real appropriate for this occasion). Chair Luethe was the main spokesman.
(2008/05/14)
Mildred Loving died last week at the age of 68. It was Loving and her late husband, Richard, who successfully challenged laws that banned interracial marriage. They were criminally charged under Virginia’s miscegenation statute but had their convictions reversed by the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia. Three observations about Loving’s life and what it symbolized:
(2008/05/14)
Last year, the Goldman Sachs investment firm in New York predicted oil would reach $105/barrel by February of 2008. Now, Goldman Sachs is predicting that oil will hit $200/barrel before 2008 ends. These costs are going to play havoc with school budgets because of huge busing costs in the budgets.
(2008/05/14)
Indiana, Florida and Georgia. They are the three states in America that require voters display a government nissued photo ID, like a driver’s license, to vote.
(2008/05/09)
Lawmakers in Racine and Kenosha counties want to expand 35 miles of Interstate 94 from Mitchell Field to the Illinois border from six to eight lanes.
(2008/05/09)
“Wait just a minute” I am a Tomah man through and through, but you got it wrong this time!
(2008/05/05)
Elitist. Condescending. Divisive. Barack Obama? No, Chad Fradette and John Gard. Fradette is a Green Bay Republican running for the 30th state Senate District. Gard is a Republican running for Congress in the 8th District. Both used their announcements to attack other groups of people as inferior.
(2008/05/05)
I find it ironic that the contract language that Mr. Buswell would like to question was partially put in place to protect coaches who are not part of the teacher's union. I was on the School Board’s Athletic Review Committee (now known as the Activities Review Committee) when this language was created. Before this language there was nothing in writing explaining how coaches were hired in our district. Yes, this language was put in place mainly for coaching and other advisory positions.
(2008/05/05)
I am writing in response to a recent letter asserting that John McCain is not conservative enough. Well, maybe not for Rush Limbaugh and James Dobson.
(2008/05/05)
When plans were announced by Fort McCoy that they would like to build a hotel and recreation complex for the benefit of troops and their families when they are there to see their sons and daughters leave for Iraq and Afghanistan, and when they return home - I could not believe that Tomah was all for it, and Sparta was all against it. But that sounds normal for the Sparta City Council.
(2008/05/05)
I want to thank Melisa Thideman for her recent comments in support of BOTH the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and TACS. Melisa has been very supportive of both groups in the past.
(2008/05/02)
Fort McCoy exists for one reason: the defense of the United States of America.
(2008/05/02)
The Tomah Area School District Board of Education is seeking your input on where and when you feel board meetings should be held.
(2008/04/29)
Actions have consequences. Normally, that phrase is linked to social conservatives who criticize what they view as America’s increasingly libertine, if-it-feels-good-do-it culture. But the phrase can just as easily be applied to another issue: conservation.
(2008/04/29)
“We believe all of us share a responsibility for making our society work,” the AARP literature said. We must “work together to find solutions.”
(2008/04/29)
As we now know, thanks to the New York Times, the military-industrial complex is well represented in the daily television news coverage of the Iraq and Afghan occupations. Those former generals who seemed generously to have come out of retirement to provide disinterested analysis of the Bush administration’s military adventures are neither generous nor disinterested.
(2008/04/27)
Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos of ABC News apparently thought they were breaking the mold as debate moderators. Rather than bore viewers with public policy questions during an April 15 presidential forum, they spiced up their presidential debate -- and their credentials as celebrity journalists -- with guilt-by-association queries directed toward Barack Obama.
(2008/04/27)
Some of my fondest memories in high school are winning the conference basketball championship and classes such as chemistry, biology and English. Mr. Anderson, my English teacher, brought the classics “A Tale of Two Cities,” “The Ancient Mariner” and others to life. So much so that I couldn’t wait to go to class to discuss the next chapter. In my mind I can still hear his voice resonate reading short passages, “10,000 Duckets,” ahh... that’s the good stuff. What a shame it would have been not to have been instructed by those special individuals because of hiring policies that deny outside candidates from applying for teaching and coaching jobs in our school district. The policies I’m referring to are called preference hiring policies, which are designed to eliminate outside competition for district jobs when current members of the Union wish to take the position. The Tomah School Board adopted these policies and placed them into the collective bargaining agreement. The primary criteria in the hiring process as a result is not based on character and merit, but rather are you a member of the Tomah Teachers Union?
(2008/04/27)
On April 13, Dateline NBC featured a story on the unscrupulous practices of some investment advisors that convince older people to put their money in investments that never will go down in value but only go up.
(2008/04/24)
It’s rarely a good idea to feed a wild animal, but it’s an especially bad idea to feed a wild deer.
(2008/04/24)
In the days leading to the 2004 Iowa caucus, a group called “Club for Growth” went after Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean with an advertisement in which paid actors said:
(2008/04/24)
It’s absolutely unbelievable that George W. Bush and Karl Rove are both on record in just the last few months of calling John McCain a conservative. McCain is the most anti-conservative Republican in the U.S. Senate. Let’s look at the record, then evaluate.
(2008/04/24)
In the April 7 Tomah Monitor-Herald newspaper, Robert Weitzel wrote a guest opinion. In the article he tells the story of the little girl from Weston, WI, who died because the parents did not seek medical help for her fast enough. The parents believed in praying if their kids were sick, which Bob ridiculed with the statement, “regard their faith in God with a lousy track record for healing.”
(2008/04/24)
As much as I try to avoid the Tomah Journal blogs, it’s a bit like watching an accident …. You want to look away, you know that it’s awful, but yet you hope something good will happen. It doesn’t, and then you just feel bad. I often wonder if the blogs have a civic purpose; yet I don’t see any benefit from the negative rants and raves (especially done anonymously), nor do I find any progress for our community as a result of such posts.
(2008/04/18)
Bridge to nowhere: $398 million. Pre-emptive war to nowhere: $3 trillion. Sometimes it’s important to review where our federal tax dollars go and in what proportions. Conventional political spin would have us believe that spending on unnecessary earmarks is busting the budget while the war in Iraq need not enter our fiscal consciousness because it’s funded with “supplementals” and therefore “off budget.”
(2008/04/18)
With the 2008 presidential elections fast approaching, we should not forget the unique and important role voters have in choosing our next president. After all is said and done, a democracy is only as strong as the participation in it.
(2008/04/18)
There are thousands of Americans who use faith healing on a daily basis, but maybe not for typical religious reasons. Adults and children are dying simply because they either do not have medical insurance and have been turned down for appropriate medical care or their health insurance company will not pay for their life saving surgery, medication, or treatment. How different the scenario might be if that same family was praying with all their faith for healing for their daughter because they fell into one of those categories? Would you then call the insurance company “child abusers,” or should the United States government be responsible for abusing a child or an adult to death because the current health care system does not cover all?
(2008/04/18)
Problem Solving 101 says with an emotional issue, make two lists, the pros and the cons. Dairyland Power Cooperative’s proposed dry scrubber installation at the G-3 Genoa plant is an emotional issue.
(2008/04/16)
Religion has been a major theme of artwork ever since humans gained the ability to express themselves through drawing and sculpture. To remove religion from art is like removing the saxophone from a jazz band; it can be done, but the sound will contain considerably less richness and texture.
(2008/04/16)
Mother Nature has not been kind to Tomah Area Cancer Support, Inc. (TACS) in 2008.
(2008/04/16)
Dear Mr. Weitzel: I am writing in regard to your article with the very catchy title of “Child sacrificed on altar of faith.”
(2008/04/11)
One of many realities exposed by the recent mortgage meltdown is the economic and environmental unsustainability of exurban development.
(2008/04/11)
This is in response to A.P.’s artistic drawing at Tomah High School. Thanks be to God for this young courageous Christian teen standing up for Jesus! I am sure there are more at Tomah high School who will stand up and support not only this young man but our Lord with him.
(2008/04/09)
In 1972, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun voted to uphold the constitutionality of the death penalty despite his deep personal objection to state-sponsored executions.
(2008/04/09)
“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.”
(2008/04/09)
I am a concerned citizen of the State of Wisconsin, and I feel that maybe (the Tomah School District) may be obligated to follow the so- called church and state rule.
(2008/04/06)
Monroe County may or may not need a new $30 million justice center. Our preference is for a justice center that houses all three circuit court branches (the two that already exist, plus the one recently created by the state Legislature) but with a smaller jail than the 200-bed facility conceived by the Board of Supervisors.
(2008/04/06)
In the recent Ridgeville Wind Plan Commission meeting, held on 3-27-08, Atty. Glenn Stoddard was present to represent the group known as Focus on Monroe County’s Future. During the meeting, Atty. Stoddard stated in front of the commission that Invenergy had built a turbine in its Forward Energy project that was in violation of agreed upon setbacks. Mr. Stoddard was incorrect.
(2008/04/06)
I have read in the news about the suspension of a student from the art class! It is really very upsetting to read much too often about “policies” that schools and other businesses have that they believe is acceptable to override our Constitution of freedom of speech and other Constitutional rights of individuals. Students do not forfeit their Constitutional Rights when they are at school! The art teacher is showing her own beliefs against Christianity, and if your school board agrees with her, then there is a bigger problem with Tomah High School than just the art teacher, but most likely is not limited to only Tomah High School.
(2008/04/02)
Your vote counts Tuesday. Proportionately speaking, it will count more than usual.
(2008/04/02)
According to a United Nation’s report, 971 Palestinian and Israeli children were killed between September 2000 — the beginning of the second intifada — and July 2007. Of those destroyed children, 854 were Palestinian. The intifada and the dying continue.
(2008/03/28)
REV. BILLY GRAHAM: This [Jewish] stranglehold [on the media] has got to be broken or the country’s going down the drain.
(2008/03/28)
We are regularly reminded that people can think and act really strangely. Those of us who grew up in the 1960s often ask, “What were they smoking?” Given recent news alerts, kids growing up today will ask, “What ‘meds’ were in their water?”
(2008/03/28)
In 1948, when I was a 2nd grader, lots of times making coffee in the morning started with one of my siblings or me. It’s about 5 a.m. and the day is starting for the rural dwellers. We’re now going to make a pot of coffee. Mom sends me out to get some kindling wood. This is the first step. Maybe you have a little kerosene to pour on the kindling; if not, a few pieces of paper goes under the kindling. Strike the big stick match and in a few minutes it’s burning pretty good. Add some small pieces of wood; in a few more minutes set the drafts right on the stovepipe, remove the center lid on the cookstove and put the pot of room temperature water over the fire. In a few more minutes the water will boil. The coffee goes directly into the water that must be boiling; crack an egg into it if you so choose. In a few more minutes, presto! You have a cup of coffee. Small strainer holes before the spout kept some of the coffee grounds from getting into the cup.
(2008/03/28)
This is in response to the very fine letter published in the March 17 edition of the Tomah Journal by Stan Zdrojowy of Tomah.
(2008/03/26)
There’s an idea kicking around that would lower the legal drinking age to 19 for military personnel.
(2008/03/26)
March 19 marked the five-year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Although Saddam Hussein’s brutal authoritarian regime no longer exists, the war has been nothing less than a disaster for that country, for others in the region, and unquestionably for our own, as well.
(2008/03/23)
Does $30 million for a new justice center in Monroe County give you sticker shock?
(2008/03/23)
With the election coming up April 1, it is important to know your candidates.
(2008/03/23)
Back in 2006 during our last election campaign for governor, former Congressman Mark Green was smeared by a liberal interest group with ads screaming “Dirty Money, Dirty Money.” This was in reference to Green using money left over from his congressional race. The same leftover money that Democratic Mayor of Milwaukee Tom Barrett used also, and it was OK then.
(2008/03/23)
The Tomah and La Crosse areas are in need of volunteer drivers to transport veterans to their medical appointments at the VA Medical Centers in Tomah and Madison.
(2008/03/23)
Dear Tomah Show Choir: I wanted to thank you for including me in your Dancing With the Stars fund raiser. This was such a pleasant experience and I was honored to be a part of it. Everyone who was in attendance enjoyed it also. Many people on the street have relayed that message to me. I would much rather see our youth in this positive environment than in our courtroom.
(2008/03/18)
As the federal government squanders money on rebate checks and pre-emptive war, infrastructure at home continues to crumble.
(2008/03/18)
I need to weigh in on the Monroe County Board’s vote to bond for $30 million (total $46 million+ with financing costs) for a new Justice Center. I agree with Supervisor Jim Rice and citizen Dan Hellman, both of whom appeared recently in editorials in local newspapers objecting to this expenditure.
(2008/03/18)
As we enjoy one of the best snowmobiling seasons in a long while, we need to look at how we have come to enjoy over 300 miles of well marked and groomed trails in Monroe County that connect to another 21,000 miles statewide. To put those 21,000 miles in perspective, that is more trail miles than State highway miles.
(2008/03/16)
For all the discussion over the on-going mortgage meltdown, here’s something that’s gone virtually unnoticed: A family earning the median income can’t afford the median-priced home. It’s a structural problem rooted deep in the economy, and it can’t be fixed by tinkering with lending rules.
(2008/03/16)
Disciplinarian, recess referee, hallway control, lunchroom cop, bathroom patrol.
(2008/03/16)
I am writing this letter to encourage fellow citizens to participate in the voting process.
(2008/03/16)
We should all be on our knees thanking President Bush for keeping us from another 911 in the past 6-plus years. After this president going through the worst attack in the USA, the worst natural disaster with Katrina, fighting a war for freedom and much more. We also reached the highest Dow in history.
(2008/03/13)
For all the discussion over the on-going mortgage meltdown, here’s something that’s gone virtually unnoticed: A family earning the median income can’t afford the median-priced home. It’s a structural problem rooted deep in the economy, and it can’t be fixed by tinkering with lending rules.
(2008/03/12)
Retired Department of Transportation employee Eugene Zapata will continue to receive his $2,400 per month pension even though he confessed to killing his wife 32 years ago. Zapata’s case is symbolic of a state pension system that cries out for review, but not for the reason offered by the Wisconsin Democracy Project’s Mike McCabe. He asked:
(2008/03/12)
I’ve never been one to shy away from technology. In fact, a colleague of mine who is a bank president jokingly calls me “Mr. Technie” whenever I pull out my Palm, an electronic personal device calendar and organizer.
(2008/03/12)
I must set the record straight for the reason I made an amendment to the Justice Center Resolution for $17 million at the Monroe County Board of Supervisors meeting for the month of February.
(2008/03/12)
The word “change” is very prominent in presidential politics these days. For the first time in decades, there will be real change. You see, the incumbent (for you Obama supporters that means the president) is not running. And the VP (for you Hillary supporters that means the vice-president) is not running. So there will be real change no matter who becomes president. But will they support what the majority of Americans want?
(2008/03/12)
Under the guise of separation of church and state, our values, principles, liberty and faith are under assault by an anti-Christian coalition determined to ban even the mere mention of God and His Word from the schools, the courts, and the public square, to destroy marriage, the family and our most cherished institutions and traditions, legitimize homosexuality and lesbianism, institutionalize abortion, euthanasia and a shocking culture of death, re-write history to remove the deep-Biblical principles our nation and our Constitution were both founded on, and surrender our Judeo-Christian values to the “New World Order values of the United Nations and the Global Community,” and at the same time the atheists/secularists are banning God’s Word from the schools; they are replacing it with an anti-Christian, pro-globalism, anti-religious liberty curriculum “aimed at indoctrinating an entire generation against God and His Word”!
(2008/03/07)
Does a more religiously diverse nation guarantee more religious conflict?
(2008/03/07)
During the Jan. 12 Tomah City Council Meeting, our City Administrator, John Rusch, announced that his last official day will be July 5, 2008.
(2008/03/07)
The first meeting of a series of meetings to be held by the Ridgeville Wind Tower Plan Commission Ordinance was held at the Ridgeville Town Hall on Feb. 21 with about 30 people in attendance. The purpose of this meeting was to gather information from the public on wind farms.
(2008/03/07)
Thank you for your editorial Thursday calling for limits on open enrollment payments to virtual charter public schools.
(2008/03/07)
How is it possible that at a time when most folks are tightening their belts because of increasing energy and health care costs, the Monroe County Board has voted to raise property taxes by at least $30 million for a new justice center? Just because we need more jail space in Monroe County, does not mean that we need a brand new, state-of-the-art justice center with plush offices for county officials.
(2008/03/04)
Ever since the U.S. Surgeon General’s 1964 report proved that smoking is slow-motion suicide, the battle against public smoking has been an enormous success. Smoking has been eradicated from retail establishments, offices, public transportation and public buildings. Area hospitals have instituted sweeping bans that include smoking inside an automobile in the hospital parking lot, and all public school properties, indoor and outdoor, are completely smoke-free.
(2008/03/04)
The First Amendment to the Constitution was about religion. The founders obviously saw it as very important. The ACLU and other such democracy despisers, like the Freedom From Religion groups, have just plain lied about this amendment. Hard to believe a whole generation of Americans have been so easily led by such vermin. I’d lay most of the blame on the college professors of the 60s. I have firsthand knowledge of this; my brother was a part of that venomous group. These people distorted everything that had a hint of democracy, or patriotism, or even decency for that matter. Got that, folks! The ACLU and others like the Freedom From Religion groups oppose decency.
(2008/03/04)
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Neighbor for Neighbor Food Pantry and the clients we serve, we wish to thank all those who have donated food and funds during the holidays. Thank you to the many local businesses, organizations, churches, and individuals who have given so generously. While we would like to mention each by name, but the list would get too lengthy. Without the constant support of many in our local communities we would be unable to provide this essential service.
(2008/02/29)
It’s inevitable that the Tomah School District will implement a 4-year-old kindergarten. The decision is being driven by a state aid formula that makes 4-year-old kindergarten a painless choice from a financial standpoint. Many rural school districts with shrinking enrollments have launched 4-year-old kindergartens with virtually no additional cost, and these districts have been a major driver toward pushing statewide participation to 67 percent.
(2008/02/29)
On Feb. 14 I became a card carrying member of the Cordis coronary stent club.
(2008/02/29)
I want to personally thank the entire staff and workers at Tomah Memorial Hospital from the Emergency Room, PT staff, dietitians and kitchen, office personnel and especially the nurses along with their support staff assistants who were there for my every need, day and night. They were all very professional in their manners, and all duties to me either required or not.
(2008/02/29)
This past week, President Bush had what should have been reported as perhaps his best week in office.
(2008/02/26)
As Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and the state Legislature battle over the regulation and funding of virtual schools, they have largely ignored the most important issue: the way that virtual schools distort school finance.
(2008/02/26)
I believe I heard once that summer in Wisconsin is a brief intermission of nature between the nine months of winter.
(2008/02/26)
In regards to Steve Rundio’s article in the Jan. 21 Tomah Monitor-Herald, I agree that we need a single-payer universal health care plan.
(2008/02/25)
After winning Wisconsin’s Republican Presidential primary, John McCain said:
(2008/02/25)
First, a little education of what the above words mean.
(2008/02/25)
We have been meaning to comment on snow removal in the city of Tomah and La Grange Township for a couple of years.
(2008/02/20)
The media is rampant with speculation on whether former North Carolina Senator John Edwards will endorse Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination (Edwards dropped out Jan. 30). Edwards is reportedly waiting to see which candidate more forcefully adopts his campaign themes of standing up for the poor and powerless and against the forces of “corporate greed.”
(2008/02/20)
“The pipes broke, the motors wouldn’t work, the silo froze up and then I slipped on the ice. My body isn’t getting any younger.” The farm woman was sharing her life with her Senator. This was a memory all too familiar to this Senator.
(2008/02/20)
More news from Ridgeville: The township held its 11th monthly meeting with the Chair and Supervisor who promised us “long lasting changes” with “sound leadership in office, treating the constituency honestly and justly.” We have not seen any promises fulfilled, much like all politicians. The “motto” of the new board seems to be “Why pay today when you can put it off until tomorrow?”
(2008/02/15)
Traffic ground to a halt for nearly 12 hours between Edgerton and Stoughton on Interstate 39-90 Feb. 6, and people are looking to assign blame.
(2008/02/15)
An open letter to State Senator Vinehout. In your most recent 31st District Report, you asked the question, “Have ideas on how to solve our property tax problems? ... Let me know!”
(2008/02/15)
I do not trust Jack Dittmar any more than I trust the County Board regarding the Ridgeville landfill or dump.
(2008/02/15)
I am responding to Chris Hubbuch’s article entitled “Don’t feed the geese, ducks in Sparta” (1/28/2008).
(2008/02/11)
For more than a decade, this newspaper has pushed the idea of eliminating Monroe County’s Personnel Director and replacing the position with a county administrator.
(2008/02/11)
Regarding the Tralmer building article in the Tomah Monitor-Herald on Jan. 7, it was interesting to read the negative blogs that followed the article.
(2008/02/11)
Proud American men and women are serving and sacrificing for freedom around the world as America’s military defend us against terrorism. Many of these veterans are coming to VA with special needs and challenges that require the hearts and hands of a new generation of VA volunteers.
(2008/02/11)
I’d like to add my voice to those in favor of Senator Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination. I have been an independent voter my whole life, and I have not become active in or donated to a presidential campaign until this year. Obama has inspired me to do what I can to ensure that he is on the ballot in November.
(2008/02/11)
We need a new government, at least something different than what we have now. Most of the people I know have lost respect for our government. There is very little respect for our Congress people, also. Many believe that the rich people and rich companies control our government. That has to change! Most people believe that Congress people should not set their own salaries and retirement plan. We also see horrible waste of our money, especially in the war with Iraq, in the purchasing of military equipment and in the continuation of programs long after the reason they were formed has been satisfied. How are we going to manage to pay off this horrendous debt?
(2008/02/10)
Infrastructure doesn’t get much mention on the campaign trail, and that’s a problem. Virtually everyone who studies the issue agrees that major investments are needed in our roads, bridges, airports, rail lines, ports, water & sewer systems and public parks.
(2008/02/10)
In his editorial of January 21, Journal Perspective Page editor Steve Rundio wonders why everyone isn’t as gung-ho as he is for single-payer “universal” health care.
(2008/02/10)
We are constantly being tagged with terms that describe aspects of our respective generations, from yuppies to genXers. Now for the new millennium the buzz term has become “helicopter moms.” When I mentioned this term to my friend Jenny Skowronski when we met at Marilyn School of Dance LLC last Sunday, she was clearly confused about the definition. “Does that describe how we run around in circles to make sure our kids are at their activities on time?” she joked.
(2008/02/05)
Feeding wild animals normally isn’t a good idea.
(2008/02/05)
Legend has it that 2,000 years ago President Bush’s favorite philosopher dodged the treason bullet by giving a group of Pharisees his honest opinion on the separation of church and state. Appreciating the wisdom in keeping heavenly and earthly concerns separate, Jesus advised them to “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
(2008/02/05)
If you’re a Republican, here’s something that should scare the bejabbers out of you: the youth vote.
(2008/02/05)
This past fall 2007, there were some controversial issues being considered for presentation for the student body at Tomah High School. I thought it appropriate to take a small survey of my own and get some responses to Diversity Day. One of these responses absolutely stunned me. I quote her exact words, “Our country has been under white man rule for 200 years, and I think it is time for a change.”
(2008/02/03)
Disgraced women’s track & field star Marion Jones has admitted to using steroids and lying about her knowledge of an associate’s involvement in a check fraud scam. It means an end to her athletic career and loss of millions of dollars in endorsements and speaking fees. She faces 800 hours of mandatory community service.
(2008/02/03)
Can’t say I was upset because I had to spend $5.20 at a local auto parts store a few months ago.
(2008/02/03)
I was driving home one Sunday, a few weeks ago, when I looked over to admire the beautiful Clydesdales, and they were ALL gone. The Clays had had an auction over the weekend, and sold all but one of them. Boy, did I cry!
(2008/02/03)
The Wisconsin Coalition on Children and Families is working on legislation to return 17-year-olds to juvenile court. Currently in Wisconsin, all 17-year-olds are prosecuted as adults for any suspected crime. Regardless of whether it is a first offense, disorderly conduct or shoplifting, all crimes committed by 17-year-olds must be treated in the adult system.
(2008/02/03)
Monroe County Board -- I am against the proposed new $30 million justice center! No one with solid budget knowledge would spend this kind of money, in light of the current economical storm of foreclosures, job losses, and shaky economical environment. In such situations, a home owner would remodel and expand, rather than buy a new home...if you get the metaphor.
(2008/01/30)
Just when you thought bi-partisanship was dead, Republicans and Democrats quickly united to mail everyone a check.
(2008/01/30)
My grandfather ran a general store in Iowa before moving to Wisconsin. Running a business for two decades instilled in him the importance of good record keeping.
(2008/01/24)
The village of Warrens appears headed for an interesting experiment.
(2008/01/24)
“Wisconsin is really behind the times,” said a physician testifying before the Senate Health Committee last week. “We know there is a connection between mental and physical illness. But, because of the stigma of mental illness, Wisconsin creates an artificial difference.”
(2008/01/24)
When you look at your property tax bill for this year you may notice that the school levy credit has increased from what it was a year ago. On a per student basis, the state average school levy credit has increased 26% (from $526 to $665). And next year it will increase again. At first glance that may seem okay, until we look at the details.
(2008/01/24)
I am prompted to write you after reviewing the Jan. 21 on-line column: Can universal health care critics answer ‘what then?’
(2008/01/21)
On September 11, 2001, 19 radical Muslims hi-jacked four airplanes and crashed them into a three buildings, killing over 3,000 people. Shortly thereafter, the airlines fortified their cockpit doors, and there have been no more terror attacks on American soil.
(2008/01/21)
I am now, plainly, in the autumn of my years and, as such, it behooves one to take a long look backward and a short one forward, then clutch to his breast the remaining wisps of life as God’s eternal clock ticks off the last of this humble existence.
(2008/01/21)
Lance Burri is a Baraboo blogger (lanceburri.blogspot.com) who picked up our March 5, 2007, editorial, “Universal health care: ultimate tort reform” and responded with an article: “Single-Payer: Is There Anything It Can't Do? “ The editorial argued that since many of the most expensive lawsuits, particularly medical malpractice cases, boil down to who pays the medical bills, a single-payer system health insurance system would eliminate a major source of litigation.
(2008/01/20)
Last month, the Monroe County jail housed 64 inmates. The county rented jail space for another 49 inmates.
(2008/01/20)
Regarding your editorial, “Virtual schools questionable recipients of public dollars,” there are a number of errors and misconceptions I would like to set straight.
(2008/01/20)
More news from Ridgeville: Since last April election, it’s like the townships of Ridgeville and Wilton have become one big unhappy township with Wilton taking the lead and our chairman following each new decision made, being a detriment to our township, causing a lack of funds necessary to keep the bills paid.
(2008/01/14)
Do virtual schools have a legitimate claim on Wisconsin tax dollars?
(2008/01/14)
I expect I may soon fall victim to the cell phone fad that has been sweeping the nation for the last several decades or so -- I do so with great reluctance.
(2008/01/14)
In the 1972 New Hampshire primary, the late Edmund Muskie choked back anger and was reportedly on the verge of tears because of articles—one of which proved to be a hoax—that appeared in the Manchester Union Leader attacking him and his wife.
(2008/01/10)
There’s little doubt that the No Child Left Behind Act has fallen far short of its promise. A Tuesday forum at Holmen High School laid bare all of NCLB’s shortcomings, ranging from the quality and frequency of the tests to lack of promised funding to implement the testing standards. NCLB has become the federal government’s ultimate unfunded mandate.
(2008/01/10)
Ensuring the public schools I represent receive their fair share of state aids is a priority goal for me. The just-passed state budget included a fundamental shift away from that goal and that is the primary reason I joined 53 Democrats and Republicans to vote no on the budget.
(2008/01/10)
On the night of Jan. 3, I watched Illinois Senator Barack Obama deliver his victory speech after winning the Democratic caucus in Iowa. As I listened and watched the audience respond, it hit me:
(2008/01/10)
Monroe County taxpayers: I do not agree with District 21 Supervisor for Monroe County Pete Peterson’s assessment on the reshuffling of the Personnel Department in Monroe County in the Dec. 20, 2007, Tomah Journal.
(2008/01/08)
Opponents of policies designed to achieve universal health care coverage inevitably raise the bogeyman of “socialized medicine.” They peddle stories of patients in Canada, Western Europe or Japan who are denied critical care by government-run systems, even as these countries produce better health care outcomes (life expectancy, infant mortality rates, etc.) than the United States.
(2008/01/08)
Had the opportunity not too long ago to get a sneak peak at the Western Technical College building set to open for the January 2008 semester.
(2008/01/08)
Say no to any national ID cards and exercise your constitutional right and declare opposition to repeal the Real ID Act (Public Law 109.13) that imposes a federally-imposed identification card because it is an act infringing on the constitutional rights and liberties of American citizens that requires law-abiding Americans to present any form of identification before they engage in private transactions - it is an unfair and unlawful tax increase that forces state governments to bear the $14 billion costs using state taxes.
(2008/01/08)
As a new resident of Tomah, I am impressed by its tolerance of cultural diversity. However, there remains a minority in this town who feel free to voice their opinions in our local newspaper. I address that minority.
(2008/01/06)
Ah, the wonders of privatization. On Dec. 10, locked doors greeted veterans seeking treatment at Veterans Administration clinics in Rice Lake and Hayward. Corporate Wellness & Fitness, the Kentucky company contracted to operate the clinics, cut and ran after just six months in Hayward and three months in Rice Lake. The company said it was losing $26,000 a month and that the VA reneged on promises to guarantee the venture’s profitability. The Rice Lake clinic reopened Dec. 26 with VA personnel, but the Hayward clinic remains closed.
(2008/01/06)
I have studied over this for awhile now, and decided I had to explain a situation to the community. Those of you who noticed may have come to the conclusion that I had joined the “politically correct” and decided it was not proper to construct and display the Nativity scene which I have done for 30 or 40 years at my former South Side Lumber Co. property at the east edge of the city on Hwy. 12-16.
(2008/01/06)
Okay, so it’s New Year’s morning 2008. Big deal! I have a raging head cold and there’s still 385 days until . . . what . . . a new president . . . a new hope for the democratic experiment of our Founding Fathers . . . until my sinuses stop feeling like an unanaesthetized root canal.
(2007/12/31)
When the Founding Fathers created the system of checks and balances that is revered by Americans and envied by much of the world, the Senate filibuster wasn’t part of their blueprint. The filibuster is nowhere in the United States Constitution, and it barely resembles the filibuster of 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago.
(2007/12/31)
Another year has come and gone and I resolve not to write a pseudo-inspirational column about all my 2008 New Year’s Resolutions.
(2007/12/28)
When Wisconsin raises its cigarette tax by one dollar to $1.77 per pack, how much additional revenue will it generate?
(2007/12/28)
I am writing this note in regards to the snow shoveling of the sidewalks. People need to shovel full widths on the sidewalks and the ramps so people can get through with walkers and wheelchairs. Unless these are all kept clean, it raises havoc on medical equipment and soon it has the equipment breaking down, and then it needs repair. This gets costly also.
(2007/12/24)
The Monroe County Board of Supervisors has a mess on its hands.
(2007/12/24)
We appear to be about to make another run at health-care reform. Rural health is at risk with healthcare reform. It is at risk without it. Rural does not drive this train, but we have a voice that must be heard.
(2007/12/24)
I would like to share with your readers a sound word of advice that comes from a very intellectual farm leader of many years from this area, who is well known in other states also as a great farm advisor. His name is Orion Samuelson and he does broadcasting on farm shows and farm issues. This article was on our local radio one morning.
(2007/12/24)
Fox News says: we report, you decide. We’ve also heard Fox News say fair and balanced. Chris Matthews of MSNBC, our un-American for the last half of 2007, doesn’t have a clue what fair and balanced means.
(2007/12/24)
So much for the words of our city assessor. “The 2004 assessed values have been updated to reflect 100% of market value.” “The 2007 citywide re-evaluation is complete. The assessed values have been updated to reflect 100% of market value.” “An assessed value increase will not automatically raise your property tax.”
(2007/12/23)
In a profound respect, the dispute over Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays, and its place in the “culture war,” reveals how lucky we are to live in the United States.
(2007/12/23)
Ron Lee, in his editorial comments a couple of weeks ago, seems to think America is going down the tubes because of organizations like “moveon.org” and that conservatives must take back the reigns before the “liberals” ruin everything. Is the following what Mr. Lee believes should happen, as outlined by Grover Norquist, a guiding force in the Bush administration? It sounds pretty downright un-American to me, and more like a drive for a one-party system of government. I certainly do not support Mr. Norquist’s agenda.
(2007/12/23)
It is a simple phrase that we see often during the Christmas season.
(2007/12/23)
Recently, the Tomah Journal published an opinion piece from Mary Madison, who is the Monroe County Personnel Coordinator, on the reshuffling of the Personnel Department. I would like to address her comments and add a voice of support for her and the Monroe County Personnel Department.
(2007/12/16)
The first year is forgivable. The state budget was late, and the lawmakers had little choice but to distribute school aids in the form of a tax credit, even though it disadvantaged less affluent school districts like Tomah.
(2007/12/16)
Thank you, Wisconsin assembly, for voting to bring back the "Christmas Tree" to our state capital. Opponents of the bill tried to make fun of it, minimize it, or say they didn't want to offend anyone. But the people’s voice won’t be muzzled by the PC bully brigade anymore. The silent majority who DO care are waking up and speaking up.
(2007/12/13)
Is the Democratic Congress making George W. Bush a better president?
(2007/12/13)
I am not sure which beer company which coined the phrase “fanhood” in one of its latest ad campaigns.
(2007/12/12)
Is Tomah ready for four-year-old kindergarten? Maybe.
(2007/12/12)
Effective Feb. 29, 2008, the Monroe County Personnel Director (Ken Kittleson’s) position is being eliminated by County Board Resolution and the Personnel Department is being restructured. The bargaining duties will be outsourced, but the remainder of the duties will still be done in-house. Anything that can’t be done in-house will be referred to an attorney with County Mutual Insurance Company.
(2007/12/06)
Over 3,400 National Guard soldiers from Wisconsin’s 32nd Infantry brigade are scheduled for deployment to the Middle East in the summer of 2009.
(2007/12/06)
Ron Lee said quite a lot last week, and he is right, too many of us sit back and say: Oh, someone else will take care of that, or fix that; I don’t have to. I accept your challenge, Ron, here are my views.
(2007/12/06)
Volunteers play a huge role in so many events and programs in our community.
(2007/12/03)
Why does the Tomah library director need a master’s degree but not the library director in Mauston?
(2007/12/03)
“It’s time to fix a convoluted and outdated school funding formula,” the school superintendent testified before the Senate Committee on Education. He continued, “The current budget supports wealthy districts more than poor districts, when the poor districts serve students with more challenging needs. What’s fair about that?”
(2007/12/03)
On behalf of the Haiti Mission Group from Tomah, please accept our heartfelt thanks for the outstanding support shown November 16 and 17 at our rummage sale and luncheon fund-raiser.
(2007/12/02)
In a recent article on the declining population of hunters, Bill Torhorst, an avid hunter and President of the National Wild Turkey Federation, said something very curious.
(2007/12/02)
America, a Christian nation or not? I consider myself a Christian conservative, and I have many questions about both parties, Democrat and Republican. These are my personal opinions, and I’m looking for feedback from everyone interested in giving your views.
(2007/12/02)
It’s common knowledge the Clinton administration passed out technical and military secrets to those who may do us harm. Aid and comfort to an enemy, that is what treason is. In his first term, Clinton got the North American Free Trade Agreement passed, NAFTA. This is what really opened the flood gates to allow illegals to overrun the country. Those allowed in: drug dealers, rapists, murderers, every kind of undesirable, and a whole lot of ordinary folks just wanting to make a living. NAFTA destroyed a lot of Mexico’s economy. That was the plan. These are unglobalists. The most damaging thing Clinton did to the country was appoint a despicable anti-American lawyer from the ALCU, Ruth B. Ginsberg, to the Supreme Court. I’ve also heard Clinton put in place everything necessary to declare martial law. Just a rumor, I suppose.
(2007/12/02)
Recently, I was struggling to put a rather bulky package into my car in the Wal-Mart parking lot. A car came into the lot and saw me and parked as soon as possible, and the driver came over and asked if he could help. Just at that moment, I was able to tilt the package enough to slide it in and thus didn’t need his help.
(2007/11/28)
Passenger rail is making a comeback. Ridership at the Tomah Amtrak station soared from 5,339 in 2001 to 8,952 in 2007. Nationwide, passengership hit 24.6 million riders in 2006, the fourth straight year Amtrak set a ridership record. The Empire Builder route, which counts Tomah as one of its stops, enjoyed a 1.6 increase in riders last year.
(2007/11/28)
In the post-9/11 world, many people search for ways to let our military personnel know how |
