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(2010/03/15)
What constitutes “abuse” of the filibuster?
(2010/03/15)
Know your candidates! With our regular spring election on April 6, we hope it will be a new beginning for Monroe County, making our county something to be proud of. Twelve of the county’s 24 districts have contestants. Many of those are familiar names.
(2010/03/15)
I am so proud of the “new” Monroe County Board that we elected last fall. I try to go to almost every board meeting, and attend as many committee meetings as I can. The whole feel and operations of these meetings is totally different (in the positive) from the previous board. There were many major mistakes with contracts, hiring, firing, and money matters that have been uncovered in the last six months, which they are trying to correct. Be it from negligence, ignorance, assertiveness, or accident, there were some very costly errors from the previous board.
(2010/03/12)
Wisconsin ranks nearly dead last in getting money back from Washington, D.C.
(2010/03/12)
Wonder how the United States of America claimed its title as the world’s incarceration king?
(2010/03/12)
Class of 1979, Belmont High School, home of the Braves.
(2010/03/12)
The City of Tomah ordinance in regard to the farmers market states the following:
(2010/03/12)
We cannot support any candidate for court that has activist tendencies, meaning the desire to make law from the bench.
(2010/03/10)
School boards in search of a new superintendent normally look for candidates with vision.
(2010/03/10)
A recent article in the Tomah Journal addressed the controversy between the Tomah Veterans Association and the Monroe County Agricultural Society over which organization should hold the permit to sell beer at future tractor pulls and Monroe County Fairs. This letter is to inform the public of some facts that they might not otherwise be aware of.
(2010/03/10)
January 22, 1973, the day that death in the womb became the law of the land.
(2010/03/10)
Is it any wonder more good people don’t run for public office?
(2010/03/04)
It’s possible to produce cheap meat. It’s possible to build residential houses in the countryside and not burden their occupants with the smells of agriculture.
(2010/03/04)
Like a little dinosaur, it sits in our cozy basement family room.
(2010/03/02)
Dean Dieckmann, a food inspector for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said his telephone “lights up like a Christmas tree” the day after the Tomah Farmers Market.
(2010/03/02)
A large crowd recently was expected to rally on the state capitol steps to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s action in Citizens United inviting corporations to spend freely in elections. The Court has been described as “dancing on democracy’s corpse.”
(2010/02/27)
When it comes to budget deficits, politicians like to invoke their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
(2010/02/27)
What do you get when you put hundreds of screaming teen-aged school girls, coaches and parents in a building that resembles a small Minneapolis Metrodome?
(2010/02/27)
Like many of you, I’m sick and tired of politics being shoved in my face by every news station 10 months before an election. All the fighting aside, for me, it comes down to one thing: integrity. Who are these people running for office? Can I trust them? Are they honest? These are the questions that concern me.
(2010/02/23)
It has been widely reported that Wisconsin has one of the worst budget situations in the nation.Those reports left out a big variable: pensions for public employees. The Pew Center on the States reported last week that Wisconsin was one of just five states that began the recession with a fully funded pension system.
(2010/02/18)
Terrence Wall, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, hasn’t paid state income taxes in nine of the past 10 years.
(2010/02/18)
Here are my top ten concerns about the proposed Farmers Market Organization
(2010/02/18)
On Sept. 14, 2009, the Tomah Community Table opened its doors at the Masonic Lodge. The purpose of the Tomah Community Table is to be a resource for the relief of hunger in our community -- not simply or only the hunger of the belly, but also, for some, the hunger of the heart.
(2010/02/18)
Neighbor for Neighbor Board of Directors and staff would like to extend a big THANK YOU to local community members, churches, businesses, and organizations for the unwavering support given throughout the past year. As a result of your generosity, we have been able to keep up with the demands and care for local families.
(2010/02/18)
Ron Kind couldn’t even keep his “fiscally responsible” promise for two weeks. On Jan. 25 he held a press conference calling for fiscal responsibility and promising to be a good steward of taxpayer money. On Feb. 4 he voted with the Democrat leadership to increase the debt limit to $14.3 TRILLION. Ron Kind cannot be trusted with our money.
(2010/02/18)
In the last few weeks readers have been subjected to a barrage of letters criticizing Senator Russ Feingold and Congressman Ron Kind. Let’s set the record straight. Both of these individuals are recognized for their independence and responsible use of taxpayer money.
(2010/02/17)
The Tomah School District faces a cash crunch. First observation: The district isn’t that much different from any other enterprise, public or private. The country is mired in a recession, and almost everyone has less cash on hand these days.
(2010/02/17)
There were a few empty seats Feb. 2 when Tomah and Sparta squared off to determine who would claim the Mississippi Valley Conference wrestling title.
(2010/02/17)
I heard about Bohemian Grove maybe three years ago. The story was unbelievable, so I forgot about it. Well, it seems that it wasn’t a figment of some Freakozoids imagination. Alex Jones from the Dallas, TX, area hosts a radio program. Somehow he got into the Bohemian Grove. The grove is a place that has a strange retreat once a year. Retreat in my dictionary says: relating to, belonging to, or connected with a religious ceremony. This ritual has worldly men in the grove, in the night, some wearing hoods, standing in front of a 30- or 40-foot high stone owl, an effigy which is a figure or image of a person.
(2010/02/17)
On Jan. 1, the State of Wisconsin began cutting $15 million in payments to rural hospitals like Tomah Memorial that care for low-income, uninsured people on Medicaid. Known as “critical access hospitals,” these hospitals provide all rural citizens with nearby quality care as well as thousands of good-paying jobs. Frankly, these cuts could not come at a worse time for the area.
(2010/02/11)
Memo to Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville):
(2010/02/11)
In 2009, I sold maple syrup at the Tomah Farmers Market. It was my first year selling, and I bought as often as I sold. I bought because the prices were cheaper, the food tastier, and I know that I was helping to support a service that I would like to see grow.
(2010/02/11)
It would be easy to overlook the primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 16, but getting to the polls is important. It is our opportunity to support, out of a slate of three, a candidate from a neighboring county for District IV Court of Appeals.
(2010/02/11)
I am writing to urge voters in Monroe County to vote for Brian Blanchard for judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District IV. Brian has the intellect, personality and experience to make an excellent appellate judge. He has clerked for a federal judge, worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney, done civil trial work in private practice, and since 2000 served as District Attorney of Dane County. As District Attorney he has prosecuted corrupt practices in the Wisconsin Legislature.
(2010/02/10)
It is perfectly legal for an owner of a shaky business to pay himself an enormous salary and then leave his employees and creditors high and dry when the business tanks.
(2010/02/07)
Imagine you live in Tomah, and you’re planning a flight to Atlanta.
(2010/02/07)
Recently the Tomah Journal ran an editorial defending Governor Doyle and Legislative Democrats, including local representative Mark Radcliffe, who stood in lock-step with his leaders in Madison and voted to release as many as 3,000 convicted felons back into our communities before the end of their prison terms. Unfortunately, the editor was mistaken on several key facts and underestimated the severity of the situation.
(2010/02/07)
In Copenhagen recently, the world met in conference on the issue of global warming, reportedly stemming from the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by our use of oil and coal. I don’t for a moment believe this is true. We may very well be in the midst of global warming, since Mother Nature (with the hand of God) has design on the earth and its temperatures. There are many instances in history illustrating extremes in global warming and cooling. Puny little man can hardly take credit for this grand design. However, that doesn’t mean that we should not make efforts to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide since it can have at least some minor harmful effect on the atmosphere and the earth, as well as depleting the earth’s resources.
(2010/02/07)
I want to share an uplifting experience. I attended the Monroe County Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday. While I was greatly encouraged with the addresses by candidates and office holders, I want you to know about a conversation I had with a black student named Todd.
(2010/02/07)
In 2008, voters of the 92nd State Assembly District sent Mark Radcliffe to represent them in Madison. In return, Radcliffe sent a budget to Gov. Jim Doyle that increased state spending by 6.8 percent, raised state and local taxes and fees to a record-setting $4.9 billion, increased borrowing by $3.5 billion and left us with a structural budget deficit of $2.7 billion — the largest ever reported.
(2010/01/31)
It was the shot heard around the world. Massachusetts? No, that’s old news already. Last week, the state of Oregon voted to raise taxes.
(2010/01/31)
Kerry Sullivan-Flock is vying for the position of Circuit Court Judge for Branch 2 of Monroe County. I have known Kerry for nearly 20 years, and support her bid for this position. Having worked closely with her, I am aware of her qualifications and experience.
(2010/01/31)
Our veterans need your help! We are in need of volunteer drivers to transport veterans to their medical appointments at the VA Medical Centers in Tomah and Madison.
(2010/01/29)
The first group of Wisconsin inmates left prisons this month under an early-release program. Eventually, 3,000 prisoners will get six months shaved from their sentences, and it’s certain that a handful will reoffend during the six-month window. And it’s just as certain that tough-on-crime politicians will demagogue the issue.
(2010/01/29)
It’s been many years since I expressed significant interest in professional sports.
(2010/01/29)
Once again our local business community has stepped up to the plate in support of the Tomah Area Veterans Memorial. Gerke Excavating will do our prep work for us with fill and rock. Croell and River City have donated the cement, and Farmer Construction will finish the cement for us. Northland Electric will do the lighting, and Brad Kortbein has donated his services in the design work. Al Stevens has donated the flag pole for the American flag (in honor of his son, Sgt. Andy Stevens), Torkelson Funeral Home has purchased two flag poles that will display the Wisconsin state flag and the POW/MIA and Killed in Action flag. With all of the above donations, it has given us a great start. We are almost halfway to our goal.
(2010/01/29)
Question: Has the Supreme Court made a change in the wrong direction?
(2010/01/26)
“The HealthSouth 112th Congress is now in session.”
(2010/01/26)
“The Wisconsin deer population is back to normal. If that’s too low, sportsmen and politicians must decide how abnormally large the herd should be. “
(2010/01/26)
Sandra McAnany’s Jan. 21 opinion piece, “Children pay the price of immigration policy,” is long on sympathy but lacking in details and accuracy.
(2010/01/22)
“I do not want this health-care thing pushed through.”
(2010/01/22)
Sometimes being a couch potato and channel surfing with the remote pays dividends.
(2010/01/22)
The exact number of undocumented immigrants in the United States is not known but is estimated to be around 12 million individuals, including 1.8 million children. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 75,000 to 115,000 of these undocumented immigrants reside in Wisconsin. Immigration reform has been put on hold year after year. For some citizens, it is hard to be empathetic to illegal immigrants, especially in today’s economy. No matter how each of us feels about undocumented immigrants, we need to remember the innocent children whose lives are changed everyday by the lack of progress towards changing immigration regulations.
(2010/01/22)
American people: Do you know there is a group of people trying to convince Congress to stop free antenna (television). This is wrong because it will cause many to become unaware of worldwide occurrences.
(2010/01/22)
First of all, let me be clear that I believe that we need health care and health insurance reform. Far too many people are not being cared for, and far too many are being cared for in the most inefficient and costly ways possible (using hospital emergency services for primary health care, etc).
(2010/01/19)
Two sets of headlines emerged from the terrible earthquake that ripped through Haiti last week.
(2010/01/19)
Can the record produce enough evidence to prove Jimmy Carter is un-American? I’m sure the folks from this area remember President Carter’s call to his Communist friend Fidel Castro in Cuba. The results of that call had Castro empty his prisons and mental institutions sending a whole new crime wave to our country with some of those people. Carter stood silent while the Khmer Rouge Communists slaughtering nearly 3/4 million Cambodians. Hollywood made a movie called The Killing Fields about Cambodia.
(2010/01/19)
As a woman who marched for the Equal Rights Amendment, I note with interest the letter urging us to vote for Kerry Sullivan-Flock for Circuit Court Judge, because women in the county need representation in the court. In a situation such as this, all qualifications being the same, I would be prone to vote for a woman. However, I am not convinced that Ms. Sullivan-Flock’s experience as a Monroe County Corporate Counsel gives her the breadth of experience required for the position of Circuit Court Judge.
(2010/01/14)
President Barack Obama often says that a decade of economic recklessness can’t be remedied overnight.
(2010/01/14)
How fast is considered too fast for conditions? I ask this because on Dec. 3, my son totaled his car when he slid down an icy hill and hit a bridge. He told the sheriff’s deputy that he was doing about 17 miles an hour and in return, he received a nice early Christmas present … a $213.10 fine and four demerit points for going too fast for conditions.
(2010/01/14)
A recent story in the daily papers about the effort to renew the growing of hops in this state has special relevance to the historic Hill Farm west of Tomah.
(2010/01/14)
I wonder if anyone else noticed how the Packer-Cardinal game ended with a flagrant face mask foul of Aaron Rogers.
(2010/01/14)
The Constitution of the United States of America is an inspired document. This document requires that members of Congress and the President take the following oath, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office of which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
(2010/01/13)
Too many strings? It should take a lot of strings for a school district to turn down a half million dollars.
(2010/01/13)
“Expressing concern that state government is hampering job creation and failing to protect seniors in a down economy, Ed Thompson announced he will run as a Republican against incumbent Kathleen Vinehout for the 31st state Senate District.”
(2010/01/13)
The Monroe County Circuit Court election is three months away, and, although the candidate for soon-to-be established Branch III is unopposed, there are two candidates running for Circuit Court Branch II.
(2010/01/13)
The Tomah Area School District is embarking on a Strategic Planning process that is designed to transform our organization by creating a focus through the involvement of staff and community for the expressed purpose of improving student achievement. The Strategic Plan will be the driving force behind all future decisions and initiatives within the district.
(2010/01/07)
Over the past two decades, the federal government has massively subsidized real estate. A combination of loan guarantees and tax preferences artificially drove up prices and led to a massive crash that triggered a foreclosure crisis.
(2010/01/07)
When Christmas was fast approaching, our oldest daughter made her sales pitch to mom and dad for her “main present” beneath the tree. If approved, she said the request would fulfill her expectation for what she sought for Christmas and an upcoming birthday a few weeks after the yuletide season.
(2010/01/03)
On Dec. 28, a fire roared through an apartment in Starkville, Miss. It killed six children and three adults.
(2010/01/03)
An interesting article appeared in the La Crosse Tribune on Dec. 19, 2009. The title stated: “Vernon County Town rescinds Village Powers.” It goes on to say: “Residents in the town of UNION vote to revoke “village powers” from the town board on a 67-52 vote - reason being: “they don’t want to be told what they can or can’t do with their own land.” (Town of Kickapoo took the same action in 2005.)
(2009/12/30)
State Rep. Mark Radcliffe (D-Black River Falls) recently visited Tomah Memorial Hospital to discuss health care issues. Inevitably, the subject of Medicaid reimbursement was raised by hospital officials. Wisconsin is cutting Medicaid reimbursement by 10 percent, which leaves Tomah Memorial short by $250,000.
(2009/12/30)
As the first decade of the new millennium comes to a close, we stand on the edge of passing historic health care reform legislation. This week the Senate passed its health reform bill. With every step of this process, we get closer and closer to improving a health care system that has become untenable for so many Americans.
(2009/12/28)
The Legislative process can be a very messy thing. Example: Recent legislation to stiffen Wisconsin’s drunk driving laws.
(2009/12/28)
The milestone is still more than one year away. I observe my 49th birthday in a few months, sometime in early spring. That’s all I will divulge in print. And while I insist my family downplays turning 50 in 2011, I admit there is a “bucket list” that resonates in my mind. I like to think there is ample time to achieve some of the items on this list, but realistically some are unattainable. I consider these my “fantasy bucket list.”
(2009/12/27)
Another call for education reform, and another serving of weak tea.
(2009/12/27)
Before attacking 3rd Congressional District Representative Ron Kind with his recent shotgun-like letter loaded with all powder and no lead, Chris Muller should stop drinking the tea and ask himself how viable and how believable would candidate Dan Kapanke be if he promised to do the exact opposite of the very things Chris distorted and then used to falsely accuse Ron of doing? Promises like:
(2009/12/21)
Editor’s note: The following editorial was printed in last year’s Dec. 22 Tomah Monitor-Herald. We believe circumstances warrant a reprint.
(2009/12/21)
“You’ll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?” said Scrooge.
(2009/12/20)
In most circumstances, the test of whether an activity should be illegal isn’t whether it creates harm, but whether the cost of eradicating the harm is exceeded by enforcement costs.
(2009/12/20)
The outdoors is an important part of who we are and the way we live in Wisconsin. Hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts come from far and wide to enjoy everything our beautiful state has to offer. In our communities, there is a heartfelt commitment to protecting the outdoors, and the wildlife habitat it provides.
(2009/12/20)
There is an agency in your community that has been helping households with emergency shelter, (yes, Virginia, there are homeless people in Monroe County), eviction prevention, utility bills, water and sewer bills and much more? This non-profit organization is Families First of Monroe County, and has been right here in “plain sight” for 13-plus years providing services to many who are experiencing a temporary crisis or setback.
(2009/12/20)
In the spirit of Christmas, I believe we should have some knowledge of around the world traditions. This is a plagiarizing of a book called Season of Light by John P. Beilenson.
(2009/12/14)
“It was another astonishingly good year for Wisconsin deer hunters. Sportsmen killed 195,647 deer during the 9-day gun deer season, which is already 13,000 above last year’s record total kill of 182,715. This year’s kill is 30 percent higher than just five years ago and a stunning 2 1/2 times higher than 13 years ago. Deer hunters are enjoying a success rate that was unimaginable just a decade ago, and they owe a debt of gratitude to the Department of Natural resources for its skilled management of the herd.”
(2009/12/14)
Not even 24-hours after his flowery rhetoric during the agriculture town hall, Ron Kind voted to impose more taxes on farmers who wish to pass their estates to their children after their death. Property owners pay taxes all their lives, and now Kind and the Democrat controlled House have just passed an additional tax even after we die. When will this madness end?
(2009/12/14)
I have a fair amount of skill with fifth-grade arithmetic to know that what they were saying on the Sunday news shows could not be true. They said that unemployment had dropped to 10.0% from 10.2% in October even though there had been a loss of 11,000 jobs. In order to get the percent of unemployment, you must divide the number of unemployed by the number of people in the labor force. I know that you can not get a smaller answer when the number divided gets bigger. Even though we were told that the number of unemployed was bigger (by 11,000), we were being told that the answer went down.
(2009/12/10)
The National Football League last week established stricter guidelines for players returning to the field after suffering head injuries.
(2009/12/10)
Raised on a dairy farm, it was a ritual as common as the morning milking.
(2009/12/08)
Those who watch only Fox News know all about ACORN. That’s the organization that may or may not have offered credible assistance to an undercover client seeking to open a brothel.
(2009/12/07)
Did economics kill driver education? No, despite what was said at last month’s Tomah School Board meeting.
(2009/12/02)
Did economics kill driver education? No, despite what was said at last month’s Tomah School Board meeting.
(2009/11/30)
In response to transferring accused 9-11 mass murderer Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from a military to civilian court, Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas said:
(2009/11/30)
There has been a lot of talk and different opinions on what and who is or isn’t a socialist.
(2009/11/25)
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association has a football playoff system that makes teams play three games in 10 days late in the season. That alone is reason enough to junk the present system, and it’s something the Tomah School Board should consider before showing its cards to the WIAA.
(2009/11/25)
In January 2010, two groups of local community members will be traveling to Haiti to provide medical and dental care there. This is the fifth year that the community has supported medical mission trips to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
(2009/11/23)
A patient without health insurance is more likely to die in an emergency room than a patient with health insurance.
(2009/11/23)
The United States Senate has voted to move the health care bill to the Senate floor to begin debate before the actual vote. This follows the House of Representatives which adopted their view of health care reform by the narrowest of margins, 210-205, after having just hours to read and absorb a 2,000-page bill, and the vote took place on Saturday night. So much for President Obama’s campaign promises of “transparency in government.” Both these actions follow a summer of discussion, town hall meetings, and a flurry of e-mails and other messages between U.S. Senators and Congressmen and their constituents. A great share of the reports I have seen and/or read, together with many national polls, have indicated that a majority of Americans do not favor the health care plans now under consideration.
(2009/11/19)
Newly elected Monroe County Supervisor Brian Buswell is seeking “consensus” on the contentious issue of county courthouse space. He also wants voter approval in a referendum.
(2009/11/19)
In 40 years working in and studying health care, I have never seen a more challenging time. I’m not suggesting that you need to hug a healthcare worker, or even your hospital administrator, yet.
(2009/11/19)
Here we are preparing for the 17th annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the TeePee. As I ponder over all the dinners we have done over the past 17 years and how it all started, I have to pinch myself to see if it is all real. From a very humble beginning, my dog (Ace) and I sat in a one bedroom house in Kendall, broke and sharing the neighbor’s leftovers. I told Ace this would be the last Thanksgiving dinner we would ever eat alone. I never dreamed it would grow over the next 17 years to what it is now.
(2009/11/19)
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is a paraphrase that has been handed down throughout generations in many variant forms.
(2009/11/18)
A Capitol Hill rally against health-care reform legislation was called the “Super Bowl of Freedom.”
(2009/11/18)
An open letter to Monroe County Supervisor Richard Powell:
(2009/11/18)
With several new faces filling seats on the Monroe County Board, the public who voted for them can rest a bit easier.
(2009/11/12)
Two months ago, Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner referred to a “tea party” protest in Ohio and said, “We are in the midst of a political rebellion in America. Enough is enough. They want their country back. And we can take our country back.”
(2009/11/12)
A worried father called me early one morning. His 22-year-old daughter needed health insurance. He heard about the bill I wrote to allow adult children to be covered on their parents’ health plan until the adult child turned 27.
(2009/11/12)
In addition to the economy, one of the issues foremost on everyone’s mind is the war and those in service to our country. At Area Community Theatre, Veterans Day is only the beginning of our effort to acknowledge and support our veterans.
(2009/11/10)
Tomah Mayor Ed Thompson has vowed not to sign a city budget that increases taxes.
(2009/11/10)
The climate change bills in Congress will have a negative impact on agriculture and the entire U.S. economy. The House and Senate climate change bills would impose higher energy and food costs on consumers, raise fuel, fertilizer and energy costs for farmers, and shrink the American agricultural sector, resulting in reduced U.S. food production.
(2009/11/10)
Americans resoundingly do not want, and are very much afraid of government-run health care. After bailing out banks, car companies, the stimulus, cap and trade, cash for clunkers, and more than $100 trillion in unfunded liability for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, they should be scared. Yet politicians try to wear down resistance with endless talk designed to confuse and confound while discussing matters of life and death in secret.
(2009/11/05)
Will 2010 be the year Wisconsin finally conducts an honest discussion about taxes?
(2009/11/05)
Veterans Day in Wisconsin is a special moment of reflection for the more than 427,000 veterans in this state. Their service spans not only the last century but also reaches into the 21st century.
(2009/11/05)
Maybe you’ve been feeling shocked and amazed, incredulous, disappointed or even angry. Maybe you read in the November ‘09 Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News, “Under the Waxman-Markey climate change bill as it passed the House, electric bills could end up increasing by $3,900 to $9,800 for the average homeowner from 2012 to 2050 over and above rate increases for inflation.”
(2009/11/05)
“People crushed by law have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws.” - Edmund Burke -
(2009/11/05)
In response to the letter sent in by Rose Litkea, I’d like to make a distinction regarding end-of-life care and the quality-based medicine I have advocated.
(2009/11/02)
Theresa Rattei of Arizona was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in 2006. In January 2008, her doctor prescribed radiation treatment for the bile duct outside the liver. Because the treatment wasn’t applied to the liver itself, Rattei’s insurance carrier said it was "experimental" and denied the claim. The denial, Rattei told AARP magazine, was literally "a matter of millimeters." The radiation halted the cancer’s advance, but it took eight months and help from the Patient Advocate Foundation for Rattei to finally win her claim.
(2009/10/30)
Congratulations, Monroe County Taxpayers Relief. Thanks to a recall election in which seven of your eight candidates won, you now control the Monroe County Board of Supervisors and have the power to scuttle a proposed $26.7 million justice center at the edge of Sparta.
(2009/10/30)
Hitler comparisons are all the rage. George W. Bush is Hitler. Barack Obama is Hitler. The parent who makes you clean your room is Hitler (more on that later).
(2009/10/27)
Is there a shred of doubt left concerning the ability of state Rep. Jeffrey Wood (I-Bloomer) to serve his constituents in the 67th Assembly District?
(2009/10/23)
It was a massive operation. Law enforcement personnel from four counties, along with the state Department of Criminal Investigation, busted two Monroe County farms that grew marijuana. Both growers face at least 15 years of imprisonment.
(2009/10/23)
Over the years I’ve attempted to make certain my Mom is aware of how grateful I am for all she has done for me.
(2009/10/23)
Everyone knows anti-American opinions are prevalent in most major newspapers. USA Today founder Al Newhorth is no exception. Defending Obama’s health care, this lefty suggests we plug our ears to any criticism of the plan. In another moronic statement he referred to Joe McCarthy, then referred to Sarah Palin as being nuts. Sarah Palin, the conservative of the year 2008 by a lot of opinions, would for sure have been my choice. Little does Al Newhorth know when it comes to Joe McCarthy, as recent as just the past few years pointing out Communists in our State Department in the early 50s was credited to Sen. Joe McCarthy. He was not off his rocker at all; he was right on. You now see the connection the anti-American lefty Al Newhorth was trying to make.
(2009/10/23)
There seems to be some confusion regarding donations to the Tomah Veterans Memorial. Anyone can donate monies to the memorial. Anyone can purchase an inscribed granite plaque or brick to be displayed as part of the monument. The inscription on the plaque or brick is of your choosing based on the instructions when you purchase them. The wording can honor a veteran or a family member or a friend or may even be just your name or a business name... the important thing is that you believe in the memorial and what it stands for and that you wish to be a contributor to the memorial campaign.
(2009/10/23)
This is about the Health Reform. I have nothing against Ron Kind except I heard him say (words to this effect) the way to solve the health crisis would be to convince doctors not to give end-of-life people so many tests, office calls, prescriptions, etc.
(2009/10/21)
How often do people complain that public office holders don’t listen to them?
(2009/10/21)
A citizen call to the state’s Fraud, Waste and Mismanagement hotline led to an audit of quality of road construction in Wisconsin. The caller’s complaint specifically mentioned the thickness of concrete pavement used in state highway projects.
(2009/10/18)
Those of us who do most of our driving in Monroe County don’t have much experience with roundabouts.
(2009/10/18)
On Oct. 20, there will be recall elections only in the district areas of Monroe County where supervisors are listed for recall. Originally there were 14, but now are a few less because of unqualified signers or people who withdrew their names because they were misled with lies and untrue statements from solicitors out getting signers. How many signers really knew what they were signing?
(2009/10/18)
I, like many others, have been following this Justice Center/Courthouse issue for some time. I read your papers, listen to the news, engage others in conversation, but mostly I listen.
(2009/10/18)
The election on Oct. 20 is the culmination of a long-standing debate among county residents concerning building of a Justice Center for Monroe County. As in any debate, there is fact and there is fiction. Here are some facts for consideration:
(2009/10/18)
I hope commons sense revails when Monroe County residents vote in the upcoming recall election.
(2009/10/18)
I apologize to the readers that my recent perspective printed in the Tomah Journal did not make sense in the third paragraph from the end. This paragraph should have read:
(2009/10/13)
Supporters of the $30 million (now $27 million) justice center haven’t suffered from a lack of scrutiny. Nine of the supervisors who voted for the project face recall elections Oct. 20 or Nov. 3.
(2009/10/13)
How do we stop drunk driving? That question is the subject of news articles and editorials across the state. It is also the subject of committee hearings and much debate in Madison.
(2009/10/13)
Citizens of Monroe County: You should really be proud of your Monroe County Supervisors. All of the time that the citizens of Monroe County expressed their concerns about the justice center at the meeting last Wednesday evening, the Supervisors looked at the ceiling, looked at the wall, looked at each other, yes, and one even turned his chair so that his back was toward the speakers. And they wonder why there is a recall!
(2009/10/13)
Recall elections do not impress me. It only brings back memories from August 2006 at Ridgeville. A local group calling themselves “Focus on Monroe County Future” organized an unsuccessful recall on our reliable, longtime board because of one issue - the wind. Recently the state took charge of, but the “scars” still remain.
(2009/10/09)
Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) is suddenly concerned about “czars.”
(2009/10/09)
We have experienced another weird episode in the plan for a new or expanded Justice Center for Monroe County. The full board revisited the possibility of another moratorium for the plan process, such as the one they approved in late 2008. The same number of votes were registered for the moratorium (10 favoring, 14 opposing) as were registered in the last vote for the project. I assume it was the same group of board members who approved the plan for a new building on the dog pound site at Sparta. There was apparently no recognition of the fact that the large crowd appearing at the meeting Wednesday, Sept. 30, was largely in favor of the moratorium. Reports have it that 20 of the 21 citizens who spoke at the meeting favored the moratorium. Does it sound a lot like what happens in the Congress of the United States, when the town hall meetings were held to get citizen input for the passage of the current health care initiative before Congress? It sounds to me like the Congress had no interest in the views expressed. We begin to wonder if our representatives in government care about the views of “we the people”.
(2009/10/09)
Last week our son Ryan, who has Down Syndrome, was elected Homecoming King of Tomah High School. The story that needs to be told started many years ago. Ryan was blessed to have caring and accepting friends. His elementary special education teacher had a lunch group where Ryan could invite one classmate a week to have lunch with him in her classroom. What happened during that lunch time helped Ryan’s peers understand what it meant to have Down Syndrome and helped take the mystery out of the special education classroom which in turn helped them to accept Ryan for who he was and not to be afraid of people with disabilities. We are very appreciative inclusion occurred throughout Ryan’s school career and hope that Ryan’s classmates’ lives have been enriched by him being there.
(2009/10/09)
We are excited to welcome the public to join us for a Meet and Greet on Thursday, October 15th starting at 6 p.m. at the American Legion in Sparta, Wisconsin. The evening will start with each candidate having five minutes to present their viewpoints on the topic of their choice. No questions will be taken from the audience at that time. Rather, after all the candidates have had a chance to speak, they each will have a booth at which the public can meet and speak with the candidates.
(2009/10/09)
It doesn’t matter what you think. The government is going to do whatever they want regardless of the will of the people. Millions of Americans went to Tea Parties, town halls, and Washington, D.C., to tell our representatives that we do not want government controlled health care. Despite the outpouring of grassroots opposition Democrats in Congress and President Obama are planning to slip it into unrelated legislation instead of out in the open.
(2009/10/08)
Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) is suddenly concerned about “czars.”
(2009/10/05)
Why does a bureaucracy as large as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation need to spend $36 million on consultants?
(2009/10/05)
The Monroe County Board voted down a referendum to hear the voice of the people on the building of a Criminal Justice Center Complex.
(2009/10/05)
I attended the Finance Committee meeting last Wednesday, Sept. 23.
(2009/10/01)
Concerned about an exploding federal deficit and looking for places to cut spending? Here are a few ideas that involve big money but are unlikely to be mentioned during a Tea Party rally:
(2009/10/01)
How long do the farmers in the State of Wisconsin wait for aid for crops lost due to the 2008 flood? It has been over a year, the banks have been bailed out for giving out loans to those who could not pay them back, the automobile industry was bailed out of its mismanagement, and insurance giant AIG was given billions of federal funds. These bailouts were given by the government to entities that helped cause their own bad situations. Farmers, however, have always had to “gamble” on Mother Nature, in ways manufacturing and finance never do.
(2009/10/01)
On Sept. 15, Neighbor for Neighbor food pantry hosted an open house for the public. In the past year we have been able to purchase a walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, refrigerated truck, and a hydraulic lift with funds given from local foundations, corporate foundations, and local private donors. This equipment allows us to accept large donations of perishable and frozen items in turn distributing it to hungry families in our community, local food pantries, and human service organizations throughout three counties. The open house allowed the general public to tour our facility, ask questions, and get a sense for all that Neighbor for Neighbor food pantry offers. Thank you to those of you who attended the open house and shared in this celebration with us.
(2009/10/01)
The “Reader Poll” on your web-site on Monday was “Is increasing access to health care a moral or faith-based cause?” The reader was invited to vote “yes” or “no”.
(2009/09/28)
The latest chapter in the eight-year story of fixing the Monroe County’s inadequate law enforcement facilities will be written Wednesday when the county board considers a two-year moratorium on the proposed $30 million justice center.
(2009/09/28)
I am a supervisor on the Monroe County Board for District 24. When I was elected in 2004, I was hired by taxpayers in my district to spend their money carefully. I believe in fiscal responsibility.
(2009/09/28)
Will wonders never cease? Now the authors of the justice center plan have decided that they must save us money. And how will they accomplish this noble goal? All we have to do is spend over $20 million to build the proposed facility immediately.
(2009/09/28)
“Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice in Adventure in Wonderland.
(2009/09/28)
I guess it’s time to weigh in on the health care issue. Let’s be right up front here. The fact is President Obama did indeed lie about whether funding abortion was in the government health care he’s promoting. If he didn’t know it, then he himself didn’t read the bill. Joe Wilson did speak out of turn when he loudly said, “you lie,” to the President. Another fact is Joe Wilson of South Carolina was speaking the truth. All Congressmen who have read the bill also know Wilson was correct. Anyone who doesn’t think it’s time to rein in these socialist clowns in Congress would have to be an un-American like the race-baiter Jimmy Carter. Here are the nine things other than mandating funding for abortion in the government health care bill (lifted from the Rochester, Minn., newspaper):
(2009/09/28)
How can you expect a contractor to bid on a building when the building plans have not been approved by the board of supervisors or certified by state of Wisconsin?
(2009/09/27)
Domestic partnerships between gay couples may be morally right, but in Wisconsin they are legally wrong.
(2009/09/27)
The Monroe County Justice Center issue is indeed volatile and contentious. Debate has evoked passion from both sides and sparked frustration and animosity as many have spoken to this issue. The controversy surrounding the proposed building of a new Justice Center Complex is really a question of need and affordability. Do we really need a huge Justice Center? And more importantly, in today’s economy, can we afford this enormous facility? The need to accommodate expansion is not at issue, rather the magnitude of the proposed expansion project.
(2009/09/27)
They call it health care reform, and all they ever talk about is the insurance aspect. First, here is the definition of insurance: An act of assurance against a loss by a contingent event on certain stipulated conditions at a given premium. Further, contingent: Liable, but not certain, to occur. The event is of the future. (No one would dream of buying a wrecked 2009 Buick for $5,000; buying a collision policy, and then paying the $500 deductible to have the car repaired. Right, like that’s going to happen.)
(2009/09/27)
To the employees of Monroe County: If you haven’t figured it out yet, the money needed to pay for the new Justice Center has to come out of the future budgets of all the other county departments for years to come. The board has requested all department heads to bring in their budgets at zero percent increases for 2010. All have complied except for some mandated support staff for the third judge. It appears that other salary, medical and related increases will extend the $422,000 mandated by the levee cap. There will be “no” extra money to fund the needed services you are dedicated to provide.
(2009/09/22)
Opponents of health care reform are threatening to invoke the 10th Amendment if proposed health care reform legislation becomes law.
(2009/09/22)
July 2008 was a devastating month for many families in central Wisconsin. Many lost their homes to flooding. Farmers lost crops to flooding. Townships and municipalities lost roads to flooding. Tourism lost many dollars to flooding. FEMA came in and paid back townships and municipalities for the work they had to do to repair roads. The homeowners were put on some type of program to help recover their losses. Businesses were told they could apply for financial assistance. The State of Wisconsin helped Lake Delton to rebuild its lake and recapture some tourism dollars.
(2009/09/20)
When it comes to sober bartenders, how is Tomah different from Madison?
(2009/09/20)
On Monday, August 31, 2009, The Tomah Journal quoted Congressman Ron Kind: “I think those who have access to the veteran’s health care system and their families understand the hard work and dedication the staff puts in. There is a lot of quality care, and it’s a model for the coordinated, integrated care we should be striving for nationwide.”
(2009/09/20)
Another editorial on the jail issue. Thought I would share with you this Sparta newspaper article dated Nov. 6, 2006, in reference to jail security, when former Judge Steven Abbott, along with Judge McAlpine and many of our current supervisors and vice chair were in charge. The headline reads: Judge, County Board in contempt if order ignored. Then Judge Abbott stated, “It’s up to the County Board to provide a safe environment for its employees and members of the public who use the courthouse.” He continued, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good and reasonable men and women to do nothing!” This seems to be exactly what the M.C. Taxpayers Relief Committee is recommending.
(2009/09/20)
It matters very little what I say in letters to the editor or to the public. But it’s so disgusting that so many lies and negative things are printed, and the facts and good things of county government are not.
(2009/09/16)
Do the critics of health care reform oppose death panels or not?
(2009/09/16)
For the past several weeks I have read of the Tomah City Council’s decision on the Mallory dog case, the response of Mrs. Mallory, as well as other editorials in regard to this topic. Now I do not know the Mallorys, I do not know their son, and I do not know the dog in question, but from what I have read, the decision by the Tomah City Council is reprehensible to say the least.
(2009/09/10)
Which of the following examples represent an egregious violation of parental rights?
(2009/09/10)
I am going to start this article by asking three questions, and I hope whoever reads this will take a minute and think about the questions and come up with an answer of their own before proceeding with the rest of the article.
(2009/09/10)
The shouting heads on the talk shows recently sunk to a new low in their ongoing mission to misdirect the American people. One of the national health reform bills proposed encouraging doctors to discuss end-of-life options with patients and families. Radicals with their own agendas twisted this into a government plot to set up “death panels.” But it is lemonade out of lemon time. We now have the long overdue opportunity to talk about what it means to our health care when we joke “none of us gets out of here alive.”
(2009/09/08)
What was so awful about suggesting that Monroe County move its county seat from Sparta to Tomah?
(2009/09/08)
The Aug. 26 County Board Meeting this past week was revealing. Not so much about the issue but the manner in which it was addressed.
(2009/09/08)
A man from Jackson County called me asking for help finding affordable health insurance. He ran a small tourism related business that suffered this summer from too few visitors.
(2009/09/06)
Memorial Day is a popular topic for editorialists and columnists.
(2009/09/06)
While I hesitate to write regarding this controversial and emotional topic, I believe that I must do so in the hope that others can understand why it is necessary to build a new justice center, and to further explain why a mass recall of county board supervisors over a single issue is bad public policy.
(2009/09/06)
I had been asked by a few people to make comments for three minutes before the County Board meeting on Aug. 26 on the need for a Justice Center in Monroe County. There was no need to argue and debate before 30 spectators and the County Board again. This has all been done 100 times before.
(2009/09/06)
I’m writing to your paper in regard to the town council meeting in which the meeting involved Mr. and Mrs. Mallory. I was appalled by the decision of the council. Where is your compassion for the situation at hand? Here is a soldier that I presume has had his dog for a number of years. He leaves for a war, leaves his dog in the care of his parents that he trusts, thinking his dog will be safe. Then the same citizens that he’s protecting turn on him.
(2009/09/06)
Re: Barbara Wagner - has anybody heard of her? She lives in Oregon, and at age 64 got lung cancer. She has Medicare/Medical Assistance. The state’s Medical Assistance has in place a form of state-run health care policies that states they WILL NOT pay for her drug therapy - Period! Instead, the state was good enough to send her a letter to say that they WOULD pay for state funded euthanasia if she so chooses. The state also added that they would send someone to be with her to make sure that it will all end well. Wasn’t that nice of them?
(2009/09/06)
After 17 years of moratoriums, the city of Sparta continues to uphold construction of a jail on Theater Road. In the last few years, St. Patrick’s and St. John’s constructed new schools. Franciscan Skemp is now constructing an addition.
(2009/08/31)
Employees at the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles are required to take 16 unpaid furlough days over the next two years.
(2009/08/31)
Open letter to Cong. Ron Kind I feel I must express my opinions by this letter since I was not one of the fortunate ones to have my number chosen to speak when I attended your town hall meeting at the Tomah High School auditorium on Thursday, Aug. 20. It was gratifying to see the huge turnout that virtually filled the seats, with some attendees standing at the rear. It was also good to see the well-behaved crowd. There was one exception (which almost seemed like a planned event) when a gentleman near the back shouted out at one of the attendees who was speaking at the audience microphone. His comments were something to the effect that why not socialized health care, since we have socialized fire and police protection and garbage collection. Police Chief Wes Revels escorted him from the auditorium, and reported that the gentleman went quietly ... which leads me to my concluding it was a planned event.
(2009/08/31)
I am writing as a “proxy voice” for the Tomah Town Hall Meeting held today and which I was unable to attend, though I am one of your voting constituents. I want to support all legislation that helps with the current crisis in health care. I believe in President Obama’s Health Care Reform approach. I support the public option plan(s) that include a government plan to compete with the insurance moguls who have been key players into getting us into this fix.
(2009/08/31)
Dear Congressman Kind: I want to apologize to you and nurse Sue Conrad for the rude behavior of an angry and ill-informed portion of those present at your Town Hall Meeting in Tomah on Aug. 20. They do not represent the vast majority of the 77% of Americans who want health care reform.
(2009/08/28)
What has posterity ever done for me? That is the fundamental question of environmental conservation. For many years, Wisconsin recognized posterity’s precarious seat at the bargaining table and wisely insulated the Department of Natural Resources from political pressure. It’s time to restore that buffer.
(2009/08/28)
“I think you’ll find most people who oppose reform are medically secure.”
(2009/08/28)
As indicated in past columns over the years, this time of year is one I eagerly await.
(2009/08/28)
As the debate about health care reform heats up, it would be good to review some facts.
(2009/08/28)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have been duped, bamboozled and hornswoggled!
(2009/08/25)
In 2006, sharks killed four people worldwide. That same year, a far more deadly predator, the drunk driver, killed 15,387 people in the United States and 352 people in Wisconsin.
(2009/08/25)
I am responding to the article printed in the paper in the Aug. 13 Tomah Journal. First of all, I would truly like to apologize to the members of the Tomah City Council. I had no idea that us requesting to keep our son’s dog while he was serving in the Army was going to be such a hardship for the members of the City Council. The statement was made that the council had bent over backwards to “help” us.
(2009/08/25)
For the last 25 years, Monroe County has an extreme problem with the overcrowded jail. We must farm prisoners out to other counties at a cost of $1,300,000 at out-of-county expense for the year.
(2009/08/25)
The heading of this letter is directed at most federal politicians. Understand this includes the President and Vice President. It is also directed at most state politicians. That’s right, folks, it includes Governor Twisty Doyle.
(2009/08/20)
Energy is a vexing issue. Everyone wants to use it, but nobody wants to be anywhere near where it’s produced.
(2009/08/20)
The “Big Fans of Disruption” are busy again, this time covering Monroe County, trying to disrupt plans for the much-needed jail. A few years ago many of the same “fans” were busy disrupting plans for a wind farm resulting in our state taking control.
(2009/08/20)
I keep running into the specious argument that we are spending a million dollars a year on boarding prisoners out of the county and that therefore we are foolish to pay for another county’s jail.
(2009/08/19)
How should people behave when U.S. Rep. Ron Kind holds a town hall meeting in Tomah Thursday?
(2009/08/19)
Over 16 million men and women served in Word War II and now, less than 2.3 million of these veterans are still alive. Approximately 1,000 World War II veterans are dying each day, and by 2020, this veteran population group could be completely gone.
(2009/08/15)
Opponents of health care reform have a new narrative: The elderly will be exterminated.
(2009/08/15)
Freedom is under assault. So proclaims the political right. Ted Nugent, the famed rock ‘n roll right-winger, says President Obama represents “tyranny and slavery.” Alan Keyes, Illinois’ Republican nominee for U.S. Senate against Obama in 2004, believes Obama will eventually declare martial law and warns “If we don’t wake up ... we will not see another (presidential) election.” Columnist Jonah Goldberg believes we’re under the grip of “Liberal Fascism.” Radio talk-show host Mark Levin has struck gold with his best-selling book “Liberty and Tyranny” and says we are on a path to you-know-what.
(2009/08/15)
It seems that if you take the time to hold a public office in Monroe County, attend all the meetings, listen to all the debates and try to use good judgment, someone or some group that doesn’t like the way you voted, they cry “recall”.
(2009/08/15)
It appears that Sheriff Pedersen of Monroe County is concerned about the clowns who wish to recall members of the County Board who favor and voted to build a new Justice Building, and he should be - this has been a problem in Monroe County since the early 90s.
(2009/08/10)
Tomah Mayor Ed Thompson wants a city referendum on the $30 million Monroe County Justice Center.
(2009/08/10)
Each day we hear rhetoric surrounding health care reform from both political parties and from those in favor and those against. As a state Representative, I hear the stories from those in the district affected by the system we currently have. I hear about those who suffer in silence, without health care, unable to afford simple procedures to cure medical problems that make their life miserable on a daily basis. Midwesterners are hardworking folks; no doubt, we work hard to get a job done and tend not to complain.
(2009/08/10)
A La Crosse Tribune letter writer recently asked, “Where is compassion in health care debate?” My response is that it was irrelevant emotions like compassion that led our government into being the overgrown behemoth that we have today. It was compassion and other “feelings” that gave us program after program as the downward spiral took us deeper and deeper toward the clutches of tyranny. If the government is allowed to have this new control over our health care decisions then I fear that our country will have passed the point of no return and we will never again be the free nation that our founding fathers envisioned for us.
(2009/08/10)
I personally want to recognize and thank the Tomah High School Band for paying tribute to Jesse Parker by playing at his funeral. I realize that it was short notice, and three new pieces were learned and played extremely well in honor of Jesse. As a former band member myself, I was extremely touched and realize the hard work and many hours of practice that usually goes unnoticed. Your dedication and taking the time to honor Jesse was commendatory.
(2009/08/07)
Those who support a health care system that puts tens of millions of Americans at risk of destitution if anyone in their family is stricken with a catastrophic illness have discovered a new tactic:
(2009/08/07)
Supervisor Pete Peterson in his letter-to-the-editor highlighted the fact that the 13 supervisors up for recall have served their constituents for over 112 years and that they perform their duties diligently. All any of us ask of our representatives is that they use the same due diligence that any of us would use in our daily lives.
(2009/08/07)
State Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) and La Crosse Loggers baseball owner is running for Congress.
(2009/08/05)
Wisconsin Lottery sales have dipped 4 percent over the last 12 months.
(2009/08/05)
Is it reasonable to recall the elected supervisors who have faithfully served the citizens of Monroe County since their respective elections to the County Board for one single reason? Is it reasonable to the citizens who voted for those same elected supervisors? Is it reasonable to hold a recall when one considers that the next supervisory election is only eight months away and the filing deadline is only five months away?
(2009/08/02)
Representative Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) condemned proposed reforms in the federal student loan program as a “government takeover of the private-sector-based student loan program.”
(2009/08/02)
I had the opportunity to visit the Hatfield area a few years ago and departed with a lasting impression.
(2009/08/02)
I am writing today in the hope of being able to convey the importance of banning the sale of products containing mercury in our state. Some of these non-essential products are toys, perfumes, cosmetics and a variety of others that we have in our homes and wear on our bodies as well.
(2009/08/02)
President Obama’s first of many multi trillion dollar budgets added more to the national debt than all of the previous presidents of the United States combined. Now Ron Kind makes the laughable claim that we need national health care to balance future budgets.
(2009/07/28)
Wisconsin has many layers of government. State government. County government. City/village government. Township government. School district government. Technical college districts. Stadium districts. Lake districts.
(2009/07/28)
Every day, too many Americans worry about their health care. I’ve heard health care concerns from people across western Wisconsin. Many are fortunate to have coverage, but often it costs too much and doesn’t cover everything they need. People tell me that they are concerned about being one layoff away from being uninsured or one catastrophic illness from going bankrupt.
(2009/07/28)
Monroe County residents have a chance to help reduce crime while making our communities safer places to live.
(2009/07/28)
Tonight was our first annual Special Summer Splash at the Tomah Aquatic Center for special needs people and their families. It turned out to be a beautiful evening, and I think everyone who participated had a good time.
(2009/07/26)
Wisconsin 3rd District Congressman Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) voted against a health care reform plan because it isn’t perfect.
(2009/07/26)
As the mysterious disappearance of South Carolina Republican Gov. Mark Sanford developed into a national news story, his friends in the so-called liberal media flooded the governor’s mansion with offers of help.
(2009/07/26)
Here in Wisconsin we have a proud tradition of serving our country. This year we have a tremendous opportunity to honor this tradition as we mark the 100th anniversary of Fort McCoy in Sparta.
(2009/07/26)
The situation going on in Monroe County is similar to what went on in the Township of Ridgeville, August 2006. A group calling themselves “Focus on Monroe County Future” organized with the purpose to halt the wind farm, just as this group calling themselves Monroe County Taxpayers Relief Committee was formed to halt the construction of the jail (some of the same individuals are members of both groups). Recently the state has stepped in striking down local ordinances, allowing wind farms to develop. Will the state have to step in and tell Monroe County we need a new jail also, after 20 years of studying, trying to make a decision. Our county supervisors are confronted with this difficult task, finally coming to the conclusion that it was necessary, only to be discriminated against for taking a stand. In my opinion our supervisors need the support of the people who elected them, not a recall. Who is to say someone else could do better? Everyone does agree a jail is needed. There is nothing set in stone that says $30 million has to be spent. Much time and thought has been spent on this project. I don’t recall the chairman of the MCTRC group being involved in the studies. Sorry if I’m wrong, but the name is unfamiliar. Most of the names are familiar to me, knowing the names of supervisors serving the county faithfully for years.
(2009/07/26)
The Monroe County Board of Supervisors are planning to build a “Justice Center i.e. Courthouse.” The cost is stated to be $30 million. The cost of running the Sheriff’s Department is undetermined. Venture Architects have already received $2 million for the current plan.
(2009/07/26)
The government is attempting to take over your life. How else can you describe the president’s insistence on taking over the healthcare industry? Having read through portions of this bill I can tell you that it is an obvious power grab. They tell you that you can keep your current healthcare plan but they don’t tell you that it prohibits you from changing your private plan or starting a new one. If you don’t have insurance you MUST get the government option. If you want to change you MUST change to the government option. With so many being forced into the government option how long will it take for private insurers to go out of business thereby forcing everyone into the government option?
(2009/07/22)
A group called Monroe County Taxpayers Relief Committee has joined the debate over a proposed $30 million Justice Center. The committee is pursuing recall elections against the 13 Supervisors who voted to proceed with the project and wants voters to decide the issue in a referendum.
(2009/07/22)
In all honesty, I’m not a baseball junkie. I don’t need to watch a televised major league baseball game to feed an addiction. I don’t enjoy watching big league baseball on television. Too much tobacco chewing and crotch readjustment for me. Televised games last too long and provide sporadic action.
(2009/07/22)
My hometown had a place called the Monarch Lounge. This high-class bar was a place where you could spend 50 cents for a bottle of beer, as opposed to 35 cents in a working man’s tavern any place in town in the early 1960s. Ah, but if you sat around the Monarch, you could hear the lawyers working out tomorrow’s court cases. I’ll take a little here, you take a little there, etc.
(2009/07/22)
I was attending a funeral in the Tomah area over the July 4 weekend. While visiting family, I made plans to meet father at the lake. My dad informed me of the carp problem in Tomah and the plans to drain, kill, and restock the lake. According to my dad, the size and bag limits had been lifted, and the DNR was encouraging anglers to remove whatever fish they could catch. Since the lake was condemned, size and bag limits had been lifted, I made one further "assumption." I assumed there was probably no need to purchase a fishing license. Right! Wrong! Not only was this the first time in my outdoor career that I fished without a license, it was also the first time in my outdoor career I encountered a game warden at Lake Tomah. I fished this lake for years as a kid; and even during the last carp removal effort in the early 90s. Never had I met a warden on Lake Tomah.
(2009/07/22)
Greed. We hear about it daily from politicians. It’s greed on Wall Street. It’s greed by “big oil.” Greed by predatory lenders. The term is tossed out from a position of moral superiority and of friend and benefactor. (Please read George Orwell’s Animal Farm.) Let’s take a closer look because the point was made on This Week with George Stephanopoulos that all politicians are egotistical.
(2009/07/22)
As I embark on a new journey at Handishop Industries as the new executive director, I would personally like to thank those who have supported me through my transition from business manager to executive director. Even more importantly, thank you for the community’s continued support of Handishop.
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