Dear Editor:
Like a lot of people we are very concerned about the direction our state is going in. We need leaders who are willing to make tough choices. One of the candidates we are voting for this year is Tom Tiffany because we think he is capable of making those tough choices.
Usually we vote Democratic, but this year we are not as concerned with party labels as we are looking for problem solvers. Tom has emphasized he will vote to spend within our means, not raise taxes and bring back greater local control of our government.
We understand that one person can only do so much, but we know Tom Tiffany will bring a strong commitment to represent us in northern Wisconsin. We are enthusiastically supporting Tom Tiffany for state representative this year.
Dale and Sue Lemon
Tomahawk
Dear Editor:
Throughout our adult lives, my husband and I have lent support to individual candidates (national, state and local) whom we felt most suited for the position. The candidate may be a Democrat or a Republican. We want an office holder who loves the United States of America as we do – one who is conservative and who will support the will of the voters that put him or her in office.
We find that the negative ads about Sean Duffy’s character are misleading. Of course, that is the intention of the ads. Ask yourself: How is a District Attorney going to give himself a raise, or travel thousands of miles supposedly on taxpayers’ dollars? He can’t do it any more than you or I can. All district attorneys are approached with plea bargains. It is a common practice for lawyers representing all types of criminals to do so – not just those involved in sex crimes. Innuendoes, such as these, are used to cloud the minds of the less informed voter.
Duffy is running on the Republican ticket. Our current congressman is a Democrat who will not seek re-election. All of the bills pertaining to the spending of money that you and I pay in federal income taxes originate in the House of Representatives.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have been controlled by Democrats for quite some time – for at least two years before Obama was elected President. Run-away spending causes the value of the dollar to drop. When the value of the dollar drops, it buys less. Oil is priced in U.S. dollars all over the world. When the Arabs can’t buy things as before with the dollar, the price of crude oil goes up in price. Gasoline is distilled from crude oil. Blame your elected representatives for the drop in the value of the dollar. Put Sean Duffy and other conservatives in Congress for a stronger dollar and lower taxes.
A bill (HR-4646) is in committee now. It was introduced by two Democratic congressmen, de Fazio from Oregon and Harkin from Iowa. A 1% tax is proposed on all transactions by you and me at any bank or credit union: If you deposit or write a check, it will cost you 1%; etc. This is to be sneaked through Congress after the Nov. 2 election. Don’t believe that if you make under $250,000 a year you will not see any additional taxes.
Yours truly,
Marilyn F. Johnson
Tomahawk
Dear Editor:
I am writing to ask all Lincoln County residents to join me and vote for Chris Ament for Clerk of Court on Nov. 2. Lincoln County needs Chris in that office.
Chris has been campaigning hard, meeting the voters of Lincoln County and visiting Town Board meetings. She has a super work ethic and you can count on her to make the office run smoothly and work for EVERY person who walks through the door.
Chris is more than qualified to be our next Clerk of Court. As a paralegal, she knows the court system. As a former county employee, she knows how tight county budgets can be and she will do what needs to be done within a tight budget and still get the job done for all residents of Lincoln County.
Most importantly, Chris will treat everybody with the respect they deserve. Here’s a little known fact: Kimmons was reprimanded in 2009 by 9th Circuit Court Judge Greg Grau for inappropriate conduct in office. A lot of people have kept the whole incident under wraps and I want to know why.
It’s time we put some integrity and openness back in the Clerk of Courts office. Please support Chris on Nov. 2 because it’s time to clean up that office.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Seaquist
Tomahawk
Editor:
The Berlin-Hamburg Lions Club wishes to thank everyone that helped make the 8th annual Oktoberfest a success.
Joyce Voigt
Berlin-Hamburg Lions Club
Dear Editor,
As I enter my second month of my freshman year at St. Norbert College, I have come to value several things that I had learned while a student in the Merrill Area Public Schools District. Two such skills or strategies have helped meet the rigors of college. These are note taking and time management skills.
Throughout my four years at Merrill High School, a very important skill that I have learned was note taking. I learned how to pick out the important ideas and write them down. As I sit in my college courses listening to my professor speak, I find myself determining the important ideas that I will need to remember or apply. I was fortunate to have a high school history teacher that taught us to outline important ideas. I have found that the outline form of note taking makes it easier to study for an exam.
During my senior year at Merrill High School, the new Flex 14 schedule was introduced. At the start of my senior year, I was not overly excited for the new schedule because of all the free time. But after the school year started, I became to enjoy the new schedule because of the time I had to study and seek guidance from my teachers during resource time. This skill of time management has helped me at college, because now I find that I have even more free time, no parents to guide me in using time, and friends always wanting to get together. This skill has helped me balance school work and socializing with friends.
Leaving the comforts of home and going to college is a big step. I would like to thank Merrill Area Public Schools for ensuring that I not only had a great education, but also the skills to be successful. Although I graduated last spring, these valuable skills will be with me for a life time.
Mitchell Savaske
St. Norbert College
De Pere, WI
Dear Editor:
I guess this is a response to a response, which I am also sure, will draw a response! Can’t help but weigh in this whole “Morality Police,” left vs. right, separation of church and state, etc., etc.
I disagree just a weee bit with Doug from Gleason. Doug talks about those “closed minded” Christians who try to “pound” their beliefs “down” our throats. I have been a Christian for over ???????½ my life but I have lived on both sides of the fence. I used to be quite left and am now much more right.
Or, as I like to put it, it’s not left vs. right but wrong vs. right. Oh NO! there I go, being closed minded and exclusive. I’m sorry, I could not help it. When you find the truth, (or when the Truth finds you) you can’t help but be so happy that you don’t have to be the god of your world any more, deciding what’s right and wrong based on how you feel, what your friends think, or what the whims of societal change blow in but you can actually KNOW the truth. It’s not about religious views, religious opinions, our doctrine vs. yours, our opinion vs. yours, but it IS all about whether or not there is such a thing as truth.
Truth (like math) is not subjective; religion is. Truth cannot change, does not grow old, does not become outdated or old fashioned, but rather the longer you research it, the more relevant it becomes for every age.
That is why Jesus NEVER drew a lukewarm response from anyone. The only response Jesus got everywhere He went was either extreme love and gratitude for His forgiveness or hatred and jealousy. He did not say, (as almost all religious prophets, religious teachers, gurus, false religions teach) that He was one of many paths to God. If anyone would like specifics please contact me. Even Muhammad taught that Jesus was a prophet! To the Arabs, being called a prophet means that YOU SPEAK FOR GOD. I agree with Muhammad on this.
No, Jesus said I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. And NO ONE gets to the father except through ME. His words not mine.
Seems like an exclusive club. Seems a bit “narrow minded ” seems a bit egotistical if you want to be honest. Then you have to ask yourself, if he IS the eternal Son of God then he MUST tell us the truth OR if he is not, then he is, was and ever shall be one of the craziest cooks that ever walked the earth.
Think about it, He died because he refused to deny His own divinity. In other words, if he was not God in the flesh (king of the Jews in Pilate’s terms) then he died to cover His phony claim. Pilate gave Him a chance to get out of it. Know what Jesus said, get this, “My Father has sent me here to die!” Jn 19:11
Only a NUT CASE would do that. Or the most brave, loving, caring, selfless person to ever walk the planet.
Separation of church and state. Why did the pilgrims come here?
To get away from a government that tried to tell them how to live their faith.
There is NO term of separation of church & state in our constitution but rather the safeguard to protect the church from state intervention, not to protect society from God’s influence. I could write 10 pages of quotes from the great men who founded our country and their deep, deep love, trust and faith in God. Did they all have strong faith? Well obviously when you make sweeping statements about any group, what they don’t understand, their form of morality, the religious right, (terms used by Doug) you won’t be correct all the time. They know as my old buddy G.W. (the cherry tree guy) that without God’s help and our deep dependence on Him, we have no chance (his words).
God is why this country has prospered and been safe through many wars and trials whether you know it or not. Sorta like gravity. You can doubt it all you want but I would caution you not to test your doubt from too high a perch.
Christianity teaches that all of us are lost in can’t tell kids how to use a condom or give advice on “safe” (not really) sex without teaching them the purpose, moral truth, consequence of sex outside of boundaries, etc. That’s like teaching kids how to shoot dope or do drugs more safely because we know they are going to do them anyway!! (but not actually give them any drugs). It is now legal in Cape Cod, Mass., to give condoms to first graders after abstinence counseling. Without parents permission. They say that kids are having sex younger and younger so let’s not draw any lines. Call me narrow minded, but that is beyond CRAZY. It’s not our morality we want to shove at anyone. It’s God given loving guidance there to protect us. His laws are based on love and truth and love does not shove – even though some followers of the faith may not quite understand that.
God bless you and thank you for reading this.
Pat Blakeslee
Merrill