Dear Editor,
I read Senator Tiffany’s article about his thoughts on the present budget. I generally like fiction, but Tiffany’s view represents damage to our very system of governance and threats to its citizens. I must admit, Tiffany is good at maintaining the corporate party line and doesn’t let little things like facts get in the way.
The budget that Tiffany supports brutalizes its citizens in favor of corporate profit. It reverses environmental and labor protections that protect our jobs and our lives. It rolls back fair housing laws. It rolls back equal pay protections for women. It slashes medical assistance for the poor by rejecting the federal expansion of Medicade. This alone will cost taxpayers $120,000 million more to insure 85,000 less people. The budget contains tax breaks and handouts to road construction companies, corporate school privatizers, banks and investment companies, and alters the DNR to actually assist exploiters and polluters to avoid legal responsibility for their crimes. The budget attacks the unemployed by making it harder to collect benefits, freezes personal bank accounts in the case of accidental overpayments and makes it easier to get kicked off unemployment.
Tiffany has the gall to claim publicly that “This budget is one of the most favorable for the people of Northern Wisconsin in a long time.” He claims to be a “representative” while supporting policies that attack the very people he is supposed to represent.
Another of his claims is “Wisconsin’s working families will see one of the largest income tax cuts in over a decade.” Technically this has a grain of truth in it. Wisconsin families making over $300,000 per year will see the greatest portion of these tax breaks, along with rich corporations. The average family will receive $10. Buy your kid a third of a shoe.
This budget slashes the revenue available for the school system, judicial system, health care and voting rights, while bringing the state back to deficit spending Tiffany claims to oppose, by borrowing a billion to support road construction companies that donated to Tiffany’s campaign.
This is not just a Wisconsin problem. We have all seen these draconian measures put in place wherever Republicans control government. Terrorism is not the greatest threat to our nation. The Conservative Corporate Agenda presents a clear and present danger. It is all the more insidious because it is being put into place by “supposed” representatives of the people. If we do not change the policies represented by men like Tiffany, the Great American Experiment will fail.
Doug Curtis
Gleason
Dear editor,
In response to Mr. Zeitz’ comments and accusations against the Lincoln County Board, I would respectfully disagree. You have repeatedly voiced your objections regarding the Board in relation to the expo center. They represent all the taxpaying people of Lincoln County and not only special interest groups. The end result would be, as I see it, a necessary tax increase for Lincoln County residents. A few can afford this, but there are a lot of people who can’t. The board has acted on what they believe are the opinions of the majority of residents of Lincoln County. I feel rather than being criticized for their vote, they should be commended.
If you feel the chairman is not representing you, then as a member of the board, why don’t you run for the position? Regarding your criticism for not doing a study involving substantial cost to the county, I feel you are kicking a dead horse. The vote to construct a grandstand at absolutely no cost to taxpayers has already been taken.
If there are monies to be made from the construction of an expo center, private enterprise should be involved in picking up those costs and not county taxpayers.
Respectfully submitted,
Norman Heckendorf
Lincoln County taxpayer
Dear Readers:
The following is taken in part from the St. Francis Parish News Pastor’s corner, July 7, 2013. And I encourage all of you readers to re-read Amendment I of The Constitution of The United States of America before continuing as to fully understand the following.
From The Global Dispatch: Earlier this month President Barack Obama repeated the oft disproved claim that Catholic education increases division in front of an audience of 2,000 young people, including many Catholics, at Belfast’s Waterfront hall when he arrived in the country this morning.
This is what the U.S. President said: “If towns remain divided – if Catholics have their schools and buildings and Protestants have theirs, if we can’t see ourselves in one another and fear or resentment are allowed to harden – that too encourages division and discourages cooperation.”
That statement is pure unadulterated b——t. It aims at destroying our nation as we know it and love it. Just look at our small town of Merrill, Wisconsin with all the religious school denominations and churches of Christian faith and Jewish Synagogues. We all respect our choices of faith, getting along together very well. I just have to look at my own immediate family. We consist of Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and some who accept Buddah. All because of the First Amendment. Of all the presidents who have occupied the oval office during my lifetime, never has there been the likes of the present “guest of the White House.” Remember that “United we stand, divided we fall.” I, for one, do not intend to fall.
Thank you for your time.
Bill Jensen
Tug Lake
Dear Editor,
On Saturday, June 15, I witnessed one of the most compelling reasons why people can be proud of our Merrill community. Thirteen local churches, 43 individuals, and 10 businesses and community groups joined forces to support the community food drive, “Fill the Gazebo.” Despite the wet and chilly weather, our community rallied together to collect over 200 boxes of food to help stock the three food pantries in Merrill, as well as provide supplies for the Food for Kids program. In addition, over $575 was raised in monetary donations. For the first year of an event like this, we are extremely pleased with the turnout and show of support.
On behalf of the planning team, I would like to extend a hearty “Thank You” to everyone who helped the effort through planning, advertising, helping to load, transport or unload donations. But foremost I would like to thank those who donated food items, so that we might be able to continue to reach out to our community in this important way.
Our hope is to make “Fill the Gazebo” an annual event. If you would like to assist in the planning effort for next year, please contact Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church at 715-536-5813 for more information.
Merrill is a wonderful place to live, and I am honored to call it “home.”
Pastor Maurice Schaus
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, ELCA