Paid Letters to the Editor

We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public officials or written by others. The views and opinions expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication, its publishers, Editor, or staff.

To the Editor:
The three referendums we are being asked to consider are written very cleverly to appear as if they will help. This is not true. The attack on the partial veto is a thinly veiled attempt to pass legislation through the referendum process. The line item veto allows the Governor to remove partisan rhetoric and outright falsehoods. This protects Badgers from overzealous legislation. The “freedom to gather” referendum is just dangerous. During a pandemic, it is necessary to restrict contact between people when such contact can spread deadly diseases. This type of restriction saves lives in emergency situations. Phrasing it as a religious freedom issue is an attempt to hide its true meaning. The anti-equity issue says it fights discrimination, yet does the opposite. It would ban even the consideration of such things as race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin when creating programs designed to help. It would remove tools in the government’s ability to fight discrimination. It would deny such things as Black History Month or Indigenous Peoples Day claiming that such things are based on race, therefore discriminatory. It would restrict any legislation that deals with anyone who is not white Anglo-Saxon Christian. Vote no on all three!

Doug Curtis
Gleason, Wis.

Editor’s note: The letter writer’s claim that the amendment would restrict legislation for anyone who isn’t Christian doesn’t match the ballot question, which covers race, sex, color, ethnicity, and national origin, not religion.

The cost for Paid Letters to the Editor is $100 for the first 200 words and $25 per additional 50 words, and must be prepaid prior to printing. All Paid Letters to the Editor will be clearly labeled as a “Paid Letter to the Editor.” [Some submissions may be referred to our advertising department to be run as ads.]
This includes all Political “Letters to the Editor” submitted as an endorsement for or opposing a political candidate, referendum, or political agenda and any opinion trying to sway a vote. All political content must be substantiated by verifiable facts with sources referenced for fact-checking purposes. Coverage will prioritize local elections, political issues, and governance that directly impact our communities; and national political coverage will only be included when it is relevant to a local story, ensuring our content remains community-focused and distinct from mainstream national media. We will not print letters that contain potentially libelous material; support discrimination; are vulgar, profane, obscene, derogatory, or otherwise offensive; or make personal attacks or explicit or implied threats. [Libel is any malicious, unsubstantiated, or untrue statement about someone that damages their reputation.]
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech from government restrictions, not restrictions set by private businesses. Companies can set their own rules on speech in workplaces, online platforms, or services. While employees and users have rights, businesses can moderate, restrict, or penalize speech without violating the First Amendment since it limits only government actions.
Policy Rev: 06/16/25