SKOL: We could use a wee bit o’ luck for health reform(2010/03/18) Our daughter, Jen, called one evening recently and told us our grandchildren, Allison, 6, and Ben, 4, wanted to show us their newly constructed leprechaun trap. I hustled down to my office, snatched up the laptop and opened Skype, the grandparent-friendly free video communication program.
LETTER: What Sandy Thompson didn’t tell you(2010/03/18) In her recent letter to the Courier-Life, Onalaska Town Board candidate Sandy Thompson accused Town Chairman Dave Paudler of making misleading statements to the press regarding the handling of the contract by Stan Hauser, former town chairman, and about Hauser allowing former Town Administrator Paul Kitzmann to draft his own contract.
LETTER: Bunning is right to push for fiscal sanity(2010/03/18) Is it any wonder more good people don’t run for public office? Just look at the way Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky is treated for daring to raise objections over the reckless spending in Washington. Congressman Ron Kind likes to brag about his support of the “PayGo” law that forces Congress to pay for things by finding cuts in other programs or increasing taxes. The bottom line, according to Kind, is that the Congress must pay for things without adding to the nation’s deficit.
LETTER: DNR secretary vote was disappointing(2010/03/18) The La Crosse County Conservation Alliance was very disappointed with the recent vote in the state Assembly that failed to override the veto of the Department of Natural Resources secretary bill and return the appointment of the DNR secretary to the Natural Resources Board.
SKOL: Trees give us a lesson in history(2010/03/10) Taking the advice of Aldo Leopold, Wisconsin’s great ecologist whose work we will celebrate this weekend, I have studied an oak tree that will “warm my shins” in the winter of 2011-12.
PLAIN SPEAKING: Early release plan needs to be ended(2010/03/10) In January, the Doyle Administration began springing dangerous criminals from prison under the controversial early release program approved by Democrat lawmakers last summer.
LETTER: Conservatives need to give Paul a chance(2010/03/10) Last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, sleeper U.S. Rep. Ron Paul shocked the convention by winning the straw poll, and when the results were announced, the room was filled with as many gasps and puzzled looks as it was applause. Some even booed.
EDITORIAL: Don’t base team names on ethnic groups(2010/03/10) There are a couple of different ways to look at a team mascot. One is as an embodiment of what you want to be — ferocious like a Tiger, strong like a Lumberjack and so on.
We can’t afford to ignore Earth’s changing climate(2010/03/01) Even as the global warming doubters were yukking it up about the cold and snow that blanketed the east and south recently, a blizzard of evidence continues to accumulate that our climate is changing.
Letter to the editor: Paudler’s statement was misleading(2010/03/01) In the Feb. 5 issue of the Onalaska Holmen Courier-Life article, “Judge Rules for Kitzmann,” Onalaska Town Chairman Dave Paudler makes a statement that is misleading and not fully correct. I would like to let the readers know a more complete story.
SKOL: Potok book reading spurs musical echo of youth(2010/02/22) Earworm. You’ve probably had one — the unshakable repetition in your mind of some song that you’ve heard, a tune that won’t go away, persistent as a mosquito bite itch.
PLAIN SPEAKING: Green jobs deal yields zero jobs(2010/02/22) In 2008, the wind energy industry employed 85,000 American workers. After collecting nearly $2 billion of federal stimulus funding in 2009, it still provides 85,000 jobs according the America Wind Energy Association.
LETTER: Why I voted to cut government spending(2010/02/22) Reducing the size and scope of government is never an easy task, which is the primary reason why our state’s budget deficit is $2.71 billion and our nation’s budget deficit is $1.6 trillion. The $3.8 million needed to fund the Public Defender Bill seems like a meager government expenditure.
LETTER: Vote to cut spending had opposite effect(2010/02/22) Recently, I read a “Discussions with Dan” e-newsletter in which state Sen. Dan Kapanke explained his vote against the public defender bill as a vote “to cut government spending.” In reality it was a shell game that increases your local property taxes. Rather than having the state pay an additional $3.8 million for this program, property taxpayers will get socked for $7.5 million. State legislators look good; we look bad. You pay $3.7 million more than you should.
LETTER: Two area jazz icons to share memories(2010/02/22) The quest to keep classic jazz around forever is still going strong as two of this area’s several jazz icons will chatter and play through their memories of working during the more prolific times of live music venues. The Rev. Al Townsend and Dick Chaffee will share plenty of musical memories and create some funny stories while they are at it at LaScher’s Uptown Bistro in West Salem on Feb. 21.
SKOL: Know your grains -- the humble oat(2010/02/17) Shoveling the driveway after the first round of snow this week made me hungry for oatmeal. So I boiled a batch of the old-fashioned variety, piled on raisins and brown sugar and fixed two slices of toast before settling in with the morning paper and a cup of coffee.
LETTER: Kelly has residents’ best interests in mind(2010/02/17) This letter is to support Howard Kelly in Tuesday’s primary election for the town of Onalaska. Over the past two years, Mr. Kelly has shown that he is willing to work hard for town residents as your town board supervisor.
LETTER: Don’t trust Ron Kind with your tax money(2010/02/17) 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.
LETTER: Vote for ‘hometown’ candidate for board(2010/02/17) Onalaska Town Board Supervisor Howard Kelly keeps reminding us how many multi-million dollar companies he has run and why that should make him a good candidate to retain his seat as a town board supervisor. Since today’s depressing economy is due at least in part to the ineptness of many big corporate bigwigs and their penchant for taking their huge bonuses, I would think Mr. Kelly would prefer to remove himself as far as he could from big corporations affiliations.
LETTER: Feingold, Kind are fiscally responsible(2010/02/17) In the last few weeks, readers have been subjected to a barrage of letters criticizing Sen. 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.
LETTER: America is no longer a wealthy country(2010/02/17) We are accustomed to thinking of our nation as wealthy, in fact, the richest in the world. No doubt we have been blessed with a population of hard-working, innovative and success-oriented people who have achieved spectacular results that have benefited every American.
Arguments for CCAP bill don’t add up(2010/02/17) Unwittingly, Rep. Marlin Schneider just provided a great example of why Wisconsin’s open records law is so important and must be protected.
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