From our readers

Editor:

Re: Elect Ruleau for Mayor

As current president of the Marinette City Council and serving 25 years on the Council, I am urging all voters to elect Denise Ruleau as our next Mayor. I have worked with Denise on many city projects. She has the knowledge of the city’s budget and upcoming improvements. Denise Ruleau is the most qualified candidate, best informed and has the city’s best future interests in mind. Please elect Denise for Mayor on Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

Sincerely,

Sandy Saunier

1st Ward Alderperson

Dear Editor:

This week, the newspaper industry will celebrate Sunshine Week, which promotes and recognizes open government, freedom of information and freedom of the press. Although attention is often given to the international and national aspects of government transparency, we also need to recognize the need for accountability in local government.

As I began my service on the county board, I was shocked to learn that county board meetings and committee meetings are not recorded - other than a printed record of the motions made (and of course the local newspaper articles). Quite often, reports from department heads, opinions by attorneys, promises by contractors and discussions by county board supervisors are given verbally at meetings and not recorded. Without a recording, the public cannot review, input and hold government accountable. Most taxpayers can not attend meetings that are held during work hours, so they are unaware of how their government functions. Fortunately, with today’s technology, the solution to this predicament is simple.

My suggestion is an audio recording that is freely available on the Internet. These recordings would ensure transparency and accountability of every step of our local democratic process.

I have been recording and posting meetings on www.archive.org for some time now. Although many other supervisors agree with this idea, county administrators have roadblocked the board from formalizing this action. Taxpayers who agree that these recordings are necessary should contact their county board supervisor to encourage the adoption of a freely accessible recording of our local government in action.

Sincerely,

Jerry Pillath

Supervisor District 13

Times Editor:

A familiar quote: Forgive them; for they know not what they do.

If any one of you feel a little remorseful for signing a Recall Walker Petition, or were coerced to do so, it’s not too late to recall your recall signature, by just voting for Walker in the Recall Election. Your recall signature is public information, but a vote for Scott Walker is a private matter and no one will ever know. Governor Walker deserves to serve the four years that he was elected for. Do the right thing. In the course of time, you will be glad that you did.

Respectfully,

Ray Ehlinger

March 8

Dear Peshtigo Times Editor:

Please accept my applications for protesting Gov. Scott Walker’s visit to North Coast Marine Manufacturing Training Center. My reasons are based on some politicians taking credit for work done behind the scenes. If one was reading my protesting sign exposed, you would have found “Gov. Walker Bogus,” Did nothing” to secure jobs at MMC/Fincantieri Corporation.

Yes, some people come to mind that played a big part in securing contract and it was not Scott Walker, Reid Ribble, Ron Johnson, as stated date of December 30, 2010 by Mr. Ted Story. Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, Senator Feingold, Senator Kohl, Congressman Steve Kagen and Bart Stupak along with Senator Jeff Sessions, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).

Memory reminds myself that Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) was opposed to Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, suggestions for dual contracts with two ship builders building 10 ships each as a contract. Senator Feingold worked hard on legislation with Senator McCain via other issues so they all agreed to communicate resolutions to McCain’s “criticisms.” I followed up reading National Defense Magazine and the above names were credited with “securing” jobs for both areas.

I should mention that Senator Russ Feingold sent me a 30-page General Accounting Office report on why MMC did not get the Coast Guard Contract and that would really open some eyes up! Day of ribbon cutting Senator Herb Kohl, in front of other protesters, agreed that one of my letters about contract was communicated by him on Senate floor. It was a Federal issue, not state politics or pandering!

The best part of my sign for focus was giving credit to Dean Pat O’Hara and Training Center Coordinator Brian Lancour in securing building after Goodwill filed Chapter 11. Creativeness should be admired by these two folks along with many others of NWTC, I am sure. Maybe some of you remember my letter in another paper about building a marine school for future ship building contracts? No credit! No problem!

Michael G. Fermanich

Letter to Editor:

I like Ron Paul’s foreign policy and I’m not alone. Our active-duty servicemen and

women support Ron Paul in overwhelming numbers. They give more to Dr. Paul’s campaign than to Gingrich, Santorum, Romney and Obama combined. Our troops want Ron Paul for their Commander-in-Chief and for good reason. Ron Paul is the only Presidential candidate to have served his country in uniform. Defending America is his top priority. When war is necessary, Ron Paul says, “We declare it, we fight it, we win it, and we come home!”

Like our troops, the President swears an oath to uphold and defend our Constitution. Presidents who take our country to war without a Congressional Declaration of War are violating the rule of law and acting like a king instead of a representative of the people.

Ron Paul points out the difference between defense spending (worth every penny), and military spending (bankrupting our nation.) America’s weapons arsenal is larger than that of the next 17 nations put together. At the push of a button, we can send a drone missile to any spot on the globe, delivered within the hour. So I feel pretty safe.

The same people who used the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ ruse to lure us into 10 years of war with Iraq are now scaring us with the specter of a nuclear Iran. Ron Paul does not want Iran to have a bomb. No one wants Iran to have a bomb. But having a bomb and using a bomb are two very different things. Lots of countries have bombs. Some, like Israel, have more than others. That ‘guaranteed mutual destruction’ thing seems to limit their actual use.

It makes me sad to hear that some people around the world hate us. Some people may even hate us enough to sneak into our country and cause trouble. Thankfully we have our CIA. The CIA is capable of actual regime changes around the world, so if anyone can protect us from trouble-makers here at home, it’s the CIA. Using our military to wage war on entire nations because of the hateful speech or actions of small groups defies reason and also cost-benefit analysis.

Sanctions and assassinations make me fear we are gearing up for yet another pre-emptive war, this time against Iran. During the last presidential debate Ron Paul summarized the situation. First of all, pre-emptive, offensive warfare violates the principles of Christianity; it is immoral. Secondly, undeclared warfare is unconstitutional and therefore illegal. Even those who are willing to overlook God and our Constitution cannot escape the fact that America is bankrupt. The greatest threat to our national security is our financial crisis. Like other great nations before us, more wars will bring us to our knees and the enemy (terror?) will win.

Wisconsin’s primary is Tuesday, April 3. Don’t just pray for peace. Cast your vote for peace. Vote for RON PAUL.

Lisa Sedlar,

Escanaba, Mich.

Editor:

On behalf of the Rainbow House, I’d like to say thank you to a number of schools in the counties for helping and creating awareness during February, National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

First, I’d like to thank Marinette High School’s girls basketball team. During their Feb. 21 home game, they all wore purple shoelaces in support of teens choosing healthy dating relationships. This was part of the Purple Shoelace Project that many girls teams around the state took part in.

Secondly, thank you to high schools in Pembine, Marinette, Oconto, Gillett and Lena for participating in the 2nd annual Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve Day. Each of the schools chose a day in February where students could pick up a free heart sticker and wear it on their sleeves in support of teens choosing healthy dating relationships. Not only could they pick up a sticker, but there was a table of informational handouts as well. It was a pleasure to meet all the students and teachers, and thank you again as the support and awareness for teen dating violence was greatly appreciated!

Nicole Vincent,

Advocate for Rainbow House

Letter to the Editor:

What is going on in the City of Marinette? We own a 50-foot lot on Florence Street which has a creek running through it. It is not usable to us or anyone else who might purchase it. It is assessed at $100 and the tax we paid in January was $2.22 for a year. We were shocked to receive a $13.50 per month charge on the water bill for “Public Fire Protection” on this lot. That amounts to $162 per year. This amount far exceeds the $2.22 tax bill and the $100 assessed value of this lot. Perhaps all of us owning these unusable lots should deed them back to the City of Marinette and let them mow and maintain these lots. Thank you for your interest in this matter.

Karl and Helen Baumann

Editor:

I have enjoyed the Times and all the articles and being able to keep up with my friends and family, and the memories of the “Old-Timer” and “Country Cousin,” and all the other reminders of family, friends and neighbors.

There are a lot of letters and I am always so pleased with the paper. I read the article about Missouri and the Civil War. Here in Nashville we had an open air group that talked about women in the Civil War, which was also interesting.

Thanks again. You make me feel at home!

Sincerely,

Betty Lou Geist

To the Editor:

Our Congressman, Reed Ribble, is committed to creating jobs for northeast Wisconsin citizens and his appearance at the UW-Marinette’s February job fair is the most recent demonstration of this commitment. Congerssman Ribble, however, can do much more to create jobs and a secure future for northeast Wisconsin by supporting the renewable energy production tax credit and therefore wind energy production.

The tax credit is vital for the continued growth of wind energy in Northeast Wisconsin. The wind energy potential of Northeast Wisconsin, a region with a strong manufacturing job base and high average annual wind speeds, is as great as anywhere in the Midwest. Reaching our wind energy potential will secure jobs for current and future Northeast Wisconsinites and provide these same people with a clean source of locally produced energy. The tax credit, however, will expire at the end of 2012 unless congress passes the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011. Uncertainty about the future of the tax credit is already slowing the growth of renewable energy industries across the country.

Our congressman, Reid Ribble, is currently opposed to subsidies for all forms of energy. His stance against subsidies for the well-established fossil fuel industry is admirable, but his opposition to subsidies for the emerging and vulnerable renewable energy industry will compromise job growth and energy independence in Northeast Wisconsin. As a volunteer of Wisconsin Fair Share,

I urge you to let Congressman Reid Ribble know that Northeast Wisconsin wind energy industries need the production tax credit.

Martin Jacobson

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