I’d like to comment on several of the very interesting letters that I’ve read recently.
According to some, Mr. Anderson is their hero because he saved us $1.7 million or 24 percent on health care insurance this last time. But he could have saved more by fully implementing the tools of Act 10.
My suggestion is put the whole school district on Obama care.
A helpful hint to the people putting political literature on car windshields: please stop. You are in violation of Burlington city littering ordinance #200-2 sections A & C. Remember bad behavior has its consequences.
Mr. Bousman states he is an independent and I respect him for that. He also states he voted for the mayor of Milwaukee for governor. This mayor is the left wing tax and spend nut who wants to build a $100 million trolley car system on the east side of Milwaukee.
Unfortunately We Energy customers like us Burlington residents are going to be forced to help pay for that trolley with higher energy bills. Mr. Bousman also signed the recall Walker petition. Remember when Walker took office we had a $3.6 billion deficit and now we have a surplus. Mr. Bousman might be an independent but he is sure a poor decision maker. I certainly don’t want him on our School Board.
My last suggestion would be for the School Board to adopt a policy that if a school board member falls to sleep during a meeting that they are immediately removed from the room and emails with a picture of the sleeping member be sent out to the two local newspapers to print a notice that they were sleeping on the job. Taxpayers need to know how they are being represented.
Catherine Thielen,
Bohners Lake
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https://www.myracinecounty.com/?p=8566
Dear Ms. Thielen, the article linked above in last week’s Standard Press clearly stated: “While there are technically no laws against the distribution of the fliers – not even on school grounds, according to Superintendent Peter Smet – Ketterhagen took her case to the police department, wanting the people handing them out cited for littering.
The City of Burlington ordinance, as outlined in 200-2 of the municipal code, says that persons distributing commercial handbills, leaflets, fliers or any other advertising and information material should take “whatever measures that may be necessary to keep such materials from littering public or private property.”
What part of that do you not understand?
Is the quality of the remaining remaining information in your letter equally off target?
What is it about exercising democracy on PUBLIC property that you find threatening or offensive?
I personally distributed leaflets last Saturday and Sunday: http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2013/03/can-wevoter-yell-at-someone-in-bunny.html
Furthermore, we had people go back afterwards, check for loose fliers and pick them up. there were very few.
Go ahead call the cops on me, see where that gets you!
@Sean Cranley –
If you’re touching any part of someone’s privately owned vehicle without their prior express permission, you’re committing a civil trespass and could potentially be subject to nominal damages if the owner of a vehicle wished to pursue a civil lawsuit against you. And placing literate on a privately owned vehicle where such permission was not previously obtained by the owner does in fact meet the technical definition of the City’s ordinance pertaining to littering on private property.
Please – keep your hands and literature off of other’s privately owned property! You are not above the law.
Then Tommy Bartlett from the famed Water Show in the Wisconsin Dells should have been imprisoned decades ago for the tens of thousands of “bumper sticker violations” his henchmen committed against innocent spectators.
Let’s answer this point by point.
1. “Implementing the tools of Act 10.” Actually, Larry’s plan saved more on insurance than the districts who did use Act 10.
2. Put the whole school on Obama Care. It’s the law and all districts, companies, and states have to comply with the Affordable Health Care. And one of the options is to join various options with insurance plans. Our district has been shopping around for the most affordable to the tax payer plan for many years. It is not a very nice plan. The BASD staff are paying much, much more for their insurance than what they did years ago.
3. “violation of Burlington city littering ordinance #200-2 sections A & C” There was very little litter. I saw the crews who went out picking up any stray flyers. So, they were not in violation.
4. “left wing tax and spend nut” name calling only clouds discussion.
5. “now we have a surplus” The Wisconsin State Budget surplus is yet another “kick the can down the road” scenario. The governor has done what he said was “wrong headed” when his predecessor, Jim Doyle, did it, that is, they both restructured the debt to balance the budget and deferred payments to future years. That way they can claim a surplus in the fiscal year and in reality are only generating additional debts to be paid to the future. There is no surplus, and the debt has increased steadily. Can we also be reminded that out state is 44th in the nation in job growth and ranks as one of the top 10 states that people are moving away from? I do not think that things have really turned around yet.
In the last biennium Walker borrowed $558M, kept $342M and called it a surplus. Now he wants to borrow $1 billion for his transportation fund. Borrowing money to create a surplus is hardly balancing a budget.
Such hypocrisy in every part of your statement:
Saving millions on health care that leaves families without health care options is hardly hero’s work, surely you don’t think dragging someone down is going to put you ahead of the next person? Might I remind you of the analogy “crabs in a bucket”?
Burlington Area School District has had low tax levies prior to Governor Walkers “tools” and Act 10 forced them to levy more. As the matter of fact, Rep Vos’ answers to the school board questions the other day was to levy more taxes. Yes! Robin Vos admits that the budget forces school districts to raise taxes.
It amazes me those who complain about the property taxes and hail those forcing the schools and municipalities to raise taxes in order to provide services, you know, like educating our children, picking up the garbage, plowing the roads, fixing the roads, lighting the streets, keeping our streets safe… I know pesky little things but when there are no services provided for your tax dollar who will you blame? Will you take a look at where your tax dollars are going when there are no services provided?.
As long as you are fool enough to believe they are “tools” we will continue to see Wisconsin plummet from leading in the nation in education, health care reform, jobs… How about those jobs? Walker counts 1 person working 3 jobs as 3 employed people to manipulate the numbers and the fools screaming about his “tools” and you lap it up like a rabid dog, 44th in the Nation on Jobs and 48th on economic recovery – http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AdZH_IW_2dQ/UVDX484yMPI/AAAAAAAABzs/AAUOmD5r3iw/s1600/Jan+2013+economy.jpg
How about that deficit?
On January 31, 2011 the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) sent a memo to then Joint Finance Chairs Robin Vos and Alberta Darling. Based on the 2009-2011 Doyle budget in place, the LFB forecast a year-end SURPLUS of over $56 Million. This had actually been a revision of the Doyle Administration’s earlier forecast of a $112 million surplus due to several reasons:
1. Lower tax collections.
2. Debt payments being made in 2010-2011.
3. Budgeted Minnesota reciprocity lapse payment.
4. Some increase in department revenue and lapses.
What Walker et al did to our state is morally bankrupt at best, to fault people for standing against that tells me you are morally bankrupt.
Your judgement of who a person votes for tells me you are one of those people who thinks teachers, who pay taxes I might add, do not get a vote. Yet you will be right there to scream from the rooftops about your rights being violated?
While we are talking about rights, is it that you didn’t think to leaflet for your candidate that you conjure up some sort of violation that law enforcement has already said did not violate any codes or that you wish to infringe on the next person freedoms?
Lets talk about the conduct of the apparent school board members you support: threatening teachers with a 2×4, flying the American flag upside down on Veterans Day… to name a few. No moral questions there right?
The constant ridicule, downright hatred and discontent plaguing the once caring prosperous community I chose to raise my family in is disappointing. We can express opposing views respectfully if only we take care to exercise compassion and empathy for one another. We don’t have to agree, but this is not going to solve the problems we face. When they are done de-funding our public schools, and your property values have plummeted further, we will be the next Milwaukee or Racine. Who wants to move here or stay here when we are being ripped apart in the name of ideology and manipulation?
Ms. Thielen,
Mr. Bousman voted to recall Scott Walker. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Walker votes against children, public schools and the neediest people of our population.
It sounds to me that Mr. Bousman votes for what’s in the BEST interest of our children. He will definitely get my vote.
My Kids’ public education is just as good as it was before Walker became Governor. Not sure of your point there?
Since so many have covered the other areas better than I could, I’ll address your other issue. As far as the infamous trolley goes, here’s a few facts for you, Ms. Thielen. The projected costs are 64.6 million. 54.9 of that is federal money. The remainder is from a tax in MILWAUKEE, not Burlington. Here’s the link: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/188041691.html. That federal money could not be used for other projects. Had they not used it, it would have gone to another state, just like the federal money for high speed rail did. The utilities will also be paid by the city, just like they currently pay to heat police stations, fuel fire trucks, etc.