Opinion
| Your Letters
Your Letters 10/12/11
Shame on you
To the editor,
I recently read your article on the bogus pet collection in Mukwonago on Sept. 17. There were two girls in front of the Muskego Walmart collecting for "Bella's Buddies" on Sunday, Oct. 2.
I contacted the Muskego Police, but they said it must be reported while the collection is taking place. Someone needs to investigate how many Walmarts these girls have raised funds at and how much money they have obtained under false pretenses.
This just hurts the people that really are raising funds legitimately. I will think twice again before donating for any cause, and that is a shame.
Lisa Frasier
Muskego
What, exactly are the rules?
To the editor,
I sent a letter to the Mukwonago Chief to have it published because I felt sorry for the man they made a public thief because of the Police Blotter. However, they never published it and they gave the weak excuse that I did not sign the letter. These days almost all business letters are not signed. My name was on the top of the letter where the publisher could have submitted it for anyone who had a need to know. Their action is what you call "selective freedom of speech."
If it is true that anything left on the curb is the property of John's Disposal, than I have a question. If I put something on the curb and then later I changed my mind and took it off the curb, would your officer give me a citation for theft?
Harold W. Schmidt
Eagle
Shared sacrifice could benefit all
To the editor,
The Buffett Rule, proposed by President Obama, is eminently sensible and urgently needed. It calls for a new minimum tax rate for individuals making more than $1 million a year to insure that they pay at least the same percentage of their earnings as middle-income taxpayers. As billionaire Warren Buffett stated recently in The New York Times, "My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It's time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice." The poor and middle class have been doing all the sharing so far. It's time for the rich to pull their fair share.
This tax on the rich would apply to fewer than 450,000 taxpayers with a taxable income of more than $1 million, a fraction of the 144 million returns filed in 2010. It would simply have them pay a rate closer to those of the people they employ, which should be no hardship. To say that it's class warfare is ridiculous. If anything, there has been class warfare against the middle class.
We have had over 10 years since the Bush tax reductions were enacted. Where are the promised jobs and improved economy that they were to bring? We had a better economy under Reagan and Clinton, when taxes were higher. Buffett says the same: "And to those who argue that higher rates hurt job creation, I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what's happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation." And in the 1950s under Republican President Eisenhower, there was healthy job creation along with the top tax rate at 91 percent, as Milwaukee historian John Gurda points out.
Conservatives complain about the 46 percent of the population that don't pay taxes, but little is said about who they are. In fact, they are primarily those too poor to pay income taxes. Half of those that don't pay income tax include low-income earners, under $20,000 a year. Another 22 percent are seniors, and 15 percent are low-income earners with children. (Source: Tax Policy Center) Nonetheless, most pay sales taxes, property taxes or rent that covers property taxes, Social Security taxes, etc. All these taxes are a much greater proportion of their incomes than all taxes currently paid by the mega-rich.
The proposed taxes on the rich will bring in needed revenue to help implement the many sound proposals in Obama's job bill.
There are so many jobs that need doing and so many jobs that are needed. The Obama job bill and the Buffett Rule are essential to help make sure the jobs get done and Americans are back on the job. Be sure to urge your representative and our two Wisconsin senators to make this happen.
Mariette Nowak
East Troy
Editor's note: This letter was edited for length.
Right is right
To the editor,
Congratulations and an expression of gratitude to James Schoolcraft and Craig Vertz who prevailed in a courageous effort to retain the integrity of the Mukwonago community by retaining the culture-based nickname of the Mukwonago High School Indians. Recognition is also due to Circuit Judge Donald Hassin Jr. in recognizing and acting on a piece of ridiculous legislation. Too often the majority has failed to defend their rights, and government officials cave into a motivated, loud and determined minority.
The village name, Mukwonago, is of Native American origin, with a park, a museum and the village newspaper adding positive recognition to the original Americans. Mr. Schoolcraft is not the only individual with Native American blood that has pleaded to retain the nickname. In view of these facts, how can a legislature pass a law saying it is raced-based? What proof do they have? How absurd. Can they find the individual that named the village and created the high school nickname and prove to the court that they were racists?
It is time for the Legislature to step up to the plate and reverse their silly law and protect other communities before they suffer the expense and turmoil experienced in Mukwonago and other schools.
Don Enright
Eagle
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Photo of the Week by Todd Ponath: ROCKIN' IT - Fred Eide, left, and his daughter Ashley, of Eide Painting and Sandblasting, use spray guns to paint the individual rock shapes on the underside of the I-94 overpass at Highway P in Oconomowoc Wednesday, May 16. Each "rock" is painted individually and then speckled with black paint to make it look like granite.
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1 Comments
mukwonago farmer - Oct 11, 2011 10:33 PM
For your profound efforts to keep the Mukwonago logo, history and spirit alive.