Letters -- Dec. 9, 2002

By Journal Times readers

Monday, December 9, 2002 10:36 AM CST

"In my view the State Patrol is a horribly expensive duplication of effort." -- Lawrence E. Flynn on ways to balance budget

Caledonia budget

The people have spoken at the Caledonia town budget meeting. Anger about property appraisals has led to a $500,000 budget slash.

The town representatives are considering cutting fire and police positions to meet the budget request. What is being considered is reducing already understaffed police and fire departments.

Look up the state average for communities of similar size and Caledonia is well under the minimum requirement.

Station No. 2 is staffed by three firemen for the entire east side. However, the less populated west end has two stations staffed with up to eight firefighters.

When No. 2 is out, there is a 10-15 minute response from the west end.

The police department struggles every year to provide adequate service for the town. Everyone wants the police to provide speed enforcement at different times and locations. Guess what? It's a little hard to do with four guys covering 50 square miles and also responding to calls at the same time.

What do I suggest? The town must stop spending all our money on losing causes. The power plant, the buying of green space, the continued battle against Comm 83, and planned neighborhoods with our own people, $300,000 to consultants is a waste. Support new business and retail stores, other than storage sites and used car dealerships. Well-trained and staffed police and fire departments are a dollar well spent for safety and security, the other stuff is frivolousness.

Rob Letkewicz

Caledonia

Duplicated services

As a lifelong Democrat, I certainly applaud Doyle for looking at ways of getting us out of the dilemma that Republican administrations have left us with.

I hope that he gives little or no consideration to the suggestion that he dip into the Wisconsin Retirement Fund to solve it. Our retirees should not be put at risk.

One suggestion made by our former Green Party candidate for governor was excellent, and should be explored. That suggestion was to eliminate the Wisconsin State Patrol. Their limited role of enforcing the "rules of the road" could easily be taken over by local county sheriff's departments and county traffic police, giving more effective service at less cost.

If nothing else, a feasibility study should take place. In my view the State Patrol is a horribly expensive duplication of effort.

Lawrence E. Flynn

3820 W. Johnson Ave., Racine

Law enforcement salute

I'm tired of reading all the negative, let's hear something positive:

As a resident of Racine, I've come to know a few special people involved with law enforcement. I can honestly say they are some of the best human beings to risk their lives to help keep Racine a safer place to live.

Growing up here as the years go by, most have been promoted to higher positions. I would like to thank them for the years of service to our community. I know a lot of people have little or no respect for people in uniform trying to uphold the laws.

Working as a waitress in the past, I have come to know that I have a lot of fun when they would come in for dinner. They are doing a job they chose to do for the best interest of helping others and to uphold the law.

Kathleen Caruso

Metro Racine Safety Enforcement

Faith is ebbing

About 78 years ago I was baptized with the holy water of the Catholic Church. I have tried to remain faithful to the church and its teachings. But now my faith is shaken by articles published weekly in a national Catholic newspaper.

Fact 1: The Holy See of Rome is about to pass an edict that no more homosexuals be admitted into the seminaries. Before it even goes into effect, the Congregation of Catholic Bishops here in the U.S. are against it.

Fact 2: Two Catholic churches, St. Joseph's in Cudahy and St. Casimir's in Kenosha have appeals pending in Rome about their closures. The appeals were to be acted upon on Nov. 30. The property is up for sale despite restraining orders against their sale. Guess those orders only apply to the laity.

Fact 3: Recently a knight in shining armor on a white horse rode into Milwaukee to head our diocese. Ah! A breath of fresh air -- so we thought. So what do we hear from the new archbishop? Praise for the previous archbishop and his staff. This was in the national and local papers.

Archbishop Weakland was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar to pay a half million dollars of our money for past sexual misdeeds.

The stench is getting unbearable. My faith has hit "low tide." Who is going to cry "wolf" on the whole affair?

Philip B. Romanowski

Kenosha

Make hard cuts

Joe Leean's state budget proposal (Nov. 24) proves once again that neither major political party, save for a few brave mavericks, are willing to reduce spending enough to balance the budget and provide much needed tax relief in the third-highest taxed state in America.

How Mr. Leean can call any plan that exempts 83 percent of the state budget from cuts a "reasonable solution" is beyond me. His plan is overwhelmingly weighted in favor of tax increases ($1.4 billion) over spending cuts ($611 million).

Even Jim Doyle cuts more spending in his budget proposals ($1.24 billion) than either Leean or Scott McCallum ($330 million)-two self-styled fiscal conservative Republicans. I agree wholeheartedly with Libertarian Party Chairman Bob Collison that "Republicans talk the talk" on budget cuts, but have yet to prove that they can "walk the walk" at any level of government. Both Republicans and Democrats favor more government "pork" brought home to constituents, along with less money in our pockets and less personal freedom to live our lives as we choose.

Our elected officials should take another look at Ed Thompson's budget proposals. He called for $6.25 billion in actual spending cuts -- enough to wipe out even the latest estimated deficit ($4.3 billion), with a $2 billion tax cut -- and no tax increases.

Please call or write your elected state officials, encouraging them to sharpen their budget knives and reduce the bloated state bureaucracy soon. Wisconsin's economic future hangs in the balance.

Keith R. Deschler

3224 1/2 Meachem Road, Racine

War on a subculture

The drug war, although well meaning, is turning into an all out subculture war. As a raver of five years I shouldn't have to feel threatened by just attending a party.

And, to be honest, I could never afford to battle a ticket. Companies such as dancesafe are doing more good than the "War on Drugs".

Why? Because of actual information, not fear tactics.

You can never scare kids out of going to parties. And the ones who are on drugs will never be scared because of that very fact. And as far as candy and water being found at that rave in Racine, there's candy and water at punk shows and neo-nazi gatherings but the "War on Drugs" never goes to those venues.

In summation, the scene won't die until we all do.

Kathryn Percifield

St.Augustine, Fla.

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