Letters to the editor 5/25/2005

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 10:42 AM CDT

Fight Dirty Air bill

This week the State Legislature is holding hearings on Assembly Bill 277 - The Dirty Air Bill. This proposed bill must not be allowed to become law. It would seriously limit the public's right to a democratic voice regarding proposed construction of industrial and utility sources of air pollution.

AB 277 would potentially exempt all sources from construction permits, and would not allow the DNR to enforce air pollution laws. This poses a serious risk to air quality and public health. It would eliminate certain permits that keep track of what types and what amounts of toxics are being emitted into the air we breathe. This kind of increase in air pollution could seriously impact those who are already sick with asthma, lung cancer, and other diseases.

Health risks like these are why approximately 400 citizens attempted to voice their concerns when this Dirty Air Bill sped through the Assembly, but I guess their voices weren't loud enough. Everyone cares about living in communities where we can breathe clean air and protect the health of our neighbors. As a neighbor in this community, I ask everyone to contact Senator Stepp and ask her to vote against Assembly Bill 277.

Rick Burt

4334 Kennedy Drive, Racine

Yes on referendum

As a collegiate athlete, I was appalled by Mr. Waydick's letter proposing to cut female sports because women should be focused on homemaking and child-rearing.

Who wants to raise a child in a city that doesn't support education or send it to a school without sports? Involvement in sports helps students excel in school and build self confidence. Besides building talent and character, athletic coaches also have a positive impact on athletes. Without the support from my high school tennis coach, Jim Betker, I would not be playing tennis at a university I love today.

Sports keep kids active and out of trouble. Many athletes that graduated from Racine have continued to pursue their athletic talents as a profession, or have been able to afford a higher education through scholarship funds.

Even at the college level, Wisconsin's education budget is pathetic. This past year college students have faced increased tuition rates and budget cuts throughout the UW system. So my question is what is so much more important than education that we are wasting our money on? Why are the students always the target off these cuts, why not target the administrators? Since the 8th period was eliminated due to a previous referendum that failed, many students lost the privilege to play an instrument or learn a foreign language. Almost all universities require fine arts credits to be accepted to enroll. Now once again, the students would suffer the proposed elimination of sports if the referendum doesn't pass. Vote yes.

Jenny Sponholtz

2128 Grand Prix Dr., Racine

Zoo needs your help

For more than 80 years, families in our community have enjoyed the Racine Zoo. Continual improvements over the years have made our Zoo a real treasure in our community.

In the summer of this year, construction will be completed on the renovation of four exciting exhibits: Tropical Andes bear and coati exhibit, Succulent Karoo meerkat exhibit, the Cape Floristic penguin exhibit, and the Caucasus exhibit home to the highly endangered West Caucasian tur (mountain goat). Especially during the next several months, we urge Racine area residents to come visit often at our Zoo, enjoy this very special place and watch the construction progress.

Completion of this project will bring to 15 the number of exhibits which represent the biodiversity hotspots of the world. These are the regions around the world which are the biologically richest and most diverse, and at the same time the most endangered in loss of habitat. The institution of this theme is one of the reasons that our zoo is truly unique.

In order to continue bringing quality of life benefits to our community, the Racine Zoo needs the financial help of Racine city and county residents. Like all institutions, the zoo is faced by rising costs. The new construction project was made possible only through donations from private and municipal sources. These donations for capital improvements do not solve what has become an annual operating revenue problem.

We ask citizens of the Racine community to help by one or more methods. Examples are: become a member of the Racine Zoological Society, come to the special events like the Animal Crackers Jazz Series concert, enroll your child or grandchild in Zoo Summer Camp, and plan an event for your family or organization at the zoo (choose a picnic site with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan!). On the longer range, consider the Racine Zoo in estate planning. For more details, visit the zoo website (www.racinezoo.org) or call the Zoo office at 636-9189.

Very important also is that local citizens urge their county supervisor and city alderman to vote to continue municipal funding to the zoo at least at the level of past support.

Dave Easley

Board Chair, Racine Zoological Society

Ceremony support

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone that supported the Racine County Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony at Hantschel Park on Thursday, May 19, 2005. Thank you very much for your support. Officer Adam A. Meyers, Co-Chairman Racine County Law Enforcement Memorial Committee The issue is signage I am replying to the letter by Laurie Le Boeuf that appeared in the May 17 Journal Times in response to my letter. I'd like to say that nowhere in my letter concerning tickets given out to people that parked in the boat ramp near Festival Hall did I indicate that I got a ticket for parking in the ramp. As a matter of fact, I parked next to Festival Hall, and I did feed my meter.

I wrote because I did not think that there were adequate signs that persons approaching from the West would notice indicating that only boats with trailers could park by the ramp. I also wrote to protest the amount of the tickets which many seniors can ill afford. I'm sure it was more than the boaters that helped pay for that ramp.

Peter Tillema

1541 Prairie Drive, Racine

RUSD must improve

I wish to respond to Mr. Hicks' statement about "conventional wisdom of the electorate - and we are not listening to what he is saying", in the Racine Journal Times Tuesday. I could speak to teachers' health care costs, busing costs, administrative costs, athletics, maintenance, etc. So much ink has been spilled the past few months on these subjects. Arguing about them confuses the true issue, which is, Mr. Hicks, "We're not getting our money's worth."

Of the 21 schools in Unified, 13 of them are below Wisconsin State academic expectations, some of them abysmally so.

This is about holding you and the employees of the district responsible for poor performance. If the Unified School District was even with the state's academic expectations, I would not have balked at the referendums. To be blunt, you're not up to snuff, and rewarding poor performance guarantees poor performance.

As the top administrator of the district, the buck stops at your desk. Quit using our children as pawns, it's unseemly, and it's not their onus to bear. I hold you responsible for this sir, and I'm telling you flat out, fix it. Until you do, the money's not happening. William Miller

Racine

Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!