More on horses

Regarding the Feb. 22 letter from Bob Shircel about horses:

In the first place, horses are not just considered livestock. Long before cows and pigs, horses were being ridden even before the Spanish came to America. They were the mainstay of the Pony Express. You didn't see cows and pigs being ridden into battle or to fight Indians.

They've been part of families, used to help handicapped children and many other uses.

The wild horses you speak so derogatorily about are as much a part of America as the bison. Or do you think they should be slaughtered, also?

Patti DeVincentis

Kenosha

Problems in the suburbs

The present board had reversed the decision of the previous board to enter into an agreement to have joint fire and police dispatch with surrounding municipalities, this was two years ago. Nothing has been done to come up with a better plan.

This could generate huge savings if Caledonia joined forces with Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant. In a recent article in the Journal Times it appears that those two communities are about to join forces as we speak.

The previous board voted to run a water transmission line down Foley Road for the safety of the village which has been ordered to be done by DNR. All in the name of one of the new board members, who lives on Foley Road and doesn't want it running past his house, that decision was reversed.

If the village board is not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.

The only progress that you hear about in Caledonia is that they have new horse trails and as of last week's article, future new horse trails.

Believe me fellow Caledonians, this does nothing to improve our tax base. The village board's focus is way out of line in my opinion.

Frank Tomachek

Former Caledonia Police Chief

Racine

Hope for an alternative

I agree with Kim Morrison that Barack Obama would be a great president. I have hope that he can provide free health insurance for everyone.

I have hope that he can bring our soldiers home and make the world a safer place. I have hope that he can protect Americans from poverty by printing more money at the mints.

And, I have hope that he can make me a taller, more attractive, wealthier person, immune to all illnesses. The best part is that all of these will be accomplished at absolutely no cost to me.

Some skeptics would say that he can't do these things because he hasn't had enough leadership experience, foreign policy experience, or government experience. Some would say that Obama can't provide for all our needs without doubling taxes. And, some would say that he hasn't provided one piece of a specific plan to reach these goals.

Well, to those people I ask, "Where is your hope?"

All these years I've been creating accomplishments and gatherine experience to list on my resume. From now on, I'll just list my hopes and plans. All that work was so unnecessary.

Angie Smucker

Racine

Plow better - now

Kudos to the Racine County Highway Department's decision to open virtually all the county roads to snowmobile traffic this winter.

What a great idea - leaving the roads unplowed will certainly increase snowmobile tourism in the area. And wow, the side benefits are also so numerous, you can't mention them all: The body shop businesses are bustling from all the crashed cars that tried to drive on the new trails, the excess salt not used on the roads that can now be sold to other municipalities at a profit, the overall reduction in commerce that will help in the battle against global warming, etc.

You sly dogs. I know what you have planned now that mother nature has melted off most of the new trails. All those trails with their potholes, cracks, loose pavement, dips, ruts and cold patch will become ATV trails. You guys think of everything.

Now I know why we pay these big property taxes in the county. No, not for road repair and maintenance. It's for this forward thinking. Keep up the great work.

Thomas W. Koenecke

Burlington

Support Obama

Like many families here in Racine, our family was shaken to the core when Intermet closed its doors. Over the past ten years or so there have been many factory closings here in Racine. While most did not pay the wages of say a J Wax, or Case, they paid a living wage. With two people working hard a family could make mortgage and car payments while keeping food on the table and the lawn mower in good repair.

I look around Racine now and these manufacturing jobs are gone, and along with them the living wages they paid. Most of the manufacturing jobs that remain are powered by a "temporary workforce" that are paid half the wages as the "Permanent" worker next to them on the line.

Over the past ten years or so I have also seen many new stores here in Racine. They bring many part time positions, low wages, and a lack of benefits with them. The new tax base for our schools, roads and services.

I see Racine, like the rest of the country changing. Everything changes, but not all change is good. We are about to change our president. This is good.

I have been voting for 34 years and would love to vote for a woman but I can't. My family has suffered the old "Political Guard" as long as I can bare. The last straw for me is the fact that the "Clinton Machine" is now trying to back out of her agreement with all the other candidates to not count Florida, and Michigan. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? Sounds like another trap to me.

I have been keeping tabs on Barack Obama. He is intelligent, intuitive, and sincere. I believe he will act in the best interest for all our people. It is time for a "Real Guard". It is time for Barack Obama.

Barb Dawson

Racine

Grateful for support

I'd like to take a minute to thank all of the residents of Mount Pleasant who voted for me on Feb. 19. Also I would like to send a big thanks to those that supported and encouraged me to challenge the tax and spend, spend, spend village board. Those of you that took time to tell me what your issues are and what you would like to see take place in our village, thank you. Thanks to those that helped make signs and place those signs in the cold hard ground to run a true Grassroots campaign. You all showed me that grassroots could be done and less can be more.

Mount Pleasant residents, we're not done yet. I would ask those who cast votes for me and Mr. Chuck Haakma to please use your vote for the challengers: Don Schulz, Ruth Gedwardt, and Harry Manning, 1-3-6 on the ballot on April 1, not April 8 as Hub Brown stated in his letter to the editor of Feb. 18. Those of you voting for the incumbents can vote April 8 - that's cool.

If we use those 3,100 votes for the challengers and vote as we did Feb. 19 we will be successful in replacing all three seats with honest people that really will work for the taxpayers and have a spine and will vote for the majority, not for special interests. No more rubber stamping, 7-0, 7-0, 7-0.

Thank you again very much. I will still be working for you in the background, the people of the village.

"Blue Collar Bob" says get informed, stay informed. Hear the board and committee meetings on tape, nothing left out, on http://www.mpcitizen.org

Robert Strausser

Mount Pleasant

Well done, DeKoven

I want to take moment to thank those at the DeKoven Foundation who are in charge of the pool and the parking lot and walks. When the YWCA closed abruptly in December, DeKoven opened their doors to us and made us feel welcome. They even made changes in their locker rooms and showers to accommodate our needs.

In all the snow and ice this month, they have kept the sidewalks and parking lot clear for us old ladies who have problems navigating when it is bad underfoot. I swim with the senior dip group, (in our 60's, 70's, and 80's) and want the staff to know we appreciate all they do for us. Thank You.

Joyce Buehrens

Sturtevant

Support Huckabee

I am from Alabama and we have held our primary and now I am holding my breath. Against many odds, Mike Huckabee remains in the race. As he should.

That is what America is about. He says he is offering conservatives a choice and he is. He has won many states and has lost only marginally in others to John McCain.

He has done so without major endorsements of Washington and State heads. And he has done so with far less money for campaigning. His message is genuine and his issues are realistic. There is no "pie in the sky."

I encourage you to go to www.MikeHuckabee com if you have not already.Our voices would have been heard other than letting Washington do the thinking for us and telling us who would be best to lead this country.

Joy Hansel

Mobile, Al.

No more tickets

Since the city can give out tickets to people that don't clean ice and snow off their sidewalks in 24 hours, how about the taxpayers of Racine give the city a ticket for every side street they didn't plow?

The Department of Public Works should be responsiblee for every street left in such a horrible state.

Annette Chapman

Racine