Northwoods Viewpoints this week
Turnbull and Losch “a breath of fresh air”
Editor,
Maggie Turnbull and Wil Losch are running for Governor and Lt. Governor. They are running under the Independent ticket so you can eliminate party allegiance and interfering interest. Maggie Turnbull has a doctorate in astronomy and has been working at NASA, focused on the existence of life in space.
Turnbull enjoys her life interests that parallel the people of northern Wisconsin. She enjoys hunting, fishing and beekeeping which fuel her love of our natural resources. I believe that Maggie would stand tall to represent and defend the interest of our natural resources without contamination of party interest and greed. Being independent Turnbull has an opportunity to focus specifically on the interest of the people of Wisconsin minus misdirecting interference from party and donors. Both Turnbull and Losch put future enhancement of education for Wisconsin children as a top shelf priority. This is based on their own experience from drinking from the well of knowledge. Turnbull has had experience of serving in Antigo government and Losch is from the land of the Hodag.
Losch was part of a team that formulated and constructed the Charter school system in Rhinelander and is presently an instructor of history at Rhinelander High School. Losch favors stimulation and debate of ideas to enhance learning and thought creativity in young and open minds. Losch is also known for his Lake Superior kayaking instruction, respected hockey coaching and experience and has completed a 50 mile run with the personal encouragement and accompaniment of veteran U.S. Marines.
These team candidates come to you with clean slates, enthusiasm, open and creative sharp minds that are focused to help and serve the people of Wisconsin. The walk is now connected to the talk.
Your vote and support for this team will bring a breath of fresh air to Wisconsin. Take the step.
Food for thought.
Craig Strid, Rhinelander
Reader: Make the city great again
Editor,
Chris Frederickson wants to do what he’s been elected to do. The people wrote him in – what does that tell you. The people even elected three new alderpersons to help with the change that the city needs.
First clean up city council, starting with the whiner George Kirby. And yes, it’s a very good idea by involving all council members on the city’s finance, wage committee. Otherwise you’re going to have what you have now. A city in dire straights.
The four people, should I say the old dinosaurs that been on the council for ages. And yes exactly what Kirby said “the four longest serving alderpersons.” George Kirby, Dawn Rog, Sherrie Belliveau and Tom Kelly.
Its finally time somebody’s calling them out. So look at what the shape the city is in. They never got anything done then. So what’s going to change by keeping them in. Look at them now whining like little puppies because they’re fighting that change to the finance committee which consists of them and only them. So what should I say the Fantastic Four, Ha-Ha.
See what they did to the city workers, street, water, waste water and other city related departments.
They strip them of everything – took everything away. That backbone of the city , the workers. You like good roads to drive on – yes. You like plowed and sanded roads in the winter – yes. So next time thank a city worker. He or she is trying to overcome the wrath of the council (committee).
We lost a lot of good men especially street superintendent Tony Gilman, street superintendent Randy Knuth. Both could not work with the finance committee.
Remember that’s when the city looked the best. So yes the mayor is going to do good!
So now you have Kirby whining on what the mayors doing. But when him and his three other partners in crime took everything away from the workers. They didn’t care. They just said at a council meeting that if the workers didn’t like it then they should quit. Well-well-well. Look at Kirby now – if you don’t like what the mayor’s trying to do making the city great again! Then maybe you and your three, Dawn Rog, Sherrie Belliveau and Tom Kelly should move on – quit. Let the mayor do his job!
Neil Panzer, Rhinelander
How to make American manufacturers competitive
Editor,
Tariffs are causing the price of construction to go up. The costs of inputs to the construction industry increased by an average of 9.6 percent from June 2017 to June 2018, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. There is a nail manufacturer in America that is cutting back production and laying workers off because it is losing orders. It is losing orders because it is raising prices on its product. It is raising prices because of tariffs.
This was expected, right? When we have talked about tariffs to protect jobs I would have thought we were talking about putting tariffs on finished products and not on the raw materials to make those products. Harley Davidson, Ford, GM all buy foreign steel to make their product and the tariffs will cause the price of their products to increase. This can only hurt sales. I sure hope that when Honda sends a car into this country that they have to pay a tariff on the steel in that car. Tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico and the European Union took effect on May 31. I guess that exempts the Honda from that particular tariff. What is it we are trying to accomplish?
We talk about our aging and crumbling infrastructure in America. Rebuilding takes steel and lots of it. Roads, especially bridges, take huge amounts of steel. We talk of building pipe lines for oil and gas, I prefer wind turbines and solar panels, but either way, steel and aluminum will be major materials in the building of these products. Many water pipes and existing gas and oil pipes are in need of replacement. Tariffs will increase the cost of all these things.
As I write this I can’t help to think of what I believe can be the best way to make our American manufacturers more cost competitive with foreign manufacturers. How about we remove the cost of healthcare for their employees from their budget sheet. When we build a car in Detroit the employer pays for healthcare for their employee. In Canada, for example, healthcare is paid for in a different way. I believe this would be much more effective than tariffs in making our manufacturers compete with foreign manufacturers.
Dave Groh, Saint Germain
Moving the flag pole at Forest Home Cemetery
Editor,
The flag pole at Forest Home Cemetery is back in the corner among the trees. Most people do not even know where it is.
The mayor, cemetery sexton and Oneida County Vets Council say they have no money in their budgets to move the flag pole to a more visible location. I propose the local vet clubs and associates pay and install a nice 30-foot pole for $3,000 or a 35-foot pole for $3,500. If the city public works installs the foundation, it will cost about $500 less! The site would have to be agreed on by the city and the sexton.
A plaque will be placed on or by the pole with the vets club name and numbers.
If any individual wishes to donate, they may send a check to VFW Post 3143, P.O. box 476, Rhinelander. Note on the check “flag pole,” and which club you wish to get credit for the donation.
Ralph E. Larson, Quartermaster Post 3143, Rhinelander
Questioning Swearingen’s accomplishments
Editor,
I recently read Rob Swearingen’s announcement that he is running for yet another term in the state Assembly. Like any politician, he claims that he is proud of his accomplishments and those of his party. Should he be?
Let’s look at the economy. True, Wisconsin’s economy has improved over the last ten years, but so has the economy of every other state since the Great Recession of 2007 ended. More relevant is how Wisconsin’s economy is doing compared to other Midwest states. Here, things are not so rosy.
In the period 2011-2017, Wisconsin ranked 34th in the country for job growth (WPR June 7). If Wisconsin’s job growth kept up with the national rate, we would have over 100,000 additional jobs today (Wisconsin State Journal, June 17). If we had gained only a fraction of that, we certainly wouldn’t need to throw billions of hard-earned tax dollars to a foreign corporation to build a factory near the Illinois border.
Governor Walker promised 250,000 new jobs during his first term. Despite the national recovery, and even after seven years, his policies have still failed to deliver that number (BizTimes June 4). Not a great source of pride.
The economic policies Swearingen has supported while in office have caused us to fall behind other states around us in terms of wages, new business startups and overall job growth. We need a new direction and a new representative for the 34th Assembly district.
Phyllis Schuit, Hazelhurst
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