Disgruntled employee
Tim Cooley's exit, as detailed in Marc Eisen's opinion piece ("A Troubling Departure," 2/4/11), should not come as a shock to anyone who has been paying attention to Madison politics during the reign of the self-proclaimed "Mayor Dave." Nor should anyone be surprised by the lack of substantive economic development during this time.
We've got a conservative autocrat dressing himself up as a personable guy-next-door. Employees have long come to know the results of bucking the system under the tyrant's rule. You are shown the door, one way or the other.
As a union leader who keeps his nose clean, firing me wasn't an option; Mayor Dave's plan B was to call me mentally ill. As a city employee, it's a good gig for me, as I don't have to go to work anymore, and I still get paid. The Madison taxpayer in me, though, is shopping for a new boss for my coworkers. I'm voting for "Anyone But Mayor Dave."
Davin Pickell, IATSE Local 251, AFSCME Local 60
Barrett mislabeled
Alison Bauter's characterization of me as a "self-proclaimed '9/11 truth scholar'" ("Steve Nass, Ideological Warrior," 2/4/11) is false and defamatory.
By putting the phrase "9/11 truth scholar" in quotes, Bauter asserts that I have described myself in these exact words, and strongly implies that this is the way I characterize myself professionally.
In fact, I have never "proclaimed" myself any such thing.
Kevin Barrett, Lone Rock
Your article about Steve Nass, especially the use of the phrase "self-proclaimed '9/11 truth scholar'" to describe Kevin Barrett, reminded me how many otherwise intelligent individuals, including readers of Isthmus, have little or no idea of how extensively these events have been studied. They might want to visit http://911scholars.org to learn more about it.
James H. Fetzer, founder, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Oregon, Wis.
Quote Nass, not aide
Michael Mikalsen, aide to state Rep. Steve Nass, has not been elected to office by anyone, yet reporters for Isthmus and other news media continue to quote him extensively. If Rep. Nass has opinions, let him speak for himself.
Sheila Leary
