No litmus tests
In his opinion piece last week, “Wanted: Good Democratic candidates,” Alan Talaga suggests running those “who have roots in the district” because their perspectives need to be heard in Madison and Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, there is as much danger setting up a litmus test that excludes a candidate from “a fancy law school” as one who is “a progressive dairy farmer.” It becomes too easy to pit rural against urban and roads against trains. Farmers can feel no need to care about the homeless in Madison and Milwaukee’s young professionals can absolve themselves from understanding how changes in NAFTA affect milk sales to Canada and corn exports to Mexico. Candidates need to represent their districts, Wisconsin, and the United States.
LuAnne Feik (via email)
Silence hurts
Re: “Secrets and lies in Sun Prairie” (5/4/2017): It only takes one instance like this to completely erode the trust of local police. One bad apple does spoil the bunch in cases like this when the city refuses to make light of the situation and chooses to remain mum on details.
Dar Singletari (via Facebook)
Trouble on State
Re: “Madison continues efforts to ‘activate’ trouble spot at top of State” (5/1/17): Political correctness, which epitomizes Madison, apparently forbids honesty. We know darn well that no one wants the homeless cluttering up the landscape (whether it be parks or State Street) but they dare not come right out and say it.
How about we just vote on an ordinance that bans vagrancy, panhandling, loitering, and sleeping on public or private property? Then give one-way bus tickets to those who have a problem with that.
I’m kidding, of course, but the silly efforts the city goes to in order to do what everyone wants them to do without offending anyone is ridiculous.
Obviously, what is being done isn’t working. Not here or anywhere.
Steve Willard (via Facebook)
Bowled under
Re: “Soup is back” (4/27/17): If I read this correctly, the author is saying that all the soups are pretty terrible so [I’m] not sure how one could choose correctly. Also, the reason that soup places close is because there are at least 4-5 months that people don’t eat soup. It’s a horrible biz model.
Correction
In last week’s story, “A Rock ‘n’ roll farewell,” it was incorrectly stated that Tag Evers of Frank Productions will be taking over booking for the High Noon Saloon. Maggie Denman will be handling local booking, and Kyle LaValley will be booking national acts.
The headline on our opinion column last week was incomplete. It should have read “Wanted: Good Democratic candidates.”
