Sex and jobs!
Ruth Conniff's column on the Wisconsin Legislature's failure to provide jobs implies that banning insurance coverage of abortion and repealing the Healthy Youth Act were bad ("So Much for Jobs, Jobs, Jobs," 3/23/2012). I think otherwise: Abortion kills the unborn, and, in the Healthy Youth Act repeal, at least the parts calling for sexual abstinence for singles are good. I favor the "sex, sex, sex" part (as you called it) of the Republican agenda and the "jobs, jobs, jobs" agenda you want. Let's repudiate the divorce so many politicians put in between the "jobs" and other good parts of the liberal agenda, and the pro-unborn, pro-chastity, pro-religion, and pro-family parts of the conservative agenda.
Daniel P. Eberhardy
It's personal
American liberal intellectuals and what's left of the liberal press (The Capital Times included) typically criticize the wars we wage only in terms of strategy, American casualties and cost to American taxpayers - conspicuously omitting reference to the devastation of the "enemy" countries and their people.
So your cover story "Collaterally Damaged" (4/6/2012) was good to see. It's a gruesome picture, but it's what we need to face, in order to own up to what our country is doing, and maybe, eventually, to find a way out of the madness.
Charles Walter
Growth industry
Great article on turning your yard into a farm ("Create a Farm in Your Own Yard," Abode, 4/6/2012)! Please add Madison FarmWorks to your list of resources for becoming an urban farmer. We combine the expertise of the farmer with the scale and aesthetic of the home gardener to help urbanites produce food right where we live. Over the years we have learned that gardeners can benefit from the techniques used by organic farmers. We share our skills with gardeners interested in increasing their production through planning, garden design and the core techniques of organic agriculture. Find out more at troygardens.org.
Megan Cain, Program manager
Madison FarmWorks & Goodman Youth Grow Local Farm Community GroundWorks
D'oh!
I see that a supporter of Kathleen Falk has decided to play the gender card ("Another Wisconsin Woman Is Dissed," 4/6/2012). Where was this supporter when Falk ran against fellow Democrat incumbent Peg Lautenschlager, thus giving us J.B. Van Hollen? Barrett didn't suddenly decide to run against her. He simply stuck to the tacit agreement that no Democrat would announce until the recall was certified. I hope my wife didn't stand out in the cold day after day to collect signatures to recall Walker for us to end up with Falk. We will gladly support any of the other candidates, but I, at least, will write in Homer Simpson if Falk gets the nomination.
Joel Black, Blue Mounds
Linda Balisle claims that, due to Tom Barrett's decision to run for governor, "another Wisconsin woman is dissed." Really? Strange, but I've always thought it's about removing Scott Walker from office.
Clearly, this election will have far-reaching consequences for this state and the nation and will be run over an extremely tight time frame. It is imperative that the Democrats nominate the candidate who will give them the best chance to win, whoever that might be.
Greg Fumelle, Sun Prairie
Stop the blame game
Here we are 35 years, five superintendents and countless school board members later, and there has been no progress in the achievement gap ("Faces of the Achievement Gap," 3/30/2012). Well, that's not exactly true: We have seen an increase in students of color being labeled as learning disabled, hyperactive, hungry, homeless, etc.
The school board blames the superintendent, the superintendent blames the union, the union blames the teachers, the teachers blame the parents, the parents blame the school, and the students blame whoever is handy.
While we blame everyone, the one thing we all have in common is the education of our children, and that seems to have fallen by the wayside.
Please leave your egos, blame and rights in the parking lots and take responsibility for your part in the achievement gap equation. Let's get on with the business of educating all our students. And if that means trying something like Madison Prep, I say, why not? After all, we have had more than enough time trying it the old way.
Lurlie Richardson
