A huge blossom to Mary Bendorf and Chuck Olsen for their insightful and knowledgeable letters. The liberal media wouldn't consider acknowledging anything like this as shown by the way they handled the interview with Garden Deli's owner. They have made others who have come to Madison backing Walker sound like criminals or idiots. If the truth were known, there are many people all over the country following this and hoping that Walker will hold fast because unions have bankrupted their states. If the Republicans in Washington had tried a stupid trick like running away, as the Democrats here have, they would have been ridiculed endlessly, even though they weren't given any say in the bills. I am not anti-teachers. Most of them do a great job and I know it isn't easy. However, with the economy as it is, it is essential that they start living like the rest of us. - Lois Gordee
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A barb to the Monroe School District for only presenting the negative influence of Walker's budget bill on state aid and not informing the community of the positive aspects of the bill when district employees would be required to pay into health care and pensions. Would we really need a referendum? - Looking for the truth
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A huge blossom to the Monroe High School Dance Team for its participation in the Flash Mob at Monroe Public Library to promote Read Across American and Rock n' Read Family storytime. You all are great mentors to the teens and patrons who observed and participated in the event. You emphasized the importance of literacy and Monroe Public Library programs in our community. - Laurie
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A barb to the Monroe Common Council concerning the streets projects. First, according to the project bid documents, they could have modified Maddrell Excavating's bid on the underground work to cover their bid mistake and award them the contract for $630,000 thus saving the city the $260,000 more that the project now costs. Secondly, if Maddrell Excavating then decided not to do the work, the city could have recouped the $60,000 bid bond for the project from Maddrell Excavating, Lastly, the city awarded the alternate bid using ductile iron watermain to Dane County Contracting which was $90,000 higher than the base bid using PVC watermain. While the city is discussion how to pay for these projects, maybe they should look back at their decision-making process of what's best for the city and not to help out a contractor. - A taxpayer
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A barb to The Monroe Times for not including pension and health care negotiated costs of the area school districts in their Feb. 23 front-page article. Thanks for the information about county and city negotiations. - A taxpayer
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A barb to The Monroe Times for their Our Views article on Feb. 21, "Put Aside Theatrics ..." There were many good points until you stated teachers' salaries were $50 to $55,000. You failed to include the $25 to $30,000 in benefits that they receive with only paying a very small amount towards their pension and insurance. They work 188 days including paid personal and sick days. The private sector works 240 days per year, pays most of the pension and for their insurance and can be laid off at any time. Articles need to include salary and benefits info so that the readers can make informed decisions. - A taxpayer
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A blossom to Mary Bettendorf and Chuck Olsen for their insightful letters. The sad truth is the Democrats can't make the necessary cuts to balance the budget because they are attached at the hip to the unions and they would lose their power base. A special barb to Sen. Erpenbach for giving us taxation without representation. - Broke in Wisconsin
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A barb to the Democrats who bugged out to Illinois. The only thing it accomplishes, is that for a short period of time, it does raise the average IQ of both states. -Anonymous
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A barb to state employees. Why state employees receive pensions is beyond me. Everyone else in the workforce has a 401K program. They have to contribute to, if they are luck, their employer contributes 3 to 5 percent. No one seems to be showing the fact that most of the unions are government jobs. We all know that government, whether on the local level, state level or federal level all keep growing, and the taxpayers have taken enough hits in the last three years that they no longer can afford to. There are no easy answers, but what they have is certainly not fair compared to the rest of us, especially at our expenses. - Anonymous
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To barbs and blossoms: I get tired of hearing that both parties have worked together for 50 years. For the last 50 years, the unions and state employees have had so much power no one could do anything about it. Now, 50 years later, the state is so far in debt that things can no longer keep going. If the unions win again, the only thing you can count on is your taxes taking a huge hike. - Anonymous
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A big fat barb to local and state government employees who would rather see thousands of layoffs rather than pay "their piece of the pie" like everyone else has to do to keep businesses from going under. - Sandra B.
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A barb to the Monroe School District for only presenting the negative influence of Walker's budget bill on state aid and not informing the community of the positive aspects of the bill when district employees would be required to pay into health care and pensions. Would we really need a referendum? - Looking for the truth
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A huge blossom to the Monroe High School Dance Team for its participation in the Flash Mob at Monroe Public Library to promote Read Across American and Rock n' Read Family storytime. You all are great mentors to the teens and patrons who observed and participated in the event. You emphasized the importance of literacy and Monroe Public Library programs in our community. - Laurie
•••
A barb to the Monroe Common Council concerning the streets projects. First, according to the project bid documents, they could have modified Maddrell Excavating's bid on the underground work to cover their bid mistake and award them the contract for $630,000 thus saving the city the $260,000 more that the project now costs. Secondly, if Maddrell Excavating then decided not to do the work, the city could have recouped the $60,000 bid bond for the project from Maddrell Excavating, Lastly, the city awarded the alternate bid using ductile iron watermain to Dane County Contracting which was $90,000 higher than the base bid using PVC watermain. While the city is discussion how to pay for these projects, maybe they should look back at their decision-making process of what's best for the city and not to help out a contractor. - A taxpayer
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A barb to The Monroe Times for not including pension and health care negotiated costs of the area school districts in their Feb. 23 front-page article. Thanks for the information about county and city negotiations. - A taxpayer
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A barb to The Monroe Times for their Our Views article on Feb. 21, "Put Aside Theatrics ..." There were many good points until you stated teachers' salaries were $50 to $55,000. You failed to include the $25 to $30,000 in benefits that they receive with only paying a very small amount towards their pension and insurance. They work 188 days including paid personal and sick days. The private sector works 240 days per year, pays most of the pension and for their insurance and can be laid off at any time. Articles need to include salary and benefits info so that the readers can make informed decisions. - A taxpayer
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A blossom to Mary Bettendorf and Chuck Olsen for their insightful letters. The sad truth is the Democrats can't make the necessary cuts to balance the budget because they are attached at the hip to the unions and they would lose their power base. A special barb to Sen. Erpenbach for giving us taxation without representation. - Broke in Wisconsin
•••
A barb to the Democrats who bugged out to Illinois. The only thing it accomplishes, is that for a short period of time, it does raise the average IQ of both states. -Anonymous
•••
A barb to state employees. Why state employees receive pensions is beyond me. Everyone else in the workforce has a 401K program. They have to contribute to, if they are luck, their employer contributes 3 to 5 percent. No one seems to be showing the fact that most of the unions are government jobs. We all know that government, whether on the local level, state level or federal level all keep growing, and the taxpayers have taken enough hits in the last three years that they no longer can afford to. There are no easy answers, but what they have is certainly not fair compared to the rest of us, especially at our expenses. - Anonymous
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To barbs and blossoms: I get tired of hearing that both parties have worked together for 50 years. For the last 50 years, the unions and state employees have had so much power no one could do anything about it. Now, 50 years later, the state is so far in debt that things can no longer keep going. If the unions win again, the only thing you can count on is your taxes taking a huge hike. - Anonymous
•••
A big fat barb to local and state government employees who would rather see thousands of layoffs rather than pay "their piece of the pie" like everyone else has to do to keep businesses from going under. - Sandra B.
