A blossom to the Brodhead Historic Preservation Commission > for realizing that it is next to impossible to please Dave Searles. Keep up the great work!
A barb to farm equipment drivers> who create hazardous conditions by pulling onto roadways, forcing oncoming traffic to apply serious brake pressure NOW to avoid an accident. I doubt you would have pulled into traffic like that with your personal vehicle ... so why do it with farm equipment? If safety is your concern, then wait the extra few seconds for an oncoming vehicle(s) to pass. - Greg (submitted and posted online at www.themonroetimes.com)>
One big, prickly barb to the group of teens playing "hot potato" >in Greenwood Cemetery on Sunday. Do you have no manners or concept of a cemetery being a peaceful place? I was walking through visiting my regular sites and there you all were, laughing loudly and kicking a ball around! I hope your parents read this and realize what a disrespectful group you are. A cemetery is a place of peace and resting - a place I go to reflect on those I've lost, not to be interrupted by a group of naughty teenagers playing a game. That's what the parks are for, or aren't you smart enough to know better? - I'd Like to Teach Them Some Manners>
A blossom to the Wisconsin state Legislature >for passing legislation this year that creates a state Scottish Tartan. A tartan is cloth woven in colors in a Scotch plaid pattern. Each Scottish clan has a distinctive pattern and is the plaid design used in their kilts. Some states and provinces, now including Wisconsin, have adopted tartans also. - Dave Searles, president, Scottish-American Heritage Society, Brodhead>
Another barb against the Wisconsin Department of Transportation >concerning Wisconsin Highway 11. We do not need anymore studies concerning whether the second two lanes east of Monroe and a Brodhead bypass need to be constructed. This was already determined in the mid-1960s and should have been completed in the mid-1980s. We need four lanes from east of Monroe and a four-laned Brodhead bypass now with diamond interchanges at County C, Wis. 81 East-County GG, Center Avenue, County T and Wis. 11, with two lanes continuing around to Wis. 104. - Dave Searles, Brodhead>
A big barb to the people who are supposed to watch over our financial system. >Our government bailed out AIG, one of the world's largest insurance companies that insured the investment banks on their credit default swaps, which are derivatives. I believe that's a mistake. While the government bailed out certain institutions, it let other ones fail. The only thing the government should guarantee are the commercial banks, and it should have left the Glass-Steagall Act, because it created a firewall between the commercial banks and investment banks and the stock market. One thing President Clinton did do was to go after taxing the hedge fund dealers, particularly the ones offshore, and it was supposed to take effect by July 2001. But President Bush tabled it after he took office. That income would really help the government's deficit. - La Vern F. Isley, Monroe>
