From John Underly

Hollandale

To the editor:

I am writing in response to a 9-19 letter to the editor in the Monroe Times in support of Howard Marklein. The writer wrote that there was a “fanatical” effort to replace him. The effort isn’t simply “fanatical”; it is a moral imperative. We have no time to lose because Mr. Marklein has contributed to the breaking and hollowing out of Wisconsin. We can’t fix the problems he’s contributed to if he remains in office another term. I choose to live in rural southwestern Wisconsin and my children attend a rural public school that has to go to referendum every four to five years for operating costs. Every day we drive awful roads to get to our jobs or to school. I’ve watched our quality of life erode due to the policies that Marklein supports (and even suggests as a member of the powerful Joint Finance Committee), like increasing voucher limits for private school tuition. We need policies that build up rural Wisconsin - our main streets, our family farms, our public schools, and our infrastructure like roads and internet access. Mr. Marklein does not do anything until his feet are held to the fire, or when a formidable challenger like Kriss Marion comes forward in an election year. So yes, things are broke thanks to the policies that Mr. Marklein promotes and supports. We need to replace him so that things can finally get fixed.