February 11

Whoever is in office will get all the blame
Got the mail in the other day, same old stuff, magazines, newspapers and such. But under that lay a card to blast a politician. If I voted for him, I won't say, but I hate it when people are treated that way. We had eight years that were the worst. We lived high on the hog till our bubble burst. The elections were botched with deception and lies. Some people said it went to the wrong guys. Politicians tell half truths and lies every day, can't take it too serous. It's just the game that they play. The "worst of the worst" were the "Swift Boat Men" who wanted to take John Kerry's medals away from him. Cost him the election and how they did smile. Had the Democrats in an uproar, at least for a while. No apologies, not one "We are sorry for ruining your life." Guess the whole country just took it in stride. Politicians reach out to the voters each year. They call it their "Stompin' Grounds." Now tea parties tell you what you want to hear. They think we are dumb because we were raised on a farm, but we can make choices. We weren't born in barn.
When John McCain chose his presidential aid, Republicans liked her for the noise that she made. In interviews the media stomped her, but when she spoke it was no joke. She had to use her teleprompter. (Now she writes on her hand!) John liked her fresh face, he had a plan. If you can't get Obama on his agenda, then just go after the man. She did their dirty work, said all the right things, then she was blamed for the strife it would bring. From prosperity to disparity, she did fall. Pit Bull with lipstick she was called.
Saw our President and some Republicans speaking the other day about our financial pollution. They should sit down, converse and come up with a plan to work out some kind of solution. If they could just get rid of the pork, but alas "We the People" we do like the pork. But pork barrel, that's not so funny. You think it's all free but listen to me, it's costing us tons of money. I hate to see when whoppers are flying, who cares if it's true? I do. So please stop all the mud slinging. If you voted in 2008 and you are a fuming, just give him a chance. After all, he's just human. Democrats, Republicans, it's all the same. Whoever is in office will get the blame.
So now it's back to name calling and it is a sin. "Oh Lord," please help us. It's starting all over again.
— Nettie Troiber, Rib Lake

It was time to think green long ago
I applaud The Star News for bringing up a few worthwhile examples of how municipalities, specifically, can save a few dollars here and there and in-turn, help the environment locally.
But the sad nature of the beast we're up against unfortunately can't ever be turned, only slowed. My feelings personally.
Our planet seems to be limping along, much like a wounded animal waiting for one more good shot to the head. As evident by what's happened in Haiti most recently, we're not too far from draining our planet for all it's worth.
Footprints from over thousands of years ago can still be seen today, and to think we can simply brush over them with our size 10 and move on is ignorant thinking at best.
This world-wide trend isn't going to be curbed by our efforts on a local level by any means. And while it may make us feel better about our part in the large puzzle, it won't change things. It might give us a passing grade with an "E" for effort, but I am sorry to say I don't see the end in sight anytime soon.
Keep praying, it might be our only shot. I hope we're able to prove myself, and many others wrong.
— Douglas Etten, Minocqua

Calls on Congress to pass the federal Right to Repair Act
New data reveals that consumers save an estimated $26 billion a year or $360 per family for vehicle service and repair at neighborhood independent repair shops compared to more costly new car dealerships. This demonstrates why Congress needs to swiftly pass the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2057). This legislation will prevent car manufacturers from denying access to repair information, computer codes, tools and software needed by car owners and their neighborhood repair shops to repair late model vehicles.
Historically, car owners have had the ability to repair their vehicles themselves or take them to the service facility of their choice. The car companies now seek to force consumers to return to the dealership for service and repair and are lobbying heavily against the Right to Repair Act. It is appalling that some manufacturers can take federal bailout money and then turn around and oppose a bill that would protect every American motorist from a vehicle repair monopoly.
The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2057) currently has the support of 53 members of Congress. Every consumer who owns or operates a vehicle in the U.S. stands to suffer economically if this bill is not passed. Please send a letter urging your members of Congress to support the Right to Repair Act by visiting www.righttorepair.org.
— Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Bethesda, MD

Writer says President Obama only supports government jobs
In Obama's America you'll all work for the government one way or the other, presumably he isn't stupid enough actually to believe what he has said, but it's dispiriting to discover he thinks we're stupid enough to believe it. His speeches are even more sonorous banailities unrelated to action, but in America Obama is talking, he talked for 70 minutes at the State of the Union, after the first hour even my malevolent genie was back in the bottle.

Writer says Feingold is honest, independent and intelligent
The challenges facing our state and nation worry me. The economy seems to still be in recession, with so many unemployed and underemployed. Our health care system leaves too many without affordable quality care. The war in Afghanistan, which seemed justifiable to oust the Taliban eight years ago, now begins to look more and more like our tragic misadventures in Viet Nam and Iraq. And whether or not we can agree on how much human activities have contributed, climate change is upon is, with more on its way.
As I look for something or someone to provide hope, it comforts me to think of Senator Russ Feingold. Feingold is honest and independent and intelligent. He is up for re-election this year and is exactly the type of lawmaker we need to represent us in Washington.
I say this because he had the courage to stand all alone in the US Senate, while the nation was suffering in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist act, and vote against the USA Patriot Act. Anyone who would vote against such a patriotically named bill at such an emotional time had better have had good reasons. Feingold did. He read the bill and saw that it went way too far by granting unconstitutional police powers to the government–such as being able to secretly enter your home and take records without getting a warrant. When the act came up for renewal, Feingold was joined by a majority of the Senate in deleting many of its most outrageous violations of our constitutional rights.
At a time when politics too often is toxic and our governments are too often in political grid-lock, Feingold manages to work across the aisle, as he did with the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform legislation. The centerpiece of that law was a ban on soft money contributions by corporations, that is, giving directly to politicians or their campaign committees. While a recent US Supreme Court decision gives more powers to corporations to spend money for issue ads in political campaigns, the Feingold-McCain ban on soft money remains.
Feingold voted against the TARP bailout of Wall Street bankers. It was, as he correctly suspected, full of loop-holes for the rich; it allowed outrageous “bonuses” to be paid to many who caused the problem in the first place. He voted for the stimulus package so that money could be put into programs that help keep and create jobs. It will take time to see the results of that legislation; the majority of the money allocated under it has yet to be spent.
At this time of economic difficulty, many worry about making ends meet, both in our families and as a nation. For years Russ Feingold has been setting an admirable example in personal and governmental economy: he does not accept the automatic pay raises that Congress has engineered for itself, instead returning everything over his salary as it was the year he was last elected.
— Al Manson, Town of Murry, Rusk County