Trump incited Capitol riot Tiffany is a fearless leader Tiffany is toxic Editor errs in what’s true, what’s false

of the top ten percent is up 178 percent, while corporate profits after taxes are up 239 percent. Conservative Republican politicians are good for the economy?

Well, the stock market is up. The economy of families is not. Follow the money. In Wisconsin the best example is the Foxconn farce. The Republican governor and legislators lavished billions of Wisconsin taxpayer dollars to a Chinese businessman to build a factory in Wisconsin on the Illinois border. Foxconn promised to create 13,000 jobs. Foxconn has not lived up to their end of the contract.

What if those politicians had used even one billion dollars to improve life in the rural areas of Wisconsin? That money could have been used to provide funds for capital-starved rural industry and businesses. Rural public education needs support along with medical availability. With grocery stores going out of business in small towns, food deserts are appearing. Family farmers could use favorable regulations that allow them to compete with big agriculture. High speed broadband would help rural businesses compete with urban centers. Rural rejuvenation would provide jobs where they are needed. The allure of big corporate illusions of grandeur should be shelved until we have a vital rural sector.

Blaming our government for all our national woes has a long history but two events have made the present resentment more dangerous. In his 1981 inaugural address, Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem.” That began big money efforts to vilify our democratic process of governing. The quote by President Reagan led to many of our fellow citizens distrusting the role our government plays in society.

What are we asked to distrust? The responsibilities that government plays in our lives have to do with health care, public education, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, military, policing, environmental protection, jobs, food safety and many other responsibilities. There has been measure of corruption, of course, but it was the role of the public and governmental watchdogs to call it out.

Government services such as Social Security, public education, Medicare represent huge pools of money to exploit if those programs are privatized. Corporations can make governmental service into profit making sectors which would be mostly out of sight of elected watchdog agencies. It is good to remember that CEOs get paid to provide maximum profits to their shareholders, not to the welfare of citizens.

The other danger was represented by the Supreme Court decisions of Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and Citizens United v. The Federal Election Commission (2010). These decisions removed limits on election spending and gave corporations the same right of freedom of expression as individuals while equating money in politics as the right of free speech. These decisions radically changed the nature of politics in our country.

Any office or issue having to do with regulating corporations opens the flood gates of big and dark (not disclosed) money into political campaigns. Now, if a political party wants to pick a candidate, the first question they ask is, not how they stand on policies to help the citizens, but how much money can you raise? No wonder government is not trusted today. It has become a tool of big money organizations.

We need to remake government as a tool to serve its citizens. Corporations are created by state charters. They get all kinds of favorable tax and liability perks. Shouldn’t they be responsible to the citizens who grant them preferential treatment? If corporate CEOs and their boards act against public interest, let them face the insurrectionists.

Rick Lohr Marathon

Trump incited Capitol riot

To the Editor: On Jan. 6, it was clear that words are powerful. President Trump’s words incited his supporters to storm the United States Capital building.

Five people died. Others were injured. Untold damage was done to the United States Capital building and elected officials meeting there were threatened with violence. He denies all responsibility for the mayhem that his words triggered.

Thousands of National Guard troops have been called into Washington D.C. to maintain order. State capitals are also on high alert for possible riots. All types of other security organizations are preparing for possible violence. An undetermined amount of public money is being spent for security all based on lies and inflammatory language.

Words hurt. Words can be dangerous. Words have divided our country. Words have tarnished the United States standing in the world.

Words are important.

Kathy Anderson Town of Marathon

Tiffany is a fearless leader

To the Editor: Congressman Tom Tiffany demonstrated his fearless leadership when he legally voted to object to the certification of Wisconsin’s 10 elector ballots on Jan. 6, 2021 As Tom correctly stated, ballots cast in violation of procedures in state statutes “may not be included in the certified result of any election.” And it is documented that both Dane and Milwaukee Counties did not follow state statutes.

I know Congressman Tiffany and this decision had to be challenging for him. However, I voted for Tom Tiffany because I felt strongly he wouldn’t be afraid to uphold the Constitution on important decisions for the best interest of the thousands of taxpayers who voted for him.

We need more congressional leaders with the integrity of Congressman Tiffany. I want a congressman that follows the law and Congressman Tiffany did that. Thank you Tom Tiffany for your strength and perseverance to stand up for the voters in Wisconsin who elected you to this important office.

Joanne Leonard Wausau

Tiffany is toxic

To the Editor: Hello to all you lovers and supporters of Toxic Tom Tiffany. His most recent despicable act should make all of you very proud.

I’m referring to his continued support of the President’s lie that the election was fraudulent. I feel that his support was the direct cause for the insurrection which occurred at the United States Capitol.

Tiffany apparently felt it was okay for the Capitol to be ransacked by a bunch of white fascist thugs. Even after the carnage, when the House and Senate finally returned to the floor, your Honorable Congressman Toxic Thomas P. Tiffany remained steadfast in his unwavering support of Trump’s lie. I think Toxic Tom has blood on his hands.

Missouri Rep. Cori Bush was going to introduce articles asking that all supporters of Trump’s lie, both in the House and Senate, either resign or be expelled immediately. I wholeheartedly agree.

This situation reminds me of some lyrics written by the late great John Prine. I believe he wrote the song, “Some Humans Ain’t Human” in response to the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq. I think these words apply now. “Some humans ain’t human, some people ain’t kind. They lie through their teeth with their head up their behind. You open up their hearts, and here’s what you find. Some humans ain’t human, some people ain’t kind.”

Randy Borchardt Hayward

Editor errs in what’s true, what’s false

To the Editor: Our country is facing many problems, and I’m concerned about what di- it may be going. It doesn’t help that, for two straight weeks, editorials with the same theme of criticizing our state politicians turns information around about what our elected officials were trying to do when they spoke up about what many people believe were suspicious doings in our recent presidential election.

The most recent was titled “Rule of law,” but after reading it, it is my opinion that both Sen. Ron Johnson and Congressman Tom Tiffany were following the “rule of law” as part of their duties because, like many of the people they represent, both politicians believed questions were not answered, leading to their decisions to want to find out the truth about what really happened in the election.

They actually deserve our thanks for doing their jobs, and should not be criticized and brushed aside by the writer of the editorial as if he just hoped things would go away. I like to think I’m fairly well informed about what is going on, including in politics. My opinions and beliefs are based on things I have read, listened to and observed over the years of my life.

As a believer in Christ, saying and doing the right things is something I try my best to do as the Bible commands. Also, the laws we have from our U.S. Constitution are very important to me, and I would sacrifice much to protect them. The Bible says in Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitutes bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

This verse hits the nail on the head when describing the spin that these past two editorial columns tried to pass off as true. In this case, both politicians were right, and not wrong, when taking the action they did with their positions.

Daniel Buchanan Owen