To the People of the 35th Assembly District:
On September 14th I am asking for your vote. If you are seeking more information about me, please see the candidate profiles contained in today’s Foto News. For anyone who has a question, do not hesitate to contact me.
We have an opportunity starting in this fall’s elections to reform the policies originating in Madison that have contributed to our problems. It won’t be easy. Some entrenched interests will insist it can’t be done. As an optimist by nature, I say we can.
As your representative I will bring ideas – some old, some new – that can reinvigorate Wisconsin’s economy. Let’s put Wisconsin’s best days ahead of us. I am asking for your vote on Tuesday, September 14th.
Tom Tiffany
35th Assembly
Candidate
Editor,
Recent letters & articles to local papers written by those with Democratic leanings shows they need to look at what the Democratic controlled Congress (controlled since 2006) have done to “ruin” this country.
When Reid & Pelosi took control of congress the unemployment rate was 4.6% National Debt $8.6 trillion. Forty some months later those numbers are 9.5% unemployment, National Debt $13.3+ trillion.
Our budget process works like this: President submits a proposed budget, congress takes it and sets a final budget that is used for that fiscal year.
Democrats have had control of final budget since 2006. A sad comment to add here is that our Congressman Obey was Chair of Appropriations committee. He had responsibility to say WHOA we need to cut-back here and didn’t. In fact the current Congress has agreed to up the Debt Ceiling from $12.2 to $14.2 TRILLION recently. Hardly fiscal responsibility at its best, don’t you agree? Knowing history and budget process, it is very difficult to understand how the Dems can blame ALL our budget problems on the Bush Admin. Congress controls the spending and the Dems have controlled it since 2006. When we look at history more we see that during the Clinton years our economy was booming and he gets much credit for that. A further look shows that the GOP controlled the congress all but one of the Clinton years. Who deserves the credit?
This election cycle we need to look at candidates and see if they were a part of congress during this economic free fall. Then we need to toss them out as they didn’t do a good job at controlling spending. We need to use the words of one of my favorite quotes, “Let’s not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let’s not seek to fix blame for the past. Let’s accept our own responsibility for the future.” -John F. Kennedy.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Chuck Bolder
Merrill
Editor;
As a military veteran I am proud of my more than 22 years of service in the US Army defending our country, and our way of life. This Labor Day however, forces me to re-consider just what is the American way of life that I defended. Is the American dream of home ownership, quality medical care, and equal opportunity for all still a reality?
I fear we have lost our way. If a company can use legal tricks to avoid its pension obligation made to its workers, forcing them to lose their modest homes while the company executives retire to castles, I fear we have lost our way. If a company can move our jobs overseas, get a government tax credit for doing it just to make an extra penny, I fear we have lost our way. And here in Merrill if a company pays so little that full time workers are eligible for food stamps and Badger Care while the owners drive Mercedes, I fear we have lost our way.
It may seem crazy to strike a company in the middle of a recession. Yet, there are limits to what any workers can or should have to endure. Most of us have worked for Merrill Manufacturing for more than a decade and some two decades. We are good workers. We stood by the company during hard times and good times. The company’s response was to ask us to accept a wage cut on wages that were already so low that some of us were eligible for food stamps. They asked us to accept a health insurance plan that we could not afford to use on the income we earned. We agreed to accept the wage cut if/when times improved they would agree to restore our wages. They refused. We agreed to increase the costs of our health insurance but only to the point where we could still afford it, they refused. We asked to keep our seniority protection so that those of us with the most experience could continue to offer our knowledge to Merrill. They refused.
It’s time for our community, our elected officials, and our law enforcement officers to act to defend the American Dream just as I acted to defend it. If this community allows Merrill Manufacturing to offer jobs that have to be subsidized by the State in the forms of heating assistance, Badger Care and food stamps while the owners live in mansions then the future of Merrill is dim indeed.
James R. Wiederhoeft
Merrill
Citizens of Lincoln County,
I would like to take this opportunity to let you know about your sheriff. Jeff Jaeger was born and raised in Lincoln County and has spent his entire life here working and raising his family. He and his wife Tracey operate a small farm devoted to the care of rescued and abused horses. He is a very caring and compassionate man that has devoted his life to protecting his community and the people who live here. After serving in the Wisconsin National Guard, he joined the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department in 1980. During this time, Jeff worked in all positions in the department from dispatcher to sheriff. Jeff was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1998 and worked very hard fulfilling the needs of the position. Day after day he showed the leadership ability that is needed to operate a shift in a Sheriff’s Department. Jeff was one of Lincoln County’s first DARE officers, a position he held for 13 years and went on to coordinate the program as a Lieutenant. He continues to strongly support this program. Jeff also served on the Lincoln County Special Response team (SWAT) for 14 years until elected sheriff. He continues to work tirelessly alongside his people in order to better serve you the public. Jeff has worked hard all those years learning about Lincoln County and you the citizens. He knows what you want. He has been there for you whenever you needed him. Four years ago Lincoln County elected Jeff Jaeger as their Sheriff. A very wise decision. Let us re-elect Sheriff Jeff Jeager to another term, and keep a very qualified and caring individual as Sheriff of Lincoln County. I know I will vote on Sept. 14 for Jeff Jaeger, Sheriff for Lincoln County.
Paul C. Proulx
Merrill
Lincoln County residents,
My name is Rose and my husband is running as a write in candidate for Lincoln County Sheriff. I am writing this letter for those of you who haven’t met us. My husband is a well educated compassionate person who throughout his career has settled for nothing less than success. He is constantly improving his education and is never too quick to judge anyone. He has been involved in the Boy Scouts as a leader and continues teaching the values and responsibilities of being a citizen to the youth of this community. He has taken a proactive stance in every community we have lived in which included volunteer work as an EMT/firefighter. I have witnessed some of the programs he intends on implementing to get the community involved. These programs have all resulted in great success with the community relations. He has stated many times that he feels if the children are more involved with the police and sheriff’s departments that they will have less contact with them in a negative way in the future. I can’t stress enough that he would be the best candidate for the job. He has had prior experience in management where he was successful at coming in under budget each year. He displays leadership qualities which aid him in obtaining success with both his professional career and his family. Save money, improve community relations, and make the right decision.
Write in Dave Kirmsee for Sheriff.
Rose Kirmsee
Merrill