Dear Editor:
As the staff of the Lincoln County Clerk of Court, we encourage your vote on Nov. 2 for Cindy Kimmons. She is a dedicated and responsible leader and a life long resident of Lincoln County.
Cindy has been the Clerk of Court for 13 plus years and doing an excellent job. She is an asset to the court system because of her knowledge and experience. These qualities enable our office to run smoothly and efficiently because of her familiarity with every aspect of the circuit court system. Her experience has allowed her to become versatile to the point that she is able to fill in with each job as needed. Her help in the implementation of a collections specialist position was unsurpassable and no manual or book can match what her experience has taught.
Cindy’s leadership has established an excellent rapport between the many offices that are needed to run the court system effectively, such as law enforcement agencies and the Department of Corrections.
We are proud to work under Cindy’s direction and feel strongly about her return to serve Lincoln County.
Sandy Mosser,
Julie Newton, Sue Seslar, Roxanne
Baumann, Diana Petruzates, Deana Jankowsky, Dawn
Dunbar, Marianne Vonderheid
Dear Editor,
I have been following the race for state assembly closely this year. I have had a chance to meet both candidates. In fact, I have known Jay Schmelling for a long time and I like him.
However, I have chosen to support Tom Tiffany in this race.
Tiffany’s background as a small business owner gives him a perspective sorely needed in Madison. He has been balancing the books and meeting payroll for twenty years.
I like Tiffany’s priorities. He believes the state should budget within the taxpayer’s means. He knows job creation happens when state government takes less of our hard-earned money.
I think Tom Tiffany will serve us well in Madison.
Gay E. Oberg
Merrill
Dear Editor,
I’m confused. Does Tom Tiffany live in our State Assembly District or not?
After losing two straight Senate races against Roger Breske and then Jim Holperin, he’s now decided to try to get state health insurance by throwing his hat in to replace Rep. Don Friske.
Back then, he said he lived in Hazelhurst. Now his website says he’s at P.O. Box 59 in Merrill.
Did he move? Or is this just a campaign gimmick to make all of us in Merrill think he lives here so we’ll vote for him? Is he just pulling out all the political tricks he can to get that state health insurance?
Like I said, I’m confused?
Sincerely,
Allen Gulke
Merrill
Ed. Note: Tom Tiffany does still live in Hazelhurst, however his campaign office is located in Merrill.
Dear Editor:
It’s election time and Lincoln County taxpayers have the chance to elect a trustworthy hardworking person as their next Clerk of Courts. Chris Ament is that person.
Chris was born and raised in Lincoln County, her roots are here and she has family and friends all over Lincoln County. Chris was taught as a child that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from everyone is important and they need to be treated with respect.
Chris is hardworking. She knows that the county budget is tight but the taxpayers are still paying the bill and they need a Clerk of Court who is in the office every day, working hard to provide the best possible service a tight budget can offer.
Finally, Chris has the integrity to do the job. While Christ is the Clerk of Court the taxpayers of Lincoln County will never have to worry about what’s being said about them OR written about them after they leave the office. It’s time the taxpayers find out that Cindy Kimmons was reprimanded by 9th Circuit Court Judge Greg Grau because something SHE wrote and had a staff member put in someone’s file and it wasn’t something nice. Frankly, I can’t figure out how the County Board and the local newspapers kept it a secret.
I hope that you will join me and my family in supporting and voting for Chris Ament on Nov. 2.
Sincerely,
George Cleveland
Merrill
To the Editor,
I am writing to express my concerns with the Eastside Waterfront Initiative.
Former Mayor Doug Williams said contamination wouldn’t necessarily prohibit the use of those areas in the project. I doubt any developer would invest money in a project with probable or known contamination. The wood preservative spill at Semco happened 23 years ago and is not cleaned up yet. How many years will it take to clean up any newly identified contaminations? The short period of time that he talked about at the Oct. 10 meeting could exceed 20 years.
The tax rolls list the estimated fair market value of the initiative area at $2,588,300 and the tax collected last year at $67,551. How much do you want to borrow, and how long do you want to loose the tax revenue when Merrill is having a hard time balancing the budget now?
Some property owners are against the project. Is the City planning to put pressure on them to leave? The business owners I talked to say that if they relocated, it will not me in Merrill. Can the city afford to lose more businesses?
I was told by Mayor Bialecki that the city can partner with property owners and apply for clean up grants without taking title to the property. That would get the contamination cleaned up in a fiscally responsible way.
The city attorney has said in his opinion even taking an easement on part of the property could make the city responsible for part of the clean up costs.
The area shown for the lodge initiative, by their own map, is in the flood plain. Will a developer building in a flood plain?
I think Merrill’s biggest need is for good paying jobs. I don’t believe the initiative will do that in a reasonable time frame at a reasonable cost. I plan on voting No on the referendum and urge you to do the same.
Dean Hass
Merrill
Dear Editor:
It’s about a month until election day and people have been asking me who I am voting for in the Clerk of Courts race. I proudly tell them Chris Ament. Why?
Chris knows the court system because she has been a paralegal for the majority of her working career. She has worked with individuals from all walks of life and she treats everyone the same. Chris will manage the Clerk of Courts office efficiently and effectively, especially when Lincoln County needs to look to every office for possible cuts.
But the biggest reason I am supporting Chris is because we need to bring integrity and personal respect back to that office. Most Lincoln County residents don’t even know that Cindy Kimmons was reprimanded by 9th Circuit Court Judge Grau for her inappropriate conduct. Frankly, the County Board has managed to keep this investigation and her reprimand pretty quiet and they have had help from the local papers. Don’t believe me, check out the Lakeland Times Jan. 8, 2010 edition. It will tell you everything you want to know.
It’s time to make a change. Please join me in supporting Chris Ament for Clerk of Courts.
Sincerely,
Connie Kolz
Merrill
Keep the Plan Alive,
The Riverside Project is a plan for the future. I was born in Merrill, but grew up in the Fox Valley. After selling a small business in 1977, I decided to move back to the Merrill area. With a plan in mind, I began to build a tax business which bloomed into a financial business for over 1,000 clients. My business grew because of many reasons: I had a plan which was positive and progressive, I presented a view to the Merrill community which was helpful and forward thinking. I always worked with each of my clients to develop a plan for the future and not just take things as they come.
Without a plan, which created a direction and then goals, and without the support and strength of my clients from every financial background, I would never have been able to create a business that even after my retirement still flourishes and grows. If we don’t plan for the future, our successes are by luck or only half fulfilled. Since I have been a part of Merrill, many wonderful plans and accomplishments, in my mind, have taken place. To mention a few: the MARC, the library, Good Samaritan hospital additions, Kate Goodrich, East side corridor development, the airport expansion, and Industrial park growth. All of these projects required positive thinking and planning. Without forward thinking and lively imaginations, our community becomes stagnant and the worst thing of all, apathetic. The Riverside Project is a plan for the future. It gives life, a positive image and enthusiasm to a community trying to work its way through these hard financial times. Rather than being stymied or apathetic, it gives a light of hope and energy. Remember, this is just a plan, not a done deal. It gives direction and allows for private, government and non-profit organizations to utilize the plan in establishing their own plans to receive grants and other monies for community purposes. Ending the planning process ends everything. I would not have been successful without the support of the Merrill community, my loyal clients and a positive and progressive plan which was set in place upon my return home to my community of Merrill. Please remember, the Riverside Project is a plan for Merrill’s future.
Richard Johnson
Former owner of RAJ Services
Editor,
The Associated Press in March told us that the Social Security Admin. by September would pay-out more than they took in. In the 2009 Trustee letter to Congress signed by Treasury Sec. Tim Geither it is written this wouldn’t happen until 2016. The Administration also tells us that The “TRUST FUND” has $2.5 TRILLION in Treasury IOU’s (not bonds but IOU’s) in the fund. Why does the treasury owe the fund that kind of money?? Congress has been allowed to “borrow” cash from the fund to spend else where and place IOU’s in the file.
With our economic situation there are less employee’s paying in therefore less employers as well. So we have a serious problem. Last fall it was announced there would be no COLA raise for SS recipients. This week it was announced no raise again in ’11. This means an extra $6 billion each year saved or not paid out.
With elections just around the corner we hear from candidates they are against ANY privatization whatsoever of SS funds. Now I ask you would you rather have yours and your employer’s money placed in a fund in your name, only you can say where it is invested, where only you or your heirs can receive the money once you reach 62 or 65 years of age. This is what privatization means. It would be an account in your name only you could touch when the time came to spend it.
Feingold and Lassa are in lock-step against privatization of this program.
The big reason is it would not allow congress take any of the funds and do as they have with the Social Security funds up to now. Then turn around and pay it back with Monopoly Money!! I ask where do we think the government is going to come up with the money they owe. They are in debt $13.5 TRILLION and rising fast. It is time to send some folks to Washington that have some sense of financial literacy. We have to stop spending and start getting folks back to work so there is a cash flow. This is what our economy needs not more CRAZY stimulus spending that doesn’t work.
Vote in folks that have new ideas and will be responsible to WE THE PEOPLE.
People like Tiffany, Duffy, Walker, and Johnson are what this country needs.
Feingold has had 18 years and hasn’t done ANYTHING resembling progress. He voted for Health Care and it was LOADED with earmarks which he claims to be against. Lassa agrees with he and Mr. Obey on most issues so that’s not an option either.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Chuck Bolder
Merrill
Dear Editor,
I’m taking this opportunity to show my support for Jay Schmelling as 35th District State Representative. On October 2nd, Merrill, Wausau, Weston, Rhinelander, and Antigo firefighters hosted Fire Ops 101. This event gives media and government leaders a chance to put the fire boots and helmet on, to find out what career firefighter/EMTs do everyday to keep our communities safe. Jay Schmelling was there that day when he could have been going out door-to-door as part of his campaign, but he realizes the importance of public service in government. I’ve talked to his challenger and when I asked him about public safety and funding for fire and police departments, he gave vague answers and avoided the questions. Jay Schmelling understands the issues, he wants to create jobs and keep taxes low, but he knows that we cannot drastically reduce state funding for public safety. Merrill Firefighters supported Jay in the past when he ran and we are standing behind him again today as we endorse him for 35th District State Representative.
Josh Klug
Vice President
Merrill Firefighters Local 847