OPINION & EDITORIAL
Letters to the Editor - 3-21-02
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Thursday, March 21, 2002
I am directing this letter to my neighbors in the 5th district, asking them to support Ald. Tom Powell’s re-election bid to the City Council. As a long-time resident of the West High neighborhood, I feel Powell will be a strong advocate for residents across the city and county. He is also very aware of issues regarding affordable housing and the development of our local neighborhood.
The future of our neighborhood needs a voice, and Powell will be an excellent representative of the blue- and white-collar working classes, retired individuals and the students who make up our district.
Powell will not sit quietly by while bad development threatens our neighborhood as his opponent has certainly shown in recent meetings. I have lived in this neighborhood for 13 years, and what we don’t need is an alderman willing to lie down for the rest of the council so as to not make waves.
It is essential to have a vibrant, politically active individual to stand up to the vulture-like developers who are ready to put up large, ugly buildings for their own economic development with no regard for the area we live in.
I realize you may be coming back from a spring break vacation, but there is no excuse not to vote—especially when it comes to our local issues. Please vote for Powell on April 2 and know that you made a good choice about your neighborhood and the needs of the community.
Mary Lou Krase
Madison, Wis.
What Alex Conant’s article on the McCain-Feingold bill (“Et tu, Mr. President”) fails to point out is a very basic distinction between money and speech. Money is property, not speech. The government is fully within its rights to limit the amount of money special interests pour into campaigns in order to ensure legislative decisions favorable to themselves and harmful to the rest of society. Congress has the right to regulate trade; thus, it can regulate political contributions.
Conant also fails to point out the way in which this bill will help America become a fairer and more viable democracy. McCain-Feingold will help make the central issues in any campaign those the people are most concerned about, rather than those defined by contributors.
It will release legislators from the chains of special interest groups and allow all men and women in this country to have a renewed faith in our government.
Steven Thein Singh
UW sophomore
Many bad things have been said about Ameritech in the past year or so, and much of the criticism is quite accurate. But if you’re going complain when they’re doing poorly, you should also comment when they’ve done something right.
After a surprisingly difficult and frustrating Tuesday, I arrived home a little before 6:00 p.m. to my phone being dead. I called the repair service line and, surprisingly, they were very helpful. They said it would be repaired no later than tomorrow evening. When I came back from a quick errand I noticed a service truck outside my building and before 9:00 p.m. my phone was back on. Less than three hours—thanks Americtech.
We all need to show our appreciation for services when they’re well done, not just complain when they’re done poorly.
Matthew Reinke
UW junior
