Sound Off for July 15: Milton schools, Trump, potholes, teacher's lawsuit, council pay
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On Milton schools: Kudos to the gentleman who spoke and stuck up for us who have limited incomes and know that we cannot afford more taxes in the Milton area. Also, I guess we know why the school board made the position for Jerry Schuetz; we know what he’s doing now.
-- Previously reported in The Gazette, Janesville Parker and Craig high schools, Elkhorn, Williams Bay and Lake Geneva received recognition from US News and World Report. I suggest the Milton School Board and administration set aside their pride to seriously consider what besides a new building can improve the Milton educational experience.
On Donald Trump: Hey, Republicans, please make him the face of your party as he so represents everything you stand for. He’s filthy rich, arrogant, outspoken, racist and has nothing to offer besides criticism of the president.
-- The biggest drug lord escaped from prison in Mexico. I think if the truth were known, the Mexican government gave him a bus ticket to go anywhere in the United States and they’ll be rid of him. Donald Trump was spot on in suggesting what’s going on between Mexico and the United States.
On Gov. Walker: I’d like to know if Gov. Walker is getting paid from taxpayers for his wages while he’s campaigning and for all his security. Who is paying for this? Does it come out of his pocket or is the state paying for this?
-- Why hasn’t The Gazette published an article about the Walker administration going after the money in the public employees trust fund and then having to rescind it from the budget? His sticky fingers are all over it and also for not making government transparent.
On potholes: It’s midsummer, and there are still potholes all over town. Why hasn’t the city sent workers to fix them? Why haven’t they been taken care of? They drive past them every day.
-- Potholes are a safety issue because if you have to watch the street for potholes because the city of Janesville does a lousy job of filling them, then you’re not giving enough attention to intersections and other hazards.
On teacher’s lawsuit: Regarding Sunday’s Sound Off, reportedly being smashed on the job and calling it a lack of judgment is a new one to me. When you pull something like this and are responsible for other people’s children, the media are going to bully you. The only settlement she deserved was termination and no money.
-- I was wondering if Sunday’s Sound Off caller would like his or her child to be escorted by someone under the influence. That is your most precious possession.
On open government: Your editorial July 10 touts the relevance and power of The Gazette and other papers in their role as open-record watchdog. The Gazette is encouraged to look into the openness of local government and officials on matters of equal importance, such as hiring friends and relatives.
On Parker coach: A school district makes many important hiring decisions during the summer. Rushing the hiring of the Janesville Parker girls basketball coach to make it impossible for Tom Klawitter to apply was unfair. Of course Superintendent Karen Schulte was in China and not available to speak with about this very poor practice.
On splash pad: Thank you, Friends of Riverside Park, for the grand opening of the splash pad. It was great. There really should be an age limit on the use of the splash pad. There were older boys who were inconsiderate of the younger children who could have been injured by their actions Saturday.
On low river and dead fish: What are they doing with the dam, and why is it Janesville’s responsibility to either have an overflow or a river too low? Why not have Lake Koshkonong for once be low and let Janesville have the water and quit holding it back? It’s ridiculous. All we have is muck now. I’ve lived on the river 30 years and have never seen so many dead fish.
On Meals on Wheels volunteers: Thank you and congratulations to 65 Meals on Wheels volunteers from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, School and Day Care. They recently delivered more than 1,000 meals over a 14-day period.
On council pay: Regarding Page 1A Sunday, the first thing you have to do is get rid of the city manager, take his $150,000 salary and give each council member $10,000. The new mayor would probably get $30,000, and you’d save about $50,000 in the whole thing. How can you compare Janesville’s setup with the rest of the state? It’s called apples to oranges.
-- If they should be paid, pay them minimum wage. The minimum seems to be the amount that most politicians feel is a livable wage, so let them find out.