Support for Novak

Todd Novak is an excellent choice to represent the people and communities in Southwest Wisconsin who call the 51st Assembly District their home. He understands the importance of providing local government with the tools and resources necessary to protect our citizens and keep our schools and communities safe and productive places to learn and thrive. As the mayor of Dodgeville, Todd has a proven track record of holding the line on local government spending, while still delivering an effective level of services to his community.

As a local government leader, Todd has a good understanding of the many challenges that local law enforcement officials face in combating crime, curbing drug use and providing appropriate sanctions and services for offenders and at-risk youth. Todd will take that knowledge and experience with him to Madison.  He will work hard to find cost-effective solutions for many of the problems and challenges that our southwestern Wisconsin communities are facing.

Gary Luhman
Browntown

A senior supporter

Many of you know Todd Novak, whether it be as mayor of Dodgeville, at The Dodgeville Chronicle, or just as the boy who grew up down the street in Cobb.

A few years ago, Todd was appointed by the court as an elderly guardian. As an elderly guardian, Todd volunteers to assist those who can no longer assist themselves in both their financial and personal affairs. In the later years of their lives, these individuals have no family or friends who can watch over them and are often left alone through difficult times. Todd acts as a friend, a neighbor, who is there whenever they need him, to help them through the good and bad times.

I am positive, if elected, Todd  would make the needs of senior citizens one of his top priorities. Not only does he have knowledge of the system as mayor, he has hands on experience making him a true asset to all seniors if elected to the Assembly. Because I served through the years on committees and organizations such as the Commission on Aging, Senior United for Nutrition, Human Services, Public Health Agency, Hospital Board, Elderly and Handicapped Transportation, and the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging groups I know Todd has the ability and desire to make the decisions needed in Madison to ensure a secure and happy future for seniors.

Beverly Anderson
Darlington
Anderson is the treasurer of Novak’s Assembly campaign.

Support for Marklein

Our present 51st Assembly District representative, Howard Marklein, is running for the open seat in the 17th Senate District. It has been my experience as the former mayor of Shullsburg and as a voter, to speak openly and frequently with Rep. Marklein on pertinent matters.

Rep. Marklein has earned my respect as an elected official. Rep. Marklein has always made himself available to address concerns brought to his attention and pursued attempts to resolve any and all issues.  This has involved speaking with his colleagues within the capital, contacting various governmental agencies and taking issues to Governor Walker for clarification and resolution. I have always been impressed by the amount of time Rep. Marklein has dedicated to remain in touch with his constituency, our local school board and city government! Rep. Marklein maintains agricultural investments, which further adds to his personal resume as qualifications for Wisconsin state senator.

Tom Lethlean
Shullsburg

‘Uniquely qualified’

On Nov. 4 Southwest Wisconsin has a great opportunity. We can elect Howard Marklein to be our next senator in the 17th Senate District.
Howard is a uniquely qualified leader. A public accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, Howard is uniquely able to represent us in Madison. Finding fraud, waste, and abuse was Howard’s job in the private sector; now we can have him be our watchful eye on government in Madison. In the four years he has been in the Assembly he has worked hard for his constituents and gotten results working with both Democrats and Republicans. Common sense solutions, not politics, are what matter to Howard, and that’s what I care about. Born on a dairy farm in Spring Green, Howard shares and knows our values in this corner of the state. I trust him to represent me in Madison.

Dennis Lundell
Livingston

Not your father’s GOP

It is my opinion that this is not the Republican Party of your fathers and grandfathers. This is the Scott Walker party.

He promised to create jobs, balance the budget and lower taxes. We are now 35th in the nation in jobs and 10th in the neighboring states. He said Wisconsin was open for business so he created the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and made himself the chairman of the board. They have lost millions of dollars in loans they did not keep track of and have millions of dollars in overdue loans. He had a venture capital fund and again gave away millions of dollars, but jobs have not yet materialized. I see it as a thank you to his campaign contributors and it was all our state money.

He has two appointees who stole money from our veterans organization and are now in jail. He has six people from his campaign office in Milwaukee now serving time and he has not been exonerated from the John Doe investigation either.
When he took office he immediately stripped away the bargaining rights of all state employees, again losing jobs, and it has caused our public schools to suffer shortages. Walker then gave voucher money to some to satisfy those who favor privatization and are wealthy donors.

Walker is Wisconsin’s ALEC operative. He stripped money from all the local governments and took away policy making rights. He has lowered employment because we have no money to fix our roads. He took away environmental laws in order to push through mining permits despite concerns from tribes, land owners and other concerned citizens —- especially about water. Gogebic Taconite LLC began moving in and contributed $700,000 to the Wisconsin Club for Growth and they in turn gave to Scott Walker and many people in the Legislature who are favorable to the permits and mines.

He turned down $206 million towards Medicaid expansion that would have helped provide health care because he doesn’t like President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act; which has been approved now by most of the other states. It is working and saving money. Most of the voter ID changes and redistricting changes are to favor some areas of voters. This will be expensive and confusing because many have voted absentee.

We need someone to lead us who cares about our state and not wealthy outsiders. We need to raise the minimum wage. Our legislators all got raises and health insurance too. We need to be aware of climate change and work towards more renewable energy and jobs.

Patricia Hazen
Bagley

While you slept …

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D–La Crosse) likes to remind us of our do-nothing Congress, but what he fails to mention is a little known bill that actually has Congress’s hands tied.

At 3:30 a.m. Aug. 4, 1990, a small group of senators passed a bill, SB 2834, the Intelligence Authorization Act, that was portrayed as a reform bill against abuses. It turns out this bill could authorize every abuse.

Title VII includes the following provisions:
•    It empowers the president to initiate covert actions, an authority never given to the president.
•    It denies Congress the power to prevent the president from initiating covert actions.
•    It permits the president to use any federal “departments, agencies or entities” to conduct or finance a covert operation.
•    It requires the president to report to the intelligence committees of Congress all findings, but also gives the president the right to claim executive privilege “if” Congress asks too many questions.

There should be little doubt that this president will interpret every provision as broadly as possible and avoid burdening Congress with any relevant information.

Could it be we are witnessing the complete withdrawal of congressional control over our nation’s destiny? Shouldn’t we expect Rep. Kind, in his professional duty, to make all facts known to those who most deserve to know, the American people?

Sharon Richter
Fennimore

‘… of the people …’

Democracy is a job every American must show up for every day. Over the past three-plus years huge divides have been cut into Wisconsin’s foundations by the powers that rule from Madison. These divides must be spanned by citizens voting for candidates who will strengthen our democracy. Only then can we rebuild “government of the people by the people for the people.”

Our government must once again be dedicated to protecting freedoms necessary to every citizen in a democracy including the freedom to vote, freedom to advocate for the well-being of his or her family, and free and equal public education for all children.

We require a future governor committed to working for four years to rebuild the foundations upon which our country and state were founded — a leader with a vision of a diverse state united in developing a strong representative democracy. This will result in a state government that protects every citizen’s freedoms, well-being, and property, while providing equal opportunity for each to succeed.

William Dagnon
Baraboo

Don’t ignore symptoms

I am writing this since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In early August, a biopsy confirmed I have breast cancer. A recall mammogram, which I put off for almost three months, uncovered a change in a suspicious spot. During a breast examination, the tumor was not obvious. There is no history of breast cancer in the family genetics. I was shocked.

The following weeks were very stressful. As cancer patients know, until surgery is performed you really do not know how advanced the cancer is. My surgery involved removing a tumor the size of a pea, additional tissue, and two lymph nodes. Fortunately, cancer had not traveled into the lymph nodes. I consider myself very blessed to have caught it early enough.

Finding breast cancer early is the absolute best scenario because as a woman, you have more choices of the type of surgery performed, choices in treatment and the best chance of survivorship. Do not ignore mammograms. Breast cancer hits one out of eight women. I am grateful for all the medical staff involved in my care and recovery.

Terry Wood
Platteville

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