Letters to the Editor
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Just on basic principles, this has not been a good fall. On issues like gun control and gay marriage, the representatives at the state Capitol have shown themselves to be a rather backward-thinking bunch, tossing away the progressive tradition of the state like so much trash. They passed a concealed-carry bill pushed forward by special-interest groups, despite opposition from a majority of the citizenry. Beyond disagreeing with their increasingly far-right politics, their insistence on wasting time debating and passing bills that Gov. Jim Doyle openly declared his intention to veto, despite the fact that there was no hope of the Legislature overriding that veto, makes them incredibly irresponsible representatives.
Campus does not ring with the protest that it once did. The students who marched against an 18 percent tuition hike are gone, and they do not appear to have been replaced. There is confusion and dislocation among the groups that do manage to make themselves visible above the surge of complacency, and rising tuition and its related effects appear to be hampering any renewal of the activist movement. The fragmented Left is not unsalvageable, but the issues it finds itself up against simply cannot be ignored.
Ron Czerwien, owner of Avol's Book Store, was shocked to learn that the building Avol's has inhabited for nearly two decades is facing demolition, especially given that he'd been negotiating renewal of the lease in good faith. The store is housed in the historic Women's Building, and there have been attempts to have it officially declared a historic landmark. Unfortunately, the fa??ade was deemed too far removed from its original design to merit the status, and while the stage for Madison's first theater can still be found inside, the interior space cannot be landmarked.
If it arrives on schedule, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's inclusionary zoning proposal will be brought before the Common Council for a vote on Dec. 2. Affordable housing was one of his biggest campaign issues while running for office last spring, and this is his first step toward correcting the city's housing shortage.
It's good to be a woman in Wisconsin. According to Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, if a health insurance plan covers prescription drugs, it must cover contraceptives. The opinion, issued Nov. 7, could force currently discriminatory health plans into providing equitable coverage, despite protests from some businesses.
Why doesn't the state Legislature just take away the word \forward"" and admit they'd like to eliminate the state motto? With the passage of an anti-gay bill masquerading as a simple rewording of the definition of marriage, and conceal and carry moving quickly through the houses, a majority of state senators and Assembly members seem on a determined campaign to push a conservative agenda onto one of the nation's most progressive states. They are actively fighting the advancing movement of society and trying to return to an idealized past.
Why doesn't the state Legislature just take away the word \forward"" and admit they'd like to eliminate the state motto? With the passage of an anti-gay bill masquerading as a simple rewording of the definition of marriage, and conceal and carry moving quickly through the houses, a majority of state senators and Assembly members seem on a determined campaign to push a conservative agenda onto one of the nation's most progressive states. They are actively fighting the advancing movement of society and trying to return to an idealized past.
There is a bill being discussed that will qualify illegal immigrants and their children for in-state tuition. So far it has attracted little attention, but there is some chance of controversy if it continues forward into the Assembly. Introduced by state Rep. Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee, this is not a case of no-strings-attached subsidizing, but a fair and legitimate way of providing equal education opportunities to those who have worked for them.
On Friday, contrary to the wishes of the public, the state Senate passed the \Personal Protection Act."" Pushed by the Republicans and lobbyists from the Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement and the National Rifle Association, the bill allows concealed weapons to be carried in Wisconsin for the first time in more than 130 years.
The Student Financial Services Committee decided Monday to table till next week the re-examination of the previously approved budget for Safe Arrival for Everyone, which includes SAFEwalk, SAFEcab and SAFEbus. The committee approved a budget of $295,602, Oct. 8, only $3,449 less than the $299,051 initially requested. The funding faces review due to differences between SAFE contract and practice.
Wisconsin's primary has been moved up to Feb. 17, making its outcome more important in the candidate selection process than it has been in decades.??Six caucuses and eight other primaries precede it, but of those 14, the only ones that matter are Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire. As the Democratic heart of Wisconsin, the turnout and election results from within Madison and its environs could be the deciding factor in the 2004 race. Whether it will be to confirm a front-runner, eliminate a contender or bring forth a new one is where the surprise comes in.
Citizen protest and an attempted intervention by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., have not changed the state Department of Natural Resources' approval for the controversial burning at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant. Located in Sauk County, the buildings slated for such destruction are heavily contaminated by explosive residue from decades of munitions manufacture at the now-defunct facility.
They are raising tuition again. They being the state Public Service Commission, an entity one would think would have little or no effect on how much students pay for the privilege of pit lectures. The tuition increase is two years away, but after an 18 percent tuition hike this fall, no student is going to want another.
When madness took Congress following the tragedy of Sept. 11 and a rush of patriotism and fear led to the creation and passage of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, ie the USA Patriot Act, Sen. Russ Feingold, was the only senator to oppose it.
Given the university's campaign against drinking, there is something hilarious about their involvement with the publication of \Throwing a House Party,"" written by UW-Madison students and published by the Policy Alternatives, Community and Education Coalition. Of course, the subtitle is ""A Guide by and for UW-Madison Students,"" and it contains no advocacy of illegal activities, just a common-sense guide on keeping a large house party from getting so out of control that the police are called in.
Not to frighten anyone, but the State Street area is becoming a more dangerous place to be at night.