Watson waffles
The waffling in this town is worse than the Brett Favre saga. In the last year there has been five people resign from the Watson council or mayoral position with three retractions.
When there was a position open Thursday I threw my name in to get some younger blood on the council with maybe a different opinion on what to do to get us out of all this negative publicity. But they decided to appoint someone who had resigned once already because I’m sure his opinions match their own.
These shady underdealings are worse than Washington, D.C., and that’s bad! I, for one, am sick of it. They are making this whole town look like a bunch of idiots when there are a lot of good people living here.
The Legal troubles of the city are a bunch of malarchy as well. Why spend money on a lawyer for this garbage when Judge Judy could knock out a verdict in 30 minutes, plus commercials.
Guess I just think both sides of this mess should grow up or put the power in the hands of those of us that know the word reason.
— Justin Quigley
Watson
Thanks Rep. Peterson
Congressman Collin Peterson listened to the majority of his constituents and voted “no” for government takeover of our health care system. Thanks!
March 2, Congressman Peterson took another step in his fight to keep the EPA from usurping the power of Congress by unilaterally regulating greenhouse gases. These days, our Constitution obviously needs defenders. Congress needs to look into more power grabs in the making. While we’ve been busy fighting this health care fiasco, the President has been working on an executive order to go after another 13,000,000 acres in eleven western states in the name of “national monuments”. The Federal Government already owns nearly 30 percent of the land area of the United States and most of that is in the oil and natural resource-rich West having acquired 9,000,000 acres just last year. These acres in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming were taken in the name of saving the wild horses and stopping any activities that “would destroy the area’s special character”. The government is in essence halting our ability to access our own oil and natural gas by hiding behind the Antiquities Act of 1906, which is supposed to be “confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care”.
Another planned executive order concerns fishing. This move to appease environmental groups, is intended to prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing on some of the nation’s oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even some smaller inland waters. More jobs will be at risk.
One man – no Congress, no process, just one man. It’s an all out assault on our way of life that doesn’t stop at land or even health care. The United States of America is a Representative Republic governed by “people’s law”, not by edict! Those who have emigrated here from the Soviet bloc or Cuba wonder why we are allowing this. Why are we? Will our partisan complacency allow our government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” to perish from this earth? It’s time to stop waiting for “someone to do something”. If we don’t stand up for our hard-fought liberty, who will?
—Patty Hahn
Montevideo
Step up for our community
As a newcomer to town it was so exciting for me to meet people of all age groups and occupations who seemed to understand and support the importance of providing a top level educational system for our youth. It was with surprise and sadness to learn the school referendum had been defeated. And now further sadness to hear and read of the drastic cuts that must be made in the school budget.
To those responsible for its defeat, how can you be a citizen of a community and not understand that a school system that provides the best in adademic, athletic and music programs has a domino effect. Great schools attract industry and its workers, health care professionals to staff a clinic and hospital, businessmen and women to keep a main street viable, retirees who then find goods and services readily available, and families wanting a superior education for their children.
Membership in a community comes with certain obligations and a primary obligation is to do all we can to continue to attract enthusiastic and skilled educators and to ensure funding for the programs that assist them in giving our youth the skills needed to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Bare bones “reading, writing and ’rithmetic” are no longer enough!
Should a referendum for additional school funding again be brought to vote, hopefully all Montevideo citizens will step up, vote “yes” and be counted as the forward looking positive thinkers who want to keep this community and its youth not just good, not just better, but rather, the best.
—Judy Burns
Montevideo
2010 Census: full count critical to MN
April 1 is National Census Day — the day when all of us, if we haven’t done so already, should complete and return the 2010 census form recently mailed to every U.S. residence.
While the census is always important, the 2010 census is especially important to Minnesota.
The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years to count the population and determine the number of seats each state gets in the 435-seat U.S. House of Representatives.
Minnesota currently has eight representatives in the U.S. House. However, due to strong population gains in southern and western states, we could lose a seat — and the clout that goes with it — if a full count is not achieved in Minnesota this year.
Please do your part to ensure Minnesota’s interests are fully represented in Washington, DC. If you haven’t yet, take 10 minutes now to complete and mail back your census form. It’s the most important thing you can do this year to help ensure a bright future for our great state.
—Brad Finstad
Center for Rural Policy & Development
No winners
Last week, it was encouraging to see some letters of support for our school district. For many reasons, teachers do not do this as employees of this district. However, since my position has been terminated, I felt it was time the public heard from an educator.
Six years ago, when I was student teaching with Dan Hampton and Jan Gardner, it became my dream that someday I would be a part of the Montevideo Music Department. When Ken Swanson called me and told me that I was hired that spring day of 2006. I was elated. It was a dream job for me — teaching music to young children.
I was excited to go to work every day to work with young people and an amazing staff. It was hard work, but challenging and exciting. I have felt very blessed to be able to do what I do and love it. And I have been so proud to be a part of a music department such as this one. Everyone goes above and beyond what is required of us to ensure a high quality music program.
Look around. Go to contests and solo and ensembles. Go to the concerts. Hear the high school musicians from all around. Montevideo has some of the finest. My own son open-enrolled here his senior year so that he could be a part of the music program.
However, with the lack of funding we are experiencing some very deep cuts. Elementary music will now have to be taught on a “cart” in the regular classrooms. Most of our curriculum is not conducive to this type of teaching situation. The children will now get four days of music instead of five.
We are moving backward in the opportunities we can give our students. A half-time band director in the high school can’t possibly do the job that Ron Stary has been doing. It is more than a full-time job.
While I am extremely saddened to no longer be teaching music in Montevideo, I am also concerned about the teachers who will still be here trying to keep things at a quality level.
Of course, music isn’t the only area hard hit. Many of us have lost our jobs, our families thrown into turmoil, lives turned upside down. The city of Montevideo will see losses in many other places from this.
When I see a letter from a businessman saying that teachers should take pay cuts, I do not understand. Do YOU want to work harder and harder every year and take a pay cut? Will YOU reduce your prices? I highly doubt it.
We are educated, professional people. Come see what takes place in the classrooms every day — what we do day in and day out would surprise many.
We aren’t just teaching reading, writing and the like. There are situations that most would never dream of. It cannot be explained to anyone or understood unless you are in the trenches day after day.
As teachers, this is a job that takes our whole being – heart and soul. We care about our students. I love these children and want the very best for them and I think it is safe to say that the majority of my colleagues feel the same.
Teaching isn’t just a career, it’s a passion. These kids are our future. It is vital that we give them the best we can.
When I am out and about, I hear people complaining about the closing of Sanford and that they will not vote for any upcoming referendums because they are angry. With all due respect, in the four years I have been teaching in Montevideo, two referendums were voted on and were not passed. I believe this is a huge reason why we are in the situation we are in.
For me, when the referendums did not pass, it was like a slap in the face. It sent the message that the community did not want to support the schools. I have heard people say that they don’t vote for the referendums because they are unhappy about something the administration has done or is doing.
What needs to be realized is that the children are the ones suffering from this. If we don’t invest in their education, who will? These are the people who are going to be taking care of us!
The state of Minnesota has been consistently unsupportive of education in the past few years also, increasing the problem. We are constantly trying to give our children a quality education with less and less. No matter how hard the faculty tries, it is a very difficult battle. The school board is trying to keep this school running as best as it can with less money and higher costs. No matter what they do, people are going to be upset.
There are no “winners” in this situation. Anyone who thinks they can do a better job should step up and run for office.
— Tami Gabrielson
Sanford Music Teacher
Montevideo
The library — a wise investment
The city and county made a wise decision, in tough economic times, to invest money in the future of the great library we have here in Montevideo.
It is so much more than just a place where people can check out books, although that is an important function.
I recently moved to Montevideo from Madison, which also has an excellent library, and was new to the facility here. I use the computers to do personal business and e-mail. I have checked out books and movies, and have interacted with and observed the library staff.
I see courtious, well-informed staff helping people with a wide variety of needs. I have seen Dave Lauritson personally greet library patrons and sit patiently at a library computer to help a woman find out which books in a series she had read.
I see a generous space devoted to children and furthering reading among them in this video age. I see many things during my visits to this library, which the town should be proud of.
Investing in this center of community and its future is a very wise move. It shows Montevideo as a progrssive area, concerned with the future and the people who live in this area.
— David Dvorak
Montevideo
Fair taxation
It is clear that the school is trying to make reasonable cuts in the system. Yes, there will be people laid off and programs will be cut. Economically, times have changed.
One thing I know for sure is that it does no good to belittle others’ ideas and feelings. We live in America. Thousands of people have given their lives in order for us to have the right and privilege to voice our opinions.
With that said, you should also know all the facts concerning what you’re speaking about.
The one thing I keep hearing about concerns all the mandates that are imposed on the schools by the state and federal governments, which they don’t want to fund anymore. I don’t know what these mandates nor whether or not they are all necessary. If you know what they are and don’t believe they are necessary, contact your representatives and governor.
The citizens of this community rely on the school board and superintendant. To keep raising property taxes is not the answer.
There are a lot of people who use the system that don’t pay property taxes (renters) and a lot of people who pay property taxes that don’t use the school system.
I believe a fair system would be to put a small sales tax on clothing of maybe 3 to 4 percent. All monies collected could then be used solely for education of students in K-12 and absolutely nothing else. This sales tax would eliminate the need for schools to keep trying to pass referendums to keep up with budget cuts and mandates.
This is my idea, wrong or right. It would take a lot of time and energy for this to become a law. I realize the school has dire financil needs right now. I did not vote for the referendum, but I am going to send the school a check for the amount of dollars it would have cost me, had it passed. I invite those of you who voted yes to consider doing the same thing and those of you who voted no to reconsider You can simpy send a check to the school, ISD 129, monthly, yearly, whatever you can do.
Education is very important. It is important to maintain the buildings as well as educate our children. The school system definitely attracts people to our community as well as a lot of other important features. We have our businesses and industries, parks, pools, community education, clinics, nursing home, hospital and historic attractions.
These are challinging times. We need to all work together to keep and maintain what we already have.
Remeber these six important words from our forefathers … “United we stand. Divided we fall.”
— Gabe Valentino
Montevideo
