Letters to the Editor

Posted: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016

The Final Five

The presidential sweepstakes that began with over 20 hopefuls last summer is now down to these five. Do you find that comforting, or are you feeling a bit queasy?

Hillary Clinton has essentially wrapped up the nomination. But there remain two big obstacles: the FBI and the Justice Department. Having watched her over the decades, we all know you can't get the truth out of this woman if you water-boarded her. But I still think she'll be trading her drab Nehru Jackets and pantsuits for an orange jumpsuit and leg irons.

Devout socialist Bernie Sanders, who actually chose to honeymoon in the old Soviet Union, will stay in the race and continues to do well with mush-minded college kids, Hollywood celebs, and the old burned-out hippies from the Woodstock era.

John Kasich would make a fine postmaster general. I don't know why, but every time I see him I think of marshmallow fluff. The media darling has a victory only in his home state, but will hang in there in hopes of some unethical manipulation by the GOP elites at a brokered convention.

I once had a good measure of respect for firebrand Ted Cruz, but that has largely disappeared. I wonder if he speaks to his wife and kids with the same theatrics and courtroom-prosecutor style? He could be our next Supreme Court justice if he cozies up to The Donald.

GOP jihadists like National Review, Mitt Romney, Glenn Beck, Megyn Kelly, and a whole host of Fox News "contributors" have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Donald Trump, yet he continues to increase his lead. Is it too early for his wife Melania to measure for drapes at the White House?

It sure would be fun to watch a Trump-Christie ticket this fall.

David Hanvelt

Eau Claire, WI

Vouchers

Districts lose $7,214 in aid for each student in kindergarten through eighth grade who leave to attend a voucher school. The state voucher program subsidizes private schools at the expense of our local schools. Our local schools have to raise taxes to cover lost revenue for a student they are not educating.

The assembly did approve legislation that would limit public school districts ability to recoup their losses. We have students living in the districts that are enrolled in a private school using a voucher. Under language in the new state budget, it allows districts to recoup their losses by raising property taxes; good luck with that. Some districts are gaming the system, and, perhaps, something needs to be done to protect the local schools for the unfair loss of revenue.

Milwaukee suffered the loss of industries in recent years. Politicians must understand this puts the area in decline. Vouchers are helpful to release the pressures to educate the children. However if the vouchers are not available because they went to non-deserving private schools, this is unfair. This is a good opportunity for our politicians to come together to reverse subsidizing private schools at the expense of our local schools.

Harold Page

Fall Creek WI

Supreme Court Lessons from Lincoln

How often have I said that Lincoln was a man of the people and a man of high character and principle. His example would help us in government today. This lesson is in reference to the Supreme Court dilemma/impasse we are about to pass through.

When Lincoln was nominated (c. May 1860), a Supreme Court Justice Peter Daniel had died.  That summer, 4 nominating conventions threatened to disrupt our next presidential choice.  President James Buchanan made no recess judicial appointment, and, likely, the Senate had adjourned for the coming elections.  Anyway, no appointment was forthcoming.  Hard to imagine in our partisan world, but no name was offered.  It would pass to the next president and not be acted upon for, imagine, 18 months.

With Lincoln's election, that Supreme Court, numbering only 8, had one seat vacant. But with another death (John McLean), and then a subsequent resignation of one who went to the Confederate side (John Campbell), we were now lacking 3 seats out of the 8. For all of 1861 names may have been considered, but no hurry, as the first appointment ratified came in January, 1862 (yes, 18 months later), and a second in July, and the third in October, 1862 (again with a seat vacant for 18 months).  No hurry was evident.  No political fortunes were in the balance.

But consider ALL OF THE SITTING JUSTICES were appointed by Democratic presidents all the way back to Jackson - yes ALL!  With the war, slavery, political overreach possible, and he saw no need to alter a court that could oppose everything he might do.  That is an absolute trust in the separation of powers and men who knew their Constitution - yes, he trusted the system, not his swaying the balance.  In fact, Lincoln did not ever gain the 4th seat till he nominated a new chief justice in 1864 (so by then it would become a 4-4 split court).  How different from some seeking to alter, even court packing schemes to increase the court from 9 to 15 seats.

But consider that Grant had two nominees fail to be ratified.  One has local ties, as one Caleb Cushing, land owner in St. Croix Falls, WI, was rejected for Chief Justice.  Nixon had two nominations voted down.  Bush withdrew a name about 2004.   But the classic is from 1968 when LBJ, having a Democratic Congress as well, withdrew the name of Abe Fortas, yes leaving the choice to the president to be chosen that year (expecting it would be Humphrey his VP; but he would lose narrowly to Nixon by a mere 500,000 votes).  Two other presidents did not fill vacancies:  John Q. Adams and James Buchanan.

Let the wise Senators do their job in an orderly fashion, to check, sort, reject, but get us men of caliber.  We can wait for this process, which, of course, will likely be shorter than our ongoing presidential marathon. If any appointment is made, this justice may only get to hear a few of May's cases - so why the hurry for this term?

This is not to be a political football, nor any media frenzy affair.  This is all for the good of our American Republic. NOTE:  Cases not decided to the favorability of any "side" will likely come back for review in the future - so apparently tie vote cases will find resolution.

Dr. Larry Smetak

Balsam Lake, WI